It's Monday Already

We had a wonderful time on our little overnight trip. It seems like it just flew by and before we knew it, it was time to head back to the east side, pick up the kids, and head home. We got home very late and everyone was exhausted, but here are some fun things we enjoyed on the trip:

-Sleeping in until eight in the morning

-Getting to IKEA before it opened and beating the rush

-Shopping at IKEA and getting some new dishes, glasses, some home organization items, and a few other odds and ends. We did really good staying on task and not getting googly eyed over everything in the store. It is just so appealing when everything is so low-priced. It was a good thing I didn't go to the kids section. We were out of there in an hour and a half, I think that is a new record for us.

-Got to hook up with my brother Jeremy, his wife Molly, and their twins Caleb and Alia for some lunch at Claim Jumpers. Yum!

-Went down town to peruse all of the books at Powell's. There are so many books it can get a bit overwhelming, but if I had the time I could spend hours and hours there. For a book lover like myself, it was like walking into a candy store. We came away with quite a few books for our family. I know if I lived close by I would go there on a weekly basis.

-Visited Niketown, wasn't that impressed because everything was over the top expensive, but the store is really cool and I liked how they had all of the rooms put together by sport or activity. We ended up visiting another Nike store a few minutes away from there and scored some good deals.

-We were running out of time, so right before heading out of town we stopped by to see my brother Jim and his cute girlfriend. They live in some cool apartments right downtown with a little dog park across the street where they had their little dog out running around. It was good to see them and get a little visit in.

We had other things we would have liked to do, but they will have to wait for another time. It was simply gorgeous there, the weather was wonderful and all the trees are already in full spring blooms. It was so much fun, but driving in down town Portland is not on my list of things I enjoy. Good thing we have GPS, I don't think we're cut out for the city and paying to park everywhere gets old really fast. I like that where we live has lots of open sky, sunshine, and people who take showers. Seriously, personal hygiene is NOT overrated.

Today I have to unpack, clean up our disaster of a house (the messes don't seem to ever really end), fold lots of laundry and all of the rest of those fun household things that keep me busy. The time away was good for my soul.

Off for the Weekend

We will be heading to Portland this afternoon for a short but fun getaway. We'll be staying over night and going out to eat, to a movie, and shopping on Saturday. Some fun places on our list:

IKEA

NIKETOWN

POWELL'S CITY OF BOOKS

And maybe a little stop at VOODOO DOUGHNUT

This will be the first time away from the babies overnight, but they will be with my parents and in excellent hands. No worries!

Asta la vista!

The Long and Winding Road

Today was our 8th wedding anniversary. I jokingly told Riley that it feels more like our 80th anniversary. He agreed. It feels like we've been married FOREVER. Most of the time that's a good thing. I think if I had to make a graph of all the ups and downs we've experienced in the last 8 years it would look pretty rollercoaster-ish. We've done a lot of growing together and weathered some tough storms. That's been a good thing for us because I know we'll always stick together no matter what. I know there are times when we drive each other completely crazy. Sometimes we can let little things build into big things. It really bugs me when Riley leaves his socks, shoes, and jackets all over the house. I know it bugs him when he wants to go to sleep and I'm STILL reading with the lamp on. But, we can never stay mad for long and we make a good team. This last year especially, it has become more evident than ever that it takes both of our unique qualities to make our marriage work and our family life function smoothly. I know that Riley always has my back and constantly works his tail off so he can make a good life for us. He has really stepped up this year with all sorts of things that most guys hate to do, but he does it willingly and that makes my life a heck of a lot easier. Grocery shopping, stopping by the library to pick up my books, and getting up in the middle of the night to help with the babies are just a few of the things I really appreciate. Really isn't it just the little things and trying to make each other happy that makes all the difference? I truly think so. And never underestimate the power of kind words.

The last 8 years have included:

3 moves
4 different jobs (and then some)
4 babies
1 mischevious dog
9 months (at least) of horrible morning sickness
7 vehicles
1 car accident (Riley hit a deer, or the deer hit Riley depending on how the story is told)
1 ankle surgery
1 tropical vacation
2 Emergency Room Visits
4 coast trips
1 rained out camping extravaganza
Saying goodbye to 3 loved ones
2920 days of being married to my best friend
And very little sleep........

What an adventure!

Green for Spring

I have been stuffed up with a bad cold for the last few days and house bound for the majority of last week. I was getting cabin fever and antsy to be out in the beautiful sunshine that graced us with its glorious presence. I had a desperate need for something springy and fresh to help sweep away the winter blahs.

I've been slowly incorporating some new pops of color into our little home that make me happy every time I walk by.

Here's a little look in my kitchen:

I decided I am going to take a break from so much red for a while. I still love red, but just needed something more spring like. I seriously feel like this little re-do has breathed new life into my kitchen. I'm still on the hunt for some accessories to fill in with, like a green fruit bowl. I decorated the plates and the platter and everything was either from the dollar store or marked down at Target.

So easy and making me so happy!

I think the spring weather is getting my project mo-jo running. I have lots of fun things I'm working on and it feels great.