So Are You Coming?

Scotty and Crystal COMING HOME this week!!!!

We're having a welcome home BBQ
Friday Sept 4th
At the Kelley Parents
BYOM, BYOB and a side or dessert to share.
6:30pm

If you know them enough to want to welcome them home....then yes you are invited.

The Wedding of Grahm and Charlotte

Saturday August 22nd Phil and I had the honor of attending an amazingly fun and original wedding.

So excited for:
A) Phil not having to work
B) The awesome celebration ahead!
I loved all the personal touches Charlotte added. The fan/programs were great! All summer weddings need fan-programs!!
The wedding was at the Trask Property. This is where my Ruby grew up. Such a beautiful piece of land. Grahm helped build this deck overlooking the Alsea river for the big day.
Phil and I were happy to hangout with some people we knew. Fiona looked beautiful.

The Beautiful bride. We were in the front. I had to stand on my hay bail to see.
I loved the back of Chars dress! She was amazingly gorgeous.

Ruby and Lewis were both in the wedding. Lewis read a special prayer. The bridesmaids dresses were from victoria secret and they had convertible tops meaning you could make it greek style, strapless, halter...possibilities were endless. I might buy one just for fun.


Mr. and Mrs.HORRAY! MARRIAGED!
Beautiful Sister and Brother of the groom.
My friend was home for 14days! Unfortunately all her time was spent helping with the wedding but thats ok. That was the whole purpose of taking time off the PCT.
The beautiful view from the altar. What a beautiful river. I saw a trask family photo in the house when Ruby was a kid. Each person was standing on one of those rocks, so cute.
View from the altar to the barn and far to the right the reception area.
There were cute little lanterns marking the path to the reception.
We were greeted with appetizers while we waited for the groom and bride to return. The salmon spread was made from smoked salmon Grahm caught in the spring. My favorite were the brie&apricot puffs. Phil was pretty happy to have Ruby Ale from Mcmennamins.
The reception area in the apple tree orchard. Very pretty with all the lights and lanterns.
Lots of bright color and dahlias.


The wedding party coming to the reception. The looked liked angels in that lighting.
And so crazy, there was a rainbow thing over their heads as they walked over. Magical.
Welcoming all the way from the PCT...Ruby and Lewis!
Welcome back Bride and Groom!
Cutest Photo shoot with a tractor. Let me just say they had the BEST photographer I had ever seen. She was working SO HARD. Running around everywhere. I actually liked how forceful she was with Charlotte, they are going to have some amazing shots. The fearless photographer was from Poland, I just loved her accent.
Huge highlight.....THE FOOD!! Grahm and the guys roasted a pig that they started raising when they first got engaged. Barb and all her workers made delicious food all with local and mostly organic ingredients. My new favorite is Grandmas "icky beans". Best beans ever!
Ruby was the prettiest bridesmaid by far. She was so creative with her little headband. I just loved it.
Sexy ladies. One hour curling my hair and it only lasted through the ceremony, why do I bother?!
The dessert table. Char had different people bring a cake or a pie on a stand. Guess which one I brought...
The stunning mother of the groom. Barb worked so hard on this wedding. She was a wonderful hostess.
The fabulous four!
Toast to the bride and groom.
Wow a teeny tiny lewis. His pants were size 32 and loose!!! Tiny!
Walker was a great MC.
First Dance
Somehow I took a photo at the same time as the photographer, the flash did funny things.
Handsome groom.
This was probably the best dance party I had ever been too. We had so much fun. Char did an amazing job designing a beautiful GREEN wedding. The beer cups were even made from corn!

