Summer Vacation

A few weeks ago, I dreamed up an expensive, elaborate vacation which was really out of the question...but would have been nice. That obviously didn't work out, but I came up with an acceptable alternative. I planned and prepared, and everything worked out perfectly!

On Wednesday afternoon, I left work early, and my mom drove Daniel and I to...the TRAIN STATION! We were supposed to leave at 3:45, but with delays etc. we didn't actually leave till 6:00. For years I've wanted to take the train anywhere, and it was the best way to go. Our tickets were only $20 each (which beats a tank of gas any day). We got on the train, and Daniel was even nice enough to let me have the window seat! It was a beautiful ride with lots of trees, streams, rivers, and even horses.

At least the weather was beautiful while we were waiting. It was nicer outside in the fresh air, than inside with all the other passengers.

Waiting for the train.

Daniel pacing while he is on the phone...he can't hold still at all!

FINALLY on the Train

Around 8:00, the train slowed down for our final stop and we got off in Portland. Daniel's parents were down there planning for a temporary relocation with Intel, so they were able to pick us up and let us stay in their hotels, and eat with them. I know some people don't have the best relationships with their in-laws, but mine are the nicest, most welcoming people, so I love spending time with them and getting to know them better.

Dusk at Union Station in Portland

I thought this was fun!

Down town Portland.

The first day we were in Oregon we packed so much in that it didn't feel relaxing, but it sure was fun. We went to the rose garden by the Portland Zoo, and Daniel proved to be quite the photographer.




Th weather was so beautiful that morning, and the whole garden smelled wonderfully of roses. I even coincidently wore my rose shirt that day...

Daniel's mom remembered an old mansion somewhere by the rose garden, so we wandered around for a while looking for it. She found it, and we took a tour. It was built in 1914, but has a whole bunch of neat features. It had a central vacuum system, an elevator, and hot water for showers.

I can't imagine cooking on a stove like this!

But I could imagine a music room like this!

What a view from the backyard.

Unfortunately I forgot my camera that afternoon when we went to OMSI. But it had some really neat exhibits. My favorite was one which showed embryos and fetuses which had been preserved. This sounds morbid, but it was almost reverent to see the developmental process so clearly portrayed from week to week. It's sad to think that babies are aborted so often. It made me really think about life to see that display. We also watched an IMAX show about dinosaurs, and a planetarium show about different planets which may exist somewhere in the universe.

The view from the back of the museum.

That was all on Thursday. On Friday morning, while Daniel's dad was working, we took a break from the world and went to my favorite place on earth!



It was beautiful, reverent, and everything I love about the Portland temple. I'm sure everyone feels that way about 'their' temple, but this one really is the most beautiful ever. There is a neighborhood with beautiful homes right next to it, and someday I would love to live that close to the House of the Lord. I have this idea that I could take my children on walks to see the temple, and that somehow living so near to it would make a home that much more special. So somehow, someday I would love to live in Lake Oswego, OR.

After lunch that same day, we got to see Get Smart. It was really good. And very funny.
That evening we headed out to the coast for some beachy weather. On the way to Seaside we stopped a couple times for some neat things. There was a sign on the road that said "Drinking water", so we pulled over, and there was this water fountain in the middle of the shoulder that was pumping spring water out of the ground. I tried it, and it was good, but nothing spectacular.

Daniel wouldn't let me take a picture of him drinking this water...what a bum!
A few miles later there was an outdoor museum type display of really old machinery. We stopped and looked around. It was kind of fun to see, but not really my kind of thing. I guess it makes it up to the guys for all the shopping stops we made!
Daniel looks interested.


Kelly and Tom with Bigfoot (?)

At some point after this stop, we checked into our hotel on the coast, and looked at the cute shops down town, and I even braved the ocean...for about 10 seconds.

Of course we had jackets and long pants on...it's the Oregon coast in June.

That was really cold water!

The following day (Saturday) we drove down past Cannon Beach to Tillamook. We went to the cheese factory, ate delicious ice cream and sampled cheese, and then humored Daniel's dad with a trip to the air museum.

Daniel tried 'white licorice' ice cream and I had german chocolate cake. I loved it and would visit Tillamook again just to have it...

Tom used my camera to take pictures of all the air planes, but by this point I was just ready for a nap, so I wasn't too into all of them. It was fun to see the planes up close and learn a little about the history, but I was also ready to get in the car and sleep during the 4 hour drive back up.

It was a great vacation, and we had a blast with everything we did. I would love to live in the Portland area some time when Daniel's done with school and we have a family. It's a neat place, and seems to be just about right for us. It was a good vacation, and the perfect break from the everyday...which will be back upon us early tomorrow morning with work and Daniel's first day of summer quarter. Good luck to him as he takes on another round of computer/math classes! And to all else, enjoy your summer breaks!

