Seattle trip
We’re back from Seattle. What a week! I had a blast with Scott, and our alone time together was almost like being on a second honeymoon. I’m more in love with him than ever today, and he continues to impress me, pursue my heart, and grow more and more into this amazing, godly man who makes me laugh all the time.
Before we even left for the trip, we were in for a surprise. I was packing inside the house when Scott calls me to come outside. Apparently the neighborhood boys from next door and down the street found a litter of four week-old kittens haplessly meandering down the street. I groaned as I eagerly took one in my arms: “You guys! You CANNOT come to my door and show me helpless kittens who have been abandoned right in front of my house! Especially before we go out of town for a week!”
So of course I took one.
So then I call Alex and ask her if she can watch mine for a week (surprise! I’ve had a kitten for two hours, and now I need you to take it for me for 5 days). The Emily comes home and says she wants one. So now Alex is over to pick up my kitten, then we end up with all four of them from the neighbors, so Emily adopts one, and Alex agrees to watch our two cats, and give away the other two for us.
I just remember finding it so funny that evening as I’m running around the house cleaning, doing laundry, packing, etc., I have this tiny grey kitten I’ve tucked into a little basket, and porting her around as I do errands. And as I sat her down to fold clothes or cook dinner, she just looked up and stared at me with these big blue eyes, taking it all in. Of course, then Alex and Emily come over and they and Scott start petting these kittens, taking crazy cute photos, and I’m trying to finish packing…. Fun and wonderful, just not how I envisioned the night before this trip.
Day one, Emily, Scott and I flew up together. The flight was so empty, all three of us actually spread out in our own row to sleep lying down. We arrived and went through the process of renting two cars-one for Emily, one for Scott and me. Then Scott and I drove up to have our day in Anacortes, on an island north of Seattle overlooking the orca-filled Strait of San Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands.
We stayed at a PEO B&B, which is a private B&B where a fellow PEO sister of mine agrees to offer her home to PEO guests on travel as a fundraiser for our educational projects. A night’s stay and breakfast costs anywhere from $30 to $50 for a couple. The lady we stayed with in Anacortes has built her gorgeous house only 3 years ago, and we had an unforgettable view from our bedroom and private bath of the islands and the Olympic Mountains.
We ventured out and toured Deception Pass, and caught the sunset over the islands from a view at Washington Park. Dinner was on a pier with the best clam chowder I’d ever had.
Thursday, we left Anacortes and drove back into Seattle. We checked into our next B&B at a woman named Carolyn’s home in a gorgeous neighborhood near UW, with a terrific view of Mount Rainier. My parents had actually stayed with this same couple two years ago, so we had a good connection.
Scott and I toured the city of Seattle for the rest of the day, taking the Underground Tour, visiting Pikes Place market, ferrying across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island, and then enjoyed dinner on a pier at Elliott’s Oyster House with Scott’s parents and Emily. I’m picky about salmon, and they didn’t disappoint! I ordered Dungeness-stuffed salmon, and it was to-die-for.
Friday morning, we departed from the Seattle B&B and headed over to Scott’s brother’s neck of the woods. We toured the Boeing assembly plant in Everett, and then met Scott’s brother and sister-in-law for lunch in Mukilteo at an Italian place (getting sick of seafood…)
The rest of the day was spent with the whole family, dropping by Mark & Sarah’s house they’re working on, which is down the street from and in the same neighborhood as Sarah’s mother’s house, where they currently live. Really fun to see all the trees they have, in comparison to here in Texas, but also what like plants we can both grow-annuals like petunias, hydrangeas, and ferns.
Scott’s mother and I made a dinner together of what was my effort of trying to bring some Southwest to the Northwest: tortilla-crusted tilapia, citrus grilled shrimp, cornbread, spinach salad, and apple enchiladas for dessert.
The next day, we ventured out to the Bavarian village of Leavenworth, about two and a half hours away. Although a tourist trap, we enjoyed the authentic brats, Bavarian pastries, and quaint shops. I found a beautiful Christmas ornament I’m looking forward to putting on the tree this year. I spent a great deal of quality time, especially, with Scott’s parents in the car on the way over.
And finally, our trip ended with a visit to Mark & Sarah’s church, where the sermon was great and full of history of Paul’s famous sermon atop the church’s namesake hill in Athens. Then we grabbed Panera and headed down to the airport to get on our flight home.
So I’m now back in the office, tired, and have two cute kittens to see when I get home tonight.