Peterka

One of the highlights of my trip home was being able to see an old friend, Andrew Peterka. We met in Japan where we had the exact same job in the Navy, and more importantly, where we were part of the same Christian community, the Hospitality House. Drew had a small wedding on June 8th and then on July 21st in Atlanta they had a celebration time with a larger group at his new in-laws. It was great catching up and reminiscing and meeting his bride. She seems wonderful and I am so happy for Drew. Also, he scored in the in-law department. Good people.

1110 W Howe

So we did get the condo. YEAH! We're what you call first-time-home-buyers. It was a time consuming, learning process. I can't wait till we're settled in. Anyway, it is 2 bedroom, 1.75 bath, 1007 s/f, 1st floor of a 13 unit building, and in West Queen Anne. I'll tell you more if you ask, but describing it any more seems like it would be a bore. I'll post pictures once we're moved in...

Offerings

So we decided to buy a condo. We can get our payment to be as much as rent would probably be so why not invest! So our first attempt: condo on market two days - we offer asking price with seller paying closing cost - we don't get accepted because someone else offered $10,000 over asking, paid cash, and did not require an inspection. The second one we wanted didn't work out either, but I'll spare the details. And, as of this moment we are waiting to hear back on an offer for a condo in Queen Anne (a neighborhood directly north of downtown Seattle). I'll tell you all about it if we get it. It's been on the market a whole week so hopefully we have a better chance.

In a related story...

This morning I took Roxy to daycare at 9 a.m. At about 10:30 I searched the whole house for a folder that had a bunch of house buying paperwork. Well, I finally realized I probably left it on top of the minivan last night. Sure enough, I get to the five-lane road in front of our complex and see a few pages. Forty-five minutes later after walking about a three block radius, an intersecting street, and both sides of the busy streets, I recovered individually 30 of 32 pages. Not exactly an enjoyable experience!

So I am leaving tomorrow for Florida with Roxy for twelve days. Trish can't go since she has a new job. I'll post all about it when I can. Of note, I am going to Andrew Peterka's "marriage celebration" in Atlanta. He got married June 8th and since it was a small wedding they are having this celebration for others to "celebrate."

Translator please?

Roxy is quite the talker. Click video. Do you think she is trying to communicate something, enjoys hearing her own voice, imitating, or what?

Just relaxing

We had an enjoyable 4th of July. We had some friends over for swimming and lunch and then went to some other friends for some good potluck eatin'. After putting Roxy to bed, we watched fireworks from our balcony. It was a different firework experience, but interesting. Our apartment is on a hill so we have a good view of the surrounding suburbs. We didn't get the close up effect, but we watched three big shows and dozens of individual's firework pretty much simultaneously. They last well over an hour so we actually got bored.

Laughable

Here is a video clip for your viewing pleasure. And another one.

Ketchup

I think this is the longest I've gone without a blog. I am feeling withdraws. I am going to give a quick update. We have big news so read on...
Canada Day
We just got back from Vancouver, Canada where we celebrated Canada Day with some friends. We visited the big festivities at the convention center and stayed over night. Honestly, it wasn't a worthwhile trip. Although, we had an excellent authentic Chinese lunch. Crossing the border took about an hour each way. Trish lost her purse. Roxy had a lot of crabby spells and didn't sleep well. We wished we would have stayed home and relaxed because we are just finishing up a busy spell.
Alki Beach
Friday night needs a mention. We celebrated a friend's, Mark Closson, birthday with surprise at Alki Beach. A beautiful spot across the water from downtown. Mark and his wife Mary have become a good friends. For those who know the magnitude, Mark was my Practicum II partner.

Last week I finished up with classes for the summer. Three more papers to do this month though.

Roxy is still developing so quickly (in my eyes). She seems so smart sometimes. She does about 25 signs now (including poop). She is fun to just watch sometimes. Like last night she was spinning around in her pac-n-play while flailing her arms and babbling loudly. She likes talking on the phone, loves bath time, and LOVES shoes.

Okay, for the big news... Trish got a job at Starbucks Corporate! She is going to be an Admin Assistant for the VP in charge of the benefits. Starbucks is a great company to work for and has lots of perks: lb of coffee a week, 30% store discount, 15% discount on stock, and free drinks while at work.
O' Canada