Perfect { Summer } Weekend - Bend, OR

Last spring/summer my destination of choice was Lake Chelan...this year it's Bend, Oregon - I love this place and can't get enough of it. If the City of Bend is looking for a spokesperson, other than Matthew Fox, I'd love to submit my application. With so much love for this city and the people that live there, how could I resist running a half marathon in Sunriver, with one of my best friends? I couldn't...so we did it!

Few things about this half-marathon that was different than any of my previous races...

1) Training for a half (at least for me) requires a bit more than running a five miler here and there and taking an entire week OFF from running the week before the race.

2) Practice what you preach - NEVER and I mean NEVER wear something to a race that you've haven't run in before. I tell most running friends this and wish so badly that I had taken my own advice. I bought a new sports bra at the Nike outlet in Bend the night before and thought I was going to suffocate from how tight it was. Immediately after crossing the finish line, that thing came right off and most likely will never be put back on.

3) Running in the Seattle area at 300 - 500 ft elevation is COMPLETELY different than running in the high desert at 4,000 ft - WOW! I was perfect until about mile 8 and then the altitude hit me like a ton of bricks - tight lungs (way.too.small.sports.bra.did.not.help), headache, nauseous, etc. I hate excuses, but this was my run for that.

Megs and I had hoped to finish the race together, but for the first time ever I had to stop and walk so I told her to go ahead - she was on FIRE and I didn't want to hold her back anymore than I already had. The course was the most beautiful and flattest I've ever run and I will definitely be back to do it again. Another plus side - there were only 1,600 runners in the half and 250 - 300 in the full! I highly recommend this race if you're looking for something with less crowde. Congratulations to all of my friends that ran the Rock N Roll races this past Saturday - we were talking about you and cheering you on from Sunriver - Spry and Becki (each of their first - they did AWESOME), Karli, Brad, and Brooke (I would have traded you my sports bra for your cabbage).

Steve and I drove down Friday morning and had the best weekend ever (to date) in Bend. On Friday, we picked up our packets, ran errands, carbo-loaded on a an excellent pasta dinner and Greek salad, enjoyed some beers on the deck and relaxed. Saturday, we ran the half, considered going to a bar to watch the World Cup, but decided against the crowds and hung out at home instead. We love spending as much time as possible with Miles and Ava so we figured staying home and playing the yard would be easier than hanging out in a bar. That afternoon, Steve and I ran out and surprised Ava with a slip and slide and a tutu bathing suit - we can't help but spoil these two kids when we're with them. That night, Galen and Ava had a party to go to so me, Steve, Megs and Miles went and walked around downtown to check out the Bite of Bend, ate a delicious Thai dinner and of course...drank some more beers. Sunday morning, Steve and Miles got their first summer buzz cuts...courtesy of their barber, Galen. On our way out of town, we had a photoshoot some of Megs and Galen's friends and then headed out for our long and gorgeous drive home.

The highlight of the car ride home was stopping in Longview and meeting our friends, Lindsay and Ryan's, newborn baby boy, Gunnar - isn't he precious?? He was born on Father's Day (2 weeks early!) and currently weighs 5 lbs 9 oz. He is the tiniest baby I've ever held and already looks exactly like his daddy. Congratulations Linds and Ryan!

{ LOVE }

Friends with new babies have all expressed a similar story...the love you feel for your child is unlike any love you've ever felt before. I know this little fact is true for my friends Kelly & John who welcomed their darling baby girl, Sloane Nicole Poort, into their lives last Tuesday. They're completely in love with their girl and made it seem to me that they had been parenting for years - they're definitely naturals.

John & Kelly - Congratulations on your new family - Sloane is beautiful and perfectly fits into your life.

Happy { Belated } Father's Day

To my dad - the best dad in the entire world.

How Megs and I were lucky enough to end up with JCoff as our dad, is something I've never quite figured out. He's the most thoughtful, supportive, caring and loving man I've ever met. His unselfishness is immeasurable. I'm assuming this trait was learned during his years at seminary to become a Catholic priest. His decision to not pursue a career in the church and instead marry my mom was the best decision he ever made (believe me it was) because it allowed for Megs and I to be here.
Dad - thank you for all that you have done for our family - we love you - more than words can ever express.

* Weekend of Celebrations *

Happy 30th Birthday to one of the three most important Megan's in my life - Meg Baumgartner/Addi's Mama! Friday night we celebrated at the Cashman's house in Redmond with friends and family. The night was complete with a very excited birthday girl, an outdoor bar, JOAT cupcakes, food from Qdoba, music for every generation, beer pong, flip cup, bonfire and no rain!

