Team Meeting

Well, now that my last post is out of the way (you have no idea how long that has been hanging over my head!), I can move on to other news -- like the team meeting we had recently!

On Oct. 12-13, our entire team was physically together for the first time, and we enjoyed a wonderful weekend of fellowship and getting to know each other. The main purpose of our meeting was to go over the DISC personality profiles and discuss team dynamics and related issues. Dr. Carlus Gupton, an adjunct professor for HUGSR, was down for the week to teach a short course, and as the DISC is one of his "specialties," he graciously agreed to spend some time working with our team. We learned a lot about ourselves and about each other -- and about our potential strengths and weaknesses as a team. Definitely time well-spent.

Of course, all work and no play makes for an extremely dull weekend, so we made sure to build in some fun activities too! We shared meals, made icecream, played disc golf, and spent some time on Beale Street in downtown Memphis. Rusty and I feel so blessed by these developing relationships and look forward to the next time we'll all be together in November!

Rusty demonstrates perfect disc-throwing form.

Alex and Teague

Alex helps Danny and Jordan make icecream.

Angola Team (back row from left: Robert Meyer, Rusty Campbell, Danny Reese; front row from left: Teague Meyer, Jordan Yarborough, Laura Campbell, Katie Reese, Nathan Holland)

Doors

When we were forced to return to Portland a little over a year ago, our lives were in limbo for several months. After the initial crisis had passed and life began to take on a semblance of normalcy again, we started praying about and discussing the question "Where do we go from here?" We considered settling in the Northwest for a time. Rusty could get a ministry job and work on his degree long-distance. Several discouraging months passed... letters of interest were sent... and letters of rejection came back. No doors opened, not even a crack. Never even an interview.

Okay then, maybe I could get a job. Rusty could keep his part-time job at Starbucks (and the awesome benefits), and finish his degree quicker since he wouldn't be working full-time. I applied for the same job at Cascade College (my alma mater) twice... and was turned down both times. The second time, I was actually invited to apply (I don't think I would have done so otherwise). I was given an interview and had high hopes... but then the rejection letter came. A door had barely cracked, then slammed shut.

Settling semi-permanently in the Northwest didn't seem to be an option. We began to wonder if maybe God had other things in mind. Maybe "settling" was not something we were meant to do just yet. Maybe we are never meant to "settle," but that's a discussion for another time.

We began to discuss our goals, and found that they boiled down to two things. Goal #1 - Rusty needed to finish the degree he started five years ago. Goal #2 - We needed to realize our dreams for doing mission work in Africa. When we began focusing on our goals, the answer to "Where do we go from here?" seemed obvious. We needed to move back to Memphis.

Almost immediately, doors started opening left and right. We made a trip to Memphis in April and found out... that Rusty could finish his degree in 1-2 years... that there was a 2-bedroom apartment available on-campus for us... that Rusty could transfer to a Starbucks in Memphis. I was even offered a job, pending that the current employee found a teaching job (she did).

So we made the move, and now here we are in Memphis. Rusty is working, being a part-time stay-at-home dad, and taking classes. I am working, being "mom," and keeping the house. Life will be busy for at least the next 18 months, but I for one am so much happier (even though I don't necessarily enjoy being a working mother) because I feel like we have a focus and a direction.

Now for some discussion about Goal #2. Some may be wondering... Africa? Why Africa? Why not go back to Japan? Let me first say (so there is no doubt) that WE LOVE JAPAN! We spent four years there and will always look back on them as some of the best years of our lives. We forged deep friendships with special people, both Japanese and gaijin. We had some unique experiences and made many wonderful memories. We will always have a special place in our hearts for Japan and pray for the kingdom work that is being done there. (And there is not a day that goes by that we don't miss onsens!)

Well, Africa is something that has also always been on both our hearts. There is such a wrenching and tugging that goes on inside us when we think of choosing between Africa and Japan. Because, try as we might, we simply cannot be in two places at once. Several years ago, we thought we had made Africa our final choice. We made some promises. We didn't keep them. We went back to Japan instead. We have some regrets -- not about going back to Japan, because God used that year for good in so many ways -- but about not keeping our word and letting people down.

