Willamette Valley Wine Tasting

This past weekend, a few of us girls planned a spontaneous wine tasting day.  Ok, yes it was actually planned, but the fact that we all just happened to sit next to each other at a luncheon on Thursday, mentioned that we should hang out soon, possibly go wine tasting, pulled out our calendars and decided on Saturday and then actually followed through made it quite spontaneous to us!

 

Saturday turned out to be the perfect sunny spring day here in the Northwest.  The only thing to make it even better was to head out to McMinnville, just an hour away and in the heart of the Willamette Valley, to visit some beautiful vineyards.  Our first stop was Lange Winery where Valerie, Jamie and I sat outside in the sun and tasted Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs while enjoying the crystal clear view of Mount Hood.

 

We stopped into Briar Rose Creamery to taste some deliciously fresh goat cheese.  Seriously, this creamery is at a farm in the valley where goats are roaming around the fields helping make the best garlic and herb goat cheese ever.  It doesn't get fresher than that!

 

We had a 12:30 appointment at Soter Vineyards (don't judge our early wine tasting times - that's how it works out here in the Willamette Valley!).  If you look at the pictures on their website, you'll probably think, "The website is just trying to make this place look pristine.  There's no way that's real."  The pictures are speaking truth, people.  This place was outstanding.  We pulled up, got out of our car, and before we even reached the sidewalk we were greeted with a glass of rose wine (a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir).  As if that hadn't already sold us, there was a cozy fireplace inside that we sat by for a bit before we headed outside and sat on the back patio taking in the warm sun and incredible vineyard view.

 

Two thoughts dominated my mind on Saturday: 1) I can't believe I actually live here and get to do this pretty much any time, 2) this is the life!

 

Jamie, Mary and Valerie enjoying the sun and the wine

 

Briar Rose Creamery tasting

 

Soter party table... next dinner party venue?!

 

Jamie sipping a $125 wine... her "happy place"

 

It seriously doesn't get any better than this

 

"Wine is sunlight, held together by water."

- Galileo Galilei

Fake It Til You Make It

Do you ever feel a bit underqualified for what you’re doing? Like you’re in over your head? Maybe bitten off more than you can chew? But you don’t want to give yourself away… so you fake it til you make it.

 

At some point, you’ve convinced someone that you are capable of taking on X task: be it a job, a volunteer position, a big responsibility, some kind of important commitment. You smile and accept the task and a few moments later you realize what you’ve just gotten yourself into and the panic sets in. But you keep a big nervous smile on your face.

 

I’ve felt this way a lot lately. I like a good challenge and sometimes my pride gets the best of me. If you dare me to do something, I’ll probably do it. If it’s humanly possible, I’m probably going to give it a try. Give me an inch, I’ll take it a mile. Or maybe 26. It’s all summed up in one of my philosophies in life: “Why not?”

 

Examples…

 

Work: What? You want me to lead a $1.5 million fundraiser? Bring it on. You want me to organize and lead a meeting with a bunch of CEOs? I’d love to exchange business cards with them. You want me to put together contracts using terms such as “indemnification”, “trade secret” and “the wherefore clause”? I can whip that up.

My secret: slyly ask questions and wear a nice power suit

 

Church Nursery: Yeah, we’re about at capacity but you want to drop off your hyperactive 2-year-old twins? Sure, we can always handle a couple more. Oh, your child isn’t quite old enough but you’re ready for him to be in the toddler class? Of course I’d love for him to cling to me while he cries bloody murder for an hour. Your child isn’t potty trained but you put her in big-girl-underwear anyway? I’d be honored to potty train her for you.

My secret: lots of coffee and Sunday afternoon massages

 

Personal Training: Would I rather use the 10 or 15 lb dumbbells? What do I look: a string bean? I’ll take the 15ers and pay for it tomorrow when I can’t lift my sore arms. You think we should taper the reps so I don’t overexert myself? I don’t think that’s necessary, and if it looks like I’m crying tears of pain it’s probably just a little sweat.

My secret: lots of foam rolling

 

Hood to Coast: What leg would I like to sign up for this year? I’ll take Leg 9, that awful one with the 7 mile uphill climb in the gravel. It doesn’t sound so bad 6 month out. Oh, that leg is usually run in the middle of the night? It’s cool, I often go for light jogs at 2:00am.