Me, Lauren, Meg, Jenny, Wexler, Rask, Hilary

Saturday morning I ran errands and then spent the day in our vegetable garden and weeding the yard while Steve helped his dad paint their house. You know you're old when you weed the yard because you enjoy it, not because it's forced upon you by your parents. Gardening was quite relaxing in the sun and the time passed by rather quick while eavesdropping on the neighbor kids while they played 'I Never' - hilarious! That night we went out to Anthony's at Shilshole Bay with Mike and Mo to celebrate the sun being out, met up with Josh for his photography show at Hidden Hand Tattoo in Fremont, also met up with Lauren and went to Norms for some beers.

Sunday morning I had a photoshoot in Poulsbo, lunch with my aunt and that night another celebration - my little Ryan (aka the boy I nannied for about 10 years) graduated from highschool! I have known Ryan and his brother Matthew for about 14 years. I have traveled the world with their family and have always treated these two boys like my brothers. I'm so proud of Ryan and all of his accomplishments. This fall, he's off to Trinity College in CT where I'm sure he'll do great. Oh...he's also been doing a bit of modeling, hence the perfect pose I captured at his party,

Chocolate Bars, Cookies and Chips...

...have been taken to an entirely new level

From reading the comments on my Costco post, it seems that I led people a bit astray. We make our best efforts to eat healthy, but not everything we purchase is in line with veggie crunchers and dried blueberries, as Steve has the sweet tooth and I sometimes prefer the salty {less healthy} snacks.

Steve bought the Ramen Noodle Komforte Chockolate by Seattle Chocolates on Sunday night and I have yet to test it out, but according to him, it was "good" hmmmm I guess he didn't love it, but I know he didn't hate it because there was another bite from the bar this morning. Salted chocolates are a favorite of mine, so I'm thinking I might prefer the Tortiall Lime + Salt flavor the best.

I rarely eat McDonalds and couldn't tell you the last time I had one of their cheeseburgers, but the taste of a McDonalds cheeseburger (whether you like them or not), is one that is quite distinct and recognizable when it comes to the world of burgers. With that said, the new 'Late Night all nighter Cheeseburger Doritos' taste EXACTLY like a McDonalds cheeseburger - like in a blind taste test I might not be able to tell the difference...well, maybe I could, but you get my point. The pickles, the bun, the cheese, the ketchup, the beef - it's all there. If you're a chip lover, like myself, I say give them a shot - they're not that bad. Now, if you're my friend Michelle, who has NEVER had a McDonalds cheeseburger in her life, you wouldn't know the difference. She became partial to the chicken mcnuggets (moreso than the average child) as a kid and has never regretted this decision.

And finally...As part of 25th Anniversary of the Dairy Queen Blizzard, DQ and Kraft Foods have launched a Limited Edition Oreo Blizzard Cookie. Seriously, did people shopping the cookie aisle need one more option to choose from??? As with any new treat, Steve bought a bag {ahhhh maybe two}. They taste almost exactly the same as the original Oreo with a creamier middle - if I'm in desperate need of a DQ treat, I think I'll stick with the original Blizzard

{ Baby Girl }

The most recent addition to my college girlfriend group is Courtney and Nick's darling baby girl - Charlotte Grace - who was born last Friday. I met Charlotte for the first time last night - she's perfect in every way. I loved kissing her chubby cheeks and couldn't get enough of her new baby smell (can I bottle that smell up and use it as a body spray on myself? weird?)

Nick & Court - Charlotte is already the perfect combination of the two of you - Congratulations on the birth of your beautiful baby girl.

It's a Love/Hate Relationship...

with Costco
Love because the prices are unbeatable and the products superb.

Hate when Steve shops alone and comes home with way more than needed...and of course, there are always a few unnecessary products.

I married into a family that is quite possibly more in love with Costco than with me (just kidding Mo...I know you love me more than the biscotti)

Here are a few of my current favorites...



1. Blue Diamond Almonds - Bold Habanero BBQ: If you've been to my house in the past month you've probably been forced to taste test these goodies - best.flavored.almonds.ever (probably not the healthiest, but definitely a good treat)

2. SunPix - Hearts of Palm: Currently, my favorite salad accessory

3. Veggie Crunchers: Great little snack - but don't eat them too fast or too many at a time as they're a bit starchy and may cause heartburn.

