Spring Planting

With warmer days final upon us, we enjoyed our weekend with baseball, time outside with friends, and planting our garden!

I trimmed the faltering daffodils down and brought home 32 strawberry starts. We also grounded four tomato starts (three grape, one heirloom). We added some sunflowers in the very back row for good measure!

Then Haley and I finished off with our garden box with seeds for blue pole beans, lettuce, and carrots. Then we marked them all with this pretty garden sticks. 🙂

We hope the warmer weather continues! Walter Kelly from Q13 weather is predicting a warmer-than-average summer… we’ll see.

Race Season Begins

Jim ran the Tacoma Half Marathon on Sunday, and I feel like it was the opening of race season. We are registered for two triathlons so far this summer and plan to complete three! We woke up early and dropped Jim off near the starting point, and then the kids and I went to Marcia’s Silver Spoon Café in Tacoma. It was sooo good!

Then we went to the finish line area, found parking, chilled in the car for a bit, and finally walked down to see Jim cross the finish line.

Next up: Lake Wilderness sprint triathlon in June!

San Diego Trip

I have been traveling to San Diego to train the AVID Center staff on digital tools for a full year now. I fly down every couple of months, spend the night, train all day, and fly home. It’s been great to get to know their teams and programs a little at a time (I’ve now trained all 242 of their staff members!).

This April, I had the opportunity to double up on two days of training after Easter weekend, and it’s my last trip of the year, so Jim and I decided to make it a family event. We flew down Saturday morning and were able to spend three full days together in the sunshine before I started work on Tuesday. Jim and the kids continued enjoying San Diego while I worked and then flew home Wednesday evening. After a change in plans last month, I ended up staying for two more days and flew home Friday night.

The highlight of our trip (besides the sunshine and warm weather) was getting to meet our niece Madi at LEGOLAND. I’m not shouting; that’s how it’s spelled. She drove down from Santa Clarita and met us at the Carlsbad Costco to surprise the kids before we went in to the theme park together. They were so excited to see her, and we loved getting 12 straight hours with her!

We also enjoyed visiting the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, the USS Midway, and Coronado Island.

These are just a few of my favorite pictures from the trip. For a full photo album, view our Sway below. Expand the window for full screen or swipe through the photos within the blog.

Eggs and Baseball

We had a lovely time at the annual 1000-egg hunt at our neighbor’s house last weekend. We couldn’t believe the weather held out for being outside, and the sun even broke through a few times!

JT found a large egg, and so did Wyatt… but of course the adults were stuck hanging on to them.

Opening the eggs is the most fun part… especially when you might get a prize ticket. That means you get to go trade in for a larger prize like a toy or stuffed animal!

Later that day, we walked to another neighbor’s house for a backyard barbecue.

On Monday, “rain or shine,” we had our little league opening ceremonies. I snagged this one shot of dry, smiling children and it went downhill from there. Actually, they both had great attitudes but they were freezing cold (even though we had layered – there is only so much you can do in a uniform).

It was an event to remember. The rain was coming in at a 45-degree angle at one point. The sun kept popping out and the wind picked up and blew all the water all over. The kids were chattering instead of smiling for their team picture at home plate, and the microphone kept cutting out so the emcee had to repeat herself. Then, during the National Anthem, no one is quite sure what all occurred but the recording wouldn’t play and a coach took over singing, but then the mic cut out again and he stopped singing, and it sounded like he wouldn’t start again, so the crowd started singing softly and then the coach started again in a different spot, and so we all finished strong together and clapped that it was over. Then we picked up our kids from the sopping wet fields (that aren’t even playable, even though we delayed the season two whole weeks) and drove home under a rainbow. Ahhh…

This week we have baseball all five nights! Opening ceremonies, practice, double booked two nights in a row for practice for one kid and a game for the other, and then team photos Friday evening. (Of course, not at the same time, so we’ll be there all night!)

Becky’s Birthday {Week}

It all started Saturday, March 25th. I had just arrived home from E2, and Jim suggested we could have a date dinner out to celebrate my birthday and also just to have a date. We went to a local Italian restaurant while Ali babysat the kids for a couple of hours.

On Sunday March 26th, we had friends over for brunch after church, and then in the evening we had my main birthday party. My parents and Jeff, Gena, Preston, and Ali came over (and Madi Skyped in!) so it was quite a group.

Haley got me a “Mom Crown.” That was her idea, and what she wanted to get me. I look ridiculous in this picture, but I love how sweet she looks at watching me put it on. I got this gift before dinner because she wanted me to wear it for my whole party.

Jim grilled steaks and we had potatoes, salad, shrimp, and my requested birthday dessert.

This photo is so funny – the only one looking and smiling is Ali!
 

