great adventures, great goals.

I'm finding that as I grow older, I long to go on adventures and travel.. but lots locally. I have time to see the Eiffel Tower and go to the Great Wall -hopefully- but until I can afford to go on such lavish adventures.. might as well start with my own backyard. 

So now I bring you to: The Bucket List (its a title, it gets caps) 

Not your average bucket list, this is my PNW bucket list, what I must do before we either PCS or I move to another place. The PNW has always had a special place in my heart, not so much Washington,  but Oregon. I spent summers here as a child with my grandparents and cousins, and longed to move here after graduating high school.. but some situations arose and before I knew it I was headed down a path that seemed so not me I was on my way to being a bride, to living my life being a housewife. After the Navy deal, I moved to Dallas, OR which is by all means a small, small town. But I was surrounded by family and people I really wanted to get to know.. but then I grew restless and idiotic again. I moved to Washington, got myself a 9-5 at a daycare and promptly began hating my life.. loathing it and here I've been.. sitting in my tiny little house with my giant dog and not really embracing where I live. I've done some shooting, some swimming and some boating.. but not really traveled. Last summer I got an itch, I hiked a little of Mt. Rainier! But now its time to REALLY embrace it. Become a Northwesterner and love where I am. -Some of this was brought on by my recent readings of Wild by Cheryl Strayed) 

PCT of Washington Via

Visit at least 10 spots of the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail)
Visit the Olympic Rain Forrest
Try paddle boarding on the Puget Sound
Go kyaking
Visit Alki beach in Seattle
Go snowboarding at Crystal Mountain
Visit all the "weird" landmarks of Seattle
Go whale watching
Go to Eastern Washington

Knowing the military and their awesomeness -and also the boyfriend- I have about two years to accomplish this, maybe more.. who knows, I don't want to give myself a small time frame, I want to enjoy ALL this state has to offer. The drinking and night life, the idiotic people I run into from post.. all the things that make me want to leave are not truly what this state has to offer.
Washington isn't my "home" Oregon is, but since I'm not in Oregon.. I might as well enjoy this temporary state of living. 

Oh heyyyyy

HEEEEY GIRL! 

ok.. its been awhile.. and I'm a terrible blogger and life seems to have gotten the better of me.. we finally had some sunshine, I went on my bosses boat which was pretty exciting! I saw Rainier in a whole new manner.. in the middle of a freaking lake. 

I went on a cleaning/decorating spree with my house, though we'll only be here for another year (maybe) or so. I've finally started putting pictures up, and ordering some sweet home state prints for A & myself. Obviously AZ & OR, but with WA in the middle with "where it all began" its kind of a surprise for A when he gets back, speaking of, we're OVER A MONTH DOWN WOOOOOOFREAKINGHOOOOOOOO! This deployment is going quickly, A is busy and so am I... which makes for mundane conversations, but at least I'm that much closer to being with him again.

My dad is coming to town in a few weeks for my twenty-fourth birthday, yeah buddy! Mr. Dad and & I go way back.. like to conception.. and we're pretty much the same -just ask mom- so I'm excited to introduce him to some of my favorite Washington haunts and some of the people in this world of mine. 

Bru baby is doing well, at 8 months he's just over 100lbs and standing at my hips, well his head is. My Brutus is such a big guy :) and he melts my heart a lot.. except when he digs, that gets under my skin.

I hope at some point (probably September) I'll be able to start making picture posts and what not, being that I have a "desk top" laptop kinda makes it difficult to want to come into this office.. maybe if I decorate it?? I guess I could start.

-Acacia

it takes time

Usually I reserve the 5th of July as a day of remembering my grandpa, as a time to not bother my mom.. but I found out something rad! 

My mom saw fireworks! This is huge, mainly because in the last 30 years she's never (to my memory or knowledge) celebrated the fourth with any of us. Before you call her a bad mom or something, remember her dad died on the 5th, his favorite holiday was the 4th and she was married on June 30th.. do the math. 

It takes time to heal.. and I can only say that I'm thankful she's actually healing.. though my mom and I don't talk, or really do much of anything but say hello on the holidays and send gifts, I like to think that the next 30+ years (she may never die) are going to be ones of happiness.. but hearing this gives me hope for my own healing, for the healing of my friends and family who've lost someone. 

Random.

-Acacia