pnw, Review, travel

Skamania Lodge Review

The husband and I were able to getaway for a few days to @skamanialodge for a romantic getaway right before Christmas which at first I thought was terrible timing but turned out to be just what we needed❤️
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Skamania Lodge has so many things to offer not just for the two of us but for the whole family. There are two restaurants on property , coffee and tea service that is complimentary, Spa , game room set up with games ,adventures like zip lining , on property trails and their Holiday Walk during our stay.


We were able to hike on our way to the lodge and then enjoy the hot tub once we checked in , which was so nice! There is an indoor and outdoor one .. the outdoor was our favorite!


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While we waited for our dinner reservations , we headed to the game room to play a game of chess. After dinner, we grabbed a complimentary umbrella and headed out for the Holiday Light Walk. It was an added treat and we enjoyed it . The best part was hearing an owl throughout the walk …so cool!


It’s no secret we love the Columbia Gorge area and Skamania Lodge is located in a great location to access so many different adventures . There are so many trails in this area to hike , so much history to immerse yourself in , and gorgeous views every where you look!

From our window


Have you ever visited the Columbia Gorge area? If so , what’s your favorite thing to do there?

coffee, Review, travel

Thirsty Coffee Bar Review

Check out this hidden gem @thirsty_coffeebar in the Cascade locks area. It was such a sweet reward of coffee after we finished hiking the Colombia Gorge area.


We loved so much about this adorable coffee shop ,like the puzzle that was set out to build , chess boards throughout, photo ops with the joy wall and seating areas ,the adorable water station ,and ofcourse the coffee ❤️ We could have spent our whole day here.


One of the other special touches that we really loved was the Bible verse on the floor, such a sweet touch❤️

“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭94‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

They also have a punchcard to get a free drink ..yay! More coffee❤️
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If you are in the Colombia Gorge area, stop by and support this small business❤️❤️

Check out our reel below ⬇️

Gathered thoughts

Gathered Thoughts

This is a good reminder for me today . I often want to hurry and get through moments or schedules but I am realizing that every moment is part of my story .The in between schedules , the late nights or the days when everything comes undone. These are the moments that build or tear down and my prayer this 2025 new year , is there will be more building then tearing down. That my story will be one that shows grace, forgiveness,kindness,humbleness and fun .
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What about you? Have you ever looked at your life as a story? Not just the Instagram moments but all the moments? What do you want your story to show ? Share below ⬇️ .. I would love to hear and cheer you on ❤️

hiking, Review, travel

But First Coffee ☕️

Randonnee Coffee Co @randonneecoffee was a great place to stop and grab coffee on our way back home from our hiking trip. It was super cute and the baristas were so nice! They even tried to help us plan lunch by recommending a stop ❤️

They offered a great selection of drinks including matcha tea , cappuccinos ,Cortado and so many flavors of lattes …yum! And the food smelled amazing! We could smell bacon just going in the store ❤️


Add this to your list of stops on your next adventure when you are in the Columbia River Gorge area…it’s a must see and offers great coffee❤️

Gathered thoughts

Happy Friday ❤️

Happy Friday❤️

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Here’s to a weekend of adventure and memories made

California adventure, Disneyland, Health, ketogenic, travel

Coffee Recharge ~ Keto style at Disneyland

Coffee recharge Disney style ✨Loved being able to enjoy my low carb keto coffee while on vacation! Pike place with a splash of heavy cream and check out the Disney Starbucks cups!! How cute!

Have a great Monday!

coffee, pnw, Review

Fika at Farm 12

Fika at Farm 12 is a fun experience. The building and property are beautiful. Trendy and inviting. You will often have a line extending out the front door with those waiting to order their fav coffee and treat.


The prices are comparable to the main chain coffee shops with an exception.. the profits go to help train and educate mothers as part of the Step by Step Program. A great way to enjoy coffee and help someone ❤️
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One of the elements that makes Fika super inviting is there are lots of comfy spots to chat with a friend,have a meeting or just have some time to yourself. Everywhere you look , you are welcomed with seating inside and outside. They have picnic tables , chairs around a fire pit and several couches and tables throughout .


