Portland--aaaat last!!!

Dear Reader,

Natalie went through the temple this last weekend (because she's going on a MISSION! Sapporo Japan watch out!). Because I'm something of a temple junkie, and because Natalie is like the most amazing person ever, I flew out to Portland to go through with her.

I'd never been to Portland before, which Natalie constantly reminded me of these past few years. But no more! Now I've been! And I love it.

We'll do this trip in installments.

I left last Friday and had two layovers. One was for like 3 1/2 hours in Detroit--so I got to stop by home for a bit! When I saw Mittens I realized how different she looks compared to Bailey. As in--her tail is tiny and she's fat, and he has the poof of a raccoon. See for yourself:

(She wasn't really cooperating for pictures.)

Anyway. It was awesome to see the family. I also had a layover in Salt Lake...so pretty much I stopped off at every spot in the country that I've lived. Whatevs.

Once I got to Portland--the magic began!!!!

On Saturday Sister Crofts made us waffles before we headed off to the temple! And the temple was fantastic. It's seriously the best place ever and I'm so glad that Natalie's endowed now!

Afterward, Natalie, her friend Melissa, and I went to dinner at this really good restaurant on the waterfront. 

And then Natalie and I went to 23rd street to get gelato and stop by Lush (which I will forever associate with London, where I was when I discovered it). 

I was very tired by the end of that day, thanks to the jet lag. I got better, though. No worries. 

Stay tuned for Portland: Day 2!

Happy Halloween!

Aaaaarrrr!

Snow Day

Dear Reader,

So this was my day:

While the cats slept (the extra cat on the right is here because I'm petsitting her. She and Bailey are like BFFs now), outside it was doing this:

I mean SERIOUSLY?? It's not even Halloween yet!!! The snow has been coming ALL DAY. Yeah, it's pretty. But I'm pretty sure that's because I haven't gone outside all day. Instead I...

baked sugar cookies for a ward Halloween party that was cancelled because of the aforementioned blizzard. So now I've got a bunch of sugar cookies in my freezer. And someone is going to benefit from this. Could it be people at work? Or the ward if the party is ever rescheduled? Only time will tell.

I also cooked some pumpkin seeds

and did laundry! The reason this is exciting is because....I now have a washing machine!!! I could clean my clothes without even leaving the house! Thanks to my bishop for hooking me up with the machine--and then hooking the machine up for me. :) 

After awhile the kittens decided to move from the kitchen to my bed. They pretty much just slept all day. Typical.

One point for the cool kids.

this is how you upset Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Star Trek nerds everywhere

The first thing I thought when I saw this picture was, "Idiots! That's not Gandalf, it's Picard! This is all wrong!"

Then I read the caption. Ooooh. Yeah, I'm a nerd.

Personal Greeter.

Dear Reader,

When I come home from work each day, Bailey bounds into the room to greet me at the door.

It's so nice to have somebody love me. :)

(Picture taken by Natalie. Go here for more of this cute little devil!)

Mousing.

Dear Reader,

When I came home today from the Young Women's activity I went into my closet room (an empty room in my apartment that I treat as my closet) and a MOUSE ran across the floor. He squeezed under my dresser, so I moved it out from against the wall. As I did that, the little furball ran out from the alcove underneath the dresser and disappeared somewhere in the bathroom (I'm assuming the hole in the corner that a pipe is coming out of.)

Bailey was watching this whole thing happen. And he epically failed at doing anything. Honestly, what good is a cat who can't catch mice?

I'll let it slide this one time. He's young, and in his defense he probably thinks mice are hot pink and green because those are the colors of his toy mice. I blame myself.

But I really, really don't want to wake up one morning with a dead mouse in my bed that he left as a "present."

I wish dancing like this was still cool.