Birthday Bash in Portland, OR!

Last weekend, I went down to Portland to spend some good times with my brother and his cute family. My nephew, Ty, also celebrates his birthday in May and was turning 7 last Sunday. I drove down to Portland after work on Friday and got there just in time for dinner. We went and got some yummy chicken for dinner. I also got some great pictures of the boys...they crack me up! After dinner, we went bowling and it was SO much fun!!! I have to say that I did better than I have ever done before...hold on to your seats...I got FOUR strikes!!! That has NEVER happened before! The boys must be my good luck charms. :) After bowling we went back to Jeff and Ashley's and put the boys in bed. Jeff, Ashley and I then watched, "The Blindside." Amazing movie! :) The next day we got up and had a yummy breakfast...thanks Ash! Ty then opened up his birthday presents. He got a lot of cool things...lucky! :) We then went on a beautiful drive to the Vista House that overlooks the Columbia River Gorge. It was such a nice day and the scenery was incredible...the company even better. I am so glad that Jeff, Ashley, Ty and Charlie live in Portland and that they are close enough to spend time with them. I am especially excited about their new little one that will be arriving in November! Cannot wait!!! I love being an aunt...have I mentioned that before? :) Life is good!

My Birthday Celebration...

I have to say that I was spoiled this year!!! I had a couple of different birthday celebrations and had SO much fun! On Friday, May 7th, I went with a group of my friends to the temple for a temple session. It was really special to be in the temple with my sweet friends and to feel of their love for the gospel. We then went to dinner at Red Robins afterwards...a pesonal favorite of mine. It was definitely a great night and I felt very blessed to have fun, faithful friends. On Saturday evening, I went with some other friends to the California Pizza Kitchen and also to the movies. On Sunday, I went to church and was showered with gifts by the Primary. The kids sang "Happy Birthday" to me...and yes, I did have to wear the silly hat. The Primary Presidency gave me a book that I have already fallen in love with. It is called, "Change Your Questions, Change Your Life." It is by Sister Wendy Watson Nelson...Elder Nelson's wife. After church, I went up to my aunt and uncle's in Issaquah and celebrated Mother's Day and my birthday with them. It was fun to be with them and I am so grateful for my aunt...she has been a second mom for me here in Washington. It was great to celebrate with her! Then on Monday, my co-workers brought in lunch for my birthday. I went home after work and took a short nap and made a trip to the gym. I was greeted by a fun birthday sign and present that a sweet family in my ward had left for me. My heart took a picture...my camera did, too. :) Monday night, I went out with Jessica, Lindsay and Sarah to Katie Downs...it is a delicious restaurant on the waterfront in Tacoma and is another personal favorite. It was so fun to be with these special friends on my birthday eve. Everyone spoiled me with sweet cards and fun presents and I am so grateful! I have always said that one of the ways that I know that Heavenly Father loves me is by the friends that He has placed in my life. They are truly some of my greatest blessings...that is for sure! I am anxious to see what the coming year will bring. My friends said that "32 is the year of the Mu-mu". Ha! :)

Fondue Fix 2010

On May 5th, a group of us girls in the ward got together and went and experienced the Melting Pot. It was so much fun to be together and to have a night out on the town! We enjoyed some cheese fondue and also some chocolate fondues. The waiter brought Lisa and I a little something special for our birthday's, too...chocolate covered strawberries...to die for! It was a fun night and was the first of many Girls Night Outs! :)

Pennies for Patients

I think that I am one of the luckiest people alive! I get to work with incredible students as the National Honor Society Advisor at GKHS. These students are so incredibly bright and talented and I enjoy associating with them on a regular basis. During the month of April, we did a fundraiser at school to raise money for individuals with Leukemia, Lymphoma and other types of blood cancers. The fundraiser is known as, "Pennies for Patients." Last year was the first year that we participated and our school raised over $200. This year, our goal was to raise more than we did last year. Well, we surpassed it greatly and raised $548.00. The National Honor Society students sit at a table during lunch collecting the change and they also walk around the lunchroom asking for their peers to donate to the cause. They do a great job and I am very proud of them! Our senior class were the top donators this year. They were also the top donators last year as juniors. The kids get really excited about this fundraiser and enjoy seeing their names go up on pennies on the walls at the school. It gives them a sense of pride to know that they are contributing to such a great cause. It was definitely a great experience for all of us! I plan on continuing this activity with my students each year. :)

Happy Birthday, Jessica!!!

Jessica's birthday was on May 2nd. It was the big 27 for this little Miss. There was a large group of us that went out to the Cheesecake Factory in Seattle for dinner and then we went to her sister's house for games afterwards. It was a total party and let's be honest...Jessica totally deserved it! :) We then celebrated on the actual birthday, Sunday May 2nd, with her family. Her mom made a delicious meal and we had fun opening presents and eating birthday cake. Can I just say that I am so grateful to have Jessica in my life? We have been friends for almost three years now but it feels like she has been a part of my life for much longer than that...she is definitely one of my besties! Love to you, Jess! Here's hoping 27 brings much happiness your way! :)

Huntington Beach, California...April 2010

Huntington Beach Experience

In an effort to be obedient to my bishop's counsel and in finding an opportunity for a little adventure... I went with a couple of my brave friends, Jen and Robynn, to the Huntington Beach, California mid singles conference in the end of April. We flew out of Seattle early April 23rd. When we arrived in LA, we got our little rental car and headed to the Santa Monica pier. This is the boardwalk that has been made famous in different movies through the years...don't ask me what movies right now...I just know that it has. :) It is also the end of the famous Route 66. It was a beautiful day and we seized the moment to take lots of photos and to also enjoy a ferris wheel ride. It was awesome! Before the trip, I had told my friends that I had to eat at an In N' Out while we were in California. So, after our stop at the Santa Monica pier, we headed for some yummy food from a personal favorite of mine. It definitely hit-the-spot. :) We then headed to Huntington Beach where we checked into the Howard Johnson Hotel and took a quick nap to reenergize our already tired bodies for our weekend of fun in the sun. We then got ready to go to the Mid Singles Conference...I'm not gonna lie. We were a bit nervous and apprehensive and didn't really know quite what to expect. Friday night was actually a ton of fun! :) There was a dance at the church with a live band there from the '80s...no lie...they were totally decked out in '80s clothes and were singing songs from that popular decade we all grew up in. In the rooms surrounding the cultural hall, there were different activities going on. There was speed dating...quite the experience, Rock Band...love it, Foos Ball, Table Tennis, Karaoke, etc. We had fun experiencing it all. And, we got some flirting in with some cute guys...always a plus! :) Saturday they had different workshops that were all really good and insightful. The Long Beach, California mission president was one of the speakers and actually was probably my favorite. That afternoon, we all headed to the beach for some good times in the sun. It wasn't too hot...just right with temps at about 70-75. Jen, Robynn and I enjoyed some window shopping and some delicious ice cream there, too. Saturday night, there was another dance and some other activities. Once again, fun times for all ! We flew home on Sunday and all agreed that we would definitely be checking out the upcoming mid singles conferences in the future. We had a great time and I think we all needed the time away to meet and mingle with other people who are at the same place in life. I think they said that the total number of attendees for the weekend was 1200. Amazing! I am really, really, really glad we went. I am pretty sure that Robynn and Jen can say the same thing. :)