Hans' Piece of Heaven

We started a bucket list for our trip to Iowa months before hand and the first thing Hans put on it was to spend time at "the farm".  This horse farm is his piece of heaven and a place where he spent much of his free time the last 10+ years before we moved.  He was able to spend time there on two different days and Sam was absolutely thrilled to sit on the tractor and ride all the different vehicles.  Thanks to all the wonderful people at Horsepower for making our time there so special.  I think this might be one of Sam's favorite places, too.  Luckily, Hans has found a few places in WA where he can go an ride horses at his leisure, as this is his favorite thing to do and so much a part of him.

Home Sweet Iowa

We booked our flights six months ahead and were determined to get back home at the end of August for a wedding we were all blessed to be a part of.  See when I say I am going to do something I will do anything to keep my word, even if I am nine months pregnant and traveling across the country.  As far as the doctors knew it was my sister's wedding....but a best friend is the same thing as a sister.  We made it to Iowa without a hitch and got to do so much in the two weeks we were there.

We have so many wonderful family members and friends who we got to spend time with, although we always wish we had more time with each of you.  Hans' sister was due a few days after we arrived and we so hoped that the her new little one would arrive while we were there so we could meet him/her....but the baby didn't arrive until after we were back home.  Gretchen and I were pregnant at the same time with our firsts as well, so we had to get a quick picture of our matching bumps again.  We are glad to say that we now have a new nephew who arrived on September 11th...can't wait to meet him!

Sam was able to see all of his cousins and we all got to meet Grady (my brother Caleb and sister-in-law, Rachel's second son)....we waited four months to finally meet him.

Grady Richard Wallace - We were so glad to finally meet you!

Pool Weather Finally!

I can't complain because we have had wonderful weather here in Washington since mid-June....however not as hot as we are use to back in the mid-west.  I have loved having cooler summer temps this year.  Mid-August it finally warmed up to what we would consider "pool weather" and with that came the back yard pool.  Sam and his dad are much alike when it comes to pools...cold water makes them run.  Sam at least wanted to get in and play, but the look on his face when he slipped and went all the way in was priceless.  He wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry he was so shocked by the ice cold water.  We all had fun with our water gun fight and spent a full day outside in the sun enjoying the beautiful summer weather.

Our Family Is Growing!

A dear friend of ours (and very talented photographer) took some maternity photos for us recently.  Here's some of them.  We can't wait to meet our new little one and Sam is so excited to meet his new brother or sister.  We have about 5 1/2 weeks to go!

A Little Green Thumb

When we planted our garden in the spring I decided I would be satisfied with even the smallest growth.  See, I wasn't born with a green thumb, just a lot of determination and willingness to try.  I'm starting to think I might have a little bit of a green thumb.  We have been growing lots of carrots, lettuce, and onions.  Our tomatoes are coming in nicely as well.  And to surprise us even more, we discovered one of our trees is an apple tree....so we'll be harvesting those in the coming months. 

A Room For Our New Cowpoke

The baby's room is ready.....well there are a few finishing touches yet to do, like hanging a shelf and a hook (for the cowboy hat, of course).  Other than those small things everything is ready.  The baby blankets and newborn clothes are washed and folded, diapers and wipes are stocked, and Sam has helped me unpack the baby toys.  The baby gadgets are invading our house and we realize we'll meet our new little one very soon.  The mobile hanging from the ceiling above the crib was a 5 plus hour project, but it turned out perfect.  The frames above the changing table was another project of mine that took less time than the mobile, but was still a tedious task.  However, I have learned that with creativity, patience, and a cricut machine you can make just about anything.

Visitors from Iowa

The second week in July Sam was thrilled that his three aunts arrived....Kelsey, Brittaney and Makenzie came to stay with us for three weeks and we had lots of fun.  Here's a recap of the big things we did.  The first weekend they were here we went to Mt. St. Helen's to celebrate Kelsey's birthday.  We got to do some hiking right next to a big cliff and I know my blood pressure was high that day between focusing on my preggo balance (or lack there of) and keeping an eye on everyone else.

Mt. St. Helen's

The girls spent a lot of time entertaining and playing with Sam.  He says he misses his aunts a lot!!Sam was excited to do some of his favorite things with them, like riding his plasma car around the house, showing them Solo Point, playing at the Children's Museum, jumping at the indoor jump house Charlie's Safari, and hanging in his club house in the backyard.

 

 Hiking Little Si:  We all hiked Little Si in North Bend, WA.  Two miles up and two miles back.  Kelsey and Brittaney decided it was really good thing they declined Hans' offer to do Mt. Si, which would have been more than twice as long and twice as steep.  Hiking might not be there "cup of tea", but I think all three of my sisters would agree that the view at the top is worth it.  Sam would agree that the hike is worth the snacks at the top!

An Uncle Caleb Surprise!  My brother, Caleb, showed up at late on a Saturday night....he claimed he decided to just take a little drive, from Iowa!  His friend, Jake, came along for the ride...Sam affectionately refers to him as his "uncle Jake" now.  They were only here a few days but were able to see the mountains and the ocean in their quick drive through.  Sam loves the humor of his uncle Caleb and is excited to see him again soon. 

Pacific Beach Resort and Bowling: My parents flew into visit on there way back from their vacation in Hawaii.  They were able to stay with us for a few days as well, at this point, yes, we had a really full house!  However, we all found room.  We went to the Pacific Beach Resort for two nights, spending one day touring the Twilight movie scenes in Forks and the other day hanging at the beach in Ocean Shores.  One of the nights we got to all go bowling....I think this might be a new favorite activity of Sam's.

Forks: We made this trip especially for three girls who are Twilight fans.  Hans, Sam and I were frequently pressured into choosing between Team Edward (Makenzie's choice) and Team Jacob (Kelsey and Brittaney's choice).  It was a bit of a bummer to discover that almost all the movie was filmed in Oregon state and not in the city of Forks, however we realized that everything we saw in Forks was right in line with the book.

 Ocean Shores:  On our way back from the resort we spent the afternoon at Ocean Shores enjoying the beach.  It was a bit windy and chilly, but still a beautiful sight.  Hans, my dad, and my sisters went horseback riding along the beach.  This isn't Hans preferred type of saddling up, but as he says, anytime on a horse is worth it.

The Zoo:  I think the girls enjoyed feeding the birds as much as Sam did!

Mt. Rainier: Snow in July!  Not everyone can say that they got to play in feet of snow in July, but now we all can.  My sisters were amazed at the size of Mt. Rainier when the clouds parted and revealed just how bit it really is.  Sam discovered throwing snowballs is hilarious!