Bellingham and Crossing the border, Days 4 & 5

So we left Grants Organ and it took us about 8 and half hours.

I took a pic of our GPS a little into the trip to show our distance.

It actually went pretty fast.  I was able to catch up with my sister,

Stefany and my mom on the phone.  Deveraux watched her first "real" older

movie in the car.  We had purchased Hook, because the kids have

been so into playing Peter Pan.  It had been awhile since I have

seen it, I was hoping it was okay, and Deveraux mostly enjoyed it. 

Then Bobo was able to watch Fire Elmo video that Joy leant us...he loves it! 

The kids did great.  They are mostly good in the car.  I notice they get

really silly the last hour and some restlessness but sometimes I will

look back and Bobo is just hanging contentedly and Dev is reading a book

We also did a little car scavenger hunt and started working on our state capitols.

Crossing into Washington, over the Columbia River.

Hello Washington

We stayed at a Motel 6, which was more expensive that our

Hyatt in Sacramento!  We get a great deal!  Bobo had to

take a few spins on the scooter before bed.

Loaded up and fueled (fixing my Starbucks to go)

Hi Deveraux and Nikki's leftover pie!

Our first stop that morning was Maritime Heritage Center.

Deveraux learned about the process of Salmon breeding.

This picture is for dad...and his love of wooden boats

This was right outside the marina waiting for it to open.

Next stop was a walk to the observation deck on the campus

of Western Washington University.

Trying to catch falling leaves

I am taken by fall and so thankful this trip brought us into the season!

On the observation deck

Andrew carrying me on the observation deck.

Yep, he did it so I could see too.  I could not

believe it!

For a minute, I thought I was going over the side when

we tried to maneuver my dismount!

Playing Peter Pan on the way back.....

The hike was a highlight for Drew and I.

Sword fighting

Bobo was happy.

For his journal he wrote, "My favorite was I had a long stick on the walk.

We saw Tarzan's tree house.  We saw fall trees and I tried to catch a

the falling leaves."

Bellingham is a beautiful area.

Joy had given me a book of poems by Lucy Shaw as a parting gift,

who lives in Bellingham, so that was fun.

This was on the Choctaw Drive

Deveraux liked this sign right outside the post office.

She is into a rustic shabby chic look and is on the lookout

as she plans to decorate her Maui room.

We found a random post office in the middle of no where to

mail some things.  It is fun on a trip to stop in "normal" places

that are different from "normal" places at home.  Or to conduct

normal tasks in different settings.

We then hit some factory outlet stores for a bit and then headed

to dinner.  Next we drove about an hour to the border.

Taken at night, driving by, but wanted to remember at

the border and seeing the two flags waving together as we

got ready to enter Canada.

I actually felt a little nervous before we got to the border.

It is probably from hearing crossing the border stories,

which I tried to explain to our kiddos about people desperate

at times to leave their countries. 

I realize as we travel, the world is really big!  And my

ideas of God begins to expand as I hear other languages and see

so many people....my small world in the US and my perceptions

of how God "relates" to Americans (as if it is the only way),

has to change and grow as I see the world expand. 

 And I am only talking about Canada!

To Canada....we have to figure out how fast to drive as it

is in Km....And the gas is in Liters, and the money looks

a little different...

We discover the city of Vancouver tomorrow!