Sale Scoop

39 Weeks...

2009-01-24T22:09:00.001-08:00

I am now 39 weeks pregnant and 2 cm dilated. We are all getting very anxious for Baby Girl Sale to make her appearance. The girls keep asking for her to come out and Ian is constantly asking me if I am in labor. I was hoping she would have decided to join our world today, but since it is 10pm, I don't think she is going to make it. Maybe tomorrow... I was due with Jenna and Miranda on the 15th and they were both born on the 11th so if this little girl is anything like them, she will grace us with her presence on January 27th, which also happens to be my Dad's birthday. Here are the latest pictures of my belly. I don't think it can get any bigger!! We'll see if this is the last of the belly shots or if there will be a 40 week picture- let's hope not!!

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-26T19:39:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas Day. Here is what we have been up to:

On Tuesday we built a gingerbread house together. It was a lot of fun! It turned out really cute and the girls enjoyed eating the extra candy too!

On Christmas Eve we woke up to more snow! We spent a nice day together making cookies for Santa and being together since Ian was able to come home from work nice and early. After dinner we ventured out in the snow to drive through a few neighborhoods that all decorate their houses with lots of lights and Christmas decorations. When we got home, we prepared the cookies, water and carrots for Santa and the reindeer. Then off to bed to read "Twas the Night Before Christmas". When the girls were all settled in bed, Ian and I finished wrapping and played "Santa", setting up everything for the next morning.

We had a nice Christmas Day here at the Sale house. Thankfully the girls didn't wake up too early and Jenna was the first one awake. She came into our room and we wished her "Merry Christmas". She then went to the hallway and was able to see that Santa did make it to our house! She was pretty excited!! As soon as Miranda woke up, Jenna made sure to show her the evidence of Santa being there! Then they immediately wanted to go downstairs! All that Miranda really "asked" for from Santa was a cradle for her babies. Of course the first thing she said when she saw all the presents was, "Which one is my cradle". She was very excited that Santa really did bring one! I think "Santa" did a great job picking out presents for the girls. They really seemed happy and played with everything all day yesterday. With all the snow that we have had over the past 2 weeks, we knew we were going to have a White Christmas. But, believe it or not, it even snowed yesterday!!! We got another 3 or 4 inches of snow. Some of the snowflakes were so big that they looked like cotton balls falling from the sky. And it even snowed more today!! We thought it was only supposed to rain, but of course snowflakes were falling from the sky instead! It was very wet so nothing measurable, but it still amazes me! Have a nice weekend and enjoy the last few days of 2008!!!

This picture was taken on Tuesday. We still have about the same amount of snow on the table!
Our Gingerbread House

Setting out the cookies, water & carrots for Santa & the reindeer
White Christmas
Santa really did come to our house!!!

A Razor scooter for Jenna...
A Leapster for Miranda...
And Santa even remembered the cradle she asked for!!
Here are a few pictures of my belly. I am 35 weeks now. The baby should be about 5 1/4 pounds and 18 inches long and is compared in size to a honeydew.
Miranda already loves her baby sister...
Jenna is going to be a great big sister again!

Snow Much Fun!!

2008-12-21T09:31:00.000-08:00

For the last week, we have had our share of snowy weather!! The latest storm started about 4pm yesterday and it snowed through much of the night. The winds picked up too so some of the snow drifted a little. Ian and the girls have been outside for about an hour so far- Ian shoveling & the girls playing! They are enjoying the big mound of snow they call Mount Rainier! I have been able to enjoy the snow from the comfort of our nice warm house & I have been taking pictures through the window. Enjoy the pictures!

These first few pictures were taken on Thursday when we thought we got a good bit of snow!

The rest of these pictures were taken this morning.
Icicles... Notice the ones on the street light in the distance!

My poor snowmen lights are buried!!!
Austin, Tyler & Jenna buried in the snow!
Miranda

Jenna & Miranda on top of Mount Rainier

More Christmas Fun...

2008-12-14T21:09:00.001-08:00

Today was Jenna & Miranda's Christmas Dance Show. They have both been practicing very hard. I was a little worried that Miranda might get nervous since this was going to be her first "recital" on stage in front of an auditorium of Mom's & Dad's & other spectators. The show started at 2pm, but I took the girls backstage at 1:15 to get ready in their costumes. It was cute seeing them walk hand in hand to get ready. The show was really good and both girls did a great job!! Miranda actually sang and danced!! She looked adorable in her little red tutu, spinning around and tap dancing! This was a great warm up for her for the big recital in June. And once again, Jenna did a great job too!! She looked so comfortable on stage and she sang and danced perfectly. Can you tell I am a proud mommy right now???? I hope you enjoy their singing and dancing as much as I do!! Merry Christmas!!

Here is the video of Miranda. She is the second one from the right, the smallest one there.

Here is the video of Jenna. She is the first one on the left.

"It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas"...

2008-12-13T14:41:00.001-08:00

That time of year is here again!! We have been busy with a few parties, Miranda's Christmas concert, visiting Santa and the carousel in downtown Seattle. Tomorrow the girls will be performing in their dance school's Christmas Show. And next week Jenna will have her Christmas Concert at school. We decorated the house last weekend and it feels so cozy and festive. We decided to put the tree in the living room this year and I think it looks perfect! Enjoy a peak into our home!

Miranda waiting to see Santa at the Flagship Nordstrom store in Downtown Seattle
Miranda didn't want to sit on Santa's lap, but she was happy sitting next to him on the rocking horse!
Jenna telling Santa her Wish List...
Miranda telling Santa she wants a cradle for her babies...

The Macy's star and the carousel...
Riding the carousel...

Here is a video of Miranda singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" at her preschool Christmas Concert. Enjoy!!

"It's a Small World After All"

2008-11-30T20:05:00.000-08:00

We took a trip to Disney World for a few days before Thanksgiving. I was unsure about how Jenna and Miranda would do with all the characters, since they are both pretty afraid of mascots and people dressed up in costumes. But they did a great job!! Jenna loved all the princesses she met and even all the other Disney characters. Miranda tried to be brave and get the courage up to see Pluto, who is one of her favorites, but as soon as Mickey waved to her she lost it. At least she was able to handle it enough for Jenna to enjoy getting her picture taken. Both girls loved the rides and were not afraid of anything, not even the Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean! They enjoyed the parades, shows & fireworks too! We met Ian's brother & his family there so the girls also had fun seeing their 3 cousins and riding the rides with them. We were at the parks when they opened and stayed all day until about 8 or 9pm. I couldn't believe how well the girls managed the long days and all the walking. Luckily we rented a double stroller there so they were able to get pushed around when they were tired. They sure did sleep good at night!! See you again soon, Disney World!!

Magic Kingdom, here we come!!!

Lindsay was getting tired so Jenna let her lay on her lap and she actually fell asleep! Jenna was rubbing her back- it was really cute!
Snack time!! Yummy!!
Jenna & Cinderella
Jenna & Belle
Jenna & Princess Aurora (a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty)
Checking out Minnie's House
Getting ready for a 3-D show...
The castle looked so pretty with all the lights...
Jenna & Mickey
Jenna, Lisa & Miranda with Pluto
Jenna & Minnie
Jenna & Donald Duck
Jenna & Goofy
Jenna & Belle

Jenna with Jasmine, Aladdin & the Genie
Miranda after a long day of fun...
Amber & Jenna figuring out what ride to go on next!
Miranda, Jenna, Lindsay, Amber & Allie before the Toy Story ride
The Tower of Terror

Miranda & Lindsay

Jenna & The Fairy Godmother
Jenna & Ariel
Miranda didn't want to ride Dumbo, but luckily there was one for her to sit in & play on!

Jenna loves the outdoors!

2008-11-30T19:01:00.000-08:00

Over the last few weeks, Jenna has really enjoyed some outdoor fun with Ian. A few blocks from our house there is a park called Meadowdale Park that has a nice walking trail that leads all the way down to the beach and the Puget Sound. Ian and Jenna decided to hike it one afternoon while Miranda napped and so did I! Here is what they found along the way:

Here is a salmon making its way upstream...

Pretty amazing that they can make it with their bodies this far out of the water!

