boo boo

Colden got his first real boo boo yesterday... he took off (practically running) outside on the sidewalk and took a tumble. He only cried a little until I picked him up and then he didn't seem to be bothered again--even when I washed it off.

Nana & Paca's Visit

My parents make an annual visit to the Northwest in September each year. September is a great time of year, usually dry, although we did have some rain this Labor Day. They didn't mind at all because they get too much sun and dry in Corpus Christi all year.

Mom arrived in time to help us celebrate Colden's birthday by eating leftover cake from his party and she sang him 'Happy Birthday' ;) We also had a couple days to pick blackberries and go shopping before Dad arrived. The blackberries were dry this year, probably because of our very hot summer... so, we only picked enough for a blackberry crisp (yum!) and 1 1/2 dozen jars of jam. To put this in perspective... that is about 30% of the amount of dessert and jam that Mom made last year. This year however, she has her own label.

Upon Dad's arrival, we immediately walked to Cafe Ladro for our morning Lattes! Dad drinks a Ladro any chance he gets... in fact, he claimed that he couldn't find the coffee beans one morning... just an excuse to go pick up Ladro for everyone! We spent a day walking around Seattle, checking out some of our favorites spots at Pike Place, enjoying chowder for lunch and then a sweet treat at my favorite spot for a French pastry, Belle Epicurean. Then we headed East to the Yakima Valley for a day tour of Rattlesnake Hills Wine Country... this was our first visit to Washington wine country... not super impressive, but pretty to be out in the middle of the orchards and fun to see this part of the state. We found 2 memorable wineries... Portteus and Christopher Cellars. We also happened upon a group that was touring wineries on horseback. How fun! Most of the people that we talked to were staying in Teepee's overnight and said it was pretty plush! Check this out: Cherry Wood B&B. As you can see Colden was a good sport all day!

From Yakima, we headed by towards Cle Elum to stay at the Suncadia Resort for the night... Jeremy and I left Colden with Nana & Paca while we had dinner, then they were able to enjoy a nice dinner together. We did a little walking to explore the grounds at the resort... Mom and Dad want to go back and stay longer next time. Then it was back to Seattle for a rainy day and a game of Monopoly!

Thanks for coming to visit... we loved our time all together. (Sorry it took me so long to post this blog!)

The Toy Store

We took Colden to the Toy Store this weekend with his gift cards and money from Gigi & Papa and Granny.

We had fun checking out lots of toys.

Cole was chillin' in the Escalade... But, he is really a John Deere kind of guy ;)

When we got to the isle that had balls, Colden just said 'ball' over and over again in a loud happy voice (as you can see in the picture!). Since he had just received the best package of balls EVER from his friends Issy and Grace Day for his birthday, we did not buy any balls!After an hour of playing in the toy store, we ended up with several great new toys (spoiled boy!). A fun car track, a safari animals puzzle and a basketball hoop from Gigi and Papa!

And with Granny's money, Colden picked out a workbench! He doesn't think he needs to use the hammer for the nails, but he likes to use it otherwise ;) He especially interested in the screw driver and is getting good at it!

Caterpillar

Colden received a big caterpillar tunnel for his birthday from the Long Family... what a great toy! It's quiet, encourages exercise and is also a wonderful place for Allie (the cat) to relax in the evenings ;)Thank you Josh, Matt, Brenna, Christina & Brett! We love you!

Birthday Boy

What a wonderful year it has been... I've had so many new experiences as a mom and have loved every moment watching Colden explore and experience his new world. Jeremy and I are so blessed by Cole... his constant giggles and chatter just make us look at each other and smile. We are so proud of everything new that he accomplishes as silly as they may be.

This month he has added 'no' to his vocabulary... he uses it mainly when he doesn't want me to take a toy or go to bed. He is also walking quite well on his own. He imitated the sound of the police siren that raced by today... so cute. He waves hello and goodbye... today, we are sure that we heard 'bye' come out of his mouth. There is nothing better than his little giggle.

On Sunday, just before his 1st birthday, we threw a little party with our friends to celebrate. He knew something was up when we woke up from his nap and there were balloons. He was intrigued... then our friends arrived and he was busy playing. It was not until we sang Happy Birthday and brought out the cake that he realized this was for him. He loved the attention and the cake!

Happy Birthday Colden Thomas... we love you!