My boys

I walked downstairs and saw them watching TV just like this.

Jackson likes to kick back and watch TV too, I guess. He isn't very modest though...we'll have to work on that.

Accepted

A pretty piece of mail arrived at our house this week, and it wasn't for me. It was for the Robster. And it was from this incredibly not so little school called Penn State.

Apparently Rob isn't content with the handful of degrees he has already and he needs to have another Masters degree. Penn State thinks it's a good idea too, as they have accepted him. Yay.

No, this doesn't mean we'll be moving {although I wouldn't have been 100% opposed to a move}, it's mainly an online program that will only require him to travel to the campus a few times a year.

So just to sum it up: Rob is awesome, super smart and I am proud of him.

At the races

Saturday afternoon we headed off to the track to catch some races...horse and weiner dog. It also just happened to be one of those rare Seattle days when the sky is clear enough to see Mt. Rainier.

There were about three horse races scheduled before the weiner dog races were to take place, so we got in on that fun too. I have a history of winning big at the horses, but I was too content kicking back in the sun to go place any bets. I'd regretted it after the fact. The horse I had my eye on {named Eyes on my Heart} would have made me some big money. Bummer.

There were three heats of the weiner dog races and each one was funnier than the last. These dogs were hilarious!

In the second race a group of them stalled and then started running back to the person that released them rather than to the person calling them at the other end.

I think that if Jackson would've been in the race he might have been one of them...or that he would have wandered off to smell the flowers {because that's the masculine kind of dog he is} but Rob kept insisting that if Jackson were there he would have cleaned the track with those other dogs.

Next year, I told him. Next year.

The Bite

This past Sunday we braved the crowds and hung out at The Bite of Seattle. We haven't been for a few years and figured it was time to go again.

We've had a bit of a rocky history with The Bite:

• Our first year we browsed all the different restaurants and ended up eating Subway at the Seattle Center food court.
• The second year we went we walked through all the food booths and again opted for the safety of Subway.
• Year three we toughened up and tried some Philly cheese steak sandwiches, and then later wished we'd eaten Subway.

Super lame, right?! This year we were determined to shake things up and get our tasting on. We met up with some friends, paid outrageous sums for parking, did some people watching, had our pictures taken with the Foster Farms chicken...you know, all the good stuff.

The weather was a little off. It was bright and sunny outside but pretty cold. I don't know how those people could stand being in the fountain. I was freezing just watching them!

Here's the famous Seattle lunch truck, Maximus Minimus. But with neither of us being partakers of pork I just clicked a pic of their cool truck to share. Foster Farms has these big chicken balloon floating around and I thought they were funny looking.

Oh, what did we eat!? Well we both had a scoop from the Ben and Jerry's mobile and then...you guessed it - Subway! Our friend did sample some Piroshky so we figure that gave us a little cred, right? No.

There is just something about eating food that's being prepared in a fryer under a tarp that doesn't sit well with me. Actually us. We're so prissy.

Maybe next year we'll try the Shishkaberry's??

They look pretty safe. ☺

Get your vote in!

Jackson has become a finalist for the Weiner Dog Races being held next weekend. Highest vote wins the last spot in the race and he needs your votes. So do him a solid, head on over here and cast your vote...for him, not any of the other cute dogs.

We're Jackson is counting on you! Don't let him down. We don't want to have to deal with his constant crying if he doesn't get picked. Seriously, he can be such a whiner. ☺

I just can't not share this

Candwich, a sandwich in a can.

Pretty much the grossest thing ever. Okay, maybe not ever, but this week for sure.

I am not much in the kitchen, but not even I would resort to this. Well, maybe not until I had kids to feed. Kidding!

Jam-Packed Weekend

Saturday morning started out bright and early with the Seafair Pirates landing at Alki Beach. The sun was out, but there was a bit of a breeze so it was nice to be outside.

We did the pirate thing and then wandered down the rest of the beach. There was a pole vaulting competition going on and a bunch of kids were taking advantage of the low water and doing trick on their boogie boards. It made me want to play in the water, but after glancing at the murkiness of it, I quickly changed my mind!

On the way back from Alki we stopped in Mercer Island and spent a few hours at a street fair there. Rob was into the 3 on 3 basketball tournament, while I was enthralled by these two little poodles that were dyed green and purple. From Mercer Island we headed down to Southcenter for dinner and then back home to rescue Jackson from his boring day at home.

Dog in tow we headed down to Lake Sammamish where Jackson had his first swimming experience. I thought I was going to have to pull him into the water but he walked right in. He didn't stay for long though...maybe next time.

Sunday was a camera free day, but pictures would have been great! We'd signed up for a 5K that was sponsored by a local community club. It was a little odd but we had a good time and met some very interesting people. They were 'courting' us to join up with them, but I think our one visit there was enough.

Post 5K we hit IHOP (of course!!) to get our carbs on and did a little house hunting...then went home to collapse.

hot, Hot, HOT!

Long time, no blog. Nothing blog-worthy lately, so I am going to resort to the boring-est of all boring topics - the weather.

This afternoon it was 100*. Last week it was 65*. Now, that is a big ol' swing in temps. I miss 65*!.

Jackson doesn't like the heat either so we've been cooling him down with sugar free popsicles. He just can't get enough of them.

We've got a 5K coming up this weekend and higher temperatures to accompany it. Let's hope the good ol' weatherman is wrong...I'd definitely rather get my sweat on in milder temps!!

Grandpa

Last weekend we traveled over to Idaho to celebrate the life of my Grandpa P who passed away last week.

The service was lovely and it was great to see and spend time with our extended family, who we haven't seen in some time. For me the weekend brought back memories from when we were younger and spent time on Grandma and Grandpa's farm.

I really enjoyed hearing all the stories people shared about Grandpa; it allowed me to see him in ways that I never had before. He really was a great man and is missed.

Water shots

I finally got around to developing the waterproof disposables camera we took on our cruise. Out of the three cameras we filled with pictures, only about thirty pictures turned out. Yes, very disappointing. Still, there are a few that made the cut.

Here is the picture I took of Rob making out with kissing a sting ray.

On. the. lips. I was stunned that he actually did it. SO unlike him.

And here is the picture Rob took of me kissing a sting ray. Awesome, huh.

**edited to add**

Why were we kissing on these things? Well it's said that kissing a sting ray brings seven years good luck. We'll see...

Yep, we're hot in snorkeling gear, we know.

Stingray City in Grand Cayman. The most beautiful water EVER. It's so incredibly clear. Can't wait to go back!

Isla Roatan in Honduras. Great place to Snuba. The Snuba time went by way to quickly. It was more of a browner environment versus the bright tropical colors we'd hoped for, but it is the second largest barrier reef system in the world, so that was pretty amazing.

It was here that Rob was viciously attacked came into contact with some kind of sea urchin and broke out in hives all over. Nothing a trip to the urgent care clinic couldn't handle though. Plus, it makes a great story. He was so brave. ☺

Messing around in our hotel pool in Key West.

Lesson learned: we need to invest in a waterproof digital camera.