Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Sloane Does Seattle!

In the hopes that our LOVE of travel rubs off on Sloane...we felt a trip was in order.  We got together with our other well traveled friends, the Fords, and a long weekend in Seattle came to be!  I have known Courtney since kindergarten (I was in first grade) and they have a daughter, Lucia, who is almost a year older than Sloane exactly.  In addition to instilling a love of travel...we certainly hope that they will build the same kind of life long friendship that we did!  
We decided that with almost 1 and 2 year olds...we would start small and the flight to Seattle is totally doable from both San Diego and San Francisco.

And we're off! 
 Sloane's first airplane flight!  
Mommy put together a little goodie bag for all the passengers seated around us for good luck:

 The flight attendants on Southwest were WONDERFUL!! They LOVED Sloane and even gave her a "First Flight" Certificate!

 She was also invited up to the cockpit after the flight for a personal tour! So fun!

 We made it!  This shot was taken from Kerry Park a short 2 block walk from the fabulous house we rented in the Queen Anne neighborhood!
 Seattle selfie!

 These girls love their cheerios...and a good bath!
 We hit up Seattle Center on our first full day and took in the Space Needle and the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit next door.
Sloane loved looking out over Seattle from the top of the needle! 


 Sloane was also quite taken by the work of Dale Chihuly, a world-class glass blower who did the blown glass display on the ceiling in the lobby of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas...very similar to what Sloane is looking at in the picture above.

Court and I have taken buddy shots (yes we think we are twins) 
since our days at Fremont Elementary...
...the tradition continues:

 Sloane and Mommy in the outdoor garden. 

 A great view of the Space Needle flanked by a beautiful art glass installation.
 Group shot!  The first of many...to come...#gofovio!
 Sloane had so much fun following Lucia around (as you can see...these girls inherited their mothers height difference...Court is about 10 inches taller than Mommy...and Lucia has about that on Sloane!)
 Dinner time!
 Brian's cousin, Karen, lives in Seattle and the house we rented was mere blocks from her place...so we were fortunate enough to get to spend some quality time with her before she headed out to Spokane for the long weekend.  

 After some fun, family time with Karen...we headed out to the Ballard Fish Ladders to see the Salmon!





 This much fun tires a girl out!
 Our next day...we hopped a ferry and headed out to nearby Bainbridge Island.
 Sloane loved the ferry ride!

 Strolling through Bainbridge and stop for lunch at Fork and Spoon:

 Beautiful island walkway along the water.
 Bye-bye Bainbridge!

 Coming "home" to Seattle.

 Checking out Pike Place Market
 Gorgeous flowers...fish...and fresh pasta! Yum!



 Pike Place Fish Co...home of the famous "fish throwers!"

Taking a ride on the Seattle Great Wheel!

 Sloane had fun watching the wheel go around and 
loved pointing out all fun and interesting things she was seeing!


These girls take after their mamas and that means "twin pictures" are a must...

 Sloane is jealous of Lucia's mouthful of watermelon


 ...and that's a wrap...such fun!
  Sloane and mommy "twinning!"
See ya later Seattle...thanks for a great first trip!

































Monday, September 8, 2014

Fun, fun, FUN!!

Well...it's summer and we have been having LOTS of fun!! We took a trip to the firehouse to visit Daddy...we got to meet some new family members and visit with some great family friends!

With Daddy working a "72" (hours in a row...that is)...we decided to pay him a visit at the firehouse.
   Sloane loved playing hide-and-seek with the paramedics working in the medic room!
 Then, Daddy gave her a tour of the "app" floor and fire engine!  
 She was quite taken by the lights!

 The fire pole was so much fun!...and YES, those legwarmers are fire trucks!
 We were also very lucky to meet cousin Eden and Great Aunt Marjorie visiting from the East Coast!  Eden just finished her freshman year of college and Great Aunt Marjorie is working in Romania!!  So nice of them to come such a long way to meet the newest addition to the family!


 We also had a fun time visiting with some of Mommy's close friends (and former students)
...the Pangelinans!
 Here is Brenna (now a middle-schooler...Mommy is feeling VERY old...considering she had her and her brother as second graders!) meeting Sloane for the first time!  She was nice enough to gift Sloane her adorable kitchen set complete with pots, pans and food (including sushi!!).
Here is the whole group!  Such a fun evening catching up with great friends...and former students...never mind that Cayden just started high school!! 
They will both be GREAT role models for Sloane!!

In other exciting news...Sloane was chosen to be a Fall Brand Rep for Pretty Little Elm Bows...an Etsy shop!  The bows are handmade by a Mommy in Ohio who also happens to be a full time first grade teacher...love that!  Here is Sloane sporting some of PLE's bows:

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Summer Firsts!

Sloane has been a very busy little lady this summer and that includes some "firsts" for her!  
She had her first ride on a carousel, her  first trip to the beach and her first ride on a swing!  
 After a day of fun at the zoo...we took a ride on the merry-go-round...Mommy remembers riding this carousel a bunch as kid...she even got the brass ring a few times!
 Sloane is not quite big enough for the horses yet...but we had fun on the rocking benches!

 We are so fortunate to live blocks from a great little park that is geared towards toddlers.  Sloane took her first swing ride and absolutely LOVED it!  She was full of smiles and giggles!

 This is SOOOO fun!!

 She enjoyed the parks other attractions as well...

 ...and then we went to the beach!
 Sloane loved feeling the sand between her toes and playing with her sand toys (banging them mostly)!

 Putting her feet in the ocean for the first time!
 It was much colder than Murray Callan's 93 degree water...but she still liked it!

 I think she was perplexed by the squishy wetness of the sand.


Such fun times...if only summer could last forever!