Some Adventures in the Pacific Northwest

With only a few months left to enjoy the Pacific Northwest (especially before the weather goes bad), Kenny and I have been attempting to pack in as much Pacific Northwest as possible. The weekend before the wedding, Kenny and I hiked Sharpe Road. We might have gotten a wee bit lost along the way... but we eventually found our way back. Then it was off to dinner at the Skagit Brewery for a little dinner with my sorority sister/former roommate Megan Maupin.

Gorgeous scenery...
The little person down there is Kenny...
We are LOST! (but then we found our way)
Maupin (isn't she pretty!) and I!

This past weekend when the weather cleared up, Kenny and I decided to go over to San Juan Island to poke around. Kenny had yet to venture to San Juan, and I have been twice (woops). We thought about renting mopeds, but after hearing that they were $60 per hour, I said, "Let's BIKE the island!" Silly me! We biked 6.5 GORGEOUS, HILLY miles to the American Camp State Park on the island where we ate our lunch and rested our legs. Then we biked back to the ferry terminal where we enjoyed a much needed beer. As in, the beer is the only way I had enough motivation to make it back up those hills. Then we got back on the ferry (during which I my bike took a bite out of my shin), and we decided that we were pooped and our hinies hurt BADLY! However, the gorgeous day made up for any pain.

This is at the turn around point. We are happy we made it to our destination!
The last hill we walked before we made it to the turn around point.

The American Camp (There is a fox behind the 25 mph sign... too close for comfort!)
Our beers and our resting spot as we looked out at the ferry dock.
The pretty sight as we made our way into Anacortes.

To say the least, we have enjoyed the outdoors here greatly and will miss them whenever the Navy tells us to leave! (My bike will not be leaving the garage for a bit though. I think my hiny will refuse to get on it for a bit.)

Suprise for Kenny!

A few friends of ours and I decided it would be fun to surprise Kenny for his birthday with a little get-together in his honor. This was an especially important year since it was 09-09-09 which is a pretty cool date! Although I am NOT good at keeping a secret, I successfully kept this one for over a month! (This is a huge accomplishment for me.) Kenny's family graciously sent me some pictures, so I could effectively embarrass Kenny on his big day! And with some MAJOR help from Beth and Nate (THANK YOU THANK YOU!) who so kindly opened their home, cooked the food, and bated Kenny into coming over to their house, we successfully surprised the birthday boy!

Someone thinking that his "big celebration" was helium balloons. (He might have also been slightly annoyed I was taking FOREVER to get ready to drive down to the airport.)

Here is the birthday boy is with his clothesline of pictures! He definitely looks less annoyed with me :)
His personal poster (sorry for being fuzzy). He sure was a cutie as a kid!
Then it was oreo cake time with a little singing! (He couldn't believe I had time to make it - wonder why I wasn't packed for our trip east...)
The Birthday Boy and I (who could not get over that I had actually not spilled the beans!)

Thank you to all of our friends for helping celebrate my best friend's birthday and for being awesome at yelling, "SURPRISE!" And a huge thank you again to the Saxtons who have definitely been our family in the Pacific Northwest since day one! Can't wait to keep the fun going in Texas! And a huge thank you to my mom, Christine, and the Vaughns for all calling and insisting that Kenny actually chat with them to buy me some more time!

A trip to Charlottesville

Kenny and I got the chance to head to Charlottesville and enjoy a weekend away for his birthday, for our 2nd anniversary, and for my sorority sister, Molly's wedding! It was great to go back to the place where we met, fell in love, got engaged, and both graduated. It was great to see friends who supported us throughout our relationship and some of whom stood up with us on the day we got married. It was amazing to walk the lawn again and see the changes at the University. It was so special to get to eat lunch with both of our families and see how we have become one family of support and love. And for me, it was so special to see my niece and nephew get to be with Kenny - giggle together, read together, play together, and just fall in love with each other! Maeve could not get enough of her Uncle Kenny - kissing him at every chance she got whether it was his leg or his arm. She just needed him to know she loves him (I totally understand as how this is how I always feel right before he leaves). To see Will light up as Uncle Kenny handed him a toy or tickled him or kissed him, was just the sweetest thing. We are so blessed with beautiful friends and family! So thanks who made our trip so fabulous!