We also bought an inflatable kayak to use on our boat as well as in the lakes around our house. Just a few miles from home there is a small lake with a nice park called Martha Lake. Ian and the girls ventured out on the kayak, but Miranda wasn't as thrilled with it as Jenna was. Jenna even does a nice job paddling with Ian.

Jenna and Ian all the way on the other side of the lake...

Jenna, Miranda & Chinese Cabbage

2008-11-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

As the days have grown shorter and darker and my belly bigger, I have been feeling more tired at the end of the day so my blog updates have been lacking. I really need to try to update once a week, especially since my girth should be steadily increasing. Since I last posted, we enjoyed watching Miranda at dance class, a trip to Remlinger Farm for the fall festivities, another boat trip, Halloween and moving Miranda into her new room to make way for Baby #3. Here is a photo journey of the last 6 weeks:

Miranda with Miss Sue and the rest of her dance class

Jenna enjoying a pony ride at Remlinger Farms...
Riding the steam train...

And the canoes...
Yummy caramel apples...

Jumping in the hay...
Jenna loves rock climbing walls!
Two friendly ghosts...
Cruising to Lopez Island with 3 girls in my lap :-)

Jenna at her school Halloween Parade...
Miranda and her friend Kai, waiting for the parade...
Snack time...
Trick or Treating in Downtown Edmonds...

Is she clean or dirty???
Miranda in her new room...
Jenna at High School Musical: The Ice Tour
My belly at 28 weeks: Babycenter.com says that the baby is the size of a Chinese Cabbage, also know as Bok Choy. What do you think???

"Even if something is left undone,

2008-10-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn." -Elizabeth Lawrence

Fall is one of my most favorite seasons. I love to see the leaves change color and to feel the days and nights get cooler. Last weekend was beautiful so we took advantage of the nice weather and went out on the boat for the weekend. We went to Friday Harbor and had a nice time walking around the town and having a yummy dinner. We are keeping our boat in the water year round so we will be able to take a trip or just a cruise whenever the weather allows.
Miranda & Jenna sitting on the harbor mascot, Popeye, the sea lion.

Miranda dressing up as a whale at the Whale Museum.
Miranda & I in the skeleton of a whale. It was huge!!!

When we were cruising back to our marina, we passed this group of seals laying on a sand bar.
September 11th was Miranda's 3rd Birthday. We celebrated with a cake that she picked out by herself. It is supposed to be the decoration for a baby shower cake, but as soon as she saw the baby she had to have that one!! She was so excited!!!

Making sure baby is icing-free!!!
A few weekends ago we went to the Seattle Boat Show, which is in the water on Lake Union. It was a beautiful day to look at beautiful boats. One of the special boats there was the "Sea Star", a crabbing boat featured on "The Deadliest Catch". It was neat being able to walk through and to see all the equipment up close.

It's A...

2008-09-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

GIRL!!!!
We are very excited about Baby #3 being another little girl. Jenna and Miranda said that they wanted a brother, but they are just as excited about having a little baby sister. Ian figured it was going to be another girl and he is pretty happy about it too. It makes it a lot easier since we have girl everything from Jenna and Miranda. We would have broken the bank buying all blue and boy stuff!! Here are a few of our ultrasound pictures. It is amazing how much bigger she is from my last ultrasound at 12 weeks.

Here she is laying on her back, in the same pose as my 12 week ultrasound.
In this picture she is looking at us. You can see her 2 eye sockets are the black sections. And her arms and hands are up on either side of her face. You can even see her ribs on either side.
Here are her 2 little feet. They seem so big in this picture, but the technician measured them and they are about 1 1/2 inches long. It is nice to see the feet that like to kick me when I lay down at night to fall asleep!

20 Weeks!!!

2008-09-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe, but I am 20 weeks pregnant already! Where have the weeks gone??? Tomorrow is the big day- my ultrasound!!! It is scheduled for 4:30pm and I can't wait. I hope this little person who is now the size of a banana will cooperate so we can find out if we need pink or blue. Here are a few pictures of me and my belly. Any guesses??? Try not to blind yourself with my white belly! It has been covered in a tankini all summer! I will post the results of the ultrasound and some pictures tomorrow when we get home.

Miranda's 1st Day of Preschool

2008-09-05T21:01:00.001-07:00

Today was the day Miranda has been waiting for... her first day back at Preschool. This year Miranda is attending the same preschool that Jenna went to last year. She has been pretty excited about it for a long time and she has been telling me that she isn't going to cry for me because she is a big girl now. Even though she is very familiar with the school and the teachers since she was with me when we would drop off and pick up Jenna last year, I was still worried that she would get shy this morning and not want me to leave. We dropped Jenna off at school at 8:15 this morning and Miranda's class doesn't start until 9 so we had a little time to kill. Miranda kept asking, "Is it time for my school yet?". Finally her time came and she was all smiles walking into the building and down the hallway to her class. We put her school bag in her cubby and then went into her class and said "Hi" to Miss Lacey, her teacher. Miranda knew that the classrooms all have a lot of baby dolls to play with so she headed right to them and started feeding one a bottle. I signed her into class and told her that it was about time for me to leave. She asked me to stay and play with her and I told her that I couldn't stay, but I would be back very soon to pick her up. She said "Okay Mommy" and with that I was able to kiss her good-bye, tell her I loved her and she was on her own. They have a little window into the classroom that I peaked at her through and she was as happy as can be and waved good-bye to me again. What a big girl she has become!! I am so proud of her! Her class was over at 12 and I got there a few minutes early and I was able to see them walk out to play on the playground. She looked so cute with her classmates and I heard her say, "Yeah playground" and then she took off running to ride a tricycle. Miss Lacey said she had a great day. Miranda is already looking forward to Monday since she gets to go back to school again.

Jenna's First Day of Kindergarten

2008-09-02T20:38:00.001-07:00

Today was the big day... the start of Kindergarten! We prepared well last night by laying out her uniform, getting her school supplies in her bag and getting to bed nice and early. We even let Jenna use an alarm clock to make sure she woke up on time and ready to head to school. Jenna woke up this morning about 10 minutes before the alarm was set to go off. She came skipping into my room saying, "I am getting ready for school now". Needless to say, she was pretty excited! While the girls were eating breakfast, Jenna said, "I think I am a little bit nervous". I reassured her that she was going to do great and have a fun time. At 7:45am we were off to Holy Rosary! All the classes were lining up in their designated spots, ready and waiting for the bell to ring at 8:15 to start the day. Jenna's class walked in and found their name tags at the table they were to sit at and then the parents went in. Jenna looked confident and relaxed as she sat at her table and listened to Mrs. Wacomb. And then it was time to say goodbye. Miranda and I kissed Jenna and off we went! Miranda didn't want to leave Jenna and kept asking when we could get her. Today was only a half day so we went back at 12pm to pick Jenna up. She looked so cute parading out of the school with her class. I was anxious to hear all about her morning. She said she had fun and made a bus for snack and that they went outside for recess. Tomorrow is a full day and I hope it goes as well as today went. Our little girl is growing up!!

The unofficial end of summer is approaching...

2008-08-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

And it seems like just yesterday that school was ending for the summer and now we are days away from Jenna starting Kindergarten and Miranda going back to Preschool. Both girls seem pretty excited about starting school again and I am excited to see Jenna in her little uniform. Our Baby Jenna is growing up!!

We have been enjoying the last few weeks by taking a few boat trips and celebrating Jenna's 5th birthday. Our first excursion since I last posted was to Poets Cove on South Pender Island in British Columbia. The marina was on the small side and very quiet and picturesque. The girls enjoyed playing in the pool and looking for baby crabs on the beach. We would turn over the rocks on the beach and find many little crabs scurrying away. Miranda was not afraid of them at all and started picking them up and talking to them. She loved them so much that she insisted on walking one back to the boat to keep it. She held the little crab between her 2 fingers for the entire walk back to the boat. We set it up in a container and she kept checking on it and taking it out to play with it. Unfortunately, little crab didn't survive, but that didn't stop Miranda from wanting to go find more! There was also a large rock wall on one side of the marina and we were able to see many purple and red starfish. They were really pretty! While we were at Poets Cove, Jenna turned 5. We were able to sneak her presents on board so she was surprised on the morning of her birthday.

