Lake Chelan- Day Two

We did more of the same today . . . relaxed!  There is nothing like waking at your own leisure.  My Mom, Dad, Gina, Natalie and I went for a run along the river this morning.  It was so hot but also so beautiful.  No one really likes to eat healthy while in Chelan so we figured that by getting a run in, we could eat and not feel so guilty!  As I ran, I could see Damien and the kids enjoying their cereal on the balcony.  They were waving a screaming at us which was really cute.  After we got back and cooled off a bit, we threw our swimsuits on and prepared to sit in the sun all day long! 

We went into town to buy some rafts and some swim toys.  We always go to the same mom and pop variety store.  It used to be called Sprouse Reitz when we were kids but it has since changed ownership.  We have funny stories about this store from when we were kids.  I love that we have so much family history here in Chelan.  We were pleasantly surprised to run into Jill, Jake and their family there.  They had just gotten their supply of necessary water toys, too! 

On the way home, Damien stopped at this amazing outdoor market.  Every year, we look forward to eating some of the fresh fruit for sale there.  Cherries are $6.00 for a big cardboard clam shell container.  $6.00 for all the cherries you can balance on top of one another!  by now, Damien is a pro at getting his money worth on these so we had cherries galore!  They are so fresh and as a family, we devoured the two clam shells of cherries in one day!

More pool, more lake, lots of laughs and good times.  Today, we focused on perfecting the kids back dives.  Claire is on it.  She is fearless when it comes to flipping backwards off the dock (like her Mom). 

Michael (like his Dad) wants to make sure everything is okay and that the margin for error in him hurting himself is zero percent!  They both did great and are so much better at it than last year!  I loved watching the younger kids look at Michael and Claire like royalty.  They all can't wait to be big like Michael and Claire! 

We had a nice dinner tonight out by the lake.  Does it get any better than this?  It is pure heaven.  After dinner, we walked into town for a fun night of go-carts and ice cream. 

All the boys decided to go shirtless which was definitely a photo opp.  It was still so warm at night and it was funny to see my boys walk shirtless as I don't think they've ever done that before!  Michael kept asking if it was okay.  Matthew loved being like his brother and cousins.  It was definitely a sight!

The go-carts were awesome.  Michael was sooo excited because he finally hit the height requirement to drive by himself!  Yahoo!  We whipped around and around the track and laughed the whole way- with only a few collisions. 

The best moment of the night was when Laura got to drive her own go-kart.  None of us really processed the fact that she had never driven a car by herself, let alone a go-kart.  She started off slow and then increased her speed like the rest of the drivers.  And then the right turn approached.  She was going super fast and you could see that she wasn't sure how to navigate the turn.  It didn't help that there was a go-kart stalled on the inside lane.  In order to avoid hitting the car, she just went full speed into the wall.  And that was it for Laura.  She did a great job avoiding the accident and sacrificed herself.  What a gal!

We enjoyed some ice cream before we walked back to the hotel.  Damien and I put the kids to sleep and enjoyed the gorgeous view from our balcony.  Lake Chelan never disappoints.

Lake Chelan- Day One

We flew in yesterday and then packed up and left for Lake Chelan this morning!  It was a crazy turn around but we were all excited to get to Chelan!  It really is the highlight of the trip for all of us.  Chelan is the coolest town.  There isn't much to do other than to enjoy the beauty surrounding you, basque in the warmth, and swim until your heart's content!

We left a little later than we had first anticipated, but it all worked out in the end.  Trying to coordinate three different cars and a lot of bags and coolers takes time!  Jake was away on business and was going to drive right from the airport to Chelan later that evening.  Jill and Nat drove Jill's kids over while the rest of us divided and conquered.  The drive over was a breeze.  My two littlest ones got good naps in while Claire did an amazing job of being Matthew's headrest.  We had most of our family in our car which was fun.  At one point, We Are Young (by FUN) came on the radio and Damien videoed all of us singing it.  His point was that we are indeed young!  That although we feel like we are getting older, we are young and watching the video years from now will prove it!  It was a really cool moment. 

