Fir Point Farms

We had a fun filled weekend! We went to a great place called Fir Point Farms in Aurora, Oregon. We met up with Dan, Elise, and Campbell and enjoyed the afternoon watching the kids run around and discover fun and exciting things. Addy and Campbell were on their own agendas; therefore, keeping all of us on our toes. Addy was so happy running around, feeding and petting goats, seeing bunnies, eating snacks, touching every pumpkin she could get her hands on, and getting the chance to pet a big fluffy white dog. I love getting the opportunity to experience the absolute joy of these simple things through my daughter.
We also had the chance to meet up with some dear friends Amy and Jake Wolff for pizza in the evening. They were babysitting their niece Taylor and nephew Hank and so Addy had some fun kids to play with. It was so entertaing sitting back and watching the kids interact, laugh, and play tag. We topped off the weekend hanging out with the Willis Family on Sunday afternoon. We ate some great food and watched the cousins all play together. I love those fun filled weekends with friends and family :)

Family Photo Shoot

A couple weeks ago, my dear friends Jordan and Lianne Philips gave our family a special gift. Jordan and Li make a great photography couple. Jordan has the equipment and knows how to work everything. He has a great eye for good poses, lighting, and backgrounds. Li is great at coming up with posing ideas and getting the kid's attention when the photos are being taken. They are both fantastic editors and always produce amazing photos! I appreciate all that they have done to bless our family with these photographic memories. Thank you Jord and Li!

Here are some that we really like. I am not going to post my absolute favorites because I am saving those for our Christmas cards :)

A Fun Day at the Park!

Today was a beautiful day. We spent the afternoon at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver. The weather was perfect. The food was yummy...we ate corn dogs, teriaki chicken, shaved ice, and elephant ears :) We watched Addy run around the park with this huge smile on her face as she laughed, said "Hi" to strangers, pointed and "woofed" at dogs, stomped on leaves and chips, gestured to other little kids to throw her their ball, and mooched off mommy and daddy for snacks. Then we walked through and looked at all the booths. It was a fun and relaxing afternoon.

Rolos and Plastic Bags

Kids are so funny. There are an endless supply of toys specifically catered to children at every age. These toys are intended to entertain, challenge, teach, and spur on the imagination. Patrick and I have spent extended periods of time on the toy aisles at various stores trying to determine what toys would be good for Addy...and we even try to include her in the decision making process by having her choose. However, she usually chooses both and then eventually drops them on the ground and grabs another. So much for that! Addy finds much amusement in just about anything that is not a toy...here are some of her favorites:
* Daddy's wallet and all the goodies inside

* Mommy's chapstick

* Addy's bottle of flouride drops

* reciepts or pieces of trash

* Books

*Stuffed animals (mainly Elmo and Lamby)

*Children's tylenol bottle

* Bottles of pills (that way she can shake them and make music)

*Plastic bags

* Toiletrie items of all sorts

*Clean Diapers

*Packages of wipes

* Candy bars or containers

* Hair things (rubber bands, clips, combs, etc)
Keep in mind, we don't let her play with most of these things without supervision of course....so don't freak out :)

Addy with her rolos and plastic bag

Special Day for a Special Friend

Yesterday my dear friend El tied the knot! The wedding was beautifully put together, El looked stunning...I mean stunning, the food was amazing, Paul and El looked so happy together, and Patrick and I had fun reconnecting with friends from college we have not seen in quite some time. It was so neat to be a part of this awesome celebration!

The BIG 25!

For those of you who don't know Patrick and I have the same birthday. Yes, it is the same day and same year. Kinda freaky. I know. I am exactly 12.5 hours older than Patrick and I definitely let him know that those extra hours of life make me smarter and wiser in every way...haha.

Anyway, on Sunday August 23rd we celebrated our 25th birthday. Two of our favorite things to do together are #1 Eating and #2 Watching movies. Since we became parents, eating is no longer a leisure activity. We eat what we can in a rush while we cut food up into small pieces, feed Addy, clean up messes, and try to prevent loud outbursts from Addy in restaurants. Going to the movie theatre is no longer an option when you have a little one, so that rules out movies. So we thought we would celebrate our birthday by reverting back to the two things we love to do most together while the grandparents watched Addy.

Birthday Weekend:

Saturday, August 22nd- ate lunch at Macaroni Grill, saw the movie "Time Traveler's Wife" and "Ugly Truth" in one night.

Sunday, August 23rd- ate lunch at Red Robin with Addy and uncle Andy, went to the mall, and then saw the movie "District 9" with my brother Andy. We were going to see a double feature again that night, but we were pooped...we are getting old, ya know?

Sunday August 29th- my parents are treating us to our favorite restaurant Red Lobster for lunch...yummy.

How is that for birthday activities?.....I like!

