Hello Texas!

We left Seattle on our flight at 11 p.m. and landed in Dallas at 4 a.m. Central time.  The flight was uneventful until we started to land and then it was pretty bumpy, or more like a roller coaster as we descended.  Up until that point the kids and the cats had done fine, when the bumps started we all were a bit uneasy.  Anyway once we landed we got ourselves together, went and got all our luggage and then got to Mike’s truck.

The kids were quickly asleep and we were able to watch the sunrise as we drove to our new house.  Mike and I were really excited about driving up to see “just where we would be living.”    Although we were exhausted when we drove up we were pleasantly surprised and happy with the decision we had made to buy this house.  I know that is wild, but when you have 5 days to look, find and buy there is a lot of trust and faith that go into it.  We quickly set up the air mattress, that we flew with, got the cats settled, and crawled into bed.  It was a quick first “night” in our home but when the morning came we were all excited to check things out!

Grandpa and Grandma Laschen arrived that afternoon to help us with the kiddos and unpacking.  They came to the house and we started to get organized before we headed off to dinner. 

The next morning our stuff arrived on the truck and the guys made quick work of unloading.  Thomas had been talking about getting a “4 wheeler” when he moved to Texas.  He was a happy camper when he saw his 4 wheeler in the garage, he must have rode that “tractor” for 10 hours.

The unpacking was much quicker than the packing process and just after lunch the guys finished and were on their way.  In the first day, with Grandpa and Grandma’s help our kitchen was mostly unpacked, it was amazing to finally have a functioning kitchen after a week of eating out or on the go.

We didn’t take a whole lot of pictures while Grandpa and Grandma were here but we did get a few!  The rest of the weekend we unpacked, organized and did shopping to make the new house functional.  Before we knew it Sunday had arrived and it was time to see Nana and Bampa off.

That night we walked to the park and checked out our community pool.  Our new normal was slowly sinking in.  Stella was still in Seattle enjoying her vacation with Kristie.  The kitties were starting to adjust and come out of hiding and the laundry room.  Poor things were terrified and very unsure of the move and new house until our furniture arrived and things started to get more “normal.”   

Last Day in Seattle

We had one final Monday in Seattle before we took a “red eye” flight to Texas.  Mike worked from home and the kiddos and I started our final packing.  We then headed for the Seattle Gymnastics Academy for some energy expenditure as Seattle was sending us off with a cold rainy day.   It was then home for some much needed kid naps and Mike and I kept packing up.  We realized we had much more stuff to “fly down there” than we had originally thought.  We ended up getting another suitcase and I believe at the airport we flew with 256 lbs of luggage, not counting live weight of us or the cats. It was a bit of a haul!

Back to the last day, after naps we got the kiddos ready and we headed down to meet our friends for dinner. Before going to dinner we sent Stella off with Kristie, that is when the tears started.  Kristie as many of you know was an amazing person in our Seattle world.  She was very loved and trusted by both Stella and myself and for me that made trips stress free as I knew Stella was in great hands. 

Somehow our last minute plan dinner plans we were able to have 4 families and Thomas’ closes friends join.  Eating with such a large group and so many kiddos it was a bit of chaos, added by the fact that the 4 of us were all emotional messes.  At the beginning of dinner Thomas started off by saying “he didn’t want to say goodbye to all of his friends,”  his Mama and Dada both had tears start flowing, me more so than Mike. 

We ate laughed and giggled and the kids all loved watching the cooks make the pizzas.  When dinner ended it was time to say goodbye and I couldn’t stop my tears.  These kiddos and women that we were leaving have been a part of so many of our Seattle memories.  So hard to close a chapter and the uncertainty of Dallas was still so fresh and new. 

It was heart wrenching to watch Thomas cry when saying goodbye to his friends.  It is something I hope we don’t have to do again as the memory is still painful.  Lets just say there wasn’t a dry eye as we drove away from the restaurant.  We headed home for the final pack up.   Eryn joined us to help with the kiddos and thank goodness she did as it was a bit of a scramble.  We were all emotionally drained and tired and needing to get everything into the car in a timely manner was tricky.

Before dinner I took one final picture of the kiddos going “round and round” the tree and our house as we drove away.  That house has a lot of wonderful memories attached to it.  From where we started when we moved in and all the love, sweat and tears we shed over it, it was a good house.  

