New homeowners!!

Jordan sans Jamie (who was waiting for us at their rented duplex)

On the way home from Orcas Island this past Sunday, we made a stop in Spanaway, Washington, an unincorporated suburb of Tacoma, to see Jamie and Jordan’s new home. That’s right -- their new home.

The Army has a homebuyer assistance program for its troops. Jamie and Jordan sat through a few classes, then went out with a real estate agent and looked at a dozen or more homes. They made an offer on one they liked -- a 3-bedroom, 2-bath, split-level house on a quiet cul-de-sac -- and they got it.

They figured that since they were receiving an off-base housing allowance as a married couple, there was no reason they shouldn’t think about investing it in a home. They made the offer in late May, just before Jordan started three weeks of field training.

While he was away, there was some back and forth following an inspection but Jamie handled all the negotiations and the seller agreed to pay for all repairs. They began moving into their new home little by little and by the time we passed through on Sunday, the 26th, they'd gotten most of their big items in there.

We gave them a Home Depot gift card so they could pick out a lawn mower. They'll need it, as the backyard has a terraced lawn that wraps around one side and out to the front. Jordan, the presumptive mower, will have to maneuver around five fruit trees, a greenhouse and a raised bed for gardening.

Once they decide where to board Jamie’s two horses, they'll be set. The move puts them much closer to the Army base at Fort Lewis as well as to Tacoma, with its expanded shopping and entertainment options.

As you can imagine, we’re very proud of them. Homeowners at age 23 (Jordan) and 26 (Jamie)! What a great start.

A wiffle ball and Easter dinner

Huh? What possible connection could there be between a perforated, hard-plastic white ball and a Christian holy day?

In my mind, it comes down to reminiscing about my youngest son Saturday and then having a late dinner with him on Sunday.

After work Saturday, Lori suggested we take a walk to the neighborhood park so Otto could run around with other dogs. As we were getting ready to leave, I spotted a wiffle ball in the grass. I tossed it to Lori. She caught it and tossed it back. Just like that, we had an impromptu game of catch. A few throws into the game, I tossed one straight up in the air, mimicking a pop fly.

"Know what this reminds me of?" I said. "When Jordan was little, we'd play catch on the front lawn and  he used to love it when I'd throw it as high as I could. He'd settle under it and catch it nearly every time."

Easter came the next day. Lori and I had plans to go to an early dinner by ourselves. We canceled our reservations, however, when we learned that Jordan and Jamie were going to be passing through Portland a little earlier than anticipated. They'd gone down to southern Oregon to visit with Jamie's family and were headed back to their home in Olympia.

They were set on driving through so Jamie could report to work on time Monday morning, but they arrived in Portland with enough time to join us for dinner at a neighborhood restaurant. So, for a couple of hours we had a chance to catch up on what's new in their lives since we last saw Jordan at year's end. Topics: military life, household chores, tattoos, pets, parents, siblings and much more.

The "South Park" boys: Kyle, Kenny, Cartman and Stan

I'll spare the details but share one thing that made us laugh. Among the soldiers in his unit, Jordan is nicknamed "Hippie" -- which, he said, tells you how conservative the rest of them are. How ironic! In our liberal family, Jordan's views on politics and social issues are the most moderate, occasionally veering toward right of center. And as a regular watcher of "South Park," he used to howl at the caricatures of clueless hippies portrayed on that irreverent television show.

Looking at him across the table, with his high-and-tight military haircut and taut biceps, I felt a sense of pride at seeing how well he and Jamie are doing as a young married couple. But Jordan a hippie? No way.

An inky surprise (times two)

Jamie and Lori

Leave it to my daring daughter-in-law and fashionable wife to render me speechless...in a good way.

Jamie had a couple of days off last week while Jordan, our son, was out in the field with the Army so she came down to spend some time with us. She and Lori went out and did the usual things -- walked the dogs, had lunch out, indulged in a little bit of shopping. Still, it was a surprise when I met them after work Thursday at a Thai restaurant that's become one of Jamie's favorite restaurants in Portland.

"Guess what we did today?" she asked, grinning from ear to ear.
"Um...shopped?"
"Yep. Want to see what we got?"
"Sure."

