A perfect wedding and Man vs. Food.

This weekend we went to Portland for my best friend from college, Courtney's, wedding.  The wedding was perfect!  We had an amazing time!  We left Seattle on Friday around noon to begin the festivities.  We figured if we left by 12:00, we would have plenty of time to get there, check into our hotel, relax a little, and then meet up at the rehersal dinner by 5:30.  However, by two o'clock, we were only to Tacoma.  (For those of you that don't know, this should have only taken us about 45 min. max!).  I was a little stressed about the time and about the fact that Evan had been asleep for the whole two hours.  All I could think about was how WITHOUT the traffic, we would almost be there already and he would have slept the whole time.  At this rate, he was going to wake up before we hit the Tacoma Dome and we would be doomed for a very long trip to P-town!  As it turns out, he slept until about 45 min out of Portland, we stopped for some carrots heated up in the AM PM microwave, a quick diaper change, gas fill up, and were back on the road.  We made it to our hotel by 4:30, changed our clothes, and headed out for the dinner.  I was panicking that we were going to be late and then, to top it all off, the navigation system was possessed in Portland and kept telling us to take roads that didn't exist.  At one point, it even showed us crossing a river in the middle of the river when, in fact, we were actually driving on a road.  We made it to the dinner a little late, but well before anyone else, which was a relief.
 
On Sat., Steve, Evan, and I got up early (thanks to Evan) and went to a local breakfast place.  There were no tables, and no chairs.  Just a bar with stools and the french toast was phenomenal!  After breakfast, I headed out with the girls to the salon so Court could get her hair and make up done.  Steve stayed behind with Evan.  The salon day was really fun. Courtney was SO calm. 

After the salon, I headed back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding.  We got dolled up in our finest and headed for the wedding under the bridge.  Courtney looked amazing and I couldn't hold back the tears!  Afterall, I give myself full credit for her and her husband getting together in the first place, and it was an emotional moment seeing her so happy!  I am so happy that she and Sean found eachother.  If there is such a thing as a soul mate, they were made for each other.   Seriously!

I look evil here, but at least you can see how happy she looks.  (I really need to stop doing that horrible neck thing.)

Evan fell asleep at the wedding even though there was a live band cranking out classics and a photo booth complete with props for never ending entertainment.  He and I danced as the music started and he slept through the rest of the evening.    

Here is a photo of Steve and Evan with the evil monkey Steve brought him back from Dallas. (Steve was gone all last week and when he came home and handed the monkey to Evan, he just kept hugging it. It makes a terrible shrieking, monkey sound when you drop it and it is SO UGLY. However, Evan really likes it so I have not thrown it away... yet.)

This morning we got up late and headed out for Voodoo donuts.  It is a strange little donut store that I saw on Amazing Race and then again on Man vs. Food.  They have a giant glazed donut the size of a dinner plate, can do weddings right in line, and are known for their maple bar with bacon on top.  When we got to the shop, the line snaked around the block.  We waited for a bit, but then opted for waffles from a food cart down the street.  Every town should have waffles available, to go, from a food cart.  They were delicious!  (As a side note, I was not going to give up on going to Voodoo donuts.  I am a sucker for things seen on TV!  I asked the Bell Man at the hotel how to get to the other store location and we navigated ourselves there - without the navi system (see above for info on the possessed machine!).  When we found the store I felt I couldn't leave with just one donut, so a dozen little treats of goodness packed into a pink box later, we were on the road back to Seattle.) 

In summary:  The trip was really fun, despite the traffic on the way down.  Courtney was so happy.  I was so happy.  The photo booth was awesome.  Evan can sleep through anything.  Waffles to go are a good thing. And I am always going to seek out the places featured on Man vs. Food.  :)

I love

having a sister that lives near by. 
garage sales.
friends that are willing to help you with your child while you get some work done.
a small child sitting in the front of a shopping cart.
cool breezes coming through the house on a hot night thanks to Steve's homemade AC system.
monday nights.
a cold glass of water just after brushing my teeth.
a toddler size bike helmet.
taking out my contacts.
a house full of baby toys.
a new car seat for a little boy - even though I can't reach him to give him his binky or hold his hand and it means he is getting big which could induce an "I hate" list.  :)

What is worse?

Is it worse to admit that I watched the Bachelor Pad (on ABC - Monday nights), or that I watched it, and LOVED IT!?

