Dude - are these not the tower stairs?? Yeah - that's a member of the Shins walking up them. I don't know which one cuz nothing's freaking labled anywhere and I've never seen them live but he is I promise. I also just discoved that they are local to Portland. I had no idea! Hooray for that. Hooray for Portland. I'm going to live there, oh yes, yes I am. 

Hotel Rawanda

Whoever hasn't seen Hotel Rawanda needs to as soon as you can. I'm serious, we have to be aware of what is going on in the world. We have to care. It's atrocious, sickening, and so so so tragic. I cried all the way through the movie but was very moved by it. I don't understand how people can hate so much. It's good to think about it though, dwell on it, and pray about it.

And THIS is the second half of the bachelorette party - cocktails and facials, what every girl needs. Standing in a bucket of green tea is my cousin April who flew out for the wedding. She is sipping on a "chicks dig it" cocktail which I, myself, whipped up. Oh yeah, and that's milk Nicci's got her feet in, in case you were wondering. Yep - Nicci knows all about this stuff. Aparently green tea followed by milk is just the thing for one's feet. Who knew! 

This is the first portion of our bachelorette party. I set up this pretty picnic on the train in Avery Park and we ate pizza and cupcakes and lots of good cheese and crackers and chocolate. It was good fun. I was going for the kind of thing Julia liked to do when she was a young teen - in her wild days when she used to do "illegal" things like climb trees on OSU campus. Oooo bad girl. On the right with the camera is bridesmaid number uno - Kathryn also known as Vive around these parts. She lives in California and is married and currently 3 months pregant. I love her dearly. On the left is Nicci bridesmaid number 2. I've been friends with her since we were like 3. And of course our beautiful bride is staring rather awkwardly across her banquet at the camera in the middle. (sorry for the run on sentances there... they were necessary). 

These are 2 of the Norwegian groomsmen I had the pleasure of entertaining this past week. We all went to the coast on tuesday and had lots of fun. The one on the right is Kristian - we bonded cuz he was the best man and I the maid of honor so we had to be nervous about our toasts together and walk down the isle together and all that. The one on the left is Colbjorn. He's pretty much hot but he's also 30, not a Christian, and not very talkative so I don't really see it working out between us. Rats. 

I don't have wedding pictures yet but this I took a few days ago of Julia Schnake and Viggo Larsen. This is now a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Viggo Larsen. Heck yeah! 

MARRIAGE!

Hey! My sister got married today! It was awesome! Kind of emotional and tiring - but beautiful and wonderful as well. I am so excited. Now she's gone. Yay for her!! Do not fear - I will soon post many pictures with supplementary comments - but being that I don't have them yet I felt that this was important enough news to warrant a non-picture post... although I do try to avoid them in general.
Yay for Julia and Viggo! Yay for weddings! and Yay for it all being over!!

I miss Rebecca! Of coures there are a lot of people I miss but I'd have to say Rebecca wins first prize today... and most days if I'm honest. What a beautiful wonderful dear friend. Thank God for "in network calling"! 

Who says money can't buy happiness?!

Yay... my daddy's so sweet and so I am so happy. I've been tempting myself by going to Boarders this past week, although I don't have any money, and listening to all the cds I want... which there are about 47 of. Somehow just about every band/artist I seriously listen to seems to have come out with a new album in the last 6 months that I've been gone. it's crazy! So I cheated and used my parents money to buy a Shins album about a week ago... then last night I again justified buying the new U2 album cuz I knew my dad would like it... so I thought it might be ok to spend his money on it... Well so I was feeling pretty happy having 2 new cds... but still inwardly yearing for several others, and my dad took my sister and I to breakfast this morning and I made some comment about how there were all these new cds I wanted and I didn't have any money... and that sweet dear man reached in his wallet and pulled out a $50 gift cirtificate to Boarders he'd gotten from work and gave it to my sister and I to split! So fun. So my sister and I went in and I was able to hook her up with a cd that she really liked and also got the new Coldplay and the new White Stripes. Ah, so happy. And so I have come to the conclusion that money really can buy happiness just as long as you use it to buy music.

How cute is my family! sooo cute. This was a rare day where my mom arranged to have us all spend the whole day together. We went down to Eugene and shopped at the mall for various wedding necessities and stuff then we went out to dinner and a movie back in Corvallis. Meagan took this picture of us outside the theater. We have here, Charles, my 16 year old brother, then me, then my mom, Barabara, then the little one is Julia my 22 year old sister (soon to be a married woman) then the big guy's my dad, Kent, and then Sam, my 14 year old brother. By the grace of God, and the fact that we're a pretty wild bunch, we had a really fun day together. Yay for family time!