Can you tell that "cruising" rocks us all to sleep???

Before we left for Poets Cove we invited our neighbors over for cake to celebrate Jenna's birthday. Everyone seemed to have a nice time and the kids all enjoyed playing with the Legos Jenna received as a gift.

We spent this past weekend at a neat place called Rosario Resort and Spa on Orcas Island. Their was a neat old mansion on the property that was built in the early 1900's that you were able to tour and see the original rooms on the second floor. There was a huge music room with an amazing pipe organ. The resort is actually going up for auction and will be closed as of October 10th to allow the new owners to do the renovations they have in mind. It will be neat going back to compare the before and afters. There were a few deer that roamed the grassy areas around the resort and they were so friendly! We were able to hand feed them apples! Of course the girls were petrified!!!! We are looking forward to our next excursion and seeing some neat places over the fall.

Hard to believe 2 months have passed!

2008-08-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

When I last wrote, the summer was just beginning and now, 2 months later, it is already August 4th! There are only 7 days until Jenna turns 5, only 4 weeks until school starts and 5 weeks until Miranda turns 3! We have been doing so many things lately and we have been having so much fun playing outside that by the time the girls go to bed at night, I am just about ready for bed myself! So, needless to say, this blog has been neglected. I have so much to share!! Warning: This will be long, but well worth the wait!

On June 13th, Jenna performed in her dance recital. She tap danced and sang a song called "Where is the Chicken in the Chicken Chow Mein". She did a great job and we were so proud of her. I may be biased, but I think she was the best one in her class!

The rest of June was spent hanging out on the beach and the boat, visiting the zoo and riding race cars for our neighbors birthday party. Here are some pictures of these fun times:

July was another month filled with fun memories- Ian's parents came out to visit, watching the 4th of July parade and neighborhood fireworks, Jenna and Miranda "camping" in the backyard (with Ian of course), more fun on the beach and boat, raspberry picking at Remlinger Farm, Jenna and Miranda taking Fairytale Princess dance class, another fun day at Remlinger Farm with our neighbors, Austin and Tyler, taking delivery of a new boat and having our first look at Baby #3!

Jenna and Miranda as Snow White
Jenna and Miranda as Jasmine

Our new boat, a 2004 Meridian 381

Here is the first picture of Baby #3 due on January 31st. I am about 12 1/2 weeks when this ultrasound was taken. I will have another one in about 6 weeks & we will try to find out if this is a little girl or a little boy. Any guesses???
And even though it is only August 4th, we have already begun filling this month with many fun memories. We just came back from a fun weekend to Roche Harbor on our new boat.

While Miranda was sleeping, Jenna decided to "model" for me on the boat. She was so cute striking her poses!

Miranda taking her first bath on the boat (this is actually our first boat WITH a bathtub!)

On our cruise back to our marina from Roche Harbor, there was one area of dense fog. Good thing we have radar!!

Another month has passed...

2008-05-20T15:33:00.000-07:00

And I am back to updating my blog! Sorry it has taken this long. Here is a review of what we have been up to this past month:

April 26th was a gorgeous Saturday so we took our boat out for a little cruise. On our way back to the marina, we were surprised to see a few gray whales swimming around us. We idled for awhile and were able to see them playing in the water and swimming around. We didn't want to get too close to them so here are the pictures we were able to capture.

May 4th was another nice day so we took a trip to Fremont. They have a year round outdoor market here and we also stopped to see the Fremont Troll. He was erected in 1990 under the Aurora Bridge out of rebar, wire and ferroconcrete by 4 artists and it was the winner of a competition sponsored by the Fremont Arts Council. It is clutching an actual Volkswagen Beetle, as if he swiped it from the roadway above. Jenna and Miranda were not too sure about getting too close to the troll. Jenna finally worked up enough courage, but as you can see, Miranda was not too thrilled!

A popular show around here is "The Deadliest Catch". Jenna likes to watch it with Ian and I and she calls it the crab show. On May 8th, the captain and crew of the Northwestern made an appearance at the Helly Hansen store at the local mall. I took the girls over to get a couple of pictures and to get autographs for Ian. Jenna was pretty excited and enjoyed having her picture taken.
And now some news on Miranda... her hair is long enough to put in little pig tails! She looks so cute and is excited about putting little barrettes and bows in her hair.
And Miranda is also wearing big girl panties now!!! About 3 weeks ago, she finally decided it was time. She has done so well and we are very proud of her. She has gone to school with her panties and has been accident free. She is still wearing a diaper at night time to sleep, but she has been waking up dry so I think our diaper days are almost completely gone. Good job, Miranda!!!! I will have to take a picture of her in her panties... she looks so little in them!

The weather this past weekend was gorgeous! Skies were cloudless and the temperatures were record breaking. Perfect weather for a trip to the beach! We were able to watch the ferry and the scuba divers and since it was low tide Ian explored the tide pools. The girls love digging in the sand and looking for shells and rocks.

Here is a starfish Ian found. His foot is in the picture so you can tell just how big the starfish is!!

On Sunday, I took the girls to an Enchanted Tea at the Imagine Children's Museum. They got to wear tiaras and drink apple juice out of tea cups. The story of Cinderella was told and she made an appearance with Prince Charming. Jenna was excited! A jester also taught them how to juggle with scarves.

That is the latest with the Sale Family! I hope everyone has a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend!

Is it really April 18th???

2008-04-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

I know the calendar says it is April 18th and that we need April showers to bring May flowers, but who said they need to be snow showers??? As I sit here typing this, the snow is falling outside. It first started falling as little round balls, like Dippin' Dots ice cream. Now it looks a little more wet. It is supposed to be cold and rainy/snowy all weekend! But the weather people say that the 8-14 day forecast looks warm and dry-- I hope they are right! I had thought about planting flowers last weekend when it was close to 80 around here, but I am glad I didn't.

UPDATE: I started composing this entry around 12p this afternoon. It started snowing harder around 5p and we even had a large lightning strike and clap of thunder. It is now about 8p and you can see the difference in the weather! Pretty crazy!

Enough about the crazy weather... Jenna's stitches were taken out yesterday. If you missed this story, scroll down to my last post. Once again, she was a brave little girl. Dr. Spiro showed her the dull scissors and tweezers he was going to use and explained to her how he was going to cut each stitch. She laid on the table and held my hand. Dr. Spiro started cutting and said "1 is done" and then Jenna said, "Mommy, I don't need your hand". Once she realized there was nothing to it, she counted along until the 4th one was finished. She now has a steri strip covering the area until Saturday afternoon and then we just need to keep applying antibiotic ointment until it is fully closed. Doesn't she look like a happy girl???
Jenna has graduated to a 2 wheeled scooter and is doing really well. And Miranda loves Jenna's old 3-wheeled scooter. Even though she is a girl, Miranda loves cars and trucks. She saw this big dump truck while we were in Target one day and she fell in love with it. I told her we could buy it and she ended up pushing it around Target while we finished our shopping and she used it as her own little cart. It was really cute!

Jenna started swimming lessons twice a week. There was only supposed to be 2 in the class, but we haven't seen the other child so Jenna has had private lessons. She missed class this week because of her stiches, but hopefully we can go next week.

About 2 weeks ago, we converted Miranda's toddler bed to a full size bed. We had fun picking out new bedding and a mattress. Can you tell she likes it a lot????

Miranda has been taking gymnastics once a week and she loves it! She is pretty flexible and strong. She loves to tumble and to hang on the bar and pick up her legs straight out in front of her and then put her toes on the bar. She has great balance too!

An Eventful Saturday

2008-04-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

The weather today was forecasted to be sunny and beautiful and 70 degrees so we planned on heading to our boat. We bought a little dinghy/tender so we were going to take it out for the first time. Ian and Jenna headed to the boat first to get a few things done first. And then Miranda and I met them at the marina. It was a beautiful day as forecasted and we had a great time cruising around our marina, heading to Jetty Island and docking for lunch. We even saw a seal swimming around.