4. Kirkland Signature - Whole Dried Blueberries: Perfect to eat along or on top of vanilla ice cream

5. Bom Dia - Acai Berry juices: If you're not already on teh Acai kick, try out this sweet drink - excellent source of antioxidants

6. Kirkland Signature - Bath Tissue: 36 individually wrapped rolls for $21! Probably the best deal at Costco.

7. ECOS - Laundry Detergent: Been using this for about 3 years now and love it! Earth friendly, smells great and most importantly gets the stains out of Steve's work jeans.

8. Mini Bell Peppers: Easy to pack for lunch and the perfect healthy snack.

9. Brothers-All-Natural Crisps: Perfect on-the-go snack for adults and kids. The variety pack includes Fiji apples, strawberry/banana combo and pears.

Weekend { Update }

Good news - Summer decided to make an {almost} entire day visit to Seattle this weekend! People all across town came out of hibernation Saturday morning, only to go back Sunday morning. I would have loved for the +70 degree temps to stick around a little longer, but I'll take what I get.

Friday night - hung out with four of my favorite girls - Megan, Miss Addi, Jenny & Miss Maddy. We drank wine (only Megs and me), jumped on Addi's big girl bed, watched part of my wedding video (Nick was the videographer and Jenny, so graciously did the editing - THANK YOU!), and caught up on life - perfect way to spend a rainy evening.

Saturday - Woke up to the sun in my eyes (blinds weren't shut) and a smile on my face - as cheesy as that sounds, it's the truth. I know I'm not the first to say this, but a sunny and warm day in Seattle beats a sunny and warm day almost anywhere else in the world. Drove to a photoshoot in Bellevue, washed the car, went back to Woodinville for a photoshoot, met up with Marge at the driving range (excellent idea Margie!) and met up with Steve, Megs and Branden at my parents house for a BBQ dinner and a sleepover.

Marge dressed adorable - as usual. I'm assuming she comes from a long line of action sports photographers, because she shot a perfect sequence.



LOVE my parents view - especially on nights with a beautiful sunset

Sunday - The rain returns, which unfortunately postpones a morning photoshoot at the beach. Steve headed up north to meet up with a guy to sell the Panfinder too - sort of sad considering that was my car for the past 8 years, but it was time to for it to go because Steve needed a stronger car to pull the boat and trailer. He got a Suburban that I have been informed "has a much better towing capacity." Not sure if I can picture myself driving a Suburban, but we'll see.

I met up with some of my girlfriends at the Queen Mary Tea Room for Jenny's surprise baby shower. The surprise worked - she was shocked. This was my first time to the tea room - I highly recommend it - excellent tea and great lunch. The girls planned the perfect afternoon to celebrate baby Johnson #2. Since Kelly is also expecting, I had to get a photo of the two of them together - I thnk they look pretty darn cute myself.

My Other Love { Bend, Oregon }

I love this beautiful town in Central Oregon so much that I drive 5-6 hours (on a traffic-crazed, 3-day weekend) by myself to visit. As most of you know, it's home to some of my most favorite people - the Blyths...and sometimes I just need an Ava, Miles, Galen and Megs fix. The time spent in the car, was worth every second once I arrived and got to cuddle with these two monkeys.

Mid-way through the weekend, I told Megs this was my favorite trip (so far) to Bend. We'll be back in one month for the Sunriver Half Marathon, so maybe that will be my new favorite trip...we shall see. This weekend was spent taking pictures, drinking, laughing (a lot), listening to old school rap (per Galen's request), pedicures, shopping, BBQ'ing, dancing to Princess and the Frog, snuggling on the couch...just what I had hoped for.

Sunday Morning: Me on the guest room bed...sound asleep (slightly hungover...mouthguard still in)
Ava: Coffey (with a tap on the shoulder)...Hey Coffey you have dots on your face
Me: huh?
Ava: You have little dots on your face
Me: Yes, Ava those are freckles
Ava: Coffey they're beautiful
* Seriously, how precious is this girl?

While I was away, Steve stayed home to attend a friends birthday party and work on the yard and around the house. To make up for the time apart, we went out for dinner and saw Iron Man 2 (really enjoyed it). And here's a good "You Know You're Fat When"...he had a coupon for a free popcorn, but decided he was too full from dinner to eat it during the movie so as we're leaving the theater he got his popcorn to go...weird?