Neighborhood Cook Out

Saturday morning the first words out of Jesse's mouth, "The *bleep* lied again!!" He was cursing the weathermen! According to the weathermen we were suppose to have 60s and rain. We woke up to sunshine! Which is great, but apparently Jesse is a little tired of Oregon weather forecasters.

Saturday afternoon Jesse and I went to a farm and picked berries, strawberries and raspberries. While we are picking the raspberries a little boy sees me and says, "Your pretty." I say thank you and ask him why he doesn't have any berries his box. He has been eating them all!!

Pretty soon this little boy and his sister, whose teeth and face are berry-red, are now picking berries right beside me. Their Mom shows up and she is yelling at them to stop eating all the berries. The little boy asks his Mom, "Isn't she pretty?" Then it turns it to this crazy, even more awkward event. Little boy and sister start yelling... You're pretty. You're hot. You're sexy!!! Mom yells at little sister and tells her not to say that word. Mom then hollers for Dad to discipline the sister. Dad comes over and says, "I agree with her." Mom, "Did you hear what she said." Dad, "Yes." Talk about awkward moments in the berry patch.

They had goats at the berry patch.

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The best part about the complex we live in is that we know most of our neighbors! I just was telling Jesse on Friday night that I feel so comfortable here. I am not scared when he is gone because I personally know all the surrounding neighbors. Jesse told me not to worry he would get to know our new neighbors!! He is the social butterfly and that is why we know all our neighbors!

Jesse would do the smallest chores... taking the garbage out. He would be gone sometimes for 30 minutes!! He would stop and talk to anyone he saw and before we knew it we are not only neighbors but we are now friends.

All of this being said, we had a cook out because all of us are leaving. Some of us are leaving the state others are just moving to different apartments because we have new owners here and well... they are not very nice. And this is putting it nicely.

We all had a great time and I am going to miss each and everyone of them!! Here are few pictures from the party...

This is a preview of what our kids will look like... this is Faith and she is so sweet!

Sara, Liz (Faith's Mom), and me

Me, Lyn, Sara, Faith, Liz, and Kat

Zack, Justin, Jesse, Lee, Reece (The little guy), Ryan, Lee's son (Don't know him), Jesse

As you can see from the pictures most of us are in sweat shirts and jeans. The morning may have started out with sunshine but right before our BBQ we had a down pour and then it was cold.

Sunshine & Summer Time

Finally Oregon had some heat! We had two whole days of full sunshine and 80s!!!

I thought it was time for a little update:



This past week Jesse went on a 40-mile hike in the Columbia River Gorge with his school friends Ben & Jeff. I tried to get him to take the camera but he said it was adding more weight to his pack... so I don't have any pictures to share. I could take pictures of his poor blistered feet!! But I'll spare you the sight!! : ) This was a 4-day hiking/camping trip. He enjoyed his time and would love to keep up the sport of hiking. Too bad I don't think this sounds like fun at all. Anyone want to be Jesse's hiking buddy?? I am okay with the day trips but when it turns into the trips where you have to hike 12 miles, camp, use the great outdoors as your bathroom, hike another 12 miles, camp... Not my kind of fun!

Also this past week I hired my first person ever!! I was given the task at my work to hire my replacement. I succeeded after many weeks of searching for the perfect person. She started last week and she is doing great! Something really cool about my job is that I get to keep working... but from Wisconsin!! They are setting me up with a home office (just the computer & phone) and I will be able to do my job just like I am there. Pretty neat!


This girl that I hired she will be my very own secretary/personal assistant!! I like to say that I have a personal assistant... makes me feel all powerful. : ) Unfortunatly she just doesn't "belong" to me she will help all of us out. She will only work part time and she will do things that I can't because I am not physically there. Make sense? It is kind of complicated and I think I am the only one who really knows what's going on.

This week our church is having VBS (Vacation Bible School). A friend and I painted the back drop for the front of the church. This years theme had something to do with Space... I can't remember the technical name they had.

Our back drop is (in case you can't see it) the inside of a space shuttle looking out into space.
Do you see it?!!!?

I think that is everything that is new with us.
Hope the sun is shining by you!! : )

First Good Byes

Our friends from the cohort are starting to leave. Tonight we got together for some hard good byes.

I never would have imagined it would be so hard to leave Oregon. It is!! I can't explain what I am feeling... maybe I am extra emotional today because it has been a long week. But this is tough!! I am bringing home boxes from work so that my friends can pack up and leave. Maybe I should stop bringing boxes... then they can't leave!! ; )

We will all come back to Oregon in April to have graduation. That is what we are all focusing on - this is not a good bye, we'll see you in April....

I better go and focus on happy thoughts... my eyes are starting to fill with more tears...