At Christmas Time

Right now it's snowing my favorite snow.  The perfect Utah dry snow that sparkles in the sun as it falls through the sky then lands on the ground snowflake still intact.  It crunches under your feet as you walk, but don't walk through it!!  It ruins the smooth almost magical palate.  As a little girl I used to go crazy when people would walk through our front yard and ruin the beautiful snow dusted landscape.  I would insist that we play in the back yard or a friend's yard as if the snow was a piece of art created just for me (see my craziness started young). Growing up in Utah I remember very few Christmas's without snow, a few with so much snow we couldn't even leave the house and many perfect Christmas days with the sun shining and the snow sparkling.

2009... hasn't it been quite the year? Good and bad; we have seen, felt and lived through it.  As we find ourselves only hours before the Christmas holiday, as we prepare for friends and family and the celebration of the season I hope we remember the true meaning of the holiday.  I hope we remember the gift of Christmas isn't wrapped up in presents. The gift of Christmas is Jesus Christ.  Oh how grateful I am for Jesus Christ, his life, his service, his example.  

Wishing you a safe a very happy Christmas! (...whether you have snow or not).

The Falls are Frozen!

For the last couple weeks Oregonians have been enjoying beautiful blue skies and FREEZING temperatures!  Oh boy do I love winter clothes, but winter temperatures... no thank you! 

The temperature dropped so much that Multnomah Falls froze!  When Deneal and I heard this news, we thought that was a sight that we could not miss.  Saturday, after a CRAZY new workout which may or may not be discussed later, Deneal and I thought we better hurry and see the frozen water before the constant threat of valley snow actually came to pass and the city shut down.

Now, let's discuss this adventure. Not once did it cross my mind the kind of seriously freezing temperatures it would take to freeze a 620 foot waterfall.  You see, that same day the Columbia River Gorge (where the falls are located) was experiencing an Oregon mistlike rain. Putting all this together, one may have come to the conclusion that those same freezing temperatures may also freeze this mist that has fallen on the roads and all walkways.  But NOT US!

About 15 miles from the falls driving on 1-84 we were stopped by cops as they cleared a 7 car crash.  We wondered to each other how this happened as we passed the scene hoping that everyone was ok.  Minutes later my car began sliding into the left lane, back to the right and into the left again. Black ice had gotten us the best of us - tricky! If you know Deneal or I, you are now thinking... I bet they were screaming while telling each other the best way to stop the sliding.  In fact, it was quite the opposite.  I did my best to correct the sliding and slow the car, Deneal calmly told me she was going to put my car in neutral.  We ended up back in our lane sucessfully avoiding any car crash!  Woo!  The rest of the trip happened at about 35 mph with hazard lights.  Finally we made it to the falls - it was incredible! We even slipped and slid our way to the bridge in the middle for a closer look.

Originally we had planned to have lunch at the falls, but after we froze our buns off and given the close call on the way out, we decided we had better get back as soon as possible.  We arrived home safe and sound - disaster adverted, adventure totally worth it!  The snow still has not arrived, but the sun is gone, the rain is here and the temperature back up!  Happy Winter!

Braving The Elements

Join me as I brave the elements to go to Shannon and Dan's to make a snowman. Not a lot of people go out while it is snowing in Portland, obviously since church was cancelled, but I think a little part of me wanted to prove that I could do it. You'll have to excuse the awful camera work, but it sure was an adventure! (Assuming you have 5 minutes, watch the clips in order. I couldn't upload them all as one because it was too big.)









When I finally arrived we all bundled up, including Chompers, and headed out to make a snowman! Normally Chompers won't let me hold her, but I think since we were wearing matching jackets she thought we could be friends. The snow was pretty dry, but Dan had a great idea to use a spray bottle to make the snow stick. Meet our snowman, Frank! He has chalk for his nose, drawer handles for eyes and fresh picked blueberries for a mouth. It sure is fun when everything is cancelled for a snow day. Everyone in Utah is really missing out!

Hold The Phone, It's Snowing!

This morning I wake up to a text message from Shannon saying, "It's a Christmas miracle!" I look outside to see this:

Hmmm, that's interesting I thought to myself... I was told it didn't snow in the valley very often. Well apparently when it does, we all take a day off! I soon received an email from my bishopric saying that due to the extreme weather conditions church would be cancelled. WHHAATT?!? I can't tell you how many days growing up in Utah I wished and hoped that it would snow enough that school would get cancelled, but I think in Utah your house has to be snowed in for that to happen, and it never did! I didn't even know church could be cancelled! This is amazingly crazy because there are only a couple inches on the ground, but how fun that I get to experience snow in Portland!

