Erika the Growler

We just got a new camera and I'm loving trying out all of the doo-dads on it. Here's a cute video of Erika growling. Ken taught her how to do that very early on and she just gets a kick of out it.

Sandcastles

Marilynn and her boyfriend took in the sun this past weekend and ventured out to build the first sandcastles of the season.

Splash Park

Here's some pictures of our trip to the Splash Park at Crossroads. It's a great park with all of these fountains and the best thing is that it's totally free.

Memorial Day Weekend

I heard that this Memorial Day weekend was the first time it has been sunny in Seattle since 1974. So, we definitely got out and enjoyed it. We had a barbecue at Matt and Elaine's place, took several trips to nearby parks and checked out the Crossroads Splash Park. Such fun and can't believe that the weekend is already over. Here's some pictures of the barbecue - we had tri-tip, ribs, chicken, pasta salad, baked potatoes, corn on the cob and some yummy desserts. Erika liked the corn on the cob the most.

Mothers and Daughters

We also had a great Mother's Day last weekend. Three generations of mothers and daughters hanging out together at the park - a perfect day!

More Birthday Fun

On Erika's actual birthday, Dianna and Nathan (Marilynn's boyfriend) came over for an impromptu birthday party. We had vegan chocolate cake and Nathan got her her very own car! The next day, Erika had her one-year checkup and passed with flying colors. Here's her stats:

Weight: 20.3 pounds (25th percentile)

Height: 29 inches (50th percentile)

Head: HUGE (95th percentile)

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Today is Erika's first birthday - it's been quite a whirlwind over the past 365 days, but at the same time, I can't imagine what life was like before she entered the world! Happy birthday, baby!!

She LOVED her cake - and wanted more (even though you wouldn't get that from the look on her face).

It was so nice having her Granny and Grandad (Da-Da) in town for her birthday!

Extreme Makeover: Mills Edition

For Erika's birthday present, we decided to clear out our under-the-stairs coat closet and turn it into a playroom for her and Marilynn. Ken being the dad he is went a little crazy with the "remodel" and put in flooring, wall paper and track lighting. With all of their toys in there, I finally get my living room back (free of toys). So, I suppose this is a Mother's Day present for me too.

"Before" shot

"After" - complete with a door that has a door bell, mail slot, doggie door and shutters - just the right size for two little girls.

The back corner is where the kitchen area is - we moved Marilynn's kitchen she got from Maw Maw into that back area and it's like its own little room. They are having a ball with it!