Part Two ~ Seattle

One of our favorite places to wander away the time is at the market.  Also known as Pike Place.
This market is full of interesting everything!

We started our day just inside the main entrance with breakfast at Lowell's.  We had a beautiful view...

And while we watched the ferries come and go we enjoyed an enormous cinnamon roll, topped with a slightly sweet, buttery cream cheese frosting that was oh so yummy.  And we shared a LOWELL’S INCREDIBLE BREAKFAST TACO, which in their words is made up of: House made chorizo, scrambled eggs, Cotija cheese, avocado and tomatillo salsas on double corn tortillas served with crispy hash browns.

Yeah...we devoured it!

 
 
The fresh flowers are truly unreal.  Honestly stunning.
Pictures rarely do flowers justice, as in this case.  It is something you have to see to believe.

All along the market are flower vendors. The blossoms were huge, colorful, fragrant and so incredibly cheap!

A monster size bouquet with a variety of flowers was only $10.

I wanted to bring home a bouquet for every neighbor, friend and stranger!

That being totally unrealistic, Brent bought me a bouquet for us to enjoy in our room.

I don't have a picture but we found a little corner bakery called Cinnamon Works.  You'll want to remember that.
They had thee most incredible cookies!  I ended up going back on our last day and buying six snickerdoodles to bring home for the kids.  The boys thought they had died and gone to heaven!

A day at the market is not complete until you've stopped here ~ The Pike Place Fish Market.
You can't miss it. It's right at the main entrance and you have to duck when these fun guys start throwing fish around. Nobody was buying when we stopped by so there wasn't any flying fish. I was tempted to buy a beautiful salmon (only $11.99 a pound) and have it packed to take home just so I could get a picture of the great fun but I got control of my impulse and walked away. I think I glanced over my shoulder a couple times though.

 

And this little side street is called Post Alley.  I hear it is quite the spot.  Something about a gum wall.  I googled it and I'm really glad we decided to just take a picture.  Like I said "interesting everything!"  But it's what makes Seattle, so Seattle.

Another activity was a stroll around the Ballard Locks.

It is always so lush and green here and today was no exception.  The fall colors were bright and beautiful.

So what are the locks?  Well according to a website the locks and associated facilities serve three purposes:

•To maintain the water level of the fresh water Lake Washington and Lake Union at 20 to 22 feet above sea level.
•To prevent the mixing of sea water from Puget Sound with the fresh water of the lakes (saltwater intrusion).
•To move boats from the water level of the lakes to the water level of Puget Sound, and vice versa.

Necessary tidbit?  Probably not but how about good random trivia!  You never know when you'll be asked how the locks work the next time you are on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire".

Here are a few pictures of a boat going through the locks, coming from the salt water of the Puget Sound to the fresh water of Lake Washington.  The lock is filled with water and rises until it is at the same level as the canal.

When the levels are equal, the lock opens and the boat heads up the canal.  It is fun to watch.  Many times while we lived here we would come to watch the boats make their way in and out of the locks.  Often there are several at a time going through.  You get to see some beautful boats, from little watercrafts to amazing yachts.

 
The large lock for the big beauties!


Also at the locks is the Carl S. English Jr. Botanical Gardens.
It was a beautiful day to enjoy the park.

 

 

Can you believe the size of this tree?!?!  I couldn't find the marker for it so I'm not sure what it is but we found out this much...

It is a type of pine.  Standing back from where I was taking the picture I never would have guessed.

 It certainly didn't look like a pine until I got up close.  The needles were the give away.

 
 
And the flowers.  When I have my camera I just can't resist the flowers.

 

 

 

 

It was a gorgeous day in Ballard.

Part One ~ Seattle

Brent had a business conference in Seattle last week so I joined him and we turned it into an extension of celebrating our 20th anniversary.  We left temps of over 100 and came to cool, fresh air.
We played for 5 days and it felt so good!

