Fathers Day at Malibu

We took Bret to Malibu to celebrate Fathers Day!! It was a fun visit filled with great memories and lots of new ones too!

We stopped to visit our good friends from Malibu, the Rucks! It was so good to see them!

Mommy and Willa on the Princess

Willa Chillin on the front porch of our cabin

Daddy and Willa on the outer dock

Family pic

Willa's first YL club... she loved it!!

Daddy and Willa enjoying the view

Another family pic

Welcome to Malibu

Daddy and Willa with the old generator. Bret's job at Malibu was to maintain the generators. They have hydro power now so, no more generator!!

Little Squawka

Big Squawka

Willa dancing in the dining hall

Picking flowers

Enjoying the view

Watching the campers compete at the regatta then having a snowball fight... note the flakes in Bret and Willa's hair

Watching the snowball fight

Family pic... note Willa giving the peace sign

Heading down the inlet to Chatterbox Falls

Taking in the beauty

Chatterbox Falls

Daddy and Willa by the falls

Daddy and Willa pose by the boat Bret used to drive... the Skookum

Mommy and WIlla pose by the boat Leah used to drive... the Cowichan

Taking in the view from the pool deck

Around town and what not...

After a particularly long winter we were rewarded with beautiful weather in May and June. Here are some pictures of some of our goings on...

We went for a long bike ride one family fun Friday so, we popped our bikes on the bus bike racks and took Willa's first bus ride home! Talk about low carbon footprint... we truly are Bellinghamers!!

Daddy and Willa take a walk to the village green

Mommy shares her ice cream

Willa is really excited about those pears!

On Tuesdays we head to the library for story time... sometimes Bret takes an early lunch to join us! This was Bret's first story time so, Willa is showing him the ropes!

Willa's friend Riley came over to play... the girls were watching the neighbor kids across the street... Willa was enjoying some "almost" naked time!

You can see in this picture that when Willa is not making good use of her chair... Lyle is!!

Willa is really into boxes... opening them, hiding things inside them, wearing them...

We take a really fun music/dancing class on Thursday evenings. One of Willa's favorite parts is dancing with scarves. Mommy's favorite part is watching Bret dance with scarves!!!

Movie time!! Every Tuesday and Thursday morning our local movie theater shows free movies for toddlers. Willa loves it! This week we watched half a veggie tale movie about pirates... We only ever make it to intermission... Willa doesn't know the difference, yet!

Quick stop in Philly

On our way to Greece we stopped off in Philadelphia to visit Bret's Nana and Aunts. It was a quick stop but good to see the family

Bret and Willa watching the Amish carriages roll by on the front porch of the B&B where we stayed

Willa and Nana

Playing with Nana

Great Aunt Carolyn... it takes a realy special person to be "great"!

Another "great"... Great Aunt Sandy!

Sam's Birthday

In May we celebrated with the Goldsberry's as Sam turned two! Here are some pictures from the party

Willa gives Hans a snuggle

Sam's funny friend Kalix

The Goldsberry's

Sam blows out the candles

Swingin' with Daddy

Sharing some bbq with Janel

Sam and Megan share some grapes

Willa trying out Sam's new trike!

Help from Dad...

Greece

So, we just got back from an amazing family trip to Greece! And yes... Willa came too! Dennis/Dad/Grandad took the whole family to Greece for a trip down memory lane. Bret spent the first three years of his life in Greece... sadly there wasn't much memory lane that he could actually remember. Admittedly our first couple days were rough... night 2 Bret, Willa and I were ready to pack up (and I'm pretty sure the rest of the family was ready to give us the boot) however, Willa and parents rallied (and got over some pretty rotten jet lag) and had a great trip. Willa was a great traveler and super trooper... she pretty much lived in her backpack (note all the pictures of all the places WIlla napped)! I broke the trip pictures into four groups... our time on the island of Santorini, Athens (This was our favorite part so, be sure to check out these pics!), Corith and few pictures from where we satyed near Athens in Loutsa. There are A LOT of pictures so be sure to pace yourselves and enjoy!!!

Athens, Greece

Our time in Athens was filled with incredible sights, old friends and familiar places. Here are "several" pictures from our time there!

Bret's Folks, Karen and Dennis, had great friends in Athens, incidentally, named Karen and Dennis. Dennis is the director of the planetarium in Athens. Here we are getting ready to check it out.

Dennis and Karen in front of their old house

Our hike up to the Acropolis

Bret and Willa in front of some pillars...

Leah with the trusty guidebook

The Parthenon

Bret, Leah, Willa & the Parthenon

Mommy and Willa take in the view

The other side of the Parthenon

Check out this picture of Bret when he was six-ish and the picture of Willa below... what a hoot!

Family pic

Willa with Grandad and Grandmom

This would make a pretty cool Nalgene ad... hydrate or die!

The hike up to Mars Hill ... note.... Bret had the backpack again

Our tour guide

Partial Family Pic... definitely not x-mas card material... where's Cori?

Jim's and Jana's X-mas card pic

Grandmom and Grandad x-mas card

Family Pic

The whole family pic... maybe x-mas card material?

We take a break a local cafe

Naptime

The sunglasses game

Dancing on the Plaka

The Van

The Church where grandad used to be pastor

The alter

The pulpit

One afternoon Bret, Leah, Willa, Jim & Jana took a walking tour of Athens. It started here at Santagma Square

Mommy, Willa & the taverna menu

The taverna owner bribing Willa with a flower... I don't think she's going for it

Mommy, Willa and the parliment building

Aunt Jana & Willa

Changing of the guard... this outft is way more embarassing than the one at Buckinham Palace!

The funniest thing about the changing of the guard is that they have guards to protect the guards from the tourists... no joke!

Jim, Bret & Willa at the national gardens

Naptime

More of the gardens

The walking tour continues

Hadriens Arch... I think... there are so many temples and arches... they are hard to keep up with

Sights on the walking tour...

The Agora... the ancient marketplace

Jana buying some coconut deliciousness in the Plaka

MmmMmm roasted pistachios