Now, nearly three years later, the doors in certain parts of Africa that once stood wide open appear to be closed, at least to us. We are disappointed... but not surprised. Life moves on. The doors God opens to us will not always remain open indefinitely. So we have spent this last year praying that He will open another door and direct our hearts to another people, another work. And He has answered in a surprising way, a way that has definitely required a major paradigm shift for both of us.

For the last several months, Rusty and I have been in prayerful discussion with a group of people who are forming a team for mission work in Angola. If you don't know much about Angola, don't worry -- we didn't either! Not many people do. That's because, for the last 40+ years (longer than we have been alive!), Angola has been embroiled in civil war. However, peace has finally come to this African nation that is twice the size of Texas, and as history has shown us, often the years of highest receptivity to the gospel are the initial years of peace following a long conflict. For more information about Angola and the team that is forming, I hope you'll visit the Angola Team website (a permanent link will be posted in the sidebar under "Mission Teams Around the World").

Rusty and I have not made a 100% firm commitment to the team as of yet. We are trying to take it slow, be prayerful, and learn from our past mistakes! However, at this point, all the signs look promising, and the door seems to be cracking ever wider. At this point, we are committed to going on the survey trip with the team next summer (2008), which in itself feels like a pretty major commitment seeing as we will have to raise over $10,000 in order to go! (Oh, me of little faith... I know God will provide as he always does. Still, it is a daunting figure.)

Please lift us before the Father as we consider this door, this amazing opportunity!

(Photo courtesy of David Schauer on stock.xchng)

"The Mom Song"

Just had to share this little video that is all the rage on YouTube right now. Turn up your speakers and get ready to laugh -- you will be in stitches by the end!

Let's All Go to the Fair!

This past Saturday, we decided to take a break from our usual activities -- which lately have involved mostly unpacking, organizing, cleaning, assembling furniture, hitting yard sales, and decorating -- and went to the Mid-South Fair. As someone who has lived 22 of my 30 years in foreign countries, I can tell you that there is nothing more quintessentially American than going to the county fair (unless it is attending a high school football game -- the two rank pretty equally in my mind).

It was a perfectly gorgeous day, as the days in Memphis this time of year tend to be (we're still enjoying summer for all you folks up north). We put Alex in his stroller and walked around for a bit, taking in the sights. Alex was especially fascinated by all the animals, especially the cows. He kept saying "Moooo. Moooo," as we walked past them. There was a special activity center for kids where they could do things like gather eggs, pick apples, dig up potatoes, and milk cows. Of course, none of it was "for real," but Alex had a good time anyway. There was also an awesome petting zoo with some really exotic animals like llamas, yaks, and camels, in addition to all the ordinary farm animals.

Of course, no trip to the fair would be complete without some of that oh-so-yummy fair food. We finished off our day with a lunch of corndogs and fresh squeezed lemonade, and an elephant ear dusted with cinnamon sugar for dessert. You can't get much more American than that!

Here are some pictures of our day:

Picking apples

Look what I found!

You want me to put my hand where?!

Giddy-up!

It's hard to tell who is having more fun here!

I love the look Alex is giving the yak in this pic!

Petting the camel

So this is a duck?

Feeding the sheep -- he wanted to try, but he would start giggling and pull his hand away when they started nibbling.

"Hey... Is your mama a llama?" (This is one of his favorite books right now.)

Mommy's Little Helper

Lately, Alex has become an eager little beaver when it comes to helping around the house. He helps me sort the laundry and push the laundry basket to the door. He helps me make the bed. He throws things in the trash, helps me pick up his toys, and if I say, "Take this to Daddy," he will run and do it. Today, we were moving a big stack of books from the hallway into our bedroom. When Rusty told him he could help us, he got so excited. He made several trips back and forth, carrying books, and when the stack was gone, he said "More? More?"

Alex also likes to "help" in the kitchen. He is not quite old enough to start doing the dishes, but sometimes I will let him stand on a chair at the sink and play with plastic cups in the water. He also has his own cupboard that is full of nothing but Tupperware and plastic containers. His favorite thing to do is to climb inside it and throw everything out onto the floor. I'm not sure how he thinks this is helping me, but he is quite industrious about it, so obviously it is something that needs done in his mind.

