Family Trip : Neskowin

July 17 2016

We finally got around to going to the beach this last weekend! My in-laws gifted us with a very lovely weekend in the quaint little town of Neskowin. We usually just go to our favorite beach but things were booked up as far as places to stay so we branched out a bit. I'm so glad we did because I think we found our new favorite beach. 

It was overcast both days we were there but surprising really warm. Each time we went to the beach I had to tell myself "wear shorts next time!" because it really did get that warm. The beach was incredibly vacant and would have been the perfect place for bonfires. 

Lewis was a little indifferent about the whole experience. Maybe because he's only 3 months, but come on kid! I kid. He either wanted to eat his carrier the whole time, see photo directly below, or wanted to stand up on his own which wasn't happening. 

He did at one point fall asleep as we walked next to the water which was super sweet. We really loved this little slice of heaven and are really excited to make this place a yearly tradition. It'll be so much fun to watch him play in the sand and water when he's a bit older. 

happy beachin' // leah

Sunriver trips + the start of Camp Hartmann

1-21-16

This month has been a great month for little getaways. We went to the same vacation city of Sunriver Oregon. We tend to only go to this Central Oregon town in the winter time. It seems to be the most relaxing and most fun at that time. Think snow and cozy fireplaces.

Our first trip we deemed Camp Hartmann. My in-laws blessed us all with a Christmas gift of a weekend away over the new years weekend. What a fun and special time we had. All 8 of us plus the two little ones cooking. ( My sister in law is pregnant with their 3rd due in May :) ) We rarely get this undivided time of the whole family. We relaxed a lot, played some games, and ate out at some local restaurants. We dubbed this time Camp Hartmann because we hope it happens every year. And with the growing number of little ones in the family it should amount to some good memories in the future.

It was especially cute to see my little niece and nephew play in the snow. My nephew was so bundled up he looked like Ralphie and it was just the cutest!

Our second trip to Sunriver was our annual MLK friends weekend.

 For the past 4 years we've been coming to Sunriver on the same exact weekend with about the same group. There were 13 of us this year. Each year the group changes just a little with new boyfriends or spouses being added to the group, but otherwise it's always the same people.

This trip is exhausting and fun! Exactly how it should be. We all stay up way too late playing games. We each share the burden of cooking meals and just really enjoy each other's company. We laugh a lot and talk about our new year plans.

It's really neat to have a trip like this to look forward to. Every year we know it will happen and it never ceases to be a fun time. It'll be fun to watch this group grow as It has already in the last 4 years!

/ leah

Tree Hunting + the series of unfortunate events

December 4th, 2015

We got our tree last weekend and it was such a great day! The weather was really perfect and the girls just loved running around the tree farm.  We wanted to get a tree that was short and fat this year. Last year we got a "Charlie Brown" tree so this year it was the fat one. We thought we chose the perfect one, one we thought would fit the corner in our living room perfectly. Let's just say we got the height right this time, but it's way to wide for the space! We laugh at it every time we see it. Just too fat!

The day was pretty perfect up till the last 10 minutes. To start with the series of unfortunate events we have to go back to Thanksgiving day. 

Cory and I made the turkey and stuffing this year using this recipe. It turned out really awesome! Probably the best turkey I've had and I'm really trying not to be biased there ;) I ended up burning my hand pretty bad though in the process. Don't touch a pan handle right after it's been in the oven… duh! 

Going back to our tree hunt, Gretta got attacked by another dog that was there. While I was trying to "save" her she accidentally took out my legs and I had a pretty nasty fall. I couldn't walk for a whole day and it's still taking some time for my knees to feel better. She walked away just fine but I was pretty banged up. 

At work this week while helping a rather large client into a recliner I got one of my fingers smashed in the recliner. So now I've got some scars from the turkey, a limpy gait, and some pretty bruised fingers. I hope this is the end of these not so pleasant events. 

In other more wonderful news, we hit 20-weeks growing this little one!! My belly is officially bigger and here to stay for a while. Cory mentioned the other night "well I guess you really are pregnant! Can't deny that now!". We can't believe we are already half way there to meeting this little one. 

Hope everyone is enjoying getting into the Christmas mood! Get those trees, be safe, and enjoy!

xo / leah

About Me

Hi, my name is Leah.

