a secret spot in washington.

It’s been four years since we met and in true ‘Michael’ fashion, he found us the most secluded, magical camping spot in southern Washington to celebrate each other. I’ve never met someone that loves looking at maps like he does. To be fair, some of the spots he finds have definitely led us to some not-so-great places haha.

Anyway, the view from this spot was unbelievable. You could see five mountains when it was clear!! Mount Hood, Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier, and Mount Jefferson. I have to admit, this might have been my favorite campsite ever. We are already planning to take a few of our close friends up here again. The road to the top was pretty sketchy with steep cliff sides, but the drive up was absolutely worth it.

Here are a few of my favorite snapshots from our weekend.

It seemed like the fog was softly rolling down into the other valley like a waterfall.

When the sun finally peaks over the horizon.

Mount St. Helens

Love that smile. Hahah his hair got caught up in the wind and it looks like a mohawk.

This story may be a little TMI, but I just really appreciate him for this. It was about one in the morning on Saturday, when I woke up from really terrible cramps. Being a girl is not so fun sometimes. I tried to not wake him up, but he did anyway. He ended up finding me some ibuprofen and knew I needed to be distracted. So he got our jackets and pulled me out of the car and oh my gosh… the stars!!!! We could see the milky way with our own eyes!!! We don’t get to stargaze often living in the city and wow. It was soo beautiful.

We ended up going back to bed about an hour later and then waking up again for sunrise. Life really is all about the adventures, no matter how big or small.

This whole spot to ourselves.

Some snippets: We got cherries from Hood River, Oregon (which are the best!!). I was recommended the Tokyo Cult cookbook, so I brought it to read. We had baseball going through the radio and just kicked back and listened to our favorite team.

This cute deer wandered around our campsite!

Sunrise & sunset of Mount Hood.

Scott and Seanne actually joined us for one night!

 

It’s amazing where life has taken us in the past four years and I wouldn’t want to change a thing. We have a few big goals for the next couple of years, so I am excited to see where life takes us from here.

What is more remarkable, beautiful, invaluable, and against the odds, than finding someone in this blizzard of billions that you want to commit to celebrating the rest of your life with?
Unknown

thousands of roses.

Found along our walks in a city aptly named “The City of Roses”.

All of these were taken at Washington Park at a section known as the International Rose Test Garden. You can find over 10,000 bushes of roses with more than 650 different varieties. It’s a stunning sight to behold.

Not much else to say here because the beauty of these flowers speak for themselves. ❤

My favorites tend to be the orange dreamsicle colored ones. But these painted ones were so amazing!! Each rose was so unique, as if they were personally painted with different brush strokes. Beautiful.

 

As delicate as flower, as tender as rose petals, choosing to be tender and kind in a harsh environment is not weakness, it’s courage.
Luffina Lourduraj

alpine lake adventures.

Colchuck Lake, The Enchantments
Wenatchee National Forest

The mountain has left me feeling renewed, more content and positive than I’ve been for weeks, as if something has been given back after a long absence, as if my eyes have opened once again. For this time at least, I’ve let myself be rooted in the unshakable sanity of the senses, spared my mind the burden of too much thinking, turned myself outward to experience the world and inward to savor the pleasures it has given me.
Richard Nelson

We are six months into 2020, and I think we can all agree it’s been quite the year. Not only are we all fighting a global viral pandemic, there’s a fight against racial injustices, gender inequality, and police brutality happening all at the same time.

With everything going on, I couldn’t find a way to shut up off my mind. My phone was alerting me that I’ve been on it for far more hours than usual. Our conversations at home seemed to revolve solely around what was happening in the world. I’m pretty sure I’ve cried more in the last couple months than I have in my life. I’ve definitely experienced hate and racism, but learning about the violent injustices towards our black community has been devastating and heartbreaking.

On top of this, Michael lost his dad, my father-in-law, from his fight against kidney cancer. There’s nothing that can really prepare you for this type of situation. Nick is truly one of the good ones and to lose him like this, makes life seem so unfair. I wish we could have had him be Pappy to our kids one day, but I know he will be there with them in spirit. Several months ago, Michael wrote something that we never posted. So I want to share it here.

