P-town/Hawaii Trip BEGINS!!

\

Well if we're gonna do this whole blog thing, I figured I'd jump in and let ya all know how my amazing adventure has started off with my Portland/Hawaii trip! I'm staying with Joey and the Pickups right now before I hit Hawaii, and I am SOO glad he is staying with them:)

The Pickups really know how to make you feel right at home! The first night I was here we were eating dinner, and I was so comfortable I just burped without even thinking about it... sorry mom! But they're so cool, and Zane and Nora are about the cutest kids EVER. They took me on a hike to Silver Falls, and we had FHE together tonight- Holly taught us about how Heavenly Father made the Earth for us to enjoy, and Zane made a lot of spiritual comments about the treats he knew were coming at the end of the lesson:) They taught Joe how to play cards, hahahaha--- maybe they shouldn't have!! At one point he took the cards from me when I was dealing, and yelled "You're messing with destiny!!!" So sisters, I'd stick to UNO when Joey asks you if you wanna play a game.

Besides hanging with the Pickups, me and Joe went to the rose gardens and had a picnic, went to the temple after taking a wrong turn from there, took a bike ride to Mount Tabor, and had the opportunity to get some good eats at some of the family favorites of fine dining- Aunt Celeste and Gramma treated us to sandwiches and pie at Truffles one night, and me and Joe just had a buffet lunch today with the Batemans who treated us at Sweet Tomatoes. I also was able to see a couple friends from high school- Marg Zeller picked me up from the airport, Brenda Olmos, me, and Joe went to Hawthorne district today, and I went to Old Chicago with some of the girls I used to hang with in high school.

My favorite day was this Sunday- I saw the home ward and took about 30 min just getting through the hallway to class (really i completely skipped sunday school... oops! Katherine Mickelson is just so hard to leave!) (again sorry mom). Anywho, that was AWESOME. A couple changes in the ward- Greg Fort isn't in the bishopric anymore, and is now Scout master and 2nd counselor in the YM. Kevin is now the Elders Quorum pres, and Chuck Wells is the new second counselor in the bishopric. And even bigger news in the ward- April Fort had a beautiful baby boy!!!! We went and saw them after church that day, and he is gorgeous. They haven't named him yet, Greg calls him the "no-name baby".. ahaha...

Besides all that, I went to Stacia's wedding- which was the original reason for the whole trip to Stumptown, and it was SO beautiful. Stacia is one of my most favorite people, and I'm really gonna miss being roommates with her. I introduced her to Cole though, so I know she's in good hands:) I saw them come out of the temple, and went to their reception the following day with Joey. It was so sweet to watch her dance with her dad, and then with Cole. I just know they are going to be so happy together!

Well, I guess I should go do my online check-in with the airport for Hawaii tomorrow (be impressed Dad). I can't wait to see Adrian! I send my love to all the fam- Adge watch for a postcard in the mail I miss you INSANELY.

Hope this whole blog thing works! Love, Erica