Making summer dreams come true

I've been pretty blog-less this summer and for good reason. We've been soaking up every second of this sunshine, and the fact that it's creeping into late August is just depressing.

There's plenty to recap with photos and blog posts once the weather turns gray again:
- Annual Pac Crest half-marathon and Sunriver weekend with the Lagreids
- Celebrating America's independence
- Our off-the-grid Montana road trip--I wrote every single day and plan to post those musings on this here blog
- Welcoming the McFarlings from Austin for a week of Portland and Sunriver splendor
- A new baby joins the Benz family (August Jay) and another is almost here (baby girl, name TBA)
- Dogger Bethell makes its (his/her we're still not sure) appearance ... and will be arriving at our doorstep in just a few more weeks

And then there's that list of summer to-dos we've been busy just a-doin':
- Stand-up paddleboarding almost every day...until our feet get numb
- Outdoor concerts
- Barbecues
- Camping
- Spontaneous visits from friends
- Cooking and baking from nature's bounty

Before the summer started, Taylor and I had a couple of simple goals for the season. We wanted to be on the lake as much as possible and to make salsa from ingredients out of our garden. I'm happy to report--as of last night--both of those goals have been achieved. Years from now, we're going to look back on the summer of 2014 as one of the most special. I just know it.  

Salsa 2014! Full disclosure: Tomatoes and jalapenos from our garden. Onions and garlic from my mom's garden. Cilantro from the store (ours came and went earlier this summer). Note: Taylor really didn't want me to take a pic of this, so I publicly apologize for that, Taylor. 

They call it the Hill Country, I [still try to] call it home

Love those RRB lyrics.

Austin will always be a part of me, no matter how many years it's been since I lived there, and no matter how much it changes.

And luckily, I have a husband who loves it almost as much as I do (if it weren't for the blazing heat and lack of fly-fishing, he says).

We spent an always-amazing time in our second city mid-May, this time staying with the wonderful hosting duo of Blake and Andrea...and can't forget to give their pup, Cora, a shout-out.

I will expand upon this trip and add more photos soon, but for now, I get my hall pass by slapping this post up before my self-imposed June 30 deadline. Yes, this trip happened *last* month.

We will see Blake and Andrea in just a few weeks as they travel out to the Pacific Northwest so we can adventure together...and Taylor and I can attempt to be as outstanding of hosts as they were to us.

Here are just a few of our favorite Austin memories. More to come.

Foodie celeb fix! Tyler Florence and I shared the same plane from San Fran to Austin and from Austin to San Fran. No. Big. Deal. People. 

1 year down; a lifetime to go

I promised myself I'd post about our anniversary before I couldn't say it happened "last month" anymore. I'm really pushing it, writing this June 30.

But summer's been too uncharacteristically non-Portland drizzle so far, and we've been soaking in every moment, holding our collective breath that it won't rain tomorrow. We've been pretty darn lucky, and we hope that streak will continue through mid-October.

I haven't spent too many evenings at the computer now that I've got the hang of my not-so-new-anymore job. I did have a couple of late nights of freelance work, but those kind of make me feel alive in a way..pushing my limits and working until I fall asleep, or during the wee morning hours when no one, not even the cat, is rustling around the house.

And this post has taken a turn away from why I sat down to write.

Taylor and I celebrated one whopping year of marriage May 3, 2014. How the pages of the calendar turned so fast during those twelve months, I'll never really know, but from what I hear about the future, time just keeps speeding itself up.

Since we married on a Friday night, Saturday was all ours this year, and we decided we would create a day of favorites, and let our passions be our guide. We planned a trip to my favorite city of Austin the following week, coinciding with a work trip for Taylor (score!), so we didn't want to leave town on our big day. In fact, we really and truly didn't want to leave our house. Although we moved in in late-January, with Tax Season and some intermittent travel, we hadn't spent a whole ton of time together in our home.

I took a deep breath the moment I awoke, and I felt that special warm feeling in my belly that accompanies a birthday or Christmas. It felt like a holiday, but such a personal one. Sleeping in is such a treat for us, as Saturdays typically involve some sort of marathon workout in the morning. We almost didn't know what to do without the alarm clock chiming. Almost. We exchanged traditional first anniversary paper gifts, and then we decided to roll out of bed for make coffee and think about running.