Miranda was starting to act a little tired so her and I headed home for her nap and Ian and Jenna stayed behind to clean to boat up a little. Jenna likes to play around in the boat, but this time she played around too much. She hit her forehead on the railing in the boat. I got a call from Ian that Jenna got hurt so I rushed to the marina. Ian got the bleeding to stop and got her bandaged up for a trip to the ER. I met them at the marina and we headed to the ER. At this point, I have yet to see the gash on her forehead, but Ian warned me that it was a pretty big one. The ER gave Jenna a teddy bear to make her feel better and we waited for Jenna's name to be called. Once back in a room, the bandage was removed and I got my first look. Wow, I can only imagine how much of a wreck I would have been seeing this happen firsthand. Ian did a great job, which allowed Jenna to stay calm too. The nurse applied a numbing solution and that stayed on for about 45 minutes. Jenna is still being very brave! Finally, the doctor came in. Jenna was nice a numb, which was good, because he said she was going to need a few stitches. Jenna started getting nervous, but luckily she didn't feel anything but the last of 4 stitches. Another bandage and we were on our way home. Our happy Jenna was back and asking for Chinese food for dinner! In 5 days the stitches can come out and until then we will be tending to her wound. Jenna is already thinking about what to tell her friends at school. She wants to bring in the bear they gave her in the ER and she said, "Friends, I have something to share and it is a bear. I got it at the hospital when I hurt my head". She sounded so cute! What a brave little girl we are so lucky to have! I hope this is her first and last injury requiring stitches!
Here is Jenna in happier times in the boat. Notice the railing in the background.
And here is Jenna with her 4 stitches. Poor baby!!!!

Miranda was watching while we were applying cream and a new Band-Aid tonight. She said, "Why Jenna have a spider?". Pretty funny!

Let's hope tomorrow is less eventful!

Spring has sprung...well sort of!

2008-03-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

Spring has officially arrived, but on Friday it looked like winter around here! We have had some unseasonably cold days, which brought a little snow. My poor Azaleas!

With the feel of winter in the air, thoughts of skiing came to mind. We decided last minute on Friday to drive up to Stevens Pass first thing Saturday morning to have what would probably be our last ski trip for the season. The amount of snow that is still around the mountain is unbelievable. The slopes are scheduled to be open until April 13th, but with 533 inches of snow this season, I bet the snow will be sticking around for awhile! Miranda and I hung out in the lodge and watched Jenna take another ski lesson, while Ian skied and explored new trails. He said that at one point in was skiing in waste deep powder snow! I think I would have been pretty scared and timid to ski any more after that.

Jenna (in pink) riding the "Magic Carpet"

Notice the barely visible road sign, hidden among all the snow!
After leaving the slopes, we drove to Leavenworth, where we spent the night. Miranda loved this huge bear sitting outside a Rocky Mountain Chocolate store. She kept hugging and kissing it and even blew kisses to it when we walked away! And believe it or not, Jenna was a little scared of it!

We have had a few nice days so Jenna has been learning to ride her bike without training wheels. She is doing really well! It feels like yesterday that we were teaching her how to pedal a tricycle.

Enjoy the spring... hopefully it warms up this week!

Our Trip to Maui

2008-03-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

We just came back from a week long trip to Maui, Hawaii. What a vacation!!! The weather was about 80 degrees and sunny the entire week. We had a great time playing in the pool and on the beach and exploring the island of Maui. We were able to fly direct to Maui and Jenna and Miranda were really good for the 6 hour flight.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
We stayed at the Four Seasons Maui and when we arrived we were greeted with flower leis and welcomed to the hotel with a glass of lemonade. When we arrived to our room, we had many surprises awaiting us. There were stuffed whales on the beds for Jenna and Miranda and they each had a whale tub toy set and special rice krispie treats and chocolate milk too! And in the bathroom around the big soaking tub were foam letters spelling out their names! There was also a box of special cookies and dried fruit for Ian and I. What a way to start a vacation!!

We were all anxious to start exploring the hotel and were hungry for dinner so we freshened up and headed out. We first stopped at the Lobby Lounge for the nightly hula dance and torch lighting ceremony. Then off to a nice dinner out on the patio and we also enjoyed our first Hawaiian sunset.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The girls woke up bright and early and were anxious to start swimming and playing on the beach. We were all set up in a pool side cabana by 8:30am and the girls hit the pool! The beach was just steps away from the pool. The girls enjoyed digging and getting covered in sand. Miranda needed to get rinsed off so Ian headed into the ocean carrying her. She was not very happy! Jenna was a little timid at first, but quickly became more comfortable. Miranda took a nice pool side nap and then it was time to get ready for a nice dinner at the Tommy Bahama restaurant. We were all a little tired from our full day in the sun so off to bed!

Here is Miranda's footprint in the sand. I couldn't resist taking a picture of it!!

Thursday, February 28, 2008
We visited the Maui Ocean Center. The girls both enjoyed seeing all the fish, the sea turtles and the sting rays. From there, we drove to Lahaina to see the famous banyan tree that encompasses an entire park. It was amazing! Miranda posed for some cute pictures with a wooden hand chair and a wooden fisherman. She kept saying, "Take my picture". The drive along the coast was very pretty and we were able to see whales out in the water while we were driving. We then headed back to the hotel for some beach and pool time. Ian explored the jetty and the tidepools while the girls played. There was a nice beach path that allowed you to walk to neighboring hotels so we walked next door to the Grand Wailea for a nice dinner at Humuhumunukunukuapua's (named for the Hawaiian state fish). The girls slept soundly once again from a full day!

This is the Banyan Tree. It is one tree that takes up an entire park. The other pictures show us in the various parts of the tree.

Ian came across this crab when he was exploring the jetty.
Jenna and Miranda decided to wash their hair in their buckets of ocean water.

This is a little chapel at the Grand Wailea Resort.

Friday, February 29, 2008
We decided to set out on an adventure today so we drove along the Hana Highway and visited Twin Falls. The Hana Highway is a windy road with many sites along the way, ultimately leading you to the town of Hana. The whole drive takes about 8 hours, which we figured was too much for Jenna and Miranda at this age, so that is why we only went just a little bit to get to the first waterfalls. We had a nice mile walk to the first waterfall and the girls really enjoyed it. It was their first real hike. Jenna was very proud of herself and of course we were proud of her too! We then hiked to the second waterfall. It was possible to see from a distance, but to get right up close you needed to wade through about a knee high stream. Ian carried Jenna across and Miranda and I stayed behind. As Ian and Jenna made there way back to us, I noticed that Jenna was only wearing her underwear! She decided to take her dress off and surprise me by walking through the stream herself! It was really cute!! We left the falls and headed back towards the hotel, but first we stopped at Ho'okipa Park, Maui's popular windsurfing and and surfing beach. The waves were crashing and we got to see many surfers. The girls loved the beach there because there were tons of neat shells and rocks to search for. Back at the hotel, Miranda became brave and decided she wanted to swim in the deeper side of the pool. She had been playing only in the kiddie side. She had her swimmies on and she looked so cute kicking her way around the pool. She looked very proud of herself too!

Saturday, March 1, 2008
Today was spent relaxing by the pool. We had a lunch poolside and the girls took a nice long nap!!!

Sunday, March 2, 2008
We went on a whale watch cruise today through Pacific Whale Foundation. About 60% of the population of the North Pacific Humpback whales migrates to Hawaii each winter to mate and to give birth. The greatest numbers of whales are in residence from December to May so we figured we would see some whales during our 2 hour cruise. We never got more than about a mile away from the harbor because whales were everywhere!! There is a federal law that says approaches by any means to within 100 yards of a humpback whale are prohibited in Hawaii. The majority of the time our boat was just idling because the whales were swimming so close to us. It was an unforgettable experience! We already want to visit Maui at the same time next year, just to see the whales! Of course I took a ton of pictures of the whales, but enjoy these few. We were even lucky to see a sea turtle swimming along. Afterwards, we enjoyed a refreshing swim in the pool!

This picture is a little far away, but this whale is breaching out of the water.
A tail...
Another tail...
And another...
A tail and a pectoral fin...
Another tail...
The mama's pectoral fins and a baby's pectoral fin...
Another mama and baby...
A good view of a pectoral fin...
Sea turtle...

Monday, March 3, 2008
This was our last full day in paradise. We spent the day playing hard on the beach and swimming in the pool. We enjoyed dinner at one of the hotels restaurants, took an evening walk along the beach path and listened to a few songs in the Lobby Lounge. As you can see, Jenna fell asleep while she was sitting on Ian at the lounge. Another perfect day and night in Maui!!

