Oden Adventures

This anniversary was especially special for a number of reasons: First of all, the date, 1-3-13, which is rather cool and will never happen again in our lifetime (except in the case we live to be 135 and 138, of course). Secondly, it was the first of four anniversaries we actually celebrated on the date of our anniversary itself, and thirdly, because we got to spend it up in Oregon by extending our Christmas vacation (love the schedule of an academic!) and thanks to the help of my wonderful mom who was willing to watch Vianne for much of the day so we could have a romantic (albeit less elaborate & lengthy than our previous anniversaries) getaway (in two parts). And Vianne was so in love with Grandma Gustafson by that day (the second to last of our trip) that I think she quite preferred spending the day with her anyway! 

And what a great place to be for a celebration, as Oregon was showing off all of its spectacular beauty in a rare sunny, clear-skied beginning of January. Though we'd tossed around the idea of going to a movie, as any good Oregonian knows, one does not miss such a weather opportunity in Oregon, and one does not spend such a day inside a theater. So, we headed north on 205 and then east on 84...

...and enjoyed a leisurely drive, just the two of us, taking in all the glory of Mt. Hood and the frozen cliffs on the way to Multnomah Falls.

When we parked and got out, it was freeeeeezing cold...so we bundled up and forged on!  

The Falls with a frozen backdrop...

Took some artsy nature shots on the way up to the bridge...

I thought these "ice flowers" were especially cool!

From the bridge...

This was the path upwards from the bridge - frozen & slick!  We didn't brave it, but watched some others slip and slide their way up & down.

Amused to find a red star helium balloon there...;-)

The amazing sky, heading back westward...Crown Point in view.

Pulled over at a turnout & Patrick got these breathtaking shots...

This next one is (possibly) my favorite shot (it's hard to decide between so many good ones)!  That's Crown Point, the lookout dome, on the right, for the non-versed-in-all-things-Oregon...

Are we in Oregon...or Ireland??

We continued westward & stopped at one of our very favorite places, McMenamin's Edgefield and grabbed a late lunch at the Power Station Pub...while planning a future anniversary overnight stay in their hotel :-).

We match...the sign. :-)

After that, we headed back to my mom's house to check in on Vianne and get her fed and put to bed.  Once that was all settled, we headed out for Oregon Anniversary, Part Deux.  We went to dinner at La Provence, the restaurant where we went to dinner on the night we first kissed, and since it was so special, we also had our wedding rehearsal dinner there.  Upon arriving, we found that the restaurant was no longer where it used to be, but fortunately it had moved just down the street.  At first, we were a bit dismayed: not only had the restaurant changed venues (though the new place was adorably and wonderfully French-y)...

...but the menu had changed as well.  However, our spirits quickly lifted as soon as the plates began arriving!  The food was amazing, just as before!

I know this picture does not look AT ALL appetizing at first glance.  But if you could taste the wild mushroom-stuffed crepes with brie sauce that you see there before me, this photo would make you drool, too.  They were so good that I think if we go back, I will just order two plates of this for my whole meal!

While I inhaled my crepes, Patrick enjoyed his cheese plate.  We also had some delectable main dishes (four "petite plates" of duck, fish, beef medallions, and chicken cordon bleu to share) but we were so busy eating, we forgot to take pictures!

We really wanted the Charlotte aux Fraises for dessert, which was our wedding cake, but sadly, they were all out.  So we had to suffer through some chocolate mousse and a fruit mousse dessert instead ;-).

All in all, a wonderful, relaxing day of beautiful sights and delicious treats, and the continued pleasure of just being together. After four years, I sometimes still can't believe that I'm really married to this amazing man, who is so much more than what I ever imagined I wanted a husband to be, in all those years I had to imagine :-). Thanks be to God, who gives such good gifts and continues to sustain and amaze us on this great adventure of a lifelong shared journey that He's called us to!