our adventures in oregon: a weblog

Summer…..

marceathephotogirl — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:58:24 +0000

WOW its been sooooo long since i posted! Miss you all! Been a very busy summer, as most of you know the kids and I spent the summer in San Diego. We went down to visit my Grandma, and Uncle, Aunt, and counsins as well as Tim’s mom. We wound up staying for 2 months. Loved every second… and want to share the entire trip with you all very soon. Hopefully when the kids get back to school I’ll have time to really post photos and tell you all about it.

Posted in 1

Saturday Market–Corvallis, Oregon

marceathephotogirl — Sun, 10 May 2009 03:46:36 +0000

Posted in 1

Portraits…

marceathephotogirl — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:02:18 +0000

well, that time of the year is here again… where the weather becomes actually enjoyable. Not that the seasons aren’t nice, but when spring comes around… its so nice to see the sun more often, and we even get a few ‘teasing’ days of 70 degree weather. And, well, most of you who know me, know well, that I love to take photos of my kids outside… I am not a fan of indoor flash photos. I would rather set up a camera to take a photo next to a window than to actually put my flash on my camera…. I just despise the flash that much….which I guess is something I should try to get over… maybe. But until then, rain or not, you will find me shooting as many outdoor photos as possible. I mean…. why waste all that incredible beauty by staying inside?! Here are some recent photos of Maddie and Emma and yes, you guessed it… me. I rarely get out from behind the lens to take photos of myself, but this time, I finally mustered the courage to take a few.

Posted in 1

SK8r Dude!

marceathephotogirl — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 03:44:16 +0000

Taylor…. wanting to be just like his uncle Joe…. decided to take up skateboarding recently. (yeah… that was my reaction too…. just GREAT!) So, we have been trying to have him practice…. at the local skatepark. So, Today, Tim took Emma to a concert in Portland… and I took taylor to the skatepark in Dallas so he could practice his moves…. (there really wasn’t much skating going on…..more like posing) Here’s a few photos of our adventure….Black and White seemed to capture the mood, so I went with it. Enjoy!

Posted in 1

Bridges

marceathephotogirl — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 07:58:14 +0000

Recently, I joined facebook….. a social networking site where you can revisit old friendships, make new friendships and continue current ones. I am flabbergasted (to cause to be overcome with astonishment; astound) at how quickly I have become reacquainted with many old friends… people I have known over the course of my life… (as I was recently reminded.. almost 40 years now… yikes, scary to think that much time has passed) I have lived in so many places…California, New Brunswick, Indiana, Michigan and now Oregon… and I have made friends in each of the places I have lived. Since I joined Facebook in August of last year, I have accrued some 300 friends many of which I went to High School with. I am so very fortunate to have had the chance to reconnect with so many of my former classmates and friends…in fact, Kathy, my best friend through Jr. Hi, High School and College who I had lost contact with, I have now been reunited with because of Facebook. While I did not intend for this to be a plug for Facebook, I just think its so cool to have the technology which serves as a bridge to connect my past to my present… and thus come full circle. I have never been a believer in coincidence… I believe everything happens for a reason, to serve a purpose, to cause us to grow and learn and benefit from in some fashion or another. I can say with confidence that the Lord has put each person who I have come in contact with over the course of my short life to be influential in the making of who I have become. For that, I am thankful…

“Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing!” Prov. 25:13 msg.

“Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” Prov. 27:9 msg

Posted in 1 Tagged: Bridges, facebook, friendship

Reflections

marceathephotogirl — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 06:29:46 +0000

While I don’t normally post on political issues, I felt that the historic events taking place tomorrow are inspiring and I needed to share some of my thoughts on this momentous occasion.

First, I would like to say, I did not vote for Barack Obama. I am a US citizen, and since I turned 18, I have never missed an election… that is to say, I have voted every election in the last 20 years (yes, I am going to be 38 in March). While I realize that saying this to all of you may invoke some feeling of anger toward me, I am confident that I can overcome whatever angst may be thrown my way. I feel this way because I am an American, I have the freedom to vote my conscience, regardless of what others may think of me for doing so.

