On Friday, when we pulled into Seattle, we headed straight for downtown. Madeline has been to the wharf, but not for a long time, so she really didn't remember it. We hit some shopping in downtown, and then went to Pikes Place. I love it there. It reminds me of dating Brandon becuase he took me there a week after we got engaged.
The girls had fun looking at everything downtown, and then we went to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. It was a little before 5:00 so there was no wait at all. That has never happened to me there. The food was excellent. Then we headed north towards Arlington where our hotel was.
Brandon's Aunt Kathleen passed away on February 1st, the day after her 57th birthday. She had been battling breast cancer for a couple of years and finally lost the battle. They are not LDS, so the service was in a Lutheran Catholic church. I wish I had taken a picture of this church, it was so adorable. An old, white, beautiful church like you would see in the movies. Everybody wore pink ribbons on their shirts and the flowers and tables were all pink. It was really pretty.
(This is a picture of a picture of Kathleen and Heika this last Thanksgiving)
Kathleen has 2 sons and a daughter named Heika. I love Heika. She is awesome. My heart is breaking for her though, because she got married 3 years ago and has not been able to get pregnant yet. So now her mother is gone and she is so sad that her children will never know their grandmother. Just before Kathleen passed away, she told Heika that she would go up to heaven and send her the most precious little children. Heika is waiting for those children.
As we were all hugging and saying goodbye today, she had one of those "Steel Magnolias" moments where she was just mad, and crying. She told us how lonely she felt and how nobody loves you like your Mom; not your Dad, not your husband, nobody. I knew exactly what she meant, and it's that 100% unconditional love that only Mothers can have, that's what she really is missing. My heart is breaking for Heika, and yet time will heal these fresh wounds and she will grow from these trials. But she is hurting right now and it makes me sad.
Her family and friends will be participating in this 3 day event when it comes to Seattle, September 7-9th. What a great way to honor their mother and wife for her courageous battle against this horrible disease.
