umm.. Hello?

Wow.  Really?  March was the last time I posted in here?!  Yikes.  I really do want to get back into it... I'm going to try.  Again.  I know, how many times have I said that?! Honestly, it's been an amazing, busy spring & summer.  I rarely log into my laptop at home, so blogging has taken a back seat to enjoying the sunshine and friends and family.

However, I have much to update.  Stories to tell, and photos to share... Where shall I begin.  I'll start with a quick recap of my friend, Michelle's visit, way back in February.  Michelle and I worked together in AZ.  I introduced her to Rachael when Rach moved to Arizona.  They hit it off, and became friends as well.  We were thrilled when Michelle decided she wanted to come spend her birthday weekend with Rachael & I.

Rach & I picked Michelle up from the airport Friday night.  We went back to Issaquah, where Rach was living at the time, and grabbed a pizza and a couple pitchers of beer.  The pizza place had a magician that seriously blew our minds.  He was quite entertaining, and spent a good deal of time at our table showing us his many card tricks.

After grabbing some food, we proceeded to bar hop, and people watch.  The three of us really do have an affinity for a good dive bar.  We were determined to hit up all 3 of them in the little downtown strip of Issaquah.  It really was quite entertaining. Witnessed a brawl at the first place, ran into our magician friend at the second place, and were mesmerized by the oddity of the third.  All in all, it was a very good night.  We had a great time!

Part of the magician's card tricks. Mind.  Blown. 

Cheers!!

So happy to have Michelle visit!!

So many laughs were had that weekend.

The next day, we got a bit of a late start, but headed to Pike Place Market, and proceeded to eat our way through the market.  Started with coffee & crumpets at The Crumpet Shop, then onto mac & cheese from Beecher's.  Then, a couple yummy piroshkies at Piroshky Piroshky.  Of course, in between, we took in the sights of the market, including the gum wall.  When we had our fill of the market, we cruised up to Kerry Park on Queen Anne, for an amazing view of downtown, before heading to Freemont to see the troll. We were all pretty beat from the night before, so we grabbed a drink and appetizers at Ray's Boathouse, then headed back to Rachael's to watch a movie.  Which I slept through.

Yummy crumpet with Nutella

Gum wall!

Obligatory selfie in front of the gum wall

What to choose at Piroshky Piroshky?

It was cloudy, but I still love the view from Kerry Park. 

Freemont Troll

The next day, Rachael had a prior commitment during the day, so Michelle and I headed back to downtown Seattle, and did the Seattle Underground Tour. I've done the tour 3 times now, and I still am in awe every time.  I do think the quality of the tour really depends on the guide.  The first time I went was by far, the best.  But this guide was pretty good too.  That night, we decided to show Michelle one of our favorite areas of Seattle - Ballard.  Rachael met us for dinner at Zayda Buddy's.  Then we hit up Kings Hardware for some skee ball and beer.  Finally, capping off the night at Macleods. 
 

This is a shot looking up at the sidewalk in Pioneer Square.  The purple glass in the sidewalks provided sky lights in the underground. 

Smith Tower

Yummy bloody mary at Zayda Buddy's

Skee Ball!

Enjoying the time together at Macleods.

Silliness.  A whole lot of laughter & silliness!  Love these girls!

Michelle left the next day.  :( I think we packed quite a bit into a long weekend.  It was a blast having her here, and I can't wait to see her again.  (okay, in all fairness.... I did just see her a few weeks ago for a quick lunch while she was in town, visiting family)

Phew, that was longer than I thought it'd be!  hopefully I'll get to more recapping this weekend... Though, with the forecasted sunny skies and my brother wanting to take advantage of the summer, I'll likely be spending time on the lake, in his boat.  We shall see, perhaps I'll squeeze in another blog post somewhere in between.  :)

 

Rock On!

