Adventures in Washington

I haven't ever taken a week-long trip alone, but I recently took an 8-day trip to the Seattle/Tacoma area to attend the Northwest Pacific Regional Championships with one of my skaters. I really wanted to be able to travel with my husband, but I really had to go alone and be a big girl. It ended up being a huge blessing, because aside from coaching my skater, I had a lot of free time where I could focus on taking time for myself. The competition was a success, and I learned a lot. I also enjoyed staying with my friend who I met in Fairbanks and exploring the cities around me. Enjoy the pictures!

Day 1:
The Seattle Washington Temple
So grateful to have friends who go to the temple with me!
Maybe I am not so good at taking self pictures!

Day 2: Renton, WA
I took advantage of the sunny & warm weather and got out every day
for a long walk. How beautiful it was!

More awesome glass art!

Day 3: Tacoma, WA
I loved the blown glass near the Museum of Glass

Mt. Rainier! I got so excited when I saw it on day 3, as it had been covered
up by clouds on the first couple of days. It is gorgeous, and reminds me of
Denali.

Day 4: Puyallup, WA
After General Conference was over, I took a 2 hour walk around this lovely
park.

And I even tried to take a picture of my shadow!
This is the one downside of traveling alone...no one
can take pictures of you!

Day 6: Pike's Place, Seattle, WA
It's a good thing I don't live in Seattle or else I would have bought fresh fish!
(I didn't want to pay for shipping)

Day 6: Pike's Place, Seattle, WA
I went sight seeing in Seattle and stumbled upon Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt.
The lovely lady working there offered me a sample, of which I gladly accepted.
It was beyond anything I had ever tasted. It didn't taste a thing like yogurt, yet
it was yogurt sweetened by berries and honey, and nothing else. I had
to purchase a small for myself. It was THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER EATEN!

Loved the copious amounts of fresh fruits and veggies!!! Another reason to
be glad I was just visiting. My wallet would have been empty haha

Lunch date with Whitney Dean!! My sister's classmate from CA took the time to see me.
What a classy lady she is!

Plum Bistro on Capitol Hill made some tasty food!

Yes, I am a nerd and took pictures of our cute
mason jar glasses!

On top of the Space Needle! This was the one "Tourist Trap" that I was willing to pay $20 for. I am glad I did!
The view was amazing and a sweet lady took my picture for me :)

Just another pretty view of the Seattle Skyline

The time when you're coerced to use the freebie Seattle Space Needle photo
booth. Hehe love the cheesiness of the background!

Day 7: Pumpkin Patch in Puyallup, WA
My first time at a pumpkin patch!

Tasha makes such a good dwarf face!

Fall fun!

I had to get a picture of me and a pumpkin, even if I wasn't going to buy one

I am a shorty and proud of it!

Hoping for a Rainbow

I'm really not sure if I ever thought this day would come. The day that I made it past 13 weeks pregnant without losing the baby. #miracle. I know I am not out of the woods yet, and honestly, when are we really? I am just trying to live every day with gratitude for the life inside of me, living with hope for the future. Part of me wanted to wait until next week, when I was past 14 weeks and officially in the 2nd trimester, but I couldn't wait any longer. I've been getting a little thick in the middle, which is getting more difficult to hide, and I feel like I haven't been able to be completely honest with friends when they would ask, "how are you doing?" All I wanted to talk about was how nauseous I was or how nervous I felt. So now, the news is out, whether or not you already suspected something was up. Seriously though, the 1st trimester is not for the faint of heart! There were many instances when I thought I would lose the baby, but dee...

Grandpa is Always Right | Gender Reveal |

I was hanging out in our rental apartment in Salzburg, Austria with my sister when my dad walked out of his bedroom and announced that I was having a girl. I was only 11 weeks along at that point and while I was wishfully hoping for a girl, I was preparing myself for a boy. His strong conviction of the gender of our child without any hints from an ultrasound surprised me. My dad seems to always be right about things, so I secretly hoped he was right this time too. Today during my scan, my favorite sonographer announced that we were having a girl. Grandpa is always right. I never imagined our family starting with a baby boy. I don't know why, but a baby girl seems to fit just perfectly. Now I just have to keep calm and stay healthy for 19 more weeks.

Learning to Speak Like an Alaskan

Denali in the background No one wants to feel like a newbie, so a common practice before traveling to a new city or country is to learn the language of that particular place. Well, when my Aunt Joan picked me up from the airport last December when I first arrived in Alaska, one of the first things she told me was if I didn't want to sound like a tourist, I needed to refer to Mt. Mckinley (the tallest mountain in North America, located some 120 miles south of Fairbanks) as Denali . Denali is the native Athabaskan name for the mountain, and means "The High One." So, from day number one in Alaska, I refered to that majestic mountain as Denali instead of the name I had learned growing up. This is just about what it looked like yesterday morning! Another thing I learned recently is how to say the temperature. I was saying "Gosh it's cold outside because it's negative 30 degrees." But luckily, a kind skating mom...

Tender Mercies

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