What a special time it was in Washington! I had not seen my friend, Cristy, in about 5 years and a lot had changed since then. It was such a blessing to get to visit with her, her husband and their little girl. We had some wonderful days just talking and catching up. And contrary to what I had been told, the weather was beautiful!!! I almost felt as though I were still in FL.=) I didn't have to pull out a sweater once!!=)
Cristy and her husband, Edwin, took me to Pike Place Market on the Sunday after I arrived. That place definitely offered some neat tourist type gifts, but was also really neat to walk through. The restaurant where Tom Hanks eats in Sleepless in Seattle is there, plus the first, original Starbucks (there was a LONG line for that coffee!)! I also walked past many stands with fresh cherries, veggies and who can forget the Fish stand. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to see the guys toss fish to anyone, but it was still neat to check it out. That day I was also able to get a picture of Mt. Rainier (which is somewhat ruined by the addition of the Seattle Seahawks stadium - sorry, Edwin!) and a couple of nice scenic pictures. Cristy and Edwin were also nice enough to drive me up to the Space Needle so that I could get a picture. After that we travelled the 3 hours to Kennewick, where Cristy and Edwin live.
The week in Kennewick was spent bike riding, going to the park/playground with Tory, playing Phase 10, Nerts, and Settlers of Canaan (I did not win much.) and visiting Edwin's work place. It was really neat to visit the winery and get a tour of the place. The building where the gift shop is located is beautiful!!! We were able to have lunch with Edwin that day, which was really nice. The land is perfect for grape growing (so I'm told) and is quite brown (but still pretty!!). I loved being surrounded by hills and mountains again, though!!=)
Unfortunately, my time in WA went by way too fast! Before I knew it Cristy and I were headed back into Seattle! Thankfully, her aunt allowed us to spend the night in her house so that we would not have to make the long drive into Seattle on Thursday morning. I thought that was very kind of her!=) Cristy was also very kind and came into the airport with me on Thursday just in case my suitcase was over the 50 lb. limit! If it were, then she was going to be kind enough to help me rearrange!=) Surprisingly, though, it was only 47 lbs.!! That was a nice surprise!!
I find that it gets harder and harder to say goodbye to those that mean the most to you. Although I was anxious to get home to see Frank, it was sad to say goodbye to my friend. It is a comfort to know that even though we are separated by many miles, we will forever be connected by the blood of Jesus Christ. How thankful I am to have Cristy not only as my friend, but also as a sister in Christ!!
