The Chronicles of Nicole

Waiting for Noma to arrive!

2012-01-17T21:08:00.001-08:00

Jason. Is waiting at the airport for my Mom. We are excited she was able to come for Shelby's birthday. :)

Warm Beach Lights

2012-01-10T11:26:00.001-08:00

We heard that the lights were amazing and they were! It was a wonderful family night out!

Date Night!

2012-01-08T15:40:00.001-08:00

Our church's kids had a fundraiser and offered babysitting. Considering Jason and I haven't been on a date in ages we jumped at the chance!

Shelby was so excited to go to church and see her friends that as soon as we walked in the church she took off to the kids wing! The child defiantly does not have separation anxiety! Lol

Jason and I went to the Seattle Art Museum and ate dinner at TASTE. The restaurant inside.

Silly for Succulents!!!

2012-01-08T15:38:00.001-08:00

I have been wanting to find a low maintenance, low light, hard to kill plant to use in our house. I've foud just that....succulents. They are beautiful and I love their unique look!!
I also adore how as they grow they'll "pour" over the side of the pot and if they are getting out of hand you can just trim them back.

They're quite inexpensive too. The large plants were $5 and they were 40% off. The one alone in the white pot was $2.50!

I found everything at Swanson's Nursery. Love thy place! Their cafe I nice too.
The pots were 50% off. The most expensive was the long white one at $12.

All in all a low cost project and a classy looking product!

Sledding......Whoosh!

2012-01-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

We headed out to Hyak Sno-Park at 11am with our ice chest packed, the snow chains ready to go just in case, and all our newly purchased second-hand snow gear on. We were ready to sled!!!

Sporting her long johns and ready to rock!

We drove thru Snoqualmie Pass on I90.


Snoqualmie Pass


At first we saw some snow covered peaks here and there and before we knew it, snow was all around us!

Enter the Mount Baker and Snoqualmie National Forest. Almost there....

Daddy was the bravest and sled first.

I was very scared to go on the big slope with all the rowdy boys. They were running to get a head start and FLYING down the hill. They would hit the jumps and go flying into one another. Me on the other hand, I started slow and sled starting and halfway down the slope, building my steering abilities and confidence. Then after 3 or 4 small runs I trudged to the very top, took a breath and pushed off the powdery snow. I overcame my fear! Anytime I felt myself gaining too much speed and losing control I would "snow plow" with my feet.

The hill of death that the children weren't scared of. However, I .....eeek!

We started out on the kiddy hill to get the hang of our "new" sleds. They were a gift from one of Jason's friends at Boeing.

Looking down the slope!

Starting to sled halfway down the big slope because I'm a wimp. ;)

Helping my girl up the slope.

Waiting on Mommy

Ready or not. Here I go.....

Go guys, go!

Taking a "warm up" break with her blanket.

"Shelby, put your hand down so I can take the picture!" This phrase is often repeated to no avail in our house.

Sweet moment on the slopes

We had to clear the slope for them to "sweep" it.

Jeah!

Sandwich time

Squinting in the sun

"Shelby, smile at the stranger so he can take our picture!"

Here are some videos of our day.

False Alarm

Kiddy Slope

Mama's First Run

2nd Run

Snow Plowing Mommy

Sledder's Perspective

A Very Merry & Not So White Christmas

2011-12-31T18:45:00.000-08:00

I will begin with Christmas Eve....

I made good ol' biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs and crispy bacon.

Shelby loved it and cleared her plate.


Jason...not quite awake yet.

After we attended the Christmas Eve service we took some pictures.

I gave Shelby her stocking to take a pic with it and this is the first thing she did!

Shelby got to open one gift.

Then we made cookies and set them out for Santa along with some milk. Both of which Shelby thought was hers and tried to eat/drink! Then we snuggled up warm in our beds and awaited CHRISTmas morn.

Christmas day began at 7:30 when I awoke and began preparations. My list of Christmas morning duties are as follows: make the house pretty-turn on the Christmas lights, light candles around house and pillar candles in fireplace, turn the fireplace CD on the TV (http://www.http://www.heavensinspirations.com/true-meaning-christmas.html.com/), turn on Christmas music, set out the homemade cinnamon rolls to rise, and lastly set out the following poem and a letter to each of my sweeties in front of the fireplace.

The True Meaning Of Christmas

Jesus Christ was born this day

So many years before

He came a servant to the lost

Though he was Lord of Lords

We celebrate this joyous time

Reflecting on His birth

Not born in a mansion, but a stable

As if He had no worth

He came so He could identify

With the human heart of man

And gave His life as a sacrifice

Offering a better plan

A plan that reconciles us back

To our loving Father God

Bringing hope and redemption from

Sins ruling iron rod

For this is the only reason that we

Should celebrate this day

To become focused on anything else

Would take the meaning away

So let’s arise with joy in our hearts

And share it with everyone

The meaning of Christmas will always be

The birth of Jesus – God’s son

Source: http://www.heavensinspirations.com/true-meaning-christmas.html

Jason's Grandma Conrad made these for us this year. Aren't they beautiful!

Then I woke Jason and Shelby and we all gathered around the computer to Skype my family. My Dad read the Christmas story aloud with the whole family gathered around as is tradition and then we watched while they opened their gifts. Then Jason, Shelby and I gathered around the table for a warm, gooey cinnamon roll breakfast.

Next we set up the laptop by the tree and opened gifts while my family looked on and shared the moment with us.

The baby doll wanted to go for a ride!

Feeding her horse a carrot.

The horse from Mommy and Daddy was definitely the favorite. She didn't want to open any more after the horse.

