POD "ConiFURous Trees"

It's very green and lush and moist and damp (and often dark) here which means lots of cool moss. Many trees branches are LINED with the stuff, giving them a fun, furry look. The BEST is when it's misty and this stuff gets all white and frozen. The trees look magical! Hoping to get a pic of that for you this winter! 

POD "The Deer With No Fear"

The POD today is just a quick pic of one of thousands of deer that inhabit this island. I'm pretty sure these things have no predators which makes them practically fearless.

 

Fin and I were just standing in our driveway talking to our neighbor when we spotted this guy. He spotted us about the same time we spotted him and yet he proceeded to walk closer and closer and closer until he walked right by us. I kept thinking he was going to at SOME point feel threatened, turn, and book it... but...  not so much. He just casually walked by us with a look on his face like "Hey guys. What's up?"

Anyway... this guys behavior is the norm for deer on this island. You find them hanging out on your front lawn in the middle of the day, birthing fawns under the bush in your backyard and trotting down the middle of the road oblivious to your car about 5 feet from their black tails. 

Not a day goes by without seeing a deer. Sometimes my Dad goes an entire hunting SEASON without seeing a buck. I think it's fair to say you'd have a freezer-full here, Dad. :) 

Ps. Props to my neighbor for the photo. My phone was inside.

POD "Sweet, Sweet Quiet Time"

Fin's down for his nap which means time just for Kai and I. I've always enjoyed the peace and quiet that comes with nap time, but it's even more precious now. 

Look at that big gummy smile. :) Someone is dreaming about something nice! I wonder what they could be dreaming about this early in life? 

Well, I'm going to stop blogging so I can just enjoy this sweet, sweet quiet time. :)

Backyard Barnyards

(Photo courtesy of an actual, legit farm)

This morning I decided that Washington state has a lot more farmland than I previously thought. Don't get me wrong, there's all kinds of big beautiful forests and mountains covered with tall evergreens. But at least here on the island, there's a lot of farmland. 

Actually, I think I need to clarify. There's a lot of FARMING ... not necessarily a lot of farmland. Yeaaaaaa most people just turn their normal homes and yards into makeshift farms. They fence off a big section and put in it whatever tickles their farmer fancy: horses, ducks ... chickens are a popular selection. Everybody and their brother have chickens scratching around their yards. So, in the event of an apocalyptic disaster, us Washingtonians can probably sustain ourselves on eggs. :) But I digress ...

A lady down the road was crazy enough to purchase eight geese. Those things run all over her front yard with their wings up and their heads down hissing and honking at whoever goes by. I actually spoke with her the other day and she warned me that Fin should not get within a few feet of the fence because the geese would actually stick their necks through the fence and bite! Pleasant little critters. 

So the upside to all this "farming" is that it's very entertaining for my two-year-old. 

We left our house this morning and went for just a short two-mile walk. Within this two-mile span we saw all sorts of animals: the cuddly geese, ducks, chickens, dogs (of course), 2 llamas, 9 horses and 11 cows. We also heard a rooster. ;) Cockadoodledoo. 

 All this farming (some legit, but most just backyard barnyards) made for a very eventful walk! Fin's requests to get "OUT! OUT!" were drastically reduced. It was wonderful and very relaxing (as relaxing as a walk with two little ones can be). I will need to make it a point to find walking loops that have plenty of these "farms." :) 

POD "Smiling"

He's officially smiling! :) Not the random, googly-eyed dream smiles. Not the "I'm whippin' up something special" gas smiles. REAL, open mouthed, happy, "I love this person I am looking at" smiles. 

Love those DIMPLES!

POD "The Faker"

I've been working on getting Kai in the crib, but it's far from perfect. So, many mornings, we end up with this (see above photo). After the fifth failed 3AM attempt to crib the lil guy, I concede defeat and Kai (winner) gets tucked in next to me. That's all fine and good, but morning comes (very early morning) and someone else wants IN. I tell him to go back to sleep and this is what I get. Faker. :) Let me tell you, the double bed just isn't cutting it anymore folks! Thank God for the futon! 

POD "Tummy Time"

Tummy time. The days are crazy! I have to squeeze it in whenever I can! SO,while we fill ours, he can lay on his. Tummy time. :)

POD "Dew You See the Beauty?"

Fall is quickly approaching here on the island. It is our first Fall here, but I suspect these foggy, dewy mornings are all part of what I can expect. As much as I am a sun worshipper, I can still find the beauty in this kind of weather. (MOST days!) 

Quickly snapped this pic during a walk with the boys the other morning. I am a little busier these days so I can't promise all my pictures will be centered, focused, or good at all, for that matter. BUT there will be pictures! Hopefully through these photos you'll be able to get a taste of where we live. :)

POD "A Foggy Morning Stroll(er)"

Well my friends, the time has come. On Friday I got the go ahead from the doc to start exercising again. So Monday morn, despite the cool, foggy (semi-uninviting weather), despite my throbbing stubbed toe, I popped a couple Ibphrophin, packed both the boys up and headed out. 

