Autumn Memorial

For those interested in the upcoming bloggy Home School Open House info, I will be updating at the end of this post!



As fun as all of our tromping through the Roloff farm this past Saturday, our day was still far from over.
We then headed directly to the semi-coastal town of Tillamook to attend a memorial service for one of my husband's relatives, which I really wanted to share with you.

It was such a beautiful fall day for the drive, and my camera doesn't do the colors justice...




Actually, it was for the wife of my husband's second cousin. I had spoken to this cousin just a few times over the course of these ten years, but I enjoyed talking with him at length just this summer at the family reunion on the coast. Such an amiable man, with a fun sense of humor and a very strong faith.

So, it was sad to hear the news of the passing of his wife after 52 years of marriage.

Yet, this was not the typical way that a husband loses his wife. In this case, they were enjoying a vacation just two weeks ago-, visiting relatives and seeing sights across the country- when his wife was struck by a car as she crossed a street and did not survive.

So, we were so saddened by this tragedy that though we weren't privileged to know them well, we wanted to be there to help support him and his family during this time.

We learned so much more about this dear woman...her very strong faith in Jesus, concern for those who didn't know Him, and her love for her family.
And though I knew her husband must be hurting inside, he amazed me as he spoke with loved ones, a warm and genuine smile gracing his face.
His wife had previously picked out the color for the small New Testaments to be given out by the church, so in light of this, he was giving them out in her memory to all of us who attended.
Before we left the reception area, he was holding the box containing the remaining Bibles, making sure we all had taken one...smiling into our eyes with such sweetness. It is something I'll never forget.

Afterward, many of the children played on the old playground at the church, which was
surrounded all around with beautiful countryside.








Then, we headed over to the Tillamook Cheese Factory...a place our family has been to many times over the years, but never seems to lose it's charm with the kids...especially when there's a scoop of their famous ice cream waiting for them at the end!

And we swung by the Air Museum, too...

We didn't pay for the tour, but stepped into the fun gift shop, complete with 1940's music playing, and peeked into the hanger filled with historical planes.

And we also noticed something interesting in this field outside of the museum...
As we first noticed a few people standing by their parked cars on the side of the road, snapping photos, our eyes followed to the field, where what looked like a herd of a hundred elk stood majestically grazing.
I wish I had gotten a picture while they were standing, but on the way back from the museum, I snapped this shot of them resting afterward...

Very hard to make out, I know, since I don't sport a nifty wildlife telephoto lens...but I did do some research, and they are called Roosevelt Elk- and are known for coming down from the hills to the lowlands in the fall to fatten up for winter.
Since we' re from the suburbs, we were all pretty excited to see this type of wildlife roaming so freely near us!

It was quite the long but fulfilling day, filled with many emotions...and it felt so good just to be together as a family.


Remember, hopefully I will be hosting our first official Home School Open House this coming Tuesday!


If you'd like to participate, you can by posting your own home school show and tell on that day, perhaps showing us what your children have recently worked on, a special project, or even just a favorite book. You can also share with us the special place that your children usually do their work- a room set aside, or a special corner.
You can tell us in words, but hopefully have a picture or two to share...or even a video!
(I'm new at this sort of thing, you guys, so bare with me...but hopefully I will learn how to have a Mr. Linky by then and everything! Woohoo!)

So...maybe get your children involved and think about what you all could share-
and I will see you in the school house on Tuesday!