Super Bowl Sunday in Seattle's Seahawk Suburbs

People here were really excited about the Seahawks being the champions and being in the Super Bowl. We wondered if anyone would be at church. Church starts at 1 and ends at 4 and the game started at 3:30. During sacrament meeting, the chapel was full of blue and green. The die hards were so pleased. Us bandwagoners were pleased that we wore the right colors to church. Rachel's dress was perfect. You will see a picture soon.

While sacrament meeting had been as full as it usually is, the third hour in Relief Society had about 10 sisters, as opposed to the usual 20ish. And instead of Primary kids banging down the door at the end of church, it was the High Priests who rushed in and threw the chairs up and set up the Seminary seating.

Driving home was weird because there were not very many cars. We all changed our clothes and got our blue and green jello, cookie dough, and ice cream, and headed out. And there were even less cars on the road going to our friends house!


Rachel playing with her friend Ethan.

We ate food and treats and were not very healthy. We cheered and had a good old time.

I couldn't help but taunt my cousin Scott a little bit via text. Turns out I texted him at pretty much the worse point of the game for the Broncos---no points, Seahawks at like 36 or something (I don't really care that much about football).

Sarah: Enjoying the game?
Scott: No offense Sarah, but go to hell
Sarah: None taken.
Sarah: I imagine the Broncos are feeling like they're in hell right now.
Scott: They should, cause I do
After the game.
Sarah: Don't cry.
Scott: You're not the boss of me.

Thanks for the great laughs Scott!

Rachel had not napped since the morning and being awake through all of church and having fun with your buddies all evening can really tire you out. She got really really snuggly, which never ever happens.


Snuggling with Dad.

And then the Seahawks won and all the Broncos looked sad and they dumped Gatorade on the coach before the game was done and it really wasn't that intense. People were screaming and setting off fireworks and we went home before the buzzed drivers got out onto the road.

And that is our tale of being Seahawks fans because we live in Washington.

Bath Time!

I generally don't believe in posting pictures of naked babies on the internet, no matter how cute. But these are too funny.

Our friends came to visit us and we put all three kids in the bathtub.


The closest we get to having them all look at the camera at the same time.


The little babies stare at the toddler's craziness.


The nasal aspirator: best bath toy ever. And dog-boy toy ever, too.


"Mom, this is the funnest bath of my life."

So the pictures aren't that funny. But it was a funny bath.

Woodland Park Zoo and Seattle Aquarium

I almost entitled this post "Willow Park Zoo," but that is the zoo in Logan, not in Seattle. How crazy that they are practically the same name.

These are our adventures with our friends, Sarah and Olivia. We walk together on the trail near us once a week. We are in the same ward. Olivia and Rachel look like cousins. Sarah and I don't, except we have the same name, brown hair, and glasses. Our husbands are nerds and mechanical engineers.

The Woodland Park Zoo

We went at the beginning of May. I have been lazy and haven't blogged it yet until now. I decided just to get a zoo pass. If we go three times in the next year it will be worth it. Since I don't think Rachel really understood the zoo, so we will have to go again.


Olivia rocking her sunglasses.


Olivia and Rachel looking at the penguins. Sarah taking a picture. The penguins ignoring the people.


We will force you two to be buddies.


Rachel and I in the jungle. It was humid and hot. Rachel thought it was weird.


GORILLA!


Hungry Rachel showing off her bottle-holding skillz.


A giraffe's behind.


A lion cub! It was so cool. He came right up to the window and seemed really interested in the kids. It seemed like he was looking at Rachel's bottle, or maybe he wanted to eat Rachel.


Of course, he walked away as soon as we tried to get a picture.


An elephant with only one tusk.


Rachel fell asleep. I guess the zoo was not all that thrilling for her.


Flamingos. Not as noisy as the ones I remember from my childhood.

We had a great time at the zoo. It was a beautiful day and we spent it with our lovely friends. :)

The Seattle Aquarium

At the beginning of June, we went to the aquarium with our friends.

We began the journey by locking Olivia in the car. We had to wait for 45 minutes for a locksmith to come because the 911 dispatcher was dumb and said the police couldn't help us, but she should have had the fire department come. Anyway, Rachel actually helped cheer Olivia up by patting the windows. She handled the whole situation pretty well.

Be brave, Olivia...

Blessings include:
The car was in the shade
Only one baby was in the car
The older baby was in the car
It was not a hot day

And then we made it to the aquarium.


Rachel enjoying the Puget Sound fish exhibit.


Olivia enjoying the tide pools.


Rachel enjoying the tide pools.


Rachel eating my sandwich bag.


Rachel liked watching this tropical fish.


Rachel and me looking at fish.


A funny picture of Rachel playing with her bottle.


Cute sea otters! They were all playing and barking at each other. I love otters.


A beautiful day in Seattle!


A harbor seal.

We had a really great time at the aquarium with our friends. I think Rachel "got it" better than the zoo, probably because the animals are all right there and are generally bright colors or swimming around.

Easter Festivities

Before we had Rachel, Andrew and I did not really celebrate holidays. It wasn't because we were Scrooges, it was that it seemed stupid to go all out for two adults. But now that we have a baby who, frankly, doesn't really care, we celebrate holidays.

We celebrated Easter by participating in the Easter basket deal with Rachel. How pagan of us. We also celebrated the Christian part of Easter by going to Church and watching the Bible Videos about Christ's last week. But those aren't as fun to post pictures of on the internet.

Coloring Eggs

Even though I love spelling, I cannot ever figure out the gerund of "to dye" eggs. It looks wrong no matter how I spell it. "Dyeing," I believe, is the correct way, but it looks horrible to have those two vowels next to each other. And then "dying" is not right, although we do boil the eggs so it does kill anything that may have been alive inside them. Anyway, moving on. So we colored the eggs. Maybe we coloured them, UK style. However it is, we did it with our friends.

A pile of eggs.

Claire making yellow dye.

Ric photobombing in a fabulous manner.

Rachel enjoying this tradition.

Kendra and Dallon coloring on their eggs before they dye/colour them.

Ric's Superman egg.

Andrew was there, too. He seems to have evaded the camera.

The Ward Easter Partay

Rachel in an Easter basket.

Andrew did not evade the camera this time! But his eyes are closed.

Going outside for the egg hunt.

Our friends, Sarah and Olivia

Rachel got an egg!

Good job, my child.

Love them.

Easter Styling Outfits

Everyone knows that little girls need Easter dresses for Easter.

Here they come in their Easter clothes! They are about to hunt for the basket.

~~~Why is Easter so much about hunting? An egg hunt, hunting for your basket? It is funny that a bunny hides these, but we don't hunt for bunnies in this holiday.

Golly gee! The Easter bunny brought her teething rings! And Green Eggs and Ham.

Our family Easter picture. :)

Happy Easter a month and a half late!

Snow Day!

I guess it sometimes snows here in the Pacific Northwest. And I guess this winter was a weird one. It only snowed in March. I love the snow. Rachel and I went out and played in the snow with our neighbors.


Rachel in her snowsuit. It's a little big and she's super cute.


Out in the snow!


"Ralphie! Ralphie!"


Rachel and our friend Claire being pulled in sleds.


Sledding down the hill with the baby.


The sled was a huge hit with Claire and Dallon


Rachel was slowly being consumed by her snowsuit.


Claire pulling Rachel in the sled.

We had fun! Maybe sometime we will go snowshoeing.