Non-Stop Fun and Adventure

(Ediz Hook.  Brinnley, Gran, Porter in orange, Kasey, Ainsley, Grandma, and me)

 My Mom, Kasey, and Margi flew into Seattle Friday 8th in the evening.  By the time they arrived at our house it was about 1:00 a.m.  Saturday was an early morning because Ainsley's baptism was at 9:00 a.m. Friday afternoon the Stake President called and asked if he could meet with Chant at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.  We got to the church about 8:15 so we had time to change Ainsley and set things up before meeting with the Stake President.

The Stake President asked if Chant would be willing to serve as 1st Counselor in the Elders Quorum for our ward.  Of course he accepted.  We went straight from the interview to the Baptism.

The Baptism ended about 10:00.  We came home to change and then start the adventures.  First we took them out to Ediz Hook.  It was so strange.  It was beautiful and clear when we arrived and as we stood there a curtain of fog rolled in and over the top of us.  It was so thick and heavy!  Mom was getting a little freaked out.

 We got these few pictures of Ediz Hook and then it was like we totally forgot we owned a camera.  This was all we got!  Kasey has all the pictures on his phone.

 But even though we don't have visual proof, we had a great time.  After Ediz Hook, we visited the Pier.  Everyone was pretty fascinated watching the big ferry from Canada come in and dock.  Next was lunch at an amazing pizza place called Gordy's.  We were stuffed!  Next we spent some time swimming at East Beach.  The kids love it there!  Kasey was right out there with them!  Then we went on to Salt Creek.  That water was a lot colder but it had some awesome creatures for Kasey the Scientist to poke at.

Sunday we went to church.  Chant was sustained and set apart.  Mom, Margi, and I were invited to be there for that.  I couldn't stop crying.  I felt so overwhelmed by the Spirit.  I just felt again that this is where we are supposed to be.

After Church and lunch we took a drive out to Dungeness Spit.  It's quite a walk down, so Margi stayed in the car.  The kids were so funny!  We were chasing the waves, tempting Mother Nature.  The capris kept getting rolled up higher and higher and we were getting wetter and wetter until a sneaker wave came in and we all had wet bottoms.  So fun!  Porter was content to stay dry on the sand and throw rocks.  Funny kid.

Chant's birthday was the 14th, so Margi made an amazing cake for Chant so we could celebrate with everyone here.

Chant left with a car full of visitors at 4:00 a.m. Monday.

We were so grateful they could be here and that we were able to show them a little bit of our beautiful new home!

Ainsley's Baptism

 (Ready to leave for the Church)

My sweet Ainsley Jean was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on August 9.  This is a day that we have been talking about and anxiously anticipating for months.  Watching Brinnley get baptized really helped prepare Ainsley so she knew what to expect.  We have had Family Home Evenings and individual talks with her, helping Ainlsey to really understand the importance of baptism and the promises we make to Heavenly Father when we are baptized.  As a mother it has been a truly amazing experience to watch Ainsley grow and ask questions.  I am so proud of my daughter.  I know that she will be more prone to questioning things but I hope that she knows she can turn to Heavenly Father in prayer and He will always answer her.  I am just so proud of my sweet girl!

This day was even more special because we had a few visitors who were able to come for the occasion.  We didn't think we would have any family here to be a part of Ainsley's big day, but because of the generosity of our siblings, both Chant's mom and my mom and brother, Kasey, were able to come.  Ainsley knows that all those who weren't able to make it were thinking of her and supporting her.

Brinnley was so excited for Ainsley!  She was excited for her sister to feel the way she did when she was baptized.  Brinnley, with permission from Ainsley, wore the dress she wore for her baptism.  My mom has bought a dress for each of her granddaughters for their baptism, and my girls were no exception.  But because Grandma didn't think she would be here, she took Ainsley shopping in Utah the day before we moved.  (I was invited to come too.)  They chose the dress and the necklace.  It was such a special experience for all three of us.    

