Rained out weekend in Sun River, OR

It was to be the big ski trip weekend of the year with all of our Portland friends. We had been planning it since November and we all were so excited for the weekend to arrive. Unfortunately the weather wasn't in our favor. The temperature had risen to an unseasonable high and it was raining where it is usually skiing. Not just raining, but it was pouring and the snow was in terrible condition. Our friends, Gus and Colleen, have a nice cabin in Sun River (near Bend) so we stayed with them. There was a total of about 10 of us in the house. Our other friends rented a house near by which added another 8 people to the mix. It was quite the group.

Since skiing was out of the question, we spent the weekend playing games, sitting in the hot tub, making big meals and enjoying everyones company. Even though the ski sessions were shot, we still had a great time with all of our friends.

Maybe next time Mt Bachelor will be ready for us!

Promotion!!

Picture found on the internet

I am proud to announce I have recently been promoted to Store Manager for the Patagonia store in Portland. I have fallen in love with the company I started to work for 8 months ago. They must feel the same way about me, because they decided to offer me this great opportunity. I will be working a little bit longer and a little harder, but I know I will make a big difference in the store and with the company. This is a wonderful opportunity. I look forward to this new and exciting chapter!!

New Year Coast to Hood

Bringing in this new year we wanted to do something fun, but we weren't quite sure what our options were. Last minute, we were invited to spend the night at the coast. Gus and Colleen (our friends from town) invited us to their cottage in the beach town of Seaside. When we arrived Gus and Cols made us a great lasagna dinner, then following we played all sorts of card games. By the time the ball was dropping for the New Year we were struggling to stay awake. I had such an incredible 2010, I was a little sad to see if go. But, looking forward, I am excited for 2011.

The next morning we awoke to a beautiful day on the coast. We walked the dogs along the beach. Wanda fetched many sticks and she did a great job of getting nice and wet and dirty. She had a blast! Afterwards we drove down to Canon Beach for some brunch. We ate at this incredible cute place called Lazy Susans Cafe. It was very rustic and it had a ton of character. The food was delicious too. Later we walked around town and along Canon Beach, enjoying the beautiful views of Haystack Rock.

On Sunday we decided to head the opposite way from Portland and head to the mountains. It was going to be a ski day with some friends and Nik and I were super excited. This was to be the first day of the year for us. We went to a resort called Ski Bowl which over looks Mt Hood. We had incredible views of Hood, Mt Adams and Mt St. Helens. We could even see Mt Rainer way way in the distance. The weather was great (except for the wind) and the snow was kind of crusty, but we still made sure to have the best day.

  
It was a fantastic weekend to start off the new year. Thinking back Nik and I were on a plane to Thailand last new years. Then, we spent most of the year traveling. This year we spent our time with friends and exploring the areas around us. Maybe that is what this year will be about. I look forward to it!