Big Changes in 2023

Dale and Heather:

This year flew by quickly creating great memories, celebrating milestones, and adjusting to big changes.

We enjoy getting away at least once a month to the great outdoors. (ok, so we glamp in an RV). Most trips are at Thousand Trail locations where we have a membership, but we ventured to Indian Mary to spend time with The George family in July, and Fort Stevens to spend time with the Roberts family in September. It’s always special when we run into friends, or they come along with us. It’s an extra special treat when our adult kiddos stop by or stay for a night. If you’d like to spend some time by the fire with us, let me know and I will let you know when and where we are staying. We love most of the sites along the Oregon Coast and have enjoyed the Chehalis location as well. It’s fun to put a puzzle together and watch movies if it’s raining. Most locations have swimming pools and jacuzzi, which is a treat. We love to drive on the Oregon Coast Beach (in the sand) for miles and miles from Seaside up to Fort Stevens. One trip, we got to explore the whale that washed up on the beach. That was cool. Apart from camping, we went on two fun trips this year. We took advantage of a work conference in Arizona. The resort for the Conference was a dream and then we stayed a few extra days in Phoenix exploring Sedona up to Flagstaff and then the Apache Trail up to Tortilla Flat. It was a really nice time to get away. For Dale’s 50th birthday, we got away to Lanai where Dale spent most of his time snorkeling for hours on the beach. We enjoyed this trip with our best friends, the Obregon’s.

Apart from traveling, Dale and I binge-watched Poldark and The Durrels in Corfu. We enjoyed making homemade pizza in our pizza oven, moved Noah into Hayden’s old room, and took over his old room as an office. This little project included getting rid of the baseboard heating and installing cadets, which I am very thankful for.

Noah turned 10 this year, which was celebrated with several friends and Hannah’s delicious cupcakes. Summer was over before we knew it and school started earlier this year, which was strange because so many kiddos in 4-H go to the State fair and the AC was broke at the school while we still had weather in the upper 80’s. Noah joined the 4-H Lego Robotics club this year and wants to raise a rabbit, a chicken, and a goat. He is growing up so fast.

Dale’s Photography will be celebrating 27 years of business in February. We’ve enjoyed taking Senior, Family, Wedding, and Event photography this past year. We will be taking Santa photos on Dec. 16 with See Ya Later Organization. They have the best events. We got to participate in the Denim and Diamonds event in February and it was fabulous. The Gold tournament in August is always fun.

Big changes this year were Hayden, Hayley, and Kelly moving out. The house is now a male majority (Dale, Noah, and Tucker). It has always been female majority. This has come with new rules, apparently. Noah claimed the garage as the man cave until I reminded him about the laundry. Then he decided I could have the corner in which the washer and dryer were, along with the pantry so I could make dinner, and a table if I wanted to do crafty things while doing laundry. Isn’t he cute? To top it all off, the garage now has a bidet, and one of the boys will have to clean and maintain that bathroom since I am forbidden.

The largest change this year was Dale taking on the position of Discipleship Director at The Gate Youth Center in Independence, Oregon. This is the job Dale was created for. He enjoys mentoring the college-aged staff and loving on all the teens. He was the speaker for the Spring Retreat and absolutely loved the challenge. We recently went on a director’s retreat at Black Butte Ranch near Sisters, Oregon, and enjoyed getting to know everyone better. I don’t have a lot of news for me. I am still loving my job at MV Advancements. I will be celebrating 9 years this coming April. My hair is greyer, my eyesight is failing, and my body is slower. I am grateful to be alive. I am blessed to have my children visit often and enjoy the richness of friendships. My cuddles with my Tucker dog are super special. We have lost some special people this year and many people are battling illnesses, losses, and addictions. We may not completely understand the complexity of each situation, but our thoughts and prayers are genuine.

May this Season be filled with joy, no matter your circumstances. The girls have updates as well, please continue reading.

