in search of snow and papa

My dad is working in Central Oregon, neither Beautiful nor I had to work today so we decided to go have dinner with Papa. The path to papa led over Mt. Hood, or around it anyway so we also went in search of snow. We left around 11 in the morning to make a day of it and it really was a great day. We found some snow in piles and the boys got me with snow balls, or frozen chunks of snow from close range. Since we arrived in Madras, where my dad is working building a contraption that allows the fish to maneuver the new damn, early we decided to explore a little. We followed sign to Overlook Park but they led down some deserted looking roads. I was sure we were soon to be abducted and tortured at any moment but we eventually made it to this overlook and man was it amazing. It looked down into this canyon with a lake below and Mt. hood in the distance. We ran around playing in the brush and enjoying the lovely fall day. These are the days where we take to heart the advice of our great friend Linsey. She told Beautiful that the one thing she regretted most in her frantic job search was not taking time to enjoy the time she had. We are frantic in our job search but really enjoying the opportunity to leave at 11 AM and head over the mountain and through the brush to Papa's work we go. We had diner with Papa at the Black Bear Restaurant in Madras and the boys were thrilled. Finn screamed "Papa's here, Papa's here, I'm so excited!" and Henry stood next to him the whole night at diner laying on his shoulder and kissing him. We made the 2 hour trip back with the boys falling asleep in the back and Beautiful and I listening to some music with smiles.

Saturday with the stars

This past Saturday we had a plan to get up and out of the house by 8 for breakfast and then a trip to see the Dolphin show at the Kahala Resort. It was Kate's day to get up with the kids while I slept in so she was up and out with Henry at 6:00 to get coffee and hang out. Back at 7:30 I got up, having slept in an extra 3 hours from my usual get up time and feeling fairly good. We were still a bit late getting out of the house and our good breakfast place would have been nice at 8 but was now line around the block at 8:45. We picked up breakfast sandwiches and headed across the island. Traffic was pretty clear as we made our way to the opposite corner of the island while passing out food and Kate talked to her parents. The only real problem was that where we were going wasn't over there. Not even close. It was really just around the corner of the island from us. So back we went through Honolulu in now heavier traffic until we started heading up mountain. We had gone to far and had to turn back around, now having been in the car for 2 hours. We finally made it to where we were going with a hungry group and partially to mostly crabby Kate. We got out the stroller and walked around this beautiful hotel and down to the beach. We decided to get Lunch at the super expensive restaraunt on the beach and live it up like rock stars. I got a great steak sandwich, Kate a deluxe burger and a beer. After Lunch we got on our suits and played a little on the beach. Henry slpet, Kate layed out, and Finn and I went to see the Dolphin show. Most of the people there were Eurpopean tourists or Japanese and they thought Finn was pretty much the greatest thing ever. He got his picture taken twice and rubbed on the head at least 20 times. I don't know what Finn will be when he grows up but I have a sneaking suspicion he's going to be big in Japan. After the show we gathered up our stuff and headed back home, making it there in 15 minutes instead of the 2 hours it took coming. Finn was out before we left the hotel and Kate was in a much better mood. It was an adventure and fun and I'm glad we got out. Oh and while we were out Finn and I saw Saeed from Lost. He was just checking into the Hotel as we were coming back with our towels and suits from the car. He was walking righ in front of us but Finn didn't really care. He wanted to go back and see the turtles. That is two lost characters down and filming hasn't even started again. Hurly and Saeed are great but where is that Kate?

Wheels up on Friday

We have white walls and mostly empty rooms again. The cycle of apartment life is completing and with most of our stuff neatly divided between parents and friends we are left with a couple of suitcases, a baby cage, and a blow up mattress. Henry is sleeping on the changing table pad and a couple of blankets and Finn’s time-out chair is a 5 gallon bucket of plain white paint. 4 more days until we take off and the excitement is definitely building. This weekend we got to say, not goodbye but “See ya later” to a number of people and with each telling and re-telling of the coming months we are getting more excited. “This time next week” is the start to many of sentences and the end usually has us on the beach with a cocktail in hand. It really is an appealing picture if you think about it.

We have found that when we tell people about our plans they react in one of two ways: “What and adventure for you” or “What an act of service”. I wonder what it says about those people that fall into the different categories. Both are true and the real yin and yang of the situation. We have this amazing adventure ahead of us, living in Hawaii, looking after three boys under the age of 3, waking up in paradise to work at 5 in the morning, and exploring a beautiful place through the eyes of a toddler. I think we are getting as much, if not more then we are putting in and though the circumstances are terrible, the opportunity is once in a lifetime for our family.

New Adventures

Four weeks from today Kate, Finn, Henry, and I will board a one way flight to Hawaii for 6 months of family adventures. We have turned in our notice with the apartment, listed our car and some furniture on Craigslist, and filled out the change of address cards to send to the post office. Why are we doing this you ask? Well here is the Cliffs notes version. Kate's sister, who along with her husband is a Dr. in the Army, is getting deployed in early June to Afghanistan. Her 6 month old son and husband are staying behind in Hawaii and they asked us if we would come for 6 months to help look after the little man. I talked to my job about taking a leave of absence but they countered with working from home for that period of time and I accepted. We are heading out June 27Th until the beginning of January to live in Hawaii, help look after Jake and Scott, and live the life of carefree beach bums for as much time as we are allowed. We will be coming back to Portland at the end of this adventure hopefully with a healthy tan and beach blond hair.