 My sweet girl had the smallest jumpsuit available and it was still too big.

 Ainsley chose Gran to give the talk on baptism and Kasey to give the talk on the Holy Ghost.  Both talks were wonderful and I knew she felt loved and special as they both spoke directly to her.  Brinnley also shared her testimony about how she felt when she was baptized.  It was very sweet and tender.

When Ainsley entered the waters of baptism, my heart was so full!  I was so filled with joy for my sweet daughter and her decision to be baptized.  I did shed tears, but mostly I just felt peace and joy!

Ainsley's baptism group was small, but special.  Her Primary teacher Brother Wolfley played the piano for us.  A boy from her class, Caleb, was baptized the week before and he and his family came. We also had the second counselor, Brother Shaw, and the Primary President, Sister Noble, and her counselor Sister Lindley.

 The men who stood in the circle to confirm her:  Bro Keith, Bro Shaw, Uncle Kasey, Dad, and Bro. Wolfley

 Sister Lindley, Sister Noble, and Ainsley girl

 And the family who loves her!  Grandma, Kasey, Mom, Dad, Gran
Brinnley, Porter, and Ainsley

Ainsley and her grandmothers

Thank you to everyone who called her.  She felt so loved and special and she knew you were thinking of her.  It really was a special day!

She's 8!

 July 17th my beautiful Ainsley girl turned 8.  I love this little lady so much.  She has so much spunk and life but she is also sweet, thoughtful, and caring.

Ainsley's birthday was on a Thursday, a day Chant has to go to Tacoma.  We knew that her birthday was going to be low-key, so we asked what she wanted to make it special.  She just wanted to order a cake from Wal-Mart and have pizza for dinner.  Done!  She picked this Little Mermaid cake.  Her smile was huge when she chose it.  And when Chant brought it home on her birthday, she couldn't stop looking at it and smiling.  

 Big girl!

Before dinner she wanted to open presents.  Her card from Grandma and Grandpa had $10.  She used that and some other money she had saved to buy a baby doll.

 Mom and Dad got her Littlest Pet Shops.  I ordered them from Ebay.  More for less :)  And we found this amazing house at the Goodwill for $3.  Awesome find!

 We also got her two packs of markers and a coloring book.  This girl loves to color!

 After pizza dinner it was time for cake.  Making a wish took a lot of decision time.  But finally she did it.  If we had used a traditional stick candle, we would have been eating wax.  But you can't take a chance with making the wrong wish!

I think she had a happy birthday.  We sure love this little lady!

Wander Lust

 For about a year now I have dreamed of having a "travel wall," or basically my bucket list visual-style.  I wanted to feel like I was being transported to my favorite far-off destinations when I looked at it.  But I was never able to make the idea come together in our old house.  The problem was finding the right place for it.  I just didn't have a wall big enough to do what I wanted.

Then we moved here.  When I walked into the living room for the first time and saw this huge mantel and a bare wall, the wheels in my head were spinning so fast I felt light-headed.  I knew it would be the perfect spot.  There was an existing shelf above where we wanted to put our television and I knew that all the other decorations I wanted to put up would work perfectly there, leaving me this large place to create my vision.

The three places I would give anything to see are Italy, like the whole country, all of it; Paris; and London.  All of the things on my wall center around those places.  I am so pleased with how it turned out!  Let me walk you through it:

 The tall frame from top to bottom:  Venice, Tower Bridge in London, and Notre Dame

Next is Manarola, Italy (in Cinque Terre.  This is definitely my number one place to see.)

Then we have a rooftop view of Paris.

I had the plate on my plate wall back in Utah, but it fit perfectly with my theme.  And then the keys that spell "Love."  Because I am in love with all of these cities and what better thing than keys to spell it!

I saw the phone booth at Ross and couldn't believe it!  I basically ran to scoop it up.  Perfect.

Last is a shot of the beautiful Tuscany countryside.

