Welcome to Bend Living

Guess what? I like it so much here in Bend that I just had to buy a new home! I mean, a BRAND NEW home. Who would have guessed one year after the beginning of my travel adventure that I would be here? I am so amazed and grateful.

Would you like to take a tour? Let me show you around a bit. Follow me through the model home which will be mine shortly. . .

Here we are in the entry way - front door, garage door and closet. As an aside, I will have THE nicest garage ever, painted designer colors and carpeted. Imagine that! One of the perks when the model office moves around the block.

Here we are in the living room. You'll notice the special cut-out section for the gigantic television and the 1/2 bath conveniently located off the. . . By the way, I won't be keeping the majority of the moveable items. I DID negotiate the leather sofa and chairs into the deal, but the builder wasn't willing to cede any more for my price.

A view into the kitchen and eating nook. It looks like a little piece of heaven.

What do you think about the stainless steel appliances and tile work? Coooollll. . .

Through the eating nook, . . .. . . you walk outside to the backyard. Wow, all you can see is the beautiful sky.

Oh, here it is. My backyard - big enough for a little barbeque party and possibly a new dog, but no yard maintenance. Just some new flower pots needed.

Let's walk back through the living room . . .. . and go upstairs to the three bedrooms.

Here is the master bedroom. . .

. . . with a sweet dual-sink bathroom. Oh - and here I am, the only picture with me in it. Sorry. I'm out of practice with the self-portraits. Next time.

Here is the room, I mean closet, I considered for my office, . . .

. . . except then I discovered for this adorable built-in desk at the top of the stairs. Oh, back to the tour.
Down the hall, you will find the other two bedrooms (they both look about the same) . . .

. . . and the final bathroom.

Thanks for completing the thorough Baker tour. You will find the Comment and Suggestion Box located on your way out.

Visitors are most welcome.

Goodbye to 4GYZ422

No, not goodbye to my car - just my California license plates. I am now the proud owner of Oregon tags. Does this mean I'm an Oregonian or is it just my car? It sure does look official. Oh, by the way, did I tell you I'm moving to Bend, Oregon?

Some Oregon observations:

• People make eye contact here. I keep thinking, "Why are you staring at me!?" and then I realize it's just general friendliness. Wow - what culture shock compared to LA.
• The speed limit signs actually mean the speed you're supposed to go, not a jumping off point. Make sure not to go more than 5 miles over or prepare to brave the local police (this is, thankfully, not from personal experience - really).
• The beauty is spectacular!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here we ALL are: Meredith, Tom, Charlie, me, my mom (Lynette), Canela, my dad (Dennis), Isabela, Rachelle, David and David. This is my family on Thanksgiving Day. I am so thankful for them. What a gift from God. I feel blessed beyond measure to have these amazing human beings in my life.

I felt prompted to share my thanks due to a conversation with a friend who shared one Thanksgiving memory in her past. Her father, uncle and grandfather had a huge falling out (punches thrown and everything) on Thanksgiving when she was eleven. There are many who share this type of story. The pain people carry from past hurts committed during this time of year makes me ponder my own attitude. I desire to be sensitive to those I encounter while driving, shopping, eating, or whatever else in order to share the love I have received.

May this Advent be a time of love anticipated, love discovered and love renewed.

"We love, because He first loved us." I John 4:19

Off to the Farm (Tear-Jerker Warning)

So to speak, anyway. Today I sent my dog, Jake, to the farm. I wish that were actually the case.

In reality, I put my little buddy of more than 8 years to sleep. The form I filled out at the vet called it euthanasia. Whatever. Regardless of the terminology or euphemism used, the outcome is still the same. My dog is no longer and I am sad. It takes me by surprise how much emotion a dog can evoke. The loss I feel is deeper than I felt with my grandma's passing 10 years ago. Is that weird?

I spent the day reflecting on the many Jake stories I have stored in my brain. He had some of the strangest idiosyncrasies - sneezing when a particularly smelly car passed by on our morning runs, attempting to catch flies, choosing the vacuum as his nemesis, eating one piece of dog food at a time, "burying" his bone on top of the ground with leaves and dirt. All of these things made him unique. I suppose the same is true for humans. We look down on our own (or others) quirks, when really these are what make us who we are. Anyway, enough philosophy.
Goodbye, dear friend. I miss you. You set a precedent that will always be compared to and you will never be replaced.

Being a Big Sister

Being a big sister is a big responsibility. Whether teaching her about the American flag, . . .

. . . or sharing an emotion-filled moment of congratulations, . . .. . . having to share your Cheerios, . . .

. . . or holding her for the first time. . .
. . . being a big sister is a big deal!

Let the Love and Passion Stay Forever

Whether posted as a reminder to the workers in Lian's orphanage or for the foreigners who visit it, the exhortation was sobering. It certainly set the tone for my experience.

We spent Monday morning touring the place where Lian spent her first year of life. Have you ever been to an orphanage? It is a place that, no matter how nice it is, evokes emotion.

A moment of joy came when Lian got to thank one of the ladies who cared for her. A moment of conviction came when seeing where Lian slept.

A moment of sorrow came when meeting some of the children labeled "unadoptable".A moment of sadness over the rejection of their birth parents.Brought back to moments of joy with who Lian is and how her life has changed so drastically in the past three years.Jen and Dano left the orphanage thankful for how God has put together their family.
We celebrated with ANOTHER authentic Chinese feast. The vice mayor of Gaoyou and other city officials took us to the nicest restaurant in town (I guess - I don't know how to tell the difference). We must have tried at least 30 dishes even more exotic than the night before.

I even tried Gaoyou's specialty: double-yolked duck egg. Mmmmm! It was quite salty and made us foreigners gag. I ended up hiding the rest of mine below the noodles in my soup.
Lian concluded our meal with a toast to her "I.E.'s", those who cared for her at the orphanage.

Jen and I continue to marvel at the fact we've been friends for 17 years and all the changes we've seen in each other's lives. Such a gift!

". . . rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God. . ." I Peter 2:4

Lian's Hometown

Welcome to Gaoyou, the place where Lian spent her first year of life. After a two-hour train ride to Nanjing and a two-hour van ride to Gaoyou, we decided it was time to get some exercise. We took a walking tour of the town and here are a few things we saw. . .

Gaoyou is a fishing village located on the Grand Canal.

We had the privelege of watching the local specialty being cleaned.

This is a pagoda, although it reminded me of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Man, I've been in too many countries this year!

We ended the day with our most excellent hosts, friends of Lian's teacher at her school in Seattle. They took wonderful care in providing for us - meeting us at the train station, driving us to Gaoyou and providing us with an authentic Chinese dinner experience. Duck eggs, eel, crab with all its internal organs and the shrimp we saw being cleaned earlier were included in our fare.
At the end of the day, this pretty much captures how we all felt - HAPPY!