Ahhhh..... New Car Smell

We have joined the Nissan Clan. And I *LOVE* it!!

Shawn got an offer from a guy at work that he couldn't refuse, so the decision for a new ride was simple. So now the truck is gone :( but we still have Little Red as the commuter car - for now.

I just had to share what we've been up to :)

Fort Lewis

Shawn's former Military buddy, Danny, came to stay with us for the weekend from Michigan. Since he is still active military and he and Shawn were stationed at Fort Lewis together, we decided to take a trip to visit the old stompin' grounds. So surreal that this massive Army base is right in our backyard.
Cole in front of a "tank" - shows you the enormity of these machines.

This partial hand and sword was the most impressive. A unit from Fort Lewis was responsible for the collapse of the statue and bringing the piece 'home'.

Talking 'Army' - as Cole would say.

We were lucky enough to get Anna for a few hours also. I think she enjoyed most of it, eventhough the teenager part of her didn't want to. And she didn't have her ipod either - most impressive! (I remember and can relate to that age: how boring adults are and all you want to do is listen to your music....)

She's so great with Cole, too. Looks out for him without asking, tells jokes with him, teases him, etc.

Future 'Army Guy' ??

Deception Pass

I don't know if I really need to post anything about this entry. I should just let the photos speak for themselves. We took a day trip to Deception Pass. The end.

PS: It was G O R G E O U S !!!!!!!!

Breathtakingly beautiful.....

First Day of School !!

F I R S T G R A D E

How & when did I get a 6 YEAR OLD in First Grade??

All of the preparation and shopping is done and Cole is off to school again. This time all day. He was super excited and luckily I got him to sleep at a decent time and he was zonked out shortly after. Getting him up in the morning is usually a different story, but today it was a breeze! You remember that feeling - waking up, practically jumping out of bed and even putting your clothes on without being asked. Yep, that was Cole. I know it may not last long, but I love to see him so excited for school!

I took him to school and as we walked into the playground, he spotted his friend Brandon instantly. They ran around like banshees for awhile until I finally got them to hold still for a photo. And seriously this was not planned, no joint shopping trips together, but they had the same backpack! Of course they did, they're like two peas in a pod.

Cole must have asked me a dozen times about what line he would be in. "How am I gonna know what line I'm in, Mama?" "We're going to have to find the principal to find out what line I'm in" "Where is my line going to be?" Etc., etc., etc.

The school, of course, is always one step ahead of everything and had the teachers names clearly listed on signs in the grass.

Phew! Meltdown averted.

Here's the 'army' guy in his line~

(Six, yes SIX already...... ugh)

Ferry Rides, Trucks and Fishing

Labor Day weekend and we had no big plans to do anything - just see what the weekend brought us. It turned out awesome! Beautiful weather, spectacular sights and the most wonderful people.

We headed to Seattle and decided to hop on the Ferry to Bremerton and eventually drive over the new Narrows Bridge! Cole has been itching to go over the new bridge.

Like I said, it was a magnificent day for a Ferry ride. Sunny, mostly clear, bright and just that slight hint of Fall that we get this time of year.

I love this city. Loooove it! I spent a lot of my late teens/early twenties exploring this city. When 'grunge' (how I loathe that word) had just hit, and came mainly from Seattle. Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, just to name a few. I remember 'clubbing' at The Underground and that other place over by the McDonalds at Seattle Center....... dang! what was the name of that club??

Anyway, beautiful city with magical memories. I got a little nostalgic there for a moment.

Needless to say, Cole takes after Mama with his fear of heights. He loved the thought of a big boat, but getting him out on the deck was almost impossible. He did venture out once or twice to see the Seagulls drifting on the wind and to try and spot any jellyfish, like Shawn did. But his death-grip on my hand was brutal! So he spent most of the ride looking out thru the windows.


Mt. Rainier off in the distance is such a gorgeous sight! The camera tends to not like the mountain for some reason - in every photo it was washed out. Hmmm

The next day we stopped at Shawn's work so he could tie up loose ends. Cole loves the trips to Shawn's work - the huge boxes, the forklifts, the big rigs. What wouldn't a little boy love? He was even more in Heaven when Shawn brought him out to the rigs to hop inside!

It was his first time in a Semi, so you can tell by his smile that he is just elated!

(nothing like the little things in life to make a kid smile)

Heading South back home, Shawn had a special surprise for Cole - Fishing!

We stopped at this quaint little fishing pond in Kent where they raise the fish and let them go for people (mainly kids) to catch. It was the cutest thing! Little girls and boys all sitting out there with their dads, hoping to get a big one. And they had the most awesome tree house!! Made right into a HUGE cedar tree that you climb up into the hollowed-out trunk and up into the tree house itself. When I asked Cole if it was cool, he just said, "It's a little creepy". Okaaayyy..

That was our weekend, in a nutshell. We did buy a croquet set and played a game, but it was a very cheap set so it went back. Anyone have a good, old set that we can buy??

Cheers!