A Petro Christmas

Decorating our tree and Sutton’s first ornament.

We try and do an advent type of countdown to Christmas, including mostly fun activities ranging from making candy cane ice cream, to driving through a live Nativity Scene, and reading books about Jesus’ birth. One Saturday morning, we took the kids to a local church’s Christmas event where they got to see a reindeer, take pictures with Santa, make a gingerbread house and get their own Rudolph hats. Friends of ours that we met through Hannah Gray’s class joined us and we all had a great morning.

We also had our fun neighbors over to decorate cookies and some friends from school. Hannah Gray and Tenley really enjoyed making the dough! (look closely, can you see the LAYERS of frosting on HG’s cookies?)

‘Tis the Season!

After Thanksgiving, we went to a tree farm near Ethan’s office in Woodinville to pick out a tree. We were hoping to also find a great spot for a family photo for our Christmas cards, but it just didn’t happen this year. We had some fantastic family pics from our time in Disneyland, but it seems as though Sutton was sleeping in the stroller in each one of them… . I learned my lesson, next time I will just wake her.

 

We ventured over to the east side to check out the Botanical Garden and Snowflake Lane, where there is a parade and it “snows every night”. So fun to enjoy a Seattle tradition.

Thanksgiving and other November happenings

Our sweet friends, the Bruno’s, invited us to join them for their Thanksgiving dinner. It was good to be with such great friends and their family. So thankful for them!

 

I have a couple pictures from my birthday as well. Ethan surprised me by having a couple of our friends over that we haven’t seen for awhile and Kevin and Renee. It was so fun to eat yummy food prepared by Ethan, my favorite cake and to enjoy it all with friends.

First hike!

 Yesterday we went up to the base if the Cascades for a quick little hike to accomplish a few things. One, just a need to get out. Two, a chance to take Hannah Gray on her first hike where she was never intended to be in the pack (so needed to be a good challenge for her yet completely achieve able) and then finally, to get Sutton out for we first time in the real hiking backpack. An we would say it was a success on all three fronts! :)

We have a laugh!!

Last night Sutton absolutely cracked up at me as I was swaddling her at bedtime. She was starring at me, looking like she was getting ready to talk, then just laughed. It was awesome. I forgot to tell the girls this morning, but Hannah Gray quickly discovered the new development and she just lit up running to find me to tell me she was laughing!! So fun!!!

Blueberry picking!

One thing about the Pacific Northwest is the amazing berries!!! We hit the season early and hope to go again soon. We had some amazing blueberry muffins!

Before and After!

A good friend of mine from when we lived here the first time had a due date about 3 weeks after mine, but our babies arrived just within a week of each other thanks to a very patient Sutton! Here is Kendall and me at her baby shower, I was about 2 days away from my due date.

 

Then Sutton and Eddie just last week.