 I found this bicycle at a warehouse in Arizona when we went there in March.  I fell in love.  I can just see myself riding my bike through the countryside of Italy or down the streets of Paris.  Maybe not, but it creates a beautiful vision in my mind.

I have had this window frame since last summer.  I got in at a garage sale in Twin Falls, ID.  I haven't used it because I didn't quite know what to with it.  But I knew that I wanted to use it for my wall. I found these pictures on Etsy and instantly fell in LOVE!  I knew they would be perfect for my window.  And they are exactly the right size!  It was meant to be!  The images are transparent, so they words from the book page can be seen through them.  Love it.  First is Big Ben, then the Colosseum, and the Eiffel Tower.

The teapot came from Chant's dad's dad.  I love it!  I saw it and thought of tea and crumpets.  I knew it had to go up on the mantel.

I found this awesome frame for $2.50 at a store in Rexburg.  I've had in since April.  When I saw it, I knew it would be part of my wall.  The frame is of concert ticket stubs.  Love the travel aspect of that.  Different places all over.  And the photo of the phone booth and the bus was just what I wanted!  It's another thing I think of when I think London.

Next is a board with an owl and lace and pearls.  Not much to do with travel, but when I think of delicate lace and pearls my mind is reminded of the many books I have read about European Tours.  I would like to think if I lived in that time I would have a dress of lace and pearl buttons that I wore while twirling my parasol as I strolled past the Eiffel Tower and down the streets of London.

Next is an amazing picture of St. Paul's cathedral.  Love this!

And last is a quote plaque that I think goes perfectly.  "Opportunity.  Always look for your window of opportunity."

And I cannot skip the suitcase.  I got this at a garage sale a few years ago.  Those are real travel stickers.  When I saw that suitcase sitting on a blanket in a front yard, my heart squeezed.  That suitcase has been to places and seen things I only dream about.  I could feel it's history and sense it's story as I ran my hands over it's well worn handle and it had to come home with me!

I am so pleased with this wall.  When I just need a quiet moment to think, I sit and look at these beautiful places.  My heart is so full of longing to actually see and experience what is on my wall, but this will have to be enough for now.

I saw this quote the other day and it rang so true to me, this is how I feel.

http://creatingalovelylife.blogspot.com/2013/04/be-in-love-with-wonder-lust.html

Ready for Lift Off

 The kids are LOVING our yard!  They have made a few different forts.  One of them has been used as the space ship/boat.  One afternoon Brinnley and Ainsley made helmets for their space suits and a flag to plant on Mars when they arrived.

 I don't know if you can see him very well in the first two pictures, but Ainsley is holding our pet squirrel, Dash.  Dash was here when we moved in, used most likely in the garden.  But from the first day he was adopted as our pet.  The kids include him in every game they play.  They made a little house for him and even his own baseball diamond on the side of the house.  It was pretty cute.  They took turns "batting" for Dash.  Which means they used a stick to push the ball off the tee.  I love that they are so imaginative!  We aren't allowed to have pets here, so they took matters into their own hands.

 These are some close-ups of Dash in his own space helmet.

Ainsley's left eye is a little swollen in this picture.  She had an allergic reaction to pollen or something that we think got in her eye.  She didn't have any other problems except that left eye swelling.  Things got much worse the day after I took this picture.  We had to give her Benadryl every 4 hours for about 3 days before the swelling finally went away.  Poor girl!

Port Townsend

July 12 we decided we would go for an adventure and check out a town about an hour away called Port Townsend.  It was a pretty drive on a windy road.  As we were coming into town, we passed this pretty stretch of boats.

And this amazing little house.

I love this little town!  It has the cutest littlest shops.  We went into a few that were second-hand stores and another that was repurposed furniture and cute decorations.  I will definitely have to revisit that store!  The kids had to take their picture with this giant Cookie Monster.

After wandering down the main roads, we were hot and ready for a treat.  We all shared a yummy sundae at this cute 50's diner.  

