Week 15: Sacrifice - Seattle Weather

A few weeks ago while the whole country was having above average temperatures and beautiful weather we still had grey skies, frosty mornings, and rain. A lot of people often say "Wow, Seattle. You get a lot of rain." Really that's not true, the east coast accumulates more rain per year than Seattle does. But it is grey, we can't deny that.

Rob and I love living here. Although this time of year is my favorite for watching the blooms and listening to the Mariners, the Seattle summer is so worth the grey winter. I'd say it's a sacrifice that we gladly make.

Here is a pic that Josie and I captured on our walk today.

Week 14: Foolin’ Around - Fun in the pool

We just got back from ten relaxing days in Mexico. We headed down to Playa del Secreto just 15 minutes south of Cancun with 6 of our friends and Josie. We had a great time enjoying the food, the ocean, the pool, and good times with our best friends.

Josie had her first pool experience and it was lots of fun to fool around with her in the pool.

Week 11: The Eyes of March

These are not eyes, but it is March. Today I hosted 10 moms and babies to our house for a weekly meeting. These are all Josie's BFFs. It was fun to put our new dining room hutch to use and make it look fancy in the dining room. I made oatmeal chocolate chip dates cookies and hummus with fresh veggies. We ended the morning with our usual Wednesday morning mimosa tradition.

Week 10: Still Shot - Time to start seeds already?

Last year our garden was off to a great start but around July my skills to bend over were diminishing and the garden quickly fizzled. This year our hope is that Josie enjoys the outdoors as much as we do and will be happy to sit back and watch. This past week or two we have been sowing seeds and taking advantage of the heated bathroom floors.

Week 9 – Taking the Leap: Seattle Public Library

Taking this time to spend with Josie while she is a baby is so special and something nobody could have prepared me for. Part of me was thinking... "This will be great. I can get tons of knitting done and work around the house. Also my Garden is going to be off the hook this year" And while some of that might be true, the real truth is the majority of my day is spent figuring out how to entertain a 4 month old infant. The Seattle Public Library has helped more than I ever thought possible. Here's why:

1. Baby Story Time: Many branches have Baby Story Time, it's meant for babies 0-12 months. We get together, sing songs, read stories, and blow bubbles. It just so happens that Josie loves to look at other people, so these types of activities have worked out extremely well for us.

2. Free place to change and nurse: We go out for a lot of walks and to different neighborhoods. At some point Josie gets hungry and needs a change, so we go to a coffee shop. This means I buy coffee in order to use the facilities and feed Josie. Lately, I realize that I can typically find a library with a kids section where I can feed her and use the bathroom to change. No coffee needed!

3. Peppermint Patty: The downtown library has a cafe and it's a Chocolate Cafe. The Peppermint Patty is out of the world!

4. Library Book Bags: The library has these kid's book bags that can be checked out for infants and toddlers. The bags have 5 books (board books for the book-eaters!), a parents book, and a music CD. They all have different themes. It's a really cool idea.

Week 8 – Cabin Fever: New Shades

If you look at the forecast for Seattle right now it's rain, rain, and more rain for the next few days/weeks. Usually we love February. It can be sunny and warm and especially clear. Today was one of those days. Josie and I headed out for a 7 mile walk to Capital Hill and back and it was beautiful.

One thing you may not know about Seattle is that it sells more sunglasses than any city in the US. You are probably wondering why? It's such a surprise when it is sunny here so people forget where they placed their sunglasses and instead buy new ones. The point of the story is that someone got new sunglasses today in preparation of the spring/summer to come.

Week 6 - True Love: Rob and Allison

I don't have to make this a mushy post to boast about the fact that Rob is my true love and what a wonderful person he is, I tell him all the time. He is the best friend, dad, and partner that I could ask for and I am so thankful that we found each other.

I dusted off the old photo albums for this post. Some pictures from our wedding almost 9 years ago. Crazy how it feels just like yesterday.

Week 5 – Drink Up: The Station

Yes, I skipped week 4. So for Week 5 the focus is coffee. Since Josie joined our family, we still enjoy wine and beer but not as much as we used to. Instead I visit our neighborhood coffee shops a little more. And sometimes it is just an excuse to make sure I get out of the house - especially on rainy days! Our favorite Beacon Hill spot is The Station. The Mocha Mexicano is not to be missed!

Week 3 – Self-portrait: Josie and Mom

This is an older self portrait but I remember that this was the first time that Josie held up her head in the moby wrap. We were about to go out for a walk and it looks like she is saying something but she was really yawning. I dont have a lot of self portraits and any that I do have are of the attachment (Josie) that I am holding most of the day but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Week 2 – I Dreamed a Dream: Amalfi Coast

For some reason I have been dreaming a lot about the Amalfi Coast. It's probably my favorite place to visit. We love the little fishing town of Praiano. The town is small but has plenty of really great restaurants and the view are second to none. We've never had or wanted to rent a car there because everything is so accessible by foot or bus. And that's part of the adventure, right?

I have many fond memories of our two trips to Praiano, but one very specific part of these trips is the opportunity to ride the SITA bus. The SITA bus is the public bus that transports people around the Amalfi Coast. The Amalfi Coast drive alone is a really a treat to see, but to take that trip with one of the highly skilled (and usually good looking) SITA bus drive is an opportunity that shouldn't be missed.

I was able to find a short YouTube clip that I wanted to share.

52 Week Challenge - Week 1

In an effort to capture our 2012, we are going to take part in the 52 week photo challenge. Every week we'll post a picture that captures the theme for the week.



Here are the themes for the next few weeks.

Week 1 – ending Friday, January 6: Resolution
Week 2 – ending Friday, January 13: Made with love
Week 3 – ending Friday, January 20: I Dreamed A Dream
Week 4 – ending Friday, January 27: Self-portrait
Week 5 – ending Friday, February 3: Shadows
Week 6 – ending Friday, February 10: Drink up!
Week 7 – ending Friday, February 17: True Love
Week 8 – ending Friday, February 24: Cabin Fever

We're already a day late on week one and not following the theme. Not being a fan of sharing new year's resolutions we changed the theme to "Our Life" to capture what 2012 means to us. It's one of our (Allison's) favorite photos from the Holidays (of my two favorite people).