My dad is the epitome of the protector of our family. He showed me what it meant to be strong and that family always comes first. When he started dating my mom (who already had two kids: me and my sister), he wasn’t that much older than I am now. I have so much respect and appreciation for him taking on that responsibility and stepping in as our father figure without any hesitation. If my life continued with my biological dad in it, it would be completely different in the worst way possible.

I wish I didn’t struggle with knowing how or when to express my feelings of gratitude and love for him as a son because I do. Without a doubt, he has helped me become the man that I am today.

It’s hard to grasp how life is going to be without him. There’s such a fear of the unknown for me. 

Miss you and love you, Nick.

 

We realized we both deeply needed some self care. We don’t know a better way other than going outdoors and having no phone service.

A lot of campsites and outdoor areas are still closed, but when we found out this hike was actually open, we had to do it. It’s been on our list ever since we moved here and oh my GOSH is was incredible. All-in-all, we hiked over eleven miles, and it really kicked our butts. Our legs were killing us towards the end of the hike. But this view… is therapeutic. Alpine lakes are magical and so worth the hike up to them.

We still cannot get over how stunningly beautiful this hike was!!

The trail splits off here to Colchuck Lake and Stuart Lake.

All smiles here because… how can you not?!!? This view is incredible!

Those turquoise-y blues are so dreamy. 💙 After a tough hike, we had to take off those hiking shoes to let our feet breathe. It felt so good to sit back against a big rock and relax.

Our hiking snacks this time!

Spotted a backpacker taking a snooze. He looks like a watermelon slice with those colors hahah

After enjoying the view from a higher spot, we wanted to continue along the trail to see if we could find a spot down closer to the water.

We ran into a mountain goat along the way!! This goat was so chill and could not care less that we were there. We kept our distance though, just in case.

 

And we found a spot closer to the water!!

Michael is pointing at a skiier coming down that pass between the mountains. It’s crazy!!

Happy as can be.

One of these days, we plan to come back here to camp out a few days. (If we actually win permits in the lottery!)

 

Our walking stats after the hike. 😅

 

After hiking, we found this lovely dispersed camping site near a lake. It rained all morning and night. I love our conversations together when it’s just the two of us like this. Life together has been a dream and I am just so excited for what’s to come.

Sending a lot of love out to you all.

Times are extremely wild and sensitive right now, so I hope you can take some time to find some mental peace and joy.

 

homemade naan & tikka masala.

Making bread is a whole adventure in itself… and during these quarantine days, food adventures at home works for us! Hope everyone is staying safe and staying sane. 💙

I used to be really intimidated by baking and bread making in general, but I’m starting to warm up to it. There is something so gratifying about it and Michael freaking loves it, too! I’ll take it. I love when I can get him in the kitchen with me to play around with new recipes. He kind of geeks out on yeast and bread and all the different types of flour and their protein content… I could go on, but you get the point hahah.

Anyway… if ya’ll are cooking at home and are craving indian food, you have to try these recipes! They’re sooo good.

Tikka Masala recipe – I did adjust a few things for my own taste, but overall, it’s an amazing recipe.

Naan recipe – we didn’t make the garlic butter. Half Baked Harvest is seriously my favorite food person/blogger ever.

Dipping fresh, pillowy naan into a sauce is so darn good. 

Spices I used from the top to bottom: Garam Masala, Hot Curry, Coriander, Tumeric, & Cumin. Also crushed up whole Cardamon pods and black peppercorns.

Not gonna lie, combining my love for food and photography has been bringing me so much joy these days. I haven’t been this excited about something in awhile. It’s been funny though because I’ve been cooking a lot, which leads to a lot of leftovers. But we’ve been doing some porch front or garage deliveries for some friends (gotta keep that social distancing up!) I know it’s silly… but it makes me so ridiculously happy to share!

 

Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it. Julia Child

overlooking the oregon coast.

This weekend, we decided to just go outdoors to get away from the craziness that’s happening in the city and to try to distance us from other people.

We hiked Neahkahnie Mountain and ended the evening with a stunning sunset at Cannon Beach. We did this hike when we first moved here and it was amazing to come back. The view from Neahkahnie is absolutely breathtaking! It’s a little rocky at the top, so if you go, watch your step. Once you find a spot to sit, all you have to do is enjoy the view. 💙

The hike up to the top!

Stopping to look at these heart-shaped leaves!

These were the leaves I was looking at. 💚

 

Neahkahnie Mountain, Oregon Coast

We made it to the top!