I'm expecting them to pull out a shopping bag or two. Instead, Jamie gets up, sits next to me, whips out her phone and shows me a photo of an eagle feather tattooed on her right hip. Whoa!! This is the conservative country girl who I would have thought would have been one of the last two people on Earth (me being the other one) to get a tattoo?? Evidently, she'd been thinking about it for a while. And the eagle has special meaning because it one was flying overhead when Jordan proposed to her in the great outdoors of Southern Oregon.

I'm trying to process this when I notice Lori is still smiling. Sure enough, she got another tattoo -- not a tattoo, but another tattoo.

She already has one on her lower back. This one is on her left forearm. In bold script it reads: mi la famiglia. (My family.) Could there be a better representation of what my wife considers most important in her life?

***

The following day, Nathan came over for a brief visit and got the news. He was equally surprised at Jamie's tat and totally impressed at Lori's. So much so that he went down to the computer and fired off a Facebook post declaring "My mom's cooler than yours."

Can't argue with that.

Jordan at 23

Jordan and Jamie at the 2009 Rede Reunion in Portland

In the next hour or so I expect to hear the front doorbell ring and there, standing on the porch will be my youngest son and his wife.

As hard as it was for me to come to terms with being 58, it won't be a big deal to have Jordan turn 23. The number seems to fit him. Since getting married in November 2009, he's seen a lot and done a lot, thanks to the military, and done a lot of maturing, thanks to his sweet bride, Jamie.

After they got married, they moved to El Paso and the ironically named Fort Bliss, where life was anything but. Jordan went on training manuevers in the desert mountains north of El Paso and, to the west, the barren terrain of New Mexico. He tried out for the Special Forces (Army Rangers)  in North Carolina and then, earlier this year, he got transferred to Joint Base Lewis-McChord outside Olympia, Washington, about 100 miles north of us.

It doesn't surprise me that Jordan is able to take all the physical training and tedium of the military in stride. He's always loved physical activity and challenges, whether it's skateboarding or wrestling, snowboarding or camping, and he's generally a patient person, although, I'm sure, even he has his limits when asked to inventory the same items he and his fellow grunts accounted for the day before.

Most of all, it seems he has settled nicely into the role of a young husband who's loving toward and supportive of his wife.

It's fun to think back on his different phases and interests, such as ... When he dyed his hair blond and did all kinds of skateboarding tricks in middle school. ... When he took up break dancing, then progressed to mixed martial arts. ... When he lived alone for a few weeks on our Orcas Island cabin, subsisting on part-time summer jobs helping out on a local farm and working in a restaurant kitchen.

Killer Burger baskets

As he's grown older, it's nice to see the bond he has with Nathan and Simone grow ever stronger. I think there is mutual aspect amongst the three of them, who each bring different talents and personalities to the table. They've taken him under their wing in certain ways but there's no doubt that he's flying on his own now: A married man, serving in the all-volunteer Army, and training to be part of a Stryker Brigade at the same time that he remains a kid at heart, laughing out loud at "Elf," guzzling root beer and cuddling his orange-and-white kitten, Mr. Biggs.

If all goes according to plan, we'll take him out to dinner at Killer Burger -- his first time there -- and then come back to tear into his favorite dessert, a chocolate wafer cake with layers of whipped cream.

Settling in at Lacey

Nearly a month ago we stopped in to visit Jamie and Jordan at their duplex outside Lacey, Wash. Last weekend, they returned the favor. Though they only stayed long enough to grab a quick meal from Chiptole -- their favorite take-out place -- they had Jamie's parents with them and her two horses in a trailer they were hauling up to their new home.

It's always nice to visit with her parents, Jeff and Linda. They are so down-to-earth, unpretentious people. They included Jamie and Jordan in an annual rafting trip they do with extended family on the Rogue River before hitting the road with them to bring the horses up from southern Oregon. One of the animals is Jamie's long-time favorite, Blazer. The other is a younger horse that needs to be broken before they can ride it. Evidently, the horse trainer up there is doing a good job with the horse and expects they will be able to ride it in a matter of weeks.

