Nagel Bagels

Fun in the Snow!

2012-01-19T21:41:00.001-08:00

Ok I am ready to play in the snow now.

Hey Momma this is a lot of fun!

Snow Day!

2012-01-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

Harrison was less then amused by the snow! He LOVES watching the snow fall but HATES to be snowed on. ALso not a fan of being all bundled up...

Harrison was a trooper for our three block walk to our friends house, Megan and Brad and their daughter Emily. I think it helped that it had stopped snowing when we ventured outside, and I carried him the whole way...

30 Vegas style

2012-01-12T15:19:00.001-08:00

Going to Vegas was a great way to celebrate my 30th birthday! We didn't win any money but we loved walking the strip and eating some great food!

Our hotel

View from our room

On my birthday we took the monorail to visit the Stratosphere. I loved seeing the city from above!

Thanks Amanda (and Matt) for meeting us in Vegas! We had a wonderful time gabbling, drinking and eat too much!

Four floors of M&M's...yummy!

Set back

2011-12-30T12:37:00.000-08:00

So I knew going to Weight Watchers this morning that I most likely gained weight over the last week but I was not quite prepared for gaining 2.8 pounds! I decided to then stay for the meeting instead of leaving right after my weigh-in. I was really glad I did! The leader focused on what has been our accomplishments over the past year and addressed that December is a hard month for so many people. Therefore I am not dwelling on my weight gain but on my accomplishments in 2011-

I have lost 15 pounds since September!
I love going to Boot Camp! I never ever thought that sentence would come from me!
I am healthy and happy!

Here's to a better week ahead and staying focused!

Christmas time 2011

2011-12-29T15:33:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks before Christmas my moms group meet at Swanson Nursery to see the live Reindeer. The kiddos had a blast playing on the sled.

I just realized how few pictures Bill and I took of Harrison opening presents and we did not get a family picture. Oh well...next year! Harrison is a pro at opening gifts. We did video chat with our parents and then spent a quiet afternoon at home. After Harrison's nap we all watched the Cars movie (Harrison's second favorite Christmas present.) He is a HUGE fan of Tow Mater! My heart melted as Bill and Harrison snuggled on the couch together. Our friend Michael came over for dinner and we watched/I slept through Elf.

Merry Christmas and Many Blessings for 2012!

Whistler Adventure

2011-12-13T13:58:00.001-08:00

On Friday afternoon Bill, Harrison and I drove to Whistler Canada for the weekend. Our friends Rod, Julie and their little boy Nic invited us to join them at their condo. Saturday morning we went to the village for coffee and an early lunch. Bill enjoyed going skiing Saturday afternoon. Thought the snow was not fresh he still loved skiing for a couple hours!

Harrison can now check off Canada from his list!

Seattle Aquarium toddler time

2011-12-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Harrison and I joined our friend William and his mommy Caroline for some fun at the Seattle Aquarium on Tuesday. Harrison enjoyed steering the ship!

So much fun touching the sea creatures!

All ready for the rain outside!

I would say it was a very successful play date!

So behind...

2011-12-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

Today I feel overwhelmed and thought I would take a moment to vent while Harrison is avoiding a much needed nap and is crying out from his crib! Overwhelmed because...

1. China pictures are still NOT put together

2. Christmas newsletter hasn't been started

3. Baby book is behind on pictures and milestones

4. My floors are covered in a black dust from this week of converting from oil to gas heating

Hmmm...I think that is it for now. Back to work on cleaning the floors!

Good-bye Seattle, Hello China

2011-10-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

Ready or not off to China we go! Thankfully we are ready! Our flight leaves at 2pm for Beijing tomorrow and i am super excited for this crazy wonderful adventure. Please pray for safe travels. Hopefully I will have access to email and blogging,,,but only time will tell!

Down 6 pounds

2011-09-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

I went this morning to weigh in before church and I received my 5 pound lost sticker :D since starting two weeks ago (give or take a few days).

Playing in the sun!

2011-09-24T20:18:00.001-07:00

Recently Harrison has taken to climbing the stairs over and over again at the park, here he decided to take a break.

Melt my heart smile!

I finally found a slide at a yard sale! Best $5 spent!

Weight Watchers

2011-09-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

After some time of being on the fence I took the plunge and joined Weight Watchers! My first weight in and meeting was on Saturday afternoon. I was so nervous about going since I did not know anyone and as always I am nervous when trying something new. Everyone was so nice and I love it! I am super excited for this new phase in my life. I love how easy it is to log in my points and see what the value of food is before I dive in. Here's to a new way of life! My favorite part about the point system is that you can eat anything but in moderation (something I have NEVER been very good about.) With that said today I went to McDonalds' to get a cheese burger and small fries. Those two alone were 16 points total out of my 32 allotted points a day. A true eye opener. Also as I was eating my hot fries and burger I started to think "this really doesn't taste as yummy as it once had and why did I spend so many points on it!?!"

Such is life :D I continue to LOVE Boot Camp every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights.

China here we come!

2011-09-07T23:21:00.000-07:00

It is official! We have our plane tickets and hotel for China! We leave Seattle at 2pm on October 7th and return on October 30th. We will be staying in Beijing from October 8th-24th. Bill will be working for 2 weeks while Harrison and I explore our surroundings and then as a family we will vacation for one week. We will leave Beijing on the 24th to take the train (or whatever it is called in China) to Shanghai until October 28th. We will then take the train back to Beijing on the 28th so we can fly home on the 30th. This is going to be an amazing adventure!

