The Surprise that is Orofino, Idaho

Ever since N started his dam job, we have known that we will need to relocate once he finishes his apprenticeship.  As part of our planning, we make a plan to go to every dam he visits during his apprenticeship to see what towns we like and which ones we don't really have a peace about moving to.

For example, when he was working at Lower Monumental Dam near Ritzville, I can tell you, without reservation that I don't have a peace about living there.  You can imagine my feelings about a little town called Orofino, Idaho (population 3,142).  I was not that excited about it and I was adamant that there was no way I was ever going to live there.  EVER!

Then N got his apprenticeship schedule rearranged and he was headed to Dworshak Dam in Orofino this month rather than next winter.  He also is working 60 hours a week rather than 40 and they'll put him up in a hotel over the weekend.  It was like God put everything in place for me to eat crow.

Let me tell you, that crow is mighty tasty!

Orofino is nothing like Ritzville.  It's almost twice as big, much more bustling, quite a bit more friendly and absolutely gorgeous.  It is God's country up in Orofino.  Along the roads aren't signs that say "Deer Crossing" they say "Game Crossing."  I'm not entirely sure what "game" encompasses, but I have a feeling it's animals that are MUCH larger than deer.

When you think of Orofino, think trees, river and a HUGE concrete gate they call Dworshak Dam.  You cross a bridge over the North Fork of the Clearwater River to get to the dam.  If you look to your right as you cross that bridge, this is what you see: 

Honestly, nothing quite prepares you for that much concrete stuffed into a mountain.  Dworshak is 717 feet tall.  That concrete is holding back a 57 mile "lake" that is 630 feet deep.  In other words, a flood.

The dam has three main units.  Basically that means big tubes the water comes through to generate power, regulate the water temperature/levels or to reduce the amount in the "lake" so we don't have a flood.  Two of those units were spilling water when we visited.  I don't know about you, but those little spouts of water look rather small compared to the dam!

N took us on a platform area on the low side of the dam.  I had N and Zoe pose in front of the vertigo inducing concrete slab.  Can you even see Zoe?  I think this is appropriate to scale.  I was kinda woozy looking up that high.

Beyond that gate is what they call "the tunnel."  If I've learned anything these last two years about dam humor it's that the things they think are cool are things that make me crawl out of my skin.  This "tunnel" is a rock cave that goes into the dam and it is how they routed the water while they were building the dam.  I'm not sure how they stopped the water from continuing to go through that little tunnel, but I'm 100% positive it's not just a concrete slab at the end.  N had a flashlight and Zoe had a flashlight.  I did not.  I'm not really into caves anyway, but to put me in one, under 717 feet of concrete that is holding back 630 feet deep water that goes back 57 miles beyond the dam...let's just say I had a real anxiety attack.  Like absolute freak out, couldn't get out of there fast enough anxiety attack.  N's advice?  "Just don't think about it."  Um...

Zoe grabbed my hand, gave me a kiss and told me it was okay.  Sometimes it takes a while to be brave.  Bless her heart.

Instead of that little adventure to our death in a tunnel that all the dam guys just don't think about, we went to the elevator that goes to the top of the dam.  It's an elevator ride that takes about 90 seconds, but your ears pop at least 3 times. 

We stepped out of the building to see this...

That is Dworshak Lake from the top of the dam.  That light part that you see all along the banks is how far down the lake is currently from normal - about 80 feet.  The lake doesn't really have shoreline.  Once your boat is in the lake, you're on the lake.  Since the US Army Corp (USACE) maintains the lake, they built these floating docks that are anchored throughout the lake.  Some of them have picnic tables, some of them have tables and a cutout in the middle for swimming, some of them have bathrooms.  Basically you tie your boat to them, dock and that's their version of a shore. 

I got a little brave considering I'm terrified of heights and went to the other side to take this picture.  Mind you, I have the edge of the dam, plus another railing about 6 feet from the edge, so it's not like I could look down as I took this picture.  Honestly, this made my palms a bit sweaty.  This is the view looking west toward Lewiston.

Then N took the camera, told me to stand in the middle of the dam and to not look.  He took this picture.  That area that looks like a dock that juts out onto the river...that's where I was standing to take the picture of N and Zoe before going into the tunnel of doom.

I can honestly say, that I can see us living in this area.  Maybe closer to Lewiston rather than in Orofino, but I love the area.  Of all the places we've been so far, this is the place that seems most like home.   We'll see what God has in store for us.

Zoe and I are headed back in a couple weeks.  Next on the list - fish hatcheries (there are two, HUGE ones in Orofino and the Steelhead should be running) and Lewiston. 

Birthday Blessings and Apples

Friday was a busy day at our house.  First it was my birthday.  I turned 35 and am so incredibly blessed by the people in my life.  When Zoe woke up, she got her tea cart ready with all the things I would love for breakfast.  She made me breakfast in bed.  I got coffee with toast with peanut butter.  She even sang to me and did a special birthday dance.  She and grandma made me a bag that Zoe colored and it says, "MOM" on it.  Inside was fabric from the Mama Said Sew line of fabric.  She told me they made a special trip to the quilt store just to get that for me.  So precious.

My mom bought me a Block of the Month for Sew Spooky.  I can't wait to start sewing!

After breakfast in bed and all the birthday festivities, Zoe and I had a special date - a class field trip to Greenbluff to the "apple patch" as Zoe and her friends call it.  We had so much fun.  The kids learned about the importance of bees to the apple patch and how to pick an apple.  Interesting fact - you turn the apple upside down.  If it comes off the tree with the stem, it's ready.  If it doesn't come off, it's not ready to be picked.