I don't have a photo of either horse, but I do have this one from when we visited the newlyweds. We got a tour of the property that included a stroll through the stalls and a walk in the woods behind their duplex. I'm glad things worked out for them. It's got to be a wonderful respite from the urbanized areas around them -- especially now that Jordan has Comcast internet service. They can be in the country but still be within minutes of the city.

It's good to have them back in the Northwest, two hours -- instead of two time zones -- away.

Relaxing on the river

It's one thing to live in a place that calls itself River City and view the water from a distance, as you're crossing a bridge or running along a multiple-use path. It's another thing to actually get out on the river and experience the city from the inside out. At least, that's how it felt this past weekend when we joined Jordan and Jamie on a 2 1/2-hour cruise on the Willamette.

For a wedding gift last fall, someone gave them a "romance package" aboard the Portland Spirit, a 150-foot yacht with three public decks that sails from downtown Portland to Lake Oswego and back. Inexplicably, that same party gave us -- as the long-suffering parents, no doubt -- a certificate for a free cruise, too.

So, with Jamie and Jordan in town for the weekend, it was nice to take advantage of a hot summer night and cool off on the water. We sat down to a delicious meal in the galley -- blackened salmon, rack of lamb, beef medallions -- then went upstairs to enjoy the fresh air for the second half of the cruise.

And what did we see? A little of everything:

• Ostentatious mini-mansions in Dunthorpe and Lake Oswego, with way more house than any one family could reasonably occupy.
• Houseboats, small marine craft and a lone water skier.
• The west side of Ross Island, home to beaver, bald eagles and 50 pairs of great blue herons, the city's official bird. (We didn't see the east side, which has been ravaged by a sand and gravel operation.)
• Oaks Park, an amusement park with carnival rides and an old-fashioned wooden roller skating rink.
• Milwaukie's sewage treatment plant, quite possibly the worst land-use planning decision ever made. (Whose bright idea was it to put it next to the Willamette instead of developing the riverbank for a public park?)
• The familiar city skyline, with its handful of tall buildings -- nothing like the towering edifices in most cities that make you feel insignificant.
• And one randy woman on a grassy picnic area who (from a distance I guessed to be in her 50s) decided to moon everyone on the boat.

It was a nice treat to see so many familiar landmarks from a different vantage point. Now, if someone would just give us some more certificates, we'd be happy to check out the brunch and Friday getaway cruises, along with the Columbia River Sternwheeler that goes out to Cascade Locks and the Bridge of the Gods.

Photograph: Portland Spirit Co.

On the road again

No, not me. This time, it's the boys.

Sometime today, Nathan and six friends will head up I-5 and ferry from Anacortes to Orcas Island for a weekend stay, returning Tuesday. It's a quick getaway, one that I know will replenish the spirit with the slower rhythm of island life.

At the same time, Jordan and wife Jamie will also head up I-5 from the Medford area to come and spend a night with us in Portland. They left El Paso on Tuesday, saying goodbye to the desert heat and dreary landscape of Southwest Texas in order to move themselves to Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Olympia, Wash. They're eager to be back in the Northwest and settle into their new home, a duplex on a horse ranch near Lacey.

Unfortunately, the brothers will miss each other this weekend -- and it's a shame Jordan and Jamie also just missed saying goodbye to Simone before she moved to Pittsburgh earlier this week. But the nice thing is there will be plenty of opportunities for us and Nathan to see the newlyweds now that they're within easy driving distance.

I hope there won't be any snags at work today because I'd like to get home earlier than usual to see Jordan and Jamie. Neither one has even seen, let alone set foot in, our new home and I know they will be in for a shock. When Jordan enlisted in the Army last spring, we were still in the three-bedroom home in Grant Park. It's been a little over seven months since we've been in the Irvington condo.

Above: Nathan was best man at Jordan's wedding in November.

Coming home

For several weeks now, I've refrained from writing about the most unexpected but most pleasing development involving our soldier boy, Jordan, and his wife Jamie.

