Sight Word Master!

Avarys teacher gives each student an award for achieving certain goals.  One of the class goals is to reach different mile stones for their sight words, words all Kindergarteners need to know.  She was the 3rd one in her class of 27 students to reach 60 words!  There are only 100!  She is obsessed with learning these words.  Griffen on the other hand says he doesn't need another trophy.  He got one from soccer.  :)  At lease one of them is reaching for the sky!

First Ferry ride!

After Avarys basketball game, we headed to Bremerton and caught the Ferry to Seattle!  We couldn't of planned on going on a better day.  Mid 60's and not a cloud in the sky.  Found myself a couple of times thinking we were on vacation.  Pretty amazing that we live here.

 G & A looking out the window.  It took a while for the kids to feel comfortable enough to get out and look around.

 But, when they did, this is what they saw!

UNbelievable!

 Griffen wanted a birds eye view.

 Mt. Ranier

 Still not able to answer Griffens question on how they got up there.

 Ok.  So normally Craig and I don't let the kids go crazy with their snack selections.  This time we did.  They chose jelly beans, gummy bears and either hot or cold chocolate milk.  About 4 hours after this picture was taken, all three had what we now call the Ferry Berries, the squirts if you know what I mean.  Luckily we have three bathrooms.  It was a long night.

 Avary complained that her legs were tired of walking.  Jackson to the rescue.  If he only knew that she fooled him.   The smile says it all.  :)



Go, Sparks!

Avary had her first basketball game this past Saturday.  She and her team did great!



Our new adventure!

As many, if not all of you know by now, we moved to Gig Harbor, Washington on January 6th.  Here's how it all came to happen.

Chapter: Life Changing Events in less than 48 hours

Craig was 'structured out' of his job at AZEK after 9 years.  It was a shock to us and then again it wasn't.  He hadn't been happy the way things were going for a while and was waiting for the other shoe to drop.  We just weren't thinking someone else would push the shoe off.  It definitely changed our lives.  We went from scared to excited for new beginnings to back to scared again.  This all happened on Thursday, November 10th.  On Friday, Novemeber 11th, his phone rang.  It was OrePac, a company Craig has known and respected for as long as I can remember.  They were calling him to see if he was interested in a job with them.  We couldn't believe the timing.  They had no idea what the previous day had brought to our family.  We have always said that we would go back to the Pacific Northwest if the opportunity ever arised.  Here we were with a chance to do just that.  They were offering him a job in Tacoma. 
We took a few days to think about it and then decided to go check it out.  Craig, Jackson and I flew up to Washington and looked around.  My mom came down and stayed with Griffen and Avary.  It was just what we expected.  Beautiful, homey and calling our names.  Obviously the kids were upset, but I think mostly scared.  We all were.  We listed our house, had an offer in less than 24 hours and accepted the new job!  It has been a whirlwind event, but so worth it.  The kids have adjusted amazingly well.  They have proven to be so resilient.  Ally (our dog) is trying to adjust to sharing the backyard with raccoons and squirrels.  Craig is loving his new job and having a desk that isn't in the closet, and I am doing my best to make this be 'our home'. 
A week after we moved in, a huge snow storm hit.  We had about 8" of snow and only a pooper-scooper to shovel it with.  How's that for a Welcome to the Pacific Northwest?!  The kids had a blast playing in it, after we found snow clothes buried in the garage.  Good news is with all the snow and the roads closed, we just about got everything unpacked and put away.  We really had no choice.  They had a slow start to their new school.  It started with a 2 hour snow delay, followed by 3 snow days and then another 2 hour ice delay.  This week will be our first normal week as we try to get back on a routine.

 The Tacoma Narrows Bridge.  Craig takes this everyday to work.

 Our first dinner in our house!

 Just so happened to also be Craigs Birthday!

 My mom came up for a long weekend to help us unpack and get settled.
This is her and Avary trying to get Ally into her new igloo.
It didn't work.
We found her sleeping in the snow and rain.  Silly dog.  Good thing we kept our receipt.

 We were excited with this much snow.  Little did we know what was coming our way!

 First day of school!  All three go to the same school.  At least for the next 6 months.

 Welcome to Washington!!

We can't wait to see what happens next!

One chapter ends, and the other begins..........

10 Seacrest Court

Who knew?!

In June of 2002, Jackson and I went to his very first swimming lessons.  There next to us splashed Lisa and her 1 year old baby girl, Haley.  We finished the week off and went our seperate ways.  About a month later, we met again at a Mommy and Me group.  This is us 10 years later and 3 more kids!  Love you guys!

  

Occupy Seacrest!

So, we had an Open House on New Years day.  We felt that it would be the easiest and only way to say goodbye to many of our dear friends.  We were so blessed to have a full house all day long and even into the night hours.  We lived in Sacramento for 12 years and made some amazing friendships during that time.  The highlight of the day was our core-group of friends who came marching into our cul-de-sac chanting, "NO, NO, YOU CAN'T GO!"  Although it brought tears to our eyes, it was a pretty cool thing to see.  I even had to ask them to start over so I could get in on camera.  ;)

These are some of the signs they came with.

These signs now Occupy our garage here in Washington.

New Years Eve 2011!!

For NYE, we went to our friends house, the Greenly's!  Never a dull moment when we all get together.  It started out as a East Coast celebration and continued to a West Coast and what ever comes after that for some of us ;)

 Caitlin and Griffen.

They don't know it, but marriage arrangements have been made and the bounty has been paid.

 Avary and her real-life doll, Jillian :)

 Jason and Jackson.

All I can say is, my kids picked the most awesome friends for me.

These ladies are the best :)