Baby- It's Cold Outside!

So- who else has been FREEZING this week? I know my friends in Colorado are FROZEN! I know there was a storm in Arizona this week. Kristi's electricity even went out. I have been absolutely freezing. The high today is 32 degrees- a little warmer than the past couple of days. It was 14 degrees when I left the house this morning. I have been wearing triple layers of clothes and I am still cold. And let me tell you something....wearing thermals under your work clothes when you are required sit most of the day can be very uncomfortable.

It is, however, very sunny. Bright and sunny and cold. I love the sunshine! By the end of the week, it will warm up and then the rains will come. I wish it were snow. Because if it was snow, then maybe we could have a snow day. If we had a snow day, then I could stay inside and be warm with my sweetheart. I've been thinking about the song- "Baby It's Cold Outside". I love this song! If I were the one to sing it though, I would be making my own excuses to stay inside and not to go out.

What are you doing to keep busy and warm inside? Greg and I just got a new record player. And by new, I mean old- but working and new to us! Greg got it all set up, and it is pretty sweet. A while ago, I saw this deal on Craigslist for a few boxes of records- $50 takes it all. Well, we got it all. All 8 boxes packed full of LP's! We've barely gotten through one box. That is a lot of hours of listening. It is fantastic. And while we listen to new and old sounds, we have been cooking and baking up a storm. This also helps to keep our apartment warm.

Another project the two of us are working on is making some pillows. My Uncle Johnny fixed our old sewing machine that we got this past summer. THANK YOU Johnny! Now we will learn to sew. It is a pretty cool machine, I think. I'll have to take a picture of it and post it for you.

Well, that is all for now. I hope you all are having a fabulous Christmas season. Love and miss you all!

Stuff

We've been places. Done things. Had a pretty good time. Haven't shared for a while. So, here are some pictures of some stuff we have done, things we have seen, places we have been. They are in no particular order. Very random actually. Enjoy!

The first couple photos are from a wedding that I did. Well, not just me. Me and Greg, and Justin and Kaitlin. We had a lot of fun. The family that put the wedding on owns 3 Mexican food restaurants- the BEST Mexican food we have found around here: La Roca.

We made blackberry jam, and a blackberry syrup. These are a couple photos from that day, no finished product, just some of the stages.

One early gray morning, we went to a hot air balloon festival.

Some more AZ trip photos. One of my best girlfriends Janay recently had a baby. We got to see baby Gavin and Janay and Brett while we were in AZ. I also got to take some pictures of them. Here is one of the final ones. I still need to finish them up.

My mom and sister are with me in this picture. Kristi was here with her boyfriend Mark this weekend. Can't wait till she comes again. We had a good time this weekend. A really good time.

Fishing!

Marco- he looks kind of grumpy huh?

Summer concert days.

One photo from a recent drive we went on.

That's all for now.

Best Slumberparty Ever!

While we were in Arizona, we had the chance to spend some quality time with Brintley and Jaydin. They have gotten so Big! They are so bright, and gorgeous, and just fun to be around. We had the best slumber party, complete with swimming, Mexican food, old records, dancing, fort building, cartoon watching, picture taking, hot chocolate drinking, and finally sleep. It was a blast and here are a few cute photos.

HELLO!

Well, hello! It's been a while. But now I am back in action. I have quite a lot to update on. Such as our trip to Arizona in August. Yes, we were there, and I am sorry to those who we did not get to see. Trust me- its nothing personal, we just ran out of time! It was a very good trip though. I got to spend lots of time with my mom's side of the family. It was the first Ingersoll vacation ever! The only people missing were the boys- Justin and Zac. We stayed in a cabin up in Pine Top for 4 days- it was lovely. We were celebrating my grandparent's 50th Anniversary! 50 YEARS! So incredible. You should have seen those two dance for our talent show. It was great. Another highlight of the trip was seeing my nieces Jaydin and Brintley. They are truly a joy!

Also need to catch up on the ends of summer and what we accomplished. Here is a list of the things we did (pictures to follow later):

• Hiked around Clear Lake - just gorgeous
• Visited Family (miss you all so much!)
• Picnicked
• Picked blackberries (blueberries cost money, but blackberries run wild and can be found in abundance!)
• Made and canned blackberry jam
• Made blackberry pie
• Drunk lots and lots of iced tea
• Went to a hot air balloon festival - a photographers dream
• CAMPING! twice :)
• Found a SWEET sewing machine, 1964 Singer, mint condition, in a table - best find ever!
• No herb garden- but got lots of goodies from Kaitlin and Justin's garden- thanks guys!