They're coming home! To the Northwest, that is. Jordan's request for a transfer was approved and he's being reassigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, near Olympia, Washington. We'll see them sometime later this month as they pass through en route to their new home just outside Lacey, which lies southwest of Fort Lewis, the Army base that recently was consolidated with McChord Air Force Base.

We first heard of the possibility of this happening in May, but knew we needed to keep quiet until the Army went through all its processes and gave Jordan the final OK. The green light came inJune and Jordan recently went through the formality of a re-enlistment ceremony with the 1st Squadron, 13th Cavalry (above). Now, here it is the Fourth of July, the most patriotic of holidays, when I finally sit down to share the news.

Why the move?

Two reasons: Our Northwest-born and bred kids were miserable in the relentless sun and heat of El Paso. They longed for trees, green hills and, yes, overcast skies and rain. Also, Jordan is eager to get overseas. Transferring to Lewis-McChord will speed up the timetable because Fort Lewis has been a staging area for soldiers going abroad since 1945.

What's next?

The latest word is that Jordan and Jamie will leave Fort Bliss behind on or about July 13. They'll visit with Jamie's parents in southern Oregon, then come up to see us, no doubt driving a U-Haul truck and towing their car. We haven't seen them since we exchanged goodbyes the day after their honeymoon in late November.

They'll continue north to get settled in their new place --a duplex on a horse ranch that we checked out for them (on our return trip from Orcas) after Jamie found it online. It's a 75-acre spread and the landlord, an energetic widow who rents out space to about two dozen horse owners, seems like a nice person. If all works out as planned, Jamie can bring up two of her horses from her parents' ranch.

Jordan is supposed to report to duty sometime in early August, so they should have ample time to move in and get acclimated. He will be part of a Stryker Brigade Combat Team, the light and mobile units that have been used in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. I could be wrong, but my understanding is that the soonest Jordan could deploy would be the fall of 2011. By then, let's hope the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan has begun.

Once the newlyweds are in place, they'll be just two hours and 100 miles away, instead of two time zones and 1,600 miles. We're hoping they can get away to our cabin before Jordan starts his new job. Even if they can't, maybe they can join us for our traditional Thanksgiving dinner on the island.

Whatever works out is fine by me. Lori and I are just so happy that we'll soon have our youngest son and daughter-in-law back in this corner of the country. Happy Fourth!

Military Appreciation Day

I'm still new to the culture and traditions that go along with being part of the extended military family community. As the parent of a soldier, certain holidays are taking on new meaning and I'm more aware than ever of the sacrifices made not just by the men and women in uniform, but of the spouses and significant others who provide a special kind of support.

And, so, with a big thanks to a fellow blogger named Nike (pronounced like the shoe) I've just become aware that today is Oregon Military Appreciation Day... and I'm thinking how much Lori and I appreciate our daughter-in-law Jamie (above).

(An extra shout-out for Starr, who's married to our nephew Austin, and along with their two young daughters, has endured his multiple deployments with the Navy.)

Nike wrote a beautiful post on her blog, Small Town Girl, that captures everything I'd want to say -- and more. And so I include this link to her post, "A Salute to the Silent Ranks," which includes this poem:

The Silent Ranks

Author Unknown

I wear no uniforms, no blues or army greens
But I am in the Army in the ranks rarely seen
I have no rank upon my shoulders - salutes I do not give
But the military world is the place where I live
I'm not in the chain of command, orders I do not get
But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget
I'm not the one who fires the weapon, who puts my life on the line
But my job is just as tough. I'm the one that's left behind
My husband is a patriot, a brave and prideful man
And the call to serve his country not all can understand
Behind the lines I see the things needed to keep this country free
My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do our kids and me
I love the man I married, Soldiering is his life
But I stand among the silent ranks known as the Army Wife.

My favorite cowgirl

I'm a day late but the sentiment is strong and heartfelt. Yesterday was Jamie Lynn's 25th birthday -- marking a quarter-century of boozing, hard living and trouble-making.

Yeah, right.

No, March 10 was a special day in the life of someone's who become very special to me and all of our family. My daughter-in-law Jamie celebrated her birthday in the company of our son, Jordan, and with good wishes from all corners of the Facebook universe. If you know anything about Jamie, you know she's the epitome of sunny and sweet.

It's been a delight to see Jamie evolve from bashful newcomer to beloved relative in the course of her courtship, engagement and marriage to Jordan. He could not be with a kinder, finer young lady than her as they deal with their first few months of living away from family at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

It was an adjustment on both sides when Jamie met our family. We're the typical Northeast Portland liberals who've lived in or near cities all their lives and have little interest in organized religion. She, on the other hand, grew up on a ranch in southern Oregon, raised horses and other animals, drove a truck and an ATV, and made plenty of space in her life for Christianity and Sunday services.

That she and Jordan met at a summer horse camp (she as the instructor, he as a starstruck camper) was telling. Both share a love of animals and the outdoors. Both love physical activities. And it seems to me they don't need much more than each other -- well, maybe a DVD movie and a couple of burritos -- to have a nice evening together. Somehow, Jamie has become a fan of the UFC -- the mixed-martial arts sports known as the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

I'm very happy that Jamie has become part of our lives and very proud to call her my D.I.L. She comes from a great family and I hope we can all celebrate her next birthday together.

Finally...the wedding photos

What great timing that yesterday's mail brought us the long-awaited DVD of photos from Jordan and Jamie's wedding, courtesy of Jeff and Linda Taylor, Jamie's parents. Here are just a few from that memorable day, Nov. 22, 2009. And what better day to post them than Valentine's Day 2010...


On the deck overlooking Lost Creek, outside Medford.


Jamie with bridesmaids Kristen and Grisel.


Best man Nathan with the groom.


Simone and Lori.



Newly married....

Back to normal in Texas

Our hopes were raised earlier this month when Jordan left for North Carolina and the first phase of what he hoped would land him a spot in the advanced training program for the U.S. Army's Special Forces.

Alas, he didn't make it. In short, it was the loss of certain equipment he needed to complete a field exercise rather than the punishing physical challenges that doomed his chances. It's too complicated to explain here, but suffice to say that any points lost early on are difficult to make up later -- and then there is no guarantee that just completing the three-week course gets you in.

We're awfully proud of him, though. Without exception, everyone who has learned that he was even trying to get in has expressed admiration for his resolve and ambition. Typically, it takes multiple attempts to qualify for the training so there's no shame in not making the cut the first time. A couple of Army guys we know say that to make it on your first try is the equivalent of landing on the the U.S. Olympic Team the first time you try. Jordan assures us he'll give it another go.

In the meantime, Lori returned late Monday from a whirlwind weekend trip to visit Jamie. They had a great time exploring El Paso (if you're a Portlander, think 82nd Avenue repeated every mile or so) together and getting caught up with each other. Lori says they found a nice apartment off base and Jamie is making friends and getting involved in different groups, so that's good to hear.

Lori returned with a new pair of cowboy boots and that should come as no surprise to those of you who know her love of footwear. "It was a great deal," she told me. "A discount I couldn't pass up."

Reminds me of the postcard she has on the refrigerator door up at the cabin" "If the boot fits, wear it!" **

** I stand corrected. "If the boot fits, buy it in every color!"

Headed to El Paso

No, not me. My wife.

With Jordan in North Carolina, completing week No. 2 of a three-week training camp that he hopes will lead to a spot in Special Forces, now seems a good time for Lori to go visit Jamie and get a glimpse of life on and near an Army base.

Later this morning, I will take her to the airport and she will visit our daughter-in-law through the weekend, returning late Monday. Except for a layover in Houston enroute to Oaxaca four years ago, this will be Lori's first time in the Republic of Texas.

I've been to El Paso a couple times before. It's about the same size as Portland but different in just about every way -- geography, climate, demographics, politics, economy, etc. It's home to Fort Bliss, which I just learned is the Army's second-largest installation behinid the White Sands Missile Range in neighboring New Mexico.

Don't know just exactly what the two Oregon ladies will do, but I'm sure they'll have fun just being in each other's company. As for me, I'll take advantage of the long weekend to freshen up my materials for the class ("Opinion and the Blogosphere") that I'll be teaching a couple weeks from now at Portland State.