Loveeeee this view. So peaceful to watch the waves from above.

Magical.

 

Cannon Beach, Oregon

This is such a classic spot in Oregon. As touristy as it can be, it’s such an amazing spot to visit and spend the evening. Last night was an example of how beautiful it is there. The pinks, purples, blues, yellows, and oranges in the sunset were a sight to see.

Sometimes you just gotta be a tourist in your own state.

I see a lot of people being like, “I would survive the coronavirus. I’m taking my chances.”

The way I see it is yeah, I’d survive it. But I might carry it to someone who wouldn’t. And that, folks, is the problem.

There’s a lot of hysteria going on right now regarding coronavirus, which is understandable to some degree. Michael and I both work in healthcare, and I work directly with immuno-compromised cancer patients. It’s definitely weighing heavy on my mind that even though I have a very small chance of becoming severely ill from this, I could potentially carry the virus to my patients. Michael and I are trying to distance ourselves from people as much as we can. The temporary sacrifice is worth it, especially if it can help in anyway.

I’m hoping people are staying safe, being smart, and thinking practically in the next few weeks as it this unfolds even more. 💙

trail of ten waterfalls.

If you visit or live in Oregon, you have most likely visited this magical place! And if you are from a totally different state, like how we are from Texas, this place will never cease to amaze you. What hike in Texas or Oklahoma, or even California would you ever get to see ten waterfalls?!

Anyway, here are some of the waterfalls we captured and I even attempted to label the names of them 💙 :

 

Silver Falls State Park, Oregon
South Falls

Standing behind the waterfall!!! I think this is South Falls…

 

Lower North Falls

Just a pretty forest view.

 

Lower South Falls

 

Double Falls

This fallen tree is along the path and we wanted to climb it!

One of the waterfalls in the back. 💙

 

We are all naturally seekers of wonders. We travel far to see the majesty of old ruins, the venerable forms of the hoary mountains, great waterfalls, and galleries of art. And yet the world’s wonder is all around us; the wonder of setting suns, and evening stars, of the magic spring-time, the blossoming of the trees, the strange transformations of the moth… Albert Pike

finding love in this.

Here are a few messages to give your social-distancing days a little more peace, love, and positivity as we all go through this together. ❤️

It takes grace to remain kind in cruel situations. Rupi Kaur

•

It’s a beautiful thing to have lungs that allow you to breathe air and legs that allow you to climb mountains, and it’s a shame that sometimes we don’t realize that that’s enough. Unknown

•

In every crisis, confusion and doubt, take the higher path — the path of patience, alertness, courage, understandings and love. Fears and uncertainties are temporary. Amit Ray

•

You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. Marcus Aurelius

•

Home is where love resides, memories are created, friends always belong, and laughter never ends. Unknown

 

cozy thai red curry ramen.

I haven’t shared a recipe on here before… but this was too freaking delicious to not share!

Oh my goodness, you guys. When I made this, Michael and I were looking forward to dinner every single night we had this.

A warm, cozy bowl of rich red curry broth with fresh noodles and roasted peanuts??! Sign. Me. Up. Michael hates mushrooms, but any time I can sneak them into a meal without him really noticing is a win for me!

Ever since we built this little food photography studio in our home, it’s been so much fun shooting what I’m making!

I am pretty sure the biggest way I show my love is by cooking and feeding others. I’m not sure why, but I feel so much happiness from sharing any sweet treats or meals that I make. And I don’t think I ever stop thinking about what to cook next and who I’m going to share my leftovers with.

Cheers to always eating good with even better company surrounding you. ❤️

Anyway, here’s this yummy recipe!

dog mountain sunset hike.

*With Oregon now having a stay-at-home order, what better time than to be a little nostalgic for one of the more rewarding hikes we’ve done.

Dog Mountain trail. 7 miles. 2824 feet elevation gain. Kicked our butts.

In spring of 2017, Michael and I were visiting Portland because he was visiting his new workplace and I was interviewing at OHSU. We talked to a stranger about local recommendations and they suggested this hike.

We didn’t read about.
We didn’t look it up.
We just… went and did it.

It ended up being one of the hardest hikes we’ve both ever been on. The elevation gain was so difficult. I’m almost thankful we didn’t know what to expect, because we wouln’t have done it otherwise. We even got cheers once we got to the top by the people that passed us because we told them we were struggling haha 😅.