We stayed at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel.
Right down town and so BEAUTIFUL! 
And I could get used to the valet parking service...opening and closing my door all with cheerful smiles!
"Good morning Mrs. Brown!"
"Enjoy your day Mrs. Brown!"
"Would you like a cold water to take with you Mrs. Brown?"
"Welcome back Mrs. Brown!"
"How was your day Mrs. Brown?"
"What did you see today Mrs. Brown?"
"Have a pleasant evening Mrs. Brown!"
Ahhh...it was lovely.

The forecast was rain for five straight days.  Nightmares of most our recent trip to Disneyland made me cringe!  But instead of rain we were so happy to only have clouds and an occasional drizzle.  I have to say that all our pictures are a bit on the gray side, but that's the reality of the Northwest.

We drove the car onto the the ferry and headed for Bainbridge Island.
The view from the ferry back to the Seattle skyline filled me with honeymoon feelings all over again!
We lived on Queen Anne hill, right under the shadow of the Space Needle for almost seven months.  It was the perfect place to begin our lives together.

Driving off the ferry we headed for Paulsbo...a favorite destination.

Paulsbo is a darling little Scandinavian town, nicknamed Little Norway.

It has quaint little shops and a bakery to die for!

Sluy's is not to be missed!  They have glazed donuts the size of a salad plate and other must try melt in your mouth specialties.  With our pastries of choice in one hand and a whipped hot chocolate in the other, we headed off and began to wander and rediscover this fun little town.

A little back story about marinas on the waterfront...I love them!

When I returned from my mission and Brent and I started dating again, I went to California and stayed with his family for a bit.  One of the many places they took me was out to San Fransisco.  We went down to the wharf and that is where my love affair with the waterfront marinas began.

It felt so romantic and dreamy holding hands with my sweetheart, walking along the wharf with a little sea breeze blowing in my hair.  Sigh....

So moving to Seattle, a city built on the water, was just as it should have been...

 

...and so it still is.

This little waterfront marina in Paulso was perfect.

 

And the love affair continues.

We continued on to Port Angeles.  A beautiful town set on the waters edge of the Olympic Peninsula.

If you are not a Twilight fan then this may cause you to roll your eyes but you must forgive me while I indulge in some silly fun...and if your expectations for Twilight is higher than that of silly fun then you're missing out.

Maddie ~ this is for you : )

 

Port Angeles is where Bella goes to find her prom dress and has her first date with Edward.

They dine at  Bella Italia which is a real restaurant here and YES they serve Mushroom Ravioli!

We decided to have lunch down on the waterfront : )

at Smuggler's Landing.

 

It was a cozy but not real fancy place right on the water which for me made it perfect!

Brent had clam chowder in a bread bowl.  The chowder was okay but the bread was super yummy!

I had a chicken Caesar salad and it was over the top delicious!

It was a lazy lunch and I'm glad we found such a great little spot.

And something for Davis...

This step by step carving station was set up right next to our lunch spot.

I thought the process was so interesting and thought of you and your talents immediately!

 

After lunch we walked around a pretty little park set right on the water's edge.

It was very gray and mysteriously misty out on the water.

Perfect weather for wolves and vampires!  Ha ha!!

And then the most amazing thing happened...

We had a wolf sighting!!

Although this incredible wolf/husky breed is not named Jacob it was so cool to talk with his owner anyway.
He did say that the dog was a total chick magnet.  No kidding : )

  

And while this town is about so much more than the Twilight craze, it certainly gets the most out of it.

And from here all you have to do is drive an hour through the gorgeous Olympic National Park & Forest and you are in Forks!  So why not??  Even Brent was up for it.

It truly was one of most spectacular scenic drives I can reminder taking.  Right along the edge of Lake Crescent with fall colors and crystal water.  I'm planning a trip back and staying in the lodge on the lake.  I'm sure Brent will want to come too : )

Brent was such a great sport!  And he felt much better when after we pulled off the road to take a picture, four more cars did as well.

Now Forks is little.

