september 30

brooke's favorite thing about her halloween costume last year was the red yarn hair that we made for "jessie."  so this year when thinking of ideas for halloween costumes, i noticed she kept gravitating to costumes that required red hair (ariel).  brooke's not going to have red hair for halloween this year, but i couldn't resist buying her this ariel wig just for fun.

september 29

some days just call for something a little out of the ordinary.  today it was a picnic lunch in our backyard.  it was a little windy, and the kids were complaining they were cold.  so, our picnic only lasted until lunch was finished, and then we headed back indoors.

september 28

i love to have the kids in the kitchen with me.  today we baked halloween "blondie" bars.  brooke and gavin took turns adding ingredients, stirring and topping with halloween-colored m&ms.  i hope i'm teaching them to love the process just as much (ok, almost as much :) as the end result!

september 27

we had a big old play date at the house today with heather, megan & all the kids.  we had lunch together and let the kids play for a couple of hours.  jackson and gavin are two peas in a pod; totally inseparable when we're all together.  joey is always super sweet with brooke, and today when everyone was leaving brooke asked me if joey could have a play date at our house sometime :)  brooke loves having stella around, too, especially when she's dealing with a house full of boys!  i love having my nephews and niece in my house on a regular basis.  it's by far the best thing about being back in cincinnati.

september 26

i'm having a hard time adjusting to our new schedule with brooke in school every day but only for 2.5 hours each morning.  it really breaks up my day and makes it hard to get anything done, but the silver lining is that i get a couple of special hours with gavin each morning.  some mornings we make a late breakfast together, like french toast, and i treasure just sitting with him at the table, just the two of us, having breakfast.

september 25

my mom came early this morning and picked up the kids.  she watched them, along with stella, all day at heather's house so we could get some things done.  it's amazing how productive you can be when you have a whole day without kids!  kevin and i got the garage cleared out enough so that we can both park in there (there's a first time for everything!), and we also got the storage area in the basement organized so that we could set up the kids art area.  i'm pretty happy with the end result, and i'll sleep easier knowing that we finally got something accomplished.

september 24

a cool, fall saturday only means one thing - football!  oh, how i love this time of year.

september 23

happy birthday to chase!  we had so much fun celebrating chase's 1st birthday tonight.  i was just so happy to be in town to be a part of it.  the kids had a blast playing together.  the night ended late with a ball fight between some of the crazy little boys (jackson & gavin) and some of the crazy big boys (danny, kevin, hayden).  once there were balls all over the floor, we decided to have a dance party.  because a party just isn't a party without some dancing.

september 22

elementary poker lessons after dinner tonight... my grandpa would be proud.  i laughed when brooke won the first round and decided to pass on the second round and keep the chips :)

september 21

thank goodness brooke likes to be my big helper because i need about an extra 10 arms and legs right now to get this house in order.

september 20

today we had an impromptu play date with jackson.  i got to pick him up from school and bring him back to our house for lunch.  on the way to pick up brooke and jackson from school, gavin said to me, "jackson my best friend."  he adores his big cousin jackson :)  it was quite different for me to have 2 boys and a girl in the house.  the dynamics were so different than what i'm used to with 2 girls (brooke & hanna) and a boy!  we had fun nonetheless.  the kids played and painted and enjoyed being together.

september 19

we had such a fun weekend, and now it's back to the reality that our house is still a disaster and nothing got done all weekend because we were too busy having fun!  i guess there's always next weekend...  in the meantime, i'm really happy to see brooke making new friends in our neighborhood.  today anna and ella came to ask if brooke could come play.  they were on their scooters, so brooke rode her bike to their house.  brooke isn't super comfortable on her bike yet, so i followed behind her to make sure she made it. there were a few times she needed my encouragement, but she did it!  this is hopefully a first of many more bike rides to friends houses.