Here is Miranda jumping into the baby pool!

Miranda's sandy piggies...
Jenna's sandy piggies...
It wasn't until our final day at the pool that Miranda was brave enough to go down the slide. After this, she decided it was fun and then went down by herself with her swimmies. Unfortunately, I needed to help her at the top and Ian needed to catch her at the bottom so we didn't get a picture of it.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Unfortunately, today is the day we are leaving Hawaii. We had a few hours before we needed to head to the airport so we walked along the beach path and Ian explored some more tide pools. Jenna also got her hair braided. We had a great vacation and made great memories together. See you soon, Maui!!!

A Taste of Spring

2008-02-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

For the past few days, we have been enjoying blue skies and the warmth of the sun. Temperatures have been close to 60 degrees and the sky has been cloud free!! Jenna and Miranda have enjoyed playing outside with their friends without being all bundled up. This morning we went to the Edmonds Marina Beach. The girls enjoyed walking on the beach and throwing rocks into the water, watching the ferries, playing on the playground and rolling in the grass. When we arrived home, Jenna and Miranda played outside with their friends for a few more hours! It is now 8:30pm and the girls are fast asleep. I guess they had a great day of fun! And tomorrow is supposed to be even nicer than today- we can't wait!!

The Past 2 Months

2008-02-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

Once again, the days have turned into weeks and the weeks into months and I am finally getting around to posting new pictures and videos. Enjoy the look back at what we have been up to!

Just a cute picture of Miranda showing her big eyes!
Sisterly love at Jenna's Christmas Party at school
Jenna and Miranda in the "Teddy Bear Suite" in a downtown Seattle hotel. Every year at Christmas they decorate a suite at this hotel in a Teddy Bear theme and you can go through it. It was really pretty!
Jenna and Miranda On Christmas Eve, getting ready for Santa...

Santa brought this new baby doll for Miranda and she hasn't stopped playing with it since then! She loves it because it sucks on a bottle and a pacifier and cries and coos like a real baby. And when the baby falls asleep her chest even moves up and down!
Chef Jenna ready to cook!!!
Here is a look at some of the Christmas decorations we had around the house...

New Year's Eve was spent in Seattle waiting for the fireworks display from the Space Needle at midnight. We found an outdoor ice rink and Jenna loved ice skating. They had these little walkers that she could skate with, which made it easier for her and she felt more confident.

Here is a video from the Space Needle fireworks. Sorry the video is sideways!

In January we spent a long weekend in the Cascade Mountains of Eastern Washington. It is hard to believe how much snow there was just 2 hours away from us. This picture show how high the snow is piled on the side of the road, where you would normally see the guardrail!

This is a view of Mount Rainier from the summit at Mission Ridge ski resort.
Here is a view of the Columbia River, also from the summit at Mission Ridge.
This picture shows Mount St. Helens in the distance.
Here is all that is left from a B-24 Liberator Bomber that crashed in 1944 at what is now the Mission Ridge Ski Resort.
Here are a few videos of Jenna during Ski School. She did a great

On January 28th we had a rare Snow Day!!! We received about 5 inches of snow and we had a great time playing!

Jenna's Christmas Dance Show

2007-12-15T22:39:00.001-08:00

Jenna performed in the Christmas show for her dance school this afternoon. Her class sang and danced to a song called "Are My Ear's on Straight?". Jenna has been practicing her routine for quite a few weeks now and Miranda is even singing and dancing right along with her. Once again, Jenna made us very proud. She performed perfectly!!! I know I am biased, but she was the best in her class! Once you see the video you will agree! Thanks, Miss Sue, for a great Christmas Show!

Here are the lyrics to the song she is singing in case you can't make it out.

I'm a little doll who was dropped and broken
Falling off my mommy's knee
I'm a little doll who has just been mended
Now won't you tell me please.
Are My Ears On Straight, Is my nose in place
Have I got a cute expression on my face?
Are my blue eyes bright, Do I look all right?
To be taken home Christmas Day?
When I first came here, Just a month ago.
Brought in by a little girl who loved me so.
She began to cry, 'Til they told her I
Could be taken home Christmas Day.
Christmas time is drawing nearer, And I'm getting scared
Wish I could see in a mirror, How I've been repaired.
I'll be called for soon, But I'm worried so
Will she love me like she did a month ago.
Are My Ears On Straight? I can hardly wait.
To be taken home Christmas Day

My First Thanksgiving

2007-12-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

This year I had the joy of cooking my first turkey. I have watched and helped my Mom prepare the Thanksgiving turkey for many years so I figured it couldn't be that hard to do. Still I was a little nervous... Jenna, Miranda and I washed the turkey together and they both had fun poking at it and playing with the wings. They both laughed when I held up the neck.

And Jenna was a great help holding the skin while I stuffed the bird.

Once it was all stuffed it was coated with butter and seasoning it was off to the oven for a long roast. About 4 1/2 hours later the house smelled wonderful and the turkey looked perfect!

All the side dishes were timed accurately and we had a nice Thanksgiving meal.

I hope everyone else had a nice Thanksgiving as well.
We took a train ride to visit Santa while Eric, Rachelle and the girls were out visiting. Unfortunately, Miranda wasn't too sure about Santa so she didn't want to sit on his lap.

Miranda really liked holding and playing with Baby Allie. She now calls her little doll Baby Allie.
Just a few cute pictures of Jenna and Miranda...

And here is a very rare sighting... Miranda asleep in the stroller!! She finally crashed after a fun day of visiting downtown Seattle on Black Friday.

"Bearly Thanksgiving"

2007-11-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, Miranda and her preschool class performed at the church's mass. The program was called "Bearly Thanksgiving". The classes had been practicing their songs for the past few weeks and Miranda was starting to sing them at home too. We didn't really know how well she would do since this was her first time in front of a large group. Well, little Miranda did great!!! She sang along and performed all the actions to the songs. At one point Miranda's teacher, Miss Cindy, even turned around to smile at us because Miranda was "tapping toes" so well! Miranda loves to watch this video we took of her. She seems very proud of herself, not to mention she seems to really like the songs they sang!

Before Halloween, Jenna entered a coloring contest at the local grocery store, Food Emporium. Jenna did a great job on her picture and she was very proud of it. She is really staying in the lines very well and loves to use all different colors. One night while we were having dinner, the phone rang and it was Food Emporium to tell us that Jenna won for her age group (ages 3-4). They said to come into the store for her prize. Of course we went over right after dinner and she won a $15 gift card to Toys R Us. We are so proud of her!!!! Here she is with her winning picture.

Guess what Jenna spotted???

2007-10-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we went to the marina to check on our boat and possibly go out for a short cruise. I was walking first, carrying Miranda. Ian was behind me and Jenna was close behind him. We were about halfway down the dock to our boat slip when we hear Jenna say, very calmly, "Look there's a seal". To our surprise, there was a Harbor Seal sitting right on the dock, only about 3 feet from where we were walking!!! Ian and I both were baffled that neither of us noticed the seal as we walked past and we were extremely surprised at how calm and relaxed Jenna was about seeing the seal so close to us. We have seen them swimming around the marina, but this was really neat!!! Jenna didn't want to get close enough to it for a picture, but you can see from the picture of Ian that it was a decent sized seal.

We had a picture pefect fall day here on Saturday so we went to a place called Country Village for their Harvest Festival. Jenna loved riding the ponies and we also enjoyed the train ride. There is also a glass blowing studio so we were able to watch them make a glass pumpkin. We are having the studio owner make a wall sculpture for us and we will be able to watch it being made.
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Is it really October already???

2007-10-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that Fall is already upon us. It is one of my favorite seasons. Jenna and Miranda have been in school for a month now and they are really enjoying it. Miranda's school is very close to our house so we pass it often and every single time she says "Hi my school". It is really pretty cute! Jenna gets very excited when she wakes up in the morning and it is a school day. She says "Yeah" and jumps up and down. She has already made some friends in school too.

