Hosting Isabella {Day 4: Puget Sound Ferry Passage}

Isabella with our boys' home schooled cousins Violet, Weston, Sawyer, Aunt Bethany and Uncle Craig

Continued from Day 3: Pike Place to the Narrows Bridge

Navigating our way home to Bellingham with Isabella after Dad's retirement party involved a sleep-over at Tim's brother's house after a spontaneous Friday night dinner at Aileen's place.  With only a short time to visit on Saturday morning before our planned adventure aboard a Washington State Ferry, Isabella became a fast friend of the young cousins over cereal and coloring.

Isabella the artist with Violet and Sawyer

Isabella teaches geography, highlighting Australia

Sawyer takes a closer look.

Arriving at the ferry terminal we were directed to the "maybe" lane, and as it became quite obvious that we wouldn't be aboard the loading vessel, we hatched a quick ejection plan.  Isabella, Joseph and I grabbed our rain coats and boarded the ferry as walk-ons, leaving Tim to wait in the van for the next sailing.  As the Edmonds Saturday Market would be in full swing, we decided to kill time over yonder. 

Isabella, Joseph and I board the Spokane for the Kingston to Edmonds crossing.

White caps on Puget Sound with driving rain and wind made the ferry experience a rather *indoor* experience, at least for Isabella and me.  Joseph preferred to tough it out on the prow, and spent almost the entire trip facing the storm head-on, in shorts.  To each his own!

Isabella aboard the Spokane

By the time we reached Edmonds, our only glimpse of the Saturday Market was of the few remaining vendors hastily loading up their wares and heading out.  The rain and wind claimed the victory, and we opted to pass the lunch hour at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Tim's old home town.

Not much of a view due to the weather, but we caught a glimpse of a passing ferry.

Reunited with Tim after his ferry landed, we made it home to Bellingham in time to collect the twins (Luke and Leia) and bring them along to the 5PM Mass after spending a bit of time watching Luke race through the house on Joseph's plasma car at break-neck speed. 

Joseph on the prow

We wrapped up our Saturday adventures with a take out Teriyaki supper and an evening trip to Walmart in search of a cheap suitcase to help Isabella avoid overweight baggage fees on her flight home to Australia.  We also enjoyed a bit of Facetime with her Aunt Michele, our dear friend, who will be visiting with her family in January, seeking winter adventures in the Great Northwest. 

An early Sunday morning trip to SeaTac concluded our 'hosting Isabella' days, which brought us great joy and helped us reconnect with our wonderful Australian friends.  Maybe someday Isabella's sisters will venture our way, or perhaps even her parents?  Or maybe we will finally cross the big pond again to visit all of them in their native land.  Only time will tell!