In May last summer, we decided to do it again to see the sunset at the top and to hike down at night. We can definitely report that the hike is still very difficult! However, the sunset made it so. worth. it. It was like we were seeing a live painting because the color changes were unreal. And we finally saw all of the wildflowers!! 💛

When we made it to the first clearing and saw this view!

Michael waiting for me.

It’s impossible to not stop a million times and take in this view… or to take a breather. 😅

The last two at the top!! The two guys we met took this picture before they hiked back down. We got to enjoy this place with just us… and some double stuffed Oreos.

 

Those bird sounds and wildflowers. 😍

We can officially say that we were so freaking exhausted after this hike.

As much as I would love and wish to go outdoors on my days off, it’s not a time to be selfish. What better time than to work on house projects and do some spring cleaning!

Take care, everyone. 💛

Also, Feel

under the stars.

On nights like this when the air is so clear, you end up saying things you ordinarily wouldn’t. Without even noticing what you’re doing, you open up your heart and just start talking to the person next to you—you talk as if you have no audience but the glittering stars, far overhead.
Banana Yoshimoto

With what’s going on these days, Michael and I are definitely distancing ourselves from everyone outside of work. He’s works for the government to monitor infectious disease, bioterrorism agents, and when needed, even COVID-19. I am treating immunocompromised cancer patients with radiation at a few different hospitals. Neither of us want to risk the chance of not doing what we love, and I definitely do not want to put my patients in any more risk than they already are.

With everything going on, I’ve been reflecting a lot about us and our lives and some of the things I really really appreciate.

1. You all. We just reached over 100 followers on this blog, and I feel so grateful. Every single one of you who have chosen to click that follow button to join us in our adventures through our love and our life in the Pacific Northwest means a lot. Thank you for sticking along with us and sharing your stories as well.
2. Photography. All through my teenage years, I was always painting. I loved art so much, but it became really hard to keep it up when college started. Just a couple of years ago, I picked up the camera to just capture a few moments. Since then, my love for outdoor and food photography has grown into a creative passion that I truly can’t imagine life without anymore. After working so much since graduating, I finally bought us a brand new camera and upgraded our old one this week. Goodbye T3i, helloooo EOS-R!
3. Us goofing around. Michael and I are almost always messing around, wrestling with each other, having tickle fights, or even… grabbing each other’s butts. My personal favorite… his kiss attacks when I’m in a funky mood because it always somehow gets me out of it. 💙So grateful for him for always finding a way to make me smile, even when it’s really hard to.
4.  Family. My parent’s always reaching out with concern for my health and safety and… sending me all the congress updates on how I can get student loan debt relief during this time hahah. They’re the best. Also- big s/o to my in-laws and my (basically) aunts for sewing masks for me and my coworkers in case we run out. Ya’ll are incredible!
5. The selfless frontline or essential workers out there who are sacrificing their health and safety right now in order to help others, and I do not mean just in the hospital. For one small example, I know a few teachers who are using this time to make sure their students are getting fed each day and given resources for education beyond the school’s means. There are soooo many stories like this. I can’t say enough words to say how absolutely incredible and heroic they are. Sending so much healing love to people like this every single day.

I know it’s tough these days. When you can, take a few moments to just reflect on the good things, even if it’s small. If what you are thinking about brings a smile to your face or makes your heart happy, do that thing a little more every day. 💙

portland cherry blossoms.

Michael & I could sit on a park bench and stare up at these beautiful trees and flowers for hours.

The significance of the cherry blossom tree in Japanese culture goes back hundreds of years. In their country, the cherry blossom represents the fragility and the beauty of life. It’s a reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short. Homaro Cantu

These days, the sun is staying up a little more in the evenings, the flowers are beginning to bloom, and there’s less rain in the forecast. Just those little things make us pretty darn happy as the season is changing. The end of winter is sort of near and we are ready for it.

When cherry blossoms bloom here, you can find me and my nifty fifty running around.

naturally painted hills, or.

The painted hills are truly a natural wonder. All of the layers of yellow, gold, reds, and blacks reveal millions of years of history. It’s incredible. Eastern Oregon is the other side of the state that gets a little bit overlooked sometimes. Yes, it’s a lot less green and a lot more desert-y, but it is still breathtaking in its own way.