Once again, I'm falling a wee bit behind in blogging. Surprise, surprise, right? :)

Back in January, a group of us got together (I think there were 8 of us all together) and went to see an AC DC cover band. I was even able to get my brothers to join in the fun. With my friends and brothers involved, you know hilarity ensued. It was such a fun night! We grabbed a burger and some drinks at Kings Hardware in Ballard before heading a couple doors down to the Tractor Tavern. The Tractor is such a great little dive place to watch shows. It's tiny, no frills, but I've always had a really good time when I've gone to shows there. It was a fantastic night, full of many great memories. As I stood there, watching the band, I was overwhelmed with how "right" it all felt. I was literally surrounded by some of my closest friends and family. And then, to see my brothers forming friendships with my friends as well? It was pretty awesome. Yes. This, this is where I belong. :)

So, without further cheesiness… here are some photos from that night. Such good times!

 

BFF making it another Hamm's night
 

So loud! :)

Rocking out

BFF & my big brother. <3 them both so much!

My brudders. 

Big Bro posing with the devil horns.  He'd had a few ;)

Friends.  <3



 

Portland Fun

Has it really been a month since I updated this?  Yikes.  Life has been busy, and honestly, just kind of flying by. But, I'm loving every minute of it!

About a month ago, BFF & I decided to take a quick weekend trip to Portland.  Portland is about 3 hours away from Seattle.  So Friday night, we met at her dad's house, in Olympia (which was about the half way point) and headed down to Portland. 

We checked in to the Embassy Suites just after 10 that night.  After a quick freshening up, we went down to the hotel bar, and had the bartender whip us up a yummy drink.  We chatted with him for a bit before continuing on to our next destination... which turned out to be Huber's.   If you're ever in Portland, I highly recommend this little bar.  It's almost like stepping back in time.  Where bartending was almost an art.  Again, we sat up at the bar, and chatted with the bartender.  He made us some delicious concoction.  Their specialty is Spanish coffee.  While we didn't have one, it's quite the production watching it being prepared. 

 

 

We stayed at Huber's until they were closing, then walked the couple blocks back to our hotel to crash for the evening.

The next morning, we met up with my friend from California, Ms. Pants.  She just happened to be in Portland, visiting friends the same weekend as BFF and I.  We went to breakfast at Mother's Bistro & Bar.  Which is another place I'd highly recommend.  Great atmosphere, and delicious food.  After breakfast, we wandered through a record store with Ms. Pants, before saying goodbye. 

 

 

BFF & I headed to the shopping area, and scoured the stores for sales.  I scored several really amazing deals, by the way! $100 shoes for $17, a $60 shirt for $10 and a $70 pair of jeans for $16 to name a few.  And no sales tax!

 

 

We shopped til we dropped, and headed back to the hotel to relax before hitting the town for night #2. 

BFF has a friend that lives in Portland, so he came and picked us up and we headed to dinner at Henry's Tavern.  We had a great dinner there, lots of laughs, and then headed to one of his favorite little dive bars that has karaoke.  It was quite entertaining.  We stayed there for awhile, but I was pretty exhausted, so it wound up being somewhat of an early night. 

Before heading home the next morning, we had to make the trip to Voodoo Doughnuts.  We went pretty early, so the line wasn't long at all.  Just a few minutes.  I got the Bacon Maple Bar, Portland Cream, Triple Chocolate Penetration, and Old Dirty Bastard.  They were all yummy.  The Bacon Maple & Triple Chocolate were probably my favorites. 

I totally fell in love with Portland.  Such a great city!  We're already talking about our next trip there.  Hoping to make it there next month... We shall see! 

Perspective

I have been mentally composing a blog reflecting on 2012. Those that know me, know that I'm a pretty positive person. So while 2012 was one of the most difficult years I've had the misfortune to experience, it was also very rewarding at times. I have a lot to be thankful for. I'm incredibly happy right now. But I was struggling on how to compose a post that is genuine, speaks from the heart about the difficulties I've faced. Yet doesn't scream that I'm glossing over things, or I'm adapting a negative thought process.

Last weekend, I went to dinner and drinks with a dear friend. We had become quite close before I moved to AZ, kind of lost contact while I was in AZ (as I did with a lot of my friends-which speaks to my state of mind ) and have been trying unsuccessfully to get together since I've been back. To say she's had a difficult year is putting it mildly. It's not my story to tell, but this woman has faced some insane hardships, and she remains positive. Her faith has been tested. Yet she holds on to her beliefs. I am truly humbled by her story. Yes, 2012 was a challenging year for me, but I know things could have been worse.

