Memorial Day weekend in La Grande w the Hearings

Friday afternoon Trav and I got off work at 2:30 and loaded the car with all our things, and Emma and all her things! We stopped to get gas and we were off! We stopped in Portland for dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. It's one of my favorite places to eat! I love Italian food for starters, and I love the building the Old Spaghetti Factory is in. It's huge and it's like a castle. All the furniture is gorgeous....like Kings and Queens chairs. The doors to get in are HUGE, like 20 feet high....or maybe even higher! There are huge, beautiful chandeliers in the lobby....etc. It's just a fun experience! We were seated at a table right on the water to! I think it's because we got there right at 4:30 when they opened for dinner.
On top of how great the PLACE and FOOD are, the PRICES are great to! Trav and I can both get a big yummy dinner with drinks and dessert and the bill will only total $25!
Needless to say, we had a wonderful dinner and a fun time. We watched the boats on the river and enjoyed the sunshine coming in.
We were back on the road by 5:30. Before we left we let Emma out of the car, fed her, and walked her around a little to stretch her little legs. She had a LONG ride ahead. We all did.
The scenery out of Portland and for the first 100 miles was great. Multnomah Falls, lots of mountains covered with green trees, driving along the river, it was all very pretty. But, after a couple more hours in the car we started getting tired of it. And the scenery seemed to dry up at the same time! There were no towns to even look at from the freeway!
When we arrived at 10pm we were thrilled just to be out of the car! Emma slept the whole way there. She woke up a couple times just to stick her head up, pant a little, reposition herself, and go back to sleep. We stopped a couple more times for her, but she didn't really need us to.
She was thrilled to meet Mon and JD's 3 dogs: Dolce, Baily, and Lucy. Lucy is getting older, and was not very impressed with all the puppy energy Emma brought with her. Baily was slower to warm up, but Emma found a best friend in Dolce. Although they are different sizes (very), they are about the same age and they bonded instantly and played together the whole time we were there. Baily joined in the fun the 2nd day, but Lucy pretty much just "coped" with all the puppies!
Mon and JD gave us the tour of thier house. Madison's room was just as I imagined...painted pink for a princess! So cute. They had 2 spare rooms, ours was decorated so nicely and the bed was SO comfortable! The kitchen was huge and the living room was even huger. We went out to the backyard which was also nice and big. Lots of room for the 4 doggies to play!
Once Trav and I got settled into our room, we played Wii golf (JD taught me lots of new and then went to bed. We had to get up early the next day to go boating!!
Saturday we got on the road a little after 10am. We were heading to a spot on Snake River to meet JD's parents and his sister and her BF. We got there a little before noon, and first things first, we ate! JD's mom fixed us delicious sandwiches. His whole family was very nice and fun to talk with. Then we took the boat out. It was SO much fun. Trav and I very rarely get to go for a boat ride so it is always a treat! Mon and I spent most of out time laying out at the front of the boat. It was so nice a warm out that it wasn't even cold with the wind blowing by us 100 miles an hour in our bikini's! We spent the whole afternoon on the boat, soaking in all the sun rays we could get!
We got back home at 8 and made dinner. We had a mexican casserole and mexican chicken, both were delicious!
After dinner we tried to watch Wolverine, but we had trouble converting it, so we ended up watching Fired Up (really funny) instead.
Sunday we slept in until 10:30, and layed in bed until 11. We had planned to go to Wallowa Lake that day, but there were threats of thunder storms so we decided not to chance it. Instead we went out to lunch and then went and played mini golf. I lost, but I had fun and thats all that matters right??! :) It was lots of fun. After golf we went into the mountains to go mushroom hunting for Morrell's. We found some great mushrooms and had a fun hike through the Forrest! We got home a little after 8 and cooked up BBQ'd hamburgers, which are JD's specialty and they are so good! And Mon made a delicious pasta salad full of goodies, and we cooked up the mushrooms we found and got some grapes! Dinner was SO good. I don't know if it's because it was 9pm and I was starving or not, but it was fantastic!
After dinner we watched Wolverine, which was really good. I figured it would be though. And we watched Taken. I had always been afraid to watch it because it looked scary in the previews, but someone told me that it was really good and not scary so I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did because it was a good movie, and not scary. :)
We went to bed at 2 and couldn't believe our weekend and time in La Grande was already over!
We got up at 9am, got showered and packed up and we were ready to go by 10am. We said goodbye to Mon, JD, and Madison, thanked them for the good times and great food, loaded Emma up and got back on the road.
It was another gorgeous day thank goodness. That always makes the drive so much better! We were starving by Pendleton, but we didn't want to stop so soon after leaving because we knew we'd need a break later in the drive....and that we'd get hungry again! 6 hours is a long time to be in the car! Well, there were no more towns with food in them until The Dalles, so we had to wait another 2 hours to eat! But we made it, and we really enjoyed our McDonald's when we got it! We made it to Air's at 4 for her Memorial Day BBQ/Mya's 1st bday!
Trav, Mo and I helped her in the kitchen, mainly by eating before we were supposed to. LOL. Trav fired up the grill after Sharm and K got there. He grilled some burgers and we had pasta salad, fruit, and baked beans to go along. Ryan and his kids showed up, and a few other people that I didn't know. We sat out in the sunshine and enjoyed the food, beer, and company all evening. Trav and I headed home at 8.
We unloaded the car and got situated until about 9 when we collapsed on the coach. We felt very refreshed from our weekend getaway, but also exhausted!
Now it's back to the daily grind....Only 2 more days of work until the weekend is here again! This is why I love 3 day weekends! :) You get 2 extra short weeks out of the deal! Trav and I are enjoying the sunshine so much. It's supposed to stick around all week and into this coming weekend! We are planning to get some yard work done this weekend, and possibly (hopefully) get the gate for the fence up, to keep Emma in the back yard.
Of course we'll enjoy several more BBQ's as well!! :)

