Lindsay's Visit

from the mom

Lindsay left two weeks and life has moved quickly ever since. So while a bit out of date for blog, here are some of our favorite photos and memories.

Lindsay is given the honorary title "aunt" by our kids and is very beloved. She likes to call her favorite little male people "sir." Being from the Northwest, this was a new word for Ben. He would correct her constantly, "I'm not sir, I'm Ben." But by the time she left he had decided he liked it. Recently he told me that "Only Lindsay can call me 'sir.'"

Kyri enjoyed a pedicure and makeup session with Aunt Lindsay and very enthusiastically allowed her to do her hair every morning.

Lindsay arrived midday on a Saturday. The sun was shining and we told her we weren't sure what the weather would hold later. She was up for exploring and we took her up the Olympic Peninsula and and on a ferry ride into Seattle. Then we explored Ballard Locks, saw a few salmon in the salmon ladder and had fun with Seattle public art (the silver curlicues in the photos). Mike stunned her with the statue of Lenin in Seattle. (We aren't joking when we call this The People's Republic of Washington.)

Sunday, we woke up to more sunshine and considered it a sign. After church, we headed straight to Mt. Rainier and showed Lindsay our lovely mountain. She was dutifully impressed.

The mountain was cold but the sunshine kept us warm enough for a short hike. After pushing the stroller uphill for quite awhile, I decided to wait while the others continued down a non-stroller friendly path. I captured a few paparazzi-style photos from my vantage point.

Then Ben decided to stay with me while M, Lindsay & Kyrie hiked down a hundred feet or so to a little waterfall. A nice and unsuspecting lady offered to take a picture of the three of them. Mike responded that they were fighting so no thanks. The poor lady wasn't sure how to react. We had a good laugh about it.

We rested and stayed close to home on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Lindsay went to pilates class with me twice and played with the kids. We had some lazy days and saw a little bit of Olympia.

Thursday, M flew to L.A. for a men's retreat in the mountains above L.A. I had generously encouraged him to go, knowing I would have Lindsay to help with the little ones. We headed south and spent the night at my parents' house in Corvallis, where my mom was the recipient of a massage from Lindsay.
Friday we drove over to Newport on the Oregon Coast, managing another spectacularly beautiful October day. We spotted a whale offshore near Newport and stopped frequently for little hikes. Some favorites: Devil's Punchbowl (near Newport), Cape Meares (near Tillamook), Tillamook Cheese Factory (where we collectively sampled peach, licorice, pumpkin, peppermint, huckleberry, and at least two other kinds of ice cream), and Cannon Beach at sunset. We were very very tired at the end of it, but the kids were pretty good the whole day.

I enjoyed a week of Lindsay but by the end she was getting emails and text messages from people in New Hampshire demanding that she come home. They must have missed her. I know we do.