Portland

 

Portland is only a 2 1/2 hour drive from Seattle, so James & I thought…why not?! Portland has also been on my bucket list for quite a while. If we’re already so close…it only makes sense! Besides, James has an aunt that lives in Portland…it was a perfect fit for our road trip.

My first impression of Portland – How GREEN! Granted, my first impression was Aunt Lisa’s yard..I couldn’t get enough of it! I think Utah’s winter has me green deprived, but I loved all of the flowers and cherry blossom trees. Her front porch even had blooming ranunculus…my favorite!

I was also a tad obsessed with their pretty kitty cat, “Kitty Girl”…only she moved too much to get a good photo of her cute face.

We were even welcomed with a beautiful Easter basket in our room at “Hotel Lacaden-Pfleiger”! So sweet!

Lisa showed us around Portland that day. We started by visiting the homes and schools that James’ dad grew up in and attended – Portland was home for him. I snagged a photo of one of the homes. Maybe he remembers it?!…

We didn’t do too much photo taking of downtown Portland. I was able to snap one of the famous “Portlandia” statue. The second largest copper statue after the Statue of Liberty…

We met up with two of Aunt Lisa’s kids – Minta and Hunter – for lunch at Elephant Deli. (SOO yummy!) The cousins then joined us at Powell’s. I’ve ALWAYS wanted to go to Powell’s….Portland’s famous bookstore. That place is HUUUUUGE! I was in heaven. 4 floors & I barely saw one….so so much. I could waste hours. I did find myself a couple steals…used books for cheap cheap!…

We wandered in shops for a couple hours, saw some of the local “pirates”…these people dress up (all out!) and believe they are pirates. Just keepin’ Portland weird, I guess. And Lisa treated us to Salt & Straw – only some AMAZING unique ice cream. I had Meadow Marmalade & Peaches and Freckled Woodblock Chocolate. YUM YUM YUM! How something can be salty and sweet and so delicious all at once just blows my taste buds away! It’s a Portland must, I’d say.

Our last stop before heading back to Lisa’s for dinner was the Pittock Mansion. A lovely old home with a backyard view of the city.

Back at Aunt Lisa’s, I spent a little more time admiring the yard and their chickens before dinner…

And look at how perfect it was…Lisa leaves her front door open & you can smell spring in the air while watching the breeze blow the cherry blossom petals. I loved it…

And the remainder of the evening was spent visiting with family. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any shots of Hunter and Wyatt…but James & Minta had a little fun together…

Lisa & her hubby, Chris, were perfect hosts! I was thrilled to finally meet all of the family & see Portland. What a great day! I’d love to see Portland again…but with more than 24 hours.

love, whit

Orcas Island & The Space Needle

Easter morning, James and I drove about 2 hours from Seattle to board a ferry to the San Juan Islands – Orcas Island in particular. It was another sunny day, but a little chilly on the ferry because of the wind.

James enjoyed his easter egg candy aboard…

Orcas Island was so beautiful! The little shops and markets by the dock were adorable. A local told us that the deli made the best sandwiches, so we purchased a couple and ventured to the tippy-top of Mt. Constitution for a picnic with a view!

We stopped at some mini beaches on the way up…

We were blown away at the incredible view once we made it to the top. We could see for miles and miles…

After a few hours on Orcas Island, the ferry loaded up again and we headed back to Seattle.

James made reservations for us for dinner. We thought that the Space Needle was a perfect end to our day and stay in Seattle. The food there was SO GOOD! The view was just as amazing. James devoured some tender lamb and I had delicious cod with these fancy pot-stickers. Even their hazelnut Italian sodas were to die for! It was a very memorable night for us. Or day actually. : )

love, whit

Pike Place Market – Seattle

Pike Place Market was one of the highlights for me in Seattle. I LOVE farmer’s markets! It’s one of the things I’m going to miss about Provo…they have one every Saturday in the summer just a few blocks from our apartment. ANYWAY, so many colorful and delicious things – FRESH! I was in heaven at Pike Place. We enjoyed fresh produce, dehydrated goodies, sweets, fish, and rows and rows of beautiful fresh flowers!!! Can you believe…a huge bundle of daffodils for just $5?! They spoke to me.

….As I gawked over the tulips of all kinds, I learned that James love loves Hyacinth! (the purple stems in the above right photo) Who knew!

I forgot to note the tasty crepes we picked up at “Yummy Crepes” (haha)…chicken + veggie and banana + strawberry + chocolate. Yummy indeed!

I had always seen videos of the Pike Place Fish Market… you know the one where they toss the fish around when someone purchases?!? I finally saw it! …And got a lens full of raw fish when they tossed it….

