Music Monday!!

Just a simple song for this monday...

Weekend Recap

What a fantastic weekend!!!  My bestie Kristen came down to Portland for a much needed time spent together.  She is a wonderful presence in my life and every moment spent with her is truly a gift.  Here is a little bit of what we were up to!

Friday

Coldplay Concert with Anna

Work... Just. two. more. weeks!

Cleaned my room... much needed after the previous week!

(Tuesday-Coldplay and spend the night at Anna's, Wed-dinner with Mark & Katie, Thurs-Dinner with Jeff, drinks with Ethan and PT friends)

Dinner with Kristen @ Blue Olive

Drinks and Conversations

Saturday

With Raynelle at her shower

Sleep in!!!

Shopping with Kristen

Raynelle's bridal shower

Getting to see the lovely Rachel Francisco and meeting baby bot(Robert)!

More shopping

My first Sushi experience!!!!!! (more to come)

Sunday

Breakfast at Besaw's (more to come)!

34. mile. ride! 

Lunch at the food cart (Kristen's first time)

Amazing sermon @ church

Fantastic conversations while playing human sized chess with E and Jenn

Movie and wine with Ethan

Its okay...

I decided that its been a while since I have been able to blog.  Lots of reasons, but none that are really that substantial (expect for wonderful amounts of time spent with lovely friends or that Coldplay concert I caught on Tuesday night) ;)  So I thought I would participate in "Its OK Thursdays" this week!  Enjoy!

...its okay that I completely missed the rain this past weekend and yet thoroughly enjoyed every minute I spent soaking up the sunshine (and to even love being sunburned)!

...its okay that I was ready to be done with this internship a few weeks ago.  Its tough getting towards the end knowing its just a few more weeks. Got. To. Stay. Focused!

...its okay that I treated a patient for 10 minutes before I realized I was working on the wrong shoulder! Opps, that is why I should stick to neuro :)

...its okay that I had a quad shot in 12 oz yesterday morning after having a "Coldplay hangover".

...its okay that I havent slept more than 6 hours the past 5 nights because I am having an amazing time enjoy time with my friends and enjoying all the Portland has to offer!

...its okay that I changed into jeans in my car yesterday at a red light because I was meeting friends for dinner and didnt want to be dressed in professional casual :)

...its okay that I still have a "Coldplay hangover" and have been trying to sooth my soul by playing their CD nonstop in my car and on my iPhone.

...its okay to think my CI is contriving cooky, made-up interventions for his fibro patients.  Who knows, if it were me, I might make treatments up as well- these people are crazy!

...to be sad that I am leaving Portland soon at the same time as being so excited to see all my CO friends!  So many life changing moments to come in the next month!

...to be incredibly excited that my newest little nephew is going to be born in less than a month! I cannot even tell you how much I love this little buddy and I havent even gotten to meet him!

...to wish I was going to happy hour with my besties from all corners of my life right now. You know who you are and how much I love and miss you all!

Coldplay Music Monday!

Really hoping to see these guys in concert tomorrow with my lovely friend Anna.  Check out one of my favorite songs and a fantastic remake of Paradise!

Happy Birthday Boo Boo

TROUBLE

Monkeys!

The most adorable little boy turned 7 today! He is easily one of my favorite things about being back in Oregon...  I love that he gets super excited when he sees that I am home! I love that he cuddles when he is tired.  I love his squeaky little voice and how his "l"s are more like "w"s (ie. Wandry Woom). I have loved watching him grow up and watch his little personality emerge.  His laugh is contagious and the way he "gets into everything" is entertaining to watch. He never walks- but rather runs everywhere! Here are a few pictures from the last couple of years.

Today on his 7th birthday

Wellness Wednesday!

This week I have resumed my daily workouts... at least I am trying to ;)

March overall was not a good month of getting to the gym.  I did a better job at monitoring what I consumed and adjusting my perception towards Wellness, but for various reasons, I did not make it to the gym like I would have liked.

So, now that we are halfway through April and only 4 weeks away from returning to Denver, I am reminded of how I felt when I was getting to the gym 4-5 times per week.  I had noticeably more energy. I felt stronger at work.  I fit into my skinnies a little easier.  And most importantly, when I looked in the mirror I smiled :)

One of my goals forever has been establishing a weight-lifting program and adhering to it! Today, I began my arm workout.  It is subject to change as I find exercises that would be more beneficial, but here is what it looks like so far!

-Arnold Presses (3x10 @ 8lbs)
-Lat pull down (3x15 @ 60lbs)
-Free weight pec deck (3x8 @ 8lbs)
-Bench push-ups (to fatigue x3)
-Bench tricep dips (to fatigue x3)

I had originally intended to add more exercises, but after 20 minutes of warm-up cardio, this workout took me about an hour and not only were my arms exhausted, but I was out of time.  The weight and reps listed are the ones I did today.  Hopefully I can continue to increase reps and maybe even weight in the next four weeks.

