The Daily Dye: First & Second Teacher Summer

Two years ago April-June I was endlessly seeking two things: 1. A teaching job, 2. An place to live. Two years later I have completed my first two year of teaching and managed to survive Magna/ apartment living. I now live in the Denver area which a year ago wasn't even a thought. I'm taking it easy this year as a reading/special ed tutor. Life couldn't be more different!

With the teaching jobs comes a full summer off where I am free to do as I please. B let me go home in June for almost a month where we celebrated the 4th of July WA style. I LOVED every second of being home and wish more than anything to be able to live there one day. Preferably before the second coming. Haha here are some highlights of my month in

WA 2012:

THRIFT SHOPPING! We LOVE good deals!

Hillary ran a card stand at the Farmer's Market

Little frog that lives in the fire pit rocks.

BERRY PICKING!

Don't worry Hanna has an actual condition where she can't see without sunglasses!

Took B on a tour across Deception Pass and to Oak Harbor

Can't take a trip without fishing! Beautiful beach houses.

As kids we would go to Oak Harbor for an All-American small town 4th of July. (My Dad used to be stationed there when he was in the Navy so it's where Mom and Dad first started out when they were married.) Any way, we used to call this dude Hanna's boyfriend when she was little. Is he too old for her or her for him? hmm

Had to take B to the Woodland Park Zoo

And visit the temple where we got married

More zoo

And more zoo..."middle American a ow a ow!"

B's favorite because it feels and smells like Panama; the Tropical Rainforest

Howarth Park

And of course I had to capture this. Hanna looks truly distraught but alas she is just being crazy. We've always wanted a brother and she loves to take full advantage of having one when B visits. This was one of their crazy shenanigans at the end of a long day.

WA 2013:

Well here we are all moved in to Parker, CO. We LOVE IT HERE! There was something about Utah that just didn't sit right with us. I really struggled personally there and although I was nervous about coming out here we really do enjoy it. We have an amazing ward and the climate here is good and the people are more like the ones we knew growing up. It's WA just without the ocean. We moved right after I was done at Excelsior and after a month of unpacking I booked a flight and B let me come out for a month. The timing was perfect because Mom had a strange lump that ended up being nearly a 3lb ovarian cyst! She had her surgery and is now almost fully recovered! We are so blessed! No cancer and the surgeon took great care of her. And me...I almost passed out at Mom's pre-op appointment when they started talking about the procedure! A first for all of us. I thought I was fine. Then the room gets really hot and I'm like what the heck I need some air, I'm going to puke. Then the room goes freezing and I'm sweating everywhere. Sitting behind Mom she couldn't see me but I tried to get up and reached for her leg and the doctor says, "Oh, you don't look very good. Let me get you a drink." Later she said that she was going to recommend I lay down but knew I wouldn't have gotten up! My Mom told me later that my lips were my normal whiteness of my face and my face was a sheet. Oh my heck! I'm a wimp when it comes to my mom and surgery!

Flying in. Mt. Rainier? Mt. St. Helens? They should really announce these things. I met some awesome old ladies at DIA. They were so awesome! We had some good chats. And I sat next to the nicest couple. While waiting in the terminal to get on the plane everyone was silent. I didn't yell but did say out loud "Aren't you people excited?! We're going to SEATTLE!!" I love going home! Someday it will hopefully be home again!

When I came this year a lot of people kept asking me what I was most excited about besides family. The Ocean! I could lay in it the entire time if that were possible. So of course within 20 hours of being home I took Hanna and we went to see the Sound. Ahhh

Before Mom's surgery we got to do some fun things we love to do. We got to see the Rose Garden's at Woodland Park Zoo at their peak. Absolutely breathtaking. Someday I'll learn the skills I need to capture their true beauty.

No visit to Seattle is complete without seeing Pike Place. We even splurged and got to try some cheesecake at The Confectional. Very yummy!

Mom and the gum wall, Fashiohanna at the gum wall.

The new wheel...we haven't ridden it yet. We're just not that cool. haha

I also go to meet the other Brandon. Hanna is dating a really sweet guy from down South. And his name happens to be Brandon. He is so sweet! He came up and we all went to Jetty Island together. He even got to see one of my best moments. lol I dropped them off to get tickets and was backing up mom's car to turn out and kinda hit the sign. No I'll just say it, I full on ran into the freaking thing. The poor leg got dented. lol I was glad to be some comic relief.

Mom once heard this little girl get on the ferry one day and yell "This place is Heaven!" And we agree so here's our "This is Heaven" pose. Brandon apparently hasn't felt the magic yet! lol

Mom even got to come join us!

We build some awesome sand castles. I made a pyramid and the Sphinx. Excuse my annoying finger.

Once Mom had surgery she was in the hospital a few days and we were all little tense but for pretty much the first time ever Dad took off a couple of much needed days off. We all ran errands for Mom and went blueberry picking. I love spending time with Dad. It's something we didn't get a lot as kids and I think we're a lot more enjoyable now. :)

I love Lake Stevens as well because it's not salty so you don't get all sticky afterwards. Mom was feeling up to it one day and we got to go to the lake for a bit. There were the cutest baby ducklings and their mama. We also did some good old synchronized swimming and had a great time laughing together.

Look at this cute fishing lady! She's got one!

We almost never catch pictures of Dad fishing.
Made sure I did this time!

And I caught my VERY FIRST FISH EVER ON DAD'S BOAT! I kept joking with him that he just stops by Pike Place and never really catches anything. It was a GREAT fishing day! And we even got a couple crabs!

Dad took me fishing a few times. We even got to keep some crabbies and fish! . He does indeed catch fish. We even caught a giant sunflower starfish! Cool! But always toss those guys back.

So funny story: Mom had this cheap white faucet in the kitchen. She told me one day she would get a shower doing dishes. While I was home I experienced this. We fixed it temporarily with duct tape but decided Mom needed a new one. It was really more crazy than it sounds. Hanna and I price compared at Costco and of course had to capture "Essence of Hanna."