The Mungaven’s and a Goldman

This year has been pretty action packed for our little family. We were blessed to go on a variety of trips this year. James and I were fortunate enough to join in the celebrating of our friends, Eddy and Patricia’s, marriage down in sunny Las Vegas in April.  In July, my sister took the girls on their first trip without me to Oregon for a week. They met a new friend and had a blast down there! In June, Chelsea, her mom Jeanie, the girls and I got to run away to La Push for a girls weekend. Chelsea, Jeanie and I went to La Push almost every year since we were 8-years-old and we absolutely loved it. We were so thrilled to share the experience with the girls. Later in June, James and I slipped away to wonderful hotel in Bellingham. We enjoyed the little town and its beaches. We learned how to make soap while there. In August, James and I took the girls for their first trip out of the country to Canada. We took the Victoria Clipper up there and enjoyed a double decker bus tour, a horse drawn carriage tour, an under water aquarium and our hotels huge swimming pool. In October we drove over to eastern Washington and had a great time visiting James Uncle Dave and Aunt Bonnie. Bonnie took us horseback riding and spoiled us with her amazing cooking. Dave got the girls their very own fishing poles and took us out fishing.  And finally, in December, we got to go to beautiful Leavenworth with Chelsea for the lighting of the town and some sledding. Another yearly trip that Chelsea and I did growing up and were so excited to continue the tradition with the girls. In between all of this we also squeezed in four hiking trips, a day of kayaking, which was a first for all of us and the girls first Kids run.

James broke a sales record at work this year and also got Salesman-of-the-Month several times. Unfortunately, he did roll his jeep during an off roading trip but he has upgraded to a v8 Grand Cherokee and is now ready to break it in on the trails. We are glad he came home safe and injury free.

Kaeli is 8 and enjoying the 3^rd grade this year. She continues to excel in her academics and just about everything else that she tries. She has a deep love for animals, an also loves to read, ride her bike and just about anything else active. When the weather improves we plan on training to run a 5k together.

Chloe started the year out by losing her first tooth. Chloe is 6 and is in the 1^st grade this year and is improving her reading skills daily. She loves to draw and is very good at it. Chloe has really gotten in touch with her girly girl side this year and loves doing her hair, her nails, and is known to switch outfit various times throughout the day. That’s right; she is 6 going on 16.

As for me, I accomplished last year’s New Year’s resolution of doing a running event each month for a year. I also started school in September and after some adjustment feel very good about it and I am excited for the next quarter to start.

That only sums up half of the fun we had this year. We are so blessed with the wonderful family and friends that surround us. We are very grateful for our warm home, full tummies and our health. Cheers to 2011 and may 2012 be even better!

Seattle Love!

I love Seattle!

I never knew this about myself. I guess I've always consider Seattle to be a mocker of the parallel parking impaired, one way streets that are strategically placed so you are incapable of ever reaching your destination and a traffic nightmare.

I have been given the opportunity to work at my company's Seattle office for three weeks. I am covering for one of their admin woman who just had a baby and another admin woman who will be getting married and  honeymooning for two weeks. With them out that leaves just one administrator here and to avoid her losing her mind and just beating her head on her desk for 8 hours they asked if I could fill in. At first I had mixed emotions about it. Traffic is always rough going into and coming out of the city. I knew that parking was going to be spendy and the girls would need to go to child care after school instead of me being able to pick them up from school, adding an expense that isn't normally there. I was literally going to be paying to work. But I was ready for a change and agreed to help them out.

My first day here I drove my car and was surprised to find that traffic wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. My excitement soon was crushed by a little parking sign reading "Early Bird Special $18". $18!! Nothing about $18 makes me feel special for being early. Whatever. I shook it off and headed in. The Seattle office is located on the 11th floor of the Seattle Tower. A life insurance company called Northern Life Insurance began building the Seattle Tower in 1919 and completed it in 1929  orignally calling it the Northern Life Tower. Guys, this building is amazing. It is so full of character and history.



The building from the outside.
They used five different colors
 of brinks starting with the dark
ones at the bottom and
 they get lighter as they go up.



The outside enterance,

 

The beautiful lobby.



 

This is my favoritepart of ther building.

This is above each elevator.

 



The hall way to the office.



All the of doors are made out of solid
wood and are hea-vy!
 Some have glass in them, some don't.
 The panel above each door swings out for ventilation..

   

Every door knob has
"NLF" on it for Northern Life Insurance,
 the people who orginally built the building.



