Surprise Getaway

 Andrew for the win! He completely spoiled me this past weekend with a surprise getaway to Bend, Crater Lake, & surrounding areas. Good food, great company, amazing nature, hot tubs, long hikes, cuddling by the fire, swimming in the river...  it was splendid. I got off from work Friday morning, got 2 hours of sleep, and off we went! I even came home to my clothes packed for me (though I changed a few items)... seriously, what a guy! 

We watched our wedding video and read our 1 year anniversary cards one evening after a delicious "family styled" intimate dinner with vacationers from Wales, Boston, & Dallas. I even ate lamb & caviar (without realizing what it was). I learned how lovely and sophisticated the true English language is when spoken in an English accent (I think one of the gals said "lovely" at least 20 times). Anyways, it was simply a blast and I can finally check Crater Lake off of my Oregon list. Check!

A little cottage for the two of us in the woods

My swimming hole! White shorts do not make for a great swim suit when company arrives...

--------Insta-vacay-------

Yes, please, & thank you

A surprise weekend getaway? Yes, please, & thank you...

What an amazing weekend. 

So sad it's over.

More details tomorrow. For now, you just get our smiling faces. 

Christmas card picture potential?

It was magical timing

 There we were, headed to Multnomah Falls, driving through beautiful winding roads with the Columbia river just past our view. Green at every glance and wind blown branches beneath our tires. Little cottages and farms fit perfectly in every country cove. And then we saw it- a white sign that read, "Lavender Field ahead." My heart jumped; I gasped; Andrew looked at me with a smirk because we had just finished talking about how I still wanted to go to a lavender field before the summer was over. It was magical timing. 

The field was small, the farm was quaint. We were the only visiters. It was perfect. Every sense was engaged. The bees bzzzzzz'd, the scent of lavender filled my nares, the sun's heat warmed my bare skin, the sights were gorgeous, and I even enjoyed a cold lemonade upon returning to the car. This little stop on the side of the road may have lasted less than 10 minutes, but it was glorious and the perfect little summer surprise.

Sweet Summer Nights: Vista House & Multnomah Falls

Oh, summer bliss! Every free minute between working and sleeping (need more of that) has been spent soaking up every ounce of sun, summer, friends/fam, and the the gorgeous outdoors.

I am in love with Oregon summers and the countless beautiful places to explore and enjoy. We're taking advantage of every moment we can get before med school starts up again for Andrew. 

Portland is turning out to be the perfect place for us to live in this time of our marriage and young lives. What a blessing to be so near to beautiful scenery; praise God for this opportunity and memorable time together.

We spent a late afternoon last week at Vista House, light hiking at Multnomah Falls, and another surprise place (tomorrow's post) that I've always wanted to go to. We then enjoyed a nice "Portlandy" dinner at a new favorite: Tasty & Sons. Mmmh, so good! You MUST go- though I like the lunch/brunch menu better than the dinner menu.

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PS- Happy Birthday Mom! Love you so much!

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{taken via iPhone and edited with instagram}