Visiting my lovely home!

Today I got up at the crack of dawn after having a very restless night, just so that I could be driven an hour to the airport, taxi around the airport for an hour, and then fly for 6 hours all to get back to the wonderful Pacific Northwest to visit my family and friends. Which for the record is why I have gone back to my lack of updates for the week. I have been getting things ready and trying to get ahead on my schoolwork, so I can enjoy a few days or even hours without having to worry about it.
My CT bff, Sami, dropped me off at the airport, as she has many of the times that I have traveled home, and she mentioned that I always get excited but for some reason, I seemed more excited than normal this time around. I have no explanation for this, maybe its just like they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder, and 3000 miles is just the right amount to make your heart practically burst with longing for home. So excited I am!
The last time that I came home was in the middle of August. I was able to spend ample amounts of time with my family, which was great, and I got in some quality time with my WA bffs too. One of the days that I was home, my dad and I hung out in downtown Seattle, because I wanted to do the tourist thing. Its funny how you can live somewhere all your life, and not see the sites in your own backyard. So we went and we saw them. In pike place market, we watched and waited to see if they would do their famous fish tossing but they weren’t, so I finally marched up and asked them to do it. The man replied, “sure, and you can help! Roll up those pretty little pink sleeves, and step behind the counter there, we’ll show you how its done!” My natural response was confusion, followed immediately by excitement, “Um…..what? I can do that?! Really?! OK!!” Then nervous! What if I dropped the fish? And ugh! Was I going to smell like raw fish for the rest of the day? I was about to find out!

They showed me how to position myself and my hands, and then I hollered out for the guy on the other side to toss away.

I caught it! Wooo! Then he told me I had to hold it up and try to sell it…oh man!

Well I didn’t have to sell it, and it was the highlight of my day! How many people can say they actually got to participate in the Pike Place Market Fish Tossing Extravaganza? Ooh Ohh, me! I can!! J lol

Hopefully I will enjoy many more memories with this trip, I will be here for 9 days total (just long enough to throw off my time zones), and we will be having a wonderful thanksgiving as well as some other fun family events I’m sure!
P.S. I waited a week ot post this so that I could add pics and still can't get them to work, so you all will just have to wait!

Leaf Lovin Munchkins!

Last week Little Ann had a day off of school... and what a better thing to do to pass the time but enlist her help in raking leaves! Only to make perfect piles to jump in though..naturally! So after spending a few minutes with rakes in hand, we had made a very nice pile. The rakes were dropped, and the kids were off!

Little Dan and Little Ann both enjoyed bouncing in the leaves very much! They were funny..after getting a head start from running across the lawn, they would take turns leaping into the piles, and momentarily disappearing in the great leafy abyss. Only to resurface themselves to have more jumps and bounds of fun!

Pictures to come :)

Cuddle Bugs on Thursday

Oh sorry, thats supposed to be Dogs on Thursday! Woopsies!

But look at how cute these girls are!


It is starting to get cold here, and Kati is furry and warm, and Zahra is not so much! So instead of being wild and crazy, they decided to snuggle up and get all cuddly cute and warm! I love it :)

Go give your fur-balls some loves and snuggles...Happy Dogs on Thursday!

SWAP week 4

Weekly Topic:Check out the blogs of some of the other participants, and find someone you have something in common with - post a little on your blog about the common interests or loves you both share and tell us about them! Don't forget to leave a comment on their blog saying hello!
Sarah G with her blog "knitting keeps me sane" (very cute name) uses a french press like me and loves a good bold robust coffee in the morning so she can taste the caffeine...my kinda coffee!
Mary from knitting in Red Shoes
loves her coffee in a big ol'mug just like me! She is also one for those dark bold roasts that really wake you up in the morning :) And what's not to love about these so called red shoes! I love shoes :D
Lea has an amazing coffee pot that she uses that is just too darn cute not to share!
I love reading everyone elses blogs...it is really fun! (Although I have yet to do anything else at all today! ugh) Off to start my day and get through some laundry and some schoolwork! :/
Go check out the Autumn Swap for more :)

What a ride!