I have to say- this is really just an overview of how many wonderful things we did. I can't wait for next summer.

Although it is still warm here- it is definitely fall. I'll have to come up with a new list of things to do. Don't you just love fall though? That crispness that gets in the air, the leaves changing from green to golden.... it makes me excited! I can already feel myself preparing to hunker down and drink hot tea, listen to music, read books and sew on my new sewing machine!

Until next time... ENJOY LIFE!

Yup, still in love

There never was a doubt...

Yellowbottom

Here are some pictures from last weekend at Yellowbottom. Finally! Pictures! Yay! These are all out of order, but you'll get the idea.

Look, this one is me and Kaitlin jumping off a cliff! I was so proud- the last time we went cliff jumping in AZ, I wouldn't jump. This time- NO FEAR BABY!

I know you're jealous right about now.....

Greg brought his scuba gear- this is what he and Justin found.

Kaitlin in the falls...

Me & Kaitlin coming up out of a water fall!

That's all till next time!

We Rise, We Fall

I've been thinking a lot lately about highs and lows throughout life. 8 months ago was low, 18 months ago was really low. Life now is pretty damn good- I would say it is a high. What I think is really interesting is the highs and lows from week to week, day to day, and even hour to hour. We were talking the other night about good times and bad, and how if we never experienced those bad times, we wouldn't know how great good times can be. Everyone struggles. Everyone experiences things differently. So when you are in a good place, be understanding of those who may not be. When I was in high school, a friend of mine told me that everyone has their own reality. Another very wise person once told me to never judge how one may handle a situation, whether it be grief or joy- for you never know what they might have experienced in life.

I don't mean to get preachy or anything. I'm just taking a step back to appreciate how well things are going now, and how happy we are finding ourselves to be. And if/when life starts to get rough, I have these times, as well as other good times past, to look back upon and remind myself that we rise and fall with the tides of life.

Let the good times roll.

Wish I was at the Coast today!

It's been hot here- like 95 degrees! Nice compared to our previous home in AZ, but hot for here. I wish that today I was on the coast, laying on the beach, watching Greg and Justin skimboard. A perfect day like we had two years ago like this:
But alas, I am where I am, which is not on the coast. Can't even get there this weekend. Too much going on. At least we are having a blast! Super busy having a lot of fun. Like tomorrow morning, I am hosting a Spa Party! It's going to be fabulous! Also happening tomorrow is me shooting a wedding for the first time in a couple years. Greg is going to help me photograph it as well, and this will be his first real photoshoot ever! Wish us luck!

UPDATE

Whew, it has been a whirlwind lately! We actually have a life now, and it is great! I have to recap our past 4th of July weekend. We did everything except float on the river. Instead of floating, we went camping near and swimming in a river! We went to this place called Yellowbottom. It is called Yellowbottom because they have found gold in it. This river is CRYSTAL CLEAR! It has large swimming holes and you can actually still see the bottom of them. We swam all day, and trudged up and down the river. You can actually sit in small waterfalls and just let your feet hang over as the nice cool water runs right over them. Feeling all the water stream past you is what I would call a relaxing rush! It was a perfect day.
We were also lucky enough (on the 4th even!) to score THE PERFECT campsite! It is one that you pay for- but it is so worth the $8. It was so nice and clean, with bathrooms- well, you know, a nice hole in the ground with a toilet hole on top- and water, and they sold campfire wood for an awesome price. The forest was all old growth- which means the trees aren't just big, they are GINOURMOUS!
What's missing here? Pictures! I know, I can't wait to get the internet at home again. I have so many pictures to post it is ridiculous!
The rest of last week and this past week has been a blast. Been hanging out with my brother and friends a lot! Tonight we are going to go and see Young Dubliners down at the park. I'll let you all know how the music is. It should be fun- we are going to eat some ribs first- yum!
I'll try real hard to load up some pics and borrow someone's computer this weekend. I'll also try real hard to post more than once a week!
Later dude!

The 4th of July- My Favorite Holiday

This week will be/has been a very busy one. Last night was fun- went out for a work social. Tonight I'm meeting up with some friends. Tomorrow night- meeting with more friends. Friday-small backyard BBQ. Saturday- the 4th of JULY!!!!- we'll float on the river and another BBQ. Sunday will be a day of rest. :)

July 4th, 1776, the colonies claimed independence from the British and Democracy was born. Greg and I are both patriots of this amazing country. It is something that is deeply rooted in me, and yet, I never really paid attention until these past couple of years. Not too happy about the way that things are going now, but that's for another time, another place....

