Saturday, July 18, 2009

4th of July Celebration

Long overdue...but it's been so hard to sit in front of a computer for an extended period of time!

Fourth of July in Lynden was a blast! Literally....Thanks to Bo's crafty negotiating skills at the "rez," we ended up with quite a selection of fireworks to blow off in the back yard. We headed up early on Friday, managing to sort of beat the traffic.

Brian bounces Lily on the ever-present bouncy ball. I really don't know what we'd do without it.


Lily beats the heat in the shade of the back yard


Nana and Lily spend some quality time


In other news...Hogan got her toe amputated...and here is the resulting look she's sporting.


Exhausted after a long day!


The next day my Dad, Brian, and I hit up Raspberry Ridge to play a quick round of golf before the festivities began. Then it was back home to celebrate! Kim, Bo, and Rian arrived (with Fireworks), and we were off and running. We spend most of the day yelling "Wait until it's dark!!" to Bo and Brian, as they let off firework after firework. The phrase, "That would have been pretty in the dark" was uttered more than once.

This amazed me...the firework stand actually sold a pre-packaged child sized backpack that was filled with fireworks. We're not talking sparklers and poppers, which would have been bad enough...these were full on fireworks in a CHILD'S backpack.(Some of them were really cool though...and please know...she only had her hands on it for this picture!)


Bo shows Rian the finer points of those little nuggets that pop when you throw them on the ground.


Rian and Lily had matching fourth of July outfits.


Yep..these will never be worn again. Sure are cute though!


The "quiver" of fireworks.


Brian risks life and limb for our entertainment


We had a few misfires...this one not only broke through the launching pad, it put a crater in the lawn below. This was when most of us began to take cover.


One of Rian's fountains


Brian and Lily lounge around the back yard


Chillin on the blanket


Cue series of adorable shots of the "many faces of Lily." Cute...


Cuter


Even cuter


Cutest


And too cute for words


After a wardrobe change


Hey look..a firework that looks like a flaming pile of poo!


Rian supervising the show


Bo takes a break from the pyrotechnics and poses with his lovely wife!


Papa and Rian surveying the damage to the yard


The 4th of July is my Brother's favorite holiday


Bo turns the corner from "lover of fireworks," to "crazy pyro!!"


Rian is shocked at her Dad's behavior


Finally...it starts to get dark, and Rian experiences her first sparkler!


I get into the act


Brian shows us both up, with his patented "four sparkler/one legged technique."


When it got dark enough, we unleashed our finale firework, which was ominously named..."Meet the Neighbors." It was pretty awesome...25 shots into the air, with appropriately patriotic music playing in the background. My Mom took an amazing video of this...which I will hopefully post HERE when I get my hands on it!

The next day, with our eardrums still ringing, we headed off to Lummi Island in the San Juan's for "Shrimp on the Deck" at the Willows Lodge. A little restaurant on a tiny island, with AMAZINGLY fresh food and a gorgeous view.

A gorgeous setting for dinner


Spotted prawns, so fresh, they were jumping out of the cooler they sat in on the deck. The Chef cooked them right there, and served them moments after preparation. They were seriously some of the best prawns I've ever tasted!!


Mom and Dad...happy after a wonderful weekend!



Smiling after an amazing meal (and the fact that Lily slept for the ENTIRE dinner!)



It was truly and awesome weekend spent with family! We're looking forward to upcoming visits from Jenny, Sean, and Adriah, and a big family wine tasting trip to Walla Walla!!

In Lily news...She had her 8 week check up! She's healthy as a horse...9 lbs, 10 oz...22 inches long. I think she's had even more of a growth spurt in the past week or so. She's sleeping throug the night almost every night. (6+ hours a night..knocking on wood.)

More adventures to come!

~Hugs

Monday, July 6, 2009

Ron and Maggie Visit!

Just a couple of weekends ago Ron and Maggie came to Seattle to meet their new grandbaby...Lily! (Oh and we were there too)!

They arrived early on Saturday morning, and we headed off to Alki Beach for an amazing brunch at Salty's. It is one of those all-you-can eat brunches, but with AMAZING food. There was plentiful fresh seafood, fried seafood, all the breakfast items you can think of (and some you can't), prime rib...and so much else, I can't begin to remember. The desserts were insane as well...and included a huge chocolate fountain. Brian ate his weight in Oysters, I worked on singlehandedly decimating the dungeness crab population, and Ron and Maggie sampled a little bit of everything. It was really fun!

Maggie says hello for the first time


Stealing a kiss at brunch


Ron and Maggie pose on the deck with Lily


The whole group...a bad shot (taken by a bystander)


We spent the rest of the day at home catching up with Ron and Maggie, and Lily got to know her other set of grandparents!

Grandma goes in for a close up


Ponch tries to pull one over on Grandpa and steals some attention from Lily


This is more like it...Grandpa and Lily


On Sunday, my parents headed down for a quick breakfast and to visit with Ron and Maggie. Then...more Lily time for Grandma and Grandpa. We also enjoyed a nice dinner, with salmon provided by my Dad's recent fishing trip.

On Monday we headed out to Ballard to visit the Locks, and then made a trek to Pike Place Market. We had a delicious brunch at Etta's, and spent some time wandering around the market. Ron and Maggied wheeled and dealed, and we all picked up some amazing fresh cherries and berries.

Some boats leaving the locks


A gorgeous day in Ballard!


Ron and Maggie smile and wonder...just what is a "lock."


The boats heading out to sea


Brian and Lily pose with Grandma and Grandpa


Gorgeous hanging baskets in the Market


Brian and his Dad


After our visit to the market, we headed to the airport to drop off Ron and Maggie. It was such a great visit, and we can't wait to see them again soon!

~Jen