Life has been pretty darn crazy since the year started! How is it already March!? Even though it’s been busy, it’s been an amazing start so far. When things get like this, it’s hard not to get nostalgic for some past trips we’ve had. Here’s a few photos from when we visited this place with our friends, Seanne and Scott Holmes. 💛

Exploring life together is the best thing ever.

Look at that cutie recording some videos with his drone.

Seanne & I. 💜

Seanne made these beanies and they’re so amazinggg.

The Holmes & The Bitzers!

We are hoping to plan a few more camping / road trips with these two! These are the friends that have become a part of our family here and I’m so thankful to have them in our lives.

“Painted Hills is named after the colorful layers of its hills corresponding to various geological eras, formed when the area was an ancient river floodplain.”

Hahahah some candids because Michael has the remote and always takes shots when no one is ready. Gosh, we love these people!

We are coming up on our one year wedding anniversary next month. I still can’t believe how fast time is flying! There is so much planned for this coming year, and we are definitely looking forward to all of the opportunities and adventures to come.

You can pack for every occasion, but a good friend will always be the best thing you could bring.

We couldn’t agree more. 💙

glass gardens by chihuly.

As much as we love disconnecting from everyday life to find ourselves adventuring in the outdoors, we also really enjoy simple dates within the city.

Through all of high school and early college, I was either painting or playing the piano. I love the arts and any chance we get to visit a museum, we gotta do it! In Seattle, there’s the Chihuly glass and garden exhibit that is… mind-blowing. All of the unique blown glass pieces are illuminated to show off the most vibrant colors. Your jaw will drop from how incredibly beautiful it is.

Take a peek below!

This little room with the ceiling of glass pieces and the light coming through them was my favorite!!! There are benches in here so you can sit back and just get lost in the view.

Also, the Native American blanket wall (first photo) you get to see when you enter the exhibit is incredible.

They almost look like enormous clam shells.

He got close, but he didn’t touch!!

Michael takes so many candid photos hahah

Hello, space needle!

 

Also, this is just us enjoying ourselves on a rooftop after our date. 💙

Whether the glass is half empty or half full, you have the power to fill it up. Matshona Dhliwayo

mesmerized by mountains.

Sometimes words aren’t enough.

Sometimes it’s just the two of us in a mutual awestruck silence taking in how extraordinary Mount Hood really is.

I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, ‘This is what it is to be happy.’ Sylvia Plath

 

Tamanawas Falls, Mount Hood

 

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter. Rachel Carson

chance encounters.

How do you meet new people, and by chance, they will end up becoming meaningful relationships for the rest of your life? Especially when you aren’t relying on meeting others through school or work?

Well… we got so incredibly lucky with the people we have met here in Portland so far. Every time we think about the strangers that became more than that, it always blows our mind. We moved here without knowing a single soul in Oregon and we just feel grateful.

Michael and I met by a chance encounter when I stood behind him at a coffee shop. From that moment on, we’ve embraced keeping an open mind when it comes to meeting people.

Here are a few of our favorite stories that now have a special place in our hearts. 💙

 

Our Landlord

Homemade by our landlords.

In 2017, we were visiting Portland for the first time together. Michael already had a job lined up, so he was doing a site visit. I was interviewing to go back to school. We were looking all over downtown for a studio apartment and geez, it was expensive. We decided to stop looking one night and go to a dessert bar. There was such a huge wait, so we initially decided to get a dessert to-go. As we were being handed our to-go box, two seats opened up at the small bar. I immediately asked if we could snag those two bar seats! The restaurant got our dessert plated so we could enjoy it there.

As I was laughing and talking with Michael, my shoulder bumped the older man beside me. I turned to apologize and the man ended up laughing at me and asked what dessert we were having! We ended up talking to this couple for the next hour or so. We found out that they were both in the healthcare field and had a connection to the school I was applying for. They asked about our situation and story. It was so easy talking to them. At one point, I noticed them kind of give each other a silent look, the kind of look that showed they were communicating, but we had no idea what it was…

Turns out, the couple had two homes and they were wanting to rent out one of them, but they did not want to put it on the public market! They said they could sense that we were genuine people, so they offered us to come over right after my interview to see their place!!! We were FREAKING OUT. Of course we said yes.

We brought over two bottles of wine. And when we arrived, they had so many little appetizers. After chatting for awhile, we enjoyed homemade baked salmon, sautéed greens beans, and a side salad. It was soooo delicious and thoughtful of them. We got lost in so many conversations over 4-5 hours of being there.

