Special Shout Out :)

There exists in this world three individuals who love me in a special kind of way. They love me with warm fuzzies, yes, but also with specific understanding with regard to my chocolate/candy addiction (yes, addiction. Admitting is the first step right?). So I simply had to come on the blog and give a big huge with all my heart THANK YOU to my big sis, Lacy and Frenchie whom in their kindness have all sent me chocolate-bearing care packages since arriving in Oregon. Frenchie's arrived today and I now posses an embarrassingly large stockpile of Theo chocolate bars - Theo is super high quality, really legit chocolate.

Jess, Lacy, Frenchie: You have seriously blessed me with your thoughtfulness. Sending my love south to the OC, Petaluma and Forestville!

BECKY GOT A JOB...!!

Well, a summer job that is. As of yesterday, I am an employee at Norris Blueberry Farms. I'll be working in the Pack House sorting blueberries, packaging blueberries, loading blueberries, shipping blueberries...and other stuff. I won't know much else until my group training day on June 1. It's fairly exciting actually, I've never done anything like it before. Everyone's also hoping I get the hookup for blueberries all summer which would be awesome! So the farm is pretty massive, like 450 acres. Last year they were the first blueberry farm in the US to ship to South Korea so I guess they go all over the world. It also sounds like I'll be working with some characters (euphemism) so it could turn out the be a pretty entertaining summer haha. I may get nights and weekends off as well which would be the bomb. All in all, it's great news. The Lord is good to us! It's pretty incredible to think that a month and a half ago we came to Oregon with nothing - no job opportunities or prospects that is and now both Jackson and I have work and our future is starting to take shape a little bit. Exciting times in the northwest.

The blueberry job will go through August and then I'm left searching again. However, I do have a possible opportunity beginning in September. Lenny teaches at a local private Christian school that focuses on classical education (classical literature, latin, etc.) and they will be hiring teacher's aides over the summer to begin fall semester. They don't have any current aides so the job is yet to be defined exactly. It sounds like it would be things like grading assignments, making copies, helping out in the classroom, keeping the kids focused and generally doing whatever to help the teachers out. The job appeals to me on numerous levels. I would really love to work with kids again especially in an environment where I could help them succeed and be a positive presence. I'm pretty good in support type rolls where I'm "behind the curtain" doing what needs to be done to make things run smoothly. Needless to say, the schedule would be unmatched: nights and weekends off, long holiday breaks, AND, oh yeah, summer's off so I could work at the blueberry farm! The timing and everything would be just about perfect. I should be able to get an interview since Lenny has the in with the headmaster. So my prayer to the good Lord right now is that this is the job for me come September.

In Jackson news, he's been making a very good impression at work with the DC Parks guys and his boss, Eddie. Our other request to the good Lord is that sometime between now and September they offer him a permanent position. If Jackson gets on permanent and I get the teacher's aide job...woah. I just might jump out the window - that would be dreams come true right there. So good things, good times, good Savior! Step by step, we're making it in Oregon :)

Two years ago today.

Jackson and I left for a European vacation. The good Lord seriously blessed us our first year of marriage with two awesome vacations - our Kauai honeymoon and the UK trip. I was all sentimental about the UK this past week because I (finally) put together the long awaited photo album/scrapbook from said trip. We kept all kinds of memorabilia like ticket stubs, informational pamphlets, etc and I added those to the book to give it a more personal touch. I had fun doing it, it's been awhile since I've had the opportunity to be artsy. Plus it was really great to fill my days with something other than job searching - if there was ever a list of things no person on this planet actually enjoys doing, job searching would def be on it right up there with waiting in line at the DMV. Next I'm setting my sights making a honeymoon photo album. For nostalgia's sake, below are just a few pics from UK 2011:



Random things we've been doing for fun as of late:

1. We've broken out the 'ole Sega Genesis and I've been playing Sonic 2 for at least a few minutes just about everyday. My personal best: 343 rings and 5 extra lives on Casino Night Zone 2. I know, I know, pretty impressive. On Saturday just for kicks and giggles we put in 'Ecco the Dolphin' where you're this little dolphin swimming around trying to avoid sea spikes, jelly fish, a giant octopus and a really strong current. It was all weirdly mystical too where these other dolphins talk to you and say things about being one with the ocean. Suffice it to say, Ecco didn't last too long in the Sega. We were kinda over it fast.

