Life Goes On

In the midst of newborn craziness, life goes on. A few Saturdays back, our mission group took over a bowling alley for the most chaotic bowling experience you've ever seen. Kids far outnumbered adults.

After bowling, we moved the party to Dairy Queen where our kids laughed and laughed and ate ice cream way too close to bedtime and sang Taylor Swift songs a little too loud.

We are so blessed by these people - even the Beaver fans!

Enchanted Forest 2012

Here is this year's version of Enchanted Forest. The 2010 version happened during my blogging hiatus. And the 2011 version never happened. 

If you live in Salem, I am guessing you know what Enchanted Forest is all about. If you don't live in the area . . . well . . . I can't say that Enchanted Forest alone makes Salem worth visiting or anything. But, it's a childhood milestone, for sure. There are lots of pictures in my childhood photo albums of my many visits to the park. 

Marshall and Eliza look forward to their visit every year. Sometimes just with mom, sometimes with Gram, and sometimes with friends. This year we were so glad that we could have Lauren and Cooper join us for their first Enchanted Forest experience. And Mag-Mag came along for her second trip of this year. She's a trooper!

Marshall guiding Jameson down the Enchanted Forest path for the first time.

Cooper and Jameson with their moms. 

We were so glad you came with us Maggie! Thanks for braving the roller coaster twice.

The Enchanted Forest mascot, Chipper. 

On Your Feet Friday

There are so many things to love about this city . . . but one event combines a lot of our favorite things. On Your Feet Friday! Friends, running, Gallagher's, downtown, Venti's food, free Great Harvest bread, PTB, local shops, sunshine . . . what am I missing?

Here's how it works. The events take place on the second Friday of each month, May through October. You register in the parking lot of Pioneer Trust Bank. Get this . . . Registration is totally FREE. Just show up between 5:30-6:15 and add your name to the list.

Upon registering, you're given a passport, with each box labeled with the name of a local business or landmark. When the starting gun sounds, you run to as many of those locations as you can squeeze into 45 minutes.

Unashamedly hijacked from Conrad Venti's Instagram account

When else would you ever get to play a crazy piano overlooking the Willamette River?

Photo Credit: Eric Compton

At the end of the 45 minutes you return to the bank parking lot, turn in your passport, and receive a raffle ticket for each location you made it to. Then stick around for the raffle drawing and a party! Last night's party gave us a great chance to catch up with friends, new and old.

I was thrilled to finally meet (in person) one of my favorite interweb friends, Sarah Matheny of Peas and Thank You. She is a lawyer-turned-homemaker, a girl after my own heart. But, Sarah also happens to be an amazing author and food blogger. Go look up her Thai Fried Quinoa recipe on her blog. I promise you won't be disappointed!

It was a huge blessing to talk with another lawyer-mom who I have known for quite awhile, and to hear her story about the ways Jesus showed up in recent happenings in her life. I loved listening as she shared with so much emotion how God made His presence undeniably known. I could hear it in her voice and see it on her face. It is such an encouragement to hear that God is showing up in the practical details of friends' lives, just like I see Him show up in mine. And, I loved this woman's heart as she shared when the next trial comes along, how  easy it is to forget God's past provision and to doubt that He will show up again. Another girl after my own heart. One who loves the Lord, desires to trust Him, delights in seeing Him, and admits to the struggle of the Christian life!

Okay - back to the event details . . . For each month, Gallagher's Fitness has arranged for a different shoe company to be a shoe title sponsor. For example, last night's sponsor was New Balance. New Balance representatives are there, with shoes to try out. And they provide raffle prizes like New Balance goody bags and free pairs of New Balance shoes.

There is food donated by Venti's Cafe available to purchase for dinner. Either Gilgamesh or Seven Brides brew is also there each month. And, last night, Great Harvest Bread was there with free slices for all.

Proceeds go to Friends of Two Bridges. Friends of Two Bridges (F2B) is a non-profit group dedicated to the design and construction of the Minto Island Bridge and connecting pathways.

The event is family friendly. Strollers are welcome - Hooray! Thank you Venti family for sharing yours with us this time around!