And also bought some fresh prawns…

…which we enjoyed for dinner the night we got back. …Along with some multi-colored carrots and purple potatoes we bought there too!

We ate up the plums we bought…and am still using the fresh basil…and am waiting to use the acorn squash! Like I said…I couldn’t get enough of the freshness there!

Because of the sun…EVERYone was out and about that day…

We sampled things here and there. Rub With Love had some killer BBQ that we shared!…

(…I think James is such a handsome stud in this picture!)

Every time we passed the original Starbucks, the line was out the door and a different street musician was out front. Pretty entertaining!…

dear Pike Place Market,

i love you.

Might I also add…Dear Tacos Chukis….i love you too!… (yes, that is a tamale. and yes, that is grilled pineapple). Lora and Dan told us about this hidden treasure. I need one a block from my house!

love, whit

Road Trip! – Seattle

A good while ago, James & I had mentioned how much we’d both like to visit Seattle one day. It’s always been on my bucket list. Then, when our good friends, Lora and Dan, told us they were moving there in August AND hearing how much they loved their brief trip out there a couple weeks ago…it was decided. We were going! Seeing as we’re moving back to Georgia at the end of this month, James and I had to make this trip happen soon! No need waiting to travel even FARTHER to do it later on. It took 13 hours in the truck from Provo, UT to Seattle, WA. We made it happen this last weekend & love love loved every minute of it!

I have a SLEW of pictures, so I may be doing this trip in separate posts…starting from the beginning!…

We stayed at the Marriott right on “Alaskan Way” (if you’re familiar with the area)…which is along the piers of Puget Sound. Our room with a view of boats, water, and flocking ‘gulls was perfect for the sunny weekend we stayed. We got there in the evening with enough time to wander along the piers and snag some fresh seafood for dinner at Ivar’s.

Even though we soon found out that Seattle (or maybe Washington in general?! lol ) is full of pretty weird people – Sorry to offend anyone, but there are interesting folk around that area! – We still loved the city!

Our first morning we spent walking to the Monorail for a ride over to the Chihuly glass sculpture exhibit below the space needle – which James and I thoroughly enjoyed!

Their monorail is – so I’ve been told – the oldest running alweg train in existence!  Been going for 50+ years! & is still running the ORIGINAL trains – no updates. Pretty cool!

Dale Chihuly – a Washington local – creates the most AMAZING  blown glass sculptures. I’ve seen some of his installations before: Once at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and then a stunning ceiling installation in Vegas’ Bellagio Hotel.

The majority of these below were created to resemble his mother’s flower garden. His chandeliers, globes, and sea sculptures are phenomenal as well!

James’ favorite were these canoes…

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Not only did it look beautiful…the gardens smelled INCREDIBLE!!! And the weather was perfect.

Later that day we found ourselves on the west side of Seattle for a scenic Segway tour! It was my second time on a Segway and James’ first. He was addicted!

We are so glad we did it. Not only because we got a great deal via Groupon : ) , but we got an ideal view of the city from across the bay. We probably would have never made it to the west side had it not been for this tour. It’s a ritzier end of town to live and very gorgeous.

The tour was only about 1 1/2 hours & I asked James if we could drive by again to snag some more pictures. It was difficult to get any on a Segway & our group only made brief stops.

Can I just mention again how PERFECTLY SUNNY the weather was?! The locals told us over and over again that we picked the best weekend to come…the warmest yet of the year!

…Because I’ve already posted a bleep-load of photos, I’ll make a separate one for the rest of our adventures at the Pike Place Market, on the Ferry, Orcas Island, and even a last minute day trip to Portland!

love, whit

what I’m learning being married

James & I will hit the 6 month mark of marriage this coming Easter weekend. 6 WHOLE BIG WHOPPING MONTHS. I know what you’re thinking…that’s NUTHIN’! But it seems that time is flying in a “6 months ALREADY? / ONLY 6 months!? Feels like we’ve known each other much longer.” kind of way. If that makes any sense at all.

I was prepped my whole life to know that “marriage is not easy & not always all romantic like the movies make it out to be.” (granted, I feel that these days movies are portraying more and more dysfunctional family situations than they used to. or is it just me?) Anyway, I’m grateful for going into marriage with realistic expectations. It has made me cherish every bit of it & have fun in the journey. I think marriage is GREAT and SO FUN and SO WORTH IT! Personally, I’m having a blast. That doesn’t mean it’s always all cherry pie and picnics though.

