Thursday, August 07, 2008

Friends and Family

Our time in Portland was full of opportunity to be with people we love but don't get to see often. I had one full day to spend with my best friends from high school. From l to r is Holly, me, Kelly and Kendall. It always refreshes my soul to be with these women who have known and loved me for so many years. I feel deeply connected to them despite the fact that we don't get to share in the day to day and their committment to me stirs up feelings of gratefulness and nostalgia.

Blake and Josh along with my dad went on a men's retreat. Luke and Rebecca stayed with my mom in the Tri-Cities but Kendra had to come back to Portland for a dental appointment. I had planned to be meeting with people on Saturday and it was bound to be boring for her. Until my mom's best friend Lynda invited Kendra to spend the day with her. They went to a birthday party, shopping, to the movies, out to eat.... at one point they called me and she said, "Mom! It's Kendra day today!"

Now we've closed our time in Portland. Blake and Josh went on to meet the Patty men for a fishing trip in Alaska and Kendra and I rode home to the Tri-Cities with my dad where Josh and Blake will join us and we'll finish out our stateside time. It's great to be with family and just soak them up. August 3rd was my dad's birthday so my brother came from Seattle where he is working before he returns to Costa Rica and we had a great weekend together. Luka just hung on Uncle Matt as if they've always been together. And of course we took lots of pictures. This one was after Uncle Matt treated us all to the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth. The best part was laughing at how goofy we all looked in the 3D glasses.

1 comment:

Amy Woodard said...

Are those Olive Garden breadsticks?! Uh, yum! We had dinner the other night at your house with the Werdebaugh's. It was my first time there this summer and I was in tears on the way home from missing you! I'm so glad you're coming home soon! Enjoy the rest of your American time. And it's fun to "see" your brother again! I'm so glad you got some time with him!