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:

1st Birthday Photos

We've officially moved into our townhouse! We are unpacking and slowly getting settled-in. We'll post pictures soon!

In the meantime, we just received some pictures of Owen we are excited to share. We had professional photos taken in honor of his 1st birthday. They did a great job, and he was very patient & cooperative. I love how they captured the many smiles and expressions of our sweet Owen!

Moving

We are moving into our townhouse this weekend...so as I sit here surrounded by boxes & packing material, I realize it may be a week or two before we'll be up & running for another blog posting. Stay tuned, and wish us luck!

Mother's Day Weekend

During Mother's Day weekend, Linnea's cousin Mark got married in the Seattle area which provided a perfect opportunity for a weekend trip up north!

On our way we stopped in Tacoma to visit one of Linnea's good college friends and their 6-month old son, Vincent

Prior to the Saturday evening wedding, we met with Linnea's family for an early Mother's Day celebration

Owen - showing off his new clapping skills!

The weather was beautiful - a perfect evening for an outdoor wedding at Novelty Hill Winery in Woodinville, WA.
We had a wonderful time, and enjoyed celebrating with Mark & Jen on their special day!

some family shots...click to enlarge

On Sunday morning, Brian & Amy came to our hotel for a visit and some play time with Owen!

click to enlarge

Getting ready to checkout, and Owen is enjoying looking over the balcony at all of the activity below!

Notice the amount of luggage for a weekend trip! Whew! As Linnea's dad often teases "10 pounds of baby and 50 pounds of gear!"

Before heading home, we enjoyed the beautiful Mother's Day weather with a picnic at a nearby park.

Owen is sitting in Linnea's lap. He's still getting comfortable with the texture of the grass, so it was easy to keep him on the blanket!

A sweet book from Owen...and he looks so proud!