Anacortes or Bust - The 2009 Oyster Run

This weekend we found ourselves in Anacortes with my mom and Loren for the 28th annual Oyster Run (a great big motorcycle festival). Since my parents recently got into riding themselves it was fun to see them blend in with all the bikers in their gear and to check out the beautiful bikes (lots of Harleys). We enjoyed our fair share of greasy corn dogs and fire roasted corn as well.

Hadley was a charmer and it was priceless seeing a bunch of big tough biker dudes making silly faces and cooing at a baby. At one point Clophie the giraffe (her favorite) went missing (she's taken to chucking toys out of her stroller lately) and grandma went on a recon mission back through the crowd...she finally spotted Clophie being squeaked to death by a big biker chick. She was kind enough to return her to the rightful owner after my mom (also decked out in leathers so as not to be messed with) exclaimed, "that's my granddaughters!"! How cute is that.


http://www.oysterrun.org/

Grandma, I got you a tooth for your birthday!

For Grandma Vicki's 60th birthday, Hadley managed to pop a little tooth through (her first :) all while enjoying the party and smiling big for the family photos. Such a trooper!

More to come on Vicki's 60th, especially once we get the photos back - but I just had to announce to the world that our baby got a tooth! So exciting!

1st Annual MBDH Hood Canal Bonanza (Sept 2009)

Like the title? The MBDH stands for Mariani (Cait & Si), Block (Us), Dill (Chris, Cassie, Hannah & Elle) and Hagen (Matt & Candice - who is not really a Hagen yet but she will be).

This weekend the 11 of us got over to Seabeck, WA (Hood Canal) where Caitlin's family (The Woolman Clan with whom I grew up) own a little plot of heaven right on the canal. Over the years they've built 3 separate "shabins" on their property which turned out to be just perfect for all our little families to squeeze into!

We spent two days/nights crabbing, oyster diving (and eating said fresh crab and oysters in obscene quantities) kayaking, camp firing, pudgie pie'ing (delicious little wonder bread pocket filled with s'more ingredients and sometimes pie filling - then roasted in the campfire...dear god they were good) and basically laughing til it hurt!

We've decided this will be an annual trip - if we can wait that long....Hey Cait & Si, what are you doing next weekend? ;) Thanks, guys, for such a great trip!

They just grow up so fast...

Seven months already - the time is just flying by! At the moment we're packing up and getting ready for two nights in Seabeck, WA with the Mariani clan so we'll keep this quick!

September 12, 2009 - 7 months old
Height: 25.5 inches (22nd percentile)
Weight: 15 lbs. 5 oz. (20th percentile)
Head circumference: Can't remember but her head was in the 65th percentile (The Dr. said it must be all those brains :)

Latest words: Screams at everyone (happy screaming), ma, goo, ba, etc. You get the picture, lots of babbling.

Favorite Things: Being thrown sky high and squealing for more, her new bedroom (cozy pink elephant crib bedding), sitting in high chairs and shopping cars like a big kid (she thinks that is hilarious and laughs the whole time), being naked in general and finally getting the hang of car trips.

Favorite Foods: Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Peas, Bananas. More to come!

Dislikes: First diaper rash...and boy was that not pretty. She stayed in pretty great spirits through it though. Oh, and 6 month shots...shots are so sad :(

Accomplishments: Rolls, almost crawls (we've almost been crawling for a while now :) but I think it actually might happen soon for real. Either that or she's going to skip it all together and go straight to walking. She also sits up and plays (though she does topple over from time to time so she's frequently surrounded by pillows).

Highlight of the month: Going to the horse races at the Walla Walla Fair with Daddy & Grandpa Larry. And the trip to the Seattle Aquarium with all her baby friends. She loved the people watching!

The Seattle Aquarium & a new pantry

While Daddy was busy building us shelves in our new pantry, Hadley & I went to the Seattle Aquarium with Julie & Bennett, Ange & Deven and Alice & Lucas. Hadley liked being the only girl baby and was very interested in all the boys (shhh, don't tell Dad).

Bennett riding shotgun on Hadley's stroller

Ange & D's first ever trip to a restaurant (Red Robin on the waterfront)

The proud carpenter and his muse

The Walla Walla Fair & Frontier Days

This past week while Andy is still enjoying his sabbatical, we journeyed over to fabulous Walla Walla, WA to take in the fair. I myself love a good county fair. I grew up working every summer at the Evergreen State Fair at my dad's coffee booth, and I used to love going to watch all the 4-H events as a lot of the girls from my stable showed their horses (I never did show Ebony, she was a little too old for that, but we had fun watching and helping all the girls get the horses ready, cleaning stalls and participating in some amateur barrel racing :) We decided to do it right and hit all the big events - Blake Shelton in concert (he was quite good!), unfortunately we missed the demo derby as it was sold out (only in Walla Walla would the demolition derby sell out but not the concert...), rodeo two nights and some horse races with Andy's dad on Sunday. Turned out I had a knack for picking the winning horse and we won about $50. Not bad.

We didn't get a lot of photos but here are some from the long weekend...

Hadley airing out her bum

Blake Shelton in concert

Andy & Hadley watching ESPN

Cousins Andi & Gabby playing so sweetly with Hadley

Poppa Bruce making her laugh like no one else can!

Ryan, Michelle & Wyatt on the ferris wheel

Michelle, Wyatt, Me & Hadley at Brunch for Angie's birthday

Hadley & Wyatt playing

My favorite from the weekend...Andy throwing Hadley in the air (her favorite)