Date Night: A trip to Puget Sound

Brady and I have never been very creative when it comes to date nights; it's just so hard to think of something new and fun and spontaneous to do sometimes.

Typically it turns into a movie night on our couch, which is great since he comes home exhausted from work and since I'm always exhausted from...um...I'm not sure. Growing a little person in my belly, maybe? That has to be it, since I really don't move much these days.

Luckily, one of the perks of moving to a new state is there are plenty of things to visit, explore, and do. No creative juices needed. Yes!

Well, at least for now.

Yesterday we had our very first, official date night in Seattle. Can you guess where we went? Those of you who know us, and know us well probably could. We went to...

...the beach! Not just any beach. A beach along the Puget Sound.

I bet I can guess what you're thinking.

You're thinking, "Where did you find that picture? It looks amazing."
All I can say is, "I know, right!?"
 Picture courtesy of Brady C. Houston (my handsome husband, who just so happens to also be a handsome photographer with mad skills).

In my book, yesterday was a superlative beach day. I'm finding that Seattle is more perfect for me than I thought. Foggy sky, nippy, jacket wearing weather, dark water, and a perfect breeze. My little Utopia.

After having zero luck searching through the tide pools for star fish or crabs (at least, having zero luck finding ones that hadn't already been hollowed out by seagulls), we pulled out our camera and began documenting the awesome splendor that was around us.

Have you ever been right next to a train as it goes zooming by? Brady has.

Yesterday was his first time standing just a few feet from a moving train. I lived right next to a train yard for 12 years in Montana, so it was nothing new to me. I will say this though, 12 years or not, it still amazes me how big, how fast and how LOUD trains are. You never would have guessed it as you watched it slowly winding its way around the mountain towards us.

Again, if it wasn't for Brady religiously taking pictures of all the things we do and see, you would just have to take my word for it that the train was big and fast and loud. Not the best, most detailed description. 

So, thank you Brady. Thank you.   

For the most part, I love it when we pull out the camera unless i'm in a hurry to move on, then the frequent stops and long waits are NO BUENO. But usually, it's the best because that means I get to play boss and tell Brady what pictures to take and how I want them taken. I figure, since I'm not the one "taking" the shots, I can be the one "calling" the shots :) 

So fun for me, but maybe not so fun for my photographer. 

We love taking pictures.

Brady loves taking pictures of Kate.

And Kate LOVES taking pictures of Brady. 

Gosh, he's good looking.

I think I'm going to make both our dads come up sometime so we can do this together... 

...there's something so appealing about fly fishing. Maybe, for me, it's the fact that I can set the fish free after I catch them. I still haven't recovered from my first fishing excursion, where my dad smacked the head of the rainbow trout I had just caught against a metal bench. I don't think I spoke to him the whole drive home :) 

As this particular fisherman was passing by we asked him if he was having any luck. Discouraged he said, "They don't seem to be around today. Which is unusual because this is supposed to be a great fishing spot." As he was talking, I watched a fish jump out of the water behind him. I didn't really have the heart to tell him they were just mocking him behind his back. 

We thought we'd try our hand at taking couple pictures with the tri-pod. We may have had a little too much fun

Who needs a professional photographer when you have a tri-pod and a husband who can run really fast? 

This is what happens when we try to take a picture looking deep into each other's eyes

And finally, remember this picture from our honeymoon? 

Trying to recreate that was harder than we thought.

Not too bad, eh?

I loved this beach. There were no bright blue skies or turquoise water against white sand but who would have thought a palette of grays could be so beautiful!

A pearly gray sky illuminating a dark bluish-gray profile of trees in the distance, both sky and trees seeming to pop even more in contrast with the silver, gray of the water.

All in all, it was a wonderful, perfect, picturesque afternoon at the beach.

I think this would classify as a sublime first date.
Don't you?

So, how's Seattle?

This morning was my first time "on my own" since I arrived in Seattle. So, I took some time to answer the question above, in case any of you were wondering.

The week leading up to our big move was a CRAZY time for us. Brady had to drive to Seattle for orientation and try and find us an apartment (yes, we still hadn't found a place yet). He got back on the 13th, we packed the moving truck the 14th, and on the 15th we had our all day birthing class (more on that later), Maggie's fundraising carnival, Ron's birthday and the BYU/U of U football game.

Needless to say, we were pretty pooped come Sunday.

