Our Whistler Vacation

This past week Chad & I took a trip to Whistler, BC to celebrate our 4th Anniversary. We left Tuesday evening and drove to Bellingham. Wednesday morning we made our way to Whistler. We had a relaxing afternoon just walking around the village and checking into our room. We had a great room at the Pinnacle Hotel. The hotel is just a 5 minute walk from Whistler village. We then had a great pizza dinner and beer at the Brewhouse that night. The bees wouldn't leave us alone outside, so our waiter graciously helped us to move indoors.

On Thursday we celebrated our 4th Anniversary. Our adventure for the day was to do a guided ATV wilderness tour on Cougar Mountain about a 5-10 minute shuttle drive from Whistler village. I had never been on an ATV before, so we decided that Chad would drive and I would be the passenger. This ended up being a great idea because it was a fairly bumpy ride. It was a lot of fun and we got to stop a few times in order to take some pictures. I would definitely go again, but I think that I need some lessons before I would decide to drive one. That evening after getting cleaned up and relaxing for awhile we went for a wonderful dinner at Quattro's Italian Restaurant which is located next door to the Pinnacle Hotel. The food was fabulous, the ambiance was romantic and the service was great. Please see pictures attached of our wonderful evening at Quatrro's. The biggest surprise that night was when the bill came there was a note that said "Happy Anniversary, Love from your parents." They told us that my parents had paid for it, but we found out the next day that it was actually my mother and father-in-law that had treated us to our anniversary dinner. Thank you again, Nancy & Bob, that was a special treat for us. You helped to make the evening evenmore memorable.

Friday we ventured out to the top of Whistler Mountain in the gondola. I have a bit of a fear of heights, but I wanted to see the amazing views, so I braved going this time. When we reached the top of Whistler Mountain we took a few pictures and then jumped on the new Peak 2 Peak Gondola. This new gondola was built for the 2010 Winter Olympics. It connects Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb. This ride takes 11 minutes each way and at one point you are 213 feet above the ground. Most of this time is spent going right over Whistler river. It was amazing, but I am not sure if I would do it again anytime soon. We made it back to Whistler mountain and then back down to the village. I was definitely relieved to make it back down to ground level after being up so high earlier. We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and walking around the village. This was our last full day in Whistler.

Saturday morning we had a great breakfast at La Brassiere in the village and then left Whistler to make our way home to Bothell. We had a 50 minute wait at the border, but we had some good conversation and music from my i-pod, so the time went by fast. We arrived home at 5pm and the cats were pleased to see us. I definitely would recommend a trip to Whistler if you have never been before. We definitely plan to go again. Great time, but we were both ready to be home and sleep in our own beds. Had a relaxing day on Sunday and back to work yesterday.

The newest edition to the Hutchison family

This past Saturday Chad & I proudly welcomed our newest member to the family. Caleb Kyle Hutchison was born at 11:26pm on Sat May 30th. We were able to go meet him on Sunday morning at Evergreen Hospital. Chad & I were both able to hold him and he is a cutie. I think that he is going to be a laid back little guy who is content and sweet. He definitely has large feet and long fingers like his Daddy. Both Allison and Caleb will both be tall kids. Allison is already taking on the role of the big sister so wonderfully. She is also going to be a great helper for her Mom & Dad. What a blessing both of them are in our lives. We look forward to getting to know Caleb as he grows and continue to become closer to Allison. We want to always play a special role in their lives. I continue to be thankful to be a part of such a wonderful, loving and caring family.

Thanksgiving at Nancy & Bob's place

This year Chad & I spent Thanksgiving with his side of the family. My in-laws had it at their place, which makes it convenient for us because they just live five minutes away. We had a large gathering of seventeen of us this year. We had a great spread of food as always. Everything from the turkey and potatoes and the fixings and of course all the yummy desserts from Shelley. I have to admit that one of my favorite things about our gatherings are the desserts. Shelley made Pecan pie, Apple pie, Pumpkin pie (my favorite), a single pecan free pie for Chad who is allergic and her famous tarts and pomegranate sorbet. I need to learn how to make some of these goodies sometime. The thing I loved the most about our day was spending time with family. Chad & I love to be with family and it is always a fun time. What a blessing to be a part of such a wonderful family. Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely and we look forward to our next gathering Dec 27 at Aunt Shelley & Uncle Bart's place in Ballard. They live in a beautiful older home with lots of antiques. Chad & I would love to live in a place like that one day. We are looking forward to gathering again as a family to celebrate Christmas.

