Summer Nostalgia

This evening I'm avoiding cleaning my house and instead looking at photos from last summer.  Perhaps it's the March snow that's making me so reminiscent, or maybe it's the giant, overwhelming nest of blankets, toys, hangers, laundry baskets, and everything else accessible to my little man all piled up in the middle of the family room.  I really should clean that mess.  It's stressing me out.  It would probably take less than ten minutes to take care of.  Instead, I decided to grab a glass of wine and my laptop and avoid this responsibility while sitting on the sofa next to it.

Anyway, back to last summer.  I had the wonderful opportunity to teach a lovely class of K-2nd graders at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission.  We moved from our cowtown to the city for two beautiful months and had a lovely time.  I loved my job, Joel's 60 mile commute (that's each way) was eliminated and we had more time as a family, we were near dear friends whom we hadn't seen often enough, and Seattle offered us oh so many options when it came to family activities.

Here are a few memories:

 We lived right by Ravenna Park

...and University Village.

 We went to the drive-in.

 Sebastian became a photographer.

 Isn't he talented?

 We discovered the exciting world of draw bridges.

 We watched the boats (and the Fremont bridge).

 We visited Snoqualmie Falls

... and watched sunsets at Gasworks Park.

We walked a lot

a lot

...and visited the market.

 We fell in love with the dinosaur exhibit at the zoo

 ... and the troll whom we visited daily.

The Bite of Seattle was delicious.

 And we watched sea planes take off and land.

 I spent every day with these sweet faces.

 This kiddo melted our hearts.

 Sebastian was able to come to school with me.  He taught my students how to draw nipples.

We went to the zoo several times a week.

We were sad to leave Seattle at the end of summer, but my job ended and we could not afford to keep our little place.  Months later, I see why God has brought us back to Skagit Valley, and I am grateful to be here.  I hope that next summer we might have the opportunity to return to Seattle and all of the wonderful experiences that we left behind.

On that note, I will take care of the giant mess in my family room with a happy heart.