Jenna has also been in dance class for a month now. Parents were able to observe the class last week so I took a bunch of videos. This is Jenna's first time taking tap and she is really enjoying it. Miss Sue also teaches them tumbling and how to use a baton. Here are a few videos:

Jenna and Miranda are getting to be very close sisters. They are always hugging and kissing each other. One night while we were getting them ready for bed, Miranda asked if she could sleep in Jenna's bed. Jenna said it was okay so they both crawled into bed and snuggled really close. It was really cute!! It has happened a few more times, but usually just on the weekend so they are both well rested for school.

My brother, Brian, and his friend Tina came out to visit us and the surrounding area. It was nice seeing both of them and showing them around a little bit. Jenna and Miranda had a good time playing with them too. Miranda kept saying, "Hi Brian, Hi Tina".

We visited our first of many pumpkin farms for this season. On Saturday we took a ride to Biringer Farm about 30 minutes from our house. We went through a corn maze and took a neat train ride. The cars of the train were made out of barrels and each barrel could hold one person. I wasn't sure that Miranda would be okay by herself, but she insisted. She was very excited and loved the ride!! They had a bunch of different slides and little stuctures for the girls to play in or on. We had a great time walking through the pumpkin patch, looking for the perfect pumpkin to bring home. The girls really liked the white pumpkins so they each chose one. Jenna even carried hers all the way through the pumpkin patch. She is getting so big!!!

Where did the summer go???

2007-09-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is already September 17th... the summer flew by so quickly!!! Time really does fly when you are having fun!! And we had lots of fun. Our days were filled with going to the beach, the zoo, the science center, on adventures in our boat and so much more.

Jenna enjoying the petting zoo at a local playground. I couldn't believe that she wasn't scared! Miranda sure was!

Here we are at the Pacific Science Center.
There is a really neat butterfly exhibit and I was lucky enough to have a butterfly land on my pants as soon as we walked into the exhibit! Whenever Miranda sees a butterfly or a picture of a butterfly, she says "Butterfly was on Mommy's pants". It is so cute that she remembers!

Enjoying the day at Edmonds Beach, right next to the ferry.
Jenna loves looking for shells and rocks on the beach.

Jenna laid out her towel very neatly and said, "I am going to lay down in the sun now". It was like she was a teenager!
At the Woodland Park Zoo, you can feed the birds!! For just $1, you get a popsicle stick with bird seed on it and the birds eat it right off of the stick! Some birds even land on your stick to eat. Jenna did a great job!!

Since Las Vegas is only a 2 hour flight away, we decided to fly there for Labor Day weekend. We stayed at the Red Rock Resort, which is off the strip and next to mountains. The pool was really nice and since the temps were in the 100's, we spent our days swimming. They had really neat bed cabanas that the pool girl reserved for us each day. It was great because Miranda would nap there every afternoon. Miranda wouldn't keep her hat on and since she doesn't have much hair, I had to rub sunscreen on her head. Here is her nice sunscreen hair do!
Miranda loved swimming and jumping off the side!

Who is this bikini clad cutie????
One of Jenna's MANY jumps into the pool........
Lunch time!! What a life!!

Jenna even liked going under when she jumped in!!! Next step... no swimmies!
Here I am singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to baby Miranda. She is still my little baby!!!
Nice tan lines!!!
At the hotel, there is a 72 lane bowling alley. Jenna was very excited to bowl for the first time. It was very high tech and the bumpers would come up whenever it was Miranda or Jenna's turn to bowl. We all had a lot of fun!!!

Jenna resting, listening to her iPod.
Sisterly Love!!
On September 6th, Miranda started her first day of school!! She is going on Tuesday and Thursday morning from 9-11:45. Her teachers are Miss Cindy and Miss Tina. She has cried for about a minute each day, but then she has a lot of fun. She is excited to see me when I pick her up and she gives me a great big hug! Last night, Ian and I caught her singing a song to herself and she kept repeating "Jesus". I am anxious to talk to her teacher tomorrow to see how this song goes!

On the first day, parents and siblings came back at 10:30 for snack time and we had a teddy bear picnic.
On Friday, September 7th, Jenna started her first day of school! She is going on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9-3p. Of course Jenna was very excited and couldn't get into her classroom fast enough. No tears from her!! Her teacher is Miss Sue and she is already holding hands with a little boy named Jack. Jenna loves eating lunch at school and having nap time too!

The weather last weekend was perfect so we decided to take our boat to a town called LaConner. It was about an hour cruise to the marina and the trip was very smooth and nice. The last part of the trip was through a very narrow channel. It was neat seeing the houses along the channel.

Miranda LOVES lollipops. This one should last her a long time!

On Saturday night, we had dinner at LaConner Seafood and Prime Rib. It was a nice night so we sat outside, right on the waterfront. We have been weaning Miranda off of her bubby (pacifier) and even cut a hole in it so that she wouldn't be interested in it anymore. She was only allowed to have bubby in her bed at naptime and bedtime. She was starting to get tired at dinner so I gave in and gave her bubby. She was standing at the railing on the deck, looking at the water, and then the worst that could happen did! Bubby fell into the water!!! As you can see from the picture below, there was no way we could reach bubby. Ian saw that there was a dock so he walked down to it since it looked like bubby was headed that way. Bubby was only a few feet from Ian when it filled with water because of the hole we cut in it, and it began to sink. There was no way to retrieve bubby now! Miranda was very upset and kept asking for her bubby. We momentarily thought about running out to buy a new one, but figured this was the best possible way to be done with a pacifier. Miranda cried for a little bit at bedtime that night, but we told her she was a big girl now and she didn't need it. And off to sleep she went!! For the next few days she would often say, "Bubby fell water, daddy couldn't get it". And now Miranda is a big girl without a bubby!!

Here is Mount Baker, covered in snow. In July they were still working on clearing snow from the road up the mountain!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Miranda!!!

2007-09-12T14:11:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe that little Miranda is now 2! I can still remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. She is following right in Jenna's footsteps and amazes Ian and I every day. Miranda loves to talk and remembers names so well. She loves playing outside and riding her tricycle and playing with sidewalk chalk. Here are pictures of Miranda over the past 2 years. She is still trying to grow a little more hair!

Leavenworth "Washington's Bavarian Village"

2007-08-19T08:51:00.000-07:00

We took our first Washington road trip yesterday. We headed 2 1/2 hours east to the Cascade Mountain region to a little town called Leavenworth. The town was originally settled by pioneers in search of gold, furs and fertile farmland. In the early 1900's the town began to blossom with the arrival of the Great Northern Railway. This brought great opportunity for work, commerce and a new economy. Eventually, a sawmill and a healthy logging industry fell apart and for more than 30 years, Leavenworth was on the brink of extinction. In the 1960's, the leaders of the community decided to change Leavenworth's appearance, hoping to bring tourism into the area. So the community rallied and created the illusion of Bavaria in the middle of Washington. Today, more than a million visitors come to Leavenworth every year.

The drive up to Leavenworth was very scenic. The mountains are all around you and the road slowly winds up and down the mountains. There were many overlooks and views of the river.

Our first stop was the Leavenworth Wine Tasting Festival at Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat. The grounds of the retreat were very pretty, nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains and an area called Icicle Canyon. It was a beautiul day and we all enjoyed the wine, music and the surroundings.

After the wine festival, we headed to the town to take in "Bavaria". The girls noticed the horse and carriage rides so off we went.

Our fun day ended with a good German meal and ice cream and then off we went for the scenic ride home!

Our First Visitors

2007-08-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

Our friends, Mark and Vikki, came out and spent a few days with us. We were very happy to see them and to show them around. We took them to see the Pike Place Market, the Space Needle and a boat trip through the locks.

The 4 of us enjoy wines by Chateau Ste. Michelle and the winery is located about 30 minutes from our house so we headed there for a tour and wine tasting. The girls really loved it because while we were tasting wine, they were given glasses of grape juice! It was really nice.

Our weekend was full of fun and flew by and we are already looking forward to having them out again!

Happy 4th Birthday Jenna!!!

2007-08-14T14:41:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe that Baby Jenna is now 4 years old. The time has truly flown by and she is growing up way too quickly. It seems like yesterday that she was practically bald and now she has beautiful brown hair to match her big brown eyes. She makes Ian and I laugh out loud so often with the funny little things she does and she amazes us every day with the things she is learning too. I think she had our new telephone number memorized before Ian and I did! Here is a look back to Jenna over the past 4 years.