Doves

My parents have built a bird sanctuary on the back patio. There are two doves who come by regularly, but only one of them was there yesterday. I like doves, and I've done a little research and have found:

Doves mate for life and show a willingness to work hard together. Both doves work together to build a nest. Next, when the mother lays the eggs, both the father and mother keep them warm. When the young chicks are born, both doves actively care for and tend to the new family members.

What a good example for us. It's amazing that birds do a better job following the rules of life than humans do. I get so sick of people making stupid choices and neglecting the things that are most important. Why can't we be more like doves? Focused on what really matters. It may be simply instinctual for doves to go about life in this manner, but I think people have a harder time. Last week I read the transcript of the World Leadership training meeting that was held back in February. A couple things stuck out and tied in with my dove thoughts. I'm not going to quote it here, because I don't like reading a bunch of big long quotes on other people's blogs, but the link is available, and the message is inspiring. I happen to have virtually nothing to do at work most days, so it was a good use of one morning last week, and if you ever happen upon some spare time, I'd recommend it.

I don't know what this world is coming to, but I love finding small things that make me happy each day. It makes my life just a little cheerier, and brighter and these thoughts about doves, have been the source of this happiness over the last couple days.

Updates as of late.

There are a select few foods which I could (and probably would) live off...if the occasion arose. They are:

Fresh French Bread (from Albertsons)

Fresh Strawberries

And this miracle product (it's miraculous because it has the power to make bad days good; rainy days sunny; and it even takes away pain and stress!)

We happen to have an overabundance of all of these at our apartment right now. It is going to be a good weekend. Even with a couple trips to the gym to balance out all these yummy foods.

Which reminds me, Daniel and I joined a gym a few weeks ago, and have really enjoyed playing Raquet ball together. I'm definitely still working on hitting the ball when I swing for it, but we've had a lot of fun exercising together. My goal is to go right after work each day, and then for us to go again later that evening for a good game of raquet ball. So far I'm good at going by myself, but somehow it doesn't always work out to go together in the evenings.

Another Random note, Daniel and I are getting ready to sell our car. We're detailing it this weekend and hopefully somebody out there is willing, and in a better position than we are to own such a car. We've been looking off and on at other cars, and have driven a few, but last night we found perhaps the coolest car yet. It's older, and has some miles on it, but it had all the luxury features you could imagine and then some. I don't know that we would buy it, but it was fun to drive. It was a 2001 Volvo S80, Executive Edition. It had all leather heated seats (front and back), a dvd player, mini-refrigerator, and power everything. Not necessarily a practical car, but it was comfy and Daniel liked driving it. We'll see how it all works out.

My Mother

Happy Birthday to my Dear Mother!

I know this is 2 days late, but this picture is too cute not to post. We tried to give my mom this kitten for Mother's Day, but she gave it back. We tried again for her birthday on Sunday, and were even more sneaky. She gave it back again, but just you wait- Father's day is just around the corner, and perhaps the third time will be the charm!

I'm grateful for my smart, beautiful, patient, loving, thoughtful mother, and all she has done for me. She's a great shopping buddy, an excellent cook, gives helpful advice, and I'm just about convinced she has an answer for everything...and that it's always right!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

If I had $3500 just sitting around, here is what I would be doing two weeks from now.

On May 30th, Daniel and I would wake up at 4 in the morning, with our bags packed and ready to go. We'd leave our apartment with our plane tickets in hand (or maybe just the confirmation number...).

We'd drive up to SeaTac, check our one bag a piece, and wait till 6:45am when we'd board a nonstop flight to Los Angeles.

At 9:05 prompt, we'd get off the plane and make our way to the Guesthouse Inn at San Fernando Valley

Later that morning, we'd to to Disneyland,

and the next day we'd go to Wicked

On June 1st, we would then leave on a week long Mexican Cruise.

For only $799 a person, we'd have all the food/entertainment we'd need for a wonderful week vacation.

We'd get to visit Cabo San Lucas,

Mazatlan,

and Puerto Vallarta.

After enjoying days of sunning, and authentic mexican food, I doubt I'd be ready to head home, but the inevitable would occur after getting off the boat at 7:00am on June 8th.

Rain Drops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens

I've been thinking lately about a few of my favorite things. This list is in no way complete, but it's a start.

Finding old mix cd's. My parents cleaned out the room I used to have, and boxed up or threw away a lot of my old things. This was fine by me, as I typically don't have pack-rat tendencies. They gave me a few boxes with trinkets and treasures, and in one of them was a stack of cd's I'd made somewhere around my junior or senior year of high school, as I was just starting to get into music (that wasn't soft rock). On Sunday, I went through those boxes, found those cd's and have been listening to them off and on this week. On the way to work today, I was surprised by my choice of songs on one particular cd. It was quite the eclectic collection of Jimmy Eat World, Phil Collins, and even Hilary Duff (that was the surprise). It's such a fun, almost nostalgic thing to listen to music I once loved for various reasons, and remember it again.

Even though the weather has been completely unreasonable this year, I still love, and always will love spring time. I love the gradual change in the weather, as each morning gets a little warmer, the flowers get a little taller, and the days get longer.

