The Walk, called Life....

I have spent the last two days reading.  I love a good book, one that inspires, one that teaches, one that makes me think.  The latest books are the first two in a series by Richard Paul Evans.

The walk is a story of a man who loses everything. His job, his home, the love of his life. He decides to walk. He goal is to walk from Seattle, Washington to Key West, Florida.  It is a wonderful read.  This author uses a lot of quotes in his books. He writes as if it is the main characters journal, which makes it so real to me.  The character Alan, loses his wife. He writes in his journal about how he was envious of Adam...even though he lost the Garden of Eden, he still had Eve.  This quote made me think of the past couple of years and the things that have been "lost" in my life, but through it all I had Bruce by my side, working through the sorrow and struggles together.  I am so very thankful for a wonderful husband, who loves me so much and I him and that we have been blessed to be together...Forever!!

As Alan begins his walk, he meets a variety of people who teach him many things.  He finds many kind people, who are willing to trust him and to help him.  One told him, "Some people in the world have stopped looking for beauty, then wonder why their lives are so ugly. Don't be like them. The ability to appreciate  beauty is of God. Especially in one another.  Look for beauty in everyone you meet, and you'll find it. Everyone carries divinity within them. And everyone we meet has something to impart."  After reading this part of the story, I had to stop and truly contemplate these words.   I have been frustrated with my life and feeling as if I am being kicked while I am down. It is a struggle to get up and move on.  I had to evaluate my life. Was I forgetting to look for the beauty all around me? Had I forgotten about counting my blessings?  As I look back on life the past couple weeks, I do it with great joy.  I have been "Walking" and it felt good.

On July 13th my family and extended family, headed to Wallowa Lake, Washington for a family reunion. A reunion that had been in the planning for a couple of years. A reunion that had never happened "officially" before.  It was the Meldrum Family Reunion.  My mother-in-law, Marie Meldrum Merrill and her four brothers and all their posterity.  About 100 people, at least four generations, showed up to this awesome event.  Cousins who had never met were instant buddies. Stories of the past were told, laughter was heard, tears were shed, family bonds were strengthened. Beauty was all around.

This was all the Merrill's that attended. Marie and LeRoi Merrill and four out of seven children (Gary, Laura, Bruce and Martha) and eight of their grandchildren.

  This is a picture of everyone who attended.  Like I said, about 100 people and four generations.  It was amazing.

While at the reunion, there was much fun to be had by all.

 Paden tried his hand at paddle boarding. It was a windy, cold morning, but it didn't stop him from having some fun. His instructor Mike was so patient with him and they had a great time.

After paddle boarding he went and donned his snorkeling gear and headed back into the water.  He had read that there was rumor of a Wallowa Lake Creature...he thought he might see it.  I think it may have been HIM :o)

 

 Keaton and Raymond found the basketball court and had some fun playing one on one.

 Grandma was looking hip in her hat and loved giving the boys hugs.

 Three generations of Merrill's here.  Paden loves hugs from his grandpa.

 I enjoyed the sunset each night.

 The animals were very friendly.  This is Paden looking surprised when I explained you shouldn't really feed the deer.

 This is on top of Mt Howard, where we could finally check our messages :o)

 I found love at 8000 feet! <3

 Bruce, April, Michelle, Martha, Laura, Rebekah and Alex on top of Mt Howard.

 The chipmunks and squirrels were very friendly.

 Give them a few seeds and they just climb up into your hands.

 This is the bucket we came up and down the mountain in.

 The gang at the Summit.

 My beautiful Mother-in-law.  She is just too dang cute.

 What happens when you get boys and duct tape in the same area.

My mother-in-law laughing while sharing stories of their youth.

 Paden, Clayton and Jared...the three 11 year olds at the reunion. Instant friends.

 The 15 year olds...and Jenilyn :o)

 These are all the cousins that came to the reunion...only 10 missing.

 Keaton gets the Fake Popcorn award. He kept saying that jiffy pop pop-corn was fake.

 Paden got the most creative camping award because he made his own hammock to sleep in.

