Family and Seattle

As Rafa and I await the arrival of the Figueira's, we decided to head up to Seattle to visit with Pai and Gu this past weekend.  We picked Gu up at the Portland airport and drove up to Seattle to meet Pai.  The weekend was lovely, peaceful, and such a great company to be in.  Here are a few pics:

Gu and Pai at the Neurology Conference:

At the Fairmont Hotel:

Rafa is happy...

And a few shots at Pikes Place Market, Seattle.

The whole crew will be here in Portland by Saturday for a fun filled week.  

Adventura

So this past weekend we took the boat out, finally.  And it wasn't just a leisurely afternoon out.  Oh no.  We decided to go "adventura" style, which is adventure in Portuguese.  Instead of choosing our first outing to be a couple hours on a lazy afternoon, we decided to take the boat out and camp on an island. We had not even been on our boat yet, let alone taking it to camp.  Nothing like going all out.  So we loaded the dog, the vests, the "limited edition" gear of camping, and food, all in the boat and ventured out.  It was painless, fun, amazing, and incredible.  It is wonderful to know what can happen in your life when you set aside the fear and the "what-ifs" and really go for it.  That is what I call living adventura.  

Adventura begins...

Bella is a boater girl for sure, not nervous, and totally happy....

The island to ourselves...see Rafa there?

Just us...

Rafa and his boat...

Sunset on the Columbia, we feel lucky to live in Portland on days like these...

And the camping was so successful, that we took the boat on Monday to cruise the Willamette We packed dinner and anchored where it was peaceful and quiet.  Lovely.  

View of downtown Portland:

Rafa makes waves during sunset...

Furry Ones

Yesterday I was lucky enough to spend my day not working, but volunteering at the Oregon Humane Society.  Wieden + Kennedy sponsors quarterly volunteer days, and I think it is great! So yesterday we boarded a yellow school bus and headed over to help the furry ones.  We were split into groups and my team started with hauling, wheelbarrowing, and raking out bark dust to replenish the the dog walking path.  Our team was rock solid and made so much progress.  And let me tell you, I am sore today!  After that we got to spend time with different dogs in separated dog runs. I had two very shy dogs, and one very rambunctious lab.  Surprise, surprise ; )  After that with we went to the Kittie Houses.  I am not a huge fan of cats, but it was cool to hang out with them.  The Oregon Humane Society places 98% of the animals they receive, but they could not do it without the help of volunteers and donations.  If you love animals like I do, consider volunteering a couple hours a week or donating in whatever small way that you can.  And please, always spay and neuter your pets.  There are so many Fido's that need a loving home.  Here are two links to help get you started...

http://www.volunteermatch.org/

http://www.spayusa.org/

On another note, I think Bella is officially retiring us as parents after the latest humiliation we have imposed on her.  Since getting the boat, we want our Bella girl to be safe. So Rafa took the plunge yesterday and bought her a Doggie Life Vest; the brightest, sturdiest one you could find. Can't you see the enthusiasm in her face?

Win Win Day

Yesterday was my first day on the board for our neighborhood.  At the get go, it was disappointing that only 5 of 12 board members were present.  However, the meeting created an opportunity to get focused and establish co-operative ideas about our goals and future for Sylvan-Highlands Neighborhood.  First goal:  recruit more innocent victims.  With a neighborhood of roughly 200 homes, we should be able to provide some sort of incentive, so I am bringing cookies to the next meeting : )

Last night was a glorious win for the Worm Burners, 4-2 against Sparkle Motion.  It was a huge win despite a couple injured players and a fill in goalie.  But the Worm Burners dug deep to pull off this win, and according to Rafa, he "played mad defense" even ending the game with a slip of a foul against the other team. Here is his play by play:

Day One - FigFamFun

Family and friends, welcome. We hope you enjoy our figfamfun blogspot to keep you up to date on the exciting, the mundane, and everything in between that happens in our life.

Yesterday I enjoyed some much needed quality time with Rafa. We made dinner, talked, and watched the Portland Trailblazers continue to shine as they head into the playoffs. Since moving to Portland five years ago, we have become huge fans.

I just arrived home on Sunday from Palm Springs, California after enjoying my 4th Annual Girls Weekend. It was an beautiful balance of friendship, sun, warmth, nature and of course more sun.

Today, I am at work and then will visit my mentee, followed by a meeting with the Sylvan Highlands Neighborhood Association; I am a Street Representative :)
Rafa is working from home today with the Bella Girl and tonight he continues his Spring Futsal Season with the Worm Burners. Wish him luck!