A few days later, they negotiated a deal with us and umm.. it was a no brainer.

These wonderful humans have become a second family to us. Without their generosity and guidance, we wouldn’t be where we needed to be. We are forever grateful for this family for what they have given us.

 

Our Friends

This one is a strange one, too. We met all of these folks through Instagram via our mutual love for hiking, adventuring, and photography. I won’t make this too long, so here’s a few photos of our adventures together. 😊

Spent a weekend camping at Mount Hood.

Waterfall chasin’.

These ladies are so wonderful.

Couple’s trip to the painted hills!

A bunch of us celebrating Christmas. Truly a family away from home.

 

My Mom’s Childhood Friend

My mom is on the right.

This is my mom’s childhood friend from the 70s-80s.

Let this sink in… they hadn’t seen each other in over forty years. By the miracle of social media, my uncle found her profile and forwarded it to my mom a few months ago. My mom discovered that her friend immigrated from Vietnam to Portland!!! I was living so close to her this whole time. Our family flew her out to Dallas for our wedding which was so amazing. Michael and I also ended up spending an afternoon with her a few weeks ago, and she showed us this picture of her and my mom.

Unbelievable, huh?

That is life, isn’t it? Fate. Luck. Chance.

A long series of what-if’s that lead from one moment to the next, time never pausing for you to catch your breath, to make sense of the cards that have been handed to you. And all you can do is play your cards and hope for the best, because in the end, it all comes back to those three basics.

Fate. Luck. Chance.
Kelseyleigh Reber

lunar new year.

Happy Tết! ❤

Growing up, my mom was always someone who celebrated certain holidays with so much enthusiasm and love, especially around Vietnamese new year! She would spruce up the home with bright red and gold decorations and there would always be so much  delicious food.

I don’t do nearly as much celebrating as my family would do, but I definitely had to make some of my favorite dishes for us. My mom is incredibly (and hilariously) superstitious. Without fail, my mom always messages me to eat my black eyed peas for the new year. Well, I’ve never missed a year without eating them, so I’m not going to start now!

Black-eyed peas swell when cooked, symbolize prosperity. The mustard greens symbolize money. The pork, because pigs root forward when foraging, represents positive motion. The eggs symbolize fertility and a big healthy family.

Thịt kho trứng | Vietnamese braised short ribs with eggs.

This traditional Vietnamese dish is simply cozy and comforting.

With a side of rice and some pickled mustard greens.

Chè đậu trắng | Sweet rice pudding with black-eyed peas and a coconut sauce.

 

Behind the Scenes

This is a little side project I’ve been working on with Michael. We’ve both always loved taking photos of our adventures, but lately I’ve been more interested in shooting … food! I love to cook, so I figured why not combine the two things?

We got some walnut wood and Michael cut them up for me in two feet long pieces. I sanded them down. We stained them. He created a base. And I found some fabric to create a few backdrops! It was so much fun, and I am so excited to see what happens!

 

May the new year bring in your life joys that never fade, hopes that never die, and strength that never weakens.

exploring outside portland.

Psst! We are going to let you in on a little secret of ours…

 

When we have friends or family visit us from out of town, we have probably taken almost all of them (if the weather behaved) to these easy-to-visit-but-absolutely-stunning sights along the Columbia River Gorge. I mean.. how could we not?! The drive is less than an hour away from Portland. Even after visiting several times, we still aren’t tired of these views.

Michael and I both grew up in Texas, so we used to joke around about how when we would see a small stream on a hike back then, we would be so excited. Nowadays, we are constantly blown away by the mountains, the waterfalls, the rivers, the trees and everything else we get to see in the pacific northwest.

Here’s our little tour. 😊

 

Latourell Falls

We loveeeee how moody the pnw can be. Look at all of the beautiful fog hugging the trees.

This waterfall is gorgeous with the columnar basalt rock formations behind. It is amazing.

It’s a big plus when you get to stand behind the falls!

Latourell from afar.

 

Columbia River Gorge

The drive along the gorge that separates Washington state and Oregon is breathtaking.

 

Bridal Veil Falls

Michael climbed that big ol’ rock to get a close up view of these falls!

 

Multnomah Falls

If you visit Portland and don’t visit these falls, did you even come visit?!

