Kris' world: 3 Weekends, 3 Trips, 3 States = AMAZING

The last three weekends have been a whirlwind of excitement, adventure, fun, laughter, shopping, spending time with family and just relaxing.

Weekend #1. Seattle, Washington... Just me and my mom.

Get on Expedia, look at last minute deals, talk about going, find a good deal, push the buy button... done! My mom and I have well, I don't think ever just gone away for the weekend alone. Just me and her, no kids, no dad, just us. What made us think it was a good idea? I'm really not sure it just happened. We talked about it while I was at work and when I got home we booked it and a few days later we were on our way.

So what did we do in Seattle?

-We pushed the emergency button on the train... without realizing it, and the man sitting across from us was telling us that we had to tell the conductor there was no emergency... we looked at him like he was crazy until we heard the conductor asking if we were ok... we laughed and laughed.. the people around us didn't think it was as funny as we did.

-We shopped, and shopped and shopped.

-Ate amazing food (including ice cream, cheese cake, fudge...) :)

-Walked and walked (my mom at 73 is my hero!)

-Watched shark week in our hotel

-Space needle day and night...

-Meet a new friend from Mexico that hung out with us....

-Talked, and talked about important things like life and having faith

-Laughed

-Pikes Place Market

Thanks for the weekend mom, thanks for leaving dad :) even though we weren't sure he would be o.k. without you. Thanks for just letting me talk and for just letting me be me and for shopping hours and hours with me. I will always cherish our memories.

Weekend #2 Draper, Utah

August 11 we left for Utah to go school shopping. I took 2 days off work and took Kelsie and Kilee and we were off. We stayed with my brother Mark and his wife Lora and they were such great hosts. They fed us shopped with us took us to my nephews football scrimmage... GO Brandon! We got in on all the missionary drama (You made a great choice Victoria (: can't wait to meet him) We worked out with them and couldn't move our arms the next day. We went to Temple Square and took some pictures. It was such a fun weekend, just hanging out with family and laughing and of course some serious shopping.

Weekend #3 Stanley, Idaho

This was the most relaxing weekend of the three. We had a beautiful camp site right next to the lake with a beautiful view of the Sawtooth mountains. We hiked, which we thought was going to be an easy 5 mile hike which turned into a not so easy 9 mile hike. The problem.. we talked my 73 year old mother into going with us. What a trooper she made it home with very sore muscles a sore back and hurting knees. She moved very slowly the next two days. We sat around the fire and talked for hours. I took the dogs on lots of walks and Bentley came home brown instead of white. We ate too much food, dutch oven chicken, potatoes, cobbler, tin foil dinners, pancakes, eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, sandwiches, smores...more smores. We napped, and fished, and read, and relaxed and had a great time.

I woke up early the last morning just to go sit by the lake and watch the sun rise. I wanted time to think about the things that have been on my mind. It was so peaceful sitting by the lake watching the sunrise. I am in awe with the beauty of this earth and the things we take for granted. We decided that we should go back every year to the same camp ground, same spot. It was the most peaceful camp ground I have ever been to.