Falling for Fall

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Did I ever mention how much I love Fall? I love the warm tones on all the plant life, crunching through piles of leaves on the ground, the cooler crisp air, the clothes, and jackets!!! I just love this time of year. Maybe it's because my favorite holidays happen in the cooler weather that's coming. Maybe it's just that this time of year always fills me with hope, nostalgia, and I crave family time.

This Fall is different than all the others I've ever had. I spent last weekend on and off at the hospital or my grandparents house because my mom had her second brain tumor surgery. She is home now and recovering. I don't think it ever isn't scary for all of us. No matter how many hospital visits she has, and this year there's been a LOT, we all always wonder if everything is going to be alright when she goes in.

I'm thankful for my stepdad who I know really loves her. I watch his devotion in action as he helps her stay active to avoid any more serious blood clots, despite her protests, or helps her make sense of her mountains of pills. He cares for her not like a parent to a child, but with the love and consideration of a true companion and faithful and loyal husband. I'm so thankful he is there to watch over her. She deserves to be loved like that.

This holiday season will be a special one. When she was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer in March, it immediately put a huge "what if?" in all of our heads. These things can go south at the drop of a hat. We all hoped and prayed and watched as the months passed and our "what ifs" have gradually disappeared. I'm so grateful that we'll get to spend our thanksgiving holiday together as an entire family. Usually we're never all together anymore because everyone has other places to go. This year will be very special and I'm very much looking forward to us all being under the same roof with our husbands, wives, children, and parents.

Most of all, I'm so grateful this pillar of faith, this force to be reckoned with, this amazing mother of mine will be able to eat a thanksgiving feast fit for a king, but prepared by her children... instead of her.

BRING ON THE HOLIDAYS!!!

Mom and me last week before her second brain surgery.

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Portland Japanese Garden

Saturday, September 28, 2013

This place was beautiful. So quiet, lovely, lush and green. It was a little rainy, but I could've stayed here all day and enjoyed the quiet atmosphere. I took a lot of photos, and short videos of the quiet tranquility. I hope they do it some justice... although they really don't. You just need to go. I'm so glad we made time for this place during our trip to Portland.

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Vacationland

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Restaurant in Portland.

Justin and I decided to celebrate our 1st anniversary vacation-style. We went back and forth between Redwood National Forest on the coast of California, or Portland. We aren't really sure what drew us both toward Portland, but it ultimately won. Maybe it's that we both randomly said it seemed cool to live in Portland several months ago. Maybe it's that to get to the coastal redwoods it was a 14 hour drive and Portland was only about 10 or 11. Either way, Portland won our vote and we booked a cute little one bedroom apartment off airbnb.com. The ride there was long but very fun, and we couldn't wait to get there. Driving into Portland is really neat. The first several hours are just flat and open land, but then you drop into the Columbia River Gorge and you're in a lush green forest. Everywhere we looked it seemed like ivy, fern, moss, flowers and other greenery were spewing out with reckless abandon. We explored the city, ate some great food, went to a massive bookstore (one of our favorite pastimes), and just had a great trip.

I LOVED IT.

Here are pictures of one of my favorite places that we went. This is Multnomah Falls, just outside Portland. This place isn't done any justice by the photos. It was a beautiful 60-70 degrees, there was mist in the air from the falls, and every plant was a very vivid green. We also were able to take a short hike through the area nearby and enjoy the cool, crisp air the mountains provided. Justin isn't in a lot of the pictures because he is a typical guy and hates getting his picture taken.

The next post, which you'll see in a day or two, is of the Portland Japanese Garden in Forest Park in the middle of the city, my other favorite place we went. It was rainy that day, but it provided a really nice overcast, peaceful feel in the garden. I just didn't want to overwhelm you all with photos, so check back on Saturday and you should be able to see those ones too.