Things I'm thinking about...

1. I'm sorry for leaving you for so long. I know my previous "Collections" post was interesting, but not 2 months worth of interesting. :)

2. Yesterday I heard thunder and immediately stopped what I was doing... NW Oregon is not often graced by thunderstorms. Let's just say I haven't heard thunder for a whole year. I was a great treat to sit on our porch and listen, a nice reminder of home.

3. Since April I have had dizzy spells on the barge (at work). This concerned me for a while until I realized it's boating season and the barge is slightly affected by wake caused by the hundreds of boats that pass daily. (just so you know, it didn't take me long to figure that out!)

4. The farmer's markets have been open for the past two months and we are soooo happy to see them again. I'm taking the kids to Sauvie Island later this week to the "you-pick" farms. Due to all the rain (it's been a long spring), all the crops are running several weeks behind, but hopefully there will be some strawberries to pick!

5. I have lots of pictures to share, but first I have to figure out the new blogger. Lots of things have changed during my break from the blog. Pictures include: cute kids, recent hikes, friend getaway over Memorial Day weekend, our apartment, Mom, Aunt Lynn, and Heather's visit, and recent crafts. Stick around, they'll be posted soon...

6. Recently, I've been thinking a lot about our future kiddos. I attribute most of this obsession to the line of work I'm in. I love my job, feel exhausted at the end of everyday, but it is completely worth it. We have names for two of our kids; Heath thinks we have three, but I am strongly opposed to naming one of our kids "Flora". Please back me up on this people. We don't plan on having kids anytime soon, it just excites me to think about what our future might look like in the next 5 years.

7. My family has gone through lots over the past several months, and I'm so glad I'm on this side of it now looking back. There have been and will be major changes, and it's hard to picture what my time will look like when I go home for Christmas this year. It will also be the first time to visit Tennessee without my granddaddy Daniels around. I have missed his laugh lately...

8. This can be held accountable for most of my depressed feelings lately.... we had our first 80 degree day this weekend, and have had only a handful of days in the 70s this whole year. Thus, the sun has not been around for a while. Not trying to complain... I still LOVE living here and am blessed to be surrounded by beautiful scenery daily. We are now recognizing though, the importance of a Hawaiian getaway, which we will be taking Spring of 2012. Good solution, huh?!?

9. Couponing. I'm not going to be the extreme couponer like the ones featured on TLC's tv series. I have been buying Sunday papers though, and follow 2 blogs that basically do all the work for me. I'll post more on this topic later; we did save $30 on last nights grocery bill solely due to my couponing! It feels nice to save our family money.

10. Things I'm excited about:
-Katie Buckel's visit!!!! (next week)
-Tommy and Emily's wedding (August)
-Newton family visit... and Granny and Pawpaw making the trip to see us!!! (August)
-long weekend trip with Heath to Seattle (2 weeks!)
-I'm sure there's more, but I have to leave in 5 minutes for work, so the rest will have to wait. Until next time friends.

Is there a positive side?

So this week has been pretty hard. Terrible, in fact. And I've found myself wishing that this week had never happened so things could just be normal. But that can't happen, and in retrospect, I'm glad about this.

You see, even through the most difficult of times, God still blesses us with lots of positives. I'm really happy I'm beginning to see those.

1. I've been blessed to see several beautiful sunrises this week, which seems a bit abnormal for this time of year.... I guess they always happen, but there's usually thick layers of fog blocking my view.



2. I treated myself to two carmel frappuccinos from Starbucks this week. Mmmm, such a treat. (I knew all that change in my change-purse would be put to good use.)

3. After doing 4 loads of the kids laundry at work yesterday, I dreaded coming home to do ours. When I arrived, I found all my clothes neatly folded on the bed, and the laundry hamper empty. Thank you, Heath. You have no idea how much I appreciate your help. (oh, and he did the dishes. :)

4. This week has brought an overwhelming presence of love from my past and present friends and family. It's so nice to receive these texts, emails, and phone calls. What a blessing to know how much we are loved and cared for.

5. Mt. Hood has been hiding for a while, but I've seen her 3 times this week from the barge. What a beautiful sight.



6. The kids decided not to take naps yesterday. (Why, oh Why?!? No, that is definitely not the positive.) I think Shirley (their mom) noticed my stress levels were high, so yesterday afternoon we did something abnormal. We danced around the kitchen and made chocolate iced cupcakes. It was magic. And, we each got our own spatula to lick at the end. Tristan got the whole bowl and paddle... I'm glad I wasn't there to put him to bed :)



7. Last Thursday, I used my JoAnn's coupons and bought supplies for watercolor painting. I was debating on whether or not to keep the set... I'm glad I did. It's provided a good outlet for me this week. You should try it...

8. I'm finally starting to feel comfortable in my job. I didn't think nannying was beneath me, I just never expected to be doing something like this. My full-time job is being a mom to these two kiddos, and you know what? I'm pretty darn good at it. I love taking care of them and receiving their sweet hugs and kisses each day. I am so thankful for this family.