2nd Annual Apple Cup Party

Chad & I hosted our 2nd Annual Apple Cup Party this year on Sat Nov 22nd. Both the Cougars and the Huskies have had a tough year. I wasn't sure what kind of a game it would be. It was all Huskies the first half, but the second half it got interesting. It went into overtime and the Cougars eventually ended up winning. The Huskies should have won this game. I did feel bad for the players since they hadn't won a game all season long. The best part of the afternoon was spending time with family. My parents were there, my in-laws, Nancy & Bob, my sister and our nephew and Chad's brother and our niece, Allison. We love to have people over and entertain. Everyone had a great time eating Chad's chili and other goodies, visiting and Allison enjoyed planning on the play equipment outside and picking up leaves. The cats enjoyed everyone as well. They definitely enjoy people. We plan to have another party next year and we will see who wins Apple Cup 2009. Go Cougs!!

GridIron Classic at Qwest Field

This last Saturday, Chad & I attended the GridIron Classic with my parents. The WSU Cougars were playing host to the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Most of you know already that both of my parents are alumni of WSU. It works out well that Chad was already a Cougs fan before we met.

It was fortunate that my Mom took a few pictures before we headed down to the stadium. Chad & I brought our digital camera along, but when we tried to take a picture the batteries were dead. Just now I was checking the camera and there was one picture that my Dad took at the game that did turn out. I guess the batteries were not completely dead. Next time we will still make sure we check the batteries the night before. The game was a rough one for the Cougs especially for their offense. It looks like this will be a year of transition and building character. We are excited about our new coach who is also a WSU alumni. It is going to take a little time to deal with the mess that was left for him. In time things will improve. We will still follow our Cougs this year and cheer them on. The Huskies are not expected to have a good year either, so it will make for an interesting Apple Cup in Pullman this year. We will be having our 2nd Annual Apple Cup party at our place this year and all Husky and Cougs fan are welcome. We are divided even among our own family, so it makes for a fun rivalry and a good time for everyone. Go Cougs!!!!

Sammamish HS 20th Reunion

This last Saturday Chad & I attended my 20th HS Reunion at Red Hook Brewery in Woodinville. I was a bit nervous about going since I hadn't seen anybody for a long time. The person that I wanted to see the most was my best friend from 7th grade thru my senior year, Noelle. After Chad & I checked in we went inside & the first person I saw was my friend, Noelle. I recognized her immediately without even seeing her picture. We gave each other a big hug & started chatted. It felt like old times. She has been married for five years to a great guy named Chris. Chad & Chris got a long well. I could see the four of us getting together sometime. Noelle lives near Silver Lake, so just about twenty minutes away.

I also saw my friends Lanchi, Subashini & Barry along with about fifteen others that I knew. They all live in the area except for Subashini who lives with her husband in San Francisco. Subashini also happens to be the cousin of my friend, Rachel, who now lives in Portland. It was funny that one of the popular guys, Tom Robinson, mentioned to me that he remembered having several good conversations with me, but I do not remember that at all. I told him "I'm sorry Tom, but I do not remember those conversations, but of course it has been twenty years ago". It is funny how you can make an impression on someone, but you don't always remember it. I enjoyed looking at old pictures, chatting, having good food & remembering. I have now reconnected with a few friends & hopefully we will stay connected until the next reunion & beyond.

Our trip to Seaside, OR

This last week Chad & I took a trip to Seaside, OR for our 3rd Anniversary. We stayed at a quaint B & B, The Gilbert Inn. The inn was built in 1892 & is filled with many antique furnishings. Wonderful breakfasts each morning & fresh baked cookies to snack on each day. We would highly recommend staying there the next time you take a trip to the area.

We celebrated our 3rd Anniversary the first night we were there at the Wayfarer in Cannon Beach. The restaurant looks out over Haystack Rock making for a romantic setting. I started out with a to die for cup of chowder. This was some of the best I've had. We also shared a yummy crab, spinach & artichoke dip. Our dinners were served on plates that had "Happy Anniversary" painted on them. This was a special touch. I had the Wild Alaskan Salmon & Chad had the Filet Mignon. For dessert we shared a delectable chocolate ganache with a lighted candle on top. They thought of everything. This was an anniversary dinner we will remember for years to come.

The next day we spent all day shopping & just relaxing in Seaside. In the evening we went for a leisurely walk along the promenade by the beach. This was the perfect way to end our day.

We spent Friday in Cannon Beach walking on the beach including a walk down to Haystack Rock. This was the nicest day weatherwise on the trip. We did some shopping in the town & found the perfect picture of the area to take home in remembrance of our trip.

Saturday we headed home, but first stopped in Portland to visit our friends, Rachel & Shehan. They were married two months after us in October 2005. They shared the news with us that they are expecting in January. How exciting another baby on the way! We have had several family members & friends have babies since our wedding. We enjoy all the children in our lives. It is important for them to have multiple mentors in their lives along with their parents. We arrived home Saturday night & are now back to work. It was a fun trip, but it is always over to soon. We look forward to our next adventure.