september 18

today we celebrated my birthday by taking the kids to P&G's dividend day at kings island.  the first 2 years we took brooke were a total bust because she was not into the rides, but this year was totally different.  she and gavin rode just about every ride and had more fun than i could have ever imagined, which made for a great birthday present for me.  we ran into our good friends, the kemme's, who have a girl and boy close to brooke and gavin's age, so we spent most of the day with them.  it was so cute to see the 4 kids enjoying the rides together and coming up with what they wanted to do next.  we were there all day and finally forced ourselves to leave so we could go to dinner.  we had a delicious meal at el coyote, and i couldn't have been happier.  that is, until we came home and the kids sang happy birthday to me and helped me blow out the candles on my chocolate, chocolate cake :)

september 17

just when i start complaining about the weather, we get a really warm day :)  we took the kids to the bearcat game today at nippert.  it was fun to be back and fun to be there as a family - our first game at nippert with both kids.  it was so warm i thought we all might melt, so i got the kids 2 sno-cones, which kept them busy for a while.  until they saw the man with the cotton candy... :)  we had a great time, but the kids were not fans of the cannon that is shot off every time the bearcats score.  poor brooke held her ears the entire time we were there :( which was only until halftime...  then we went home and grilled out for the first time on our new patio.

september 16

the weather has been pretty disappointing since we've been back.  it's been unusually cold and rainy for september in cincinnati, but gavin really took it to extremes when he got the sled out today and asked me to push him down the hill!  i told him he was going to have to wait a couple of months for that :)

september 15

today i got to spend the entire day with my sister and my niece, and i had so much fun watching brooke and gavin play with stella.  i got to see more of stella's personality than i ever have before, and it made me realize how much i've been missing...  then my brother called to ask if gavin could go to the reds game with him, jackson and joey.  i know that this is the kind of thing that gavin's dreams are made of, so of course i said yes!  they came to pick gavin up, and again it made me realize how much i've been missing...    and i'm so grateful to be experiencing it now.

september 14

if you ask the kids what their favorite thing about the new house is, they'll likely say "the basement!"  they love having a basement, and they love the fact that they have their very own "art room" tucked away in the unfinished part of our basement.  they enjoy playing down there even though it's a total disaster area (much like the rest of our house right now).  today they had fun playing in gavin's little sandbox, and i loved seeing the smiles on their little faces as they played together.

september 13

we've been trying to get out to mt. orab to spend a day with dad & jennie for at least a year now, but something always got in the way.  so when i knew we were going to have one "free" day (brooke didn't have school today), i booked us a trip to mt. orab :)  and then i prayed for good weather because i really wanted the kids to be able to swim.  my prayers were answered.  we had perfect weather and a perfect day with jennie.  it might just be our last day of summer around here, and i can't imagine a better way to have spent it.  brooke was a little fish in the water.  she swam all over the place with her floaty on and didn't need (or want) any help.  i was very proud of her.  she has been very slow to build confidence in the water, but i think it's finally starting to happen.  gavin had fun playing on the steps of the pool, and we all soaked up some good ole sun.  brooke and jennie picked vegetables from the garden and made us a delicious salad.  dad came home from work and threw some barry burgers on the grill, and i swear my burger was the best burger i've put in my mouth in a very, very long time.

i've called a lot of places home over the course of my life, but there is really only one place that always feels like home no matter how much times passes or how much life changes.  and i was glad to spend the day there today.

september 12

brooke's 1st day of pre-K and 1st day at her new school!  kids don't think twice about embracing change. they just do.  brooke has been a great example for me during this move.  she hit the ground running today when i dropped her off at school (quite literally).  after meeting her teachers last week, she has been so excited to start at her new school.  she was very happy and had a great day!  she's already making friends and seems to like her new teachers.  nothing makes me happier than that.  now, if only i can get used to this new schedule... :)

september 11

we haven't even been back for a week yet, and life is already back to a Cincinnati-style pace.  on top of moving in, we packed in two parties this weekend.  today we joined owen to celebrate his 5th birthday.  owen and brooke were in P&G daycare together back when they were just little things.  i look at them now and just can't believe how much they've grown; how much time has passed.  i'm so happy for the friendships that have remained.  it was great to catch up with some old friends on our first weekend back in cincy.

