Turning 2!!

O.k., seriously...

How does time pass so quickly that we can already have gone from this sweet newborn face...
to this smiling 2-year-old face?
Ethan's second birthday snuck up on us since we were busy moving in to our new apartment and because it was the same day as Tristan's brother's wedding. So we were busy all day trying to make all of the celebrations special! We started out here early that morning with a birthday breakfast and presents! Ethan has been really into tractors, lately and as you can see, he loved them on his wrapping paper!

Construction wall decals for his new room
New construction big-boy bedding since his little brother will be inheriting the elephants

And some new bath toys since his other ones got nasty inside...it's so funny to think back to last year when he wasn't interested in gifts at all!

The card got opened last, but he was still excited about the tractors and the tractor stickers!
We had chocolate chip pancakes and pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream for breakfast. Since we weren't doing a cake that day, I decided to stick a candle on it!

Making a wish!

After breakfast, we headed up to Bellevue for Kelsey's wedding at the Seattle Temple. I was so grateful that my mom and dad came up so we could still be with Ethan on his special day. They watched him outside while Tristan and I attended the sealing and then helped me with him while Tristan was busy with pictures. They were lifesavers and they were worn out by the day's end!

With Grandpa and Grandma at the Temple
He kept trying to hug the little girl that was on this statue...complete strangers were even taking pictures of it! It was so sweet!

Nicole and Kelsey coming out of the Temple

Walking the stairs
Ethan was NOT happy about taking this picture! But we at least tried!
Walking the stairs again. This time with Grandpa.
Eventually he wanted to get rid of the dress shoes that were really too small for him, but I made him squeeze into one last time. I know, I'm mean, but I really wanted him to wear his suit! He was loving putting his toes in the grass!
The reception was about an hour away, so we made a pit stop at Red Robin on our way there. I had a free birthday burger and Ethan had a free kid's meal to get so it was perfect! My mom and dad brought along his birthday card with cars on it and he was very interested!

Enjoying his birthday chocolate milk

They even came and brought us both birthday sundaes, birthday balloons and sang to us!
Me and my birthday boy
By the time we got to the reception I was too tired to take any pictures, but it was a beautiful reception and we were so glad to get to be a part of it. It was a special day for many reasons, but I was thankful to spend it with two of the most important people in my life...my two boys!!

Mid-Summer Fun

I'm going to apologize in advance that this post is really long. But I realized that with a month to go until our new little one arrives, I better get caught up quick! Tristan left at the end of June to head back to Louisiana for a whole month and Ethan and I stayed with my parents. For the most part, we were pretty low-key and stayed close to home. We did squeeze in a few playdates and trips to the library, but mostly entertained ourselves in grandma and grandpa's back yard!

There were a few firsts while Tristan was gone for the month. Ethan went potty on the potty! This wasn't the time that he did, just an attempt, but one night he was successful!!!

We also gave Ethan his first Slurpee. To celebrate their birthday 7-11 was giving away free slurpees. He wasn't overly impressed, so I'm glad it was free!

One of my good friends from high school came to visit from Utah with her three kids. So Kelly and I went out to her parents' lakehouse for a visit. It's so funny to hang out again now that we're no longer high schoolers and we all have kids. This was the best shot I could get of our three boys that are all the same age: Ethan, Anderson and Jensen!

I'm not going to lie...it was a loooooong month that Tristan was gone. You name it, we had issues with it. Behavior, eating, sleeping...by the time he got home I was beat. But I was looking forward to some family fun once he returned!

We found out that both of the major zoos in our area honored our Baton Rouge Zoo membership, so that meant we can get into them for free! We were so excited because we love going to the zoo. We headed up to Point Defiance Zoo one beautiful morning for a family field trip. First stop was a new play area next to the lemurs and meerkats. These were the otter slides.

Trying it on his own...although it looks like they go fast, they barely went at all! Ethan had to use his feet to get down it!

The baby clouded leopard cubs are the rage at the zoo right now, so we stopped by to visit them.

Two little monkeys...

I guess this camel was hoping that if it layed in the sun taking a nap, they wouldn't make it get up and give the camel rides!

Checking out the walruses, one of the day's favorite stops.
It was so crazy how she just came right up to the glass and made eye contact with Ethan!

This is a life sized mural of the polar bears...that is a biiiiiiiig bear!