My secret: bribing myself with a burger and beer after we cross the finish line

 

Sometimes it’s tempting to take the easy way out, but what’s the fun in that? You may have to fake it for a while, but you’ll learn along the way and if you keep going you’re sure to make it!

 

Learning to Say NO

Let me add a little balance to this post so that no one goes and does something crazy just because that one girl said “Why not?” While I’m usually up for a good challenge, I’m also learning that sometimes you just have to say “No.” Otherwise, you’re likely to take on too much and get burned out. I was explaining to a friend a while back that life was so busy and a bit overwhelming. She gave me great advice that I think about all the time: “Think about the things in your life that are life-giving and do those things.” Don’t take on something if it’s only going to have a negative impact on you. Life is too short to fill it with mundane tasks. Do something worth your time and effort and that makes you come alive!

PacPac City Getaway

This weekend a group of us took a glorious weekend getaway to Pacific City.  It was so nice to escape from Portland for a couple of days and enjoy the beautiful Oregon coast.  Our friend Nicole's family has a gorgeous beach house which comfortably slept 13 of us.  The group of guys and girls was the perfect mix of fun and layed back.  We played pool, sat and read books, played card games, cooked every meal, walked on the beach, climbed the sand dunes, had dance parties, took naps... pretty much did whatever we felt like doing.  How perfect!

view from the back porch... doesn't even look real!

Madison and I exploring

love this picture of Madison... sheer joy.

 

Madison and I are planning to submit this picture with our Amazing Race application to show our adventurous spirits and fun personalities

sunny afternoon on the beach

Liz kite dancing on the sand... my favorite picture of the weekend

Snowshoeing Mt Hood

Yesterday, I joined the Imago Dei "Reveal" hiking group on a snowshoeing adventure on Mount Hood.  This is only the second time I've ever snowshoed (and the first time I've snowshoed without a cast on my arm).  A group of 13 of us strapped on our snowshoes and hiked the White River trail.  We just happened to be hiking on the same day as a breast cancer awareness group event, so we just threw on our pink wool hats and hopped on the trail.  It was a chilly day and snow flakes were in the air.

I borrowed snowshoes from a friend and apparently my feet were just a little too small to stay strapped in, so our group leader Eric kept having to "MacGyver" them to stay on by using the loop from his hiking poles and even his belt as extra reinforcement.  We hiked about 2 miles up to a clearing with an amazing view of the Mount Hood summit and ate lunch.  Once our bottoms started getting numb, we thought it best to get back on our feet and start the hike back down.

the hike up

the group

Mount Hood summit view

Katie and I in front of the great view

 

Hallow Winter Valloween

When I got back to Portland, I made a quick costume change and joined Megan's birthday party - the 2nd annual Valentines/Halloween themed celebration...

Superman, RGIII, Maverick and Marcel the Shell

Happy Birthday, Megan!

 

It's Complicated

For the past year or two or seven, I’ve found myself in a stage of life where things seem a bit complicated. We might call this stage “your 20s”, or “the real world” or “that time when you’re just figuring things out”. I’m going to simplify it and call this stage LIFE. Because I’m starting to realize that it’s not a stage at all, it’s just life. And it’s here to stay.

 

I’ve noticed that recent conversations with friends have been serious and complex for the most part. When we really get to talking about how we are (not the “I’m fine, all is well, life is rosy. How are you?” nonsense), we find one another wading waist-deep into the muddy waters of Life. We’re not on the warm sandy beaches of innocent adolescence anymore. And out here in the muddy water, it ain’t always sunny!

 

Exciting waves of opportunity approach and end up hitting you smack in the face. The horizon of faith which used to be a beautiful sunrise (or was it a sunset?) suddenly becomes dark and hazy. The cold breeze of immortality sends a chill down your spine. Beautifully shaped sea shells of relationships break under your feet and cause you to bleed a bit. And the salty waters of Life surround you all the while, making those cuts sting but cleaning them at the same time.

 

Yet the water is fine. It may be murky, but it kind of feels nice to wash the grainy sand out from between our toes. You hope that eventually the sun will come back up, things will calm down and you’ll be able to enjoy a nice swim in the open waters. It will. But there will be ebbs and flows.

 

It’s interesting… once you open up and tell someone else about these murky waters you’re experiencing, oftentimes they have been there too – or they might be right there with you. Maybe not in that exact spot on the same beach, but similar. Or maybe they’ve managed to stay on the sandy beach without taking a dip in the water. They’ve had different Life experiences, but they’re a little sunburned from them as well. That’s just how Life goes.