Now, if only I knew how to make the "helpful" stage last forever.

I'm Baaaaack!

Well, hello, everyone. I've been MIA for awhile, but I'm back now with an update on life through my eyes. Let's see, where to begin... oh, I guess I should start with the above picture. I have a big boy haircut now. I was getting a bit tired of everyone asking if I was a boy or a girl, so I had a talk with my mommy, and she agreed it was time for my first haircut (although she was sad to see all my beautiful blond curls go).

We went to a Cookie Cutters hair salon for kids. It was totally cool! They had all these cool toys and things to climb on. When it was time to get my hair cut, I sat in a car, and the lady put in a Baby Einstein video for me to watch and gave me a sucker. So far, so good. But then she started messing with my hair, and I wasn't sure I liked that too much. And then she got the clippers out, and I let her know in no uncertain terms, that I certainly didn't like those things!

Finally, it was over. She took my picture and put a lock of my hair in a little baggie for my mommy, and gave me an official "First Haircut" certificate. But I didn't care about all that -- I just wanted another sucker. Anyhow, I'm quite pleased with the results. It definitely keeps me cooler when I'm playing outside in the hot weather, and I don't get mistaken for a little girl so much. They say, "less is more," and in this case, I would have to agree. What do you think?

I have had a really fun summer. Our road trip was a blast. I got to see and do so many cool things, and I met all these people my parents say I'm related to. Now, we are living in Memphis. I really like it here. I have my own room, finally, with space for all my books and toys. I have a great big yard to run around in, and a ginormous sand-box (my mom says it is really a sand volleyball court). I also have a new friend. She lives across the courtyard from me. Her name is Mackenzie, and she just turned three. We like to play outside together and go swimming when it is hot. Sometimes, our parents trade baby-sitting, so they can go out on a date. Speaking of baby-sitting, I have a baby-sitter now that my mom has started working. She comes and plays with me two mornings a week. Her name is Miss Rachel, and we have fun together. On Wednesday, she takes me to the library for story time.

On Monday, my mom took me to the doctor for my 18-month check-up. I now weigh 26 pounds, 2 ounces, and I am 34 inches tall. That's almost 3 feet! The doctor says I am a healthy little boy. Then, I got four shots, and I did NOT like that at all! But my mom says those are the last shots I will need until I am 5, unless we go to Africa before then. I don't think I want to go to Africa, wherever that is!

That's it for now, I guess. Oh, my mom says to tell you that she updated my "Corner." Just scroll down and you'll see it in the sidebar on the right. Lots of love to everyone! -- Alex

Home

Any missionary kid will attest that the question, "Where do you call home?" is a difficult one to answer. Part of my heart will always think of Kenya as home because that's where I grew up. Now that my parents live in Michigan, I feel like I'm going home when I go up there. Something about walking into their house and seeing all the familiar objects that I grew up seeing every day (like the Egyptian table, the framed family picture with all our names and their meanings in frames surrounding it, even everyday objects like the stainless steel salt and pepper shakers) is just so incredibly soothing. Bear in mind that I never actually lived in their house in Livonia; but it still feels a little bit like home.

This last year, though, when I thought of home, a jumbled hodge-podge of images flashed through my mind. Images of our old three-bedroom house in Mississippi, just across the street from the church where Rusty worked blended with those of our spacious six-bedroom home in Japan (and mixed in from time to time were images of our first apartment in Mito). It's odd, but I still remember practically every detail of those two homes, like how the furniture was arranged, where this or that picture or decoration was hung, even what drawer housed my silverware or my collection of wooden animal napkin rings.

Lately, my thoughts of home are beginning to organize themselves around our new abode at 1000 Cherry Road. We have been here little more than a month, but already, I feel more at home here than I have since we left Japan. No offense to Rusty's family, or to the Onsomu's (who were like our second home while we were in Portland), but there is just no real substitute, as far as I'm concerned, for a place of my own, for being surrounded by my own things. Sitting on my own couch, eating dinner (cooked in my own pans) off my own dishes at my own table -- just ordinary activities, yes, but that first week we were here, I was practically revelling in those things!

