January..... the First Chapter of 2017

Reflecting over the last month, some of the events seemed as if they happened years ago.  Yet others, just yesterday.  And they were.  Time is an interesting concept, one that moves too fast for us or just not fast enough.

Brian and I were talking  and I had made the comment that I felt like it just moved right by us and nothing was accomplished.  This is a thought I tend to have about my life in general.  That time goes by and I haven't really done anything with what I have.  He looked at me and just said "really?"  I am not sure what it is, but I always feel like unless something HUGE happens, that life is just passing by.  But in reality it is not.

January brought us a week and a half of company.  Lovely Katie came and spent a week with us, during one of our worst snow storms.  During her stay, we made signs, tried a new dish, drove eight hours round trip to Portland, in a storm to pick up the kids.  Chaperoned her date, she got into an accident and best of all, went tubing in a storm!

As soon as she left, Amy made her way up to blue skies and just lovely weather.  Having a girlfriend here was just want my soul needed at the perfect time.  Between drinks over a long lunch, shopping and just hanging out, I felt recharged and ready to go another few months.

On top of our company, we started the New Year snowshoeing at Swampys, we went tubing, Skylar has started racing, first weekend she got last place, second week second to last.  Definitely improvement.  She is enjoying herself and making friends, which is worth last place every week.

We survived the worst snow storm Central Oregon has seen in twenty years, we had over four feet of snow fall in a week, roofs were collapsing, the kids missed a over a week of school and we are hoping they are out by July 4th.

With the surprise arrival of the wonderful Art of Pie cookbook, I decided to take on the challenge of baking a pie each week this year.  Pies have always been something that I have been afraid of and I am definitely learning how to master a crust.  It has been fun to be baking again and creating these masterpieces and some failures.  This month we have enjoyed Chess Pie, German Chocolate Pie, Dutch Apple Pie and Apple Cranberry.  Not ever hearing of a Chess Pie, it was by far one of my favorite.  Amy put it perfectly, like a warm gooey brownie.

Along with my 52 Weeks of Pie Challenge I signed up to do the 52 Hike Challenge.  Goal is to get outside and hike, snowshoe, run, whatever at least a mile 52 times in the year.  I had these great plans that every week I would be out there and started the year off strong snowshoeing on the first for four miles.  Then company, sickness, life got in the way.  I did get a quick mile in this weekend, so this year, 2 hikes down.  I am looking forward to getting out and exploring what is around us and might even get the courage to do a weekend hiking trip this summer. We will see!

And because I am an old lady, I have taught myself how to crochet and am working on my first beanie.  After many, many many tries and doing the same row over and over and over, I have finally gotten the hang of it and completely get why my grandma would sit and rock for hours while she created us these incredible blankets.  It is so relaxing.

Add the eight books I have read and I would have to say, this month was a great start to how life should be.  One of our main objectives for moving was to slow our lives down, enjoy the moments, what is around us and really just stop running around ragged in traffic, between having to be here and then there.  The first six months have been a hard adjustment, but honestly January has given us just what we have been looking for.   Not thinking anything could beat Fall, Winter has proven to be one of my favorite season.  I love the peace that snow brings.  There is this calm and serenity when you wake up to a fresh layer of just white everywhere.  It just seems to slow down life and make you want to just enjoy what is in front of you.  Sitting with a hot cup of coffee, in front of the fire watching it snow, there is just nothing like it.

Six Months....

We live in a town of 20,000.  Home Depot and Lowes each mark one side of town.  There is a three mile distance.  No matter where we need to go, it takes under five minutes.  The speed limit is 35 throughout our town.  Forty five on the parkway.  All fast food, except for McDonalds is located on the parkway.  Downtown is three blocks.  Camouflage and diesel trucks are the norm.  High schoolers practice tractor driving after school.

Kids are outside and unsupervised.  They are riding in back of trucks.  Hitchhikers, especially along the PCT are common and typically picked up.  People are nice and friendly and take the time to say hello and ask about your day.  No one is in a hurry.  If you are crossing the street, cars stop for you. Strangers wave as they drive by.  Everyone hunts.  We have enjoyed so much company just in the six months we have been here.

Summer was hot, but freezing cold in the mornings.  It was not unusual to start the day in the mid 30's and end up to 90.  People are everywhere.  Kids on their bikes and scooters, dogs being walked. Everyone walks by and says hello.  They make contact, they chat.  The days are long, the sun finally goes down after 9:30, work all day then, spend hours outside playing.  There are summer concerts, kayaking on the lake, stand up paddle boarding on the river.  Every road seems to lead to a new trail. This summer I hiked to lakes in the middle of the forest, glaciers on the top of a snowy ridge in July, waterfalls and lava caves.  I met thru hikers on the PCT.   Breweries are full of people, craft beers are only $4.

As you just begin to notice the days getting a little shorter, you realize the leaves are red and yellow. Fall arrives and it is magnificent.  It is brisk.  Every time you turn, you see a change in colors more beautiful than the last.  Leaves are yellow and red and green and brown and orange.  The wind picks up and they are on the street.  Watching the neighbor kids rake them up only to jump in them.  Its a sense of the closing of the season and the excitement of what will be next.

Then all of a sudden, we have snow.  And a lot of it!  Waking up in the morning to fresh snow fall is one of the most peaceful, calming experiences.  When we told people where we were moving to Oregon, the first response was always "you know it snows there right".  Yep, it does.  And it is amazing and I love it.  It is calming and peaceful and brings on a different view of nature.  We have learned how to shovel, realized that yes we do need that salt that we see every time we walk into Home Depot or Walmart.  We own ice scrapers and winter boats and more jackets than we ever thought we needed.  We have learned how to snow shoe, we have season passes to ski.  Skylar has joined the ski team.  We see snow and get excited.  Thirty degrees out seems warm, we know what negative five really feels like.  We have studded tires and a new 4 wheel drive truck.  If you take the dog out to the snow, they need ointment for their feet.  Ice boots are a thing and there is nothing like the excitement of a kid that hears snow day!

Spring will be here sooner than later and we will get to see what Oregon has to offer for entry into Summer, marking our first year here.

Our pictures show only one small part of our life here.  There is no denying it is amazing and beautiful and breathtaking. It is everything that we had wanted and dreamt of.  It is everything that we worked for two years to have.   I don't sit in traffic for two hours a day.  Brian has a garage and a 1967 Ford and builds amazing furniture and anything else I might dream of.

Kids have adjusted better than I could have hoped.  Skylar has friends, has been to a sleepover, football game and works out with the softball team.  She is on the ski team, aides first period, is taking cooking and we hardly see her.  Aidan rides the bus to and from school (for free), comes home drops his stuff and is at the park with friends.  He just got a gun and I am sure that will bring so much more excitement to our lives.

Those pictures don't show the heartache of being away from your parents and kids on Christmas.  The yearning to grab a drink with your best friend.  The need for those you love to be close.  They don't show how freaking expensive moving trucks and snow tires and forest parking passes are.  Or how much money we have left at Home Depot.  They don't show the tears from trying to adjust.  The guilt of seeing your daughter turn sixteen with no friends around.

But even with that, there is absolutely no place I would rather be.  This move, following our dreams and creating the life that we so desired has been worth every tear and penny.