Moroccan food and a beautiful bike day

Nik and I get paid opposite Fridays. We have decided to make Friday our date night, so who ever gets paid that day gets to choose where we are going to eat and they get to pay ;-) It works out wonderfully, because if I want to go to a nice dinner somewhere, we can and if Nik wants to go to a sportsbar somewhere, we can. Last Friday was my night. I decided to take us to Mirrakesh a Moroccan restaurant. Neither of us have been before, so I knew this would be interesting. At moroccan restaurants you sit on the floor and enjoy your food with your fingers. There is also entertainment of belly dancers throughout the evening. It was different and fun. The belly dancing was interesting because she was excepting tips in her costume (it reminded me of a less classy profession that is very prominent around here as well). I guess I wasn't to keen on the kids running up and putting money in her pants. All in all the food was good and we enjoyed ourselves in an unusual setting. 

On Sunday the weather was the warmest it has been all year (a wopping 70 degrees). It was time to venture out and see some other neighborhoods around town. Since moving to the Pearl District we have spent much of our time downtown. Nik gets out everyday for his job and he drives all over town. I walk to and from work, so I get out much less. We got on our bikes and headed across the Broadway Bridge to the Mississippi and Alberta Districts. These neighborhoods are in NE Portland and have a very young and hip vibe. We rode around, enjoyed some coffee, then found our way to a few breweries. The weather was spectacular and Nik and I had a blast getting exercise and exploring the city. 

My first nephew!

I am proud to announce my sister Sarah has brought a beautiful baby boy into this world. His name is Dax and I can't wait for the day I finally get to meet him. Congratulations Sarah and Zach for your new addition. I am so happy for you!!

Dax Lyle Latham was born on April 18th, officially Tax Day this year. Nik has renamed the official day as Dax Day. Welcome Dax to the family!

Easter Weekend Wine Tasting

For Easter weekend Nik and I wanted to do something fun. We don't have any family here, so we decided to get out of town and head to Hood River for some wine tasting. Nik has always been a beer guy, but he swore it off for Lent, so I figured this was a good time to break him out of his shell and taste some wine instead. He had never been tasting before, so I new this was going to be a treat. We started at a place called Wy'East Winery and worked ourselves around the valley at different wineries tasting away. 

The Hood River Valley is actually becoming really well known for its wines. We enjoyed most of the places, buying bottles to take home. The best part was, we met two couples who were staying at our hotel. We kept running into them around the wineries and really hit it off. We finished the night having dinner with the group. It was so much fun! To top it all off, the weather was spectacular. It was the warmest it had been all year and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. 

The name of the winery is Naked Winery

The next morning, Nik and I had a great breakfast followed by Wanda getting her swim time in the Columbia River. We really just spent Easter Day shopping around and enjoying the last bit of sunshine we were to get for a few days. Bad weather was coming again. 

We enjoyed ourselves immensely, but at the same time we missed being with our families. We hope each of you had a wonderful Easter. We love you!

Kosach weekend

We have been trying to get family to come visit for quite some time. Nik's parents (Steve and Gail) decided they would be the first ones. They flew in late Friday in time to go to a late dinner. Saturday I had to work, but I met them for lunch and Nik was able to go to a baseball game with his dad (their favorite). That night we had dinner at Irving St Kitchen (a place Nik and I have been eyeing for sometime) then we met our friends for some drinks at a near by martini bar. All of Nik's friends are very fond of the Kosachs. The Kosachs spent many weekend here during Nik's college days, so they are close with all of his friends. Sunday they were already heading back to Reno early so we walked the downtown area for some exercise then had a nice lunch at our favorite italian place (Piazza Italia). It was a quick trip for them and we were sad to see them go, but we were so excited they finally got to see our home, my work and our new life up in Portland. It was great to see you both and please do come back soon! I forgot to snap the photos this weekend. So sorry I only have one.

After Nik's parents left we took an afternoon nap to settle all the food we had eaten, then we headed to the Winterhawks hockey game. This is the minor league hockey team in Portland. All of the players are under the age of 21 and they are feisty things. It was playoffs and the testosterone was flying. Fight after fight, but also some really great plays and goals. We were fortunate enough to get free tickets from some nice man, who just happen to have some. As we were walking to the ticket counter, he asked if we had tickets yet. When we told him no, he said he had some for us. It was great!! We had great seats and great company and the stadium was a 15 minute walk from our apartment. It was a wonderful weekend with great company, food and entertainment.

A break to the sunshine

Nik and I were fortunate enough to fly down to La Quinta (near Palm Springs) for the weekend to visit my Dad and Sherri. It was so nice to get away from Portland and see the beautiful sun, but it was also the first time we have gotten to see their new house. It of course was beautiful. Right on the golf course with a pool and great views. It has been quite sometime since we have spent any real time with my Dad so we made sure to spend all the time possible together. Nik and I had so much fun. We golfed, we swam, we ran, we ate, we rode bikes, he learned to cast a fly (on the golf course) and we laid out in the sun. What a wonderful weekend!!

Thanks Dad and Sherri for having us down. We enjoyed every minute of it. Nik already has his golf clubs up in Portland and he is ready to go to the driving range. We love you and look forward to having  you guys up here!

Timberline Ski and Play

Nik and I decided even though the weather has been crummy, we really needed to get out of town and do some skiing before the season is over. We headed up to Timberline Ski Area for a day of whiteout skiing and playing with Wanda.

It was just that, we skied in whiteout conditions, only able to see the poles stuck in the snow to guide our way down the mountain. We decided regardless of the conditions we were glad to be up on the hill. The snow was pretty good for Oregon and it snowed on us much of the day. I thought the trees up high on the mountain were pretty incredible with all the beatings they take from wind and other weather.

After skiing we got Wanda out of the car and took her to the snow to play. She was just as excited as we were to be out in the winter elements. She ate the snow and chased the snow. Nik wrestled with her and we played fetch. I think Wanda enjoyed the day as much as us. We were so happy we went and had a wonderful day spent together with our little family.

Reno Training, Family and Friends with their new babies!

Last week I was fortunate to head to Reno, not just to visit family, but for work. I spent the first part of the week training at the Reno Service Center (Patagonia's US Distribution Center) with other Managers from around the country. It was wonderful seeing all the avenues of the company, everything from mail order, to shipping and repairs. I met a lot of people I work with on a regular basis up in Portland through email or by phone, so it was nice to put a face to the names. It worked out perfect because my mom lives so close to the Service Center, so I was able to stay with her and spend time with her when I was not working.

The Managers I trained with in Reno

After training was done I worked in a few visits with friends. I went to my old house in Reno, where one of my old roommates had just had a baby. Shayla named her lovely baby Gemma. She was so precious and sweet and it was amazing to see what incredible parents Shayla and Galen have already become. Logan, my other old roommate was there to visit as well and we all enjoyed catching up and playing with the baby.

Nik flew in Friday night, after picking him up at the airport we spent the evening at his parents house saying our hellos and catching up. They were so excited to see us and we were both happy to be together and back at home. On Saturday, my mom took Nik shopping at Banana Republic for a nice suit, shoes and shirts. He looks stunning in his new attire. That evening the Kosach's came to dinner at my Moms. We all had a wonderful time with incredible food (my mom's salmon is the best). Then Sunday the Kosach's had us to dinner and we were able to visit with Keri (Nik's sister), her fiance and Nik's Grandma. It was so much fun to be home and enjoy family for a week. I loved every moment of it.

Thanks Mom, Ben, Steve and Gail for taking care of us for the weekend. We love you guys and were very happy to be home. Now... come visit us!