Leavenworth Christmas Lighting

I’ve escaped, myself, and am immediately back in this week’s #8in8. But wait! Don’t relax just yet…this scene is not quite complete. Picture this, too,…in addition to a 3 hour drive, B has not napped and is convulsing his way out of the stroller filling the air with high-pitched screams and alligator tears. The above peaceful ambiance of the town has immediately dissipated as Geoff and I try not to lose our minds. #parenting #reallife Hashtag the terrible twos are real y’all. Like real real. ???? But, back to the happier moments (and I do mean moments) of our (quick) night in Leavenworth. Let me back up a bit. Our sweet friend Lisa, who we know from our time here in WA, flew in for the weekend just to spend some time with the Cotts before we pack up and head back East. She’s just so near and dear to our hearts, we’re only sad she had to go back to Colorado on Sunday! When I scooped her up from the airport that Friday it was like time picked right back up where we left it. We chatted our faces off prettyyy much the whole weekend and shared stories over *cough* multiple glasses of wine. It was just what my soul needed with a little bit of girl time with my girl Lisa. ❤️ Overall the day was…not the best , if I’m being honest! ???? Haha! The tantrums, unfortunately, took most of the excitement of the day from me. I’m usually able to bounce back fairly unphased by B’s rare crazy-out-of-his-mind moments, but I think with everything else going on right now and planning a move across the country, my stress level was already a bit ‘above sea level’ if you will. ???? Regardless, the town is beyond words adorable and I wish we had the time to experience it on another weekend other than it’s busiest of the year. (Apparently we’re cray cray for even attempting that weekend per our local friends…hind sights always 20/20, right?) The Christmas lighting was a special moment, setting a spirit-filled time of prayer and holding Geoff’s hand. ???????? It was nice to escape for a minute and just be connected to him, as husband and wife (with B calmly strapped back into his stroller, snack in hand) #smallparentwin ???? There are some pretty sweet moments captured through the lens of B…don’t let those fool you. They were the only happy moments for him. ???? All he wanted to do was hug Rudolf and roll on the mud hill. Which, I guess in all fairness, why would a 2 year old be interested in anything else there? Again #parentingfail and lesson learned from us! Some things are just better left to enjoy as adults. Love ya B ???? Regardless of the outcome in our efforts, I’m still so glad we did it! Going to Leavenworth has been on my PNW bucket list since we moved here. It may not have been the perfect weekend to go or the perfect outing to remember, but perfection is so overrated and leaves life a little stale. So for that, I’m thankful. ???? Reflecting on the sweet memories from the weekend and looking ahead at the ones to come. If I’m honest, it’s been a love/hate relationship during my time here in the PNW…but over the last year or so it’s truly become a love. Once I stopped looking for what I expected and embraced what God had prepared before me. Thankful for the unknowns, the highs and the lows! ???????? Thanks for reading friends! Have a great rest of your week! Next up in the #8in8 series is our family trip to a local family’s tree farm. Stayed tuned! ✌????️ Lemons to Love, Lindsay]]>