But Twilight put it on the map!

All the places in the movies you can find here.  We drove past Forks High School and they are completely tearing it down and starting over.

The story goes (a young girl that was working at the "all things Twilight" store told me) that when Stephanie Meyer was writing the book, she came here to get it all in her head so that she could visualize it while she was writing.

Interesting fact though, the movies were not filmed here.

None the less, they have tours, stores and more.

I couldn't help but get a picture of one of the tour buses.

In Forks it's not about having milk, it's about having Twilight.

And although we couldn't drive out to La Push (we were running out of daylight and still had to make the last ferry back to Seattle ) there was plenty of it to be found here.

Here's a little taste of La Push from their search site.

All to quickly the day was over and it was time to catch the ferry back.

It was cold, windy and drizzling on the ride back.

I loved it.

I took this of the Space Needle from the front of the ferry coming back into port.  I think it's funky and fun.

Totally Seattle.

A time to dance...

Maddison found a new basketball and a sign on the front door awhile back...

He signed the basketball with his signature and football number.
And something I've taught her...the way to a guy's heart is through his stomach!
She was happy to answer YES!


Skyler and Maddison - Homecoming 2011

I'm trying hard not to blink these days!
It's going too fast for me.

Are you ready for some football!!!!

Cooper is a Viking (how do you like that big brother Jim!!) this season in football.

They have another great little team this year.  Cooper looks forward to Friday and Saturday more than anything.  It helps him make it through the school week. 

Davis played football for the Junior High this year.  About 65 kids that wanted to play were divided into four teams that all played each other.  Davis had a great team and he had a lot of fun.  After the regular season 25 kids were picked for an All Star team...Davis made the grade!!

I'm not really a football fan except for when these two play : )

Family vacation 2011

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"These are the times that try men's souls." ~ Thomas Paine

Just like you  - I will never forget where I was and what I was doing 10 years ago on this day.

I was in Palm Springs, in a hotel room.

I turned on The Today Show and saw the first tower billowing with scary black smoke.  My first thought was "what a terrible accident!"

Then in stunned disbelief, I watched as the second plane crashed into the WTC.  My second thought was "get me home to my babies!"

Brent had a business trip and I had joined him.  Grandma Joyce was home with the two kids.  Maddie was six and Davis was two and a half.

Luckily we had driven to CA and were not held captive by the grounding of all flights.  We got in the car and drove home wondering what had just happened and what does this mean?  I remember it was a bit of a deary day as we got closer to home; gray clouds and intermittent raindrops.  It seemed the skies provided the perfect background for the emotions that rocked my heart. 

I remember the radio was on while we drove; tuned to a country station.  The DJ seemed to be playing sad songs that only added to the melancholy atmosphere.

We arrived home and I wrapped my babies in my arms.  Their little lives had gone on as though nothing had happened.  In the couple days that we had been gone, Davis had stopped needing his binki and Maddison was having grand fun learning how to be 1st grader.

As the years would pass, I have tried to teach them of this day.   I have also wondered if they will experience a "9/11" during their adult years that would bring a whole new perspective and personal gratitude to freedom and the blessing of being an American. 

Today our elementary school provided a patriotic assembly, complete with stories and beautiful songs of our founding forefathers and the brave men and women who fought first and long ago for our freedoms.
It was so well done.  The kiddos were a sea of red, white and blue and they were singing with all they could muster "I'm Proud to be an American".  It was sweet and full of innocence. 

I had a lump in my throat most of the day. 

I'm glad to remember, to give thanks, to be grateful and committ again to value the gift given by our founding fathers...

freedom designed by a loving Father in Heaven.

If only I had the right words...

It's been one month since we've returned from our vacation to Nauvoo and I still can't find the right words to put our time there on paper or this blog. 



But I can honestly say that it was the trip of a lifetime.

