We are back in rainy and cloudy and cold Portland, Oregon.  I don't think it is good for my system to go from sunny and warm and beautiful weather to this. Just not good at all.  The good news is that I am spending more time with Maisie, reading and playing with her toys…inside of course. I was counting the amount of places that we have been traveling to and I have to say that Maisie is quite the little trooper!  I keep worrying that I am ruining her forever, but then I remember that this is all she knows and for her (hopefully) she thinks it is normal!  If we lived in our own home and didn't travel so much, Maisie would maybe begin to potty train as she is starting to let us know she does not like the poo in her diaper.  Maybe she wouldn't want to…

I successfully talked Justin into staying one more night in California so that I could have one last lay out day with Bandna and Katie (also only our second lay out day of the whole trip).  I LOVE THESE GIRLS!!!  They are seriously so thoughtful and encouraging and fun!   So here we are!  Don’t mind my whiteness.  You should have seen me before the two layout sessions! YIKES!  And don’t compare me to the Indian girl to my left.  That’s just not fair.  And don’t compare me to the half Lebanese one to my right!  I can’t compare with Middle Eastern roots.  As much as I want to be brown, I will always be red.  Poop.  Oh and yes, I know we have the same sunglasses!  We got them in Huntington Beach!  Ten bucks! Gotta love the set timer on a camera and Katie running/swimming to make the shot!!!…

My mom bought Maisie the cutest little sunglasses and fuzzy purse while she was in Texas at a conference for her work.  Maisie LOVES the purse and sunglasses!  It is so cute! Maisie loves her Grandma Christine too!  You can see the fuzzy part of the purse in the pictures below.  She carries that thing everywhere!  Such a girlie girl!   And yeah, she put those sunglasses on her head, just like mom and grandma!  

Something I am going to miss the most about Northern California is Julia.  Of course I am going to miss my own friends for my own selfish reasons.  I freakin’ love my girlfriends here!  They make time for me and include me into their daily lives like I have never been away.  They get me.  They love me.  They understand me.  They know me.  And JUST as important is that Maisie has a little friend here that she loves just as much as I love my friends!  As much as she possibly can anyways!  I have never seen two 1 1/2  year olds play so well together.  Maisie will run up to Julia’s house squealing in excitement!  She will poke her eye with such enthusiasm as she yells, “EYE!”  She will dance with Julia, hold hands with Julia, sit and play with Julia, pose for photo shoots with Julia, play…

Before we start the picture escapade, let me begin by saying that I am completely annoyed that I didn’t begin taking pictures until later on in our trip.  What you won’t find is our amazing time in Thousand Oaks with CAI staff.  You won’t find pictures of us staying at Steve and Linda Adam’s home or pictures of all of us (and their girls) watching American Idol.  You won’t find pictures of our fun time with Linus and Sharon Morris and their daughter Katherine.  You won’t find pictures of a little hang out sesh with Rita and the fam and Deb and her father in law.  You also won’t find pictures of all the friends we visited.  Such good friends that they were even in our wedding!  You won’t find pictures of the kids that were in our youth group in Long Beach, that are now young adults doing amazing…