Sunday, December 21, 2014

Girls Lunch

It's been a busy week of travel and fun and today I get to share a few pictures of our girls blog lunch in Portland.  After flying home from Hawaii on Monday, Friday morning at 4:30 a.m. I found myself once again in the airport security line preparing to board a flight to Portland, Oregon to meet with four lovely ladies.  I arrived and rented a car.  My first stop was breakfast at Elmer's, a very tasty restaurant near Mandy's first apartment in Portland.  I made my way down the Interstate to Happy Valley, a suburb of Portland where Taci lives.  I went to my favorite french bakery to buy bread for our lunch, then wandered around New Seasons, a quintessential Portland grocery with organic and FRESH food.  They also have interesting and orgininal gifts.  Mandy and Brad's house was only 4 blocks from New Seasons and it is my very favorite store in the area.  I found a Starbucks and bought a hot chocolate and then sat and knitted on a pair of socks and read my book for a few hours and then it was time!!!!  Time to meet my girlfriends!

Here they are.  Front left to right, Becky (Grandma BeckyL), Taci, (TACIStudio), Back left to right, Me, Teresa (Teresa Kasner), Gracie (One Saylor's Log).  You can find them all on my sidebar.  These are the lovliest ladies.  I wish you could meet each of them.  (Just look at Taci and Gracie holding hands.)  This is what we do when we're together.  Hug, hold hands and touch each others shoulders.  As if to say, Yes!  We're really here.  All together.  It's a wonderful day!
Taci worked so hard making her lovely home beautiful for us.  Look at her beautiful table setting.  We even had place cards.  There are the rolls I brought.  Gracie provided an amazing green salad.  Teresa made delicious Yukon potatoes, (her recipe is on her blog).  Mandy already made the potatoes today for their Sunday dinner from Teresa's recipe.  Becky brought cookies for dessert.  Taci made a delicious pork roast, cheese, olives, crackers and lots of different drinks for us to choose from.  Oh my! It was all so delicious.  I loved each tasty thing.  And the best was the company.  Oh how we talked and talked and talked.
My little pile of goodies before we unwrapped them
And here they are unwrapped.  Taci made the beautiful dishcloth and a magnet.  Gracie made the pretty beaded star.  Teresa gave us a candy, a red ball to decorate and one of her beautiful red crochet heart ornaments.  Becky made us calendars with a picture from a farm in Hood River, OR.  She decorated it with little sparkles!  Helen in the UK sent each of us a pretty handmade quilted heart ornament.
I've already eaten the candy and hung all of the ornaments on the tree.
It was a VERY long day.  My flight didn't leave Portland until 9:55 p.m. and Hubby picked me up at the airport at a little after 11:00.  I wouldn't change a thing though.  These ladies have become so dear to my heart.  I truly hope I can continue to visit them often.  We were together over 3 hours and I couldn't believe the time had passed SO QUICKLY.  It didn't seem possible that it was so late.

I started these last night FOR ME!  It's rare I keep much for myelf but I have wanted to make a pair of wristwarmers for myself for awhile now.  My favorite color and so easy.  They only take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours each.  I've made lots to give away.
It was a beautifully sunny afternoon today and so after church we took Chloe and drove to the lake.  We  walked around and she ran and ran and ran.  She loves it there almost as much as I do.  This is what is happening here right now.  We've crashed in the family room.  She has Hubby on the floor getting her belly rubbed and we're watching Hallmark movies.  I made spiced apple cider and we're eating cookies and drinking cider.  
Tuesday our son Jamie and our grandkids from Montana will arrive and stay until Friday.  I'm so excited for them to get here.  We haven't seen them since the 4th of July.

I hope you have a lovely, lovely holiday week.  As you celebrate the holiday, I hope you remember the reason we celebrate this day.  It is about love.  The love God has for each of us.  So much love that He sent His Son to earth as a baby born in a manger.  But He didn't stay there, he died on a cross so that each of us can someday live with Him forever.  It's not just a story.  It's not a myth.  It's the reason we celebrate.

