Thanksgiving!

This is wee bit late... But it was still Thanksgiving! Every year I try and think of at least one thing I am thankful for, and this year I have plenty to share with you.

This year I am thankful for...

-My sister, Samara. And her lovely style, of course, that I can copy daily. The way she enjoys every minute of every day. I admire her in so many ways. I am astonished as to how much I can adore and love someone.

-My mama, and her love for her life. The way she smiles. Constantly. And how much she has taught me and my sister to be strong, and independent.

-My dad, Mike for all the giggles we share.

-My puppies Meeko and Miller. The smiles they bring to my face are unbearable.

-The wonderful book The Hunger Games. I am utterly entertained, and only 27 pages in.

-Flowers. Gee wiz am I thankful for those beautiful suckers, it's ridiculous.

-My exquisite extended family (on both sides of course) and how much I absolutely adore them all.

-My splendid new mustard yellow scarf knitted by Gramma Karen. :)

-Blogs. Whoa. I am astounded I can become addicted to SO many blogs. In a matter of days.

-My wonderful family on both sides and the DELICIOUS food that fed my cravings this day...

-Photography. Man, what a brilliant invention those cameras.

A day for thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for?!

(some photos to share with you below!)

Thompson Thanksgiving! LOVE

Prestby Thanksgiving! Love them!

Man, they're great.

(photos taken by my wonderful sister Samara- http://wanderingsofmissdane.wordpress.com/ - SHE is the BEST, sharing some of her photos with me while I am still without a camera.)

Remember what you love

Each day I continue on with my everyday life, trying to get through the day. But today I realized an important thing: life is more than rushing through the day. Some days I forget about the things I love. Every once in awhile, we need to remember to stop and smell the roses. Do the things you love for once. This is indeed a very cliché post, I know... But I just wanted to remind myself (aloud apparently) to remember to enjoy the things that make me smile.

Missing Summer...

White covers the grass once again, and I am already missing the smells, warmth, and looks of summer...

Today:



 

Also missing the beautiful flowers and their wonderful smells. 

 

 

Recap of Portland

On November 6th, Neil, my mom and I darted for the airport around 7 am, to start our small adventure in Portland, Oregon for the weekend.



To sum up the trip:

• Arrived at the Portland Airport around 10 am on Saturday, and began exploring the city


• Went to the Portland Zoo and saw adorable polar bears and elephants, but it saddened me a bit, seeing their poor faces just stare at a blank wall.

• Explored the city for some shopping, ate at adorable coffee shops, saw vintage stores and fell in love.

• Sunday we ate at a bagel shop. Ordered some coffee, hot chocolate and bagels and were on our way to the Japanese Garden/Rose Garden.

• Before going to the Gardens, we took a detour on a rode that led us to gorgeous homes that all overlooked Portland. Every one of them  were placed on this magnificent hill.

• The roses in the Rose Garden were not in bloom, but some still managed to look beautiful in the "cold" weather. ('cold' meaning 30 degrees. This would be considered 'warm' during the winter in Minnesota...)  And the Japanese Garden: no words can explain the beauty. (photos don't even do justice) We must have been in Portland at the perfect time, all the colors were spectacular.

She is just beautiful!

• Monday was the best of all. We woke up early and went for breakfast at a place called 'Gravy'. Warning: proportions are ridiculously HUGE. But the hot chocolate is to DIE for. (**melted semi-sweet chocolate chips & milk**)

• We then headed for our adventure towards the waterfalls in Portland. We were running out of time, we had a plane to catch! So we started out running up the steep paths to and from the waterfalls. Man! What a work out. By the time Multnomah Falls came into our reach, we decided it would be best if we didn't run up the 11 switchbacks to the top of the waterfall. Once we reached the top of the falls, we kept on trudging upstream to see more beautiful waterfalls. I might add that my "hiking gear" consisted of my boots from the kids section at target, tights, high socks, and a dress. Surprisingly, I managed to hike in record time!

All in all, the 3 day trip was short but absolutely wonderful. My mom and I are so easily entertained, everything was lovely. I would love to live in Portland someday soon!

Saturday Afternoon Snow

It's November 19th, and the snow has arrived. In my opinion, snow should only last through the holidays. The streets are beginning to change from black to white in a matter of hours. Half of the lake has a layer of ice, making my heart sink a little. But then I remind myself of how beautiful winter is.

Happy Saturday!

Hello World!

First post!

Just a reminder to all: New blogger speaking, warning!