I really did not post tonight because I wanted you to know how I voted, but I wanted to say something that has been welling in my heart and mind over the events of the last months since the night of the election. Regardless of how you feel about ‘President’ Obama, regardless of how you feel about the way any of the elections of any of our leaders have gone over the past several years, regardless of your liberal or conservative viewpoints, regardless of how you were raised, who you grew up with, the color of your skin, the accent that reveals where you come from, how old or young you are, you must admit that tomorrow will be a historic day for our country.

Tonight, I had the opportunity, for the first time (that I can remember) to view Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech. I thought that it would be a good thing for my kids to watch the entire speech, (which is 17 minutes long) its not too long, but I don’t know if I have ever seen it all the way through. Yes, we all have heard the most famous parts of the speech, the ones that they play over and over year after year. But, I have to say that it was amazing to sit and talk to my kids about slavery, and segregation, and black and white, and to explain to them about MLK, and the signifigance of tomorrow’s events. I was not alive during the 60’s, I do not remember, like my mom, what it was like to grow up during that time, and I am not black, so I cannot possibly know what it was/is like to have that experience.

Like I said before, I did not vote for Obama, I am a conservative. But, I will say that the night of the election, I was in awe of the feelings that welled up in my heart, of joy for all african american people who have dreamed of this day, of Martin Luther King Jr. who died for this day…. of many who have lost their lives in the struggle of racism, for all those who have fought for equality, for rights that they never thought would be theirs. We have come a long way as a nation, and we have not yet arrived, but the ‘promised land’ that Martin Luther King spoke about is a little closer today, than yesterday. History is happening all around us… lets take it all in!

I am an American, I am proud to live in the greatest country in the history of the world. Many of my friends who are conservatives did not vote for Obama, many of my friends who are followers of Jesus Christ did not vote for Obama, but certainly many of my friends who love Jesus did vote for Obama.

My friends, it matters not, because our call now, is to PRAY like we have never prayed before for President Obama. The man has just taken the weight of the world on his shoulders, and we have a biblical mandate to pray for our leaders. Tim and I tonight talked to our kids about the historical nature of what tomorrow brings, and then we prayed for President Obama. Put your political beliefs aside and join our family in praying for our nation and our President and his family.

Posted in Reflections

112

marceathephotogirl — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:10:59 +0000

Ok, so here is the Palmer’s List of a Hundred things we are thankful for…. Okay, Okay, we thought we would only be able to come up with a Hundred, but ended up with a hundred and twelve

God’s word
Computers
Emma’s friend, Maddy
Mrs. Hursh
Mrs. Peterson
Corvallis Nazarene
Katy our Children’s Pastor
Sunsets
Mountains
Lakes
Sand on the beach
Cars that we drive
School
Work
Warm feet
Water to drink
Grammy’s and Grampa’s
bed
blankets
warm running water
Coffee
Nintendo DS
Warm Coats
Slippers
Donald Duck
Stuffed Animals
Healthy Kids
Blue Skies
Clouds
Fog
Rain
Snow
Grace
Mercy
forgiveness
Jesus dying on the cross
Love
A place to call home
Pillows
Hiking trails in the woods
Big Rocks on the coast
Trees
Flowers
Birdsongs
singing and humming children
life
Adventure
Friends
Family
Michigan
1st Wesleyan Church
Grass
Lavender
Soap
Socks
Shoes
Clothing
Gloves to wear in the cold
Smiles
Hugs
Kisses
Goodnights
Goodmornings
kind words
Someone to share our lives with
Grammy and Grampa’s house
Chocolate Milk
Bagels
Facebook
Crisp cold air to breath
Feet to walk
Hands to feel
Minds to comprehend and imagine and create
Peace
knowing what we believe.
Oregon
WordPress
the ability to read
The land of the free and the home of the brave
the smell of wet asphalt
God’s sense of humor
Psalms
Joy
rivers
waterfalls
sleeping children
laughter
books
Libraries
Cameras
Music
Memories
Photographs
Sleep
a quiet house
Giggling children
the ability to learn
Swimming Pools
Knitting
Our Families who love us and put up with our quirks and shortcomings
The warm sun
The moonlight
Boardgames
Taylor’s friend Brendon
Legos
Emma’s friend Abby
Our neighbors
Our Pastor
that Jesus isn’t finished with us
that he never gives up on us
That he is faithful, and that his mercies are new every morning
that he has saved us from the pit (Psalm 103)

