July 27

 

 

WE DID IT!!! The Seafair Torchlight Run was conquered with a wonderful day, a wonderful team, a wonderful success.

 

Mostly I was dying with excitment at the fact that they closed down 99 and we got to run helter-skelter along the highway with the Sound to our left and the city to our right. Right along with 40,000 runners. It was specacular.

 

This is us. The champions.

 

July 25

 

 

Apparently sailboats race around the Puget Sound every Thursday. Who knew? Markus's friend and coworker Geoff owns one of these very boats and was good enough to invite us along. Sailboat racing is a rare breed of competion...if you're in the lead you get to take home a trophy and a goodly amount of boatman prestige. If you're trailing everyone else by a good fathom or two, you get the best view of a hundred billowy sails meandering into the sunset. Clearly a win-win deal.

 

We belonged to the trailing-with-a-view cohort and it was lovely. Hot dogs and beer to follow. Ahoy!

 

 

 

July 23

So hey, let me tell you about this cool thing I'm doing.

 

Beth Buer (the giddy one in the middle with the braid) does incredible things with her time - besides working at Ground Speak, adventuring, and being hilarious, she volunteers at Operation Nightwatch, a shelter and support for the homeless in Seattle. She put together a 5k that includes sponsers, staff members, and homeless clients, and will be a part of the Seafair race this year. The goal? To tear down walls and build relationships in their place. We did several Saturday morning training runs along the Centenial Park trail downtown - much fun was had, much sweat was sweated, and many stories were shared. It has been such an honor to get to know these people, and be a part of such a great thing. Interested in being a part of things? Click here!

 

We're running this Saturday and I'm pretty dang excited.

 

"In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

July 21

 

 

Today was about 80 degrees, we took a boat out onto the lake, and had the ice cream cruise swing by and throw ice cream sandwiches at us.

July 20

 

Happy Birthday Boo!

 

You are 26 today. I have known you for 3 of those 26 years and it has been a treat. Thank you for being you - I'm not going to start typing out your many praises, aint nobody got time for that, but my goodness I love you!

 

(Ps. The Luau party was a hit.)

July 19

Everybody in Seattle is currently on a sailboat apparently.

July 18

 

Sometimes I babysit chitlins. Milla and Liam are two of these that I used to see on a regular basis before my grown up job came along. It was fun to hang out with them today and eat pizza and watch movies and also roam in their gigantic house full of views and books and glass deer heads.

July 16

A summer evening walk with my boo. We witnessed a sailboat capsizing, a proposal (somebody elses), and a sunset. Blue and Orange are a fantastic color combination.

July 13

Sometimes working Saturdays is an incredible drag. But sometimes you play Office Clue and then it's not so bad.

 

Stanley was innocent.

July 11

 

Wrapped up in blankets and aided by a bag of gummy bears, Sarah, Michael, Jenni, and I settled down in a large field in Magnison Park to watch Moonrise Kingdom on a giant ballooning screen with hundreds of other Seattleites. It was cold, cozy, and kind of delicious. I can't wait for more!

 

To get a whole list of movies and locations, click here.

July 10

Well these two are off for new adventures. In Portland. With a new job. And, oh yea, a BABY!

We had a farewell picnic for them at Gas Works today - BBQ sauce and cupcakes included, duh - and spent a very pleasant evening with a set of banana grams and several mugs of tea.

Seve and Clint have cheered Markus and I on from the very beginning - they are a huge blessing to us as a couple as well as to us individually. These kids know how to have a good time and we will miss them terribly!

It's lucky for them they have a big apartment.

July 9

I'm convinced I will one day see an Orca whale whilst on a ferry boat.

At the very least a Porpoise.

 

The Puget Sound must be teaming with them in the summer time, I'm sure of it.

July 8

 

In such a big way today.

 

Maybe because Markus just got back starry eyed from Japan? Maybe because I long to be out in the sun with nothing tugging at my time? Maybe because I want to be so overwhelmed with color and smells and people and views that all I can really do is to rest in these things and be in awe?

 

I'm getting out of town tomorrow. Just for a little bit.

July 7

Together again.

 

* * *

 

This was the airport:

 



July 6

 

The week of Bulthuis-family-fun-sans-most-of-the-Bulthuis' continues!

 

Today the lovely Ms. Rebecca Bishop (Markus's cousin) became Mrs. Henry Boykin and it was an honor to be there to witness their vows.

 

Jenny and I bonded. Clearly.

 

We took the Little's swimming and explored Olympia and the Capitol Building (and caused a ruckus when we flung phones/walked over/dropped metal rods on the roped off seal of Washington) before raising our cupcakes (and costume pieces) to the new Mr. and Mrs.   

July 5

 

Yesterday I got to introduce my lovely girls to Markus's home town and also his sister-in-law and nieces!

 

It was wonderful to see Jenny and take Ada to the beach and cuddle with Ruby, and celebrate 'Murica with the Port Orchard gang. It was a colliding of two worlds a little, and I love that so much.

 

* * *

 

Ada is a riot.

 

July 4

Happy Independence Day, America!

 

For as much complaining as we do, I am blessed to live here, to be welcome to voice my opinions, to be intigrated into a culture despite my background and where I'm from, and to cultivate an appreciation for community, freedom, and football. And also hotdogs.

 

Don't cue all the counter arguments, because I know there are many. But we sometimes do some of these things well, and for these things I am thankful.

 

 

 

 

July 3

And he is - Oh, Well! He is just himself, and I miss him, and miss him, and miss him. The whole world seems empty and aching. I hate the moonlight because it's beautiful and he isn'there to see it with me. But maybe you've loved somebody too, and you know? If you have, I don't need to explain; and if you havn't, I can't explain.

 

                                                                            - Daddy Long Legs, Jean Webster

July 2

 

80 degrees. Swimsuites. Warm water. Stellar company.

 

And a mangodilla for the best kind of cherry on top.

July 1

 

And so the heat wave continues.

 

Happy 1st of July sun lovers!

 

 

(Even jogging gets more fun when it's warm and golden out.)