Growing Up Lanese: OUR Adventure Is Out There (Part I)

We've lived here for almost 6 years, we've had some incredible times. But, it is time for a change.

Before we get to that, let's take a walk down memory lane. I'll try to do this without crying.

Ha, yeah right!!!!

(WARNING: LONG POST)

When we moved here in 2009, I was a nanny & Matt was working at Microsoft.

I had two incredible families I worked for in a nanny share. When I started, I was 20 years old and was watching 4 children ages 11 months, 1 1/2, 3 & 5. Full-Time. I learned new things every-single-day and I loved it. When I say "learned new things," I mean that so literally. I was a small-town Wisconsin girl, thrown into the middle of Seattle. I worked in Fremont. I had never tasted Avocado before, didn't even know what it was. Never heard of cloth diapering. Man...I was young!! I really loved my families and at the time, moving so far away from my family, they saved me. I had Matt's family of course, but these guys became MY family (Matt & I weren't engaged yet)...

Sometimes, Matt would come help me. Boy, did we get some good practice! Here is 22 year old Matt spending the afternoon at the zoo with me and my 4 nanny kids ;) What a catch!

I did everything with these guys. I remember this day like it was yesterday. I did Charlie and Ave's hair while the boys were napping and then when they woke up, we baked cornbread muffins together. All the kids stirring the ingredients at the bench.

Since the zoo was literally across the street, we practically lived there. Matt was with us often, too ;)

I could totally have 4 kids and rock it, who am I kidding?? I was 21 in this picture and they all were happy, fed, changed, played with, read to, taught new things everyday and...survived ;)

Sweet Charlie and I at Alki (this is going to be a long post...) Matt, let's take Lilly Belle here asap!

Matt and I got engaged after we had been dating for just 6 months. We were just 21 & 22 years old. Babies. But we were so, so happy.

Then 2010 came along...(trying to get this in order).

We graduated from our studio apartment to a one bedroom - it was a BIG deal. I mean so big that I had to throw some dinner parties. Isn't that what everyone does when they turn 22?

See...dinner party :) For my 22nd birthday. I was so proud to make everyone dinner. Like SO proud. My daddy was even there :)

We brought our first baby home!...Cogsworth! Cogsy Wogsy!

Our awesome apartments where we had our studio and one-bedroom

And then my nanny family had a sweet new addition to their family, sweet Suzy Lou!

This also happened to be the same time I started struggling. I missed dancing so, SO much.

In August, not long (at all) after Suzy Lou arrived, I decided I needed to move on and I started a business... Emerald City Dance.

I was 22 years old and in my first quarter, had 100 children in our program at the community center.

These photos are blurry, but oh so special to me. Our first recital...how I wish I had known it was out last when it was. Matt would have been there...my whole family would have been there. It kills me. I'm still so bitter that they made it end. Ok, moving on.

So yeah, I started nannying for a family closer to home part-time and taught classes about 10 hours/week. That nanny job lasted a few months before we had 150 kids in our program and I that was my only job, Owner of Emerald City Dance. My 22-year-old, has no idea what I'm doing, but I love kids and dancing, self ;)

We had our engagement pictures taken...

Visited some cool places with family...

Mel & Clint got engaged :)

We moved into our most "important" 2-bedroom home we will probably ever have. The home where we would become both husband and wife AND a mommy & daddy!

Our niece & nephew, Caitlin & Quenton were born :)

I met my best friends... Here is me and Katie's first "date" at Snowflake Lane :)

And this was me and Autumn's first summer together. We did summer camps together every year. She was 16!! I was 22 :) Katie & Autumn are still two of my closest of close friends. Ok...this post is getting hard. Crying now.