Ward Camp Out

Alisha says: Last weekend we went to the ward camp out. It was held at a rustic lodge on some church owned property called Ensign Ranch. We had a good time getting to know a few people and since it was a little rainy we all got to practice our around the world ping pong skills. On the way to the camp out we stopped and hiked Denny Creek and then on the way home we hiked Rattlesnake Ledge. Both were excellent hikes.

Hiking along Denny Creek

Dave made it to the finals a few times

Ponies in the pasture

My favorite road cycling route so far is out to and around Mercer Island. Great views and a trip across the I-90 bike path.

Seattle

Dave says: We've been in Seattle just over two weeks. This is a great place to be in the summer with mild temperatures and lots of exciting outdoor adventures to do. It took awhile to get things unloaded and I've had some work to do at the university, but we've also made time for some fun trips.

We live in a nice area where we can easily go trail running in Ravenna Park or on the Burke Gilman trail so we have been getting back into running. We've also been out on some mountain bike adventures including a trip out to Duthie Park with Chris and Sarah and a nearby ride at St. Edward State Park. We have done two long road rides. One with Louisa to the other side of Lake Washington on the Burke Gilman trail which just goes on and on forever. The other was with the Cascade Cycling Club and went up to some of the northern towns outside of Seattle. It was a pretty route and not too busy but there must have been 75 turns in 75 miles so you were never on one stretch of road for too long.

Finally, we've also been on a few good hikes. The hiking here in the forested mountains is really awesome. We hit Poo Poo Point out in Issaqua and then last weekend we did Wallace Falls. On the way home, we stopped in Gold Bar at a local bakery for some of the most delicious breakfast food we have had. In fact, all of the restaurants that we have been to so far in the Seattle area are pretty awesome. It doesn't get dark here until after 9 pm right now so we've been enjoying the long days of summer in Seattle.

The Big Move

Alisha says: After returning from Hawaii it was time to buckle down and pack things up. Moving is always such a pain but it is also a good time to go through and weed out some of your stuff. I didn't think we really had that much stuff until we started packing, but we did. The hardest part about our last two weeks in Tucson was doing all of my favorite Tucson things for the last time and saying goodbye to all my friends. I really hate goodbyes. I have loved working with Fred and the Tri-Fit group. At the Tri-Fit Memorial Day party they surprised me with a big cake and an umbrella that they all signed. They are a really great group of people. Then my mom came down see us one last time before we left and help us do some packing. She was a big help and did a bunch of cleaning. Thanks Mom! I cried when she left because it is going to be hard being so far away, I have really enjoyed having her visit fairly regularly. My last Tuesday Hill Ride with the Dogs was also a bit sad. I have loved riding with the Dogs, they are such a neat group of people that really looks out for each other. While we were sitting around at the bakery after the ride they brought out a huge cake to wish Dave and I well on our next adventure. It was really great.

Things I will miss about Tucson (not a complete list because that would be too long and in no particular order)
-Mt. Lemmon
-The Dogs cycling group, Sabino Cycles
-Riding, Running, Hiking in Sabino Canyon
-Riding the loop in Saguaro National Park
-The weather, not having to ever look at the weather report because you know it is going to be nice and sunny.
-The wildlife, we saw lots of animals in our backyard. We really enjoyed feeding the quail and I loved when they would start bringing their babies down to the water dish in the spring.
-The sunsets
-The views from our house and our hilly driveway
-The monsoons
-Working with Fred at Tri-Fit
-All my friends

On Thursday, June 5th the movers came and loaded everything up. That afternoon Dave and I started our journey. We drove to Flagstaff, AZ and spent the night. The next day we drove to Salt Lake, UT and had dinner and spent the evening with my brother and his family. The next day we drove to Yakima, WA and on Sunday we finished up the drive to our new place in Seattle. We had a few days of camping out in our place with only what we could bring in the car before our stuff arrived. Dave had to go to a conference outside of Toronto and that ended up being the day our stuff was delivered so I spent the next few days putting away and organizing a lot of our stuff.

We are excited for this next chapter in our story. I always struggle a little with change but Dave and I have fun together where ever we are. He is really excited for his new job and I am super proud of him.

 The cake from Tri-Fit

 The cake from the Dogs

 I am really going to miss all these people

My mom and I with some of the boxes

A cool braid that my mom did

 Our sad moving faces

 Moving day

 Driving out of Tucson! Farewell!