Now, for some consistency.  I am planning on trying to do cardio at work during lunch and then a quick stop by the gym for weight training would round out my workouts.  There are excuses a mile long, so I just need to do!  Get in the gym and get to work! And maybe a little accountability in the mix- so hold me accountable!

Content vs Frame

In a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context? 

The thing about beauty is it is incredibly subjective.  


Which, honestly, is one of the incredibly freeing elements of this characteristic of humans. What I see as beautiful, is unique to me and my experiences, and has been shaped by my worldly influence.


That being said, one of the most frustrating aspects of beauty is the pressure that has been assigned to the act of being beautiful.  It is equally influenced by society, class and culture.  What is thought to be beautiful in America is not necessarily thought to be so in the country of Cambodia. And the value of beauty is view uniquely different even between males and females.


In the Women's Health magazine this month the editor talks about her own experience with beauty.  She talks about the difference between "content" and "frame" and states, "how women would be happier with their mates if they focused more on the content and less on the frame of the men they date".  Then, she says... "does the balance of time I spend on developing my own content (intelligence, compassion spirituality) reasonably exceed the time I spend on my frame (manicures, hair highlighting, derm visits)?


Kind of stops you in your tracks when you reflect on how you spend your free time... Is it spent on content or frame?

I would like to think I am able to achieve balance when it comes to time spent on either.  But if I am going to be really honest, I have many insecurities when it comes to beauty:  

Where are the extra 5-10 pounds hiding this month?  

My complexion is a contestant battle.  Between sun damage and scars from horrendous acne in high school, I spend the most time finding ways to cover my skin in a way that appears "natural".  

And then there is my knee... the scars and the skin graft.

Do I stop to appreciate beauty in this busy, broken world I live in?  What do I see when I look at the woman sitting on the couch at the coffee shop?  What is she actively portraying?  What am I actively receiving? And how much of what I am receiving is based on my biases and experience?

Beautiful Melodies

Makes you want to get up and dance, right?!


Ahh... how can you not love these boys?


Bonus song...

Weekend Recap

What a fantastic weekend! The sun decided to make an appearance this weekend and how lovely it was!  Portlanders were out in full force; walking, biking and skipping down the street! Here is a little recap of the events in my world :)

Friday

Work... new CI, but got out early!

Movie with the lovely Erin Forget

Drinks and dancing with Ethan, Janna and Che at the Boiler room

Pizza at 2am! ...an witness to a protest 

Drinks at Moes and Michael's til 3

Saturday

Coffee made for me (french press!!)

A streetcar ride to the farmers market in the Park blocks

The market!!!

A much needed hug from Ryan

A biscuit with breakfast on it 

A note written and left for a women with her yoga pants on backwards (pooch included!)

A walk along the waterfront

A nap in a hammok 

Bananagrams at Wonder Ballroom while awaiting dinner

Tapas for dinner!! @Toro Bravo

A free concert, interrupted by drinks and catch up with Ryan

Ticket to Ride!!! (another game won in the books)

Sunday

Awaking with soft light trickling on my face...
More coffee made for me :)
Breakfast at Vivace with Janna and Ryan before they went back to WA
Baby shower for my soon to be born nephew!
Bike ride (22 miles!!) along the waterfront with spectacular view of Portland
A evening with David- my favorite
The promise of sleeping in as I have tomorrow off!

#6 Thankfulness despite not feeling "thankful"

...some times it is hard to be thankful.  Sigh

This week has been just one of those.  The kind where you want to hit the reset button every morning (several times over).  The kind were there are simply not enough hours in the day. The kind that require more energy than is possible to give.  Yea, thats the week I had...

That all being said, this post is a bit harder to write than the usual weekly list of things I am thankful for, but maybe, this is the most important time to be thankful.

1) Thankful for having a place to live in Portland, a family that has adopted me and friends that are all around

2). Sunny days in Portland.  Mornings without rain that allow me to ride my bike to work.  Fresh flowers emerging everywhere.  The farmer's market in the Park blocks.  Everything is better with a dash of sun.

3). Fresh coffee in my french press that contrasts the surly mood in which I awake

4). Only 4 more weeks before finishing my last internship. And knowing my friends in Denver await :)

5). A forgiving God who loves me despite how many ways I try to do things my way

#41 A weekend in Bend!

Montra of the weekend

This past weekend, I spend some quality time with some friends in Bend and Sisters Oregon.  And what a fantastic little slice of heaven this area was!  I have only been to Central Oregon once when I was a sophomore in college with FCA camp and I think we were quite far from any city.  Anyways, this trip has been on my list of things to do, so when the opportunity came to accompany some friends to this neck of the woods, I was beyond thrilled!

I left after work on Friday and met up with Jenn and Jordon at his father's vacation home just outside of Sisters.  The drive down was perfect- good alone time, but also gave me a chance to catch up on some phone calls and when cell service cut out, some time to enjoy some country tunes! The views were beautiful- mountains were still snow capped and the river that ran along the road was roaring with fresh mountain water.