We arrived at Grandview on the Lake just at check in time.  All three rooms were ready so we were moved in, unpacked, and were at the pool in no time!  Little baby Gracie was with us at the pool.  She was so cute in her tiny swim top and sun hat.  She is only six weeks old so we needed to make sure we kept her cool in the 100 degree heat!

The kids loved the pool.  There were floaties everywhere and it didn't take long for them to be sliding and splashing off the slide.  We did head over to slide on the lake after an hour or so.  This always my favorite part of the trip.  Watching the kids take their first dip into Lake Chelan.  The lake is cold.  Not freezing cold, but refreshing cold.  This refreshingly cold dip in combination with the hot temperatures outside, makes for good reaction!  People usually are yelling a bit or taking deep breaths.  It shocks the system for sure.  But only the first time- then you get used to it.

I wasn't sure if Emily was going to go off the slide, but sure enough she did and she sure was shocked once she surfaced from underneath the clear lake water.  All the kids loved it and the adults went in, too.  The kids loved putting a round tube at the bottom of the slide, while trying to slide into the hole.  They also loved swimming over to the dock.

The first night, we had dinner on the lawn of the hotel.  We have decided that it is easier to cook for everyone at the hotel than it is to find a restaurant that can accommodate our big party!  Plus, the kids can run around and have fun while feeding the ducks the food that we just spent and hour cooking.  Oh, to be young and clueless.

It was a great first day here.  The view from our balcony at night is breathtaking.  We are loving every moment of this.  We can't wait to see what tomorrow holds!

A Picture is Worth . . .

A thousand soapy beards.

Meeting Cousin Grace!

Today, we flew up to Kirkland for our long summer trip to the Great Northwest!  While we were excited for a lot of fun trips and events we had planned during our two week stay, we were most excited to meet our newest family member!  Little Grace was born on June 30th and it has been extremely hard not to be able to meet her!  We are so happy and blessed to have met her today.

If it is even possible, she is cuter than we imagined her to be.  So sweet, so tiny, so new.  All of the kids loved checking out her fingers, toes, and playing with her long hair.  While I loved taking all of her in, I also loved seeing Kyle become a BIG brother!  All of Jill's kids were so sweet with their new sister.  We can't wait to spend as much time with her as we can!  Grace, welcome to the family!

Thirteen Years

It's been thirteen years since I married little twenty-three year old Damien Michael Swendsen. 

Thirteen years since:

