Seattle Rock & Roll Half-Marathon

This blog is full of Owen's "firsts" - but this posting is celebrating a first for us! The last weekend in June, we completed our first half-marathon! In January, three of Linnea's colleagues/friends signed up for the Seattle Rock & Roll Marathon/Half-Marathon and encouraged us to join also. I (Linnea) am not a runner. I enjoy jogging for exercise - but not the jogging itself, mostly just the feeling after I've completed the run! And the longest I've ever run is probably 5 miles. So taking on 13.1 miles was quite a commitment, and I (we) decided that it would be a great goal to work toward together, and a lot of fun to do it with a group of friends. So...starting in February, I began training. I ran twice a week for about 3-4 miles, and each weekend I did a longer run, going "up" one mile each week....4, 5, 6, 7, 8.... Brian on the other hand is a runner (thanks to his many years as a competitive soccer player!), and didn't actually begin the training until after he finished his April 15th tax deadline. He started by joining me on my 8 mile long run, and had no problem...even pushing Owen in the stroller the whole way! Brian & I stuck together at the event (although he probably could have gone a bit faster, and I appreciate him hanging with me!) and we completed the event - without walking (which was a goal!) - in 2hrs 13min. We had a blast! I think Brian actually enjoyed it enough that he's already considering doing it again next year. Me?...I sure had fun, and I'm really glad for the accomplishment...but I'm not signing myself up for another one yet :)

Christmas in June

For Christmas, Linnea's parents gave us the gift of sunshine with a trip to their vacation home in Arizona! We scheduled our trip for mid-June, leaving on a Thursday and returning on Tuesday. It was a wonderful getaway to a slice-of-paradise, where we enjoyed lots of sun, relaxation, and special family time!

Vacation....here we come!

Ahhh - paradise!

Of course, the weekend was spend with LOTS of pool time!

A fun cafe in the cute town of Verado

practicing my walking

And Owen enjoyed his first In & Out Burger experience!

Hm.....

Could someone cut it into smaller pieces for me?

Put me to work!

We took a road trip to Sedona - incredible!

Cooling off at a fun spot called "Slide Rock" - with natural rock waterslides! There was also plenty of spots for splashing & wading

Brian and dad (who took this photo) enjoyed a morning of golf, in celebration of dad's birthday!

Thank you for the wonderful trip!

First Haircut

Owen's hair was growing thicker & longer in the back - and it was time for his first haircut! We could have easily snipped it at home, but this was a fun occasion for a special "first" experience! We took Owen to "Little Clippers" - a hair salon for kids. They did a fantastic job! The waiting room contained play equipment, they entertained the kids with videos & bubbles, Owen sat in a yellow hummer, and his favorite part - the stylist let Owen hold a comb! Owen was very cooperative and sat nicely through the entire appointment. At the end they gave Owen a balloon and certificate commemorating the event. It was a fun experience and a sweet reminder that our baby is quickly becoming a little boy!

Townhouse

We're in our townhouse...and way behind on our blogging! First, we'll show off some pictures of our new place. And over the next few days we'll try to get up-to-date on all the other exciting happenings of this past month!

Prior to moving-in we had some remodeling done...primarily new flooring, paint, and an updated/expanded kitchen! We're enjoying our new home and slowly-but-surely getting settled in. Here are a few "before & after" pictures to show off our new place.

Kitchen - before:

Kitchen - after:

Master - before & after:

Owen's Room - before & after: