We LOVE summer!

Summer is our favorite time of the year. There are so many fun things we like to do outside in the summer that there is hardly time to accomplish it all. Golfing, swimming, camping, hiking, biking, running, tennis, boating, water skiing, and the list goes on and on! Paul and I went on our 2nd annual road trip down HWY 101. Last year we went through central Oregon and this year we started in Newport and went south into California and the Red Woods. We were gone for six days over the long 4th of July weekend. Below are a few pictures. We loaded our Jetta up (with the help of the Ameele's) and took all our "toys" to enjoy the beautiful coast.

I, Ashley, got to go with my older sister, Crystal, and nephew, Garrett, to visit some family in Santa Rosa, CA. They were so generous to us while we were down there and we got to enjoy some wine tasting, the beach, a hot air balloon ride and much more. Spending time with family is one of my favorite things to do and definite a highlight of the summer.

While I was gone in Cali, Paul had to keep himself busy and did so by backpacking with our friend Justin. They went to the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness and although they ran into some snow and slept on a rocky piece of land, Paul had a great time. He always tells me that one day in the outdoors adds years to his life; it is one of his favorite things to do.

We are house hunting! Now that I have a full time job we are looking to buy our first place. We have an excellent Realtor and a friend of ours is a mortgage broker, so now we just have to wait for the perfect house. We have looked at several homes, but the "perfect" one hasn't been found yet. We are trying to be patient, but since our fridge and air conditioner broke this week we are really feeling the need to get into something else (luckily the fridge isn't ours so we don't have to pay to get it fixed), plus I am so excited to get new furniture and decorate my very own place!

Here are a few pictures of the events over the last month: