{ Katie + Morgan's Visit }

Katie and I became friends through blogging. Katie was a "bloggy friend" of my real-life friend Chelle, which is how I came across her blog. We met in real life three years ago at Seabrook {you can read about it here and here}, and I think she may have been the first Aussie I ever met! Since Seabrook, Katie has married her sweetheart Morgan, and this summer they are making their way across the USA on a delicious, once-in-a-lifetime trip visiting friends and family. They spent two nights with us in between a week in Spokane, Washington and a week in Charleston, South Carolina, and we had such a delightful time! Katie and Morgan were so gracious with our cramped accommodations, sleeping on an air mattress that pretty much took up our entire living room floor! I'd never met Morgan, and Mike hadn't met either of them, but we really enjoyed the time we got to spend together. Maybe someday we will be able to visit them in Australia...wouldn't that be sweet!

Their visit was brief, and peppered with the early mornings and long naps of a little girl who loves her sleep. Nevertheless, we got to show them around our neck of the woods, as well as a bit of downtown Seattle.

 

:: at the beach near our house ::

 

 

:: Katie + Morgan ::

 

We did have one very unfortunate incident when we went to a local brew pub/restaurant for dinner: They refused to let K + M order drinks without their passports as additional identification. Apparently Australian drivers' licenses are not enough proof that they are of legal age {which happens to be 18 in Australia, anyway!}.

 

On Sunday the grandparents watched Lainie and we went to downtown Seattle. I took almost no photos {which I could say about nearly everything we've done over the last year. If it's not Lainie being cute, apparently I am unable to muster the strength to get out the camera.}. We had lunch in an open-air Bolivian café in Pike's Place Market, meandered through the market, and visited Anthropologie. Katie and I really love that store...Mike and Morgan hid and amused themselves while we browsed.

 

We rode the Great Wheel on the Seattle waterfront--first time for all of us. The views are breathtaking!

 

:: Looking toward West Seattle ::

 

On Monday, the Aussies toured the Boeing factory while I took Lainie for her one-year checkup and shots. Then we all went to the Flying Heritage Collection, which has some amazing, fully restored WWI and WWII aircraft and tanks. Two different airplanes are the only surviving ones of their specific make known to exist.

 

At this point, my camera battery died. Just imagine lots of laughter; both real and impersonated Aussie accents; and a bittersweet farewell at the airport.

 

Our house still seems so quiet--we had a great time with you two!

{ Christmas Downtown }

One Christmas tradition Mike and I are revamping to accomodate our family of three is the fabled downtown Seattle Christmas date. Last year we had so much fun: A full day of sunshine, glorious colors, beautiful decorations, Pike's Public Market, good food, gingerbread houses, and no throwing up. This year, Miss Peanut is 5 1/2 months outside the womb, instead of a mere 11-week-twinkle in my tummy, which made things ever so much different!

 

For starters, it rained the whole day--when we left home, it was borderline snowing. This was actually a blessing in disguise; because the weather was sour, crowds were minimal. I was shocked that the market wasn't packed at noon on a Saturday in December.

 

We talked beforehand about what we really wanted to do, knowing that how long we could stay downtown depended on Lainie's disposition. We both wanted to ride the carousel, and I wanted to walk through the market. Anything else would be icing on the cake. Normally Lainie goes about two hours between naps, but when we're out and about {meaning that she is entertained by things and people other than just mommy} that easily stretches double. She's a happy tired baby. 

 

First we went to the carousel. Lainie approached it as she did the rest of the light, noise, and color she encountered that day: as a quiet, poker-faced observer. She wasn't scared at all!

 

 

:: it is really hard to get good shots on a carousel, when you and your subjects are on separate, independently moving horses ::

 

:: Hi-Ho Silver, and away! ::

 

Then we went to the market. Forgive me for not snapping any photos...I'm in the process of forgiving myself.

 

A kind lady offered to take our photo. Several people stopped us to comment on what a cute baby we have.

 

Lainie's bodysuit cracks me up--she looks like a giant pink Peep! It's a bit big, but it is the warmest thing we had for her to wear. She couldn't have moved if she wanted to, but she was toasty!

