Color my world.

Another day, another hike!

Sarah, Jono, Ben and I left the house around 8:30am and headed for Saddle Mountain; a 2 hour drive and then a rather steep 2.5 mile hike to the top.  This trek was longer and much more difficult than yesterday's.  Many times the path would become very narrow and was also quite overgrown so it was hard to see were your next step would take you.  Much of the path was also very steep; the first 2.25 miles was ok, but that last quarter mile was killer at around a 60 degree incline.  What we saw on the way and at the destination made the pain, the blisters, the sweat very worth it.  From the top we had a pretty clear view of Mt. Ranier, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood.  We ventured out to some more dangerous spots at the top and then headed back for the almost more difficult journey back.  Keeping yourself steady while going down the rock, gravel and dirt we had just gone up was much harder than I'd anticipated.  We all got separated returning to base as Ben shot on ahead and Sarah and Jono lolly-gagged behind, so I had a good half an hour of time to (while keeping myself alive) enjoy the nature around me and talk to the creator of it all.  It's so easy to be in awe of our Father when you are on a mountain and you come to a clearing where you can see miles in every direction and beauty is spilling over the hills.  It seems simple to trust Him with your life, you problems, your fears when you see how small you really are compared to his masterful creation; why can't it be so easy now that I'm sitting on the couch? This trip has felt like God's plan to unfold everything He is capable of and put it right at my feet.  It's like He's saying, "Look, Bekah! Look at this! I made this, I control this; why won't you let go of your fears and desires and give them to me?" I wish I had an answer.  All I know is that I am trying.

Today ended with one of my favorite joys of the Congdon family: music.  My dad and his siblings were all raised musicians.  From piano to violin to cello to oboe to clarinet to flute, most of the siblings play at least one instrument.  When they get together we get to hear a piece of heaven.  We are staying at my uncle John's house and he is a master cellist.  My dad was on the piano and John was on the cello and we spent the better part of an hour playing hymn karaoke; shouting out hymns and praise songs, singing and basking in the beauty of the music.  I sometimes forget that not everyone grows up with music.  My brother-in-law had never heard a cello before; he was very impressed.

Pictures. AND a video (don't hold your breath).

Photo op.

 Our reward at the top :)

Look at all the danger!



Ben Congdon photo credits:

At the bottom.

 Treeeeeees.

 At the top!

Music. I apologize deeply for the vocals at the end of this video.  An alto shouldn't sing in this key-- but I wanted you to hear the beautiful music.

The family (well, some of them)

Today we finally got a taste of what we are looking forward to next week.  After a busy day of climbing Multnomah Falls here in Oregon, we went over to one of my very favorite places; my grandma's house; and were soon joined by several aunts, uncles and cousins for a little pre-reunion reunion.  9 of the original siblings came along with most of their spouses and somewhere around 30 (so about half!) of the cousins also came by.  The majority of them were in the younger age group, so there are still several that I am dying to see, but it was lovely to become reacquainted and for some of us to meet certain cousins for the first time.  Jono (my brother-in-law) got a crash course in Congdon tonight.  He was quite overwhelmed (who wouldn't be?) but survived and did very well.

The best and also saddest part of the night for me was going off by myself to wander around the house and grounds.  It was very emotional to walk around this tiny house that holds so many memories from so long ago.  There is such a richness and heritage in these walls.  Although I wasn't there, it is so amazing to me that 12 children were raised in this little 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home.  As I walked around I remembered sweet times of lying with a blanket on my grandma's floor waiting for Adventures in Odyssey to come on the radio.  Seeing pictures of my grandpa who passed away two years ago struck memories of his piano and violin playing that was done with such dedication you knew that he was playing for the Lord only; and I just wished I were able to see him again. I remembered sliding down the narrow stairway on pillows and cardboard and climbing into the "secret attic" which then seemed so vast and now would barely fit me.  A certain Christmas I spent in this house came back to me; Sarah and I found our Christmas presents early and went to peek at them every night for a week.  By the time Christmas came I wasn't very excited about my present anymore.  That was also the year that Joseph got a talking Barney toy and we went on to regret that purchase for several years.  Everyone of these snapshots brings a smile and tear.  I know this house will not always be here and thinking about that really breaks my heart; but I couldn't be more grateful for the time I've spent there, and I know that these memories and stories will live on even longer than the house that seemed so magical to me as a child; truthfully, I still feel the magic even now.

Tomorrow may involve more hiking or a trip to a science museum depending on what car I get in.  I don't know yet which it will be, but I do know that morning is coming quickly and I'll need plenty of sleep for either journey.

I am so thankful that God gave me this unbelievable family. I am truly blessed.

PICTURES!

Sarah and Jono

 Dorks.

 A successful family picture!

 We had a picnic. :)

 Multnomah Falls

 Gorgeous!

 Another one!

 My dad's younger brother, Brad. A little resemblance, perhaps?

 A mesh of cousins... 4 families represented here.

 People everywhere!

Night sky, free concerts and the first of the family.

