Doing the... Wa State Fair?

"Wa State Fair" doesn't have the same ring to it as the "Puyallup State Fair," but perhaps it's more accurate.

We went twice: once with Hannah on opening day (free admission!) and then again with Seth. Each time Ezra got to go on three rides and we spent a lot of time looking at (and petting) animals. We hardly went through the Hobby Hall and didn't go through the Exhibition Halls, but it was pretty hot both days and we had fun anyway.

September 5th:

September 18th:

Friday Update #35 (8/29/14)

This was, in my mind, our very last week of summer. Of course, September is the nicest month weather-wise in the PNW, and summer doesn't officially end until my birthday, but we're going to start school and our fall schedule on Monday, so.

It's easier than ever to take both boys places by myself and it's even really fun most of the time. Since Seth was gone for three days, driving a UHaul to Arizona (and flying back), I took the boys out and about a lot this week!

Aunt Kathy called me up last week and asked if the boys and I wanted to join her for a movie in the park near her home in Shoreline. We love movies in the park and it was a way to visit with her and my grandparents, so we drove up there Saturday afternoon. My mom tagged along and we spent a few hours at my grandparents', complete with a surprise visit from my uncle and his family (including his grandson, Wyatt, who is six months younger than Isaac). 

Then Aunt Kathy, Mom, the boys and I headed to the park to watch Finding Nemo!

We spent a lot of time in Mom's garden this week as well, picking blueberries and tomatoes and came home with quite a bit of produce. Now to wash/process/freeze it...

Mom bought the boys plastic army men... but David discovered them and organized them by color...

I took Isaac on a walk.

We met up with our friends, Tiffany and Joel, at the "renown" Frog and Kiwi cafe and played for hours.

I caught Ezra coloring on his arm and scolded him... but when he told me he just wanted to draw a volcano like Aunt Ruthies... I helped him. He was very particular about having enough "bumps".

We dropped Seth off at his customer's house early Wednesday morning. As soon as I closed the door on Isaac, after Seth kissed the boys goodbye, Isaac started wailing. And didn't stop until he threw up all over himself. So we took a pit stop in a gas station and got all cleaned up and then looked at their bears.

Isaac was so very sad all week long and repeatedly asked me "Daddy back? Peese?" He loves his father oh so much.

Emily and her friend Ciri came over to babysit while I got a hair cut and then we had Jenn and Aurora over to our house for a playdate. Ezra showed off the wonders of the Malibu's trunk?

Thursday Dad picked up Ezra and took him to the airport to pick up their exchange student, Tom (but he told them the wrong day and Dad and Ezra spent several hours waiting before that was determined... oops). Emily had come along and talked me into taking her to IHop for breakfast, since she's about to start college and be "so unavailable".

On Friday we met up with our friends Hilary, Olina and Stella at a park and swang a good deal.

We had a picnic once they left and then met up with Tiffany and Joel again at the Children's Museum. Oh, except first we stopped at Ruth's work to get a smoothie (because "only Auntie Ruthie's smoothies taste good").

And then we headed to Stewart Heights to watch Frozen! We sure do love our outdoor movies.

Ezra fell asleep at the very end of the movie, poor guy. For a good five minutes before he fell asleep he laid there eating popcorn. I was cracking up! And then his chewing slowed down...

I bundled the boys back in the van and they slept the entire way to the airport and back! Success!

Ink All Over!

Today's art project quickly devolved:

Friday Update #34 (8/22/14)

We had a great time camping in Medford, OR, with the Meldrums and made it home late Sunday night. Seth, of course, had to work early Monday morning and has worked long hours all week this week, but the boys and I have been slowly and sleepily recovering from all that traveling! I'm so glad we got to go on so many fun trips (ocean! church camping trip! family camping past Granite Falls! Medford!) but back to back to back to back weekends was a bit exhausting.

I had some returns to make to Target, but I stopped first at their $1 bins and found SO much GREAT stuff for Ezra's school this year. Lesson planning is my goal for the next two or three weeks, so we can start September 1st!

We spent a lot of extra time cuddling and sleeping-in and napping this week. Seth let me sleep in several days! but I also tweaked my neck or back sleeping without a pillow, so I parked on the couch with my heat pad (despite the heat! but thankfully it was a bit cooler this week) to recover.

Though it was cooler, it still wasn't quite cool enough for me to brave a park or the lake, so we went to two different malls to play in the AC.

Grandma made Ezra Thurman whiskers.

More cuddling!

More mall!

"A special cat bed".

He discovered my wedding dress again and had to try on the underskirt and dance about.

I'm soaking in the cuddles, because I know I'll miss them someday.

Ezra's plant died from lack of water while we were gone, so we made a family trip to Lowes for some moving supplies and new keys and I almost got away with sneaking in this new plant, but he saw and I had to explain what happened to the old one. We also tried on a new pet store (PetCo instead of Petsmart) and got yakisoba and had a family picnic in the parking lot.

I'm making progress planning and organizing!

I also started adding more of the flowers we dried this summer. The frame on the left (which is the middle frame on our wall) obviously hasn't been added to yet. I love seeing some of the flowers the boys have picked for me up on the wall.

We were all going all going to go to see Planes at Bradly Lake Park, but Isaac fell asleep early and Seth was so tired and the third pre-season Seahawks game was on... so just Ezra and I went to the movie by ourselves. We stopped at the grocery store and bought ice cream in those mini cartons and bought ice cream at the park and cuddled and watched the movie. I can't remember the last time Ezra and I went somewhere together, so it was especially sweet.

Ezra's Sermon

Delivered to Isaac, while standing on the table:

"Isaac, God loves you. God is not a disciple. She is a Spirit. I mean, He is. Satan does not love you. Satan does not love anyone; not God, not Jesus. Isaac, God wants you to obey. And Jesus. Satan does not love you. So I know you don't want to, but God wants you to obey. Or there is a consequence."