Life as of Late

Hello all. It's been a while! This past week has been fairly busy, and I have been a bit exhausted. I think it's somewhat due to our heat-wave here.... yesterday, we hit a high of 86! I know, I know. Tennessee and Texas have been close to 100 lately, but I'm to (and very much prefer) the cooler weather. My "perfect" temperature is 68-75. :)

Anyhow, I am now faced with the past 15 days of activities, and I have no idea how to share it all with you. So, I'll just choose my favorites.

First up... We conquered the Lookout Mountain hike! (Remember that one time we failed miserably on our first hike? Well, we tried the hike again; only this time, we drove our car up the majority of the mountain, and only had to scale 1500 feet. It was great!) Along our hike, we played in the snow...



On the summit, we could see 7 mountain ranges. Adams, Rainer, St. Helens, Jefferson, Three Sisters, Diamond Peak, and Mt. Hood, which was only 7 miles from us.



And, Heath stood somewhere where I will never stand... This terrified me, it made for a good picture though.



After this hike, we headed ten miles down the road to Tamanawas Falls. This has been my favorite thing so far! Hiking next to the spring provided a cool, refreshing walk, and the falls turned out to be sooo much better than expected.



(I'm glad my camera has a self-timer.) I also came across the largest dandelion ever! It made me happy.



On wednesday, our family came in for a visit! It was wonderful. I think Heath had been anticipating their arrival for weeks. :) We went to the Saturday Market, walked around downtown, ate from a food cart, visited the local farmers markets, and shared our church with them. It sure felt nice to share our home with family.



We also visited the Washington Park Rose Garden, of course!





And we finally visited Canon Beach! As you can tell from my over-exposed picture, it was very sunny thankfully.... recently, the coast has had temperatures in the low 60s, so we went on a great day.



We've visited several farmers markets in the last month, and I have grown increasingly anxious to buy a bouquet of flowers. Well, Saturday was my lucky day! While visiting PSU's market, I purchased these beauties. Aren't they lovely?



Last but not least, I wanted to add a sneak peak of our apartment. This is my favorite wall, found right above my craft/sewing desk. I'll try to post the rest of the apartment soon.



Though I do not have a picture to show for it, I watched a top-notch 80's movie on top of the Hotel Delux in downtown! Had a lot of fun with new girlfriends who have been so welcoming and nice to us. It was wonderful.

Sorry for the long post! Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of posting weekly...

Hope you have a lovely, relaxing weekend

What a GREAT day

Hello friends. Though I don't have that many pretty pictures from yesterday to share with you, I would love to tell you about it!

After my bike incident, I haven't had the desire to hobble around the city. We also took my bike to a bike shop in downtown Portland on Sunday, so we've been less mobile than before. It's been relaxing and I've done lots of crafting :), but I could tell Heath was ready to get out and explore.... So yesterday, we did.
Our first stop was Washington Park in downtown. Heath packed us a lunch for a lovely picnic.



We love Honey BBQ flavored Fritos. Yum



Our walk took us through the Washington Park test rose garden. This was our third time to visit the roses... I must say, if you want to visit when all of the roses are in full bloom, come in June! They are still beautiful now though, and they smell great.



Our trail was shaded for most of the walk. I think I've been spoiled by the weather already. For our first month here, we've had highs in the mid-70's and lows in the 50's... Perfect, in my opinion, for summer. But, the last couple days have reached mid-80's and it feels like a heat wave!



Okay, let me explain. On most of our walks and hikes, I've brought the camera along. This means, if I see a pretty flower, tree, blade of grass :).... I stop. So, Heath has started walking ahead on the trails. I find him hiding behind things with this mischievous face. Luckily he hasn't jumped out at me, atleast not yet.



After our walk, we headed to some bowling lanes in Beaverton. We had a Groupon to these bowling lanes, so it was a cheap afternoon date; I'll post more about Groupon another day! I learned several things at the alley: 1) Bumpers are a must when I play... the majority of my shots ended up in the gutter. 2) Heath has an actual bowling stance. 3) Arcade games are a lot more fun than I remember.