 

Another thing I just noticed: Aside from the scarf, I'm wearing exactly the same outfit I wore on our Seattle date last year. LOL...if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

 

By now it was raining harder, and we were getting hungry. All of us. We kept walking by these amazing-smelling shops, and because I can't eat dairy right now {I'll tell you about that next time}, most of it I couldn't eat. All Mike wanted was coffee from the original Starbucks, but the line was literally stretching out the door. So, after feeding Lainie in the car, we had lunch at an Indian restaurant. My dairy-free coconut curry was delicious, though I did covet Mike's garlic naan. Just a lil bit. And then we headed home.

 

This year's outing looked so different from 2011's, but it was still so good! If the weather had been nicer, we probably would have stayed out longer, but when you're cold and wet and getting wetter, going home to cozy up for a nap sounds pretty enticing.

 

What are your Christmasy plans?

{ In Which I Have a Birthday }

I know it was over a month ago...but I never got around to posting pictures. And it was a really fun day, thanks to Mr. Mike. And this weekend we're heading to Vashon Island for a little "babymoon," so I shan't be posting for a few days, and then Tuesday is our first appointment at Children's Hospital, so really, if I don't post something before we leave on Friday, it's going to be more than a week before a new post.

I think all that self-justification for a post about my month-old birthday was for me, not you...

Anyway!!

Mike planned a lovely, laid-back Saturday, just the two of us, doing some of my favorite things: waterfronts, exploring, gelato, flowers, new adventures in Seattle--of course without letting me know any of it in advance. And God blessed us with a gorgeously sunny day to boot!

We started off with coffee from Caffe Appasionato, the loveliest coffee shop I think I've ever seen, and then meandered over to the Fishermen's Terminal in the Ballard {Wallingford? sorta north Queen Anne?} neighborhood of Seattle. I'd never been there before. We walked out on the docks, admiring the boats and yachts.

I think this zippy little red number was Mike's favorite

Ohhhh, look, I don't look pregnant at all!!

BAM!!! Triplets, anyone?!

I swear it's the jacket...

Mike took me to the dearest little shop called Nellie's that serves toast with jam and cheese. Yum!!

Flowers at Pike Place Market

Gelato...need I say more?

I got raspberry and lemon, Mike got mango and coconut.

We ended the day at Arnie's, enjoying a delicious dinner as the sun set over the water. It was an idyllic day.

Even if it was in honor of my last "young" birthday. ;-)

{ Ringin' in the New Year }

Confession: I don't even remember what we did for New Year's Eve last year. My best guess is that we stayed home and went to bed before midnight...that would explain why I can't remember it, right?

This year, we didn't have much planned 'til the day of. Our church rented out a bowling alley from 6 to 9pm and invited everyone to come. We hung out for a couple hours, then headed to downtown Seattle to meet up with some of Mike's friends. We went to a pub called The Blarney Stone, where the bartender made me a delicious non-alcoholic drink. When one of the girls we were with found out I was pregnant, she loudly exclaimed, "You have a human inside you?!"

Another confession: I think I'm missing some vital genetic component that most of my peers possess; namely, the ability to enjoy spending time in a crowded bar with live music so loud you can't hear anything unless someone yells directly in your ear. I just don't get why people go somewhere with friends and pay for the privilege of losing your hearing and being unable communicate with said friends. Like I said, I must be missing some important part of what it takes to be a well-adjusted twentysomething in the 21st century.

{Really, it wasn't that bad. It's just that I don't "get" these types of events!}

As midnight neared, we walked a few blocks to the skyscraper where one of the guys' uncle works. The plan was to watch the Space Needle fireworks from his office, which is on the top {36th} floor of the building. But when we got there, we found out that one of the building maintenance guys was there, and he offered to let us come up on the roof with his family!

It was so cool: This skyscraper is on the edge of the downtown core, so there were no other tall buildings obstructing our view. There was a little breeze, but no rain. There were lights...everywhere. Like tiny jewels studding the velvety black night surrounding us.

It's really hard to appreciate in the photo below, but all the boats on Lake Union were lit up and it was so pretty!

The fireworks show was great. Neither Mike nor I have ever gone downtown for the New Year or Fourth of July fireworks, so it was exciting to share this experience together, and from such a remarkable vantage point! It's a good thing we had this opportunity before having a baby, right? I have a feeling that trekking downtown to watch loud, scary fireworks is not exactly the sort of thing one does with small children!