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."  John 3:17

Blessings and Merry CHRISTmas!

Betsy

12 comments:

  1. Betsy, I'm so glad you got home safe and SO HAPPY that you came to spend time with us. I loved seeing you and spending time with you and the girls. Next time we'll have to have a longer time together. It was too short! Today I tried to make a prettier crochet ornament.. will show you when it's done. Have fun with your grandkids! I know you will! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

    ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉
    *M*E*R*R*Y* *C*H*R*I*S*T*M*A*S*!*
    ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉ ❉

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  2. What a lovely recount of your day! Love the gifts!! Love the photos!!!
    You are lucky!! Such fun!
    xo Kris

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  3. Wow, this past week your feet truly haven't touched the ground! I am so happy that you had such a grand time with the girls, and happy that my little gifts arrived safely - thank you so much for being Santa Claus for me!

    It is so special that you are able to get together like this, I am hoping to see more of friends this holiday, my job entails long hours and most days I leave home early, get back quite late, cook dinner for the kids, clean up and then back to working on the computer. So now school is closed for 2 whole weeks and I really want to make the most of the time with family and friends.

    I hope you have a wonderful week with your family, I am sure you will treasure every single moment.

    Helenxx

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  4. What a wonderful, wonderful time! Love your own wrist warmers. Great idea! Merry Christmas! Enjoy your family.♥

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  5. Your tree looks so pretty, Betsy, and ready to welcome your son and his family on Tuesday! We are enjoying the festive seagull. I have hung up the seashell necklace so that I can enjoy seeing it when not wearing it. The pretty blue yarn will remind me of warm tropical seas as I use it. Thanks so much for all of these lovely gifts that remind me of our dear friendship as we celebrate the birth of our Loving Savior and Lord. xx

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  6. I always love reading and seeing all the photos when you all get together. I think there are a lot of us out here in blog land that wish we were there with you all. :) Oh I love the mitts! Great color, too. So glad you are getting to see son and grandchildren. I know you will all have a wonderful time together. Merry Christmas to you and your family sweet friend. :)

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  7. Hello, Hope you are having a wonderful December and will have a blessed Christmas… This is such a joyful time of year for so many—but it’s also the time when others experience a deep loneliness, and struggle during the holidays for many reasons. SO—today I ask you to stop what you are doing for a few minutes and say a prayer for someone you know who might be experiencing a hard time now… OR—better still, send them a card or give them a call. It will mean the world to them.

    Great post, Betsy... Your trip with friends had to have been MARVELOUS. Are all of these blog friends you didn't know before you started blogging? Some of my blog friends have turned out to be my 'besties'.... SO Special!

    Glad you made it to the lake --and glad that some of your family will be with your for Christmas. Love your mittens... The color is fabulous!

    Merry Christmas to you and yours.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  8. Loved your post and it was great to see you again. Thanks for the gifts. I have the seagull sitting by my Christmas M&M box and they are so cute! I will take a picture of it and send it to you! Have a good time with son and grandchildren! So glad you made it home safely and enjoyed the lake! I'm sure you feel more relaxed since there's no more flying around anywhere. Merry Christmas and hugs to you, my sister in Jesus!!!

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  9. What a joy to be able to meet up with your blog-friends! I love to read about your get-togethers.

    Those mitts are lovely and such a pretty colour.

    A very merry Christmas to you and yours, and yes, it's NOT a myth! :)

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  10. Betsy I am so glad you had a wonderful time together, you all look so, so happy to be sharing special time with each other. Your gifts to each other are wonderful, and you gift to me was too. I treasure it so much. Thanks you from the bottom of my heart.
    wishing you and your family the very best Holiday Season,
    Meredith

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  11. Ah--New Seasons. Love it too! That is awesome that all of you gals could get together before Christmas---and that there were no icky spiders! Wishing you God's blessings at this special time of year. May our lives show His love to those around us always.
    Advent Blessings,
    Aimee
    PS: Love the look on Chloe's face:)

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  12. What a treat!!! You are all such wonderful ladies! I love that you were all able to get together! :)

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