Bend, Oregon

Day 1: Thursday

We got a late start in the morning and didn't get out of the house until around 10. We drove over the pass at Snoqualmie and dropped down through Biggs Junction into Oregon. Nick had 4 McDonald's cheeseburgers (you know, the grey patties you get with American cheese) and didn't feel so good. Neither did I after I had one and a peanut butter sandwich. Needless to say, we had to make a pit stop in this tiny town called Wasco and were scared out of our minds by the people there! Tiny towns . . . 

After that fiasco, we did a tour of a few ghost towns along 97, including Moro, Grass Valley, and Shaniko. Shaniko was our big destination for that day, which is why we took the long way to get to Bend. The beautiful, dilapidated old school had been repainted. The town's storefronts were re-done. Shaniko, while still a ghost town (population: 26) has become something of a tourist trap. One great thing was that at the town's antique store I found a necklace and earrings that might be THE ONES I will wear at the wedding. I'm still undecided, but the jewelry is gorgeous.

8 hours of driving and sight-seeing later and we were pulling into Bend. Our hotel is located right off the freeway, which was very convenient and, although a little expensive, the jacuzzi tub was worth every penny. We also had a king size bed and have decided that we can't live without one of those in our bedroom at home. Dinner that night was at the Pine Tavern (HELLO seafood lasagna and buttery rolls that taste like Krispy Kreme donuts!) and then we made our plans for the next day while soaking in the tub in our room.

Day 2: Friday:

We got an early start after our continental breakfast and headed to Lava Butte to take some pictures. Scary drive up there, let me tell you! Once we got to the top, Nick explained that all the hills in and surrounding Bend are actually cinder cones that erupt periodically. The last eruption was a long time ago and there are lava flows all over the area. The dirt in the area is also red and black from these eruptions. Anyway, it was all very interesting and the view from the top of the cone was amazing, but I fell in love with something else: the chipmunks and ground squirrels. Although there are signs everywhere asking people not to feed the animals, no one pays much attention and neither did we. They were eating bread out of our hands and I got tons of pictures (all of which I'll post later). We want a pet squirrel so bad now! (Not really, but they are so darn cute!)

After the butte, we did the lava river cave. This cave is over a mile long and was created by the lava flows in the area. It's actually a lava tube. When you drop down into the cave itself, the temperature drops to around 40 degrees, which was a nice change from the 90 or so degrees it was outside. Nick and I hiked to the end of it with a propane lantern and then hiked back out. It was unlike anything I've ever done before and was very interesting and fun. Pictures of that later too.

Finally, the end of our day was spent at the High Desert Museum, which had lots of exhibits and animals relating to the *shock* high desert. It would have been a lot more fun for both of us if we weren't already exhausted from the two hikes we'd already taken, and, as much of the museum was outdoors in the heat, all of our energy was sapped. We went back to the room and passed out. It was a great day, but I'm not going to lie, our dinner ordering experience didn't go so well and put a damper on the evening.

When I lived in Pullman, there was this great Chinese place, the Emerald Dragon or Garden or something. This place had the most delicious almond chicken and I've been craving it for a while. So Nick and I decided to try the Chinese place in Bend. I ordered almond chicken. It was not good. Almond chicken should be breaded pieces of large bite-size chicken breast smothered in a country gravy flavored like almonds. This mess contained large pieces of stringy chicken and some kind of gelatinous gravy substance that didn't taste like almonds at all. We were both sick the next day from that crap and hardly ate any of it (even Nick's egg foo yung wasn't good, so it wasn't just me).

Day 3: Saturday:

It took us a long time to get going on this day. Blame the MSG in the Chinese "food." This was shopping day. I won't go into particulars here because most people would find it boring, but Nick and I found some great deals and spent quite a bit of money. We started at the Columbia Outlet and got 3 coats and a shirt and saved around $300. We were really excited and this carried us for a while, but the heat and sore muscles from the day before meant not a lot of energy for shopping. Therefore, by the time we got to the Old Mill District, we were shopped out. We decided to watch the lucky bastards who were floating the Deschutes River and complain about our jealousy as we stood in the 90 degree heat. Sounds silly, but it was romantic standing on the bridge over the river holding hands and mourning our lack of inner tubes.

On the way back to the car, we decided to stop at REI to look at kayaks and racks. We walked out of the store with a rack and accessories to attach to the top of the Colorado this week. It was not cheap; in fact, the rack cost more than one of the boats we're going to buy (we landed on the Dagger Zydecos) this coming weekend. Nick always said that he would turn me into an outdoorsy person and now I'm a hiking, spelunking (ie cave exploring), and kayaking fool. His next goal: teach Stephanie how to ski no matter how much she protests.

The last part of this day was spent at Smith Rocks where we hiked around and watched the sun go down while marveling at the beauty God created in nature. All this while Nick got bitten by fire ants. It really was beautiful, despite Nick's swollen foot; I'll post pictures tomorrow . . . hopefully . . . 

Day 4: Sunday:

Driving and more driving and traffic as far as the eye can see. And detours through podunk towns. And more traffic. It's a good thing Nick can make me laugh because I was going nuts today! But being with him in some of these stressful situations life throws at us always reminds me how much I love him. We always have fun, regardless of the circumstances and spent most of the car ride laughing and joking.

Overall, our vacation was fun and restful. We'll definitely be going back to Bend to do more of this outdoorsy stuff. Another thing I'm excited about: Nick's working days this week, which means I'll get to cook dinner for him and spend the evenings with him, all things I don't get to do when he's working swing shift. Next weekend we're probably going to buy our kayaks and maybe go to Northwest Trek or the game farm in Sequim with Austin and his girlfriend. Lots to look forward to and pictures tomorrow!

Vacation!

Nick and I are finally going on a short vacation to Bend. Nick's been talking about going there for a long time now; it's one of his favorite places to visit. He used to ski all the time and so spent a lot of time in the little resort town. He's already created a list of things he wants to do and see while we are there, while I'm trying to convince him that vacation means VACATION, not rush around trying to do a million things. As long as I get to go outlet shopping and antiquing, I'll be happy.

This trip is going to be a crazy one. We are taking the route through Shaniko, which means we'll be going east over the pass instead of immediately south. Shaniko is a ghost town that we've been planning to visit for a long time now and I'm so excited to finally get to see it! Then Bend for 3 nights and a drive up the coast on the way home. Again, crazy. This is going to be a lot of driving! 

When we found out that Nick was going to have 4 days off, we made a list of places to go see. The Bend trip was the only one that didn't include flying. We talked Vegas, New York, historical east coast sites, California, etc. but I just didn't feel like dealing with the hassle of flying. This is strange for me, since I LOVE to fly, but we've got a honeymoon to Europe coming up in a few months and I think that will be enough flying to last me a little while. And realistically, Vegas was the real destination spot, the only one to which I typically fly, but I've done Vegas. I went every year for three years in a row. It gets old. And Nick and I don't gamble, so we would have had to plan to get a rental car to get off the strip and see some of the other sights, like Red Rock Canyon and some of the surrounding ghost towns. So, to make a long ramble short, Vegas was out and the other places just didn't sound like that much fun.

And finally: a wedding update. I still haven't ordered the invitations yet. Don't worry, I'm already punishing myself. This whole situation (including my to-do list) reminds me of being in college. I always left stuff to the last minute, due to the procrastinator in me, and spent countless all-nighters completing my 10 to 15-page essays. I was always successful, which doesn't discourage the procrastination, so now I've been conditioned to wait until the that very last second. (Like my long-winded explanation for being lazy? One of the reasons I did so well on those essays--I can B.S. my way through anything.) I can't do that with this wedding. Mom and I are hopefully going to look at some invitations next week, but with all the upcoming "stuff" (the Bend trip, Mom and Dad's cruise to Mexico-yes, they are finally taking a cruise!), I don't know if it will happen this week or next. Doesn't it take a few weeks for printing and mailing and all that too? Oh boy, I'm in trouble.

Invitations

For the record: I have not ordered my invitations yet. Emma Etiquette says that I don't have to mail them until 2 months before the wedding. As of yesterday, it is 4 months to the date of our wedding. So, if  you haven't received an invitation (and that is everyone), it doesn't mean that I am not inviting you, it means that choosing a freaking invitation design is not easy and is often frustrating. Plus, I have time. I don't need to rush. Now if I could just convince myself that that is true . . . 

Also, our Catholic ceremony is on September 26th at 1pm. No one will be receiving an invitation for this, as it is family only and they're not getting invitations either. Hey family, come to the ceremony at St. John's church in Covington on September 26th at 1pm. There's your invitation. Not family? Please respect our wishes and don't show up. 

I just wrote out my to-do list for the wedding. It's 3 pages long. Albeit, the "pages" I used are 3x5 notecards, but still. Holy crap! There is so much to do and so many things that I will need to delegate. I'm not good at the delegating. 

Here are two examples of invitations. Please vote on your favorite:

Jewelry

I did some shopping around for wedding invitations today. That's going to be one giant hassle, I can see. And expensive. Between the invitations, save the date magnets, RSVP cards, announcements (for those who aren't invited to the wedding-relatives from far away), and envelopes, we're looking at $300. Not fun, but essential considering the fact that Mom has now had a few people ask her where Nick and I are registered. We aren't. So during Nick's three-day this week we'll be going to Macy's and Target to register. I've heard this is fun, so it's something to which I am secretly looking forward. Don't tell Nick though; he just thinks it's going to be a hassle (my word of the day).

Anyway, beyond the invitations, I did some jewelry shopping today too. I've found that I love the estate, vintage, and antique jewelry, so enjoy the photos of a few of the pieces with which I'm enamored. 

Check out this gorgeous cameo ring, circa 1890. I've always wanted one of these. I find them to be incredibly romantic and the style fits my personality and fascination with a bygone era.

