Our Trail

Olivia

2012-02-03T22:35:00.001-08:00

Olivia was playing on the photo booth app of my iPad. I love these pictures.

Weather

2012-01-23T16:26:00.001-08:00

So, I never said how I liked the Blogsy app after I finished my last post. There is only a small learning curve, but since my time is always full of constant interruptions it took me a couple of days to complete. Also, I don't know how to go back and correct anything that has been posted, or if that is possible. I haven't looked into it, though I did make a punctuation error; it is still there.

On to a new post regarding our unusual weather this last week.

To avoid boring details let me say that we had snow, rain, hail and sun at various times on Sunday alone. We were all hoping to get a snow day and a break from school, work and childcare, but no such luck. Except for Greg. He finally went to work Thursday, but they sent him home because of the incredibly heavy rain. He did work a full day on Friday. It was nice to have him home, but no pay is not so nice. We will manage fine.

Sunday:

Monday morning the snow began falling in big thick flakes. We could absolutely not believe they didn't cancel school. The kids at the bus stop, there are probably 15, were all throwing snowballs and running around through the snow. The parents were taking pictures wondering if the bus was actually going to show up. It did and the kids looked as though they were being hauled off to prison their faces were so sad and sorry for the play to be ending. Our kids did build a small snowman before we went in to breakfast.

Lincoln and Taylor and Olivia as we are leaving for the bus stop on the other side of the complex.

By the time school was out it was hard to remember what the snow had looked like and the snowman was sinking sadly away.

The rest of the week was pouring rain which caused terrible flooding in other areas. We were thankful to miss out on that consequence.

First Blogsy post

2012-01-14T13:27:00.001-08:00

I have just downloaded the Blogsy app to my iPad. It looks super great. We'll see how I feel at the end of this post.

The weather has been cold, but clear and beautiful. We had some heavy wind and enjoyed the beauty from our windows. Then the wind died down and even I went outside and felt the fresh air. The porch was coooold seating though.

Last October we began taking care of twin girls who live two doors down from us in our complex. They are now six months old and so much fun. On this day, I knew Otto was playing with Kayla! and Haily was nearby, but was surprised to see them both on his lap. Then, as I was taking some pictures, Ruby came over for some attention, too. So sweet!

Incredible Date Night!!

2011-11-16T13:44:00.001-08:00

It was late spring or early summer when Greg first heard about a band called The Civil Wars. We immediately became fans and were so disappointed to find that we had just missed them playing in Portland. In August Greg found they were returning and purchased tickets for us to see them. He kept it a secret for a couple weeks, but then had to tell me. Even though it was a Tuesday we decided to make a date of it and go out to eat as well. Thankfully, I didn't have any childcare conflicts and one parent picked up their kids early for us.

I looked around the area online for a place for us to eat and showed Greg the options. They were playing at the Crystal Ballroom. In the end, he decided we should eat at Ringlers which is a McMenamins (as is the Crystal Ballroom). We were a little concerned about getting to the front, imperative if my short stature wanted to see. The tickets there are general admission and there is no seating except some benches along the sides and in the balcony which was way in the back. After dinner (which was amazingly wonderful) we found out that if you eat at Ringlers you get into the concert 15 minutes before the doors open! We were the third people in line and stood against the stage right in the middle. Joy Williams and John Paul White were standing 6 feet in front of us!

I can't convey how much we loved the show. Their voices, harmonies, songwriting are all pleasing and emotionally enjoyable. Even the few covers they do have an originality that is fascinating. Their personalities seem friendly and humble, talking enough to include the audience, but leaving us wanting to hear more. Greg being in the front let his voice be heard a few times and we were close enough to be seen. At the end of the show John Paul walked up to Greg and gave him his guitar pick!! So Awesome! We bought a poster of their fall tour and are going to include the pick in the frame. The only way it could have been better is if we could have met them and gotten a picture. Still, not a complaint. It should have been our anniversary; it was so much fun!

Greg took several pictures, but it made me really self-conscious. They didn't seem to mind. He kept the flash off so as not to be irritating. I am a lucky wife!

Colombia River BMX 9/10/11

2011-09-13T04:47:00.000-07:00

Here is video of Otto's next race with many more races included. Otto had some good competition and a great time. He can hardly wait until the next race. You will see a race with Otto and one other racer, Otto gets a little out of control, they both crash, but they got right up and kept racing. We were so proud of them!

Columbia River BMX 9/10/11

Good friends at the zoo

2011-09-08T04:49:00.000-07:00

Our friends Leon and Jennifer do not live as close to us as they used to and we only see them a couple of times a year now. But the bond of friendship that we share with them, especially Jennifer and me (Marla), is a bond that we will share until we die even if I never see her in person again. They were all in town for X-Fest during Labor Day weekend and then invited anyone who would to go to the zoo on Monday. This was the crowd.

Charissa and I are missing our husbands and one child, but Leon and Jennifer are there with all nine children. What a treat to be around them all morning! Their adopted boys are speaking English so well! I had no problems understanding them when I had the opportunity. I would have loved to have heard more of their accents. :-)

The animals were more active than I have ever seen. The tiger was walking around. The little leopards (not what they are, I don't think, but I forget) were walking right by the glass. One of the polar bears was playing with a ball by the glass, throwing it in the air, diving into the water, it was amazing. The monkeys were swinging wildly. It was a great day.

Thanks again to my Dad and Eunice for the pass for all the children (and two adults)!!

Otto and BMX

2011-08-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Otto finally rode in a BMX race. He and Greg have wanted to race for years, but it has always been met with one difficulty or another. He got second place and had a fabulous time! They went to a track in St. Helens which has a smaller crowd than the one in Newberg. Greg put this video together; Otto has the red bike and camouflage shirt. There are other riders/races shown. Otto's first BMX race

Shopping

2011-05-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

We try to do all our shopping by bike. It is so convenient from our location, great exercise and a lot of fun. When Greg is home (not riding on trails out of the city), we go together which makes the trip more fun and allows us to get larger amounts. Today we went to New Seasons (our favorite, though not the least expensive), Fred Meyer (for the bank and a couple other things) and I even ran into Trader Joe's for some potatoes for tonight. The big Trader Joe's trip will be tomorrow. Greg took my camera with us today and got so many fabulous pictures!

Ducks

Dog

With Ryder and Ruby

2011-03-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

Last... May, June? or thereabouts, we started taking care of a couple of kids that live right next door. They come and play three days a week while their parents are at work or in school. Ruby was our new 'young one' and so much fun. I don't see Ryder that much as he is always playing with Otto, Solomon or Olivia. When Ryder is here for quiet time Solomon will read him books until I say they have to stop (I have to have some silent time in the afternoons). I'm sure they often read a whole hour! The following pictures show this event. Also, we see Ruby with Louis grinding grain and Otto working on his math. Ruby absolutely loves Otto and says his name often; it is an easy one. One of Olivia's jobs is cleaning up the table and sweeping the floor after lunch. She does a great job. Sorry, the pictures are in reverse order.

Little Time, Little Post

2011-03-01T07:10:00.000-08:00

Greg bought me some lovely roses for Valentine's Day! They lasted more than a week and were so beautiful on this sunny day. I wish the pictures did them justice, but you get the idea.

For years Greg has wanted to get Triominos. He has many fond memories playing this game with his family. We are now doing the same with ours.

trip to OMSI

2011-02-25T06:55:00.000-08:00

I am so glad Greg made this video after our trip to OMSI. We haven't been there in years (it's expensive), but Dad and Eunice bought us a family pass for Christmas and we are enjoying it!

New Camera

2011-02-23T08:41:00.000-08:00

Well, Greg got me a new camera so I now feel more pressure to blog. It has obviously not been a top priority. Soon I will post some pictures from our trip to OMSI (last month). Here are some pictures from Saturday. In the future I will not be in so many of these, but I think Greg took more pictures the first day than I did. :-)

Makeshift Fun

2010-09-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder if we should spend more money on things like soccer balls and footballs, baseball gloves and bats, so that the kids have more experience with these sports. Over the summer the kids would make up their own games, this one being close to baseball, but slightly different rules. The ball is a foam box that was a baby toy, but the plastic outside came off and they covered it with duct tape. We are so proud of our children!

Here are some photos also. The video shows Olivia's success, but there was some discouragement as well. Otto is a good comforter, a great brother.

Here are two fantastic videos that Greg put together:

2010-09-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

Olivia riding her bike

Family ride to Farmer's Market

Need help with a loose tooth?

2010-08-31T07:41:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures a few weeks ago. Olivia has a couple of teeth coming in, but her little mouth is going to have a hard time fitting them well. One of her baby teeth was getting pushed to the front where no tooth was going to push it out so I encouraged her often to wiggle it and work at getting it out. It was quite loose, but with no tooth pushing it things were stalling. One night when the kids were watching a movie upstairs I heard her fussing, then Louis talking, then her laughing. This routine (fussing, talking, laughing) was going on quite awhile and I began to realize that Louis was trying to help her get her tooth out. He has helped Otto with loose teeth several times and I chose to stay out of sight and see how things would play out. It wasn't too long and they came downstairs successful. Aren't big brothers wonderful!

Farmer's Market, again!

2010-05-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

Our first summer in Beaverton we (or I) went to the Farmer's Market nearly every weekend. I think we missed maybe three. Last summer, our first on the top of a hill, we went rarely. This year we are determined to not let that happen again. We love going to the Farmer's Market, and we are much more used to riding up our hill.

Greg returned from a trip to Moab, UT/Fruita, CO on Saturday, about 3AM. You can read about that on his blog: www.hack-mtb.blogspot.com. He called on the way home and wondered if I was planning to ride to the store Saturday. Of course I was, but it was a great surprise to let him know that it was opening day at the Farmer's Market. He wanted to go with the whole family. So, despite the small amount of sleep, we all rode our bikes (Greg pulling Olivia on the trail-a-bike). It was a blast. We always buy pastries and bread from the Fressen Bakery stand. Otto took all the pictures.

