Sunday Sailing

Sunday morning we woke up to beautiful warm sunshine so after having coffee out on the deck we got ready and headed down to the marina, leaving Nina to babysit the kitties.  It was such a beautiful day for a sail around the bay and islands and we each took turns as captain as Dad let the sails out to see how far we could go.  We cooked hot dogs on the tiny boat bbq and accompanied by leftover sides from the previous day it was the perfect lunch out on the water enjoying the warm weather and not wanting to go home.

being watched closely by a seal

 

  

xoxo,
stephanie marie

4th of July {Part II}

 

The second half of our 4th of July holiday was just as low key as the first - Nina spent her time checking the field for bunnies {and trying to get under the fence to chase them} and Christian made his very first {and second} s'more {and is now a pro!}.  We drank wine and roasted marshmallows around the fire and once the fireworks started we headed up to the patio {and the other fire pit} to check out the celebrations across the valley.  After awhile we {and especially Nina} were ready to call it a night, and even though this holiday looked a lot different from previous years it still felt really nice to spend time with the parents and to get away from the city for a bit.  We all had a pretty wonderful time :)

 

{watching for bunnies}

 

{intently watching him take his first bite}

  

{passed out doggy}

xoxo,
stephanie marie

4th of July {Part I}

Saturday afternoon we headed up north for a low key 4th of July celebration at my parents house.  It felt weird not waking up early and heading out to the island for the annual festivities, but it also felt pretty relaxing and easy to just hang out at the farm for a few days.  In keeping with tradition, we started the afternoon with dad's famous oyster nachos {along with some yummy beer he had picked up at Cardinal Craft Brewery} while FaceTiming with Jack and enjoying the beautiful sunshine.  Nina kept tabs on everything, running around the yard at puppy speed and making sure she had plenty of treats along the way :)  We had some delish pulled pork sandwiches and sides for dinner {I made my pasta salad from last year} and strawberry shortcakes for dessert and were promptly stuffed for the remainder of the day.  It was a great start to a quiet holiday.

 {helping with the oysters}

 {facetiming with jack}

 {helping daddy open the treats}

 

{happy family}

xoxo,
stephanie marie

The Weekend {In A Picture}

I think this picture sums up our weekend pretty well - a quiet few days on the farm, beautiful weather, and Nina playing so hard that she passed out and didn't realize that we all had left her :)  I'll have more tomorrow, but until then I hope you had a happy, safe, and relaxing long weekend - I know we sure did!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July weekend!  Though the celebrations are going to look a lot different this year {this is maybe only the second time ever I haven't been out at Samish for the 4th}, I'm ready for a 3-day weekend, some socially distanced family time, sunshine {fingers crossed!} - and of course, oyster nachos.  Have a safe 4th and remember - if we do it right this year, we can be back to celebrating in 2021!

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Urban Hiking {Ballard, Fremont, & Queen Anne}

 

When the weather turned unexpectedly sunny on Sunday {and after a particularly lazy day on Saturday}, we decided to continue one of our favorite weekend activities, Urban Hiking.  Starting off on Queen Anne, we meandered around some new-to-me streets, making our way down the hill and towards the Ballard Bridge.  After crossing the bridge {which is way longer, noisier, and scarier on foot than by car}, we headed east on the Burke Gilman trail and along the canals in Fremont, taking in the views and wishing for a boat :)  After crossing back over the Fremont Bridge we headed back up Queen Anne, cris-crossing our way along the northern slope and through Seattle Pacific University before eventually making it back to Christian's after about 6-7 miles {our app failed to accurately count our mileage, but it was a long one nonetheless}.  It felt good to get out walking around the city and feel the sun on my shoulders, and even though we didn't get to stop in at a bar or brewery like we typically would, I know that day will eventually come back {I think?  I hope??}, and when it does that beer will taste exceptionally delicious.

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Birthday Griffin!

Happy Birthday to this handsome dude who first made me an auntie 15 {!} years ago!  Griffin - I can't believe how fast time is flying and that you're just killin' it in high school - you're going to be driving soon!  You are the sweetest, kindest guy and I'm so proud to be your Auntie.  Happy Birthday G - I love you!  Love, Auntie Stephie :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie