Walla Walla/Dayton - June 2012

In June, Jeremiah and I went to Walla Walla and Dayton with Jeremiah's family to cheer on his awesome grandpa at the Dayton Days car show. J's grandpa has a 1932 Ford Roadster he bought for $150 in 1950 that he enters in various car shows. He was even featured in the Tri-City Herald Cool Desert Night's insert on the front page this year. It's the cutest car and we had fun supporting grandpa and hanging out with family. We stayed at the historic Marcus Whitman hotel in downtown Walla Walla, shopped, ate gourmet food (including Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream at The Marc), and relaxed. If you've never checked out Walla Walla, it's a beautiful mini-vacay spot and you must do it. Jeremiah and I make a stop here almost every year and it's so close to the Tri's you can do it in a day! Here are are some pics from our weekend:

Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream being made right at our table at the The Marc restaurant at our hotel.

Beautiful downtown Dayton for Dayton Days.

A camel in Dayton. Pretty sure I could pretend I was in Egypt with this one.

Our great-niece, Genesis, walking my mother-in-law's dog, Mitzi.

Jeremiah checking out his grandpa's car.

Parks Family

I haven't posted a photo session in a while. To be honest, I haven't shot a photo session in a while! I usually just take pictures for fun and mainly at family events, but whenever family asks for a photo session I am game! This featured photo session is of my cousin Jennifer and her handsome boys. This mama is one of the sweetest and most beautiful women I know and has always been more like an older sister to me. It warms my heart when family asks me to take their photos because I am not a professional and still have a lot to learn, but the their trust and faith in me to take images that will be displayed in their homes, on their Christmas cards, or even on their Facebook profiles boosts my confidence and renews my joy in the art of photography. Thank you Parks family for allowing me to capture these sweet images and for helping me grow in my hobby.

Parks Family

 

 

 

 

Happy 1st Birthday Samson Luke

Another 1st birthday of a little one so dear to my heart has come and gone. My nephew, Samson, turned one on August 22nd and he sure partied it up like no other one year old I have ever seen! Of course we all know how quickly a year can go by, but what surprises me most is that this baby looks SO different from when he was first born. He has definitely kept his cuteness, but his eyes and hair have lightened up so much! He now looks so similar to his big brother, Eli, it takes you back 4 years in an instant! It's crazy to think of how much a baby changes in a year. Samson has learned to roll, sit, crawl, walk, and talk all in a matter of months. Not only was he early for these milestones, but I think he could walk before he could sit up for long periods of time. This boy has claimed a special place in my heart and anytime we are out people cannot stop staring and commenting on his cuteness. He loves to snuggle, run, climb, and throw things - I'm thinking we have a serious athlete here, and he has no fear and dives right in to everything he does (see cake photo) - this trait will take him far, no doubt! He also has an incredible attention span for a one year old and will sit on your lap and watch practically a whole movie. My sister and brother-in-law sure do know how to make 'em! This boy makes my day with every smile and hug and I feel so honored that God would allow me to share in the blessing of watching him grow and to be his aunt. Happy birthday, Baby Bubs! Love you SO much!

Handsome boy!



The infamous cake photo.

 

Harper's 3rd Birthday

My favorite girl in the world turned 3 this past July and I cannot believe it! People always says time flies as you get older and when kids are involved that's even more apparent. The tiny baby girl I couldn't wait to paint nails with, go shopping with, have dance parties with, do hair with, and bake with is doing all those things now and more! My niece, Harper Josephine, is a beautiful, brave, kind, strong-willed, loving, silly, independent, and smart as a whip girly girl! She rivals her brothers and cousins in toughness and fearlessness, all while rocking the sparkliest of nails, fluffiest of dresses, and blondest of pony tails! I am so proud of her and she is only 3! I cannot wait to go to her dance recitals, soccer games, school music performances, or whatever else she chooses to be involved in. But I hope time goes ever so slowly so I can soak in every precious moment. I am very blessed to be a part of watching her grow and my heart cannot hold all the love I have for her and her brothers! Happy 3rd birthday to my littlest best friend, Harper! Love you so much, Baby Bops!




