sunny day at the puget sound

It's the kind of day where the sun makes all the leaves look neon green when it shines. It's the kind of day where everything looks happy because the sky is blue and the sun is kissing everyone. We went to the beach today, we being me, Sydney and Turkish. We thought a hot summer day was the best day to sit on the shore with a breeze blowing. Turkish played fetch and swam probably a half a mile just going out, getting ball and coming back. A girl in a green shirt and white pants said he looked like a little motor boat, he left a wake behind him because he was so excited to get his tennis ball. Sydney decided she would only play fetch when she didn't have to get wet. She is a little prissy that way...she will tip her toes in, but that's about it. Every now and then I threw the ball accross the beach so she could play too. I sat on a flat rock and sunned my ghostish legs while I studied.

At one point a big freight train came by (this beach is lined with three railroad tracks that are used often). Turkish dropped his ball and ran to me with his stub of a tail "between his legs". He jumped on the rock next to me and sat as close as he could possibly get. Whenever the train made a lowder noise he would shuffle and try and get closer. Sydney just sat there and watched as to say, "chill out man, it's only a train". It was really funny until after the train left I realized I was all wet and hairy on my left side. :)

We had fun and we got our fill of Vitamin D. I love summer here, it's the pefect temp and it's actually sunny. I hope it stays summer unseasonably long.

Day 367 or something like that

It's been a while eh? The blog has gone unmanned, or unwomaned as the case may be, for sometimes because our computer broke, we didn't have internet and so many other excuses I could probably think of. Either way, we are about 10 months into our stay in Washington.

For a quick update, we have moved into a cute little house in Shoreline, about 15 north of Seattle downtown. We call it the hobbit house, but it has a nice big fenced in yard for the dogs and a plethera of herbs for me to experiement with. We have strawberry, rasberry, bluberry bushes, and a grape vine, we have three types of poppies, daisis and all sorts of other beautiful plants. There is a fire pit and a stone pizza oven in the back. There is a small studio thing (room, house, whatever) with a composting outhouse toilet. The dogs love the yard and I think they like Washinton, there are dog parks galor and human parks that we take the dogs to. There are great biking and hiking trails that allow dogs as well. This town was made for fun in the sun, er...i mean cloud cover.

It's a very bike friendly sitty, but I still have been yelled at, had a bottle thrown at me and other funny things while road riding. But there are plenty of bike lanes and paved trails to get around. There are plenty of off road trails and plenty of parks to practice drops and jumps. It's like a breeding ground for air crazed bikers. There are also a bunch of girls that bike, I've met a number and they've been cool enough to let me ride with them sometimes.

Ben is spending much of his time at Shoreline Community College, taking 12 credits this summer. He has that same love/hate relationship with school I think we all have. He is doing well and working at a care/rehab facilty about 5 minute from the house. He is also starting to bike and has found plenty of climbing around and a few friends to climb with as well.

Our ward is fantastic. We have made a lot of friends who we enjoy. We both have callings, Ben coordinates the building and I am the Laurel advisor and Personal Progress person. We have great girls in our ward, I truly love working with them. They are impressive young women.

My job is crazy busy, suprised? I can work normal hours sometimes and not others, just the way it goes I guess.

Well, here is hoping I can keep up with more blogging in the future, cool ideas and thoughts I hope, talk to you all soon.

Day 3

That's it, day 3 at the new job, day 5 in Washington. Today I long lined for a hippotherapy treatment session. We went outside and on a huge dirt road. This road is gated off for cars and almost gated off for horses except for a small opening on each side. Apparently the horses are cool with this narrow way of passage and the sidewalkers are as well, the problem is if the driver is newer to these narrow ways of passage (me) then the steering is as great and some sidewalkers is smashed. :) hehe. Luckily the therapist and volunteers were very patient with me and understand that they won't get smashed every time. :)

Then I taught a private lesson to the cutest little boy. I feel much more in my element with the private lessons, that is what I have been mostly doing at the NAC. We had a pretty good lesson, it went by fast of course, but afterwards the volunteers said that I really connected with him and he was the most responsive they have ever seen him. They said for whatever reason he was way more focused then usual. So, just a little patting myself on the back because I have felt a little overwhelmed and under qualified. To have an obvious success made me feel much better.

On a lighter note...I found two pairs of my underwear on the bathroom counter this afternoon, folded and possibly cleaned. I'm not sure how they got there and whey they were clean. I set them in my room on top of my black duffel bag. I came into my bedroom the other day and my pile of dirty underwear, on top of my black duffel bag, was knocked over. I didn't think anything of it really because I could have done that myself. But now finding the loose underwear in a place I didn't put it, I think the dogs have been rummaging through my stuff to see if they found anything they liked. Apparently they like my underwear very much and have been wearing it around all day while we were out. :)

Things are going well and I am having a great time, my brain is working over time and it feels good. I miss my hubby even more and am just trying to keep myself busy so I don't have to think to much about missing him. I sure love him and can't wait to have him here.