After getting all packed up we started the trek to the airport.  It was a tough drive, Mike and I held one another’s hands tightly and neither of us was sure of what our future held.  Funniest thing on that drive was when Mike said “lets make sure that this is the ‘right move’ for our family.”  I reminded him it was a bit late to “make sure.”   Off we went…

Weekend in the Mountains with Max and Amy

We wanted to have one last hurrah with Max and Amy before heading to Texas.  When we met these two shortly after moving to Seattle in 2011 we had no idea that they would become life long friends.  I mean they were our backup for Elin’s birth and we did after all witness their marriage!  Anyway we had sent all our stuff to Dallas and Max had a ultra marathon up in the Cascade Mountains so we were in for a weekend in the mountains with them.

We met up their on Friday night and had a few apps before heading to bed.  Max was up early to head to his race and we missed out on meeting up with him.  He had a great race through the mountains, finished to a blue grass band and had a beer or two before heading back to our group!

Mike, Amy, the kids and myself got up and had some breakfast before letting the kids run around in the backyard.  We then headed into Roslyn to check out the city.  Roslyn was the city that Northern Exposure was filmed and based in.  It was also an old coal mining town and had some pretty cool things to see and check out.  We went to an old theater and had lunch at the Brick Theater.  Fun fact, this is the oldest bar in the State of Washington and it also had a still working running water spittoon, you can read more about that here.After lunch we wandered through town and saw the miners memorial and an old museum before driving through the cemetery that is listed as a historic place.  This cemetery is divided into different plots based on ethnic origin.  As the kiddos slept I wandered through this cemetery in the mountain side and was truly amazed as I was reading the names and the ages of these people, mostly young children who had died.  I went back to the car with a whole new appreciation for modern water, sanitation, food and medicine, it was very humbling.  Anyway, back to the fun weekend.  As Elin slept the boys went swimming and then Amy and I snuck away to the grocery store for a few more supplies.  Then it was back to the house to cook dinner, hot tub, enjoy a fire and a game of Mexican Train dominos before bed.  Sunday came too soon and it was time to have breakfast and pack up.  I started to feel the reality of the impending “good byes” and move in the shower.  I stayed in there for some time not wanting to start the flow of tears for everyone so early.  After the cars were loaded up and the kids had some fun with Max and Amy we said our goodbyes, it was a wonderful weekend, with amazing friends.  Mike and I drove down the mountain back to Seattle for one last night, hands clenched, tears rolling down our faces and nervousness in our hearts. 

Last Week in Seattle…

I am writing this post almost 2 months after our move and it has honestly been a tough one for me to write.  It is hard to look back and see all the wonderful friends that we have in Seattle and know that we can’t just “call them up to hit the park, zoo, or one another's house for a play date.”    So  anyway, here is how the last week of our Seattle adventure went.

Monday night Mike and I scrambled to get all the last minute packing done.  We had a quite adventurous evening with the kiddos and it is always that “last minute” stuff that gets you!  By about 11 we thought we were as good as it was going to be and we called it a night.  It was after all the last night we would have of sleep in our bed for a week…

Tuesday came early and Mike was headed to the airport while the kiddos and I slept.  He had to be in Dallas for meetings and he was also going to pick up his new truck so we’d have a vehicle to get around in once we were in Dallas.  I know if was hard for him to take off while we had so much going on, sometimes the timing is just what it is, and it kept the kids and I on a pretty tight schedule.

Our lovely babysitter Eryn was able to come over on Tuesday and help me out while the movers were there.  I honestly don’t know how I would have done it without her.  The movers arrived at 9 a.m. and got started with loading all our our possessions into a giant truck.  I was crazy getting things packed and making sure everything was taken care of.  Thomas was pretty content with sticking close to home and making sure he was understanding what was going on.  We had done a lot of talking and reading about the “big move.”  Eryn took them to the park for a bit but Thomas mostly wanted to be at home keeping an eye on things.  He even packed up his bike and a few things to put on the truck.  I also handed him my phone and it was fun to look at how he saw the move going through his pictures.   The movers finished about 4 and 99% of our worldly possessions were headed to Texas. 