One of my favorite photos of my niece. Even her serious "fed-up with auntie's pictures" face looks gorgeous!

Dear Jordyn Wieber

With the Olympics in full swing and upsets and failures inevitably happening to even the best, I heard the question asked: What would you say to Jordyn Wieber  (the reigning world gymnastics champion who was favored to be in the running for the all-around final) failing to advance after a few missteps?

I thought of all the "fluffy" things one could say to encourage, empathize, or put it all into perspective and nothing I could come up with cut the mustard. Only the honest, hard truth that: This sucks. Any other day, it could have been you. But to sum it all up in 3 words: Life goes on. The sting of this loss is going to hurt a day, a month, a year, 10 years, and even 20 years down the road. The "what-ifs" and "what could've gone differentlies" can haunt you forever. But you gotta let life go on. With time and by finding joy in other life experiences the pain will ease. Finish your best and let it be what it is. You don't have a choice. There may always be tears with this memory, but the pain and disappointment will fade as life goes on and the other joys it brings begin to trump this failure. If all we base our life's joy and our self-worth on is our talent, looks, strength, humor, or brains life will be nothing but disappointment after disappointment as our failures and weaknesses in these areas are brought to light. Finding joy and self worth in things outside of ourselves is what helps us move on when we fail ourselves. So dear Jordyn, life goes on and you are worth more than even the Olympic gold!

Seaside Vacation 2012

This Summer for our annual family vacation we headed to Seaside, OR. We used to vacation at Seaside when I was a kid and it hasn't lost it's charm. My niece and nephews hadn't experienced Seaside before so it was so precious to see their little faces light up when they saw the ocean for the first time, felt the unstable sand beneath their toes, and saw all the crazy looking sea creatures. It was nothing short of a blast and I am blessed to have spent quality time at the ocean with those I love. Some of our favorite moments included:

* Finding a penny at Multnomah falls for our usual penny print souvenir Jeremiah and I get everywhere we go and then finding one in the dryer at our beach house. I didn't have to spend a cent on this souvenir! (Side note and fun tip: I turn the pressed pennies into magnets so every time I look at the fridge I am reminded of all the cool places we have been.)


* Jeremiah running from the beach to a toyshop downtown to buy a kite when he realized how perfect the weather was for kite flying. And it was the craziest kite flying I've ever seen! Surprised no bystanders lost an eye! Said kite was also a U.S. Navy kite (my brother-in-law, Leroy, was in the navy). Let the bromance begin!


* Buying countless dollars worth of Salt Water Taffy between all of us.

* Deep Fried Twinkies and other treats from the The Buzz On Broadway - the best candy shop I have ever experienced! We served their salt water taffy at our wedding, even :)


* My sister's dog, Grunt, looking happier than I have ever seen him while running wild and free on the beach.

* Eating at Pig N' Pancake. A must do!


* S'mores on the deck of our beach house on a mini BBQ maintenance had to bring when the gas grill conked out on us.


* My 5 year old nephew, Eli, having more fun catching his marshmallows on fire than actually toasting them for the S'mores.


* Several trips to Rite Aid and Safeway for MORE drinks, food, and much "needed" items.

* Carousel rides, bumper cars, and the arcade! Complete with a giant sized version of Fruit Ninja, free games, and TONS of tickets won for the kids.

* My 3 year old niece, Harper, not enjoying the carousel worker calling her "cutie cutie" and pretending to take her shoes while on the ride.

* Seeing the Miss Oregon contestants everywhere (as the pageant was that weekend) and trying to pick out the winner. We were certain Miss Umpqua would take the title. Not only was she well put together, but I was sure she would have received bonus points for being from a place that makes amazing ice cream ;)

* My 10 month old nephew, Samson, getting a handful of a lazy sea anemone. That'll teach them to get complacent after all those years in the aquarium touch pool!