The drawback is the mugs. We love having a mug in hand to enjoy our espresso with froth art as we meet with others but we have found that we get a mug 1 out of 3 times and the other visits have been disposable. So be prepared you may not get a mug .


Oh and did I mention the pastries? They have some of the best pastries around and all between the 3-5$ range .

Family activity, family adventures, pnw, Review

Spring Bloom at Knutson Farms

We started our Easter Weekend by going to Knutson Farms for their Spring Bloom. It is happening now through May 5 🌷Tickets are $15 per person on the weekend and $12 during the week . It includes all the rides , games , animal barn , Easter Egg Hunt ( limited to March 29/30) , and all the fun photo ops that are throughout the farm.Check out all the fun things we did that were included in the admission ⬇️

Photo props – There are so many unique photo props scattered throughout the farm. We loved exploring and getting pics with them all especially the Jeep ❤️

Beautiful #instaworthy photo spot

Animal Barn – Who doesn’t love visiting the animals on the farm? This is one of our family’s favorites! The sheep were super friendly, the goats were so cute fighting each other and the miniature donkeys were braying at us and showing off their teeth . The chickens were on full display and we even saw a Bob Ross imposter duck … 😂

Ready for a pic

Cow Train & Hay Ride – These were both so fun! They also have a Grain Train you can ride that looks like mining buckets .

Games – sandboxes, jumping pillow , tricycle races , and so much more!

You can also purchase some additional items like the mining experience ⬇️ .. this was so much fun for all my littles! They all got a great assortment of gems and the whole experience was great.

Another extra you can add on is the the U Pick tulips ⬇️ We all enjoyed picking out just the right ones to take home , and loved learning after the flower dies we can save the bulb to replant 🌷


Oh and can we add the Coffee Cart drinks were amazing! We ordered a few drinks …Berry Bloom Italian sodas and an Iced Lavender Haze ☕️ The lavender haze was so good!! The drinks were also at great price points .

Another #instaworthy photo spot but also a great place to catch up with friends

Lots of Food Options – and affordably priced!


There is also a super cute store and flower shop . There are all kinds of gift options inside .. cards, gardening, candles , stationery and lots more. We enjoyed picking out some flowers for friends we are meeting this weekend 🌷

Video clip of the adorable store


There is something here for everyone! I was surprised how long we stayed enjoying all of the fun..over 3 hours! This is definitely something you want to add to your plans.It is a great way to support Local Farms in your area❤️

Here is a fun reel of our day at the Spring Bloom ⬇️

faith, family adventures, Gathered thoughts, Goals

Coffee Break & Update

Coffee break! It has been a season of adventure for me personally as well as my family which means my social media had to take a back seat .. and honestly I’m ok with that! I want to live life full of adventure and experiences to live them and share them but not to do it for the sharing.

Ok so for some updates on what’s happening in our lives and what content you can expect to see.

First of all, we still love traveling and have several trips to still be posted once I get them fully edited with cost breakdowns. I love to see the actual cost of family trips and the value of what you get so that’s important to us to share. In our years of traveling we have not seen enough of those!

We still love Disney .. but God has shown us there are so many beautiful places to see and learn about so we have started broadening our itineraries 🌎

We are still homeschooling and I am teaching at a Coop so lots of content of what I have done or will be doing is in the drafts . Just to note, as we head into this new school year we will have a Senior.. be still my heart!

A new adventure brewing.. this last year I was inspired to climb a mountain.. not just any mountain .. Mt. Everest . Let me just say that this is an adventure in Gods hands that I am learning to trust and show up for. I am completely ok if God only takes me to the base camp or if he takes this from me but for now I am feeling lead to train for it and trust him. Side note, I am not a mountaineer and or have never had any training .. I grew up in Texas so enough said😜oh and this is a 10 year plan 🏔️

In January, a dear friend , accepted my request to train and work toward learning how to climb elevation. She has the skill and knowledge to hike any mountain 🏔️ and I’m so thankful for her knowledge and skill and that God blessed me with her. She encourages and challenges me.

In January , we made a plan and have been going strong ! Guess what! Other ladies have joined us ❤️So you can expect to start to see these adventures soon.

I’m excited to get back to sharing our adventures with you all ❤️