seattle: part 2
















these are the last of the photos from our trip to seattle. we spent our last few days wandering around the city and taking in more of the pacific northwest's beauty. it really is a lovely place to spend a spring vacation.

by this point in our trip, harper was more than a little cranky. maybe just being out of her normal routine, or from being seriously stimulated by all the newness, but it was rough. every time we got in the car there was a fit, mama lost her patience and daddy got fed up with mama losing it. it was rough. but then we got out and stretched our legs and all was well.

it made me really appreciate the traveling that i did with my family growing up. my parents took us on a vacation at least once a year from a very young age. we mostly drove, but went all across the country and saw more than our fair share of state capitols and historical landmarks. on one particular eleven hour road trip my brother asked "are we there yet?"before we got outside the city limits (we lived in a very small town!) traveling with young children isn't easy, so thank you, mom and dad for putting up with our ridiculous shenanigans and showing us the world.

wishing you a lovely weekend!

:: images from ::
:pikes place public market
:beecher's handmade cheese
:kerry park
:trophy cupcakes - seriously so good
:parsons garden

the island





















the island was amazing. no words. just images and the faint smell of the salty ocean in my memory.

p.s. if you are in seattle or visiting, i highly recommend taking the ferry to the san juan islands.

Our Trip to Seattle: Part One








Hello there! We are back home and settling back into our routines and work. We had such a wonderful time away in Washington with Christopher's brother, Taylor. Seattle is surrounded in beauty and we did our best with an almost two year old to explore as much of it as we could. (sometimes this was not so easy, but more on that later)

On our first day of vacation we drove to the mountains and spent the afternoon wandering around the little town of Leavenworth. We sampled the local pastries, stuck our heads in a few shops and headed out on a walk in the woods where Harper collected rocks and we took in the fresh mountain air.


oh, happy day!


thank you, harper for making me a mama. it has been the greatest ride of my life and each day brings new joys and a heart full of sweet memories.

happy mother's day, mom! i love you dearly. wishing all the mamas a lovely day.

off we go!




We are hopping on a plane and heading to Seattle! Christopher's brother moved to the lovely city last fall and we are going for a short vacation. Since we are flying, I put this little suitcase together for Harper's entertainment. I thought she might enjoy having her very own suitcase to carry as she seems to really mimic everything we are doing right now. Flying with squirmy toddlers can be tricky, so I tried to gather a few things that would keep her attention for a while. Hopefully these goodies (mostly some of her favorite little things) will keep her happy as well as our fellow passengers.

I've numbered them (although after I did, thought, well, duh it's pretty obvious)!

1. crayons and scrap paper
2. raspberry fruit strip
3. happy tot fruit puree
4. her favorite glasses
5. a new tiger we got at the zoo yesterday
6. light up shark
7. elmo book - she adores elmo!
8. necklace - cause she's the bead lady
9. watch - and she loves to dress up
10. bracelet
11. clicker - this is the only noise maker which might be confiscated before the flight takes off
12. piggy
13. stickers - girlfriend loves her stickers!
14. busy town book - has tons of little details to point out

*not included in picture that i added later - toy car, blankie, and her favorite bunny that won't fit in this tiny little suitcase. 


happy






this is happy. her record. she got it a while back when we were perusing the record store and happened to stumble upon a children's section. she grabs the album cover and lifts it above her head shouting, "happy, happy, happy!" and when the music comes on her little feet start moving and stomping and her smile gets so big. happy.

p.s. this is her dancing face! :)


p.p.s. don't mind the grubby dog hair covered rug. who has time to vacuum when there is music to dance to?