musical crack

I am not sure what is going on, but I can't get enough of this song...I think my sisters (Mattie, Kerri...it's on you with Kelli gone) need to maybe recreate this some Saturday night!

It's such a good feeling to know you're alive...

It is such a good feeling to know I'm alive...and I definitely know I am alive after this trip to Oregon...whether it was my conversations with Megan or Kim or Lobster Fest with family or the awesomeness of nature...most likely a combination of all of the above...I realized that I am definitely alive.  Alive and really full of gratitude for my life...grateful to a Father in Heaven who has given me my life.  He and I may not always see eye to eye on things and sometimes we get in fights...but it is in moments like the ones documented in the pictures in the posts below...standing at Wahkeena falls, watching the sun set over the Columbia River Gorge, standing on the beach watching the waves roll in, laughing hysterically, listening to monks chant...in all of those moments...I felt alive and full of the goodness that is in the world...my gratitude was inexpressible...it still is. I don't really know any words better than the ones that I have not so articulately used above.

Perhaps The Brothers Karamazov can help:

Brothers, have no fear of men's sin. Love a man even in his sin. For that is the semblance of Divine Love and is the highest love on earth.  Love all God's creation, the whole and every grain of sand in it.  Love every leaf, every ray of God's light.  Love the animals, love the plants, love everything.  If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things.

Portland Temple...I think?

As you can see from the previous post I spent a gorgeous day at Cannon Beach.  As I believe I mentioned there was much frolicking that occurred.  Running through waves splashing water every where...I felt so free.  Unfortunately I was enjoying myself with such abandon that I kind of forgot about the Canon...my camera.  She has been with me for almost 4 years.  She and I have been on many trips and documented many a fantastic family moment.  I am devastated at the loss which I am currently suffering.  While it would have been poetic if my Canon had died completely at Cannon Beach, she merely became terminally ill (at least I think...my fingers are crossed for a miracle).  She still snaps pictures quite well for the most part, but the screen is just white.  Which means A) I cannot see exactly that I am snapping.  (Which did make for some fun shots at the Portland LDS Temple this morning.) Not a huge problem but B) I also cannot change the settings which means shooting at night may not work...or in conditions other than beach conditions.  If anyone knows of a place or someone who could maybe look her over and see if she is salvageable I would greatly appreciate it.  If I can't find anyone my nephew Jonah may have just acquired himself a fairly nice digital camera.

Below is a look at what I did manage to shoot this morning on the temple grounds...

my gracious wonderful friend Megan actually snapped this one. 

Cannon Beach

My camera has only been permanently maimed but not killed...so I was able to get my pictures from Cannon Beach!

I may or may not have got a little teary-eyed when I saw the Pacific.

my groundhog day

DISCLAIMER-I may be giddy from exhaustion or over excitement...however that being said...I still think that in a week or two I will feel the same way.  Proceed...

Today was a good day. 

I woke up.  (albeit after a lousy night's sleep) 

I had French toast for breakfast, made with real (homemade courtesy of Megan) French Bread-dowsed in buttermilk syrup with a side of cheesy potatoes.  

I set off on a two-ish hour drive to the coast...

Cannon Beach.  

For more than two hours I frolicked in the waves...literally. Ask Megan...she might actually have a picture...not sure.  She is sneaky like that.  

(definition of frolic: Play and move about cheerfully, excitedly or energetically) 

Then I waded through the water and found some amazing tide pools and rocks COVERED in sea anemones, mollusks and starfish of every color.  It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.  The waves rolling in were breath taking.  

Then I drove (actually I was the passenger) down the Pacific Coast Highway to Tillamook, OR. 

I saw some insanely breathtaking views.  

It was unreal.  

Once in Tillamook I checked out the cheese factory.

ate some ice cream. (PS Tillamook ice cream...kind of over rated...but their yogurt...FANTASTIC) 

almost lost my cell phone 

and best of all had some fantastic fish n' chips and chowder.  (If you are ever in Tillamook there is a fish shack across the street from the factory...THAT is really the place to go in Tillamook.)  

Then I rode back towards Portland driving through the Tillamook forrest.  

Surrounded by gorgeous trees on either side.  

Once back in Portland I met my friend Kim Clark for dinner and chatted for almost four hours.  

I had not seen Kim in more than TEN YEARS.  

Dinner ended, the chatting continued and then a drive back to Megan's house (where I am staying) during which Kim and I seemed to be transported back to our senior year of high school...cruising around Bountiful at night, with no particular place to go.  

So that was my day.  And can I just say...if there was a day that I had to relive over and over and over again...this might very well be that day.  This trip has been amazing...everyday the things I see are more beautiful and I think today was the culmination and to top that off I got to see a very dear friend.

I can't help but feel pure joy right now.  I am sincerely overwhelmed with gratitude to my Heavenly Father for my life and especially for this travel opportunity...ALL of my travel opportunities I've had (and will have) this year.

Today was a good day.

I suppose the only bummer was that in all my frolicking about in the waves my sweet little Canon camera got herself a bit waterlogged.  Hopefully a lovely rest in a bed of rice will do her a lot of good and the pictures I took will show themselves.

The pictures below were taken with my cell phone...not fantastic, but not horrible...besides, even the best camera could not do this experience justice.

Cannon Beach.  This is the other end of the beach from Haystack Rock.  I would HIGHLY recommend exploring this end.

Haystack Rock.  Beautiful, no doubt.  But I say a lot of haystack rocks on Rialto Beach in January.  Like I said above...the other end of the beach is where it's at.

Scenic overlook on the Pacific Coast Highway.  I could have sat up here all day.

View from the Pacific Coast Highway.
For a lot of my life I have dreamed of driving the Pacific Coast Highway.  I imagined it would be indescribable.  I was right...and that is just a small portion of the highway.

my life at the moment...

As (some of) you may (or may not) know, I am in Portland Oregon.  Lake Oswego, Oregon actually.  No, I am not moving here...although I am TEMPTED...VERY. VERY. TEMPTED.

I have been having an absolute fantastic time.  In fact I would dare say that it has been somewhat of, what I would call a perfect vacation.

It has been relaxing.  

There has been (almost) non-stop laughter. (That is not an exaggeration.)

The food has been A-MAZING.  EVERY. DAY.

french pastries.  fresh fruits and veggies. burritos. bratwurst. french toast w/ buttermilk syrup. cheesy potatoes. honey mustard chicken (a new favorite). cedar plank salmon.  Panda cookies.

I got a haircut.

I have seen many gorgeous waterfalls.

There has been hiking.

There has been beautiful sunsets.

Lobster Fest in Woodland, WA.

Endless conversations about the ins and outs of life.

sleep.

reading.

All of that and I still have three more days!  Here are a few photos so far...

Horsetail Falls-near the Columbia River Gorge

Multnomah Falls

Wahkeena Falls (this was my favorite of the falls at the Columbia River Gorge.  And tied for first with Lower South Falls at Silver Falls State Park)

Wahkeena Falls

Sunset over the Columbia River

Sunset at Columbia River Gorge

tree farm in Silverton, OR just outside Silver Falls State Park
I think I might want to run a tree farm one day.

South Falls 

Silver Creek

Lower South Falls.
This is also where I've decided to live.

and Lower South Falls again.  I LOVE IT.

We went to an Abbey.  We heard monks chant.  And took in some spectacular views.  This does not do it any sort of justice.  Especially not justice for the chanting monks.  Truly one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard.

So there you have it...so far!