Opening the Disney Princess toy CD player from Momo

They were overjoyed being able to see Shelby tear the paper and see the excitement in her face at each new toy! They said it was the next best thing to being with us.

We then said our goodbyes.

The 3 of us spent a while laying on he living room floor and checking out our gifts.

Jason received an Express sweater and Mumford and Sons CD from me and a huge bag of junk food and a case of Red Bulls from my family.

Shelby got a Scentsy Pal from the Halsey Family, a beautiful, handmade pillow case and a My Little Pony from Uncle Tom an Aunt Susan. A My Little Pony from her friend, Sophia. A magnetic airplane book from my family. A Disney Princess toy CD player from Momo (her great-grandmother). A large toy horse, a Dora toothbrush set, a Melissa and Doug stamp set (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NV7L0I), snow gloves, and long-john pajamas from Jason and I.

I got an Ipod Touch!!!! from Jason and a hot pink case for it from my family. They also got me an iTunes gift card. My sweet sister have my perfume and Daniel gave me a great flower decor set to hang on the bedroom. Jason also gave me a winter coat which I was in dire need of, a pink Boeing scarf, portable speakers for the Ipod Touch, a bath set, and a few books.

When I finally pulled myself away from my new Ipod I started on lunch. We had a turkey, dressing, giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, fruit salad, cranberry sauce, pecan and pumpkin pie.

Then we went for a drive an picked up a few movies, came home and did nothing the rest of the night! Jason enjoyed the time to rest and relax. He only took Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off of work and chose to work all the overtime the rest of the week.

That was how our Christmas went. How was yours?!

Here are so various other picture I've taken recently...

This is the fountain at the Alderwood Mall outside of the American Girl store.

Tech Savvy

2011-12-26T13:55:00.000-08:00

Hello all. I hope you had a very Merry Christmas! It was just the 3 of us for the first time this year. At first I was feeling a little lonely and missing family. I was calling family to chat and everyone seemed too busy for me. Partly I was just being emotional and dramatic though. I had he idea to Skype my family on Christmas mornning; we did and it was great! I didn't have to miss my Dad reading the Christmas Story and we all watched eachother open gifts. What a wonderful option for those far from loved ones!

In addition to being tech savvy with Skype I am becoming Apple obsessed! Jason bought me an IPod Touch for Christmas and I've already gotten he hang of it. As a matter of fact I'm writing this post on it! The main thing I've been enjoying is the ease of sending pics. When Shelby's doing something cute I can just snap a pic and put it on Facebook in 2 seconds, email it, and send it in a text. I love that! When you are far from family, technology really helps you to stay connected. My Dad may argue and say its a false sense of closeness but I tend to disagree. I'm not the type that chooses to text and not call. I still call people just as often but now I can text more and I feel more up to date with what they are doing day to day.

Ok, enough rambling. I'll leave you with a few pics from Christmas that I took with this wonderful device!

Seattle Sights

2011-12-15T15:37:00.000-08:00

Jason took Wednesday off of work so we decided to have some fun and explore!

We drove around Queen Anne, Washington and looked at the gorgeous houses. They have the best views of Seattle!

The following pictures were take at Kerry Park.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kerry-park-seattle

Kerry Park given to the City in 1927 by Mr. and Mrs. Albert Sperry Kerry, Sr., "so that all who stop here may enjoy this view."

The sculpture "Changing Form" by Doris Chase was added in 1971, a gift from Kerry's three children.

The views are spectacular!

Shelby enjoyed climbing thru the sculpture.

Checking out the park below

Playing at the park below the "look-out" point

We also visited the Fremont Troll

http://www.fremont.com/fremonttroll.html

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-fremont-troll-seattle

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2236

They were doing construction on the bridge so we were not able to access the left side or take pictures from as far back. Some of the websites I listed above have large scale pictures.

Winter Wonder

2011-12-15T13:23:00.000-08:00

First snow of winter

My Birthday! :)

On MY birthday, Noma send Shelby stickers along with a gift card for me to Old Navy. She put ever last one on her face and shirt.

Putting her finger in the cake and licking the icing

Blowing out the candles!

She's so beautiful!

And Silly!

Jason got me the movie I've been wanting forever (The Devil Wears Prada) and this birthday cake. Such a sweetie he is!

Playing with her new dollhouse from Mimi!

She fell asleep while watching Dora :)

The following pictures were taken at the Bellevue Botanical Garden's "Garden d'Lights festival"

For a sneak peak go here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLJboEPiw0k

As you can tell, it's a hit! http://www.yelp.com/biz/bellevue-botanical-garden-bellevue

The Dragon that takes 16 days to make and is composed of 6,750 lights!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmsTxasU5Cs

Read up on this event! - http://www.bellevuereporter.com/community/70653657.html

Here Shelby is looking at the aquarium - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH2xheF9TUs

Check out some more pics here - http://seattlejapanesegardencommunityblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/other-gardens-bellevue-botanical-garden.html http://seattlejapanesegardencommunityblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/other-gardens-bellevue-botanical-garden.html

Windows down, music up and driving thru downtown Bellevue!

Shelby could not get enough! She just kept saying "Wow! Lights...."

It was so beautiful!

What a wonderful evening we had!

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Shelby and I went with Marianne and her kiddos to see the reindeer at Swanson's nursery! They also had a camel and donkey.

http://www.swansonsnursery.com/Events/Reindeer/Reindeer.shtml

When I was out driving the other day I saw this beautiful fountain from the road and pulled in to get a closer look. Turns out is was a gorgeous cemetery.