 Brady and Ron left at about six in the morning on the 16th and tackled the 13+ hour drive to Seattle (men are so wonderful!). I, luckily, only had to fly a "grueling" hour and a half the following day because my doctor didn't want me driving for so long (Hooray, for pregnancy!).

I'm pretty sure if the flight had been much longer I wouldn't have made it. The man sitting next to me, closest to the aisle slept the whole trip! Pregnancy plus zero bathroom breaks does NOT mix! Lets just say I waddled off that plane as fast as my legs would carry me.

Rather than go into extreme detail (you can call me for that :)  ), here are just a few highlights from the past couple of days:

Monday 17
We landed at about 3 in the afternoon, Seattle time. Brady was so excited to pick me up from the airport and show me around our new stomping grounds. Such a surreal feeling...this place is my new home for the next five to six years!

If you ever come to Seattle you MUST eat at Pike Street Fish Fry. It is amazing. Trust me.

Here we are waiting for our meal. Little did I know, I was about to have an "I just think I died and went to heaven" experience. Once you have fresh fish you never go back.

Brady wanted to show Ron, Liesl and I around a bit, so we took a trip out to Lake Washington.

The main attraction? Blackberries. They're everywhere and Brady just can't get enough of them. Here's a batch he picked right across the street from our house this morning.

During our little blackberry fest, Kate here had a pretty nasty fall. Lose your footing on one rock and that's it, there's no catching your balance when you're pregnant... because you have no balance in the first place!

It just so happens that I fell on the only big rock around... right on the side of my stomach. Great. Isn't that just how it goes sometimes? Luckily, we went to the doctors on Wednesday and baby girl seems to be fine.

Almost 34 weeks pregnant and about seven more weeks to go. Can you believe it! Here is the long awaited pregnancy picture.

Tuesday 18
Tuesday at 4 in the AM we put Brady's parents on a plane back to Salt Lake. On the way home we realized this was it, we were officially on our own.

Tuesday night we went on a date to Ikea. I thought corn mazes were easy to get lost in! Have you been to that place?! We were able to find exactly what we were looking for though. I'd like you to meet the newest members of our family... lamp and house plant.

Hopefully we're able to keep this plant alive longer than the last one... Luckily, house plant doesn't know our track record.

Wednesday 19
Wednesday after the doctors we went on a date to the Locks. Boy, you would have thought it was Christmas morning. Brady loves big ships. When you visit us in Seattle, which I hope you will, we'll take you all to the Locks because even though I'm not a huge boat person, it's pretty dang nifty.

Pretty neat, eh?

Brady took the picture below, by the way! How awesome is that? It's a good thing one of us actually remembers to document our lives (and has some natural talent for photography), otherwise this blog would sorely be lacking.

Oh seattle...
with your sock-less, ginger ale drinking hipsters and your soup making, rain boot wearing weather...
I think I might love you.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it SNOW

Today was such a surprise! Snow, and lots of it too. Brady and I spent a good part of our saturday date playing with our new camera. Thanks Ron and Liesl!! Sometimes I forget how absolutely beautiful snow can be... at night... on a date... with my man...

A photo review of December...

BETA FISH AND GINGERBREAD HOUSES...

TRIPS TO TEMPLE SQUARE AND CHRISTMAS CONCERTS...

DECORATING OUR APARTMENT... a week before christmas...

FAMILY FUN ON CHRISTMAS EVE...

WATCHING THE LITTLE KIDDIES OPEN PRESENTS FROM SANTA...

A FAMILY PARTY WITH Michelle...

 (This is Michelle !)

LOTS OF SPINNING AND LOTS OF GIGGLES...

AND FINALLY... 

A NICE QUIET EVENING, JUST THE TWO OF US :)

What a wonderful way to end the year!

cutest little shell

Change and maybe an antonym or two

I hope you don't mind but this post will probably sound more like a journal entry than my regular blogging style (lots of pictures, little words). Bare with me.

I've never been one for change but lately I feel like someone has taken a bucket of change (not the coin, that would hurt) and dumped it over my head.

I feel like recently my mind has been in constant battle with my surroundings. Stay the same. Adjust, reshape, adapt. Stay the same. Rebuild, alter, transform.

There are days I want to be better and bigger and brighter than ever. And days when I just want to bite at the air and run away as fast as I can.

Today? I don't know. I guess I like the way it feels against my skin.

To all the women in my life...

I have a message for you. click here.