The Pumpkin Patch

Today was the perfect day to head to the pumpkin . . . so we did . . . AND so did everyone else in Seattle. Regardless of the crowds we had a good time at Remlinger Farm. We spent most of our time at the park petting the animals, riding the roller coaster, jumping in the bouncy houses, a hay ride and just walking around taking it all in.

We decided to explore the pumpkin patch at the end but Kallie did not want to get pumpkins because daddy was not with us. We agreed it was a family thing and that we would go to the grocery store to get pumpkins with daddy (so sweet) but of course I couldn’t miss the pumpkin photo opp!

Lake Placid 2017

We just got back from a quick trip to Lake Placid for Emily and Ben’s wedding. Since we have not been back to upstate NY as a family since Kallie was 10 months old we flew in a few days early so we would have a chance to do some sightseeing before the wedding festivities. It is a perfect time of year to visit with the Fall leaves changing and to top it off we had beautiful weather. A few highlights were exploring the rivers, building a fort in the woods pretending we were on Naked and Afraid (well we weren’t Naked but you get the point, riding the Gondola up White Face Mountain (it was raining up top but the ride up had spectacular views, going to the Fall Leaves Festival to watch the ski jumpers – we even got to ride the chairlift to the top and an elevator to check out the top of the ski jumps (Crazy high . . . I would never jump) and of course exploring all the shops on the boardwalk in Lake Placid.

Outside of exploring, we spent time with family. We spent time with Mimi and Papa’s side of the family as well as getting quality time with the Doyle family. It was so fun to watch Kallie and her cousins meet for the first time (well technically the 2nd time for some of them but they were too young to remember). The wedding was beautiful and of course the Doyle side of the family danced until our feet hurt (Kallie too – she was a trooper the entire trip)

Although Lake Placid is (REALLY) far away (2 plane rides and a 2.5 hr. car ride) and it was a somewhat short trip we made the most of it and had so much fun. We packed our days with fun adventures and family time and can’t wait to go back.

Soccer Girl

It's official . . . Kallie loves playing soccer as much as I did when I was her age. We love watching her excitement and dedication to the game. She loves playing defense but at the same time loves to score goals. Right now she plays with a bunch of IVE friends and their team name is "The Stingers". They chose that name b/c three of the girls (Kallie included) got stung by bees at the first practice.

So far the season is off to a good start. The girls are having fun and getting better each week which I love to see. Kallie continues to tell us how much she loves soccer and that she wants to keep playing even when the season is over. We can see her dedication and love for the sport so we are excited to see where it goes. Go Stingers!

First day of 1st Grade

Well that was fast, summer came and went in the blink of an eye. Although I would like summer to stay Miss Kallie Bates has been excited about the first day of 1st grade for weeks! We met her teacher Mrs. Clark and I think she is going to be a great fit. She is young, enthusiastic and open to help the kiddos learn best in a way that works for each individual student. We are excited for the year ahead and by the look on her face Kallie is too. Happy first day baby girl, we love you.

7th Birthday - Cuddly & Scaly Fun for All

Kallie LOVES celebrating her birthday just like her daddy. She started counting down the days to her party about a month ago. Since she loves all things animals we decided to have a company come to our house with cuddle (rabbits, chinchillas, hamsters) and scaly (lizards, snakes and a tortis) the kids could hold and learn fun facts about. We had 15 kids over and they had so much fun. The loved holding the cuddly animals and “most” loved she scaly ones too! I was a bit shocked when Kallie decided I should take a picture of her with a HUGE boa constrictor around her neck . . . I would call that a successful party. After the animals, we had birthday cake followed by a piñata and last minute I had the kids bring swimsuits (it was 90 degrees) so they could run in the sprinkler and have a water fight. It was a lot to pack in but all worth it to watch the smile on Kallie’s face. She had so much fun celebrating her big day with her friends.

Happy 7th Birthday

I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. From the moment we went to the hospital thinking they would send us home, to being shocked when the nurse told us it "was time", to the exact moment when I held you on my chest for the very first time. Seven years ago on August 11, 2010 my dreams of becoming a mom came true. So, this morning at 7:11am the very moment you were born 7 years ago we wished you Happy Birthday!

Kallie, you are one silly, smart, funny girl. You love to sing, dance, tell funny jokes, recite random animal facts, play soccer, build houses with your legos, family game night, playing shopkins, all art projects, running around, reading, school and of course building things with daddy. You love spending time together as a family playing family games, going on adventures to the river, going out on the boat and of course watching our favorite shows American Ninja Warrior and Naked & Afraid (it is not as bad as it sounds).

You love learning, going to school and of course Cougar Club. You are a great friend who is compassionate and wants to make sure everyone is happy and included. I could not be more proud!

I decided a few years ago that I would always take the day off on your birthday so we could spend the day together letting you choose what we do. Today we spent the day at the zoo and had so much fun. I gave you the map and off we went. I am pretty sure we walked in circles and took the long route to every animal but we laughed and decided it didn't matter because we were together, it was perfect! We ended your birthday meeting daddy for dinner and of course a special trip to our favorite frozen yogurt store.

I look forward to spending the day with you every year and hope this is a tradition that lasts a lifetime! Happy Birthday Kallie, I love you to the moon and back!

XOXOXO, Mommy

(58lbs & 51.5in ... +90% in height!)

July Summer Fun

July was such a fun month . . . packed full of fun activities and adventures. The weather has been amazing so we have been outside enjoying the summer sunshine. Kallie started Kindercamp and loves it, We spent 5 days at the cabin with the family celebrating the 4th of July, Kallie was a bridesmaid for the very first time in Samantha & Josh’s wedding – Mimi and Papa were in town for the wedding which was so fun, we took our annual trip to the Strawberry Festival, Kallie took a learn to ride a bike class (not quite there yet but she keeps trying), Kallie, Sara and Kate had a lemonade stand, I took Kallie on a little trip to Snoqualmie Falls, we spent a long weekend at the cabin with friends (tubing, smores, boating) and most importantly (to daddy) Kallie caught her first King Salmon!!! Here are a few pictures from our July adventures . . .