On our last night with the Setterfields, Barry took us to an observatory to show us some incredible things you can't see with the naked eye (a phrase my younger brothers found quite humorous).  We started out with Saturn which was really incredible.  Then Barry pointed to a star (the curve of the handle in the big dipper) and showed us that what we see as one star is actually five stars.  The stars are as far apart from each other as we are from Saturn and yet we see them virtually overlapping.  Another star he pointed out when brought in close showed to be a galaxy containing millions of stars.  How unbelievably baffling it all is.  I found myself feeling quite petty as I had spent much of the day wondering, wishing, worrying about things that, at least now, our not in my control and I was lost as to how any of it could be fixed without me.  I serve the God that created the brilliance of the night sky with His words.  I wish I could give Him the trust He deserves.

The next day we headed north yet again and ended up in Roseburg, Oregon to stay with my uncle Rob and aunt Nancy and her mother (whom we all call Grandma Driver) and my lone single uncle Steve.  Rob and Nance have 6 boys and it is SO fun getting to spend some time with my cousins.  They are missionaries in Africa and only get to come here on furlough, so staying with them is a real treat.  Our very first night here, my cousin Robert told me there was a free concert in the park and asked if I'd be interested.  I agreed and asked who was playing: Pink Martini! One of my very favorites. The timing was impeccable and it was a really great night.

Last night I got to very briefly Skype with some friends from my college group; it was a poor connection and hard to hear but WONDERFUL to see them! I am truly blessed by my friends and the people that I go through life with.  I can't wait to see them again.

Well it is now 11am on Thursday and we are packing up and getting ready to head to Portland (finally!).  We will be seeing my grandma and more aunts and uncles and Sarah and Jonathan who flew into Portland last night.  We will be there for a few days and then Monday we head to the (chillllly) coast for the actual reunion.  I look forward to the next week and seeing what surprises God has in store for us.

The Oregon Trail

We are finally in Oregon!  And, luckily, no one died of dysentery, none of our wagon wheels broke and we never killed more buffaloes than we could consume.

It’s great to be back in mountain country again.  It’s humorous to look around here and think that we live in the “hill country.”  New Braunfels is a lovely place, but our hills are put to shame by the magnificence all around up here.

We are staying with an old friend and his wife for the next two days.  Barry was a friend when we lived in Australia and he met Penny who I believe was from Oregon and they now live up here.  They are very lively people and are in the business of rescuing things.  They have several horses and ponies, all with ailments ranging from fleas to cancer.  There are also goats, chickens, dogs and rodents all with sob stories about how no one else wanted them.  This really doesn’t really do much for me, but they also have a son named Chris whom they also rescued.  Chris is about 26 years old and has severe mental disabilities.  He doesn’t speak other than mumbles and he spends much time just rocking back and forth.  However, we were doing devotions tonight and my dad sat down to play the piano.  Penny brought Chris out and as we sang a couple hymns Chris smiled and rocked to the beat and even began to jump up and down.  Someone that the world can only see with pity; a life that seems to void and meaningless still found joy and purpose in singing praises to the King of Kings. 

Everyone is exhausted.  The last few days have tried all of our patience and it was very noticeable during today’s drive.  We are looking forward to being grounded for the next 30 hours or so and hopefully staying out of the car.  We’ll be back on the road again soon though and then we are off to Portland.  That is our real home away from home in this area.

The internet here is pretty slow, but I'll try to add some more pictures later.

Picture this.

There is no way to capture the absolute wonder of God's creation.  Still, I try.

Today we visited the Sequoia National Park and spent some time around some of the oldest and largest trees.  It may not sound like the most thrilling experience; but it is so overwhelming to look at God's majesty and feel at once so small, and yet amazed by His power and love. 

In other news... how do you get comfortable in the car???

Enjoy this. More later.

"When in California...!"

Days of driving: 2
Children's mental status: on the edge

I can't write much as we are now packing up and leaving from our second hotel.  I hear that our ridiculous amount of driving over the past two days will not be topped and that our next leg will be quicker. Here's hoping!

Pictures soon.

"Are you from the town of Joaquin Phoenix?"

If you understand this title, you've probably hung out with me recently. :)

Well we made it to Phoenix! 18 hours in the car (with brief stops at gas stations and Denny's) brought us to our first destination.  So far everything has gone about as smoothly as can be expected.  Everyone and their luggage arrived safely and no one has been left at any stops (both of these things can not be said of previous trips).  I got the midnight- 3am driving shift (woot) which was not the easiest, but driver gets to chose music so we had three glorious hours of The Beatles and worshipful music, with a little broadway and Jeff Buckley thrown in for good measure.  Considering my shift brought us to El Paso, there was not much to see, so the music definitely helped keep me awake.

We are just about to check out of our first hotel (and we JUST found the only place where you can get internet for free) and are heading to California today.  Hopefully the rest of our days will be shorter than our first.

I love you guys.  I miss you a very lot even though it has seriously only been two days.  I did three months away; I can do this! Every day I am getting more and more excited about seeing my family.  I have an amazing family and we truly have a blast together.

Okay, I should go.  Only two computers here have internet and several unsatisfied guests are waiting for me to free up my spot.

Keep up the texting and all.  I can only stare out the window for so long before I start to lose my mind.

Love, love, love.

Leaving.

I am going to attempt to keep up with this blog for yet another trip; both to keep those interested updated and also to pass the time. 

My family and I will be leaving for a road trip tomorrow and will then enjoy the company of 60+ cousins, many aunts and uncles and anyone else who chooses to attend the 2011 Congdon Family Reunion.

I'm more excited than I sound, I'm just very tired.  Enjoy some music I'll be listening to on my way to Oregon.


I already miss you.