september 10

after a long day of unpacking, we were lucky enough to attend a neighborhood barbeque and meet all of our new neighbors.  i was so proud of the way brooke & gavin jumped right into the mix with the other kids.  they played all night long and begged to stay for the movie in the driveway.  so, of course we let them (for part of it anyway).  it was a long day, and we're all beat.  i think we're going to like our new neighborhood though.

september 9

it's move-in day!  things got off to a rough start this morning, but by the end of the day the boxes were off the truck, and we had beds to sleep in.  we have lots of work ahead of us...

september 8

i think this is the first day all year that i have not taken a picture.  we closed on our house today.  things did not go as smoothly as we would have liked, but for better or for worse, we are moving into our new house tomorrow.

september 7

we were able to squeeze in some family time today before our closing, before the movers arrive, before school starts and schedules get crazy... we have lots ahead of us, but today we took some time to enjoy being with family again.

september 6

i have been so captivated by mt. rainier since we've lived in seattle.  mt. rainier on a clear day is so majestic and stunning and breathtaking.  i never, ever tired of seeing it.  so today as we took flight to cincinnati, i couldn't help but try to capture the beauty from the air.  goodbye for now, seattle.

september 5

today kevin and i celebrated our 7th anniversary.  brooke took this picture of us outside pike place market.  she does pretty well with my big camera!  we had a great, low-key day just taking in the city.  we did a duck tour and got to go out onto lake union on a gorgeous day.  it was a lot of fun, and the kids really got into it (until gavin fell asleep in my lap from exhaustion :)

tonight anastasia and hanna met us for dinner at cuoco.  we sat outside and let the kids play in the courtyard.  we had a delicious meal and enjoyed our last couple of hours together.  it was hard to say goodbye when the night ended.  hanna, brooke & gavin exchanged big hugs and kisses.  i sure am going to miss the three of them together.

september 4

what a fun-filled day today was!  we walked to lake union this morning for breakfast at portage bay cafe.  there was quite a bit of a wait, but it was worth it!  they had awesome food, and it was all organic, natural, good-for-you stuff.  just my kind of place.  then we walked down to the fountain right on the lake where you can sail wooden sailboats on sundays.  the kids loved it!  gavin's boat was named "sandpaper" and brooke's was named "poseidon."  we all got tons of exercise chasing those sailboats around the big fountain.  i was a little surprised by how much brooke got into it.  i think she enjoyed it even more than gavin.  it was a beautiful day to be in lake union doing something we'd never done before.

this evening giuliana, randip and jay picked us up at our hotel, and we went to ballard for a fun evening at the beach followed by dinner right on the water.  we'd never really been to ballard before so we enjoyed seeing a new part of the city.  the beach was crowded with tons of people enjoying one of the most perfect days of the summer.  the views of the olympic mountains across the water were absolutely stunning, and we had a beautiful sunset to top it all off.  it was the perfect way to say goodbye to some of our dearest friends.

september 3

bumbershoot 2011 did not disappoint.  bumbershoot is seattle's annual music festival that happens over labor day weekend at the seattle center.  it used to be a really big deal because big name acts played the festival, but that isn't so much the case anymore.  we scalped tickets and got 2 in for the price of 1.  score! we knew they had a whole area for kids so we checked that out first ('youngershoot") and were so impressed by the breadth and quality of activities for the kids.  they did crafts, played musical instruments, did some gardening, played with clay, listened to live music and even saw a play in the theatre.  we had so much fun with the kids that we ended up barely making it out of the youngershoot area all day long.  except when we took the kids over to the huge fountain and let them run around in the water... then we could at least hear some of the live music in the main area of the festival :)

september 2

i am so glad we decided to have a mini staycation in seattle before flying to cincinnati.  today was awesome.  we enjoyed the crisp morning air, the best donuts at dahlia bakery and the vibe of the market on a friday of a holiday weekend.  we love this city.