Our final stop for the day was Southwest Church of Christ. We met a small group of ACU Alumni that are living the greater Portland area. Heath and I had fun making connections and learning more about what this beautiful area has to offer. By far, my favorite part of the day was eating HAROLD's BBQ!!!! (The group from Abilene had packed the BBQ in dry ice.) When they announced we would be eating Harold's bbq for dinner, I almost cried. It was a wonderful meal, shared with new friends.

Trip Down the Coast

Sorry I didn't post again several days ago. I didn't because life got a little stressful. To sum it up, our car broke down on Thursday, and I feel on the spikes of my bike (where it changes gears) and have been limping around since. Ouch. Good news: we picked the car up last night!

Remember that hike I talked about on Wednesday? Well, that was also another reason I didn't write back. Heath choose one of the more difficult hikes from our book, and we had no idea how advanced it would actually be. In the first mile of the hike, we climbed over 1700 feet, and we kept climbing. Once we reached the second trailhead, we choose the wrong one... this lead us down the other side of the mountain. By the time we realized it was the wrong trail, it was 5:30 and we didn't want to risk getting stuck in the dark trying to reach the top. So, we completely exhausted ourselves and didn't even reach the viewpoint. Whew. Just thinking about it makes me tired.

We almost have the house put together, but still have some final touches to do. So instead of posting pictures from our unfinished home, I thought I would post some pictures from our trip to Santa Cruz! We had such a wonderful time driving down the 101. We saw the Red Woods for the first time, saw the Oregon coast for the first time, visited San Francisco for the first time, spent much needed time with family, and finally got a little bit of a tan. :)





For the first two nights of our trip, we stayed with Heath's friend, Steven. We walked around the Stanford campus then went on a tour of San Francisco!



Pier 39... the sea lions were so cute. Can I mention how bitterly cold and windy this city was?!? If you ever go (and you should), you will need a jacket.



Lombard Street! We actually drove down it... I didn't get a very good picture, so I bought a postcard. :)



Thanks for hosting us Steven! We had a great time



Red Woods! We went on a walk through these giants with mom and dad and Aunt Tracy outside of Santa Cruz.



Before the reception, we drove south to Pebble Beach. This picture was taken on the 17 mile drive.



Had to take a picture by the Pebble Beach sign. Dad likes golf. They also treated us to a nice lunch at the golf course! I had a pulled pork bbq sandwich.... it wasn't brisket, but it was still wonderful! (I've been craving real Texas bbq since the day we left.)



Em looked beautiful! I'm a little jealous that she was able to wear her pretty dress twice! :) We all had a wonderful time. I even danced and enjoyed it, which is pretty rare for me. Thanks Em, for giving us a reason to travel down the coast. It was so great to see you and Nick!



Here's Janet with her new friend. This guy was a feisty one :) I love this picture.



Our second visit to San Francisco; this time with my parents.





We drove across the Golden Gate bridge and visited Salsalito. We ate lunch overlooking the Bay Bridge and Alcatraz before my parents had to catch their flight back to Nashville.



And finally, we drove by Mt. Shasta on our way back to Oregon. Beautiful. I love living in this part of the country!


I promise to post more within the next few days! Have a wonderful Tuesday

Hello there.

Sorry I've been absent from blogging lately, but we've been a little busy. This one will be short since Heath and I are about to go on a hike around Mt. Hood, but I'll try to post more tonight... MANY pictures to come. The past three weeks have been very surreal and I still feel like I'm on a great vacation. We finally started hanging up picture frames and things are starting to find their home, but it still doesn't feel like home... I have a feeling it will soon though. :)

Since Heath doesn't start school until the end of August, we mutually agreed that it would be great if I didn't find a job yet, assuming we will not have free-time like this for a while. So, I've been casually looking, but will hit the ground running in the job search area mid-August. Many of our new friends have been very helpful in connecting me with Social Work leads and organizations, and I start volunteering at a children's shelter tomorrow. I'm excited to start a routine and VERY anxious to start makin' the money.

