This day in Ocean Shores held a lot of adventure. First I met with some of the crew from my new job at Sportsman's Cove Lodge. Jessica and I played down on the beach and it is official...I will always be a seagirl. I did not want to get out of the ocean. The smell brings back all memories of the ol' days of living on the shore. I'm ready to be back where I belong.

Every day seemed to be a favorite day on my vacation but our roadtrip to Ocean Shores was just amazing! This is Jessica and me sitting on an old tree which we found on the beach.

Last Day of vacation

Today was my last day of freedom. I am so sad. I spent the day with my Auntie Pam and cousin Tony. We had a beautiful brunch and then spent the day at the zoo. It only took an hour to find parking once we got there. Yeah. I am not joking. But once we got in it was really pretty fun! I was just really looking forward to seeing the usual suspects like the giraffe, gorilla, elephant...but then there were a couple I needed to see on top of that because I wanted to get pictures for my friends who lalalove those animals. I rarely get to see Tony and it just broke my heart when we had to say goodbye. The good news is that he is moving to Ketchikan this week so when I am up there this summer I can see him.

This trip has been so fantastic for me. I can't even explain what wonderfulness it has brought to my life but I have been reunited with three very important people: Denny (my birth father), Jessica (my old best friend), and Tony (my cousin). I had the opportunity to be independent and learned how to improvise when plans don't go just the way I want them too. As fun as this trip has been...I have had some disappointments as well. Just because somebody is on vacation, it doesn't mean that real life stops. And although the best thing in life to hold on to is each other, that doesn't always happen. However, in the end, it is the particular nature of the world to go on spinning no matter what sort of heartbreak is happening...which is why I did my best to not be bothered and not let real life bring me down.

After the day with my family, my genius mind remembered that my aunt would be driving up to Montana next weekend to visit so I gave her a couple bags of clothes and shoes to put in her trunk so that I wouldn't have to have any extra baggage for my flight home. It was just such a swell idea! Tonight is pizza and movies. I am practically packed and ready to hit the airport bright and early. Tomorrow is my meeting with the missionary in Great Falls for my final interview before baptism. I am so excited! I'm just nervous for one reason...I sent most of my jeans back with my aunt and all my dresses cause I needed a lighter suitcase which means I don't have anything classy for the meeting. Oops.

xoxo

Just can't get enough

Seattle has been treating me so well! Yesterday I walked around downtown some more then I enjoyed a couple hour exploration of the Seattle Art Museum. It was amazing! Yes I did get pictures but since I am using my friend's laptop I haven't uploaded anything yet. The exhibits were outstanding! I felt like I was in a maze and just kept walking around and just when I would think I found my way out, I would run into something new. The gift shop made a couple pennies off of me but what do you expect from a tourist!?! I ate at this marvelous little french restaurant right on the water down at the market. All the staff spoke french and it seemed to maybe be a bit pretentious but at the same time I felt like they liked me because I was wearing my birthday dress and sitting by myself. I also spoke as much french as I could which amounts to: Bonjour, merci, bon appetite, and la vie est belle...Didn't get me too far! Ha! Met up with Jessie shortly after that and we participated in some retail therapy before heading over to the Bodies Exhibition. I am a bit disappointed that I paid $20 for that. I have seen more interesting things in my school books and clinical days but it is all about the experience and I am glad I have added it to my list of "Things I have done". Dinner at the Space Needle was AWWWMAZING! We spun around and got to see the entire city and we had delicious food! I am seeing a common theme on this trip: shopping and food. Our waiter was just the best and I had sooo much fun! I could go back there everyday...except there is a $35 minimum per person so that would get pretty expensive. Finished the night with a hike down to the house and movie. Love life!

Today I am headed down to Ocean Shore to meet my new employer and go over job details. It is beautiful and sunny and I can't wait to see what other adventures today brings.

xoxo

Day 2 and I heart Seattle. The end.

I want to move here in a minute. No joke. This city is amazing. This city is everything that this little girl's heart has ever desired. Today I bought an umbrella and walked around in the rain and not one second of it bothered me. We all know that Sarah loves the rain but I forgot how much I miss that ocean side fresh rain feeling. The sound and smell and feel....I need it! I spent the day walking around downtown on Pike street and down to the market. I wanted to purchase everything that every body had to offer. There was this little artist that had prints of the city and I had to buy one but I really wanted all of them. I had four in my hand and had to pick just one because I really didn't know where I would put them all.