San Juan Islands

2007-08-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

We were invited by a coworker of Ian's named Jim to join his flotilla for a trip on our boat to the San Juan Islands. We thought it was a great opportunity since we would be traveling with a group who was very familiar with the area and who would be great tour guides for us. And as a bonus there were other kids around Jenna and Miranda's ages. We left our marina on July 21st and met up with Jim and his family aboard his boat. Our first stop was Deer Harbor, which is located on Orcas Island. The cruise up there took about 3 hours. Even though the skys were overcast, the water was very calm and it was a wonderful cruise. The scenery was beautiful! It was neat traveling past so many different islands on our way up there. It was the longest trip we have taken on our boat and Jenna and Miranda did great. Miranda actually fell asleep shortly after we got underway and slept almost the whole 3 hour cruise.

Here we are docked at Deer Harbor!

And the girls quickly became friends with Kate, Jim's daughter.

Previously when we slept on our boat, Miranda would sleep in this little enclosed tent-like thing called a Pea Pod. We decided to try her in a sleeping bag on this trip and it worked out great! Her and Jenna share a little cabin so their sleeping bags were laying right next to each other. Miranda would crawl right into her sleeping bag and ask to get covered and she would fall asleep. It was really cute!

One of Jenna's favorite things to do on our boat is pretend to fish. She is getting really good at casting so I think it is time to consider a real hook!

Many sea planes would take off and land at Deer Harbor so that was neat to see.

After spending a couple of days at Deer Harbor, we were on our way to Roche Harbor, which is located on San Juan Island. It was beautiful! The entire marina and village were very picturesque.

The girls really enjoy having "Happy Hour" on the bridge of the boat. Here they are being silly and cute!

Many beautiful sunsets were also enjoyed from the bridge and around the marina!

There was a nice pool at the marina and the girls loved swimming and playing in it. Jenna has gotten pretty good with her "swimmies".

The flowers and gardens around the marina property were beautiful and made for great photo opportunities.

In the woods not too far from the marina is a mausoleum. It was built by John McMillin, the founder of the Roche Harbor Lime and Cement Company, to honor his family. It is called Afterglow Vista and it looks very Roman with its large columns. It was really fascinating!

Jenna and Ian rented a kayak one afternoon and explored the marina. It was Jenna's first time on a kayak and she loved it. She even did her share of the paddling! They were able to paddle right past our boat to say "Hi" to Miranda and I.

We are already looking forward to our next trip to the San Juan Islands. My favorite spot was Roche Harbor so I would love to go back there, maybe even before the summer is over!

Life in Edmonds

2007-07-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

On June 6th, we arrived in Seattle and our new house in Edmonds, WA. We have been busy exploring our new city and have seen lots of neat things. We started off with most of the tourist sites. Jenna was very excited to see the Space Needle so we headed there first. There is a small monorail ride that takes you to the Space Needle so of course we did that! Jenna loved sitting by herself with her bag of popcorn.

Here we are at the top and a few pictures of the view. The observation deck is 520 feet from the ground and a quick 41 second elevator ride!

At the base of the Space Needle is an area called Fun Forest. There are rides and games, like a small version of the boardwalk. Jenna loves the rides, but Miranda is still a little unsure. We have been back there a few times already!

We are about 15 minutes away from a few beaches so we have headed to them on nice days. The girls love looking for rocks and Ian helps them find hermit crabs and other neat things.

Another popular tourist spot is the Pike Place Public Market. There are many vendors selling fresh fruit and vegetables, flower arrangements and fish. The fish market is known for throwing the fish back and forth to each other when someone purchases something. It attracts a large crowd! Can you believe the large flower arrangement I am holding was $10???

Here is Jenna enjoying a fresh Rainier cherry from the market!

One of my favorite places to visit is the zoo so the girls and I went one beautiful morning. Before we left to head to the zoo, Jenna traced and colored a picture of an elephant and she said she wanted to give it to the elephant. You can see her showing it to the elephant in this picture. It was so thoughtful of her!

We also went to the Seattle Aquarium. They just completed renovations and they had some really neat exhibits. Check out this octopus!!!

Miranda must have thought this otter sculpture was really cute because she climbed up, sat down and said "Picture, cheese". It was really cute!

Another must see was the locks. It is really neat to watch the process of moving from one depth of water to another. Check out the difference in these 2 pictures. The first is before going through and the second is after the water level was lowered. Next time we will have to experience it first hand in our boat!

Here is another picture that Miranda requested that I take. She knows what looks cute!

On another nice day, I took the girls to Jetty Island. It is a 2 mile long, man-made island with sandy beaches and shallow warm water and a free ferry ride to get you to and from the island. It was opening day the day we went so there were a few special activites. During the ferry ride over, I noticed a photographer taking Jenna's picture, as she was peering out the ferry window. The photographer then mentioned that she worked for the Everett Herald and that they were featuring an article about "Things to Do" in the summer and that there was a chance Jenna's picture would be used. The next morning Ian called and said that a co-worker of his saw Jenna's picture on the online edition of the paper. We hurried out to look in the print version and to our surprise Jenna was on the front page! Here is the picture!

Just about 2 weeks ago we took Ian there and we took our boat to the island, instead of the ferry. Another fun time!

One of the lakes in Seattle is called Lake Union. We took a Sunday Ice Cream Cruise around Lake Union. It was really neat! We saw many floating houses, even the one that was used in the movie "Sleepless in Seattle". Many sea planes take off and land on Lake Union too. It was very fun and informative too!

I hope you enjoyed seeing all these pictures and reading about what we have been doing. We just got back from our first trip to the San Juan Islands on our boat so I will post pictures from that trip very soon. And one of these days I will take pictures and video of our new house since we are pretty settled. Thanks for reading!!

Jenna's 1st Dance Recital

2007-06-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, June 2, 2007, Jenna performed in her first dance recital. She danced to the Little Richard version of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider". She made Ian and I so proud! Jenna did her entire routine perfectly! She looked so comfortable on stage, despite being in front of a full auditorium.

Unfortunately, no flash photography or video cameras were allowed on the day of the recital because it was being professionally taped. I was able to take this video the night of the dress rehearsal. I have ordered a copy of the DVD and if I am able to upload Jenna's performace I will certainly do that.

Enjoy the video!!

Dance Class

2007-02-03T16:08:00.000-08:00

Jenna has been enjoying dance class this year. She has been dancing really well and she pays attention to her teacher, Miss Sheila. Here are a few videos of her from class last week. In the first video, she is dancing to "Oh Susanna". She loves to shout "Yee Haw" during the song.

In this next video, Jenna is dancing to a Wiggles song and having a lot of fun.

And in this last video, Jenna is dancing to one of her favorite songs, "Wobbly Whoppsy" by the Doodlebops.

The Best Sun Ever!

2007-01-26T17:28:00.000-08:00

On Monday, Jenna's teacher, Mrs. Funch, invited all parents to stay at the end of class today so that the kids could perform a little song for us. I was pretty excited to see all the kids again, since their Christmas songs were so cute. When I walked into the classroom, all the kids were lined up with black hats made out of construction paper and little red bows attached to their shirts. And Jenna had a special job for the song- she was the Sun! She was standing on a chair with a sun cut out of construction paper and a big smile on her face. Here is a video of the performance. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!!

Another first for Miranda

2007-01-20T11:52:00.000-08:00

Today was a big day for Miranda...she had her first haircut! Even though she has very little hair, she needed the back trimmed since the left side was much longer than the right side and very frizzy. She has previously watched Jenna, Ian and I get our hair cut, but I thought she would still be a little hesitant about sitting in the chair all by herself. I was wrong! She sat right down, let Kathy put the cape on her and she sat perfectly still for the entire haircut! At the end Kathy put a little water on her hand and rubbed it over her hair and she got a big smile on her face. Hopefully her hair will start to grow and be nice and long like Jenna's- one can only hope!