during gavin's afternoon nap brooke and i walked to nordstrom rack to kill some time.  we came upon this boy playing bongos on the street and brooke broke into dance.  a really cute, rhythmic dance.  she broke out some moves!  plus she had had me put her hair up in lots of crazy ponytails, which i forgot to take out before leaving the hotel room so that just added to the whole scene.  it was priceless.

tonight we took the kids to their first seahawk football game.  we took a taxi there (always a hit with the kids) and participated in some Disney Radio contests along the way to the stadium.  i should say brooke participated.  she was awesome!  the game was an exhibition game, but you would have never known.  there was a big, loud crowd excited to cheer on the hawks.  we even ran into the staudes and the singhs at the game.  it was a 7:30 start though so by the end of the first quarter we were out of our seats and making our way out of the stadium.  the kids were done.  it was a great night, and i'm so excited for the rest of the weekend!

september 1

somehow we managed to make it through today.  the hardest day.  the busiest day.  the most stressful day.  first thing this morning kevin and the kids raced to get last minute things done while we still had my car.  then they raced back for breakfast with giuliana and jay, and we raced through a breakfast of yummy blueberry pancakes.  they came for my car.  we cleaned and cleaned and cleaned.  the movers loaded.  brooke played at hanna's and gavin napped in hanna's bed.  the movers pulled out.  we cleaned some more.  then we cried.  big heavy sobs.  there were few words.  we didn't need them.

it was hard, but we did it.  we did it together, just the 4 of us.  and i'm proud of us for that.

there is something merciful about the actual process of moving.  in the span of 3 days, i've gone from feeling like this is a home i never want to leave, to feeling like it's just a house full of boxes and no longer our home, to being ready to leave the house because it didn't feel like ours anymore.  ready to move on...

we said our goodbyes to our neighbors.  we swept up the last of the dirt.  we left the keys on the counter.  we said goodbye to our house, and we walked out the door together.

anastasia drove us into the city where we are staying for the weekend.  kevin and i quietly cried most of the way, silently saying our goodbyes to snoqualmie.

we arrived at hotel andra and got settled into our suite.  the kids were excited.  we went to serious pie, which is probably the only thing that could have made our hearts feel a little less heavy - the best pizza one could have - right across the street from our hotel.

from here it gets easier, if only little by little, it will get easier.

august 31

day 2 of our move.  more packing and then loading.  the kids have been handling this so well.  somehow we've managed to keep them occupied and happy and out of the movers way.  we've even had hanna over for short periods of time to "play" amidst the boxes.  i call these three the three amigos because that's just what they are - 3 friends who love each other and who love to be silly together.  i will forever cherish the memories i have of the 3 of them together.  i made a photo book for the bakers of all the pictures i have of our families together over the past 2 years.  it came in the mail today, just in time for me to give it to them tonight over dinner.  anastasia invited us over for salmon chowder.  the perfect northwest dinner on our last night in snoqualmie.  it's impossible to put into words how much i will miss having best friends two doors down.  we've lived our lives together for the past 2 years so it kinda feels like someone is cutting off my arm.  and i'm not sure how to function without it.

august 30

first thing this morning that big blue moving van pulled up just like it did 2 years ago, and somehow it makes our time here seem so short and so long all at the same time.  brooke and gavin were excited to see the big truck and meet the movers - juan and americo.  kevin and i are both a little shocked at how quickly everything is moving around here!  our move from cincinnati seemed to be a slow progression over 3 days, but this time around almost everything is packed up at the end of day 1.  we have our beds to sleep in and our bathroom intact, but we're surrounded by boxes.  seeing our house all packed up reminds me that it's the people and the things those people love that make a house a home, not the house itself.  we were pretty ambivalent about this house when we bought it.  there are certainly things about the house that we would never choose for ourselves, but we have come to love this house, and it most definitely feels like home.