So far our travel plans/attractions is visiting the Great Wall and Forbidden City. Now that we have our hotels and know what neighborhood of where we will be staying in Beijing I will begin to seriously look at our guide book. There are internet cafes though out the city and in the hotel so I will do my best to keep our adventures updated (though it may all be writing and no pictures til we get home).

God is amazing and I am in Awe...

Not a good weekend...nope not at all.

2011-09-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

So my weekend was wonderful as far as having a great time enjoying the sun and friends. But as far as my eating habits and keeping track on Lose It, it has been horrible. I do not feel good about myself right now but I am trying to remember that tomorrow is a new day, but then again I am ALWAYS saying that. Here is to being true to myself with tomorrow being a new day.

Lose it!

2011-09-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

So a friend of mine has been using a Lose it application on her iPhone as a way to track her daily food and exercise. I figure the application is free and worth a try. Today is my first day using the application and so far I like it because it so easy to use. Also you can link it to your Facebook account as a way to receive encouragement from friends and family.

This morning I woke up a bit sore, mostly in my abs. Last nights workout was great and this morning Harrison and I went with our friend Emily and her son Kaden for a walk around Green Lake Park. It was about 2 1/2 miles and took about an hour. Of course we had several stops for water and snacks for the kiddos. Emily and I enjoyed coffee from Peets Coffee toward the end of our walk. It was a great time and beautiful sunny weather. I am trying to soak up all the sun I can get before fall begins.

I am sure excited for tonights' class to see what exercises Boot Camp has us doing.

Committed to Boot Camp

2011-08-31T22:54:00.000-07:00

I have just made a 1 year commitment to Riley Athletics! I will be attending classes on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7pm. Along with my membership I will have access to nutrimental resources. Therefore I am going to embrace Riley Athletics resources before making the commitment to Weight Watchers.

My good mommy friend Aviva is going to be my accountability partner as of tomorrow, September 1st!

Help Needed!

2011-08-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

I have been struggling over the past several months, heck maybe since Harrison was born, with being an emotional eater. I LOVE food and use it as a reward as well as just plain wanting to eat in any state of mind.

I loved being pregnant! I loved having my belly grow over the course of 9 months! After Harrison was born I used the excuse that I was breastfeeding so I could eat whatever. After breastfeeding came to an end at 8 months I figured I had til Harison was a year old to get back to my pre-pregrancy weight. Harrison is 15 months old and I weigh more now then I ever have (except for when I was pregnant). I believe that after having a baby your weight shifts and settles wherever it likes. I really dislike where I am as far as my figure and my desire to have such bad habits. I need help! I also want to be healthy for myself and my family. I want to live a long energtic life.

After several months of research and talking to friends I have decided to join Weight Watchers starting September 1st. I need to be held accountable! Bill tries so hard to be my cheerleader and accountability partner but I more times then not frustrated with him when he tries to help.

Here's to new adventures!

Boot Camp

2011-08-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Monday was the start of a month long boot camp at Riley Athletics, http://www.rileyathletics.com

I bought this amazing Groupon in effort to support my friends' husband who owns Riley Athletics but also because I am ready for a change! Boot Camp is Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 7-7:30pm. Monday night was amazing and empowering! I never sweat so much...and loved it! On Tuesday morning I felt a little sore, mostly in my abs but my energy level was amazing all day. On Tuesday Harrison and I walked to the Zoo to meet with friends and then walk back home. Round trip it was 4 miles. I was so proud of myself!
Tonight was another hard core sweat feast even thought my abs have not quite recovered from Monday. I am so glad to be in boot camp and looking forward to tomorrow night. I NEVER thought I would EVER do boot camp and really love it.

On the Move!

2011-08-18T14:56:00.001-07:00

While Nana was here we spent lots of time at Golden Garden, a beach with an awesome new playground.) Harrison loved playing peek-a-boo!

While at the beach Harrison had a great time playing in the sand! He was a bit unsure at first but then he sat down and played hard. He loved picking up the sand by the fist full and then letting the sand slide through his fingers.

All Smiles...all the time!

Harrison warmed up to Nana quickly! He was generous with his kisses and hugs. Nana also witnessed Harrison walking across the living room for the first time.

Look Mommy I'm walking! Harrison really started walking two weeks ago and there is nothing holding him back!

Summer projects

2011-07-05T21:41:00.001-07:00

It was time to organize our garage with some shelving! All of Bill's tools have a place.

Yay for also organizing the shed!

New benches for my anniversary. It's been so nice to sit in the backyard on sunny cool days.

Garden is growing! We will have fresh tomatoes, salad mix, corn, and peppers!

We are very happy with our new dinning room light.

Our Babies are 1!

2011-06-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

PEPS (Program for Early Parent Support) has truly been amazing for me! During the time of doubt and not know what was "normal" I had the support of eight other mommies that were going through the same thing. One year later we have all survived our babies first year! I am so truly Blessed to have you as my friends!

Poppy and Debbie's visit!

2011-06-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Poppy and Debbie! Harrison loved looking into the kitchen window to Poppy and Debbie while we were cooking dinner.

I LOVE my new tracker! I can even get on and off the sit by myself! I am getting so BIG!

Poppy came to watch me dancing at Nurturing Pathways!

Happy first birthday!

2011-06-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

Harrison is one and what a huge couple weeks it has been. We started Harrison's festivities by having a cookout at our home before leaving for our trip to Indiana. While in Indiana we partied at the Terre Haute Science Center with our family. It was a great time. Poppy and Debbie flew back with us where Harrison's birthday present from Mommy and Daddy was waiting...smart trike!

Happy first Easter

2011-04-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful first Easter with Harrison. He loved his Tigger easter basket, especially the bubbles tube. He is always after the non toy items.