We began talking about making this trip happen three years ago.
Maddie was 13.  Davis was 9 and Cooper would have been five.
Brent has shared with me since the day we were married, that as a young 13 or 14 year old boy, he had made this trip with his family and it was the foundation of his testimony.  He said he wanted to make that trip with his own family one day and we promised each other, lots of years ago, that we would.
We set a goal that when Maddie turned 16, Davis turned 12 and Cooper turned 8 that we would take our family to walk in the footsteps of our Prophet Joseph Smith and the early Saints.

Our itinerary was packed full.
Here is a glimpse of what our days were filled with...
Day 1:
- land in KS
- visit Richmond
- visit Lexington
-eat at Strouds (fried chicken NEVER tasted so good)

Day 2:
- visit Farr West
- visit Haun's Mill
- visit Adam-ondi-ahman
- visit Liberty Jail
- play at Worlds of Fun

Day 3:
- visit the Federal Reserve Bank
- visit Independence
- visit the Truman Library
- eat at Gates Bros. (what an experience!)
- attend the Royals baseball game

Day 4:
- play at the College Basketball Experience
- meet up with the Higgins family for lunch and
- visit the Negro League Baseball Museum
- spend time with my childhood friend JoAnne and her beautiful family
- eat at Oklahoma Joe's (BBQ in a gas station - it comes highly recommended)

Day 5:
- drive to Hannibal
- experience all thing Mark Twain

Day 6:
- drive to Nauvoo
- visit Carthage Jail
- explore Nauvoo
- Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo show

Day 7:
- carriage ride (ask for Elder Shepard. His stories turned a carriage ride into a truly beautiful experience for me)
- explore homes
- Baptisms for the dead in the Nauvoo temple (Brent took Sis and D)
- Women of Nauvoo show in the RS gardens
- country fair
- Nauvoo pageant

Day 8:
- wagon tour
- explore homes
- temple session for Brent and I (I've never felt so close to my mom)
- High Hope & Riverboats show
- Sunset on the Mississippi show (lots of fun and laughter)

Day 9:
- Trail of Hope (the walk down Parley Street to where the Saints crossed the river and left Nauvoo behind)
- explore all the Joseph Smith homes and sites
- souvenir shopping : )

Day 10:
- drive back to KS
- a little more souvenir shopping
- fly back home

Our time in KS was booked pretty solid.  We enjoyed mixing up the church sites with some of the other things the area had to offer.

We slowed things down in Nauvoo.  We had time to explore, rest and get out of the heat (record breaking heat indexes back there) and explore some more, all at our own pace.  We stayed at the Zions Mercantile Hotel, which I highly recommend.  We had two rooms and a view of the temple which was only a few steps away.

These are only a few of the 500 hundred pictures I took.  One of my favorite photo subjects was the Nauvoo temple.  I never tired of trying to capture the temple in all its different light.  Depending on the time of day, where the sun was or wasn't in the sky, the clouds or lack thereof, all made for something different and extremely beautiful.
It felt like holy ground.  And it is.

But truly it was all about this...

I've never spent a more enjoyable 10 days with these people I'm blessed to call my eternal family.  At times when there could have been whining and complaining, there never was (with the exception of a minor little moment from our 8 year old red head being extremely hot and tired one morning).  There were smiles and laughter all around.

I had the kids take a few minutes and write down some of their favorite memories.
I asked specific questions and then they answered in their own words.  Here are just a few...

Cooper: "I really liked Liberty Jail because I felt the Spirit there and I was happy Joseph Smith knew Heavenly Father would protect him and nothing would happen to him."

"When we were at Carthage Jail I felt good because I knew Joseph Smith had been there but sad when I was in the room and saw the bullet hole but I know it was Jesus' plan."

Davis: "Seeing the Nauvoo temple was a highlight for me.  The feelings I had in the temple were overwhelming.  Doing baptisms for the dead in the same place that the early Saints did them was an experience I will never forget."

"I really liked visiting Adam-ondi-ahman where we stood on Preacher's Rock.  It was cool to think about Joseph Smith standing in that same spot and teaching the early Saints."

