Grand Opening! Charles Schwab!

Tomorrow is our Grand Opening and ribbon cutting with the Salem, OR Chamber of Commerce, clients and new acquaintances.  I so wish our long-time FL friends could celebrate with us.

Our days are long with our new venture but John & I work well together, I think.  I hope he wouldn't say otherwise.  He is a great boss by the way.

I have realized though how much I really Do Not know.  It is quite humbling.  It has been a big learning curve in processes, material and overall  for this 20yr stay-at-home-mom veteran.  My lack of knowledge in this arena is a little - no a lot - humbling.

 We wish our two oldest sons could be here with us to be a part of this event but alas they are hard at work at college as they should be. 

Fall Football

Last football season in Florida, Parker fractured his hip socket at practice half way through the season.  Two months on crutches got old pretty fast.   I was a little surprised this year when he wanted to go at it a second time.  Surprised but glad he enjoys it.

 He's #70 in case you couldn't tell.

They practice every day after school for 1-1/2 hours except game day and the day after.

 This week the had an awesome game.  They won by quite a large margin.

 Parker plays special teams and defense.

It's kind of funny that we came from the land of the Sharks to the land of the Crocodiles!

Super Soccer Star

Macey loves soccer.

 

She got a little taste of it last year in Florida.  She loved it and excelled at it.  She never seems to get tired running up and down the field and up and down again and again.  I get winded just watching.

 Her team has not won many games but they are really improving.  This last week they did very well passing the ball and moving up the field. 

 Most of her games have been at 9:00am so we have needed to be there at 8:30am.  It usually takes us about 30 minutes to get where we are going.  We have so missed the chance to sleep in on a Saturday.  In this respect - mid November can't come soon enough.  However, seeing Macey enjoy the sport makes the early Sat mornings worth it.

She is our silly soccer superstar! 

Fall Is In The Air

 As fall approached us here in Oregon and we started talking about being excited to see the changing color of the leaves we realized that Parker & Macey really had never seen FALL!  Crazy to think but true.  Parker was 18 months old when we left Georgia for Florida.  Riley and Austin remember the days of fall in Georgia, the leaves changing colors, the pumpkin patches, and more.

Parker & Macey have had many times in the snow as we visited Idaho in the winter over the years .  But none of the memories of experiencing Fall.  There was never a time frame long enough from school in the Fall to make a trek from Florida.

The trees at the end of our road had lost most of their brilliant red leaves.  We were sad when we realized this and were determined to find others.  We wanted to save the picture of our minds eye for future times to remember.

 We didn't have far to go to find some more examples of the changing colors of Fall.

 The changing colors are proof that it is indeed getting colder.

Tonight as I post this it is 46 degrees with an expected low of 34 degrees.  It is raining so the wet makes it colder.  Just like the humidity in Florida always made it hotter.  I'm sure sometimes we will get to the point where we are tired of the rain just like we tired of the humidity.  But there is "beauty all around"  to be found in each of these. 

Thanks Where Thanks is Due

Not all the pictures of our travels are all in one place, so check back for more on our travels.

We couldn't have made the trip cross country without our 2nd trusty driver - our all grown up son - Austin.  Thank you for all your help packing, loading, driving,driving & driving, unloading and so much more.  Particularly the HOTTEST days ever with a faulty air conditioner in the truck.

Thursday July 19, 2012 – Kansas City Weather Forecast

Friday – Partly cloudy. High: 100

Saturday – Mostly sunny. High: 104

Sunday – Mostly sunny. High: 106

Monday – Mostly sunny. High: 107

"June weather records are in, and the nation's unprecedented warm spell continues, making this the warmest first half of the year and the warmest 12-month period since record-keeping began for the continental U.S. in 1895."

And most of all thank you for putting up with the rest of us!

But oh, the places we've been and the things we've seen - together.

(Riley we know you were eager to participate if we had planned better and you had been able to leave work there in Provo to assist us - next time.)

From Sea to Shining Sea!

I know it's about time for an update.  I always find an excuse not to.  Maybe because I have to think about what I want to say or how to say something somewhat intelligent and interesting.

We have gone through a BIG change over the past couple of months.  The BIG change of moving from one end of the country to another.  It is a LONG drive, had a few challenges but was also able to take some time and see some amazing, interesting and memorable things along the way.

