Oregon

Two weeks ago, Brian and I traveled to Portland, Oregon for Lori and Matt's wedding.

Surrounded by family, the couple tied the knot in their cozy living room on Thursday, September 24, 2009.


During the ceremony, not only did Matt and Lori exchange rings, but Matt's daughters, Hailey and Courtney, also received rings. The girls were so cute in their beautiful flower girl dresses!


Back Row: Mike, Jennie, Lori, Matt, Kathleen, Brian
Front Row: Hailey and Courtney


As a wedding present, we gave Lori and Matt these antique L-O-V-E keys. They are from an adorable shop in Nevada City called My Favorite Things. I remembered seeing these keys over a year ago when Brian and I were wandering around in Nevada City. This past summer, I wanted to buy a set for Lori and Matt, but I didn't really want to make the long drive back up to NC. So, I e-mailed Tina, the boutique's owner and she gladly shipped the keys to me for a nominal fee.


Here's a look inside My Favorite Things, courtesy of Tina's blog.


Back to our trip now...
On Friday morning, Brian and I drove from Portland to Waldport (near the coast). During the 2-hour drive, we meandered through many quaint Oregon towns and stopped off for lunch in Newport. In Waldport, we stayed in a large vacation rental house with Brian's family. As you can see, from the back deck of the house, we had an incredible view of the Pacific Ocean.




On Saturday morning, I went fishing on nearby Alsea River with Mike and Brian. Well, I didn't technically fish, but I enjoyed watching the fish finder, taking in the gorgeous scenery and being in the company of two wonderful men.


While we were out fishing on the river, Grandma Grandpa caught a salmon! (Grandma had already caught her limit of two fish!)


Unfortunately, Brian and Mike weren't quite so lucky, but they were still all smiles!


Back on the dock, we caught an up close glimpse of the one-eyed seal. He was hoping we'd clean our "fish" on the dock, so he could have lunch.


Grandma and Grandpa Harless have been making the trek up to Waldport, OR for the past fifteen years. Each year, they set up camp in an RV/trailer park right next to the Alsea River. After we were done fishing on Saturday, we visited their RV. As we were heading back to Mike's truck, I spotted this cute license plate attached to a nearby RV.


On Saturday afternoon back at the house, we spent time chatting and making paper pumpkins for the dining room table centerpiece. (Hailey and Courtney did a fantastic job putting them together!)


After we'd filled our bellies with fresh crab, fresh salmon and steak, we posed for this family picture. I think all FOUR generations had a great time!

P.S. Check out the HUGE framed world map behind us! I really wanted to take it home with me. (I don't think it would have fit in the back of the Pilot, though!)