So there will be no reflection on 2012 for me. I know that, without a doubt, everything happens for a reason. God doesn't close one door without opening another. I am exactly where I belong at this point in my life. I have so much to look forward to in 2013. So many things to learn. So much life to live. So much hope to be had. And so far, it's off to an amazing start!

Just because I feel like a post isn't complete without a photo... Here's some of my favorite Instagram photos from 2012.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Christmas is officially less than one week away.  Are you ready for it?  I am, for the most part.  I still need to pick up a couple things for my nephews, but that's it.  So I will be one of the insane peeps out at the mall (likely the Lego store, which makes it even worse) this weekend.  Good times for sure!

This Christmas is much different than the past eight.  I am not celebrating with the Hubs.  We will not be exchanging gifts, or spending Christmas morning (well, more like Christmas afternoon, as Hubs always did like sleeping in) opening gifts to one another.  Instead, I will be spending the day & night with my family.  Waking up to my nephews excited to see what Santa brought them.  Watching as my brothers open their gifts from me.  I will be helping Mom & my sister-in-law in the kitchen, preparing a delicious feast of prime rib.  I will be savoring every moment with my family, because the past three years I was not able to be there with them. And I couldn't be happier. 

We decorated the tree the day after Thanksgiving this year.  My brother's girlfriend & I.  We made my brother listen to Christmas music, and laughed at his insistence to be a scrooge.  It's the same tree that Hubs & I had.  The same decorations.  And it's just as pretty. 

Last weekend, BFF & I spent the day in downtown Seattle doing some Christmas shopping, and just generally taking in the Christmas spirit.  Downtown at Christmas time seems almost magical to me.  Sounds cheesy, right?  But it really does!  The lights, the street musicians playing Christmas music, the carousel, the ginormous tree outside Westlake Center...  all of it.  Magical, I tell ya!

 

In typical wintery Seattle weather, it rained.  Pretty much the entire day.  But the magic of Christmas downtown kept our spirits high.  Well, that, a hat, umbrella & some warm coats, scarves, and gloves! ;)

 

 

What girl doesn't love a Tiffany Christmas tree?  :)

Nordstrom builds a Santa workshop every year.  It's always super cute, and has me considering waiting in line for a photo op with Santa briefly.  Very briefly. 

Love.  The best part of Christmas. 

So yes, a very different Christmas is only a week away.  So far, though, this very different Christmas is shaping up to be a very special Christmas. 

Grateful

Some days are better than others.  It's no secret that in the last 9-10 months I've been dealt some crappy stuff.  I struggle more than I probably let on.  For as long as I can remember water has always been a calming force to me.  (ironic, since I lived in the desert for 3 years, right?!) In high school, I remember driving out to Deception Pass to clear my head.  Deception Pass quickly became "my spot".  A place I would visit when life began to overwhelm me, and I needed to regroup. 

It's not very convenient these days to travel all the way up to Deception Pass.  It's about 1 1/2 hours each way.  I'm always on the "hunt" for new beaches that will help me clear my head when things become overwhelming - as they often do.  Last week, I took the day after Deck the Hall Ball off.  I felt emotions piling up, and needed that escape.  So, I headed to the Edmonds Marina Beach.  It's a small little beach, tucked away by the marina.  It was exactly what I needed.  Last Wednesday was a clear, but freezing cold, windy day.  I walked along the beach for a bit.  Went back, and warmed up in my car.  Then walked the beach a little more. 

I know it may sound corny, but it helped.  Tremendously.  Life isn't easy sometimes.  It can be downright difficult.  Although I truly believe with every ounce of me that everything happens for a reason, I often wonder in the midst of it what that reason is.  In the hour or so I spent at the beach, I was reminded of the beauty that I often take for granted.  I'm reminded that I'm fortunate to call the Pacific Northwest home.  That although I may not know the reasons behind why things happened the way they did to bring me to where I am now, I know without a doubt that this is where I need to be. 

So, here's a few photos I snapped on my phone (I really do need to get a real camera again!). 

I'll definitely be returning there.  As well as making the trek up to my all-time favorite, Deception Pass.  Simply beautiful.