We bade farewell to Naples, Florida . . .

And said hello to Salem, Oregon . . .

We shed tears and the Florida skies wept with us as we headed out of town and finally arrived in Oregon to warm welcome rays of sunshine and cool breezes to comfort and refresh us.

We spent time seeing sites such as . . . Andersonville Prison Cival War Site; St. Louis; Nauvoo, IL; Carthage, IL; to mention a few.  Pictures of all those to come.

We stayed in Idaho for almost 2 weeks for a family reunion.  We relaxed, took turns preparing meals, had some hilarious activities, did some kids crafts, canoed, played ultimate, rode 4-wheelers & motorcycles, hiked, went swimming, played basketball and attended the home ward for church where all of us grew up and the men and boys shot handguns & shotguns while the girls crafted .

It had been several years since we had been back to my mom's.  She has made some wonderful changes to her home, deck and yard that we all love.  Two years ago our reunion was in Texas, so we didn't get there then.  The next year was our turn to visit John's family in Washington, so we didn't go then either.  

The kids also got to ride horses.  One was thrilled, one was not. 

And even I got to ride. 

We made a stop at Multnomah Falls just before dark as we were on our last push or leg of our LONG drive.  It is beautiful here in the Northwest.

We were able to spend a few days with John's family . . . enjoying more of the outdoors.

We did finally find our way to our new home . . .

unloaded with extra help that we were sooo grateful for . . .

We are settling in slowly but surely and getting ready for our new adventures here.

Welcome Home, Austin!

 My friend, Marji Winder surprised us with a big sign on the garage when Riley came home with yellow ribbons on the trees.  So I knew just what to do to welcome Austin home.  When she said she wanted to do it again - I said how about we do it together.  I had already enlisted Macey's help and we had the supplies.

 Marji brought her son, Kyle to add some help & height to aid us in hanging the sign and Macey had her friend, Janiel Prime over.  The more the merrier.  Can you tell from Parker's shirt why we chose the colors for our sign.

We know Austin likes Capt. America and so that prompted our color choice.  However, it fit perfectly with the fact that he is our very own Super Hero!

 Our neighbors asked if we had someone returning from the military.  Maybe the sign, maybe the ribbons or maybe the red, white & blue.  No - but returning from some place just as great and even better.  He was not just returning from serving his country but from serving his Savior, Jesus Christ.

 The custom of tying a yellow ribbon around a tree to symbolize waiting love seems to go back at least as far as the days of Nero. A recently unearthed villa (thought to be that of Nero's wife) in Pompeii and covered by the Mt Vesuvius eruption of AD 79 contains a mural depicting a man standing at a tree with a yellow ribbon tied 'round it.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_ribbon

How fitting to have the yellow ribbons, tied around the "old oak tree."  I grew up knowing, singing and coming to love old songs such as these from my dad.  We sang songs such as these around the piano for family time more times than I can count.  Good memories.  Thankful memories.

Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree
It's been two long years
Do you still want me?
If I don't see a ribbon round the old oak tree
I'll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don't see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree.

p.s.  These pictures in no way display how hot is has been.  We are all smiles!  We all needed showers by the time we were done.  Welcome soon to Florida, Austin.

Almost Time! Almost Home!

 

 From 1st year at BYU, to mission clothes shopping with the backdrop of the Rockies in Provo, UT -

 Back home to Naples, FL, a visit to the Orlando temple, saying goodbye to old friends -

 

 Back to Provo, UT to enter the MTC -

 

 

 Final farewell to family for two years -

 

 To the beauty of the Northwest to the Seattle Washington Mission -

 

 To an old rock he use to climb on and over as a youth -

 Back to the very door where we used to live in Issaquah, WA when Austin was 2-5yrs. old -

 Giving credit where credit is due - thank you!

 One of the benefits of the northwest -

 The amazing people he was able to meet and come to know -

 

 

 

 

 Birthdays away from home by moms who know how to take care of someone else's son -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What an amazing two years it has been!  These are but a few glimpses into only a few of the days in the life of our wonderful missionary - who is almost home!  Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 9:19pm into SW Florida International Airport in Ft. Myers, FL!  See you soon, son!!!