And for some reason, I just feel like sharing some things I’m learning along the way…

1. Don’t dwell on the little things/pick your battles. I’ve accepted that even though I have the mentality of branching out and trying new things…James will ALWAYS order the one thing on the menu that has”BBQ” in the title. Mundane? I think so. The man likes to stick with what he knows. He’s simple. I’m not so much. And I’m not just referring to our food preferences. I could easily let things bother me. Though I’m seeing that our combo is quite the perfect match. We balance each other out nicely.

2. James is male. I am female. well, DUH! But…I’d say we’re both learning to be accepting of the fact that I will always have to repeat myself a few times if I want to get a response out of him while he is watching TV, fiddling with his phone, playing a video game or basically doing anything with technology. Likewise, he has come to terms with the fact that I’m overly sensitive and could, at any given moment, start crying about who knows what that might not even have to do with him. So, patience is key because I highly doubt either of those things is ever going to change entirely…or at all.

3. Communication! We can’t read each other’s minds, so no use harboring ill feelings about something. I think this is mostly for me – the overly emotional one. Poor James won’t always know if I’d like him to help more with something. or WHY I’m acting cranky or stressed. or if there is something bothering me. I’m learning to speak up about it more. He does the same. I know it has brought us even closer together.

4. I’m super blessed! If I ever do bring something up to James or have a melt down, he is very sweet, tender, and caring to make things right & try to understand. He’s very quick to apologize. And I’m learning to be.

5. I am not perfect. Neither is James. I tend to overspend on groceries. James tends to buy too many gadgets on Amazon. I hate that he goes to bed so late most nights. He hates that I get tired so early practically every night. He hates eating dinner early. I hate that he gets hungry at 11:30pm. He loves being right and proving people wrong. I, also, enjoy being right and do not enjoy being proven wrong. He doesn’t like every article of clothing I pick out for him. He also doesn’t love every pair of shoes or colored tights I like to wear. BUT I’m (we are) learning that we can’t control each other, to accept differences, to accept faults because we both have them, but to also work towards improvement.

6. I am not always in the mood to watch the movie James wants to. I don’t prefer all of his music choices. He’s a constant cuddler. I like a little more space when I sleep. He can sit inside all day. I get antsy and cranky and want to go out. He doesn’t really like going out on walks with me. BUT…we are learning compromise. Loving someone & wanting to see them happy means we do things we might not always like or want to do.

7. Set goals and dream big together! James and I both like to dream big. He’s better than I am at making things happen, but that’s good. He helps me. We set goals together. We both are “in the know” with finances & other important matters. That unity is vital to making our “dreams” come true. It’s nice to be on the same page and work and grow together – To support each other in our endeavors. Especially when there are a lot of bumps on the road there.

 

I guess today I’m especially grateful for marriage. For my sweet husband. For the last 6 months. For how much we both have learned and grown. And mostly for the future we have ahead of us….I look forward to next weekend when we go to Seattle. I look forward to next month when we move home to Georgia. I look forward to a year from now and wherever that puts us. I look forward to when we decide to expand our little family. And I look forward to us being a gray-haired couple still crazy in love!

 

here’s to marriage!

love, whit

sunny spring weather

This has been the first week here in Provo, Utah where I could walk up to campus in short sleeves! The heaps of piled up snow are gone and the sun is shining. This spring weather couldn’t make me happier!

It was so nice today, James and I went on a walk to get lunch. We decided to try the much-raved-about local joint, Communal. It was just as I’ve heard – Amazing! We wish we’d tried it sooner. Cool, clean, fresh, delish! We both really liked their Gala Apple Salad…

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Time is flying and this Spring is bringing so much our way…

NOTABLE: Today marks ONE YEAR exactly from when James came home from his mission in Argentina.

Paige and I were there to greet him after he was released because she was really good friends with him. I only knew who he was, but happened to snag the first hug because Paige had run to the bathroom. James and I started carpooling to work a few days later…and a year later we find ourselves happily married for amost 6 months! CRAZY!

Best year ever, though.

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So back to what Spring is bringing…

1. IMAGINE DRANGONS concert on March 22nd in SLC!

2. Weekend Trip to SEATTLE Easter weekend …we have a couple free Marriott stays we need to use AND want to take advantage of being on this end of the country before moving back to GA. I’ve always heard so much about Seattle! Can’t WAIT!!!

3. Moving back to GEORGIA end of April and making pits stops along the way: Littleton, CO – Tulsa, OK – Houston, TX …taking advantage of the cross country trip to visit fam and friends!

4. Beginning of May – Most likely I will be driving with my parents as they move to ARIZONA so that my mom won’t have to drive alone. She’ll be trailing my dad in the U-Haul. So I’ll get to see family in AZ again and meet my new NEPHEW!!! …Just need to book a one-way back to Atlanta and it will be final!