I opened other gifts after dinner…

And then Jim surprised me with a new road bike! I have been borrowing one from a friend and he has been after me to get my own. Since I’m doing three triathalons this summer, I guess it was time! He spoiled me with a very nice bike that I know nothing about… but I love the colors and it is very comfortable and he picked it out for lots of important reasons. 🙂

Then the kids had half days all week, and on Monday and Tuesday I had their parent-teacher conferences. Those went really well and it was fun to have them home in the afternoons. I made it to workout at the Y both mornings as well. Since I just got back from E2, I wasn’t working much during the week.

On Wednesday, my actual birthday, they both had playdates with friends. JT had his friend Blake come over after school, and Haley rode the bus to a friend’s house. It was a quiet afternoon while the boys played outside, and I got to spin on my new bike for the first time. I also got to paint my toenails in the sunshine, which makes for a pretty great day in my book!

Also, I made pesto salmon for dinner (sooo good) and Jim brought me home my favorite blizzard: double cookie dough in chocolate soft serve. So that was lovely.

Thursday I got the mail and got some birthday cards and even a gift in the mail. I think you should always get the mail the day after your actual birthday, to stretch out the fun.

On Friday, we went skiing at Crystal. It ended up being a spectacular day on the mountain! We left home right on time and arrived at the hill when it opened. We had some things to do, like getting Jim and the kids season passes for next year, getting the kids’ rental gear, buying Haley a jacket (oops, still on the hook at home) and getting them checked in for lessons later in the day.

 

After lunch, we dropped the kids off at their lessons and went up the hill for our own skiing. It was such a gorgeous day, and we had so much fun!

Our legs were tired before our kids were done with lessons, so Jim suggested we sit in the beer garden and have a drink before we picked up the kids. #adulting 😉

The kids ended the day asking if we could come ski every Saturday next winter. Sounds like we have two ski bunnies on our hands.

We zipped home, slammed down some soup I had going in my BFF the Instantpot, and headed out on the water. Because I have had a goal of snow skiing and water skiing in the same day for maybe twenty years now, and my family was kind enough to make it happen for me.

The kids, however, were a little loopy after a day of skiing, four hours of driving, and then a hit of calories after dinner, stuck in the boat. Ha!

I got to try out my new ski, a Radar Lyric Jim bought me in January. Yes, he spoils me. I can’t even hint at anything athletic I might want because he starts researching immediately. The ski and the bike were both his projects, and I just finally caved on the ski!

Sooo happy! #lifegoals

Jim water skied too – even though he hasn’t waited nearly as long for this to happen, he was happy to check it off as well. Plus the water was awesome and he got a new dry suit for Christmas that he hadn’t tried out.

After an epic day, we turned around and packed in more fun over the weekend. Jim had invited our dear friends the Bonnells over for Saturday April 1st in honor of my birthday, but really we just love to see them. So after morning baseball practice (in which I received a team hat, because I am the team mom!), we played basketball and got dirty and ate hamburgers and laughed with our friends. Yay!

Finally, Sunday, April 2nd – today! I wanted to take the kids to see Dream Big, and this was the only day we could go. It was playing in 3D IMAX at the Pacific Science Center, so we rode the ferry over after church. It was really good and only 45 minutes long. It is worth seeing!

After the show, we stayed to play in Tinker Town for a bit.

Then we drove over to the U-District to take dinner to our friends who just had their third baby. Haley fell asleep on the way home, and it’s no wonder! Turning 37 was a lot of work. Back to reality next week… oh wait, it’s spring break!

E2 2017 Toronto

Last week, I attended the E2 (Educator Exchange) for Microsoft in Education. It’s my fourth year in a row attending, and this year it was in Toronto, Canada. It was actually going to be in Seoul, Korea, until about January when Microsoft Global Security pulled the event based on the political situation in Korea. Toronto was not as exciting for those of us in North America, but it was an easy time change and there was no language barrier, so it made for an easier trip.

I arrived on Sunday and got to spend Monday morning in my hotel robe, looking out the window from a lovely armchair and desk, catching up on some last minute details. I walked the underground PATH to get some lunch. We need this in the States. It is so cool and it doesn’t feel like you’re underground at all. It’s two stories tall, spacious and bright, and full of people shopping, eating, and walking in between businesses. In the afternoon, my boss, Kim, and I headed out with a colleague from Scotland to explore. We saw the outside of St. Lawrence Market as it was closed on Mondays, and then we saw the outside of the Toronto Ferry terminal to go to Toronto Islands because they are closed on Mondays, and then we saw the reception area at the CN Tower because the staff members were letting people know the visibility was horrible and that we should come back another day if possible. The good news is that we got a good feel for Toronto and walked 5 miles.

Tuesday was the start of our event. Kim and I were up bright and early to practice and we were on stage by 10:30 AM. We introduced the educator challenge to the 300+ educators attending from 83 countries around the world.
One of my favorite parts of E2 is meeting educators from around the world. I met Susana when I was her MIE trainer in Costa Rica last May – and then I saw her again in Toronto. I just love that!
I also got to learn some new things, like Minecraft: Education Edition collaborations and the new Microsoft Make Code. I got to bring home a Micro:Bit for my children to code with, and they love it. Plus, they weren’t yet available in the US so it felt super special.

