Washington Visit

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!!  

PA Time

Okay, everybody, I finally have time to sit down and write about my trips these past 2 weeks! I am hoping to attach some pictures to the bottom of these posts as well. Since I spent time in two different places, I'll be posting 2 separate accounts. I hope this is okay and I hope it helps lessen any confusion there may be!! Alright, now on to the vacations!!!

I had a great time in PA with my family! I slept in, visited with my parents, spent some time with my grandma and even caught up on my favorite shows!=) Here's the rundown of my week:

Monday: Dinner at Grandma's (yummy chicken, noodles, mashed potatoes, bread and for dessert. . . peanut butter pie! Yummm!!)

Tuesday: Dinner at Don Pablo's and then off to see Mame the musical at the Benedum in downtown Pittsburgh!

Wednesday: Tea with Mom, Sandhill Berries and then off to Connellsville for the John Woodruff 5K walk/run (I did not come in first!).

Thursday: Dinner out with Grandma (We went to a place called Grille 31 in Mt. Pleasant. It was pretty good. The only downside, as Dad would say, was the lousy atmosphere.).

Friday: A run to my old elementary school (Mom needed to drop some things off), iced coffee from McDonald's (really good!), and then a stop at the Pie Shoppe in Donegal for some really good cinnamon rolls and monkey tails. That evening we also went to a Pittsburgh Pirates game. All I have to say is that at least we got a nice fireworks display after the game!!=)

Saturday: DRAFT DAY!!! This morning we completed our draft for our family's upcoming fantasy football season. Everyone was on a Skype conference call (with the exception of Jess and Tom) and we successfully completed our draft in 2 1/2 hours. Yes, folks, it's that serious!!=) Then it was off to the airport for me!!

All in all, it was a great time! I am learning to take advantage of every opportunity to spend extra time with my family. You never know when it could be your last! And I am very thankful that I have a husband who is very understanding of this! It is always rough to be away from him, but it is nice to have him to look forward to coming home to!!=) The Lord has given me much to be thankful for. I am very blessed indeed!! I hope you all enjoy the pictures!!

Home

I have made it to sunny PA!  It was a pretty uneventful trip, but a good one.  We did end up stopping in West Virginia Saturday night to help break up the long drive.  I have to admit that as anxious as I was to be done with the traveling, it was nice to stop.  My dad was even able to watch his NASCAR race that evening!=)

We ended up arriving at my parents' home around midday on Sunday and spent the rest of the day just relaxing and unpacking.  I am officially set up in the guest room for the week.  I am looking forward to spending some extra time with my parents this week as well as with my aunt and grandmother.  I miss my husband something fierce, but I know that he is doing well.  He is working hard and getting to spend some extra time with our niece and nephew.  I am sure that he is enjoying his time with them!=)

This week should be quite busy!  My mom has scheduled quite a few fun things to do!  We are going to see Mame tomorrow in Pittsburgh, walking in a 5K race on Wednesday, visiting my younger sister on Thursday and going to a Pirates game on Friday!  Then Saturday is our big draft for our family's fantasy football league.  All of these things should make the week go by rather quickly!  I'm sure that Saturday will be here before I know it!=)

Summer Vacation

I am officially on summer vacation! It feels so nice to have a month or so off from work. It has been a great year, though! I have learned many valuable lessons from my preschoolers and their parents. And I have many wonderful things to look forward to this July! Right now, I am enjoying a nice visit from my parents. They will be here for a couple more days and then I will go back to PA with them on Saturday. I am looking forward to spending some one on one time with my parents. After that I will be flying out to Seattle to visit a very good friend of mine. I am really excited about that trip, since I haven't seen my friend since my wedding day, almost five years ago! Much has changed since then and I am anxious to see her, her husband and their adorable (almost) 2 year old daughter!! It should be a wonderful summer!
Once I get back from my travels I will spend some much wanted time with my husband before heading back to work. I am sad that he isn't able to travel with me, but he gives me something to look forward to when I come home!!=) Plus, I know it will give him much needed time with his friends and family! He is a hard worker and does his very best to please the Lord every day! I am very blessed to have him as my husband!
That is all for now! I will post again when I have some pictures from my time up in PA and Seattle.