This is also a great holiday because it celebrates freedom and independence- something that each person should claim for themselves. It is also the anniversary of my Grandpa Ken and Grandma Suey- Happy Anniversary you two love birds! My Grandpa Ken is a US History teacher- one of the best there is! That man has knowledge! My stepdad Jef is also a major US History buff. You should see some of the Civil War memorabilia he has. Love it!

Finally- I love this holiday because it is the one where you don't have any obligations except to celebrate how you want. Usually this entails some kind of BBQ. How can that get any better!

Happy Independence Day Everyone!

Just Curious....

Have you ever passed by someone on the street and wondered what makes them who they are? How did they get there? What is life like through thier eyes, in thier shoes? I wonder that all the time. Everytime I see someone who is down&out or maybe someone who looks like they have it all- I wonder...how did that happen?

If you could ask any stranger 2 questions...what would they be?

Please comment and let me know, I am very curious about how we, as human beings, are all somewhat curious about each other. Thanks for your help!!!

Longboarding...

When my parents moved my little brother, Chad, stayed behind. He also left his longboard with Greg and I for safe keeping. Little does he know that we have been having a BLAST with it!
I never thought I could ride on any kind of board. When I was in Jr. High, I had tons of "Skater" friends. I hung out with all the guys and they tried to teach me to ride a skate board once or twice. After many failed attempts and some scrapes and bruises- they told me to just "Stand there and look pretty". Nice. I had resigned myself to never learing to ride any kind of board.

Lucky for me, Chad left his board, and we have an apartment on the ground floor with all lynolium floors! Also lucky for me, Greg (who is a natural at this kind of stuff- like most guys) is an EXCELLENT teacher. He taught me how to ride! Longboarding in the house is SO FUN! I have also gone around the block- quite a few times might I add- AND- without falling!!!!! I want one!! I want two actually. One for me, and one for Greg. Like this beauty of a board posted here. I guess I will just have to save my pennies...............

Food for Thought

Did you know that Greg and I want to someday own a big hunk of land and grow an assortment of food? Well, now you do. That's what Greg is going to school for, and I am right on board with him. He was shown a film in one of his classes: The Future of Food.I would recommend this film to EVERYONE! There is one thing other than living that we ALL have in common. And that is, in order to live, we need to eat (obviously). Ask yourself, do you really know what you feed yourself? Do you know what it is, where it came from, how it might have been modified? Did you know that most food comes from abroad? I could go on, but instead I would suggest you just watch. You can see it free on Hulu.com. Watch and let me know what you think! (this might be weird, but I totally cried....)

I'm not Crying

So, last week my folks and my sister and her family left Oregon to move back to AZ. I'm not crying.....amazing. It does hurt my heart to see them go, but I know that we'll see them any time we are in Arizona. Almost ALL of our family is in Arizona. I miss you ALL! But I am amazed at myself because had it been a year ago- I don't think I would have stopped crying. My eyes did water a bit as I gave my hugs good-bye. Really, how could they not? I love my family and it has been fun being up here with them. I will really miss my sisters kids too. They are so special to me. I already have one set of nieces in AZ that I don't get to see. I can't imagine how big they have gotten in the two years we have been up here.

My heart aches for those that I love that are not around me. Friends and family- do you realize how much I love you all? I know I am far away, and sometimes I don't call often- but I think about each one of you. I look at your blogs. I look at pictures. I remember good times. And if you ever need me- I am here for you. I will always be here for you- no matter how long it has been, or how far away you live.

But I am not going to cry. My heart is full. I am happy. I have the BEST husband in the world! I love him more than I knew I could love. Not only that, but he helps me stay true to me, and hopefully, I do the same for him. We laugh so much together! We cook together. Lots of times Greg cooks for me when I am too tired after work. He also cleans and bakes! I feel like we have the perfect partnership- each one of us picking up where the other left off. I am so grateful to him- my husband- my best friend- my love. I have everything I need and more. I am in good hands up here in Oregon. And even though I will miss my family who has moved away- we are not alone, and we have each other. I'm pretty excited to see what the future holds!

Summer time and the livin is fine....