Married 4 years and counting...

On August 13th Patrick and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary. Wow, I can't believe it has already been four years. Even though I feel like I have been married forever, I still can't believe how fast time flies.

Our Wedding Day 08-13-2005

Patrick and I met our freshman year of college. We dated throughout college and got married the summer after our junior year. Since we have been married, we finished our senior year of undergrad, Patrick graduated with his Masters, I am halfway done with my Masters, and we have a 16 month little girl. Married life has never been calm and blissful for us. In fact, there has never been a time yet, where both of us are out of school. We have always had to juggle work schedules, school work, internships, and now parenting. It is not easy. We have oftentimes felt like we were being wrung out to dry.

There have been times where Patrick and I want to kill each other. There have been times where we have questioned whether or not God even cares what is going on with us. There have been times where we have felt like we were not cut out for parenting. There have been times where I have just wanted to give up on everything. For those of you who are married, you know it is not always easy. For those of you who are parents, you know it is not always easy.

Bottom line, Patrick and I love each other so much. Our love has sustained us these past 4 years of craziness. We have embraced lifes challenges and done our best to keep our heads above water. We have been a strong team in spite of all our imperfections. God has designed marriage and parenthood as tools to sharpen us into the men and women of him that he desires us to be. The process of learning and growing never ends. God will provide us with the strength to keep on pressing forward, he will provide us with joy and hope during those desperate times, and he will never leave our side along this oftentimes rocky journey.

I love my husband Patrick. I am thankful that God has brought us together. I am thankful for how God has used our marriage to challenge me to grow. I am thankful for the beautiful and amazing daugther that God brought in our lives. I am so excited to see what God has in store for my marriage and for my family in the coming year.

Anniversary Date Night 08-13-2009

Beautiful Sunset in Lincoln City, OR

After we ate Thai food, we headed to the Casino for fun

We left the Casino, after losing $16 in the nickel slot machines

That sums up our anniversary date! We had a fun and relaxing date in Lincoln City.

Much Needed Girl Time

I miss my girlfriends. It is definitely different being out of college, married, and now with a daughter when it comes to having quality time with the girls. Priorities have shifted and times are busy! I thrive off of interaction with others, therefore, having the time to fellowship and laugh with my girls is an essential for me :) Here are two of my favorite memories with the girls this summer:

Soulsista Wedding Shoot: There are three very special girls in my life named Lianne, Amy, and Jenna. Us four girls were in a close knit bible study during our freshman year of college called the "Soulsistas." Over the past several years we have come and gone our separate ways, but we have still managed to stay friends and stay in touch over the years. We are all back in the same vacinity of one another and continue to have great fellowship and fun when we can. We thought it would be fun to put on our wedding dresses and get all dolled up to take some cool pictures. You see, Li's husband Jordan Philips is a talented photographer and we thought this would be a great opportunity for him to use his awesome equipment. Here are a few of my favorite shots:

ALL-DAY Girls rafting trip down the Deschutes River: White water rafting by far is my new favorite thing to do. I have only done it twice now, but both times were exhilarating experiences. This last time I went was with a bunch of my girlfriends...all of which attended George Fox University...and some of us have not seen each other in quite some time. It was a great reunion. We had lots of fun, laughed a lot, and were very sore at the end of the day. We definitely want to do something crazy like this again someday. These are the girls that went: Amy, Stefanie, Me, Vangie, Megan, El, and Lianne and here are some fun pictures to prove it!

More girl time to come...

Summer Highlights

This has definitely been an interesting summer for the Willis'. Patrick graduated with his Masters degree in May and we then moved in with my parents in Washougal, WA, while Patrick began the job hunting process. This period of 'transit' has not been easy and we are definitely tired of the waiting game. We are continuing to hope and pray that God has the perfect job for Patrick and that it will come soon!

In the meantime, we have had an eventfull summer filled with fun and exciting events. Here are some of my favorites:

My cousin John and Stefanie's wedding in Spokane, Washington:

Willamina's Old Fashioned 4th of July Celebration:

Chapin Family Vacation in Oceanside, California:

Willis Family Vacation in Lincoln City, Oregon:

Pathetic Blogger

Okay, I have been scolded one too many times about how I need to keep my blog updated and interesting. I apologize, I have failed miserably. I have never been into journaling, but have always been interested in keeping up on the latest on family and friends. My husband and I both have established blogs now and we hope to do a better job of reflecting on what is going on in our lives through writing. Hold me accountable!

Soul Sistas:)

Amy, Me, Li, and Jenna!

Internet World

Okay, here I am. I finally gave in to the life of blogging. My girlfriends will be so proud :) I am obviously new at this and I can't promise that I have anything interesting to say, but at least you will be able to get a glimpse of what my family is up to if you are interested.