We tried to get in as much friend time as possible. Thankfully the weather cooperated and we were able to meet up with Ruby, Leif, Dahlia and Reier several times for some good park time.   Whitney and Nathan adopted us in and had the kiddos and I over for dinner Tuesday and Wednesday nights while Mike was out of town and we were without kitchen things.  Thomas, Elin and Dahlia had a blast playing dress up upstairs and then Thomas and Dahlia had a dinner date at the little table together. 

Wednesday was also the last full day of adventures we had with Whitney, Dahlia and Reier.  We started off the morning with a breakfast at Portage Bay Café; oh how I will miss their yummy banana pancakes and toppings bar.  This is a must go to if your in Seattle and it will be on our list of to dos when we visit again!  Reier was not feeling the best so after breakfast we all headed to our respective houses to regroup!

We then had some fun at the park before having lunch and heading back to our fort to nap!  Again we were back after naptime for dinner and then home again for bath and bed. 

On Thursday we met Ms. Jenny and Leo for a walk around green lake.  It was a great walk but ended when Thomas was stung in the ear by a hornet.  Pretty sure the hornet flew into his bike helmet and then got him on the ear.  It was a total bummer.  In the scramble to get the hurt little unit to the car and get some ice we lost Elin’s helmet and forgot to get pictures, but we did remember our goodbyes and the tears, for the first time, started to flow.  Up until then I had kept myself pretty collected, but the reality was hitting and it was tough. 

Reier and Whitney met us at our favorite after walk Sushi spot and we enjoyed a quick lunch and stop at the chocolate bar.  After naps and some quiet time we went back to the park and met Thomas’ friend Ruby before heading to the neighbors for dinner and a last night at the beach.  It was a perfect way to end the beach adventures.  There was a group of people sending lanterns up into the sky and we enjoyed watching their fun and the sunset.  After that we headed home, Thomas got to spend a little alone time having books and bedtime snacks with the boys while I took Elin home to get her in the bath and to bed.  Thomas was pretty excited that he got some a lone time with his favorite buddies. 

It was a great way to spend our last week in Seattle.  We did so many of the things we love so much with all the people we love. 

Professional Pictures at the Beach

Before we moved I asked our friend, Jenny, of Jennifer Boyle Photography if she would take some family pictures for us.  We went down to the beach that has been a place for so many of our families memories while living in Seattle.  Even with it taking awhile for me to relax, I know seriously right, and Mike with his sunglasses on, she got a lot of great shots.  Here are some of my favorites!In true Seattle style the shoot wouldn’t have been complete without some different stuff like the woman who walked right into our shoot with her parasol and no care in the world AND the cat in the stroller!  I am going to miss Jenny and our friendship, this beach, these family memories, and the always interesting stuff around every corner in Seattle! 

Elin’s Sense of Style

Elin has really started to develop her preferences for clothing and is wanting to get herself dressed more and more lately.  This means that there have been a lot of crazy times trying to figure out exactly what she is wanting and how she wants it to be.  She gets most frustrated when she wants to put on shorts as a shirt or undies as a shirt.  She also had a week straight where she rocked her pink tutu, then the back pack came along and finally the layering of the foot pajamas.  This girl loves her clothes and shoes and her Daddy and I are in trouble!

Night at the Beach

Max and Amy joined us for a night of s’more roasting at the beach.  It ended up being a flop of a plan, with the day turning out nicer than we expected, and all the fire pits were taken.  Shortly after we got there, Thomas fell into the water and we didn’t have a change of clothes along, he was cool with rocking an Elin diaper and happily played along.  After some beach fun we headed home to chill in the basement and roast our s’mores in the oven. 

Riding a Bike Without Training Wheels

The littelest big guy is getting bigger by the second.  Tonight after dinner we headed over to the athletic field to practice some bike riding.  Last week the neighbor boys started to ride their bikes without training wheels and Thomas’ interest was peaked.  That along with a dream he had where he woke up in his sleep exclaiming “Yes, that was awesome!”  We tried to ask him that moment what was going on but he quickly went back to bed.  The next morning he told Mike that his dream was about him riding his bike without training wheels. 

Last week he tried to ride his bike without training wheels and he was able to go for 10-15 seconds before he’d slam on his breaks.  We were all pretty excited and very proud.  Over the week we have talked about how when he started to ride he couldn’t slam on his breaks or he’d continue to fall over. 

