San Juan Islands

Andrea and I just got back from an awesome vacation in the San Juan Islands on Dad's sail boat. We spent five days on the water and even sailed into Victoria Canada. Check out some of our fun photos below.

Marina at Bellingham Washington

Ryan Climbs the mast so we can fly a courtesy Canadian flag into Victoria. Good thing he's not afraid of hieghtsOn the way to Victoria we had some pretty big waves that tries to sink the boat. But we made it through. Six foot waves are not for the faint of stomach. Some of our crew mates got sick (poor mom). Good morning sunshine!

While we were in Victoria we took a bus ride to see the famous Butchart Gardens. This was Andrea's favorite stop.

On our last full day of sailing we finally got to see some whales. These are orca whales, commonly known as killer whales. But they seemed friendly enough.Ryan rows the captain to shore so we can go for a hike on Jones Island.

Julia's got pretty attached to this peice of seaweed. She hauled it al the way back to the boat and even tied is on so it could ride behind us. Weird.

Aaarrrrrrrgggggggg!

Andrea's Birthday!

I got a new hair cut for my birthday! Ben said I needed something to help show off my new style, so he surprised me with this adorable dress! I love the dress, but I'm concerned that it makes me look too young. Any thoughts? Feel free to leave me some comments.

Check out my new sunglasses! It took me forever to find a comfortable and cute pair.

New Piano

Thanks to Rodger and Jennifer for letting us take this beautiful piano off their hands. This particular piano has been played by at least 3 generations of exceptional pianists including Grandma Louise, my mom, and Joanie. (I practiced on it as a kid too, but I don't fit the 'exceptional' category when it comes to piano playing skills). Anyway it's a welcome addition to our home, and Andrea is thrilled to finally have a real piano to play.

Chris, Melanie, and Julia Come to Visit

This weekend we were privilaged to have Chris, Melanie, and Julia over to visit. We grabbed some dinner at Applebee's then went to the BYU vs. Utah gymnastics meet. It was a lot of fun watching Julia cringe every time the band played the Utah fight song.

The next morning it was a little cool out but Chris challenged me to a tennis match so we went to a nearby park and had at it. I'm not sure what the final score was but I may not have won. Chris has got skills.

Mr. Fix-it

Here's the story of how a small leak turns into a big project. Pictured below is an innocent looking pipe...

Followed by a not so innocent gaping hole in the wall...
One day it decided it was going to start leaking all over our living room ceiling. So in an effort to keep mold from growing inside our walls, I cut a nice big hole in the ceiling.

Getting that sheetrock piece to fit in that 2' x 2' hole was a nightmare!

This hole is finished, all it needs is some sanding and a coat of paint.

Foutunately we have some friends who taught me how to repair drywall. So here I am, reparing drywall.

Don't I make it look easy? The drywall mud has to set for a little while then I can finish up the job and Andrea can have her house back in order. Ahh home ownership...living the dream baby.