It's just student housing here on campus, just a 2-bedroom, 1-bath, cinder-block apartment, but it feels like a palace to me! For the first time in over a year, I can say the words, "It's good to be home."

We Remember...

September 11, 2001

May God comfort

all those who still mourn.

Changes

Our family has been dealing with a lot of changes lately, so I decided our blog needed a face lift to reflect this. I've added and changed a bunch of stuff in the sidebar, chosen a new template, and figured out how to add a customized header. I browsed my favorite free stock photography website for a long time, trying to decide on the kind of photo I wanted. If we were still living in Japan, I would have chosen something with an Oriental flair; if in Portland, a picture of the Cascade mountains, a waterfall, or the rugged Oregon coast would have been cool. However, there just were not that many inspiring pictures of Memphis. So, I finally settled on the above picture of a winding country road. I feel like it is somehow reflective of our lives right now. We are still on a journey. (Memphis is not our final destination.) Our path doesn't stretch out straight in front of us, but twists out of sight through the trees. (We don't know yet where we will be going after this.) And I am learning, slowly, to be content with the journey I am on -- with the winding road, with the unknown, out of sight around the bend.

Anyway... back to the "changes" in our lives.

For one thing, we have a new address! Unpacking and settling into a new home is always a slow (and therefore frustrating) process for us, but we continue to make headway a little bit at a time. Along with the new address come a whole bunch of other new things -- new bank, new doctors, new pharmacist, new driver's licenses, new plates for the car, new insurance company, new phone number (still working on some of these!), and the list goes on...

Rusty is back in school, taking 6 hours (two classes) this semester. Having not taken a class in almost two years, it has taken him some time to "get his groove back." This was made more difficult by the fact that he has also been working long hours at Starbucks, trying to get in enough hours this quarter so we can maintain our benefits eligibility. Now that the quarter is almost over, he will be able to cut back on work so he can focus more on school.

I have faced some big changes as well. I am now a "working mom." (I say that somewhat facetiously, since of course all mothers work.) But, after 18 months of being a stay-at-home mom, I have re-entered the work force. This was not a decision that was made lightly, since both Rusty and I have always been committed to being a one-income family once children came along. However, the "perfect job" was offered to me, and I accepted. No, really: if I am going to work outside the home, this is the ideal situation. I am now working for Freed-Hardeman University as the Secretary in the Memphis Graduate Education Office. My office is right here on campus (where we live), alleviating the need for a second car, and making it possible for me to come home for lunch each day. My boss is extremely flexible and fun to work with; and the work itself is something I enjoy doing. Despite all of that, adjusting to working 32+ hours a week is going to take some time.

Needless to say, Alex has also faced his own set of changes as a result of my new job. He is spending two mornings a week with a baby-sitter, and a full day plus all other afternoons with his daddy. (Luckily, he still takes a pretty long nap in the afternoon, so Rusty can get some studying done!) Being the flexible, easy-going little guy that he is, he seems to be handling all this pretty well so far. In fact, it has probably been harder on Rusty and me than it has on Alex!

And that's what's new with us. Check back next week for some new pictures (I hope).

Worth Reading

Thank you for all the comments (10) on my last post. Ten comments is a record for us (never mind the fact that I made 3 of them)! We don't have a very wide "readership" here in this little corner of cyberspace. Actually, I have a sneaking suspicion that we have quite a few readers, just not a lot of people who leave comments. We call that "lurking" here in Blog-Land. So, if you've been lurking around our site, leave a comment sometime and make yourself known. And you don't have to have a Blooger/Google account in order to do so. Just click on comments, and in the little window that pops up, type your message. Then, you have to complete a word-verification (this is to prevent "comment spam" from those morons who have nothing better to do than leave their political rantings or sales pitches in the form of comments on random blogsites). If you do not have a Blogger/Google account, make sure to click "Anonymous" or "Other" (and if you click "Anonymous," please type your name in the text of your comment so we know who you are). Then, click "Publish," and you're done!

Having said all that -- onto the real purpose of this post, which is to share a couple of links to things I have read recently and thoroughly enjoyed! Yes, I know, you are all eager for updates on our life, and I promise I am working on several posts to that end (or at least, I have them in my head). So, for now, this will have to suffice.