Shelby loved it and said "Waterfall!" a million times! :)

Shelby's new hairdo

2011-11-08T22:56:00.000-08:00

The other day on Pinterest I discovered the Girly Do Hairstyles website and was inspired by all the adorable and fairly simple styles. Jenn posts wonderful step by step picture tutorials and videos. I followed her directions and voila! A cute hairdo.

Silly Shelby

2011-11-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

These are a few recent pics of Shelby.

So sweet

Toy Story 3 on ice!

2011-11-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

On November 3rd 2011 Jason and I took Shelby to see Toy Story 3 on Ice at the Comcast Arena in Everett. Boy was it a great show! The arena is small enough that there really aren't any "bad" seats. We will definitely be attending more event there. We'd like to see a hockey game soon!

Eating popcorn off his jacket...classy. That's ok, Shelby's classier. I'm pretty sure she ate a piece or two off the floor that she'd dropped.

She looks memorized.

Now here's lots of video!

Trunk n Treat

2011-11-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures of the Fall decor I put out and of the Trunk n Treat at our church on 10-31-11.

Fall decor

Shelby chilling with her pumpkin. She carried with her all over the house!

Face painting at our church's Trunk N Treat

I helped with the cookie decorating room.

My sweet lil Dorthy was so cute! She was eating the sprinkles off her plate one by one.

Shelby with our babysitter's neice.

Trunk n Treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!

The Emperor and Shelby. I love Star Wars!

The Cake Walk

Jason and I helped out with the Water Station for a while. Shelby loved every minute!

Putting on her play makeup while Mommy puts on her makeup.

Being super silly!

Playing with her toy makeup kit from Noma.

The Cake Walk

Skipping to the car

The Water Station

The Farm

2011-10-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

This afternoon after Jason got off work we all headed to The Farm in Snohomish, WA where we had a whole lotta fun for $12!

The donkey

Getting closer to see the animals.

An ice chest full of trout at the fishing stand. Shelby said "Ewhhh" when I opened it! Haha

Shelby loved the ducks! They had duck races too.

Once again, hiding from the camera.

Getting her face painted.

She was such a good girl and held very still.

A pumpkin with glitter....pretty!

Going for a ride in the "Cow Train".

They went way down the field and zig zagged thru the corn. It made me nervous when I couldn't see her even though she had a seat belt on.

Jason caught my shadow waving.

And she's back!

Time to pick a pumpkin!

It was so cute watching her carry it!

A little pumpkin for a little girl.

Family Pic

Shelby holding a sweet little kitten in the Petting Zoo.

Apple picking! This was a first for Shelby and I.

This is my "Jason, don't take my picture!" look.

Shelby got right in there.

She kept saying "Sheep, sheep!".

I asked her if she wanted to sit in the tractor and before I could finish my sentence she climbed right up all by herself.

She was saying "Drive car, drive car." We said, "No Shelby, it's a tractor." But she didn't care :)

This was the best! They had just fed the cows and they stood right at the fence for her.

She sweetly petted and talked to them.

Notice her very muddy boots? There were puddles here and there and I would ask her to please go around them. Every time, without fail, she would go out of her way to jump in them! She's a fun girl who enjoys life!

Just working the day away haulin' pumpkins.

The hot air balloons we saw driving home and I insisted Jason take a pic of!

Scenic drive

The leaves are changing brilliant colors!

Our Sonic

Happy and still energetic

The gorgeous apples we picked! Now I just need to decide what to make. Any thoughts?

Holding her pumpkin.

The cow

The "Cow Train"

The slide inside the hay maze

The ducks

Dorthy and more!

2011-10-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

Friday, Oct 28th, our apartment had a Halloween Party in the club house/entertainment room for the residents. They had games, a fun craft, "fishing for treats", refreshments, and more.

Here is Shelby as Dorthy from the Wizard of Oz

(minus the basket and dog)

Here she is post-party. She ran around with the other kiddos, ate candy, screamed & squealed, and had a blast!

She was not cooperating and standing by the scarecrow to take a pic. Hence the grin. That is a content grin of disobedience!

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Then this morning, Saturday the 29th, Shelby was still sporting her mangled braids. :)

Supposed to be eating her oatmeal and instead playing with stickers.

My Mom used to let us do this as kids and we loved it. Shelby...not so much. She didn't like the shaving cream on her hands. I'll give it a little while and then try it again.

Music, baking, and rain.

2011-10-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

That's what today has consisted of and it has been a wonderful day - Fall Style!

For starters, this morning Shelby and I went to her 2nd music class. I am really enjoying the chance to be with her and what he interact with kids her own age. She seems to really be enjoying it. She especially likes when the parachute comes out!

She did not want me to take her pic! She told me no and covered her eyes.

Yes, I know it is cold and those sure are sandals. At this age, I'm just lucky she lets me put "somewhat" appropriate outfits on her. We are in WA not Antarctica; she won't get frostbite. That's my stand and I'm sticking to it! :) Now that I'm through being unnecessarily defensive lets move on shall we?

These are the Carmel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies that I was inspired to make after finding them on Pinterest. I am becoming slightly addicted to this website. Will talk more on this and all the inspiration I have found later. :)

They are yummy and really get me in the Fall mood. Jason is going to have some happy co-workers tomorrow as I am sending most with him.

The rain held off for most of the day but now it is slow and steady. My eyes are already droopy due to a late night of classwork. All 3 of us are snuggling up to watch a movie now. I hope you have a wonderful evening as well.......

I'm in love....