Lovely companion 

The best part about the weekend was we didnt really do anything.  When I arrived on Friday night, Jenn greeted me with a whiskey sour and shortly there after we built a fire- a real live campfire :) What followed is a blur, but it included laughter, whiskey, conversations, blankets and that glorious fire.

The three Sisters  on the way to Bend

We journeyed into Sisters on Saturday morning for some coffee at Sister's Coffee Company- a fine little independent roasting company owned by some college friends. We delighted in the brew and hit the road to Bend.  Now, for those of you reading who have never been to Central Oregon, the landscape and people are similar to Montana.  The mountain views are breathtaking, the way of life is slow and family, friends, food and beer are valued above all else.  There are several impressive mountains in the area including the three Sisters (North, Middle and South), Mount Washington and Bachelor.  As we were driving to Bend I snapped a few pictures, but nothing compares to what I saw with my eyes!

Bend was a lovely quant little town- very similar to Kalispell.  We walked around a visited a candy shop, lingered in some boutiques, drank beer at Deschutes Brewery and met up with some friends who happened to also be in Bend.  Jenn got her nose pierced and I decided to switch mine to a ring.  Lunch was provided by one of Jordon's friends who owns a little food cart called Real Food! Jenn and I spurged on the Southwest Black Bean burger and I was blown away! So many lovely flavors all in one little bite.  We also tried our luck at beating Jordon in a game of Buck Hunter at a local dive bar, but neither of us could rally- next time!  I was surprised how relaxed I was and chalk it up to crisp mountain air, good company and good brews. It was easy to forget the world of Portland that awaited our return... And I kinda like that.

Sunday we made breakfast, drank coffee on the porch, spent time enjoying God's creation on the day his Son was resurrected! Jenn and I played Ticket to Ride and popped the top off around 11am :)  Jenn and I drove back to Portland and relished in each other's undivided attention. Not worrying about all that we needed to do in the coming week.  Pure bliss I have to say.

Overall, I highly recommend a weekend in this beautiful part of Oregon.  Next time, I want to spend some time at Black Butte and of course head down a little further south to Creator Lake!

My Growler!

Sister's Coffee!

Easter Sunday in God's creation

Country Music Monday!!

Ahh... I love this man!



In search for those summer nights!

Mingle Monday on a Friday!

Lately, on my morning commute, I have been reading a lot of other blogs.  It is borderline becoming a habit/addiction.  But at the same time, it has been fun to get lost in really good writing along with the meaningless chatter that fills in the cracks.  One of the bloggers whom I recently started following has something called "Mingling Monday"where you post an answer to her question and link your blog to hers.  The idea is you are "introduced"to other bloggers via this post.  I have been debating whether to open my blog to anyone who wants to read it, or keep it personal and only available to those I know. I am leaning towards opening it up- since I have really enjoyed reading others' posts and have benefited from some of the life advice, recipes and workouts they have posted... so here's to Mingle Monday!

Question: What does an ideal Saturday look like?

Saturdays are my favorite days of the week!  I look forward to sleeping in for as long as I can!  Typically, I drink an entire French Press while I catch up on emails, messages and anything else I neglected during the week.  I usually spend the morning debating what I want to do for the evening.  Lately it has been anything from game nights, enjoying any number of Portland's amazing restaurants, out dancing or just chilling with a bottle of wine amongst friends.  If by chance it is sunny (has not happened in a long time!), I try to get outside on a walk or bike ride- usually on the waterfront downtown.  Then if time allows, a few hours to shower and get prepped for whatever activity is awaiting me :)

I know the question was an "ideal" Saturday- but my typical Saturdays are ideal.  Since returning to Portland, I have been very fortunate to greet every weekend with adventures with friends or family.  It is one of the best things about being back and one of the reasons why I call this little city my home :)

If you want to check out what Mingle Monday is all about, check out Meg's blog!

#6 Thankful Thoughts

After a busy March of almost blogging daily, I found I needed to take a few days away from these keys of mine and enjoy spending time being present with my friends and family.  That being said, last night it occurred to me how much I missed daily blogging!  I love having a "spot" where I can express my thoughts and feelings and share in my adventures with others that live further away.  I find it very humbling that anyone would be interested in my thoughts...  And so, here I am ;)

I wanted to continue sharing the things I was most thankful for this week:

1) Good sleep after a busy weekend of spending time with my awesome family

2) The postcard from Starbucks I had stuffed in my glove box for a "rainy day".  I needed that triple grande latte on Wednesday morning after "wine night" with my friend Jenn

3) Knowing I will be getting out of Portland this weekend for a trip to Bend with some lovely friends

4) For the opportunity to be a part of the AmeriCorps program that is paying me for my "service" at my internships.  The money I receive from them will help pay for my first series of student loans

5) This day off!  An amazing lunch full of tasty dishes, good laughs and conversation.  A latte to be enjoyed  with my friend Erin and an open night to find trouble to get into :)

Amazing how many reasons I have to be thankful!

Music Monday!

A lovely new tune that is adorable and has a catchy tune...



This one is an oldie, but it came on the radio this weekend and it always reminds me of a special friend and the life that once was...