Our kids are already begging to go to next month's event. So . . . if you're local, come run with us next month and join the party! See you there!

Trails, Hot Tubs and Baby Deer

One fabulous and fun weekend in Sunriver. 

A trail half-marathon was run. So proud of the hubs. Eliza says "I think that it was really fun for daddy running in the forest." 

Our family attempted the most ridiculously difficult craft EVER. That's not saying much - seeing as I have almost no craft-ability. Knowing my craft-deficiency, I scoured Michaels's for an easy craft to do in Sunriver. A foam rocket and a foam princess castle. Not sure why I thought these seemed easy? Ugh. Thankful that everyone was cheerful and good sports about the whole thing. Thank you, Eric, for spending your morning crafting.

Meals were shared. Marshall says, "it was really fun eating outside on the patio at 10 Barrel, even though it was really hot. It was really fun playing on Daddy's phone on Angry Birds Space. If any of you know about Angry Birds, I would want you to know that Angry Birds Space is out. I have done almost all of the levels."

Kids had fun.

Marshall says, "It was SO fun jumping in the hot tub at Sunriver, and going to the pool at Sunriver even if there's no photos of the pool."

Eliza says, "It was So So So So So fun that I got to be in the hot tub with my friends, the Ventis - Mila and Nolan, and my brother. We all love being in the hot tub, because we all have fun jumping in and out. Because we just have SO much time being together."

Marshall and Nolan turned a pile of firewood into a drum set while Eric and Conrad were at the race. Kari and I wished that we could listen in on their conversation while they were setting it up and playing the drums together. They were just a little too far away from the house for us to eavesdrop. After the boys practiced for awhile, they set up seats for everyone to watch their show. Notice their "drum sticks." Have you ever seen a better-looking audience?

The show. Marshall says, "Me and Nolan rocked out really loud like Na Na Na Na Na Na Na! Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom and a Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark! And that just made me laugh."

We also had the privilege of "baby-sitting" a fawn for the day. A sweet mama deer left her baby under a tree at the edge of our yard for the day. So sweet. We had an interesting lesson (thank you, Google) about the habits of mother and baby deer. It turns out, deer will often leave their baby for a good portion of the day while they forage for food. Which means we did not need to care for an abandoned baby deer, adopt it and bring it home to Salem,  or call a wildlife refuge to come pick it up (not that any of those things went through my mind). 

Marshall says, "It was so so so so so so so good seeing the deer, even though I didn't get any pictures with my Nintendo 3DS."

Eliza says, "It was very very fun seeing the deer. And even though I got way up close, it was still sniffing the second time I got way up close to it. And I love deer, even if I see a baby. And I love love love love love seeing deer. And I want to be a zookeeper some day with only deer in my zoo."

Eliza says, "The baby deer followed the mom and it was so funny and so cute. For the first time in my life I saw a baby deer walking with its mom."

Eliza would like me to end this blog with pink words. THE END. 

My Goshen

There were four of us back then - Jocelyn, Keira, Mary Beth and Nicole.

I had known Mary Beth since second grade; Keira since third grade; and Nicole since middle school. I cannot believe I am posting these pictures. Keira might kill me (love you Kiki). And yes. We are reading Sweet Valley High books. Uhthankyou.

Wow. Keira. You are an amazing friend to have stuck with me through that hairstyle. And yes, I am wearing black knee high socks with that dress. I have no explanation for it. None at all. 

But, we became true friends for life our junior year of high school. We were not the most likely bunch to end up together. To this day, I'm not totally sure how we all became so close. But, these girls blessed the heck out of me. 

For lack of a better description, I felt lost in early high school. Then I had my first encounter with Jesus. Sitting on the floor of Terry and Joann Watson's garage, at Young Life club, I heard the whole Gospel for the first time. I went home that night and asked Jesus to be my Savior. Right after I started following Jesus, He provided these dear girls to walk alongside me.

