Saturday, November 12, 2016

Day 1 - Houston to Embarkation

Our tummies were full, our bags packed and we were waiting for 0900 shuttle back to the Houston Airport. It was a good way to start the day. Unfortunately, our travel partner was an anti-military retirement gentlemen and I had words with him...until Michael squeezed my leg. He seems to think that "we the people" should not have to pay for "they the lazy" military's retirement.  It turns out our driver is just getting ready to go into the Navy.  He was thankful for our words and Michael also had some great encouragement to share with him.

We met all sorts of fun and interesting people on the bus and in the Carnival boarding terminal. Our early morning friend did apologize and we were friendly - well Michael is mostly friendly. I'm trying.

It was so fun to pull away from Galveston. 

I love this man! 

Loved the various vessels



The first order of the day was to begin learning where things are located on the ship. We are sailing on the Carnival Freedom. It's a 7 day cruise to the Caribbean - with port of calls in Cozumel, Belize and Mahogany Bay, Isle of Roatan.

Before we could really get down to enjoying the cruise, we all practiced mustering....3000 people racing to the lifeboats. We were informed, in case of EMERGENCY, we are to all go to our staterooms, grab out life vests and THEN go to the lifeboats. I'm imagining fighting the crowds on stairs and elevators to the room and to the 4th deck and thinking there might be a better system...
Safety Briefing was first up on Day 1

  Our room reminds us of a Japanese hotel. This is a good thing. We like things small - and it seems much bigger now that we live in The Caboose.  Truth be known, it seems huge. The big difference is we have a king size bed in our stateroom and we never had bigger than a double in Japan.

Our Japanese hotel rooms did not have cute towel animals! 


I had ordered a few sailing gifts and they were delivered. We are a bit alarmed at the noise level of our neighbors. We went up on deck and realized most had started drinking the minute they came aboard....there are a LOT of people on this ship. I'm an extrovert, Michael is an introvert - but we both craved a bit more isolation than it appeared we would have.....


It was great fun to get under way!  The Serenity Retreat is a GREAT spot to relax and watch the ocean go by. We discovered QUICKLY,  if you snag a big, shaded, double lounge and leave your shoes and water bottles on the table for a minute to take a picture at the railing -  others will JUMP RIGHT INTO THE CHAIR. Not to worry, I reached around them and retrieved my Contiga water bottle and shoes and we headed elsewhere.

We were late to dinner as we got a bit lost - had a few adventures. When we finally arrived we met Sheldon & Melinda from Waco, TX. This is their 6th cruise.  Our meal was excellent - well the vegetarian was SPICY - but the melted chocolate cake for dessert was heavenly. ::wink:: Sheldon and Melinda were happy to share their cruising tips. We began to catch a vision of how to make this a vacation with enough isolation to refresh us.

We discovered the shops and LIBRARY after dinner. This vacation is looking better all the time. Our plan is to enjoy the crowds and busyness - but then escape to our room and private balcony to read, talk, play games and relax.  

The balcony is amazing. We are so thankful to have it! 





Late at night, evidently about the time the bars close on ship, the hallways got rather noisy. My personal favorite was the couple staggering down our hallway. He was singing the National Anthem at the top of his lungs. It was a bit alarming to wake up to, but he did a fairly good job. The lady with him was screaming at the top of her lungs telling him to, "SHUT UP!" and he kept singing.

"SHUT UP - people are SLEEPING!"

He kept singing.

"SHUT UP  - there are families with kids here. Shut the BLANK BLEEP up."

He kept singing as I laughed. I'd rather my kids hear a boisterous man singing his national anthem than a woman yelling profanities - but I may be the odd man out in this opinion.


We are so appreciative of this amazing retirement gift from the Gherkins. 

Friday, November 11, 2016

We're Off!

Mom and Dad are champs and took us to the airport at 0430 this morning. We were happy to see Cory at work and get a quick hug in before we went through security. 

Our flights were fairly typical and uneventful - just as we like them to be. I did get to know a young gentlemen fairly well after being joined at the thigh for three hours. I thought it was my imagination, but Michael later confirmed the economy seats on United are quite a bit narrower than the seating in most planes we've been in.  This young man works for a non-profit which invests in and teaches renewable energy, water filtration and solutions and anything to do with climate change - in third world countries.  He has traveled extensively and had some fun travel tips we plan to employ on the cruise. As  a side note, he'd lived in Sapporo, Japan for a year. If you have to be sandwiched between your boyfriend and a complete stranger, make sure the folks are interesting. ::snort::

Jamin lives ninety minutes from Houston. He picked us up at the airport and we enjoyed spending several hours catching up with him. We shared his starring role in our parenting workshop. ::wink::  In all seriousness, Jamin has been a blessing in our lives. He actually had a life-changing role in our lives and parenting.