2011-10-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

.....with a coffee shop! Gotcha ;)
Some of the ladies in my MOPS group have been raving about this little coffee shop (that will remain anonymous). They said that it is very kid friendly.

So yesterday after our errand I decided to pop in and see if it was so. Boy was it!
For the kiddos they have an art easel with a huge roll of paper, crayons, books, toys, a train table, a little kid table, stuffed animals, GERM-X, and high chairs.

For the parents they have a cozy couch, tables and chairs, christian literature, local publications, and magazines.
The food is reasonably priced and MOPS moms get a discount! Heck yes :)
The environment is great! They are friendly and keep their shop very clean and tidy. I also love the uplifting (including christian) music softly playing in the background. And the thing is...the kids are so happy playing that you can actually hear it! How great is that?! :)

Needless to say..... I. Will. Be. Back. Soon.

Children are Ever Changing

2011-10-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

Shelby's latest thing is calling me "Mama". Before she has always said, "Mommy" or "Mom". Now most of the time she a addressing me it's "Mama". I really like it. :) It reminds me of my brother, Ben. He started calling our Mom that in the last few years. It has a ring.....a Little House on the Prairie kind of ring, but a ring nonetheless.

Now for a story.....
As I was hurriedly trying to get us out the door yesterday morning Shelby decided to be a royal pain about her outfit! I had put her favorite pink leggings on which she was more than ok with but when I went to put her shorts on over she threw a fit. I knew if I forced them on her she'd just take them off and I was in a hurry so I just dropped it.
As I opened the door to leave she walked out ahead of me. I looked down and saw her lumpy diaper peeking thru the (to thin to be PANTS) leggings, I sighed with frustration and I blurted out "By the way, you look stupid." It was like I just felt the need to tell her that if she insisted on making her own decisions then she would have to live with the consequences (Don't think it, I KNOW she's 2 1/2) and in this case that was looking "stupid".
As soon as I said it I realized how dumb I sounded making such a statement to a 2 1/2 yr old. Plus, I was embarrassed that I called my sweet daughter stupid! I think my Mom hit the nail on the head.....she said at times she would find herself talking to her kids (us) as adults and not really realizing it. I mean let's face it, you can't talk baby talk ALL day every day.

