Swimming

Nora helping in the garden

Orcas Island Fun

Anderson Island pics

Nora getting ready for her first kayak trip

























Cobb Salad! The lettuce was really good.

Playing at the beach with Cooper

Weekend at Anderson Island

We spent last weekend at a cottage on Anderson Island, in the southern part of Puget Sound. The cottage belongs to the parents of one of April's friends, and they let us use it for the weekend.

The island isn't very big so we were able to see most of it just in the couple of days we were there. There are two freshwater lakes in the interior of the island, one small grocery store, one coffee shop, and one restaurant. It was definitely more laid-back than Seattle...on the rare occasions when cars passed us on the roads, the drivers would give us the classic Iowa one-finger wave. Our cell phones only worked when we were at the tops of hills.

The weather was perfect...in the high 70s and sunny. We spent most of the time outside exploring the island. On Saturday afternoon we visited an old farmstead called Johnson's Farm where they preserved the barn and chicken coops which were built in the late 1800s. They also made a grass maze which Nora and April enjoyed.

Saturday afternoon was spent kayaking along the east end of the island. This was Nora's first time in a kayak...we were in a big tandem boat and she sat in the front with April. Nora did quite a bit of paddling by herself! Nora kept a lookout for crabs, jellyfish and starfish in the crystal-clear water. We had a beautiful view of Mt. Rainier and even saw a couple of eagles flying around in the trees nearby.

In the evening April made cobb salad with the lettuce from our raised garden beds, and we roasted marshmallows in a small firepit in the front yard. After dinner we hung out in the hot tub for a little while before going off to bed.

Jake, Cooper and Levi came out Sunday morning and we took the kids swimming at the lake. After lunch, we walked along the beach but unfortunately the kayak people were not around. There is only one kayak rental place on the island, and it is run out of the owners' home.

A weekend in the sunshine was exactly what all of us needed and it was such a great chance for us to relax a little after an incredibly hectic time.

Breakfast at Glo's

Breakfast on Sunday was at Glo's Coffeeshop in Capitol Hill.

Happy birthday Grandpa!

At the Castle Park

Nora and I spent part of Sunday hanging out with Jake, Liz and Cooper at St. Edwards State Park in Kenmore.

We will always love you Nicolas

On April 25, 2009, Nicolas Scott Remfrey left this world for reasons we do not understand. We continue to remember his short, happy life everyday, every hour, and every minute.

Keeping Ourselves Busy

Easter bunny house

The Easter Bunny left Nora a kit for a gingerbread Easter house. It's not just for Christmas anymore!

Easter Egg Hunt 2009

On Saturday, Nora and Cooper participated in the annual easter egg hunt at Cottage Lake beach. They returned home triumphant, their baskets overflowing with goodies which they generously (read involuntarily) shared with their parents.

Last weekend we all attended Cousin Cooper's 5th birthday party at the Seattle Center. The kids had a blast riding all the slides in the bouncy houses that filled the top floor for the week of Spring Break.

Bouncy House Slides!

About to go down the slide

Face Paint

Gotta Love the Hat Box!

Playing around on a day off