I LOVE...

Fans: They keep my cool on these crazy hot days, and they help Chase sleep in until 8:30 in the morning!

Otis Spunkmeyer frozen cookie dough: a tasty treat for your sweet tooth on a hot day!

Working at a place with Air conditioning.

Memory Foam mattress toppers: helps me sleep like a baby!

My family: they are incredible! Especially you Kyle! Keep up the good work!

Final Destination!

Lets just say that it has been a VERY long couple of days! I left Friday morning very early to drive to Utah with Kyle's parents and Chase. I have done this drive a few times before, and have really enjoyed it, but this time I brought a baby which adds a whole new element to the adventure. We left Edmonds at about 6:30 am and arrived in Kaysville, Utah at around 10:00 pm. We made a few pit stops along the way, but we tried to get here as quick as we could. Chase was so great in the car! He didn't even cry once until we were only about 40 miles from our destination. I did feel bad for him though since all he could do was sit in his car seat. Thank goodness I have great in-laws who are willing to help me entertain and take care of Chase. We hung out with family most of the day on Saturday and did some grocery shopping for the next day's festivities. On Sunday we got up early and went to Church for baby Crew's blessing which was so beautiful! We then got to enjoy some delicious food at the Vellinga's home and spend some time with family. It was very nice to see so many people that I haven't seen in a while. Then we packed up our things and headed for the mountains; destination Bear Lake! It was only about a 2.5 hour drive and very beautiful seeing all the green mountains and valleys. We arrived here around 9:00 pm Utah time and had time to unpack a little and enjoy some delicious chocolate cake for Dwaine's birthday! We will be here until Friday morning when I get to fly home (thanks to my in-laws)!!! My only complaint is that I have came down with a bad cold about 2 days before we left and it started in my nose and throat and has now moved into my chest making it difficult to breath and enjoy my vacation to it's fullest potential. Hopefully I will fell better soon.

A trip to the Washington State Fire Academy

Today Chase and I made a long trip up to North Bend to visit Kyle at the fire academy. We are leaving for Utah on Friday and wont be able to go next week for family day. We left a little early so we would miss traffic and shopped around the outlet mall for a while. There were a few toys for the kids to play on and I thought I would let Chase try them out.


He's standing up!





After the mall, we headed off to the academy. Kyle took us on a tour which I had been wanting to see for a long time. He showed us the burn building where they light all the fires, the apparatus bay where they keep their bunker gear and park the fire trucks, and all the different stations they use for their drills. It was definitely cool to see!






The burn tower where they light really big fires and put them out!



The apparatus bay where they keep all the bunker gear.

After our tour we went out to dinner at the North Bend Bar and Grill where we had a beautiful view of Mt. Si. Then we went back to the academy and hung out for a while longer. We had such a great time seeing what Kyle has been up to over the last 10 weeks, and it was nice to meet all the other recruits at the academy. Everyone seems very nice and it is so beautiful up there surrounded by mountains!

A mobile baby

Having a baby has been VERY exciting! I feel like a proud mama every time he has a new development. I've spent the last 7.5 months anticipating the crawling stage when my life will change and I will have to worry more about Chase getting in to everything. Well... it is finally here! He has been so close to crawling for a few weeks and he waited until Thursday night when Kyle came home from the academy to officially become a mobile baby. Chase's motivation was an empty Diet Pepsi can that he was pushing around the floor. I think he liked it because it was shiny. Let's just hope this isn't a sign that he already wants soda!

Our summer so far...

We have had one very busy summer so far. I know it's crazy, but we haven't even had time to put the boat in the lake and you'd better believe that Kyle is going nuts! He only has 3 more weeks until graduation from the academy and we are counting down the days. It's been tough having him gone most of the week, and he's been sad because he's been missing Chase's new developments (he got his first tooth and he is SO close to crawling). The warm weather has been nice and we are enjoying living next to the lake, especially since Chase is now big enough to float around and he loves it!!!





The 4th of July was nice and relaxing. We had a few friends and family members over for some fun by the lake and barbecued ribs.





We set up a big blanket on the beach after dinner and watched the fireworks around the lake. Chase fell asleep right as the fireworks were starting, but I snuggled with him anyways. I love being a mommy!



Yesterday my sister Molly and I went to a new park in Richmond Beach. It was probably the cutest park I've been to in a while. It had brand new toys, swings, new wood chips, picnic tables, benches, a view of the Puget Sound and it is right next to the railroad tracks which I think is awesome! Chase loved it too of course!


Doesn't he look so cute!?








Chase and his Auntie!

Molly, Chase, David and Emily at the park! Molly is a nanny for these kids. They are so cute!

We have so much to do this summer and I think it's going to go by fast. After Kyle's graduation he's going to be doing a Search and Rescue class that lasts about 2 weeks, and he will be taking his EMT class at the same time. My plan is to just keep working, taking care of Chase and doing everything at home while Kyle is away. Chase and I will be driving to Utah on July 17th to visit some family and stay at Bear Lake. I am definitely in need of a vacation. I can't wait!