Recent Home Video

2011-10-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

~~~ Home Videos ~~~

October 23rd 2011 - Shelby eating breakfast

October 22nd 2011 - Shelby reading on the porch

September 11th 2011 - Mommy and Shelby making oatmeal cookies

Playful Shelby

2011-10-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

Playing on the porch

Sporting her new handmade hat

Not wanting to cooperate for a picture

Hiding from me!

Finger painting!

So fun :)

Goofy face

She was in a very funny mood this particular morning...and was crying about everything!

I finally had had it so just walked away and told her I wasn't listening to it anymore.

When she finally settled down I went to peek at her and found her looking at the family album. So sweet!

September Trip to the Children's Museum

2011-10-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

The Imagine Children's Museum offered free admission so we went!

Shelby LOVED the farm section and didn't want to leave.

The have a huge play horse (that looks like a cow) that she loved riding on too!

Basically we would drag her, kicking and screaming, from one play area. Then once we arrived at the new area and set her down she'd say "ohhhh" and take off running! lol

This was the play cafe.

Here favorite part, hands down, at the cafe was cutting the pizza.

It was a wonderful evening out! We plan to go again very soon.

These days are running together.....

2011-10-22T22:08:00.000-07:00

Study, study, check out Pinterest (a new-found hobby/addiction), study, study, study, change diaper & put on new movie, study, study, Facebook, procrastinate with other stupidity, then more studying. Ugh....I don't even know what day it is!

Jason was so accommodating today. As soon as he got home from work he took Shelby and went to get a hair cut. He said she's a chick magnet and then pointed out that he had forgotten his wedding ring...thanks sweetie. :)

Then they went to our garden to harvest, water, and tend to it.

The harvest was plentiful

Collard Greens, Mixed Lettuces, & Rainbow Radishes

When they got home they snuggled up to watch a movie and stayed quite for me.

Dinner was MOD Pizza. Personal pizzas for $6.88 loaded with any topping you want. They just opened and we think they'll be a hit! Served with a salad using lettuce and radishes from our garden of course!

They are both in bed now. Jason has to be up at 4:30am. He's working yet another Sunday. :/ The overtime pay is a blessing but it stinks that he's been working 57 hr work weeks for over a month now. I am proud of him for his diligence in signing up to work the over time and in turn, make extra payments on student loans. As my Grandmother says, "This too shall pass." And it will! :)

Ok, my eye lids are beginning to droop.

Today's Tid Bits

2011-10-20T18:41:00.005-07:00

Today has been a culmination of housework, studying, cooking, and errands.

Breakfast was Marianne's recipe for very yummy Health Banana Bread.

Dinner tonight is Baked Chicken with Roasted Tomatillo Cream Sauce....a new recipe I'm trying. I tasted the sauce and it's the bomb! We'll see how the final dish comes together. I plan to serve it over white rice.

Shelby's been a good girl today and has been entertaining herself and watching more movies that I would like but I've got to study! My 2nd psychology exam is on Monday. I hate the days when I'm so preoccupied with school that I don't really get to play with her. :(

As for my errands...Jason, Shelby and I had to drop something at the church, return some shoes (I found Shelby's red, glitter Dorthy shoes for Halloween for $2 at a kid's sale! I was thrilled to be returning the 18 DOLLAR pair.), then to Old Navy where I got 5 shirts for myself (75% off) and one shirt for Shelby and all for under $25. Now that's a great deal!

Unfortunately lil Shelby took her horse in the store without me realizing it and so we left it behind. :( Jason's out fetching it right now. I just checked on the chicken baking in the oven and am now OFFICIALLY procrastinating. I need to go study! NOW

Ok, maybe in a minute.

I am SO excited for tomorrow! Shelby and I will be attending her first Music 4 Preschool class in the morning. I just know she's going to love it. I will be taking plenty of pictures and will talk more about it soon.

Ok, Jason just walked in. He SAVED the horse. Good Daddy :)

Memorable Moments in Time

2011-10-19T20:38:00.005-07:00

Welcome to my ramblings and random thoughts. Absolutely no rhyme or reason!

Shelby's newest phrase is "Ex-cu-sa-me" or aka - Excuse Me. I'm going to try and get a video of her saying it. Oh my...it's just too cute!

We have been practicing her number and letters. Every time she walks down stairs she counts...." One.... two... free.... eight, nine, ten!"
With a good lengthy pause between the one, two, and three and then says the eight, nine, ten really fast!

So the other day Jason was running late so I took Shelby with me to the school. While I was waiting for him to pick her up I ran to the restroom. With Shelby and two large bags in tow I picked the large handicap stall. She was running around in the open space and being crazy. She kept saying "Mommy, poo poo pee pee?!" I couldn't contain it and started giggling...which made her say it even more and louder! I'm just fortunate that no one walked in and heard her. LOL :) Oh, little Shelby.

My friend's daughter and Shelby like to play together while we prep for MOPS. When it's time to go I tell Shelby, "Time to go! Go say bye to Sophia." Shelby RUNS to her and gives her the biggest hug....it melts my heart every time.

I'm only taking one college course this semester...just trying to get back into college slowly. Geez, did I pick a good class to start back with. Psychology 100 with Patrick Gorman. He is such a demanding professor and I'm REALLY stressing. I have an exam in 5 days and am scared to death. It's so hard for me to enjoy anything else when this class is always in the back of my mind.
Time for me to go study!

Jason got up at 4am and was a work by 5:30. He's zonked out already; it's 8:52pm. Shelby is snuggled up next to him watching the movie Spirit for the gazilionth time! I just heard it end...she will be coming in here any moment now saying, "Mommy, horse?" and wanting me to turn it back on. Haha....better get her in bed.

Tried a new recipe for dinner - Chicken Curry (http://www.cookincanuck.com/2011/10/mums-chicken-potato-curry-recipe-for-family-food-flashback/). Jason gave it a 8.5 out of 10 points! I'm excited that he liked it so much; I haven't scored that high in a while. LOL It's a funny little thing I've been doing lately, asking him to score the new meals I cook so I can decide if I should save the recipe.

Just memories I don't want to forget!

More adventures

2011-06-27T15:40:00.011-07:00

