Summer is leeeaaaving....

Bah, the sun is setting so much earlier...the wading pools are closing down...some trees are actually starting to turn yellows and reds...I'M NOT READY FOR SUMMER TO END. Usually I am pumped for Fall...I'm ready to bring the sweaters out, start planning crock pot meals, pumpkin spice everything, and hello-apple spice donuts at Mighty-O (I'm not bitter that they messed up my wedding donut order and DIDN'T make the apple spice donuts I especially requested). But no...I'm not there yet. This summer has been beautiful and I have spent more time outside than any past summer I can remember (nannying...parks every day)...but there are so many things I still want to do. Like camping...we never went camping this summer. And hiking- not a single hike happened! And the West Seattle pool with salt water- never went there. Alki- hardly spent any time at the best beach we have in our city and is a few minutes away. I actually don't think I even put a swim suit on once this summer. Etc. Etc. Etc. Please September...take your time transitioning into Fall.

With Summer quarter being done, I have finally found some time to read. I just finished the third book in the Ender's Game series. I have zipped through all three of those books- I don't know how I hadn't ever read Ender's Game before...I just started my new book club book yesterday and am already almost halfway done- Where'd You Go Bernadette. It is based in Seattle, and while I think it might be a little over the top with the Seattle references...it is pretty funny and spot on with some of the jokes.

Brian and I spent some time last night working on our Honeymoon itinerary. I think we are going to do four days in Paris, and then Rome, Venice, and probably a smaller(ish) city in Tuscany...maybe we will go to Florence, but I am hoping to decide on one of the smaller ones. We sent in our request for midnight mass at the Vatican with the Pope. Hopefully that will work out...it sounds like we should be able to get in since there are only two of us. Trying to figure out what we want to do for accommodations...hotel? hostel? airbnb? It is that balance between wanting to stay in a somewhat decent place, but also- we will be out exploring most of the time...how much do we really want to spend? It didn't even occur to me today, but of course we will go to Disneyland Paris! We have been craving a Disney trip for quite a while, and checking flights...ultimately deciding each time that we can't do Disney before Italy...but now we will get both!

Oh my goodness, the twins are growing up so fast! They are 7 months old now, and Lily is already starting

to crawl (not the actual crawl, but the push and scoot). They don't look like infants anymore...they are actual babies. Sitting up and playing.

To further the point from my first paragraph...this morning (afternoon, really), Brian and I went over to Alki, grabbed a drink from Starbucks and walked for about an hour up Alki, and along Beach Dr. We went down onto the rocky beach and slid our way along the seaweed. Admired the homes, read about the sea animal sightings. We made our way back to the main strip of Alki, and had lunch at Cactus- YUM. Why haven't we been doing this all summer?

Tomorrow night is the HUGE Sounders vs Portland match, with Clint Dempsey's home debut. The match is sold out...neeeervous!!

That's all- have a fantastic week! (And Labor Day weekend!)