In an attempt to catch you up very quickly, here is a brief recap of our adventures so far... again, I will be posting pictures soon!
-35 hours driving time cross country with my two favorite guys
-hiking Latourell Falls in the Columbia Gorge
-attended Timbers game... 17,000 crazy soccer fans chanting and setting off smoke bombs... can't wait to go back!
-watching the Bachelorette. I know... it's a guilty pleasure.
-first Sunday church experience: Southwest Church of Christ. Great people, excited to visit them again. The group went out for lunch at a BBQ place!
-vintage shopping in Hawthorne
-started a yoyo quilt! Met some very interesting ladies at the vintage fabric store... I'm excited about this project!
-grocery shopping at Winco and Trader Joe's
-dock party on the Willamette River
-farmer's market!
-visited the test Rose Garden... over 550 different types of roses! Smelled great :)
-second Sunday church experience: Westside Church of Christ. Felt welcomed and loved very quickly. It's a small church, so it seems like we know everyone already!
-spent the 4th with new friends and watched fireworks around a lake. It was wonderful and cold.
-Spent the past week in Santa Cruz for Emmy's reception. We drove the 101 down the Oregon and California coast... SO FUN! The Oregon coastline is beautiful, we drove through a herd of elk, and we walked through the red woods!!! We also visited San Francisco, twice.
-found a vintage dress and a bright yellow plant stand at the Santa Cruz flea market. more to come on this later
-working on moving cards... you should be receiving yours very soon!

All in all, Oregon has treated us very well. Mira's friends, our new friends :), have treated us so well! It's like we've known them for years and have just moved back from college or something. They are wonderful. I'll be posting regularly now! Expect lots of pictures, recipes, and updates. love you all

Our New Home

Greetings from Beaverton, Oregon! After traveling over 35 hours in our Budget truck, we finally made it to our new home, safe and sound. Our adventure took us through many different landscapes, valleys and plains; I took pictures throughout the whole trip and I'll try to post them in the next week or so. Of course, internet is an issue again so I will be out of touch for a while.

This past week has been bittersweet, and I'm not quite sure that this whole process has fully set in with me yet. (How do I know this? I haven't cried near enough. :) ) I already miss friends, and have quickly realized that I am far from southern hospitality. With that said, Heath and I are excited about the days that are before us, and hope to share them with you along the way. Keep us in your prayers as we start pursuing and building relationships here in Oregon. I'm excited.

Pictures, stories, and updates to come

Missing Family

This week, the Morrison family is spending a wonderful week in Oglebay, West Virginia, and I miss them. Not everyone was able to make it this year, which in reality will probably start becoming the norm. So sad, but true. This is my second time to miss; once several years ago because Heath and I were living in the Bronx, and this year because it's the week of the big move!

I miss working on puzzles, sitting on the porch for hours, laughing together, playing miniature golf, eating frozen lemonade while playing on the paddle boats, swimming in the indoor pool, and relaxing in the hot tub. I miss visiting the Christmas shop, the zoo, and taking pictures of the beautiful scenery... guess I'll have to wait until next year. Hope we can make it then. Since I'm in a reminiscent mood, here are some pictures from the last few years.

This picture was taken several years ago.... All the grand kids are present; if you must know, I am now the shortest in my family. You'd think I'd have someone beat at 5'3. Nope.








Last year, Heath was able to come with me to the cabin for the first time. Someone thought it would be great to greet Heath for the first time with everyone wearing a pair of these teeth. :) I also received a lovely pair of teeth in my honeymoon bag...


All of us at our rehearsal dinner, minus Joe.


My family. I love you, and I'm so glad to see you all soon in California! Emmy's wedding reception will be in Santa Cruz in just a few weeks from now. Can't wait!

A Wedding

This Saturday, Heath and I were so blessed to attend the wedding of our dear friends, Marshall and Justina. Marshall has been a friend of mine since the start of our freshman year at ACU. From the beginning, I recognized that something was a bit unique about Marshall... His views of relationship, community, and how one should live daily life was quite different from what I had been accustomed to. Over the years, I have truly admired the way he shares his love with friends and the Abilene community. Justina and Marshall, thank you so much for letting us share in your special day. It impacted my heart greatly.