This first link is one of those laugh-out-loud-til-your-sides-hurt-and-the-tears-roll-down-your-cheeks kind of reads. At least it was for me. Who would have thought that an auction listing on Ebay could make me laugh so uproariously?

The second link is more thought-provoking, even bordering on academic. In the midst of all the hoopla surrounding the release of the 7th and final installment in the Harry Potter series, this Christian author and professor of English gives a thoughtful and well-organized defense of the merits and religious implications of "The Youngest Brother's Tale." Definitely worth a read, especially if you are a fan of the books. Thanks to my dad for sending me this link.

I Finished!

I finally finished "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," and let me just say, IT ROCKED!!! It exceeded all my expectations for the conclusion to a fantastic series. I can't wait to see the movie because it's going to be awesome (of course not as awesome as the book, but awesome, nonetheless)! I'm looking forward to unpacking the rest of the series because I plan to read it over again from start to finish now.

I don't want to say anymore because I don't want to spoil anything for those that haven't read the book yet, but I'm dying to know what other people thought of it! Leave a comment and share your thoughts... favorite part... the thing that surprised you most... whatever. And if you haven't read the book yet, be warned -- the comments may contain spoilers, so read them at your own risk.

Trek Across North America: Conclusion

Well, last week, after almost 4 weeks on the road, three tired travelers finally reached their destination. This road trip was a lot of fun, and a nice way to transition from our time in Portland to Memphis. Still, I have to say, it sure is nice to know we won't be packing up again for awhile!

Last Sunday, Rusty preached at the church in Livonia, and did a great job! Monday was spent packing. We had purchased a small enclosed trailer the week before to haul the furniture that my parents had been storing for us down to Memphis. I didn't think we would be able to squeeze it all in, but my husband is a master packer, and in the end, all we left behind were two chairs from our dining set. On Tuesday, we said goodbye to Mom and Dad and began our drive south. After a long day of driving, we arrived in Clarksville, Tennessee, and stayed the night with Uncle Dennis and Aunt Diana Campbell. It was really great seeing them again -- and relaxing in the hot tub!


On Wednesday, after a great breakfast at Shoney's, we headed out again and arrived in Memphis about 1:30 p.m.

And that was our trip!

26 days...

4795 miles...

2 countries...

13 states...

3 Canadian provinces...

8 different beds...

14 stops at Starbucks...

4 sermons...

2 trailers...

and 1 lost hat!

Trek Across North America: Week 3

We began our third week in Coldwater, Michigan, visiting my grandparents, Dean and Ruth Clutter. Rusty preached at the church in Coldwater on Sunday morning, and we enjoyed a delicious dinner and a good visit with my Aunt Cyndi and her family that evening.

Alex and his great-grandparents

On Monday, we drove up to Livonia to spend the rest of the week with my parents and brother. We have had such a great time! Highlights have included: a trip to Cedar Point, home to some of the world's tallest, fastest roller-coasters; celebrating Matt's 21st birthday; visiting Greenfield Village; and of course seeing all the dear folks at the Livonia church of Christ, some of whom have known me since before I was born. Pictures are below.

Riding the carousel at Cedar Point

Riding the train (again at Cedar Point)

Another kiddie ride at Cedar Point

The big 2-1!

Sharing an ice-cream with Daddy at Greenfield Village

You may notice that Alex looks a little different in the last picture. Yes, while we were in Livonia, he got his first haircut! More on that later -- but doesn't he look so grown up now? And, in between all of our fun outings and family time, I have been using practically every spare moment to devour "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." (Ronda, Robbie, and Johnny -- I am now on page 350, where are you?)

Our time here in Livonia is quickly drawing to a close. Tomorrow, we will begin the last leg of our journey to Memphis, and hope to arrive there on Wednesday afternoon. Although this trip has been fun, I am looking forward to settling into our apartment and our new life in Memphis.

Trek Across North America: Week 2

Well, here we are in Livonia, Michigan, enjoying some family time with my parents and brother. Before I forget, I wanted to mention that you can see more cute pictures of Alex and Sophie (and Rusty) during our time in Montana by visiting Roxanna's blog.