Well Jess just told me that it is time to go to dinner so I have to jet...I will post more later. Wish me luck climbing up the hill. xoxo

Seattle Day 1

Rule number 1: Do not, under any circumstance, forget anything, I repeat anything, big or small e.g. cell phone charger, in the vehicle. Ever. Or at least when you are staying at my friend Jessica's house in Seattle. I seriously am staying at the BEST vacation spot ever! Her house is like...three feet from the water! I have pictures which I will put up eventually but it may be when I get home. The trick to this house is this: because the tram is broken we have to walk down a treacherous hill to get to the house. And by treacherous hill I don't mean a nice little jot. No. I mean straight up and down with the occasional wooden step. So bad in fact that I left my suitcase in the vehicle! There was no way I would be getting that compact sized car suitcase down the side of this mountain without injury. The kicker is this...what does down must go up. I forgot my cellphone charger in the suitcase last night and since it is the only means of communication I have on this trip, I need it charged. This morning I had to walk up that hill and get it. I must have forgotten to breath the entire time because when I got to the top I thought I was near death. I figure I will just do that climb a couple times a day and that should make up for all the dessert and good food I am enjoying on vacation.

Yesterday was day 1 of vacation and I loved it!! I met up with Denny who is my biological father and it was just a grand time. It felt so good to catch up with him and visit. I am so so glad I got to do that. I really hope we stay in touch. After our visit, I went and experienced the best massage! Sixty minutes of perfect pressure! Lalalaloved it! Then Jessica and I went and did some shopping. Have I told you how much I love Macy's? I love Macy's. I don't love small town Montana Macy's. I love big city Macy's. We ate dinner at this place called "The Triple Door" and it was delicious! Plus we had dessert and the adorable waiter brought it out complete with lit candle and "happy birthday" written on the plate.

Today I am going to conquer the market and more of downtown Seattle. Tonight is dinner at the Space Needle. I am loving this vacation! Keep tuned for more exciting adventure details.

Day 1: Much success! Lots of shopping and I got the alaska job!! Celebrating with seafood thai noodles. Love my vacation :)

I need like...4 more hours in each day please.

Hmm...if I was to rub a magic lamp and was to receive wishes, I would ask for more time. Cash would be nice but time would be better. Because if I had time then I could work and earn my own money. And if I had time then I would not be so rushed to get all my school work done. And another benefit of time would be updating my blog! Regardless though of my actual lack of time, I absolutely love my life! I started packing for my Spring Break vacation today and I am totally trying to not pack too much so that I can go shopping while I am there but how the heck do I decide what I should bring?!? I have so many favorite things and I am just confused. So far I have 3 dresses, 4 jeans, 6 shirts, and 4 pairs of shoes for a 5 day vacation...and I am doing a load of laundry as we speak so I can have a few more of my favorite burnouts to bring with me. I am hopeless.

I had the BEST time in Great Falls this last weekend with my girls Haeli and Kenzie. So much fun that I am going back again on Saturday! These girls and I are the perfect mix of funny, silly, happy, goofy, etc. We went shopping which everybody knows I LOOOOOVE! And I got the best dress ever which Kenzie says makes me look like I am going to a tea party. I am definitely wearing it for my birthday :) And on my vacation! And every other opportunity that I have...yup.

Last night was my last pre-baptism meeting with the missionaries. I made stuffed peppers without a recipe and they turned out amazing! I was so proud of myself. We put together the plan for my baptism and I am just so excited that the day is so close. Like I said before, this is what I want and it feels like a miracle. I keep wishing I had done this sooner but then I have to ask myself if I would have appreciated it five years ago as much as I do now. I am so ready, happy, and prepared to get up and bare my testimony. I want every body to know how much this means to me and I want every body to feel the joy that I feel. I. Love. My. Life.

Nothing says "I'm Cool" like a scooter.

So I took my grandmother to lunch and grocery shopping today and it was a BLAST! Until the end...We all know that I am the Queen of bad luck when it comes to the Albertson's parking lot and of course and in true fashion, why would today be any different. Just an introduction, my grandma needs to use the rascal scooter. Today when I parked, I chose a spot on the opposite side of the store not being fully aware that this could be the wrong side in the future. So when we were finished with the shopping expedition, my grandmother drove the scooter out to my car and loaded herself up. Now...we have a scooter and Sarah. Opening scene: Sarah staring at the scooter. Sarah confused how to make scooter move. Sarah losing her mind. Turns out the only way to make the scooter move is to actually SIT on it. This is what made numerous people laugh. Me + HUGE sunglasses + scooter slowly scootin across the parking lot to the appropriate door. How embarrassing. People were seriously asking if they could take pictures! Ha! Plus it took a good four minutes going 1/16 mile per hour to cross so I had plenty of time to contemplate how I may appear to the crowd gathering for the show. How does this stuff happen to me?!?