After church we went to our friends house for an early dinner. It was so great to spend the day with the Bernardi's.

Harrison was not a fan of me holding Michael unless I was also holding him.

11 Months

2011-04-22T16:29:00.000-07:00

Happy 11 months to my sweet lovable amazing baby boy! We have had a great month of playing at the park (Harrison loves the swings) and goon to the Science Center to see the Star War exhibit.

Harrison loves to "help" me in the kitchen!

Rotary Auction

2011-04-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

Bill and I are relieved the Rotary auction is over! What an AWESOME night for a wonderful cause! We are looking forward to next years auction...especially since Bill will not be the chair of the auction committee!

10 Months!

2011-03-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

Harrison is all play...and teething. Bless his heart as his two front teeth are making their way though. But that does not stop him from laughing, smiling and chatting away.

Bath time is so much fun!

Oops...

2011-03-10T20:46:00.000-08:00

Today Harrison and I were walking in the strong wind and rain when I decided to stop at Starbucks for a hot drink. After ordering my nonfat cinnamon dolce latte...I realized I forgot to ask for decaffeinated coffee AND I feel 100% sure cinnamon dolce counts as a sweet!
So here's to tomorrow!

Get healthy

2011-03-08T21:50:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the first day of Lent and I have decided to give up sweets and caffeine. I am ready for this detox to begin! I have also looked into the Weight Watchers as a boost to get me more motivated on eating better and making smart choices. I have learned that I am an emotional eater and often wish I did not have to work so hard to get into shape. But the truth is: I have to work very hard to get back into shape and feel good about my body at each stage. I pray to God for guidance and strength.

This is my second week at Curves. It feels great to be working with only women and doing circuit training. The plan is to go on Tuesday and Thursday night and Saturday morning.

Will keep you updated.

9 Months

2011-02-28T14:40:00.001-08:00

Always happy! Harrison smiles and laughs melts our hearts. He now has 4 teeth and starting to eat chunkier foods!

Harrison really loved going to the Terre Haute Science Museum, especially the toddler area!

Once back home Harrison helped Daddy put together his new chair.

Harrison and Daddy had a lot of fun at our Saturday dancing class. It was awesome to see Bill and Harrison running around together. Harrison and I go to dancing (Nurturing Pathways) class on Thursday mornings but since Harrison and I were in Indiana and Kentucky we went on Saturday.

Months 7 and 8

2011-01-19T22:45:00.000-08:00

It has been a very busy couple months! We spent Thanksgiving with our friends Johnny and Noelia. It was a night of great food, laughter and friends. Harrison really kept us entertained but chewing on Sophia ( a teething toy that makes really loud squeaking noises).

Harrison did not smile for Santa, but since he didn't cry either...I found it to be a success!

Christmas was spent in Virginia with the Nagel/Immitt family. We had a great time visiting, eating food not so good for us and just relaxing. Happy 2011

6 months

2010-11-18T18:04:00.001-08:00

It has been so great to be home this month! Harrison continues to melt my heart and we feel so Blessed to have such a healthy and happy baby. Wow for 6 months of love, joy, and frustration (at times). God is amazing!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T22:53:00.001-07:00

Harrison's first Halloween weekend was spent in Ohio for Bill's cousins wedding. It was a great weekend with the Nagels! Harrison LOVED being in the pool at the hotel. This was his first time in the pool.

Harrison slept right through the wedding ceremony. It was a beautiful wedding!

My little adorable pumpkin and me....oh I love him!

Up, up and away! Harrison loved looking out the window of the plane with Bill.

Our little sleeping tigger...

5 Months

2010-10-17T17:32:00.001-07:00

Harrison continues to bring us such love and joy as he smiles all the time and is rolling over a ton! It was another busy but wonderful month. We survived our first trip to Indiana. When Harrison met Pa Paw for the first time he just laughed and laughed....it was so sweet.

4 months

2010-09-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

Harrison is 4 months old!

Harrison was baptized by Pastor Dan at Bethany Presbyterian Church on Sunday, September 12th.

Having Harrison smile at me melts by heart every time. God is amazing and we feel so Blessed!

We traveled to Harrison, Idaho for Bill's best friend, Ryan, wedding. It was so great to see all of his childhood friends. Harrison did a wonderful job in the car for 6 plus hours. Grandma and Grandpa were able to come visit for a week too. It was great to
have them on the road trip and to visit.

Harrison really loved spending time with Aunt Amanda and showing her his smiles and playing. It was wonderful to have Amanda here to visit and help with Harrison, as well as hang pictures in Harrison's room and help me get rid of some junk! It was been a wonderful start to the fall!

3 Months

2010-08-17T22:55:00.001-07:00

What a very busy and wonderful month! Aunt Jenny and Nana came to visit! This was Aunt Jenny's first trip to Seattle and she really loved seeing the sites but mostly loved loving on Harrison! I have found myself more at ease then ever and truly love watching Harrison as he coos and smiles. God is amazing and life is great!

2 Months

2010-07-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

Harrison is 2 months old (as of Saturday). He continues to be the greatest gift from God. I will not lie, it has been the hardest job I have EVER had. He will be sleeping so peacefully and then start to cry so hard that I am always sure he is in great pain. Bill reminds me that this is how Harrison communicates right now and that it does not mean he is in great pain. I am Blessed and so thankful to be Harrison's mom. I love watching Harrison fall asleep as his eyes get so heavy and he will often smile while he is nursing and when he is falling asleep. He will sometimes smile during the day, but it is a work in progress. I am so nervous about him getting his first set of shots tomorrow morning and thankful that Bill's sister is here to go with me. Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Kevin have been a huge help this week and we will miss them! I truly believe that God does not give you too much to handle. However, I continue to feel overwhelmed at night...when Harrison is so fussy...but I know I am not alone.

