The Busy Month of May

It’s only been just over a month since we left Asia, but there are already so many things that I miss and somehow our trip already feels so far away… I mean it’s hard to grasp the reality of time and place when you suddenly find yourself in such a different world and life! Oh, and have I mentioned that it feels like in one month here in America we’ve spent just about as much money as we did for our entire backpacking trip of over seven months!?!

Were we really there just over a month ago?

We have had a whirlwind month of May filled with beautiful, relaxing, quiet times at Murphy Creek, mixed with many small and big reunions with friends and family all over Oregon… We have been up to Portland and back numerous times, fulfilled yet another dream of mine and climbed Mt. Hood for sunrise… We have taken part in many parts of the local life here like school festivals, parades, carnivals, races, and such! Finley loves his American aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents dearly and has forever engrained their presence in his heart… Thank you so much for all the time you have taken away from your busy schedules to play baseball with him, have slumber parties, take him on trips, play knights with homemade shields and swords, and making our stay so special… I thought I’d let the pictures speak for themselves…

Time With Family

Mother’s Day at the train park

After a nice burger at Jimmy’s

Picnic time for Memorial Day weekend and watching the boat races

Having dinner on our annual jet boat trip

Grandma and Grandpa getting wet

Fun on the jet boat!

Little Lincoln with Grandpa…

…and Grandma

Rock band with the fam!

Slumber party at Xavier’s

Cousins…

Sporting Events

Baseball

Saturday is soccer day, Fin with his team and coach

Who cares if it rains?

Thinking about his next move?

Getting the ball in that goal!

And all his fans watching the game!

Big race day for the Lykes!

Posing with the Caveman of Grants Pass

Finley ran the 5km race without walking or stopping along with his pacemaker Uncle Tom in 28:30!!!! The first official thing he can do better and faster than his Mama!

And after the race…American boys watching the Memorial Day parade.

Time With Friends

Meeting up with Chris’ childhood friends Donny, Heidi, and AJ

And the kids got to have a pool party!

Finley with AJ’s boys

Old buddies Billy and Mike

Portland Days

It wouldn’t be a trip to America if I didn’t get to spend a few days in my favorite city Portland, reminiscing about the old days when I lived here for two years more than ten years ago… Which is by the way when Chris and I met! Happy anniversary to us 🙂

Hello, Portland!

Thank you, Joanna and family for giving us a home for the week and hosting the annual Lyke’s BBQ where we got to see lots of peeps…

Zoo day with Joanna and Levi

Hannah and Adam, who we worked with in Honduras

Hey, Lorelini!

And one day we drove up to White Salmon catching glimpses of the beautiful Mt. Hood…

… Hiking up to Multnomah Falls…

Watching the salmon going upstream at Bonneville Dam…

… And hanging out with Amber

On our way back to Grants Pass we stopped by at Bird’s and Meg’s place and met all the kiddos.

And in between all these social gatherings, we climbed Mt. Hood!

Since I’ve known our friend John, we’ve been talking about reaching the summit of Mt. Hood! Finally I made it up there with a group of ten people, six of us summiting for the first time!

To reach the summit for sunrise, we started hiking at about ten pm!

Sunrise!

Just perfect!

Chris with Jan

Jan and John

The famous filmmakers John and Ben

Beautiful up here….

I had waited to see the shadow of Mt. Hood for ten years!

So worth it!

Amazing mountain

Making our way back down with ice axes and crampons

The view down

John and Chris

Watch your step!

Almost back down.

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We will be spending the month of June on the road again! Hitting some national parks in Utah and Colorado and making our way up to Minnesota and back via Montana and Idaho. But not before Finley turns six on the 30th of May!! Happy birthday to you, my darling son, who I love more than words could ever say and who makes me smile and laugh every day… I thank my lucky stars every single moment that I have you in my life…

Early birthday party last weekend: Knights castle cake for my 6 year old!

Opening presents

Knight Uncle Tom

Knight Finley

Serious battles going on!

Grandpa Joel going down!

Dragon piñata for the knights festivities

Thank you, Auntie Jen for the cool family version of Guess Who?

So proud of our boy!