I'm excited.

So.
I feel like I start out every post saying "so". I don't care. I like it.

So, well, I went to the zoo yesterday!!! Emily Culp is home for a short visit so I went to the Woodland Park Zoo with her and her parents. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera. But I will steal pictures from Emily. Pictures from the zoo to be posted soon.
But visiting that wonderful park brought back many warm and happy childhood memories. I was sad that the Nocturnal house seemed to have disappeared. Perhaps it was replaced by the new Dinosaur exhibit. WHY WOULD THEY REPLACE REAL, COOL, ANIMALS WITH FAKE, DEAD ONES???? That was my burning question. Lets just say I was disappointed. But I did have fun. I felt like a young girl again, getting overly excited at seeing the giraffes, lions, the brown bears. It inspired me with a new-found desire to travel back to Africa and see, not the pyramids, but go on a SAFARI!! Oh man! One of these days....maybe in the next 30 years.... I will get there. I will see zebras and elephants in the wild. I WILL!
It also inspired me to watch Planet Earth. I forgot how much I loved that show! It is so cool! If you haven't watched them, I strongly encourage you to check it out. I watched one last night....they make learning enjoyable!

Well this is what I'm looking forward to this summer:
Matt is coming home this weekend!!! I am seriously so excited. Not only do I get my wonderful brother back for a week and half, but we'll probably eat some delicious food, watch a good movie or two, and play some awesome frisbee. I'm excited.
Also. I get the car back ;) Just sayin.

Also, my brother Jeff, his wife Kira and my adorable nephew Jeffrey are visiting over the 4th of July!!! YAYY!! It's going to be so fun. I get to play with the cutest baby in the world and hang out with my awesome brother and sister-in-law to celebrate the wonderful birth of our nation!

(thank you to Kira for supplying me with these pictures from her blog.)

Next, I get to go to New York and D.C. to visit my sisters and brother-in-law starting July 14th.! My parents and I get to spend a few days in my sister's sweet apartment in Manhattan, and then we just get to spend some quality time with everyone.

picture taken at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland - 2010

You know, everything that I'm looking forward to this Summer has to do with family! I love my family. There is nothing more special :) I sure am grateful I was blessed with such wonderful parents and siblings.

taken at the Acropolis in Athens, 2008.
missing: Josh Dalton, Baby Jeffrey Michael McDonald II

p.s. I didn't mention one VERY important thing. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2. We will just happen to be in New York City the night it comes out. I am determined to go the midnight showing, alone if necessary. My parents and sister may not be as excited about this as I am, but...HELLO! This is my childhood! Harry is my past, present,...and future! How can I tell my children I didn't go to the midnight showing of the FINAL Harry Potter movie, because I was in New York?! Its against everything I stand for. Don't worry fellow Harry Potter fans, I won't let you down.

Summer

So. Life keeps moving on. Mom told me I needed to do another blogpost....and I thought, what am I supposed to blog about? It's not like I saw the pyramids last week, or went to Petra yesterday. Do people really want to know about how my night at work was, or how my Ultimate Frisbee game went?

I don't know. Maybe you do.

Also, I never take pictures anymore. I took out my camera for the first time last weekend when we went to folklife. That's weird, and boring. My life is boring now. But that's okay. Here, I'll update you:

Besides pleasure reading, my latest project has been organizing all my Jerusalem pictures so I can print them out and put them into a real life album. That's right. REAL. Not just on the computer. You can actually touch it and turn the pages. You may think it's old school, but I like it.

Here is one of the pictures I came across, and I am obsessed with it:

I miss my beautiful roommates

Next up. Monday was Memorial Day. So fun! My friends and I went to Folklife down in Seattle. What a blast. I mean, if you want to see the wonderful and crazy people of this city, go to Folklife. Hippies, musicians, artists; tattoos, piercings, and pot. All of it. And I saw tons of stuff in little shops and stands that I saw in Israel. Except that it was 3xs more expensive here. haha. Good thing I bought it all there! Though I only took a few pictures, here is a sample of what we saw:

WAY creepy.

Strange mirror man.

Also, SO much food. Wonderful food. First we got some delicious corn. Then I got a crepe, with strawberries and whipped cream and chocolate sauce drizzled over and cinnamon and powdered sugar sprinkled on. Divinity. Then I got "Shishkaberries" Chocolate covered strawberries and bananas on a stick. Too bad I didn't take pictures of those, cause there were all so pretty.

To finish off Memorial Day, we went to the Branch picnic at the good 'ole Bothell buildig. We played soccer, which was a blast, though I bruised my ankle hard core (dad said I burst some blood vessels, guess I'm not used to playing without shinguards). And then we feasted on hamburgers, salad, chips, homemade root beer and delectable desserts . Classic.

No matter how much I miss Israel, I will always love the great United States. "God bless America! Land that I love...." 

After living out of the country for a few months, I am definitely more grateful for the freedoms that we hold here in the U.S. Never forget how lucky we are and always thank those who sacrifice for our blessed freedom and liberty.

Till next time...