After church we meet our friend, Chuck, for lunch at The Mediterranean Kitchen. Oh my goodness was is delicious! Jason and I ordered the hummus appetizer (Mashed garbanzo beans: with spices and tahini sauce) which we scarfed down with fresh pita bread.

After lunch we headed to the Columbia Winery. Then off to Chateau Ste. Michelle for a lil' wine tasting.

The had a few ponds and Shelby got to see the ducks and fish! She loved it.

The winery was the most lovely place. The grounds were all so pristine and green! There were many people who were enjoying picnic lunches and wine on blankets in the grass. It looked so relaxing! I can't wait to go back and spend an afternoon lounging on a blanket and watching Shelby run and play!

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Next we headed to Snoqualmie Falls which is one of Washington state's most popular scenic attractions. More than 1.5 million visitors come to the Falls every year!

It was the perfect day to go! It was a sunny 71* day.

Breathtaking

See that building there at the top of the falls? It's the Salish Lodge & Spa. When my parents come we want them to stay there for a night; wouldn't that be a wonderful experience?!

There were tons of bikers out enjoying the weather.

Driving along

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After the falls we went to Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park. Then it was time to head home.

She was tuckered out after the days adventures.

Family Fun

2011-06-27T15:36:00.001-07:00

This was Shelby's 2nd time bowling. The first time she was just a little baby and sat in her Bumbo Seat on the table the whole time. Now she was able to push her ball off the ramp!

Mimi and Shelby

2011-06-27T15:25:00.004-07:00

Jason's Dad was in Seattle on business last week. He brought Lisa along so they could both see us. We had a fun filled weekend and lots of time to visit!

Here is Mimi and Shelby at Barnes and Nobles reading a book about horses.

Growing up!

2011-06-27T15:13:00.002-07:00

Her first poo on the potty! We are slowly but surely potty training.

Shelby and her horsey

2011-06-27T15:05:00.002-07:00

She got her horsey from Momo, my Mom's mother. When she visited us in Abilene after Shelby was born she brought it for Shelby.

My first french braid

2011-06-27T14:24:00.004-07:00

After Shelby's bath I decided to play around and attempt a french braid. I've seen them done a time or two but never tried to do one.

Here's how it turned out. Shelby was thrilled at her new hair do!

It's a little loose...I'm just going to keep practicing!

The GREAT Outdoors

2011-06-27T10:25:00.014-07:00

On this day we went to South Whidbey Island State Park and had a picnic lunch. Afterwards we hiked down a trail that leads to the Puget Sound.

Views as we drive

We found this wood chair on the grassy hill where we had our picnic. It was in memory of a young man who passed away. My guess is that as a young boy he would sit and read under this tree. What a wonderful memorial it is.

This is how Jason eats marshmallows.
We walked all over the place following lots of little trails. At one point we hid in the trees and "spied" on a group of skateboarders who were riding up and down the path. As we spied we made smores with a tea light. Haha. We didn't want to make a real fire and burn down the park! Just a funny memory I don't want to forget.

Shelby with the walking stick she found and her "urse".

After the park we went to Deception Pass.

On the way down the views were awesome!

My new shoes :)

Shelby making her way over the logs to the water.

Gathering rocks

Walking over this bridge freaked me out! The railing could have been 10 ft tall and I still wouldn't have like it.

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Meadowdale Beach Park

On a totally different note.....see below

This is the dish that I referred to on Facebook here.... Since my MOTHER had so many kind things to say regarding my cooking I thought I'd show you a picture. HAHAH :D

Nicole Lyons
Carrot, mung bean sprouts, green onion, shanghai choy, garlic, and sticky rice. Topped with a fried egg. Yum!

June 2 at 12:55pm via Text Message

- Amber Funderburk Peebles I have no idea what you just said.....:)
  June 2 at 2:09pm · · 2 people
- Dulce Shuman Fried egg, doesn't sound too bad!!! ;)
  June 2 at 2:19pm ·
- Angela Schmidtke I tried your pesto thingy - I never felt so much like a vegan in my life! I'm trying to have an open mind, but sorry, I'll go for the chicken fried backstrap with mashed potatoes 'n gravy any day!
  June 2 at 2:20pm · · 1 person
- Nicole Lyons Yall r both gonna get it! Im mailing u sum! :p
  June 2 at 2:20pm ·
- Angela Schmidtke Traveling 2-3 days in the mail probably won't hurt its taste any! :)
  June 2 at 2:22pm ·
- Nicole Lyons Yea, yea, yea. U prob didnt make it rite.
  June 2 at 2:23pm ·
- Nicole Lyons BRAT!
  June 2 at 2:23pm ·
- Angela Schmidtke I probably didn't, and yes, I am a brat. You on the other hand are turning into a pacific northwest, vegan, flower child!
  June 2 at 2:25pm ·
- Nicole Lyons Whatever! Im just enjoyin the wide variaty of fresh produce and seafood!
  June 2 at 2:27pm ·
- Angela Schmidtke That's fine; just work out all the kinks and get some good recipes that you can make me when I come visit!
  June 2 at 2:30pm ·
- Nicole Lyons Im makin u a pate if u dont hush!
  June 2 at 2:33pm ·
- Angela Schmidtke What's that?
  June 2 at 2:36pm ·
- Nicole Lyons Google it
  June 2 at 2:36pm ·
- Angela Schmidtke I'll bing it
  June 2 at 2:37pm ·
- Nicole Lyons So thats how u roll!
  June 2 at 2:38pm ·

Ladies Cook-Off Prep

2011-05-19T12:43:00.009-07:00

It's the day after Hump Day! That means it's ALMOST the weekend!!!! :)

On Saturday I will be participating in the Ladies Cook-Off at our church. I'm excited! It's going to be so much fun. Reason one being that I love to cook and reason two is that I will get the chance to meet many lovely ladies! We are still brand ~~spankin'~~ new to the church and this cook-off will allow me to mingle. Yea, so....ummm. Ignore the crossed out text above. Not sure if "spankin" should ever be used in the same sentence as "church"! LOL I can have a strange/crude sense of humor at times; please excuse me while I laugh at myself (HAHAHAHAH). I'm done. For now.

Now to more wholesome topics like-cooking.

Here's what I plan to make for the Ladies Cook-Off.

Layered Casserole with Beef,Cabbage and Potato
Recipe can be found here: http://www.lidiasitaly.com/recipes/detail/905#

Looks good doesn't it! I adore ANY RECIPE from Lidia Matticchio Bastianich.

