Spring ’11
by weev on Apr.12, 2011, under Update
I have always loved spring. Right when the weather begins to change, when it’s not cold all the time but you’re not sweating bullets yet. Spring in California was always very pleasant. It may be the only time of year the hills around the OC are actually colored in green.
This year, we are experiencing spring in Portland, and so far it has been beautiful. Some of the trees are still bare, but the cherry trees along the Willamette River in downtown are all fully in bloom, and the site is magnificent! We have had a few beautiful days of sunshine, and we witnessed how Oregonians celebrate the sun when it arrives. It’s like a block party everywhere you look. I hate being at work when the days are as beautiful as they have been!
A lot has been happening since the last post. We were able to drive down to the OC at the end of March during Christine’s spring break to visit. The drive was nice but a little treacherous at times (driving in the snow from 2-5AM near Shasta Lake). We were able to stop by the Mothership in Cupertino and pick up a little Apple swag (always a plus in my book). We got in to the OC on a Monday and had a whirlwind of activities hanging out with family and friends (sorry if we weren’t able to spend time with anyone reading this, we had too short a stay to see everyone we wanted to see). It was really great to see the Willey’s, the Runges, and the Lemburgs. It was also really nice to see everyone at CLF. We love and miss you all and we can’t wait to see you again soon!
Coming back was very bitter sweet, but we really had some cool stuff happen. There was a promotion at work, we found out that we gave Uncle Sam too much money in taxes, and two of our good friends recently moved to Portland as well. We had a chance to hang out with Toby, Jen and Paisley at their new house and had a blast. It was really good to see them and we are so happy for them in their new life here. We love you guys!
For those who are interested in knowing what is going on with the boys, both Evan and Jake are obsessed with robots. They are in a constant state of pretending to be Iron Man or Astro Boy, occasionally reverting back to the Spiderman or Superman of their childhood. Jake likes talking a lot using hand gestures. He loves to run around pretending that he is flying. Evan and I have a little routine when I get home from work. It goes a little something like this:
Evan: Daddy, let’s fight!
Daddy: Evan, what’s my favorite?
(Evan walks to Daddy, gives him a hug and a kiss)
Daddy: I love you!
Evan: I love you, too!
(Evan procedes to punch Daddy in the gut and then it is on!)
These boys are the light of my eye. They rouse pure joy in my heart, and I know Christine feels the same way. We are truly blessed with amazing kids!
Okay, I think that just about does it. Just to put it out there, we love to hear from you guys when you have the chance. We accept correspondence via mail, email, Facebook messages, tweets, pigeons, and tin cans if you can find a string long enough. Or you could just simply comment on this post below. Thanks everyone and we look forward to hearing from you!
Weev
October/November
by weev on Nov.10, 2010, under Uncategorized
Hey Everyone!
Had a few things happen lately that I thought you might want to know about. Christine and Evan were able to take a trip back to Cali to visit little Owen and the rest of the Campbell/Lemburg/Elliott family. They were also able to go to CLF and see the family there, too. They had a blast and Evan loved getting to fly on an airplane!
For Halloween, Evan and Jake were Woody and Buzz Lightyear. They were able to do a little trick or treating around the neighborhood, but it got too dark to get a decent haul of candy! We also carved pumpkins this year, including a Superman logo and a standard jack o lantern face. They boys had a lot of fun cleaning out the pumpkins of the gross stuff!
Unfortunately, I had to leave that Sunday to attend a training class in Cupertino for work. It was a really great trip and I learned a lot. It was the first time that I had spent that much time away from the family, so I was really anxious to get home by Friday!
I flew in Friday night just after Carla and Caren arrived for a visit. It has been great to see both of them and to hang out in our new hometown. We had a lot of fun taking them to a few of our favorite places. Caren got a hold of my camera and took a bunch of photos. You can check them out by clicking HERE. Tonight, Christine, Carla and Caren are out on the town for one last hurrah before they fly back tomorrow. It will be very hard to say goodbye tomorrow!
I will post again regarding Evan’s 4th birthday party later. Until then, I want you all to know that we love you and we miss you!
Weev
Plugging in…
by weev on Oct.13, 2010, under Uncategorized
Hey Everyone!
Sorry for the delay in update. A lot has been going on…
First off, I was promoted at work, so I am back in the role I once held back in Brea. This is a most welcome development because Christine’s insurance expired right as mine kicked in. The timing is almost unreal. I will be heading to the mothership in November for training, which I am very excited about! Apple is an amazing company to work for!
Christine has an interview tomorrow to become a substitute teacher for Beaverton School District, so please keep her in your prayers. Substitute teaching is very different in Oregon. Districts pay subs more than subs get payed in California, which when you factor in the cost of living adjustments is a really good living. Beaverton is one of the highest regarded districts in the Portland area, so this will be a great “in” for Christine. They also only hire as many subs as they can keep working regularly, so it will be pretty close to being like a full-time position, only with different classrooms! She’s had a tough time with the whole job thing, so she can really use a win right now.
