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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

12th year at the beach

This year's trip to the beach was particularly bittersweet. Things will be different next year. Betsy will be going to school in Provo, Wilson will not be living at home and missions will be on our minds. This Thanksgiving felt like the last chapter of 12 beautiful years, and it was perfect.

We made good time to Portland, even with a delicious stop at Burgerville in the Dalles. We loaded up at Betsy's and were at the beach by 6;00. Hainsworths were right behind us and the hungry pilgrim feast kicked off by 7:30. Some of us enjoy the hungry pilgrim feast even more than the Thanksgiving feast!

The turkey trot on Thanksgiving morning was cancelled due to gale force winds and a deluge of rain. Only Tony, Betsy, John and I were crazy enough to brave the wind and rain. Later, when it cleared, we had football on the beach.

Our feast was perfect, and simple. Andrea did a great job with the turkey, Rhodes made nice rolls, and Costco offered perfect stuffing and gravy. After the feast we went to the movies and even managed to eat popcorn. When we got home we shared what we were thankful for. It was a tender moment as we remembered happy memories with James and our kids expressed gratitude for this yearly tradition. We spent the rest of the evening in the hot tub and playing games. Screwy Louie was the game of the weekend, a Lundberg family favorite from Las Vegas.

Friday morning was a delicious sleep in day. The weather was even worse than the day before, but we were undaunted. Lughesworths do hard things! We went to Tillamook to fuel up on ice cream and cheese and drove to Pacific City. In pelting rain and gale force winds we climbed the dunes to the top in an activity Jackson described as both "moronic and asinine." We were sopping wet, cold and happy. The grownups ditched the kids with cup of noodles soup and went to dinner for some great fish. It was a dinner to remember. Tony decided to share his grand views on environmentalism while we were held captive in the restaurant. Of all the areas of concern in our lives, it was remarkable that Tony chose paper plates as our area of. On wen. He may never live it down.

Saturday was the big shopping day. We started at the Goodwill and had a contest to see who could find the best deal. I think I won with the Cole Haan shoes for Andrea, but she found me a Cold Water Creek Christmas dress. Even the teenagers had a ton of fun. We spend a lot of the day (and a lot of money) at the outlet malls, but got lots of things ready for Christmas!

We snuggled in that evening and played games and finished application essays. Betsy Andrea and I sat in the hot tub until we were prunes trying to figure out complexities. We are such different people than we were in our 20s, but thankfully we have done it together. It was some serious vulnerability and brutal honesty.

Sunday we drove to The Dalles, went to church and then met Pres Pennington in Moscow. Somehow the loser Lundbergs failed to recognize that an ecclesiastical endorsement included an interview with the Stake President. It was a final hour interview, but we got it done. Now we just pray with all our energy that Wilson is accepted to the college where he will have the most success.



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