He is getting so BIG!

2010-07-06T22:29:00.000-07:00

I am truly amazed at how fast Harrison is changing and growing. He is such an amazing gift from God. We are all doing very well as we continue to get adjusted. We have been Blessed to have family here now and continuing to come this summer and fall. Right now Bill's mom and dad are visiting. Harrison has had several sleepovers with Grandma and Grandpa (in the guest room and in his swing of course.) Last night was his first night sleeping in his own room in the swing. His newborn clothes are getting too small and we are slowly putting them aside and bringing out the 0-3 months clothes.

Harrison really enjoys making bubbles!

Taking a nap with Eeyore...

2010-06-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

Harrison may have a few more years to go before he can fill Daddy's hat!

Mom came to visit us From June 2-16th. It was so wonderful to have the help and Harrison had his first sleepover in Nana's room. We feels so Blessed to have a wonderful family.

Mom's friend John was also here for a week (he drove here from Indiana- 2,300+ miles!) What a huge help he was in yard and home projects. We are so thankful and appreciative.

3 weeks already

2010-06-07T17:15:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe that three weeks ago today we welcomed Harrison Robert into our lives. It was a tough and long labor, but yet the greatest and most wonderful experience to have given birth to our son. He weighted 6 lbs 8.7 oz and 19 inches long. We praise God that he is healthy!

Getting ready

2010-05-11T11:38:00.001-07:00

Bill and I will be 39 weeks on Friday and we are ready! The pack 'n' play is up and in the living room stocked with diapers, a boppy, burp cloths, and blankets. We have the swing in place, diapers, the hospital bags are packed and the car seat is installed. God is truly amazing and I feel so blessed to becoming a mommy.

I pray for a great delivery, as I have been so Blessed with a great pregnancy. Bill and I are excited for this great adventure ahead of us.

Thank you God for bringing Bill into my life.

37 weeks and Bagel's room

2010-05-11T11:32:00.001-07:00

Many thanks and appreciation to Jane and Claudia for giving me a beautiful baby shower with great ladies from church. The cake was so adorable and extremely yummy! Thanks Jane!

I was so excited that Bagel's furniture arrived ahead of schedule. I absolutely love his/her room! Bill and his friends did a wonderful job painting.

36 weeks

2010-04-26T22:36:00.001-07:00

I love this picture of my belly! Bill and I had a great time taking pictures while we were away on our Lamaze Getaway weekend a couple weeks ago.

Our house

2010-04-26T22:32:00.001-07:00

I really love baby Bagel's room :D

Living room

Welcome to our home!

32 weeks

2010-03-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

Much has happened since my last posting. I have left BBBSPS to begin my journey as a stay at home mom, we have moved into our new home, been to Indiana for wonderful baby showers, and we are are almost settled into the new house. I promise to post pictures soon of the house :) We are 32 weeks as of yesterday and overall I feel great. I have been experiencing some painful hip pain when I stand up and walk. I try to rest during the day with ice and take it slow. But when I gotta do something and be out and about, I try hard to breathe through the pain. God continues to be amazing and I feel very Blessed. Happy Spring!

Pies

2010-02-07T23:54:00.000-08:00

Bill finally got be barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen making him pies! We are 25 weeks and Baby Bagel is really growing! Honestly I love being pregnant! I continue to be amazed at home much I love Baby Bagel :)

21 weeks

2010-01-12T18:46:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day! We went to our 21 week appointment and had an ultrasound. It was so amazing to see Bagel waving and dancing! We are very Blessed and love him/her so much!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2010-01-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

Bill and I had a great time with Bob and Julie coming to Seattle for Christmas. It is always great to see family and spend time relaxing and talking.

This is my Christmas Eve dress for church, thanks so much to my friend at work.

The Nagel's bunch before opening gifts.

Me, My love, and Baby Bagel

An AWESOME shirt from Bill! We are so proud of our Bagel Geek;)

Happy 2010!!!

Me and Baby Bagel before we left for dinner and dancing at the Space Needle.

Bill and I really had a wonderful time at the Space Needle, one of the best New Years yet! We are thankful for the many Blessings of 2009 and look forward to the amazing adventures of 2010. God has truly Blessed us. May God Bless you always.

17 Weeks

2009-12-23T14:16:00.000-08:00

Baby Bagel is growing nicely. When we went to the doctor two weeks ago Bagel's heartbeat is healthy. We are so Blessed and look forward to seeing Bagel next month at the ultrasound.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas 2009 Newsletter

2009-12-13T16:24:00.001-08:00

Bill and I have had a wonderful 2009 and look forward to the exciting adventures of 2010!

Bill and I rang in 2009 in Leavenworth, WA with some friends. We enjoyed the German Christmas town, great food, shopping, and skiing at Steven’s Pass. This is were I decided skiing and snowboarding are not for me, but we all had a great time.
After living in downtown Seattle in a 787 square foot apartment for two years we decided to rent a townhouse in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard. We have really loved living in Ballard and being able to walk to the grocery store, coffee shops, restaurants and a movie theater. We are really looking forward to buying a house in the next several months in Seattle.
In May, Bill and I went to Victoria, Canada for a long weekend to attend Bill’s Rotary regional conference. What an amazing city with beautiful buildings, flowers, shops and food! I was able to learn a lot about Rotary and was really glad we attended this year.

Bill and I were blessed to visit family and friends in Terre Haute, Indiana for a week in July. We enjoyed hanging out with everyone. Our parents were also able to visit a couple times this year so that was a true blessing to have them here, were we always spend time with great laugher and food.

