GORGE-OUS!

The other day, I had a really good conversation with a really good friend.  We talked about how we really don't have any reason to complain about life, we are so blessed.  Yet, we do still find reasons to complain. lol  Why is that?  Perhaps because life is hard!  Wherever you're at, you become accustomed to it, so when bumps come along the way, they can cause us to struggle.  The truth is, we both (my friend and I) have great families with loving husbands, we have the gospel, we live in comfortable homes (as opposed to lean-tos on the side of the road), etc. 

Then yesterday Ryan and I took the girls into the gorge.  It was a half-day of school, so Ryan took a half-day of work, too. :)  I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I LOVE THE GORGE!!!  ;)  As we entered the gorge and I was overwhelmed by it's beauty, I thought again of the conversation I had with my friend.  She is right, we really don't have any reason to complain.  I know there are many beautiful parts of the world, and everyone has their own preference as to what is "most beautiful", but for me, this is it.  I need to live here.  I've lived in several different parts of the country, each with it's own beauty, but THIS is where I belong.  I just don't think I can be as happy anywhere else.  :)

We visited three waterfalls yesterday: Latourell, where we walked the short walk down to it's Lower Falls; Wahkeena Falls; and Multnomah Falls.  We didn't anticipate hiking up to the top of Multnomah but when we got there, it just kind of worked out.  We got about half way before my knee stopped me.  If I had known we were going to be hiking, I would have worn my brace, which even then still might not have been enough.  So, I didn't go to the top with Ryan.  Acadia elected to stay back with me and she and I got some alone time instead. :)

I could take pictures in the gorge all day long.  As it was, I took nearly 200 in the 3 or 4 hours we were there.  Here is a slideshow of my favorites.  Warning: these pics may give you the strong, sudden desire to drop what you're doing and plan a trip out here.  (Or if you live here, they may cause you to drop what you're doing to plan a day in the gorge.)  Don't say I didn't warn you. ;)



(Scroll over the slideshow to bring up the pause/rewind/fastforward buttons.)