The Last Few Days

Playing catch-up...again.

Friday was the end of a long week. I knew that I needed to have some alone time with Jay. We had spent the previous weekend together with friends but were always surrounded by kids and after another busy week of just passing by each other, I hired the twins for Friday night. But Seth and Sam seemed to need some physical outlet so when Seth came home from school, I told the boys to go get their swimsuits and we'd go swimming at the YMCA. It took awhile to get out there as it had started to snow. I was talking on the phone with Sarah while I was driving and while turning at 5 mph, I skidded into a pole. Amazingly, I still can't find any damage (I keep thinking I'm just not noticing some huge dent in my front bumper). We ran inside the building from the swirling snow and were told that the pool was closed for renovations until the seventh. My kids were bummed but while I was out there I signed both Seth and Sam up for after school swim lessons and Seth for basketball. So it wasn't completely fruitless. Driving home, I barely made it up the hill. I have got to get new tires.

Because the weather was so awful, all I really wanted to do when it was time to pick them up the sitters was sip hot chocolate, turn on our Presto Heat Dish downstairs and watch a movie. But we were determined to date and got in the truck with four wheel drive and drove to a nearby restaurant only to discover a 45 minute wait. Jay wasn't sold on the restaurant in the first place so we decided to leave. No particular type of food was striking my fancy but Jay was in the mood for steak so I told him I'd heard good things about a restaurant downtown. We drove there and it said "Seafood and Steak" on the building. Ominous for a non seafood eater. Feeling hopeful for good steak, we went inside. The only steak they had was over $40 and the rest was every type of seafood imaginable. They had one pork dish (which I ordered...I really should have been more adventurous but it was expensive and who likes to spend $20 for something yucky) and we shared a bowl of French Onion Soup. They weren't kidding. They had scooped out an onion and had the soup inside of it. Clever but it limits the quantity of soup and I'm not mature enough to appreciate pretty food. I would have just preferred a big bowl. We scraped the bottom of the produce as best we could until the waiter whisked it away (apparently it's quite gauche to scrape at this restaurant). The pork was uninspiring and Jay had the trout with tiger prawns. I don't think we'd ever go back but at least we got to talk which was what I was really craving.

Yesterday, we drove down to Jen and Christopher's because they were blessing Sadie today. Jon and Tara came over too and all the cousins got some playing done. Christopher barbecued and his parents and sister and husband came over. We watched the Seahawks/Cowboys came and were screaming by the end. It's an experience watching sporting events with Jon and Tara. Especially a game that has a stunning ending like that game did. You kind of get caught up in the moment. After the kids went to bed, we pulled out the nifty Karaoke system that has been useful in providing endless entertainment. As always, there was a few tentative numbers to start the show but once Christopher lit into "Wild Boys" by Duran Duran (he has quite the power false setto), it was game on.

Christopher has many talents and I'd list Karaoke right up there at the top.

Jon was always ready to shake his grove thing but wasn't afraid of the ballad either. We enjoyed a moving rendition of "Silent Lucidity" by Queensryche. The good old days.

Tara and I feeling DEBORAH (she's grown up now, afterall) Gibson. I know it looks like I'm swept away by the moment but I think I just blinked.

Jon's dance. If you know it, you love it.

Don't count Jay out. He still holds the all time best score.

A little NKOTB (If you don't know what that means, you're lucky) Hanging Tough. Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh. I adore my family.

Sadie's blessing was wonderful. Christopher has such a way with words and it was striking to see her surrounded by her father, grandfather and uncles.

Happy Parents. Hopefully Jen will post a better picture of her georgeous dress.

She really is probably the sweetest baby I have ever been around.

Scrumptious

She doesn't cry unless she's been sleeping for 10 hours and happens to feel a bit hungry. Otherwise, she quietly gazes at you or gives a bewitching smile. It's very easy to fall in love with her.

All our kids but Owen (he was too excited for nursery). Natalie was sick and Sam was Sam. I think he was upset that he didn't get better billing on the seating arrangement.

Our attempt. We just never pull off that nice family picture that other families seem capable of.

Case in point minus poor sick Natalie.

We were glad to be driving west as Jon and Tara's way home was closed. They ended up having to drive all the way to Portland and then up to Seattle. Our roads were fine but it was extremely windy. My boys are about ready to go to bed and I'm gearing myself up for a busy week. Swimming lessons start tomorrow!