Christmas/Year End Update

Merry Christmas! You’re probably all with me in feeling like I can’t believe Christmas is already here. I’m excited! But exhausted!

My last post covered some major events and adventures of the first half of the year and part of summer. The biggest one being getting engaged. Since then, we’ve had a few more adventures, and don’t worry, we got married! We’re all adjusting to the new normal of being a family (even Arwen the Adorable cat), but more on that later. First an update of our adventures. With photos at the bottom. Feel free to skim to them if you don’t have time to read.

The biggest trip of the summer after my last post was to Oregon’s other “crater lakes”: Newberry Crater / Paulina Mountains, part of Newberry National Volcanic Monument. The national monument it sits in was our kids’ first park in the national park system. They loved it! After driving southeast to Salt Creek Falls and the other side of the Cascade mountains, we got our travel journals stamped at the park’s visitor’s center and hiked to Paulina Falls. Then we drove to the top of Paulina Peak to see the two lakes separated by a cinder cone and the swirly patterns of the Big Obsidian Flow. Next we hiked over the Big Obsidian Flow, marveling at the shiny glass rocks. Our last adventure in that area was descending into a lava tube cave, the kids’ first cave ever and Chris’ first lava tube cave. They all loved it! Except our youngest got some “lava kisses” from going too fast, and he decided to head back to the entrance. Dinner was comfort food at Cracker Barrell in Bend. We capped off the night by stargazing at the Dee Wright Observatory on the old McKenzie Pass.

My next adventure was with just our oldest girl. She and I met up with my adopted goddaughter and her husband on the southeast side of Mt. Hood for a hike to Elk Meadow. It was spectacular! Wildflowers galore with Mt. Hood looking down on them. It was a bit hairy to get there, though. We had to cross a raging creek on a log and thought we’d gotten lost after hiking longer than we thought it would take. But we got there, and were so glad. After hiking, I took my now stepdaughter to explore historic Timberline Lodge, and we got dinner at a rustic restaurant in the Welches area on the way back.

The rest of the summer was busy with wedding preparations and other summer fun. Chris and I took the kids to the Scandinavian Festival for their first time, my mom and brother and I took the kids to putt-putt and pizza, my new coworkers all headed to my old work site at the military school to volunteer for a day to get school ready for the kids, and friends and relatives held bridal showers and bachelorette parties and helped me make wedding decorations.

The wedding was great fun! We’re so grateful to everyone who helped, and especially to our friend who hosted the entire wedding at his property. He’s hosted a few weddings there for friends, but says we’re the first ones to use his treehouse as the backdrop. But it’s just so epic! My bridesmaids and flower girl and I hid in the treehouse before the wedding, and instead of marching through a gap in the audience, our processional took us across a swinging bridge. Because… why not? All my husband’s kids were in it as either junior bridesmaids, flower girl, or ringbearer. Close friends and family members were part of the wedding, too (I think my brother loved his “perch” in the treehouse to run the sound from, and he did great at deejaying the reception). Instead of a unity candle or sand, we had a Lego castle, and during the ceremony we all put mini-figs we’d made of ourselves on it. Most of our church and many relatives and friends helped with the wedding in one way or another. And we were so blessed by everyone who came. Even the Burger King Gang made it! All in all it was a fantastic day, with our only regret that we didn’t get to spend time with everyone who came.

Our honeymoon was a blast. We had booked a cabin in the Wallowa Mountains, but there was a lot of wildfire smoke there, so we canceled. We spent a couple days with friends in Madras as a base, exploring four state parks with epic views: Smith Rock (no we did not hike Misery Ridge but walked along the Crooked River), Peter Skene Ogden Wayside (where we watched people bungee jump), Cove Palisades (we watched the sunset on the rock formations), and White River Falls (Chris’ favorite of them because of the ruins of an old hydroelectric plant). Then we drove up to the Gorge where we enjoyed exploring the waterfalls and the beautiful grounds at the Columbia Gorge Hotel. The sternwheeler ride started in Cascade Locks and reminded us of the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland with its funny commentary from the captain, but with better scenery. Chris really enjoys old dams and hydroelectric plants, so we checked out the Bonneville Dam and museum. We also enjoyed visiting a beautiful Italian-style vineyard/winery in the area. On our last day, we headed home by going around Mt. Hood. From Hood River, we stopped at the Draper Girls Farm, which had a rope swing with beautiful views of Mt. Hood, delicious cider, and lots of treats for sale. Then we hiked to Oregon’s other Sahalie Falls (we in Lane County are used to visiting Sahalie Falls in the McKenzie River area). We had to climb down tree roots to the grotto with the falls, but we had the place to ourselves. Very romantic! Lastly we ate dinner at Timberline Lodge and watched the clouds roll in, signaling the end of our very summery late September honeymoon.

