100 Wishes Quilt Update

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day. I got together with my mom, my grandma, and our family friend Flo to discuss Lia's 100 Wishes Quilt. Thus far, I have roughly 140 squares collected, so it looks like we will have enough to do both a full-size bed quilt and also a smaller "baby blanket" for Lia to play with and carry around. My mom has generously offered to take on the project of putting the quilt together. She seems really excited about it. She knows how to sew, but has never quilted. So yesterday we had lunch at the Issaquah Cafe, and then went back to my grandma's condo to looks at the squares, and discuss design and next steps for starting the quilt.


My grandma's cat, Sweetie was curious about what we were doing, and seemed interested in being social, yet when I tried to get a picture of her - she ran behind the dining room table. She definitely earns her name though :)


The view from my grandma's balcony is spectacular. Especially with yesterday's beautiful weather. You can't tell in this photo, but paragliders actually take off from one of the "bald patches" on the mountains across the way. It's fun to watch them float down from the sky into the meadows below.


Thanks grandma, mom and Flo for a very fun day!

What a Difference...

...a week makes! Yikes - a totally random, out-of-the-ordinary freak snow/sleet/hail storm hit Seattle today...crazy - I thought (had hoped anyway) that I had left this kind of freaky late-April weather in Denver. Of course everytime you move somewhere new, and are surprised at the weather, the locals will all tell you "this is NOT normal - this NEVER happens", etc. But in this case, since I am a Seattle native, I KNOW that this is not normal. It's just bizarre. Luckily it didn't last long. But after 80 degrees last weekend, it was kind of a shock.

This week I started to feel more comfortable at work, starting to get a routine and an understanding for how the organization works and what my job will entail. I guess there is always a learning curve when you start a new job.

Steve finally has his allergies under control (thanks to a very kind pharmacist at the local Walgreen's who recommended the right allergy medicine). He was having terrible sore throats and stuffy nose. I guess we are both getting used to the sea air, and all the various plants that are blooming out here. We've also finally found some local restaurants in the neighborhood that are pretty decent and worth going back to, so we're slowly acclimating and starting to feel like locals.

Now THAT's what I'm talking about...

Yesterday was a terrific day to be in Seattle! Near-record temps and gorgeous blue skies...a great day to drive with the top down and soak up the sun. I started the morning with a (much overdue) trip to the salon to get my highlights touched up, bushy brows waxed, and my toenails "did". YAY! I feel like a woman again...the people at my new office will probably be shocked tomorrow ("wow - she really DOES have some sense of style!") lol. I had been putting off all these things while we were saving money for the move...

After I got home from the salon, Steve and I decided to take the dogs out for walk at a nearby park. One side of the park borders Puget Sound, so you can walk down along the beach. The beach it's self is very rocky and full of driftwood, but it was beautiful and not as crowded as the sand beaches. The dogs had a blast! It occured to me that Luna had never seen a beach or large body of water before. In Colorado she had seen rivers, streams, and a few ponds and small lakes...but nothing like Puget Sound, with the waves, the ferry boats, etc. She found all sorts of interesting items to sniff and pee on...


After we dropped off the dogs at home, Steve got both our cars washed, and then we headed back out - this time to Alki Beach - to see the sunset. Apparently, at least 25,000 people had the same idea, because the beach drive was backed up for miles! It reminded me of my old high school days of "cruising" the beach for boys and checking out all the cool cars...of course, this time I was IN a cool car, and I already had the "boy" :)


As the sun set behind the Olympic Mountains on the west side of Puget Sound, it was once again clear WHY people are willing to live in a place where it rains 9 months out of the year, and why they had all trekked out to the beach and put up with the crazy crowds...simply GORGEOUS!

1 Year...

How many more to go?

...THAT my friends, is the $100 million dollar question...oh, to have a crystal ball...

"Dog Tired"

It's been a long....LONG week! Just one week ago we were driving across Idaho and Oregon into Washington state. Then unpacking...trying to set up a house and all the things that go with it (phone, cable, internet, etc.) - and then starting a new job...it's a lot to take on in one week. I'm exhausted.

The new job is good. It's only been 3 days, so I still feel like a total "newbie" and kind of out of place. Even though it is in a field that I am passionate about (adoption) - I have already realized that I have a TON to learn, and if you think all the rules and regulations surrounding Chinese adoption are hard to swallow, just try learning all the rules and reg's surrounding NINE different countries...it's nuts...and very overwhelming. Everything in time I suppose...

As you can see from the picture, Luna is LOVING our new gas fireplace. It heats up very quickly and I actually end up having to turn it off so she doesn't overheat herself laying front of it. Silly schnauzer girl...

Hooray...We Made It!

After two very long days of driving...(14 hrs/day) - we finally made it into Seattle around 10 pm on Friday night. To our surprise, it was SNOWING when we got here (ummmm...thought we were leaving March snow behind in Denver!) Very odd. We ended up having to take the "long way" across Oregon (thru Portland) and up thru Washington to avoid Snoqualmie Pass, which was requiring chains or traction tires...

Saturday morning the movers showed up with our stuff (well, most of it...more on that later...)
So we have spent the last two days getting cable/DSL/phone/gas/electric/trash and everything else set up - as well as bank accounts and other basics. Yesterday I got most of the kitchen put together (now I can grocery shop!) Steve got most of his office set up as well. Today I need to focus on getting my clothes put away and the bathrooms set up. I start my new job tomorrow, so I need to figure out what I am going to wear.

In general, the movers did a good job - as good as can be expected anyway. The price for the move ended up being more than we were quoted or expected. Then the movers got tired by the end of the unloading process on Saturday - dumping one of our sofa cushions into a muddy ditch.

And now Steve cannot find one box that included his fax machine and computer speakers (which are very important since he works in radio/music). The drawer pulls were torn off my nightstand and the nightstand itself received a big scratch across the top.

But Steve's '68 Camaro made it on the back of the truck without any damage...and is now safely parked in the garage, so we are happy about that!










The dogs were stressed throughout the drive...not really sure what was going on. But now that they have seen the backyard, they are very happy puppies! Yesterday Luna loved sitting out on the back porch in the sun (yes, Seattle DOES occasionally see sun!)