WE MOVED !
We moved to Central Point, Oregon. Arrived last Saturday with the help of my parents and Michael's sister and brother-in-law. Going against the family tradition of driving all night, we did the trip in two days. Michael and I stopped shortly to check out the famed Bonneville salt flats. Wow, that is an amazing site, which is so much better in person than on countless television commercials.
(I'm not great at taking pictures of myself,...cut half of me out...gotta practice that one)We moved in on Saturday, went to church on Sunday, played a little Monday and sent mom and dad on their way that night. We spent the week slowly organizing stuff. That job isn't done yet. I will be organizing for weeks to come I am sure. I am related to my mom...to some degree I guess.
Moving in....
Dad taught our nephews how to fold the boxes to make them stay, so they busied themselves making forts while we put stuff away in the Kitchen.
We did a little exploring while Mom and Dad were here. We drove to check out a town called "Grant's Pass", just through the canyon. We stopped and picked blackberries and whipped up some freezer jam when we got back! Yum!Here is mom working on berries, and then posing in her cuteness with all the jam we made (tons...5 boxes of pectin worth!)
Michael and I had the chance to go pick pears on a church welfare farm here in Medford. We were "platform pickers". They have this cool motorized platform, basically, that goes between the rows and we pick as we go. It was quite the experience. There are two levels of platforms and there were 4 people on the top one, (two for each side), and 3 on the bottom level. We were on the bottom level and were keeping up really well so Michael would switch back and forth to help the brother on the other side from us. The first row took about 2 hours, then one couple left to go get there kids. So we had two fewer people, but the driver went faster (?!). The second row took only 1 hour, but it was quite exciting trying to keep up. It had rained the night before, and we basically got wiped with every branch...so we were very soaked by the end of it all. I may go back again this week.
Harnessed and ready to go...Grandpa Bench would be so proud :)
A view down the pear orchard road, and where we parked. They said "choose any row below the platform to park"
While driving we noticed a bike trail that ran along the freeway. We decided to go for a bike ride and find it. We did, and it is awesome!!! It starts right near where we live and goes all the way to Ashland...wherever that is! But it's far! :) It has blackberries all along it too...well, they grow everywhere. It seems like Blackberries are to Oregon as Kudzu is to Georgia. Except less invasive...and much more tasty. We have since gone on a couple bike rides, and returned with Nalgene bottles full of berries. :)
Here is Michael on the trail...i took this while riding. Yeah, I'm that good. HA HA!
Looking over the bridge of the Bear Creek. 
Don't dis the clothes. That is me in full blackberry armor! Long sleeves and pants is a requirement. These bushes are terrible. Thorns everywhere. Don't even think about trying to get those berries way in there. They're only for the lizards that dare climb back into the jungle of thorns, dead vines, and more thorns. My hands and ankles have little scratches all over from our last berry picking adventure.
Bushes everywhere. That little speck in there is Michael. :)
I found some very big berries. Notice the thorns in the background...mean.
The aftermath.......
We have enjoyed our week here, and are looking forward to the many more to come. This valley is so beautiful. I'm very grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving me the chance to live on such a beautiful earth, and for giving me blackberries to welcome me to our new home. :) Yeah...I'm still a dork.