We drove around the area of Houston we were in - looking for somewhere to eat without bars on the windows and people outside who looked like they'd be ready to throw down. We finally settled on a KFC and then headed back to our hotel - directly under the departure corridor of the airport.

In May, Jamin will receive his second graduate degree. We are excited to travel back to TX in May. It was great to see Jamin. 

Saturday, November 05, 2016

The Tree is DOWN

There once was a giant cork elm which had taken over a significant part of Mom G's yard. It sent feeder trees throughout the land. It disrupted the neighbors fence. It also provided Mom lots of privacy.  She wanted it down. The boys and Michael have worked throughout the summer and fall. It was really TALL and thick.  There was much contemplation and discussion amongst us all and the neighbor across the fence about how to bring it down without taking out a shed or roof or some other such landmark. 

The tree is down! The final section has been felled, cut up and stacked with the rest of a growing wood pile in the upper garage! 

Good job guys! 

Stacia and I took care of some inside jobs....we cleaned bathrooms, changed sheets, did a load of laundry, vacuumed as best we could, collected garbage and recycling, while Mom G showered.

We also nailed down travel plans for our upcoming trips.  I will drive Mom to Eugene in her car when we leave.  She'll spend the rest of the month with Rebecca and we will pick her up and bring her back home after Michael's appointments the end of the month. 

Friday, November 04, 2016

#WYFF - Being with Old Friends

Totally lifted a couple of photo from Facebook for this post as I didn't take the camera. 

 Dave and Hope are college buds of ours. Dave and Michael were roommates. Hope and I were Freshman the same year.  We later connected during our assignment in Alaska, they lived in the valley at the time. Now, they're settled in this area.  They bought a cabin on some land and have done a great job refurbishing both the land and the cabin.  Nolan spent a couple of days helping with work around their home this summer. One of the projects was a patio and a hot tub. Hope had promised Nolan a soak in the tub.....
Hope and Dave and a Large dog I don't know LOL 
Tonight we all had dinner - Hope is a great cook. She and I enjoyed wonderfully grilled portobello mushrooms filled with onions and garlic, drizzled with balsamic vinegar. The rest had grilled burgers and chicken.....and PURPLE potato salad, kale/carrot salad, squash fries (all from their gardens).

The kids enjoyed a long, leisurely soak under the stars and redwoods. We enjoyed a long, leisurely visit inside their welcoming and cozy home. It was good just to "be" with old friends. It was  helpful to discuss life situations. Our plates were full; our hearts satisfied and happy when we left their home tonight.

It was a very nice end to a busy week.

#WYFF is a hash tag sponsored by Fulltime Families. For more of our #WYFF entries, click the tab below the blog header. 

Getting to the Root of the Matter

Posted by Michael 

A redwood forest is a great place to find sermon fodder.  These massive trees are a powerful testimony to the necessity of community, balance and the awesome creativity of the Creator.


It only takes a moment among the Redwoods to see the immensity of these trees.  They do not lend well to people who feel they need to be surrounded by their noise-producing "things." Instead, there is an almost mystical feeling that permeates the air as you walk as an infant among giants, but these trees whose heights reach a staggering 380 feet tall are totally dependent on their community to stay standing - which is how their Creator intended them to live.  The root system of these magnificent trees does not include a tap root.  The roots go no deeper than 20 feet, but they spread out for a hundred or more yards in every direction.  As much as one tree reaches out, all of the others do the same so, underground, there is a tangle of interlacing and interlocking roots.  It is this underground network of roots that enables these trees to withstand the occasional 40-50 mph winds that roar up and down our valley.  They are completely reliant on community to survive.  This is also why a solitary redwood tree is a dangerous thing.  Without the interlocking roots of other trees to help hold them up, they are very susceptible to falling down and very great is their fall - believe me...  This is reminiscent of the body of Christ where we, too, must live in community dependent on others even as others are dependent on us.  It is the lone ranger, the one who feels they do not need community or fellowship. Thus they are very vulnerable to temptation and falling into sin.  Community provides that support to help us live a life of faith.





As for balance, consider how you have to adjust and lean into the windy on one of those blustery days.  Now, take a moment and think about how well you would do with keeping your balance if your shoes were stuck to the ground making it so you could not move your feet. This can be a challenge if you are only human height.  Imagine trying to do this if you were over 300 feet tall.  This is the everyday feat of the Giant Redwoods.  The root system referenced above is a major player in this amazing accomplishment, but there is more to it which highlights, again, our awesome Creator's brilliance. As much as most do not view trees as sentient beings, there is something within the Redwood tree that is able to sense when the tree is out of balance.  Should a branch be knocked off by a sudden gust of wind or some other event of life, the tree may easily find itself out of balance.  From somewhere deep in the tree, a decision is made to either begin growing another branch on the same side at super-duper speed OR on the opposite side, a branch will have all of the water and other nutrients cut off so that the branch falls off in a short amount of time. In this way, the Giant Redwood is able to stand tall even through 2,000 years of wind storms, falling branches and other calamities that easily should claim their lives. Balance is maintained through either adding or subtracting, but balance must be maintained.  In our own lives, balance must be maintained even when storms come along and knock branches off of us.  Sometimes we need to add something; other times we have to get rid of something, but balance must be maintained.  This is what is meant to walk as mature believers in the faith - not subject to wild gyrations in our personal lives. So, you must be firmly rooted... in Him and established in your faith. (Col 2:7)