* My brother-in-law's fantastic "photobombing."

* Random Voodoo Doughnut side trips and zoo stops on the way home.


Pit stop at Multnomah Falls.

Looking cute on the deck of the beach house.

One of my fave little guys.

My fave girl in the world.

My other fave little guy.

Photobombed by the best.

Checking out the sealions at the aquarium.

I think he loved the beach more than anyone!

Jeremiah flying his kite.

S'mores on the deck in our college hoodies.

Gorgeous, Samson.

Loving the carousel until, "Hey there, cutie cutie" came and tried to take her shoes.

Some of our candy haul.

Headed home with some Voodoo Doughnuts.

IC Snack Attack

This post is just a little glimpse into some of the foods we ICers can enjoy. These are mainly pre-made and pre-packaged store bought foods that, for the most part, are "unhealthy" treats. I know, I know! But let's be real, sometimes a pear just doesn't curb the sugar cravings. I also know how hard it is when you are craving something sweet or salty and don't want to bake or cook anything. When I was first diagnosed, I had so many questions about pre-packaged foods. I  needed things I could take on the road, to work, vacations, etc. and it was hard to know what was safe. After countless hours of reading labels and brave trial and error, I came up with a list of things most ICers can tolerate. And if not, I plan on posting some recipes that might be better alternatives. One note: If you can't do peanut butter, try substituting almond butter. Costco sells the large sized Maranatha brand for a good deal and it's super yummy! Again, these aren't exactly health foods, but I think in moderation we all deserve a treat! So, without further adieu, here are some of my favorite foods to help curb those IC snack attacks:

Sweet Treats:

Jennie's Coconut Macaroons - I found these at Fred Meyer in the organic aisle
Just Fruit Pear Bars - I found these at Fred Meyer in the organic aisle
Golden Oreos
Nilla Wafers - I dip them in peanut butter or do a mixture of peanut butter and powdered sugar sandwiched between 2 cookies and it is amazing!
Lorna Doons
Talenti Gelato in Caribbean Coconut
Breyers Homestyle Vanilla or Extra Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream 
Rice Pudding  - Kozy Shack is my fave brand
Vanilla Pudding - I love the cook and serve!
Madagascar Vanilla Cookies - found at Walmart
Animal Cookies - you know those cute little cardboard packages with the string :)
Werther's Original Hard Candies
Plain White Chocolate
Toblerone White
Most Shortbread and Sugar Cookies - make sure they do not contain preservatives
Franz Plain Bagels - I top mine with cream cheese and fresh blueberries
Del Monte Pears in Lite Syrup - if you can't find fresh. Can even mix with cottage cheese (I prefer Kraft Simply Cottage Cheese since it has no acids in it)
Oregon Blueberries in Lite Syrup or Frozen Blueberries - if you can't find fresh


Salty Eats:

Plain Potato Chips - I prefer Kettle Cooked Sea Salt or Lays Lightly Salted
Baked Lays (plain)
Organic Popcorn - found at Safeway or Albertson's
Tortilla Chips
Pretzels or Pretzel Chips
String Cheese
Saltines - topped with peanut butter and honey
Ritz - topped with peanut butter (can even do the pre-made ones sold in the store)
Wheat Thins - with melted mozerlla cheese
Triscuits - with melted mozerella cheese
Fritos
Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips (AMAZING!)
Plain rice cakes with almond or peanut butter - top with honey to make it a sweet treat 
Celery with peanut or almond butter
Almond Nut-Thins
Avocado mashed with garlic and salt for a sandwich spread or with tortilla chips - IF you can handle these things!


Another thing I do, is put mozerella cheese on top of pretty much anything salty and blueberries on top of almost anything sweet. I find it adds texture and flavor to various foods. Hope this list gives you an idea of some things to try. I figure, if people with food allergies can live this way their whole lives, surely we can survive on this crazy diet :)



* Some of these items can be found in the ICN Shop.