Seattle Trip

So these last couple days we have been in the Seattle area. Bremerton to be exact. Justin's Grandpa Crook turns 80 on the same day as me (August 28th, this upcoming Tuesday), so we went up there to wish him a happy birthday. He was so happy to get company and see us all, it made it worth while. I just wish we all could have stayed longer. I also got to meet Justin's uncle Dan (his dad's brother) for the first time. He is a great guy, and seems really fun. We went to the county rodeo while up there and I actually sat through an entire show. I usually only got to catch one event in the past. It was fun, and we really had a great time. Levi fell asleep in the middle and slept until it was over, but then stayed awake for a couple hours before falling asleep for the night.

Levi did amazing during the trip. We didn't have hardly any fussing or whining from him at all! We were seriously impressed. On the four hour drive up he slept for nearly 2.5 hours, and on the way home he slept two hours. That was very helpful for us and our sanity. He kept playing the 'Where's Levi' game the entire way up and back when he was awake. I think he may be obsessed.

He also learned new words this weekend and said them over and over again with glee. I just hope he'll remember them. He said 'boat', 'flower', and 'pray'. He learned boat because we took him on the ferry from Bainbridge Island to Seattle. He was in heaven! He kept running up and down the decks saying 'Wow!' and 'Cool!' It was so cute, and he gave the other passengers a giggle. He learned flower because we stopped by my Uncle Gordon's place, and although he wasn't home, his wife had some amazingly beautiful flowers that we got some pictures of. Levi kept grabbing at the petals, and we would pull his hand away and tell him not to touch the flowers, so he started saying flower. And when we were home and said it was time to pray he folded his arms and said 'pray.' Sometimes he can be so precious. I'm so glad I can stay home with him and enjoy these moments more and more often!

On our way home we stopped by the Portland Temple and walked the grounds. From the moment we got out of the car Levi was saying, 'Wow!' over and over again. He kept pointing upward and saying it, made me wonder if he knew who he was looking at and where he was. I'm sure he did. He wandered the whole grounds before we left, and I think he would have wandered longer if we would have let him.

When we got home Justin found his early birthday present sitting on our porch. I found an amazing deal on an X-Box (like Nintendo... a video gaming system) on Ebay, so I bought it for his birthday in early October. However, I am letting him play it now because I know he would have gone crazy knowing he had it and couldn't play it. I've been listening to him lament over the loss of his amazing X-Box that he had, so this was the best gift I could think of. He loves it, and as long as he isn't playing it instead of helping me out, doing his responsibilities, and taking care of Levi, he can play as much as he likes.

It's been another busy week, and next week will bring even more busy times.