Jim Heethuis, a boss at the Bible League, came back. He couldn't get enough of our air mattress and lack of furniture. He attended a conference in Vancouver, B.C., and we were his business-traveler hotel and limo. We cater to a select clientele.

AUGUST 2002

Kim, Nana with Alex, Erik, Dad, Ethan, Steve, Amanda

We are still not unpacking in our fun apartment. We did shove everything to the side in August to make way for the greater number of visitors at one time. That would be the Caldwell family (& some Russells). My parents, Ethan, and cousin Russell were here for a week at the beginning of the month, and then Erik & Kim brought little 6-week-old Alexandra along for the weekend on the way to meeting Erik's Berlin friends in Portland. My uncle Karl, aunt Susan, and ringbearer & flower girl cousins John & Lauren stopped on their way back from a camping trip on Mt. Ranier (trying to get some fun in before it erupts). Steve Elzinga, Steve's boss from the Bible League, was out here at the same time for his wife's high-school reunion.

Naturally, the best part was meeting Alex, our very own, brand-new niece! Being with the rest of the fam was just as fun, and we took in several sights, such as the aquarium, waterfront, Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, Pike Place Market, Underground Tour, Deception Pass, Whidbey Island, Deception Falls, and Leavenworth, Washington. I'm adding links as I get actual pictures up, instead of just links to websites and old gallery shots.

SEPTEMBER 2002
We adopted a cat! She doesn't have a name yet, though the people who gave her to the shelter called her Salza, which was misinterpreted, presumably on the phone, as Sosa. For now, we're calling her Kitty, Sweety, Pretty Baby, Freak Cat, Stop Scratching That, what have you. She's 2 years old, but we've decided she doesn't care if she has a name, much less what it is, so we're trying to come up with a good new one. If you want to vote on one for her, vote for our baby name instead and get it out of your system. She's a tiny thing, 5 lbs, 14 oz. She's a Lynx Point Siamese (yeah, I know, whatever that is), and we're enjoying her company. We're still in that stage where we're trying to impress her so she won't wish we left her at the shelter. We've taken pictures, which will get uploaded when they're developed. That's her shelter mug shot there, and she's actually cuter than that. Also, less nervous.

Lately, we've been finishing up fun things we've been wanting to do in Seattle. We went to the Children's Theater summer season to see a student production of Holes, based on the novel by Louis Sachar, which both of us read. We also went to Shakespeare in the Park, a free outdoor showing of Taming of the Shrew at Woodland Park. The shopping center across the street, University Village, held free outdoor concerts this summer, so we caught a Beatles one — not the real Beatles, but the price was right. We also caught Christian bands Third Day and Tait in concert -- another freebie, this time with 6,000 other folks with better seats on the park fairgrounds. But we were closer to to the snack bar, so we came out all right.

Steve's sister, Sharon, is flying out to visit us this month. We're off to do more fun things! We'd love to share our new home with you if you want to join the list of visitors!

In case you need it still, our current address:

Did we mention we love it here??

Auntie Amanda & Uncle Steve

P.S. Explore the rest of SteveAndAmanda.com — Browse photos of the trips we've taken, as well as of the people who've taken trips to visit us! Find links to many of Steve's and Amanda's work projects. Read more news about friends and family. There are plenty more pictures and information where all this came from, so we'll be updating continually.