All the windows open by
pushing them out in the center.



Each room in the building
 has a heater that is run off of steam
 which is created in a boiler room under the building.



My favorite room in the building,
the bathroom! All real marble.
Even that stall walls
are marble.





  

The locks inside the bathrom stalls.
 So much character everywhere!





 

One of the many awesome views
 from around the building.
 Just high enough for a view but
 not too high that you miss out
 on some great people watching.



 





After paying $18 and a piece of my soul to the parking lot attendant I knew that there is no way my limited budget could afford $18 a day for the next three weeks. When I got home I checkout the transit routes and times. I was excited to find that commuting by bus would actually result in a shorter commute time than driving! I was sold. Only down side, I’d have to get up a half hour earlier. Now, a half hour doesn’t sound like a lot but I already get up at 5:30 and I don’t care who you are, 5:00am is early! Anyway, I took the bus yesterday for the first time in years. Standing in line waiting for the bus felt like the first day of school all over again. I had my cash in my head ready to go so I didn’t have to fish through my pockets and be “that person” that holds up the line. Well, turns out that people don’t even use cash anymore. They have an Orca card that you load with money and swipe in front of a meter and it scans the card as you walk by. So being prepare with my cash in hand still made me the lady in the express checkout lane writing a check. Lesson learned and I am anxiosly awaiting my Orca card in the mail. Overall, riding the bus has turned out to be a pretty enjoyable experience. I have time to read my book or take a brief nap instead of being the lady in your rear view mirror pounding her fists on her stirring wheel and screaming at her windshield while stuck in traffic. Yeah, I'm that person. The bus drops me off two blocks away from the building and I love the brisk walk before starting my work day.

 AND, everything is in walking distance! Places to eat, the bank, Pike Place Market, a Starbucks literally on every single block, Westlake Center and all the shopping a girl could ask for<---(this has proven to be dangerous).

So Seattle, I apologize for calling you the butthole of the suburbs. You are infact, electric, exciting and beautiful and I heart you big time!

 















Waiting with a Side of Purple Jeep

I wrote this about a year ago. I found it on my phone while trying to occupy myself while off roading on Sunday. Coincidence, I think not.

There is something about an old man in a full body slicker that makes getting up at stupid o’clock on one of the only days I get to sleep in worth it. It’s raining today as we sit at the trail head of Evan’s Creek for our day of off roading. James wakes up early for such events, like a young child wakes up early on Christmas morning, with a bounce in his step and eyes full of excitement. By the time we pack the jeep, drive to meet the other jeeps, stop at the last gas station before civilization stops and nature begins, buy forest day passes , meet again at the trail head to air down the tires we have waited two and a half hours.

We finally get started on our first trail, miss our turn, turn around, find the start of the right trail and finally we kick it into four wheel drive. Then we stop again. James tells me one of the rigs in the front of the group is “Open, open with bald tires” and can’t make it up the trail, holding everyone else up. No, “open, open” isn’t in reference to those horrible Mervyn’s commercials we all grew to hate. It has something to do with whether you are “locked” or “open”. I will spare you the details and sum it up as “locked” is good, “open” is bad in the world of off roading.

So, now I have been awake since 6:00. I am currently missing the fifth Seahawks game of the season. I have yet been able to watch a single game this season. Today would have been my first opportunity to do so. Why do I do all of this you may ask? I do it because of the excited smile the boyfriend makes as he looks at me like a two year old receiving his first gold star for peeing in the potty and says “Did you see  my jeep did what his couldn’t, babe?” While I am thinking, “With as much money as you put into this thing it should be able to cook and clean for me” but instead I nod and smile and say “Yes, babe. You’re purple jeep is amazing.”

A Tribute To Kaeli

To My Favorite First Born Child,

I wanted to take a moment to tell you how special you are to me upon the celebration of your 8^Th birthday. You are the light of my world. Ever since the very first day you decided to bless the world with your big smile you have brighten people’s day. Your highly contagious laugh can melt any bad day away.

Your determination to succeed at every new thing you take on amazes me every day. You never give up and you are great at everything you do.

One of my favorite things about you is your kind spirit. You are the first person to notice when someone is sad and you take the time to talk to them or give them a sympathetic hug to make them feel better. You are so compassionate and gentle.

I love your eagerness to try new things (minus food, but we are working on that).

You are an amazing sister. Your patience with Chloe is so appreciated by her. You are her hero and she looks up to you so much. I love the way you sit with her and help her with her reading. She will remember those times all her life.

