How to Feel GREAT About Yourself

How to Feel GREAT About Yourself
1. Love your home.
2. Exercise regularly.
3. Make goals and accomplish them. (I like to create a check list and cross off the item once I am finished).
4. Take time getting ready and looking good/polished.
5. Eat good food.
6. Get organized.
7. Keep a good relationship with God.
8. Go on regular dates with your spouse. (If you are not married, have fun being with other people).
9. Be social. Make new friends, and keep in touch with old ones.
10. Learn new things everyday.
11. Smile all the time.
12. Compliment others.
13. Get enough sleep.
14. Forgive others and don't hold grudges. Realize that others may be having a bad day or even a bad decade. Sometimes others need your grace just as much as we all need God's.
15. Allow the grace of God to fill your life because when you've done all that you can do the Lord will give you a break and carry you the rest of the way.

You may already do all these things, and you may do none of these things, but I have realized when I am at my happiest and least stressed times it is because I am doing all of these things. I admit that I don't do all of these things all the time, but I am going to try and make it a habit.

Date in Downtown Portland

Portland is a very charming city and it is filled with restaurants and oodles of things to do. I love being there despite all the homeless people that make me feel uncomfortable. There is this little doughnut place called Voodoo Doughnuts that was made famous by some tv show. It has a very interesting variety of doughnuts which include some covered in fruitloops, and others covered in real bacon. They are awesomely priced too. The only downfall is that the line is always out the door, and it is always a fifteen minute wait before you can order. We visited there last. (It stays open ALL day!)

Dirty Old [Man]. A chocolate fudge Oreo covered doughnut with a peanut  butter drizzle. 

Voodoo Dall. A chocolate bar filled with raspberry filling and stabbed in the the heart with a pretzel.

 

While we were eating our doughnuts Marcus dropped my Camera down a city drain! I was so distraught. We got help from a couple of guys working in the Italian restaurant next door. One of them said that he felt like MacGyver. We got a little pole fixed with a pen and some tape and hooked my camera on. It was awesome! And I was so grateful for all the help. 

the DRAIN. 

The helpful guys!

We walked all over Portland. It was weird to be in a place blanketed with cigarette smoke. We haven’t had to deal with that in Rexburg. We found this restaurant that sounded like Greek food called Zues', but when we got seated it was just a fancy sandwich place. We was alright. The sandwich I got did not satisfy my cravings nearly as much as I thought it would. 

After we ate we wanted something sugary. I was looking for a cheesecake place, but we ended up stopping at this cute cupcake place. We got little "dots" which is a mini cupcake at a fraction of the cost of a regular one. Mine was Coconut Cream and Marcus' was a classic Red Velvet. I enjoyed mine more than his. 

Here are some photos of Portland:

When we got home we cooked dinner for Marcus' parents and George. We made homemade Eggplant and Asparagus Napoleons and Marcus' own recipe for Cumin Chicken. It was delicious and Mom said it looked like a five-star meal. AWESOME. 

Dinner concluded our date night! 

Random Pics/Videos From the Trip

My cuddle bug..which is unusual.

We made a headboard! Finally! Do you like it? It was really simple to make. We got tons of fabric for super cheap ($6/yd) and then we got some plywood and put some quilt batting ontop with a staple gun, and then we staple gunned the fabric on top of the batting. I will show more pics when we move in to our new apartment and it is actually in place. 

We watched swimming and Gymnastics and the big Bike Race. AWESOME. This display is made out of coke box es!

Facial Hair Experiment

Marcus has been dying to grow a beard since his mission to Albania. He has a nice red beard. The problems with this desire: I don’t like kissing scratchy beards, and BYUI requires that you shave except for a moustache. He was diligent in keeping his beard during our vacation. He was so proud when it was all grown out. We designed several different looks when he was ready to say goodbye. Which do you think is best?

SCORE

It wouldn’t be a trip back home without a game of Hand and Foot. Mom and Dad usually kick our butts, but this time we CREAMED them. We won by like 10,000 points which is pretty unheard of.

Hand and Foot

Me and Momma

I miss California, but it was steaming hot the whole time we were there. Mom and Dad should really invest in an Air Conditioner…actually…they should just move to a new home. I am concerned for Mom. Her Arthritis is getting worse. She is in constant pain. The house my parents live in is a two story with the master bedroom upstairs. Those stairs in that house really don’t help her. Plus it is really inconvenient—45 minutes away from anything-to-do; though, it is beautiful at night with all the sparkling stars. 

At the Park

We went to the park and had a picnic. I got lunchables and Marcus had a few pieces of fruit. Maddy wanted to eat all our food, which is pretty funny since she can’t eat solids yet. We have to make sure to feed her while we’re eating most times because she is so social that she thinks we are neglecting her if we all don’t eat together.

She was talking to the ducks and about them. 

Those are the evil little geese.

That's the little boy duck. He was adorable.