Monday, January 31, 2011

Trip Down South!

A few weeks ago Brett, Lillian, Jan & I took a trip down south. Here are some pics from the trip!

View from my mom & Kermit's "camp" (or as we call it in the PNW, their "cabin") in southern Arkansas on Champagnolle Creek. The Camp is about half hour from their home in El Dorado, and the perfect getaway. Was really cool to show Jan where my mom lives. Looking forward to many years of fun times at the camp to come for Lillian. A big thanks to Mom & Kermit for being the perfect hosts.

View from the hot tub on Mom's "Bus House"
My mom (seasoned mom/grandma and Dr. of physical therapy) had the awesome idea of using an Ace bandage to strap Lillian in to everything from her porch chair to Kermit's old high chair
Brett & Lady (one of the sweetest pups, so well mannered, I think by the end of the trip everyone including Jan offered to take her off Mom & Kermit's hands and bring her home w/ them!)
Lillian w/ her new friend, Kermit's buddy Jaheim

View from the deck of Kermit's Camp House
Lillian's first BB gun from Papa K (to be kept at the camp for the lady grandbabies, Bridget & Lillian!)... note her first pink camo top from Papa K as well. All necessary accessories to fit right in down in Arkansas. :) (Note: gun was not loaded and she was closely supervised, please do not call CPS as this is very normal in these parts ;) )
Street view of the camp, all the homes on this dirt road are on stilts
My mom's bus house as made the local news, all decked out in 70's theme, this cabin is built around an old school bus that has been turned into a party room
The Camp House
Lillian first ride on one of Papa K's THIRTEEN tractors
Jan took one for a ride
After many videos, Lillian made an in person debut in my mom's classroom where she heads up the Physical Therapy Assistants program at South Arkansas College. Was really fun watching Mimi in action. Despite the fact that I cut Lillian's finger on my pop can on the way into the building (first blood injury broke my heart, and totally my fault!) she was a trooper.

After a few days in Arkansas we started our road trip. First stop Natchez, Mississippi. We rolled in on a very foggy day on "THE" river.
Always fun to go with first timers through a drive-thru liquor store. Just as I remembered it, they only carded myself, the driver, who ordered 3 blended drinks and beer to go... and said it was all legal as long as they didn't insert the straw in the drinks for us as "that would be encouraging drinking and driving". Got to love the south.
A stop at the most famous plantation in Louisiana, Oak Alley, was a must. Mint Juleps in hand we got the grand tour of the building and grounds.
Alas we arrive in New Orleans at our hotel, The Royal Sonesta, right on Bourbon Street.

Beignets, a breakfast MUST at Cafe du Monde
Our hotel
Ready to board the street car for our self guided tour of the Garden District
Above ground cemetery



Jackson Square
A sobering drive through the 9th ward reminded us of the damage still left behind from Katrina
The last couple days we headed to the north shore of Lake Ponchatrain to visit my old stomping grounds, meet up with an old friend and attend Amy & Tad's wedding

Lunch at Abita Brewery with dear friend Jackie, SO much fun catching up!
The beautiful bride (SO great to see her!) & Tad's first dance


Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Happy New Year, and a Quick Look at Lillian's 1st Christmas

This year's Christmas celebrations started as they do every year... with the annual "National Lampoon Christmas Vacation" viewing at the Martin's. (Costume required - directions: dress up like a character from the movie.)Brett & I took home the first annual AWARD for BEST COSTUME. Brett as Uncle Lewis, myself as Aunt Bethany, Lillian as Mary (pool scene) and Lucy, well since Jake was Snots, she was just, well, Lucy.
Our small family Christmas "Eve" was spent at home keeping up the Warren Family tradition by burning the first candle of a lifetime's by lighting Lillian's first Drip Candle. (A candle to be burned each year on Christmas Eve.) The entire family enjoyed a nice meatloaf dinner (except Lucy who is on a diet), nog by the tree, the opening of 1 gift and a Christmas movie just the parents after Lillian was snug in her bed w/ sugar plums dancing in her head.

