reasons to plan a summer trip to Oregon:

We have the best Farmers Market! Yummy produce from local growers, food, music and a great atmosphere!!!

I can't express my love for Mcmenamin's Grand lodge... to start, there is a beautiful yard with Frisbee golf. Then you have a trail for bike riding, a restaurant, a movie theatre... and it's all free!!!
You could get a free comprehensive thorough Eye Exam... YIPEE!!!

A visit to the Oregon Zoo. It is a beautiful place, a great walk and every second Tuesday of the month is F-R-E-E. Plus they have sea lions and other Oceanic creatures not featured at other zoos.
Where else can you get view like this from your hotel room???
Eason misses you...and he's bored.

We'll take you to the Sea lion Caves where you can smell the foulest stench on the entire planet while viewing these loud creature in their natural habitat.
Derek would be MORE THAN HAPPY to take you fishing. We guarantee a whopper!

*bonus* you will get to help us eat all the fish we've aught!!! yum!
there are some wonderful coastal towns to tour! One of our favorites is a trip to Cannon Beach and a stop for some fresh slat water taffy at Bruce's Candy Shop.

Another favorite is Astoria.. you can ride a trolley and see some great site where movies were filmed (Goonies, the Ring, Kindergarten Cop...) It's called the "mini San Fransisco."

You could take a Cruise on the Portland Spirit... a dinner (or lunch) cruise along the Columbia river. This was sooooo fun!!! You could also explore the nearby Haag lake... fishing, hiking and paddleboats (so much fun!) Get back in touch with nature.
another picture of Mcminamen's. The soaking pool is one of our favorite spots. Especially when its rainy... Easton swims and I soak. It's perfect really.
Visit Ocean World! You can pet a shark and also get eaten by one. See a huge underwater aquarium and a live sea lion show. It's a drive from where we live, but great for a trip along the coast!
you could see this in person:

(yes, that's me.)

Who doesn't love a little smooch on the beach?

We'll take you to Multnomah Falls and see some beautiful Waterfalls. You can hike a little or clear to the top.
Fresh berries grown along the rode... seriously. We have more jam than we know what to do with. Your lips and hands could soon be stained with fresh berry goodness!
Bridges and more bridges! Beautiful bridges!

Of COURSE the Portland temple is a sight to behold. It is hidden in the city and breathtaking. Truly one of the most beautiful.

Who doesn't want to collect dead animals off the beach? I think there are a few seashells as well if you search... and sand dollars of you catch the tide.
Duykes Peachy Pig farm offers free tours. We can pet the ride the homeade merr-go-round, swings and climing structures. see and pet the animals, and pick fresh produce. Have you ever seen little boys laugh at a rooster? This is how fun it is!
You can pet sea anemones at the aquarium! And touch starfish, hermit crabs, and other slimy sea creatures.
most of all come because the Ames love to party and we miss our family and friends. See you soon!!!

I've heard

that when you are decorating, you should just buy what you love and it will all come together.

a few days ago I was at the store and I saw this "so me" purse that I just had to have...

had to.

and it wasn't until I got home that I realized that it perfectly matched my favorite necklace that I received as a gift from my sister Shelly...

and my candles that are in my front room...
and my grocery bag dispenser that hangs in my kitchen...

and my salt and pepper shakers... and the fabric is the same as my couches, although they are a slightly muted shade of the same color.

At least I know what I like... and I am consistent.

how in the heck is it june 16th???

so we have been busy partying. prepare to be amazed at the recent weeks festivities... I have not really had one huge event to blog about so now I have a very random smorgasbord. Derek, Easton and I went to the Portland Rose Festival and there was a huge carnival. We were lucky we went on a Tuesday because it was free to get in and so not crowded. We enjoyed getting royally ripped off paying ~$4.00 a ride for Easton and hope someday he appreciates how lucky and spoiled he is to be the only child right now. I think we spent more on him at the carnival than we did last Christmas. We had just received our Government Stimulus check and we were feeling generous...;) As I watched him ride the rides I was happy for him on one hand that he got undivided attention, and also left feeling a little sorry for him that there was nobody sitting in the back of his boat...
This was taken at a fun day at the "Ranger Park". It is located in a new development in our area. It is secluded and there is a Fort in the middle of a "forest". We had a great peanut picnic with our friends and I just loved this picture. I have been taking thousands of pictures trying to perfect my "faux" tography skills.
This is Easton with his little buddy Miles at the beach a couple weeks ago. Two boys running on the wide open surf and sand is pure happiness. And blue sky is a rare occasion... it's is nice to see that it still exists behind the clouds from time to time...
When Dereks parents visited we went to OMSI and Easton was brave enough to get static hair from this ball thingy. It might have a more scientific name that "ball thingy", but I can't be sure. When I was in 3rd grade my class was on the news for "weather school" and we talked about electricity and I remember my friend Sheila had long red hair and she she got to demonstrate this on TV and I was so jealous. talk about a flashback!
This is the picture that was taken for our ward bulletin. I think it really expresses our family. They also took a smiling one, but I hope they use this one.

