It wasn't long. Not long at all. In fact, it went by all too fast for my taste. This last weekend was incredible, friends. Seriously. My feeble attempt to recount the weekend will - in no way - do justice to the thrill, excitement, and sheer bliss that it was. Ladies and Gentlemen, this weekend was nothing short of epic.
This past weekend, we celebrated our second anniversary. Yes, it was nearly a month late, but perhaps that is a true testament of the pace of our lives these days. Anywho, Cole had just finished his finals for Summer Term so we had double the reason to celebrate; and celebrate we did. (and we checked a LOT off of our Forest Grove Bucket List!!)
We had the entire weekend planned. Saturday dawned bright and warm, and found us on our way to Tree-to-Tree Adventure Park. Okay, guys, this place is amazing! It is a multi-level high ropes course, and we've been wanting to visit since we moved here. We spent over four hours there, traversing the various elements and courses. It was so. much. fun. (and, coincidentally, an incredible core workout! We're still sore!)
We walked across balance beams suspended, swung across rope swings, jumped from platform to platform, teetered across tight ropes... all while 40+ feet in the air. And, the highlight for me, there was zipline after zipline at the end of each element. So. Much. Fun. We haven't laughed so hard in a long time.
Obviously, after the 'workout' we were more than ready for a good meal. So we stopped off at Famous Dave's for some solid barbecue fare.
After eating more than our fill of ribs and pulled chicken sandwiches, we headed to the batting cages to hit around. It was so much fun to see Cole doing what he loves. He was clearly in his happy place. And I, in mine by his side, was content to swing away at the *slower* softball pitches.
After the busy, hot morning, we were ready to get cleaned up. We had rented a hotel room in downtown Portland for the night for our little get-away. We cleaned up, caught a few Olympics highlights and headed out for dinner.... we decided to take a detour through the Rose Gardens. Cole was wonderfully patient as I played around with settings on my camera and clicked away at all the beautiful flowers. We had barely set foot in the Gardens when we heard music. After following the sound, we happened upon an opera in the park!!! So. Cool. Seriously. So we had a soundtrack to our evening walk through the gardens. Stroll, Click, Aria. It was heavenly.
Perhaps the most wonderful thing to me was the proximity of these gardens to downtown. We were literally in the middle of downtown, yet we felt as though we were miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Still not hungry (after our ginormous lunch BBQ feast), we headed to Henry's for appetizers and drinks. Now, friends, I'm not sure what it is about Henry's, but we had the most fabulous time there. We talked for nearly 3 hours... and talked and talked and talked. After a crazy-busy summer, this reconnect was, perhaps, the highlight of my weekend. But the Gorgonzola fries were a close second.
Sunday morning was spent lazily enjoying every minute of quiet that we could. Then, we headed out to conquer more of our Bucket List and finally partake in the Portland ritual that is Voodoo Donuts. We spent nearly 45 minutes in line (in 90+ degree heat, no less) to procure the famous donuts. (I'll let you in on a little secret that may very well disqualify me from being a true Portland-er: we didn't think they were all that great.) Well, at least, not worth the long wait in the scorching heat. ;) But, for me, it was worth it to check another thing off the List.
By this point, I was becoming painfully aware of how food-centric our weekend had become. But can you blame us? Portland is a hotbed for all kinds of incredible culinary delights! And, considering how shamefully rarely we get into town, we had to capitalize on this opportunity! So, for lunch, we grabbed a burger at Little Big Burger. And, guys, if you're ever in Portland, eat here. It's fabulous. And fresh. And their fries are fried in truffle oil, so you can feel sophisticated.
So, the big shebang of the weekend was the Timbers game on Sunday. I had bought Cole tickets for an anniversary gift, and we were SO excited to finally experience our first MLS game. And it certainly did not disappoint. While I could have done without the 101⁰ weather and the near-heat stroke, it was so much fun.
Like I said, words nor pictures can do justice to this weekend. But for those family and friends far away, I felt like I should document. :) This weekend was truly a breath of fresh air and a sweet reminder of how much we love being together.
I couldn't be more thankful for this man with whom I have been blessed. He truly knows me better than anyone else and continues to be a student of my heart. I know that I certainly finished the weekend feeling more known and more loved. What a blessing indeed - far beyond anything I could deserve. What boundless Grace.
What an incredible 48 hours, what an incredible lifetime ahead!
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