I have sometimes thought of our friendship as similar to the way the Lord provided Goshen for the Israelites. At the very end of Genesis, God has moved the young nation of Israel to Egypt. The Israelite brother, Joseph, had ended up a key figure in Egyptian government. Through his political power, the people of Israel escaped famine. Long before the infamous days of slavery, they were given food and beautiful, lush land to live on in a region of Egypt called Goshen.  Israel was a fledgling nation, and young its faith. Living in Goshen, Israel was less likely to be absorbed into Egyptian culture. Israel was able to grow and flourish, learning how to live as God's people. People belonging to the one, true God.

Keira, Mary Beth, and Nicole, and their collective friendship, were my Goshen. They are the best kind of friends. They don't just tolerate my imperfections, loving me in spite of them. Instead, they fully embrace my quirks and my dysfunctions and love all of who I am. Each of them encouraged me to pursue Jesus. We attended Young Life Campaigners together to study the Bible. There was no pressure to party or chase boys. I still remember Mary Beth introducing me to music like Steven Curtis Chapman (see . . . my KLOVE roots run deep). And we ate lunch together every day at Mary Beth's house, across the street from our high school. Such a safe haven to grow up in my faith.

We graduated.

Mary Beth, Nicole, our faithful Young Life leader Joann, Jocelyn, Keira

We went our separate ways in life. Keira to Santa Clara University, Mary Beth and Nicole both to Pacific Lutheran University, and me to the University of Oregon. Each of us developed new friendships. Yet, these girls remained dear to my heart. When I was leading Young Life in college, I would email high school girls' names to Mary Beth and Nicole up in Tacoma, who faithfully prayed for my ministry. And I can still laugh at the mere thought of inside jokes that Keira and I have from elementary school. Oh Keira ... Do NED 661 and "ice cream in my armpits" ring a bell? Laughing out loud as I write this.

All the while, we knew that our dear, sweet Nicole was suffering from the effects of Cystic Fibrosis. Not that we ever heard a complaint. Nicole rarely said a word about CF. She was a serious fighter. There was the reality that she had to fight. She took on the challenge with vast amounts of courage. And faith. Nicole had a fierce love for her Savior. Jesus shined through her in her struggle and in her trial.

Jocelyn, Nicole and Mary Beth at Young Life's camp, Woodleaf 

We said good-bye to Nicole in the summer of 2003. Our little group of friends here on earth is one member short. She is already in the heavenly realms with Jesus.

Today we walked in the Great Strides walk in her honor. With Nicole's family and friends we walked together. It was a rare treat to be with both Keira and Mary Beth this morning, remembering Nicole in the pouring down rain. We cannot wait to get to Heaven and hug that girl!

Keira,  Jocelyn, Jameson, Mary Beth (oh, and the back of Eliza's head is next to me. She refused to turn around.)

Compton/Cole Sunriver Takeover

Our weekend adventure to Sunriver was full of things to remember. Swimming. Lost teeth. Dr. Mario. Pirate Ships. 10 Barrel. Vultures eating roadkill. Goody's. Pretend camping. A bunkroom. Donuts. A bridge over the Deschutes. Walkie talkies. Deer poop. A random, and surprisingly awesome, museum tour. Instagram tutoring. Wii playing. Sunshine. Two families. Four adults. Five kids. One toddler. One house.

Thank you Dallas, Whitney, Carsyn, Kennedy and Lane for an epic weekend!

If you've never been to Central Oregon, this is what you've missed out on.

Photo Credit, Eric Compton

Hello. My oldest son is a ladies man. Sorry Dal and Whit. 

A pretend campfire. Five seriously creative kids. 

Some pretend sleeping under the stars. 

How Marshall lost his tooth. 

Their version of "make a funny face!"

Sweet Girls!

Before/After

Life as a toddler

Us. Dal and Whit - not sure how you escaped having your picture taken ALL weekend!

Daddy's Boy 

This pretty much sums up our High Desert Museum experience. It was so much fun. And Whitney and I decided that the tour we went on counts for at least a week's worth of homeschool! Vacation for us - woohoo! (and yes, i know Eliza's sweet little face is blurry. boohoo.)

Eliza reading everyone a bedtime story. Good Night!! Sort of . . . I mean, there were four kids sleeping in the same room. The adults said good night and turned out the light. There might have been talking for hours!