As I write this post, the dish is cooking away in the oven (test run). The house is filled with the aromas of the aromatics - sage, rosemary and garlic. I can hardly wait to taste! I plan on also practicing the presentation of the dish. For the competition I will be serving tasty bites of my dish to ~100 people. I want to present similar to above, with a sprig of rosemary and a small leaf of sage. With it being such a small taste I just don't want the garnish to overpower the dish. We will see.

Can't wait for Saturday; wish me luck!

Fun in Seattle! 5-14-11

2011-05-18T18:34:00.008-07:00

On Saturday the Seattle Aquarium was offering free admission to Boeing employees so we decided to take advantage of the free ticket and go. It turned our to be a perfect sunny day too!

Here is the HUGE fish tank that was the length of the wall. Shelby was captivated! Sorry the pics are so dark.

We also went on harbor tour!

"Since 1949, the Seattle Harbor Cruise has been a favorite attractions for millions of locals and visitors. Guests enjoy this special cruise that departs from Seattle's historic waterfront. Learn about Seattle's history and facts of the area while viewing the colorful waterfront, spectacular city skyline, one of the world's largest shipping terminals, and the majestic Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges during this 1-hour live narrated cruise of Elliott Bay and the Seattle Harbor. A fun, quick way to learn and take a cruise tour of Seattle. Snacks and beverages are available for purchase on board. The Harbor Cruise departs daily from the pier on the Seattle Waterfront, rain or shine. "

Cool with her shades!

If your curious about the weird ball thing, hold your horses. I will have a guest blogger here to explain it to you towards the end of the post.

The tour guide told us many neat facts about the buildings seen here.

We got the best seat in the house! Seriously...we had the best view of anyone on the ship and the tour guide was on our deck the entire time. He was funny too. :)

Jason was playing with the camera. COOL pic. He needs to teach me how to do that!

They were actually having tugboat races that day.

The 27th Annual competition is the largest tugboat race in the world and is one of many free family festivities that takes place as part of the Seattle Maritime Festival. "The festival is designed to celebrate and showcase our maritime industry and the important role it plays in the Puget Sound region's economy," commented the Seattle Propeller Club President

Because of the races the water was very rocky. It bothered both Jason and I but didn't seem to phase Shelby.

The Space Needle
Go HERE for the history of the Space Needle and some fun facts!

Our awesome tour guide took this picture. :) It was a little chilly on the cruise but "Brat Child" refused to wear her jacket.

Uhhh, this has something to do with Boeing, a contract, fixing something, and retro-fitting (whatever the heck that is). Jason knows what this weird looking thing is so here he is to tell you....

Attempt 1. (Man of few words.)
Sea-based X-band (SBX) missile defense radar.

Attempt 2.
Boeing began maintenance and upgrade activities last week in Seattle for the Sea-based X-band Radar (SBX), which arrived in port on May 10.

SBX is an oceangoing radar that identifies, tracks, and assesses the flight characteristics of ballistic missile threats. It provides an advanced capability to the United States' overall ballistic missile defense system.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency awarded Boeing a $27.1 million sole-source contract in April for the shipyard maintenance efforts, which are scheduled to be completed in August. Boeing has been the prime contractor for the SBX since 2003 and is responsible for all development, integration, testing and operations for the vessel platform and radar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea-based_X-band_Radar

___________________________________________________________________

That's better, Jason! Thanks so much!!!

We had so much fun and it made for a wonderful weekend. I'm loving Seattle!

Jason's Bday 5-13-11

2011-05-17T19:55:00.011-07:00

Happy Birthday to Jason!

To celebrate Jason's 25th birthday I had planned to surprise him with a camping trip. After we moved that plan became unrealistic because all our camping gear is on a moving truck! So instead, I thought we could just have some outdoor fun and enjoy nature.

Read and enjoy....

One our way to __________ we saw this house. (I can't tell you where we are headed yet! You have to read on!) This is just one of many HUGE homes in Bellevue, WA. Bellevue is the headquarters of Microsoft so there are a lot of very rich people there.

Shelby was having the worst tantrum!
Were did we go you ask? Saint Edward State Park is a 316-acre (128 ha)-park in Kenmore, Washington and is part of the Washington State Park System. Before becoming a Catholic seminary and later a state park, the area was logged in the 19th century and again in the 1920s. A series of trails runs through the park for bicyclists and hikers. The forest canopy is primarily made up of the Coast Douglas-fir, Western Redcedar, Bigleaf Maple, Pacific Madrone and Western Hemlock. Its dense carpet includes many varieties of fern (mainly Western Sword Fern), shrub and moss. It is flanked on the west by an undeveloped beach on Lake Washington. The park surrounds the Saint Thomas Center, which houses Bastyr University.

Jason had me take a picture of the map just in case we got lost. Haha! He's smarter than he looks. ;)

The park surrounds the Saint Thomas Center (pictured here), which houses Bastyr University. We saw some hippy college students playing the drums and dancing barefoot with hula hoops in the grass....gotta love them hippies! Shelby loved the music and started dancing too!

Ready for the hike! It took a bit of convincing but we finally got Shelby into the backpack contraption. I'm not going to mention that we had to bribe her with candy...so just forget I mentioned it.

First we hiked a STEEP trail downhill which ended at Lake Washington. I got the backpack thingy at a garage sale for $2! BEST FIND TO DATE!

Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south and Kenmore on the north, and surrounds Mercer Island. The lake is fed by the Sammamish River at its north end and the Cedar River at its south.

We hiked back up on a different trail because we're not crazy people! It wasn't near as steep but still enough to make our legs sore the next day! Shelby walked the whole way back. She loved every minute too.

Birthday surprise dessert! It shouldn't have been a surprise because he requested cheesecake but then he thought I forgot! So I guess is was a surprise after all. :)

Help Please!

2011-05-17T19:53:00.001-07:00

None of the links on my blog are working for me. Are they working for you? Does anyone know how I can fix it?

Thanks,
A Frustrated Blogger

A Day with Mrs. Escobar 5-12-11

2011-05-17T18:09:00.009-07:00

