Alaskans go on vacation to America!

Monday we got home from a wonderful trip to the Pacific Northwest.  It was kind of a whirlwind trip, catching up with many, many loved ones and dear friends, most of whom we hadn't seen in years.  I can't even begin to describe how lovely it was--not just to share a meal or cup of coffee and hear what people have been up to/ or are scheming in their respective lives, but because it is a gift to have the kind of friends and family that you can just sit down with and it's like no time has passed at all--yet there you are touring their farm, or meeting their new baby, or grown up kids who you remember as just tots. A real highlight of the trip was surprising my Grandpa at his 80th birthday party--it was a mini family reunion of sorts and a real treat for Sadie to get to meet great grandparents, great aunts & uncles, and many cousins (don't even ask me to figure out the proper terminology or number of times removed they are, that just makes my head spin) from my side of the family.  It's been too long.

Sadie was delighted, immediately upon arrival, to see grass and trees--both of which she wanted to count.  Since her numeration only really goes to three, can I just say it was good to see 3 to the 456th power of green?  A very welcome break from the vast white springtime landscape we left behind us in Nome. Even our rental car was comically green--about the same color as Sadie's new shoes.  Remarkably, the weather was very fine for Oregon/ Washington at this time of year.  Shucks, we even got two sunny days in a row out of Seattle!  When does that ever happen?

Sometimes, being the bushed Alaskans that we are, we just drove to a whole foods market and stood in awe at the jaw-dropping variety of things you can buy in one place.  And for cheap! But plenty of other adventures were had as well. Many miles were driven in the green rental car, we slept in a 100 year old barn in Sequim, logged a lot of walking miles in downtown Seattle, listened to street music at Pike's market (though Sadie's favorite person there was definitely the cat rescue guy and his two silky, besweatered tabbies).  Zoos and Aquariums were visited, snowing cherry blossoms were admired, and good food was eaten at every occasion, and thanks to my friends Rachel & Jon I will now be dreaming about the Jade Bistro's chilli noodles for the remainder of my pregnancy.

That was the other highlight of the trip.  Going to our 20 week ultrasound appointment to see that our little baby rock lobster is growing right along as he/she should, and everything looks good and healthy.  We even got to see that baby in 3D this time--which was remarkable, if just a tad creepy.  We couldn't be more thankful or excited, and it is crazy to imagine that in about 4 months now we will be getting to meet this little person earthside.  Wow.

The only downside of our trip was that we brought home an epic bug and I have been sick, sick sick this week and having a horrible cough & head cold for over 7 days while pregnant, well.... it's no bueno.  Loren fought off his cold and seems to be on the mend,  but now Sadie has had a fever and cough for 3 days.  The moral of the story... don't come over to our house for a while, unless you want to get the plague.  We are off to check in with the doc tomorrow, to make sure everything is okay, but it's my guess that it's nothing that a little more time, caribou bone soup, and popsicles can't cure. Oh, and raw garlic--I could write a whole other blog post on all the bizarre home remedies we have tried out this week in our desperate attempts to get well, but right now I need to give some snuggles to my sick girl who has now added thermometer to her vocabulary.