Testing the Waters

So, I was just thinking that if I am planning on blogging from Africa, I should probably do a practice run or two to make sure I know what I'm doing!! So here's a little rundown of what we've been up to the past few weeks, complete with a few photos (assuming I know what I'm doing, of course). :)

One fun thing we did while Steven's parents were visiting was to take nieces Eden and Hailey to the Woodland Park Zoo. They have some really great exhibits, and a neat opportunity to feed 18-month-old giraffes! These guys were AMAZING with their giant blue tongues. I really loved this, and am slightly obsessed with giraffes now. :)

We have also gone to several Seattle Mariner's games. I have been a life-long baseball fan, and now we live in walking distance from a major league park! I am definitely a fan of Ichiro, but I think Kenji Johjima is my new favorite. I've taken hundreds of pictures at these games, so far, but the best ones are of Ichiro. Here's one of him hustling back to the dugout at the middle of an inning (we had super-good seats for this game, just two rows behind the Mariners' dugout!):

While Steven's mom was staying with us, we made our first trek up the hill at Gas Works Park and were amazed by the beautiful views of the city across Lake Union. We stayed there for quite a while, mesmerized by the float planes which took off and landed one after another! I had a lot of fun watching the people, too - it seems like there is something for everyone at Gas Works: young, old, singles, families, kite-flyers and book-readers and puddle-stompers alike. Here is one of the views of our beautiful new city!We have been blessed with lots of family this summer, including two brief visits from Elizabeth's parents. When they were here a few days ago, Elizabet's sister came over one evening and we were able to take a few family pictures from the rooftop deck at our apartment building. We hadn't done any family pictures in several years, so I was glad to get these, even if they are not professional!!

Lastly, we took a hike yesterday in Discovery Park in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle. This is an amazing place which used to be a military fort and is now primarily a public park. We parked near the visitor center at the park and hiked a few miles toward the coast, up and over a giant hill, emerging at a beautiful beach! It was a bit chilly for swimming, but we enjoyed a picnic lunch sitting on a driftwood log and had a quick tour of the small lighthouse which was there (pictured here). It's the oldest working lighthouse in Puget Sound, and is quite small but very pretty!

So there you have it. A little window into our lives as we prepare for the vacation of a lifetime. We made a last-minute run to REI this evening for a few final travel items, including serious bug repellent for any pesky mosquitoes who might be biting despite the winter season, a fancy neck pillow for our 20+ hours in flight each way, and a good sun hat for Steven to avoid sunburn. Tomorrow is devoted to packing, delivering Benji to his Aunt Chelsea, and getting to bed early for a VERY early Tuesday morning flight!! We are ready!!