Mowing and baseball in February????

I had to do a double take as I read the date on today's newspaper. Was I really sitting outside in our yard listening to Chris mow the yard and the neighborhood kids riding their bikes by on February 23rd??? We have had a week of amazing weather here in Washington. We got a new stroller this week and I am getting back into running (I have to keep up with that husband of mine!), so the sunny days and mild temperatures have been perfect! Emma finally got to try out her new T-ball set she got for Christmas. :)

A weekend at Trollhaugen

We spent the long weekend in the Cascade Mountains (near the Snoqualmie Summit) with our good friends, the Warthens, and Aimee's big Norwegian family. The weather was beautiful and we had a blast sledding!

Emma is all smiles after the first sled run of the morning.

Camden enjoyed hanging out in our hiking backpack kid carrier. He is just about ready to nod off for a little nap...
In their true competitive spirit, Chris and Chris decided to race down the hill. As you can see, Chris Warthen clinches first place. Little did I know, as I was snapping this picture, Chris Kasparek had just dislocated his shoulder...again...
Chris and Chris head off to the nearest hospital in Ellensburg, where Chris is taken care of, and the boys are back in time for dinner. :) This is the 4th time in less than 2 years that Chris has dislocated his shoulder, so a visit to an orthopedic doc is in the near future...

Camden and his buddy Hunter! 2 cute little bald boys, could you ask for anything more?

Camden LOVED sledding on my back! Emma was our driver on this run. :)

After a morning of "taking it easy," Chris couldn't resist taking Emma on a ride. She wanted to ride on Daddy's back, but we convinced her sitting in front of him would be just as fun.

Emma's favorite sled. She was too cute cruising down the hill by herself!

Best buddies, Emma and Claire

Beep! Beep! Walking man coming through!

There is no slowing Camden down these days! Grandpa and Nana got him a push walking toy for Christmas and Emma has been using it as a doll stroller. Well, Camden figured out that he can cruise around the living room and get into more stuff if he uses it to help him walk. It is quite comical-he reminds me of a cute little old grandpa poking along.

Emma decided that she's going to give her brother a real workout... Camden's facial expressions are priceless! :)

After all that hard work, it was time for a lunch break. Camden is flashing his new front teeth for you all to see. :)

Up, up, and away!

Oh geez! Just when we thought he was growing too fast, Camden decides to scale the steps today (please excuse the "climbing spotter" and her lounge wear). He was on a mission to get Emma and a colorful shopping bag. With lots of smiles and little grunts, he made it about half way up before showing off his new tooth to Dad and the camera. :)

Starship

When it comes to music, I can't get enough of the 80's! If Chris and I sing karaoke, there is one song that we bring the house down with: We Built This City by Starship. You better believe that we were belting out that tune along with the band when we saw Starship in concert last night. The band may have sold out stadiums in the 80's but we got to enjoy them as the headliners at the Skagit Valley Casino Resort. :)
Chris surprised me with a little birthday getaway. When we walked into the casino and I saw the posters advertising the show, I was thrilled! I know you all would have been singing along to Sara and Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now just like I was. :) It was a great show with plenty of tambourine, synthesizer, and even a little cowbell. Maybe for my 30th b-day REO Speedwagon will be in town...

Happy Birthday Chris!

Yesterday was Chris's birthday. He requested carrot cake and mint chocolate chip ice cream (quite the combination, don't you think!) for his special day. My lovely assistant, Emma, and I made a delicious carrot cake for our #1 birthday boy. Emma, who wears many assistant hats, also helped Chris unwrap presents. Camden preferred falling asleep in his favorite Daddy chair. :)

Daddy and Daughter Dance 2008

Well there are those moments when expecting your first child that you look forward to. The first time they crawl, walk, talk, hug you, kiss you etc. For me, having Emma, I have always thought about her wedding, more specifically when as her daddy I get that special dance. Sure it is ages away(hopefully) and there are many memories to come, but it is always there in the back of my mind. So this past Saturday evening when Emma escorted me to my first Daddy and Daughter dance I could not help but fast forward in my head to that special dance.
The evening started out with Pizza at "Tony's", a place that all visitors this summer are guaranteed a visit too. We then proceeded to the dance, where Emma was as cute and energetic as could be. The first slow dance which I will remember always was too "Unforgettable"..
After the dance we headed to a Kasparek Family favorite...Dairy Queen...and then after a lomg exhausting evening of Eating, Dancing, and Treats, Emma fell asleep, where I can only hope that her dreams are as meaningful as she has made mine.
Enjoy the pics of Emma, Chris, Claire and myself....

"Did I get a special treat from Florida?"

These were the first words Emma said to Chris (after "Hi Daddy!!") when we picked him up yesterday afternoon. Emma had been earning stickers for her star behavior each day Chris was in Orlando, and she was anxious for her treat for being so good. I thought his suitcase would be full of Disney goodies, but leave it to the sports fan in Chris to go crazy at the ESPN store. :)