These are my people, this is where I come from...

So a few weeks ago, Colt and I did a photo shoot down in the fascinating and fantastic Lewis County. Only people from LC can truly appreciate (or fully hate) it for what it is. We are on the positive side of the spectrum...though it definitely has its quirks. But we all have faults...that's why we love it.

Anyhow, we shot in Centralia, Chehalis, Boistfort and Adna. (Colt is from Boistfort and I grew up in the adorable Adna.)

I love small towns. They are so full of character, so full of life, and so diverse in a way that has nothing to do with "diversity" in a cultural sense. I loved growing up here...and though there weren't as many opportunities, the life we were given was full of community and love and lifelong friendships...and that's all you can ask for.

I hope you enjoy the tour of our little home county.

Centralia

This is as close to sightseeing as you can get in LC. This sweet and quirky old man really put the phrase "one man's garbage is another man's art" to good use. His house is actually in many Seattle books for "must sees".

He uses EVERYTHING you could possibly think of to create his "art yard".

Graveyard of crosses. How many can you spot?

Lots and lots of packing material.

Cool Chaos.

The nice old man came out and gave us these strange little string thingies and asked us to place them anywhere in his yard without him seeing (so basically he finds these things all over the place...and it's a reminder of all the visitors that have stopped by). Here is my contribution...I wonder if he has found it yet. Hmm.

A shot of my ring.

Now we're in downtown Centralia.

We love doors.

Trains are constantly cutting through Centralia and causing huge traffic backups of two whole cars! (Hint: that was sarcasm.)

Oh the Chronicle. What is there to say? I don't know...I would recommend they step out of LC every once in a while. Just a thought. They're really good at reporting local high school sports though! I think that's a plus. And I used to love to read the comics and "Dear Abby".

Yep, that's about it.

Centralia Rollerdrome...now the cool hangout for 10-year-olds dressed and acting like 22-year-olds...sad and very disturbing. It USED to be a great place to go (it was either that, the movie theater or bowling...lots of options haha).

I'm not sure I'd take my car here haha.

Centralia has GREAT antique shops.

The Oly Club! The place to be if you're 21 and over.

On the line between the twin cities...Centralia and Chehalis.

Um...Yard Birds.

I'm sorry, there are just no words to really describe this haha.

I know you all are in dire need of an explanation...but there is none, except to say, welcome to Lewis County my friends.

Colt's favorite "mall".

Surprising to see this in LC...the message, not the graffiti.

Welcome to Chehalis!

"Jamie's Toys and Gifts" used to be in one of those corner spots.

The closest we small-town folk get to a high-rise.

The infamous Chehalis theater.

Does this count as a landmark?

Oh they've GOT to be kidding haha.

Entering the pretty part of LC...the actual small towns.

Hello Adna. It's small.

As my band teacher once said, the "welcome to Adna" and "exiting Adna" signs are on the same post.
Our middle AND high school.

Oh the Adna Store. (The all-in-one.)

Grocery/post office/car pool/gas station/movie rental/whatever else you want it to be.

Our football fields are up by where the old high school used to be.

Colt rocked this place.

So many great memories from "the hill".

Where lil Jamie went to school.

Our Adna Church.

My favorite drive in all the world.

Going down Bunker Creek, and turning onto Deep Creek.

My old mailbox...hasn't changed a bit.

Hello my sweet farm. How I miss you!

This is where we grew up.

"Put your hands in the air."

My love for Deep Creek Rd. is never-ending.

Entering Colton's land.

Back roads between Adna and Boistfort.

That's BawFaw in the distance...the love of Colton's life.

The spot where Colton asked me to "be his girlfriend"...

...and where we had our very first kiss. (Insert sigh here...or gag. haha)

The view from the lookout.

There's something very romantic about this place.

As someone once told me, this is God's country. It truly is.

Reminders of the flood.

Boistfort valley.

Age.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of our towns. There are memories around every corner.

There's something wonderful about knowing who lives in every single house, who works every single property. There's something beautiful about being able to trust the first person that pulls over when you have a flat tire. There's something magical about dropping by a neighbor's house just to chat. It is a blessing to live in a small town.

Just a small town girl with big dreams...