Seattle Suburbs

On Sunday, JM and I checked out Timberlake Church in Redmond (just east of Bellevue). The large, modern-style church was located in a beautiful space, with a green, forested view that made me feel more like I was at a retreat centre than a church service.

While I don't think I would ever make Timberlake Church a regular church to visit when I go to Seattle, it was interesting to attend for one Sunday. JM and I couldn't figure out why, with such a great worship band, no one was standing and singing along. Still, the message, which is obviously one of the most important parts, was decent. We were worried that, being Valentine's Day, it was going to be another stereotypical sermon on love. Instead, the pastor talked about relationships, and while there was some emphasis on marriage, he was inclusive, and talked about principles important in all relationships. Occasionally, he would say something, and we couldn't quite tell if he was joking or not (if he was, fine; if not, um...), but the overall message was well-received, and it was a nice way to start the day.

Sunday afternoon was spent at Seattle Premium Outlets, snagging deals that are unheard of in Edmonton most of the time (we've had people in Seattle actually ask us, "don't you guys have a huge mall up there?", and we give the same response: "it's just not the same."). In the grand scheme of things, I didn't actually walk out of there with a whole ton, but there just wasn't that much I really needed. A couple tops, a pair of shoes, some wonderful snacks from Harry & David... If you have not tried Harry & David popcorn snacks, I highly recommend them! Yummmmmm!

After seven hours of wandering the Outlet stores, JM and I headed back to Bellevue for supper (at Barrios; fantastic), and to take advantage one last time of the hotel's hot tub to prep our muscles for the drive home. Another fantastic weekend.