Family Bonding In The Woods

A little waterfall we passed by. Wouldn't it make a great shower?

The whole crew!

Mother's Day was a memorable day for the Taylor family. Mommy got to decided what we did and she chose hiking. It was a typical spring day in the northwest, liquid sunshine sprinkled down and we didn't care. We visited the Lewis River that day, saw the lower and middle falls and enjoyed a sack lunch (especially the trading!). The whole family was there: mom, dad, my brothers, my husband, the two family dogs, the baby and sister in law. What an opportunity for bonding. We chatted, googled over the baby, enjoyed the beauty and finally returned to town for a nice dinner out.

It was a lovely time and really made me appreciate family togetherness. For us, it doesn't happen that often anymore. Ryan, Vicki and Denali are on the move every few months (hardly ever in our neck of the woods). Jake is busy working, schooling, hanging with friends and playing his weekly Saturday night gig. We have lots going on with friends and church. But on this day, we all made time for the family. It made me wonder what it would be like to live close together. I would imagine we'd be more connected, spiritually, emotionally, and more available to help and care for each other, advise, and entertain (we have a pretty interesting and funny group of people in our small family). Maybe one day we'll experience this life, if not on this earth, in heaven.Poppop and Denali stop to wave "Hi!"

Soggy Summer Camping Trip

Who says you can't have fun in the rain? We just spent the weekend (at least part of it) camping near Lower Falls on the Lewis River. This beautiful spot features lush forest, the rushing Lewis River and three picturesque water falls (pictures to follow). Our weekend endeavor included about 10 other young adults from our church. We all knew going into it that rain was in the forecast, but several soggy tents made us pack up on Saturday evening and come home to warm showers and dry beds.

Was it worth it? Yes!!! We had a great time Friday evening getting set-up, starting a campfire and enjoyed a clear dry night. Sabbath morning was dry until about 10 AM when the drizzle began. We set up our tarp fortress to stay as dry as possible and had brunch. We hiked in the rain, had an early dinner in the rain, packed up in the rain and loaded the cars in the rain. Our car still carries a little of the dampness...

BUT, the waterfalls and hike were most enjoyable as was the company. We ate well (as usual) and had a fun time visiting, chopping wood and being in the woods.

Near Miss... PHEW!

A crazy thing happened this weekend and I just had to shout out a praise to God for His protection! A friend and I were walking on our lunch break on Wednesday when we turned to see a car accident occur in the street right next to us. One older lady driving a white car came zooming across a few lanes of traffic, hopped the sidewalk and barely stopped just short of hitting a small restaurant. It was a 3-foot chicken wire fench that caught the bottom of her car. We happened to be the first responders so we rushed over to the driver to make sure she was OK, her car was turned off and 911 was notified. She was shaken up but unharmed.

This experience really made me think about how quickly life can change or end. Both me and my friend praised God for protecting us from harm. If this had occured just 10 seconds sooner, we could have been in the path of an out-of control car. But it didn't. It really makes me think about how other people's choices intersect with our own, how God is watching out for us, and how/when He can intervene and when He can't. Besides being a little jittery the rest of the afternoon, the only resididual effect was a renewed gratitude for God's great wisdom, protection and power.

Summer Fun in the NW

After a weekend like we had, it is difficult to not post a new comment! I just thought I'd give you all a taste of what summer fun in the northwest is like.

Our weekend began with a lovely dinner with friends and family. Since it was warm we had falafel, hummus, pitas, and toppings to avoid cooking and heating up our apartment. For beverages we enjoyed mago lassies, so cool and smooth! The sun was shining in our dining room window and it made the evening so lovely. To open the Sabbath we lit candles, put on some relaxing music and talked about our week. Sabbath morning was bright and sunny and we awoke to the birds singing outside. We took a short walk and then packed upt for the fun day ahead. Sabbath morning Bible study, church, lunch at Nathan and Candee's house, a drive out to Multon Falls, walking down the path shaded by trees and a fun swim in the river followed. We are so blessed by our church family and were really encouraged by the study and worship service this Sabbath. Getting outdoors just magnifieds those blessings. The beauty, the warmth, fresh air, and fun of swimming around and jumping into the river. We wrapped up the day by gathering at Mark and Marella's home to enjoy a nice supper and visiting with friends. What a full day, so much fun and fellowship!

Nikki jumping in from 15' cliff above Multon Falls on the Lewis River.

Nikki wading in the shallow area just below the cliff jumping.

Jack jumping from the cliff.

Sunday morning we headed outside again. Ultimate frisbee on the lawn was a little warm this weekend. Good thing we had a shaddy picnic area, lots of water and sunscreen and iced down drinks. We play and then ate a picnic lunch with our friends. It was getting so warm at that point, we decided to head out for the water once again. Out in Washougal there's a great swimming area on the Columbia River called Cottonwood Beach. Eight of us headed to the beach, swam in the cool river (it felt pretty close to the same temperature as the Lewis River), got some more sun, built a few sand sculptures and played and swam some more.

Jack and I headed out to wrap up our weekend with another lovely dinner with friends. This time we headed into Portland to a wonderful Cuban restaurante called Pambiche's. It was a lovely evening of cuban cuisine, catching up and getting acquainted.

After such excitement it's rather hard to return to work. However, we know that we'll have many more weekends like this to look forward to this summer.