As we quickly approach 2010 Bill and I are extremely excited to let you know that we are expecting our first baby May 20, 2010. God as truly blessed us. I will be leaving my job at Big Brothers Big Sisters in March to be a stay at home mommy. Bill continues to love Amazon where he stays very busy on a variety of projects. I am very proud of him and admire his hard work and determination.

We hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday! Many Blessings,

Bill, Sara, and Baby Bagel Nagel

"Toasting a Bagel"

2009-11-14T20:53:00.000-08:00

Bill and I are 13 weeks pregnant! Our due date is May 20, 2010. We are so excited for this new adventure in our lives. We went to the doctor this week and our baby's heartbeat is 154 beats a minute and is growing healthy. It was so awesome to hear his/her heartbeat for the first time. Also she/he waved at us and is all smiles. Praise God for Baby Bagel!

All smiles for us!

Hi Mommy and Daddy!

New nephew!

2009-11-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

Baby Garrett Dale Thomas was born at 3:52AM on October 23rd, 8 lbs 4 oz and 21 inches. He looks like his brother! I am so Blessed to have been able to meet Garrett this past week. It was wonderful to love on him and cuddle. Liz and family are doing wonderful as well. Big brother Carter is amazing! He LOVES Garrett and is such a huge helper.

Paper mache in Gas Works Park

2009-08-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

The amazing view of the city we love from the park!

One night nothing was there, the next day these paper mache figures were at the park. Gotta love the creativity in Seattle!

We are loved

2009-08-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

Bill and I had a great time visiting family and friends while we were in Indiana last month! We are truly Blessed and very loved! Here are pictures of us with the kids. The kids really love Uncle Bill!!! I was being attacked by Kennedy and Parker in the third picture. What a great trip!

The BIG Plane Pull

2009-07-18T17:55:00.001-07:00

Plane 1

Plane 2

Get ready....set....PULL!

Almost there!

Great team! J-J-J-Jenny and the Jets pulled both planes 75 feet in 35.38 seconds. It was a great day! Thank you so much for everyone who supported Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound and our team!!!

Ice Craves

2009-07-17T14:57:00.001-07:00

Bill and I went camping at Gold Basin, about an hour from Seattle last weekend with our church. We arrived on Friday night in time to set up our tent and meet some new folks. On Saturday morning we went with our friends Jane, Barbara, and Kevin on a hike to the ice craves. It was a very warm and sunny day. Once we reached the ice craves we were in awe to see so much ice and a cool breeze. It was so awesome. Bill, Kevin and Barbara ventured to farther areas to get closer to one of the ice craves. On our way back to the car we saw a really cool carving in a tree trunk. Once we were back at the campsite we had dinner and met some more new friends. Then we heard thunder so Bill and I packed our campsite as quick as we could. Our tent does NOT do well in the rain-lesson learned while camping in Virginia three years ago! I think our next purchase will call for a better tent. It was a great weekend!

Little Si

2009-07-05T15:56:00.000-07:00

Bill and I decided to take advantage of the great weather and hikes around the Seattle area. So we bought a book on hikes and chose to do an easy one on Friday in North Bend WA about thirty miles from Seattle. This hike was NOT easy, lol. It was steep, rocky and we did not take enough water. I am glad I did not give up and made it to the top! I have learned that I am not in as good of shape as I thought and will need to work on my cardio! But 4.8 miles later I was proud of myself!

4th year wedding anniversary!

2009-07-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

Every year I try on my wedding dress and take a picture. It is so much fun and heck why not, its yours to keep! An older couple from my church in Terre Haute do this every year and they have inspired me to put mine on. I figure as long as I get it on before the end of the month then I am good to go. Bill and I celebrated our June 4th wedding anniversary on his birthday, June 13th since his parents were in town during the actual date. We went to a lovely french restaurant in Ballard. Time goes but very quickly and we have had many adventures in the past four years. I encourage you greatly to try yours on each year too.

Ballard Locks

2009-05-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

The weather was so great this weekend that we decided to have a picnic! A couple people suggested the Ballard Locks since it is not too crowded. We enjoyed lunch on the grassy hill and then got a closer look at the boats. It was so much fun to spend time with Bill on a relaxed Saturday afternoon.

Trip to LA

2009-05-31T18:05:00.001-07:00

Going to LA was a great time. The weather and shopping was great! I was a bit taken back buy the price, therefore I did a lot of window shopping. Next time I hope to tour the Kodak theater.

Awesome time with Momma!

2009-05-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

Mom and I spent the week getting the rest of the house put together, shopping and having fun catching up and just being together. We took a ferry ride to Port Orchard on Wednesday afternoon. Mom had not been on a ferry in many years and we enjoyed the trip and having lunch at mom's favorite authors' tea room. The second two pictures are from Golden Gardens in Ballard. It was such a beautiful day form Mom's birthday on Friday. I am so thankful for such great weather while mom was here, with the exception of one rainy day, but then again we are in Seattle.

All Settled, YAY!

2009-05-16T21:26:00.001-07:00

After a little over one week we are all settled into our townhouse. Now that we have a guest bedroom...please come visit us!!! Bill is really excited about his birthday grill from his parents! We have a lot of grilling to do:)

Week of moving!