Photo by Nima Kasraie, who's originally from Iran. (The things you learn with a click of a mouse continue to amaze me. Look for yourself.)

"A Living Prayer"

This is the song that Jamie chose to be played as she walked down the leaf-strewn path to her place between her pastor and her bridesmaids.


In this world I walk alone
With no place to call my home
But there's one who holds my hand
The rugged road through barren lands
The way is dark, the road is steep
But He's become my eyes to see
The strength to climb, my griefs to bear
The Savior lives inside me there

In Your love I find release
A haven from my unbelief
Take my life and let me be
A living prayer, my God to Thee

In these trials of life I find
Another voice inside my mind
He comforts me and bids me live
Inside the love the Father gives

In Your love I find release
A haven from my unbelief
Take my life and let me be
A living prayer, my God to Thee

Take my life and let me be
A living prayer, my God to Thee

A country wedding

As I sit down to write tonight, two thoughts come to mind: 1) I'm officially a father-in-law now; 2) I don't think there's any way to do justice to telling the tale of Jordan and Jamie's wedding. But I'll try.

On Sunday afternoon, Nov. 22, slightly more than 100 people gathered in folding chairs on the grass to see a handsome, suntanned young man, with a military haircut and his crisp Army uniform, and a beautiful blonde, blue-eyed young woman, wearing a sleeveless, low-cut white wedding gown, join their lives together in marriage.

The ceremony took place at the Lake Creek Historical Society grounds, about 20 miles northeast of Medford, and a million miles from the dense, urban area that's my normal.

They stood -- between two oak trees a few yards from clear, rushing waters of Lake Creek -- and gazed at each other as if they were the only two people on Earth. I felt that way when I married Lori 34 years ago, and the memories came flooding back watching our son and his bride.

If there was a theme to the day, it was City Meets Country. And I mean that in a positive way. On Jamie's side sat dozens of people, clad in blue jeans, leather vests, pearl-button shirts and cowboy hats. On Jordan's side sat men in sport coats and neckties and women in long dresses. No denim and no cowboy hats for that crowd.

A couple of older men on horseback had set up in the road outside the grounds to direct people with their cars. Jamie walked in, on her father's arm, to Alison Krauss' enchanting song, "A Living Prayer." Inside Pioneer Hall, a home-cooked buffet of teriyaki chicken, pasta salad, green salad, baked potatoes with all the fixings, and three kinds of pie. The deejay played Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack along with Van Morrison and James Brown.

From start to finish, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was watching myself in a movie. Going into the men's room to have a few words with Jordan before the ceremony began; walking with Lori, arm in arm, to our seats in the front row; rising to grab the mike and offer a toast...all of it felt pretty surreal.

Of course, the evening went all too fast. Before we knew it, the dancing had come to a close, Jamie and Jordan had departed in a stretch limo for two nights in the honeymoon suite at the historic Jacksonville Inn, and friends and family were pitching in to fold tables, put away chairs, sweep the floors, box up leftovers and generally just clean up.

It's amazing to think that people can search a lifetime for their soulmate and never find him or her. And others? They're fortunate, like Jamie and Jordan, to recognize what they have in each other and to see past the superficial differences. How unlikely that they would even meet -- she a country girl, raised on a horse ranch in tiny Butte Falls, Oregon, spending the summer at a youth camp outside Portland one year; he a city boy, raised in the heart of Oregon's largest city and yet longing to be in the wide-open spaces. What a fluke that he would take the horsemanship class taught by Jamie that summer. Otherwise, how else would they have met?

My 82-year-old mom, Theresa, came up from Fremont and my best friend from high school, Al Rodriguez (also our best man those many years ago), came up from Santa Barbara to join us for the big event. Nathan, Jordan's older brother, served as best man. Simone, accompanied by her partner Kyndall, helped out wherever needed and mingled with our guests, including a contingent of friends whose sons and daughters have grown up with Jordan, beginning with preschool -- and even earlier.