Hello SUNSHINE

I have been loving the sunshine.
Friday evening we loaded up Emma and went to my parents for dinner. We sat out on the deck and enjoyed the weather until it got dark and then watched a movie.

Saturday we got up early and headed to the beach. It was Emma's first time there and she had so much fun!! The weather was gorgeous and it was a great day! We waded in the water, walked along by the ocean, checked out the starfish and sea enenamies, then walked along the bay front and had dinner at Mo's! It was sunny and 70 which is fabulous for the coast! It is always such a relaxing day when we go to the beach. I wish the weather was nice over there more on the weekends so we could go more!!

Sunday we cleaned like we always do, and then invited Air over for a BBQ. We had to take advantage of another gorgeous day! At 6 Air and I went golfing with Keith and Sharman and a group of their friends. It was a lot of fun. I am loving golfing in this gorgeous weather! And of course the Mike's. :)

Sunday night Trav and I were both up all night sick. It was terrible. I don't know what we had, but neither of us got a wink of sleep and we took turns in the bathroom all night. We both started feeling better at 7 but we were so tired so we both called in and slept until 12:30. Since we had the afternoon off, we washed and detailed our cars after lunch. Again, it was such a beautiful day!

Friday we are leaving for La Grande at 2:30 in the afternoon. We're going to make a pit stop at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Portland. LOVE that place. Hopefully Emma will sleep most of the way there like she did on our coast trip.

Count your blessings :)

Life is so hard and sometimes I forget about all the blessings we have. Today as I was pulling out of my driveway on my way back to work after lunch I thought, "Man, I am so grateful that Trav and I haven't had any huge, expensive things go wrong with this house." And that made me realize that we have a LOT of blessings that we forget about on a daily basis. I thought it would be good to make a list of them, that I can glace at on hard days.

-We haven't had any large problems with this house. Our last house seemed to have PLENTY, so I am very aware how stressful and expensive it can be!!

-Our cars have been running well and haven't had any major problems. Thank God for that!

-Gas prices are staying at a very manageable cost! It was very stressful when they were hitting the $4 range! Eeek!

-We have each other to rely on. When I see break-ups, in real life, or even on tv I am so grateful to not have that pain. And to not even have to think about it. I am so blessed to have a husband who takes the best care of me, who I know without a doubt loves me with his all, and who is my best friend who I can tell anything to. I know that he will always be there for me and love me. And I know that he knows the same thing. Every day I thank God for Trav and our relationship. I am so grateful that he's as dedicated to "us" as I am! Relationships take a lot of work, but the payout of having a good one is 100% worth it! I'm so glad that we can be each other's strongest support system.

-We have the same goals. We haven't always, and I remember how difficult it is when you are striving for something different than your significant other is. Now since we have common goals, we can work together to reach them.

-We both have our jobs still. In this economy jobs are very unstable but we are both blessed to still have our jobs. And because we still have our jobs, we still have our incomes that come along with them!

-Amazing family! Our families are both close by and so supportive of us. I love spending time with them!

-Amazing friends! A few close ones is all we need! It's great to have friends who know you....sometimes it seems even better than you know yourself!

I'm sure there are more, but those are some key ones. I think it's important to remind yourself of all the great things you have in life. There are plenty of bad things that happen to, but looking back at this when those times arise can help!

Happy Mothers Day!

