the last of the Oregons

Here's the last of the Oregon pictures.

Here are some of our favorites in the Portland area {read more of my faves here, here and here. This is the last installment, I promise.}

Voodoo Doughnuts {all the doughnuts are named things you wouldn't say in front of your grandmother. plus they offer wedding services on site. Here's Sam contemplating the original bacon maple.}

Burgerville {yup. already craving it again. locally-grown, and SO good.}

Multnomah Falls

Tillamook Cheese Factory

The streets where I grew up

and of course the beautiful Oregon coast.

AH take me back there already!

It was so funny to watch Sam just sit there as random strangers pumped our gas. I guess I never thought much of it, since I grew up with that law, but it was all new and weird to him. And let's just say he'd prefer to pump his own gas, thankyouverymuch.

P.S. Have you entered my giveaway yet?

finding your peaceful thought

Oregon is beautiful in the summer - so much green! You forget about the green when you live in a desert like I do, and then BOOM - you drive around a corner in the Gorge and it's green everywhere. 

Besides just admiring the general greenness, we loved to walk around the Portland Temple last week. It's free, and the grounds are so quiet and beautiful. I always feel peaceful at the temple. Not to mention the amazing architecture and detail on those big marble walls. {Learn more about LDS temples here.}

We also went to the Portland Rose Garden, which is famous for its hybrid flowers and experimental roses. The garden was started during World War I, when roses were brought to Portland so they wouldn't be destroyed in the bombings of Europe. Now, it's a beautiful, internationally famous rose garden with that same peaceful feeling.

So I guess, on hot summer Sundays like this one, thinking of our cool, green Oregon Sunday last week is my peaceful thought.

What's your peaceful thought today?

the true Portland experience

Sam had never been to Portland.

And boy was he in for it :)

We packed as much Portland we could into one morning.

Here's the first-timer experience:

the MAX

Saturday's Market

Waterfront

street performers

Voodoo Donuts

hippies

Pioneer Courthouse Square
a mini-museum

Sam thought the hippies were hilarious. He went around taking pictures of them, and he almost bought something from the tie dye rack, simply because it would be buying something from the tie dye rack in downtown Portland. Also, he got a kick out of the street performers singing about chemicals and government conspiracies.

Then, we rounded off the day with a good old-fashioned afternoon nap, a few visits to old friends, Burgerville {yes, I'm already craving it again}, and a night at the Portland temple.

Raise your hand if you love Portland and all it's crazy weirdness like I do :)

____________

P.S. Spots are going fast for August sponsors! I only have a few large and medium ad spots left. Email me now to reserve your spot! 

back. and ready.

I'm back from my vacation.

And you guys, it was such a great trip.

It was SO good to be home, and show Sam where I grew up, and experience so many Portland-ish things, and most of all catch up with my favorite people. I grew up with amazing people, and I loved seeing them. 

Also, my trip was a lot more cathartic than I thought it would be. My house is still my house with all my memories, even if different people live there now. My favorite people are still there, and they still love me, and they still remember my mom. And they give me my favorite compliment, which is "you remind me of your mother." 

There's something about vacations that leave you rejuvenated.  This morning I've cleaned and exercised and unpacked, and I'm feeling ready to swing back into work and projects and getting ready to be a real-live teacher {school starts in less than a month! I literally dream about school starting every single night now.}. 

So, happy productivity today! And happy Oregon picture overload in the near future. Brace yourselves. It's coming :)

P.S.  Click here to help Colorado shooting victims.

homeward bound

Tomorrow, I'm going home.

Home to where I spent 18 years of my life growing up.

Home to where it's so green, and the people are so nice.

I'm practically giddy with excitement.

And this time, I get to bring my husband with me.

(He's never been. I guess that's what happens when your family moves to a different state while you're in college.)

We're going to cross as much off our HUGE to-do list as we can {but I have a feeling we're not going to even get halfway through, and it will be glorious}.