• I almost wore a watch on my wedding day until it was deemed a little un-fancy. 
• I donned a Revlon lipstick shade named, Rum Raisin. 
• Lani played a prank on us when she pretended that her bridesmaid dress didn't fit.  She actually found a really similar dress which was way too small for her.  She walked out and I about died.  It wouldn't zip up the back at all.  All I remember was Marlene saying, "We can just put a big piece of lace back there."  Then the laughter burst out from each and every one of Damien's family members.  They got us good!  It took me a while to find it funny.
• Damien's friends tried to capture him on the eve of our wedding and throw him into Lake Washington.  They asked my Mom for a flat sheet and duct tape.
• I cried myself to sleep worrying about Damien's friends' antics and wondering if Damien was going to survive to see me at the altar the following day. 
• Gina tried to calm me down and ended up singing me to sleep.  True story.
• I went to the hair salon with my Mom and sisters and prepped for the big day!  Mom even brought enough bagels, cream cheese, and juice to feed an army!
• I had to put a can of cold Coke on each eye at the salon to reduce swelling on my eyes from the crying fest the night before.
• My sisters, friends, Mom, and cousins sang Going to the Chapel in harmony as we got into the limo in my parent's driveway.
• I received a dozen roses, a new watch (that I didn't wear), and a beautiful card from my husband-to-be.
• Damien and his brother Mark, recreated an amazing picture from my parent's wedding where my Dad and his best man (John Gordon) pointed to John's watch like they were late for the wedding.  Classic.
• I got ready with all of my favorite girls in the back of the church.  There was a lot of laughter and the best overall feeling back there. 
• My mom made Laura and Natalie's junior bridesmaid dresses.  She is so ridiculously talented.  And no, she did not do Natalie's hair that day.  Natalie went to the Star Wars convention down the street to get the Princess Leia special.
• Trying not to laugh when the photographer suggested that all of my bridesmaids put their flowers around my face to make a flower frame.  It's sooo not a good picture but it's too funny not to share (below).
• Hearing the congregation laughing hysterically at our ring bearers Courtland and Seamus.  I couldn't see anything but I could hear the laughter.  Now watching the video, these two little guys were arguing which way to hold the ring pillows while loving the attention!
• The doors to the back of the church opened and I lost my breath.  It was such an overwhelming experience to see Damien at the end of the aisle and all of our friends and family looking back at me.  I promised myself I would remain calm but when I rewatch the video, I am taking deep breaths over and over like I just ran wind sprints. 
• My Dad whispered to Damien at the end of the aisle to 'Go out there and make them remember who you are' which is a special thing my Dad used to always say to me before big games. 
• We had to remind Fr. Art and our Eucharistic Ministers that we hadn't received communion.  They gave it to the whole church but somehow- we were forgotten.  We did get it but phew, that was close!
• When we were taking pictures after the wedding, someone joked that the bridesmaids should put a flower frame around Damien's face.  I've yet to see him turn down a dare!
• We rode in a limousine to our reception and my new husband told me about thirty times how beautiful I looked.  My heart was so full and I was so happy!
• We arrived at the reception to the loudest hoots and hollers from our family and friends.  What a great party!
• We noticed that the reception coordinator put out a sheet cake on our wedding cake table.  Our plan was to get a pretty cake and then supplement the cake for our 190 guests with a sheet cake that was to stay in the back.  Nothing says classy like a sheet cake on a cake table at a wedding.  At least the florist had the wherewithal to put a few roses on it. 
• I danced with my Dad to Unforgettable (which was my parents' first dance song) and we both whispered half way through, 'This song is too long!' 
• I was overwhelmed by the amazing toasts that Mark (best man), Jill (maid of honor), Uncle Bob Hard (in Italian), and Damien's Grandfather Carl gave (EVO!).  They were all so beautiful.
• Leaving the reception as all of our guests came out front to watch us drive away and wish us well. 
• Waking up the next morning next to my husband!
• Meeting my Dad in the lobby in the morning.  He came there to drive us back to their house for brunch and to open gifts.  As Damien settled the bill at the front desk, I stood back with my Dad (who had my wedding dress draped over his arms) and reflected on the previous night. He looked at me and said, "Last night was absolutely amazing."  I thought that what he said was sweet but the person next to me did not.  I think they thought that my Dad and I got married.  He guy flinched when my Dad said that to me.  It was so classic!
• We arrived at Seatac airport, giddy with anticipation and ready for our flight to Maui, Hawaii!  What a surprise it was to see Damien's family one gate away flying back to the Bay Area! 
• We flew to Hawaii with the biggest smiles on our faces.  Married, at last . . . at the ripe age of twenty-three.  We were so young, just babies (some would say).  But I really believe that when you meet the right person, you just know.  83, 53, 23 years old . . . when you know you know.

Happy 13th Anniversary to the man of my dreams, to my best friend, my personal comedian, and my one and only.  Thirteen years was a breeze.  Fun times, difficult times, but my love for you has never wavered.  I am so blessed to have found you and thank God everyday that I can share my life with you.  Happy Anniversary, Damien!  And a special thank you to all of you who were there on our wedding day or have supported us along the way.  We truly value the support and love we feel from you on a daily basis. 

***Editorial Note:  I am bitter that I got married before the digital age.  We have wedding pictures and the negatives.  That is all!  These pictures were taken with my cell phone because frankly, I am too lazy to scan them.  Enjoy all these pictures of two little kids getting married!