The Week in Review

Some weeks just have more excitement and adventures than we know what to do with. Last week was one of those weeks. Here's how it all started...

We heard about a free Matthew West concert in a town about an hour away so we loaded up with our friends after church and started our journey. On the way, we stopped to check out Snoqualmie Falls.


Beautiful, as always


So we hung out for a litte bit...


With our friend Michelle and her two guys, Will & Carson...


...and the Lewallens!


Watched and guarded as Kade had some rock climbing adventures


And did the same for Ryne, who had some adventures of his own.

To make a long story short, we had a few, actually quite a few other adventures and didn't make it to the concert. No worries because it was a fabulous day! But our adventures with these two fellows didn't end here because we got to have them for 3 days while Kyle and Terry enjoyed an anniversary trip to Portland.


The boys got two packages in one day from each set of grandparents...watching these two tear into a package is an adventure!


Guess what was inside? A croquet set! I tried to teach them how to play but they were just so excited to have a mallet in their hands that they didn't pay much attention and invented their own game, lol.


And package #2 really saved the day with not one, but three Peter Pan movies!
We had many, many, more adventures not captured on camera...Kade and Ryne are always ready for an adventure!


Then, Kyle and Terry returned home with a treat for us...a dozen VooDoo Donuts from the one and only VooDoo Donuts in Portland. Just look at all the crazy toppings! So not only did we get to hang out with a couple of the coolest toddlers I know, but we got paid with donuts =) Thanks Kyle and Terry, we had a blast!

But my week of adventures wasn't over yet...


Derek planned a date night into Tacoma


And surprised me with tickets to see this lady...Reba!!


And this cowboy...George Strait!!

My sweet husband totally surprised me with tickets to see Reba and George in the Tacoma Dome. I was so excited...Reba, George, and I go way back. In fact, I can't remember not knowing who they are. I am definitely from a country music lovin' family. I won tickets to see Reba when I was 11 years old and my aunt and Mom used to take me to see George Strait nearly every time he was in Biloxi. I felt just like a kid again and these two performers definitely didn't disappoint! I knew all the words to all the Reba songs, and learned that I am behind on my George Strait. It was such a fun night and I'm such a lucky girl to have such a thoughtful husband. =)


We even got to see Barbara Jean, who made an appearance to sing "Happy Birthday" to Reba!


Finally, Reba came out in her red dress to sing her last song...can you guess what it was??? Fancy!!


George ended the night with a little "Ace in the Hole."


What a night! We sure enjoyed ourselves =)


Where else to you end a good night, but with a midnight trip to Denny's?

And surely there are more adventures to come because Mom will be here on Tuesday! And we only have one week until...


Easter! Starting on Easter Sunday, we are launching weekly worship gatherings and are so excited about it! Please help us by praying for our Easter service!

Fighting, Singing, and Dancing

It's hockey time! Well, actually, it's nearing the end of hockey season, but we were super excited to go to a game with our friends, the Hiebers (you remember them, they got us hooked on LOST). Well, now we are becoming hockey fans, too, and after that gold medal game between the U.S. and Canada, who wouldn't love hockey??


Closest hockey team: The Seattle Thunderbirds


Where the T-Birds play


Our Saturday night game was the Seattle T-birds (white) vs. the Portland Tomahawks (red)


The real reason we watch hockey...the fights! =) Nothing too serious at this game, but there was a fight in the stands just a few sections over from ours.


Seattle scores and the sold out crowd jumps to their feet!!


Check this out...a helmetless goalie! Why? Because he had just blocked a shot with that helmet and it split wide open! Yikes!


See that big number at the top, 9041? Well, that number won our friend Justine a suite for 15 people to Sunday night's final game against Vancouver. She was so sweet to offer tickets to us, but we couldn't accept because we were going to...


This place! We had tickets to see Legally Blonde the Musical!


Had a few appetizers at this really neat Irish Pub (built below street level).


I felt so sad that Derek couldn't see the hockey game and was instead going to this show with me, but he insisted he didn't mind =) What a keeper! We (and yes, I do mean "we") had a great time and really enjoyed Legally Blonde.

And of course, I just had to wear something hot pink. After all, it's Elle's signature color ;)