Bringing The Heat!

It is freezing in my house. The weird thing about it being freezing in my house is that it's about 40 degrees here - not like Utah below freezing winter temps that I am so accustomed to. Yet, I am colder than I have ever been! My office is the worst, maybe it is because there are 2 windows, but when I work my right hand (mouse hand) literally turns into an ice sickle. I have been known to take a warm bath in the middle of the day just to warm up and I work with gloves and 3 blankets. When I sleep at night, I sleep with 5 blankets (which actually isn't that strange cause I like to be bundled up tight). I sleep with my bath robe over my pj's and socks with sometimes slippers. I do this because the initial jump into bed is like jumping into a freezing river! It's like my sheets have been sitting outside freezing all day. After the bedding gets warm however, I am just right. Well, the other day I decided enough is enough! I kept waiting for it to get better, but the heat is on and it's not getting better. To remedy the situation I drove the 20 miles to the nearest Walmart and purchased myself a space heater and an electric blanket. This was the best purchase I have ever made! Here I sit, my right hand NOT freezing and last night when I went to bed I just turned the blanket on about 10 minutes before and it was like climbing into heaven! I didn't have to sleep with my robe or socks! Who invented these wonderful heat makers because they just increased my happiness by 100%?! Bring on the freezing temperatures Mother Nature cause I can totally take it now!

Image illustrated by Amy Ning. Courtesy of This Old House.

Just A Typical Oregon Run

I went on a run today and decided to bring my camera and my friend Deneal along. I brought my camera because I wanted to try and capture the amazing-ness that is Oregon fall and I brought Deneal along to show her that the huge hill by my house isn't so bad. Fun ensued.

The pictures to follow are the things that I see on my favorite run here in LO. I run to the temple and home which is about 5 miles. It seems that every time I walk outside these last couple weeks the beauty of every thing around seriously takes my breath away. The leaves are incredible. The weather has been incredible. If for no other reason, I run just to experience the beauty before the leaves fall and the sky turns grey. Now I share it with you...

The start of the run

The next 2 are the same trees, but I just found out my camera has this functionality that can pick out one color and make the rest of the picture black and white. You will see a few of those pictures mixed throughout.


I see these bushes all over here... they are bright red and oh so pretty!

Deneal running. Ummm, no this was not staged.



I bet you didn't know I could climb a tree. Well, this is as far as I got!

Portland Temple

Deneal and the bright yellow tree




I wish it could stay like this forever, but then, would I be so grateful?

Apples + Pumpkins = Fun

There is a first for everything - today was the first time I have ever made applesauce and the first time I have used my crock pot, even though I insisted my mom get me one for Christmas last year! (Turns out a single gal doesn't make as many crock pot dinners as one might imagine.) Shannon and Dan went to the apple orchard yesterday and bought lots of apples, they were nice enough to pick me 10. Shannon and I decided we would try making homemade applesauce with our apples. When I picked my apples up from their house we peeled, cut and seasoned them. I brought them home, threw them in the crock pot for 4 hours and YUM, homemade applesauce!
The Beginning...

The End...

Mmmm... That's good!


While the apples were in the crock pot I had some friends over for a pumpkin party! We made mini corn muffins, pumpkin cookies and decorated pumpkins for Halloween. You will notice that I painted my pumpkin. New this year - I decided to buy a fake pumpkin and paint it so that I could keep it through Thanksgiving and add it to my decorations for years to come! The weather was so beautiful that we were able to set up a table on the porch and enjoy the beautiful fall weather.





My finished product

New firsts, fun day, happy fall!

Happy First Day of Fall!

Yay! Fall is here and I am so excited. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy summer, adore spring, like winter, but I love fall! Nothing is better than watching the leaves change colors and the crisp cool nights. Plus, fall brings Thanksgiving which is the best holiday of all. Not to mention - dressing in the fall is the absolute best. I am a complete sucker for fall colors and obsessed jackets and boots!

So here's to learning to accessorize with umbrella's and hoping Oregon's fall is as fabulous as Utah's!

Happy Fall everyone!