I Got 99 Problems...

Twas the night before school... Pretty much all the creatures are stirring here.

Lots going on in the Gorge and at the Hassell house since we last checked in. I can't guarantee that any of the following is in chronological order as it has been a wild final week of summer.

When we landed in Oregon last year our family was immediately embraced by our new school community at Parkdale. I have talked lots about this special group of people this summer. Last week they decided to take things to another level. After a day of pre-planning, twenty of our co-workers crowded into our living room and formed a large circle. They embraced our children, laughed, almost cried a few times and shared lots of encouragement. As the group shared I was having a hard time holding it together. Thankfully Jordan spoke up for us and shared because I don't think I would have been able to. It sure is easier to sit behind a computer and type out your emotions. My MacBook doesn't care if I cry as long as I keep it off the keyboard. So I'll share now what was bubbling up in me while I was standing there.

From day one I have been appreciative of how the Parkdale community accepted my whole family. This summer has only led to an even deeper sense of appreciation. I have gotten to know so many of my co-workers in a different way. A beautiful way. A way that only makes sense when you have shared a life changing moment with someone. A way that reveals itself when you see someone being gentle with your children or thoughtful with what they are doing for your wife. I just kept thinking about the word deep while I was listening to everyone. They have all found a way to go deep with us this summer.

A room full of love and positive vibes from our Parkdale Elementary family.

The awesome basket of encouragement left behind.

The kind gestures keep pouring in from far away too! We are continually receiving packages, notes and letters filled with all kinds of encouragement and goodies.

Our friends from HI sent us an Instant Pot!

Some sweet new shades from some friends. Corey Hart would be proud.

We spent a some of our last summer weekend in Portland partying it up with friends from all over. Friends came in from Seattle and Bend and we got to spend some quality time laughing and catching up with everyone. We went out for lunch and basically took up a city block with all our children (and a dog).

The party spilled out into the street.

One hell of a kid's table!

Always appreciative when the company is as good as the food.

So happy that our kids got to spend time with friends from Seattle (formerly GA).

The house we stayed at has some treacherous steps if you are in a wheelchair or have had too much to drink at the dive bar up the street (walking distance). So our awesome friend built a ramp. I was giving him a hard time about it not being up to ADA standards and he shared that this ramp was built "for fun" not for standards.

The fun ramp in action.

On Saturday evening after hanging out in Portland we picked up my Mom from the airport. On our way back through the Gorge, something wasn't right. The night sky was hazy and we could see a small red glow over the ridgeline. When we returned home we learned that a fire had started on Saturday afternoon in the Gorge. Our home that is about forty-five minutes away smelled like a campfire. For the first time since moving in, we had to close all of our windows and doors. We spent a hot and stuffy evening in the house. The next day we decided to drive about an hour, grab a hotel with AC (and an indoor pool) to get some relief. On our way, we stopped by the elementary school in Cascade Locks that I teach at (I'm so awesome I teach at two locations). The fire was within a half mile of the town. The next day we stopped in again on our way back home. The town was filled with fire trucks from all over the state and smoke seemed to be blanketing everything. The sun was blood red and it felt like you were staring through a bad Instagram filter. Another twist and turn in this summer that seems to be just out of reach of my own will and control.

The view from Cascade Locks Elementary on Sunday and Monday.

We returned home to a warm house that no longer smelled like a fire. Closing up the windows and doors felt so odd in our home that has been so open to the summer weather and friends since moving in. By the end of the day, we had caved and opened up some windows even though it was a bit smokey outside.

As I write this I am sitting in the cool dark air on my back porch. It is the day before school starts and this summer has been one crazy adventure. I don't know how to neatly sum up this season or that I even need to. I have a heavy heart not only for my own family but also for the families in Cascade Locks that are worried about their homes, their safety and their children (my students). There doesn't seem to be a neat bow to put on this season.

Parker has been marching around the last several days and just declaring randomly that she is SO EXCITED TO BE STARTING SCHOOL. I choose to be excited too. I share in that excitement because I know this is exactly where I am supposed to be. I'm excited for all the beautiful moments that I will get to share with my students/co-workers and for all the things I will learn this year.

I'll leave you with a quote I came across this summer from Rumi. He was a mystic poet from another world and another time. Don't worry I wasn't reading thirteenth-century poetry in my spare time. It was in another book I was reading.

"Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground"

My favorite picture from this summer! Cherry juice, raw energy and a beautiful backyard (with a little dead grass).