Warmer weather has finally arrived! Flowers are blooming everywhere, tons of plants are for sale, and the Farmer's Market is open! For the past three Saturday's, Greg and I have started a routine of sorts. We get up, grab our bag, and walk down to the market down by the courthouse. The Albay market is not as big as the Corvallis market- but it is also WAY less crowded! There is definitely something to be said for that.

I just LOVE the farmer's market. Individuals and family's selling all of their home grown/ hand made goodies. Tables piled with fresh salad greens and broccoli. Stands of fresh baked bread and goodies. Yarn that is spun and died by hand from their own sheep (there is one particular stand that has the most BEAUTIFUL yarn! I can't wait until I can afford to purchase some.). As the summer progresses, we are going to see more and more fresh veggies! Harvest time is the best!

After the market, we are usually thirsty- and hungry! So we walk down to the coolest little coffee shop (not to mention- the ONLY coffee shop downtown) to get some refreshments. The place is called Rhythm & Brews. Every Friday night they have some kind of live music. Once we have some more energy- we either check out the shops downtown or just go home to put away our market purchases.

It is so fun live downtown right by the river. Evening walks become magic when all the cotton from the cottonwood trees fly around you. Seriously- it looks like you are walking in a snow globe! In some places it looks like it just snowed at first glance! The smell of the cottonwood, blooming flowers and the river come alive in the evening. Which reminds me- Thursday evenings in July and August they have free concerts in the park!

There are a few things I want to do this summer. Here is a list to get started:

• Make lots and lots of iced tea
• Start our herb garden
  
• Camping- must go camping
• Silver Falls hike.... (the last time we went with Janay and Brett, and it was SO FUN! We really need to get back- wish they could too)
• Homemade Popsicles (although we did just pick up some Otterpops- I feel the need to make my own!)
• Hand pick blueberries
• Visit Sauvie Island Organics Farm near Portland- which just happens to be owned by a second cousin I have yet to meet..........
• Picnic at least twice

Maybe I am overly ambitious, but there is still more that I want to do! We'll see how far I get with this list. :)

My Studio S Photography by Shelley Coar

So, my good friend Shelley is an amazing photographer. She finally opened her own photography business called My Studio- S Photography. The link to her website is on the left, and I highly recommend checking it out!

I was fortunate enough to not only have her at mine and Greg's wedding, but she did all of the photography as well. The pictures turned out BEAUTIFULLY! I have been a slacker friend though. As most people close to me know, I have this one Major fault. I am slow as a snail when it comes to getting things done. I have owed Shelley the scans of our wedding photos for YEARS, and I am FINALLY just getting to it. Part of the problem is that I am somewhat a perfectionist when it comes to these things, and I didn't want to do it on just any scanner. The quality has to be good. What can I say? I am a photo snob. It comes from having photography as my side hobby, and the snobbery started early in life. But, I am finally almost done! Aren't these pictures fantastic?!

She captured this day beautifully! From the flower girls....

To walking down the isle...

To the Big KISS!!!

And all the celebration!
All of the best moments- captured with style!

There are so many more! But you know, this is a blog, not an album.

Shelley- I can't tell you how grateful I am to you for taking these! You are so talented! These photos will get to you soon!!!

Congratulations Emily and Justin!

My good friend Emily and her husband Justin are graduating from BYU this week. They are awesome- and they sang at our wedding which was so special. Congrats you two! They are having a BBQ today, and I wish I could be there to celebrate with them. Instead, I dedicate this post to them! You guys are an awesome couple who are meant for each other. I wish you all the best in the world to come!

Here is a picture of them when they went to Africa. I pulled it off thier blog that they kept while they were over there.

Aren't they cute?

SYMPHONY!

Last night I was given 2 tickets to the Eugene Symphony! I got them right at 5pm, drove to pick up and surprise Greg, and after a quick change at home we were off! It sure does pay to know people who play- the seats we got were fantastic (thank you Derek!). The only draw back to the seats was that, apparently, the people who normally go and couldn't make it (which is why we got the tickets in the first place) are regulars. The older fellow sitting next to me was quick to point that out, and insinuated that perhaps we were either in the wrong seat or had stolen them!! Never had to explain myself to a concert goer before. Oh-well, he tried to make up for it later by some small talk, and while I was polite, I surely didn't make him a friend. You know, I think we were probably one of the youngest couples there!

The first part of the concert was good, and the second part - Enigma Variations- was awesome! I love the finally when the whole orchestra works together and the sound builds and builds until you feel like your whole being is filled with music. I felt as if it would lift me right out of my seat!

