The next generation Coug

Don't think for a minute I haven't started loosely planning Lily's first Moms Weekend at Wazzu in 2031. Crazy Auntie Kate and her mom, reliving the glory days and pointing out every nook and cranny of Pullman where memories were made. Gosh I hope she chooses WSU. 

Photos at Casa de Lagreid, prior to the Cougs' "home opener" in Seattle, Thursday, Aug. 28.

June highlights before September is over

This is how I roll right now. Scrolling through my phone to find the highlights of the month, which was actually about four months ago now. But that's just how this is going to be until the rain keeps me inside and at my desk from fall into eternity...or at least next July.

Lake town living.

Not everyone can pull off red, but Whitney made it look easy graduating from college. 

Moonlighting as a home decorator...something I am most definitely not! 

Meeting the parents. Our dog's parents, that is. 

Life with Lily in Sunriver. 

Senor Lagreid's triathlete serenade.

There will be one more in this photo next June. 

And we'll have our own dog, not just our goddog.

Besties with baby.

The whole motley crew.

L + B reunion ... & celebrating the peanut's big 1st

Their first trip...on Taylor's 30th birthday weekend...was canceled due to Snowmageddon 2k14. But no stuffy nose or minor fever (for le bebe) could hold them back this time. 

Greg, Em, and Lily made the trip down to see our new house a couple weekends ago, and boy did we have a good time. 

Lily and I had a little joint birthday celebration. I made her a giant doughnut cake, which if you knew her mom and me in college, you'd find very fitting for the little lady. 

I felt like Taylor and I were on vacation all weekend. It was so nice to eat, drink, be merry, sleep, relax, catch up on magazines, watch a movie, and of course belt out some duets on the gee-tar with Greg. 

Oh, Lagreids. Why don't you just move on down here. We have plenty of room in the shed. 

Didn't get a lot of snaps...

Emily wore her Patagonia inside at all times...and let Mr. Bronx love on her. Ew. 

So many shoes, so little time to wear them before  you outgrow...

Wasting no time in the new kicks.

Dirt built us our first fire in the new house. 

Awesome housewarming gift from Team Lagreid...a Texas-shaped waffle iron. Don't mind if we do! 

Nothing says bestie reunion like a bottle of Rom...or two.

Happy Birthday, Lily Marie. You bring so much joy to your parents...and your godparents! 

[God]father's Day 2013

I've had the privilege of accepting various honors over the years. You know, sports letters and trophies, academic awards, mentions in the newspaper...but none of these compared to how touched I felt when Emily and Greg asked if Taylor and I would be their daughter's godparents. 

We arrived at Casa Lagreid Friday evening and just like every other visit, we chowed and chatted...drank a few brews and sang a few tunes. Emily planned a pre-Baptismal party for friends and family in the area, and she let me take the reins in the food department. We whipped up quite a few hors d'oeuvres Saturday morning, and then we grazed all day long until said guests arrived. Our girl KVH came to the par-tay but had to take off before the big show because she just happened to be climbing Mt. Rainier the next day. NBD, right?

The Lagreids' church is literally right around the corner from their house, so we buzzed on over for the Saturday evening service. The congregation welcomed the newest member of the church, and we felt such pride and honor standing up on the altar with Em and Greg. Taylor and I gifted baby L with a book of prayers and a ceramic night light, similar to one I received at my baptism. 

It was fairly emotional for me, especially, as baptism is a sacrament, which means "to make sacred" or as the priest who married us described, "a sacred moment." The priest who preformed Lily's baptism gave a thought-provoking homily about the meaning of parents and godparents (since it happened to be Father's Day weekend), and he hammered home the point of raising up children right. Poignant and moving.

We are so blessed to have such flat-out amazing friends in Emily and Greg. It's an effortless and rewarding friendship, that just seems to keep getting better with time. I sometimes laugh out loud when I think about meeting Emily ten years ago...as my next-door neighbor in the dorms at Wazzu...and reminiscing about some of the situations we got ourselves into throughout our four years together in college. Two weddings and a baby later, it's like we never skipped a beat when we meet up. 

Thank you, Team Lagreid, for bestowing this amazing honor upon us. We promise to help be your baby's moral compass should either of you become "deadbeat Catholics" as your priest so lovingly described. We love you! XOXO 

Auntie Kate just had to snag these sandals for L. Might be a pinch too big.

Beer of the moment. 

It's good to see Taylor get in on the duet action.

Fat cats.

The star of the show.

Good thing that badminton set got assembled. 

Ten years of friendship.

Of course there is a story behind this one...

Greg really loved that brie en croute! 

Em, KVH, and Lily.

Emily's mom made Lily's baptismal gown out of leftover fabric from the wedding gown she made Emily. Precious.

Peonies from the farmer's market. So fun to get to walk around the market with Em and sort of live her typical Saturday (well, besides the whole baptism thing). We also really enjoyed a long run on the fantastic trail system just a stone's throw from their house. 

Placing the while stole on Lily's shoulders.

Uncle Taylor lighting the baptismal candle. 

The whole group. Special shout-out to the stranger in the pew behind us who graciously took the photos of the actual baptism. I sort of just threw the camera at her, and she took some great snaps.

And then there were 5!

A few weekends ago, we scooted to the beach to meet up with Em and Greg at the same house in Manzanita where we met back in February, before they welcomed miss Lily Marie into their family.

Taylor and I had quite the adventure on our way down to the coast...hitting up the fish hatchery for a show-and-tell of Taylor's favorite fishing spot on the Nehalem River, before narrowly missing a rollover wreck and calling 9-1-1 (I need to get those photos off Taylor's phone!).

We arrived at the beach just in time to take off for an amazing sunset run on the sand prior to Team Lagreid rolling into town with their outrageously well-behaved pup and baby.

Weekend tidbits:

• We split the meal responsibilities again and ate like royalty all weekend long. 
• The boys fished and golfed...again. 
• Some new duets made the playlist for Dirt and Doll. 
• Us girls took a long walk to the end of the beach and through town, where we found quite possibly the best hot chocolate with whip cream on the coast. 
• A very pregnant Allison and her husband Andy stopped by the beach house for a post-dinner cocktail hour (for Andy only, people!) as they were staying at a neighboring beach town for the night.
• Like mother, like daughter...Emily and Lily slept a bunch while I caught up on old magazines and read an entire book. 

A very eventful, uneventful weekend...absolutely perfect.

Posing for Taylor on the bank of his favorite getaway spot.

We tossed around the pigskin a bit.

He wasn't really that excited about this. Trust me. 

I wouldn't have predicted this ten years ago in the dorms at WSU.

He dropped this pass. True story.

The boys.

Christmas card worthy. Look at Dogger!

Greg's new method of cooking.

Taylor's most coveted Mexico purchase...the hat. I can't get rid of it. 

Twilight beach walk and talk.

Practicing being a good godmother and Ergo-ing up a storm.

New favorite duet: "I've Had the Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing.

With our goddaughter and goddogger.

We wanted to recreate the same pic we took last time on the deck, but wouldn't you know it...by the time we finally thought about taking the photo, it started to pour. We were lucky with great weather the rest of the weekend, which is pretty hard to come by in May on the Oregon Coast. 

We're off to visit the Lagreids next weekend for a very important celebration. It's Lily's baptism, and believe it or not, Taylor and I are her godparents! That's right, you can add "moral compass" to our resumes!