Ethan turned 4!

On June 3rd, Ethan turned 4! We threw a racecar-themed party for him. It was the first time we had thrown him a birthday party, so it was an adventure for us all. While I was preparing all the party details, I began to feel a little overwhelmed, so my ever "saving the day" husband rescued me and took the day off of work to help with the party. Thanks, Jeff!

After serving lunch to the kids and parents, we made our own license plates out of foam cut-out letters and string.

After everyone had their own license plate to wear, we all pretended to be racecars and play "Red Light-Green Light." Now, playing this game with a bunch of 3 and 4-year-olds really just turns into a mass mob of kids running to the checkered finish line no matter how many times you say "red light" after they start running.  It was pretty cute.

Next was the racecar piñata with the Lightening McQueen baseball bat.

For the birthday cupcakes, we did chocolate cupcakes with white frosting, orange sprinkles, Peachy-Oh's (for tires) and toothpicks with checkered flags!

Of course, the presents. We coached Ethan beforehand about always saying "thank you" and not making weird faces while opening presents. Obviously, he did pretty well.

He wasn't letting go of either of these presents.

We love you, Ethan! Happy Birthday! 

Memorial Day

So on Memorial Day we hiked Snoqualmie Falls! It was a beautiful and peaceful drive (Sienna slept both ways and Ethan slept on the way back). The hike down was easy and the cool mist from the waterfall was so refreshing.

We have a high-quality Kelty-Kids hiking back-pack. We bought it used for a bargain and have been delighted to have it. Notice in the above picture Sienna is on my hip, not in the backpack. She couldn't stand it. So, I found myself with a cumbersome backpack strapped to me while carrying my daughter on my hip. Backpack, anyone?

Although Ethan did well on the hike down, he decided he was too tired to hike back up. Ethan loved the backpack when he was younger and begged to ride in it again. Sienna determined she had enough of Mom on the way down and wanted Dad on the way up.

So my wonderful, strong, handsome, never complaining husband carried both kids (65lb) back up the mountain! Here is a man who loves being a Dad and is willing sacrifice to make his family happy. Jeff, I love you and have so much respect for you! Happy Fathers' Day!

A little late, but really funny

I found this on Lisa's blog - thanks Lisa!  A little late for Mother's Day, but remember, "I'm not a woman anymore, I'm a mom."

Armed Forces Day - 5.16.2009

Yes, we're still doing some catching up on our blogging...

So, a few weeks ago we ran over to Bremerton for the Armed Forces Day festivities. Of course, the ferry ride is always one of our favorite parts of the trip. Who doesn't love a ferry ride? We can't seem to get enough of the wind, the marine life (okay, mostly seagulls), the amazing views, weaving around all the little islands in the sound, the photo-taking opportunities...

Next we went to the parade with all the motorcycles, tanks, military vehicles and soldiers.  Several of the venues provided free lunch (woo-hoo!) and then we visited a military museum.

If you ever visit Bremerton, one place to go is the waterfront park next to the ferry dock. The park had amazing fountains that sprayed water sporadically, which kept the kids always ready and watching for when the next big burst of cold water!

Carlsen Family Photo Shoot

On April 26th, a friend in our ward took some pictures of our family on a nice spring Sunday here in Seattle. He's a really talented photographer, so we really appreciated his time (and that he did it for free!). We really enjoyed the candid shots that captured the love in our family.