Register for PAWSwalk 2008 July 31, 2008

On Saturday September 6th at Seattle’s Magnuson Park is the annual 2008 PAWSwalk.  This walk benefits the animals being sheltered at PAWS that are awaiting adoption. The proceeds pay for the care of the animals which is such a fantastic cause and especially important to myself and Jeff.

So if you have a dog sign up and head on down to the park to give your dog some exercise and participate in a great cause. And even if you don’t have a dog, head on down anyways and get yourself some exercise, every little bit helps. Also, some of the dogs available for adoption participate in the walk as well so you may find a friend to take home too.

If you would like to register please click here.

Seafair, Seattle Washington July 31, 2008

The time has come for the hydroplane’s to tackle the water and the US Navy Blue Angels to take flight in the sky, its Seafair time folks.

Seafair is a yearly festival that takes place on Lake Washington which attracts large crowds of visitors to take in the excitement on the land and in the sky.

If you head near Seward Parkyou’ll be able to watch up close the hydro’s and catch the US Navy Blue Angels show. There are also booths selling food and just a great place to hang out in the sun and catch the fun.

But if you live in the Seattle area please pay attention to the I-90 bridge closers since any time the Blue Angels fly the bridge is closed for safety.

Why Seafair is significant to me has nothing to do with the event itself but the weekend that it is on. At this time last year Jeff and I were heading to the hospital to get induced and have Ethan. Ethan was born on Seafair weekend. So instead of watching the hydroplane races last year we were having a baby!

Emerald Downs Horse Race Track July 27, 2008

Jeff, Ethan, and I headed down south to Emerald Downs in Auburn Washington to go to the race track to watch the horses take center stage. It was fun to watch and they had the races occurring about every thirty minutes. We got to see a total of four races while we were there which was a great site to see.

At first I was a little sceptical bringing Ethan to a race track but it was our friend Collin’s birthday so we thought, what the heck let’s go. It actually turned out to be a great place to take kids. The facility is really nice and open and you can get up right next to the track to see the horses race by. They had a couple of kids blowup toys as well further down the track to keep the little ones entertained. Ethan enjoyed the rush of the races though and was fascinated by the horses and jockey’s. He did get a little upset whenever people cheered, especially his dad. I’m not sure how he will weather the Seahawks games in the future.

 

 

H&M Opens at the Westfield Southcenter Mall July 25, 2008

H&M has finally made its way to the Pacific Northwest making its residence at the Westfield Southcenter Mall. The mall has gone through a major remodel adding multiple stores and restaurants. The news was reporting that they expected lines of at least 600 people visiting the new store today.

The H&M store at the Westfield Southcenter Mall will feature clothing for adults, teens, and children. H&M will be opening up two additional stores in the fall in the University Village and in downtown Seattle. These two stores will feature adult clothing only.

This is a great addition to the shopping community in the Seattle area since now there is an affordable place to purchase fashionable clothes.

Yard Work. July 21, 2008

Yesterday was yard work day at the Kalles house. In the morning Jeff, Ethan, and I went to Home Depot and purchased a bunch of beauty bark and other odds and ends to work on the yard. Unfortunately Jeff had a hurt arm so I got to do the heavy lifting. It took about 4 hours to get the majority of the work done and I think that it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. The grass is still brown so it is not perfect but it looks a lot better than when I started. Plus, I got to see a ton of different spider species that I had never encountered before. I also uncovered an ant hole with the weed whacker so we did some exterminator clean-up as well. You can see the results of my labor below. Enjoy!

 

Big Four Ice Caves July 20, 2008

Later on in the afternoon Jeff, Ethan, and I met up with our good friends Courtney and Jeff and headed to go hike the Big Four Ice Caves in Granite Falls, Washington. I had purchased a kid carrier from REI for Jeff a little while ago so we thought it would be a good day to take it out for a test drive. Once we finally made our way to the parking lot we ventured out along the trail. It was a very easy going trail full of breathtaking views and fantastic scenery.