The next day we had to go to several stores; Otto needed new shoes and always we need more groceries. Olivia wanted to come again and the weather was beautiful. Target, Payless Shoes, Home Depot, Fred Meyer and Trader Joe's were our route.

These pictures also show my new bike which Greg bought me this last winter. I objected at first because I felt I was doing fine shopping with my cruiser and this bike was certainly not free. However, Greg said it would make a huge difference hauling weight with a bike that was made for that purpose. As usual, he was right. We LOVE shopping by bike!

Zoo Trip

2010-03-03T07:35:00.000-08:00

Dad and Eunice have graciously provided zoo passes for our whole family and we recently took advantage of it. It was a beautiful day, a Friday, and I have never seen so many strollers! It was cool in the morning and a breeze kept things cool despite the sun. We saw nearly everything and the walking kept us warm. Many of the animals were active which was a special treat.

When we went into the alligator building the heat and humidity nearly knocked us over. The alligator tank which shows above and below the water was so murky that you could only see things close to the glass. That would be the end of the tail when we arrived, but we could see the head above the water facing away from us. We were just starting to leave when we saw him sinking backwards, more of the tail in view and the head disappearing. We continued watching as the tail disappeared into the cloud. Suddenly we noticed teeth creeping up on us from the right; Olivia jumped off the bench with genuine fear. It was unnerving.

Otto took a ton of great pictures!

We feel blessed to be able to live near a zoo with a large selection of animals for the kids to see in person. Thank you, thank you, to Dad and Eunice for providing us the ability to experience this gift!

Olivia has a new bike

2010-01-05T06:10:00.000-08:00

Greg and I wanted to get a new bike for Olivia for Christmas, but we just couldn't find one we liked in our price range. Finally, after Christmas, Greg found this adorable bike on sale at a friend's bike shop. Olivia has named it Snow Flower. She can't reach the ground when sitting on the seat so it will take a little practice to get started on her own, but she can stop fine. All she needs is a basket on the front (we are still looking for the perfect one) and a little more experience riding and she will achieve her dream of riding with me to the store. We can hardly wait!

Here is a little video of her riding: http://www.vimeo.com/8521648

Christmas and Looking to 2010

2010-01-01T13:24:00.000-08:00

Here is just a little about our Christmas. We bought all the children a lamp for their beds. Often they will wake up before everyone else and want to read, or some want to go to sleep before others are done reading. They were all happy about us letting them open the gift on Christmas Eve. They all got other presents on Christmas Day, from us and the grandparents, the most exciting being sleeper pants for each of them (truly they were all very excited about these) and a Wii game (obviously exciting).

Unfortunately, the kids began getting sick again right about Christmas and are still recovering over a week later, and although the coughing is definitely less, it is just as definitely ugly. Despite the illness we were able to go to Dad and Eunice's for dinner with Rick, Kathy, Felecia and Darin on Sunday (except Greg who struggles with asthma at Dad's and Louis who was just not feeling up to it with his cough and cold). Those who went had a great dinner and a great time. Monday we met them all at Powell's Books where we had another great shopping spree thanks to Rick and Kathy. I think this is the third year in a row they have given us this treat. I got my copy of Atlas Shrugged for the reunion next summer. As many who like are reading it to discuss at the reunion. I am determined to finish Truman by David McCullough first.

Perhaps I will ramble about my goals on my rambling page, but to summarize, I want to do better with routine and scheduling. We have had such a wonderful year in this home, made so many new friends, and spent so much time relaxing and enjoying life. It has caused me to suffer with anxiety over not accomplishing the things I feel I should. I want to improve our diet with more Nourishing Traditions cooking. I want to ride to the store always (excluding illness). I want to pray more.

December

2009-12-26T07:55:00.000-08:00

When I was younger I remember people saying that the older you get the faster time passes. It was true this year. We always at least think about making 'nuts and bolts' (a snack of seasoned cereal and pretzels) during the Christmas season; not this year. The first time I even thought about it was last night, Christmas night.

On the 13th Dad and Eunice took Olivia and I to see The Nutcracker ballet. Olivia brings it up frequently and always lets me know when she hears any of the music. It was lovely and delightful.

The 21st was Olivia's 6th birthday. Greg at least got the camera out when he got home. The night before we had dinner with Dad and Eunice which they made into a celebration for Olivia. They gave her the sweet outfit she is wearing. I will have to write about Christmas later.

Trying to get with it.

2009-12-03T06:08:00.000-08:00

So much has happened since I posted last. I haven't been taking any pictures, rarely even thinking about it. The leaves have all changed and fallen, and I will post a picture from mid October. This was taken through our dining room window.

One of the biggest challenges to blogging has been illness. We have had one thing after another for months, seriously in August Henry had a cough that began our rough journey. It must have been last month when we caught the dreaded swine flu, though we didn't go in for a diagnosis the symptoms made it quite clear. I began to wonder what I was doing wrong. How could I make our diet better, keep our house cleaner, etc. Then God reminded me that we have not really been ill for 5 years. We might get a cold or virus of some sort once or twice a year, but nothing like what we have just experienced. We are sure that a lot of the reasons were timing, being exposed to new germs when our immune systems were still trying to recover from the last bug. Also, our exposure is greatly magnified. Two of the children we care for are in public school or have siblings in public school. The adventure has caused me to be more active in strengthening our immune systems and prevention of infection. For example, we have some elderberries in our tea at least once a day. I have super tonic in the cupboard and when it is ready we will have some at the absolute first indication of any illness and maybe just everyday through the winter. We have also begun taking vitamin D3 and cutting back on our sugar intake. I thought it was so great that I had begun to regularly make cookies and yummy treats for snacks. They were made with freshly ground whole wheat flour and less processed sugars, but sugar of any sort in larger doses still makes the immune system work harder. I am going to be cleaning with Enjo products which are much more effective and will get all chemicals out of our house. Anyway, we are all feeling good now and I will enjoy it as long as it lasts, and I feel hopeful that it will last awhile.

End of Summer

2009-09-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

Usually we just continue with school all summer, maybe lightening the load, but not too much. This summer the children had almost as much of a vacation as kids in a 'normal' school situation. We have never lived in a place with so many kids playing right outside our front door in such a beautiful courtyard and so many parents enjoying the atmosphere. It has been like living at a resort.

I had been looking for some child care work to do in our home for a little extra income and I found it. Sophia is eight and came over each day during the week for the summer. Also, Aven, who is now 19 months, began coming Monday through Thursday. They both live in our complex. Now that school has started we don't see Sophia as much, but we now have Lincoln before and after school. She also lives here and it has been a new experience to take a child to the bus and pick her up afterwards. One more addition is Tyler (15 months) who does not live here, but we have known his parents for years and they are living in the area and were looking for a M - Th just like Aven. It makes for busy days, but God seems to do that with me because without the outside commitments I get lazy. I am forced to adhere more closely to a schedule or we could never accomplish the many things we must. The children have been thrilled with having little ones in the home again. I don't know if I could manage without their help so I'm glad they enjoy the sweet children. I did grumble a little that we always have boys and can't seem to get any girls in the home for long. (Lincoln is a girl and Sophia, but they are older and Olivia would so love a baby girl to watch over.) However, when seeing the older boys playing with the younger I know that it is the best situation. At least our neighbors had a baby girl last month and she is a real treat for us.

The kids were tracing their shadows and then drawing in the person. Here is Olivia's, you can see how the sun has moved since it was traced. Also, Molly and her scooter.

A few of the girls living here: Sarah, Cherish, Olivia, Lily and Mattie.

Solomon traced Otto's shadow and then colored in a great face, not intended to be a representation of Otto.

More friends here: Jacqueline, Cherish peeping over Sophia, Olivia and Josephine.

Tyler, Solomon, Aven and Otto.

Video of Hike in July

2009-09-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

We have had quite a summer. I'm not going to elaborate right now, but here is a video Greg put together of a hike we took in the Columbia River Gorge back in July.

http://www.vimeo.com/5568491

Olivia in Ballet

2009-06-10T05:26:00.000-07:00

So, it has been over a week since we took these pictures at Olivia's last ballet class of the season. She took a pre-ballet class at the Cedar Hills Recreation Center just down the road from us. We walked to every class and had so much fun. Impressively the teacher taught Olivia and the other girls many French words/terms used in ballet and I am hoping to be able to get her into another class after the summer. She usually wore her ballet clothes all day, often complimenting them with other dress up clothes, and practiced all her dancing through the house. It is amusing and delightful to have a girl in the home. God has given us a great blessing in Olivia.

Yeah! Beaverton Farmer's Market has Begun!!

2009-05-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

Our months of waiting have ended with the opening day of the Beaverton Farmer's Market. And a beautiful sunny day it was, too.

I don't think a month went by without Greg asking when the Farmer's Market opens. It has been wonderful for me that he enjoys it so much. Usually he doesn't like places that are so crowded, but he loves the Farmer's Market as much, maybe more, than I do. We look forward to many trips this year.

The selection of produce was limited as it is still so early in the season. The flowers were abundant. We did find some yummy asparagus, lettuce, radishes and of course we stopped by the Fressen Bakery booth where we bought bread. We also found some raw cheddar cheese which I am anxious to try.

I will also mention that Greg and the children gave me an excellent Mother's Day. We sat around, we went out to dinner, we took a nap(!), I even watched some of Pride and Prejudice and so much more. I don't know how so much got done in a day that felt so relaxing. I even got all my computer work done for this next week (school printouts and milk records). I am so blessed with the family God has given me!

