Sleepless and Car-less in Seattle (days 10,11 and 12)

Day 10

we took the RV on a ferry .......

and went to Whidbey Island for a day trip....



There was other RV's on the island.....


Justin, giving the RV wave to passing RV'ers. ha!


I think it's so funny how he nods and waves like their all in a special group or something.








We parked by Deception Pass Bridge and hiked down....

We stopped at an organic farm made lunch and fed the ducks some of our bread.

Deception Pass Bridge.....

Then we headed to the San Juan Islands......


and watched the sunset

ate Washington apples and acted silly on the ferry.

Orcas Island

(we won't talk about how we got stranded on the Island with no car, no rv and only 1 diaper)

but hey, at least we can all say we have been stranded on an island before. right?

We finally got back to the main land around 1 or 2 am. I can't remember I was half asleep.

I wish we had more time to spend on each Island...next time.

Day 11

we drove up to where my cousin Lauren lives in Lake Stevens, WA.

She lives in an apartment downstairs in a cute little 1920's house. Her in-laws live up above.

And we parked and lived on their front yard for a couple days.

It was like a bed and breakfast but parked in an RV.

(cottage style, with a view of the lake and they fed us yummy food)

And all of us had a wonderful time!

We have made wonderful new friends that I know will be a part of our future.

We enjoyed a BBQ and some good old fashion fun...
(so Felicity, do you like it here?)

while the kids took turns feeling baby Uriah kick....
My cousin, due on July 28th with her first baby...

we were praying maybe, just maybe she would go early and I would be there for the birth.

As she was having a home birth too and I have always wanted to experience that.

The girls played dress up and dolls...


Played with wagons and

tractors......
skipped rocks and took a nice swim in the lake...
We did all this and just kept praying that this baby would come in the 2 days I was there.

I enjoyed my visit with my sweet cousin.

Starla my cousin's mother in law and I really clicked and I enjoyed my visit with her as well.

We enjoyed talking about homeschooling (she homeschooled her 7 kids) cooking, juicing,big families the Lord and more.

I learned so much from staying with them ... I learned I want an industrial kitchen in my next house too!

I'm on a look out for a restaurant closing down:)

craiglist?

The girls enjoyed playing with Steve and Starla's grand kids...

and even enjoyed doing dishes in the big sink!

(only thing is, if I had a sink like this I might be tempted to let the dishes keep piling up)
Finley (my little pooh bear) loved the pure honey from their bee's (another thing I want to do when we get a house)

Austin enjoyed playing catch with Steve and even picked up a few tips from him. (Steve use to play in the NFL for the NY Jets but is now a pastor)
we sat outside and enjoyed the view all while snacking on watermelon and sweet potato fries.
and watching the bald eagles...

they told us that some small pets in the area go missing. small dogs and cats.

One eagle nest fell down and word is they found over 100 dog and cat collars.

played chess and board games.....

Justin and Steven had a game going that lasted over an hour but they never did finish.

Looks as if we will have to go back.

They also enjoyed talking with each other.

Great visit!

Then since we don't have our toad this trip out, Steve and Starla let us use one of their cars to drive into the city.

Day 12

Seattle......

These piggies went to the market but the person taking the picture forgot to get the pig:(

the whole point of taking this picture. ha!

1st Starbucks....

Faith was a big Starbucks fan at a very early age.

(not something I'm too proud of)

She would ask for vanilla steamers before preschool.Ha!

Now we have "girls night out" and enjoy our one on one talks at Starbucks.

After Starbucks we were looking for a place to buy gum. The kids wanted to chew some gum and stick it on the "gum wall."
We started walking down the main street and Justin says, "how sad someones car is getting towed.....oh, wait that's our Steve and Starla's car!"

Justin takes off running, half the kids are crying because they see Mommy and Daddy in a panic.

$170.00 to release the car. A minute later the car would of been towed. Tow truck driver ended up taking $70.00 off so we ended up just having to pay $100.

Then we had to pay the ticket on the window as well. ouch! I thought it would be a couple hundred dollars. It ended up only being $42.00 We weren't the only ones getting towed that day.

tourists=duh!

The tow truck driver says during the summer they get tourists parking their and about 10 cars a day get towed.

A poor young girl was getting her car towed...

she was crying because she didn't have the $ to pay to release it.

She was from Florida

also borrowing a car from family.

The tow truck driver ended up lowering the fee for her and we were able to help her get her car released too.

It was one of those situations that ended up turning around for good...a good lesson for the kids as well as us.

and is now a good laugh for all of us!

Even Steve and Starla got a kick out of it.

(although I'm sure they will never let us borrow their car again!ha!)

Can you imagine if it got towed? We would of walked out to the car to find it gone!

And it wasn't even our car!

Then we would of had to call for 2 taxi's and oooo...I just don't want to think about it.

We decide to skip the gum wall..it's gross anyway, right? I mean people's chewed gum full of germs on a wall??? At least that's what I told the kids!ha!

Then my phone rings not a minute later......

It's Starla...

My cousin is in labor!!!!

Starla and I head to the midwife's birthing center....

After a very long labor and a birth I will never forget ( the experience of a home birth and seeing how a midwife is with her patient was so much better than I have personally ever experienced!)

I know things can go wrong...

but knowing what I know now,

I wished I would of gone this route.

would of saved me 2 c-sections

Uriah John entered the world.....

and I got to be a part of the whole birth.

The midwife was a sweet christian lady who has 11 children herself.

My cousin had really bad back labor but was such a trooper!

I'm so proud of her.

no drugs!

Phil 4:13

(here's Uriah only minutes old... I was up for over 24hrs. (but wasn't tired at all way toooo excited!)

Being a part of a home birth (at a birth center) has sparked a deeper interest in me maybe going to school to become a CNM. (maybe, someday?)

It's just so not like our culture...

(anyone have info?please share)

I probably shouldn't be throwing my pearls before some swine that might read this blog....

but I have a heart for women, we all know I love babies and love life itself.

I love working with pro-life ministries, and have been gaining a heart for missions as well...

and this could just fit in to my hearts desires. (I think?)

Could you see me being a midwife in Mali?

Maybe? Someday?

If it's His will! ha!

again...Phil. 4:13 :)

I was able to talk with the midwife for awhile(we were there for a good 10-11hours) and in between all the hee hee hoo hoo's and rubbing my cousins back. I must of asked her a million questions.

I would love to intern under her someday! maybe?

Wow!

I can't even begin to tell you how amazing this night was.

I'm so thankful that God allowed me to witness Uriah's birth(perfect timing) and for Lauren and Gabe to allow me to be apart of it:)

They are going to make great parents!

Justin and the kids made signs.....

It's A Boy!

Lauren came home a couple hours after having him.....

and the kids got to love on their little cousin......

Isn't he a beautiful newborn?!?!

I know that was a looooong post again...

but I won't see you for a couple days......

If you want to get a sneak peek at where we stayed last night (day 12). And how we invaded and stayed with a family(day 13) we have never met before. Look here.

I'll blog later on that too:)

See you in Montana!