Since my arrival back in Spokane I've been committed to experiencing as much of this beautiful city as it has to offer before the first snow falls and it's treasures lie hidden once again under a blanket of white. I'd like to think I've done fairly well for myself considering my responsibilities tend to get more than their fair share of time. Whether it be experiencing my favorite places completely transformed by vegetation and outdoor enthusiasts or partaking in new explorations, there have been plenty of discoveries underway during these few short summer months and I’m loving every minute of it. A few things I’ve stumbled upon; Many a wildflower fields speckled with families of deer, DOZENS of rivers and streams stretching farther than the eye can see, Scenic yet challenging hikes, and Endless amounts of fresh markets, art&music festivals, and craft fairs. I was here to experience Spokane’s famous “pig out in the park” where hundreds of food booths transformed the beautiful Riverfront Park downtown into your healthy lifestyles worst nightmare. Yesterday I was blessed with a trip to “green bluff” after church with some close friends. (It’s quite similar to “apple hill” near El Dorado hills/ South Lake Tahoe back home.) It’s a chain of farms located just outside of Spokane that transform their acreage into one giant fall festival. They open up their pumpkin patches, apple farms, and vegetable fields for picking while offering train rides and live music community wide. While each farm specializes in something different and exciting, you can generally find anything under the sun “apple” flavored. (pie, donuts, butter, cider, honey sticks, etc) It’s cheap, fun, and family friendly. (there are so many rides for the little ones and competitions for the adult with an inner child) I loved it. We plan to go back in a few weeks to get pumpkins for our Halloween party (more on that to come with pictures from our most recent green bluff extravaganza to follow.)
Basically I've come to the conclusion over these past few months Washington is my souls counter-part when envisioning God's majesty, beauty, and love in tangible form. It is truly majestic here in all seasons and fosters an environment community centered and naturally driven. There is much love felt with plenty to go around to be sure. It seems as if everywhere I turn there's another community involved outreach event catering to every age group. My friendships are flourishing and with each passing day my natural enmity is shifting towards more affection and gratitude for our savior than before.
Here are a few highlights from my time here thus far:
Little Easton's here so now I get the pleasure of playing with two friends and call it something along the lines of "work."
Meet my boyfriend Stuart!! He's a junior at the University of Illonis and a mechanical engineering major. We met on summer staff in Minnesota at the young life camp we both volunteered for. He too was a boat driver and after a few months of pursuing my heart over the phone, snail mail, and skype, he made the trek out to Washington Labor Day weekend. We've decided to give this distance thing a try and see where the Lord leads it. So far he must be granting favor on us because Stuart recently decided on an Internship offer with Boeing out in Seattle this summer. I'd take 4 hours over 2,000+ miles any day. :) We're excited to see where life takes us and just enjoying the ride. He's planning on coming out to cali over christmas break so chances are you'll get to experience this amazing man sooner rather than later. :)
Life with friends back in Spokane has picked back up where it left off. I'm working on busting out my camera during the times when a pictures worth more than a thousand words, but so far I've only managed to capture a few.
Homemade miniature golf course throughout the boys' apartment and onto their roof:
lunches in the park with mckenna.
We believe full moons and boulders overlooking the city skyline should be a full blown spectator event.
And I leave you with a few of my findings.