Zoe got a gala apple.

Then it was off to the maze, where there were about 10 different cut-out places to get your picture taken.

Then we got to pick pumpkins!

They even had a teepee and some information on the Spokane Indian Tribe and then we got to go on a hayride.  It was the absolute best place to go for a field trip.  The farmers were so kind and great with the kids. 

One of Zoe's favorite parts - finding HUGE dandelions to make wishes from.

After the field trip, we took off to Orofino, Idaho to see daddy.  I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday that experiencing life with my favorite people.



Wordless Wednesday - One Upmanship

He always has to have the last word...

I love that about him!

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Prayers

This is a picture of the Wenatchee Complex Fire. 

Kindergarten is HARD

With the start of school comes a change in routine.  Zoe has a notebook that includes all the things she needs to keep at home and things that need to come right back each day.  It's a great system that allows the teacher and I to communicate.  Because I have type-A organizational issues, I hug this book at least once a day.

I've got to be honest, I'm still getting used to this every.single.day routine.  I love it, but sometimes it's 8:45 at night and I'm just looking in the notebook for the first time, saying a quick prayer of, "please don't let there be homework or letter practicing because we're in full-on, total nuclear meltdown and if I make her practice the letter 's' for any length of time, one of us will not see morning." 

Zoe is also developing some new routines as well.  This is the morning conversation every.single.day:

Zoe:  Is today a school day?

Yes it is!

[throws her head back in disgust] DOGGONIT!

I'm really looking forward to 1st grade and going all.day.long.every.single.day!

Fire

I read an article a week ago that after a storm, there were 110 wildfires in Washington state.  Yesterday the article was updated to 230 wildfires in the state.  Most of them are happening in central Washington, not near where we are.

This weekend while I was driving to Umatilla, I could see smoke the closer I got to Ritzville.  One of the major fires is near Grand Coulee Dam, a place that I used to visit often as a child.  From I-90, it's only a short distance to the north.  Here is a picture of the skyline that I took with my phone, so imagine the colors a bit more vibrant. 

That middle section the looks like a gray dust cloud is the smoke.  In real life it's closer to black and limiting visability.

As I saw this, my heart broke for all those people who have to evactuate, send their loved one to fight the fire, or are fighting the fire!  So much devastation and loss.

It made me so grateful that our struggles and hurdles during this season aren't the kind that will bring death.  Some of you may know, but we are going through some legal challenges right now.  There are many times where we feel consumed.  Many times in the past my initial response is to evacuate, get out of the situation and protect myself from ever being in it again!  This battle we're in is something that both N and I feel we need to fight.  Instead of this being easy, it's become the opposite - it's become consuming. 

The song that keeps playing in my head is Refiner's Fire, which I think is ironic with what's going on in nature right now.  God can use some very large object lessons to get my attention.  In the song it says:

my heart's one desire is to be holy 

God doesn't want me to make good choices, He wants me to make godly choices.

God doesn't want me to be a good person, He wants me to be a godly person.

God doesn't want me to be a good wife, He wants me to be a godly wife.

God doesn't want me to be a good mom, He wants me to be a godly mom.

I am in the midst of the fire.  It's consuming.  It's uncomfortable.  Yet, I feel as though God is molding both N and me in ways only He could've planned. 

While I pray that the fires are contained and lives spared, the smoke and the ash that I see is a reminder that God is answering my prayer.  He is showing me what it is to be holy and godly.  He's getting rid of my comfort, my pride, me.  

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. (Jer. 29:13)

The 7 Year Itch

This weekend marked our 7th anniversary. We spent the weekend away in Umatilla sans kiddos. We had grand plans to attend a roller derby. Then Saturday came, we ate large quantities of food at Texas Roadhouse and we couldn’t fathom anything else for the evening except going home and putting on pants with elastic waist bands. Truthfully, I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate 7 years than with great steak and elastic waist pants.

For some reason our anniversary is the time of most reflection for me. When I look back on our 7 years, I’m most proud of our marriage. I went into our marriage with the idea of a fairytale. N entered our marriage with the idea of a prison sentence. Somehow, over these 7 years we’ve both let go of our expectations and come together as a couple. I can tell you, without any doubt that is only because of God’s grace, mercy and steadfast faithfulness. Our marriage is a daily miracle that God has blessed me with.

This last year we’ve faced challenges that are the hardest we’ve ever encountered. That is saying something because I had that fairytale concept engraved in my head for a long time. With every moment of difficulty that has come, we have our moments where we lose sight of the goal, but each time we humbly come together, admit we mess things up and give it to God. If I was going to define this last year with any one thing it would be that we both just bow before God, admit we’re human and give ourselves completely to Him both as individuals and in our marriage. For the first time, our spiritual foundation is strong. As a result, we’re more at peace, despite the unrest happening in our lives.

I’m grateful for N and his sacrifices for our family. He is my hero in every way. His love for God, for me and for our family is unending and unconditional. I am so glad that God chose Him to be my partner in this life (and my personal vermin remover). He continues to make me laugh and think of things differently. He is patient and compassionate. He is my soul mate.

N - Thank you for sharing your life with me. These last 7 years have been a bumpy ride, but there is no one else I’d rather be with. Thank you for:

praying with me and for me because I need that the most,
holding my hand when I need reassurance,
showing me affection when I need to be loved,
holding me accountable when I need to be reminded that it’s not all about me,
telling me your thoughts when I know it’s hard to do,
loving me unconditionally in spite of my type-A personally, and
viewing your future with me in it.

I am so grateful that you still like me enough to continue on this ride. You are my knight in shining armor. Thank you for completing my fairytale.