Annual Update

It seems that my blog updates have been occurring less and less since we stopped traveling. Shocking!

At any rate, our lives have been jam-packed with activities-moving, work, family fun and a little travel. In the last few months, I've started working with a family as their nanny, personal assistant and helping with a new foundation. Simon is busy working with a contractor, renovating a home in Ballard. He's learning new skills every day and coming home dirty and tired, but loving it!

Last spring, we went to the Sasquatch music festival in eastern Washington. The venue is a gorgeous outdoor amphitheater with multiple stages and I forgot how jaw-dropping beautiful. I hadn't been there since college, which was a just a few years ago. :)

Kristine, Simon and I camped out, enjoyed excellent music by The Cure (one of Simon's all time favorites), REM (they performed as it rained lightly, and most people stayed away. Fools! Michael Stipe is just a dedicated and blissful performer), Crudo (who was recently created by Mike Patton, formerly of Faith No More and such an amazing, kooky performer. He's definitely a little crazy, but so fun!), MIA (who looked tiny from where we sat, but she rocked the whole place), The Breeders, and the highlight, Michael Franti and Spearhead! Not only did he perform away in his very cool, sometimes reggage, sometimes funk, always engaging music, but WE MET HIM! He was gracious and so sweet. He kissed my head. I haven't washed my hair since.

For the 4th of July, our friends Rich, Sheryl, Alan and Ellen, gave us a gift certificate Breitenbush, which is a hot springs resort in the deep forest, south of Portland. For a few days, we enjoyed amazing hot springs and pools, beautiful walks, amazing vegetarian food, intense massages and lots of rest. We met some really interesting people and had lots of quiet time, too.

The entire location is surrounded by trees, mountainous terrain and a deep, rolling river. It's a community owned and operated community with a calming atmosphere. We spent a few nights in the hottest hot springs, laying on rock slate, gazing at the amazing sky that was littered with immense, textured, layers of stars. What a sight! We loved it! Thank you, guys!

We have been visiting Vancouver lots this year, as our close friends Angela and Mark, who we met in Taiwan, moved there. Vancouver is such a fun, bustling, delicious city. Similar to Seattle, it's surrounded by mountains and water. Each time I visit that city, I think about moving there. Oh Canada!

Recently, Alan and Andrew Blackie visited from New Zealand. They were in Vancouvery for just a day and we drove up to see them. The Blackie's are good family friends of Simon's family and it was great to meet them. We enjoyed a little sight-seeing, including Vancouver's annual dragon boat racing and a nice walk through Stanley Park. They continued on through a road trip through parts of Canada and we headed south, stopping only for our favorite border perk... Duty free shopping!

Finally, this summer my nephew Reagan visited from back East. I love the babies in my life and he's a true blessing! He is just over a year old and his personality, warmth and the joy he exudes is just so sweet. Simon and I spent lots of time with him and my brother and sister-in-law while they visited. I couldn't get enough. We also bought him his first pair of sneakers. Any excuse to buy shoes!

That was the last few months in a nutshell... I'm sure I'm leaving out some other great experiences, but you get the idea. We are moving to a friend's condo in a few weeks in a great hood in Seattle. More on this soon! Peace.