Maeve singing Happy Birthday to Uncle Kenny before he blows out his candle!
Maeve loving on "Puppy" that Uncle Kenny gave her. We did NOT know that Puppy would yip because Puppy came from Japan and all of the instructions were in Japanese.
Someone LOVES her Uncle Kenny!
William and Aunt Molly!
William and Uncle Kenny!
They like to play together. I can see many years of hanging out in their future :)
Kenny and I spent our day in Charlottesville eating on the lawn, going to the garden he proposed in (below), and visitng the Jefferson Vineyard.
That night we met up with the bride and some friends at a college hang out. Missing are Tiggie and Little!
The next day we HAD to visit the Chi Omega house!
Molly and Dan after their wedding! It was at a beautiful vineyard ...
X and a Horseshoe - CHI O! (Bride is an owl)
Molly and Molly! (We have so many of these pictures from college! ) Such a pretty bride and Surface Warfare Officer!
All of the Chi Omegas after singing Molly "Shades."
It was a great weekend away and then it was back to work and celebrating those two wonderful years of marriage!

Happy 2nd Anniversary!

to my husband...


thanks to all who have loved and supported us through our first two years of marriage!

Visitors in August

We have been hosting some pretty sweet visitors if I don't say so myself. The second weekend Kenny was home, my Uncle Paul came into town. He was on his way to meet up with my parents (his sister and bro-in-law) for an Alaskan cruise. So we picked him up at the airport, took him to dinner at Seeds (a favorite dinner place), and brought him home to sleep. The next day we had brunch and made our way to church. Uncle Paul and I then hung out the rest of the day seeing state parks and possibly grabbing some ice cream in Coupeville. Then Uncle Paul got to see Kenny's plane and take a tour of the P-3. We did not take pictures after my previous incident. The next day it was back to the airport to say farewell.

Uncle Paul at Fort Ebey
Uncle Paul on ferry back to the mainland...

Kenny and I spent the week taking care of the puppy, Maya that we had previously spent a week with. Then we picked up my parents at the airport on Saturday after they finished their cruise! We had a week with them which included hiking, going on a boat tour of Deception Pass, making blackberry and raspberry jam, eating Gere-a-Deli sandwiches, kayaking, eating ice cream, and shopping. It was nice for my parents to get to actually see Kenny on a visit! They, too, got a tour of the base, but once again, no pictures. I think one run-in with the MPs is one too many!

Hiking at Sharpe Park (Sharpe is my grandmother's maiden name!)

At the squadron in front of their symbol...
Deception Pass during our boat tour with THE cheesiest guide ever!

We loved our visitors coming, and say, come on because we will be here less than a year now, so if you want to see the Pacific Northwest, get on it!

Kenny and I are in Cville for a wedding/2nd anniversary celebration/see all of the fam! So more blogging later!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KENNY!!!

09-09-09
Kenny turns 27 today!!!! To his parents - thanks for bringing this amazing man into the world. To his sister - thanks for shaping him into the man that he is. But since I am not allowed to talk about how much I love my husband, just read between the lines :)

Here is a toast to you, birthday boy!

Despite getting up at 5am this morning to go fly for five hours, I hope the day is just what you want, my husband!

A Good Bye

When I first arrived here in Oak Harbor, I got a job at Sylvan Learning Center. About two months into the job, a sweet looking woman came in to the center and got a job. That sweet woman's name is Sara. We fast became friends as our husbands were in the same squadron, and she was always down for a chocolate bar to get us through the afternoon at Sylvan. Well at the end of July, Sara and her hubby and their sweet daughter Madelyn left Oak Harbor to head to Ohio. Sara and I spent many a morning working out on the elliptical machines at the gym and many an evening having dinners together. Before they left for their next duty station, we had a final lunch in town and I got to snuggle with the ever so precious Madelyn. So here are Sara, Madelyn and myself during our last hang out... for a while at least.

Thanks for the friendship and the snuggles!!!