BIG vacation

Cole and I have been in Washington State for the past 12 days. WOW! We had a great time with Grandpa Jack, Grandma Carol, and Aunt Emma. We were in Seattle with everyone to run the Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon. I got my own PR by nearly six minutes. It was a terrific race and even better to get to do it with family.

I stayed a few more days in Seattle and Cole went with Grandpa and Grandma back to Othello. Michelle and I went to Snoqualmie Falls, then to the San Juan Islands and kayaked around Henry Island and stayed in a fabulous little inn called, Juniper Lane. Highly recommend. I walked around Pike Place Market one morning, saw a huge jellyfish off the pier, ate Russian pastries filled with bavarian cream and cream of wheat, dusted with powder sugar....delicious!

Then I headed over to Othello which is about 3.5 hour drive. I stopped in this town, although, town is too strong of a word. It had a post office, a little convienent store called CB's, and maybe a mechanic shop. Everything else was boarded up. I stopped at CB's to grab a beverage and ended up sitting on the porch swing with an old timer named Toby Buchanan. He reminded me of my grandfather. He talked about his days as a truck driver, his marriages, his children, his cars....just about everything - non-stop - for two hours. It was a delight. He smelled like my grandfather too. I got his address, so I imagine I'll send him a card now and then to brighten his lonely days.

Back in Othello it was:

Ice Age 3 in Pasco with Aunt Emma and Cole

Water Fun at the Playground of Dreams off of the Columbia River

Emma's Swim Meet - I think she won all her events - you go girl

Water Park Fun in Moses Lake with Grandpa and Emma
Camera One
Camera Two
Pool Fun in Othello

Othello's Sun Faire for the Fourth of July - 5k for Grandma and Emma, 10k for me, and kids dash for Cole

Fireworks from the porch

Playing in the Snake River

Feeding chickens, collecting eggs, playing with kittens, pickin' rasberries

Backyard fun with Aunt Emma

Lots and lots of great food

Trip to Snoqualmie Falls on our way back to Seattle to catch our flight home


Thanks for having us for so long. It was a nice break for us while Chris is gone. We love you guys bunches.