Birthdays and Easter

2009-04-16T06:08:00.000-07:00

We had a busy weekend with two birthdays and Easter. Friday, Otto turned 11 years old. We do not even attempt to have birthday parties (its always a party at our house!). Instead, the birthday child gets to choose the day's menu and also has free range on the days activities. No school on birthdays and wearing sleepers all day is also acceptable. I did, in the past, have to draw the line at too many meals that include a lot of preparation, but they are considerate about that now. For example, Otto chose cinnamon rolls/cheese and fruit/meatloaf and spetzla and apple pie rather than cake. Breakfast and dinner were more involved, but I had planned on making cinnamon bread (another acceptable option) the day before and didn't find the time.

Solomon, whose birthday was Monday (he turned 9), wanted Frosted Mini Wheats/tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches/pasta with white sauce and cheese and sugar cookies. They both spent the day playing on the computer or watching movies which are usually only allowed for limited times on the weekends. They seemed to enjoy their days and, of course, the other boys all enjoyed the same benefits with the exception of only getting to watch the computer.

Louis had a birthday last month (3/22) and became our second teenager. It is nice to be through with birthdays until the Fall.

Another great experience with Cedar Hills Manor (our complex). One of the moms organized an Easter Egg Hunt for Sunday morning.

They hid 240 eggs around the courtyard and invited all the children to search. Otto, Solomon and Olivia had a great time. Jennifer, the manager, gave cups of hot chocolate after the hunt.

I had a great time visiting with the other parents. I have never gotten to know our neighbors as well as I am getting to know the people here. It is enjoyable and exciting for me, though our dinners are sometimes a bit later than I would like because of my increased social life. I will have to be careful about that. Greg's family came over for Easter dinner. Amanda and Olivia were so adorable in their beautiful dresses.

Again, I am hoping for some days which include a little less activity, but I'm not going to plan on it.

Another Chapter Closed/Begins

2009-04-02T05:17:00.000-07:00

We had talked about it in the past, but hadn't taken the steps and stopped thinking about it. Then we did our state taxes and found out that Greg's employer had not taken out enough state withholdings and we have to pay state taxes. The children and I drove out to Jim and Charissa's, cleaned out and cleaned up the trailer, took some pictures, and posted them on Craigslist that evening. It is the right time of year. We got an unexpectedly huge response. The children and I went back out two days later, met a couple who looked at the trailer and paid us cash. Two days, the same amount of time our house in Scappoose was on the market before we had a full price offer. It was tough to let the trailer go, we lived in that trailer for several months and have many good memories, but those months were stressful in many ways and I am not sorry we sold it. Owning less is better, a more simple way to live. The trailer has been a frequent thought in the back of my mind, of responsibility we could not afford. We have not used it for a year and a half. The money from selling has not only enabled us to pay our taxes, but to buy the school books we were needing, a printer which we have not had for years, much needed bike repairs, brakes for the van, etc. I am glad we sold it. We have a big tent which we have hardly used. I've never been much of a camper, but I'm looking forward to spending some weekends in that tent. And Jim and Charissa must be happy to have that trailer off their property, I'm happy to have it off their property, though I know they were willing to let us leave it there for eternity.

Trusting

2009-03-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month I enjoyed the Above Rubies retreat in Olympia Washington. Above Rubies is a ministry to encourage wives and mothers. This was a women's retreat (they have family retreats, also) and my second in this location. Nancy Campbell shares her wisdom with us and there is amazing fellowship with many like-minded women. My dear friends from Girl's Group all try to go. We missed Annette this year, but Jennifer came from Idaho and that was a huge treat. We were up until the wee hours of the morning discussing intense subjects. We talked a lot about judging others in many areas of life, including church and even adoption issues (both Jennifer and Charissa are in the adoption process). It was so rewarding, thoughtful and convicting. God has spoken to me many times through our discussions in Girl's Group and this was no exception.

As we were pulling into camp, Jennifer called home to make sure all was well. Just before she called, her family (Leon with their 6 children), had gotten home from skiing and found a neighbor dog mauling their cat to death. It was so traumatic, especially for their oldest girl (I think she is 12). She had answered the phone and was crying out to Jennifer about the situation and what should or was being done. And Jennifer said (that was the side we were all hearing), "Havilah, I trust Papa... you can trust Papa, too." I wish you could have heard her say it, the tone in her voice, the gentle and confident direction to help her daughter trust in her father's ability to handle the situation. It brought us all to tears. It is what God says to us every moment, whispering to us, pleading in his gentle confidence, "You can trust me." It also exemplifies what our Girl's Group is about, encouraging each other to guide in gentle confidence our children and ourselves in trusting our husbands as God's leader of our homes.

Branches and Books

2009-03-04T06:22:00.000-08:00

Here is a flower about to bloom outside our front door! Could spring be coming?Either this is an exceptionally windy year or this hill is a windy area. Otto and Solomon wanted to take out some garbage bags to fly in the wind. I try to say yes to these kinds of requests because they offer experience with the sciences. Solomon tied some twine onto his bag. I think Otto originally had a stick on his, but took it off. I was watching from the house when Otto lost hold of his 'kite' and it flew into the tree. I thought, "Bummer, now everyone will have to look at that big white garbage bag in the beautiful branches." But, then it blew out! Great! Otto thought it was great too and was confident it would always blow out. Unfortunately it didn't as you can see from the pictures.The sun shining on to top branches is a frequent view we all enjoy. As you see, although a few days later, the bag is still there. I apologized to our manager, but she said there were 2 or 3 in the trees behind their house that their girls and friends lost. This seems to be a wonderfully understanding community. It helps that there are many other families here with young children, mostly girls. Our next door neighbor has a 3 year old boy and said there were all girls playing outside last summer. Olivia will certainly like that! She has already made friends with some of them.

One more inside picture of our living room bookshelves and Otto reading. We are indescribably thankful that all of our children love to read and this picture is one we see daily. You can interchange any of the children into this pose in numerous places around the house and outside when it is pleasant weather. These are our nice bookshelves where we are working on placing our most loved and nicest books. We have five more bookshelves upstairs with very little room left on them. Does that slow us down in our book buying? Ha! Never! Actually, there are more than five, but I guess we don't need to count.

John Adams by David McCullough

2009-02-17T06:06:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I'm not sure which blog is best suited for an entry I want to make. This one could go on all because it will likely ramble, effects our home and our homeschool. I finished my first book written by David McCullough. I say my first because I am already started on my second and I told Greg I will likely be always reading a David McCullough book until I have read them all. I cannot possible express all the reasons why I enjoy his writing and having only one book read so I can't say positively that I will feel the same about them all, but it is my expectation.

The book I finished was John Adams and it was more than wonderful. It was easy to read, but not simple. It was full of quotes from actual letters and newspapers of the time, but it read like fiction. While reading, I was transported to the days when John Adams lived, an invisible presence in his life and the happenings of his time. I feel as if I know him and I cried when he died. I feel strengthened by his integrity, his honesty, his uprightness. I feel hopeful at his success in the struggle of this life. I feel peaceful that politics then, at the beginning of politics for this country, was not so different from what it is now. We are not sovereign, but there is One who is and He will not be swayed or negligent and we can trust in His direction for everything that effects our lives. We must do all we can, but with confidence that doing all we can is all that is demanded and all that is needed and will be rewarded.

This is a book that will be read by all of our children as they grow. It has taught me more about this era of history than I can relate. It has taught me with a joy in the learning that I know will be shared by our children. Joy in the learning is a thing much sought after and not found as often as I would like. The next book of David McCullough's that I have decided to read is The Path Between The Seas about the building of the Panama Canal. We also have 1776, and Truman, but I wanted to read something completely different, not a president and not the same time period. We are getting the books on hardback because they are worth it, but we are getting them used at Powell's so they are less expensive.

Make the next book you read a book written by David McCullough. I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed.

Workout Plan

2009-01-26T06:02:00.001-08:00

I have a great workout routine going and I want to share it with you. Start out by biking to the store, in fact, bike everywhere you can. Then begin going to the library every week (by bike) until you and the children can't stand not to go. Then sign the children up for classes during the week like swimming and gymnastics. Also, begin drinking real milk and be sure to ride to pick it up. All these things I was doing and it was not that big a deal. The milk was the most difficult, the ride being 7 miles one way. Then, once you are accustomed to this way of life, nay, dependent upon it, and with no vehicle but a bike when all these things must be done, move to the top of a hill. It is amazing the workout I'm getting. I used to be able to wear street clothes to the store and library at least, but now when I get home I am sweaty and gross even in the 30 degree weather. I am also swimming with the children during the Family Swim after swimming lessons on Tuesday and swimming laps on Thursday during the lessons. I almost never ride up the hill without pulling Olivia on the Trail-a-Bike or a load of groceries. So, assuming I can keep this up, I should be in the best shape of my life soon. I'll let you know.

Snowy Walk

2008-12-22T21:44:00.000-08:00

We have had a bit of snow. First let me mention something about our move. We had planned to begin moving on the 15th which was the first or second day of ice and snow. However, since the townhouse was empty and available we decided to go ahead and pay another week of rent and move in a week earlier, beginning the 8th. We were done on Friday the 12th (the last day Greg worked since

they don't sweep streets in the snow). The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. We are ever grateful for his direction and for saving us the disappointment and struggle a move in these cold and ice conditions would have caused.

So, Greg has been going stir crazy being stuck at home. He enjoys being home, but not like I do. All my work is in the home, but not Greg. He is relaxing at home and there is only so much relaxing Greg needs.

He has gone out into the snow almost everyday with me or one of the children. We walk about 2 1/2 miles to a variety of stores, Powell's being our favorite, but also Winco (our least favorite), Borders, Best Buy, the Mac Store (where we bought a Mac that Greg carried home!), and always New Seasons.

