February and March in Oregon~

Soooo many flowers!!  Everywhere you look something is blooming~ we are not used to seeing so many flowers and trees budding this early in the year!  Along with all that blooming - the grass is also growing... which means~ time to mow... and mow... and mow... ;-)

We inherited a small riding lawn mower when we bought the property.. but it is really not equipped to cover all this property... so we are on the hunt for a bigger- better -faster - mower!   It takes 6-8 hours to mow just the property around the house... and it is starting to need it every week or so!  Ummm - time for the boys to learn how to drive!  With so many trees we have to go around and around and around.... Our next big job is chopping down some trees - there are literally hundreds... and many of them are dead and just end up blowing over and making a big mess when they do - so some time this summer we will be finding a way to channel our inner "lumberjack/ logger" and start clearing things up a bit!

It is amazing when it is all mowed... looks just like a park~ not even exaggerating.

On the "spring" note we are also able to enjoy baseball a lot earlier!  Braden started practice the first part of February and we had our first tournament the second weekend in March.  The boys had so much fun!  I of course did not have any batteries and did not get any pictures .... ugh... but even with the rain they played non stop and did amazing - they won the "silver" tournament ~ Very cool - especially since they have only 6 players that played together last year... all the rest are new to the team and had not even played on the field together before the day of the tournament...

Braden is enjoying it tremendously - a big learning curve for him though - as the team plays primarily on turf and it is the "regular" rules of baseball - live stealing at all points, longer baselines and pitching mound distance... but he loves every minute of it!

Elliot is watching from the sidelines this year - he's not too happy about that~ he keeps reminding me that it will be over a year since he has played any sports on a team  - sooo true.... sooo hard to watch...  but soon ~ after he heals from his surgery at the end of March he will be on the road to being able to play again - this time - without those big 'ol "plastic feet" that he has grown to hate...  and hopefully without pain - something he really hasn't known before...

But - until then he has really taken a liking to being a stats man about any and every sport he can get access to... he will rattle off the most random of stats and analogies in most any conversation... still not sure when/ where he has watched some of these sporting events to actually know these stats - but they are - for the most part- pretty accurate.

We had our first out of town visitor~  Brett's uncle Will came and stayed with us in February.  He and his wife are getting ready to make the big move from Anchorage to Bend, Oregon.  We have been lucky enough to borrow his shop for the last 6 months to store our convertible until we had a garage to put it in here in Oregon.  It was great to see family again (outside of skype) and share all the things we have been enjoying in our neck of the woods...  The boys love visiting his place in Bend - and catching as many lizards as they can...  We can't wait for he and his wife to come and give us some direction as far as decorating goes... the house they remodeled in Bend is AMAZING!!

We are anxiously awaiting Spring Break~  Time to enjoy our company of Brett's parents and play on the coast and work in the yard.... and of course... sleep~

Hope everyone is doing well, we miss our Colorado family and friends....  and yes~ we do miss the snow... not the shoveling...but the playing and viewing part of it...

Lots of love to everyone~

Jen, Brett, Braden and Elliot

February 19, 2016

Well we have made our trip to Portland and met with the orthopedic surgeon for Elliot.  Whew~ what a crazy ride we have been on lately!
We found out that Elliot has "talocalcaneal coalitions" in both feet.  This is unusual for someone his age - at least to the progressed state that he is in.  Surgery is the direction we will be going in a month from now...

The coalition means that the bones have grown together where there should be a joint.  This makes the flexibility of his ankles/feet very limited.  It is also quite painful to move and act like a 9 (almost 10) year old should act.  He is a trooper and has a huge pain tolerance, only stopping when it is searing pain...

The "plastic feet" (custom orthotics) that he has been wearing since July of last year, have helped him tremendously but they have reached their max.  He has been growing like a mad man!  The surgeon told us that he should only need "basic" orthotics to put in his shoes~ so that is even more exciting!

From what the doctor told us he will be cutting the bone on both sides of where the joint should be and then filling it in with a piece of fat taken from the back of his heel.  This will be done to both feet.  So really the only healing will be with the skin and muscle, (since they do NOT want the bone to heal back together) He will need to wear walking casts for a month and can be weight bearing within a week.  He will have to wear the walking casts for a month or so and should be without pain very soon after (meaning the pain he has been experiencing up until now.)   That is the most exciting thing.  He will not necessarily gain mobility of the foot/ankle but the pain is the main issue.

If we don't do this now there is only pain management and the possibility of having to fuse his ankles in the future, which limits his activities tremendously.  We may have to look at that option at some point anyway but this extends that timeline for us...  We just want to allow for him to try and be a part of whatever interests him for as long as possible.

Well, I hope I have answered some of the questions that you had about what is happening with Elliot.  We will not be having the surgery until March 30th.  We only had so many days to choose from and I didn't want to have him recovering during his birthday or over spring break when his grandparents would be out visiting... sooo pushed it back a tiny bit.  Not sure how we are going to be able to make him part of a baseball team during all of this - but we will try!!!  Since that is the one thing he is pretty adamant about wanting~

We all love and miss seeing our families and friends in Colorado!  Sorry I STILL haven't written a "xmas" letter !!  Maybe just keep in the back of your mind that we have been hard at work on making our home ready for guests... hint, hint!