Life in our neck of the woods has been a bit more hectic lately. Friday I woke up with Trav and went to work in mom's shop. I got to make a couple gift basket deliveries for the first time and that was a lot of fun!! I left the shop at 11:30 to pile Emma and her things into the car and take her to Air's. Air offered to watch her while Trav and I went to Bend to stay with Ladd for the weekend. Thanks Air!
I got back home around 1 and went grocery shopping for mother's day dinner ingredients, and Trav and I's weekly groceries. We normally go shopping on Sunday's, but we knew we would be busy all day this Sunday, so we needed to go early. I got home at 2:30 and finished packing right before Trav got home at 3! We were off to Bend!
It was a gorgeous day, which always makes the drive more fun. Plus, while I was running errands I'd been downloading new songs onto the Ipod so we had some great tunes to listen to! It was crystal clear and sunny out, and the mountains looked incredible. It's so humbling to see them in all their glory.
We arrived at the Variels at about 6:30, and first things first, had some dinner! Laurel had made 2 types of brisket, Gorgonzola macaroni, there was freshly sliced pineapple, woked mixed veggies, and artichokes! It was a feast. After dinner we gave Ladd his B-day gift. I think he really liked it. We got him a collared white DC polo, a fifth of Pendleton, and a bottle of wine. After he opened his gift he started handing out gifts. I couldn't figure out why he would get us gifts! At least not me! Trav had just had a bday, but I hadn't! They were goodies he brought us back from his trip to Russia. He got me a scarf that is made of goats wool or something. It's so pretty and is amazingly light and delicate, yet surprisingly warm! He got Trav a cool shot glass and he got us a Russia fur hat, and of course, a bottle of vodka! He spoiled us! It was really cool getting a part of their culture.
I got changed and we went into Bend to check out one of the live bands that was playing in the bar district. We settled on a Martini bar. It was so nice. It was lit by candle light and had neat art work and a great ambiance. I had a glass of red wine and the guys had a couple beers (I know, sad in a martini bar!) and we listened to the music. After a couple hours we walked down the street to meet some friends at another bar. We headed back at about 1, and on the way home Ladd was telling us about a place close by that was over an empty lake reservoir. We had no idea what he was talking about, but he thought it was really cool and decided to take us there. It was really cool. There was a small stone building that we're guessing used to be a lookout tower, or control room for the old dam. It was nestled down on a rock cliff and wasn't terribly easy to get into. Once inside, the view was amazing. The guys went and gathered wood and brush so we could make a fire inside the little room, and we just passed a bottle of wine around and talked around the fire for hours. The feeling of openness out there in the middle of a rock cliff, overlooking an empty lake reservoir was incredible. The stars shone so bright.
We got back to Ladd's a little after 3am, and I had some cereal and attempted to go to bed. The guys were talking though, so we didn't actually get to go to bed until 7am! Needless to say, we slept in on Saturday until a little after noon.
Saturday was very relaxing. We played cards outside and watched some tv. We caught a show of a Pink Floyd concert that was really good, and at the end of the night we got captivated by re-runs of Out of the Wild. We'd never seen it, but it was about a group of volunteers who took a trip into the Alaskan mountains.
We needed our sleep because we knew the next day was going to be a busy one! So we headed to bed at 11. Our alarm woke us up at 7am, and we were ready to load up the car again by 8. We thanked the Variels and bid them farewell. Sweet Laurel who always takes such good care of us, had a breakfast burrito ready for us, and sent me home with a gorgeous bouquet of white and red roses. They were part of a HUGE bouquet that Jeff got her for their 33 year wedding anniversary.
It was another gorgeous drive in the sunshine, filled with more breathtaking views of the mountains!
We picked Emma up and headed home to get ready for our first Mother's Day event.....my family coming over for Mother's Day lunch!
We were short on time, so we thanked our lucky stars that we had cleaned the house Thursday night, and done the grocery shopping on Friday! My family arrived right at noon, and we had a lot of fun talking and cooking! We BBQ'd Salmon and veggies, and made baked beans, baked potatoes, and strawberry shortcake for dessert! Joel helped by slicing up the strawberries, and I think mom enjoyed showing me how to make her famous shortcake.
Mom loved her gift. Joel and I got her an azelia which she always talks about wanting, and a utensil set in a container....which she had specially requested.
After lunch was cleaned up we all played Apples to Apples until 4:30 when Grandma headed home. My parents and brother left shortly after. Trav and I started prepping dinner for his mom and dad. BBQ had been requested again, so we got some steaks ready to grill. I made some broccoli and garlic mashed red potatoes, along with baked beans and I had an extra batch of strawberry shortcake!!!
Robert was sick, so Kathy ended up coming alone. We had a great time chatting and eating! After dinner we watched Bride Wars. It was really funny so we all got some good laughs. Even Trav. :)
Kathy left at about 8:30, and Trav and I fell on the floor in a heap. We were so exhausted. We cleaned up and watched tv until bed.
It was a great day, but very exhausting!!
This week we are busy as well. Last night we had our first official session with the dog trainer coming to teach us how to train Emma. She did well for her first time. I think she will learn fast and be a good, well behaved dog.
Tonight Trav and I are going to a seminar "Money Talks for Couples". We are really excited. Wednesday night Air is coming over for Mongolian Beef, and Thursday I am helping mom with a trade show in Salem. We'll be on the go from 9am - 10:30pm!
The weather is supposed to be beautiful again this weekend! We are looking forward to it!
In other Clark news: Trendfort is going well! The business has started collecting money, which is always fun!! I love getting checks in the mail! We've been able to organize the processes even better already. Obviously this will be a learning experience for a while, but all of us seem to be on the same page which is the most important thing. We work together well and we're getting things figured out quickly, and problems resolved right away! Now we just need to get a few more jobs in the door!!
Happy Mother's Day to all mom's! I hope you had a wonderful day!