Photos of fireworks are pretty much the most boring photos ever, so I'll stop now.

Happy New Year, everyone!

{ Why I Love Downtown Seattle }

The weekend before Christmas, Mike and I spent the afternoon downtown. Last year we enjoyed our "downtown Christmas date" so much that we decided to make it a tradition. And we couldn't have asked for a more perfect December day: sunshine, blue skies, temps in the 40's, shops and streets bedecked in Christmas cheer.

We started down at the waterfront. After poking around Ye Olde Curiosity Shop and walking along the piers, we headed up to Pike Place Market.

West Seattle, seen from the pier

I have my own personal paparazzo!

I had never noticed these quirky light fixtures before. There are several of them as you approach the Market from the waterfront.

See the little sideways silver man?

And this...this is what I love about Pike Place Market: the happy riot of

colors

textures

shapes

accents

I could wander through the produce stalls for hours. I would take hundreds of pictures, if I were alone. My memory card thanks Mike for keeping us moving at a decent pace!

It's like a symphony for the senses. I've been here dozens of times, and it never gets old.

Part of it is the colors--the endless combinations of brilliant hues. The fruits and vegetables I've only known from photos. Part of it is the pungent scents: earthy tubers, tart citrus, fresh seafood, sweet honey, specialty olive oils. Part of it is the almost unbelievable mix of people, the cacophony of nationalities, languages, and accents that throng here daily. Part of it is just the electricity you feel here: the air is vibrant, alive. There is so much beauty, so much newness, I feel like I need to inhale with my whole being, trying to absorb all I can through all my senses.

There were beautiful bouquets of decorative cabbage. If we weren't leaving for Idaho in a few days, I'd have asked for one.

And then...the cheese shop. We didn't buy any, but we spent quite a bit of time ogling the cases and discussing which cheeses we'd like to try.

I'm getting hungry...

It delights me that even the pigs were decorated for Christmas!

For lunch, we stopped at The Pink Door, a quaint restaurant where Mike took me for drinks on our six-month dating anniversary. It looks like a hole in the wall from its Post Alley entrance, but inside--oh goodness, it's perfect. Beautiful. Otherwordly and bewitching.

The front door, decorated in honor of The Pink Door's 30th anniversary

We had a lovely lunch next to the Christmas tree. In case you're wondering, that is a swing you see hanging from the rafters. The Pink Door has nightly entertainment, from cabaret and magic to burlesque and trapeze artists. Mike was not aware of that the first time we went, and we narrowly escaped second-row seats for a burlesque show!

Next we walked to the Sheraton. Every year, the Sheraton hosts a gingerbread "house" competition to benefit the local chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Local architectural firms and chefs collaborate to create amazing gingerbread "houses" to raise money for JDRF, and viewing them is free {donations encouraged ;-) }. This year's theme was train stations. Here are a few of my favorites:

Gare du Palais, Quebec, Canada

Flinders Street Station, Melbourne, Australia

Dunedin Railway Station, New Zealand

Island of Misfit Toys

The attention to detail, and the tiny-ness of those details, was such fun to see!

Then we made our way to Westlake Park and rode the carousel. Sorry, no photos--but I can assure you that Mike has the most amazing Miss America wave and plastic smile to go with it! He even made the attendants smile. I was laughing too hard to do anything but hold on to my steed for dear life!

And then, across the street, the Macy's star, all lit up!

Mike really wanted to take me on a horse-drawn carriage ride through downtown Seattle. It was getting dark, Christmas lights were starting to twinkle everywhere we looked...and after waiting in line for a carriage for 30 minutes, we realized it would probably be at least another 30 before our turn came. I was starting to feel kind of nauseous, so we decided the carriage ride can wait for another day. {But it was super romantic and thoughtful of you to think of it, Babe!}

As we wended our way back toward the waterfront, I was stopped in my tracks by this stunning view. The Market at sunset. How have I lived here almost 11 years, and yet have never seen this before?

All the lights, the bundled-up shoppers, the crisp air--it was magical.

Just like the whole day. I can't speak for Mike, but as far as I'm concerned, our downtown Christmas date is becoming one of my favorite days of the year!