This was the program:

Enigma Variations
April 23, 8 pm
Alexander Mickelthwate, Conductor
Bach--Orchestral Suite No. 4
Sibelius--Symphony No. 7
Elgar--Enigma Variations
An overnight success, Elgar’s "Enigma" Variations has become a favorite among audiences the world over. In its 110-year history, musicologists can agree that all of the dedications are to friends or family, but the mystery of one, variation thirteen, still remains. Did Elgar dedicate variation thirteen to his former fiancee or to his mistress? The Eugene Symphony explores Elgar’s magnificent Enigma Variations in a quest to solve the ever-elusive musical puzzle.

Oh, and the conductor! He was great! He moved so fluidly with the music. I used to watch my friend Lauren practice and was always in awe at how she did it- and with so much passion! Here is a picture of the conductor Alexander Mickelthwate:

Last week I went to the OSU symphony with my friend Zane. We had a lovely dinner at a French Bistro before the concert. That one was awesome because it was the orchestra and the choir combined. It was beautiful.

I just love music, and I am fortunate enough to have a husband who shares that in common with me! Sometimes our tastes differ, but I think that is good because we both get exposed to things that we might not have listened to on our own. I love you Greg!!!!

April 15, 2009 Tax Day Tea Party

Ok, I have never posted anything political before because I have many friends who have LOTS of different opinions, most of which contradict my own. However, I feel that now is not a time to stay silent and hold my peace. If you don't follow what is going on, start today. There is too much happening in these times to stay in a happy cocoon of not knowing (even though it was SO much easier!). Seriously, Greg is on me all the time to keep up with the news.
This Wednesday,tax day, there is a national protest going on. A tea party! Check out this web site, research the issues, and take a stand for our future and our children's future.

www.taxdayteaparty.com

The Great Baking Expedition......

I really don't know how to top Greg's post..... actually, I can't. So I'll just post about Greg! He is starting school on Tuesday and I am very excited for him. He has a bad cold right now which pretty much sucks, but I hope he is feeling good enough to get through the day. He got through today pretty well, I think he just may be on the mend.
Well, this Sunday afternoon, we not only went for a walk (as seen below), but Greg also went on a Great Baking Expedition by making his first loaves of bread. He chose a potato bread. Here he is kneading the dough-It turned out FANTASTIC! It is so soft and flavorful, with a thin hard crust. I Love It! It is a perfect hardy bread to go with some homemade soup. Like my Mom's chicken noodle. Delicious. Good job Greg!!! Here is the final product-

Who says there is no sunshine in Oregon?

Howdy everybody. it's Greg again. I have been thinking about how Oregon gets pretty much a bum rap when it comes to rain. Yes we get a lot of it which is not always a bad thing in my mind. I just wanted everyone to see that Oregon has it's fair share of sunshine too! The following are real pictures we took while during a Sunday afternoon walk.







Albany is the new town we moved to. Its been about 2 weeks now and we just LOVE our new place. We live right downtown and we are situated on the banks of the Willamette river. Our neighborhood is very quite except for morning traffic, although we heard that we might live on the edge of the "bad side" of the tracks. We're not worried much, Andrea is pretty steady with a pistol, plus I taught her how to power thrust with a knife. Me,I'm an eagle scout so enough said! The funny thing is that we saw more bums in Corvallis than we do in Albany! Just so your not mistaken, Albany was not founded in 1996 like the plaque says. I assume that is when the courtyard where said plaque is placed was erected.


While we were strolling along we ran into some cherry blossoms! I just enjoy these so much. when the wind picks up and the petals whirl around you. I can't but help imagine I am in some epic martial arts battle from some asian kung fu film. My strange fantasies aside, we love it when the cherry blossoms appear because that means were in spring!

Other than this being an awesome tree I wanted to post it for another reason. When I saw this tree it made me ponder how I would never behold such beautiful sights while living in Phoenix. I am sorry all you Arizonians, but that is the harsh reality you face when living in a desert. Therfore I have a proposal to make. If you are envious of all the lush greenery and refreshing tempetures we are fortunate enough to expeience here, you too can have it. It is just a short 23 hour drive in a moving van and there is plenty of room for everyone up here. If you happen to worry that people won't accept you, you shouldn't. Oregon is full of liberals and it's common knowledge that they are open minded and welcoming of all people.... right?

And as always I can't leave with out a picture of the cats. Marco, the great white land manatee does not look thrilled to have been awoken from one of his many slumbers.