So the day of the prom arrived. She started getting ready. A friend came over to help with makeup and to hang out. Alex showed up and we took photos of pinning the boutineer and slipping on the corsage.  Then they were off to Brenden's house for photos.  Taylor's dad took photos and I took photos and the parents laughed and the kids felt awkward and laughed too.  The standing joke was 3 bibles between the girls and guys at all times.  They were a fun group to photograph and were silly and goofy and I love the care-free attitude of that and how it shows up in photos.  Taylor and Brenden are a couple in waiting.  They are waiting for Taylor to turn 16 so they can date.  Lona and Alex are friends so there was no pressure for them, just fun.  I think that is how prom should be - fun, no pressure, dress up, learn how to behave in a formal setting, and also be relaxed.  They went to dinner, went to prom and then back to Alex's house.  Job joined them there to watch movies and then drive Lona home.  I went to crawl in bed the next day to see how it went and it wasn't Lona in bed.  I almost crawled in and cuddled Taylor!  I had no idea that she was going to sleep over.  Hilarious.  They came in the back so they wouldn't disturb John's mom and she thought they were burglars.  Then Taylor not knowing that John's mom was here, almost crawled in bed with her. That would have surprise.  Fun night but exhausting.

 Lemons become lemonade when seen through the lens of rose colored glasses.  Having to check out of our hotel earlier than planned, we quickly looked for things to do in South Seattle area that didn't involve going to a mall.  It was too nice of a day and I already felt like I had spent enough money on the hotel. Luckily, Kubota Garden is a free park, being part of Seattle Parks Department.  It has an amazing history from starting in 1927 by a man from Japan, who designed many Japanese style gardens all over the Seattle area, and was later place in an interment camp with his family to rebuilding his business after WWII.  The 5 acres became 20 acres and streames became ponds, swamp lands became beautiful areas that now are available for weddings. 

One thing I love about my daughter is her sense of adventure and to enjoy the moment and be a little goofy.  At first she was ambivalent.  Not really caring but willing to humor me.  When we first started traveling for Rangers I would plan some kind of outing like this each time and then we started carpooling and they just wanted to go and come back unless shopping was involved. This was my opportunity to sightsee and explore our neck of the woods. Lona and I went alone, and I was determined to make this a fun couple of hours. I gave her my camera and was goofy, posing for photos, jokingly teasing that we were going to find seperate places to sit quietly and reflect with a journal.  She might actually have done that and then we got into the groove of exploring, talking, and being comfortable, taking photos.  The camera on her phone takes some amazing photos, I might be a little envious! We ended up cutting our time in the garden short, we were hungry.  This is a place I'd like to come back and explore some more.

We come out of the woodwork when the sun shines here.  We've hibernated, grown moss and planted roots when it rains.  We've formed indents in the couch cushions, strewn blankets over every chair and brewed enough coffee to start an iv for every person. Our doors are shut and blinds are lowered and then the sun comes out.  For a day or an hour and we stream to the parks.  We haul bikes out of our garages, frisbees turn up, hammocks are slung between trees and we come alive, like we are blooming with the plants. Each spring I think of the mole in the Wind in the Willows.  I didn't really like the book as  kid, but as an adult I loved it.  The mole feels spring in his veins and he starts to clean his house, top to bottom but then, he as get out, the river calls to him and adventure begins.  I feel like the mole, I start to dust and air out the house and then the sunshine calls and putting down my to do list, we head out on an adventure. 
Isaac and I are not hard core bike riders.  I'm cautious and down dirt and rocky hills scare me when my back tire goes one way and the front goes another way and I feel out of control.  I don't like that feeling.  I do like a nice tame bike ride though and I dream of a little basket in front and a wide fat bottom seat but my bike works as is so I'm happy.  We started at Boulevard Park and made our way to Fairhaven.  There is a little bakery there that I've stopped at once and as we rode by I made it a goal to stop on the way back.  I could smell the croissants coming out of the oven and to peddle past making it a goal for the end was hard, oh so very hard.  Each time I run or ride on the Interurban trail, I am reminded of how absolutely blessed we are to live here. We biked under bridges, along a stream, through a park, on the trail with trees that arch overhead and wild roses on the side.  We rode to Arroyo Park and this is where it gets hard for me.  Arroyo Park is trail biking, not the wide railroad grade trail, but the tree roots, turns at the bottom of a narrow track trail.  This is where I really start to sweat.  Inevitably John has to stop and wait for me to catch up but it's usually just before the top of a hill and as I am huffing and puffing, I'm yelling at him to get out the way!  I can't stop on the upside of the hill! Finally we turn around and make our way back, working hard enough for me to earn my croissant and coffee.  Thankful for this couple of hours with my husband and my oldest as they laugh at my mountain bike attempts.  After the most delicious break at Iron Rooster Bakery we came upon a sailing lesson or race or something.  They were small keel boats and had a certain course they needed to follow.  Each group was color coded and had three boats to the colors.  They were accompanied by a motor boat and directions were being shouted.  It was interesting but I wish I would have known more about it, like a information sign board placed along the waterfront or something.  We watched for a while and then Isaac informed us that he needed to get back.  He had to referee a game.  I thought we'd be gone for a total of two hours but we spent the morning exploring our neck of the woods.  It felt like a vacation.