Thursday, November 03, 2016

Making Adjustments

Shew! Preparing for an extended time away from home - even if home is a site in an RV park - is a lot of work.  We will be leaving CA in a week and flying out of OR to TX in *8* days!  Then we'll hit the open seas for 7 days.  Our plans were set.  The kids would spend the week with BreZaak. Yuuki would spend the week with my parents.  We'd fly out the 11th and be back the 19th. We'd Thanksgiving back here with Mom G and then go to Eugene for appointments on the 28th.

 Plane tickets are purchased. Cruise transportation was booked from Houston to Galveston and back again. Shore Excursions are booked. We scoured the clearance aisles for a few pairs of shorts and capris to wear.  The VA called and added another day of VA appointments after Thanksgiving in Eugene.

I filled out the "application" to be accepted as a new patient at a doctor's here in town. Still waiting to hear if they've accepted me. I need someone to draw  labs and prescribe my thyroid meds. I had no idea how hard it would be to find a doctor in a small town.

We have been FLOODING in our spot. We have a moat on rainy days....and the spot we think we'd love came available today. We talked with the office and they will let us move into it when we come back in December. We'll go from a set electrical rate to a metered rate - but we'll be farther from the road AND the smell of fried chicken and jo-jos. We currently back up to a storage facility, which is in back of a gas station/convenience store.

Things got a bit complicated on both ends of our trip.  We are THRILLED  Michael's sister invited Mom G to spend our  time away with her.  We are working logistics. Mom G can't ride in either of our cars. If we get too many cars in OR, how will we get them all back down here? The car MUST go with her - or we can't transport her. What all do we need to do to make sure she is ready for her excursion too?

 Michael has been in discussion with a couple in FL since July. We waited for finances to line up. We contemplated our needs and if this would work. It made it through the hurricane. We contracted with an RV inspector to drive over and inspect it. He sent us a 45 page report  yesterday afternoon. He found things we'd expect to find on a 2008 motor home. He is running a test on all fluids - that will be back at the end of the week. Pending a favorable outcome, we've put down money for a purchase option/deposit on THIS big, reddish, brownish baby! It's bigger than I'd hoped for, but that comes with extra storage.

It's a Damon Astoria. It has bunks. We're looking for ways to modify or add a third bunk. We are sad to lose the back bedroom in the Caboose - but this is one I can drive - or so I've been told. I'm not a fan of RV interior design, but we can live with it for a bit.  It DOES have two couches AND the driving seats, so we'll all be able to have a comfortable seat in the living area. This will be nice for all sorts of reasons.  We'll post more photos and info when we take possession of it.
Looking from front passenger side
Looking from the front behind the driver - bathroom and beds are in the back 
We purchased our tickets with points. We'll probably have to forfeit the return trip and purchase new tickets from Houston to FL.  We'll take possession on the Monday morning after our cruise, and begin a race across America to OR.  So sad we won't be able to fill in all those states on our map!!!!! We think it will take 5- 12 hour days. It may well take longer. Michael is counting on me being able to be a great Motor Home driver. In any event we have to be back in OR for VA appointments on the 28th of November.  NOW we have to work details of insurance, rework plans for the kids, figure out what we need for that trip.  And we're dreaming in the midst of it all!  I know some will think this is frivolous - but we WANT to travel America and Michael says we've reached the point where I need to be sharing driving honors. It can't be much different than a 15 pass van.  Michael's 2 1/2 year search has come to an end.....now we need a name.....

Wednesday, November 02, 2016

Bella - Our Rainbow

Tonight was AWANA costume night for Kids on the Rock, where Bre serves as the Children's Pastor.

Here is a shot of Bre two years ago.  She's blingy and perky and in pain.  She had recently endured her second pregnancy loss.  Can you see beyond the smile to the pain in her eyes? I can. She was in a tremendous amount of emotional pain.  A reminder to look beyond the surface in our daily interactions.




Look below! God's redemptive restoration!  Bre serves tonight with a most darling little Bellaphant on her hip. 

After the pain, after the storms, through the storms - God faithfully watches over his promises to us. The rainbow follows the storm. Praising God for Bella in our lives. Bella is now 6 1/2 months old.