sentimental gratitude

'tis the season to give thanks, so we thought we’d take this opportunity to make a list of things we’re grateful for.

minnesota:
1. the love of my life who’s my partner in crime, my one and only, my joy, my oxygen
2. my family and friends whom i love and miss very much
3. lucky’s family whom i love and miss very much
4. health – i’m ever getting closer to running a marathon!
5. strength – i’m stronger than i look, you know
6. courage – how else could we have moved from indiana to oregon without jobs or a place to live?
7. creativity – it’s a beautiful thing
8. dark chocolate – it’s gotten me through some rough times
9. intelligence – it’s also gotten me through some rough times
10. laughter – it’s gotten me through the roughest times
11. sunrises and sunsets – they’re gorgeous daily gifts
12. adventure – what life is all about
13. puddle diving – one of life’s simplest pleasures
14. the little things – a smile, a touch, an encouraging word, flowers for no reason
15. diamonds! just kidding – wanted to see if you were still reading
16. fresh strawberries – they’re nature’s most perfect food
17. thunderstorms
18. ocean waves and soft breezes
19. meditation
20. most of all, i’m grateful for love – to love and be loved

lucky:
1. my twin soul, my calm in the storm, my teacher of faith, and a love stronger than the oceans
2. my family and their unconditional love and support
3. minnesota's family and their ever-growing understanding
4. kandinsky and indy and their unconditional love
5. friends who provide laughter and love
6. my good health - the result of a regular workouts and eating lots of fruits and vegetables
7. the simple things in life – sunshine when you don’t expect it, the comfort of an embrace, rollerskating
8. grandmama’s chocolate cake – the cupcakes here are a decent substitution, but definitely not the real thing
9. the good nature of most people in the world
10. belly laughs – the kind “America’s Funniest Videos” create
11. flowing creative juices – their power is amazing
12. the people who are still reading our blog
13. thunderstorms – I’m missing those a lot
14. krystal cheeseburgers, sonic chili cheese dogs and cherry limeade – i have papa to thank for introducing me to krystal
15. my job – it’s fantastic to enjoy going to work
16. art and music
17. freedom to travel
18. romantic comedies
19. electricity
20. fearlessness – there’s really nothing to be afraid of

happy thanksgiving everyone! as always, we’re sending love and hugs across the miles.

fancy parties and rain

mn and i attended our first fancy art museum party last saturday night. we donned our best "dress up" clothes, took a taxi (because it was open bar) and hit the town. the party was for the opening of the egypt exhibit and 1000+ portlanders came out to view the exhibit and celebrate the museum. the museum ballrooms were decorated lavishly with hints of egypt including two ice luges for drinks. the food was spectacular - mn even liked the hummus, which usually isn't one of her favorites. we both enjoyed the pyramid cake - yep, a cake in the shape of a pyramid - mainly because it reminded us of the yummy cupcakes we've come to love. after the party, we headed out for cocktails with some of my work peeps and had a great time.

the rain has been falling in historic proportions for the past week - a graphic on the news the other night stated portland has gotten 430% more rain this month than they usually do. we didn't think it was anything unusual because this is portland, but apparently they don't usually get this much rain at one time. it's been fine, though, we just make sure to grab the umbrella and go out into the world. no reason to let a little water keep you indoors. the weather has to take a backseat to what we wanna do and when we wanna do it. otherwise, we're being controlled by an outside force we have no control over and that seems a little crazy to me. there are already enough forces at work against us - shouldn't we stand up to the ones we know we can conquer? i mean, it's not like we're going to melt - we'll just get wet and eventually we'll dry. so the message i'm attempting to get across is this...don't let anything get in the way of you participating in activities you want to participate in - not rain, not snow, not fear, not anything.

stay tuned for more lessons. in the meantime, here is a photo of us from the art museum party.

thanks for continuing to read our ramblings - we love and miss all y'all.

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

she's arrived! our new roomie, v, and her daughter jessica pulled into pdx a week ago after three very long days on the road. although their road trip was fun and filled with lots of adventure, v has remarked she won't be making a drive like that for quite some time. after showing them around portland (international rose test garden, japanese gardens, art museum, cupcakes from saint cupcake), jessica had to depart to fly back home to indy.

this past week has been all about transition, compromise, patience and understanding. it's been an interesting and difficult transition at times, but for the most part, we're doing our best to be cognizant of one another's space. in no time, we'll fall into routines, but until then, we're still finding our respective ways.

my art as business class is half over now. unfortunately, it's not exactly what i hoped it would be in terms of instruction, but i'm trying to make the best of the situation and glean as much information as possible.

lucky continues to become more and more comfortable at the museum. plus, she really enjoys the people with whom she works, so all is well.

other than that, we're still enjoying the beautiful fall colors here, loving life, and continuing to be grateful for your love and support. as always, we're sending love and hugs across the miles...the girlz

hiking in forest park - pittock mansion


view of downtown and mt. hood from pittock mansion


v and jessica at the rose test garden


japanese gardens