I’ve spent the last couple of days unpacking… not just the physical stuff from our Oregon adventure (how can 4 people possibly create so much dirty laundry in 5 days?), but also the “unphysical” stuff I absorbed and brought home to chew on.

If you’ve ever been to the Oregon Coast you’ll know what I mean when I use words like “spectacular”, “gargantuan”, “breathtaking”, and “immense”. It reminded me somewhat of many of the rugged, beautiful beaches in the U.K.- except everything was Americanized… bigger beaches, bigger rocks, bigger views, bigger MEAL PORTIONS, etc etc. Totally awesome!

 

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Generally, I’m not one to get overly excited about road trips. I love to travel, to see new places and experience different foods and local attractions, but I’m not great in the vehicle. I don’t do well sitting in the back, but more frustrating than anything, I can’t READ lest I succumb to the dreaded carsickness. And I’m talking a maximum reading snippet of 2 minutes at best… you have no idea how grateful I am for the GPS invention- my map reading used to be a heaving ordeal!

Usually, I’m all bent out of shape in the vehicle because while everyone else devours great books, I can only imagine utilizing hours of free time getting lost in my happy place. (I’m not bitter at all). But this time, over the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend with my husband and 2 teenaged sons, our journey (about 26 vehicle hours in all) was not just bearable- it was AMAZING!

 

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We headed south and then east following the Columbia River, taking in pastures and mountains and waterfalls en route.

Here’s Jake being adorable:

 

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Hmmm , horsing around at Horsetail Falls… eight hours in the car was my breaking point…

 

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Two nights in Portland and then off to the coast for 2 nights in Seaside- a perfect combination to appreciate all my favourite things- the ocean, beach walks, delicious food, hiking, lighthouses, and copious amounts of shopping, all in glorious sunshine! The only thing missing was my daughter in Montreal (oh, and the dog of course!), but these funny guys kept me on my toes:

 

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I’ll be posting more in the next couple of weeks, but here is one thought I brought home to unpack from this Thanksgiving weekend of reflection and relaxation in Oregon:

 

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I am incredibly small. Oh my! When I stand on a massive beach with a backdrop of colossal rocks soaring up from the ocean bed, I am utterly overwhelmed. And then I am purely thankful. For a mighty Creator, for a gracious Heavenly Father who loves me warts and all, and for the reminder that the world doesn’t revolve around ME. I need to see the bigger picture sometimes, the bigger world, the bigger issues. And remember I am incredibly loved, but I AM incredibly small.

 

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Astounded by His beauty and love…