This was probably one of the most "laid back" weddings I have ever been to... and I loved it. As a gift, guests could bring favorite side dishes and recipes to share. I made potato casserole, of course. We had a wonderful community feast, and it was great. Enjoy!

The bride and groom during their first dance....


I was so surprised and excited to see Kate! She has been studying abroad this past year in Scotland, receiving her masters at the University of St. Andrews. She also recently got engaged... in Scotland! So, we had a lot to catch-up on. Looking forward to our lunch later this week. It was so wonderful to see you!


Arielle and Emily! Arielle and I shared the director position at New Life during the Tuesday Night program... Basically, we helped each other survive during that time. :) It was so nice to spend time with you before we go our separate ways!


Elizabeth. Wish I could have spent more time with you friend! Liz is also in the moving process with her husband, Jaime. Can't wait to see your new house!


Tommy and Emily. We will miss you. Tears are coming, very soon...


Me and my love.


One more of the happy couple. Justina had the most joyful look on her face throughout the whole wedding. I'm very happy that these two have found "one love" in each other.

Recipe: Italian Ice

The past couple days in Abilene have been a little hot... actually unbearably hot. Yesterday, I woke up with Heath at 6:30 to take him to work (we are sharing a car now). When we stepped into the kitchen, the thermometer read 84 degrees.... INSIDE. These window units just aren't cutting it at this point! Oh my.

So, yesterday afternoon, to escape this heat, I took a trip to Walmart. I had a few things in-mind to buy, but really I just went there to spend time in a cool place. Naturally, when I came across a 2 pound carton of strawberries for $2.30, I decided to snatch them up! I found a recipe for Italian Ice on foodnetwork.com and wanted to share. It's so refreshing and is a pretty healthy option when trying to beat the heat. Here ya go!


Italian Ice:
3 cups halved strawberries or chopped pineapple
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 cups ice


-Blend the fruit, sugar, honey, and lemon juice with 2 cups ice in a food processor until chunky. Add the other cup of ice and blend until completely smooth.

-Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish and freeze. I used a 10x10 baking dish. Freeze for 30 minutes, then scrape ice with a fork until slushy. Place back in the freezer and freeze until firm (about 2 more hours). Scoop into paper cups....


Enjoy! Hope you have a less humid and hot day than we do...

Houston

Last weekend, Heath and I visited some of our dear friends in Houston. It's always nice to rekindle relationships with those we haven't seen in a while. Some of you might remember this guy:


This is Patriot, our ring-bearer. He is one of the most energetic, talkative five year olds I have ever met!


This is Pate's sister, Nora B. She is so sweet and cuddly. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with her and Pate; spending time with these two kiddos definitely made me excited to be a mom (not now, or anytime soon... just something to look forward to :).


The whole fam. Jason officiated our wedding and made our ceremony extra special and personal. Thank you, Jason and Lindsey, for hosting us last weekend. We had a wonderful time! Lindsey, your veggie quesadillas must have been spectacular, because I've made them three times since we got home! Thanks for sharing :)


Cj and Erica. They currently live in LA, and have for almost a year now, but were in Houston for a family get together. Cj was the best man in our wedding, and Heath was the best man in theirs. And, Cj and Erica were wed just one week prior to ours. It was sooo wonderful to see these two! We love you both, and look forward to our trip to Yosemite...


Great friends. Wish we could see you more often.

My Camera

This is one of the many reasons why I have not posted in a while. It arrived about one week ago, and it's been connected to my hip since. The Canon Rebel xSi is one of the most user-friendly cameras I have ever used, and I highly recommend it! Here are a few that I've taken so far... I'm still playing around with the exposures and filters, and I'm always learning something new.






We're expecting HOT weather here this weekend... how does 105 sound to you?!? Yes, I am ready for Oregon weather right about now! Hope your weekend is lovely.