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Saturday, September 7, 2013

when your brother marries your close friend

...it isn't so bad
 Carm & I have been friends for years. I'll be the first to admit when Alex told me he was going to marry her I was less than happy. She was my close friend; he was my brother. It was selfish, I know, but I didn't want to lose or have my relationship change with either of them. But I knew it had to. A less selfish person would've been overjoyed to have their friend for a sister-in-law. Sigh. Of course, looking back to a year ago now (what?! crazy), I had no idea of knowing I would marry her cousin & move halfway across the country, making her as a sister-in-law a sure way of cementing our friendship. God's so good. And so, here we were, sisters-in-law, cousins-in-law, having a high old time in good ol' Oregon. We had so much fun. Here's where not having a job has major perks: we gallivanted around, golfed in our backyard, threw barbecues, antiqued, & caught up on the past months apart.


 a barbecue in our sideyard, followed by a rousing game of golf. *smirkle*. Alex hit 9 balls in the pond. It was a situation where watching was much more entertaining than taking part. 







 trying to find 5 of the 6 golfballs that somehow made their way off the course:)
 So yes, if anyone comes to visit, we do have a 3-hole course in our backyard. Doesn't everyone? 
The rest of the photos are from our Mckenzie Pass tour. It was a really cool driving tour up into the mountains, past the lava beds, into Eastern Oregon & back. Our first stop was a mountain lake with clear water 40 feet down. We rented a little row boat & cruised around the lake in the crisp morning air, watching the fog rise off the water as the warm air & glacial waters met. There were hardly any others on the water & it was so still you could hear a paddle across the lake. 




 Our next stop was a waterfall where we ate our lunch by the thundering head of the falls. 



 (Thank goodness for self-timer!)
 We drove further up into the mountains & pulled over for a pit stop at some of the lava beds. If you've ever read a Louis L'Amour, this is the type of terrain that would shred the rugged man's cowboy boots as he was being hunted by the outlaw he'd embarrassed in the previous cow town. 




 Sisters, OR. We stopped and had some coffee to ward off the chill of the mountain air & perk us up. Unfortunately, we were back down in the plains & hot coffee wasn't very tasty in the now-90 degree weather. We walked the old western style streets, browsed the shops, & ate some frozen yogurt.

 We'd been told not to miss this attraction: the head of the Metolius River, which appears to start from a rock. Quite frankly, the river head wasn't that impressive, but the smell of the ponderosas as we walked to it was heavenly. I would go back simply to take a few deep breaths of that fresh, piney scent.


 Lastly, we stopped at a dam & walked out onto it. Then headed into Mt. Angel for some Glockenspiel German. It was a charming day. And one we probably won't ever be able to repeat.
It was just, mmm...I can't quite find the right word, perfect, perhaps? to have Al & Carm here. It was so natural, Carmen having spent some summers here, & finding her place in the Sinn's out here. 
(a sneaky shot taken with my iphone, heh heh)
Al & Dar were able to talk farm & I felt no qualms about saddling my stranger-shy husband with Alex. In fact, Carm & I were banished to the back seat of the Subaru during our McKenzie Pass tour while our men talked shop. Which was fine with us:). It warms my heart to know my family has accepted my husband & is willing to pay for a plane ticket to come & see us. Although, having a golf course probably doesn't hurt...
We sent off Alex & Carmen somewhat hesitantly; if it were up to all of us, they would've stayed a few more days. But life cannot always be golfing & waterfalls & fun western towns & heavenly piney smells, so off they went. And here I sit typing this, thanking God Alex had the audacity to marry my friend:). Come see us again, you two!

2 comments:

  1. Aw Jen we had such a good time! Thanks again for gallivanting around with us :) We went home reluctant to leave and planning our next trip out!

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  2. So you have a computer now?!? :) I hope...
    Digging Al's Sealtite shirt - Jeremy will be pleased.
    Recalling Sisters, head of the Metolius, Clear Lake, etc from our trip in 2000, although I was less than excited to be in the paradise that was Oregon. ! How strange that I now find myself to be rather happy about coming out. My, how things change. See you on Wednesday!!!!!! Yay!

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