Someone pinch me! How is this our life?!

As I write this, I am still processing what has been the most expansive experience of my life. Having grown up in the heart of Idaho in a town of less than a thousand people, I am now living a life that is beyond younger me’s wildest dreams, and by extension and intension, our children are experiencing more of the world than I ever did.

It took a year of conscious intention + aligned action + consistent embodiment - Presto Manifesto! Our dreams became reality.

For a week or so, we were able to sweep away our family on a whirlwind of a vacation!

It began with Andy and I making a quick couple’s get away to Salt Lake City, Utah where we were able to see our favorite band From Ashes To New and the amazing artists accompanying them on their “Blackout Tour”. 2x VIPs!

Afterwards, we swung back through Pocatello and made our way across Idaho to the Pacific Northwest to our family’s floral paradise - Buena Vista Lavender Farms in Silverton, Oregon.

Now of course, an expansive experience of this magnitude, can’t be summed up in single post, so this update is coming in two parts. I know it can be quite a lot to read, but I hope you do and that it inspires you to take your own enchanting adventure.

So let’s go.

Enchanting experiences

• There are few things that Andy and I enjoy more than a good concert, so when our favorite band announced their Blackout Tour, we jumped online the first day to buy tickets and VIP packages.

  We traveled 3 hours south to Salt Lake City, Utah. A whopping 2.6 metro population, a MUCH bigger place than the places I once and now call home.

  We booked a 7th floor room in the heart of the downtown giving us a full view of the city around us and only 2.5 blocks from our venue - The Depot - making it possible for us to walk instead of worrying about parking.

  Having vowed to attend VIP whenever we can after our last experience in May 2023, it was worth every penny to meet up with the guys again and play a round of darts - Andy won some sweet FATN sunglasses! And then we stood in the pit for the next 6 hours to enjoy the AMAZING show!

  Is there anything like listening to live music surrounded by people who share the same love and passion?

  We don’t think so! To date we have seen 20+ bands including having seen FATN 4x and Falling In Reverse 2x! (Check out the highlights on Instagram)

  AND while we were there, Andy surprised me with tickets to see one of each of our “Bucket List Bands” - Slipknot for him and Black Veil Brides for me! Boise this September!

• While Andy and I were away together, in SLC, our kids had a sleepover with our besties where they spent the afternoon splashing away on the new splash pad at Brooklyn’s Playground in Pocatello, ID. Xander played so hard we received pics of him falling asleep at the picnic table while still there BUT of course he didn’t want to leave.

• Shoshone Falls are a Southern Idaho Treasure, and we leapt out of the car at the opportunity to make them our first official stop on the family portion of our vacation.

• Bend, Oregon - Let me preface this by saying that growing up in the Northwest, I’ve met many people who have lived or traveled through Bend.

  Every.Single.Person. has described Bend as a wonderful little city and beautiful area, a “Must Visit” destination, so my expectations going into this trip were high.

  And I am delighted to report that Bend met all the expectations. Easily one of the most beautiful places we’ve had the pleasure of visiting. We unintentionally ended up spending an hour and a half of our journey checking out the shops downtown and taking a walk along their gorgeous river walk.

The Gardens

• The days leading up to vacation were busy with weeding and final plantings. We planted Lavendar, Strawflowers and made the final editions to our vegetable gardens this season.

• This is not our first time leaving our plants for vacation but in previous years I’ve just set the water timer and hoped for the best. As this is our first-year flower farming, our gardens require more care, so we enlisted the help of one of Liam’s friends to water while we were away.

• Once upon a time, we seeded our front flower beds with a wildflower mix. And out of that mix arose a single poppy - a GIANT Oriental Poppy. And right before we left, she bloomed the most beautifully vibrant flowers.

  Did you know they sleep?! Yep! They fold up into triangles, like flowery rangoons, and then open again the next morning with the morning light!

Listening + Watching + Tasting + Loving

• If you aren’t acting as your favorite band’s unofficial PR team, are they even your favorite band? Obviously we are huge fans of the band From Ashes To New, make sure to go check them out on all streaming platforms and follow them for updates on upcoming shows.

• As I mentioned in previous weeks, Bridgerton has completely taken over my mind and heart, and after what felt like a lifetime, Netflix finally released the remainder of Season 3. I devoured each episode and spent the last 15 minutes of the finale cryinh tears of joy- THIS IS GREAT CINEMA I TELL YOU!

• Turtle Island Coffee - One of Miss Skyla’s wants on this trip was to visit a cute coffee shop and get a “fancy pastry”. We spent an hour walking around downtown Bend before finding ourselves in Turtle Island Coffee. We purchased my go-to Caramel Mocha and she settled on an oatmeal raisin cookie the size of a plate. Not only were our treats delicious, but it was also wonderful to support a small business with similar values.

• Lone Crow Bungalow – Lone Crow Bungalow, Bend - While in Bend, we visited one of the most STUNNING shops I have ever had the pleasure of entering. Filled from floor to ceiling in elegant displays of nature inspired trinkets, treasures and Art! I simply want everything in there but we were able to settle on some crystals for the kids and a wonderful little piece of art to add to our gallery wall at home.

What an adventure right?! And this is only the first half!

If you’re curious as to see what we did and where we went next, check out Our Enchanting Vacation Pt.2

Want to experience our enchantments unfolding in real time? Make sure to follow us on Instagram!