This is my little family.

These are few things to get to know us...

-We live in Portland, Oregon. Definitely my favorite place on Earth. The PNW has so much to offer in beauty and I'm so happy we have roots here.

-I love Jesus and love people.

-My love of people is probably what brought me into the world of Nursing. I work as an RN on a Medical-Surgical floor.

-I used to have an addiction to cheese. We are still friends but I keep it in moderation. I like to say I try to eat whole, but it's more like whole [pizzas].

-I am a Twin and it's pretty much the best thing ever.

-I used to dance ballet all through high school and then in college I was on the Dance Team for a couple of years. I love dancing and it's not uncommon to find me dancing around my house.

-I absolutely adore all flowers. Not biased to any type. I always wanted to own my own Floral shop and name it Flowers by Frances (my middle name).

- I am somewhat type A and have a knack for redecorating and reorganizing our house just about every season.

-I can count to ten in 4 different languages.

-My husband and I married just 16 months after our first date.

- As a kid my nickname was Peanut and my husbands was Bean, hence how this blog got its name.

Thanks for sharing along in our little adventures!

xo // leah

Photos above by Pamela Montanez

Birthday: My Mom is 55

This last weekend we celebrated my mom turning 55! She loves this age because now she can say she is as old as the speed limit. I hosted a little luncheon with some of my moms best friends. Friends she's had ever since moving to Oregon around 20 years ago. These woman have known me since I was 5! We shared lots of old memories, went around and told my mom things we loved about her, and just laughed and laughed until our stomachs hurt. We also played a little jeopardy of who knows Linda best. That was fun.

I kept the decorations simple. Lots of red and white, my moms favorite colors. I had some new and old photos dispersed around the table. The photo above is circa 1989 on my mom's 29th birthday with one of her favorite presents, her chocolate lab Bashia. 

We made her feel like a birthday princess complete with a flower crown. (Later on she told me how she wore it all day, even out to dinner that night. That's my mother.) For lunch I made a simple sandwich bar, spinach and artichoke dip, with a fruit salad. It just so happened to be 100 degrees outside so it was good I decided on something cool. 

Happy Happy Birthday Mom! So happy you are my mother and that I got to celebrate you in such a fantastic way! May your birthdays always be special, may you never loose that zest for life, and may your friends always be close! We love you mom and happiest of birthdays. 

xo // leah

Trip: Central Oregon

This last week were were able to spend some time in Central Oregon. Probably one of our favorite places to be. We spent four nights in Eagle Crest, in Redmond. My parents have had a timeshare there since I was seven, so it's a pretty magical place for me. Cory and I hadn't been able to go for just over two years. It was a trip over due. We spent those first days just hanging out at the pool, lounging in the sun, and reading. The temps were up into the mid- 90's so we had it quite made.  We barbecued a lot and spent a lot of time chasing the sunsets. 

We then spent the last four nights of our week at Five Pine Lodge in Sisters. Another one of our favorite places to be. This time we were were with Cory's parents. The weather was a bit cooler, in the 80's so we spent more time playing games outside. Bocce Ball was our favorite. 

One of our days we ventured to try and hike Black Butte. We got a little late start and with the heat it took us a little while to get to the top. But it was worth it! Such beautiful views. And we had a little friend waiting for us at the top. 

Black Butte is a neat place. Not only does it host some of the most stunning views of Central Oregon, but it also serves as a Fire Lookout station. They had the old fire station still there which was a pretty neat site. 

We ate out every night these last four nights and it was well worth it. From Bend to Sisters there are some hidden gems of restaurants. See Below for a list of our favorites from the trip. 

It was such  

relaxing time with family. We will be coming back to Central Oregon for many years as one of our favorite vacation spots. 

Stay

Eagle Crest Resort, Redmond

Five Pines, Sisters

Black Butte Ranch, Sisters

Lake Creek Lodge, Camp Sherman

Sunriver Resort, Sunriver

Eat

Sisters

The Open Door

Three Creeks Brewing

Los Agaves

Sisters Coffee

Redmond

Niblick and Greenes

Bend

900 Wall

Jackalope Grill

And any of the Breweries

Happy travels / leah