Hayley:

Kelly and I started the year optimistic and excited about what the future would bring. We saved up money and were looking for a place to call our own. In mid-January, we found a fifth wheel to rent. All we needed was a place to put it. Early February that all came to a crashing halt when we were t-boned. The other driver didn’t have their headlights on, and the intersection was dark. Luckily the injuries were minor and there were plenty of witnesses who witnessed it. My mom was getting ready to sell her car so dad could get a commuter vehicle, so she is selling it to us. We spent a few months saving up money again and found a private lot for the camp trailer. Finally, we got our keys and started moving in towards the end of May. It was our first place alone together since we started dating. We have done a lot of learning and growing together. Unfortunately, it had a lot of unforeseen issues. From an abandoned rat’s nest to sewage disasters, with electrical malfunctions and mold growth in between, we had our hands full, to say the least. Summer began and I enjoyed spending Friday’s hanging out with Noah. My favorite adventure was going to the Evergreen museums and experiencing them with a curious 10-year-old by my side. In October we celebrated our 2nd year of marriage and got the news that a newer, bigger, and better fifth wheel was available from the guy we were renting from. Kelly’s friends from Texas helped us move all our belongings from the old trailer to the new one. It was a very long day. Kelly celebrated another year on this planet and although she claims to be 97, some say she could still pass for 16. My sisters took me to see the Jonas brothers for my birthday, which was such a blast. It was a much-needed sister’s evening which included stopping for voodoo donuts and enjoying a fancy dinner gifted to us by my parents. Kelly and I officially finished unpacking and finally feel like we can relax in our own home. Although it’s been a rollercoaster of a year, we are so thankful for everything we have and can’t wait to see what the next year has in store.

Hannah:

How is the year almost over? It feels like 2023 just started. In February, my little sister and I volunteered at the Daddy Daughter Ball, which we have attended almost every year since it started. This year we got to scoop and serve ice cream. We really enjoyed this experience. It was great to give back. Hayden (my boyfriend, not my sister), and I bought a brand-new couch from Ashley Furniture in March. We visited Seattle for the first time. We ate great food and saw beautiful sights. We went up the space needle and visited the Museum of Pop Culture. I went wine tasting for the first time with my co-worker, my mom, a family friend, Donna, and my older sister. In May, I celebrated my 22nd birthday with a small party with my closest friends. Later in May, I made the biggest cake order yet; 13 dozen cupcakes and a small cake for a friend's wedding. In June, I made super delicious cupcakes for Noah’s 10th birthday. There weren’t any leftovers, especially after Gil, our family friend, who doesn’t even like chocolate cake, had at least 5. Hayden and I adopted a 1-year-old cat named Phoenix. She spent 9 months in animal shelters. We are happy that she is part of our family. She loves to cuddle with me and play with Hayden. In July, I bought a virtually new car with cash. A few weeks later, I woke up to the bottom of my foot being swollen. The joint had been encapsulated, but with a lot of rest, anti-inflammatory meds, and a boot, my foot is all better now. I got my first tattoo during the Dallas Crazy Dayz. A week after my foot healed, my tooth broke, so I had to get a root canal and a crown. In August my sisters and I threw my dad an awesome 50th birthday party. Most of his favorite people attended. During Summer break, every Thursday after I got off work Noah got to hang out with Hayden and me. We played video games, took him to the park, and had ice cream. In September, Hayden and I celebrated our 4th dating anniversary at the Cheesecake Factory. At the beginning of October, I dropped my phone at my desk at work and it turned into a strobe light. I couldn't use it anymore, so I had to buy a new one. I’ve made some new friends with my co-workers. My co-worker and I threw a Halloween party. It was so much fun.

Hayden:

This year, a lot of new and exciting things happened for Michael and me. At the beginning of the year, we began looking for a place together, and in March (on St Patrick’s Day) we moved into our first place together. We’ve experienced pipes bursting, rats, a fire at the entrance of our complex, multiple broken appliances, and now multiple car issues. Yet we’ve remained positive and have managed to make our home beautiful and cozy. I started a new job on May 1st at Chase Bank. I am absolutely loving it and can’t wait to see where this journey goes. Michael celebrated 2 years at MV Advancements and is continuing to love his work. We love going out on days off; whether it be the beach, a train ride in Hood River, walks downtown, or tips to Costco. I managed to keep a plant alive since this summer, which is a new record for me. Michael has been doing a great job at working out consistently, while I’ve been meal prepping and finding healthier alternatives to the foods we both love. We are thriving in our new place and this new chapter of our lives. We have made our apartment such a comfortable, healthy, vibrant, and loving home.