Last year DeeAnn and I were faced with some very difficult decisions as to the future of my career, as well as where we wanted to raise our expanding family. As all of you know, we ended a relationship with Huntsman and moved to Southern Oregon.
In the months prior to moving we often experienced doubts and fears that would, at times, overwhelm us. We continued to pray and trust that our decisions were for the right reasons, yet we still faced many challenges and sadness leaving a home and friends we love so much.
During the last four months we have explored a variety of career options including buying a franchise, starting a business, and, of course, working for a corporation. As with any decision they each have pros and cons, but ultimately none felt quite right.
Through a series of events and contacts, I was introduced to a career that I had never before considered, yet it seemed to make possible many of the goals we established as being important to our family.
Several months ago I began investigating this career option in earnest and over the last three weeks I began studying in order to pass the Oregon state insurance and health license exam. On Friday I passed the exam, and next week, after Memorial weekend, I will begin intensive training as an agent with New York Life.
Currently New York Life does not have a Southern Oregon office. There is, however, a seasoned agent in Medford who has offered to mentor me over the next three years. In addition, we are further blessed with my Uncle who has his own business as an established financial planner in Medford. He, too, has already provide valuable guidance and encouragement.
Already we have uncovered some excellent business opportunities as well as advanced career paths to pursue, such as financial planning, within New York Life. With that in mind, we are optimistic with respect to the future and, of course, the decisions we have made in our current journey.
On a separate note, my weekly updates will be put on hold as I will be in training the next two weeks followed by a road trip back to Southern California. I hope to resume in July with all God is doing in our lives.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
Burnt Toast
For the last few weeks we have smelled burnt toast in the late evening air. After several weeks of this aroma, we have come to realize that the fragrance was not a meal gone bad, but actually the local coffee roaster working into the evening.
It has also been our pleasure to experience the
incredible sweet flavor of strawberries grown and sold locally. I have truly never had such a sweet strawberry in my life, in fact, it is so sweet I like to call it liquid strawberry sugar. Unfortunately, I was saddened to learn that “local” may also mean grown in Redding, trucked to Medford, and sold in the roadside shack with rows of strawberries behind it! Yes its true that some times when the local crop is a bit short they import strawberries from California. Our friend Katie said, according to Sunset Magazine, "local" is a leisurely days drive. I guess with that in mind these berries are "local."
We then drove to Medford to the Art in Bloom festival and looked at the Smudge Pot Potpourri exhibit. For those that do not know what a smudge pot is used for, think of it as an outdoor heater used in orchards to keep fruit from freezing. The idea for the smudge pot exhibit came from six ladies looking for a unique way to raise funds for local artists. Since smudge pots are synonymous with agriculture in the region, and there are plenty of pots lying around, the idea took off. After the exhibit the pots are auctioned off at an event held at a local winery. Last year they auctioned 60 pots for over $150,000.
We have also witnessed the sky full of falling white tufts, blowing slowly in the breeze without a source to explain. It appears to be snowing, yet it's a warm day without a rain cloud in sight. This wonderful experience, we have since learned is the seed of the Cottonwood tree.
It has also been our pleasure to experience the
incredible sweet flavor of strawberries grown and sold locally. I have truly never had such a sweet strawberry in my life, in fact, it is so sweet I like to call it liquid strawberry sugar. Unfortunately, I was saddened to learn that “local” may also mean grown in Redding, trucked to Medford, and sold in the roadside shack with rows of strawberries behind it! Yes its true that some times when the local crop is a bit short they import strawberries from California. Our friend Katie said, according to Sunset Magazine, "local" is a leisurely days drive. I guess with that in mind these berries are "local."This weekend, along with the Thompsons, we went to Eagle Point and visited the Butte Creek Mill and local Pioneer Days festival. We had lunch overlooking the creek while listening to a bluegrass band and enjoying the quilting ladies and old tractors next to us. After lunch the boys had a physical, went through training and were successfully enlisted in the civil war. The drill sergeant explained that there were only two requirements: to have two top and two bottom teeth to tear open the powder charge and a finger on your right hand to pull a trigger. The boys had a blast and did very well listening to instructions.
We then drove to Medford to the Art in Bloom festival and looked at the Smudge Pot Potpourri exhibit. For those that do not know what a smudge pot is used for, think of it as an outdoor heater used in orchards to keep fruit from freezing. The idea for the smudge pot exhibit came from six ladies looking for a unique way to raise funds for local artists. Since smudge pots are synonymous with agriculture in the region, and there are plenty of pots lying around, the idea took off. After the exhibit the pots are auctioned off at an event held at a local winery. Last year they auctioned 60 pots for over $150,000. 
