10 Weeks and Counting!

The baby's room is done (except for a few decorating touches- pictures to follow later) and we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new family member.  Sam has his bets on a boy, he is set on a "baby brodder"...time will tell.  I have been staying active and, yes, still running three days a week...my goal is to make it through a few more weeks of running but then I think I will have to cut back to just walking.  This is an accomplishment for me, with Sam I only ran through the first trimester.  The baby things are slowly making their way out of storage and into our house.

 Sam got to put the last few rolls of paint on the baby's room walls.  He was very pleased with his work and that the paint was still on the walls the next morning!

This one was taken a few weeks ago.  Baby is kicking more and growing more by the day.

4th of July

We spent the 4th at our friends' (sue and ed) relative's house an hour north of us.  They live on a lake and it was nice to get away from the crowds and just relax and enjoy one another.  Plus, all the residents around the lake put on their own firework shows, so as Sam says "we saw 100 fireworks!", however it was probably way more than that.  He had his first official 'smore and was in heaven. 

To the Mountains We go

We headed to the mountains on a recent sunny Sunday.  Yes, my pregnant body made it all the way up the 2 mile constant incline (there were moments I questioned if I would), but the view at the top was worth it.  Rattlesnake Ledge, North Bend, WA

Fireman Sam

On most days of the week you will find Sam wearing his fireman boots or hat, or sometimes even both.  His red plasma car/bike has become his very own fire engine and he has a special play phone that is his "emergency phone".  If you ask him he'll tell you what to do if there is a fire and he will frequently tell us there is a fire and that we have to get out of the house (his imagination is amazing).  If you are on his good side, he'll tell you that you can ride in the cab of the fire engine with him.  With his fascination with firefighters and engines, I called our local firestation and asked for a tour.  They gave us a personal tour and Sam got to invite his friends, too.  Thanks to the fireman for telling all the kids that if they want to be a fireman they need to eat their veggies, it's working with Sam so far :)

Saying Goodbye

Hans' Grandpa Breitbach was diagnosed with stage four bone cancer late this spring and we knew he wouldn't be with us much longer.  We booked our flights on a Monday and flew home to Iowa on Tuesday during the third week of June so we could see him one last time.  It was a blessing to have that time with him, as he passed away last week.  And, as Sam says "He went to see Jesus".  To celebrate his life we've been eating lots of Tootsie Rolls in his honor.  In our hometown he's known as the "tootsie roll guy" because he always had some in his pocket to share.  He won't be forgotten.

 Four generations of Breitbachs.  Hans' dad (Grandpa Bob), Hans grandpa (Grandpa Tom), Hans, and Sam.

 On our plane ride home, Sam got to help the pilot fly the plane and earned his own set of pilot wings.  He was so proud!

One Cool Daddy

Sam's new thing is to tell you if something is cool.  Like after watching the garbage trucks go by he'll say, "That was cool" with a huge grin on his face.  He thinks (and so do I) that his daddy is pretty cool, too. I am moving down on Sam's "totem pole" and Hans is moving up and it's so fun to watch him follow in his daddy's footsteps.  For Father's day, Sam and I got Hans some mechanic tools and they've been working together on the cars and doing their male bonding in Hans' man-cave (a.k.a. the garage).  

The Rain Has Stopped

Sunshine has come to us and the rain is a distant memory (at least for a few months).  We have been loving the outdoors even more.

Quick Trip to Cali

We went to California at the end of April for Hans' cousin Tim's wedding.  It was a long drive for a short trip, but well worth it since we got to see a lot of Hans' family at the wedding events.  Plus, Paso Robles, CA is beautiful!  We all got some much needed sunshine, too, after our endless rainy season in WA.