Birthday Weekend!

 My birthday this year was great, as usual. You really can't go wrong with a birthday on Valentine's Day:) Brad and Charlotte brought me breakfast in bed with some beautiful tulips and notes written on paper cranes. Brad had class after that, but we left when Brad came back from school for Orcas Island. Charlotte spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa Gerhardt. Brad is really the most thoughtful person and recreated a lot of the memories and writing from when we got engaged at Orcas Island four years ago. It was a gorgeous day and we had a long wait at the very full ferry terminal, which we didn't mind.

 Brad made reservations at a beautiful hotel on the Rosario resort on the island. The view was breathtaking. You could see the sound and the islands. It was a very clear day when we got there too, so we could see the stars and the full moon out. There was a little waterfall next to where we stayed too, and we could hear the sound of water from our room. We hiked up a little trail behind the building which went by the waterfall and up to the lake. It was beautiful, but the trail was straight uphill. It was killer! We made it though, and it was flat for a while at the top.

 There was a thin layer of ice on the water from all the cold weather for the last few weeks. Yikes. The first day was much warmer than the second.

 This is the view from the tower at the top of Mt. Constitution on the island. It was overcast, but it was just high enough for us to see the mountains and mainland in the distance. This is where Brad proposed.

 Spring crocuses!

Playgroup and Paper Cranes (and my Valentines Birthday)

I woke up to hundreds of paper cranes with memories and love notes in them on my ceiling. Brad has been writing me these love notes since we were first dating. He wrote 27 new ones for my birthday and folded all the old ones. They are hanging all over the apartment right now and it is so beautiful. In between the cranes there are heart shaped beads to contrast to the white. I was locked in my room until the breakfast was finished then Charlotte and Brad brought me some camembert and cranberries with crackers for breakfast. It was SOO delicious. They also brought some presents, cards and some pretty little orange roses. They are so good to me!

Charlotte had a little playgroup yesterday afternoon too. Those kids are so cute!

Happy Birthday Ian!

It was great to talk to Ian on Skype on Christmas. He's in Scotland right now as a missionary. It's his birthday today, so happy birthday!

I had to include these awesome pictures that he took of Scotland.