Punch Bowl Falls (although I have a feeling we're not going to get to this one on our trip) Image via

Sidetrack comment: today we're going to an evening showing of Dark Knight Rises {one day early! For free! With free food! Perks of having a real life job, I guess. Sam is over the moon excited. Batman is his fave.}.

Back to the point: here's my question. 

I'm taking Sam to the coast, but I can't decide which beach to go to! 

Should I go rustic and do Cannon? 

Or should I go touristy and take him to Seaside? 

Or somewhere else entirely?

Oregon travelers, let me know!

Wanderlust: home

This is my home. 

Maybe it's because humans just need to go home sometimes, but I've been obsessing about going home lately.

Just for a little visit. Just to say hi and hike Multnomah and walk the waterfront.

My fingers are crossed and double crossed that Portland works out for our one year trip.

Isn't it just breathtaking though?

lullaby

One of my very favorite things

is falling asleep in my snuggly bed

with the window slid open

to let in the sound of rain.

House, Not Home

Well, it’s official.

We’re moving to Utah.

Yes, you read correctly.

Today dad signed the final paperwork for a ridiculously beautiful house in Alpine. We don’t know exactly when we’re moving, but it will be in the beginning half of this summer.

I don’t know what to say. Or actually, I can’t decide what to say. A million thoughts are vying for attention in my head right now. Some thoughts are bright red and look like shouting, some are deep blue and look like crying, and some are dark grey and look like frowning. I feel like laughing and screaming and sobbing all at the same time (is this what pregnant women feel like for nine months straight??? Blech).

However.

I am twenty years old, not two. And I’m trying to act like it.

I do know that a lot of prayer and fasting and temple attendance from our whole family went into this decision. So I know it’s right. And I really am looking forward to being closer to family (not to mention the house’s projector screen… and pool).

Also, I know it’s important to be a supportive contributor to my family, now more than ever. Our family needs each other. And I always need to support my dad.

So, I tore the “Cons of Moving to Utah” list from my writing journal. And then, slowly and carefully, I ripped that list of 19 cons into 64 small identical squares and recycled it.

And now I’m back to battling all the swirling thoughts in my head.

And I’m sorry if you have to find out we’re moving through a blog entry. I would like to call everyone and talk about the move for hours, honestly I would, but as we all know, some things just don’t happen the way we think they should.

“No matter under what circumstances you leave it,

home does not cease to be home.”

Joseph Brodsky

10 Things

10 things that made me happy this weekend:

1. Emma’s Dance Rehearsal

I hope she knows how beautiful she is.

2. Waking up at 6 A.M.

Usually, not my favorite Saturday activity. But with my softest blanket, and on my favorite couch, and with the sun getting brighter, I read (and cried) my way through Umbrella Summer. It was relaxing and perfect.

3. Mini bell peppers

Love love love.

4. A long phone call from a desk worker in Provo.

He also sharpens sharp pencils.

5. Sunshine!

6. Perspective

Before I took my midterm on Friday, I talked to lady getting a distance learning degree from a university in South Africa, where she grew up. She told me about her experience with Apartheid. After it ended, the government added a lot of education initiatives, but also they lowered the education standards so more people could pass. It was an “oh yeah, I live in a small and ignorant bubble” moment.

7. Half-sized 3X5 cards

This week I found out they make notecards already cut in half!! Genius! Do you know how many minutes this will save me when I make flashcards {the night before} every exam I take???

8. Mannequins

At the mall, we saw this mannequin posed by a barbeque. The mannequin was making a very rude hand gesture… The funniest part was the eager old sales lady standing next to it. Bless her heart, she didn’t even realize. Haha.

9. Modern Interpretive Dancers

Why I love Oregon so much. Number 822.

10. Conversations with strangers.

John and I were debating the finer points of polo shirt colors. I said “you can’t go wrong with black.” Then this black guy pops out of nowhere and says “I say that all the time”. Hahaha. You seriously can't go wrong with black.

Bring on Sunday!

B