goodbye Tuesday night addiction...

We began watching LOST with the rest of 'em back when it began in 2004, and have been hooked all 6 seasons. So fun to watch a show with so much depth that makes you think and talk about it afterwards. I mean, I am all for a good comedy with no thinking involved, but this was a great hour each week that Chris and I really enjoyed together! We will miss LOST and all it's complexity. We had a LOST finale party last night to finish off the series, complete with Dharma Beer, and some REALLY amazing chocolate oreo truffles thingies (thank you Sarah!). It was so much more fun to geek out with other LOST fans!

Amazing deliciousness :)

glued to the tv...

Mmm...dharma beer

Monmouth, OR

Chris and I took the opportunity (thanks to a cheap groupon rate) to go away for a night at a B&B in Monmouth OR. It was MaMere's B&B, New Orleans style. It was a gorgeous place, and we would love to go back. We did a little wine tasting at Eola Hills Winery, had a nice relaxing dinner at a steakhouse, had some dessert at a local winebar, shopped main street, and read in the park. It was such a great time to be together and to enjoy one another's company, something we are finding harder and harder to do with small children! A wonderful weekend, and we thank Aunt Andi for entertaining the little ones so we could have this much needed time away.

Breakfast on the porch of "the Pink House Cafe"

MaMere's B&B

A pic at the River

Koi Pond at Eola Hills Winery

The Yard

Here is what has been in the works for our garden/yard this year: lots of flowers (cause I love 'em), an ornamental crab-apple tree, roses, cucumbers, broccoli, jalapenos, sugar snap peas, cilantro, parsley, basil, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, strawberries and pumpkins. It is quite a lot, so we will see how it all turns out! I am already on my second batch of cucumbers and basil, cause something underground ate the plants all up! Here's a few pics of what I've got planted so far:

Easter Sunday

We attended a newer church Easter morning as a way to support a church that our church has helped plant out in Battleground called Daybreak. It was a good experience, but definately reaffirmed that even with all the changes going on at Compass, it is still where God has us, and we are happy to be a part of it, changes and all.

Ella's Favorites

When asked by her mother...this is how she replied....

What is your favorite thing to do? - play on the computer
What is your favorite movie? - Madeleine
If you could paint your room any color, what would it be? - pink and purple
What do you want to be when you grow up? - a doctor
Who is your favorite person? - Ella Ross and Micah
If you could be called by any name, what would it be? - Danbo
Who's your favorite character in the Bible? - Jesus
If you had $5, what would you buy? - milk
What's your favorite thing to eat? - mac-n-cheese
What's your favorite dessert? - pumpkin pie
Who's your favorite person to play with? - Ella Ross
What's your favorite game to play? - Candyland
What's the best kind of cereal ever? - raisin bran
If you cold go anywhere today, where would you go? - Target
What's your favorite bible verse? - Jesus

Blessed weekend

This last weekend, I had the opportunity to go back to the place that I hold near and dear to my heart, Mt. Gilead, to attend their women's retreat with my mom. I could talk your ear off about this place. It is a wonderful place where I grew up in my faith and met my husband, and sometimes I wish I could live there (retirement!). It is in the heart of the California Coastal Redwoods, right outside Santa Rosa, Ca. Those form-able teen summers were all spent there, and I constantly realized my need for God. I came across a quote that I just love speaking to this exact thing:

"Of all the needs (there are none imaginary) a lonely child has, the one that must be satisfied, if there is going to be hope and a hope of wholeness, is the unshaken need for an unshakable God."
- Maya Angelou

Mt. Gilead was that for me. The people during those years at camp gave me hope and showed me I needed God in my life, and I truly believed it! Not only did wonderful people invest in my life but God met me there, every time. And when you meet God, you are changed. I am so thankful for having Mt. Gilead then, and now! Going back there was such a treat for me. The whole time I was there I could just feel all the distractions melt away, and I could just be with my God, and amongst other godly women. It was like needed therapy for me! I was in an complaining, un-thankful place when I left home, and just escaping to Mt. Gilead for 2 days, gave me the perspective I needed to see that my focus had shifted off of my Father and onto my circumstances. I was a much needed drink of water for my soul. Can you tell? I am getting poetic on you :) Anyhow, I soaked it all in, and am in a good place, and am admiring a good God, who is faithful. I also had some really wonderful, much needed time with my mom, got to see some old friends, and climbed the rock wall all the way to the top. Yay for taxes that allowed me to do this wonderful weekend!

Shamrock Run!

So I got the chance this morning to run in the Shamrock Run with my good friend Jenn. She is a new runner, so we trained together, and did the 5K this morning with 21,000 other Portlanders (well they had many different legs...the 5K had 7500 people). It was quite crazy, but fun, running through the streets of downtown Portland! I did not bring my big camera with me to the Finish Line, so the pic I have is of us in the parking garage, and then one at breakfast. We celebrated with breakfast at the Tin Shed in North Portland. It was so good! Usually there is a long line on the weekends, but it also happened to be the time change this morning, so we got in there before the crowd hit! It was an awesome way to start my Sunday! Happy St. Patty's everyone! Hope you will enjoy some corned beef this week. I know I will :)