After reflecting on all that has happened this week, it is clear that we still have so much to learn and experience. Sights and sounds continue to change creating paths to be experienced all over again with the changing season.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Those Were The Best Days of My Life
Yesterday DeeAnn and I celebrated 14 years of marriage. We do not take this milestone lightly, but with pride as we reflect on the choices we have made over the years to enjoy, and at times, endure our life together. We are grateful for the love we offer each other and have seen so much growth and love learned over the last few years in particular.
One of the first commitments DeeAnn and I embarked upon in our marriage, was the selection of our dog Ruffy, over 12 years ago. Unfortunately she was in the final years of her life, and had a variety of issues including missing most her teeth and unpredictable bowel control. I talked with Gavin about putting her down and he seemed to understand that her time was up. Surprisingly, it has been Ethan who has asked the most questions ab
out when Ruffy will come home. How do you, repeatedly, tell a 2 year old that his dog is never coming back? Gavin seems to be doing well, but we did have a long conversation about why we say, “putting her to sleep.” Which then raised the questions, “Would she snore when they made her sleep,” and, “Why not just say that she would be dead.”
Thankfully, we took off to Portland for the weekend to visit some friends and family so our minds were not on Ruffy and how loud her snores might be. It was about a six hour trip including stops but we got to experience some beautiful countryside and an amazing sunset, at 8:30pm, in-between the rain and clouds.
Our primary reason for going to Portland was to go to a kids concert. Jana Alayra http://www.janaalayra.com/ writes and performs childrens songs and has an amazing personal story of survival, from a failed marriage to the death of a child. It was in such stark contrast to our own current issues, that it made us think twice about what is truly important. Specifically, little Camden has been really struggling with eating. He has barely gained weight over the last month or so, and DeeAnn has been working with a lactation specialists to help the situation. When it is time to feed he will box with his hands, cry and move his head from side to side resisting any urge to eat. We have found that he will take a bottle but the process of doing so has become a huge struggle involving both time and energy.
The funny thing is that Oregon is the leading state for breast feeding in the nation. How does somebody measure that statistic? Anyway we are doing somewhat better in the feeding department but not out of the woods yet. The lactation nurse says that often it’s two steps forward and one step back. It was a lot to take on as we drove to Portland, yet we have been blessed with so many of you praying for us and we actually had two nights when he slept through until early morning.
This trip was the first time we have been outside Southern Oregon since moving here. As we drove into Portland with the boys in back singing along with Bryan Adams song “Summer of Sixty-Nine,” and Camden screaming at the top of his lungs for the last hour, I realized that we have so much to be thankful for. What better way to celebrate 14 years of marriage than with the most important gifts He has given us, each other.
One of the first commitments DeeAnn and I embarked upon in our marriage, was the selection of our dog Ruffy, over 12 years ago. Unfortunately she was in the final years of her life, and had a variety of issues including missing most her teeth and unpredictable bowel control. I talked with Gavin about putting her down and he seemed to understand that her time was up. Surprisingly, it has been Ethan who has asked the most questions ab
out when Ruffy will come home. How do you, repeatedly, tell a 2 year old that his dog is never coming back? Gavin seems to be doing well, but we did have a long conversation about why we say, “putting her to sleep.” Which then raised the questions, “Would she snore when they made her sleep,” and, “Why not just say that she would be dead.”Thankfully, we took off to Portland for the weekend to visit some friends and family so our minds were not on Ruffy and how loud her snores might be. It was about a six hour trip including stops but we got to experience some beautiful countryside and an amazing sunset, at 8:30pm, in-between the rain and clouds.
Our primary reason for going to Portland was to go to a kids concert. Jana Alayra http://www.janaalayra.com/ writes and performs childrens songs and has an amazing personal story of survival, from a failed marriage to the death of a child. It was in such stark contrast to our own current issues, that it made us think twice about what is truly important. Specifically, little Camden has been really struggling with eating. He has barely gained weight over the last month or so, and DeeAnn has been working with a lactation specialists to help the situation. When it is time to feed he will box with his hands, cry and move his head from side to side resisting any urge to eat. We have found that he will take a bottle but the process of doing so has become a huge struggle involving both time and energy.
The funny thing is that Oregon is the leading state for breast feeding in the nation. How does somebody measure that statistic? Anyway we are doing somewhat better in the feeding department but not out of the woods yet. The lactation nurse says that often it’s two steps forward and one step back. It was a lot to take on as we drove to Portland, yet we have been blessed with so many of you praying for us and we actually had two nights when he slept through until early morning.
This trip was the first time we have been outside Southern Oregon since moving here. As we drove into Portland with the boys in back singing along with Bryan Adams song “Summer of Sixty-Nine,” and Camden screaming at the top of his lungs for the last hour, I realized that we have so much to be thankful for. What better way to celebrate 14 years of marriage than with the most important gifts He has given us, each other.
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