As I said above, I don't think there's a way to fully tell the story of Jordan and Jamie's wedding. I can say the two of them have our love and total respect. In the past year, it seems that both of them have grown into more mature, self-confident individuals, totally committed to each other as a lifelong pair. This week, they'll have an early Thanksgiving with her parents and then hit the road in Jamie's Jetta, bound for El Paso, Texas, and Fort Bliss, where they'll make their home while Jordan continues with advanced infantry training. Once they get settled, Jamie can look for work, too, as a licensed veterinary technician.

We wish them peace and happiness.

(Wedding photos will be posted soon. The one above? Taken at the Rede Reunion in July.)

Let the countdown begin

They came. They partied (sort of). They shopped. They left.

During a whirlwind weekend that began with a wedding shower Friday night, Jamie and her mom, Linda, made the most of their 48 hours in Portland. They also went shopping for a bridal dress on Saturday, went out again Sunday in search of shoes, wedding outfits for the moms (Linda and Lori) and tuxedo rentals for the dads (Jeff and myself) and others in the wedding party.

Lori and Simone hosted the shower at our home. Both knocked themselves out fixing a variety of finger foods and, with an assist from Kyndall the Grillmaster, kept everyone well fed and hydrated. It was pretty funny walking into the living room at about 7:30 p.m. and seeing wall-to-wall women. I was giving hugs to relatives, friends, neighbors, even a stranger or two -- Jamie's friends, of course. ("Don't worry," I said. "I live here. I'm Jordan's dad and Lori's husband.)

All went well that evening. Lori even averted a near-catastrophe with a quick move that otherwise would have seen a lot of cake frosting on the floor.
Saturday morning, I cooked breakfast for the ladies and then didn't see them until dinner. I could tell they were tired. Poor Jamie, having to try on so many dresses and make a decision under the gaze of Linda, Lori and Simone.

Sunday morning, I prepared breakfast again and then didn't see them until around 5. Jamie and Linda, with Lori in tow, made the rounds at the mall, then visited an alterations specialist, picked up dinner to go, swung by the house to pack up, then hit the road for the long drive back to Butte Falls.

I know it was tiring for everyone, but now, with invitations already sent and other arrangements falling into place, the countdown can begin. In 6 1/2 weeks, on Nov. 22, Jordan and Jamie will be married. Lori and I will be in-laws. And a whole new chapter in our lives will begin.

Wow.

They're engaged!

OK, so a few friends and family had their suspicions, especially after the "Summer's home stretch" entry that began this month's blog posts. But, yes, it's official: Jordan and Jamie are engaged to be married!

Lori and I are very, very happy for them. We've seen their four-year relationship evolve from what seemed like puppy love (boy has crush on girl at summer camp) to a healthy bond that's survived periods of separation (she in Denver to complete vet tech school, he in Portland) to a romantic commitment that made it all but inevitable he'd propose to her over the Labor Day weekend.

That was the reason for the trip to Southern Oregon. Lori and I knew he'd propose -- we just didn't know when or where. Like a true gentleman, Jordan arranged to meet beforehand with Jamie's stepdad, Jeff, to tell him of his intentions and ask for hios blessing. That was Friday night, before all six of us went to dinner at Miguel's, a Mexican restaurant on the banks of the Rogue River as it flows through Shady Cove.

The next day we all went on a hike (described in the post "A weekend in Southern Oregon") that ended around 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot of a Forest Service road. The young couple arrived together and Jamie went straight to Jeff to share the news. With cheeks bursting and the engagement ring flashing on her left hand, she embraced him in a long, emotional hug. Turns out Jordan had proposed to her midway through the hike, when they were ahead of us on the trail, overlooking a magnificent meadow and the mountains.

What's next?

Depending on when Jordan can get leave from Fort Bliss, they'll most likely try to get married before the end of the year -- possibly at Thanksgiving, possibly just before Christmas. We're thinking the ceremony probably will be in the Medford area, maybe even on a portion of the horse ranch where Jamie and her sisters grew up.

The thinking is, the sooner they get married, the sooner she can move to El Paso to join him for however many months he'll be there before being deployed overseas -- either Iraq or Afghanistan.

Jordan will turn 22 on Dec. 31 -- the same age Lori and I were when we were married in 1975, a year after we'd graduated college. Jamie is a couple years older. They may seem young by today's standards but they are both mature and responsible and it's plain to see they are truly, deeply in love.

