Seaside, OR

LOTS O'PICTURES AHEAD
Jim and I had the fortunate pleasure of visiting Seaside Oregon with our very good friends Charles and Diana (serious), though we call him Chuck. They invited us to one of their time shares for a relaxing five days leading up to Christmas. We are talking wearing sweats everyday, sleeping in, staying up late playing games, and eating anything we wanted. It was blissful to say the least. We so enjoyed their company so much so that we have declared this an annual thing. Jim learned the fine art of playing games and perhaps saw a little competitive spark in me, though not much, lets be honest here.

We visited the Tillamook Cheese factory, YUMMMMY. As you probably all know I am a cheese fanatic. I had a delicious grilled cheese sandwich, perhaps my favorite meal of all time. What was the most fascinating part of it all, and I think we all agreed is the packaging process. We got mesmerized (20 minutes) starring at this machine that would ditch some of the packed cheese into this bin. We studied it and realized there must have been a weight limit and then some air would blow it off into the bin. I've included some pictures of this also. And I loved one of their adds "Only serve our cheese on special occasions. Like times when you eat."

We also went to Cannon Beach on a beautiful day. The cloudy skies parted for us and we had sunny weather. We also went to the goonies home and data's house (my favorite character). If you remember correctly the secret key from Goonies aligned up with the cannon beach rocks! Along, with the school where Kindergarten Cop was filmed. Nostalgia returned as I remember fond memories of my childhood vacationing there in Astoria. We also climbed a lot of stairs...I don't quite remember how many but tons to see this gorgeous 360 degree view of the coast and valley. Again, the fog cleared right as we reached the top.

Diana and Chuck were such fun travel buddies, mostly because we were all pretty low key. The pool outside was a toasty 96 and the hot tub a nice 103, who cares if it was 40 degrees outside we were in nice warm water, while the rain pelted us. Costco was on our way to Seaside so we stopped and stalked up there and bought our planned out meals. Everything was perfect. And what is even better the NO TAX in Oregon, oh how glorious! Compared to the 10% we pay over here in Wa! BOO. We also loved that we didn't have to pump our own gas. Also a bonus. Yeah to Oregon and yeah to beloved friends!

Jim's 32nd Birthday

Jim's birthday was celebrated with a "heart attack." I have always wanted to do this for someone but I'm glad I haven't yet and that I waited to do it to someone I love. Granted I realize he's a guy and doesn't quite appreciate things like this but it was nice to feel like a little teenager again. I put hearts up everywhere! Even in the bathroom at which Jim said "I guess we are ready for Valentine's day now."

The night before Jim's 32nd birthday he came down with a nasty flu and started throwing up on the hour every hour for about twelve hours. And then it continue to get worse for days to come. So the picture up top shows Jim blowing out his little tea light of a candle (we didn't want him to ruin the whole cake with his germs as Karen and I wanted to eat it without him)! You can see he looks quite miserable wrapped up in his little blankie and stocking cap on.

Well hello there!

Happy New Year

Things I did today (the 31st of December)

1. Worked 4 hours
2.Packed and Moved some more stuff
3. Worked on a scholarship into the wee hours of the morning on New Year's Day. As I type this it is 2:07 am my time. Yikes!
4. Watched a 7 hour marathon on food network with my aunt in my pajamas! It was so fun!
5. Wished my fiancee a get well call and
6. In exactly 9 months we will be married!!!!!!
7. Tracked down some more lights at Target in clearance for my wedding! Thanks to everyone who has been looking exhaustingly...or just looking!

Moving Day

Today Jim and I wasted our precious day off moving. Well actually I worked a little before I started moving my things to my lovely aunt and uncle's home in Bothell. They have graciously took me in and I think it will be a good thing for sure as they are some of my favorite people in this world, not to mention I will be closer to Jim, Jobs, future mother-in-law whom I adore, and school. So ultimately it is a good thing.

I just think I get overwhelmed with moving and boy do I have a lot of books. Books everywhere. Which equals heavy stuff and many boxes. My dear friend Diana helped me out with a ton of boxes which I promptly filled with books and now need some more. The good thing is I have about a week to do it the bad news is I have to make another trip to Selah to storage to store all my stuff!

Jim helped me with all the big things with the services of my mother's big red van, aka Fire Engine. It got that name, not because it was red and big but because my sister in the seventh grade was mortified to be seen in it and one day when she was dropped off at school the van had been pulling a garden hose behind it dragging it the entire 5 miles to school.

Anyway, so I'm moving! Bitter and Sweet at the same time. I will miss my Aunt I live with now tremendously. Her cooking, her funny stories, and her all around funness. She will be missed but won't be too far away!

Just some lyrics I like!

Happy Holidays everyone! This is my favorite Christmas Hymn

Historical Note: This hymn was writ­ten dur­ing the Amer­i­can civil war, as re­flect­ed by the sense of des­pair in the next to last stan­za. Stan­zas 4-5 speak of the bat­tle, and are usual­ly omit­ted from hymn­als: The poetry of this renowned carol was crafted by the great American literary figure, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), in the midst of the American Civil War. On Christmas Day in 1863, Longfellow wrote the familiar lines in response to the horror of the bloody fratricidal conflict in general and to the personal tragedy of his son, Lieutenant Charles Appleton Longfellow, who was severely wounded in November 1862.

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn, the households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men.