 

All that to say, I’ve definitely figured one thing out… LIFE is complicated.

*Note: this post was not meant to be utterly pessimistic. It was meant to be open, honest and vulnerable. Speaking of…

 

Disingenuity and Intentionality

I recently heard a report on how we, as humans, are disingenuous with one another for the majority of our lives. How deceiving and disappointing! But when you think about it, what is the response you expect when you ask someone, “How are you doing?” You hope for, “Fine, thanks.” You don’t really want to hear about your coworker’s marital problems or your barista’s gloomy financial situation. We don’t want people to be too honest with us! But I would hope that we would surround ourselves with people with whom we can have very intentional relationships. That has probably been my biggest blessing since being here in Portland. For example: Wednesday nights are “Girls Night” for six of us. We get together (typically over a glass of wine) and catch up. Like really catch up. We could play games or watch The Bachelor or talk about the latest trends (all which are fun every now and then), but we’re committed to going deep with one another. We ask “How are you doing?” and want to hear how each person is really doing: the exciting and joyful parts as well as the nitty gritty. I know, it seems a little scary at first and you’re not sure if you want to go there, but once you do you’ll never go back. Solid relationships and figuring out Life together (or at least trying to) is what it’s all about, right?!

Christmas 2012 and Laura's Wedding

I’m so thankful that I was able to spend a nice long time in Texas for Christmas again this year. I flew into Dallas on my niece Hannah’s 6th birthday and was able to celebrate with her at her birthday dinner, for which she chose to have chicken ceasar salad for her special meal. After having breakfast with family in Dallas, my mom and I headed down to Waco and then I continued on to Austin for dinner with Merrill and Whitney. Though I was only in Austin for a few hours, I’m so glad that I was able to catch up with these friends and meet Merrill’s 4-week-old daughter, Leighton.

 

What a cutie – and look at that hair!

my Austin girls

 

Over the break, I was able to spend lots of quality time with great friends and family. I’m so grateful to still have such strong relationships back in Texas, even though I now live 2,000 miles away. I tried to soak it all in: breakfast at Café Cappuccino with Granddaddy and Barbara, walks and runs with Hannah, church at Dayspring, great book conversations with Jed, playtime with Carter and Henry, hunting with Taylor, hanging out and wrapping gifts with the Olsons, chatting with Sydney and Anne, Baylor football watching with Dillon, fishing with Uncle Les, playing scrabble with Aunt Janice, walks with Mom, runs with Dad, Dallas girl’s day with Emily and Sarah, and of course all of the family holiday festivities.

 

hanging with Hannah

huntin' with Taylor and Carter

 

don't mess with Texas

fishing with Uncle Les (warning: when you hold a fish for too long and squeeze a little too hard, it poops in your hand)

dinner at Mi Cocina with the sisters and kids

Carter Family Christmas

 

I’m always a bit overwhelmed by the changes I encounter each time I’m back in Texas (cousin’s new babies, friend’s new boyfriends, growing kids, unfamiliar faces at church) and I realize how long I’ve been gone. But then I go for a run and wave to friendly neighbors who still know me by name or go to the grocery store and bump into high school friends and feel like I never left.

 

Laura's Wedding 

I had an extra-long break in Texas because my cousin Laura got married on New Year’s Eve. The whole Carter Clan traveled to Fredericksburg for the wedding and rang in the New Year toasting champagne and dancing at the reception. It was quite a beautiful wedding – congrats Laura and Ryan!

 

the happy couple

the cutest and most experienced flower girls and ring bearer around

The 3 Muskateers in Denver

This post is way overdue... The first weekend of December I flew to Denver to meet my childhood friends, Anne and Sydney.  Anne is looking at grad school at Denver University and we decided to scope out the city with her.  I have to say, Denver is a pretty cool place - pretty similar to Portland.  This was my second time to visit.  It was so great to spend time with these girls who are such dear friends.  We were together all the time in high school, so our teachers called us the 3 Muskateers.  We don't get to see each other too often since we all live in different states (Texas, Missouri and Oregon), but the time that we do get together is always wonderful.

Here's a recap of the weekend in pictures...

dinner after we all flew in on Friday... a great time to catch up on life

hike at Red Rock on Saturday

the Parade of Lights downtown on Saturday night 

bundled up eating ice cream

 

I even got to see my Baylor friend, Chris