We continue our journey. So far, we've spent time at Flathead and Hamilton. Our next stop was a night in Coeur d'Alene with Kelly enroute to Seattle. Thad was away working and we had a nice heart to heart with Kelly. What did that heart to heart reveal? She wanted kids for a few days and we wanted a few days without kids!! Isn't it amazing how life works out sometimes? You know I am not known for my spontaneity.... but this change in plans was actually much easier than I anticipated. Sure, at face value, leaving the kids for a few days while Sven and I go to Seattle sounds like a dream, doesn't it? But in reality, understand that we'd never left Emalie for a single night in three years. We were not at all worried about Nik-- a few days without mom and dad nagging, life on the river swimming and fishing all day-- oh, yeah he would be just fine. But little Emalie? The longest time I'd been away from her was for 12 hours when I went to the Sandy Puc photography seminar in Denver. How could we leave our little girl behind?! How? Well, hop in the car and go. LOL....Really, and that is just what we did. Are you shocked? I know, we were, too. We can't believe we actually did it! And I won't leave you hanging in suspense to find out the outcome..... she did AWESOME! I think she had the best time being Kelly's little helper (somebody needs to help eat all the cookies they made together). To this day, she is still telling stories of what they did at Thad and Kelly's and how we need to go back and do that again. It was a growing experience for all of us and a memory I will truly cherish forever. Sven and I got some much needed time together without the kids, the kids got some much needed time with family without the parents, and childhood memories were created that filled up their heart tanks. I don't know what prompted Kelly to come up with that idea (well, actually, I do, but what possessed her to actually speak her thoughts was the crazy part.....LOL......) but we will forever be grateful for the experience, not only for us but for the kids. So, here we go, sans kids, to Seattle......
We treated ourselves to a night downtown. We met up with Sven's mom for the first evening. We were so glad the kids weren't with us when we embarked on a six-mile walking tour of the city the next day (we were our own tour guides). It was so nice to walk in whatever direction we pleased, down memory lane or new streets, and have no little complaining voices around every corner. Yes, the kids would have hated our day in Seattle. Sven and I loved it. We even went on the Underground Tour in Seattle. All those years we'd lived in the Seattle area, and this was the first time we'd ever taken a tour like that. It was quite interesting! Every time we go back to Seattle and the surrounding areas, the pull is magnetic for me. It sure makes it hard for me to leave, but it sure made me happy while we were there!
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| Sven and his mom |
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| Watching the cheese being made. |
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| Oh, yummy....... |
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| A little Montana in Washington. |
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| Oh, but the traffic...... |
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| This was the building I worked in when I worked downtown. |
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| Two Union Square.... boy was that a terrible commute from Whidbey. |
Views from the Columbia Center
(the 2nd tallest structure on the west coast and the tallest building in Seattle)
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| My company leased the 52nd floor of the white building with the flag on it. I remember looking down at the Blue Angels as they flew over Lake Union during Sea Fair. Awesome, awesome views. |
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| Qwest Field |
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| The Underground Tour. |
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| The skylights in the Underground City-- built into the sidewalks above. |
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| The new sea wall being built in the harbor. |
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| The market stairs. |
For more images from our stay in Seattle, visit my other blog:
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