A Visit from Mom and Dad Nic!

It has been a while since my last post, mostly because we have been preparing for (and now enjoying!) a visit from my parents!  They arrived here last Monday and jumped right into life in Rehoboth, even spending their vacation time volunteering throughout the school.  Last week they helped as Book Fair salesmen during our Parent-Teacher Conferences.  I am blessed to have parents who are so selfless with their time and energy!

But we have had lots of time for fun as well!  We celebrated Mom's birthday on Wednesday with a Lemon Meringue Pie:

Also, in honor of Mom's birthday (and a long weekend), we arranged a hiking trip in Flagstaff, followed by a night at La Posada in Winslow, AZ.  The hiking was beautiful!  First, we explored the cliff dwellings at Walnut Creek Canyon...

...then we hiked through the aspens--a few of them still in their fall splendor--on the Kachina Trail that winds around the side of the San Francisco Peaks.

After dinner in Flagstaff, we drove to Winslow and checked into La Posada, a historic Harvey House hotel designed by the famous architect Mary Colter.  It was closed by the Santa Fe railroad in 1958, but was recently purchased and restored by a visionary couple from California.

Our Room

The Front Entrance

 Now it has regained much of its former glory, from a nationally renowned restaurant and extensive gardens to unique, southwest-inspired decorations in each guest room.  It was a very special experience to stay in this lovely and historic hotel!

Breakfast in the Turquoise Room

The Corn Maiden's Delight: Polenta topped with eggs, cheese, fire-roasted tomatoes, and fresh corn salsa!

The Gardens

The old ballroom of the hotel is now a library/game room

Unfortunately, we have to say "goodbye" to my parents on Wednesday morning--it will be a sad day for all of us--but we are so thankful for this time together!

Jamie's Wedding

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend a very special wedding: my first best friend, Jamie Shutta (who I've known as long as I've known myself!), married Lucas Monkonnen in a beautiful ceremony on Camano Island, just north of Seattle, Washington.  This was my first time in the Pacific Northwest, and it was amazing!!

Wow!!  Why have I never visited Washington before?!?

When I arrived in Seattle on Friday, I drove up to Bellingham, WA to visit Genavee where she goes to school at Western Washington University.  We took a nice walk around campus and into town, where we had dinner at Boundary Bay, then we relaxed at Genavee's apartment.

The view from campus of Bellingham and the Bay

On Saturday morning, Genavee and I went down to the bay and took a walk along the awesome over-water walkway!  We skipped some rocks, ate a croinut (that's a croissant doughnut, which you MUST try!) and even saw a "ninja squirrel"!

 

 

 

 Next, we drove down to Camano Island for the wedding.  This was a beach experience like none I have every had before: a pristine stone beach, crystal-clear water, towering pine trees, and in the distance, the majestic Olympic Mountains.  To top it all off, we were enjoying the very best weather that a Seattle October has to offer--sunny and warm!

The wedding was held right next to the water at Cama Beach State Park.  It was laid back and fun, yet beautiful, with a bluegrass band and an intimate ceremony.  Jamie was a stunning bride!  She and Lucas seem absolutely right for each other.

The reception took place just up the hill in the Cama Cafe: an excellent gluten-free meal; more bluegrass (and later, a rave...); and time to reconnect with some of my friends from High School.  It was awesome to get to see Jamie's parents and siblings, who were like a second family to me when I was little, and to catch up with my good friend Brittney.

Now I'm back home in New Mexico and the tall, green trees of the Northwest seem like a surreal dream!  But I am so thankful to have gotten to take this trip, however short, to celebrate such a special occasion!

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Monkkonen!