Select Page
The new guest bed for those of you who will be visiting us one of these days!

This weekend we loaded up the new minivan and headed north.  Paige had a half day at school on Friday and Jeff was headed up to Tacoma for Convo on Saturday so it seemed the perfect time for a little trip to our new neighborhood in Portland. 
We arrived and headed straight to Miss P’s new school to have a tour and register her for the fall.  She’s anxious about the school year ending and we thought having a more concrete idea about her new school would be helpful.  I think it was wonderful for all of us.  As we walked through the halls of her school I felt like this was a place where we belonged.  When we left I checked out with the secretary who asked what had brought us to Sellwood.  When I explained our new start her response was an enthusiastic, “That is so cool!”  
After our tour we headed to the house and began unloading some odds and ends.  Our friends from Veneta arrived with a load in the back of their pickup and we dodged raindrops as the pieces of the swing set and our patio furniture joined the stack of items from the Sellwood UMC building in the back of the garage. As we worked our friends shared their disbelief; at the traffic, the busy street, the small lots, and the noise. For them, who dream of a house out in the country with several acres, our new setting seems like the worst thing possible.  It was helpful to laugh with them about the differences in our dreams and to be able to say that this was actually just what we wanted.
Another friend who lives nearby showed up with pizza and much needed refreshments, then we headed to Ikea to buy a bed for the guest room.  There is nothing like assembling furniture to test a friendship.  Despite breaking a nail all went well and we’ll be able to call upon our friend for the next round of home projects.
On Saturday we awoke, well rested from the new bed, and ready to explore.  As we walked the streets of our new place I couldn’t help but feel at home.  Nearly everyone we passed said hello.  We talked to people about eagles and trees, churches and coffee, making mistakes and antique drawer pulls.  I had another person respond to our new community vision with “That is so cool!”  We ate well, checked out our new grocery store, and realized that this was going to be just the right adventure for our trio.  
This weekend was the perfect reminder as we say goodbye that we are getting to say hello in the next breath to an incredible, just right opportunity.  I am more excited than ever before about the place God has brought us to and I can’t way to share that journey with you.