As much as I wasn't feeling like going outside, the cool air and mist actually felt pretty refreshing. It was a short walk, but you gotta start somewhere! 

I look forward to getting back in shape, but I also told myself that after Friday's appointment, my eat-whatever-I-want paradise is over too. Yep. Diet time. That part, I do NOT look forward to! I will miss my twice-a-day or more chocolate indulgences, all the baking, the drive thru lunches, the weekly Dairy Queen Blizzard runs... Etc! Nevertheless, let's focus on the positive: as much as a lot is going to change, I still can look forward to that cup of coffee every morning and a glass of wine at night! :)

POD "Rawrrrrrrrrrrrrr"

Interesting sleep position, no?

Hey. Don't judge. When you've got talons like these, sometimes it's hard to figure out what to do with them. ;)

Rawrrrrrrrrr

Life is Just Beachy

Last Sunday we decided it was time, so we packed up our new addition and bravely ventured out for the first time as a family of four. It was probably the most beautiful day we've had since moving to Washington, so after Fin's nap, we drove about 45 minutes south to check out Double Bluff beach. 

Most of the beaches on Whidbey Island seem to be rocky beaches, but Double Bluff is one of just a few that are made of primarily sand. 

It takes a lot longer to get out of the house these days and there are a lot more things I need to remember. I think we had enough bags to stay at the beach for a week. It's actually pretty funny. Most places I go now, I have to sit in the car for about five minutes before exiting  because I'm whipping up a game plan of how I'm going to get myself, my bag, my children ... etc inside. 

But I digress ... back to the beach. Not the best beach we've ever been to, (in fact, there's a sandy beach closer to us that we prefer)  but the water was calm, the sand was warm, and the views were beautiful. 

The summer weather here on Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound of Washington state isn't quite what I'm used to. It's beautiful, don't get me wrong, but it's cooler than the 80  to 90 degree summer temps that I've sometimes experienced. Even when the forecast says it's going to be 70 degrees, at our house in the shade of the pine trees on the west side of the island it's often as low as 60! So, for this trip I didn't even pack anybody a swimsuit!  Just shorts, a T-shirt, capris for me... 

Well! The weather was beautiful! It had to have been about 75°. Why, oh why had I not brought the suits!?! Oh well. The boys enjoyed the water regardless. :) 

My 3 guys all squeezed into the baby tent!

Enjoying some gusanitos on the beach!

My tired Kai Guy napping in my lap under the shade of the hooter hider ;)

I'm writing this blog post today as I look out the window at the gray dreary skies and the wet drizzly rain. I think fall has officially arrived. It makes me even more grateful that we squeezed in one beach day this summer!

My Happy Lil Camper

Last weekend Matt took Fin backyard camping for the first time! Fin was a big helper when it came to setting up the tent, and once it was up it quickly became his new favorite play place. 

He loved hiding inside under all the sleeping bags. And with the amount of times he went in and out, in and out... we are lucky we didn't blow a zipper! 

For us, camping just isn't complete without a fire and s'mores!

My boys :)

"Are you cooking that one for me???"

I'll have you know, the first marshmallow, Dad let him hold the stick by himself. That didn't go so well. Kai and I almost ended up with a hot mess (literally!) on our laps! 

Kai resting on mumma by the fire :)

Looking up through the trees at the first star of the evening!

After s'mores and star searching, it was time for bed. Kai and I headed inside and  the big boys were tent bound. Inside, the two of us had a nice, quiet night but I couldn't help but wonder how the boys were doing outside. I received these pictures in a message from Matt just before I drifted off to sleep:

A little flashlight play, a few books and Finlay was out. :) Dad said it was a pretty good night, and it must have been, because he says they'll do it again soon. So glad I've got a little camper on my hands!

I'm Baaaaaack!

Hello, hello! Long time no see, right? WELL! Let me tell you. I have been a little busy! 

As you all know, in January we moved to Washington State where we had to unpack boxes get settled and find our way around. I had hoped to begin blogging again much sooner than this, but it's amazing how a new home, a one-and-a-half-year-old and a pregnancy can pretty much just wipe you out. Most days I was lucky enough to get dinner on the table, let alone keep the house clean or write a blog post. But, alas, the time has come!

Despite the sleepless nights I currently endure, I feel like I have my energy, motivation, creativity ... my mojo back! 

But I am still left with one small problem: where do I begin? I can't just skip over the last six months of our lives. But I feel like I can't very well summarize them either. So here's my plan: I am not going to try to recap the last six months. I am going to start writing tomorrow like I  never stopped writing. I'm going to pick back up with some silly little story about our weekend. BUT... the anal side of me is going to attempt to slowly go back to January (where I left off) and fill in the gap.  :)  So if you do decide to follow the blog, keep an eye on the dates of the posts. 

Lastly, I feel I must warn you all that I probably will not be as attentive to my blogging as I used to be. I practically dropped off the map with the introduction of one child and now there are two! I can't promise that it's going to be a daily or even a weekly thing. But what I can promise is that I will do my best to keep those who care updated on our lives. I promise there will be lots of silly (and sometimes inappropriate) stories, pictures (of really cute boys and dogs) videos and more!!!