Then busy season at my new job went into full swing. All summer our youngest would ask “What’s on your fun list next, Jessie?” But as autumn went by, he asked it less and less as the weekends filled up with me working. It was a bit sad. I wondered if the kids felt like they’d been given a bait-and-switch busy stressed stepmom for the fun one. But we managed to find some time for fun family adventures here and there. We got a sunny day for a fall farm visit to the Northern Lights farm, where we ran around the corn maze, sipped hot cider, and ate freshly made doughnuts and elote. And then got hailed on during the hay ride to the pumpkin patch. It was marble-sized hail! But we were okay, and our oldest thought it was awesome. We made it to hike Spencer’s Butte one night after work, and reached the summit right at sunset. Right after Halloween we went to a Ducks v. Beavers women’s soccer game with our pastor and his family. Best of all: my old roommate Andrea came to visit on her road trip. She and I lived together for a year in Central Asia, and now she teaches in Turkey. The kids loved entertaining her while I worked in the evenings, and I got to show her a bit of Eugene and Springfield, including the Public House eateries and Sweet Life Patisserie. (Hey, when it’s raining here in the Willamette Valley, all there is to do for fun is eat delicious stuff!)

The holiday season has been a nice time of doing fun things around town and visiting with family. A few weeks ago we took the kids bouldering at Elevation Bouldering Gym, which they loved. Future rock climbers! We watched the military school march by in the Springfield Christmas Parade that weekend, too. Chris and I each took a vacation day last week and drove the kids north to explore the German/Swiss-themed town of Mt. Angel with my stepsister and her son, and held baby goats and painted sweatshirts at her house in Hubbard. We got to see all of our parents and siblings for Christmas in the last couple days. We’re grateful for the weather being decent for that, and are praying for the people across the continent that are facing severe winter weather conditions and lack of electricity. We are also praying for people around the world that are facing war, oppression, famine, and other traumatic conditions. Reading the news breaks my heart, but I do it so I don’t grow calloused. This time of year we hear the phrase “Peace on Earth” but so easily get distracted by our own lives that we can forget that others have difficulties far beyond ours. Please join us in praying and reflecting on what we can do to help others around the world.

Now to get a bit more personal, something I don’t do very often on here. But I started this blog when I was working in schools, and I now have a very different life. So this is a bit about the journey that my new family and I have been experiencing during this time of transition.

I’ll be honest: it’s been hard sometimes. My teacher training and experience has been invaluable. But stepping in to mother five children ages 6-14 has been tough. I make mistakes all the time. And most parents get to know their kids slowly, starting with one, while I’ve been learning the needs and personalities of all of them all at once. Fortunately I’d already bonded with them all before the wedding. But it’s still hard, now that I’m in their lives daily. And finding time to spend with their dad on top of that is difficult. They’re almost all night owls like their dad and grandparents, so by the time they’re all in bed, I’m ready to sleep, too. I feel like I’ve traded the constant nagging feeling that I have papers to grade for the constant nagging feeling that I need to do somebody’s laundry. And an interesting thing we all miss in this transition: my apartment in South Eugene. I knew that my cat Arwen and I would miss it, but didn’t realize the kids would miss visiting it. Our youngest wishes I could have kept it. For a vacation home, I guess! I miss being so close to hills and hiking trails, but there are some perks to where I now live in Springfield.

But we’re getting by. Chris is supportive and helpful (and is a great cook). Arwen has actually been very helpful for the kids in this transition. When they get stressed by each other or by me holding them accountable, it calms them to pet her. (And they use her as an excuse for everything, to hilarious results; I wish I had a nickel for every time they say “But she’s just so pretty!”). As for Arwen, she’s always been a skittish, shy cat, but she’s getting used to having 5 human siblings that fuss over her. She especially loves getting brushed a lot more often than I ever did. Busy season is almost over, so my evenings and weekends have been reclaimed. And I’m happy to have only one busy season a year in my new career instead of three of them in my teaching career. I may go back to teaching someday when the kids are older, but for now, I’m grateful for my nice quiet office job in the insurance brokerage industry. We’ve already been planning our new “Fun List” for Oregon and beyond. Our youngest has been drinking warm milk every night out of a tiny mug I got as a kid in Seattle, with a picture of a teddy bear holding the Space Needle, so he’s determined that we need to go there in this new year coming up. Washington road trip here we come! Along with Crater Lake NP, the Wallowas (Chris and I decided that the kids would have been very jealous if we’d gone up the tramway without them, so we don’t feel we missed out by not going there on our honeymoon), Oregon Caves NM, and heck, while we’re that direction, we may as well keep going into California to see the Redwoods. And of course we try to enjoy the little things in life, like playing at the neighborhood parks and watching funny cat videos together.

I’m hoping that in 2023, I’ll have more time to write in more detail about our adventures, and more time to work on my other writing projects. Best of all, more time to spend with my new family. I’m a lucky gal! I get hugs and cuddles from five precious kids, one sweet husband, and one fluffy cat, and I live in a relatively safe place. Here’s to hoping for Peace on Earth to come to places that need it. May the Prince of Peace dwell in our hearts. Merry Christmas (a day late now as I finish this, unless you’re Eastern Orthodox or celebrate all 12 Days of Christmas), and have a great new year!