Maddison: "Carthage was an amazing place because I was able to stand were Joseph and Hyrum stood.  I was able to put my finger in the bullet hole that went through the door and killed Hyrum.  Joseph Smith was an amazing man and prophet.  I could feel the Spirit so strongly there.  I know he died for us and for the Lord's plan to continue for the church."

"The pageant was very spiritual for me.  I even had a few tears...I felt the spirit and saw everything Joseph went through in his lifetime.  It made me so grateful for him and the man he was so that I could have the gospel in my life and not go through those same persecutions that he and the other early Saints were faced with."

And of course I have my own tender feelings about how this all came together and created a  beautiful piece of our family tapestry but I can't share all that here.  I am making a memory book of our trip to give to each of the kids for Christmas.  It will have ALL of our pictures : )  and all of their personal feelings.  Both funny and special.  And a letter from their mom and dad so they can have our testimonies in writing for generations to come.

Nauvoo is not just a random spot on the map, not just a place in our Mormon history and not just a place to visit if it works out.  Nauvoo is must for you and your children.  The day before we had to leave for AZ we were visiting the home of  Heber C. Kimball and the sweet senior missionary sister taking us through told me something I won't ever forget.  She said, "Nauvoo was not just for the early Saints.  Nauvoo was for you and for me."  I reflected on all I had heard and learned and felt over the course of our trip and tears rolled down my cheeks.  I felt the power and truth of those words and I've pondered them many times since.  Each time I am filled with such an intense witness from the Holy Ghost that yes, Nauvoo was for me and I will treasure it and hold it dear.

Nauvoo is a feeling.
And it stays with you.
It wraps warm, comforting arms around you and fills you up to overflowing.
Overflowing with peace, beauty, knowledge and gratitude.
Gratitude beyond words.
It's tangible and felt good in my hands.
You want to linger in its sweetness.
You want to bottle it and bring it home in hopes that this feeling will forever stay.
Yes, Nauvoo is a feeling.


And to my fam-a-lee...Thanks for sharing it with me!!  I love you each 17 : )

Now here's to planning our trip to the Sacred Grove!!

You'll never go back...

...to just plain 'ol rice krispy treats. 

I promise.

Let me explain.

Some months ago we had a Relief Society Enrichment activity that I don't remember anything about except for the dessert.  Now that's saying something 'cuz I was one of the guest speakers!  Okay, for real I do remember it was about being money wise with buying groceries, cleaning, budgets and home improvements.  Many wonderful ideas were shared.  On the back table were trays stacked with the budget wise/super easy treat of all time...rice krispy treats!  Clever, I thought.

I was going to leave without a taste but then a friend said, with wide-eyed wonder, "Have you tried the rice krispy treats?!?!" 

So I did.

Goodness-gracious-sakes-alive!

Simple and truly memorable.

Here is the recipe I use from Smitten Kitten:

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats
What’s different about these? Oh, just a bit more (coughdouble) butter which you toast until it’s brown and nutty and help along with some coarse salt, just minor things. But it changes everything.

Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars

4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)
Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.

As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. I liked to use a piece of waxed or parchment paper that I’ve sprayed with oil to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners, though a silicon spatula works almost as well.

Let cool, cut into squares and get ready to make new friends.

Kids sure know how to keep you humble.  Just when I thought Brent and I were doing a pretty good job at teaching gospel principles to our kids and feeling like they knew the basics of the gospel well, we had this little exchange with Cooper...

Fast Sunday.

10:30 church.

I know he can't be starving.

Yet.

He leans over to me before the meeting even begins with a look of anguish and whispers,

"I'm starving!"

I reassure him that he will survive.

Then he turns to Brent and asks with a great deal of annoyance...

"Who came up with this Fast Sunday stuff anyway????"

Guess we need to go over a few basics in our next FHE: )

School rules!

Cooper is a 3rd grader who feels

nervous to learn hard multiplication facts

but excited to have a nice teacher and see his friends again.