5. My photography business is becoming more and more official! Website in the works!

6. Later in May for my birthday – A trip to CHARLESTON, SC! We’ve never been! Hoorah!

7. AAAAND Even later in the year – TAYLOR SWIFT CONCERT in Nashville, TN for our one year anniversary! (Sept 28) Her last concert of the Red Tour. fun fun fun

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I know what you may be thinking. Yes, we work. But in the words of Cher Lloyd – “WORK HARD – PARTY HARDER!” …hahaha…

Also, seeing as we are currently child free, we’d like to really make the most of that married freedom. Makes sense, right? We think so.

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Lastly: Just look at kitty…she loves being a Gossling and is getting a tad more plump : )

it may be because she enjoyed my Valentine’s See’s just as much as me…

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May the sunny days continue!…

love, whit

 

weekend whatevers

1. My sister, Tamaron, had her first baby! A little boy. Ok, not too little…8.8 lbs! Named Conrad. The 8th grandkid for my parents. He is just too too cute…

and it kills me that they are in Arizona, so I probably won’t see him until maybe this summer…

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2. Lesson learned: Sometimes expensive is often cheaper. AKA: Buy once and buy GOOD!   …quality that won’t break the pocketbook too much or need to be replaced soon or ever.

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3. Other lesson learned: If you give your children everything they want, they will grow up always wanting.

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4. My LESS-STRESS thinking lately:

i hate school, but i’ve decided to learn to learn, not to pass a test. it’s helping me enjoy classes more and not worry so much about the perfect A.

let things go. forgive. i know of no one who is perfect, especially myself, so why point fingers or criticize? no matter our age, we are all still making mistakes just like the next. talk about a stress reliever//burden lifter …let your grudges GO!

again…NO ONE is perfect or has it all together. stop comparing. stop judging.

my stress and frustration only mean i need to quit thinking about it. i need a breather from myself! so… think of someone else, do something thoughtful or nice for them. pay a visit. make a phone call. listen. be a friend.

don’t be blind. open my eyes to the world around me. family. friends. other people have feelings and needs too. not just me.

money doesn’t grow on trees, i know…BUT, as one of my “Guatemalteca” mission companions once told me, “if you’re always worried about money, you’ll never have enough!”  …think about it.

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5.

…and make your dreams happen!

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6.

i’m hating utah snow right now. can i please have a mini greenhouse?!

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7. i love my husband. everyday i realize just how lucky i am for someone SO patient with me and SO forgiving of my quirks and crankiness and SO affectionate.

……look! …it’s us and kitty. …atop our future house in the country?

love, whit

Gossling News! – January 2013

1.  We are a happy little family!!! No babies, no…not even one “brewing”…WE ADOPTED A KITTY! Little Pepper is so sweet. We’ve had her a little over a month now. We got her for $20, a little sick, 3-4 months old. Now she has warmed up to us quite a bit – a little too much of a people person sometimes. She loves her belly to be rubbed and curling up on my chest/neck in the middle of the night. I am also convinced that she has kitty conversations with me and likes me more than James.

…taking her into the shower is always fun! (our shower has a door…she wanders around my feet and meows. sure beats getting scratched if we try to clean her any other way. and yes, i know cats hate water. we don’t “shower” her often at all)

2.  James is the funniest, sweetest, and full of surprises! I came home from school one day to….a celebration of my “25 2/3 birthday”?! Homemade dinner, decor, presents, and my favorite desserts that he brought home for PF Chang’s. Seriously….they have THE BEST assortment of mini desserts!

Just look at how good he is to me!….

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such a shocker…James has made me the proud owner of a brand dew MacBook Air!…& PS Elements 11…

i love it so. it makes school and photo editing much more fun! Happy 25.63 to me!

3.  I have a full load this semester. Between James and I, the amount of textbooks coming in the mail from Amazon are ridic…

However, I am thoroughly enjoying my Sewing class and Interior Design! I’ve always wanted to learn, more technically, “the art or sewing”. Growing up, my mom showed me and helped me with projects here and there, but I never learned or paid attention very well. Now I can!

4.  Although school seems a burden every day, this is James’ and my LAST SEMESTER IN PROVO!!! …….wait for it……. We are moving home to Georgia in the end of April! We are both so excited. Georgia is home to us. James….will never live anywhere other than Georgia. We came to the conclusion that since we will end up there anyway, why wait? It’s either move now, or be stuck here in Provo 3-4 more years for James to graduate. So, James is in the process of transferring to UGA, and I will be able to finish up my BYU schooling online.