A few weeks ago I saw on Facebook that Mrs. Escobar was going to be visiting Tacoma, WA. I immediately contacted her to see if we could get together. She hadn't realized yet that we have moved to WA. We decided to get together and catch up!

The itinerary was as follows:

10:30am - Pick up Mrs. Escobar at her son's house in Tacoma
10:45am - Arrive ot the Tacoma Museum of Glass
12:15pm - Lunch at Grassi's Garden Cafe
1:45pm - Dessert at Hello, Cupcake
2:20pm - Head to Pike's Place Market in Seattle
(I also had planned to check out the Botanical Gardens in Wright Park but we ran out of time.)
5:30pm - Return to the house

Entering the Tacoma Museum of Glass

We started by watching the live glass blowing demo!

There was a gentleman narrating what the artists were doing as well as answering questions.

The room was very hot!

After that we were able to see the different indoor exhibits. The work was copyrighted so we were unable to take pictures. :(

MARTIN BLANK'S FLUENT STEPS - Fluent Steps is poetry in glass that celebrates the many moods of water, from the delicate wisps of mist that rise from a meadow at dawn to the crashing cascades of a waterfall. It spans the entire length of the 210-foot-long Main Plaza reflecting pool and rises from water level to fifteen feet in height and consists of 754 individually hand-sculpted pieces of glass mostly created in the Museum’s Hot Shop during Blank’s 45-day Visiting Artist residency in 2008.

MARTIN BLANK'S FLUENT STEPS

MARTIN BLANK'S FLUENT STEPS

MARTIN BLANK'S FLUENT STEPS - Great sculpture is like music; all you have to do is feel it.
— Martin Blank

MARTIN BLANK'S FLUENT STEPS - The sculpture includes four individual islands of glass that interact with one another to portray Blank’s interpretation of water in its various forms. Cascades rises above the viewer to a height of 15 feet above the water like a surging waterfall. Echo languidly flows across the surface of the pool, creating an intimate dance of texture and reflective light. Crystal Skin, created by molding glass around a 20-foot madrona tree, quietly floats atop the water surface, and Wisps, a field of hundreds of small glass forms, breaches the surface like rising mist.

MARTIN BLANK'S FLUENT STEPS - The project required the invention of new tools to handle the massive amounts of glass and a team of 41 artists, architects, and engineers to create and install the work. For both Martin and the Museum, it was a marathon that demanded vast amounts of imagination, creativity, persistence and resourcefulness. The result is a magnificent sculpture that captures the fluidity, light, motion and transparency of water in clear glass. Ultimately, it is a work of art that is as imaginative and exuberant as Martin Blank himself.

MARTIN BLANK'S FLUENT STEPS - This monumental installation opened April 18, 2009 and is part of the Museum’s Permanent Collection of 20th- and 21st-century glass art.

CHIHULY BRIDGE OF GLASS - Seaform Pavilion
She was taking video; it was so beautiful!

CHIHULY BRIDGE OF GLASS - Three distinct installations comprise the Bridge of Glass. Furthest from the Museum is the Seaform Pavilion, a ceiling made of 2,364 objects from Chihuly's Seaform and Persian series. Placed on top of a fifty-by-twenty-foot plate-glass ceiling, the forms are suspended in midair and make dramatic use of natural light. As visitors walk under this pavilion, they experience a seemingly underwater world of glass shapes and forms a few feet above their heads.

CHIHULY BRIDGE OF GLASS - Seaform Pavilion

CHIHULY BRIDGE OF GLASS - The bridge is the gateway that welcomes people to Tacoma.
We wanted something unique in the world, something that
is full of color and offers a joyous experience to passersby

both night and day.
—Dale Chihuly

CHIHULY BRIDGE OF GLASS - A partnership between the Museum of Glass, legendary Studio Glass pioneer Dale Chihuly and the city of Tacoma resulted in the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, a 500-foot-long pedestrian overpass links the Museum to downtown Tacoma and its cultural corridor. Austin-based Arthur Andersson, architect of the Washington State History Museum, designed the bridge in close collaboration with Chihuly, who directed the artistic concept. The bridge provides a means for the internationally-renowned Chihuly to contribute in a very public way to his hometown.

CHIHULY BRIDGE OF GLASS

CHIHULY BRIDGE OF GLASS - At the approach to the Museum is the Venetian Wall, an eighty-foot installation displaying 109 sculptures from three of Chihuly's series: Venetians, Ikebana, and Putti. The Venetians are exuberant sculptures with origins in Venetian Art Deco glass. Ikebana are quiet pieces, created in the spirit of traditional Japanese floral arrangements. Putti were popular figures in European art of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and represent Cupid, the Roman god of love. The Venetian Wall is a collection of some of the largest blown-glass works executed in the history of the medium.

CHIHULY BRIDGE OF GLASS

CHIHULY BRIDGE OF GLASS - Marking the center of the bridge are the Crystal Towers, which rise forty feet above the bridge deck and serve as beacons of light for the bridge and city. Illuminated from below, the forms glow at night. The 63 large crystals in each tower are made from Polyvitro, a polyurethane material developed to withstand the elements. The Crystal Tower elements are raw, brutal forms, monumental and bold, that appear as if cut from mountain peaks or taken from frozen alpine lakes.

CHIHULY BRIDGE OF GLASS - Crystal Towers

Pike's Place Market in downtown Seattle ~ Time to shop till we drop!

Here we are back at the house with Dr. Escobar and some of her grandkids. We had a wonderful day! I can't wait for her next visit to Washington.

The Chronicles of Nicole

Waiting for Noma to arrive!

Warm Beach Lights

Date Night!

Silly for Succulents!!!

Sledding......Whoosh!

A Very Merry & Not So White Christmas

Tech Savvy

Seattle Sights

Winter Wonder

Shelby's new hairdo

Silly Shelby

Toy Story 3 on ice!

Trunk n Treat

The Farm

Dorthy and more!

Music, baking, and rain.

I'm in love....

Children are Ever Changing

Recent Home Video

Playful Shelby

September Trip to the Children's Museum

These days are running together.....

Today's Tid Bits

Memorable Moments in Time

More adventures

Family Fun

Mimi and Shelby

Growing up!

Shelby and her horsey

My first french braid

The GREAT Outdoors

Meadowdale Beach Park

Nicole Lyons Carrot, mung bean sprouts, green onion, shanghai choy, garlic, and sticky rice. Topped with a fried egg. Yum!

Ladies Cook-Off Prep

Fun in Seattle! 5-14-11

Jason's Bday 5-13-11

Help Please!

A Day with Mrs. Escobar 5-12-11

Nicole Lyons
Carrot, mung bean sprouts, green onion, shanghai choy, garlic, and sticky rice. Topped with a fried egg. Yum!