Yes – it gets crowded. Probably the busiest tourist spot in Oregon, but worth a visit. She’s just so picturesque.

 

Rowena Crest Viewpoint

Driving further east along the gorge, you can stop aside to see this winding road!

 

Hood River, Oregon

You have to stop in Hood River, Oregon for mountain views, local beer or wine, and delicious food. It’s a must! Also… if you see salmon on the menu, order it. 

 

I’ve posted this quote before, but it’s a personal favorite. 💙

Here in the corner attic of America, two hours’ drive from a rain forest, a desert, a foreign country, an empty island, a hidden fjord, a raging river, a glacier, and a volcano is a place where the inhabitants sense they can do no better, nor do they want to. Timothy Egan

koosah & sahalie falls.

I think we are going to go out on a limb and say… these are our favorite waterfalls in Oregon!

These two nearby waterfalls are incredibly easy to access and you will leave feeling like you were just in a scene straight out of a pacific northwest postcard. It’s incredibly beautiful. When you go, definitely wear waterproof everything and bring extra microfibers because your camera will get wet.

We also included a couple of photographs to compare the falls between the spring and fall season. 💙

 

Koosah Falls, Oregon

Behind the scenes of photographing the falls!

Spring | The falls are so full and powerful this time of year.

Fall | It’s so different compared to the spring season. Look closely, there’s Michael!

Feeling refreshed being so close!

 

Sahalie Falls, Oregon

Michael was SOAKED after this!! It was a huge sacrifice for the photo, but there really is nothing like a good waterfall shower.

Happy dance because who wouldn’t when you’re surrounded by the amazing outdoors?

 

Detroit Lake, Oregon

This was a little pitstop we had on our road trip. It was a beautiful lake.

If you look closely, there’s a stranger at the edge of the water. So happy we captured him in time before he walked away.

To find the universal elements enough;
to find the air and the water exhilarating;
to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter…
to be thrilled by the stars at night;
to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring —
these are some of the rewards of the simple life.
John Burroughs

guilty pleasures.

What’s my guilty pleasure? The thing is, I never feel guilty about pleasures.
Tom Hiddleston

We were talking about what some of ours were the other day, and we figured we would share them here. Here’s a few of them. 😊

 

a cozy campfire:

Michael loves bringing life to a campsite by chopping up some wood and building us a cozy campfire. You bet there are s’mores when there’s a fire around! (That’s probably the most guilty part about it!) 

 

sweet treats:

Vanilla bean ice cream on top of a warmed pecan pie bar??? Yes, please. It’s true… we are both guilty for having a major sweet tooth.

 

cuddling:

This is from inside our home on a rainy day. We love love love being close to each other. Cuddling, wrestling, tickling, pranking, kissing, cooking, talking. Whatever it is, we just love being in each other’s company.

 

our backyard:

We got so incredibly lucky finding our current place. Our landlord is one of the most wonderful human beings ever. Favorite thing? Our bedroom opens directly into this upper level deck that has this view!! The guilty part? We prefer to stay home more than going out on most days.

 

building things:

Michael loves to build things! He removed the back seats out of our FJ cruiser and built a storage platform that has so much space AND can fit a full size mattress on top of it. There’s nothing like getting the bed set-up, opening the back window, and enjoying the view wherever we are. Also – check out the spice rack he made for me!! (I know, terrible photos. They’re from my Instagram stories haha.) It’s so nice that I can see them all now versus shuffling through them trying to find the right one.

 

pizza: 

Need I say more?

 

cheese & charcuterie:

Pretty much… adult lunchables. I am secretly a fan of The Bachelor series only because my classmates got me into it last year. Let’s be real, I think they easily had me at wine and meat and cheese. This spread above was just from last week when we had a girl’s night. My friend, Molly, had this all set-up when we got to her place after work!

 

Sometimes, you just gotta let yourself enjoy the little things in life. 💛

winter in leavenworth, wa.

What a weekend!

This winter wonderland, Bavarian-style mountain town in Washington state is absolutely a dream and if it’s not on your places-to-visit list yet, it should be. It is unlike any other town we’ve ever visited up here in the pacific northwest.

Michael wanted to snowboard for his birthday and when we found out this adorable village up in Washington was pretty close to a ski resort, it was a no-brainer. Our good friend, Ashley, wanted to learn to snowboard while I learned to ski, so she came along with us too!