Tristan is really good about getting some one-on-one time in with Ethan when he's home. One day he decided to take Ethan to a park that is within walking distance from our apartment while I went grocery shopping. From the pictures it looks to me like Ethan had a grand ole' time!!!
I can just hear him saying "Whoaaaaaa!!!" from the look on his face in this one!
Love this smiling face
Snack time!
Riding home...he's so funny, lately he has loved wearing his helmet when he rides his bike and we just encourage him because it's a good habit. He looks like such a big boy wearing a helmet! I'm so glad that he gets to have fun time alone with his daddy.

At the beginning of August Thurston County (read Thurston Parish for all of my Southern peeps ;)) has a fair and we decided to take Ethan. It has traditional fair food and a few rides, but the main attraction are the animals and agricultural displays. We knew this would be right up Ethan's alley and decided to take him. Right from the start he loved it...we parked in the free parking and rode the "shuttle" a.k.a. school bus to the fair. Ethan loves buses, so he was thrilled! Then when we arrived, the first barn we walked in to had the tractor displays...I think Ethan thought he had died and gone to heaven!

Next stop was the cattle barn. He really like petting the cows, but when one of the workers tried to get him to sit on one, he drew the line and wanted out of there!
Petting the calf
Visiting the poultry barn
There was a grassy area with hula hoops set up and he had fun watching some of the bigger kids hula hooping, but when it was his turn I think he was a little confused about why his wouldn't spin around the way theirs did!
Of course, no fair visit is complete without a Fisher scone (especially when you're prego)! Yummy! It was fun to get to do some traditional summer activities with Tristan home as well.

Happy 4th of July!!

The fourth of July was a BEAUTIFUL day here in Washington. From what I understand, it's the nicest one they've had in years. Tristan was working, but Ethan and I packed our day full of fun celebrations!

We met Kelly and Anderson and some of her family in Tumwater for the parade in the morning. It worked out that we had a great spot with a big lawn behind us where we played while we waited for the parade to start. Ethan loved the parade. He was riveted. He actually sat on my lap without moving for over an hour. I think he loved it so much because it was a lot of old cars, emergency vehicles, tractors, horses and other animals. By the middle of the parade it was really hot! We had to ditch early because we got a little warm, but I would say it was a huge success!

Checking out his flag

Taking a rest in his wagon
We went and saw Grandma Bernard that afternoon for some BBQ (a fourth of July must) and playtime. When we got home Grandpa had picked up a few fireworks so we set them off in the backyard (and by a few I mean 4 or 5!!). Ethan did o.k. for the first few, but then one scared him and he wanted nothing to do with them. So I guess we'll save the rest for next year!

We missed having Tristan here to celebrate with us, but still had a great day!

Summer Arrives in Washington

It has been kind of strange coming from Louisiana, where it felt like the middle of summer, to Washington, where summer hadn't even started yet! I was getting kind of worried until I realized that summer hadn't officially started yet. We had a few nice days, but still chilly enough to need a sweatshirt in the mornings, especially since Ethan spends so much time outside with his "Papa".

Grandpa and Ethan both share a love for popcorn, so Grandpa decided to pull out the popcorn popper and show him how to REALLY make popcorn!

Ethan loves to help with watering the plants in the yard every day. He even takes a little sip himself while he's at it! Nothing says summer like drinking straight from the hose.

The arrival of summer also brought the Kowallis family reunion (Tristan's mom's side of the family). We had a great time playing outside and spending time with family. It didn't feel like summer, but the weather wasn't bad.

Cousins playing in the sand box
This truck actually belonged to Tristan when he was little and Ethan played with it almost the whole time!
I can't get this picture to turn around, but it was just too good to not post it. When we left the reunion one day to come back for a nap, I handed Ethan a cookie. When we got home (about a 10 minute drive) this is how I found him in the back of the truck...I guess all the action from the reunion and all the playing with cousins wore him out!!

The last night of the reunion we had a luau to kick off summer. There were tons of fun activities for all the kids including this sawdust treasure hunt and minute to win it for the older kids.

In the last week or so the weather has really gotten nice. I find it funny that I have flip flop lines on my feet for the first time in years and I've been living in Louisiana where it's so hot for the last 4 years. It took coming home to Washington for a month to get the tan lines. We love the weather, and while others are sweating, we are enjoying it lots!!!

One morning when we were out playing in the backyard Ethan decided he wanted his lawn chairs up inside the tree fort part of the swing set. So Papa, of course, had to help him out!
Getting comfortable!

It has even been warm enough to pull out the slip and slide! I thought it was funny that he wanted to use the umbrella to go under the sprinkler part of the slip and slide!
Finally getting brave and getting wet!

We are having a great time ringing in summer!