i stand corrected

Apparently, I haven't given enough love to our other favorite drink at the house... The Bloody Mary. So this post goes out to my mom and Brent, who so lovingly pointed out that there was a mistake in my earlier post that we have Margs 90% of the time.  We also have Bloody Marys about 90% of the time. While I know that is not mathematically possible, it's the truth. And at the risk of sounding like a lush, we also have our fair share of wine. We do not discriminate.

So, you have a plethora of beverage options, and you can also be creative with your venue or activity. Say, for example, a John Deer ride with a Bloody Mary in hand~

Maybe I was a little biased because the last few trips we made the most delicious margs ever! Ok, maybe not ever, but they are great!

cheers!

Some of our favorite pastimes at the house include cooking, baking, eating, and drinking. At almost any given moment, we will have a drink in hand (90% of the time that means a margarita), and we will either be eating or discussing what we will eat next. I'd have to say the kitchen is my favorite room of the house... which has become even better with the recent additions of the herb and vegetable gardens. All of the above topics will probably be a major theme of this blog...

{Kudos to my mom for designing the kitchen}

{Veggies!}

{Memorial Day weekend~ 2006}

Speaking of the River...

{McKenzie River}

This is the backyard... this is "our river".  Pretty nice, right?  You can go fishing, kayaking, floating, or (my personal favorite) just sit on the bank with a good book and cup of coffee...

{hammocking and kayaking on the river}

Beautiful moments...

{McKenzie River} 

Some years I only get up to Oregon twice, and some (like this year), I am lucky enough to go up more often. No matter if its summer or winter, day or night, on the drive home from the airport my parents stop at the same spot for me to listen to "our river".  At first, it felt silly. Of course it isn't our river, and sometimes I am so tired or anxious to get home. However, this has become one of my favorite traditions.  Right as you turn off the highway and onto our tree-lined street, we slow down, stop the car, and roll down the windows.  You can hear the river racing by and breathe in the fresh, clean air.  It is the moment that I realize I can turn off the "LA switch".  I can turn off my Blackberry, let go of any stress, fold up my to-do list and just be. Just experience nature and embrace it's tranquility, get back to the core of who I am and feel inspired to grow into the person I want to be... 

more of the story

After going through 19 years of life with Ramsey, it was only natural that his best friends would become mine. They sat with me and my parents through the best and the worst of times, and we developed our own special bond. Since then, we have spent every Memorial day weekend/Ramsey's birthday up in Oregon at my parents' house. So the 1st year, on May 28, 2005 (what would have been Rams' 24th bday) we thought "what would ramsey be doing right now if he were here?"... jump in the freezing cold river, of course... and so, in we went. 

let's start at the beginning...

{Halloween}

{My first UCLA football game as a Bruin, with my favorite Bruin}

I was blessed to have the best big brother and greatest best friend for 19 years. We promised each other that we'd never really grow up- that we'd always appreciate life, accept adventure, and laugh at ourselves.  He taught me to love with every ounce of my soul, and laugh with that same passion. He gave me my first Bible, took me to my first concert, poured me my first shot, and was there for my first broken heart.   To know me at all, is to know him and his impact on my life... we may be apart in this life now, but our love will never end. It's been almost six years now since we lost him, but I hope that I have gone through life in such a manner to make him proud. And I hope that I can (and think I am ready to) seek out adventure and passion the way he taught me to...  so here goes.