Great News For Phil

Quick Recap. When Phil and I got married 2.5yrs ago Phil was presented an opportunity from his summer job at Knife River. They discussed the possibility of dropping his first major(Business and he was almost done) and basically starting over with a new major that would push him forward in the company. We decided together that Phil would go for the new degree even though it meant another 4yrs of school. We were fine to postpone the house and family. Phil has been working toward his degree in Construction Engineering Management. It was a bit of a journey getting accepted into this competitive program but HE IS IN and will start in the fall.
There were talks of Knife River supporting Phil through his professional program and it was confirmed yesterday that he will be awarded a scholarship for the rest of his program, 5terms if all goes well.


He has been working for Knife River the last 4 summers. They proposed a possible internship in Bend for next summer. I REALLY hope it works out. But can't get too excited, nothing is final. My job allows me to go anywhere as long as I have my computer. It would be a great mini adventure and not too far from home. I'm kind of a chicken and am attached to Corvallis.

I almost positive I'm going to get busted for blogging this, Phil is a lot more private than I am but I'm just so proud of him and thankful to be married to the hardest worker I know. Baby Ching, our future child that will come out full Asian because I'm half Asain,( it just makes genetic sense), isn't that far from our future.

Wednesday Shinanigans

If you know my husband you know he isn't one to go to Portland on a whim let alone on a work night. Gosh I love him. Last Wednesday we ventured to Northern Oregon to visit Brandon and Kayla in the big city. It was a sweet and short visit. We had dinner at Pho Van, again. I think once you go to a restaurant 2 times in a row with friends you get to adopt it as "your place". So Pho Van is now "Our Place". Excellent excellent pho! I'm always craving asian soup, well because.. I'm Asian.


Very round uncomfortable chairs.

We had this really cool appetizer where you get to make your own salad roll. You dip the hard rice paper in hot water to soften then fill it full of lettuce, carrot, cucumber, bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, pickled radish, shrimp/chicken and rice noodles. so delicious.

Brandon, if you are going to take these pictures of yourself on my camera I will post them on my blog.

Technology

Well.
Today during my lunch
I juggled 2 chats online with
my sister Crystal in Senegal, Africa
and
my friend Jim in Iraq
Technology is awesome.

More Babies

Sunday beautiful Lindsey had her baby shower for Dylan. She SCORED! Baby showers are so fun and dangerous. I always leave asking myself: "What am I waiting for? This is what life is all about. Family. Why don't Phil and I just start ours already?"

We might have spent an entire hour or more just opening presents. Dylan is so lucky to have so many people to love him. We made sure to get him his first big dump truck. A very appropriate gift from Phil and I.

A Date With Small

Saturday Bem and I had a girls night out. First we went shopping, she needed a new cell phone. She felt she needed to simplify and was tired of her blackberry. She also needed a new beaver cheerleader outfit, she can't wait for the first home game. And of course we needed to find something to keep her occupied at dinner, we found some magic markers that only mark on certain kinds of paper. Perfect since she has a habit of drawing all over herself.

Sadly Emma is still in this phase of wanting the camera and doesn't seem to care to much about her photo angles.

We met up with Brandon & Kayla and Ruby & Lewis at Aomatsu. The menu has changed since I last went. They have added new rolls and got rid of the tepan grill. They now offer shabu-shabu and/or korean bbq. I guess shabu-shabu is the Japanese version of hot pot and I really want to try korean bbq. I've only seen it on tv.
Kayla's tum is SO CUTE and PERFECT. Only a few more weeks until we get to meet "Joann". I cant wait!
Also only a few more weeks until this lady comes back home.

Bem did a really good job for a 2yr-old. I actually thought the seating at Aomatsu was great for her. We all sit in the same bench so she could walk to and from different people and have lots of space to play.

Emma loves her Ki-Ki and Bwanan.She also loved the dog statue downtown.

Its probably not the most sanitary thing to let her kiss him but its oh-so-cute.

The Lucky lady then got to Francesco's for gelato. She is so funny and not afraid of strangers(except for Lewis. She wasnt too fond of him, it could have been his beard). Emma kept going up to everyone and smiling. I think she might have been working the crowd to get more ice-cream but the people loved her.