It's been about 10 years....

...since i was last in Oregon. 

 If i remember correctly it was 2004, and mom had just busted her leg on her motorcycle. Dad and Emily and I spent a LOT of time just tubing down the slope.  It was one of the best memories i have of my dad. 
 We would race down and we would all laugh loud and hard with and at each other. 




 Well... this time was the first time I would be back... and the first time for me and Larry to go up there together.

headed to meet his folks

 one last family photo op before we head north

We left our kiddos behind with his folks and then proceeded to meet my mom, 2 sisters, and my brother in law at the airport. 

Look! we get to fly on the Mini Mouse Plane!

the token "take a picture out the window" picture

I had downloaded the 1st Harry Potter audio book for the trip.  I made it last the WHOLE plane ride (both of them!). I had also planned on watching the movies on my iPad, but the dumb thing had a spaz attack the other  day and i had to get it replaced - not giving me enough time to get the movies downloaded onto the new one.  bla!

 We finally arrived in Portland after what seemed like the longest plane ride ever (i'm sure stress had NOTHING to do with it).  All of the girls had different ideas about where we needed to go to get our rental... but, I guess, the boys DID know what they were talking about.  We found the bus to take us where we needed to go to get our awesome(?) minivan rental (that just so happened to smell like poop - eek) and headed off to Salem. 

this may or may not had been a conversation with my oldest sister on the way to the hotel

 After a fitful sleep, we finally wake up at 5:30 (7:30 texas time) and try to go back to sleep for a bit... but alas, it isn't to be... so we all get ready and eat and head off to my Aunt Jean's house. As soon as we arrived Aunt Jean hugged all of us and got us all settled.  She tried to make us drink fluffy coffee (no thanks).  Jane and Marnie showed up not much later than we did.  Then in came Granma and Jack.  It was so nice to get to spend time with Dad's brother and sisters.  It was nice to hear the stories from their points of view.  I know that dad terrorized me and my sisters... but it was really nothing compared to what he did to his siblings.  wow.  I don't think i could have survived him.




Most of the family i haven't seen since Larry and I got married. 

momma and Aunt Jean

me and Uncle Jack 

the Sanford girls 

dad's 3 siblings ~ Jack, Jane & Jean

At one point, Granma comes in waving things around and gives this to Sharon and Jeremy.  Apparently, several several years ago, Jeremy was bored (or trying to avoid petting a dog) and got this bad boy out and demonstrated some sweet Etch-A-Sketch skills. 

Here is a picture of us and our Awesome/Crazy/Drama Queen/Bird-watching granma

Anyways... 

 The memorial was wonderful. So many people to hug and love on. 

 This is the Sexton family.  Bob has always been dad's best friend.  Dad always talked about him and his family.  It was such a bitter sweet thing getting to see them.  
 Like I said, it had been at least 10 (15??) years since I last saw them... so i finally got to talk to them like an adult.  What wonderful people they all are.  I hope to carry on dad's tradition of sending random and strange gifts to them at random.  I'm already planning a few things!

 we got to spend a little bit of time with Dad's dad and Norma

 here are just a hand full of cousins

 A while back my dad made this..... 

 Strange, i know. 
 There really isn't a name for it... but he made it and sent it on up to his brother, Jack. Jack said it had a cool swampy/Texasie sound. So, he decided to play a song on it. 

So... Jack, and Dad's best friend, Bob, played a song for Dad. I was in tears the whole time just thinking about how dad would love to be there playing with them. 



It just so happened that it was also my birthday!  So, back at Aunt Jeans, they decorated and even my cousin, Jessica, made me a mouth watering chocolate cake (90% organic!). 


Larry and Jeremy were quite impressed with Alethea's whistling skills.  I think they are really gonna try to improve so that they can't be shown up by a 5 year old again.  (she really was very good and LOUD).  

Even Jane got in on the whistling action.  I think they are all planning on going to a whistling convention in Japan later this year.....















The flight home was a bit shorter than the one up there. Larry says because we had a tail wind. 
 So... it only took us 3 hours to get back to DFW. 

I think we were all ready to be back home.  We missed our kids and our homes.  We missed the Texas accent.

I will forever be glad that i got to go back up to Oregon one last time.  It wasn't the same being up there without my dad... and i don't know if i will ever have the strength to go back there without him.  But, I have made so many new and wonderful memories with his family.