Until we speak again...

New world

First day in Seattle WA. This is a photo of Pikes Market, not a photo I took obviously...but one I stole from their website. Anyway, I met up with Tera today, after church of course and we went to Pikes Market in downtown Seattle. Wow, what a cool place. It was late in the day when most vendors were packing up their flowers, jewelry, purses, art, and lots of fish for the evening. The narrow ally of open air shops was crowded anyway with people coming from the Wildcats game...football. (Is it Wildcats? Now I am doubting myself) Either way, there were a lot of football fans on the street. Tera and I ate some dinner and watched a huge barge, full of large metal boxes of something important I'm sure, get pulled into dock by two tiny tug boats. For landlocked girls this was a very exciting event. We watched these tiny 'little engine that could' type boats haul this million ton barge, it was spell binding. We talking for some time, by the way, Tera is here in Seattle working at the VA doing her large internship for Rec. Therapy. She has the town tapped already and showed me around. What a fun afternoon.

I must say though that I can't wait to come back and experience all these things with Ben. It is hard to see all these cool things without him. He has been getting a play by play via text message. Whether he liked it or not, he got my whole days events. I hope that makes him miss me less, I know it makes me miss him less.

Tera also showed me a really RAD bike part, downtown Seattle located under Interstate 5 (I-5), you heard me correctly, under a freeway. Check out this link for those who don't believe me. evergreenmtb.org/colonnade/

These photos don't really do it the RAD justice it deserves, but hopefully when I ride it, you will all get to see RAD photos of me. :)

All is well here in Seattle and the Xterra is a champ, can't wait until you are here with me Ben.

Until next time...

Some new material...

Ben went on a great trip down in southern Utah. This is the leprechan canyon area...

The end of a good thing

Two nights ago, in the morning hours, we pulled into our driveway groggy after a long tired drive. Two days ago, at this same time we were snuggled in our warm sleeping bags in Moab Utah up Kane Creek road. We had found a great camp site Wednesday afternoon where we could fit 16 people and still be comfortable. After we staked out claim we went exploring and hiked to the top of a few mesa's in our area. We took the dogs on this hike and needless to say, wore them out by the end. Poor 11 year old Bailey tore her front two pads and was out for the rest of the trip.

That night many people arrived, one worth mentioning...a silver Toyota pickup truck blaring it's high beems throughout camp and yelling. "Rae!" There was no mistake who had arrived. :) Despite a few interuptions sleep outside was better then any sleep recently had at home. The next morning we split up, a group to Arches and a group to bike Amasa Back. The best story to come of this bike ride is Pete's murdered shorts. They slit from bottom to crotch in the first 5 minutes of the trail. Pete had a breezy ride. The trail was fun and the new fork gave a new meaning to smooth. :)

After the bike ride and Arches trip we decided to hike to a obvious mine across the valley. we hiked up about 20 min to a large wooden structure that looked ancient by desert standards, fairly new by more wet climate standards. The structure took form as a tower of wood and nails that once used to transport some mineral to those waiting below. The mine attached to this structure was not extremely deep, but it split into many fingers and went far enough back to keep me away. Ben explored of corse and found nothing too exciting. The way down was more exciting then anything else, we went straight down a huge boulder field, hopping like mountian goats, trying to keep up with Ben. The puppes came along and did great.

That night we all went into town and ate at the best Moab Mexican restaurant then had a fire and played capture the flag with lanterns. Joel sprained his ankle and Garrett lost some skin on the rock somewhere, the usual carnage of night games.

After sleeping in, we all went climbing just down the road at the Ice Cream parlor. I was quite impressed with theis adventurous crew, they all wanted to climb, so they did. We found a couple good routes, a 5.7 and a 5.9 just 10 min from out camp site. I led the 5.7 and Josie led the 5.9, a first for Ben, not leading anything. After a few hours, everyone got a turn and we headed down the rocky approach trail and on to Goblin Valley.

Getting to Goblin Valley proved to be more of an adventure then actually being there. Ben, Pete, Joel, Andrea and I all went back to camp first to pack up and the others went on to Goblin Valley. Needless to say, we got there only 5 min after they because they all missed the big brown sign that pointed to Goblin Valley. Everyone in different cars, not even traveling together, ended up in Hanksville, about 30 miles south of Goblin. Anyway, they all called me and we got them to the right place. We all explored the little HooDoos and at the end ate So Cupcakes. Thanks Amanda and Josie. ;)

Captain Morgan

Roommate photo, cute! (Andrea, Garrett, Amanda, Ben, Sydney, Rae, Turkish)