JULY
We started off the Fourth of July super sunny weekend by spending a little time on the beach. We visited the Stroller Strides over in Alki with Asher and Christy. She snapped a few pics of the kiddos playing on the beach. She has such a creative eye and captures the moment. Her work can be found at http://www.christycowanphotography.com/ .
Parker joined us for lunch and Isabella enjoyed throwing rocks into the Puget Sound.
Rumor has it that Stumptown Coffee is the best in the world. We thought we would go down and test the theory. It turned out to be a most excellent latte. Looking for a yummy latte in Seattle. Check out http://www.stumptowncoffee.com/. My husband who is a HUGE caffeine addict proudly endorses this cup of joe. 
Fourth of July aka Independence Day started off quite festive with a visit down to the Issaquah main street for a little parade. Isabella enjoyed running out to the street and collecting her bounty of candy. 
Red, White and Stripes. A tried and true culinary tradition inspired by Martha Stewart is featured at every Independence Day celebration. It is a simple and fun way to celebrate. It requires Strawberry Jello, Heavy Whipping Cream, Vanilla Pudding, Powdered Sugar and Blueberries. It has been a hit every year.
Independence Day has always had a mish mash of plans. We have not found our tradition. This year we went to Joe and Vika's House to enjoy a tasty BBQ and then off to the Sammamish Plateau to enjoy a half hour of firework frenzy. It turned out to be a great deal of fun!
Isabella really enjoyed her first fireworks. She kept yelling "purple one", "yellow one" and "red one".
She spent most of the show wearing tweaked out glasses that causes a light echo across your eyes. But she loved every minute of it.
Let's go to the movies. Yep, Isabella caught her first feature Ice Age 3 at the age of two and a half. What do you expect from film loving parents? Well, we ended up going three times as a family. What a fun experience!
Yes, she is my daughter. She was glued to the screen and snarfed down half a bag of popcorn.
Of course, we had to celebrate with cupcakes. Trophy Cupcakes no less. Yum to the 25th power. They were truly worth the traffic filled, 1-90 closed down hour and half round trip to Seattle for this simple celebration. http://www.trophycupcakes.com/
So, I decided I should climb a mountain this summer. Literally! I went with two of my girlfriends from Stroller Strides. One happened to be the instructor and she set the pace Tracy style up the mountain. A leisurely 2 1/2 hour walk turned into a 1 hour and 40 minute ascent. Yeah, that some fast walkin'. But my shirt tells the whole story. I had a blast and burned 1130 calories which meant a trip to Burgermaster which included a chocolate caramel shake. It was so worth it.
For the record, I am not a workout junkie. I am into challenging myself and pushing the limits in every way.
Papa and Nana paid a visit and we did the town right. The Ferry from Alki to Seattle is fun to take to the downtown piers. Isabella kept calling it the "big boat".
Okay, these clouds were crazy. They look like an dad and son have a conversation. The dad with the big nose and son with big hair. Crazy fun fluffy clouds. What do you see?
Where do we live? The Pacific Northwest. Is this a normal picture. No, it's not. It has been beyond hot in a place where air conditioners only exist in 13% of Washington residents. We became a great fan of the library, mall, grocery store, Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington. Parker said, it was like a vacation every night.
The zoo. We love the zoo. Thanks to Nana and Papa. We go every week. Isabella really loves animals.
Isabella really enjoyed her first fireworks. She kept yelling "purple one", "yellow one" and "red one". 
She spent most of the show wearing tweaked out glasses that causes a light echo across your eyes. But she loved every minute of it. Let's go to the movies. Yep, Isabella caught her first feature Ice Age 3 at the age of two and a half. What do you expect from film loving parents? Well, we ended up going three times as a family. What a fun experience!
Yes, she is my daughter. She was glued to the screen and snarfed down half a bag of popcorn.
Of course, we had to celebrate with cupcakes. Trophy Cupcakes no less. Yum to the 25th power. They were truly worth the traffic filled, 1-90 closed down hour and half round trip to Seattle for this simple celebration. http://www.trophycupcakes.com/
So, I decided I should climb a mountain this summer. Literally! I went with two of my girlfriends from Stroller Strides. One happened to be the instructor and she set the pace Tracy style up the mountain. A leisurely 2 1/2 hour walk turned into a 1 hour and 40 minute ascent. Yeah, that some fast walkin'. But my shirt tells the whole story. I had a blast and burned 1130 calories which meant a trip to Burgermaster which included a chocolate caramel shake. It was so worth it.
For the record, I am not a workout junkie. I am into challenging myself and pushing the limits in every way.
Papa and Nana paid a visit and we did the town right. The Ferry from Alki to Seattle is fun to take to the downtown piers. Isabella kept calling it the "big boat". 
Okay, these clouds were crazy. They look like an dad and son have a conversation. The dad with the big nose and son with big hair. Crazy fun fluffy clouds. What do you see?
Where do we live? The Pacific Northwest. Is this a normal picture. No, it's not. It has been beyond hot in a place where air conditioners only exist in 13% of Washington residents. We became a great fan of the library, mall, grocery store, Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington. Parker said, it was like a vacation every night.
The zoo. We love the zoo. Thanks to Nana and Papa. We go every week. Isabella really loves animals.
