Oregon Getaway 2010

Wow, my trip was absolutely the best!  I had so much fun.  I knew it would be fun, but I had no idea how perfectly awesome it was going to be.  It was the perfect mix of being busy with plans and also just relaxing with no agenda.  Nate is the total hero of the day....and thanks to my sweet friends & family who helped him out.  His facebook status updates were hilarious and too adorable....from him being in an insane asylum to him attempting to do Roo's hair for church.  I love him.  He's too good to me.  Thanks Nate for letting me go relax....I didn't worry about the welfare of my children even once....which was just icing on the cake!!

Okay, so I landed in Portland on Thursday morning.  My cousin Lindsay and aunt Brenda picked me up.  We had a fun afternoon shopping and going to lunch.  It was pouring rain, but I just loved every second.  That evening we just relaxed at Brenda's....watched a movie and indulged in popcorn and ice cream. 

Linds and I tried to take a few pictures, but most of them were "unacceptable", so we just did our shoes...hmmm...which one of us is the runner? Haha, not me, sadly... Lindsay & Brenda both ran a half-marathon on Saturday morning after I left. They rock.

 
On Friday, I hung out with Brenda, got to see my cousin Kendall (who I haven't seen in years), and then we headed back over to Lindsay's.  We spent the day in McMinnville, mostly shopping and eating junk food.  Awesome.  I blogged a little about it below already.  In the afternoon, we went to an indoor playground with her son, Garrett's class.  Garrett is autistic and is the most beautiful little boy ever.  The Spirit was very strong with these children, and I learned a lot from watching them.  I was truly in the presence of angels. 
 
Beautiful downtown McMinnville.


Saturday morning, Nikki picked me up and we met up with ALL of our high school girl friends for a weekend trip to the coast.  There was lots of girlie squealing and laughing when we first met up because we were all so hyper and excited to get away and catch up!!  I just couldn't believe that ALL of us had been able to make it.  Nikki's grandparents let us use their house, it was gorgeous.


SO....this is most of us in 2001...last time we were together: Just missing Annie & Kristen for this.


Flash forward 9 years to this weekend!!  We all look pretty much exactly the same!
L-R: Lesli, Mary, Kristi, me, Kristen, Annie, Robin, Nikki

We went to Mo's for lunch. You can't go to Lincoln City and not eat at Mo's! It was hilarious because there were about 500 conversations going on constantly all day long. Everyone has memories with everyone, and it was just more fun than I can describe.


L-R: Kristi, me, Lesli, Kristen, Mary, Robin, Annie, Nikki


Then we stopped at the Outlet mall for some shopping.  I love having NO sales tax!  I had to be good though because I only brought a tiny suitcase...probably a good thing!!  We saw this in the vending machine and had a good laugh.  I'd expect this in Utah, but not Lincoln City!  Funny.

Last time I saw my sweet Lesli, she was newly pregnant with this little angel, Chase.  He is the cutest and best baby...he didn't make a peep all day!


Then we headed over to the beach.  It was so windy!!  Oregon beaches are not the type of beaches you really go swimming or tanning at....but they are the most beautiful, and we just sat and the nonstop chatting continued.


The "Three Musketeers"...as our German teacher used to call us.  Me, Nikki, Robin.  Sophomore year was my favorite.  When my parents "dragged me kicking & screaming" to Utah when I was 16, leaving these two ladies was absolutely the worst part.


We made dinner at the house that evening and watched old home movies that Kristi had brought.  My stomach was sore from laughing at all of our lip-sync music videos....some of which were slightly inappropriate...(Kristen!!)  I love these girls.  They are my sisters.  We are all LDS and grew up doing everything together and staying strong and keeping our standards high.  I love being with them again and seeing how we have all succeeded and done great things with our lives and families.




Mary, Kristi, & me.  The three of us grew up along Riverside Drive together.  These three ARE my childhood.


Seriously....can't say it enough.  LOVE THESE GIRLS!!!!!

After a sad goodbye to the girls, I spent the rest of the trip with Nikki.  We made our way back towards Portland/Vancouver.  We drove by my old house, stopped at Lindsay's again (and Mike made more chocolate cake, woohoo!), walked the temple grounds, and ended up at her parent's house for a huge BBQ.  I hadn't seen Nikki's siblings in probably 10 years....so weird, they all grew up!

(I'm not a good photographer, sorry!)


Our friend Hillary drove to Nikki's for the BBQ too.  I haven't seen her in over 10 years.  Hill & I used to have geometry together, and we'd sit and write notes back & forth about our "boyfriends".  It was such a treat to see her on this trip, and I can't believe how sweet she was to come see me!  It was another sad goodbye after a fun visit.

Nikki, me, Hillary


Nikki & I spent all of yesterday in Vancouver.  Walked the parks, more shopping, lunch.  Then we spent all afternoon digging through her boxes of middle & high school memories....notes we had written each other, pictures, the old stories we used to write.  We laughed & laughed.  Her husband is actually a good family friend of ours too....he used to be friends with my older sisters growing up.  So funny how things end up working out!

I was ready to come home this morning.  I was missing my family by then, haha!!  My kids have been hanging all over me all day! 

I love Oregon.  I had the BEST childhood.  Can't wait to go back!!!