Hello Seattle

Lily, Daddy had prepped you about this new place we were moving called Seattle.  He told you about the Space Needle.  So every time we see it you yell "Space Needle!"  That made me think of something else. The other day you saw a really large cell phone tower and were convinced it was the Eiffel Tower.  I guess a little perspective is lost when only looking in books.  

Once we arrived, we stayed in a hotel while we waited for the truck to arrived with our things.  Little did we know that we would have to stay ten whole days in a hotel room.  That was a really long and exhausting ten days.  Since we had nothing to do in the hotel room we made sure to go out and explore the city.  We got to enjoy one of the greatest perks about moving to Seattle which was to spend time with family.  We went to Point Defiance zoo where you actually saw real elephants (they only have statures of elephants at the Philly zoo). 

You are learning that water and boats are everywhere here.  The cousins playing on a tug boat:

Throwing rocks in the lake:

Audrey spent a few nights with us in the hotel.  When we walked around the hotel several people thought you were sisters.  

Myrtle Edwards park.  This place is actually IN downtown.  Water and mountain views are everywhere.

Killing time in the hotel room by reading books to your baby doll:

We had a few sunset picnics with Aunt Heidi, Uncle Steven, Audrey, and Jack:

The other great thing about living in Seattle that Mommy and Daddy's college friends (Kim and Zach) live here too.  You quickly became buddies with their son Grant. 

We have had a lot of fun in a short amount of time.  Yay Seattle!  We are so happy to finally be here!

Farewell Philadelphia

It has been a long month. Moving across the country with two kids and two dogs was complicated at times, but Lily and Rio, you were both amazing. The movers came to pack up the house on a Tuesday.  That night we slept in a house that was only recognizable by our bedding. Lily wasn't upset or concerned. She handled it like she had done it all before. The next day the movers loaded the truck and were gone. Lily when you saw the empty house you didn't think much of it. We spent the next night in a hotel and enjoyed our last day in Philadelphia before boarding the plane for Seattle.

Goodbye 153 Bryn Mawr Avenue.  You were a great house.  Even though Lily and Rio will probably have no memory of you I will always remember the house we lived in when my two children were born and all the great times that were had.  

Goodbye weird elephant at the Please Touch Museum:

This was your first night in a hotel room.  Lily was in love with the whole idea of a hotel.  We had a great view of the planes taking off and landing.  Lily was entertained for hours by exploring little things in the hotel room.  You jumped right into bed and meticulously read through the bible then it was on to the book of Mormon.  You turned the pages one by one and made up your own stories.  It was great!

After days of packing/moving excitement we realized you really needed a bath.  Fortunately you were still small enough to fit in the sink.

Then it was off to the plane.  Other than a minor freak out going through the security line (trying to explain to a two year old that you just have to take off your shoes did not go over too well) the flight was great.  Rio, you pretty much did this:

Lily you pretty much watched Dora DVDs the entire time.


By the end of the week we were all so very exhausted, but we made it.  The chapter of our lives in Seattle has begun.  The move was hard but we did it for both of you.