Ashley's bday and guests in town!

Those pictures of all the little ballerinas are the cutest thing I've ever seen! Brooke looks adorable! Wish I could have been there : )

We have been busy with all sorts of good stuff. After Dad left Tuesday, we had a group of 8 friends (who are all leaving Portland in the next months - sad!) over for dinner on Thursday, and cooked dinner Friday to celebrate Ashley's birthday. On Saturday we left for Bend for the weekend for some more boy birthday time. His business partners Dave and Tina bought a vacation home there, so we headed around Mt. Hood in the morning, spent the day around Bend, looked at a new mountain bike for Ashley, and went to their place in the evening to grill up steaks, asparagus and eat birthday cake.

We got up EARLY on Sunday so the guys could race motorcycles...

Ashley and Garret geared up with their bikes

Collecting at the starting line

Ashley is in purple with the white helmet, Garret is in black with gold helmet

Dave raced the full 100+ miles. His 11 year old son, Garret raced the half at 56 miles. Because he's under 18, he needed an adult to follow him on the course. Dave was racing, so Ashley was his follower. Sounded like a very steep, dusty, rocky, curvy 56 mile loop. I hung out with Carmen near the car knitting all day while they raced about : )

They returned dusty and happy, drank some beer, drove to a late lunch in Sisters and drove back to Portland. A good birthday weekend for Ashley.

On Wednesday, Fritz, Susanne, Wayne and Penny arrived to Portland! Their train was late, so we only said hi quick on Wednesday night. I worked Thursday and we all met up for dinner at Pok Pok Thursday night.

Ashley and I worked Friday so everyone did their own thing and we cooked dinner at home. Saturday we all headed up to Mt. Hood together for a tour of that area....

Stopped for a little hike in the woods along the river...

Most of the group

Ashley and Fritz

Ashley, Fritz and Wayne at Timberline

We cooked dinner at home again Saturday night. On Sunday, Wayne, Penny, Susanne and I poked around different neighborhoods and shops while Ashley and Fritz did some touch up work at the house Ashley has been working on. Its all done and ready to close in the next couple days. Woo hoo! Headed out to Lucca for dinner that night as a group.

Fritz changing the paint colors on the columns (Ashley wasn't excited about how it turned out after the painters left)

 Monday we laid low around the house, went out to lunch at Dick's Kitchen, did a little driving tour around some Portland neighborhoods, and made dinner at home.

The Offensends off Belmont Street

Only photo of the whole group! Dessert at Pix Monday night.

Everyone shoved off Tuesday morning and we are left with a very quiet house until Mom and Charlie get here in July!