Tonight we gave him a quick pep talk.  We watched him balance and practice while his training wheels were on and then we had to “rip the band aid off” so to speak.  He was not happy about trying and was feeling a bit nervous about being without the training wheels.  After reassurance that Dad would be right there to catch him he was ready to try.  Try he did and he rocked it!  Here is the first attempt.

By the end of the night he had been riding without help for over an hour.  We were able to Facetime with both sets of grandparents from the field so they could see him go.  He was a riding machine, turning, stopping and almost starting by himself.  What a huge night…he was so so excited and so were we!

Just Another Day at the Zoo…turned Amazing…

Today the zoo turned into the magical amazing place that it is suppose to be, a place of animals, learning and limitless boundaries.  Today was simply put, amazing.  It was recharging, sitting here tonight looking at pictures, I am still smiling.  Telling Mike and listening to Thomas tell him about the day was so enjoyable it made up for the exhaustion I felt after 5 hours of zoo adventuring with the Littles.  

Anyway off to the day, which started off slowly and we almost bailed on the zoo.  After my coffee kicked in and the kiddos started their wind sprints I decided to make a go at the zoo. 

We got there, I ordered my latte and we were off.  First we saw the baby small clawed Asian otters.  They were in a bit of trouble as the Mama and Dada had started to dig tunnel in their new exhibit to “hide” the babies.  The zoo keepers were able to get all but one babies off the exhibit and then that little guy understandably freaked out.  When they finally did catch him he let out the saddest squeaks and sounds until he was with his family again.  Elin was oblivious, Thomas was pretty worried about the little guy.  Then it was time to go and see the baby giraffe who was born a few weeks ago.  He was so cute and we stood their watching him for 30 or so minutes before we moved along to the other animals.  The kiddos also were able to touch a piece of giraffe fur and mane.  One of my favorite things about the WPZ is that they have volunteers and zoo keepers by a lot of the animals, especially the babies, that can give you more insight about the animals. 

Then we went and saw the hippos, elephants, monkeys and chimpanzees at a snails pace before grabbing lunch and watching the bird show.  After that we started to pack ourselves up and get ready to go.  Thomas and I have been saving container tops and the squeeze food packets to bring to the zoo’s recycling program.  They encourage children to recycle and they earn points to buy different rocks, fossils or shells.  Thomas picked out a few colorful rocks and was pretty pumped about it.  As we were walking out he asked if he could get his face painted.  He wanted to be a cheetah so he could run super fast.  Then he asked if I would be the same as him.  With Elin asleep on my chest I too had my face painted.  My favorite thing about this was watching Thomas see his painted face the first time in the mirror and watching him watch me get my face painted.  He had the biggest smile.  As we walked out of the zoo people didn’t know what to think, most smiled, some just starred.  Every time I looked at Thomas I smiled and better than that every time he looked at me his eyes lit up and he smiled.  What a great way to end a day at the zoo. 

Thomas was so excited to show his Daddy his face.  He has even asked to have it repainted several times.  Elin woke up and said “wow, pretty” and then got a few whiskers drawn on her face to join the team.  What a great day!

Labor Day Weekend

We spent Labor Day weekend pretty close to home getting stuff in order for the upcoming move.  We did make a morning adventure to the grocery store and then a picnic lunch at Gas Works park that was quite fun.  Here’s some pictures of our weekend of fun.

Thomas told me on Friday during lunch that he wanted to get messy.  I promised him that after his nap we could do an art project and get messy, some shaving cream and finger paint and our mission was accomplished.

We pulled most of our tomatoes and enjoyed the “best tomato I have ever had in my life” according to Mike.  I agree it was really amazing and having it on a BLT made it even better.  The kids helped us pack more and clean up the yard and do odds and ends around the house. On Saturday night we were also able to FaceTime with Mike’s entire family who was in Chicago to celebrate his Grandpa Larry’s 80th birthday.  Thank goodness for technology and helping the Seattle Laschen’s feel like we weren’t thousands of miles away.

We made one adventure on Sunday over to Gas Works Park to check out the city.  I can’t believe that in the last 2 years we have never been to this amazing park before.  We also managed to get some lunch in our bellies on our “picnic” between chasing after our ever moving kids.