2. Our neighborhood bouncy ball games have gotten pretty intense. We found this one stretch of pavement that's quite conducive to our game and we play there when we take our evening walks. Only one casualty so far (under the fence into the neighbor's backyard). It's been so much fun I thought, hey, whenever we have friends come visit we should take them out and play!

3. Tonight while playing bouncy ball I almost stepped on a snake! Yikes. There's a reason the good Lord put enmity between the woman and the serpent. The ball went off into some bushes and as I went to get it I nearly stepped on this little guy sunning himself on the rocks. Jackson tried to corral him but he was really quick and shot off into the hole area that comes out by the gutter. We came inside to Google him up and see what he was (Striped Whipsnake).

4. On Saturday I got a 16 oz. Mocha for $1 at a Human Bean grand opening. What!

5. Last Wednesday I applied to work for the summer in the Pack House at Norris Blueberry Farms.

6. This Saturday we're making a beeline for the movie theater to see Fast & Furious 6. Yeah, I know what you're thinking...Fast 6! Can I come too?

7. I finished the 9th and final season of One Tree Hill. Nathan & Haley forever! Brooke & Julian, Clay & Quinn, I'll miss you guys too.

One of those fishing stories...

So we pretty much had our best weekend yet in Oregon. On Friday Jackson and Phil went on a fishing trip to Diamond Lake, about an hour and a half drive east. They got there early and spent the whole day. The results are below:



Wowzers, right? They caught 15 fish in like 3 hours time. I'm no fisher-person but that seems crazy to me. Apparently the daily limit is 8 per person and they caught the 16th but threw him back cause he was pretty little. Anyway, Jackson may get on here and fill in more of the details at some point. Needless to say, the two of them had some awesome father-son time together and are pretty proud of the catch. When they got home that night Lenny basically tossed like 5 of the smaller ones in a frying pan and the three of them ate up right then and there. Confession time: I actually tried a small bite myself...it was really chewy and I didn't have any more. But the look on Jackson's face when they pulled in was one I'll not forget...it was like he was a little boy again, super excited to have had a day on the lake catching fish with his dad.

Saturday was Jackson's 29th birthday. We made a pancake, bacon and egg breakfast for him in the morning, discovered a Peter John-Peter Jeananne book/gaming store in the Roseburg Valley Mall (which biggest hilights include Orange Julius and Rite Aid), ate an early dinner at Red Robin (yes please to Soft Pretzel Bites with warm cheesy dipping sauce), then went to the movies to see 'Oblivion.' Jackson enjoyed the movie, so that's all that counts ;). We had a great day :).

Yesterday he had his first day with the Douglas County Parks Department and all went well. He worked on septic, sprinklers and a broken water pipe. Pretty much sounds like a day of work at the camp haha. All the guys on the crew are in their late 40's, 50's and 60's so he's definitely the young guy on the block. I think the job will suit him just fine.

We love all our friends and family. Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. Sending our love south!!

JACKSON GOT A JOB...!!!

...with the Douglas County Parks Service as a Maintenance Technician!! He got the call yesterday and we are so so so excited for this opportunity. We feel extremely fortunate as government jobs are desirable but tough to get. He will basically be a part of a small team of guys that maintain/repair/upkeep all 54 parks, rec areas and boat launches in the county. The work is right in his wheelhouse - he's very anxious to start. This week he will be taking care of the preliminaries like background check, drug testing, physical, etc. and should be starting as early as middle of next week.

