O is for Oklahomans

Pardon me for my lateness with this post. Work has been exhausting, volunteer training has finished up, and last weekend I was sick sick sick. Other than that, we are super close to the end of deployment!! I have tried to adopt this motto : Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It is about learning to dance in the rain! So this is me, dancing in the rain of Andrew being gone, instead of just waiting for it to be over.

A couple weeks ago, Kevin's parents came to visit, and I had the pleasure of meeting them and getting to spend time with the Delker clan while they were here. One thing they had talked about doing was going whale watching! I have never been, but Andrew and I always talked about wanting to go out on a trip to see some orcas. The season that whales are in Puget Sound is April till October, so we were at the tail end. I felt kind of terrible having the opportunity to go without Andrew, because we always like check things off our bucket list and have "firsts" together, but after talking with him, he assured me I should go when I had the chance and I "better have fun." After all, if I didn't go with KP and his parents, there wouldn't be another chance till next year.

Kevin and the parents picked me up bright and early in the morning. Like really early. We first had to drive about an hour and a half to Anacortes, then catch a ferry to Friday Harbor, which is one of many little towns in the San Juan Islands. From Friday Harbor we would get on the whale boat and let the fun begin!

Anacortes, WA

Anacortes was a super cute town. There wasn't time to explore it, but we did have time to grab some coffee and treats before we got onto the ferry. We drove Kevin's truck right onto the ferry and then found a seat upstairs.

It was about an hour ride to Friday Harbor. I spent the majority of the time just staring out the windows at the gorgeous Puget Sound scenery, yet, hoping not to get Sound sick. Hey, ya never know. Kevin and I discovered you walk like a drunk person while wandering around the decks of a moving ferry. Little sheltered Kelsey has never been on a cruise ship, but I assume my experience on the ferry was similar, probably less wavy. Here's some pictures from the ride over....

( I just love Mr. Delker's boots! He was cowboy moseying all over the streets of Seattle!) Well, we arrived in Friday Harbor, and what do ya know? There is no room on the boat. Woospies! Since Kevin called late the day before we went there, the place never called back, and therefore, never reserved our spots on the boat :( sad day. BUT we made the best of it! Simply driving around Friday Harbor was worth the trip; it was soooo pretty as all the leaves were changing. God really makes his presence known around fall time doesn't he? Kevin had a friend who knew of a nice park on one side of the island so we made our way over there and ended up spending quite a while just walking around, enjoying the nice day, and having a little history lesson!



Look at the size of that tree compared to Mr. D!

If you can't read the words on the sign, it says that in 1859 the killing of a pig on San Juan Island almost brought England and the US to war because of territorial rights here. While the problem was being worked out, both parties set up camp on this land. They were peaceful here until 1872 when the British garrison was abandoned. Andrew would have gotten a kick out of all the signs and reading about the old buildings that still stand here. I took pictures of all of them for him :)

The trees were my favorite part, I wish they could tell stories. The ornamental garden was used to separate the officers from the other soldiers, hmmm sounds kind of familiar!

After a little BBQ lunch (that was child's play compared to my beloved Kansas City BBQ), we headed back to the dock for a sleepy ferry ride to Anacortes, and even sleepier car ride back to Seattle. It was a great day with some awesome, down to earth, funny, kind people. I was so glad they got a chance to see Kevin, and spend some quality time with him, and especially was thankful they let me be apart of their time here! Here's to hoping my family will get a chance to come explore the Puget Sound soon as well!

xoxo,
KLM