Click the photo for slide showI find that I can empathize with her struggles... well, all except the part about being a talented writer. I haven't posted on this blog for a couple of months or more. It is not that my life has been uninteresting, because it has been full and rich and exciting. The problem is that by the time I think of blogging, I am either too tired, or too rushed or not in the mood. I guess, for me, the bottom line is that life is for living and not for writing about. I have never been good at keeping a journal. I last a couple of weeks and then I fade out.
So, this post is not going to update my life from the previous post until the present time. Rather it is to describe a wonderful week with my family.
About four months ago, Jill and I were talking about our wedding anniversary. This is a landmark year for us. We will have been married a decade come Thursday. We talked about a romantic, tropical getaway. We looked into Hawaii, the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, but none of them was generating enough excitement to take the fore. While we were spending a few days on the Oregon coast in our motor home, we realized that what we treasure most in life is not romantic time alone, although we do enjoy that, but rather to spend time with all of our kids and grandkids together.
A plan was hatched. We have fallen in love with Pacific City, a little resort town on the central Oregon coast. We decided that it would be the perfect celebration of our 10 years of marriage to assemble our blended family at the beach, along with some games and activities that we could all enjoy.
We floated the idea to our kids, and they all got on board. So, last week, we flew Tim and Laura and the grandsons from San Diego and Tara from Denver in for a week. Pat and Katie drove from Monmouth and we made our way a-la caravan to the coast. We rented a funky little house that is literally right on the beach. It had just enough beds and funky beach house charm to provide the perfect venue.
We stayed four days, enjoying one another's company. We played board games and games on the beach. We ate in the Pelican Brew Pub that is right on the water and has great food. The ladies went shopping at the Lincoln City outlet mall. Pat and I stayed up late one night having one of the heart to heart talks that always fill me to overflowing with parental pride and love.
On the last evening of our stay, we were all ruing the fact that our time at the beach was about to come to an end. Someone pointed out that there was a beautiful sunset in progress, so we all left the game table to go and see. While we were admiring God's handiwork, one of the kids said, "Let's do this again next year." All of us agreed with that sentiment. As we all retired to our rooms, Jill and I marveled at the incredible joy that our family shares. Even though we are a blended family, it feels to me like the fulfillment of a life long dream to have a flock of kids and grandkids to enjoy.
We came home on Wednesday, but the fun did not end. Tim had had to leave for home and his job the day before, but Laura and the boys and Tara stayed on. On Thursday we took the grandsons to Red Robin for lunch (Tara's treat) and to the Riverfront Park in Salem, where they played on an outdoor play structure and road on a beautifully restored carousel. We had ice cream and then headed home.
On Friday, Jill and I did some shopping, while Tara entertained her best friend, Sarah, and her husband, Ben, who live in Portland. When we arrived home, Jill and I joined in the fun.
On Saturday, we hosted a baby shower for Katie, who is scheduled to deliver our first granddaughter in August. While the ladies had their party, Pat and I took Josiah to another park with a friend of Pat's, whose wife was at the shower. Dave had his three year-old son, Ethan, with him. We played for an hour or so and then walked over to the pizza parlor to feed the boys (all of us boys!).
We arrived home in time to say good bye to some of the ladies, while others had already left. Next, we began gearing up for something we had promised the boys: a weenie roast on the patio, followed by fireworks on the driveway. It was the first time we have used the fire pit since we moved to Dallas, and it was a hit with young and old alike. The hotdogs were followed, of course, by s'mores. It was a good old Fourth of July celebration (even if it was on the 2nd). Before Judah and Josiah went to bed, Tara put on a rather impressive fireworks display for us.
This morning, Laura and the boys had to be at the airport at 9:00 AM. So, Jill drove them to Portland, and Tara and I went to church. It was a fun daddi-o/daughter date. We went to Tater's Cafe for breakfast after church. Jill met us there and we had a fine, if overly generous, meal.
Perhaps, the highlight of the week for me was one evening, when everyone but Jill and Laura and I had gone to bed. The three of us chatted over a glass of wine, and Laura said that she and Patrick and Tara had had a discussion, during the beach trip, in which they agreed that I had been a positive influence in all of their lives. Laura and Tara had individually and independently sent me Father's Day cards in which they wrote that I represent to each of them the kind of father figure that they wanted but never really had growing up.
I was touched to my very soul. As a man who has never produced any biological children, I have always dreamed of leaving a legacy to the next generation. Now it seems that my dream may be coming true! Thank you to all of my wonderful kids. You are the joy of my life. I could not ask for a more wonderful family.
(Pssst! Jill, I love you for helping me build such a wonderful family!)
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