One of my first requirements in my Master's program was to write myself a letter telling myself what I hoped to accomplish in the next 2 years. I was to congratulate myself for committing to the program and to explain my concerns. No one but me was going to see the letter (remember, I was in an arts based program - somewhat touchy feely!). In this letter I told my self that I would be going to Disneyland when I graduated. I also told the kids and Steve we would be going to Disneyland because they were making huge sacrifices for me to go back to school. So - to Disneyland we went!
What a fun trip! We took the train from Spokane to Anaheim, with a full day's delay in Portland (that story is worth it's own blog post!); spent 3 exhaustingly fabulous days at Disneyland (weather and crowds were pretty close to perfect!); took the train to San Diego to play with dolphins and Shamu at Seaworld and to visit the animals in the zoo; spent part of a day in Old Town, San Diego; took the train to Los Angeles; got lost in Chinatown trying to find our hotel while lugging all our luggage at 9 pm; walked through LA's Farmer's Market, into the American Girl Store, down Hollywood Blvd. looking for stars, and watched the sunset from Venice Beach (that was all in one day!); had my coffee taken from the table the kids were sitting at, waiting for me (Yep, a homeless man decided he needed my coffee more than I did. The kids didn't argue!); took the train back to Portland where we got on a bus to Spokane. Whew! It was a great adventure and we all have so many stories to tell!
Here we are on our first day at Disney! Bright eyed and bushy tailed....Steve spent a couple of nights backpacking in the North Cascades with some of his work buddies. He was physically worn out and his legs looked like a cat climbed them, but he had a great time and will do it again next year.
While Steve was gone, the kids and I, along with Dylan's friend, Max, went to Seattle to take Robyn and Kim to the Sounders vs Manchester United soccer game. I was pretty proud of my driving on this adventure! The game was one sided (7-0 MU) but the crowd watching was so fun! I missed most of the game because of all the people I was gawking at! And the kids (Robyn and Kim included!) watched fewer people than I did and actually enjoyed the game itself!
This is Robyn, Dylan, Max, Kim, and Lyndsi at the stadium. The evening was so pretty!The following weekend we drove over the mountains again to help friend, Tess, celebrate her 40th birthday. It was a bit like a college reunion! Fun seeing old friends again.
Lyndsi and Rose
Yes, Lyndsi is holding a chicken! We are the pleasantly, surprisingly happy owners of 2 white chickens. I say white because we don't know their breed. Also, I suspect we own one rooster and one poulet. See how much I've learned! Our furry feathered friends started out as eggs in an incubator in my classroom, then became chicks in a bin in my classroom, and finally chickens in a coop in our backyard! A very generous student donated the eggs and then graciously gave me the chicks when school was out. Yes, I wanted them, though I wasn't real sure what to do with them. Thank God for the internet! So - I am predicting you will be hearing a whole lot more about Tigger and Rose, our newest pets!
Max and Dylan at Omak Lake
We are so fortunate to live where we do, we sometimes forget to take advantage of all the beauty around us! The above picture was taken at Omak Lake. We spent a day there with our friends, helping their daughters celebrate their birthdays. Omak Lake is beautiful and the day was perfect!
Last Sunday our neighbors asked us to take a boat ride up the Okanogan River. Another perfect day! Okanogan River is also a beautiful body of water that seems to be somewhat unknown. We put the boat in the river at a town named Riverside, drove north to Tonasket (about 20 miles), then cruised back. We spent a lot of time at the beach in the picture below. You can't see this stretch of the river from the highway but it's gorgeous! By this time of year, the water is usually too low for boats and people use tubes to float down.
Steve and the kids along the Okanogan River
In addition to all our adventures we are also experiencing one of the wettest summers I've ever lived through here in Okanogan. Everything is still green and lush, not dry and brown as is the usual for August. However, we have been working on staining our deck most of the summer - It never seemed to completely dry out before the next storm would come through! We're getting there!
So there you have it - a snippet of a Streeter summer....and that was all in July!
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