Good Things Do Happen in April

Picking up trash on the American Tobacco Trail with the Girls on the Run Team last week

Fish Fry Friday at school with REAL soul food

Stand Up Paddle Boarding with my man

New Beyonce

A Loyal Pittbull Turns 8

Jugamos al Tenis

That means "We play Tennis", en Espanol!

Every now and then, Jason and I will take up a new hobby together. Last time you might remember it was ukulele, which AHHHHHH we need to play!!! and there have been other things too.

Some things stick, some do not. Sometimes this is because Jason decides to get WAY better at the thing than me. Or sometimes, like with tennis, Jason already is WAY better than me. But we have fun anyway...or at least I do.

Mostly, it's just really fun to get outside and play. And for me playing means, I don't have to care about being good at the thing or being competitive in any way. I can just PLAY.

Linda's

Or "the place where we used to get drunk on cheap beer in college and then again in grad school".

It's still very much the same.

It us us who are different because now we drink cheap wine instead of cheap beer and get called "mam".

We're so mature.

And this guy comes along:

Love them.

Just passing through

I love having visitors! It gives me the opportunity to utilize our guest room, lay out clean towels, and go out on a school night showing the things to show.

Last weekend, I got the opportunity to host these lil' ladies who were passing through NC on their cross country road trip from Oregon.  They are 24 and shiny...just wee babes trying to figure out what to do with their lives. Hearing about their trip reminds me of the Trinity road trip that Bekah and Carrie and I took all so long ago...

These lil' sunflowers

And speaking of Bekah...Thursday I get to host her and her manfriend as they make their way to Bekah's bro's wedding.

Cheers, guys! Cant wait to see you!

Yay for passing through and crashing on our guest bed!

Just a Little Camping Trip

I'm beginning to feel a bit like Jack Kerouac as its been well over a week since I've been "home", which at this point "what really is home?" since I'm moving in 2 weeks.

Upon returning to Oregon, Jason, Nate, Chloe and I set out on a little weekend camping adventure at Timothy Lake, near Mt. Hood.

Timothy Lake

Our Tent and Jason: we've got camping down at this point. Our little tent, our blow-up camping pads, and our double flannel sleeping back make sleeping a tent muy enjoyable.

A selfie, a tent, a walking stick

Jason carving sticks for smores

Sunset on Timothy Lake

Pretty Colors

Nate and Jason play ukulele by lantern light

Burnt mallow

We did a nice little 6 mile hike in the Mt. Hood wilderness area on Elk Meadows Trail

Pretty hike scenery

The crew

Me on a bridge

Dangerous crossing!

Don't fall in, Chloe!

Little Crater Lake

Quesadilla game on fleek

Sleeping good in the tent

Breakfast Tacos!

Looking back...

I discovered this thing where I can look at the old pictures from my blog. They are saved all together in an invisible file in the sky somewhere and what fun it is to look back at them and reminisce. Here are a few of my favorites:

Practicing yoga at 6:30 am in our little Hillsborough house. Viktor joins.

Hula hooping in our Hillsborough yard with my hoop from Jason. What ever happened to my hula hoop?

Strawberry picking in Hillsborough. Skipping down the aisle. 

Hammock water happy place

Alex! Boat!

My favorite meal ever...20$ Whole Foods salad

Passed out in Bryce's jeep after a day at Carolina Beach with Jessica and Bryce...circa 2011?
Was it too many Miller Lites or too many Britt's Donuts?

Another lake goodie. I like the look on my face to Jason in this picture.
Love and Funniness. 

Reading a story to kids at camp the day Viktor came to CFS. 

Book club! Man, I miss those ladies.

Edie pooping at the South Dakota KOA campground "pet walk", which was actually more of a dirty field.

Campfire chillin' with Marissa at the New River Gorge this past September.

The New River. I do love to sit on rocks by the water.

This guy. 

Carolina on my Mind

Our most recent NC trip was totally awesome. A wedding, family, friends, coffee, beer, sun, warmth, the best food, Carolina Beach, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, Raleigh, Lexington, the lake, disc golf, so many serendipitous run-ins, and just the fullest heart that I ever did have.

I realized it was a great trip and that we're supposed to be there when I didn't even feel the need to touch my phone for a majority of the trip. I didn't want to Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat, obsessively check my email, or any of the other addictive phone behaviors that I've cultivated. 

Here's a few key shots from our adventures (though I didn't even take that many pictures while I was there because I was just that present most of the time):

Me and Mama downtown Durham style

Jason and his Dad, lake style (ps- unfortunately, I did not get a picture with Jason's mom...sorry, Cathy!)

Driving the boat with Doodle, the not dog

Lil' sister, me, beer, sun

My hottie hubby rocking the NC short shorts!

Making good burgers runs in the Roberts family

A new addition since our last visit: Kegerator!
Complete with one of my favorite beers of all time, Yuengling!

Relaxing on a porch by water, my "happy place"

Best Donuts of All Time: Britt's Donuts, Carolina Beach, NC

Wedding swag

Pre-wedding beer where we serendipitously got to watch the heartfelt first dance from another wedding

Siblings all grown up and friends now

Kat and Adam's first dance...love these two

And a special fox napkin gift.
Thanks, Peggy!
I love foxes.

Sometimes I get sad that I left this place, but then I remember that it took leaving it to realize just how special it is. The lifeblood and soul here are palpable. Now that we have left it for a bit, it will making coming back that much sweeter.