Here is some of the estate jewelry I've fallen in love with for the wedding:

Victorian, circa 1880

Georgian, circa 1800

And this last one is perfect with the color scheme of the wedding: garnet, circa 1880

And there's more!

Let me just add programs and favors to the list of things to do. Apparently I have to have programs because people will expect it. Really? Nick and I don't have any attendants or a flower girl or ring bearer. So here's the program:

Nicholas Pritchett and Stephanie Welsh are getting married. Food to follow.

There, I did it. Check one off my list. Facetious? Yes.

And, since I told every one I wanted to MAKE my favors (what the heck was I thinking?), now I feel like I have to do that too. I still want to do velvet bookmarks, and I'll have the summer to finish them, but it's just another thing I have to do. 

I watched Bridezillas last week and the bride and groom had a murder mystery-themed reception. How about we just add to the massive amount of stress a wedding already heaps on us by adding some ridiculous game into the mix? No. This week the bride insisted on a choreographed "funny" dance. Stupid. Just get married. Say thank you to the people who came and love you, and eat some food. Why do we have to make everything so convoluted? Is that part of the American culture? No wonder we can't slow down and enjoy life. We're too busy making it as difficult as possible! Go us!

(Sorry for the sarcastic nature of this post. It's a mood, what can I say?)

Stress . . .

We are less than 5 months away from the wedding and I'm starting to realize just how much I have left to do. I've put off all of the smaller "stuff" (and some of the bigger "stuff" too) while I was still working and now that school's over in 4 days, I'm thinking that maybe I shouldn't have waited so long to complete some of my to-do list.

2 weeks ago Nick and I went to see the priest, who will be marrying us in front of our families at the beginning of September. He was very nice and I apparently made a good impression too, according to Nick's mom (this is her priest and church in which we are getting married). In order to complete this process, we need to bring in copies of our baptismal certificates, our moms have to go in and sign that we are free to marry, and we have to take a 150-question compatibility quiz and discuss the results with a successfully married couple in the church. We also have to choose all the readings and various other pieces of the ceremony the priest will be performing. All in all, it's not too overwhelming and I'm doing this to make Nick and his mom happy, so it is very important that we complete this item on our list. That also means we will be married in September, which is not too far away.

Some of the other things we need to get done:

1. Invitations! Yes, I still need to get my invitations, address them, and mail them off.

2. Veil and wedding jewelry

3. Dress cleaning and altering, if necessary

4. Join the gym and lose 15 pounds this summer 

5. Tuxes

6. Flowers

7. Script and readings for Weston

8. Finish paying the caterer

9. Figure out the seating chart (or decide if we're going to have one)

10. Order the wedding cake

11. Get our engagement photography session done

12. Reserve a room for the night before and the night of the wedding at Thornewood

13. Something new, old, borrowed, and blue

14. Music

15. Figure out all the times (start of ceremony and reception) before I can print the invitations . . . (no wonder I haven't ordered them yet!)

Isn't it lovely when you sit down and write out your list in an attempt at organization and freak yourself out completely? Nice.

Other than that, Nick and I have decided that we are going to try to buy a house this summer. We were planning on waiting until after the wedding, but the market is right to buy now and waiting seems ridiculous at this point. We are looking in Bonney Lake and are preparing to talk to my parents' financial guy and a realtor as soon as school is over and I can focus solely on this project. Let me tell you, it is the scariest thing I've ever taken on in my life. It's also frustrating and nerve-racking (a slightly different adjective than scary, as it causes heart palpitations). So many things are changing and I'm excited, but truly scared. This time next year, I'll be married, a homeowner, and possibly pregnant. Wow! I'm growing up!

26 Years

Today is my 26th birthday. I remember when birthdays were exciting and fun, but now that I am on the downhill slide toward 30, it isn't so great anymore. I used to demand that my birthday celebration last at least a week (I know, I am a spoiled brat), but today was almost just like any other day. A few of the kids brought me gifts, which was so sweet, but at home it was simply a Friday. It's interesting how much life changes as you get older.

Nick's working tonight too, which added to the calm nature of the day. We (as in Nick and I) aren't celebrating until Monday, which is his first day off. We'll probably spend it doing some furniture shopping and going to dinner. He better get me a card too . . . 

Wedding stuff, which I find to be very funny: I decided that I am going to invite a few students to the wedding, as long as we have the room. The other day, I told two of them about it and they about came out of their skin. These two are supposed troublemakers at the school, but I just love both of them. They are constantly cracking me up. One actually choked on his sandwich and threw up in his lap in front of our principal while he was observing me. He will be forever known as Vomit Boy. In addition to a small group of other students, these are two that I hope to stay in touch with over the years. Although I know that leaving this job is the absolute right choice for me, I am thankful that I have had the chance to be in these kids' lives for a short time. Everything happens for a reason. If I didn't truly believe that, I would have gone crazy long ago.