In which I catch up, Part I

What difference does almost a year make? Plenty! These chronicles have been sorely ignored since our move to Washington, and now I plan to make amends. What better than some bullet points, perfect for highlighting some of the more interesting happenings of the past year.

• So we moved to Washington, this much I have recorded. But then I stopped writing for a myriad of reasons; there were some concerns about my family's privacy, a broken laptop, homeschooling and momming and cleaning and a new baby, a broken laptop...
• One of our first adventures was the act of unpacking our moving van and settling into our house. I was pregnant and hurting quite badly, and nesting something terrible. We had the house basically unpacked and set up in about a week. It was awful. We spent hours in rush hour traffic just to pick up the perfect bunk bed from a thrift store in a nearby town. We made quick runs with tired feet to the grocery store in order to fuel our sagging bodies. But we were in Washington. Our dream! They really do come true sometimes.
• Then Larry put his foot down and said, "Jessica, let's do something fun." Our first mini-trip commenced. Off to Mukilteo Landing and Puget Sound we went, because that was the place we were taken sight-seeing when we visited Washington two years previously. It was breath-taking, as usual.

• The mini-vacation didn't stop with exploring the beach. We took a ferry across the sound to Whidbey island and back, then stopped at Ivar's for ice cream. It was a trip well-earned.

• That same month, eager to explore our new state further, we drove to Deception Pass and were astounded at the beauty we encountered there. Blown away. 

• The girls and I love impromptu picnics, so in September we finally christened our new backyard.

• That same month we also started home school, Natalie as a kindergartner and Heather as a pre preschooler. Their first day of school included a surprise of the funnest sort, a treasure hunt complete with clues for each girl and a grand prize they chased down together...

...A McDonald's breakfast! The first weeks of school included things like daily copywork, math, phonics, narration, and art, music, and nature studies. 

• Worth noting is the first homemade pizza Larry and I created together that month. It was a disastrous mess, but we did it. And we've only gotten better. But that's a post all of its own.

Next up, Part II of In which I catch up...