Beautiful Spokane

To be perfectly honest, Spokane has been kind of a shock to me. When we found out we were moving here, we were told fabulous things. When we got here, we didn't see fabulous things. We got here the end of August. Fall was pretty, but most of fall was spent getting Samantha situated in therapies, getting insurance, just a lot of running around. Also, about 3 weeks after we moved here, I was extended a calling which takes a lot of my time from the time I don't have (but I do love my calling). So, I missed most of fall.

Winter came. And winter was a beast. I have never seen snow like this before. We had record breaking snow and it was pretty much the most insane weather conditions I have ever experienced. We were snowed in for days. It took Marcus about 2 hours to get to work everyday. It was just miserable.

Our beastly winter.
Model courtesy of Cat Tales cat zoo in Spokane. Callie loved the kitties!

In the meantime, we live in a not-so-great area. Our car was broken into. Our car was damaged by our neighbors. We've had a car accident. Our camera broke -- though that has nothing to do with our neighborhood. We've had our occasional extremely loud domestic fighting. There's been an exciting drug bust in our complex. We miss the family we lived by and our great friends. I continue to stay busy taking Sammy to therapy and trying to diligently fulfill my calling while attempting to be a good wife and mother. And I just can't lose this darn weight that I've been wanting to rid my body of! Grrrr Stress? Maybe. Extra cortisol levels in my body -- definitely.

So, I honestly and sadly say that I haven't had the best of feelings about Spokane. I have tried really hard not to let anyone know that it's been a struggle here for me. Is this sad or what? Yes. I've been really wanting to soak in Spokane. I was convinced that I'd love anywhere I lived because any situation is what you make it. But, darn it all, this has been a hard one for us. Not to say it's been all bad -- because that's not true at all. I've met some people here who I just love. I love Sammy's therapies. I love that Marcus is getting good assessment experience which will make him more marketable in the future. I love Greenbluff and look forward to picking fruit this coming season. I love that I learned how to can meat and actually do it, or did it with Cherie's help. I love that Julie and Greg are letting me share garden space with them. And I love that we'll have some fantastic stories for our kids.

When my parents came out, we went around Spokane a little bit. I saw a side of Spokane that made me change my attitude, for which I am grateful. We went down the the Bowl and Pitcher and walked across the swinging bridge. Sammy loved the loud rushing water underneath the bridge. She giggled in delight hearing the rapids underneath us. We walked around the trails a little and saw the gorgeous green trees, the rock formations, and the heard the sounds of nature. I love the sound of outside -- rushing water, birds, the crunch of leaves, and the grinding of rocks with each step. It's so peaceful.

Standing in front of the swinging bridge, that really did sway quite a bit.

We went up to Newport to our friend, Julie's, house where she grew up. It was gorgeous! Her parents live on a ton of land -- 100+ acres (I think 200) -- and the girls freely ran around. We saw cows, moose tracks, a little pond, streams, and "puppies" that Callie LOVED. It was really fun being up there with them.

Target shooting. How fun!

Julie taking the girls for a stroll in the wheelbarrow.

We went downtown and saw the waterfalls and since it was nice weather, there were so many people out jogging, riding bikes, and just being together with family and friends at Riverfront Park. It was wonderful. And I decided that Spokane wasn't so bad afterall, that it was beautiful, and that a place or situation really is what you make of it. I feel like I've wasted so much time here, but I'm not really sure how I could have squeezed anything in earlier. I guess I just needed to take time, drive around, and open my eyes in order to gain a better appreciation of where I live.

We went down to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It is so pretty over there. And of course, if there are swings, we have happy girls.