We have been very happy with the church we have been attending, Mosaic. The pastors are very real, funny, accessible and self-disclosing. They say “we” a lot instead of “you”. On Saturday I auditioned to participate in the worship ministry and have been placed on the Stevie Wonder team (there are 8 different teams, named after legendary artists, that play once a month each). I will start off on electric guitar and I’ve been told I will start leading in the coming months. I have enjoyed just being able to attend church for the last few months, but I really feel that I am ready to begin participating in worship again. By the way, I still love you and miss you, CLF!!!
The boys are doing really well. Evan has been doing a lot of drawing lately. He drew a picture of Venom (from The Spectacular Spiderman) that blew my mind. Arms, legs, the long tongue, the webs from the hands, the Spiderman logo on the chest and everything, and he’s not even four yet!
by Evan
Jake is becoming a very silly little boy. He was cracking jokes all through dinner tonight (I didn’t understand exactly what he was saying, but he thought it was hilarious). He also is obsessed with music, playing drums with anything resembling sticks and a snare. He also loves it when I play guitar. Hmm, older brother is tall, blonde and loves to draw. Little brother is short, brunette, has a large head, and loves music. Why does that sound so familiar?
My parents are having a great time. They love spending so much time with the boys. They have also done an amazing job making the house and the front yard look beautiful. They get compliments from the neighbors all the time. They also have been able to explore the greater Portland area at least once a week. They are mainly scoping for houses and good areas to settle down, but they also just love the act of exploring. They are extremely happy here and can’t wait to be able to settle down and truly enjoy retirement.
We are very excited about some upcoming trips as well. Christine and Evan will be heading back to SoCal on Saturday to visit the Campbells and baby Owen. Then in early November Carla and Caren are flying up for a visit. For Thanksgiving, my brothers Tim, Scot and Kent will be heading up with their families for Thanksgiving. Finally, in December, Christine’s sister Carla and her family will be coming up to visit. It has been a little lonely for us up here still, so these visits will mean a lot to all of us.
So I think that is just about it. If any of you want to shoot me or Christine an email or a Facebook message and let us know how life is going for you, that would be really great for us to hear. We love you all and miss you a lot!
Love, Stephen, Christine, and the Fam
Short Update
by weev on Aug.30, 2010, under Uncategorized
Hey everyone,
Apparently Tim worked out some kinks with the site and I now have free reign to post, so here goes…
Church shopping continues. First church lost us when the word “rebuke” was used toward a man who was publicly exposed for sin. It was so shaming we were just done. Second church we visited was okay, but they were so in our faces about joining we didn’t want to come back.
Then we visited a new church this Sunday and it was really cool! It’s big enough that we don’t stick out but small enough that we don’t feel like a number. The pastors were also funny (though not as funny as Rod). We are really looking forward to going back, maybe getting involved. It won’t be a CLF substitute, but it might just come close!
We are continuing to make really cool discoveries here in Portland, though most are food-related. Typhoon has great Thai food, the Waffle Window has cool waffle dishes (like the 3 Bs: Bacon, Brie, and Basil – amazing!), not to mention all the great food carts in downtown. The Hawethorne district is an amazing part of town as well. I can’t wait for more people to come and visit so I have an excuse to go to these amazing places here in Portland.
By the way, I am at lunch in downtown near Pioneer place and a lady almost just got nailed going the wrong way on a one way street. It takes some getting used to, but I would be lying if I said Christine and I both haven’t done the same thing!
So that’s it for now. I will try to update again soon. I love and miss you all!
Weev
Location:SW 2nd Ave,Portland,United States
Getting Settled
by weev on Jul.25, 2010, under Moving
I amazes me that I am about to write these next few words: Life is getting back to normal. I suppose that is the closest to what we are experiencing now at this stage in the move. Everything is still so new to us, new town, new house, new routine. There are still boxes and storage bins lying around, we still can’t locate certain things we need, and Christine still has not found a job. Still, it feels like we are starting to find our new rhythm here in our new lives, and there is some comfort in that.
I have begun my new job in downtown Portland. This store is very different from my old store. It is very small but extremely busy all the time. Come and visit sometime and you will see why. Still, the people there are amazing. It was quite an adjustment at first, but I am starting to feel like I am part of this new family, and it feels really good. I have also applied at Portland State University to begin working on my Oregon state teaching license, but it will take weeks before I find out if I am accepted. At that point, I have some pre-requisits I have to take before getting into the graduate program, and I hear it is a challenge to get into those classes. So, we shall see…
I would love to speak for Christine at this point and tell you all what is going on with her, but I actually want to make sure she can get on here and write her own updates. I can tell you that the plan is for her to begin substitute teaching this year in the hopes that she can get a position through a long-term sub spot. Besides that, I will let her speak for herself and tell you all how she is doing.
