D is for Des(s)erts and Ducks

Hi loves! Week 2 of deployment #2 is almost done. Life has gotten a little busier in the past week. 

Last Friday, one of Andrew's closest friends from college, and a fellow Seattle resident/C-17 pilot, returned home a 6 month deployment. Not wanting him to come home to an empty airport terminal, I decided to go surprise him late that night. He wasn't expecting anything to it was great to see the reaction on his face! 

Special sign I made for him. Yes, I spelled his last name, and America wrong, on purpose :)

Still looks a little dusty to me!

Although, it turns out I was not alone in my "surprise Kevin" idea. Another girl, Emily, also met him there. As I was helping with bags, preparing to send them off, then head home to a quiet, peaceful apartment, Emily gets this devious little smile on her face. Outside in the loading zone was a fully decked-out party bus, complete with neon lights, a stripper pole, and some friends from his squadron inside. It was the most outlandish way I have ever seen a military homecoming celebrated. Nonetheless, I was dragged aboard to join the party and make friends out of drunken strangers. I met some nice people, but headed home early, I can't stay up late like I used to! 


Hahahahha

I celebrated the first day of my long Labor day weekend by doing absolutely nothing. And it was great. But by Sunday I was getting cabin fever and it was so gorgeous outside, I felt terrible wasting the day inside. Aren't Labor Day weekends for barbecues and boats and sun?? Luckily, my charming smile and sparkling personality did me some good on Friday when I met some of Kevin's friends :) I had a message from Emily, asking me to a BBQ at her house, to which I gladly accepted, and even made some treats to bring. 

Chopping and dipping away for fruit skewers!

 Super easy: Grapes, chocolate covered strawberries, honeydew, chocolate covered watermelon, cantaloupe!

All done on my new leaf plate I found last minute at Safeway....$2!

I just wanted to bring something quick but tasty, and since I knew she would be grilling chicken and steak kabobs, I stuck with the theme and made some with fruit. It took way too long to chop all the fruit, so next time I would just buy one of those fruit trays and assemble it that way! I also enjoy chocolate way too much so I experimented to see how the chocolate covered watermelon was accepted. (At one point in the assembly line process I contemplated dipping the whole skewer into the chocolate, but I decided against.) A perfect compliment to any fruit is the dip my awesome Momma always makes!

• 8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tps vanilla

It is soooo yummy, so go make some for yourself right now! By the end of the night, all my chopping and sticky juice hands had payed off, I came home with ZERO leftovers! If that doesn't give you a sense of success I don't know what would.

Kevin was out of town for the BBQ, but stopped by after it was just Emily and I, and we decided it would be nice to go out on Monday since we were all off work, and make a day out of it. Monday afternoon we all rode the Light Rail up to downtown, and had a bite to eat at The Icon Grill. So beautifully decorated, and such yummy comfort food.

 

 Kevin had experience the above, "Ultimate Mac N' Cheese" before, and highly recommended it. They serve it to you, then slice down the middle and pour hot, molten cheese into the middle. Holy.Cow. It was so good! After we filled out bellies, we were off to Ride the Ducks!

This tour goes through downtown, onto Lake Union, then finishes back on the streets of Seattle. Andrew and I had talked about going several times, so I felt bad going without him here, but the weather was gorgeous, so we couldn't pass it up. We also the last tour of the day, so the sun was almost setting while we rode through the streets, ah, the romantic moments that deployments let me experience by myself. It was a very unique way to see, and hear about the sights around downtown. Our guide's name was Captain Tristan Shout. harharhar. Beforehand, we read that all of the guides were experienced, former members of the US Coast Guard. After listening to Capt. Shout joke and sing and be as energetic as a wedding DJ on speed, I remember texting Kevin, "When an Air Force pilot retires, he goes and flies commercial. A Coast Guard captain retires and does this." Those poor coasties. Here are a few pictures of the unique views we got!



A view that only the Duck is tall enough to see, going over the Fremont Bridge



Gas Works Park, where Andrew and I spent the 4th of July, as seen from Lake Union

Pefect skyline.

 I am very happy to have a close friend back home safely; safe and living close haha! Besides getting used to being social since Kevin came home, preschool has kept me busy. The other afternoon teacher and I have agreed to work on a hands-on, creative curriculum for the last half of the day. It will take the mundanes out of our "snack, story, art, play, snack, go home" afternoons. And, since most of the morning lesson plans focus on week-long, progressive art projects or lessons, we thought it would be nice to do some projects that were more "instant gratification" for the kids, something they could take home with them the same day.  Speaking of preschool, here's the world I drive into every single day, Mercer Island.....

Most of the houses are overly ridiculous. At least I'm not driving into a bad neighborhood to work in though!


That's all I've got....life is going great! Seattle continues to teach, or show me something new every day. And I think it's a good sign that coming home on a perfectly clear day, to a view Mt. Rainier, never gets old .....

Cheers,
KLM