An amazing wedding for wonderful and lifelong friends

What a great few days.

Ed's wedding on Whidbey Island and the reception at the Historic Captain Whidbey Inn was just smashing. He and Kristen are a wonderful couple and have many amazing years of happiness to come. Especially now that the wedding planning is over.
We had an absolutely amazing room with a view of the lagoon. And although it was warm (methinks one must turn off the baseboard heater at night) it was so perfect.
Rustic is the correct word.

The reception was only about five miles from Whidbey General Hospital in Coupeville, which has produced some pretty outstanding men - see Turpins, Barges, you know the cool dudes (another posting soon on dinner at the Barge-Walker house)!. Also home to Toby's Tavern, an island special - order the mussels, I can vouch for them because I used to harvest them. Unfortunately the shellfish and not the stuff that grows under your skin...

We were able to spend a lot of time with wonderful friends so it was a great weekend!

To those we know and love, hope you are well and we can't wait until the next time we see you!

One last shot of the boys for good measure:

Isn't our niece sooooooo cute?

And Cor sooooooooooo happy to have her!!

Awwwwwwwwwww!!! We love her!

Baby Maddie!

Top Chef? Or Christmas Wishes

Tonight, it was the best of both worlds for Erin. Not only did she get a master chef preparing her dinner (I won't quit my day job...yet), there is also a new look in the house to celebrate. Lets start with the house, which has been transformed into X-mas land. The tree is fantastic, and having a mantle above the fireplace is a real treat.

Now that is F-ancy for those keeping score...

We also managed to capture the guys attention for a fraction of a second

and as for the meal, well, sometimes a saturday night is meant for decadence. The menu was a Roasted Pepper and Feta dip with fresh Baugett (dip was homemade), pasta with chantrelle mushroom and butternut squash cream sauce topped with some smoked salmon left over from t-giving (thanks Dad!) and finally some fresh prawns in an white wine, garlic and olive oil sauce. I need to diversify the pallet a bit, but it's a good start!

And yes, it did tast a bit better than it pictured...

Cheers, E&A

Back. In Living Color with Real Photos - Happy Thanksgiving

Okay, so it's been a spell since we've been able to show any visual evidence of the shennanigans that we've been up to. But rest assured, thanks to Dad, we've got a temporary camera fix and we'll be posting in living color.

Now, to get you caught up. We had a short work week which was much needed. Next week will also be a short one due to Ed and Kristen's wedding, yeah! Good times on the rock (aka Whidbey Island) are sure to follow.

Here is where we currently stand:



After rock climbing on the beach before dinner, Hampton worked up quite an appetite. We had a great time at Mom and Dad's. It was a perfect fall day.

Erin spent some time modelling on the beach. In Washington, sweaters are sexy...

After watching the Seachickens (that is an ode to Hawks fans from the early 90's) get worked by the Cowgirls, the Captain got into me...

And finally, we are thankful for all that we have. We've been blessed to have so many good friends and family be part of our lives this year. Erin and I thank you all for everything.

Sorry Hampton, but I just couldn't help but clean my own plate...

Mad Poker Skills

So what have we learned following a house game? The mad poker skills that I at one time possessed have left like the flooding rains. I couldn't win a tournament playing with blind people.

Erin had Tuesday off and was out scoping the Veterans day sales, and good thing, she scored some deals. Good time to say thanks to for people who have sacrificed so much for our country. Cheers. Now let's get the active guys home.

It's a chilly Thursday night, the dogs are snuggling together on the bed, and now through the magic of DVR, we can watch silly programs in fast forward.
Can't wait for the weekend to arrive. It's going to be a doozy. Maybe pick up the dry cleaning. Hit Les Schwab for a tire adjustment...but it doesn't matter, cause Erin makes everything more fun.

Week in Review - Sans Photos

Tis I, lord and ruler of 7751 26th, potential blogger of weekend fun, and constructor of Target furniture. Handy Andy - well Erin will be the judge of that.

