Summertime in PDX... why I LOVE living here! :)

Well, folks, summer has FINALLY arrived in Portland... These are the months that make the months upon months of rain worth it - it's gorgeous! I've been enjoying Portland so much... with friends, with my family, and just being back here. There is so much that this amazing city has to offer, and I'm taking full advantage...

Case in point... one of my favorite things to do is pick berries/cherries/fruit-in-general in the summer months. I usually like going out to Hood River, but Sauvie Island is a little closer, so one Saturday, I asked my friend Cristina if she'd like to go, since her husband was away for the weekend... it ended up becoming a kiddo extravaganza, when we were joined by the lovely Michelle & Jo, and Meghan & Davis. I think doing this kind of stuff is SO MUCH more fun to do with the little ones - the sense of wonder on their faces is just priceless... it's not really about the berries anyways... it's the experience. :)


Cristina working hard... Mateo staring down his strawberry. I believe he ate more than he picked. So did I. :)


MM, JM, & KP... don't get to bust out the red sunglasses that often, but, it was a festive day with one hour of sun, and we were in it!! :)

Another fun weekend with one of my favorite kiddo's... I drove to St. Helens to teach Samuel how to fly the kite that I got him for his 3rd birthday. We had SUCH a fun time!! :) I love it when he calls me "Aunt Pitty". Too cute! :)


He did great! :)

I was so happy to welcome my parents back to Oregon for the 4th of July weekend. It was so good to catch up, and to celebrate both their 60th and my 30th birthdays. Such a nice time! :)

It's become a tradition to stop by Edgefield on our way back from the airport - gotta have the McMenamin's tater tots! :)

We went to Cannon Beach on Saturday of their visit - one of my favorite places in Oregon! :)


Dad and I in Jamison Park by my new apartment


We went wine tasting with my friend Zoe from Amsterdam... such a nice, relaxing afternoon. :)


Mom and Dad in Wine Country... so amazing that this is just an hour outside of Portland - LOVE it! :)

The weekend after the 4th, I went to the family beach house of my friend Anna in Waldport. There were four of us there, and we had SUCH a nice time! :) Anna and I started off Saturday with a 12 mile run, and then decided to do ice baths - in the FREEZING Pacific Ocean! This is our sad face after getting chilled to the bone (okay, I'm not so good at sad faces):



We even got a bonfire going on the beach... yippy for S'mores! :)

Last but not least, I have to report on my amazing 30th birthday party... my wonderful friends planned a peanut butter pot luck picnic for my birthday... everyone brought something that had peanut butter as an ingredient. Seriously, it rocked my world. :) Check out the awesome cake my friend Michelle made:

My favorite cake... ever!! Peanut butter frosting, chocolate cake, with LOTS of peanut butter chips... heck yeah! :)

The picnic was awesome - I got to see so many people that I don't get to see that often, and we played lots of fun games, kind of reminiscent of the 4th of July parties that I used to throw in Amsterdam. :) After the picnic, the adult festivities began... we started with a few of these...


... and ended with kareoke and a trip home in a shopping cart. Quite possibly the most fun birthday I've had in my entire life. The problem is... now that I'm "old", it took quite a bit of time to get over it. Ah... life. :)

Big hug to all!