Seattle/Vancouver trip

To celebrate my newfound health, we went on a weekend trip to Seattle and Vancouver. Although very rainy, it is beautiful there and we enjoyed some time away together.

We loved Horseshoe Bay above Vancouver and the picturesque drive to get there. We took some hikes in the parks, despite the rain, which were sooooo worth it.

 I even got Ben to go on a big suspension bridge across a ravine with waterfalls on both sides. Cool, huh?

Delicious food is always a BIG part of traveling for us. I had to have some sort of seafood every day. We tried out some "Diners, Dives, and Drive-In's" recommendations in Seattle called "Pam's Kitchen" (food from Trinidad), which was Awesome, and "The Crab Pot"

The weather cleared up for a good hour for us to enjoy the views from the Space Needle. Then we got to our hotel and realized the view from our room ion the 32nd floor of the Crowne was just as good.

The area was very reminiscent of Twilight that we thought it appropriate to walk downtown to see Breaking Dawn, part 2 one of the nights.

A Mystery

So, I was plagued with a mysterious illness for the past 4 months, causing me continual belly pain. It was no fun and made it difficult to do most things beyond the essentials most days. I'm sorry if I was less of a friend or no fun to be around. It took loads of energy to just get through work and I often curled up on the couch all evening. On good days, I might get a little cooking, cleaning or Relief Society stuff done but that was all. I went through the whole gamut of medical tests, procedures and consults that 5 doctors came up with... but got no answers. Apparently, I was completely normal... just always in pain.

However, today I am happy to report that I am now 2 weeks free of pain!!! I  don't know what happened or how it decided to resolve itself but I am very thankful for each day. Was it a lesson of patience? Maybe a reminder to not take normal daily living for granted? A warning of things to come? A test of faith? Whatever it was, I hope I learned it well!

I wanted to thank all my family and friends who were so concerned, supportive, and offered up many a prayer in my behalf. They helped me endure and helped me heal, I am certain. Ben was a supporting sweetheart and very understanding through the seemingly endless process. I love you all!