InstaFriday - InstaJanuary

Was my last InstaFriday really at the end of November 2012?

Yes, it was. But I'm ready to rock a few cell phone pictures from the first month of 2013.

We began this year by winging our way to the great Northwest. Our initial motivation for heading that way was the marriage of the son of dear, dear friends. A major fringe benefit to the location of that wedding was the fact that my brother lives in that same area! So to Seattle and Portland we went!

Departing at 6:30 a.m. on New Year's Day, we were at the airport by 5 a.m. (*yawn*). We were a force at the ticket counter.

The personal screens on the seat backs of our plane out of KC kept the girls entertained hypnotized all the way to Seattle. This shot is almost a little too "Wall-E" for me.

Once there, the phone commandeering began. Elizabeth and Mary Grace were joined by cousin Savannah.

My brother showed us one of his favorite sights in the area, Chambers Bay Golf Course, which will host the 2015 U.S. Open. See that tree in the distance? The only one on this links course.

We also hit the very first Starbucks. They are a well oiled machine at that place, moving the hoards of people in and out in record time. It's actually nothing like any Starbucks you go to anywhere else. It's a narrow warehouse type space with no chairs and tables. But it is, of course, very cool.

After a couple of days in Seattle, we made the 2 hour drive south to the Vancouver, WA/Portland, OR, area. My very generous brother let us borrow 2 of his cars. I followed and Lou led. This was my view the entire time we were there.

I let Lou drive Keith's BMW - and yes, it rained a lot.

While in Portland, we took in some of the local sites.

But our main focus in the Portland area was our friend's wedding. We've been friends with Sky and Louise Forrister since the summer of 1987. Stuart, their first born, was born 4 months after Luke, which means they've been friends their entire lives also. It was very cool that Stuart asked Luke to stand up with him as he married his beautiful Tirzah.

We flew home the day after the wedding and because our flight was delayed out of Seattle, we wandered around that airport. If you're stuck in an airport, it's a good one to be stuck in. It has some fun stores...

interesting and unusual products on sale...

This kind of made me sad

and a free touch screen football throwing game thing on a wall.

We pulled in to our driveway on January 6, and because our two college kids had a couple of weeks before they reported back to class, our "parking lot" was full most days.

Kids' cars + friends' cars

But now, the 3 older kiddos are back in Fayetteville, and we had a week of "normal" before I hit the road again. Lou and I managed to squeeze a walk in on a cold but decent day. Remember, there's no bad weather, just bad gear.

Lou's first selfie

A week ago today, I drove these two lovelies to Little Rock, AR, for a soccer showcase.

Grace vanHoornbeek and Mary Grace 

On the way home, and sporting their YOLO shirts, I made them pose once again. They had a little fun and face juggled that picture. Those juggles are so funny but so strange... Who thinks of these apps?

Home from that trip, we've made a little time to craft. I saw a heart wreath made of Pom-Poms on Pinterest. Making pom-poms is fun and easy!

And, I've happily and successfully de-cluttered 40+ items this week. Old (with whiskers) magazines made up the lion's share of this week's group of exiting items. Good-bye and good riddance!

On Wednesday, before the cold weather and cold wind hit, Lou and I peddled a few miles. So much fun.

And lastly, I'm including a recipe that I took a picture of and sent to a friend. She called because she had misplaced her recipe and was having a molasses cookie emergency!

You want this recipe.

Lou's former nurse, Jamie Campbell, used to make these and Lou would come home raving. Now I have to make myself make another kind of cookie because the only kind I ever want to make is molasses - and that praise from a major chocoholic!  I always make a double batch. They freeze great!

Before I end this and make a batch of cookies myself, :) I want to share a verse that I've committed to memory this first month of this new year. It has spoken to me and reminded me of rock solid truth. It's Joshua 1:9.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Blessings!