Some things are just too good to pass up!  My reality tv watching has hit a new low, but I love it!  (it almost hit a new low when I saw the Chad Ocho Cinco dating show and was really excited about it,  BUT then I forgot to DVR it and missed the whole season!)  This new show clearly has its place in the "you are wasting your brain away for watching this" hall of fame, but it was just so scandalous and juicy - I couldn't stop watching!  Totally a fan!

Summer Salad

If you are in the mood for a fresh, summer salad and are wondering if the recipes you find on the internet for Strawberry Avocado Salad are any good, you will be pleased to find out that this one is delicious!!!
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Teaspoons Honey
1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
Lettuce (preferrably from your local co-op or summer market)
1 Avocado
10 Strawberries, Sliced.

YUMMY!

I am one of those people...

It is true... I am now officially a Seattle girl and don't think I can ever leave. 

I am a yoga doing, baby food making, Prius owning, reusable bag carrying, clothes line drying, vegetarian, SUBARU OUTBACK driving girl!

We purchased a new Subaru Outback yesterday and I have to say, I am a huge fan!  I will miss driving the Prius on a regular basis, but am loving the extra space in the new car.  I can't wait to go to the store tomorrow to see how many bags of groceries I can fit in the family wagon!  Mine looks like the one above, only shiney black!  HOORAY!

Update on Baby Benjamin

Owen calls him Baby Benjamin and he doesn't seem to mind.  :)

UPDATE:

He is getting used to solid foods now (hooray!) and seems to have his dad's sweet tooth.  He will eat almost anything as long as it is mixed with a banana and he will NOT eat green beans. I gave them to him and he looked at me with the most confused look.  Like, "Why would you do such a thing?"  I hate green beans too, but I don't sit there crying with my mouth open refusing to even swallow the smallest amount like he did.  We ended up having to spoon the green beans out of his mouth to get him to stop crying.  The green bean episode aside, he seems to love squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and yogurt. Peas and applesauce have their day as well as avocados.  He was not a fan of nectarines, and had a hard time stomaching the store bought baby food while we were in Iowa. I have been making his food in my lovely magic bullet and he is getting spoiled with the good stuff!  We have tried putting food in those little mesh bags, but he just turns the thing over and chews on the handle instead of the food.  Jen says mangos may be the ticket, but I haven't made my way to Trader Joe's yet to try.  Mangos are next on my list.  He is sleeping most of the night and usually wakes up about one time (which I don't mind). He loves to stretch out in the crib and I think the days of sleeping in the bouncy seat are behind us.  He is getting really big and can sit up by himself.  He still doesn't show any interest in moving around, but I am not in any hurry (although Ivy is!  She can't wait to have a partner in crime!)  He doesn't have any teeth, but is chewing on everything.  Teeth may be next on his list.  He loves Steve so much and it is so cute to see how excited he gets when Steve comes home from work. The other day, he was so excited that he just kept laughing hysterically every time he would see Steve.  I love my two boys and am lucky to have them both in my life!
 

Dear Blog.

Dear Blog,

I am sorry that I have forgotten about you.  I am sorry that Evan turned 6 months old about 3 weeks ago and I failed to tell you.  I cannot believe that so many days have passed and that you don't even know that at his 6 month check up he weighed 18 lbs and 15 oz. (73%), he was 26 1/2 inches tall (49%), and that his head was 46 cm (95%).  I really feel bad for not showing you this adorable 6 month old photo or telling you that he is really getting good at sitting!

I am sorry that I haven't told you about the fun we had when my sister and her family were visiting or about how terribly sad I am that they don't live here to do the fun things we did more often.  I am shocked that I have never shared about the day we picked strawberries at the strawberry farm because we had a really good time!  I am also a little surprised with myself that I haven't taken the time to let you in on the fact that my sisters and I actually made strawberry jam with the strawberries we picked and it turned out fabulous!

Please forgive me for not telling you about the night that I had Alysa, Max, and Owen over for a sleepover and how Owen got a little scared on his first sleepover without his mom.  Don't worry little blog, I held him and made up stories about Grandpa's farm animals and he was able to fall asleep.   Please don't judge me for waiting so long to tell you about our most recent trip to Iowa and how Evan finally got to meet Uncle Pete!  We had a really good time and Evan even went swimming for the first time ever!  He loved the water and was a natural!  Seriously, I cannot believe that I have put you on the back burner.  I am sorry.   Again, little blog, I ask you to please forgive me.  You are a wonderful little invention for keeping memories in order and I will try to pay more attention to you.  I promise.