Oregon Adventures

A Full First Week

Sunday  was our first full day in Oregon and we filled it full!  We attended church first thing, it felt almost necessary after surviving a week travelling so far.  It was a lovely church that reminded us very much of our church in Ohio.  The girls got to help take change for a "Penny Power" which is a ministry that helps provide water accessibility to people in third world countries.

Not wasting any time at all, Ben found a car on Craigslist so he will have transportation (outside of a bicycle or dirt bike) to get to work, which is a good idea because it supposedly rains a lot here.  It's a clean '91 Honda Accord with only 90K miles on it and cost less than $2K.We are very happy with it.

End of the day swimming was an almost nightly occurrence for the first half of this week.

Later that day, Phoebe and Daddy came down with whatever I had the two days before.  :-(

We were enjoying the local warnings that it was expected to be unseasonably hot (high 80s and low 90s).  "Drink lots of water and don't overdo it," one radio announcer warned.  So, Monday, we went to the beach.

Turns out, the beach is pretty chilly, all the time.  It was windy, the water was cold and the temperature had gone from 90 in Salem to 62 in the town by the water.  With the gusts, and the cold water (which we had to touch), it felt much colder.  

We did find a bluff to hide behind and enjoy the hot sand (the only thing that was warm there).

Tuesday, we had some angels visit us and bring us cookies and cleaning supplies.  A couple from the church we visited on Sunday gave us their phone number in case we needed anything.  Monday, I called to ask for local credit union and insurance recommendations and realized that Tuesday we had all day to clean at the new rental home and no cleaning supplies (until Wednesday when everything would be delivered).  They not only loaned us what we needed, they delivered them and helped us clean for a while!   That afternoon, I went to a local curriculum swap for homeschoolers.  It was swarming with over 200 people and was just in a church's gymnasium. I couldn't believe the number of people there! 

 Later that night, that sweet couple insisted on having us over for dinner too.  The kids found a cherry tree in their back yard and were shrieking with joy, "CHERRIES!!!"  I don't think they have ever seen a cherry tree before.  :-)

 

Our angels, Phyllis and Norm Lind...and my handsome man holding cherries.

Wednesday, our household goods arrived from storage, where they had sat for a week, while we travelled across the country.  It was humbling to see how very much stuff we have.  Going from a 3000 square foot house to a 1000 square foot house is a good way to see first hand that you have too much stuff.  We filled the house and 3/4ths of the two car garage.  It was a bit sickening.

Thursday, the kids and I attended a park day with some other homeschoolers.  I forgot to take pictures, but it was lovely.  The kids connected with other kids and I definitely connected with other moms...though they might think me odd that I had pen and paper interviewing them about where to get groceries and when the farmer's markets are, etc.  This is serious business!

On the way home we picked up some local berries at a road side stand.  They were awesome!!

That evening we walked to the park down the road from our house.  The trees here are so wonderful.

 

Friday, we popped up to Portland (my first time!) to see our good friends, Matt and Elizabeth.  Matt was roommates with Ben in college. They have been living here for about nine months.   We had a picnic at one of their favorite parks.

Later, we went to some food trucks for dinner.  They cluster in flocks all over the city.  This particular flock of food trucks is all South American food from different regions.  We had some super affordable ($5) dinner from Colombia and Mexico.

While we were in Portland, poor Juni came down with an ear infection from the bug that we all had (besides our door knob licker, Ezra).  We cancelled all Saturday and Sunday plans and decided to just be home and let the kids rest.  So, on Saturday, the kids rested while the parents took everything out of the garage and took five car loads of furniture and junk to a resale shop, then lugged the big stuff to the curb for passers by to take.  We ended up getting rid of enough to be able to fit our '67 Plymouth Fury (that Ben restored in 2004) in the garage, where it belongs.  We can't have it getting rained on, now, can we?  :-)  So, the house is a mess, but the garage looks awesome!  

Sunday: We really did rest today, it's been a great first week in Oregon, but I neglected to mention how much we have all missed Ohio. Each child has had their meltdowns and moments of over-tired and overwhelmed temper tantrums.  Tuesday, in particular, I was really overwhelmed by the bigness of the city and the anonymity I felt.  Learning new roads is not my favorite past time either.  In Portland, I kept seeing faces of people that reminded me of friends in Ohio.  We are homesick, but in the midst of that, we continue to gain hope that we will find community here and that this new land will feel like home soon.