frisbees over spokane

on saturday we drove up to riverside state park, just outside of spokane to spend time with erik and kayla (and the pilkingtons). being in the company of good friends is always wonderful, but being in the company of good friends while surrounded by the beauty of the spokane river takes the cake! we had a blast and ate like kings and queens thanks to kayla's folks. somehow cold spaghetti just won't cut it for camping food for us now!

we also experienced the underground world of disc golf. (although we weren't up to par as we had frisbees--way lame in the disc golf world!) here are a couple of action shots...

my killer athletic instincts at their best

looking a bit more graceful

one of my favorite things to do while camping is to pull out the camera and catch the world as it wakes up. these two photos are from the bridge over bowl and pitcher rapid. (the rest of the photos are on our flickr website--see sidebar)
we went into the city this morning and hit target, rei and another outdoor store. then we went to p.f. changs and ate until our bellies were full. what a treat! mmm.

after our much appreciated lunch we headed out to the river to do a bit of kayaking. at the put in we met a great couple who we spent the afternoon with. despite the intimidation/compitition factor in kayaking, there are some chill boaters out there and these two were awesome. it was fun to make new friends on the river! then we drove home in the rain and are looking forward to a good sleep!

this was our beautiful view on the drive homea very happy weekend indeed!

our recent harvest

this is our friend bam-boozle, he is a crooked sort, but we love him all the same

here we have our delicious peppers, which often grace our dinner table in
some way, shape, or form

the beginnings of beautiful, fragrant lavender

a bag full of tommy's hard work

the line up

who knew growing things this past spring and summer would nurture my soul? i love having something to take care of, to watch grow, and then...to EAT! :)

pomp and circumstance for brandon

just a notice for those interested: brandon is planning to participate in the UI commencement ceremony on december 8th. if there is any hint that you might want to be here to celebrate him, i would recommend reserving a hotel now as you can always cancel. we are familiar with la quinta and the university inn. beyond those, things can get scary, but good luck!

he is so eager to finish up and graduation is just around the corner! yea!

happy 17 years rossco!

today is the day that marks my brother ross' 17th year of life! he is one great guy and we are so proud of him. he is a fisherman extraordinaire who loves the excitement of chasing after the next big catch.
when ross came home from the hospital my only-child-life was forever lost. but he was so darn cute with his mess of dark hair and long limbs, that it was okay to have to share the limelight. i liked him most of the time then and i love him all of the time now.
sadly, i cannot scrounge up any recent photos of him--probably because we don't get to see him too often.
ultimately this post is to say: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROTHER! we love you.

a night at the county fair

after work tonight a bunch of us got together for a rendezvous at the county fair. despite our long-running relationship, this was the first fair brandon and i attended together. mostly we hung out with my pal amber, who is amazing and so fun!
i had big plans to get an elephant ear before we left and then to go home and deal with the stomach pains and headaches it would surely cause. in the end, reason won: i opted instead for the caramel coated apple, a gluten-free option.
there was much fun to be had in looking at the "natural anomalies" of the fruits and veggies and the "mr. potato head decorating contest" to gleeful cheers inspired by the lionhead rabbit (i so want one!)
the other critter i was introduced to was a shetland sheep--can you imagine how much cuter miniature lambs would be. i told brandon that someday one of those is going to be in our family.

the other thing that i realized about fairs is why my parents always dreaded taking us: they cost a fortune! this one was free to get into, but the games and rides were upwards of $5 each! the food was a bit spendy, but the activities were overboard so we enjoyed tasty treats, people watched, and saw silly veggies and cute animals. sounds like a good night to me!

too much happening

i am home this morning feeling much less than 100% with a nasty sinus, post-nasal drip, congestion thing happening. i have a lot of police related things to deal with at work, so i am going to go in to the office here in a bit. grrr.
this week just feels totally swamped for both of us. i think i am going to drop my super-lame class. it consumes one of our nights together (5:30-8:30), it isn't interesting, and there is so much work. oh, and i don't need the credit! it is just "for fun". brandon continues to ask, "why are you taking this class?" and i don't have an answer. i truly dread it.
in other things, brandon has a major exam, a late-night work shift, and a field trip all before thursday. he has even more happening than me!
basically, i just can't wait for the weekend, to have time with him (hopefully without my sickness).
ultimately this post is quite anti-climactic, just a little glimpse into our busy week.

the (steep) ups and downs

our backpacking trip along the st. joe river was equally wonderful and exhausting. we have tight calves, sore shoulders, and a few great photos. going with our friends will and andrea was lots of fun--always good to have solid "couple friends"!

a "groovy" rock along the river shore

midway through a killer uphill stretch. i was so glad to see brandon ahead with his pack off!
a much needed break along a very tough climb
some saint joe river shots

i thought this cloud photo looked like the sistine chapel ceiling. i guess the mural in the chapel was based on the real deal...
this setting made this river photo look like a beautiful painting

a hiking we will go

we are off early tomorrow morning for a short holiday/long weekend adventure in the wilderness north east of us. there are rumors of huckleberries, moose, and lovely river views. i promise pictures to come!

brandon is going to attempt to hike on 2-3 hours of sleep, depending on how long it takes us to get there. this late-night once-a-week thing gets old for me and exhausting for him. hopefully he is extra cheery and the rest of us can be patient. maybe he won't have to wait for me like usual. that would be an interesting change!

also, i have tried to get photos up from when mom, matt & bubby were here, but have not managed to make that work yet. those should be on the way...