My most delightfully sweet friend Laura, yes we have the same name...you should hear us argue :D invited me to her beautiful home she shares with her kids Madeline, Andrew, and Evan, and of course her Husband James, who recently landed a sweet postion at one of the hospitals in Eugene, hence the reason they're there.
I feel the need to profess my love for this family. I met Laura in Arizona when we were around 18/19 and we've kept in all these years. In fact I keep in touch with her whole family (Stevenson's) whom I love, but i'm definitely partial to the Spawns. She and her husband have moved their family from Kingman AZ, to places like the caribbean, New york city and Savannah Georgia. Every 2 years we have family pictures and she flies me out and we shoot for a few days just enjoying the area and exploring what her city has to offer!
This year was the year for pictures! Laura flew me out first class which was amazeballs because 1. better snacks and 2. more room. I love going to "Hotel Spawn" Laura always gives me my own room and it's stocked with snacks, toiletries, special towels and comfy pillows. Also It's fun to see how much the kids have grown, and I was excited because I haven't been to oregon in a few years and I love it there. We used to live there when I was younger and I did a lot of growing up in the blackberry bushes and poison oak. So it was very therapeutic for me to be there in a way. The light is incredible, the sun filters through the trees and creates this yellow/green light that is just delicious. The dappled light is so beautiful!
Thier little dog-Ivy was quite strong!
In addition to taking family pictures we did A LOT of sightseeing just in Eugene. There was this little tea shop Oolong Bar that I loved, they had the best iced matcha bubble tea.
We visited a crystal shop because I was looking for a new amethyst because I had given mine away to a friend, and I was "in the market". Amethysts have always held a special place for me because both my mom and my aunt Kathy loved them, and I always associated the crystals with my childhood. So we visited a little shop called I Love Rocks I was looking for a unique crystal that I was attracted to. Both Laura and I found this AMAZING amethyst from India which had the most interesting crystalline structure I've ever seen. It was a bit pricey but Laura INSISTED on getting it for me so it has SO MUCH MORE meaning behind it. I insisted we haggle the guy down and it worked! I'm very grateful for that gift, and I look at it everyday, it makes my heart so happy.
On Saturday, we visited the Saturday Market which is a GIANT farmers market. It was at least twice the size of Provo's Farmers market. I was in heaven with all the veggies, hippies, and little shops. It was very unique and I just loved it. I regret not buying an 80$ hippie skirt though....mostly because it was 80 bucks.
All in all it was an AMAZING trip. When I got home it took me literally a couple weeks to acclimate to paying for my own meals, and not having the world revolve around me. I love to be pampered! Laura does such a good job and making her guests feel incredibly welcome that I didn't want to come home! Thank you Laura and James for such a wonderful, mini vacation!