Posted in 1

Rainy Day

marceathephotogirl — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:59:11 +0000

It has been so rainy here in Oregon for the past 2 weeks. I thought since there won’t be any adventures for awhile that it would be good to re-cap some of our summer activities, since I haven’t had the opportunity to fill you in yet. It started in June, over Father’s Day weekend when Tim and the Kids and I spent the weekend in Vancouver, WA visiting our friends, Rob and Karen Brown. Rob is the Pastor of Vancouver Wesleyan Church. Tim and I have known Rob and Karen for our entire married life…. about 13 years now. While we had not remained in contact with them for all of that time, we have always known where they were ministering, and believe it or not, we have lived near them in 3 states. Now that we are in Oregon, we have been privileged to be able to visit them as often as possible, and on occasion Tim has been able to help them with some computer work. We are so Thankful that the LORD knows what we need, and provides it for us! He provided Rob and Karen to us at a time when we really needed friendship and encouragement. Thanks Rob and Karen for blessing us with your availability and friendship and for being there for us!

In June, over father’s day weekend, Vancouver Wesleyan Church has a Car Show. If there is something you should know about Rob is that he has a thing for Mustangs. He has owned and restored many through the years, and belongs to a car club. So, following, you will find photos of the cars from the show, if you want to view the image at a larger size, just click it.

Posted in 1

roloff farms: little people, BIG world

marceathephotogirl — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:52:41 +0000

Only Days after posting our trip to the coast, here I am again, posting another adventure. This past weekend our kids group at church had a day trip to Roloff Farms. YES, it is the farm of the Roloff Family from ‘TLC’s Little People Big World’. Taylor, Emma, Maddie and I drove about an hour or so just west of Portland to the really little town of Helvetia, OR. This was a MAJOR excitement for Emma, who loves the tv show. She especially likes Jeremy and Molly. So, for the whole time (until the end of our day) I let her take the photos to post on our blog, she did a great job, other than some minor adjustments, the photos turned out great! If you like them, leave her some good comments!

The Roloff Home with the new addition

About a half mile from the Farm, the traffic started to back up, and there was even sherriff patrols to direct traffic and keep everyone in line. It took us an hour to drive just a half mile. And when we left, the line was backed up to the same place. The Roloffs seem very down to earth, they were around the farm working, hosting tours and doing photo ops with visitors … while we were on the farm we saw Amy, Matt, Zack, Jeremy and Molly. We didn’t see Jacob anywhere. We also saw Grandma and Grampa Roloff. Jeremy drove the tractor on our hay ride tour.

the hundred year old barn–

Matt Roloff and the Mule in the driveway

Amy Roloff taking a photo with just a few of the MANY visitors there

Jeremy Roloff, our tractor tour driver

Molly Roloff

Zac Roloff

Grandma and Grandpa Roloff (Matt's Parents)

Checking you out with my 'binoculars'

Scary Jack-o-Lantern Faces

As you can see, we had a great time at the Roloff’s Farm! The kids even shared their Scary Jack-o-Lantern Faces with me for a photo. Hope you enjoyed our Trip to the Roloff Farm, maybe next fall, you can visit and join us for a trip there yourself!

