My Walk From Oregon to Washington

What to do if you ever find yourself, in a motel room, on a Sunny Day in Portland(which rarely to never happens), BUT with no car, and no money.
Go Home! Just Kidding.

If you don't know why I'm here with no car, and no money read post below. Moving on.


Mo left for work around 4:30am. I tried to go back to sleep but I was just too excited to have a whole day to myself in my favorite city no less. So I got up. That right there should be shocking to those of you that know me. There was a day when if I heard a person utter the words, "I Got up at 4:30" well, that would have meant that we were no longer friends. But, what can I say, I'm a new woman. No really, this is probably never going to happen again so I am glad I have it here in writing. And also the words "got up" should be noted as a very loose translation. Because I got up to ...



Read, read some more. Drank coffee, and read some more. Then I worked out in the lil gym. Also nice, but I prefer the great outdoors always to a treadmill. Still, it was, Ahh so nice. Then I started to get hungry, so I ate the free breakfast. Mmm, Mmm good!

It never ceases to amaze me how much better food tastes when someone else made it. Can I get a witness?

It was at about this time that I was noticing that I might not need the countless books I brought or 4 to 5 chic flicks, or even my beloved Maccy, to keep me busy, because the sun was making a glorious appearance. It was quite obvious an adventure was waiting for me.

Okay True, I didn't have a car or lots of money but I had my legs and more importantly a camera. Not the best camera in the world, still the more I take pictures with my Iphone, the more beloved that baby is becoming.

*Sidenote, I can't believe I haven't named my phone yet. Maybe it should be named Baby, so then I could quote Dirty Dancing by saying, "Nobody puts baby in a corner" Sometimes, I entertain myself. Have you noticed?

Pshh... so I didn't have a car,( are you noticing how many times I'm mentioning that I didn't have a car?) I was not going to let that stop me. It would have been nice to have a car... but I didn't SO GET OVER IT ALREADY! So I walked out the hotel lobby and I checked out the area around me. I saw a bridge. I like bridges. Can you see the bridge?

So I decided the best adventure walk I could take would be to get to that bridge. I had no idea it would be the bridge that crosses over from Oregon to Washington. The Columbia River Bridge.

It's always fun to walk from one state to another, always.

That sign is at the start of my big adventure for the day.

It may not be remarkable to cross over in a car from Oregon to Washington, or from Washington to Oregon, but on foot... well it was a real treat.

I have only walked 3 busy bridges in my life.
One in San Fran.
One in Budapest.
And now this one.

I could die a happy woman.

Have you ever walked a busy or famous bridge? Please do tell.
I would still like to walk the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.
It's for sure a bucket list bridge.

I have to interject at this point that when you are on a busy bridge like this, and every semi truck that passes you by kinda makes you want to pee your pants, you realize that bridges could quite quickly turn into your worst nightmare.

As I was crossing taking in the view that was off the charts, AMAZING.. I kept thinking of My Dawl,Allie, and how this quite literally would have been an event that most certainly would have been the cause of the need for Depends in her life.

She has an aversion to bridges. When begging her to move to Seattle so we could once again be reunited, she said, point blank "Nope, too many bridges!"
And then she proceeded to shutter from just the thought of them.
Ok so we've established that she won't be walking bridges anytime soon.

She would prefer this route better. Under the bridge :)

But NOT ME!!

Wait... stop right there. Those of you who live in Carson City and have lived there a long time... do I not in this picture look like the lady who wears sweaters, hats, and sunglasses and walks the streets of Carson City quite frequently? Do you know who I'm talking about? She's kinda a legend. Many a story has been told as to why she wears such warm clothing on Sunny days.

My little mini vacation has turned out to be just, amazing.
I wasn't frazzled or burnt out or anything, but I was missing my Mr. Big, and what mom of 4 is going to refuse a little time on the lap of luxury? Not this one
I sometimes have to giggle at how spoiled I am from Doctor Father God. He's a good Doctor. The best, really.

2 Year Anniversary

This pass week marks our 2 year anniversary of when we moved a million miles away(Ok not a million miles, but it might as well have been). I thought on this relaxing Saturday morning, when my hubby is out at Sea what better time to reminisce than here with you all.



This is a picture of the cabin right after we had squeezed all of our lives into the 800sq ft space. 2 whole years ago. 2 years might not seem like a long time to some of you but to us, it may as well have been 20.



This is a picture of what it looked like before we moved here. While we were still living in NV Moses came up on a scouting trip to see what kind of shape the current rentor/pot dealer had left the cabin in. This is what he found.
Moses, Dennis, Joel, Shawn, Greg, and Papa Russ, thank you for changing this



into this;






I cannot even begin to tell you all how much baggage we came to Washington with. Literally and of course Emotionally.



We couldn't even move in our living room for the first couple of weeks because there was no place to store all our stuff. The hard work that was put into this little place still astounds me.
Even now looking back on these pictures I am amazed at the transformation.