Davis is a 7th grader who feels

nervous to find all his different classes

but excited to move around campus and play football.

Maddison is a Junior who feels

nervous about her Spanish III class

but excited for friends, seminary and another year of Ladyhawks basketball.

I'm the mom who feels

nervous for all their worries

but excited for them to have new experiences.

I'm confident they will rise up!!

Guess who we saw on our trip to the midwest...

...the Higgins family!!
Well, a few of them anyway : )

Home teacher extraordinaire!
Relief Society President and Maddie's Young Women's leader extraordinaire!
And one of their darling daughters extraordinaire!
All of them friends extraordinaire!



We enjoyed lunch together at Jack Stack.  If you ever happen to find yourself lost in the endless and gorgeous cornfields of Kansas City, please make your way here.  You will be oh so happy!

And since we share a love of baseball, we enjoyed a meander through the NLBM together.
It was a beautiful museum.  So rich in history that it left me with a lump in my throat - in a happy sort of way.  I guess after 20 years together, Brent's tender feeling towards this sport is rubbing off on me.  I saw him wipe a tear away a few times but you didn't hear that from me : )

A gigantic WE LOVE YOU to the Higgins crew!!

It has been a lovely 20 years together...

20 reasons why I love you...

1.  Our blind date was a great success although I don't know how you remained so calm with me in my tight jeans and sweater : )

2.  You were so easy to talk to and made me laugh right from the beginning.

3.  You loved my mom the moment you met her.

4.  You looked good in a baseball uniform : )

5.  You were so supportive of my desire to serve my mission even though we knew it meant putting our plans to be together on hold.

6.  You and I agreed that if being together was right, it would be right in 18 months.

6.  I fit right under your chin then.

7.  I still do.  With your arms wrapped around me, it is the safest place I can think of.

8.  Your parents loved me and welcomed me into your family so warmly.  I'll never forget the first time I saw your mom after I got home from my mission.  It was at a Mitchell reunion and she came toward me, took both my hands in hers and smiled from ear to ear saying, "just let me look at you!"  I loved her so much right then.

9.  You respected my dad's protectiveness of his only daughter when I got home.

10.  You bear a strong and powerful testimony.  I feel the Spirit when you share those feelings.  It was those feelings that led us to take our family to Nauvoo and have such an incredible, unforgettable trip together.  I'll always be grateful for your insistence in this matter.

11.  You have a wonderful ability to make the scriptures come alive for me and our children.  I love when it's your turn to give the lesson for Family Home Evening.

12.  You honor your Priesthood and it blesses my life and our home.

13.  Having worked for and earned the rank of Eagle yourself, you are dedicated and enthusiastic about helping Davis and Cooper in their scouting goals.  When I see you interacting with our boys in this aspect it fills my heart to the brim! 

14.  You get more excited to give me something than you ever do to get something for yourself.

15.  You value our children and give yourself fully to them.  Sharing your testimony with them, teaching them correct and honest principles, encouraging them as they gain an education with endless homework support and then finding time to share the part of you that others rarely get to see but what we love the most.

16.  You work day to day to see that our family is financially provided for.  Even at the expense of choosing necessity over desire.

17.  Your passion for BYU is an enormous part of you.  I didn't realize that 20 years ago but I have come to love it.  I don't fully understand it all the time but I love it just the same.

18.  Another passion that makes up a great part of you is your love of baseball.  When I watch you coach our boys and your teams and I witness the countless hours you give to them, I see a piece of you that leaves me in awe.  You have a gift to teach.  No matter the subject.

19.  You give 100% plus when it comes to keeping our home clean, in good repair and home improvements.  From dishes, to toilets, to tile grout, to cooking, to a remodel in the backyard and new tile in the bathroom, to packing the car for a trip like a wizard - it seems you can do it all.

20.  You still make me catch my breath with your kiss.

Here's to 20 lovely years my magnificent man!