A change of pace is always enjoyed for a change, but this change has gone on long enough and although we hope to maintain a joy throughout, we will be ever grateful to be able to drive and ride our bikes again.

Merry Christmas!!

Back Online!!!

2008-12-18T18:53:00.000-08:00

Wow, I was doing so well at updating this blog until... the computer went down. Talk about a halt to everything! I found out I don't know how to find out about anything without the internet and that the internet allows you to find out about anything. I am sooooo glad to be back online!

So much has happened. We moved into a townhouse; still renting, but we realized that is a better fit for us right now. It must be close to double the space and we have a garage. The only bikes in the house are in the bike room which is in the basement. We have always wanted a basement. The first floor is all hardwood except the kitchen which is linoleum. We have always wanted hardwood floors. We are a little farther from the library and swimming and the farmer's market (when it comes back), but only a couple of miles. Still within easy riding distance.

We had planned to move in on the 15th of December, but we decided to go ahead a pay a little more and move in a week earlier. The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. On Monday the 15th Portland was covered with ice and snow and way below freezing temperatures. Greg hasn't worked since the day we finished moving because they don't sweep streets in the snow. It was warm enough today that Greg took the van out, but another storm is expected this weekend. Monday, the 15th, we were scheduled to do a walk-through at our old apartment, but we were not going to drive. Greg and I bundled up and rode our mountain bikes. I was terrified at first, but began to figure out what was more grippy and what was less. Did I mention the wind? Strong and freezing, almost blowing us over. I was thankful I overcame my concern for my looks and bundled as I did.

Trail-a-Bike

2008-10-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

It has taken me a week to write about last weekend. Though it was full of interesting things, they now seem long ago and unimportant, but we have some video and that is always fun. Greg wrote on his blog about his first ride with our trail-a-bike for Olivia. The next day we attached it to my single-speed, Bianchi SASS. I haven't ridden it much because the gearing is set up for trails and on the road I have to go really slowly or pedal really fast; it looks and feels ridiculous. We thought the trail-a-bike might be heavy enough to make the gearing more appropriate; it did. I'm sure it is heavier than the trailer because it was as difficult pull and the weight difference between my Milano and the SASS is huge; the SASS being much lighter. I was still able to make it up the hills without too much difficulty and that is more important to me than speed. Olivia has never ridden a bike as we don't have one small enough for her so she doesn't understand the balance involved and her wobbling pulls by bike inches from one side to the other which was a little disconcerting. Still we all had a wonderful ride and always enjoy being together as a family. Children are the greatest blessing I could imagine.

Around Town

2008-10-03T16:03:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, September 27th, Greg and I went on a ride around town. We had planned for weeks. Because we were going to be gone most of the day, we made arrangements for both grandfathers to take 2 and 3 children so they wouldn't be home alone for so long. We left about 6:00AM with lights. Unfortunately we were going to miss shopping at Farmer's Market, but it was a treat to see the venders unloading their trucks, talking, laughing, preparing for the morning under lights of their own. I was apprehensive about the first part of the trip; not because it was dark, but I knew there would be a lot of hills in the beginning and I don't like the warming up stage. Riding while the sky lightened with the rising sun was calming and encouraged me to endure the stage with patience. It is about 8 miles to the zoo (mostly up) and then we rode through Washington Park as the first rays of sun streaked through the trees. Coming in to downtown we rode by the Old Church and then to the Waterfront. It was a beautiful morning and the day and time made for light traffic. After riding along the water we crossed the Steele Bridge and began a trek north. We saw a bike light at a traffic stop. I don't mean a light that goes on a bike, but a traffic light in the shape of a bike telling us it was our turn to cross as our lane went from one corner of the intersection to the other. We felt so special. We had been hoping for a coffee shop, but hadn't planned exactly where we would be or what shops might be there. Greg decided to go down Killingsworth hoping to find something and find something we did. About 30th we passed a sign reading Extracto Coffeehouse. It was authentic and delicious. After that wonderful break we headed north again until we met up with the Columbia River and took a path that leads along it to the east. The sun hadn't been up long and the clouds rolled in and we were cold for a while, but nearing the river it warmed up surprisingly and we were comfortable. We did have to pull over to let a dump truck pass, but other than that it was probably my favorite part of the ride. At 148th we headed south again, cut over on Glissan to 122nd and a stop at Safeway for some juice and bananas. Continuing on 122nd we ran into the Springwater Corridor Trail after about 2 1/2 miles; about this time the sun came out and it was summer again. (As we began our journey we decided to count how many people we saw riding bikes. It was at this point in the journey when we reached 130 and stopped counting.) We headed toward Sellwood where we met up with the Willamette River and then north along the water until we again crossed the Steele Bridge and headed back the way we came, stopping once along the waterfront to enjoy the sun and take a break. (Counting bike riders in this area would have been a larger task than we could have accomplished, they were everywhere.) Actually, not exactly the way we came. We rode through the Portland Farmer's Market; what a test of patience that was! There were an unbelievable number of people and trying the walk through with a bike... We certainly didn't stop to look at or buy anything. We decided to ride back along Barber as the hills are lower, stopping at Fred Meyer for a candy bar for Greg; he needed it badly. Then we turned toward Multnomah Village and stopped for a slice or two of amazing pizza at the Lucky Lab. Greg was feeling great after getting some food, but my body was way done riding. Thankfully the path home was fairly level and relatively short and we reached the end of our journey, 65 miles, at about 3:00PM. A hot bath and quiet nap restored me quite well, but some arnica on my sore muscles before bed and a great night's sleep and I felt brand new. (I must confess that the next day Greg drove me to the stores to do all my grocery shopping.) I am looking forward to our next mega loop.

Games and Fun

2008-09-26T06:29:00.000-07:00

Otto and Olivia had a great time playing Tumbling Tower. Our table is just a folding table and it rocks and sways whenever you touch it, but that didn't seem to bother them. We are fortunate to have many fun games. Advantageous to the children is several siblings available for play; they can usually find at least one person to play with when the desire arises.

Olivia is wearing a ballerina leotard she got from her cousin. Last Monday, Olivia had her first ballet class. It was fabulous! The only bad part of the experience was my thinking it started 10 minutes later than it was actually scheduled. On top of thinking late, it took me longer to pull the trailer to the recreation center than I'd expected. Aside from being late Olivia had a great time and I was impressed with the teacher. It will be a fun class.

Olivia's ballet class is a result of our applying for financial assistance with the Tualatin Valley Recreation Centers. We don't like to apply for aide, no food stamps or state health care, even though we do qualify for such things. We would rather struggle than become dependant on such programs. (We have a large family and we choose for me to stay home rather than add to our income. Our ability to qualify does not reflect Greg's work ethic. He is always on time, never calls in sick, works hard consistantly and constantly). In this case, the children have never had the opportunity for some of these classes and paying for the public schools and all our own homeschooling books makes me feel better about taking advantage of the opportunity. Otto is taking Boys Gymnastics, Louis is taking Photography, and Henry a class in computer animation. Solomon will be taking a Playful Inventors Workshop and in November, Louis will try his hand at volleyball. Also, all the children will be taking swimming lessons at the Beaverton Swim Center which is closer to us than the library.

Needless to say our schedule has gotten a little more crowded. It is temporary however, and after two weeks I'm still feeling positive about the situation. Because we have to ride bikes to all the classes (they begin before Greg is home from work) it is good exercise for me and the children. Olivia has to ride, but soon we hope to get a trail-a-bike and she will be able to pedal a little to help get us over the hills. I quickly discovered that Beaverton is in a valley. We go to three recreation centers, one is north, one south and one east, all about the same distance and all uphill. The one we attend most has a hill in between so it is uphill both ways; for some reason the downhill part isn't as noticeable.

Perhaps this should have gone on my rambling page because it feels like that is what I'm doing. Too many blogs? Or too much rambling?

Girl's Group

2008-09-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

God has truely blessed me with wonderful friends, in particular, Christy (with Enoch), Charissa, Jennifer, and Annette (with Stuart born 9/5?). We have been getting together regularly for almost 14 years. They are godly women who love the Lord, their husbands and their children. We also strive to love others as the Lord. Jennifer lives in Idaho now and we were so delighted to have her with us when we met at Annette's home on their farm in Salem at the end of August. What a wonderful time! There is too much to say about these women and our amazing friendships full of unconditional love and encouragement.

We walked through the beautiful flower garden, out to the lake and indoors for yummy treats and tea, and the most wonderful thing, fellowship. How I love these women, my sisters in the Lord.

La La

2008-06-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

We were all doing our own little things around the house. Greg and I were in the living room when we looked at each other, both hearing a little voice singing in the kitchen. Olivia was working on a puzzle and searching for the words of a song she had heard. By the time Greg got in with the camera she was about done, but he coaxed a little more out of her. The first video she wasn't really noticing Greg, just getting silly. The second video he asked her to sing.

Saturday Togetherness

2008-06-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

What a great day was Saturday. I had been putting off going to stores all week; not a good idea when your shopping on bike because you can only carry two bags (at least I can). I woke up a little after 6 AM and decided to go early to Winco. The sun was shining and beautiful, the ride was peaceful, the store had long lines, but I made it home in less than an hour.

We all got ready to go to Farmer's Market. We rode our bikes and parked them by the library. We stood listening to the music (the area agreed on to meet Dad and Eunice, Cash was there, too). We were there maybe 5 or 10 minutes and Dad came walking up; they had been standing a little ways away waiting for us; it is quite crowded at the Beaverton Farmer's Market, but that in no way diminished our fun. The clouds would hide the sun occationally and then it was quite chilly, but this is Oregon. We bought strawberries, salsa, radishes and beets, goat cheese and hummas, and Dad and Eunice bought pastries for all the children. Poor Cash missed out on those, but I guess he is still a little young. Dad explained some of the differences to me between folk and bluegrass as we listened some more of the music while the children ate.

