Tasting in Woodinville

Last week, Matt and I headed out to a spot that is near and dear to our hearts and chock full of memories from our dating history -- Woodinville, Washington...also know as wine-tasters heaven. Our favorite winery, Chateau St. Michelle, was the first stop on our little tour down memory lane. It didn't disappoint. We took the tasting tour and browsed the gift shoppe. I kept exclaiming about how surreal it was to be back!

 Some fun photo ops were in the area...

 We also stopped by Willow's Lodge, where we spent our wedding night (see? memory lane, baby.)

 We went to Red Hook Brewery for the beer tasting tour and lunch. This tour is totally worth the $1 each and I highly recommend you go if you are a craft beer sort. Matt loves this place!

Heaven in a glass.

So thankful for grandparents who are willing to watch the kiddos so we can take off and do fun things like this. SO so blessed right now.

m

KiDiMu, Bainbridge Island

On Thursday, after fighting 10 rounds with a nasty cold bug for most of the week, Matt and I decided to brave the foul weather to take our boy out for a date at KiDiMu (Kid's Discovery Museum) on Bainbridge Island. It was such a fun experience (which I'm sure was enhanced by being baby-less while lovely Mimi stayed home with Eva, who was still quite sick and needing her naps) so I thought I'd share our day with you!

He breaks my heart with his little runny, red nose.

About to board the ferry...

Out of the car and up to the deck we go, where we stay for the 35 min ride. 

We arrived late-morning to KiDiMu to play. The first Thursday of each month is free day, so we totally took advantage of that since the ferry ride can be $$. 

http://www.kidimu.org/

The first room we headed into was a little over Kiel's head, learning-wise (it was the bank), but Matt did get a kick out of introducing the abacus to him (which of course, is no surprise, considering math was a part of Matt's dual major at Stanford).

Playing doctor in the hospital room.

And his favorite, playing with construction vehicles at the work site.

Also took some time to drive a ferry, play with a life-size version of lite-brite, and get artsy.

My favorite part, by far, was watching him deliver the mail. A-dorable.

All good things must come to an end, so we packed up and headed home.

I'm super thankful that Matt has time off during our transition to take plenty of restful yet fun-filled days. We are loving this time in our family and trusting that God has the best ideas in mind for our future!

Hope you enjoy being taken along for the adventure!

m

The Castle Park in Kirkland

On Monday, while our trusty Honda Civic Hybrid was at the shop for some customary upgrades, our little Sarge Fam headed to the BEST PARK WE'VE EVER SEEN! That's putting it mildly, considering those very words left our lips more than ten times throughout our stay! Such a fun park. And actually, I don't even know its real name, so we will affectionately know it forevermore as, "The Castle Park." It's about a half-mile up the road from Honda of Kirkland, if you are ever in the area. Here are some snapshots to entice you to go for a visit of your own...

First off, a little wardrobe advice: if you live in a wet climate (or as we do, a RAINFOREST), these magnificent water-proof pants are a must! They are kinda like ski-bibs, only not lined or warm at all. I'm constantly putting them on Kiel to save his pants. That way, he can be as "boy" as he cares to be, and I don't have to freak out trying to save his clothes. They are from MEC in Canada, but REI will hook you up here in the States. Gotta love your local co-op (or garage sale, like where I snagged these).

First glimpse. Isn't she a beaut?!? 

USA, even at the park. Gotta love the American Pride!

 

 

Big hug, little kiss, big hug... (all I can hear is Nacho Libre in my head and I'm hoping some of you know what I'm talking about..if not, you can just pretend I'm sending hugs and kisses your way!)

Did I mention there are walking paths?

(In case you were wondering where Eva was, she's sleeping in that stroller on the far left!) 

After checking on my dear girl, I went traipsing through the park and found this lovely field of blue-bells, just begging to be picked and enjoyed. So I did and they were... 

Awesome day. Go enjoy your kids, and find a cool park if you can. 

Loves,

m