Ski Trip

2007-01-07T15:44:00.000-08:00

We spent January 1st through 5th up in the Poconos in 2 condos right on Camelback Mountain with Ian's family. It was a good time, despite the lack of "real" snow on and off the mountain. Ian managed to ski for a couple of days and Jenna enrolled in the "Sugar Bears" ski school to learn how to ski with her cousin Amber who is almost 5. The minimum age for the school was 4, but we said she was 4. The girls both did a great job. Amber even went down the bunny hill with an instructor. Jenna never moved from the very tiny teaching hill, but she looked like she was having a great time. The instructors said she will do great once she gains more leg muscle strength. Maybe that is why 4 is the minimum age! :-) Here is a video of Jenna during her class. Enjoy!!

Jenna's New Scooter

2006-12-28T18:27:00.000-08:00

For the last few months, Jenna has been asking for a scooter. We are unsure how she learned about scooters and decided that she wanted one. But, of course, there was a scooter waiting under the tree for her on Christmas morning. "Santa" picked out a cute Dora 3-wheel sccoter, which he thought was perfect. When we opened the box on Christmas morning, we were disappointed to find that the scooter inside was pretty badly damaged. It looked like it had a rough ride on Santa's sleigh! We told Jenna that Santa said we could bring it back to the toy store and she could get another one. Jenna was fine with that and replied saying, "Maybe they will have a Princess scooter instead". We made the trip to Toys R Us yesterday and found a really nice Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses scooter that also included a matching helmet. Jenna was very excited! We quickly came home and I assembled it and we went right outside to try it. Jenna immediately knew how to ride a scooter! I showed her very little and she was really pretty good at riding it. She said that Mrs. Funch, her teacher at school, would be proud of her. I will have to ask Mrs. Funch if they have sccoters for the kids at school, which could explain how Jenna decided she wanted one. Enjoy the video!!

What a Great Christmas!!!

2006-12-25T10:51:00.000-08:00

Jenna and Miranda must have been very good this year- Santa really spoiled them!! The main thing that Jenna asked for was a carrier for her baby and Santa came through with a doll travel system. Needless to say, she was very happy as you can see from this video.

The girls were very excited to see that Santa delivered many presents. Miranda did a great job opening her gifts and she made sure to give Ian every little piece of wrapping paper to throw away.

The biggest surprise for Jenna and Miranda was out in the garage- a special present from Mommy and Daddy. It was a Disney Princess Pontiac Solstice ride on car, just like Daddy's!! Jenna was very excited! As soon as we opened the garage door, Jenna said "My own pink car!".

Her driving skills are pretty good after only a short time behind the wheel.

The girls are taking a much needed nap right now and then we are off to Grandmom and Grandpop's house for dinner with everyone. We hope everyone has as great a Christmas as we have had so far!!!

Merry Christmas

2006-12-21T18:21:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that Christmas is only 4 days away. Jenna is getting more excited with each passing day. Last Friday was her last day of school until after the New Year so they celebrated with a little party and parents were invited to attend. I was very proud of Jenna! She was one of the most well behaved kids in the class and really listened and paid attention to her teachers. Here is a 3 year old rendition of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". Enjoy!

We made our first Gingerbread House as a family tonight. Ian and I did most of the "dirty" work, but Jenna loved putting all the candy decorations on and tasting the icing. It was a great way to have fun together and I think it will now be a Christmas tradition. How does it look??? Thanks, Tina, for this great kit!

Our Bahamas Vacation

2006-12-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

We spent last week at The Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The weather was sunny, warm and perfect the whole trip and we had a great time. The resort has so many things to see and do. The one pool area is called the Mayan Temple and has a slide called the Leap of Faith. Ian rode it a couple of times, but I was too chicken to try it. Here is a video of Ian taking a trip down the slide and you will see why I didn't want to ride it!

There was another tube ride that took you through an enclosed glass tunnel completely submerged within a large shark tank. Here I am going through:

Ian and Jenna seem to like waterfalls in the Bahamas! Here they are in March 2004 (Jenna was 7 months old) and last week. Jenna enjoyed it a lot more this time!

"Unlike any other place on earth, Atlantis is home to the world's largest open-air marine habitat, second only to Mother Nature. The resort's 34-acre waterscape comprises 11 million gallons of fresh and saltwater. Eleven exhibit lagoons contain more than 50,000 fascinating sea creatures representing over 250 species."
Here are a few of the sea creatures we viewed during our trip:
A Manta Ray, which could have a wing span of 25 feet and could weigh 6,600 pounds!

Jenna and the giant Grouper

Jenna was able to help feed the turtles and the sting rays!

And Jenna even got to see Santa while we were there!!

Another fun-filled, memorable vacation for the Sale Family!

Jenna's New Skis

2006-12-01T18:01:00.000-08:00

Despite temperatures in the 60's this past week, we are already planning and looking forward to ski season. We have a trip planned to the Poconos and to ski on Camelback Mountain in early January. This is going to be an exciting trip since Jenna is going to learn to ski! Ian was able to find beginner skis on Ebay for Jenna that just fasten onto her own snow boots. They arrived in the mail today and as you can see from the picture, Jenna is pretty excited about them. She was pretending to "ski" around the kitchen. Keep your fingers crossed that the temperatures drop and the slopes are great for when we arrive in January!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2006-11-24T19:38:00.000-08:00

We had a very nice Thanksgiving- first spent with Ian's family at his grandparents house and then at my Mom & Dad's house. It was great being able to spend time with everyone who we are most thankful for- parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, nieces and nephew. We also finally met our newest niece, Veda. She is two months old and very cute! And of course Jenna loved her the minute she met her. Here is a glimpse of Jenna being a very loving cousin.

"Rock a Bye Baby"

2006-11-20T17:42:00.000-08:00

After a few tries, I successfully recreated the video you saw a few posts ago. In this rendition, Jenna is 3 years old and Miranda is 14 months old. Notice the amount of giggling and wrestling in this version!

Santa Has Arrived

2006-11-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

I took Jenna and Miranda to the mall today to get their Christmas pictures taken at Sears. Things went fairly well considering the subjects- a 3 year old and 1 year old. Miranda didn't want to sit where we posed her, which in turn distracted Jenna. I managed to get a couple of good pictures, after a little cropping and editing. I would post the pictures here, but that would ruin the surprise for those receiving our Christmas card this year. After our photo session, we had lunch and started to make our way back to Sears to pick up our pictures. We were on the top level of the mall so Jenna could see all the elaborate Christmas decorations that are already hung. She kept asking to "look down there" (look down through the railing). To her delight, Santa had arrived and was sitting in his plush red velour chair, ready to hear the wishes of all children who were courageous enough to sit on his lap. Of course Jenna was so excited she about jumped over the railing. We made our way down to Santa and since it is only November 16th, there was no line! Jenna was glowing- she was so excited! She made her way up to Santa, while I pushed the stroller with Miranda seated so peacefully. Until... Santa waved to her. Miranda started balling! Needless to say, I didn't even try to get Miranda out of the stroller and onto Santa's lap. But, like most parents, we will be visiting Santa again for a photo op, even though Miranda will most likely be hysterical. Our parents did it to us, it is only fair that we do it to our children. Once Santa was out of view, Miranda composed herself and I was able to hear Jenna's wish list. The best part of her conversation with Santa was when she told him that Miranda wanted a dolly. How sweet! She loves her sister so much and wants to make sure that Santa doesn't forget about her. We said our good-byes to Santa and off we went. And, in case you were wondering, only 39 more days until Christmas!!! HO HO HO!!!

Time Flys

2006-11-15T05:45:00.000-08:00

I was looking through old videos and came across this great one. I keep watching it over and over again in awe at how grown up Jenna is now compared to when this video was taken on October 19, 2005. In a little over a year, Jenna's hair has grown so much, her voice sounds older and now Miranda is an active little girl running around and talking herself! I am going to try to recreate this scene so you can see the changes for yourself. I hope you enjoy the video as much as I do!

Miranda

2006-11-13T20:50:00.000-08:00

What better way to start off a new blog than with a knock knock joke!!!

Welcome

2006-11-13T20:19:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Sale Scoop, my first crack at the blogging world. Ian, my husband, is a seasoned blogger and has been suggesting I get on board too. After many hours of trying to pick a name for my blog, I have decided on "Sale Scoop". Here you will find the latest news, photos and videos of my family. My 2 daughters, Jenna and Miranda, will often be the inspiration for my thoughts and entries. Enjoy your time here!