Good Friends, Old Friends, Good Eats, Good Times.....

Cheers to good food and great company!

Going back to our mini vacay to Washington, I was able to squeeze in an afternoon with my "lifetime" bestie! We have known each other 20 plus years!!! It is one of those friendships in my life that nothing will ever be able separate. We were very best friends throughout high school, we laughed together, cried together, stood by each other and really understood each other. I can honestly say that apart from my husband there is nobody that I have ever let into my heart more than this girl. I miss her like crazy and though life has taken us to completely different realms of life, (she lives in Seattle as partner and co-owner of her own law firm, unmarried with no children, and I living in a small town as a SAHM of three kids) she still remains one of my best friends.  She actually moved away our senior year in high school, and we have been able to see each other in person at least every couple years.

It was a beautiful day in Seattle, one of the first they'd had all year I was told so when she asked for requests on what to do I said, "eat, enjoy the sun, and spend time with you." She nailed it perfectly and took us to this oceanfront restaurant. It also happened to be Happy Hour and all of the appetizers were only $5 each. We decided on a smorgasbord picnic and pretty much ordered the entire menu! This last pic (yes I know I didn't get the depth of field right for all of you photogs out there but you get the picture)  was my absolute favorite, they were an Ahi Nacho and they were so tasty we actually put in an order for another plate! YUM! Taila's beau met us there and upon leaving we documented all being together.

Landin couldn't resist the neat climbing tree!

Afterwards we decided that ice cream was in order so Adam (Taila's beau) suggested a frozen yogurt place that was actually a gigantic buffet! I LOVED IT! I so wish we had one of these places in Alaska! You payed by the pound and it was actually pretty cheap comparably to going out for ice cream here. I realize this is probably old news for all of you who live "down in the states" but humor me here!

  

This was my before and after...Look at all the yummy goodness! I had to cover it all up...Do you know what the top picture looks like?!?!?!!!  HA!

It was a perfect afternoon! Thanks Taila and Adam for your hospitality! Until next time....

**Bonus style points for you if you realized that I took my pants off throughout the day... :)

Mini Vacay! Washougal WA. AMA PRO National MX

***Warning*** Seriously heavy picture post.


A few weeks back Jeremy came home and nonchalantly mentioned that a friend had called and was headed down to Washougal, Washington the next weekend to watch his son race at the Professional AMA Motorcross races. We have known this friend for years and watched him and his wife support, train and follow Ben and his dream of becoming a Pro Rider for the past 19 years. After racing as a privateer for a couple years, Ben  recently was asked to ride for the MotoConcepts team! YaY! Go Ben! After mentioning that Gene was headed down Jeremy also added, "We should go and take Landin!" Me, being the first to jump on travel eagerly said "I'll book it!" And it was so...

It was a whirlwind of a trip. We left on Wednesday night and arrived in Seattle at 2:00am. I figured it would be easiest to just grab a cheap hotel across the street, beings that we would only be there for a few hours until we could rent the car and begin the three hour drive down to Washougal. WRONG! BAD CHOICE!Note to self, It is always worth the extra $30 when talking cheap hotels. Let's just say that Jeremy did not undress and did not sleep under the covers that night...EWWWW! We quickly showered,took the shuttle to the car rental place, grabbed a starbucks and headed out. I love road trips, there is just something about the road, snacks, long conversations, tunes from the radio, and the anticipation of your destination! We made it to Washougal and much to our dismay it was POURING rain. I had been checking the weather all week and my little iphone weather forecast said SUN, SUN, and more SUN! I of course am gullible and believed every bit of it which resulted in the decision to only pack shorts and t-shirts. No coats or even sweatshirts! I never claimed to be the smartest gal! We stopped to say our Hello's to Ben and Gene and then promptly found the nearest REI for an emergency shopping trip. We found our way into Portand but only Thanks to my mother in law and the GPS system she loaned us. Holy Navigation!! That little thing saved our bacon more times than I could count! I vow never to travel without one again!

