21st birthday

It came and went! I'm finally 21. I had a really great birthday thanks to my husband, my friends, and my family. The grainy pictures below of us out and about were taken the night of my birthday. We hit up a few (okay, several) bars, and just enjoyed each other's company. I had a blast! The pictures below the bar photos were taken the day before my birthday, so we could celebrate with Saylor (she spent the night at a friend/neighbor's house the evening of my birthday) I wish I had taken more pictures, but I was too busy having fun to think about taking out my phone!

 Blueberry cocktail

 Waterfalls

 Joe

 Kyle and Mike

 Summer, Ashley, Jamie

 Pink Drink

 Card that Saylor picked out

 Saylor helped me blow out the candles

Exceptional People

So my friend Bianca flew up to OR from California this weekend! It was a spectacular early 21st birthday surprise. We took a trip to the coast, had a dinner/wine night at our place, and went blackberry picking earlier today. This girl is the bomb! I don't want to brag, but she gives a pretty mean birthday gift(s) - as if having her come visit wasn't an awesome gift enough! She works for Gallo, so I got the upcoming 21 year olds dream gift- several bottles of wine, and wine accessories. She is also an amazing artist, so she made me a Bianca original, which I'm going to go hang up as soon as I finish this blog. 

After a year of marriage and living on the opposite side of the country from our family, I am so excited for these quickly budding friendships! It seems like it's tying my whole life up in a pretty package, and it feels super fulfilling. 

Scroll down for pictures from our weekend visit. 

Oh, and on an unrelated note- I totally broke my pinky toe on Friday! I was walking through a doorway and stubbed it. It has some pretty colors on it, but is completely pain free now (barring the few incidents a day when I bend it a weird way on accident). 

Hope all of you guys had a beautiful weekend. Love and miss you! 

Casey

 Toledo, OR- Boat Festival

 Mike & Biaca

 Saylor, checking out the boats

 Boat building

 Rolling, rolling, rolling... raw hide!

 Bianca- blackberry picking

 Mike was our biggest (or should I say 'tallest' asset), at 6'4", he could reach all the good berries!

 Jamie

 Taking a break in the shade

 Bianca and our friend, Cottage Cheese

 That is what a man who is proud of his berry harvest looks like

 Jamie, Mike, Bianca, Saylor, Me, Joe

About to say Goodbye to Bianca :(

Summer Fun

We have really been having a blast this summer. It hit 104 on Saturday. We don't have air conditioning- or a single fan. Joe, Saylor, Luna, and I found ourselves outside in our bathing suits, with our feet in the duck pond, randomly spraying water from the hose over our heads for a quick relief. But it was so much fun! Around 7:30 PM, Joe couldn't take it anymore. He ushered us out of the house to go to Goodwill. No, we didn't need anything. No, we didn't buy anything. I smiled the whole car ride there, shaking my head, and I told Joe, "I will never forget this day; the day we had to drive to a second hand store just to steal their air conditioning." I remember, when I was still in Georgia, talking to my Mom about my worries of living on a Ph.D student income, and she told me, "Living pay check to pay check is one of the fondest memories I have when your Dad and I were just starting off." I didn't understand that then, but I do now. It's refreshing to know that our family can be so happy, and not spend money at every turn. I think Socrates had it right when he said "He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature." And boy, am I content.