   

This reunion was a bit of rejuvenation that I have been longing for. A place in a family that I felt had been made askew by the loss of my own parents and the change in family dynamics.  It was refreshing to see so many different people come together from many different walks of life and have instant love, all in the name of family. 

Upon returning from the reunion, my extended family time did not end.  As I sent my son Keaton and his cousin Raymond off to EFY (Especially for Youth) I was able to spend the next few days with my sister-in-law and a my niece, both of whom I had seen very little of in the past 17 years of being a Merrill. I was not sure what the week would hold. To tell you the truth, I was a bit nervous and resistant to the idea a spending a week with someone I did not know.  Looking back it was so much more  then I had expected.  I learned a lot about my sister and a lot about me.  My sister-in-law has chronic fatigue syndrome and gets tired very easily but for some reasons our adventures didn't slow her down. We walked...and walked.  First stop, Portland.  Deseret Book and then Powell's Books, which is a huge bookstore that takes up an entire city block. My sister and niece were in Heaven. We spent several hours there.  Then we went to the Portland Rose Gardens and looked at all the beauty there.

We literally took time to smell the roses and it was wonderful.   On another day we went to the coast. Kara, my niece had never seen the ocean.  Our first stop was Cannon Beach.

 Then on to Manzanita beach.... where Paden tried to dig a hole to china.

 and Martha found that the Oregon Coast is a bit cold...:o)

 And Kara found that burying yourself in the sand it a wonderful pass time....

 and we got to see another Meldrum cousin (Kristy) again :o)

 and Cousins or Kuzn's are friends forever.

 After Manzanita, we drove to Tillamook and ate Ice Cream and then headed over to Cape Mears where we walked to the Octopus Tree. A very old sitka tree.

 We then walked down to see the light house.

 and the beginning of sunset....

It was a wonderful day walking and talking on the Oregon Coast. 

The next walk took us to what I lovingly call the Waterfall District.  We started at Crown Point Vista House. I have been here many times but not with anyone who had knowledge of the history. We met up with
another Meldrum cousin Cami Paul and her son Clayton.  She had been to the house several times with field trips and such and to hear her tell the history just made it come alive for me. You could feel her love and passion for the place and it just waterfalled right into my heart as well.

 Martha, Cami and April at Vista House at Crown Point.

 

Paden and Clayton on the Crown Point lawn.

 

 Paden is trying to catch the water from Horse Tail Falls.

 

Our first waterfall stop was Latourell Falls

 The boys wanted to get as close to the waterfall as possible...they were soaked.

 Paden in front of Bridal Veil Falls

 Paden and I by Bridal Veil Falls

 Martha, Kara, Paden and I in front of Wakeena Falls

 Paden by lower Wakeena Falls.

Kara and Paden walking in the river bed.

I have to say that these last few days walking with my family at the reunion and around Oregon were very refreshing to me. I have never felt extremely close to Bruce's family but since my parents have passed away I have found that I have always belonged and that it was probably me who didn't get close to them. That they have always been there.  At the end of The Walk, he tells a Brazilian fold tale called The Little Cow.  It tells of a Master of Wisdom who has a young apprentice. They come to the home of a very poor family. The master tells the apprentice to go see the family and see if they will share their food. He does. The family willingly shares what little they have. They talk about their difficulties but say they are blessed because of a little cow that provides them with milk and cheese to eat and to sell.  He returns to the Master and tells him the results.  The Master then tells the apprentice to go and take the cow and push it off the cliff. The apprentice did not want to do this but did what the master asked.  Several years passed and the apprentice still felt guilt for what had happened. He returned to the farm to apologize bu when he arrived the house was gone and instead he found a large villa. More guilt.  He went to the door and asked to speak to the master of the house.  When he inquired about the previous family, the man said, My family has lived here for three generations. The apprentice told the man about his experience several years before.  The man explained that they had relied on the little cow very much but when the cow wondered off and was lost they did everything they could to survive.  "Only then did we discover that we had greater power and abilities than we possibly imagined and never would have found as long as we relied on that cow. What a great blessing from Heaven to have lost our little cow."   Sometimes we limit ourselves without even knowing.  That losses are a way to move forward. I intend to finish this walk in life with an open mind to learn and to love all that I can.