Silver Falls, Oregon

While my mom was here we wanted to see as much as we could since this would be her last visit before we move. We were told about Silver falls and I'm soooo glad we took the drive and explored even though it was raining. I am convinced the PNW is magical. This place did not disappoint. I kept thinking I just need more time here. One year just was not enough in Oregon! So much to see...

Peter Iredale Shipwreck, Oregon Coast

While my mom was still here we decided to head out to the Coast for the day to see the one of the things I knew I couldn't leave without seeing.... The Peter Iredale Shipwreck.  The Oregon Coast is unlike anything in the country, it has so much beauty to offer. I normally hate driving in the car, I always have. That was completely cured in Oregon. EVERYWHERE you drove was absolutely stunning! Driving to the coast was one of my favorites. We took off and shortly into our drive in Oregon fashion it started down pouring. Living here a year now we were prepared and just kept going! We arrived and there was so serious wind power going on. The weather made for a dramatic scene, the waves were huge and the light in the sky kept changing it was fascinating! My mom and I both have the mind set of "anything for a great picture" well.... this time that almost got us, literally. We noticed other people earlier all the way out to the ship so made our way down there we too went out to get close and touch it. Well the water started coming in so we started to turn and go back towards the shore but what we didn't realize was how fast it was coming, I grabbed my mom with one arm and I held my $3000 camera as high as I could and prayed we didn't go in. First of all because my mom, she couldn't go any faster than we were and 2nd my equipment is far more than I could replace! It got deep quick as it reached my waist and the current got stronger we just held each other up and moving forward and nervously laughed and we inched our way out of the wave. Whew! I think we both held our breath on that one. Then pelleting rain hit us and we went running for a log tepee on shore. We were DRENCHED, my poor camera (what was I thinking.. the sand and water!! ugh) and all through we couldn't stop laughing. I only wish someone got pictures of us getting caught in that wave! Me and my mama have had quite the adventures together! 

It was definitely one for the books!

Runaway Boy

I swear this boy is going to give me ulcer's. As our home finding trip came to an end I was scheduled to fly home that Saturday and Seth was staying for another week to work down there (He had already started work).  When I got to the airport I found out my flight got delayed, then delayed again. It was a mess. I kept my mom updated and also Alie who was picking me up from the airport. Long story short I did not come when planned and Aiden could not process it. It had been a long few weeks with a lot of change and that was hard on him. Aiden doesn't always process things the same as others and once his switched is flipped he's gone. My mom said he was doing fine but then I didn't come home and she said it was like a switched flipped with his attitude. He stormed outside with out a coat or shoes (it's January) and it was a wet day. My mom thought he was just being Aiden and needed to cool off. When she went to check on him a few minutes later, he wasn't out front. She check on the sides of the house, the back. Nothing. She then went inside checked all of the rooms, under beds in closest's... nothing. The woman who does not panic said she started to get really nervous. She went back outside, started calling his name and looking up and down all the streets. She had just walked back in when I got home. She played it cool until my ride left and once I got in the house she look right at me and said "Aiden's missing" I laughed and thought it was a game and I had to find him. She looked at me and said "No, he's really missing. I can't find him" She explained that it had already been 15 mins. My heart dropped! I ran outside and started yelling his name. Once I had hit all the streets surrounding our immediate area and didn't see him I starting sprinting around the corner that lead out of our neighborhood screaming his name! My heart was racing. What is someone has him? What if I'm too late. Where is he right now??? Is all I could think.  There was no sign of him. As I was heading back towards the house a notice a car pull over after clearly seeing me lose my mind on the street. She was asking what was wrong and I started to tell her my son was gone when we put her arm around me and said "lacey, it's me!" it was my VT and I was in such a panic I didn't even recognize her. I just hugged her and right then two police cars rounded the corner and I saw Aiden sitting in the front seat of the first one. My heart burst! I ran over to his door and scooped him up! He just kept saying "I wanted to find you"  The police explained a lady found him near the freeway (behind our home) and stopped because he was so little and looked really cold (no shoes or coat). She put him in her car to warm him up and called the police. All I thought was I'm so glad it was her and she was a safe place for him, it could have been so different. I wanted to hug her. They had to get the whole detailed story from my mom and also her license. One of the officers was in my ward, I didn't know him too well but they decided to not get further in the investigation or press charges. They did encourage us to call them right away next time when a child is not found in the immediate surrounding. They told us it can go wrong go very easily and very fast. It was quite a welcome home! Sigh! It also really scared my mom :(  So very blessed. I am convinced that are angels that rotate shifts on him.

Mama to the rescue

I can't think of a time when my mom has not saved the day and been there for me. As we were planning our home finding trip to Texas, we had no idea what we were going to do with the kids for 5 days? While talking with my mom she totally volunteered and came out to be with them as we went to Texas. It was a sobering trip. haha. There was so much anticipation to see the area and state we had already agreed to move to. We got off the plane and it was dark, the airport was MASSIVE, as we ventured down to our rental car portal we struck up a conversation with the customer service lady helping us. She asked us if we were just visiting? We told her how we were here on a home finding trip and asked if she was from here? Her quick response of "Heavens NO! I'm just here because my job, i plan to get outta here soon" did NOT instill confidence in this move we were about to make. My heart literally started racing. We walked through the parking lot and the air stunk. The clear, misty, refreshing air of Oregon was a zillion miles away.  As we started to drive we got a dose of the massive freeway system here... An hour here and MASSIVE as already used to appropriately define two of the three things we had done.... having now been there we know that common, things really are bigger in Texas. As we drove, I could feel my eyes swell with tears. Everything was so flat, so different. Ugh! I tried to stay positive. We grabbed a bite to eat, horrible food. Along with fresh air, fresh food restaurants were also seeming to be a zillion miles away.  I held it in... it couldn't be all that bad right?!

It was a tough week. We had a jammed packed first day (Monday) we saw about 7 houses before finding one we'd even consider. It was in our budget, a good area, not the school district we wanted but still good. We made an offer it was accepted and we set up a plan to met and sign the following day since it was already at the end of the end. We got a call from our realtor the next morning telling us she didn't want to make things complicated but that a home in a the neighborhood she wanted to show us but was out of our price range just got lowered 80k. She sent us the link and we died. We decided to race over there and see it and it wasn't finished, it was missing the hardwood floors, carpet, and fixtures but even then it was amazing! It was bigger and more expensive then we planned but with the price that it was and what we were getting it didn't make sense to walk away. We signed on it hours later.

We spend the rest of the week, finalizing everything with the house, finding the boys new school and exploring. By Thursday I was bawling. It was so entirely different than where we were coming from. Both the landscape and the culture. It was hard to digest. We continued to move forward with faith. The best thing was we got to see my big brother who drove up from Austin to spend the evening with us!

 

Oregon

Now that we know we are leaving I feel like I am constantly trying to soak in every moment in this beautiful state as I can. As I drove home from getting my hair cut tonight this was my drive. I got so emotional in thinking how gets beauty like this just driving home?! Ah! It's going to be so hard to let go. I truly love it here! I hope I always remember what the air feels like.

A new Adventure

I swear I wrote one of these almost exactly one year ago.... oh wait I did. 

Here's to doing our very best to making it an adventure instead of curling up and crying... which I hopefully got out of my system last week. 

Seth has gotten an offer from Subaru that we can't turn down and it takes us to Dallas Texas. It is so good for our family and we definitely feel the Lord's hand in it, for that we are endlessly grateful. 

However leaving Oregon will be incredibly tough. Who knew the Pacific Northwest, it's experiences, beauty and people in it would completely steal our hearts in one short year.

Goodbyes are beginning to stink.