2009-05-08T12:59:00.001-07:00

This week has been filled with many adventures for Bill and I. We got the keys to our rental townhouse on Monday night and took our 1966 mustang over to park it in the garage, but it was 6 inches too long and the battery died! Well we were talking a bit loudly when our neighbors came out and said we were being loud and woke her baby up. Of course we apologized greatly and assured her that it would not happen again, she was not very nice. Tuesday we checked the mail at the new place and the key got stuck in the mailbox. Wednesday the movers come and our couch would not fit upstairs and in the great attempt there ended up being a hole in the wall-this has already be patched by handy man Bill. Thursday we had our friends’ Escape so we could make a couple trips to get the rest of our stuff from the apartment. I was trying to get around our other neighbors garage when boom I hit their garage!!! Thank goodness the SUV was not hurt but it did take small chuck out of the garage. When we got home last night I talked to the owner of whose garage I hit and come to find out he was one of the builders and already fixed it. He was oh so nice too! What an adventure! Shopping here we come!

New home in Seattle

2009-05-04T23:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new home in Seattle! Bill and I will be moving in on Wednesday! We have decided to rent for another year and get to know more neighborhoods within Seattle before we settle down on buying a house. The townhouse is 3 bedrooms with 2 1/2 baths. We are very excited!!!

Victoria B.C.

2009-05-04T22:24:00.001-07:00

Bill and I took a long weekend trip to Victoria for the Rotary District Conference last weekend. It was an awesome trip and felt like we were in Europe. We took long walks around the island and ate lots of great food, especially gelato!

Tea time in our hotel, The Empress. Bill and I decided to skip the tea since it was pretty expensive and we were able to enjoy the room without tea.

The government building of Victoria.
Side view of our hotel
Our hotel! It was so awesome! I felt like we were staying in a palace and I was a princess!

Amazing gardens with so many beautiful flowers. Plus the weather was so sunny and warm

Fun weekend

2009-04-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

This was a great weekend! Bill and I took our little brother to the Seattle Center where he loved the rides and then we went up the Space Needle. I was really impressed that he was no scared to go up since it is forty some stories and the elevator has windows! Way to go Chalon!!!

Bill and I spend a very quiet evening downtown at the penthouse of Virginia Inn, http://www.innatvirginiamason.com/innHistory.html. We had a beautiful view of the downtown skyline. After a nice dinner at the inn we enjoyed lighting a fire and snuggling. A great getaway from the apartment and packing.

That's right...packing!!! We are moving from our downtown one bedroom plus den apartment to a 3 bedroom and 2 1/2 bath townhouse in Ballard. Ballard is only a ten minute drive or bus ride. It's a neighborhood of Seattle with a small community. We have decided to rent for another year and then buy a house....maybe the market will be down even more. It will be so wonderful to be in house!!! I will be sure to take pictures as soon as possible. We have of so much to do before the movers come on May 6th!!!

Now I can relate

2009-02-27T17:51:00.000-08:00

So my great friend from Seattle has moved to LA today. I was trying hard not to cry as we hugged goodbye, but I could not hold back. Even though Ilbret and I have only known each other for a little over 1 year, we became instant friends and grew close fast. I now understand how hard it is to let someone you love move away. This has really opened my eyes to how my family and friends must have felt when Bill and I moved to Seattle. However, I know Ilbret will be so much happier in LA and what a great opportunity within her company. I think one of the hardest things will be not having her in the same building and just being able to hang out at the last minute. I hope to fly to LA in the next 3 months or so for a long weekend (easier said then done but we will see).

Love you guys and miss you lots! Now come visit:)

Big Brothers Big Sisters Oscar Bash 2009

2009-02-22T21:48:00.000-08:00

Bill, me and Michael enjoyed at night of fun at Big Picture watching the Oscars! It was a blast!

Slumdog Millionaire is amazing!!! If you have not seen it yest, it is truly a must see!

Love my dress from by best friends wedding! You rock Amanda!!! Love and miss you lots!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T20:18:00.001-08:00

Mountains on our way to Leavenworth, WA

Bill and I in knee high snow outside our condo in Leavenworth. It was so beautiful and we felt like kids again!

Leavenworth was so beautiful with all the Christmas lights. Bill and I walked downtown a couple times. It was very romantic, especially when it was snowing.

Me and my love downtown. We also had some great German food

Skiing at Steven's Pass, I tried snowboarding but that was not for me at all!!! I have also learned that I may not be a skier and/or overcome the fear of running into trees. That happened 2 years ago in Colorado...no broken bones..Thank God above

Sledding Downtown!

2008-12-28T17:07:00.000-08:00

Sledding down 1st and Virginia was awesome! We ended up with a foot of snow! It was so beautiful!

Me, Bill and our friend Michael enjoying our many adventures of sledding with our random sled equipment.

Snow is here to stay downtown

2008-12-21T13:46:00.000-08:00

It snowed 6-7 inches downtown last night. It is truly beautiful and so amazing to see! Last night Bill and walked to a local pizza place for dinner. It was very romantic! This is the view from our apartment last night.

Today we went downtown with our friend Michael to do some shopping. It was great! Here is the downtown tree. I LOVE Christmas time!!!

Spokane, WA for the day or two...

2008-12-15T16:22:00.001-08:00

Along our drive to Spokane was absolutely beautiful! The plan was to drive down Sunday morning and then return late Sunday night after Bills best friend Ryan's ordination to Christian Ministry so that neither of us would miss work. Unfortunately the roads were icy and with degrees of 10, we figured to be safe then sorry and stayed the night in Spokane. It was great to see Ryan, Abby and his parents-especially great to see Ryan ordained.

Congratulations Pastor Gackenheimer!!!

Christmas in Seattle

2008-12-10T22:29:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas! Of course the tree has to have lots of Eeyore's and could there be a better topper!?! Christmas will be spent in Seattle, just Bill and I. We are looking forward to great food and laughs with friends! Many Blessings to you and your family!