Since it's been a while, we can start with our trip to the 'Country' or Bothell as it is otherwise known. Ed and Kristen have some Nigerian Dwarf Goats, they smile at Erin and scowl at me, kind of like the dogs. Probably because I give the tough love!

Here's a shout out for the victory of Barry Obama. it's good to know that hope is all around us - only two short months until the 'official' change, but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel - kind of like looking through W's ears...

If you haven't seen we got some great wedding photos sent out to everyone. It was an amazing time, and we're thankful for all of the memories that we actually remembered to stop and take in.

Saturday was a great day here in Seatown. Started off with an amazing brunch at Cafe Flora with Brian, Ashley and Nola - the amazing walking, smiling, egg eating baby. She is such a cutie.
Followed that up with a trip to Pike Place Market where we bought some fresh stuff that I tried to throw together. It was my tribute to the return of top chef. And while my emulsified rutebagas did not turn out...okay, I kept it a little simpler, the Halibut Cheeks were a nice contrast to the Chantrelle, Butternut Squash, prawn Cous-cous. It sounds much fancier than it looked, trust me.

Now I'll have to admit, I'm probably one of the few men in America that is not an Angelina Jolie fan. But her new movie 'Changeling' was really well put together. It will make you jump, make you smile, make you cringe, and make Erin cry. Two thumbs up from the turpin household.

I'm being a bit descriptive due to the technical difficulties that we are having with our camera, so hopefully the words help describe how wonderful our last week was.
Tomorrow is Monday and we wish you well for the coming week!

A Pirate & A Redneck

Thanks to Lynn and Aaron for hosting a fun Halloween party last night!

SPL

We took a quick tour of the sustainable Seattle Public Library while we waited for the new window: http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=branch_central_building_green&branchID=1

Seattle Car Theft

The Nox was kicked and violated downtown last night as the thief proceeded to steal Andrew's work laptop, his Treo and the Ipod in broad happy hour daylight! Note to self: go buy back-up hard drive.

The difference between 6 or 6:15....

my october favorite, a pumpkin spice latte. cheers.

A Peek at the Weekend

Another great weekend and I think we feel like we are back into the swing of things after the September craze. Here are some pics of the weekend for a quick re-cap:

The Head Chef...

Our nightly walk with the boys....tonight it was Lincoln Park, a tranquil walk along the beach at dusk.

Sunday morning breakfast at Luna Park Cafe - semi-in-honor-of the one month mark tomorrow. Read all about this darling old-fashioned eatery and the history of the park:

http://www.lunaparkcafe.com/

Dinner w/ friends at Ray's Boathouse followed by a nightcap at Hale's.

http://www.rays.com/new/index.php

Picking out our pumpkins!

Technically, they are not even allowed on the furniture. No wonder he is everyone's favorite!

Wedding Pics...Coming Soon

PS - I will post wedding pictures as soon as we receive them from our photographer!! I think it will be another week or two. Here we are pre-wedding at Luna Park in the rain! What a day it was!

Let's Get This Marriage Started!!!!

With A Honeymoon!!!....We arrive in Puerto Vallarta for 6 nights in paradise!

We tackled one of our first major adventures together as newlyweds as we defied gravity on zip lines through the forests of Puerto Vallarta. It was amazing, scary, and absolutely one of the coolest things we've ever done!

Our trip to Mexico was everything we had hoped for and more. We ate lots, sipped some bebidos, visited Bucerias and Puerto Vallarta, made some deals at the flea markets, saw many sunsets, lounged at the pool, took a nap!, practiced our Spanish, won third place in a dance contest, saw dolphins, had a couples' massage, tried new restaurants, got great tans, and much more!!

We were sad to leave but thankful to be home safe, married, and back in our house with the pets and able to talk with friends and family about the trip and the wedding! Stay tuned for more Turpin Times ......I am back to work tomorrow ( what is that?!?) and Drewd will continue this wonderful vacation until Monday. I have to say it feels good to be able to relax on the couch and catch up on our DVR tonight :)