yesterday and today

yesterday it was 2012. today it's 2013! yesterday it was snowing and today we went bike riding!

to start the year off right, we took advantage of a spectacular day and headed out to the gorge to ride a trail we've wanted to for a long time. the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail is off i-84 east at exit 40 and goes for less than five miles in either direction. we saw bonneville dam and stopped in cascade locks for a burger and to warm our toes. the most spectacular sight was the places where water normally flows down freely are covered with ice and frost on the rock walls of the gorge. incredible!

besides getting the chance to be out in nature on day one of a new year, we were able to spend some time reflecting on the full year we had, as well as think ahead to the months coming. although i'm not a person who sets resolutions for myself, i would like to be mindful this year (LIVE WITH INTENTION). more on that later.

for now, i will rejoice that i flossed my teeth more in 2012 and went to the community center once a week to zumba. it's the small things, right? what's something you did in 2012 that you are proud of yourself for doing?

a weekend, filled to the brim

three day weekends... the possibilities are endless.

luke and i managed to squeeze in lots of good things this weekend. a movie, caramel corn, roommates and good friends, bike rides, water aerobics. :)

we kicked it off with a work project with church, imago dei. we worked with a group of brothers and sisters from around the city to bless the local DHS office by remodeling the visitation rooms. we took down wallpaper, repainted, replaced toys and furniture and helped create a space that will hopefully be welcoming and help parents reconnect with their kids living in foster care during their weekly visits. i must say that one of my favorite things of being involved in a big church like imago is the reach that we are able to have in our city. my heart is beginning to swell for foster kids, especially as we get involved with Foster Parents Night Out (a monthly chance for us to hang out with foster kids as their parents get to have 4 hours of respite). i'm excited to continue to love on these kids in my community.

on sunday, we loaded our bikes on the bolt bus and headed up to seattle. we got to explore pike's place market, and met up with my cousin scott who goes to UW. the bus ride and the bustling market brought back sweet memories of south america. we even revisted a favorite latin american import store that has all things central and south american, including our favorite kind of yerba mate. scott rode the 30 miles with us to my grandparents in redmond, where my mom and brother met us. we enjoyed some good stories at dinner and then got to shake my grandma's world up a bit when christian, luke and i joined her for water aerobics this morning. my grandparents are beginning to show signs of aging and it sure does make me cherish the time i get with them, each time it happens.

feeling ready and refreshed for the week ahead. thursday is the last day of after school classes in my new school, so i'm looking forward to some down time and montana next week for thanksgiving with luke's family.

hope your long weekend was joyful.

ya llegamos a ecuador!!

luke and i made it last night to quito, ecuador after a whirlwind of a day in chicago with hannah (it was wonderful to see her in her element and to see the place that she calls home) and too many hours in the miami airport. we arrived to a warm evening, lots of fast buses and taxis everywhere, honking, spewing exhaust, and hardly staying in their lanes. after making it to the hostel, we crashed into bed, our bike box and other luggage almost trapping us in the room. this morning, we were met with an amazing view from the 5th floor terrace of the hostel. the city of quito lies in a valley and is surrounded by mountains on all sides. the homes and buildings extend as far as the eye can see.


our crowded hostel room at the secret garden.

what better way to see a city than to just walk out the front door and go? that´s exactly what we did. on our wanderings, we found an incredible basilica with the most intricate stained glass windows, all depicting various moments in the life of jesus. we found the plaza grande, lots of stairs to climb, a park atop a hill with 360 degree views. when hunger found us, we enjoyed tasty pan dulce (sweet bread), empanadas de queso, papas fritas, fresh fruit, and un almuerzo. the prices are right here in ecuador. the country is using the US dollar and has been for the last 11 years. a lunch plate cost us $1.50 each (and left us stuffed to the brim with fresh fruit juice, potato soup, chicken, rice, and vegetables). the fruit was a mere 60 cents for two bananas, mandarins and grapes.


the basilica we found that sits atop a hill in quito.

the fact that both luke and i speak spanish is proving to be most helpful and has allowed us to enter into social situations that other tourists obviously steer clear of. tomorrow morning, we meet up with our two dear friends rueben and luis, who are visiting from portland. then, in the afternoon, we hope to swing by the mennonite church here in quito to meet some of the missionaries there. then, on monday, we hope to take off in search off some hot springs up north called papallacta.

now, the task at hand is to re assemble our bikes and pray that they work just as well here as they did in the states. and so begins our adventure...


our first breakfast in quito. pan dulce, terere, and a great view!