What a great week!

Seattle always seems to really know how to make the most of it's numbered sunny days and as we enter Fall, it seems as though everyone is being extra sure to get outdoors even more than usual. Usually when I take Kona for a walk at Greenlake on a weekday morning there are the usual stroller brigade mothers being trailed by a few old men attempting to run whenever they think that they are being watched and who obviously have spent too much time in the sun without sunscreen in their younger years.... but this week it seems people have been literally skipping work to get outdoors as if at any moment the rain will begin and not stop again until next July. Business men are attempting to run the lake with their blue-tooths in (I like to think they are conducting phone conferences and pretending they are in office and not out of breath from jogging the lake). As for me, at Starbucks each morning, although the pumpkin spice latte is calling my name, I continue to order iced, grande, skinny, vanilla lattes and then drink them very slowly savoring each sip because you never know when this will be your last iced drink of the season.

Anyway, this weekend, joining the rest in taking full advantage of the nice weather, Adam and I decided to hike Rattle Snake Ridge again for a quick, pretty hike.... but this time we decided to see if Kona could make the hike with us. We packed his portable doggie dish and headed up hill. It was a beautiful day and I just so happened to take Friday off for a much needed 3 day weekend (a rarity for me), and because it was early Friday afternoon we had the peak almost to ourselves (it can get crowded on nice days). Kona made it up hill like a trooper and didn't even sit down and refuse to go any further like he sometimes does at Greenlake. I kept a close eye on him when we got to the top of the lookout though because he was wanting to explore... and being his protective mother I didn't want him to fall off the cliff as he would probably be inclined to do.... he is clumsy. We drove to and from Rattle Snake in Adam's jeep with the top off too.. so between the hike and Kona sticking his whole body out of the Jeep on the drive, needless to say, Kona was a.) filthy dirty and given a bath and b.) Pooped for days!

On Saturday was Ashley's bachelorette party and what a fun night that was! It is so nice to know such wonderful girls! Ash, Lin and I went and got our makeup done at the mall that morning and then went back to my house and got ready for the night. The girls all showed up and we ate dinner (sushi), did presents and dressed Ash up in boas and bachelorette gear and hopped in a limo for a night out in Seattle. How fun to be this age and live in such a big, fun city! We were able to get out and take pictures at Alki beach and could see the city all light up on the other side of the water, then check out Queen Anne's look out as well as a quick stop at the Space Needle (which by the way I climbed on the stair stepper at the gym yesterday.... not so bad lol... not as difficult as the Sears Tower). Then we went to Ozzy's and serenaded Ash with some Karaoke, Chopsticks dueling piano bar where they put her on the baby grand and made some boys in the audience since Top Gun's, "You've lost that loving feeling," and then out in Fremont for Oktoberfest. I love Seattle. We had a great time, followed by a girls slumber party. 

Sunday morning was a day of rest that was much needed after such a busy week/weekend. Cleaned up the house a bit from the party the night before and then headed to Mars Hill for children's ministry at the 5pm service. Getting to work with all the kids at the church has been such a joy in my life. I am loving the nursery too. I love babies and it gives me just the perfect amount of time to hold some babies and then give them back when the service is over before they poop or cry. It's nice to get to hold them and it's nice to give them back when I am done too lol. Usually after the 5pm service in the children's ministry I go to the 7pm church service, but this week I was going to have a slumber party at mom's house after so I was able to make it into the big service after all the babies had been returned just in time for the tail end of worship. Then jumped in the Civ and headed to mom's for tortilla soup (YUM), girl talk and some skinny cow ice cream. It is always SO nice to go home and have some "soul food" as I like to call it and relish in some snacks, wine, tv and motherly wisdom.

It's nights/weekends like these that I feel so blessed to have such amazing friends that are so much fun to be around, and to live in such an amazing city with so much to do and something exciting and new always around every corner.