Thanksgiving 2010, this was THE table Mo built, Uncle Jeremy, Emma and Bella in the back there.

MoNoSco 2009

When I think about the fact that we really did this I have to laugh. There was a time though when we first moved here that we did a lot more crying than laughing. I mean, from the picture below you can get a good idea why one might want to cry!



It has now officially been 2 whole years since we embarked on this big move 700 miles up north, and what a roller coaster ride it has been. There have been many, many moments when we have thought "What the hell were we thinking?"

And then there have been many, many moments when we have sat outside, heard the sound of running water from the creek outside and thought "This is truly our safe haven, thank you God for this."



There have been many adjustments along the way, and as much as I tried to prepare myself for this major life change there really was no way to be fully prepared.



The first year here we were under siege. I say "we" loosely because truly it was Moses who was bombarded with countless things that needed to be fixed, chopped, built, moved, rebuilt, and then fixed again.
THE MAN, MY MAN IS A STUD!!



2 years later this place looks so different now.
I no longer need Gloria Paige Smith (aka GPS) to guide me.
I have a storage shed that is NOT my living room anymore, or the front and back porches.
We have figured out how to stay warm in the winter without central heat.
I have adjusted to not having a dishwasher or garbage disposal(my hands have never been so appreciative for a good bottle of Palmolive)
I now have a compost.
Even living on a septic tank has become my new norm.



Life is Good.


2 years later and we are still here.

Rebuttal to 1 year later

(Cabin in the woods where we are making new memories)

After my last pity-party post I felt I should quickly post a rebuttal.

I am thankful for my new neighbors here in Washington.


(Favorite row of trees this fall, but the picture doesn't quite do it justice)

Tonight we went trick or treating with our neighbors.
Neighbors from Russia, Brazil, Mexico, India, and L.A.



(Pea Patch Preschool class on Orange Day!)


It has taken some time to find our niche here in Redmond, but tonight actually made me feel like it is starting to happen.
Definition of Niche- " a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted b : a habitat supplying the factors necessary for the existence of an organism or species c : the ecological role of an organism in a community especially in regard to food consumption d : a specialized market"

It is an interesting thing meeting new people. We have been here in Washington a whole year now and this is just now starting to happen. There is just a glimmer of the beginnings of finding a niche here.

I am thankful for people who share their gift of hospitality with me and my family. There have been all kinds of gestures to welcome my family and I and for everyone of them I am thankful.
Whether it's a walk up my hill, a pie brought over, a free week pass at the gym, a birthday party, a night out , a night in, a book club, an invitation to anything cannot be overlooked when you are the new comer.



(Sol the cowboy, Friend Irene the Witch, and Isaiah The Hulk)

More now than ever I have realized that I want to cultivate my gifts of hospitality and make my home one that welcomes strangers.

Funny side-note, tonight while trick-or-treating I saw a welcome matt that said "GO- AWAY" it made me LOL :)
That matt would be the opposite of what I am trying to convey... still it is pretty dang funny!


(Pic of some branches on the Big Daddy Tree in our yard with some moss and just a speckle of sun)

I am thankful for new neighbors, second chances, new friends, new jobs, a new home, and a new lease on life.

This Little Light of Mine

I love days like today. It is perfectly grey outside right now, and feels like rain is on the horizon. Not that, that is any big deal because...Well, rain is usually on the horizon here it is Washington after all but this is a rabbit trail and I am now getting back to what I wanted to talk about. This kind of day makes the colors of green that surround this place stand out even more. The beautiful and bright colors from flowers explode with brightness on a day like today.
On my walk today this is what the grey reminded me of, follow me as I process out loud;

It reminds me of what Jesus says about our light's that shine. They can't be hidden. When the world around us is so grey and morose, no matter how we try to disguise the light with-in it can't be done.



Which makes me think about all the times in the past when I have met someone for the very first time, and I know, that I know they have that light within them. How is it that I know that?
I think it has something to do with days like today. When everything else is grey it's easy to spot the colors. The colors can't help but stand out.



Then I get to thinking about the song, "This Little Light of Mine" that we teach our children. The part about "Won't let Satan blow it out, NO I am going to let it shine" makes me wonder how is it that some of us have let our lights go out? I mean, I know that from time to time mine has gotten very, very dim, and I know those were times that I wasn't standing close enough to the Son/Sun to have His reflective image bounce off of me. But to be completely blown out, that would take some blowing. Some huffing and puffing, to blow this house down. Okay, now I am just getting silly... but you get what I mean.




I have let my light get dim in the recent past. I want to learn from that time and hopefully not let it happen again. I think it comes from staying on the vine with branches or something like that ?

Please enjoy some of my most favorite photo booth shots.

For Tasha

Living Room from the view of coming out of the bedrooms with a quick running Isaiah and Bella right behind him.


Our Room with a very messy closet but note the red painted wall and vw coming out of it. All the vw's cars are hung up around our room like that.