Real Christmas Eve was spent with a beautiful dinner and slumber party at Jan's

You can easily guess who was star of the show this year

Gift from Mom to go w/ Dad's new bike attachment
How many toys can I fit in my mouth, I mean hands?

Ample play time w/ Aunt Brooke


...and Uncle Jake

...and to finish off a great holiday...Christmas Day Dinner of delicious Crawfish Bisque hosted at the Warren's
We send lots of love to those family members we missed this year that were not in Seattle and look forward to many holiday celebrations together in years to come!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Holiday Note 2010

For any of you that have been blessed enough to call yourself a parent, you will understand that this year was the best year of our lives. We didn’t leave the country (I mean does Canada really count?), no huge work promotions (unless you count my promotion to full-time mom), no fancy house remodels or anything like that – but we did succeed in the biggest accomplishment of our lives… welcoming Lillian Brooke into this world and managing not to screw things up too badly in this first 7 months of her life.

We see in her so much of ourselves – for better or worse. She is incredibly attractive (I think she got that from her grandmas), she had incredible eye hand coordination, a taste for all flavors Mexican and a love of the water (Schlameus family inheritance for sure). She is also a bit emotional (not afraid to have the loudest laugh in the room… or to let out a good cry), she is social (never happier than when other babies are around), and enjoys being outside even if it means bundling up for a walk in the snow in 20 degree weather… all throw backs from the Warren/Skeeters group to be sure.

We have managed to drag Lily with us on the road and in the air for trips with friends and family every month since she’s been born, making sure she’s accustomed at a young age to our love for travel, whether it’s camping, wine tasting, beer festivals, golf trips or flights to visit with family.

When staying in town we have been incredibly blessed to have visits from family, weekly kidnapping from Lily’s local grandmas & aunts, my Dad and Brenna’s big move back to Seattle (living just 10 minutes from our house) and lots of friends that have been incredibly supportive when we have needed it most, whether it was being there to do the baby bounce with our “emotional” newborn or take us out for a break when we needed to get away. THANK YOU.

Being a parent is the most exciting, scariest, rewarding experience of our lives and we are just lucky enough to have Lillian to test it all out on as we figure out this journey together. This parenting stuff is not for the faint at heart. You worry more but love deeper than you ever thought possible – and not just for your baby but for your new “family unit”. Brett and I are a new “team” attacking this mom & dad thing head on, keeping each other laughing days after sleepless nights and finding new ways to stay entertained around nap schedules and early bedtimes.

Other exciting news outside of parenthood…we have been lucky enough to gain a brother-in-law this year as Brooke, Brett’s little sister and best friend of myself, married Jake Ware in Leavenworth, WA this summer. Another family addition came just a month after Lily was born – our sweet new nephew, Jimmy, who we were able to love on in Denver this Thanksgiving. As for work, as I hinted above, I have taken a break from my career at Amazon.com to focus on raising Lillian full time while Brett has continued to enjoy his career in Intellectual Property law as an attorney at Lee & Hayes PLLC.

Signing off for now, more updates to come - we hope this note finds each of you happy and healthy. Thank you for the continued love and support each of you have shown our families this year. Cheers to each of you!

A look back at 2010...

January: Babymoon in Miami & the Keys (*click for more pics/blog)

February: Baby Prep! *

March: Lucy and "the bump"
April: Lily Arrives!*
May: Yakima Golf Tourney & Wine Tasting Trip - make shift changing table in back of winery*
June: Lake Chelan, Washignton*
July: UPS Annual College Reunion at Brewers Festival in Portland, OR
August: Brooke & Jake's Wedding*
September: First Camping Trip!*
October: Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, WA for "Aunt" Kimmy's 30th*
November: Thanksgiving in Denver
Meeting cousin Jimmy, just 1 month younger than Lillian
First Snow: In our backyard in Seattle
December: Cutting down Lillian's First Christmas Tree
(*click for more pics/blog)