We certainly thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers. The Lord is very good! We ask you to continue praying for us as this job is "temporary-permanent" meaning only 4 months of work is guaranteed - they have a guy out on medical leave who may or may not come back. However, it could become permanent at the end of the 4 months or Jackson may dazzle them so much they allow him to transfer to another county department. We continue to rely on the Lord to meet our every need. It's a good place to be, a very good place to be.

I'm still in need of work. Not much to report, I'm pretty much coming up empty. But I'm not worried at all. Jesus holds every job in the whole world in the palm of His hand and He holds me there too. It's a good place to be, a very good place to be :)

A closing shout out to our good friends Zach and Lacy on their 3 year wedding anniversary. We love you both, think of you often and wish you a great celebration day together :)

More outdoors since I don't know when.

Most of you know Jackson and I lived in that hole in Monte Rio for one year exactly. It was basically a cave and we didn't get out much, a lot of that due to our differing work schedules where the weekends were concerned. It was a little tragic - we LOVE the outdoors even though we could both be accurately described as homebodies. So...it was concluded earlier today that in 4 weeks of Oregon-unemployed living we have spent more time actively outdoors than we did in one whole year in Monte Rio. Pretty funny or crazy or ridic or sad or something. Not sad actually, I'm very happy to be where we are now and I doubt we would have made it here (at least at this point in time) without the difficulties faced in Sonoma County.

Yesterday we went to Whistlers Bend Disc Golf Course in Glide about a 25 minute drive east towards Crater Lake. Jackson greatly enjoys disc golf and really got into it back in his college days at Simpson. He's all pro with like 10 discs and a carrying bag and everything. I had only two prior disc golfing experiences under my belt, neither of which went well. Experience #1: It's 2005 or 2006 and I'm on a horrible blind date and the guy had disced before but doesn't really take the time to teach me so I'm all over the freaking map and it's cold and muddy and windy and quite unpleasant. Needless to say there was no second date. Experience #2: It's 2009 or 2010 and I'm playing with Jackson, Eric, Sarah, and Juloshiani in Petaluma. I still don't know what I'm doing but Jackson is patiently trying to help me along. The grass is tall and it's windy and then I get this allergy attack and I'm sneezing my head off and I want to claw my eyes out they itch so bad. But of course we're on like the 9th hole or whatever way out in the cuts and I don't have my 24 hr. Claratin so I have to power through till the end. I was basically miserable. This time though it was great and we had an awesome time together. The course ran right by the Umpqua River. The weather was perfect - it was just great.



Today we decided to have our own church down by the river. We hiked a few miles on the North Umpqua Trail which (as you might guess) parallels the river. Along the way we had fun going back to our nerdy Naturalist roots (haha!) identifying the trees and undergrowth we spotted. The forest up here is dominated by Douglas Fir but in many ways looks very much like the Redwood forest in SC. So we were big nerds then found our spot along the river to stop. There was NOBODY around anywhere. Here we were hiking this well-known trail on a weekend and we only saw two people in like 3 or 4 hours. So we were practically alone out there observing the created world the good Lord put together Himself. What we saw reflected the majesty and might of our Savior.



Jackson found an awesome spot I'm sure we will revisit that has shade, a nice beach and a few great swimming holes. The water in the river is like glass! It's so clear you can see the riverbed from up on the trail. Pretty great.

We also saw Silver Linings Playbook the other night - an extremely interesting film. I thought Bradley Cooper was outstanding and Jennifer Lawrence was quite good as well. Not sure if hers was a Best Actress at the Oscars-worthy performance but she was really great. It's a need-to-see-again-to-really-absorb-all-there-is-to-absorb type movie. I didn't in the least however appreciate the crack JL's character Tiffany makes about the Eagles beating the 49ers "handily" but I was still able to overlook it. For the record, the Jim Harbaugh 49ers can and will handily beat the Chip Kelly (please) Eagles. Let's all be on the same page about that :)

With a closing comment, today is my Dad's 63rd birthday so Happy Cinco de Miko Dad! We love you very much!