Time was ticking on our day, so we opted for a quick bite so we could optimize our ideas for agenda items. First, we wanted to hit the Italian coffee shop up the street that not many people know about. Each drink is prepared with such precision, infused with sheer artistry. We had been wanting to visit this coffee shop since we moved into the neighborhood, and we checked that line item right off our list.

Then we decided more than anything we wanted to get our yard in order for the spring and early summer. We picked up a push lawnmower and headed to the local nursery for plants and flowers. Our little yard isn't much, but we have a raised bed, and we were determined to fill in all the empty spaces in the yard with edibles or other intriguing plants. Taylor wanted to grow hops up the pergola, not for any other reason than for the aesthetics. So, we planted, weeded, and trimmed our yard to near perfection that afternoon.

It was a truly serendipitous day. Even a trip to a different grocery store than our typical led to a free fiesta in the parking lot, complimentary roses at the entrance, and a beer tasting to boot. I told Taylor it felt like people knew it was "our" day, even though it was just coincidence.

We squeezed in a quick trip to the gym before we headed out to wine country for a multi-course meal at an adorable French restaurant we'd heard much buzz about. We were semi-planning for a farm-to-table dinner, but luckily we pulled the plug on that idea ahead of the torrential rains that graced the Portland area that evening. We were lucky with the weather while we planted, but boy did the clouds open up as the sun went down.

The owner of the petite restaurant also happened to be our waiter, and we outlasted all the other patrons for an intimate experience. We tried all the specialties, and we sampled all the desserts on the menu. It was perfect. There's no other word to describe it. And afterward, when the rest of the small town went to sleep, we sauntered across the street to a cafe, which provided live folk music and the friendliest, most welcoming strangers.

I didn't want the night to end because the entire day was so magical. We knew we would have a good time not matter how we chose to celebrate our anniversary, and following the day as it unfolded before us ended up being the most perfect plan of all.
 
I feel so fortunate to have found my other half in Taylor. Someone who balances me and supports me. Someone who challenges me and also just lets me be me. Someone who drives me crazy and yet elates me. We certainly do not agree on everything, but we know how to compromise (most of the time), and each other's happiness is our ultimate goal on a daily basis. I know the best is yet to come, and I am blessed to be able to experience it with Taylor. And for that I say, thank you, Taylor. I love you!

Why did I feel I had to take a pic of the parking lot party? You can't even tell what's going on in this pic, but I love that our anniversary coincides with the Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend. 

We literally could not fit any more plants into our truck. 

You should see this bed now. 

And these hops! Whoosh!

The dramatic "before and after" photos are definitely needed! 

From the most thoughtful Kelley. These lasted for weeks. Hats off to Sammy's.

Of course we had champs at one point during the day.

Taylor loves ending a fancy dinner with espresso. And I do, too. 

Most people relax on vacation

Not us. 

Easter weekend 2014 meant a trip to Sunriver per tradition. Taylor got to tag along this year--finally!--since the holiday fell after the tax deadline (and such is our life's calendar forevermore). 

But will he get invited back? 

I'm just not sure about it after a request to dust off our snowshoes turned into a black diamond trek to the top of Tumalo Mountain. 

When we're old and gray, I'll never say our time together was a walk in the park. Because we never walk. Stroll simply is not in our vocabulary. Taylor's point of view...why take the easy way when the hardest way is private, allowing optimal time to be one with nature...not to mention the killer views from the top?  

Almost every time we head out on these adventures, I end up crying. Literally. Not just pouting, but outright crying. I almost hyperventilated, too. And I'm in good shape. This little outing ended up being pretty amazing, but it was a lot of work. A lot, a lot of work. And the photos hardly do it justice.  

So basically. Thanks, Taylor. Thanks for making me earn my engagement on the top of South Sister Mountain two summers ago. That was a pretty good preview of coming attractions. 

And what would Easter weekend be without the obligatory Rock pic? Pretty good turnout this year.  

What's that, Barney? You want a golden retriever cousin?!