brooke and i went into the city this afternoon to donate some clothes and pick up a few things before we leave.  it was a gorgeous day to be in the city, and i was grateful for some time out of the house with my girl.

tonight we had our last uncle si's pizza at the baker's house.  the very first friday we lived in this house we had our first uncle si's pizza, and since then there have been very few fridays that we haven't had uncle si's for dinner.  it's our place.  it's been our tradition.  tonight i was happy to be sharing it with our friends in the comfort of their home, which has come to feel like our 2nd home.  after dinner, we went home and brooke stayed.  it was her first sleepover.  anastasia and i wanted the girls to each have a turn sleeping over at each other's house before we moved.  we planned for tonight to be brooke's night.  we gave her a big hug and kiss and left her with ryan reading the girls stories in hanna's bed.  i wasn't sure she was going to make it.  i thought she might change her mind, but she didn't.  we got a call from ryan for giraffe, and all has been silent since then.  our girl's first sleepover.  it's a milestone.

august 29

our last day in our house before the movers arrive.  i treated myself to a massage today before all the stress of moving kicks in tomorrow.  other than that, we just did what we normally do - enjoyed spending time together.

august 28

another picture perfect, busy day!  brooke friend, reagan, had her 4th birthday party at fox hollow farm in issaquah this morning.  we'd never been there before, and boy was i taken with that place!  it was so picturesque.  this super cute farm nestled at the base of the mountains with fun galore for kids and adults!  it was by far the best birthday party we have ever been to.  there were pony rides, face painting, motorized farm vehicles, bouncy houses, farm animals and the best of all... the most amazing, captivating creek behind the farmhouse.  oh, we could have played there for a long time, but there was cake to be had.  i loved seeing brooke play with her friends.  she and drew ann were inseparable!  they ran from one activity to another, holding hands most of the time.  when the party was over, brooke said goodbye to her friends.  this is the last time she will see them before we leave, and the last time i will see most of the parents.  what great people we have had the pleasure of being surrounded by for the past 2 years!

this evening we took advantage of the great weather and grilled pizzas on the patio.  brooke and hanna helped kevin make the pizza dough, and i took pictures :)  we ate yummy pizza and had ice cream for dessert.  i'd say that's a pretty good night.

august 27

today we packed as much as we possibly could into one day.  the morning started with a hair cut for me.  i was ready for a change, but i got a little more than i bargained for.  i'm still in shock over my new short do, but i'm trying to embrace the change.  brooke likes it :)  all day long she's been giving me these sweet smiles and telling me how pretty my hair is and how much she likes it.  my sweet girl.  after getting my hair chopped off, we went to a party on the golf course at the Burpee's to watch the tournament and mingle with some friends.  it was a beautiful, beautiful day.  we had drinks on their lawn overlooking the golf course and the mountains, while the kids played with all of the other kids.  i was so happy to be there, in the moment, soaking it all up, including the sunshine...  after a quick stop at home to drop off the kids with samantha (our neighbor & babysitter), we were picked up by a car service & the bakers and driven to a farm dinner at Dog Mountain farm (where kevin took me last year for my birthday).  anastasia and i thought it would be a great way to spend an evening together before we leave for cincinnati.  it was a totally different experience than our first trip to the farm, but it was great nonetheless.  a rare night out with our best friends without the kids.  we savored it.

august 26

our 3rd boeing classic.  my 3rd time experiencing the boeing jet fly-over to kick off the tournament on friday.  this was kevin's 1st time seeing it so we walked up to the golf course to get a good look.  we have perfect weather for the tournament this weekend, and we're looking forward to all the fun things we have planned.  tonight anastasia was nice enough to babysit for us so we could go to dinner with the hossfelds and kepners.  we ate at gianfranco in snoqualmie and closed the night with drinks at finaghty's.  we had good food, great conversation and lots of laughs.  i feel so grateful for the friends we have made.  we're going to miss them.