Or 8 different rides! When Laura was here we went to Hershey Park in Pennsylvania for a day after going to DC. It was fun! On our way we stopped at the Ace of Cakes Bakery (which is only open by appointment because they are so popular) and we took some pictures, like geeky touristy girls :)


Then we preceded into PA and the Hershey Chocolate Factory. We went on the chocolate tour, and did you know that Chocolate is actually originally a fruit? Does that mean I can have 5 servings a day and tell everyone that I'm being uber healthy? :)



Anyhow, we then ventured over to Hershey Park, and all of the roller coasters. We were able to ride on 8 of them before the park closed... and they were all insane! Insanely amazing and fun that is!! What a great thing to spend your day doing! Flying round on rollercoasters that make you feel like your going to pee your pants, only to get off and say, "can we go again?!" Needless to say, it was a blast! :D
Here are some pictures:


(I was too cheap to buy the pictures that they sell, so I just snapped a few of the screens that you preview them on....is that even aloud?)

Munchkin Amusement

Every Morning, when Little Ann boards the bus, Little Dan and I go out to see her off. While we are out, we usually end up wandering over to the Neighbors and having a short morning play-date with the younger neighbor kids.

This morning was no different! We went off to visit the neighbors after the bus drove off into the sunrise. Of course the kids run full speed ahead to get into the house, and us adults walk more at a stroll. So when I peaked into the sun-room to see what they were up to, they were all crammed up by the door looking out at a little sleepy squirrel. I don't know if you can see the little fellow in this picture, but it was so cute and all I had on hand was my cell phone, so I had to snap a picture of them checking him out. They were so amused, and asking all kinds of questions about what he was doing there. It was adorable. I love it when the little wheels are in motion in children's brains. It is amazing to watch them take things in.



Happy Munchkin Monday!

Cup'a'Joe

This week's Swap Question for the Amazing Autumn Coffee Swap:What is it that you love about your first cup of the day? Are you a daily drinker? How do you take yours? Tell us how you love to enjoy your first cup!

I love the aroma.... and I like to hold it (especially at this time of year) and have the hot fresh cup keep my cold morning hands warm! I am definitely a daily drinker, but only for the am! I add three packets of splenda, and a splish and a splash of soy creamer, stir and enjoy! Right now I often make my coffee out of this cute little french press, but it barely fills up my mug!
I wish I had one that was bigger so I could have 2 cups in the morning! Oh, well, I'm sure I'll add that to my kitchen collection soon! :D

It runs in the family...

I don't know if any of you have seen the Queen's outrageous collection of dinnerware, but she loves having fun dishes! And it runs in the family! I don't even use my dishes, and I have 2 full sets! Not to mention I am constantly collecting new fun things for around my non existent kitchen! :)

Here is my newest addition:

So, my friend Jodi was having a dinner party to celebrate her birthday, and I was in charge of bringing a cocktail. I decided to go with rum punch because who doesn't like rum punch!! (And everyone loved it!) By deciding on that for a beverage, I also came to the realization that I couldn't just expect Jodi to have something to serve it in so this is when I decided to purchase a punch bowl, and 12 glasses, and a ladle. Way to go with the kitchen accessory obsession! :D

Costumes...for the dogs and the kids!

Ok... Here is a group picture of the littles and the neighbors all on the front step in their costumes:

From left to right we have a princess, a mid evil princess, a star-wars character, an airplane and spider man. They all looked pretty cute, and went trick-or-treating together with their rents while I handed out the candy at the door.
When they returned, I went out to get Sami, and then to our favorite bar/restaurant for a Halloween bash. I was a ladybug, and Sami was a Jack-o-lantern. We looked pretty good if I do say so myself! And I won 6th place in the costume contest of about 40 or so people. Not too Shabby :)

(and don't worry, I had little boy short things on under that minuscule skirt so that nothing would show!)

And here is Zahra and her fresh fun new jacket! I think the color of it goes very well with her fur :)



So that is it for the costumes at our house! Hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween last weekend, and had plenty of wonderful costumes of your own!

I voted! :D

Did you? If you did... Good for you! If not, go do it!!

And if you did vote, then go to Starbucks, tell them you voted, and get a free tall drip coffee! I upgraded to a venti, and it was only 34 cents! :)

It wasn't my normal coffee, but then I am a spoiled rotten Seattle coffee brat! :)


Every box is marked! (well the top one is just a smiley face bc my barrista is a brat!) But, you get the idea... and when you know what you like, you know what you like!