- Jen, Brett and the boys

February is already here!

We are really enjoying the weather here in Oregon!  I say that a little hesitantly as we watch the pictures come across Facebook of all the never-ending snow storms that keep hitting our former hometown of Meeker... we really do feel for you all~ shoveling non-stop... with no end in sight...

While here we are watching the grass grow and the plants (and trees- yes, the trees!) get ready to bloom....  

But, like I keep saying you are welcome to come and visit any time!  By the way, it was 65 degrees today ~ and sunny... but it might rain in a day or two... 

On another note!  We have started BASEBALL!!!  Braden is on a traveling team and has started practices about a month ago... they will start going to tournaments in March.  We are excited to be a part of baseball so early and be able to actually practice!

Elliot is getting anxious to be on a team too~ we are hoping to get that started soon.  We just had some CT scans done of his feet today - and will be going to Dorenbecher Hospital (children's hospital of Portland) to have the pediatric orthopedic surgeon have a look and see what they think should be done with his feet.  For those of you not in the loop on this topic, we found out right before we were moving to Oregon that he had some very severe foot and ankle problems on both feet.  Both ankles are basically collapsing inward and making his feet very flat and also very painful.  This happens to adults sometimes much later in life but not usually by the time you are 9.  So he has been wearing some pretty major orthotics (sp?) on both of his feet since July.  They go up past his ankles and have straps all over them - even around his big toe...but he has been a trooper with them!  

From the moment he put those on he ran and walked differently - with purpose and not the bent over weird gate that we had always written off as "just how Elliot moves".  Amazing physical growth started to happen too~ not that those are connected by any means but who knows... He has grown at least 3 shoe sizes since June and 2 pant/shirt sizes.  He is still on the slimmer side but he has really started to catch up to his brother~ who was doing some growing of his own!

Here is a picture of them lined up with Brett at the rental!

Pictures - Pictures

Finally!!

Some pictures of the house and property!

Sorry it took so long~ turns out we were too isolated for internet and our cell phones!  (Well, not really ~ just hidden beneath all those trees~)  But we are now back in the land of the connected and hopefully we will be able to be posting regularly very soon!

Here are some pictures of the house and property!

Can't wait to have visitors!

Love you all~

The "Oregon" Steinachers

Front doorway

Main entry

Living room 

White Carpet...; for now... 

(how will I ever keep it that color?)

Dining Room

Family room (another fireplace...)

Loft area - outside of boys' rooms

Elliot's room

Braden's room

Spare bedroom

Master bedroom

Master bathroom - mirrors and reflective wall paper ohhhh so sparkly!!

Not to mention the sparkles in the popcorn ceiling!

Our Driveway...

Back patio- Looking Northeast

Front of house (after Brett chopped down the dead trees)

Looking West towards the other 3 acres of our property

Looking out the back side of the house - towards the East

Master Bedroom - Repainted and w/out the sparkles!

Room is sooo huge (that is a king size bed...) 2 ceiling fans...

Crazy!

~Oregon is Our New Home~

December 2015

Well, we have been in Oregon for five full months now and are still amazed daily at the fact that we are actually living here and are not just daydreaming about it.  

There are a lot of changes that the boys have been experiencing but they are both coming through like champs!  We were so anxious about their making new friends and becoming comfortable in such a big town (compared to where we were in Meeker that is) and in a new place that wasn't even our own (the rental house).  After a just a month or so the boys had both settled into school and new friendships even more than we had ever seen them do before.  We were watching them blossom into their own individual personalities, such an amazing sight and relief to witness.  

Braden started sixth grade at one of the middle schools in town and was excited to hear that they allow the sixth graders to participate in certain sports.  He was in cross country right at the beginning of the school year and got to meet a lot of other kids that he might not have met otherwise.  There were some amazing places that they held meets that we were able to visit too!  So many neat things and all so close~  He increased his PR each meet by at least a minute every time... pretty exciting!  After break he is supposed to start practicing with a traveling team for baseball!  So crazy to think that we can start baseball thoughts this soon~ but it is nice and green outside!  He is learning how to play the trombone in band and is really starting to get the hang of it!

Elliot is growing and changing every single day.  Physically he has grown 3 shoe sizes since June, not to mention the rest of his clothes!  His new orthotics that he had to start wearing in July have not even slowed him down - in fact he is no longer that kid with the awkward gait when he runs... (he still can be a bit clumsy here and there -but he comes by that honestly!)  Those giant plastic inserts that he has to wear have actually helped him become more confident and eager to try anything!

Elliot has also been able to come into his own making friends and becoming a person away from his brother's shadow since they are at different schools now.  The elementary school that he is at is considered a "country" school - which makes me chuckle a little since I feel that being less than 10 minutes from Walmart and fast food hardly qualifies as "country".  But their meaning of country is more the amenities and feel of the school is "country" and definitely a lot more open spaced!  There are not any hallways - each room opens to the outside and they even have to go outside (rain or shine) to the building where the bathrooms are at. 