Rough week

2008-12-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

This past week was very stressful as many layoffs took place at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound. I am very thankful to report that I was not affected. I was actually promoted to Match Coordinator and I start my new position tomorrow. It is kinda similar to what I was doing in Indiana with calling the families and volunteers to check in on their matches. I will also me preforming the match introductions where the big and little meet for the first time. I am really looking forward to this new opportunity. Prayers go out to the those whom where affected. May God Bless you!

Thanksgiving in Terre Haute

2008-12-03T20:50:00.000-08:00

Bill and I arrived in Indiana late Thursday night. We celebrated

Thanksgiving on Friday with the family-it was great to hug and love on

everyone! On Saturday afternoon friends gathered at my sisters house.

Though it was a short visit, we had a great time again hugging and catching up with everyone. I hope to come visit sometime for an extra long weekend or a week so that I can really have time to visit with everyone.

John McCain and Sarah Palin WIN!

2008-11-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

We won!!! Well at least a $50 gift card to a local Greek restaurant. Hopefully Tuesday will be a winner too!! Hope you had a wonderful Halloween weekend

Nagel family weekend

2008-10-27T22:44:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend visiting with family! It was the first time in over 1 year that Bill and I have seen Rebecca and Kevin. We spent the weekend catching up! Julie was completely surprised to see us (Bob had it all planned out to fly us to Indiana for the weekend). We are truly blessed!!!

Back to Seattle

2008-10-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Bill and I had a wonderful trip to Eastern Europe. We flew into Berlin were we went to the Brandenburg Gate, The Berlin Wall, Berlin Cathedral, a memorial for Holocaust victims and Charlie Checkpoint. It was amazing to me that you had to pay to use the bathroom throughout Eastern Europe....yep we sent a small fortunate on that, lol. We then took the train the next day to Prague. It was so beautiful! We spent our first day in Prague walking around the city center, The Old Town square where the Astronomical clock is located and was able to hear and see it striking on the hour. Charles bridge was great with an awesome view of the city from the tower. The bridge was filled with shop vendors and musicians. Our second day in Prague we went to the Old Royal Palace, Basilica and Convent of St. George which included the Golden Lane. It was truly breathtaking with all the stain glass windows and the views looking over Prague. Prague is where I tried my first beer and really liked it! We also later enjoyed hot wine which was great on a cool gloomy day. At night we went for a carriage ride around the old square. It was very romantic and great to snuggle.

From Prague we took the train to Krakow. It was a nice comfy ride and is were we met our new friends Denise and Don from Phoenix. We met them in way of finding out that we were on the wrong end of the train and we helped them with their many bags of luggage through seven cars. It felt great to help them out, since Bill and I only had backpacks to worry about (which by the way is the only way one should travel). Denise and Don later bought us a beer, Budweiser- Chez style! and we were able to get to know them better. Very nice couple and we look forward in staying in contact with them.

Krakow was not as crowded with tourist as Prague but just as beautiful. I loved the Market Square/Cloth Hall-shopping! We ate lunch at the McDonald's on Florianska Street, but this was a fancy McDonald's with a very cool old cellar they discovered when they were remodeling. It was also very yummy food.....not nearly as greasy. St. Mary's church and St. Francis Basilica were absolutely beautiful with amazing stain glass windows, paintings and sculptures. One of my favorite things to do was look for the organs- I have become fascinated with them throughout our trip. Bill and I ended our evening by going to an orchestra concert at St. Peter and Paul Church. Great performance in an amazing setting.

We spent the next day at Auschwitz-Birkenau. It was very educational and powerful to see the living conditions, articles of clothing, luggage, glasses, and pots and pans stacked high to the ceiling. It was truly awful to see! The weather was extremely rainy and cold, which suited the experience. From there Bill and I went to the Jewish Quarter where we both had our first experience of seeing a synagogue. We walked to Schlindler's factory, though it was under construction so we could not go in. We went to the Krakow Rotary club that evening. Everyone was very nice and it was an experience considering that neither one of us speak Polish. After the meeting Bill and I went to a local jazz club for some drinks and good jazz. It was really neat setting in a cellar.

Our last day in Krakow we went to Wieliczka Salt Mine which dates to around 1400. The mine was amazing with tons of sculptures made from salt alone. There was a cathedral with lots of sculptures and pictures on the walls-all completely made of salt. The cathedral was used for the miners to pray daily and then attend service on Sunday. From the salt mine we went to Wawel Hill where toured the state rooms in the palace and the grounds. I love the palace and castle! From there we walked around the planty were we saw the oldest university in Poland and a sculpture of Copernicus. There is a lot of restoration work that has been on going for 30 years. Of course there are a lot more buildings in need or restoration since the communist era. Lots of soot! We both agreed that it would be awesome to come back in 10 years to see how much the city has changed.

At 10:15pm we boarded the night train and headed to Budapest. We actually slept pretty well! The train stopped at 6am in the middle of nowhere and delayed us a couple hours, but that was okay. We arrived at 1:30pm, just in time for lunch at McDonald's. After checking into our hotel we began our adventure on Vorosmarty ter where there were lots of street musicians and some teenagers dancing. We saw the first McDonald's in Eastern Europe on Vaci Utca. Not as neat inside as the one in Krakow, but still neat to see. We went to a really neat gallery that had been pretty much abandoned. It had beautiful woodwork and a glass dome. It was breathtaking. We walked through the Great Market Hall that reminded us of Pikes Place Market in Seattle. Lots of meat, vegetable, and fruit vendors on the lower level. The second level had tons of shops filled with local items. After dinner we took a boat cruise along the Danube. It was so awesome to see the city all lite up, especially the Buda Castle and Palace.