We arrived back at home around 10AM and Greg and I almost immediately left to go to Trader Joe's. The sun was shining and the day was warming up making the ride extra pleasant and enjoyable. After eating some of the things we bought we had a lazy afternoon reading and napping, the kids played with toys in our tiny back... yard and spent some time reading themselves.

We watched a family movie while eating dinner. A thing I don't like to do because it makes such a mess in the living room; the children love it, of course, and it was a warm ending to a great family day.

Busy, But Fun

2008-05-18T06:44:00.001-07:00

I posted a little bit about the busy times we are having on my rambling blog, but here are some pictures and details of a few events.

We changed our schedule a little last week and went to Grandma's first on Wednesday. The children stayed with her while I went to my cycle class at the YMCA. When I got back we had lunch and then went to the library on our way home. It worked surprisingly well. The fountain at the library was on and I let the children get wet before our walk home. We have been having a warm spell (over/almost 90 for... 3 or 4 days).

I decided that for some quality school work we could go to the fountain again on Thursday after I got back from getting our milk. It was after lunch when we went and unlike the day before there we other people at the fountain, quite a few (though I didn't get many in the pictures). It was a little more difficult for the kids to play, but they still had a good time. Some of them played in the big grass area as well.

Greg has been working a lot of hours, which we are not complaining about, so it has taken us a couple of weeks to make it out to see the track races on Thursday and Friday evenings. They are held at Alpenrose Dairy, about 5 miles away. We took Henry and Solomon (only four can go as the van isn't working) because Louis and Otto had been there with Greg a few weeks ago when on a long bike ride. We don't know much about track racing, but have developed an interest to find out more.

Friday night we went to see Prince Caspian. We intended to all ride, but realized we would need to go to an evening showing (Greg works) and it would be dark on the ride home. Greg rode with only Henry and Louis; Otto, Solomon, Olivia and I walked to Grandma's where we met Greg's dad. Olivia stayed at Grandma's and watched a calmer movie and the rest of us got a ride with Greg's dad who saw the movie with us and gave us a ride home afterward. The movie was enjoyed by all.

The Beaverton Farmers Market has begun and while Greg was riding with Louis and Otto yesterday (check Greg's MTB blog) Henry, Solomon, Olivia and I walked over to check it out. It is located right next to the library and the fountain. I was amazed at the crowd. We walked through it all and I bought some great asparagus and lettuce. We bought some bagels for breakfast and listened to live music, Jenny Get Around (old time fiddle music). The kids were a little bored, but I had a great time.

Solomon's B-day

2008-04-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

Today is Solomon's birthday so i (Greg) decided we'd go for a bike ride. We've had quite a bit of riding this weekend so it seemed like a good idea. He always wants to be in the lead so we were going back and forth on who was leading. First we headed up to some single track not far from where we live , for Solomons first time riding on dirt. He loved it! after fooling around there for a bit we headed through the neighborhoods to a park. Once there Louis ( the wearer of the back pack) got out the Nerf foot ball and the baseball and gloves , so we could play catch for a while. Then we headed home via the bike path.Only 7.5 miles but a fun ride none the less. Three day's in a row for Otto and I.

Fun day!

March 1st Trip to the Oregon Coast

2008-03-02T12:24:00.000-08:00

Greg was talking about doing a video only blog the other day. After our adventure to the coast yesterday, he was talking about it more and ready to start it. I talked him into making this a video blog. I'm obviously having a hard time keeping up with it and the change will be fun. So here is video of our trip to the coast yesterday. There were few times when I realized Greg was recording us. He uses our camera so it looks like he is getting ready to take a picture. I have to confess when he opened the window to film outside, the rain was quickly soaking through my jeans and I was a little irritated. It's a shame I'm confessing it because I didn't know he was filming and glad that my expression and words did not betray my inner emotions too much. Another funny thing, when Greg is filming us walking up the bridge to look at the sea lions you can see the camera lens blowing in the wind. After the sea lions we went back to Seal Rock and went below to the beach that Greg, Otto and Solomon we overlooking. It is there we crossed the little stream on the rocks and saw some awesome tide pools. Greg took lots of great pictures, hopefully they will be on our Flicker site soon (see our Pictures link). We had a great day and as you see the weather changed frequently, always beautiful.

Almost Library Day

2008-02-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

I took the camera to the library this day intending to take lots of pictures and tell you all about the times we go to the library. However, after the picture with the kids in front of the sign I forgot I had the camera and never took another shot. Now, I could still tell you about the day, but I'm going to make you wait until I have some more pictues. Hopefully, at that time, I will also have more time to write. The bike trail the kids are on is nearly one half of our walk. It not only keeps us off the street and away from traffic, but it has this long curb which is great fun, though it does add some time to the walk. We have been going to visit Greg's grandma after the library as it is within walking distance as well. Olivia always takes a nap on library days. I will have Greg ride the route with his bike. It has a computer that tells the mileage and then when I write about our library days I can include the distance we walk. It is maybe 2 miles total. Not too far, but good exercise.

2008-01-22T14:55:00.001-08:00

I was looking through our pictures and found a few from a ride I didn’t write about. On New Year ’s Day we went for a family ride on a bike path that begins not far from us and goes to Tigard, almost to Greg’s old house. In fact, he took Louis, Otto and Solomon on the same path in… December? maybe November, and they rode by the house so the boys could see it. It is a long trail, maybe 7 miles, nicely paved. It does cross a few roads, one is especially busy, but the others have light traffic or crosswalks. It was cold New Year’s Day, but not wet. We went maybe 6 miles and I got a piece of glass in my front tire. If we had brought a tube we could have changed it, but we didn’t. Greg rode back quickly with the oldest three and the younger two and I waited for him to come back with the truck. That was when I began to feel really cold. The kids ate some snacks I’d brought and we played “I Spy” and ran up and down the sidewalk. It was sure good to see Greg when he made it back to us, and he had the heater going full blast… ahhh.

Being the youngest and the first girl, Olivia is the most photographed member of the family. We will enjoy that for now and I will be making a conscious effort to get some pictures of the older boys. Be sure and check their blogs because I am requiring them to update them at least every 1-2 weeks. It would be easier if we had an internet connection at home, but they may have finished their blog entry and have to wait a week before we get to the coffee shop so their entries may be logged late. Anyway, I did get a picture of Otto and Solomon playing with silly-putty. Olivia is playing with a few of the stickers Uncle Rick and Aunt Kathy gave her. She also received a dress-up chest from Grandma and Grandpa Straub and you see her modeling a couple of those. Finally, she was helping me make dinner last night by cutting up some Calamata olives for our burritos. Here is also a different night when I am making tortillas, Olivia is collecting some cilantro leaves and Henry is putting away dishes (at least you see he is an active member of the home).

Trails, Blogs, etc.

2008-01-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe how quickly time passes. It has been over a week since I posted last, but it seems only a couple of days. Maybe life is just not that interesting; it doesn't seem like much has happened. Greg was going to go riding at Falls City on Sunday, but decided to go for a hike with the three oldest boys instead. They went on a trail in Forest Park and had a great time. The weather was beautiful, though the trail was muddy. Louis wrote about it on his new blog (link added: Adventures of Louis).

Speaking of blogs, we had to get Henry a new one. It has been so long since we have been on it that we couldn't figure out what e-mail, username, password, etc. we used to set it up. We decided to just let it go and start over. Isn't life great when we can do that? So I changed the link and he will add something shortly (he has to finish his school work first). Otto wants to start one, too . He also needs to finish his school work and have something ready to go before I even set it up. They aren't getting their school work done because everyone wants to see the pictures we choose and the template we pick, etc. It is fun and even educational. It's great when they look forward to writing. Their typing is improving as well.

As usual, Greg took a lot of wonderful pictures on their hike as you can see. I have been practicing my guitar everyday and that is fun. I practice until my fingers can't hold down the strings becasue they hurt so badly. I wish the callouses would build faster. I will continue to work on them.

Hard Working Man

2008-01-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

I haven't said anything about Greg's work and want to let you know he is working, and hard. When the bike shop began slowing down because the peak season was ending Greg began looking for a driving job; that is where he has the most experience. He found one driving a sweeper truck. It is a new experience and he gets really dirty cleaning the truck when he's done sweeping. The owner seems like a decent person; Greg will stick with it, working hard. Unfortunately the company has some kind of an agreement with a temporary agency in Portland so Greg has had to work through them for the first 90 days. That has meant a lower hourly wage, no holiday pay, no benefits. We are interested to see what will happen about the middle of this month when we reach that 90 day mark. I'm a lucky woman to have such a hard working husband who desires to take care of his family.

Christmas Past

2007-12-27T17:45:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas past. We are so thankful to Derald Dieterich. He is a long time friend of Greg’s family, the realtor that sold our house in 2006, and he came by the apartment a couple weeks ago and gave us a check to help us buy Christmas presents for the kids. It was great! Our kids ask for little and know we often struggle financially so they decide to be content. They are wonderful. It was incredible to be able to buy each of them some of the things they had mentioned over the last few weeks. We rarely buy them toys, none this year, and still Otto said he got everything he wanted. Can you beat that?

Last Summer I told Greg I would like to learn the guitar. I asked for one for my birthday, but there was no way we could pull it off. Well, he took all the money for gifts that we were spending on each other (he said he didn’t want a present) and more he came across and bought a guitar for me for Christmas. He took the older 3 kids when he got it and they could hardly wait until we opened presents this year. I am so blessed with a wonderful loving husband and amazing children.

