Happy 4th of July 2015

We had a great 4th of July on Vashon with my entire family (8 adults, 5 kids and 3 dogs)!  This is one of the only times we are all together at the cabin and it was a blast.  It was 90 degrees all weekend so we spent most of our time on the deck, floating or on the boat.  It was so fun watching the younger kids running around with all of the kiddos from next door just like we did when we were little.

As always we spent the actual 4th lighting off fireworks before the sun went down (pop its, sparklers etc) followed by watching the Vashon and Tacoma shows from the deck... Both shows are amazing! 

Here's to another fun filled 4th of July in the books and a few pics from the weekend.

KPrep Graduation 2015

Friday was a big day for the Bates family...Kallie graduated from Kindergarten Prep and we could not be more proud of our girl!  She started the year knowing how to say the alphabet but not a ton of interest in actually writing the alphabet.  She is leaving KPrep knowing how to write all the letters in the alphabet (uppercase & lowercase), write all number 0-10, draw detailed pictures vs stick figures with big belly buttons, a passion for taking care of the earth, a love for her friends and amazing empathy for those in need!  

It has been amazing watching our baby blossom into an amazing little girl.  We are so proud of her accomplishments and the amazing person she has become!  We love you 😍

Bring on the summer sunshine

We had amazing weather this weekend so we spent most of our time outside.  On Saturday we had a garage sale and Kallie's first lemonade stand.  She decided her lemonade would be free because she said some people might be thirsty but not have enough money.  I amazed by her compassion and empathy for others...so very sweet!

We ended our weekend with a boat ride on Lake Samammish, running through the sprinkler and cooling off with a treat from the popscicle man!

The Three Little Pigs by KPA

On Friday Kallie's KPA class put on a show for all of the parents.  Kallie was one of the wolves in The Three Little Pigs.  She practiced her lines for weeks and did  great!  Here are a few pics from the performance...

Mother’s Day Weekend 2015

We had beautiful weather in Seattle this weekend so we decided to take full advantage and head out on our boat for our maiden voyage this year. We had a great time driving around Lake Sammamish, fishing a bit and just enjoying the sun! Lucky for us Kallie loves the new boat. It is going to be a fun summer finding fun locations to take the boat to enjoy the outdoors.

Sunday was full of Mother’s Day surprises the first being the Kallie actually stayed in her bed until her light turned green (AMEN) – she was so proud of herself. She immediately hopped into our bed, gave me a kiss and said “Happy Mother’s Day, I love you”. After some morning snuggles we opened presents. Kallie wrote a poem at school and made me a beaded bracelet – so sweet! Eric surprised me with a FitBit and a Nordy’s gift card (WHOOHOO).

I spent the rest of my morning getting a pedicure with a friend and then a little shopping! When I came home I had more surprises . . . a handmade t-shirt that said “I luv u mommy!” and a handmade headband, so sweet. I was happy to sport my new shirt, headband and bracelet to Mother’s Day dinner at my sister’s house. I know I have said this before but I truly mean it from the bottom of my heart – I feel so luck that God chose me to be Kallie’s mom. I am one lucky mommy!

Sayulita Mexico

We had a great time on our family vacation to Sayulita to celebrate my mom’s 70th birthday. The house we rented was absolutely amazing – open air living, beautiful views and our own pool. We stayed just north of town so golf carts were the key when it came to lugging our stuff to the beach. Who doesn’t love riding around town in a golf cart!!! 

We spent most of our mornings at the beach (Eric fishing) and afternoons at the pool. Thankfully all of the kiddos loved both! Mac/Finn spent most of their time boogie boarding while Kallie loved jumping over the waves and playing in the sand covered in mud. Eric and I were even able to get away for an hour or so to enjoy a margarita at a cute little hotel on the bluff. To celebrate my mom we had the perfect little fiesta with a chef and a piñata! It was a great night and such a fun way to celebrate my mom.

The only downfall to the vacation was that poor Kallie got the 24 hour bug. She spent one entire night throwing up in our bed. By the end of the night we were sleeping on the mattress cover (GROSS) and had to steal a blanket from my parents so we didn’t freeze. Luckily it was a short bug and she was a trooper!

Easter 2015

We had quite the fun filled Easter.  Kallie was so excited she was up at 6am wishing us a Happy Easter and wondering if the Easter bunny left her a little something.  I am happy to say the Easter bunny did come and as you can see she was one happy little girl.  She loved her Easter basket and the hidden eggs around the house.

We had a great day all around, starting with brunch and an egg hunt at Erika and Viktors followed by our neighborhood egg hunt and finally dinner and ANOTHER egg hunt at grammy and papa's house.  It was a great day!

Daddy giving her tips for the hunt

And done...