One Year in Portland: God is Good!

 A little less than a year ago, Zac and I were getting over a very disheartening rejection letter that completely changed our plans and pointed us in a new direction...to Portland. God had a much better plan in mind, and we have witnessed His faithfulness all along - from Zac getting an interview at George Fox seminary within 24 hours of reading the rejection letter and finding a wonderful apartment home (on Craigslist!), to providing jobs that fit us perfectly (I.T. work for Zac and Children's Ministry/Children's Choir for me), to being in the right place at the right time for a family emergency, to bringing wonderful friends into our lives who just happen to live across the parking lot. God is so good! For the first time in nearly six years of marriage, we both have jobs that continue through the summer and on into the next year. What?! No job searching or dealing with the stress of unemployment for 2 years? Woot! And, to top it off, we are within 2 hours of the ocean and Mt. Hood. Faaan-tastic!

We thank God for leading us here and giving us the gift of this time in Portland. We are grateful for new friendships for us and for Zoë (she finally had a little girl over for a playdate last week!) and especially for this special season to be close to my family. It is delightful to watch my brothers be loving uncles and my mom be a wonderful grandma (sometimes I think she has more energy than I do!), and for Zoë to get to know her Aunt Mary, great aunts and uncles and cousins and great grandparents. I am soaking up every moment of this season of life.

   

Earlier this week, Zoë and I had a fun adventure with my mom, all three brothers, sister-in-law Mary and Aunt Nancy. We spent a day-and-a-half along the Oregon Coast at Fort Stevens, and were blessed with the only beautiful, sunny day this week to enjoy the warm sand, blue skies and gorgeous sunlit waves. We camped in a yurt which was perfect - it kept us dry and warm during the cool, rainy night. And there were beds. (Not gonna lie - I love tent camping, but this was pretty nice. :)

Playing on the Iredale Shipwreck with Uncle Judah

Zoë loves the beach. I mean, she really LOVES it. We spent a good portion of the day there, and she just had a blast. She was squealing and running around on the beach, chasing the waves and jumping over them, and rolling in the sand. Even after getting completely soaked (from face planting and rolling around in the waves...on purpose) and getting into a whole new outfit, she still wanted to play for a couple more hours. I love to see my girl so happy. :)

Following Uncle Kenny to the waves

Sandcastle fun with her new sand bucket kit

Beach Princess sitting on her throne

Jumping waves - a favorite activity of hers

After deciding to go swimming...

We found a really cool little Zoë-sized fort!
She enjoyed climbing around on the logs.

Check out the sand goatee!

Our lovely yurt

Rolling in the sand

Getting washed up with Uncle Corby

Sibling pic!
Uncle Kenny made a special trip from Montana to be there with all of us :)

Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with a wonderful year. Here's to another year to enjoy our Oregon home, ministry and learning, family and friends!

Butterfly Birthday

I love parties, especially birthday parties. When I was young, I used to plan my own birthday parties and make my own cakes. On my 12th birthday, I had all my friends come dressed as old ladies and we had a tea party out on the lawn with a hat-shaped chocolate cake. So fun! However, it is even better planning a party for someone else - especially when that someone else happens to be my own precious little girl.

My beautiful butterfly

Needless to say, I had an absolute blast dreaming up ideas and creating this party - and it was so fun for me to put it all together and see Zoë and our family and friends have a delightful time!

Birthday girl with her special friend, Celicia

The dream for this party: to be filled with all the things that Zoë loves - the great outdoors, our neighborhood playground, lots of people, little friends to play with, yummy treats, and of course, butterflies. 

Butterfly shaped P.b.& J's for the little ones :)

The spread - waiting for everyone to arrive

Zoë's toddler buddy, Timothy with his butterfly straw

Cupcakes! 

Timothy really liked those "caterpillars"
(Good n' Plenty, used for the butterfly bodies on the cupcakes :)

Butterfly Craft Table: butterfly masks and coffee filter butterflies

Rachel and Aunt Heidi with the Birthday Girl

Celicia's lovely mask

Where is Zoë??

Peek-a-boo!

Cousin Adon's coffee filter butterfly in progress

Zoë enjoyed coloring with Margaret, Danae and Gail
(friends from church)

Toddler Butterfly Hunt!

It was adorable watching these three search for the butterfly goodie bags
 we hid around the trees with their butterfly nets :)

"I found the last butterfly!"

Playground fun 

Since moving to Portland nearly a year ago, the most difficult part has been finding playmates for Zoë, and we really haven't had any luck with that outside of nursery at church on Sunday mornings. So, we invited her nursery friends, and it brought so much joy to my heart to see my little social butterfly giggling with glee as she pulled Celicia around the playground and had so much fun with her other young friends that came to the party. We are definitely looking forward to creating more opportunities for these friendships to blossom!

 The butterfly wings I made for Zoë using fabric scraps from newborn outfits, quilts and diaper covers that had been ruined one way or another. She refused to wear it on her birthday on Tuesday, but today enjoyed running around "flying" and sharing her wings with Celicia.

Presents!

Enjoying her gifts with Margaret

Celebrating with us today were my family, the Farner clan (above), and a few families from church. Thank you all for coming to celebrate Zoë's life with us, and lovin' on her! She certainly is one special little girl!

We continued the festivities day with a delicious dinner at Outback to treat the moms (Didi, Lola, Oma and me!), and concluded with a dance party in our living room in which Zoë demanded EVERYONE to get up and dance with her! What a perfect way to end the day - Zoë style :) 

Precious butterfly, you have transformed overnight from my little baby to a big girl!
 You are so loved!