     

Once we arrived at the bridge to cross the river we were a little disappointed. Due to the winter storms that we had the bridge had been washed out so our hike was stopped short since the only way that you could cross to catch back up with the trail was to cross the river. Since Jeff had Ethan in the carrier and none of us were dressed to cross the river we decided to turn back. We did see some brave soles cross the river and one actually fell completely in. I am sure that resulted in a wet and miserable car ride home for that individual. We had a good time though enjoying Washington’s fantastic scenery which is right outside our door.

Flower World, Snohomish Washington July 19, 2008

This morning after we got up and ate breakfast we headed to Flower World in Snohomish. I had heard about Flower World from a co-worker and she said the place was huge. When we got there she was right, this place was huge. They give you a map to find your way to the specific flower you are looking for. I knew one of the plants I was looking for so we grabbed a cart and headed that way. I was looking for a Jasmine Vine and I was not let down. They has tons of varieties of that I had multiple choices. On our way to the vine area I had picked up a couple more flowers to plant on our patio. It was a great place and if I had more time to look around I am sure I would have come home with a lot more.

  

On the grounds of this huge complex they also have a huge pond with a fountain that you can walk around. The area is completely landscaped and has  paths so it is like a large park in the nursery. On this walk we encountered ducks, geese, and peacocks. Across the street is another area with goats, sheep, more fowl, and bunnies. There were also little chicks there as well. On the property they also had a store that sold local produce and ice cream. For anyone that has a green thumb or just likes flowers this is a fantastic place to go.

 

 

When we arrived home I cleaned off our patio area and planted my newly purchased flowers. Tomorrow its onto the yard which needs the most work.

Bellingham July 14, 2008

Ethan and I decided to drive up to Bellingham today while Jeff cleaned our computer room with newly purchased bookshelves to store all of our books.

Once we got to Bellingham to see Grandpa we all ventured to Win’s Drive-In. I used to work there in high school and after college and so I thought it would be the perfect spot to grab lunch. Plus I knew that they had grilled cheese sandwich’s which Ethan seemed to enjoy. After we picked up our food we ventured down to Boulevard Park which was a hopping place.

After lunch we ventured on a long walk along Lake Padden which is right near grandpa’s house and where I grew up. We walked around the lake and stopped a bit at the playground where Ethan was able to swing for a bit since he had woken up from his nap. All in all we had a great day hanging out with grandpa (my dad) and enjoying the lovely Washington weather. Plus, when I arrived home Jeff had cleaned the house as well which was a total perk and made my day!

 

Fun in the sun. July 13, 2008

Yesterday Jeff, Ethan, and I had a day full of outdoor activities enjoying the fantastic weather we had. In the morning we ventured to the dog park and Jeff and Ethan got to try out the backpack/kid carrier on the trail. Ethan seemed to really enjoy being up that high and having a view of everything. He actually fell asleep in it to so it must be pretty comfortable. Bindi actually went swimming there as well which is highly unusual since I think we have the only lab mix that doesn’t like to swim.

After we got home we had lunch and then headed to Golds Gym for some swimming fun. We were able to go in the kids pool this time. Originally when we tried it, it was freezing but it was actually warm this trip. They have a big fountain in the middle of it and Ethan really enjoyed it. Of course, he still wanted the water noodle the whole time so that should make swimming lessons interesting when we start in August.

I drove to Toys ‘R Us in Bellevue in the afternoon to pick up a few things for Ethan’s first birthday and was able to get a pull string Elmo Pinata. I can’t wait to see his face when he sees it since he absolutely loves Elmo. I cannot believe that my little boy will be one in a couple of weeks. Time just flies by way to fast.

Pizza Bank Goodness… July 9, 2008

Jeff, Ethan, and I headed to Pizza Bank for dinner to celebrate Jeff’s birthday. This restaurant is in Kingsgate (Kirkland) and I highly recommend it if you are looking for some reasonably priced Italian comfort food. I had the salmon fettuccine and Jeff had an Italian sausage dish. Both come with soup or salad and a huge piece of garlic bread so we left the restaurant incredibly full.

Once we got home we enjoyed some strawberry shortcake which was extremely tasty. Jeff got a backpack/child carrier from REI from Ethan for his birthday so hopefully some hikes are in our future.