Tractor Birthday Party

Pierce had his 2nd birthday party

and he LOVES tractors so that was

the theme!

 However he was not thrilled with the party itself

and being the center of attention...

he just wanted to play with his tractor!!

2 Year Old Photo Shoot

Pierce is going to be 2

next week and I got to be

 photographer for his pictures.

 2 year olds move very fast

 from one activity to the next 

and I was kept hopping!

He is such a happy boy and so excited about

everything that it was a lot of fun to do.

Fairy Tent in the Garden

A Fairy tent appeared in my garden

this week specifically built

for a special little fairy

that Grandma loves very much!

I used 2 ladders,

fabric, sheets and various props

from my garage.

Boating at Cresap Bay

Finally at the end of summer

we got out in Shad's boat

for a day at the lake.

It was gorgeous and so fun

to explore way back to the falls

where the cliffs tower over

and it feels so mysterious and quiet! 

Even Beckham enjoyed being outside!

Ode to an Empty House

"Ode to An Empty House"
in memory of my childhood home
and my parents who went to Glory this year


The house lies silent in the sun,

the sound of wind sighing in the 

trees no more.

I turn my key in the lock

and step inside the door.

Gleaming floors reflect filtered light

  no foot heard on the stairway treads,

  the stillness of an empty home.

The rail that felt a thousand childrens' hands

polished to a golden brown.

No Mama in the kitchen,

 no Daddy in his chair

the cupboard doors hide nothing now

there's empty shelves and bare.

Each step across this floor, 

hundreds of times each day

  the footsteps got slower over time

 but the love it yet remained.

Only silence in an empty house,

they've crossed the threshold o'er

and from here I cannot see them

standing on the other shore.

 The silence echoes a sad refrain 

 and empty rooms are all I have to see,

  the tears trace hot and salty pathways

and memories linger free.

Goodbye house,

 home of love and grace,

the walls would echo if they could

that God dwelt in this place.



(My childhood home, ready to sell
Beautiful memories available for free!
Anyone who buys this house will be blessed
I know! There's been so much love and goodness
and godliness here that the very walls breath it out.)

by Karen Helmes
2013

Aurora Colony, Oregon

Another fun visit I made during my glamping

adventure took me to the small

town of Aurora.

This town was settled by a band of pioneers

who came west to live in a communal way

and to branch out from the celibacy their

original colony had required.

 Aurora Museum Complex

 Views around town

The Emma Walk

This follows a real individual who's life story has

been made into a series by Jane Kirkpatrick.

(Change and Cherish Historical series #4)

If you have read the trilogy you would love this

walk! I have not but plan to soon.
What a great way to spend a summer morning!

The Mystery of the Apple Tree

As I walked the paths around Champoeg I happened 

upon an apple tree growing near the 

river and instantly my mind went to my parents

(for they are never far from my thoughts

and heart these days...)

and a day in my life I remember very vividly.

When I was a young girl,

perhaps around 8 or 10, my Dad was

clearing out some of the woods around our 

house. He put his head in the door,

munching on a little apple (his favorite snack),

and said casually that he had found a 

wild apple tree. 

My Mom tossed her apron on the table, 

called us kid's from wherever we were

spending a lazy summer day reading, 

with that particular excitement in her

voice that meant some wonderful discovery.

We followed her out to where my Dad 

had been working and found this little

 apple tree which we had never noticed

there before. It looked quite old

and very bedraggled but it had a few

little wormy apples dangling here and there.

My Mom's voice took on her story telling

pitch and she said

"Kids, what if this tree was planted by Johnny Appleseed?

Do you think he came this far west?!"

We all began to chatter telling what we had learned 

about Johnny Appleseed in school

and speculating on whether this might be 

one of his trees. Then Mom suggested

that we look for a special mark

somewhere on the tree that would indicate

he had indeed planted it.

To our great disappointment we found

nothing and began to lose interest in the search

 when Dad passed by and gave that wry smile

he often gave to Mom when she

was being fanciful and said

"It's just a wild apple tree, Martha,

from a bird dropping a seed."

Mom gave him that look that said

"why do you always have to be so practical?"

and we trooped back to the house.

The great thing about parents like we had

is that they both truly loved history,

Dad the history of Christianity

and Mom, history of all kinds, especially

American and Finnish. 

History was exciting! It was worth crying over

and retelling many times, it was more than 

words on a page, it was the best part of 

learning, and that is why when I walk

along a river and see an apple tree

I think of who planted it and when

and of my parents and how 

instilling in a child excitement over an

apple tree carries with it the excitement

every child should have

about the great country we live in.

Vineyards and Views

From my Champoeg campsite 

I did some exploring during the worst

heat of the day...

The Willamette Valley is stunning

with its verdant farm land,

hills of vineyards, old barns

and winding river.

 Olive oil tasting from press and olives

grown on the property, YUM!

Fresh local produce and friendly farmers

made every drive and stop a great experience.

1860's Garden and Oldest Store in Oregon

Part of the visitors center at

Champoeg is a replica of 

a garden that would have been 

built there in the 1860's.

Many of the plants and flowers are

familiar but were used in different ways.

There was also an orchard with varieties 

of that era.

This store is the oldest in Oregon and still

is open for business...

I had so much beauty all around me at every
bend in the road that there will be a few posts
on this trip:)

Glamping At Champoeg

I found the perfect campground for a history

buff like myself and glamped there 

for a few nights.

Champoeg State Park in Oregon

is the site of:

First-Native Americans who 

canoed the Willamette River,

carefully preserved the environment,

farmed and fished, hurting no one...

Second- came the French-Canadians

who also used the waterway as a way to transport furs,

married into the local tribes and settled there

in what is called "French Prairie".

 Last- came the British traders and American Pioneers

with their wagons and home building and town planning.

When they were all flooded out of the town in the 1860's

the area became what it is today, a national monument

to an American story.

The townsite with street markers still lies quiet and still

beneath the Prairie sod and brilliant sky.

I walked along the many paths and trails and felt the 

real essence of those who traveled there in times past.

It's that prickly feeling on the back of your neck

as you imagine the quiet moccasins padding past,

the low voices speaking french, the jingle of harness

and swish of canoe paddle as the river flows 

silently by the foot paths.

Raggedy Garden, I found some history too!

You inspired me to go looking in my own neck

of the woods:)