Lost tooth + boat ride + mammal sightings = BEST DAY EVER

(This is Commencement Bay in Tacoma, I love this photo because of Mount Rainier and parasailers in the distance.)

Nolan's sentence pretty much summed up our day yesterday...

"This is the best day ever."

Connor's mom and Joe invited us for a cruise around the Puget Sound on their new boat.

So with the sun shining, we packed up our bags and a lunch to share with everyone on board.

Joe and Pat

(AKA The cap'n and his first mate)

Here we are on the Foss waterway in Tacoma, just chillin' on the front of the bow.
Their boat is lovely. It's a 29 foot Sea Ray with two sleeping cabins, a galley, and a cool open air deck with table and booth in the back. It's was a blast.

One of the reasons Nolan thought this was the BEST day ever was because he lost his final baby tooth. That tooth has been hanging by a thread for weeks. Here he is pointing out the spot where that nasty yellow tooth once held residence. (loose teeth rarely get brushed)

I have to admit that all of these photos came from this gal on the right... Shannon. She has an awesome camera and some killer photography skills.

We had fun chit chatting the day away.



Connor and Nick


Connor doing what he does best...torturing his niece, Nita.
This girl has no fear.
She was crackin' up the whole time.




Here are a few sea lions perched on a log outside Pat and Joe's marina.

We also saw a seal and some small porpoise while on our tour.

(Yet another reason Nolan thought it was the best day ever.)

Here are the cutest deck hands around.
Nolan, Nick, Jay, Jessica, Nita, and Ben.

We docked the boat on Maury Island to let the kids run and play at a playground. The boat ride is fun, but even little legs need a break from being confined.

Nothing beats a sunny day in the Northwest.
When the sun finally comes out, everything is lush, green, and almost glowing in the sunshine.
It was the perfect way to spend a day on a Memorial Day weekend...
I can guarantee you we will all remember this day.

Ninety years ago....

Happy Birthday Grandma Salty!

This lovely lady is my Grandmother.

Ninety years ago on this day she was born!

She is my father's mother and has always been a source of inspiration to me. She's the type of person you meet that can't help but make other people smile. Her wit and fun loving ways light up the room and keep people laughing. I love her dearly.

As a kid, we would visit her and grandpa at their beautiful house in Minnesota. It was built by my grandfather and was nestled in the trees on a small hillside along the banks of one of 10,000 Minnesota lakes.

I have fond memories of this place. I still cannot play dominos to this day without thinking of my grandma. I remember waking up each morning to a smorgasbord of breakfast goodies, but my all time favorite was grandma's toast. I swear she made the very best toast...it might be that it was made from white bread which we NEVER had, that was a big treat!

They had a pool table in their basement where my brothers and I perfected our game. When I wasn't playing pool shark you could find me sitting at her organ performing such tunes as Moon River and Que Cera Cera...

I loved fishing with her everyday, we'd hop in their little metal boat and cruise around the lake early in the morning trying to catch something yummy. I usually ended up catching a bunch of seaweed and she would always say.... "Looks like Kelly is serving salad tonight!"

My grandma has the best sense of humor. She even had a fishing hat that she embellished with sequin letters that said "Happy Hooker". Gotta love that crazy lady!

Those summers spent in Minnesota have created fond lasting memories that I will never forget.

I can't help but smile when I think about her, she's just so special. For ninety years now she has spread her joy and I'm so thankful she's in good health. I have no doubt she is celebrating this milestone with a smile on her face and a spring in her step.

I love you Grandma!

Oh the places we'll go!

For once I really don't even care that my photo is hideous...

I opened the mailbox today to see a couple of very official envelopes waiting for me. After a second or two, I knew exactly what they were and a smile stretched across my face.

Can you believe Connor and I just received our very first passports today? How lame is that? I know... pretty lame. But now we have the ability to hop on a plane and go ANYWHERE in the world and that, my friends, is NOT lame.

I am happy to have this tiny little booklet with my ugly mug on the first page for many reasons. First off, it means that my trek to Mexico is getting closer and that I don't have to worry about this passport thingy anymore. And second, it means that Connor and I will be able to see the world as we have talked about countless times over our life. It just makes me happy knowing we have one less thing stopping us from reaching our goals. We can jet off to London if we really want to... Or, climb aboard a cruise ship bobbing in the Mediterranean Sea.... Or, scale up the side of Machu Picchu to see the amazing lost village. SO COOL!!

Who knew that a little blue booklet issued by the American government can bring such joy!

Now, I just need to get Nick and Nolan their very own little blue books so they can see this amazing world right along side us!

Mother's Day 2009

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope all the mom's I know are thoroughly enjoying their day. My kiddos haven't let me lift a finger except for the one attached to my fork. They made me a wonderful breakfast of french toast, sausage, and hash browns. YUM.

Nick gave me a little book filled with poems he wrote... some funny and others more serious. I love it.

Nolan painted a lovely picture with watercolors and use a black sharpie marker to draw a meadow of flowers. It's so pretty I'm going to frame it.

Have a wonderful day and take a minute to watch one of my all time favorite you tube videos made especially for mother's day.

It's so stinkin' funny!

Schmoopy

My friend and fellow-blogger, Karen, had one of the best ideas to keep in touch with her hubby.

Yes... please take the time to read her fantastic idea before going any farther...

See what I mean?

Brilliant.

Simple.

Sweet.

Perfect.

So, even Connor was sold after reading her post and asked me when we were going to get a whiteboard?

Well, we are now the proud new owners of what we like to call the "schmoopy board".

(A gazillion years ago, on the sitcom "Mad About You", whenever Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt were being sweet and doting on one another they used to say they were being schmoopy. My sister-in-law, Shannon, started using that phrase on us whenever she caught Connor and myself holding hands or hugging. She says "Oh...look at the Schmoopifers!" and then usually rolls her eyes. :) )

Yesterday...Connor wrote his very first note.

It cracked me up and made me smile.

Then apparently Nick found the note...

Spoken like a true twelve year old.

This too, make me crack up and smile.

Maybe our schmoopy board isn't in the best location...but we really do not have a place in the house where only Connor and I would see it. That's OK... It'll be fun to see the added commentary from time to time.

Soak up the Son

The other night while we all sat on the couch watching the latest installment of America's Funniest Home Videos it hit me like a rock...

My boys are getting older at a pace I'm not entirely happy with. It wont be very long at all before they get to the point that sitting with mom and dad watching the tube just wont float their boats. I need to absorb every last bit. I need to take them up on every invitation they throw my way. I need to put my busy work aside to play the Spongebob Edition Life game whenever Nolan begs me to. (And some of you know how I despise the game of Life.) When they ask me to sit and watch the newest episode of Ben 10, I will happily oblige. Watching cartoons just isn't my thing, but I need to remember hanging with my boys IS my thing.

Somehow these thoughts washed over me as Nolan lay happily in my lap begging me to play with his hair while we watched and laughed at the crazy people doing stupid things on TV. Nicholas curled up on my other side and seemed as happy as a clam to be cuddled up on the couch with his family. It made me SO VERY HAPPY! But at the same time, made me a little sad to know these days are numbered.

I guess the best way to deal with this predicament is to just soak it all in. I love these kids and the thought of them not being kids makes me sad. I know they will be great adolescents and adults when the time comes, but for now I need to remember childhood is fleeting. So bring on the Battleship playing, Bug catching, Baseball throwing, snake viewing, stick widdling, and whatever boyish fun is due to come my way!