bird's eye view

travis gets to see some pretty amazing stuff out his window flying!




canadian rockies departing from Calgary, Alberta



on the right you can see the steam coming out of mount st. helens



Cascades coming into portland



mt shasta in northern california

hiking

mirror lake hike by mt hood. this place is beautiful!

laguna beach

a cuban cigar roller right there rolling our cigars.



a four course meal.




a painter painting the scene.






let's just say i went to a very extravagant wedding this past weekend in laguna beach...for one of our college friends. it was amazing. the bride use to be an event planner and she knew how to throw a party (and her dad's pocketbook helped, too!)we danced like we were back in college. the band was very good. they played everything from jazz to hip-hop...so much fun!

the cigars were my favorite.



(at the rehearsal dinner)

oh, and we flew on the "disneyland flight"....evidently this is the closest airport to disneyland, so there were kids surrounding us. when we took off, all of the kids cheered. it was the most exciting take off i've ever experienced!

training is over!

yippeeee! travis finished training today....wahoooo!!! he has a few days off before he starts flying next week.

training costs...

just got word of this article in minneapolis and i'm sooooo glad that it doesn't effect travis. (because the timing was perfect from his new hire date and his furlough date...whew!)

i didn't realize moss was so cool!

over the last week since i haven't been blogging...

i went on an amazing hike in nw portland...at national forest park
had a relaxing weekend
enjoyed evergreen for easter
met a new friend, liz, from the twin cities
tried out 2 new coffee shops

well, that's the short of it all...and here's the long...

i cannot believe that you can be in the middle of urban coolness and then within just a few blocks walk into an amazing dense forest complete with a beautiful stream and moss all over the trees (moss has become my new infatuation). it was breath-taking. i just couldn't believe my eyes. this is what oregon is all about. i can't wait to go camping and explore more trails! this picture doesn't begin to describe what it was like!

on easter, i went back to evergreen. i met more people this time and i think that travis and i could really feel at home here. it just seems like a great community. i really like the people. i also love that they have prayers stations and it seems like from the forum, that they are wanting to do even more with the art and stations...which i have really missed from oneplace. i would like to check out a home group and meet some people.

today, i hung out with liz...it was so much fun. we talked about tv shows and painting and taking art classes at PSU. it was inspiring. i love meeting other artists! and great to meet new people here. i've only been here a few months, haven't even been connected in a church, but i'm still meeting people that will be so fun to hang out with. yipppeee!

the weather has been beautiful lately. i've been taking little breaks from work to take a walk and enjoy the weather. work is still a little crazy, but good....really good.

waterdeep

i hit the first album on my ipod and my old water deep/enter the worship circle cd came up (and if this is the only waterdeep cd you have ever heard, you are missing out...their music has so much depth.) i haven't listened to this cd since college...but i'm playing it right now as i'm working and i forgot how good the lyrics are...


"...you have redeemed my soul, from the pit of empitness. you have redeemed my soul from death....

...tender mercy, you forgive me. slow to anger, quick to love....

...praise the lord, oh my soul, and my deepest parts...

and all the pain i am carrying inside. i will hand it to you. you will take it, set me free, i will fly...."

flying

i'm so happy for my husband. i'm so glad that he is so passionate about his job and that he loves to fly. (right now he is watching flight videos on the internet...where he watches landings and such...i have to admit i don't get it, but it makes me smile!) a few weeks ago we went to the hanger where they work on the airplanes and i was able to take a tour of the plane he will be flying. i even sat in the cockpit. as i sat there and looked out the window, i imagined being up in the clouds and having that front row seat...it must be amazing! i sat there for a while and asked "what's that...how does that work...what does that do..." the cockpit is much roomier than i expected...lumbar support and even a foot rest. (don't worry they won't get too comfortable.)

i'm so proud of travis.

love and living

"life consists in learning to live on one's own, spontaneous, freewheeling: to do this one must recognize what is one's own--be familiar and at home with oneself. this means basically learning who one is, and learning what one has to offer to the contemporary world, and then learning how to make that offering valid."

--thomas merton "love and living"

with ryan's comments on rachael's blog, i had to check out thomas merton. i've always loved the mystic writers.

and as i opened this book, the words penetrated my heart. his words are potent and they are beautiful.

stumptown coffee

well, ben was right. stumptown coffee is wonderful! i love the french press stuff!...and $1 bottomless cup? how can you beat that. i will be going back! the place was loud with white walls, which are two things i don't normally have on my list for coffee shops. but surprisingly, i liked it. art like this lined the walls. i liked the atmosphere, the music, the coffee, and the wifi. i have found a new friend. and it was in another cool area...33rd and belmont...how many cool streets can there be??? it is beautiful out today. so, i'm glad i was able to soak it up...working at stumptown and i squeezed in a quick walk by the river by our apartment.

i spoke a little too soon about work not being spastic...i'm drowning in design work...but this is just the nature of the beast. it all seems to come in at the same time...so this week i might be pulling a few late nights, but i'll welcome those late nights with open arms. in a weird twisted way, i'll enjoy it.

another update...

this past week i tried out 2 new coffee shops (i still haven't found the perfect one, yet.) and a fabulous french cafe in northwest 23rd. (with my new friend, leslie) i am so thankful for her friendship. it has been so fun having someone to explore and share this moving thing with. and also to have another person who's husband is a pilot. ahhh! it is a good feeling and it has made this abrupt move much easier.

things are good. and things are hard at the same time. i'm ready to be settled...and to find a church...and to know the city better...and to have a house. but those things take time and that's okay.

travis and i went driving around beaverton this weekend. we found a cool townhouse that we liked. i think i'm okay with beaverton. with the maxx line there,i can get to downtown portland very easy...and that makes me feel a little better about being a suburbian.

work has been busy. i'm starting to get in a routine and my work schedule isn't as crazy and spastic as it has been before. it feels good. i think i'm realizing as much as i love to be a free spirit, i need structure and a schedule to function. and i've given in...but hopefully i'm just creating a framework for that free spirit to thrive. : ) at least i hope...because i would love to make time for painting and jewelry making and just time be creative.