I was also blessed to have seen both of my brothers, and most of their families. Two of my nephews are serving in the military; one has just finished a tour of duty in Iraq for the last 15 months. It was good to see them both after such a long time. I enjoy good times with my family and often wish we did not live so far apart (California, Sacramento area). It is only a day’s travel, but with gas prices what they are and a day in each direction it prohibits frequent visits. I often look forward to heaven when thinking of my family and desiring to see them more. Another blessing to know they are believers.

Christmas day we spent with Greg’s family at his dad’s home. They are friendly and kind and even though they all live relatively close we see most of them rarely. It was a good time and the kids especially loved the food and fun.

Tonight I am at the coffee shop early to post this while waiting for my friends. It will be the first time we have gotten together in months. In fact, I have not visited with any friends uninterrupted by children since our move into this apartment. I have always had to hurry when on the phone because we are always out of minutes and although Charissa and I have seen each other and talked some there are always others around and time is short. I am looking forward to a relaxing evening and thankful that Greg is supportive of my being out and staying home with the kids.

The rest of this week will be spent cleaning and reviewing schedules and planning/preparing for school to get started in full force again. How wonderful that will be! I’m afraid my kids are not in agreement, but a test of discipline is not a bad thing.

Sorry there are no pictures; we forgot our camera at Greg's dad's house and haven't uploaded since my last update. Extra pictures next time.

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-23T06:03:00.000-08:00

I’m sorry it has been so long since I have updated our blog. It was mostly from a lack of opportunity and planning. I am slowly getting everything put in a place in our apartment and scheduling time on the computer will develop into a regular thing soon. The Christmas season also causes things to be sporadic.

We moved to an apartment in Beaverton in the middle of October. It is a three bedroom laid out like a townhouse in that the bedrooms are upstairs with a full bath and the living, dining, kitchen and laundry rooms are downstairs with a half bath. They were willing to take us with all five children which was the most difficult obstacle to overcome. The apartments are old and run down, but the manager is nice and a hard worker trying make improvements. We love the area when we are on our bikes. The library is less than a mile away (we go weekly), as well as Trader Joe’s (our favorite store) and New Seasons (sells Miso and Non Homogenized Milk- We look forward to buying our milk from a farm again, but that will require a little more time.). In the same areas are Powells, Borders, Winco, Fred Meyer, a great 24/7 coffee shop with free Internet, and so much more. Interestingly, this is an area we said we never wanted to live in because the traffic is horrid. Again, we like it on our bikes.

Here are a few pictures of us in the apartment, getting ready for Christmas, and me with my bike in front of New Seasons. The last was taken a couple of months ago; it seems like a long time since we’ve had a warmish sunny day. We celebrated Olivia’s fourth birthday on Friday and took her to our 24/7 coffee shop for some hot chocolate.

I hope you have not given up on my ever updating this site again. I am so desiring routine, but I think I have always desired it and never achieved it. Apparently I should learn to be happy with a “whatever happens today will be good” attitude. I will write again.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Fort Vancouver/Beacon Rock

2007-09-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

We woke up on September 8th wanting to go somewhere and do something. A few weeks ago we had started out to some surprise destination for a hike, but the van had problems and we ended up having to back to a large repair bill. Greg decided to unveil the surprise this day and even added to it. Our first stop was Fort Vancouver. We have driven by it numerous times. Greg remembers spending the night with a class in school at the Fort, but the kids and I had never been inside. We all loved it and can't wait to return. The cost was very low, $5 for the family. They often have volunteers playing different roles. We met one, just as we were leaving, beginning her work in the kitchen. She had a fire going and was making a berry cobbler. Too bad we had to leave!

Next stop was Beacon Rock on the Washington side of the Columbian River. It's not far west of the Bonneville Dam. As the name suggests, it is a large, tall rock. There is a trail, about 1 mile, leading to the top. Even Olivia hiked all the way up and nearly all the way down with little assistance. We would not let go of her hand, however, because although there was a rail, the trail was on the side of this rock and much of it was exposed to a long fall, and a beautiful view of the Columbia. The weather was gorgeous and there were many people hiking. Henry and Solomon enjoyed it the least as they are not height lovers. Olivia and I counted 53 switchbacks on the way down.

We have been approved to move into an apartment in Beaverton. We are hoping to move this weekend, but they are having some problems with the tenant moving out. The condition of the apartment may warrent some extra time for repairs. At any rate, it is good to know that we have a place to go and that it will be soon. The kids and I are excited about getting some things out of storage. I'm excited about not having to walk outside to the house if Olivia or I have to go to the bathroom during the night. It will be nice to have a home of our own again.

Family Hike at Seaquest SP

2007-08-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

Greg had a great idea today (not the first time). He took the family to Seaquest State Park, Washington, maybe 30 miles north of our current location in Woodland. It began sprinkling before we left and we had a few showers while we were there, but they did not dampen our fun. After parking and everyone getting their hats and sweatshirts on we headed to a map and chose a trail to hike. We had only gone 30 yards or so down our chosen trail when Solomon said "Ow!" Greg was seeking the cause and shortly said "Ow!" as loudly and nearly synchronized with Louis. There was a nest of some kind of stinging flying insects and we then ran ahead to get away. I didn't see them myself (thankfully), but they that did said they were small and all black, but the stingers must have been long because Louis was stung through his sock. They were painful, too, and hurt throughout the length of our beautiful walk, and still, hours later, I am hearing amazement that it still hurts. Greg is anxious to go back and ride the trail with all the boys regardless of such risk. Solomon hasn't gotten onto any trails, yet, and they were wide and fairly smooth. We are determined to take more hikes with the kids, especially in the winter when riding is so muddy and bad for those moving mechanical parts.

Still in Woodland, WA

2007-06-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Obviously I'm still not getting onto the computer regularly, but I have taken some pictures. We are having a good time with our friends. Greg has been working at Trail Head Cycles and it is nice to have him enjoy going to work. He isn't riding as much as when we were on our trip, but usually still a couple times a week. We are hoping to find a place to rent in Hillsboro so he won't have the long commute. Until then, we are happy here.

Still Updating

2007-05-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

I had written the last post while we were still in Moab (obviously). During our last few days Greg was able to ride with Terry and Debbie, friends from Oregon, though he was still recovering from that flu. On Friday we went to a campground north of Grand Junction and spent the weekend there. Then back to Fruita where Greg was going to ride with Shawn from Texas. He did get to see Shawn, but the rain kept him from riding and we left on Friday morning, May 4th for Boise, Idaho to see Craig. We decided to head back to Oregon.

I knew that we would spend more than we expected, but it was unbelievable how much money gas and food sucked up. Greg was actually offered a job in Moab, and he considered it, but I think it made him realize that he doesn't want to live anywhere outside of the Northwest. We stayed at Craig's for nearly a week. He was extremely welcoming and has a lovely home. It was relaxing and rejuvinating. We left on Thursday late afternoon, stopped at a rest area near Hermiston for the night, and arrived at Jim and Charissa's before noon on Friday the 11th. It was like coming home. We are so comfortable here, hopefully not too comfortable for Jim and Charissa. I will post pictures soon, Greg put them on a disk and that makes it a little more difficult for me. I will have access to the computer and the internet now and that will help me to keep everyone updated on our progress.

April 22, 2007

2007-05-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I’ve updated everyone. I’ll give a brief (maybe) summary. It rained nearly the whole time we were in Fruita. We left a few days before we had our reservations in Moab and went back to Rabbit Valley. The kids and I rode some as well as Greg this time. We had some cold nights, good that Greg wanted to get some warm sleeping bags. Henry said there was a thin layer of ice on the inside of his window one morning, but he wasn’t cold. We left for Moab a day early. We called to get directions for the campground and we asked if we could come a day early and he said it was no problem. Our spot was taken that night, but we moved into it the next morning. Pack Creek Campground is about 2-3 miles outside of the downtown area of Moab. It’s quiet and we have a great spot at the far end with nothing on one side. The campground is old, but clean. The showers are free and hot and the laundry is less expensive than most. There is a playground, but the kids have mostly enjoyed the creek. There is a path just across the campground road that leads down to a path that runs along the side of the creek all the way to the other side of the campground. A little wooden bridge crosses the creek and there is another camping site there. The kids all found places to make little forts in the trees. Greg has been doing the most riding ever, which was expected. The kids and I counted down the days until Jim and Charissa arrived with their kids. They came on Wednesday the 18th and it was so wonderful to visit with them again, to see the kids play together, we have missed them. Jim and Charissa have dear friends in Colorado and they came in on Friday. The men and Noah were riding Saturday morning so us women took the kids to Arches National Park, which is only a couple of miles from Moab. We had a wonderful time hiking. That night the men stayed with the kids and us three women went out to eat and visit. It was a wonderful time. When we got back, Greg had almost all the kids in bed, in fact he and Otto had gone to take a shower. Unfortunately, before I even got ready for bed Henry was complaining of a stomach ache and shortly after that we realized that a flu bug had somehow found its way into our family. Henry and Greg were miserable all night and slept most of Sunday. Jim and Charissa’s friends left fairly early that day and Jim and Charissa left shortly after 1:00PM. It was a sad moment. Olivia cried all the way back to our trailer after saying good-bye. I worked to keep my composure. Amazingly, no one was up during the next night, but as I write this there are three children, Otto, Olivia and Louis who have been throwing up all morning. It is one of the most challenging situations I have ever experienced. Louis was nervous about getting sick and I suggested he plan on it, after all, we are in such a small space that although it isn’t intentional, everyone is throwing up in the kitchen. It seems inevitable we will all have to suffer through it, though Greg told me he is praying I will be spared. It rained last night and had been raining and stormy all day, so we are all inside together. Most everyone is napping now, but we watched a movie earlier and will likely watch another before the afternoon passes. We are here until Friday and then I’m not sure where we will be going.

