Northwest Trek

Yesterday, Mike and I took Emma to this great place called Northwest Trek. For those of you not from around here, it's a wildlife park where you can go see animals in their natural habitats--elk, deer, moose, caribou, bears, cougars, raccoons, etc. Emma had such a blast seeing all of the animals, but started to get a bit cranky (as expected) after being there a few hours. I had gone there when I was in grade school, but didn't remember much about it. It was so interesting to see animals like cougars and bears so close. But I have to say, we were all pretty wiped out by the time our day was done! :)

More than anything, though, it was nice to get away from home and do something just Mike, Em, and me. Mike has been home during the past few weeks, and I think it has really been making a difference with us the time that we spend doing things together with Emma.

1st camping trip

This past weekend, Mike, Emma, and I went camping with our neighbors Whitney (my classmate), Danny, and their son Kai. This was Em's first camping trip--and I must add: Mike and I's first camping trip together after 9 years of my nagging! :) We did have a wonderful time, though. Aside from Emma's midnight "freak-outs" :( , I could tell she was having a blast. Typical of a child, she LOVED the taste of the dirt there and had to sample it in many different areas. Kai, on the other hand (who is 2 1/2), wasn't into the dirt tasting, but had a great time exploring everything. He is always so sweet with Emma, always ready with a "Don't cry baby" whenever she starts to tear up. All in all, it was a great weekend. The guys got to get away and do "guy stuff", and Whitney and I were able to just hang around with each other and talk, play cards, etc. By the time we had to pack up on Sunday, we all couldn't believe that the weekend was over. Needless to say, Mike and I are already planning another trip for the three of us in the near future!
(P.S. Pictures to come later...)

Tolmie State Park

With the beautiful weather today, Mike and I decided to take Emma out to Tolmie State Park for the afternoon. The tide was out, so we were able to show Emma lots of baby crabs, seaweed, and other interesting slimy things. At first, she was a little unsure of walking in the soft, squishy sand, since her feet started to sink in. After awhile, she started getting so excited to see the little crabs scurrying along and she even got to hold a few in her hand--she was pretty quick to throw them back, though. All in all, it was a great afternoon!!!

Busy week: county fair, babies, birthdays...

What a busy week! On Thursday, we took Emma to the Thurston County Fair. She had a blast! She got to have some great fair food and was able to pet all of the animals. By the time we went home, however, she was wiped out--So were we! Along with us, our friends Scott and Heather with their baby girl Alex came. Emma and I were lucky enough to get to babysit Alex later in the week. Alex was such a good baby and Emma was an awesome helper--Whenever Alex started fussing, Emma was ready with the pacifier or the bottle. What a smart girl! :)

On Friday night, my mother came to town. That night, my mom, my sister Amber, and my neighbor Whitney all went out for a night on the town. We had such a good time. It was definitely a well-needed release for me!

Lastly, Saturday was Amber's 22nd birthday. Emma and I went to her place for a BBQ. After we left, however, Clint took the opportunity to propose officially to her--I hear there wasn't a dry eye in the place! :) I spoke with Amber later and she was VERY excited and totally shocked. Although they had been speaking of marrying soon and had looked at rings, she had no idea that he was going to do that. :)