If you refer to this post, then you would find a pic of me and my dad when he was in mid-progress of helping to build the "Paradise in the Pines" log home for the Vickers. I knew from the moment they spoke of this project, it would be special, and along the way it's only exceeded expectations.
Gerald and Sue have always been generous with their "home away from homes". In fact, our wedding present from them was the opportunity to stay at their condo in Maui for a week. (Which we took full advantage of two years into our marriage).
I made it very clear every time I saw Gerald and Sue how excited I was to see the final result and how glorious it had looked when I saw it in the fall. I think they caught on just how much I love the Metolius area - Central Oregon in general - and the idea of a vacation home in that area would be close to ideal for me.
So, when the house was completed and fully furnished, the Vickers talked to Mom and Dad and told them that in thanks for all of the work Dad did, his family would get first pick of the weekend they would like to utilize the cabin - in other words, our whole family - Alexanders, Schillings, and Rileys. We went ahead and picked the weekend we were already planning on getting together to honor Mother's and Father's Day with them, this weekend. And there you go - a family "reunion" at "Paradise in the Pines". In the less than 12 hours we've been here, I think the whole crew already agrees that it would be a wonderful thing if this could become an annual tradition. =)
We all arrived roughly around 7:30, unpacked, and promptly set chairs up around the campfire to chat and roast s'mores.
I LOVE this pic of Mom and Dad, illuminated by the firelight.
Central Oregon gets chilly fast in the evenings, so we converged inside. John and Michael had snuggled up to watch a movie on Netflix, and then the kids were thrilled to have Mom instigate a game with them on the floor.
On the docket today: cave exploring, hiking, and a very delicious bar-b-q this evening. Oh yeah...I'm a happy camper.
After finding a new RSS, I've spent the last hour, approx., catching up on all your wonderful adventures. We have been experiencing quite a bit of rain here in the south, too. Hopefully I can get back to blogging....I have a ton of pictures and posts, but haven't put it in type yet. I look forward to reading more, soon!:)
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