Posted in Little People Big World Tagged: Helvetia, Little People Big World, Roloff Farm, TLC

Coast Day Two

marceathephotogirl — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:33:07 +0000

Hey Everyone… Tim and I took the kids to the Lincoln City Kite Festival this past weekend. We spent the day driving from Monmouth to Lincoln City to Newport to Corvallis and then back to Monmouth. (click link to see map… Map of Coast Day II) We drove about 180 miles. It was an AWESOME day at the coast, the sun was bright and shiny and the sky was blue. The air was crisp and cool, but not too cold. A perfect day! ( a rare event on the Oregon Coast, where it is usually overcast, foggy and rainy) I want to tell you more about the sights… but, I will have to post and write as I go… there was so much to show you!

Maddie flying her very own kite, that Mommy made for her. And above, holding her hood down because it is windy!

The following information about Cape Foulweather was found on www.u-s-history.com.

“Cape Foulweather was discovered and named in 1778 by the famous British navigator Captain James Cook. It was at this Point that Captain Cook first sighted the mainland of North America on the Pacific Coast, and one of the sudden storms which greeted his arrival almost put an end to his historical expedition. The fierceness of the storm is reflected by the name he gave this rugged landmark – Cape Foulweather. The Lookout is perched atop this promontory rising 500 feetcan be seen the crashing surf along the shore, sea birds nesting on the rocks, sea lions basking in the sun, fleets of fishing boats in search of salmon, ocean liners whose wisps of smoke string out along the far horizon. Whale Watching, unbelievable sunsets, and the peaceful calm which follows the violence of a sudden storm. above sea level and from its windows

This state wayside between Depoe Bay and Otter Rock offers good views.

A small gift shop perches atop the headland.”

Devils Punchbowl is a large hole in the rock just below Cape Foulweather and parallel to Otter Rock, which fills with water when the tide comes in, and small tide pools when the tide goes out. It was interesting to look at, and as I found out, it was created the division between two sea caves collapsed several years ago, and made one large hole in the rock. As you are standing above the bowl looking down into the rock, you can see the waves churning in the rock, and I would imagine that it isn’t such a great place to be if the tide were coming in and you were stuck in there.

As we were coming around the corner back to our car from Devil’s Punchbowl, we could see off the cliff, these surfers in the water on the beach below, as we walked back to our car, we noticed the steps leading down to the beach, so we decided to walk down to the beach. We wanted to see if we could find any tide pools or sea caves. We were not disappointed, we found both on the beach below, not to mention starfish, sea urchins and surfers. The kids took their shoes off, rolled up their jeans and walked on the sand, and in the water.

So, after spending time at the beach, looking for shells, and starfish and sea urchins, we decided to take a short drive, a few miles away to Newport. Newport, as you might remember from older posts is the working fishing village. We decided to go for chowder @ Mo’s, since Tim had never been there before. Then we took a long walk along the docks and looked at the seals on the big rock by the Marina. After we were done looking at seals, we went to Yaquina Head Lighthouse, and to the beach to take photos of the sunset which was BEAUTIFUL! Enjoy the rest of the photos, there are lots of them!

For those of you who follow our blog on a regular basis know that we have been to Newport before, about a year ago. Last time, Tim walked around on the dock at the Marina and took photos of some of the boats that were there. The one that stood out to him was called “Perseverance”, (you can see the boat if you click the tag “Newport” on the right side of the blog.) which he thought was timely then… and Today, as we turned the corner after checking out the seals, the first boat we came upon was named “Persistence” again, timely, and meaningful to us. Whether that is a “message from God” or not, I do not know, but… I do know that for our current situation, both are good messages! While we have had a tough year, GOD is GOOD, he has been and will continue to be our Rock.

Well, that’s the end of our adventure for today, next time we hope to go to Tillamook, and maybe Astoria. But until then, keep checking up on us, and let us know how you all are. Its been awhile since we heard from you!

Posted in 1 Tagged: cape foulweather, Coast Day two, kites, yaquina head lighthouse