July 29, 2009

Tour de Oregon

If you have been reading this blog at all this summer, you know Joe and I have been crazy busy lately. Last week was no different. Our "relaxing" week in Roseburg quickly escalated into a whirlwind of events. Here are some pics from the first half of our week, including a camping/hiking trip in the Three Sisters wilderness and a berry-picking/homemade jam making session. I'll post about the second half of the week later...

Early in the day with a long way to go

Taking a break along the way at the false summit

I could think of worse places to eat lunch...

Deja vu... we summitted this mountain about 5 years ago and took this exact same pic. (only this time Joe did not experience full body cramps on the way down, thankfully)

Love this pic, look at the bee Joe is frowning at!

Jack kicked our butts up the mountain

Quizzy quizzy time! What mountains can you see in this pic, looking north from the South Sister? If you can't get out least 2, you are a disgraceful Oregonian...

Preparing to "ski" our way down the mountain...


I've wanted to go berry-picking all summer and finally got Joe (and his Mom) to go with me. Here are a few pics of our outing... 17 pounds of berries, not too shabby!




July 20, 2009

Feeling good...

about being charitable. Yesterday I chopped off a foot of my hair to donate it to Locks of Love. In addition, the hair salon that cut it was putting on a fundraiser for Cory Mackay, so all of the money went to help pay his medical bills and expenses. I am still getting used to my new cut, it is a little shorter than I'd originally anticipated, but am happy to have done something good to help others.

A close up (thanks Jonas)

My new do

In the mail...


In other news...

Joe and I only have a couple of weeks left of our crazy drive-a-thon summer. Here are some pics from our most recent adventures, including a 48-hour 22-mile hiking extravaganza, trip to the Grand Coulee Dam, and our first concert together at Marymoor Park!

Look at that water! The North Cascades are SO pretty

Taking in one of the many beautiful views

And again... this time with Mt. Baker in sight

Love this one.

Bravest dog and best hiking buddy ever!

Snow = Jack insanity

Just a few cascading waterfalls...

One satisfied doggy

Checking out the Grand Coulee Dam

So big it won't fit into my viewfinder! FYI- there is enough concrete in the dam to make a sidewalk go around the equator not once, but TWICE. That is big.

A stop at Steamboat Rock state park

Summer concert in the park with John and Missi

Sweet chairs :)

Our first show together... crazy it took six years!

Death Cab wrapping up their show, fun times!

July 8, 2009

They say...

time flies when you are having fun. And also when you are busy. We have been both for the last week or so. After Merissa's bachelorette weekend/Joe's backpacking trip in the Wallowa's (more details on those events later), Jessie/Lukie/Baby N and their TWO doggies visited us for 4 days. Then we squeezed in a quick trip to Chelan at the Hasselbeck house, camped/hiked near Mt. Rainier with Jessie and Matt, and celebrated our 2 year anniversary on Monday to wrap up the 4th of July weekend. Looking ahead, we have Merissa/Brandon's wedding the next few days and Diamond Lake Saturday/Sunday for Joe for Mychal's bday. Life is BUSY but good, and here are the standard documentary pictures... (btw- sorry the quality SUCKS in these, but I am still waiting on my DSLR camera to get repaired, so these were taken with the most ghetto point and shoot ever...)


Future Mommy and Daddy- love that belly!

Roping up

Lukie taking the lead

Me working my way up

Jonas dominating the rock

My bad ass sister-in-law rockclimbing, 7 months prego no big deal

The Hasselbeck kids were LOVING on Jack all weekend

Little Henry Hasselbeck- LOVE him

Yes, we are getting towed by a waverunner (we ran out of gas and were paddling prior to this)

Annabelle and Supermom Sarah- this lady is amazing!

Joe with Henry and Mallory, so cute!

My hiking crew: Jack, Jessie, Matt and Jonas

Jack frolicking in the lake, weird I know

The newlyweds taking in a gorgeous view

Buddies since 6th grade!

I heart the Northwest

Lighting the lantern attempt #46, success at last (Joe, "Backdraft, backdraft! You burned the hair off of my knuckles!" hahaha)

July 7, 2009

Here's to...

2 years. What a rollercoaster our life has been in our first two years of marriage- four different residences; a new puppy; many travels, including a trip to Europe; and not to mention our future is ALWAYS in limbo, courtesy the NFL. There have been many ups and a few downs, but I wouldn't have wanted to share them with anyone else...

Some favorite pics from the big day:












Our 1 year anniversary, in Siena, Italy



Our 2 year anniversary (yesterday), on our nightly after-dinner walk with Jack