Brett is thoroughly enjoying his new job at the high school.  His hours are so much different than before!  He is super exhausted at the end of each day dealing with all the discipline and new hats that he has to learn how to wear at such a large school~ but even so ~ being able to be home every night for dinner with the family and on the weekends too, around to help for homework... priceless!   

I was planning to stay at home and just be a substitute teacher in the district until we were more settled in, but that was not meant to be...  The district had an opening at Elliot's school for a first grade teacher and they had just created the position since they had such large class sizes from increased enrollment.  This was a great opportunity to work with a really close knit group of people and I would be teaching a grade that I had a lot of experience in!  So I was excited when I got the position- it has worked out very nicely for the boys too.  They have each met some of the other teacher's own kids and have really made some great friendships there too.  The school bus brings Braden to the elementary school (since the middle school gets out an hour earlier than us).

The dogs are enjoying the many trips to the beach and the river - they love any chance to run and chase each other, balls, sticks and the boys!  The covered deck at the rental has been very nice for the dogs - as they are still getting used to the frequent rain showers.  We are also experiencing the joys of "fleas" as it is our first time living where it doesn't get cold enough to kill them!  The rental house is less than ideal when it comes to trying to keep the animals and ourselves "bug-free".  Ugh... 

Even though we are thoroughly enjoying our new adventure in life we often think about the amazing people we have met and grown to love in Meeker and throughout Colorado where we lived for so most our lives.  I cannot begin to express how much we miss running into all those people during our everyday routines...   I sure hope that we can not completely lose touch with everyone and can continue to talk, email, skype with as many people as possible~ 

Loving and missing you all

The Steinacher Family

P.S.
I will post pictures on here in order to label them and hopefully keep track of them too!  

Our drive out to Oregon- the trees are soooo tall!

Clamming at Coos Bay

Braden and Sandy dodging waves at Bullards Beach in Bandon

Elliot hanging out by a little river that feeds into the ocean

One of the 100's of waterfalls all around us! This is Clearwater Falls

Boys crossing the upper river of Clearwater falls

Braden at a CC meet in Cottage Grove

Boys wading in the VERY low N. Umpqua river

Watson Falls- lower part

Watson Falls - upper - very low water flow

Elliot 1st day of 4th grade!

Braden - 1st day of 6th grade - and middle school!!

Brett and the boys taking the convertible out for a spin at Uncle Will's house in Bend

Jen and boys on the jet boat ride on the Rogue River at Gold Beach

Braden at a CC meet in Medford

Braden and Elliot climbing the rocks at Susan Creek Falls

Jen and dogs at Susan Creek Falls

Crater Lake - Braden's class went there on a field trip!

Close up of the bridge on the N. Umpqua

Jen, boys and dogs on the Susan Creek Falls hike

Finally A House of Our Own!

December 2015

Over the past 6 to 8 months Brett and I have been looking at houses to buy here in Roseburg and the surrounding areas.  We have looked at well over 100 houses~ and have been soooo discouraged... 

We began to think - oh no - we have completely made the wrong decision to sell our house in Meeker and move halfway across the country - and thinking that we would find something that would be at least as good as what we had in Meeker...  

It turns out that this county and in much of Oregon that building codes did not even exist until the mid to late 70's.  This meant that basically - anything you did to your house was fine - and even when you sold it to someone else - no big deal either...  Well, Brett being the former contractor - I am sure you can only imagine his response to the "do it yourself" projects we were coming into contact with.  

Let me give you an idea of some of the things we were seeing...  One house seemed pretty normal - not a great layout - had a spiral staircase at the front door that was the only access to the upstairs - but it's amazing feature was the laundry room - it was conveniently located in a nearby shed - just 50 yards away... the crazy part - it wasn't the only house with that amazing feature...

Turns out that there was a big fad of sunken bathtubs in this area.  There were a number of houses that you needed to literally climb down into a shower/tub to get cleaned up... one of them even had a "trap door" in the floor of the master bedroom's walk in closet- to a hot tub - under the floor- not sure what the motivation was there...
It is not that we were against a remodel - but when the owners of most of these were pretty sure that they had such amazing houses that they also needed some amazing amounts of money to buy them... 

Well, after looking at all these crazy places - we finally found a place that is quite a bit bigger than what we were originally looking for and on a bit more land than we were thinking - but this is enough space and laid out to where we can subdivide to help counter the cost of the serious amount of remodeling that will need to take place.  The house was built in 1981 and the owners were fond enough of that time period that they preserved every aspect of the early 80's... you know - things like mirrored/ metallic wallpaper (floor to 20ft vaulted ceiling of course) and the original 'cultured' marble counters, showers and bath tubs...  but overall, structurally sound and something we can totally work on remodeling at our own pace.  

We are set to close on this house on Monday - the 28th of December and we are hoping to be using the rest of the winter break to move in and get settled...  There is plenty of room for company - so please if you will be anywhere near the area - we would love to have you come by and stay with us!  We're only a little over an hour and a half from the coast and a little over an hour for getting to the ski resorts!  

We will post some pictures as soon as we have them!  

Hope you all are having a great time with friends and family over break~

Lots of love,

Brett, Jen, Braden and Elliot...