In April - on April 1st, no less - we enjoyed a very welcome "shotgun wedding" (and no, no shotguns were necessary) at the Seattle Municipal Courthouse: Tracy and Paul were married!
Tracy and Paul on their day of nuptials ... complete with cake topper.
Just in time for the arrival of their adorable twins, no less, who blessed us with their arrival just a little over 6 weeks later, on May 16th, 2010.
Baby A (Avery Floyd) and Baby B (David Evan) are a welcome addition to our family!
We of course started (lovingly) spoiling these boys before their birth, a practice which continues to this day.
Proud Auntie Jacqueline and Uncle Chris with the twins in the hospital just two days after their birth.
Although identical twins, these boys definitely are their own, independent beings.
Twin teddy bears for the boys, complete with scarves knitted by their Auntie Jacqueline.
Other things were growing besides the twins that spring. From around May through October, the garden's activity is downright riotous. From it, we enjoy planting, nurturing, and harvesting both edible and non-edible treasures.
A glimpse of the spring garden in May 2010, from left to right: garden snail, clematis, and false orange blossom.
Father's Day was spent with Dad; we took him to Tap Restaurant in South Surrey for a culinary night on the town.
Dad and me imbibing during our Father's Day night on the town on June 20th, 2010.
By July, the garden was in full swing. From flowers to herbs to fruits and vegetables, our urban homesteading is a lot of fun (all we need are chickens and bees)!
Urban homesteading, from left to right: sunflowers and Ball canning jar glass bird feeder; garlic harvest; and borage, which is an annual herb also known as starflower (a wonderful edible flower that goes great on salads).
And nevermind the garden; by August, the twins had already grown so much! One day we donned them in their "onesie best" and conducted s photo shoot with them. (Av and Ev were not particularly pleased.)
Ave and Ev suffering through their very first "formal" photo shoot. (They say beauty is pain, after all.)
Then, in early September, we took Dad on a week-long-plus trip to Vegreville, Alberta, stopping in Edmonton, Banff, and Jasper as well. Visits with family and old friends were greatly enjoyed. Some of the photos we took from this trip made it to our 2010-2011 winter holiday card, but here are two that didn't:
I have dubbed these images "From Stud to Stag" - it was a great trip. A good time was had by all.
In early October, 2011, I gave a Cross-Border Liquor Laws presentation to lawyers and beverage industry folk in Chicago - a way for me to merge my professional experiences into a new career path that combines my right and left brains: an entrepreneur and writer with a focus on the food, beverage, travel, and lifestyle industries. Chris is still enjoying his legal practice as an employment and labo(u)r lawyer/attorney who represents the management side of things.
Although many happy hellos took place in 2010, one sad good-bye stands out: on October 14, 2010, at the age of 15 years, Teddie Bear left us. We put her down when her back hips and appetite came to an end. Although difficult, it was the best and most humane birthday gift we could have given her. We miss you Teddie.
One of the last photos of Teddie (October 14, 1995-October 14, 2010), when her appetite was still going strong. A soft serve ice cream cone was one of her most beloved treats.
The grief for Teddie was great and a void had to be filled in our home. So, in a matter of weeks, Tula joined us at the age of seven weeks. Also a Newfoundland like Teddie, Tula is also a Landseer Newf - a darling black and white Newfie.
Tula and me a couple of week after we brought her home, in late November, 2010. She's had the run of the place ever since the first day she arrived to join our home.
December of course means LOTS of time with family and friends. Dad came down to stay with us for a week or two and our social calendars were full.
Here's last year's holiday card, in case yours didn't reach you either electronically or via snail mail (or you just need a reminder).
That about wraps up 2010, my dears ... we're older, (hopefully) wiser, happy and healthy - and we wish the same for all of you!