Another favorite thing is baking. I love all kinds of baking, everything from pizza, to bread, to biscuits, to muffins. I love almost all kinds of muffins...blueberry, pumpkin chip, cinnamon, yogurt, banana nut, poppy sead, chocolate chip, and probably most of all brown sugar muffins.

That's all for this one, but stay tuned for more favorite things as I happen upon them!

Poll and Tamales

I know I don't have tons of readers (or probably more than 5) but I set up a poll, because I have a dilemma. And how else do you solve dilemma, besides asking your blog readers... Anyway, I have birthday/tax refund money which I should probably just save, but I think there would be other more fun things to do with it . Let me know what you all think.

Last weekend Daniel and I went up to Gig Harbor and made tamales with his Grandparents. They are up visiting from Arizona, and it was really fun to get to know them better. We started off the morning at 4:00 with an early trip to drop Daniel's parents off at the airport for their cruise/European vacation extrordanaire. We got back after driving through snow, hail, and rain storms (yes, it's April...) and had a yummy mexican breakfast of chorrizo (sp) and egg burros. Then we got to work. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so there won't be any pictures to showcase our efforts, but it took all day! We were still cleaning at 6:30 PM. Daniel's brother took pictures but until I get copies from him, It'll sufice to say that the tamales are excellent, and there will be more tamale making this weekend with pictures!

Birthday Fun

Today is my birthday, and I know it's only 3pm, but so far it has been quite the day. I woke up and Daniel had breakfast for me. He made me a yummy omlet with ham and cheese, and he had an english muffin, and apple all ready(he was going to have oatmeal, grapefruit, and probably something else but I said I would be fine without all that food). Then, I came to work and my coworkers have decorated my desk. There are birthday decorations and fresh flowers to enjoy. They also ordered pizza for lunch today, and Dana made a very tasty chocolate cake. My coworkers invited Daniel to come after his classes, so I picked him up from the bus stop, and had lunch with us. He's so silly, sometimes I forget how funny he is. I do love him, and I'm glad he was able to come visit me at work and have yummy pizza with my work friends. It was all a very fun treat. I'm not usually too into birthdays, but today has been great.

I have an issue where I always want to be just another year older. Not that there's any perks of being 23 instead of 22. I'm sure this year will be great, and as a goal, I'm going to try to enjoy each day without wishing it away. My in-laws are supposed to be coming down tonight, and I think we're going to dinner with them, cause Daniel's grandparents just came into town before they leave on their three week cruise. Last weekend when we were up in Gig Harbor, they had a mini-birthday party for me with a huge chocolate cake, and they gave me pearls. I've always wanted a pearl necklace, and I feel so glamerous wearing it. I'm taking a personal day tomorrow, and We'll probably have dinner with my family tomorrow, and play games or watch a movie or something. I love that I'm having a three day weekend to relax and get stuff done!

Kittens

Because these kittens are so cute, I have to share them with the world.

This chubby fellow is Gilligan
and here we have black bear and Ginger playing
Gilligan again
Skipper
And the loving step father cat: Wesley! sometimes I call him Diablo Gatto...The eyes say it all. he really is a charming cat though . The kittens have Gilligan's Island themed names because their mom was named the professor. Enjoy the pictures and have a wonderful night!

Beautiful Monday

There were several things which were just excellent about yesterday. I really had the best day ever. I woke up and just knew it was going to be good.

Number one on my list of things that made me super happy was that Daniel started class yesterday morning, and I am so grateful! Each class he takes is one class closer to when he graduates, and we get to move on from being poor students. I feel so good about this new step forward. It was great talking to him over dinner about the things they talked about, and what he thinks this quarter will be like. I only wish I'd taken some of my psychology classes with him at BYU-I. He had some funny theory about Freud and Bananas. I told him to share it with the class tomorrow. We'll see.

Another thing that totally made my day yesterday was my new addition to my desk at work. I got an early birthday present from my mother-in-law on Saturday. I've been doing research on orchids, and have always loved them. At costco they had really healthy looking exotic orchids, and I got one! It came to work with me yesterday, and just sat there looking happy and warm and summery all day. What a simple pleasure!

Another happy point yesterday was dinner. I thought there was nothing to make and we'd have to run to the grocery store. Fortunately I had a moment of brilliance and made delicious chicken enchiladas, and will now have something other than a sandwich or yogurt to eat for lunch today. Daniel and I recently decided to try cooking with a bell pepper, so we added some to our enchiladas, and it tasted great and added some pretty red.

After dinner my parents stopped by for a few minutes to see our baby kitties. These kittens are now three weeks old, and wandering all over. The one I call Ginger has even started climbing and trying to run. They're at such a cute stage now where the're still a little wobbly, but making daily improvements. I'll put pictures up soon. I just need to get batteries for my camera so I can turn it on long enough to use it.

Hope you're all having a terrific April 1st!