Utah and Colorado

2007-04-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

We decided to go ahead and drive to Moab, but before we got there we changed our destination to Fruita. We camped further out than we have yet. We arrived at a dirt road (a trailhead parking area) and Greg explored on his bike to find a spot for the trailer. He came back and we S L O W L Y pulled the trailer up a rugged dirt road to the most beautiful spot yet. The trail was out our front door and on the other side was a cliff that dropped into a canyon and no words can describe the view. The other side was just as pretty. We stayed Tuesday and Wednesday night. There was a bathroom? a ways up the road at a viewpoint also indescribable and the trail from there headed to our site and past along the ridgeline (not too close to the ridge) following the other side of the canyon. Otto and Louis rode about 11 miles with Greg one of the days. Henry rode with Greg a little later and I rode maybe 5 the next day. The flowers are beginning to bloom. There are tiny little pink flowers that cover the ground when the sun first becomes bright and when it begins to get hot they close, like morning glories. When we left the area there we many people camped closer to the road we came in on, but we only saw one group of riders the days we were there. We left in the afternoon and went just a few miles down the road to exit #2 in Colorado. We pulled into a large parking lot at another trailhead and we stayed another couple of nights. It was fairly late in the afternoon when we pulled in, but we saw a lot of cows. They roam freely in the area and would even walk through the parking lot. The next morning Greg and Otto went out to explore some trails and came upon a large herd crossing the road. They rode through them, but I’m sure neither of them will forget the experience. Otto decided to head back after about 5 miles, they had passed us during that time and he was within sight when he turned back. Greg rode on and found a good 10 mile ride he had been looking to do. He came back and rested before going out again and riding an awesome 20 mile trail. You can find out more about those on his MTB site. The kids and I did school work, I cleaned and organized (it will never get done). On the other side of the parking lot was a cliff of boulders and dirt, not too steep, not too high. The kids had the best time climbing it (Olivia was unhappy to be too little). From the top you could see a fair distance in all directions and the kids found lizards, rabbits, a bird skeleton and saw cows fighting. On Saturday the parking lot filled with people, mostly motorcycles and ATVs and they were loud. Greg was taking a rest day from his 30 miles the day before and there must have been a lot of traffic on the trails. We had as much of the noise as we could take by the afternoon and left. We thought we would go to another parking lot at another trailhead, but we were going to dump the tanks in Fruita first. We went ahead and checked out the state park campground, also in Fruita, just to see if they might have a space for us, and they did. We got a site with full hook-ups and are sooooo enjoying the electricity and water, the showers and Laundromat. It is like reaching civilization after a journey into the wilderness. We even went out to dinner last night. Fruita is a great place, we would be happy to stay here a while.

Arizona, Nevada and Utah

2007-04-02T10:44:00.000-07:00

We camped at the parking lot of the rodeo arena at Estrella Mountain Regional Park near Phoenix Arizona, two nights for $5 and the last free thanks to the kind park host. (Click on the above picture and we are this side of the arena, there are other trailers parked with hook-ups on the far side.) We didn’t have any hook-ups, but we were right outside the clean bathrooms. The trails were on the other side of the parking lot. We did see a lot of traffic during the day, but nothing intrusive and the view was beautiful, as has been the norm. I was a little over confident and went exploring the trails with Louis before Greg checked them out; it won’t happen again. We did see some beautiful views, but mostly walked the bikes up and down… loose rocks and cactus, I crashed twice. One evening we rode our bikes to the playground as the wind began to blow. It blew harder and harder and we took some pictures of the sand blowing through the trees behind us. When it headed our way, we headed back to the trailer. We intended to then stay at Sedona, our book said there was free camping, but it has been reassigned. We had to take a smaller two lane highway to the area and the construction started at least 5 miles before town. We turned and went the mile up the road to where the camping was suppose to be, but it is a small pay-to-park lot at a trailhead now. We took some pictures, it is an amazing place of red and purple rock walls rising above the contrasting green, though sparse, trees and bushes. We got back into the construction and had to continue the narrow roads through a deep canyon and out the other side. We arrived near Flagstaff and wider, faster freeway just in time to see the snow falling. We decided not to stay, but continue on toward Boulder City, our next destination. The most direct route was across Hoover Dam, but as we neared the junction we saw signs and heard traffic reports that stated we would not be allowed to cross with the trailer. That meant a longer route and we were getting really tired of driving. The kids are great and rarely complain, but pulling the trailer is stressful and we had been up and down a lot of hills. Thankfully, as we pulled into Nevada and got onto the road heading to our destination we spotted a gas station with some RV’s parking for the night. We joined them, ate a quick dinner and went to bed.

We got on the road in record time the next morning and quickly made our way, only about 60 miles, to Boulder City. We were planning to stay at a campground just past, but Greg wanted to go and check out Bootleg Canyon first. We saw signs directing us as we came into town and drove straight there. It turned to a gravel road soon and up a hill we couldn’t see past. Greg turned the trailer around thinking it would be unwise to continue with it, but a man walking a dog came up to us and said that we would make it fine and directed us to a sizeable parking lot. We then walked to a beautifully set up area with covered tables, BBQ’s, map and clean bathrooms with showers. We were impressed. A young lady came up with her dog, emptying garbage cans and told us a little about the difficulty of some of the trails and let us know that we could stay in that parking lot for a few days without any difficulty. It was a great stay. Greg and Otto did a huge amount of riding. Louis and I both took a crash. Henry did some riding that pushed his limits, but he met the challenge and did well. It was, again, a beautiful spot to camp.

Sunday morning we began another drive to St. George, Utah. It wasn’t far and we stopped at Quail Creek State Park Campground. It rests between a tall rock cliff painted with the natural colors you see here in Utah and a small lake with Hurricane Cliffs and Zion National Park in the distance. We can only stay a couple of nights and we are not sure where we will be this next weekend. Finding a free place, hopefully, all the campgrounds seem to be full for Easter. We can’t seem to bring ourselves to make reservations anywhere. We are anxious to get to Moab and know where we will be for two whole weeks, with a Laundromat. Things have gone amazingly well and it is obvious how God is directing us to the right places at the right times. We will continue to trust in Him.

Big Laguna trail

2007-03-26T07:28:00.001-07:00


Otto and Louis ripping it

Only one week?

2007-03-25T22:32:00.000-07:00

The camp at Oak County Park in Simi Valley was quiet and it was probably nice in its day, but that day is past. We found out that they are closing April 1st so we just made it. The absolute best part of that stay for me was going to Keith and Christi’s for dinner on Saturday night. They were kind and gracious. It was wonderful fellowship with a sincere Christian family. They have two children, Nicole, who never seems to get girls her age as part of the guest list, and Kyle, who had a great time playing with the boys. They invited Gene, a friend who rode both days with Keith and Greg, and his family for dinner, also. Unfortunately, Gene was called in to work at the last minute, but his wife Sandra still came with their two boys. They have a pump track in their backyard which only Greg and Henry were willing to try of our family, but the other boys rode like crazy. Foosball was another favorite along with running, chasing, etc. Everyone was ready for sleep by the time we made it back to the trailer.

My cousin Leslie and her husband Chuck, with their two older children, Jackie and John, live in Southern California and invited us to stop by their home. They even offered us food and the opportunity of using their washer and dryer and their internet (that is how I posted the blog before this). They have a beautiful home and yummy food; we felt welcome. Thank you, Chuck, Leslie, Jackie and John!

We then continued our journey to Oak Grove Campground in the Cleveland National Forest. We arrived just as dark was setting in, but found a great site close to water and flush toilets, a luxury. We stayed there five nights. The place was alive with rabbits and squirrels. We had cool nights and a fair amount of rain, but Greg rode and Tuesday with Doug and Jeremy from the San Diego BOMB. He was scheduled to ride Thursday, but that was Louis’s eleventh birthday so he stayed with us and played. We were there long enough that I was able to get some more things settled in the trailer. It has been a challenge to figure out where to put everything (have I said that before?). There are still things that get moved around constantly, but it is getting better. We left on Friday (now March 23) and made our way to Laguna Campground in the same forest. It had obviously had a fair amount of rain and we wondered if they would be able to ride the trail they had planned, Nobel Canyon. A strange fog rolled in that night, but Saturday the sun rose bright and beautiful. I can not imagine more squirrels that they had at Laguna, and woodpeckers and blue jays. I hadn’t thought before about how much wildlife we would see. Louis was working on his math one afternoon and later told us how he had made up a story to go with the squirrel play he was watching out the window, full of names and all the movements of the squirrels.

Laguna Campground has several trails from the campground including Nobel Canyon, so after his ride Greg rode the Big Laguna trail back to camp. He said it would be great for the kids and me (we had ridden a little of it on Friday when we were just exploring around). Sunday morning Louis, Otto and I left camp, rode to the trailhead and followed the trail back to camp. It was such a surprise when we were getting close to find Greg, Henry, Solomon and Olivia had walked out to meet us. This trip is full of fun times, love and laughter. There is a lot of stress, too, and we are trying to let that bother us less and less. It will take time, but we are getting there.

After we got back to camp I rode my bike a couple of miles (nearly all uphill) to a store to use the phone. Out in the forest our cell phones have no coverage and we wanted to call a couple of campsites to see where we might stay the night on our way to Arizona. We had hoped to get close to the border, but ended up extremely close to where we were. The decision was based completely on internet access. We want to keep our family and friends up to date with how and where we are, but time on the computer is a challenge. Actually, it’s not just internet access, but access to electricity. We opted not to get a generator because they are just so expensive and we haven’t needed it except when it comes to charging our batteries and using the computer. We will see how things continue. We are learning a lot. Tomorrow we will head for Arizona and some parks near Phoenix. We do not want to spend the majority of the day driving, but sometimes it seems the best option. We will let you know how it goes when we can.

