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!

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).