As our trip out West is coming to a close, I feel blessed to have experienced all of the fun we have had. It hasn't been as restful as I had hoped or as carefree but a blessing nonetheless. The girls have spent time with cousins, grandparents and many people who have upheld them in prayer for the past two years.
In order to avoid picture overload I am going to break up the events of the trip. Below you will find pictures of our first days in Washington. We spent time in Tacoma with Alex's family and were treated to a trip to the Zoo. Why Philadelphia can't have a zoo that is clean, open and interactive, I don't know. I guess we were just lucky to experience the Tacoma Zoo and will make it a "must do" every time we head this way.
After a day at the Zoo and a chance to catch up on sleep we headed over the mountain pass to Quincy. We were able to stop at the top of the pass and let Savannah see the mountains (something the East Coast doesn't have even though they think they do). As we got closer and closer she loved watching their blueish green color turn into individual pine trees. Savannah was able to watch the peaks get closer and closer while at the same time, Miss Belle decided to drop her sats a bit. Not her best performance at staying saturated. Once we crossed the pass Savannah piped up with, "Oh look at that desert! We better have water! Where are the camels?" Since I grew up in this flat and dry patch of tumbleweeds, I have never had the chance to see it with a fresh set of eyes until now. The topography is something you won't fine in Pennsylvania which is why it caught Savannah's attention.
Upon arriving at Grammy and Papa's house the girls were treated to countless hours of a flat, fenced and large backyard. They love the soft grass, rocks in the flowerbeds and ride on toys - which included a brand new scooter for Savannah. They especially liked Papa's famous blanket rides. I think he might have to hang up the blanket soon (Savannah is no longer two and I have added to more girls to the line up) but until then, the girls are in blanket heaven!
It has been interesting watching the girls learn from their new environment. Lila Grace has mastered walking barefoot on very uncomfortable rocks and unfortunately suffered from bleeding toes for the first couple of weeks. All the running and jumping lead to a lot of stubbing which would have gone unnoticed by Lila Grace if it didn't mean wearing shoes to protect the feet. Adeline has mastered many thresholds. Initially, she wouldn't walk from the garage to patio or from the patio to the grass. She would patiently and methodically get down on all fours to cross these barriers. At this point, she walks right over them and at times will "run" barefoot in the grass. She has also started to get around on a ride-on toy while Lila is working on mastering Savannah's scooter. I think she would be more effective than Savannah is if the handle bars were lowered. Since Daddy broke many bones doing this and landed himself in a body cast at the age of two, I should really keep her away from it. Easier said than down when dealing with The Grace!