 

Leavenworth, WA
Bavarian Village of Lights

How can this even be a real place?! It is so beautiful in every direction you go.

So many lights covering all the trees in the town’s central park area.

We came into town at night, so when we visited during the day, we finally saw the cascades surrounding it! So incredible to see.

As if the town couldn’t get more adorable, there were even horse drawn carriages!

 

skiing at timberline.

Today was an absolute blast! It was my first time skiing and it’s been about 15 years since Michael has been on the slopes.

pnw captured in macro.

cold wrinkly finger tips & water droplets on pine needles.

We haven’t picked up our camera in a good while… but looking back at some of our somewhat-macro shots go us excited to shoot again. We are going on a trip this weekend for Michael’s birthday, and I think we are gonna finally dust off the little guy and take some photos again!

In the meantime, here’s a few of our favorites we’ve taken on some of our adventures. 🌿

Snuck up to this little bee!

Getting close up and personal with pine trees because look how beautiful it is!

Moody tulip season.

Pretty droplets.

SO sorry for the terrible quality on this one because it was compressed… and I’m a little too lazy to sift through alllll of the old photos for the original.

A field of daisies where we saw a view of Mount Saint Helens.

The fall colors here in the Pacific Northwest are stunning. I’ve never seen colors like this before. And when it rains, we love seeing the water droplets on everything.

All taken with the good ol’ nifty fifty f/1.8 Canon lens.

I wish more people felt that photography was an adventure. To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.
Elliott Erwitt

our 2019.

Can you believe 2020 is right around the corner? How is there only two more days of this year left?

As it typically does, another year has flown by without us realizing it. And of course, so much has happened. We were driving home the other day and we just went back and forth about what was most memorable and what wasn’t.

We aren’t going to write about what wasn’t so great, but in no particular order, here are a few of our favorites from 2019. 😊

snowy hikes in mt. hood.

Today we went on our first snowy adventure of the season!

Last night, at around… seven thirty-ish, we decided, “hey, we should go on a hike because it’s been since… September?!” Life just gets by you sometimes and before you know it, so much time has passed.

We bounced a few ideas around and Michael brought up that he’s always wanted to hike Tom, Dick, & Harry Mountain. So I told him, let’s not even think about it.. let’s just go! It was around eight p.m. when we realized we needed a few things. Michael needed a set of trekking poles because I already have some, and I needed new gloves. We got to REI with about twenty minutes to spare before closing.

We woke up around six a.m. and I made my favorite breakfast for us – lightly scrambled eggs with turkey sausage & spinach and we also made a blueberry-banana-spinach smoothie! This was perfect fuel for this hike.

Let me tell you… this hike was unbelievably beautiful! It is about eight miles long with a gradual elevation change that lead to a frozen lake and ended with a view of *five* mountain peaks (photo below)!

There were these adorable bridges in the beginning of the hike.

Look at that cute smile of his.

Mirror Lake, Mt. Hood National Forest

Me running out onto frozen Mirror Lake and so happy about it.

Checking out Mount Hood back there.

Just the two of us.

Snow hikes makes us happy hahah

Tom, Dick, & Harry Mountain Trail

We made it! We found a rock to rest our day packs and snack for a bit.

Snacks we brought for this hike were:

• Celery with Justin’s honey peanut butter packets
• Milton’s olive oil and sea salt crackers
• CLIF bars
• Sour Patch Watermelon gummies (best thing ever!)

Mount Hood with three (if you can see them) other mountain peaks! The fifth mountain peak we saw was behind us.

Mountain peaks you can see at the top:

1. Mount Hood
2. Mount Adams
3. Mount Rainier
4. Mount Saint Helens
5. Mount Jefferson

Squinty Michael.

Michael was squinting so much at the top because of how sunny it was. We definitely forgot our sunglasses. At one point, he had to pull his beanie over his head hahahah 😋. It was so silly.

This was on our way down the hike.

What a lovely day despite not knowing what to expect.😊 Isn’t that the best when that happens?

The mountain is supposed to snow tomorrow, so we got lucky with a clear view. We were giddy hiking this trail and we were bummed (but definitely tired) when we finished. But! We have a few snow adventures planned this coming week, and we are so looking forward to them. 💙

May your dreams be larger than mountains and may you have the courage to scale their summits.
Harley King