The second week of our journey was spent mostly with Uncle Ken and Aunt Rae in Manson, Manitoba. The weather was extremely hot and humid (reminded me of Japan), but we had a great time anyway, and it did cool off by the end of our stay. Here are some pictures of our time there.

Rusty preached twice on Sunday -- once in town at the church his aunt and uncle attend, and the second time at this little country church. It is actually an Anglican church, but the church of Christ folks meet there every Sunday. Hard wooden pews... no electricity (read: no AC)... an outhouse for a bathroom... an old cemetery outside. I definitely felt like I had stepped back in time!

Rusty and Alex "preaching the Word"

One day, we visited the memorial garden in Manson. The town of Manson consists of this garden, an ice rink, a church of Christ, an old community center that is now Uncle Ken's woodshop, and about half a dozen houses, only half of which are lived in! Can you say, "po-dunk?"

You can tell how hot it is by Alex' red face and super-curly hair!

Another day, we visited the Antique Auto Museum in a nearby town. They had lots of really cool old cars and old farm equipment. Alex enjoyed driving the tractors and combines.

Alex and Auntie Rae playing with her snow globe

Aunt Rae's beautiful flower garden

The Canadian prairie.

We left Uncle Ken and Aunt Rae's on Thursday, July 26, and drove to Edrans, Manitoba to visit Rusty's cousin Kemmy and her family. Despite a mishap with a trailer, on loan to us from Uncle Ken (his way of making sure we HAVE to come back), we arrived safely and had a good visit.

Rusty with Kemmy and her four kids.

After a long discussion, we decided against taking the trailer (sorry, Uncle Ken, I guess you'll just have to figure out another way to get us to come back!) and repacked what we could into the van. We left Edrans at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 27. 25 hours later, we arrived in Coldwater, Michigan! We drove all through the night, a decision that was made partially for time's sake (Rusty had to preach in Coldwater on Sunday morning), and partially because we were too cheap to get a motel for just a few hours. We made it safely, but it took us several days to recover! I remember when I used to pull all-nighters in college, and let me just say -- it is not as easy as it used to be. I must be getting old or something!

And that was Week 2 of our Great Adventure!

Trek Across North America: Week 1

We have been having a great trip so far -- thanks for your prayers! No car trouble as yet... good visits with family and friends... and Alex is such a great little traveler! We are currently in Manson, Manitoba (a little town just north of the Trans-Canada highway and just east of the Saskatchewan border) with Rusty's uncle and aunt.

Here's a brief rundown of our journey so far.

We left Portland on Saturday, July 14th and drove to Kalispell, Montana. There, Alex, was reunited with his little friend, Sophie. We stayed with Sophie and her family for two nights. It was so much fun getting the kids together again!


For the first time, Alex and Sophie were actually able to play together, although they did have trouble from time to time with the whole concept of sharing. For the most part, they did pretty well, though!


Creative sharing -- Sophie sits in her doll stroller while Alex pushes her. This worked better for some reason than taking turns pushing the stroller. (Don't worry -- Alex isn't sunburned -- he just gets really red when he runs around outside in the hot summer weather!)


We went to the lake on Sunday afternoon and had a great time swimming and playing in the water.


Finger painting was a real adventure. Sophie preferred painting her own face and hair, while Alex wanted to eat the paint! Luckily, they were the non-toxic kind!


My mom has a picture of my sister and her friend Adam in a rocking chair together when they were not much bigger than Alex and Sophie. I was attempting the same level of cuteness here; unfortunately, the kids were not cooperating.

On Monday, July 16th, we drove north to Red Deer, Alberta and stayed with Rusty's cousin Gwendalee and her family for two nights. On our way, we drove through Glacier National Park. The Going-to-the-Sun Road, which cuts right through the center of Glacier, is absolutely stunning. I remember driving through the park in 1995 with my family, and it was just as breathtaking 12 years later!


At Logan Pass, we stopped and went for a hike with Roxanna and Sophie. We hiked up through alpine meadows to a spot overlooking a glacial lake (see picture above) and had a little picnic. The terrain reminded me of something out of "Heidi" or "The Sound of Music." We got to see mountain goats up really close (they crossed our path about ten feet from us).