Mom and dad are also settling into our new home very well. They have been hard at work getting the house up to snuff, doing lots of yard work and getting their room in order. But they seem to be very comfortable in this house and are still working hard to make it feel more like home.
This morning was a momentous occasion. We think we may have found a church. We visited Imago Dei Community Church in the heart of Portland, and we really like what we experienced. I can say it felt very strange to go to a new church for the first time in 21-22 years, in fact it almost felt like being unfaithful to CLF. It was very hard not to spend the entire time analyzing what I was seeing and hearing by comparing it to CLF (i.e. Did the music rock enough? Was the pastor as funny as Rod? Do I jive with the theology here?), but it was generally a good experience. They do have a ministry that helps fight child trafficking, which is something Christine has wanted to be a part of for a long time. But we are going to just commit to a church community and see what happens. We know it won’t be CLF, we also know it won’t be perfect, we just hope that with time we can see it as home.
So, I am now done reporting events. I want to report how we are feeling about this move. We are not fully feeling settled in the sense that all the job and future stuff is all worked out. It will be some time before that happens. But I can honestly say we are loving it here. We have been feeling the pain of so many relationships with family and friends that will be affected by the distance. The other night I broke out in tears just writing an email. But not one of us would trade it for what we are experiencing here. The beauty of the area, the warmth of the people, the vibe of the city, all of it. It is an incredible place, and we feel incredibly lucky to be here.
So, that’s all I got. I will be posting some pictures and video later tonight for you all to see. Much love to you all from the Willeys in Portland!
The Move – Day 3
by weev on Jul.08, 2010, under Uncategorized
Well, we made it to Oregon! We stopped in Eugene near the University of Oregon for the night after a long day of driving. We didn’t go all the way since we wanted to give to boys a chance to swim at a hotel before we arrive in Lake Oswego. There is currently a heat wave happening here, so the pool was welcome relief.
We should arrive tomorrow at the house by the early afternoon. I am not sure how much unpacking we will accomplish tomorrow, but it will be nice to finally move into our new home. I can’t imagine what it will be like getting to know a new town, new jobs, new neighbors, etc. I have always marveled at the people who have been able to pick up and move to a new area without knowing anyone or really anything about the general area. I guess I am about to find out what that is like first-hand!
I will keep you posted on what I pick up from the experience. Until then, I will be doing my best to try and sleep. Jake has a thing for kicking while he sleeps, and Chris and I have him with us tonight.
Weev
P.S. God bless Scott and Carla, they had Jake with them the past two nights. I saw Jake kick Carla right in the head early this morning.
Location:Eugene, OR
The Move – Day 2
by weev on Jul.07, 2010, under Moving
Day 2 of the big move is over! Highlight of the day was visiting the Apple headquarters in Cupertino. We were able to snag some Apple gear, but were not able to eat at the cafeteria because it was closed. Still, it was fun.
After that it was all road and not much more than that. Anyone who has traveled the 5 through most of California knows what I am talking about. We are excited about arriving to our new home, but we are sad as each day comes to a close because we know Scott and Carla will be leaving us soon. Again, the bitter-sweet reality of moving far away from family. Tuesday is going to suck!
Weev
Location:Redding, CA
The Move – Day 1
by weev on Jul.06, 2010, under Moving
Day 1 of the move is over. We had a bit of a late start to get some last minute stuff in order, such as picking up my guitar from the shop, a doctor’s appointment, and saying our goodbyes to the Lemburg family. We also lost our duel with the 405, which took way too long. After that it was pretty much smooth sailing.
The boys were real troopers being cooped up in the car for as long as they were. We only stopped a couple of times for gas/bathroom breaks. We were also fortunate to be able to stop and see Christine’s grandparents in Morro Bay, who treated us to dinner and coffee. It was really great to see them!
So, we drove until we were ready to drop, which happens to be King City, CA. Looking forward to breakfast in the morning and visiting Apple headquarters tomorrow!
Thank you all for your prayers and support. Look for another update tomorrow evening!
Weev
Location:King City, CA
Hello Oregon!
by weev on Jul.05, 2010, under Moving
Hey everyone! This website will be our new way of trying to communicate with everyone and keep you all in the loop with what is going on in our lives (thanks Tim for all your help)! This is all the more important to us and to our close friends and family now that we are moving almost 1,000 miles away to the city of Portland. So stay tuned, we will be trying our best to post as much info, photos, video, and anything else we think you might want to know about what is going on with us! We love you all!
Weev
