weekly gratitude | blate edition

thank you for these little feet that kept us entertained all weekend

Oh, blate.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

No.

Because summer implies hot weather and we three bloggers punctuated every day of the Great Blate of 2013 with scarves and boots (and wine and cheese) thus confirming that even though the sun was miraculously shining almost every day we spent on the central coast of California, it was definitely winter.

However for this Portlander - who had left home one 23 degree morning - it was down right tropical hovering in the fifties all weekend.

Poetry aside though, let's talk about this whole blate deal...

It. Was. Awesome.

In an instant, Jenn and Kate - two of the best friends I'd never met - became real. 

And once we confirmed that none of us were serial killers (it was decided that, among other reasons, it would just be too much work to coordinate three whole blogs with such sinister intentions - there are waaaaay easier ways to kill people) (if nothing else, you can say our friendship is built on a foundation of sound logic like that) it was like we'd known each other all our lives. 

So with that...

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1. Thank you Kate and Kev for hosting us! They opened their home to Jenn and me, fed us amazing food (if you ever find yourself in their home, you have to insist Kate makes either enchiladas or shrimp & grits... Or both), and provided endless entertainment in the forms of Cullen and Bennett (I mean, that's what toddlers are for, right?). I can't tell you how much that meant to me. You guys are incredible and I will count my blessings every day that I call you my friends. 

2. Thank you for humpback whales in Monterey Bay! Nevermind that there were three bloggers, incessant picture-takers the lot of them, all with DSLR cameras at hand... There's not one photo of said marine animal. Not a one! But whatever, because I've never seen a humpback whale in person and I can now cross that off my life's to-do list. Oh, and the moment was made infinitely better by the fact that we had wine in hand. Which, incidentally, can also be said about every other moment of this blate.

3. Thank you Jenn for the antlers! Yeah... Girl brought me antler sheds all the way from Kentucky. If that doesn't cement the friendship I don't know what will.

4. Thank you Cullen and Bennett! You two little men absolutely stole my heart and exploded it on a daily basis. You are the sweetest little souls, so curious and excited about every moment of life! Cullen, your smile (and holy dimples, Batman!) could make even the roughest day turn right around - and truly, there is a kindred spirit in anyone who shares my enthusiasm for Disneyland like you do! And Bennett. Oh, Bubs. Your happy baby babbling from your crib in the early hours of the day, alerting us it was time to get up and start running around (pants optional) squealing with glee, is pretty much the best lesson for life I've ever seen. You boys are incredible and I will definitely be asking your mommy for lessons when I have kids, hoping to have sons as inspiring as you two are (seriously Kate, you are such an incredible mom - I hope I'm half as good at it as you are someday!)

5. Thank you Steve! You're on the other side of the world but you need thanking too! Thank you for making sure your beautiful wife took this trip. You've got one amazing woman there, you know that? Well doy, of course you do! But thank you for sharing her with us. We owe you one, buddy. On an unrelated note, you won't mind when Kate and I show up on your doorstep in Korea, right? 

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Every blogger has said it at some point, but I'll drive the sentiment home here: this is such a neat community and I am truly grateful to be a part of it. A couple years ago I could never have imagined that I would find real friendships, let alone real life friendships just by yapping on and on about the circus that runs through my head. 

Advice here being this: if you have the chance to go on a blate - DO IT. 

And bring wine.