In Red Deer, Alex enjoyed playing in the sprinkler and jumping on the trampoline with Gwendalee's kids (his second cousins). Cousin Calvin and his wife Kim drove down from Loon Lake for the day to visit with us and took us all out to dinner. We had a great time with everybody!

On Wednesday, July 18th, we drove to Regina, Saskatchewan, and stayed two nights with Rusty's cousin Christina and her family. We stopped and had a late lunch in Drumheller, Alberta. They had a great little water park with all kinds of cool sprinklers for the kids to play in. Alex had a really great time. I'll upload a video when I have a high speed connection again.


Drumheller is the home of the world's largest (man-made) dinosaur. It towers over the visitor center, where the water park was. It's quite obnoxious, really, but then again, I guess every place has to have their claim to fame.

In Regina, we went to a little park one afternoon and let Alex feed the ducks and play on the playground. Cousin Cheryl drove in from the farm with her family to have dinner with us that evening. We had a good visit with them.

On Friday, July 20th, we drove to Manson to visit with Uncle Ken and Aunt Rae for several days. We have been having a wonderful time with them. They live way out in the country in an old farmhouse on an 11-acre plot of land. Alex has been having so much fun playing in the yard, chasing the dog, digging in the sandbox, and eating raspberries that he picked right off the bush. We have been thoroughly spoiled by Aunt Rae's delicious home cooking. She makes wonderful saskatoon (like blueberries) and cherry pies -- the cherries come right off a tree in their front yard (eat your hearts out, Dad and Josh!).


I will post more pictures later -- they are calling me to come and play some 42, a dominoe game that I learned to play just a few days ago!

On the Road Again!

Our shipment is on its way to Memphis... our bags are packed... the car is loaded to the brim... goodbyes have mostly all been said. We are leaving Portland early tomorrow morning to begin our long trek across North America, and I sit here trying to absorb the reality that this is our last night in the Northwest for who knows how long.

I really have mixed feelings about leaving Oregon. On the one hand, I am excited about going back to Memphis, reconnecting with the friends we have there, getting into a place of our own, being just our family again. But on the other hand, I will really miss living here! I love the Northwest. It is such a beautiful part of the country. In fact, I can't think of any other place in the U.S. that I would rather live than here. And after having lived here for five years (four years in college and then this last year), I feel more "at home" in Oregon than anywhere else. It is where Rusty and I met, dated, got married, and started our life together, and I have always hoped that when we finally stop being global nomads, we will settle down somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.

We were supposed to leave today, but we had so much still to do that we finally decided to just stay one more night, and get an early start tomorrow. So tonight, Rusty took me to Beaches, one of our favorite restaurants in the Portland/Vancouver area. We sat outside on the deck overlooking the mighty Columbia River, felt the cool breeze as evening fell, and reflected on this last year. It has definitely been a year filled with lots of struggle and sadness -- but there have been bright spots and moments of joy, too. I had the sense that we were closing out this chapter of our lives... And I look forward to turning the page tomorrow to a new chapter!

Memphis, here we come!

A Day at the Zoo

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Amanda invited us to go to the zoo with her for FREE! She has a special pass that allows her to bring guests free of charge, so Alex and I enjoyed a day at the Oregon Zoo with Amanda and several other friends. Rusty joined us after he got off work.

Alex loved looking at all the animals. He especially liked the fish and the water animals because the aquarium windows allowed him to get up so close to them. He even got to pet a few of the animals (the domesticated ones, not the lions and tigers!). We had a picnic lunch on a grassy field, spent some time playing in a big sandbox, and then enjoyed a ride on the zoo train before going home.

Here are a few pictures of our day.







Thanks, Amanda, for a really fun day!

Baby on Board

When we were still living at Mary's house, Alex absolutely loved to watch his cousins skateboard. He would stand in the front yard, with his nose pressed up against the fence, and watch them for hours as they flew up and down the street. On this particular day, Robbie left his board in the front yard, and Alex decided to show everyone that he can skateboard too! He just adores his cousins and wants to be able to do everything they do.