Last Friday, we celebrated my incredible friend Sara's birthday. She is my co-leader, my co-worker, was one of my bridesmaids, a Costa Rican travel buddy, and most of all one of my bestest friends [I realize bestest isn't a word, but it fits]. Next fall Sara will be off to North Park University in Chicago to become a youth pastor. I have been so blessed to get to know this girl for the past two years and I'm excited to visit her in the windy city! Anyways, [before I get all sappy], here are some pictures of the night. I realize I have no pictures of Sara on her birthday, but here are some of the people who love her...

Taco Bar with a fancy quesadilla maker

This is our friend Emma; it's was her birthday the next day!

Homemade tortilla chips by Steph was the popular choice

We had a taco bar potluck and later watched Heavy Weights [such a great movie] on a projector in the backyard. Thanks to our friends Nate & Joseph for always letting us use their backyard for events [they're one of the only few that don't live in an apartment].

Mama's Day Weekend

This year we spent Mother's day with Bryan's mama. I feel so blessed to have her in my life. Without her I would not have my amazing husband. She is one of the strongest women I know. Right now she is working her tail off in nursing school and is so good at what she does. I see so much of her in Bryan and I am so thankful for the wonderful mama she was and is to him.

Weekend with the Family

This past weekend, my family got together to celebrate a late Mother's day. It was so good seeing my uncle, grandma, mom, dad, sisters, & my nephew. I love them so much and really wish that we all lived closer. Anyways, here are some photos...

Uncle Bryan with Jack

Shasta found a bed in a old wine barrel planter

Jack hugging his Great Uncle and Great Grandma

Since I'm in the midst of finals [and need a reason to procrastinate], I thought that I'd make of list of things I'm looking forward to about this summer...

• Camping with my sister and her beautiful fambam
• Practicing my photography skills
• Celebrating Bryan's grandparent's 6oth anniversary in Monterey. Sixty years of marriage! How beautiful is that?!
• Sewing summer dresses out of sheets with my friend, Sara
• Spending a week houseboating on Lake Shasta with pretty amazing high school kids
• Renting a beach house: a lot of our friends are movin' on to bigger and better things this fall, so as a last hoorah we rented a beach house this July.
• Celebrating a full year of marriage with the best guy I know
• And come August, I'm training to become a trauma chaplain. There's a lot of places that could take me, but I'm hoping it will mean working with Courage House

As these events unravel, I'll be sure to update and give more details.

However, if I don't you can be sure that it's because I'm enjoying

summer far too much to be on the computer.

Cherries

Hey, Bryan here!

So it's really exciting out at the farm right now because spring has sprung! There are finally leaves and greenery everywhere! We've been having to water things because the rains have stopped; however, the first fruit of the season is here.....CHERRIES!!! We have 4 varieties out at the farm and the "Early Sweets" are living up to their name, and as soon as those are done we'll move to the next then the next.... at least that's the plan. This year we've been having trouble with the spotted wing drosophila. These little fruit flies are a brand new pest in california that someone snuck past the border checkpoints. They're making a mess of cherry production because they don't have any real predators here and are hard to control, luckily this first variety didn't get hit too hard yet though, so we have been munching away! Here are some pictures Sam took of them...

Homework is far better done in a hammock

I had an incredible amount of stats homework last friday and Bryan suggested that it wouldn't be so bad if I did all of it in a hammock out at the farm he works at. And let me tell you, four hours of statistical equations are far more enjoyable from a hammock in the middle of a cherry orchard than anywhere else ever.

Bryan went off to work and when I wasn't doing stats I was taking pictures, watching geese curiously approach my hammock [only to be startled that a human was in it], and napping.

B setting my hammock up

Bryan off to work

It was such a beautiful day. After work, Bryan took me tubing down the pretty part of Putah Creek. I say "pretty" because not all of Putah Creek is pleasant enough to raft down. The water was freezing so it was comical the two of us trying to stay dry on a tiny tractor tire of a tube.