When work gives you the opportunity to go to the Bay Area and extend the trip into a long weekend spent with family that you don't get to see nearly often enough, obviously you take it! Leaving behind some seriously rainy fall weather, midweek I headed down to San Francisco for a meeting, most of which I missed because of a ridiculously delayed flight. After the meeting I spent a few hours trying to finish my entire workload for the day, then headed east for a wonderful weekend with family. There were plenty of hugs, games to play, and many, many books to read. On Saturday, while the kids were napping, my sister-in-law and I made macarons, and they turned out to be some of the best I've ever made. As always, my visit wasn't nearly long enough, but I'm so glad that my work gave me the opportunity to squeeze in a short visit!
Read moreLife: Week 41
Andy and I started the week off with matching colds, but thankfully by the weekend we were both feeling better! The highlight of the week was our annual trip to Vashon Island to make cider with Andy's family on Saturday. It's a tough choice, but I think our fall trip to Vashon is my favorite fall tradition! This year, we brought my friend Ashley and her daughter with us. Andy and I have been to Vashon so many times that we take the beauty of the property for granted, so bringing a friend for the first time allowed us to see the place through new eyes. Because of the dry summer we had, it wasn't a great year for apples, so we had much less cider than usual, but the small amount we got was delicious as usual. Like always, we found ourselves hesitant to head home at the end of the day, but eventually we headed for the ferry home.
Read moreLife: Week 40
Since last week, the golden trees around our apartment have already lost most of their leaves. While I miss their brightness out the window, many of the other trees around Redmond are just beginning their transition into fall. Late in the week, my sister delivered her second daughter, and I was able to join my mom and niece in visiting the hospital to meet my new niece when she was just a few hours old. Seeing the amazement of my two-year-old niece when meeting her baby sister was especially adorable.
Read morePololu Valley
If you find yourself on the Big Island of Hawaii, and you only have time for one hike, I would would highly recommend the short hike into Pololu Valley! Some of the best views of the rugged North Coast cliffs can be seen from the trail leading from the end of the road down into the valley. Once you reach the bottom, there are rope swings and tree forts to explore, hammocks to lounge in, and plenty of shade from the tall trees lining the beach.
Read moreLife: Week 39
I'm happy to report that fall has most definitely arrived! While we had one suspiciously summery day this week, I think (hope!) we've left our days of 80+ temperatures behind for the year. The trees in our apartment complex are some of the first to turn a vibrant gold and lose their leaves every fall and I've started to see them as an indicator that fall has arrived. Soon they'll be bare, but for these few weeks, on sunny afternoons their color reminds me a little of my beloved alpine larches.
Read more