The Emerald City

Ben and I had some airline vouchers to use by the end of April so we took a quick trip to Seattle. Neither of us had ever been, and we squeezed all of the tourist attractions into a weekend.

Pike Place Market was beautiful.



The fresh flowers were my absolute favorite, and it killed me not to buy any. They are so affordable, I would always have fresh flowers in my house if I lived in Seattle.



We ate delicious mini-donuts at the market.



And I bought souvenirs outside for the kids while Ben took pictures.



We rode the monorail.



And went up to the top of the Space Needle.



Which is overpriced, but still a must do. It was also freezing up there!



We took an underground city tour.



And a harbor cruise, which was gorgeous.



We walked a good portion of the city, got to know the public transportation, went to the movies a few times, had great food, and slept in late for two mornings!

Easter Extravaganza

Easter lasted at least a week this year, with a visit to the Easter Egg hunt at Irvine Park, the preschool Easter parade, and of course the true Easter Sunday at home.

We tried to explain the Resurrection to the kids this year. I think they kind of understood, Isabel has mentioned many times since Easter that Jesus died but lived again!

Soccer Saturdays

Soccer Saturdays began last Fall. Anna really liked it so she played the Spring season too.

Her first team was the Purple Angels.



Her next team was the Black Scorpions. I got roped into being the team parent when no one else volunteered.



You can see Adam watching in the wings. He is DYING to play too. Luckily he can play in just a few months.

Snow Day

Snow Day at preschool was postponed about three times this year due to rain. But it finally happened, and Adam and Isabel loved it. Sadly, we haven't seen snow since we moved away from Utah two years ago.

Last Minute Trip to Paradise

On a Monday in February, Ben said he needed a vacation. He had been working crazy hours starting his bankruptcy work for the past few months. That day I started looking around, and found a great deal to Maui leaving in just four days. I couldn't get a hold of Ben but I booked it anyway!

I was asked quite a few times why we took the kids. One reason was because Ben was working so much he didn't get to see them often. So going on vacation was the perfect way to spend some quality time. Plus, we knew they would love it and have been talking about taking a family vacation to Hawaii this year. We just didn't realize it would be so last minute.

We were in Maui for just over 5 days, and it was a lot of fun. The weather could have been better - it was a bit windy. But we still loved it!

Bankruptcy Law Firm Serving all of California

This post will not include pictures of cute children. For those of you that don't know, I have been working at a law firm that specializes in criminal expungement. While I enjoy this area of law I have been working towards opening a bankruptcy law firm for the last several months.

Working with Mat Higbee, the founder of Higbee & Associates, we have opened First Source Law, a law firm dedicated to helping people with their financial problems. We have successfully modified home loans, helped clients get rid of unwanted debt through bankruptcy, and helped clients settle their debt for far less than they owe.

This week we are officially launching our website. First Source Law will continue to help clients in difficult financial situations through loan mods, chapter 7 bankruptcy and chapter 13 bankruptcy, and through innovative lawsuits designed to help our clients keep their homes. If you or someone you know needs help keeping their home, wants an explanation of their bankruptcy options, or just needs a little legal advice in these areas, feel free to give us a call.

A Tale of Two Kindergartens

When we bought a house, I struggled with whether or not to have Anna switch schools. At first I thought I would do the 15-20 minute drive each way to keep her at the same school, but I quickly realized that was silly when the new school is only a mile away. But I still felt bad because she made some great friends and loved her teacher.

Here are some pictures I took on her last day. First, Anna with some friends. Then, Anna with her teacher Mrs. Betro (I'll always remember her as the one who told me I have a perfect child!)