On Wednesday afternoon, we did go up the CN Tower! It was sunny and windy, so the outdoor observatory was closed, but there were some great views.

Thursday evening is the gala event. It’s awards, drinks, dinner, dancing, and a whole lot of very happy educators. It was at Muzik Club, which was a very fun venue (actual red carpet and all) Here I am with my teammates who helped make the event work. The one in the middle is in charge of the whole event, and she hires Kim and I to come help. Yay!

And then Friday I caught a train from the hotel to the airport, and I got to Calgary with a minor 20 minute delay, and then things came to a screeching halt. The short version of the story is that the Alaska gate agent would not let me get on the plane. She claimed that because I had arrived less than one hour before my departing flight, my luggage was not on the plane and so I could not board. So I had to wait an additional 5 hours for the next flight home to Seattle. Unfortunately, just as I had suspected and had tried desperately to explain, my luggage had indeed been on the original flight because it had been checked through from Toronto, so it was all for nothing. Alaska got a nice little note from me on Twitter and responded with a decent sized travel credit for my trouble.

It’s my favorite event of the year, and it’s super fun to see the posts still swimming around social media. We had a wonderful time and I’m hoping to be included in next year’s event as well!

Eagles News

It was a pretty big day in the Keene house. First, second graders sang at today’s Eagle Assembly.

JT does not enjoy being on stage, but it’s growing on him. This is the first year (in 5 performances) that I’ve ever seen him actually sing on stage. He was smack dab in the middle of the back row. Mrs. Drew got him to smile during practice so I got one with him kind of happy.

Then, it just so happened that Haley received the Kiwanis Terrific Kid of the trimester for her class at this assembly as well. So that was very exciting!

Jim got up at 1 AM to go to work, but drove home at 7 AM so he could be there for these two things. Bless him. Grandpa and Grandma Cole attended as well, so our kids got a lot of hugs after the assembly!

Women’s Retreat

Over the last weekend, I had the privilege of attending a local church women’s retreat with two ladies from my neighborhood and another friend from last year’s Bible study group. It was at Alderbrook Resort on Hood Canal, and it was such a wonderful time. The weather was cloudy but dry during our afternoon free time, and we took a 3-mile hike together. The speaker, Peggy Johnson, was very good in delivery and content, and our table group did lots of great sharing. It was an absolute blessing to be there worshipping and learning with ladies that I see nearly every day and whose children play with mine, and to be able to get some new focus on letting God control what I wish to control. Good stuff.

Great-Grandma Hall Visits

We missed seeing Grandma Hall so much that Jim drove to Portland and brought her back to our house for the weekend so we could spend some time with her. So we started Saturday with JT’s last basketball game.

And then we enjoyed watching golf, reading, and taking a walk with Great Grandma Hall on Saturday afternoon.

After dinner, the children went to bed and the adults enjoyed wine and Scrabble!

On Sunday, we pretty much did the same things after church: sports on TV, hanging out, and a nice walk. Then we had an early dinner because JT had his basketball celebration that evening.

Haley did perform some gymnastics for Great Grandma since she didn’t have a sports event over the weekend for Grandma to watch. Haley even got a new top just for this performance. 🙂

On Monday morning, the kids went to school and Jim drove Grandma back home. The weekend went by so quickly but we had a great time hosting her

Birthdays, Books, and Basketball

Last week we celebrated Grandma Christensen’s 92nd birthday as well as Grandma Cole’s 61st birthday. We enjoyed visiting and singing to Grandma Christensen and playing “The Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly” with the doll my cousin Alyssa got her.

JT has been trying to find some new books. He is in a tough spot where the books he’s interested in reading are either very easy or very hard. He started Holes, a favorite, but then asked about reading The Boys in the Boat. Hm.

Haley can’t get enough of playing school with the new playset she ordered on Amazon from Learning Resources. It’s a really nice set and I’m glad she chose to spend her money on something that lasts and has given her hours of enjoyment already. Yesterday she spent a solid two hours teaching imaginary students about long vowels.

We had a great dinner out for Chinese food for Grandma Cole’s birthday, followed by dessert and gifts at our house.

I posted a photo on Facebook of my mom and I in matching outfits from 1999… and then we showed up to dinner wearing the same sweater in two different colors. I think that’s so funny!

Summer 1999

Winter 2017 – missing our tans!

We also got to play on the new sport court this past week. It was poured on Valentine’s Day, but we had to wait a week to use it. Now Jim has added gravel to the drop-off on the end so it’s easy to back the truck in and we don’t crush the edge of the concrete over time, so we are all set! It has been fun to watch the neighbor kids come by and shoot hoops together.

Lastly, JT chose to make French toast for his weekend dinner this week (and polish sausages, yum). Since Jim is the French toast king in our house, he and JT made dinner together. It was great to watch them in the kitchen together – and I got in a workout while they cooked!