After getting properly dressed we went out to Portland International Raceway for a small local race that Ben was racing in. It was so much fun. The last moto's were raced under the lights! Yummy corn dogs and snuggles from my two best boys in the stands made for a beautiful night! I didn't take many pics due to my camera battery being dead but here is a link to a site that posted lots of photos of the night. We left high and giddy on excitement, adrenaline, and the sweet aroma of two strokes.

The next day we slept in a bit, and then made our way to the race track. When we got there the amateur races were going on and we were able to walk the track with Ben and Gene. The tack and grounds were beautiful. The trees were massive and to actually see a large outdoor MX track was super fun! Landin was in awe....as was his Dad...and Mom!

The sun that I was anticipating finally did come out and it was HOT! We spent the day at the track and checking out all of the giant Team Semi trucks. Later that night we went to an autograph signing session in Portland. The venue for it was HUGE, I've never seen a dealership that big! They had gotten a large number of the teams together including Villapoto and Dunge! Landin had a blast and is now the proud owner of a very autographed hat.

The next morning we woke up bright and early, (grabbed a Starbucks...of course, DUH!) and headed to the track only to be met with INSANE traffic. We arrived just as Ben was lining up for his first practice moto.

We were also fortunate enough to be able to meet up with the Carlson' crew! It was so nice to be able to see them all. Jeremy's sister and her family moved away about a year ago so it was an added bonus to the trip! There were SOOOO many people there and it was an insanely hot beautiful day out. Tami and Jason have 5 kiddos and we had Landin so it made for careful navigation through the crowds but they were all so awesome, we had no problems.

We wandered around, ate corn dogs and cotton candy, got completely filthy, cheered Ben on, and Had a blast! We have decided that this need to be an annual event. I'm thinking a super cross is in order for next year...Las Vegas or Anaheim...Hmmmmm.

Landin almost melted by the end of the day but he bounced back quickly, it was nothing that an ice cold drink, food, (remember the cotton candy earlier) and some baby wipes couldn't take care of. This pic cracks me up!

After the races we wandered back into the pit area and was able to take some pictures with (most importantly according to Landin) Ben, and Chad Reed.

Landin with Ben's bike! #526

Chad Reed

Landin and Ben LaMay #526

Ben and Gene, Thank you so much for your kindness and hospitality! We had a BLAST!

Ben,kick butt and take names the rest of the season!

Thanks Jeremy for taking us on a quick trip! Love ya! MUAH! You are the BESTEST!

Landin, Mom and Dad had such a great time with just our "pal"! Thank You!

Tami, Jason and kiddos, it was so great to see you all! Hugs and Misses.

An afternoon in Instagram.

Mondays are usually catch up day in this house. We generally don't make plans for Mondays besides put away weekend stuff and spruce up and clean the house a little more thoroughly than other days. The kids were working especially hard this particular Monday and so we decided we needed an intermission to all of our hard work. After our finger food picnic lunch and a bit of arm wrestling we embarked on a walk....

I Love You!

This is what I look like in full on stay at home chore mode...glamorous isn't it. Man, I love this kid, looking at this photo, I can hear his giggles and grunts. So sweet, thank you Jesus for the gift of laughter.

It started out with bike tricks that didn't end so well..... he wasn't hurt, mostly mad that I had captured it on film and that Lexi had "popped big on his pegs" and "flew him off his bike". 

Made our way to the coffee shop. A walk isn't a walk without a stop for ice cream or coffee...is it?

Sweet shot of my babes... They are all laughing because Landin just randomly hollered over his shoulder to the stranger walking by that his mom was crazy! He then added it was because I liked to take to many pictures of them. I guess I do, but I keep telling them they will appreciate it someday. How's that for old lady mom talk.... HA! 

On to the BMX dirt track where we all cheered Landin on. He would stop for the occasional pit stop and get refueled with water and fruit snacks.

Little dirty hands...could anything look much sweeter?  We found a small roadside wild strawberry patch, so we stopped to harvest some for dinner.

We had such a fun time, made priceless memories and the thing is that it only took an hour out of our day. I am reminded not to get caught up in my daily to-do list and focus some energy on what is most important and what makes me most fulfilled. The sights and sounds of three happy kids is a very fulfilling feeling.

.....and for your viewing pleasure, Lexi's zombie possessed face.....:)