Then

I think these lyrics are pretty perfect. I feel this way about Trav. Love you baby.

Then

I remember you trying not to stare the day that I first met you
And three weeks later, in the front porch light
taking forty-five minutes to kiss goodnight
I hadn't told you yet
but I thought I loved you then

And now you're my whole life
now you're my whole world
I just can't believe the way I feel about you
Like a river meets the sea,
stronger than it's ever been.
We've come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then

And i remember, taking you back to right where I first met you,
You were so surprised
There were people around, but I didn't care
Got down on one knee right there once again,
I thought I loved you then

And now you're my whole life
now you're my whole world
I just can't believe the way I feel about you
Like a river meets the sea,
stronger than it's ever been.
We've come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then

I could just see you, with our baby on the way
And I could just see you, when your hair is turning gray
What I can't see is how I'm ever gonna love you more
But I've said that before

And now you're my whole life
now you're my whole world
I just can't believe the way I feel about you
We'll look back someday, at this moment that we're in
And I'll look at you and say
And I thought I loved you then

Grandad's 90th Birthday

Happy May! I thought April showers were supposed to bring May flowers....but so far all I see is rain in May!! Come out from hiding sunshine! This year is flying by. I feel like I just celebrated the new year a couple weeks again!

Saturday was Grandad's 90th Birthday! Trav and I met up with Kathy and Amber and Jason to set up for the party. It was fun. We prepared the food and set up the tables. The party was at 1. We had lots of good food and Robert spoke for about 20 minutes about Grandad. Grandad is truly an amazing man. He is 90 but he doesn't act over 70! He is so smart! On display were 2 grandfather clocks he made with all wood parts. He is a carpenter, so he found the design for these wood clocks and made it his project. It is incredible to know that all the parts are made of wood! Grandad doesn't let "new" things scare him off! He emails, scans, surfs the web. He uses a digital camera and downloads the pictures himself.....and more! It's amazing!

The party went until about 5. We got home at about 7 and relaxed for a few minutes before heading out to dinner. We went to try Carino's endless soup, salad, and bread. It was amazing! I'm hooked! The Roasted Garlic Potato soup was SO good. We finished the evening with a movie. We were exhausted from the busy day!

Sunday we did our usual cleaning and chores, and in the evening Air and I went to church.
Emma has been doing very well. She is almost completely healed from the bite, and we are now working on training her on a leash. We purchased a choke collar to help us, and it seems to be helping a little. I think we need to schedule another appointment with the trainer though! She has had diarrhea lately. I swear if it's not one thing, it's another! She had it for almost a week so we decided after some on-line research, to switch her to a boiled chicken a rice diet. That seemed to firm up her stool, so we went and bought her lamb and rice food because that usually meant that the dog is allergic to chicken by product meal. After 4 days enjoying chicken and rice, we started mixing rice with the new lamb food. The diarrhea is back, so we're going to give it a few days to hopefully stabilize, but if she continues to have diarrhea it'll be another trip to the vet! Maybe she has some kind of worm? But, her spirits are high and shes having fun! She is continuing to grow so quickly!

Trav and I have been pretty much laying low the last couple weeks/weekends. :) Our lives were so crazy for a couple weeks there, I think we needed to detox! Last weekend we did some yard work, and spent one whole day watching movies on the couch. It was just what we needed!

This Friday we are leaving for Bend to visit Ladd for the weekend. We'll be rushing back early Sunday to spend Mother's Day with our mommies! I like going to visit Ladd in Bend. It's a nice getaway.
Alright, thats all for now!