The Long Trip Home

So the problem with going home for four weeks is that by the end of it, we felt like we just lived there again. We thought about sending for the cat and calling it a day with the whole Zurich thing, but decided there were a few too many faces we were going to miss!

I feel like if I went through every detail of our four weeks in Seattle / Walla Walla I might wind up with a Kenya sized blog...so I will do my best to hit the highlights and attach as many pictures as I can manage.

We started out with two nights in Woodinville at my Dad & Allison's place - it was so fun seeing my dad with his grand daughter, they were fast friends and took a couple very cute and cuddly naps together! Allison was a great resource since Hadley is her 6th grandchild and she is also a nurse, so I of course had a million questions for her - together they are like the babysitting dream team! I am so bummed I didn't get more photos of our time there, but this one will do:Grandpa Guy & Hadley taking the cutest nap ever

Next up -- Walla Walla for two weeks. We timed our visit just right to hit up our very first Spring Release wine weekend. Kyle and Tarra came over from Seattle and we took advantage of the extras at all of the wineries (e.g. cheese, live music, more cheese, and of course free wine...did I mention the cheese?). It was pretty cool to have our second babysitter ever since becoming parents and we had a great time at the Green (the local Walla Walla bar) with the whole crew that evening. Vicki and Bruce also belong to the wine club at Three Rivers (where we had our rehearsal dinner) and they took us all as their guests to a delicious wine breakfast the next morning.

The following weekend, Vicki & Bruce put on a Mother's Day brunch with the whole family. It was so fun finally introducing Hadley to all of her Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles & Cousins...Wyatt was a little jealous at first but after a while he was calling her "his baby Hadley" which was so fun. It will be awesome to see them grow up together once she's able to keep up with him playing in the dirt :) We got some great shots of Hadley with her Great Grandparents, Joyce and Dick Boldman, who share their wedding anniversary (their 60th) with her birthday!

Great Grandma & Grandpa Boldman with Hadley

Mother's Day (Grandpa Bruce, Grandma Vicki, Great Grandma & Grandpa Boldman)

The moms on Mother's Day

We also had a very nice visit with Great Grandpa and Grandma Maughan (Bruce's Dad & his wife) who had just come out on the other side of a terrible car accident, thank goodness they are both ok!

Grandma Vicki spoiled Andy & I by babysitting on a few occasions which gave us a chance to try a couple of great new spots in Walla Walla and spend some baby free time with our friends. It is so much easier to leave Hadley when we know she is in such good hands. Thank you Vicki!

We had a great time barbecuing with Andy's Dad Larry & stepmom Jo - wish we could've seen you guys more! But we must thank them for very generously starting Hadley's college fund for her :)

After Walla Walla it was time for another stop in Woodinville (with my Dad & Allison for my step-niece Alyssa's 3rd birthday party), two nights in Anacortes (with my Mom & Loren for some great meals and hog/vespa rides), one night with Robin & Chris, a night at Derek & Mary Lee's beach cabin, and finally stopped at Ange & Nick's in order for me to throw a baby shower for their little bundle, Deven Porter Johnston who is due in June! It was a whirlwind week packing up the pack and play and all that goes with a small child for one night in each place but in the end, it was so worth it! We also got to visit Julie, Joel & Bennett twice which was wonderful - Bennett is such a trooper (as are his parents) and we are wishing him all the luck in the world for his surgery coming up on June 18th.

Who's 3? Alyssa!

What cool Grandparents...

Loren & Andy racing the Hog / Vespa

Auntie Robin

Part of the crew enjoying a delicious dinner at Derek & MaryLee's in Hood Canal

Andy, Mary Lee & Derek enjoying cocktails in the Hood Canal sunshine

Ange opening her gifts

Benn & Hadley

My mom was also amazing helping me throw Ange's shower and watching Hadley while I attended various appointments downtown - she took off work on several occasions just for us - what wonderful Grandparents Hadley has!

We ended our trip with Andy flying to LA for 4 nights for a KPMG "training" / Jimmy Buffet concert with all the guys :) I was a little nervous to be a single parent for 4 days but my great friends Caitlin and Simmon took me in and treated Hadley and I like royalty. They were amazing. Simmon changed diapers and rocked Hadley to sleep so Caitlin, Cassie and I (the bestie threesome from high school) could catch up. They were such wonderful hosts and I can't wait to spend more time with them when we move home! One evening we were able to get most of the Woodinville girls together with all our kiddos, so fun!The Woodinville Girls & some of the babes

On my/our last day (my birthday=, while waiting for Andy to come in from LA, I took a walk around Greenlake with Hadley and then met my mom & Loren and my dad & Allison and I all met at Thirteen Coins near the airport to celebrate my 28th birthday. It was so cute watching them all take their turns passing Hadley around, she had a ball...I am so grateful to all four of them for the fact that we can get together like that! Andy swooped in with about an hour to go until we had to be at the airport and away we went...

It was tough to come back to Zurich...almost bittersweet knowing that we'll really have to say goodbye this time. I think this 4 weeker was a good practice run, we'll see if I can hold it together for the real thing!

Thank you to all of you at home that made our trip so wonderful. Thank you to Lea for getting Vicki's car back to her (and for the birthday cocktail) and thank you to Vicki for letting us borrow said car for nearly a month!

Well that only took me a few days to finish! See you in August ;)