Fun in P-Town

Hello again!
I had a wonderful time in Portland, being able to visit with old friends. ("Old" meaning I have known these people a long time, not their ages!) We had a small shower at Anthony and Rhiannon's home, shower favors made by Cindy (she came all the way down from Seattle!), and my sister Susanna organized a fun activity. The food was wonderful and having a Young/Louie gathering was certainly special well. Watching my mother in-law with Patchen and Mekenzie was so sweet- she was very much in her element reading to two two year olds. I think she considers this a glimpse of her future 'retirement'. :) And, I think Olivia gained an extra "grandma" that day in my Mom, whether she knows it!

The day started off by with the guys deciding to stay for the shower instead of golfing (that's a must-do after Brandon comes! I know Mike was looking forward to it). Shortly thereafter, Rhiannon's food started to appear on her dining room table. Honestly, I don't know how she does it so effortlessly. She made bran muffins, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, fruit/cheese platter, croissant sandwiches, and two quiches. It was awesome.

My mom and sister Susanna arrived first. They have been extra loving and supportive throughout my pregnancy and I can't imagine not having them nearby. My mom has been making me soup and other delicious Chinese food, which she says is I need to eat 'for Brandon'. However, I think that she secretly loves to see me devour her food. To get back to the day of the shower, I think this was the first time since HI that they have seen Anthony and Rhiannon and it was definitely their first time seeing Olivia in person.

As if on cue, after the food had been set out, Cindy arrived. (hahaha!) It was really great to see her, since the last time we saw each other was at my wedding when she took her dinner to-go and jetted back to Honolulu! Cindy and I met in China in '99, where we bonded over obsessing over the Internet Cafe (and later the Internet at the Beijing library), scouring the city for good food, and riding our bikes all over town to bargain and get good deals!

Heidi and her daughter Mekenzie (age 2) were there, too. Heidi and I met eons ago when we worked together at CFP. We also lived in the same apartment complex, so I remember we used to go on these long walks in Mountain Park after work and then hang out and watch SITC. The last time I saw Heidi, she was pregnant with Mekenzie. This time, she's pregnant again! We are both having boys this year, it was fun to get a preggie picture together... even though I look HUGE and next to me she looks 'normal'.

My friend Amy was able to join us, we have known each other since '97 when we met at UO. Amy loves to tell the story of how we met and her 'first impression' of me, so I will just leave it at that..... :) Actually, I feel so lucky to count her as a friend. She is fun, smart, and all around great person. It's a friendship where we know we are always there for each other. By the way, she, along with Jessy (we LOVE the Mombells!!!) were one of the only people to figure out how to make the darned activity work.

Susanna's activity was to make decals for the baby's onesies. Despite following the directions, the decals wouldn't stick. I know we were doing it right, so there must have been something wrong w/ the decals. Oh well. About 5 of them worked and Brandon has a TON of onesies from Aunt Susanna.

My friend there was Sondra and I have known her since high school. I am glad we have kept in touch through the years, because sometimes it can be a challenge. My friend Jason also stopped by, he lives only a couple blocks from A&R. It was fun to see him, I think he enjoyed the food!

All in all, it was a great time. We were able to meet up later with Eileen (another UO friend), who had been traveling in Africa and Europe prior to returning recently back to Oregon. She didn't come to the shower, due to her cat allergies, so it was fortunate we were able to spend the rest of the afternoon with her. We spent the afternoon at Washington Park and then headed to LO for some Chinese food.

Thanks to everyone who made this a very special day! It's always a good day to start off with Rhiannon's cooking, be able to hang out with family and friends, and then end the day with Chinese food.

PS- Thanks to Anthony for sharing his birthday weekend with us!