Wednesday, November 24, 2010

First Snow Day!

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"! Wait a minute, it isn't even Thanksgiving yet! I cannot believe that it is only November and we have already had a foot of snow. It began this past Sunday the 21st, but the blizzard lasted all day long on Monday. They even closed the CG station.
People were stuck at Seatac Airport in Seattle due to all the ice and snow. A girlfriend of mine who lives in my neighborhood was stuck in Bremerton, as she tried to drive home from the airport. Her husband cut his deployment short in order to rescue her today.
Needless to say it has been completely crazy here, but at least I am getting a lot done around the house and Olivia was able to see and touch snow for the first time.
Our front yard.
Backyard.
Olivia and I about to play in the snow. I bought her snow suit before she was born, which she never used since it didn't snow last winter. It was a 3-6 month, so it was a bit tight, but we squeezed her in. Nothing was going to stop our snow day!
Her first steps in the snow. And yes those are my lounging around the house pants and not some crazy snow pants. Both Olivia and I wore our pj's all day long. Why not? It's not like we were going anywhere or had to look good for the snow!


About to touch the snow.
Holding a snow ball for a couple of seconds until it started to freeze her hand and then it was all over.

Kids in our neighborhood love to play on the hill behind our house, but this past week it has become a great sledding hill.
Our house.
The trees in the backyard look like great X-Mas trees. Hmm.....to bad we rent :)
I love all the snow piled up on the barbecue. It looks like a snow cone. I use this as my snow gauge.
Definitely a winter wonderland!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

First Professional Family Pics

This past weekend we as a family took our first professional photos in Sequim, WA. The exact location was the Dungeness Rec. Area, which is located on the bluffs of the Juan de Fuca Strait. Out of the location options Tara gave me I decided on this one since it sounded like it had the most fall colors and a variety of opportunities to show the beauty of where we live.
I emphasized to Tara our photographer that I wanted to capture the fall colors and that I also wanted to dress us in different fall colors. One to capture the season, but mainly to use colors that represented our individual personalities. Tara did a great job and miraculously captured the images in my head.
Tara is actually a friend of mine. I first saw her in a local newspaper about an up and coming photographer and when I read she was a coastie wife I just had to meet her, plus at the time I was looking for someone to do belly pics. Long story short we have become friends, although I don't see her much because she is crazy busy with her business. Ever since we meet I have been saying to her she is going to take pics of our family and finally with Olivia's 1st B-Day less than a month away I felt there was no better time than now! I am so glad we did it and can't wait to do it again with the next little kiddies we have. I am thinking we are going to have to live somewhere with enough wall space. HA!
Here is the website gallery you can view the photos. It will only be usable for the next 10 days.
Hope you enjoy the pics!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Olivia's First Halloween

Hurray! It is Olivia's first Halloween! As everyone says, holidays are so much better when you have kids. It's like reliving your childhood memories. Olivia also had a good time even though she had no idea what was going on or why she was wearing a puffy suit with spots.
The first party was the Saturday before Halloween at our CG friends house the Smith's. As you can see above Olivia was not the only animal for Halloween. She was joined by a monkey and lamb. I love batman running in the background.
The cow and the lamb sure liked the monkey and the monkey was liking his odds.
After sitting for the pics above my little cow for the rest of the night was all over the place. I would talk to someone for a couple of seconds and the next minute she was gone and I'd have to go on a hunt for her.
Olivia claiming all the toys. The baby doll dressed up as a cow I found at Walmart right after I bought her costume. I just couldn't pass it up, it even does mooing sound effects!
The monkey was checking out the baby cow.
Olivia's favorite thing to do when she likes another baby is to put her fingers either in their nose or mouth. It's her form of a handshake I guess. Actually when I think about it she does this with all my girlfriend's baby boys. Hmmm...
The cutest toad prince I have ever seen. Yes I will kiss you!

This is me trying to corral my cow. Story of my life!
Finally we get a pic together!
Kids wrap their mummy game.

A candid, but sweet moment.
Olivia stole Athena's (aka lamb) binkie, so to be fair she tried to take Olivia's. Too bad it was on a leash connected to her cow suit, this was quite entertaining.
Halloween day! I tried to be a farmer, but couldn't find overalls anywhere. We just got a Super Walmart and couldn't find one pair of overalls. Isn't that against the law? Anyway I ended up looking more like a cowgirl.
Olivia looks thrilled.
We bought a wagon to go trick or treat in. It is a ATW wagon and couldn't believe how much it cost! Only the best for our sweet pea! Seeing how much she loved the wagon at my Brother and Erica's wedding we just couldn't resist.
I love how her ride is in front of daddy's.
Olivia's first house/our next door neighbor.
The process of getting her out. However, she wanted me to carry her most of the way.
Trick or Treat! Olivia got Mommy and Daddy some good candy.
I loved how this neighbor decorated their front porch.
All our neighbors are extremely friendly and a lot of them invited me in to talk.
Our neighborhood really goes all out for holidays. I couldn't stop laughing at this little girls costume of an inflated rooster. When she ran, it was the funniest thing I have ever see. Best costume I saw.
I have become friends with a CG couple Corey and Catherine Anderson that moved in a couple of doors down this past summer. Corey is a Captain on one of the boats at the station, so he doesn't work with Charlie on the helicopter. Catherine invited us over after trick or treating for some food and drinks. I was amazed by the spread, which also included Frito chili pie and spiked punch with champagne.
Monica another neighbor of ours from Columbia made these cat and ghost shaped salmon spreads. Yum!
Monica's best friend who is from Argentina made these delicious cup cakes, which were embarrassingly my breakfast the next mourning.
Olivia loved Mattias who was dressed as Mickey mouse. Not sure if she is attracted to him being Mickey or that he is Latin. I really need to find girls for Olivia to play with.
Once again the "how do you do" hand in the mouth.

Olivia also wanted to play with the little girls who were dressed as fairies. However, by now all the kids were out of their costumes. For some reason the girls wouldn't play with Olivia.
Catherine is the hostess with the mostess.
Charlie and Catherine were trying to make Mattias and Olivia dance.
Ahhh, the slow dance.

Olivia is obsessed with getting into Milo and Sunny's dog bowls. Finally she found a partner in crime. I love how Olivia is licking the back of the bowl, soo sanitary. I also like that Catherine and Corey dressed their dog as batman, Corey was the joker.
Wow, what a weekend!