Your passion for life is so contagious. I love your endless energy and your love of the outdoors. I love your playfulness and your sense of humor.

You are so special to so many people in this world.  You are a wonderful daughter and sister. I am so proud of who you are and look forward to what this next year will bring. I love you more than words could ever explain. Happy 8^Th Birthday my beautiful little girl.

Pesky Weeds!

That’s right; this picture was taken from inside the girl’s room right next to the sliding glass door. If you look closely you can see it’s brother growing through our deck outside. We have talked to the apartment management staff and they say there is nothing they can do. REALLY?! We have ivy growing through the floor INSIDE our apartment and there is nothing you a can do. Well, I guess the next thing to do is add “weed room” to the girl’s chore list.

Crazy Hair Day!

Yesterday was crazy hair day for the girls at school! Here is the first attempt...

Here is the second attempt...

They got much more creative!

Let me tell you what my favorite part of crazy hair day was. Every Thursday the girls come with me to delivery groceries to people that are too ill to go grocery shopping on their own. We delivery to about 8 people in the greater Lake city and Northgate areas. Often times we see interesting people that spark many question in the girls. So yesterday we passed a women, that may have not put much thought into her appearance that day, walking on the side of the road. Chloe, very serious and matter-of-factually says "Oh, she must have known it was crazy hair day too."

Half Marathon vs Hips

I wish I could say this past Sunday’s half marathon was a success. That those 12 weeks of training were not a waste but as I walk through the hallways at work, people tilt their heads sideways asking if I am limping. I again have to explain with embarrassment that I ran a half marathon yesterday and it really took a toll on my hips. About the 5^th mile into the 13.1 mile race my right hip started to throb with pain. I was able to relieve the pain by pulling my knee to my chest and strength out my hip but after only a couple more steps the pain would return. Here I was not even half way through the race and I was already worried I might not make it. Then as I came around the corner of my 7^th mile I saw their faces. The three loves of my life. James, Kaeli and Chloe. They stood there watching every person pass waiting to cheer me on.  It brought tears to my eyes. James said some encouraging words as the girls high fived me and I knew right then I had to finish. I wanted my girls to see me finish. I wanted to show James that the sacrifices he made so I could train weren’t in vain. I was going to finish.

I trucked through the pain. Thankful that it was only one hip hurt. Then about the 8^th mile my other hip jumped on the pain bandwagon. The pain was so excruciating that it brought me to tears several times when I had to stop running and walk.  And I am no wuss when it comes to pain, folks. I kept thinking of how I spent weeks training. Physically I was more than capable of completing this half marathon but the pain was so great. I still had so far to go. The 8^th mile was the beginning of a long uphill incline. My hips would not allow me to get more than a couple steps before I had to stop running and walk. I was forced to walk the entire hill. At the top of the hill were James and the girls again. I was so excited to see them but so embarrassed at my failure. I was walking. I couldn’t even pretend to jog up to them. I high fived the girlies and could see that James knew I was hurting. He told me I was doing great. As I passed them I had reached to top of the hill.  I was so discouraged, so disappointed and so MAD! I started jogging again. I didn’t know where the three of them were going to pop up next but I sure wasn’t going to be walking again when I saw them next. Miles 9, 10 and 11 were the longest miles of my life but there at the 11^th mile were my three cheerleaders again. I knew as I jogged up to them I was going to finish this thing even if it killed me. ¾ into my 12^th mile I could see the finish line. Up a HUGE hill! If I ever meet the man that planned out the course of this race and put the finish line at the top of a hill I will gladly punch him in the face and then repent later. As I approached the hill I saw my family again. I didn’t expect to see them before the finish line so it was a great surprise. As I passed I didn’t high five because it was going to take all the strength I had to get up that hill to the finish line but as I looked to my right there was Kaeli, running the last 100 yards uphill with me to the finish line. As I crossed the finish line and they read my name over the loud speaker I gave Kaeli the biggest hug and cried. I thanked her for being there for me. I looked around for James and Chloe and here they come up the hill. James is carrying Chloe in his arms because she refused to walk up the hill. In typical Chloe fashion that I love her for. : ) I cannot even express how much it meant for me to have them there. Cheering me on the whole way. Never giving up on me. I could have never done this without them and I am truly blessed to call them my family. James, Kaeli and Chloe, thank you for being my strength and for believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. I love you all so very much!

Miss Chloey-lowely giving me a high five. An awesome picture taken by James