We will be living in my parents’ house until we figure out where we want to be more permanently. Only, my parents will not be there, they are moving to Arizona (more new on that later). So, living just the two of us….in a house….with a big yard/garden to keep track of….will be a fun and new experience as newly weds! And although it is sad that my parents are leaving, we are happy to be heading back east and be with all of James’ family….and close to my sister’s family in VA.

We do have a handful of really amazing friends here in Provo though that we are SO SO SO sad to leave. We are already trying to convince them that vacations to Georgia should be planned into their near future : )

5.  Two weeks ago, Jan 19th, my Grandpa Bluth passed away (on my Mom’s side). It was terribly emotional news for me. Though, I counted my blessings that him and my Grandma felt inspired to make the drive all the way from Mexico for James’ and my wedding in GA in September. I will be forever grateful for that last memory of my “abuelo”.

James and I made the road trip last weekend down to Mesa, Arizona for a family service….and then a second drive down into Colonia Dublan, Mexico for a second funeral service and burial. It was SO WONDERFUL that we went and saw all of my family, that they got to meet James, and that we made it to Mexico. I hadn’t gone in 5-6 years. Showing James where I used to spend my summers growing up was really neat, if even for a brief trip.

with my grandma

james thought the truck looked dustier than ever after driving through Mexico…

then we went through a blizzard on our way back to Utah…

I will post more on Mexico, the funeral, and my amazing Grandpa later.

love, whit

i love sleep!

Of all places, in my interior design class we got on the topic of sleep. It’s not a new idea that “early to bed and early to rise makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise” (I’m not so sure about the wealthy part). BUT…this discussion on studies done and the facts behind our body’s schedule and the IDEAL sleep pattern made me come home with a goal for James and myself. Especially since it was pointed out that our sleep patterns were contributing to bad eating habits, moodiness, and poor performance of both body and mind. lethargy = bad times!

I proposed the idea of us going to be at 11pm and waking up at 7am every day! (ok, to those of you with kids who get you up at 5-6am everyday, I am sorry…this is the “ideal” sleep schedule we are attempting).

James is a night owl. Me…not so much. James likes going to bed past 1 or 2 am. He is also not the most fun person to get out of bed in the morning. I have my days as well.

ANYWAY…we put our schedule to test last week. We both love love loved it! 11-7! I felt energized, productive, well rested, and all around better.  (D&C 88 anyone?!)

Too bad the weekend came and totally threw us off. It is hard to socialize at our age in a college town and make it to bed by 11pm on the weekend. We’re making an attempt to get back on schedule though.

Case in point….11-7…give it a go!

…fact chart overload…

love, whit

2012 in REVIEW

dear twenty-twelve,

you were good to me.   …let’s see why!

i started the year off in ITALIA with my mom. an unforgettable trip of a lifetime that i wouldn’t want to spend with anyone else.

here she is in Florence:

here i am in Rome:

We made it to Venice as well:

….and Siena and Sorrento. and ate and ate and ate. took a cooking class in Florence. fell in love with the land. and had, case in point, the greatest time! perfect start for 2012 if you ask me!

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NEXT…march 2012.    …and i stole the first hug from this certain Gossling boy who came home from his mission in Argentina…

…i went to the beach!…

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that Gossling boy and i became pretty close and enjoyed spring together in GA…

i moved to UTAH in April and became roommates with this crazy fun blonde bombshell…

…and reunited with this blonde bombshell….

…i turned 25! and a certain Gossling boy flew out to surprise me!…

…Summer 2012, i flew home to GA and that Gossling boy and i road-tripped back out to UT together…

…long story short…that Gossling boy proposed,  and we started planning a party…and our forever together…

…the DMOPC family grew…our family at work….

…the big party happened in September…(Elissa turned 26 on our big weekend!)…

…even my Grandparents came from Mexico!…

…married life began. it treated us right. then the husband and i road tripped to California for Thanksgiving to visit family…

…we had fun on the way home stopping in VEGAS with our friends, Lora & Dan Grady (who made the road trip with us! so fun!)…we pinballed and dinner dated!…

…2012 brought new friends…we are so blessed to have…

…in 2012…Gossling Farms was established (best idea ever, Michael & June!)…which allowed for a kick-A wedding reception and for this to happen….woohoo!…

 

…December brought family, friends, and fun as well with Christmas and New Year’s in Georgia….but that will get its own separate post. As well as a well-overdue post with more wedding pictures if I ever get around to it. 2013 in preview also to come…

so yes, 2012, you were good to me. thank you!

 

love, whit

p.s. – as it’s a new year…i decided to align my text to the left for Dave.