Hey There October

Hello everyone,

I don't want to be that annoying person who says "I can't believe it's October!!" But I really can't. In my mind, it still feels like summer, not sweater weather and pumpkin season. Obviously, I need to start lighting autumn candles, wearing fall clothing, and making trips to the corn maze, but so far that hasn't happened. I do love fall, though, so I'm excited to get more into the spirit this October. 

Currently// Trying to figure out my college classes, house sitting a circus of five animals, driving way more than any human should, missing my puppy (and yes, you too mom), and spending way too much on coffee while doing homework.

Reading// Forest of Ruin by Kelley Armstrong. This series is taking forever for me to finish, and I'm really frustrated because nothing is turning out how I wanted it and I'm kind of ready to throw it off a cliff, but I'm also so close to finishing, so I feel like I need to, you now what I mean?  Also, Letters and Papers from Prison by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I haven't read a ton from this yet, but what I have read has been amazing and I'm excited to get more into it.

Enjoying// Julia's post, 15 minutes. Kate's post, The Post That Took Two Years to Write. And Ashlyn's post, Darkness Will Not Win.

Watching// Heartland has become one of my new go to shows. I'm not even a horse person, but for some reason, I really enjoy this series! Also, my mom got me started on Call of the Midwife, and that too has been a show I've consumed this past month. Plus, the bonus of these two shows is that they have a ton of seasons on Netflix, so I don't have to worry about finding a new series anytime soon. 

Loving// Blackout poetry, steaming cups of Tazo Earl Gray tea, Sundays and watching my Seahawks play, Kirkland Pacific Blend coffee in the afternoons, book mail, my English 101 professor and outings with my favorite mama. 

Disliking// Driving on Friday nights and being behind tipsy drivers, dog hair clinging to all my black clothes, having a terrible runny nose in the middle of class, Spotify not finding proof I'm a student (I WANT THAT DISCOUNT GUYS!!!), and driving towards the morning sun without sunglasses. 

Blogging// Hey There September, where I talk about what's happening as we come into the month of September. Mid-Year Book Freak Out, where I update you with all my reading news. Worth It, where I share a little bit of my heart and attempt to be artsy in my formatting. And Travel Diary: Oregon Coast - Part 1, where I share a few pictures from my trip to Florence, Oregon. 

So what's happening with you as we enter into October? 

With love,

Elizabeth

Travel Diary: Oregon Coast - Part 2

Hello friends, 

I'm back with another photo bomb of my trip. (Check out part one here). I went to a few of my bloggy friends and held a little poll. Should I post round two right away, or put up something else before. Round two won out, so here I am with more pictures from my trip down to Oregon. Bare with me guys, for when I was uploading everything, I realized they were all pictures of the ocean. Oops. So you've been warned, this may give you the urge to go travel and sunbathe on the sand. 

About twenty minutes away from where we were staying was Heceta Lighthouse. Guys, this place was so beautiful! We went there about three times, and my mom and I even took a few senior pictures there. Seriously, there were so many perfect pictures to be taken  and we had to take every opportunity to do so. It was a really great place and I had a lot of fun exploring the beach with my family.

Look at these beaches. LOOK AT THEM!! They're so beautiful. I want to live there. I loved the variety each beach had. Some had lots of rocks, others were super sandy and had driftwood to climb around on, and then there were some with a little bit of everything. It was really cool to explore each one and see the things that made it different than others.

One of the last really cool places we got to scout out was Devils Churn. This place was beautiful, and a little scary. I made an extra effort to respect the ocean, for if I fell over, I would be a goner. My brother got a little too close, and a huge wave hit the rocks and soaked him. He wasn't so amused, but I was laughing pretty hard about it.

Overall, I had a really awesome time spending a week with my family and exploring new places. I'm beyond blessed to have the family that I have and the opportunities we've been given. Life is pretty good, guys.

With love,

Elizabeth

Travel Diary: Oregon Coast - Part 1

Hello,

So today I bet you can't guess what I'm writing about...oh? What? How did you know I went camping with my family? We NEVER do that, psh. 

Oh alright, yeah I guess we do. But in my defense, it's not my choice, seriously! My mom forces (yeah, FORCES) us to do this. If it were up to me, I would way rather spend the summer in my room, away from my weird family and cool adventures. Because, like, who really wants to do that. Not me, totally not me. 

Yeah guys, I'm pretty lucky. I love my family and we've been so blessed to be able to travel around the PNW a lot this summer. So yet again, I come to you all today with a Travel Diary. Where did we go this time you ask (except you didn't because it say's it in the title). We went to Florence, Oregon. A cute little town right off the coast with lots of sand dunes, eccentric diners, and freezing wind. 

But this wasn't just a camping trip, it was a road trip. A very eventful road trip. Before entering Oregon, we stayed in a sketchy Walmart parking lot, not the best camping spot, but we made do. BUT GUYS, there were cops everywhere, I was expecting some big scary man to ambush us any second. And then my brother looked up the crime rate, 100% being the safest, the city we were in was at 3%. 3 %!!! Miraculously, we got out alive and unscathed. 

Then another long day of driving began, but this time, we were able to make pit stops along the beach. Even with the intense fog and sand spraying wind, we had to run around a bit and dip our toes in the water. A certain unnamed person (totally not me) got a little more than their toes wet and had to change, but we won't embarrass anyone by revealing who that was.

See those two beautiful ladies right there? Yeah, that's my best friend, aka my amazing mom, and my future sister-in-law, Nichole. That's right guys, my brother Zachary got engaged!! I may be a little excited, besides the fact she's kind of coming into our family and steeling my name, but whatever, I'm getting over it.

There was a car show going on in Old Town Florence, so us girls had a gal date and got some much needed coffee and treats while the men of the family gallivanted around the town in search for cool looking cars. The bakery was such an adorable little place, I'm so bummed I forgot the name, but it had great coffee and their bakery items were delicious.

I was not kidding when I said Florence had an abundance of sand dunes. As Nichole said, "It's like we're in Egypt!" It really was quite the sight. I hadn't even known such a place existed in Oregon until we made the huge trek up one of the sand dunes and emerged at the top to this. It was amazing! Probably one of the coolest places I've been this year. If you ever find yourself in the area, this is a must see, definitely worth the stop. Just be prepared to find sand in everything you brought over the next three years or so.

And that's part 1 of my trip! I have so many more photos to show you, especially of the ocean, so I thought I'd save your eyes and not bombard you with a ton all at once. Look out for part 2 coming soon. In the meantime, have a lovey day!

With love,

Elizabeth