Photo(s) of the Week - Lighted Boat Parade

Dark... 20-30 knot winds... sideways rain.  

Brave Souls

M was unimpressed with the less than ideal conditions.  I was impressed that this parade had participants. 

Unimpressed

T & K

This was one of those character building exercises. 

Photo of the Week - Turning Point?

 

11AM - this morning - waiting for a "weather window" so I could make a break for my car with kids in tow.  After two hours, I gave up and trudged up the dock in the rain. 

7PM - Who would have guessed?  Mid 60's.  Beautiful.

Is this Summer?  Hopefully.

Photo of the Week - A Gift.

M's Nana made this gorgeous sailboat themed quilt for M (to celebrate his first birthday).  It is backed in VERY soft chenille/minky fabric.  I have found myself cuddled up under it a few times already.  M's Nana (my mother in law) is an amazingly talented and gifted quilter.  

Beautiful! 

Photo of the Week - He did it -

I am guessing this is where sibling conflict begins? 

Photo of the Week - Fierce -

Fierce Tom-Boy Dock Girl (Miss K).

Photo of the Week - Spring Weather -

Spring is here AND it is making me want to learn more about weather patterns.  I am in the middle of reading Adlard Coles' "Heavy Weather Sailing" which I have found very educational and interesting.  However, I am pretty much lost when a cloud is described as being stratocumulus perlucidus.  Huh? Seriously.

Stratocumulus perlucidus clouds aside, the weather in Friday Harbor has been full of extremes.  We go from having snow, to sun, to hail, to wind (it seems) in a single 24 hour time period. 

Photo of the Week - Thinking Outside the Box -

T and I recently noticed this sub thirty foot Sundancer in our marina.  Someone attached this bowthruster to the outside of the hull and protected the brackets they used by screwing a rubber dock protector strip to the boat.  We think it is pretty ridiculous looking but it must serve its purpose (?).

Photo of the Week - Thank You God -

It is a beautiful day AND it is time to take some outgrown baby equipment off the boat!  Oh... the space!!  Things are looking up! 

Photo of the Week - Happy Winter -

It is cold outside... but the cockpit is 70 degrees!  I love this weather!

Photo of the Week - Happy Holidays!

Ma'alahi Decor

Merry Christmas from the Ma'alahi Family!  We are spending Christmas (and the following week) at T's family's condo in Black Butte Oregon. 

As a side note... how hard is it to travel with kids?!? 

It was not easy (AT.ALL) to fit a family of four (including two babies), all our clothes, Christmas tree, 80 pound labrador (and kennel), said labrador's food, Christmas gifts, skis (there is no snow here…), infant jumper, pack n' play, K's tent (which is very compact), and food into our car (and Thule cargo rooftop bin).  It took me four days to pack and repack everything so that it fit just right.  

M with Santa

Photo of the Week - Lime Kiln Park -

 

I constantly remind myself to take a deep breath, look around, and take in the beauty of our where we live.

Photo of the Week - Good Morning! -

Clearly willing to let me sleep in...

This little critter can be so cute in the morning.  I typically bring M to bed when he wakes up for a feeding anytime after 5AM - I am usually able to get one to two hours of additional sleep ((PRICELESS)).

I can only dream of the day when he will sleep ALL.THE.WAY. through the night.  For now, he is a 22 pound baby that refuses solids. 

Photo of the Week - Path of Destruction

Photo of the Week - K's New Haunt

K at the Spring Street Aquarium

A close friend of mine recently turned me on to the "Spring Street Aquarium" as a great place to take the kids.  The aquarium is comprised of a 400 gallon tank containing all sorts of little sea critters and fish.  More importantly (to me at least) it is in an enclosed building at the end of one of the port's docks.  Did I mention it is free?!?! It is a great place to let K run around on a rainy afternoon.  K will point to each of the animals and wait for me to tell her what each one is... she will be a marine biologist before we know it!

Photo of the Week - "Playroom" is all clean -

 K is looking sassier than every these days!  It appears she wants to take credit for picking up her toys...

Photo of the Week - Time to Bundle Up-

M in K's hand-me-down REI fleece snow sleeper.

It is time to break out the hooded fleece sleepers!!!  I will be carting the kids up and down the dock in these adorable things.  [Swoon]  There is nothing like a totally bundled up baby.  

These things retail for $20-$40 each.  I have had a lot of luck getting them at the local consignment store and on eBay for less than $10 (including shipping). 

Photo of the Week - The Dreaded Box -

Do you ever leave the remnants of a project out as constant reminder that you haven't finished what you started?  Hoping that - by inconveniencing yourself with having to look at it (or needing to move it EVERY TIME you OPEN THE FRIDGE) that maybe you will take the initiative to finish it and make it go away... 

This box has found a few different homes aboard Ma'alahi.  The box contains the vinyl decals of "Ma'alahi" that belong on each side of the hull...  (FUTURE POST on renaming our boat in the works).  After tediously installing "Ma'alahi" on the stern port side of the boat from the dock... I realized that my idea of installing "Ma'alahi" on the stern starboard side FROM.A.KAYAK was probably not ideal.  So - the box will remain aboard the boat until we starboard tie on a weekend mini trip. 

Photo of the Week - Boat Cake

I had to laugh when I pulled this out of the oven - no explanation necessary.

Side note:  our boat is not listing and we have a gimballed stove.

Photo of the Week - Reflections -