Then we spent some time looking at the water and watching the boats go sailing.

I saw this and my heart stopped.  I HAD to take a picture.  It felt like a picture from Italy.  Beautiful!  

We really wanted to go someplace where we could play in the water.  We followed signs into this campground area thinking we could play and then leave.  But to even get down to the water we had to pay a fee.  We asked the ranger if there was anywhere to go that was free.  She directed us to Salt Creek.  We followed her directions and ended up at this beautiful little stretch of beach.  It was kind of cool but we put on our hoodies and headed down the trail.

The kids each found a stick that they used to make designs in the sand the whole length of the beach we walked.  It was a really foggy day.

But so beautiful!  We have since been back and that day was clear and warm and swarming with people.  Love this place!  I am so glad my kids love to explore new places just as much as I do!  

Week Two

Our first week here we met a neighbor and he told Chant and my dad that he had deer in his yard all the time.  He even came up with a concoction he sprays on his plants that prevents the deer from eating the flowers.  I hard a difficult time imagining it happened that often.  But I have since been proven wrong.  We have seen a lot of deer in our yard and I have many more pictures, but this was one cool sighting.  I was sitting by the windows and looking up to see a deer walking through my front yard.  My favorite part was when he walked down the front walk like he was a visitor.  It was pretty awesome.  Another time the kids were outside playing and a deer ran right in front of them, so close the kids could have reached out and touched it.  Although we've seen them quite a few times, each time is just as amazing as the last.

We had been here just over a week when the kids and I were gathering in the living room for family prayer and scriptures.  We were sitting on the floor in front of the couch and we heard some noise.  When we got up, we saw we had been chalked.  The young women wrote us a little welcome note on our driveway.  They will never know how much that meant to us and how truly welcome it made us feel.  Such a small gesture that meant all the world to us.  Over a month here and it is still visible and each time I see it, it brings a smile to my face.

There is a little stretch of land called Ediz Hook that looks just like a hook coming off the main land.  We took an hour one afternoon to go check it out.  The best part for the kids was throwing rocks.  Not the place to go for swimming, but fun to climb around the large rocks.

There are so many cool places to discover here!

4th of July

 (It's too far away to tell, but the girls have their arms around a dog that is painted in the mural.  It's so realistic and well done!)

The fourth of July my parents flew back to Salt Lake.  We were so glad they were able to stay for as long as they did.  Having their help driving and then getting the house unpacked and organized was so helpful!  We couldn't have done it without them!  

After we dropped them off at the airport and dried our tears, we enjoyed the day in Seattle.  I forgot my camera, which was really sad!  I did get a few pictures on my phone but none of them great quality.  We walked around the Space Needle and through this mall that was close.  Then we had pizza in an outdoor seating area and listened to a guy play patriotic music on his guitar.  It was awesome.  

From there we rode the little train thing to Pike Place Market.  It was crazy crowded and smelly, but it was awesome!  The fresh flowers and all the vendors.  It was just a fun energy.  The kids were troopers when we walked all the way back to the Space Needle to get to our car.  It was so hot we had to get ice cream!  

We left about 3:00 to head home.  We took the Kingston Ferry across and the kids thought it was so awesome!  Nothing like the little ferry they were used  to in Missouri.  We stood on the deck so we could feel the wind and get a get view.  So pretty.

We wanted to be back home for the fireworks so we could see what our town had to offer.  About 9:00 we drove downtown and found a place to park.  There are several buildings around downtown that have murals painted on the sides.  We had to take pictures of a few of them.  And then we met the Rocktopus.  Pretty cool sculpture all made out of rock.  

A band was playing at the Pier, so we listened to them for a while before wandering onto the pier itself.  We had the perfect view for the fireworks.  They shot them off so the fireworks went off over the water.  It was beautiful seeing the real thing and its reflection.  It was a little chilly, but the perfect night!  So glad we were here to experience it!