Another one of our room, see if you can find a gift you gave us long ago. I love my new quilt got it at a yard sale $10 and it's VELVET!!


Living room looking into the two bedroom doors which are over by the green hutch.


Another view of the living room.


Living Room playing guitar hero with friend John.


Above the kitchen sink


Living room again we change the couches around all the time. They were both Ikea purchases and the brown one is a queen size mattress just right for some visitors, hint hint...


Girls room with pretty Miss Lo-sters showing off

Hope it gives a better idea of the inside and now back to the outside which is really why we are here :)

-Pros and *Cons

In every life there are good and bad moments, pros and cons, sweet and sour... you get the idea.

Here is my list as of lately;


-I am feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude these days and it's not just cause it's that time of year. Of all the scenarios, and paths we could have taken after the biggest financial failure that we have ever experienced in our marriage, I still feel grateful.

*Because we live in the trees and by a lot of water there are flies in our house in the winter. Strange but true.

- The feeling of not being stressed about money or where it's going to come from, or how it's all going to work out, has FINALLY left the building. This building is stress free. This cabin is stress free from money issues. Our fireplace heats this place crazy good, we live on a septic tank for water, we have an endless supply of natural resources to live off of and finally the stress has left the building. It is good.

* We have a shoes off at the door policy now because of the mud that gets tracked through otherwise. Still, on a daily basis I have to shake the bathroom rug from dirt. THE BATHROOM RUG, not the rug at the door or even in the kitchen but the BATHROOM rug!! How is this possible?

- When I go to take kids to school in the morning around this time of year I expect to give some time for scrapping windows from morning frost. Not so here. Only a fresh morning dew or of course if it's raining then I have to put on the wipers. Still getting used to the weather here.

* I miss my peeps. There are so many things around here that I wish I could share with all my peeps but they are 700+ miles away and so that makes it kinda difficult.

-One of the above said "things" I can' wait to share with my peeps is the drive around Lake Sammamish that is right down the street from where we live, or Pikes Market Place, or the Thrift stores that have treasures beyond measure, or the hike in my backyard.

* Thanksgiving without my family was still good, but not the same. I missed our abundant supply of olives. I should have brought them myself but wasn't thinking.

- Moses now has a job that provides enough for me to do the job I love most; taking care of the home-front. So thankful for this. SO yes, that means I will be quitting the job at the preschool but not completely. They have so graciously made a place for me that fits just right.

* Not being able to meet my friends for coffee, or watch their kids play with mine, or have people that just drop by really sucks!! I miss this more than I can even express.

Overall, if I were to make a real list the Pros far outweigh the Cons but ya know what? That is because even though I have moved to Washington I am still the eternal optimist that I have always been and so in life I am determined to find more good than bad.

Pikes Market Place

The Scofield clan decided to finally venture into Seattle this weekend. We have only been here 3 weeks well almost a month, and so when I see the do list my family has made I have to remind myself that we are not on vacation and that we have plenty of time to get all these sight seeing adventures done.
One of the first places I wanted to go when we knew we were moving up to Washington was the famous Pikes Market place. I had heard about this place for many years. I have seen it on countless television shows( mostly cooking shows) and other movies and stuff but never got to visit when I came to Seattle 15 years ago. That's how long it has been since I have been back to Washington and let me tell you folks A LOT has changed, but that's a story for another time.

Anyway, my good friend Jentry Day told me she and her family were going to be headed into the city with even mom Sandy who was visiting from Tahoe on Sunday and so we decided to join forces. Jentry has twin baby girls, Bryn and Chloe so her and the girls, hubby Joe, mom Sandy, me and my 4 and of course the big man all walked through the booths of Pikes Market Place this past Sunday afternoon.
IT WAS AWESOME!! Seriously, all those that do plan to come up for a visit be sure to put this on your list of things to do and see. The smells, art, music, people, views, music, free entertainment from the fish market, did I mention the musicians around here that are off the hook good, colors, beautiful flowers, crafts, clothes, and food were all reasons why this place has become so famous.

Anyway, a good time was had by all and my kids finally got to try Turkish Delight. They have wanted to try this ever since the Narnia movies. There was a mom and pop shop that made everything from Baklava to Turkish Delight treats. They were oh so good. They had flavors like Rose, Orange, Lemon, Strawberry, Cherry, and Lime. I think the general consensus was that lemon was the best.


I love this city.
I have thoughts like, "HOLY CRAP, I can't believe I live here now!!" I suppose this is normal. Dunno.
Still feels like I am on vacation.
I will let you know when I no longer feel as though I am on vacation, just in case you might be wondering when that might happen, because I am wondering when that might happen??
I shouldn't be surprised by this feeling that is so strange and foreign because after all I did live in Nevada for 34 years. I feel like I am not ready to go back which I suppose is a good feeling since I am not going back until this summer. The scenery is exactly what my heart and soul needed at this moment in life.