Blackberry picking

It seems like I've been doing this a lot lately.

Last week I did with Camille, and I have gone twice this week.

It's things like this that make me want to never go back to school again. Where can you find bushes and bushes of berries on campus? NOWHERE.

I mentioned my friend was visiting from Sweden. So on Friday we went with Kirsten to explore Wildwood Park. And I promised them pie, which you will see wednesday!

Today, I tried to go with the 2 year-old...

Prepare yourself for a visual representation of my supervising skills.

Ready?

A blackberry mustache never looked so cute!

This is my formal apology to his parents for ruining his shirt.

Someone has to be the cool aunt, okay?!

rattlesnake ledge

My friend Josh and I have been trying to go hiking all summer, but our schedules never lined up. On Tuesday, we finally got a group together to celebrate my birthday and the visit of our Swedish friend, Harald. 

This beautiful place is called Rattlesnake Ledge. It's up in North Bend, WA. It is MAGNIFICENT. The hike isn't difficult, and it's amazingly beautiful at the top.

Josh and Harald live to terrify me. Boys, man.

When I got home, I realized that I'm a really lucky person. All of these people, except for three, are friends from high school. Who is lucky enough to meet really awesome friends in high school, and still get along with and love all of them? And there are even a few more that weren't able to make it. Seriously, I am one lucky girl. Even though we have all grown and changed and will continue to, all of these people are great, kind, hilarious souls and I am so happy to still have them around.

meanwhile in washington

where it goes from 60 and raining to 90 in two days flat. hello, summer.

point defiance

Three posts in the span of a week? It's almost like I'm actually blogging again!

Actually, I just don't work until Thursday and the attack of the pollen outside right now is keeping me pretty worn out from allergies. Yayyyyyy.

But a non-sarcastic yay for the zoo! I went last weekend with my friends Josh and Ana (Ah-na. trust me. she's not an anna.) and Ana's man friend. Of course we saw the elephants. We got to watch the walruses perform for us (they're HUGE!). And I even pet a sting ray at a special exhibit they had. 

Now, I don't want to ruin anyone's ideas of what petting a sting-ray is like, but I was not a fan. I was expecting it to be maybe rubbery or smooth, but it was just like pond scum. Maybe I just got a dirty one. All I know is that is officially on the "never-to-do-again" list.

^aw look at da widdle ellyphant smile^

hey remember that one time my friends came to visit?

you probably don't, because i never told you! 7 months later... i am a master procrastinator.

back in the end of august, conner, joshua, and karoline came up to see me for a couple days. then we went down to portland with conner's family for the rest of the week. it was the last time we were all together. cue water works.

conner is now on his mission in brazil, joshua leaves the mtc for korea on monday, and karoline is engaged! and i'm... um, well, let's see. i'm, uh... I bake lots of cakes! wow my life is awesome.

First: to my favorite place on ruston way.

Then off to the mariner's game.

i even love baseball, and that game was super boring. in the middle of which josh leans over, with a dead-pan expression. he says, "Kelli, I have something important to tell you."
"yes, josh?"
"...I really hate baseball."