Our second day in Budapest we went to the House of Terror (history of the communist era) and the Postal Museum (which they still use the old style mailboxes today). We stopped for drinks at a very fancy coffee shop. I had my first chocolate cocktail, it was very yummy! After drinks we went to The Opera House, it is so beautiful and breathtaking. Later that night we went to a ballet at the Opera house and sat in the "cheap" seats, which still had a breathtaking view and was $15 total for 2 tickets. While in Budapest we took great advantage of the public transportation because the city is so large that it would have been impossible to walk everywhere.

On our third day we took the funicular to Castle Hill. We walked the grounds of the castle and palace. We went to the history museum where we could check out the cellar and some of the old foundation of the palace. The Labyrinth in Buda was really neat. It was underground with lots relaxing music and neat sculptures and wall art. The ministry of war was interesting with bullet holes from WWII. We saw the Fishermen's Bastion, a statue of St. Istvan, and went into Matthias Church. We walked along the Chain Bridge that separated Buda from Pest. Our last day in Budapest we took the bus to Statue Park (a park filled with large statues that were throughout Budapest during the communist era). We spent the afternoon at Szechenyi Baths were we relaxed in the pools and enjoyed the sun and warmer temperature. While in the cooler pool I notice that my left foot felt funny. As it would turn out I took off several layers of skin off the bottom in about a 1 1/2 inch radius. It hurt pretty badly, but we were thankful that at least it happened on our last day rather then in the beginning:) Everyone at the pool were very friendly and concerned. No stitches were needed and I was bandaged up by the doctor on duty. However trying to find more gauze or even bandages was impossible so I settled for some tissue instead. It is now recovering well but still a bit painful to walk on. Bill then pointed out that I seem to hurt myself on almost all the vacations we have been on thus far. At least they are not serious.

Our final day in Budapest consisted of taking the 9:30 am train back to Berlin and expected to arrive at 9:30 pm. We thought that would be a great way to relax and read. It was very nice to not be on our feet and take in the countryside. However at 8:30pm the trained stopped! First it was going to be 30 minutes, but that turned out to be much longer. I drifted asleep and woke up at midnight-still stopped. We finally arrived in Berlin at 1:30 am with our flight leaving at 7 am. Since we already paid for the hotel we decided to go shower and take quick naps before heading to the airport at 5 am. Now we are home and safe!

We had an amazing time traveling Eastern Europe and highly recommend it! Along with beautiful churches and buildings we had fabulous food in each country! I am working on the pictures...we took over 500 so this weekend I will be filtering them!

Goodbye Seattle, Hello Eastern Europe

2008-09-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

Bill and I are almost ready to leave for Eastern Europe tomorrow. YAY! God is truly wonderful and we feel so Blessed to have this amazing adventure ahead of us. We have decided to use back packs instead luggage so that we (or should I say I) won't pack too much junk! We will have extremely limited access to phone and Internet. However feel free to send us a message while we are gone and we may be able to respond at the Internet cafes along the way:) Please keep us in your prayers as we travel. The order of travel is Berlin, Krakow, Budapest, and Prague.

Much love and Blessings to you!

The Tri-Cities

2008-09-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

Bill and I traveled to the Tri-Cites in Eastern Washington this past weekend. It was a nice 3 hour drive to attend our friend Heather and Walkers wedding reception. We were amazed at how one moment everything was green to desert land. On Sunday morning we went for a walk along the Columbia River. The weather was warm with blue skies and lots of sun.

Bumbershoot 2008

2008-09-04T23:35:00.000-07:00

Bill and I went to Seattle's music and arts festival over Labor day weekend. It was a blast! For over twenty years the festival has taken place over Labor day weekend at the Seattle Center. We saw Stone Temple Pilots, Jakob Dylan, and The Offspring live. My favorite was Stone Temple Pilots. We also heard a dozen or so other bands, went to the Pacific Northwest Ballet and comedy show. Great way to spend the weekend.

Jakob Dylan

Very cool dome made of plastic and beer bottles, very interesting and neat!

Stone Temple Pilots were awesome in concert!

Seattle Sandfest to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound

2008-08-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

This is the wonderfully sculpture that our Bigs and Littles created! It's the Fremont Troll, one a much smaller scale. If you look to the right on the back of the VW bug is our logo! BBBSPS ROCKS!!!

"Sweet Dreams"

The most intense of the sand sculptures!

Part 2 of the "Sweet Dreams"
So much detail!

Seattle Art Museum logo and building

For the next 3 years Seattle Sandfest will be donating the proceeds to BBBSPS! I am not sure how long Sandfest as been around but it is truly amazing to see these sculptures that are only made from water and sand. It takes place at Westlake Center in the middle of downtown. Volunteers spend at least 8 hours making their sculptures. On Saturday, August 23rd I worked a couple hours taking donations. It was awesome to see the kids face light out when they saw them!

Eastern Europe

2008-08-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Bill and I will be flying in and out of Berlin. The plan is to go to Prague, Auschwitz, Krakow, and Budapest. We have our hotel for when we land in Berlin and when we leave. No other reservations have been made. We are looking forward to having the flexibility to stay in one country as long or as short as we'd like. 23 more days to go and counting!!!

Welcome to Nagel Bagels

2008-08-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

I finally have a blog! YAY! I hope you enjoy Nagel Bagels. Bill and I are will be traveling to Eastern Europe September 17th-October 1st. We will post pictures as soon as we return. Hope you enjoy our blog!!!

Love and Blessings from Seattle

2008-08-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

2008-08-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

2008-08-20T21:02:00.000-07:00