"L" is for Leavenworth

Last weekend we went with some good friends to Leavenworth, in Washington.  It's a cute little tourist trap that was built like an old Bavarian town.  The scenery around it is breathtaking, and the music, food, and shops aren't so bad either.  :p  On Saturday, Dad and three of our friends got up at four in the morning to go hike Dragon's Tail, an intense, fourteen mile hike.  This left Mom, our other friend, and me to move from blanket to chair, from park to beach, just relaxing and enjoying the ninety-degree weather. 

This is actually from Friday, the day we came.  Those poor beasts have to walk all day long in the yucky heat.  I guess they don't mind too badly, though, and it makes for a fun atmosphere.

On Sabbath we (meaning the three lazy ones :p) started the day by visiting a sweet (and I mean it lol) little gingerbread factory called...um...the Gingerbread Factory. 

The menu

Gingerbread of deliciousness

Then we moved onto a sweet little beach and munched on our breakfast of items from the Gingerbread Factory...

Happily we found some shade!

The water was cold, but oh-so nice!

Taking pictures

The surface of the water...

Here comes Momma...

Picnics :)

So adorable!

In that gazebo (with the flags coming off of it), they would have a band come and play polka-type music.  It was fun!

Mom and me in the park.

The wheel of a very nice collector's car.  :)

Photo credit: Mom

Mommy and Daddy by the Icicle River (on a different day than our last beach excursion)

Dad wouldn't smile nicely because "the sun was in his eyes."  It was in Mom and my eyes, too...Oh well...  :p

Fruits and things from the great fruit stand that our friends showed us on the way back home.

As a side note... I got a fun-sized trampoline from my grandparents!
Boing, boing, boing...

Next stop:  Idaho, to visit cousins, aunties, uncles, and Nana!

The County Fair

Pony rides!  No, I didn't go...

A pretty posy in the bunny barn

Another weird bird

Silly old birds

A girl and her pony

Aren't these little guys unbelievably CUTE?

I love those black and white cows!

Oh do you know the popcorn man?

Ah, kettle corn...  :)

Best mom ever!!!  I love hanging out with her.  

Mmmm...baked potatoes...

Well, it's been a long day, but a good one.  Now it's time to say goodnight and go to bed.  :)

Saying goodbye . . .

 God worked in incredible ways yesterday.

1.  He worked out Dad's work, and Daddy got to come home much earlier than we expected.

2.  He worked in the Bag Checker's heart, and she gave Mom, Dad, and I passes so that we could go past the security gates, and sit with Jennifer and Jonathan until they boarded the plane.

3.  He worked in our hearts, and gave us comfort and peace.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."  ~ Romans 8:28

I find it interesting that the simple sentence of that verse is "God works".  He did work, He does work, and He will continue to work.

A messy room.

And suddenly "organized chaos" makes sense.

A messy room. 

A messy room.  Am I sensing a pattern here?

Jonathan showing us his brilliant idea for taking more stuff on the plane.  Note the bulging sweatshirt, pockets, and hood.  Nobody will notice, right?  :p

:'(

The lovely walkway into the airport.

Getting the luggage checked.

Mommy and Jonathan

Passing the time with food and cameras.  :)

Daddy and Jen

My buddies

Please continue to pray for them!

"D" is for Dump

Dad thought a terrible accident had just transpired, and was miserably rubbing his forehead.
Mom looked on, horrified and stunned.
Jonathan's jaw thunked onto the plastic-tablecloth-covered-table.
I screamed.
And Jen poured on.

Thus began our second-to-last supper [for ten months] with all five of us...

(Sadly I wasn't recording when Jen dumped the first time, and didn't catch our first reactions...Ah well, we do the best we can, right?  :)

"L" is for Lavender