I have no real reason to post this other than the fact that I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I want it. Someday Derek and I will build this bed together and sleep in this room in marital bliss.
I hosted a baby shower and thanks to Megan I was able to whip up this dandy diaper cake. You are my inspiration Megan! I miss you to DEATH!!! In about 6 weeks I will be on the beach with you in Peurto Rico, and I can't wait.
Easton also got to jump on the bungee tramp at the Rose festival. He was a total ham when I told him he looked like Spider Man. He was going SO HIGH and I was wishing I brought my NEW camera because the Columbia River was in the background and it looked so awesome... I didn't want my new camera to get stolen on the MAX train so I had to settle for my small one... I am now a complete camera snob. He wasn't scared a bit. He is a total stud.

We are slowly burning through our bubble supply. Thanks to Grammy we now have some variety and I don't care who you are or how old you get... bubbles are fun. I mean- honestly, I tell Easton that we are going outside to blow bubbles and I wind up stealing the wand and taking over. Good thing he likes to pop them just as well...

that's the update. loving summer. happy in life. love to all.

....100 already???

busy week at the Ames house... not quite sure why. {?} My dear friend Bekah has a new sweet baby girl and I watched her little girl while she was in labor (Easton was in heaven- all day play date~ yes and thank you!)... I also helped out with a baby shower for my other friend Megan. Between daily stuff and these apartments I felt like a crazy woman all week. I loved the day we spent with Bryn though and I LOVE throwing showers. I know it's warped and weird- but it is really fun to me. It made me so baby hungry and sad at how bug my little boy is. anyways... my point is that I have been trying to think of something awesome I could do to celebrate my awesome 100th post...but I am feeling drained and creatively sapped. so... I am going to copy an awesome thing I saw on another blog... I thought it was really cool.

so... I think that we are all far to hard on ourselves and it is all fine and dandy to be humble. But everyone needs to boost themselves up a little and see the good inside them. So... today I want you to leave a comment about all the wonderful things you can do. talents. hobbies. how well you sing in the car~ whatever. tell me everything that is wonderful about you. If you want you can leave it as an anonymous comment, then no one will know who is saying all these wonderful things about themselves , but you get the bonus of realizing how wonderful you are.

Thanks to everyone who is reading my blog these days. I can't believe I've found 100 things to blog about. Oh, who am I kidding. yes I can! And I an think of hundreds more! Ha! Ha!!

*{A Starlit night}*

As a reward for accomplishing their personal progress goals... we took our young women out for an elegant night of fun... I am astonished and so impressed by these girls and I just love them soooo much! One of the young women leaders owns a limo business so the girls all got picked up one by one and in formals to boot! I was so happy to see how beautiful they looked. They were so sweet to us and each other and I just can't express how great they are. We gave them a 5 course dinner and intended to take them to Oklahoma... but we actually had to leave the play because they had totally put pornographic pictures in one of the scenes... it was crazy weird-- in Oklahoma?!?! ...but that's a whole other blogg...WE were SHOCKED!!! ... that aside it was a perfect night. The girls had chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling cider and rode around goofed off in the limo. I think my favorite part of the night was when we all gathered after dessert and just laughed and talked and told funny stories. I was seriousely cracking up until I was crying. I might hove shared a little too much, and I hear there are some incriminating photos of the girls imitating my nose tricks floating around. ;)

All of the leaders were so happy that they all dressed so modestly... we didn't even have to ask them. This is one great group of young women!
Have you ever seen a sweeter more beautiful bunch of girls???