Elk Grove to Simi Valley

2007-03-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

I could have written more while we were at Rick and Kathy’s, but the stress of change is beginning to effect me and I don’t want to do anything. We had a great time in Elk Grove and Lodi visiting friends and family. Rick and Kathy fed us and took care of us the whole time we were at their home, it was like our home. It was hard to leave and we did leave later than expected, Wednesday (3-14-07) at about 1:00PM. We didn’t want to spend another whole day in the van, but we did want to get down to Ojai, so we drove the rest of the day arriving at the campground at 9:38PM. We pulled into the first pull-through site and went to sleep. In the morning we moved to a site further from the road and there were no other campers anywhere nearby. There was a creek and boulders and we even found a little single-track to ride. Greg went exploring on his bike while I was getting breakfast together, then Otto and I checked it out further after breakfast and Greg went back with Louis after that. We had a good day at camp, the kids played outside, although there was some complaining about the many small flies constantly in our faces, and after dinner we learned how to play Skip-Bo. Friday morning we got around as early as we could, maybe 7:30, and left camp by 8:30. Simi Valley was our next stop and unfortunately our directions were not as clear as they could have been and we spent an awful hour trying to find our campground, making two u-turns with our trailer and finally buying a map for $6 to find the road we needed. Next time we will be better prepared. We still made it to camp in time to set up before Keith came to pick up Greg and take him for a ride on some of the trails here. As usual you can check Greg’s MTB blog for his take on that and my Ramblings for my thoughts of late.

Greg and Marla Ride Alone

2007-03-10T07:02:00.000-08:00

Kathy gave us another great day. She came home early from work on Friday and let Greg and I go riding while she and Rick stayed with the kids. Thursday Greg took Otto back to the trails he had ridden on Monday in Fairfield and Friday he took me. We know it will be rare for the two of us to ride together on this trip, one of us will need to be with the kids, so it was a special treat. The day had not started out well. During the night Rick and Kathy's cars were broken into and Greg's new cell phone, which he had unintentionally left in their car was stolen. We had just bought 1000 minutes, too. T-Mobile told us that we could transfer those minutes onto a new phone, which is a great relief and we will get one soon. Thankfully we bought the least expensive phones available.

I think it was after 11:00 before we finally got on the road, but it was a cooler and overcast day so we had no concerns of it getting too warm. The Rockville Hills trails are only about 70 miles away, and freeway miles, which go quickly. There were quite a few cars in the parking lot and we saw a few people riding, but usually going a different direction or from a distance. The landscape was so completely different from the trails I have ridden in Oregon and Washington. No close trees, green grassy meadows. It was dry, but moist in some areas, perfect. Large rocks firmly embedded in the path creating obstacles I had seen before in pictures, but never tried to ride on myself. Some I rode, some I walked. Having not been on singletrack trails for...8 months I knew it was important not to have any big crashes. I was on my new Haro, first trail ride with a full suspension bike and it was a good thing because my manauvering abilities were extremely rusty. I often saw a line to ride, but didn't make it that way, so I plowed through wherever. And, my legs were stronger than my lungs, but not by much. I hope to ride often enough on this trip to improve my endurance. I'm sure I will. Greg wants me to improve, as much as I do so that I can enjoy the long trails as he does.

Someplace Fun 3/6/2007

2007-03-07T07:23:00.000-08:00

Kathy treated us to an afternoon at Someplace Fun. Only about 10 miles away, it is a large space with huge inflatable slides, scooters in little race tracks, video games, air hockey, and a big carousel, basketball hoops for all sizes, etc. The kids had a great time. I don't think Henry did anything except video games. Otto probably did the largest variety because he was the perfect size and age. Olivia was too little for many things and she was worn out by the time we left; just climbing those slides was a challenge for her. My cousin Pam and her daughter Jill met us there and Solomon and Olivia has an especially good time playing with her. We look forward to seeing her again while we are here. We all went to bed early, especially for not having to get up in the morning. I suspect I am still recovering from the stress of getting ready to leave and Greg from his Monday ride, though he said he wasn't sore at all. He is struggling with allergies. I should have posted our fun at the park on Monday on this site, but it is on my rambling page (see link), there is a great video there of Olivia going down a slide.

Starting Out 3/3/2007

2007-03-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

The journey has begun. We spent last week moving out of Chris and Stacy's and into the trailer. In actuality we lived with Jim and Charissa again, only it must have been much worse for them. Charissa took care of the kids and the meals, I think everyday, while Greg and I ran errands, packed, cleaned, etc. trying to get ready to leave. We pressed their friendship in a big way and can never repay their graciousness and generosity. (I'm sorry Charissa, I inadvertently stole your laundry basket.)

Greg's dad came out on Saturday to help us get packed up and on our way. He had been out several times before helping us with repairs and showing us things we didn't know. We pulled out onto the road about 5:30 PM, a little later than we expected, but we wanted to get going. After spending a little time at Greg's dad's with his sister and her family we headed south at 9:30, a much later start than expected. It was wonderful, however, and when we wanted to stop and sleep, around the Jefferson area, we did. We slept in our own beds. We got up when we wanted to and kept heading down the road.

We were planning on heading over to the coast because the weather was keeping the mountain passes on I-5 in dangerous condition. But, the weather was beautiful and when we got to the turn off we decided to call about the road conditions and they were great. We came straight down I-5 with bare dry roads all the way. It is a lot slower pulling the trailer, but why do we need to hurry? We arrived at my brother Rick's home at 9:30 PM.

Rick and Kathy are warm and welcoming. We expected to sleep in the trailer, and they wouldn't have minded, but they set up space for us in the house and welcomed us in. Their house is so comfortable it seemed impossible to refuse and the kids are thrilled with the big boxes of Legos to play with, the many books and toys. The weather is a little overcast, but warm and dry. The trees are blooming... Greg went on a ride this morning, but you can read about that on his MTB blog.

11/1/2006 to 3/1/2007

2007-02-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

When we moved in with the Swansons we began attending a home church with them. It was there that we met Chris and Stacy. Shortly afterwards Chris had to move to Utah (they thought for only a short time) for work. When they discovered the work was going to last much longer than expected they decided Stacy and their two kids should move there, too, until his work allowed him to come back to the area. Stacy called me to see if we would house sit.

Wow! How can we question God’s sovereignty? We have met very few, if any people that have needed someone to house sit for four months. And as we had always hoped to leave around the first of the year. It seems ordained. They are planning to be gone into February and we will likely be needing that much time before being ready to go.

Speaking of being ready to go, we have a 15 passenger van and a 1997 Skyline Nomad trailer. I am doing some cleaning and sprucing and we have too many things we still need to purchase before we leave, but every step gets us a little bit closer.

It is nice to have our own space again, but it is hard to be spread out over a larger area. I just don’t want to keep up this much space anymore. It is good to want those things you will soon have and we will soon have much less space. We will see how long my feelings last.

6/28/2006 to 11/1/2006

2007-02-13T05:53:00.000-08:00

It is hard to conceive of a family willing to give up half of their house, much of their privacy and control just because they see the opportunity to be of service to friends, expecting nothing in return. Jim and Charissa moved their kids (2 boys from one bedroom, 2 girls from the other), all the kid’s toys and furniture, into their upstairs family room and master bedroom (a few things went to the attic). They moved everything out of the downstairs bathroom drawers and cupboards. And we moved in.

They did everything to make us feel welcome and desired us to feel like it was our home. And although we heard them say that they enjoyed us being there, we had difficulty believing them. We more than doubled their household! We knew we were guests, but always they treated us as though they would love our living with them always.
For the kids it was like summer camp the whole time. The nine of them just fit around the table and that is where they ate. The adults sat nearby on the living room furniture. The amount of food to feed that crowd of 11 or 13 every meal was a real education for Charissa and me. It took several weeks for us to figure out how much to make so that everyone got enough. Every meal was a lot of work. When we moved in we had intended to buy and convert a bus. After a month the bus was bought and we had many difficult moments and decisions with it, deciding at last to sell it and look for a travel trailer. Jim and Charissa were patient with all our struggles, never knowing how long we would be invading their space, never pressuring us in our decisions.
Charissa is such a good friend, the best I’ve known. Living with her was a blessing I will never forget. I’m sure many were concerned about its effecting our friendship, and not every moment was easy, but nothing could reduce my love for her and her family. We will always be grateful for the opportunity they gave us to follow a different trail.

The Big Idea

2007-02-12T05:35:00.000-08:00

It was spring or summer of 2004 when I, Marla, began to pray that God would give Greg a vision for our family. We were living what seemed a typical life: decent home in a decent neighborhood, maybe a few more kids than most and home schooled. Greg went to work every morning to a job he disliked to pay the bills and came home to find there was just enough time to see the family or go for a ride before trying to get enough sleep and start again the next day. Greg wanted to do more, and so did I. Life is so short and the kids grow up so fast. So I began to pray for more for us.

Maybe a week later Greg came home and said, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could travel around the country and ride trails in lots of different states?” “Yeah,” I replied, trying to sound like it could ever be possible. I didn’t expect it would ever get mentioned again. But, the next day when Greg came home, “Did you think any more about us traveling around the country?” Wow, I thought, he was serious. “No, but I will,” was my answer.

We wondered if we could rent the house out for enough money to pay the mortgage and support our travel, but it didn’t look like it. We began to think about selling the house, but that was a lot of security of which to let go. Still it seemed to be our only option. This is where our dear and generous friends, Jim and Charissa, come into the story. They offered to let us live on their property, even in their home while we prepared to leave. So the house went on the market early June 2006 and we had a full price offer in two days. In less than a month we were moving into two bedrooms and a 10x10 storage unit.