Simpsons in Seattle

We finally finished Nora's blanket - it took 6 skeins, several hours (maybe 3?) and more money than you'd think, but it's a pretty hefty, soft, warm blanket. Here she is with it over the weekend, and it has since found it way onto our bed where Scott uses it while he reads his fishing books!

A few weeks back, I took advantage of awesome flight deals ($215 r/t!!) and jetted off to Hawaii for a girls trip with 2 other lovely ladies. Despite having to work remotely the whole time there because work has been so hectic, visiting Hawaii is always a treat and it was blissful to bask in the warmth  of the sand and sun at the end of the day.  We've been so many times now that there aren't a ton of new beaches nearby to try out, but I did get to try lots of new restaurants, especially on the Hilo side. I can't wait to go back and take Scott and the girls to some of them!  Here's some highlights from the trip: - Lava Lava Beach Club: I hate to admit it when Scott is right, but yep, this is a good place. Food is not stellar but you can't beat the view and vibe for the price. It's the epitome of vacation. Even after trying a few other beach-front restaurants, I go back to this one being a go-to.  - Hawaii Vanilla Farm: The farm is off the beaten path, way up in ...

Nora hand-knitted me a blanket for my birthday and then set that hobby aside for a while. Now that its cold outside, she's been taking it up again. And, after watching some YouTube videos, she also got Evie and I interested too! We've been spending some quality time together listening to music and hand knitting. It's satisfying, and who knows - you might get a handmade gift for Christmas this year!  Starting her blanket. Evie getting the hang of it. Her hat looks like a mushroom! My finished hat! A little bulky, but cute.  

We had a fun filled Halloween! Here's some pics of the kiddos for posterity. Nora hammed it up by being Corn and I think her DIY-costume turned out pretty funny. We might be getting to the end of Evie dressing up though. Even though she picked her costume this year (Lisa Simpson), she wasn't into it at all and in the end, the costume didn't turn out. At the last minute she rummaged through my closet and decided to be Audrey Hepburn and I think it turned out pretty good, but she wasn't running around excited to get candy like she used to be, sadly.  Playing games at Spooky Spaghetti Nora and her friend Cassidy at Spooky Spaghetti I bought Ketchup and Mustard costumes for the kittys but they did not like them. Charlie would promptly roll onto his back to try to get at the hat. Audrey and Corn getting ready to go trick or treating  

A few weeks ago, the girls and I volunteered for a Keep Bellevue Clean event. I've been eyeing all the trash on the highway and on major streets so when I saw this pop up as a community event, I was eager to go. We walked around a high trafficked corridor (altho very little traffic was there so early on a Sat morning!) with bright yellow vests and garbage grabbers in our hands, and picked up all the trash we saw along the way. The girls had so much fun that we went way over the estimated time for the event and were the last group to return. I recall enjoying doing similar events as a kid when we did graffiti or beach cleanups, so I'm glad the girls are getting into it too. Now if only I could figure out how to clean the freeways.

We went to visit a friend who is fostering kitties and the girls are in luuuurv. These kitties are so cute! The kids stole my phone and took about a gazillion photos, so here's a few good ones. Doesn't this make you want to get a kitty?  

My friend Kathy snagged some invites to a private event at Chihuly last week and lucky me got to be her plus one! The greenhouse was gorgeous all lit up at night and it was great being able to walk around the museum without the crowds. We also got to sit and watch the glass blowing demonstration up close and listened in as the folks next to me asked a ton of questions. It was a really nice night out!  So pretty! Watching the glassblowers at work. They sell what they make at the Space Needle gift shop and proceeds go to charity. Space Needle lit up at night