I'm sure there are other positives, but I just started to allow myself to see them. Give me a few more days, and I'm sure I'll come up with some more.

I love you all. Thank you for reading.

Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5

Home for the Holidays: Part 1

Heath and I were lucky enough to spend a full week at my parent's house for Thanksgiving. A trip down south was greatly appreciated, and I was blessed to land my nanny job the day we left for Franklin. What are the odds? It was a wonderful trip, filled with good eats, time with family and friends, and memorable sight-seeing as always.

Much to my dismay, Heath and I decided not to purchase a christmas tree this year, or put up Christmas decorations for that matter. Being gone the week of Thanksgiving, then spending three weeks in Texas, our tree would be dead and sorry looking by the time we got back. I was sad about this, but there's always next year. My parents had quite a pretty tree to admire though....



While we were in town, we celebrated Christmas with my family as well. It was a treat to have Christmas 1 month early! :) Thanks mom and dad!

We were also lavishly treated in the food department. Oh my goodness, I don't think we've eaten that good in a while. It was mildly depressing when we came home to vegetable plates and pasta dishes. If you live in Franklin, please go eat at Wild Ginger for me!!! I'm begging you.... get the Skittle salad and the Firecracker sushi. Then call me and tell me how good it was. I want someone to enjoy it if I can't. SO GOOD.



We spent Thanksgiving with grandmom and granddad Daniels, along with mom's side. We took lots of pictures, and cherished our time with granddaddy.



Heather and Matt with their puppies.



Neal with his new puppy, Chevy.



Family picture....



So, if you've never been to downtown Franklin, you should stop what you're doing and just go now. Walking down Main St. continues to be one of my favorite things to do while I'm home. The stores have changed overtime, but the buildings have so much character and it reminds me so much of my childhood. I liked this store window... it reminded me of Anthro.



While visiting downtown Franklin, you can treat yourself to a some Sweet CeCe's. It's soooooo yummy!



We were lucky enough to see gmom and gdad twice while we were in town. We spent a day with them alone right before we left. Granddad was much more talkative this day with out so many people around. We shared lots of laughs and special moments together. And took this wonderful picture...



On one of the non-rainy days (yes, the rain followed us from Oregon), mom took Heath and I to Radner Lake in Brentwood. I loved taking pictures and enjoyed the sunny sky. It was a good day.



Though I was not able to see everyone I wanted (there's always next year :), it was a great trip, filled with nice memories and lots of love. We love our Tennessee family. Thank you for treating us so well.

Playing Catch-Up

Hello there, sorry I left you for a while. Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone... so has Christmas and New Years for that matter. But I'm going to pretend like they just happened yesterday. Why? Because I have a ton of pictures to share. :)

I've been in a bit of a funk lately. Not quite sure why.
Maybe it's the weather.
Maybe missing our dear old friends back in Texas and Tennessee.
Maybe it's the adjustment of working full-time.
Let's be honest, it's probably all of those things.

It's okay to feel low every now and then. Hoping these updates will cheer you up, and me as well. This is just a teaser for what to expect this week. Yes, I will blog at-least 3 times this week... I'm a little overwhelmed (in a good way) with everything I'd like to share!

First up... our tender Tennessee Thanksgiving/Christmas.



Visits with dear Texas friends, and a few weddings...



Our Texas family and an unexpected Christmas-in-the-Hospital (not to worry, everything is fine)...



Scott and Hannah's trip to the Rose City. I'm missing you already Han!



And last, but certainly not least, an update on my job and the introduction of two precious kiddos.



That's all for now. Hope those few pictures will hold you over for the next day or so! Check back soon... I'm looking forward to posting more this week.

Happy Sunday everyone. This is going to be a great week! (Please note my positive outlook. :)

Thankful

I have a lot to be thankful for these days.

-My God who knows me so well and shows unconditional love. I have learned so much about patience and trust this year (and I am still learning).

-A loving husband who has been full of encouragement and understanding these past few months. I'm so glad to share this adventure with him.

-A cozy home that has already been blessed by our family and friends.

-Precious families to share the holidays with... We were spoiled by my parents this Thanksgiving (I'll post more on that later), and are excited to visit our Texas family in just a few short weeks! Heath and I were able to share some much needed time with Granddad Daniels. I am very thankful for him and the time we were able to share last week.



-A church community that has blessed us already! May we continue to grow in relationships and Agape love.

-Our Portland friends! Thank you for embracing us and making us feel a part of your community. :)

-On a less important, but still thankful, note.... I can still wear my wedding dress! I slipped it on for a while last Sunday and enjoyed its beauty.



-Though there are many more things, I will end my list with this: I am thankful that I have a job! As of last Monday, I will be a full-time nanny for two little ones that live on a barge. Yes, that's right, a barge... really it's a large houseboat, but it's fascinating for sure. Yesterday was my first day! Pray that I transition smoothly into this full-time gig, and that the kids warm up to me quickly. I'm really excited and blessed to be working for such a lovely family!

Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving friend. I have missed you!

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

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!