Winter 2010

Winters in Seattle are...well...gray and full of drizzle. Luckily for us we've got a great fireplace, nice rain wear, and birds that never go away. Even hummingbirds. Can you believe it?! They move too fast, though. Or we're too slow with the camera.

We've really enjoyed bird watching this winter. Our balcony is surrounded with trees, so we have a really good spot for it. The picture above? A chickadee.

A snow in Seattle is pretty rare because we are so close to the water, but we got a light dusting this year.

Goofy? Yes. We went to New York City for New Year's Eve! We didn't stay in Times Square for the ball drop, though, (too much standing) because Rhonda injured her knee recently in a pseudo-snowboarding accident...but that is a story for later.

We spent Christmas with family. That's Jillie above and Addie (our nieces) in the red pj's.

Josh and I on Christmas morning.

We were lucky enough to spend Thanksgiving with family as well! Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures. Note to self: always back up your pictures on your computer.

Happy Birthday, America!

We had heard that the fireworks show in Seattle was a big deal, so we took the advice of more experienced Seattlites....partly. The veteran citizens recommended to not go at all. "If you're that interested, though, get there darn early".

We arrived at noon with sack lunches, cold drinks, blankets, a tarp, sunscreen, and an ice chest in tow. Being from small-town, America, I was most definitely not expecting to see the park this full 10 hours before the show began.

After weighing our options and cutting a few deals, we found a good spot. The barge you see here that looks empty is actually loaded with pyrotechnics :)

See those Seattle clouds?...good thing we had a tarp because shortly after I snapped this shot the Stevesons turned into a tarp burrito. That's right!-improvisation at its best: the tarp was originally for ground cover for underneath our blanket so that the blanket didn't soak up moisture from the ground. We had no umbrella, so we wrapped ourselves in the tarp to stay dry! (so sorry I don't have a pic of this)

The rain finally cleared, and the show began. Was it worth waiting on a steep slope underneath a tarp for 10 hours? ABSOLUTELY! One of our most fun and most memorable Independence Day celebrations on record!

Sunny Weekends in Seattle!

It is finally summer in Seattle! Beautiful weather here-days in the mid 70s with evenings low 60s. Perfect weather for exploring our city!!

Everything is green here--all of the time (even in the winter). Now that lazy summer Saturdays are here, we can finally enjoy going to the many beautiful parks that we've been eying all winter. We've rediscovered one of our favorite things from childhood: PICNICS!

Here's Josh sprawled out on our blanket. Panera in the park=great Saturday afternoon.

Another amazing thing that summer in Seattle offers: Seattle Sounders FC (professional soccer league). We've been able to watch a few matches live.

There are so many little islands near the Seattle area, and they each have a different sort of culture to them. This particular island had a very organic feel to it: no chain food establishments, no Starbucks on every block, and only one grocery store. We did pass by numerous farmer's markets, walking and biking trails, and the most serene road (if you can call it that) I've ever seen.

...on a boat...
On our most recent outing to an island, we drove our vehicle onto the ferry. This is a regular thing for native Seattlites, but it is still an interesting and exciting concept for us land-locked Oklahoma natives. It was a bit strange being in a car seeing water all around.

Ending one of our Seattle Saturdays by taking a walk along Alki Beach, watching the sun go down over the Olympic Mountains.
Bliss!!!!

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games

We made the few hour drive from Seattle to Vancouver, BC to see the 2010 Winter Olympic Games!

Just after crossing over the Canadian border.

It was such a beautiful drive, but we were excited to get out of the car and start our Olympic experience. See the Canada Hockey Center pictured above in all of its Olympic glory!

We were able to get tickets to see the match between Norway and Switzerland.

The green and blue section here is filled with the press, and ONLY the press. We were amazed with how many cameras were there.

After sudden death overtime, Switzerland won it!

Unfortunately, this was the best view we could get of the Olympic Cauldron without waiting in line for nearly two hours for access to the viewing platform.

Our favorite part of the hockey game? The excitement when either team made a goal. Not only was the crowd completely insane, but buzzer that sounded after the goal was so loud that it shook the seats! We were lucky enough to catch one on video.

Steveson's First Thanksgiving

Prepare yourself, viewers. This is a longer one.....and it is all food. What else do you do on Thanksgiving? (Other than being thankful for your many blessings)

Good late Thanksgiving morning to you all! Josh can really cook!

Shortly after we recover from the huge breakfast, the turkey cookin' begins.

After the brine, the basting, and the baking it's done!

The man of the house carving the turkey!

HUGE Thanksgiving feast for only two people. We've got the turkey, stuffing, gravy, ham balls, potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and sweet rolls. Thank Heaven for freezers!

Our first Thanksgiving dinner done all by ourselves. How exciting!

Home-made pumpkin pie! Not from the can.

More dessert. The pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and turtle cake!

We even got to watch some Thanksgiving football thanks to ESPN 360.

We had so much fun this Thanksgiving! We may still be recovering from all the food even as you read this, but it was all worth it. We thank God for good health, our love, and the love of our families and friends. Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful Christmas season to you all!

Settled in Seattle

Josh carried me over the threshold. Then he started carrying in the packages that so many nice folks sent us while we were sailing. Thanks everybody!

Our deck is surrounded in pretty trees. Difficult to see here, but the lights just past the trees are Boeing Field. A bit rare that it isn't too cloudy/foggy to see.

The end of a beautiful sunset at Pike's Public Market.

This is the view coming out of the original Starbuck's just across the street.

HONEYMOON!

Spatterings of some of our favorite pictures from our cruise:

Raining in Cozumel, Mexico. We got some nice practice for Seattle ;)

All week, we kept saying to ourselves "Hey! We're married!" Josh caught one of those moments :)

The second largest cruise ship on the planet.

Sharing a margarita on Paradise Beach in Mexico!

An honest to goodness view from our balcony!

They had hammocks on the beach in Haiti. We spent all afternoon in one spot!

HEY! We're MARRIED!!

We have a place to live!

Hello all!

We signed a lease on an apartment in Seattle! The complex sits up on what is known as "Boeing Hill". Apparently, back in the day, Boeing executives built their houses on this hill so that they could overlook their work. We are only minutes from Josh's job, and many hospitals are nearby (very convenient for a working nurse).

Keeping the blog updated proves to be difficult, as the internet connections in the thriving metropolis of Southard, OK [har har har ;)] are not fast enough to support picture uploads. After the wedding, Josh and I look forward to being able to properly catch you up with all of the happenings!

Ta Ta for now:)
--Joshua and Rhonda

Bridal Shower in Broken Arrow

The food was so pretty (and not to mention TASTY)! Thank you Kristin Schriks and Kathy Steveson for hosting such an amazing bridal shower!

Notice the deer to the left in front of the fireplace. Yes that's right, it is wearing a veil! The hostesses covered every little detail.

Tackling the beautiful gift table with the help of a few bridesmaids.

This was an amazing experience.
Joshua and I are so very thankful for your generosity, kind thoughts, and warm wishes.