The Wood Between the Worlds

10.22-10.23.11

If ever I had a second family, they are my beloved Norwegian family.  I met Marianne when I was in first grade.  By second grade we were best friends and spent all our spare time together.  We went to family dinners, sleepovers, camping trips, boating trips, vacations, to church, and much more together.  Marianne's family taught me so many things.  Health, fitness, feminism, acceptance for those of different faiths and different opinions, and respect to name a few.  Marianne's family took me in the week after my dad died (when I was 10) and kept me busy and safe. Marianne's family moved to the Seattle area the summer after 8th grade, and we tried to keep in touch but eventually drifted apart.  Several years ago I got back in touch with her parents and then Marianne, and now that we're living in the Northwest we try to get up there to see them every once in a while.  Marianne's parents Inger and Alan are so gracious to allow us to come stay at their lovely waterfront home.


In turned out that it was pretty rainy.  Yeah, in Seattle...I know, what a shocker!  I didn't bother us girls at all because really all we wanted to do was sit and talk; catch up.  But Brent (who loves to sit and talk and listen to my childhood stories very much) was really hoping to go kayaking!  It did not bother him that it was raining...no, not one little bit.  So he borrowed Inger's really nice kayak and went for a spin around the lake!



Later that evening we went to a fun little Halloween party at Mar's older sister's house:




 {just an aside, Toby decided on his own that he is an Oregon Duck fan.  The rest of us are neutral.}







    It's always so much fun visiting our friends up there, and we can't wait to come back in the summer when there's swimming, hiking, water-skiing abounding.