A weekend in Southern Oregon

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It's been years since we spent any time south of Eugene. So it was a treat to drive Jordan down to visit his girlfriend Jamie and her parents, Linda and Jeff Taylor. A nicer couple, you could not find.

We reserved a hotel room in Medford, but we barely saw it because we met the Taylors for dinner Friday night in Shady Cove and then returned the next day for an afternoon of hiking and sightseeing, and came back yet again the following morning for a fabulous breakfast, featuring blueberry-huckleberry pancakes and fresh deer meat that Linda had shot and killed just days earlier.

The Taylors live on Butte Falls Road, about 25 miles northeast of Medford, just off Oregon Highway 62. (If you follow Hwy. 62, it takes you to Crater Lake, which is truly one of the seven wonders of the world.)

For us city folk, it was a treat to experience a taste of what Jamie and her two sisters have grown up with. Imagine a vast and unspoiled sky of pure blue with wispy clouds drifting over 102 acres of rugged, rocky soil, with lots of trees and several outbuildings, including a century-old barn, to house various animals and vehicles.

As best as I can recall, the Taylors have three dogs, nine cats, three goats, six horses, five chickens and a rabbit. Jeff and Linda are both multi-talented -- for starters, they are both licensed electricians. They hunt, they grow their own produce, and can various veggies and berries. Jeff is a licensed pilot and is building his own small plane. He hopes to also restore two 1952 Chevy pickups but admittedly doesn't see that happening anytime soon.

Just a short distance from the main house, they've got a shed that also has a second-floor bedroom and bathroom; it's where Jordan stays when he visits. In addition, they're building a huge two-story home with lots of windows, the better to gaze upon different pieces of the property.

Oh, and did I mention the two all-terrain vehicles? Following approximately 30 seconds of instruction from Linda, Lori hopped on behind me and we followed Jamie and Jordan up the hillside to where their property comes to an end, adjacent to U.S. Bureau of Land Management acreage. From there, we had a spectacular view of horse ranches, grazing animals and green hillsides. We could only imagine the storybook quality it must have with a winter blanket of snow.

It was a revelation to see Jamie in her element -- kick-starting one of the ATVs, standing up as she backed it out onto the gravel driveway and then roaring across the property, blonde hair flying out from beneath her cowboy hat. Of their three girls, the Taylors told us, only Jamie totally embraced the lifestyle, feeding and caring for the animals as she grew up and, later, becoming a licensed veterinary technician specializing in the care of horses. It's easy now to imagine her riding her horse six miles each way to school.

On Saturday afternoon, after Jeff returned from a job, we all piled into their six-seater pickup and headed north to the Rogue-Umpqua Divide Wilderness for what we thought was going to be a two-hour roundtrip hike, but which took twice as long. Linda had forgotten she was on horseback last time she did the trail, so she was apologetic for making us walk twice as long.

The hike up the south slope of Anderson Mountain, along Sandstone Trail #1436, was totally worth it. We saw bear tracks, took in amazing vistas of endless Douglas fir and hemlock trees and, lastly, came upon a subalpine meadow that rolled out like carpet toward the distant horizon as the mountain air cooled and the wind made its presence known. Jordan and Jamie went ahead to a second, larger meadow but the four of us turned back lest we get too chilled.

We scarfed down sandwiches and chips and sucked down Pepsis and water to get our strength back, then promptly headed for a can't miss tourist spot -- the Rogue River Gorge. Even at night, it was spectacular, seeing the frothing, frigid white water pound the rocks with unimaginable force.

We tumbled into bed and slept soundly, then hit the road to visit them once more for a delicious country breakfast, complemented by farm-fresh eggs, coffee and bacon.

I know this isn't the most introspective of posts, but, hey, it was just a lot of fun. I have enormous respect for Jeff and Linda and how they are absolutely living their values. They are self-sufficient, generous, unpretentious and humble. They are respectful caretakers of the land and animal lovers of the first rank.

They made us feel completely at home and left us wanting to return soon. Maybe we'll get that chance before the end of the year.