“Oregondo” — The End of Bear Lake

This post is about the power of kindness, a crazy family tradition, and how Lucy got invited to be a part of it all this summer.

You see, back when we were growing up my parents packed us up one summer and we headed to camp in the Blue Mountains of Oregon. We didn’t go there for the scenery. Nor for the sight-seeing. This was no “vacation” I’ll tell you that! We were there to camp in the wilderness (literally two hours from any town), and build a log cabin.

Yep. My parents were a little bit crazy. (Or a little “big” crazy as was a typo at one point, and they decided it sort of fit.)

We slept in tents and skinned huge logs and truly built that cabin. Isn’t it crazy what parents can do to rally the troops and do things? I’m kinda missing those days right about now. ANYWAY, I have written so many details about that adventure in Oregon before, so go check it out if you’re curious about how that worked!

I also talked about how my brothers took up that tradition and about ten years ago started carrying it on with their own kids. We still have a portion of that land in Oregon, and every year after our Eyre reunion they head up for an adventure. The kids’ excitement rings through the air as they pack up the cars with all the gear. They sing our funny family “Oregondo” song my dad made up all those years ago, and talk about their favorite parts of what happened last year with excited anticipation.

Ever since her cousins got old enough to join in this tradition, Lucy has yearned to join them.

The problem?

Well, her dad wasn’t available to go and there were so many little cousins my brothers had their hands chock-full. Also, she can’t see at night, so that’s a problem. Camping was actually Lucy’s birthday tradition for years, but it sure got tricky after a while with her eyesight and died out. Also, our school starts so early in the desert that the timing never really worked out so well for her.

But this year was different. The stars aligned like this:

• The “little” cousins have all become relatively self-reliant
• The dates worked out to go, even though it would mean missing a USU tour (we could do that another time). Even when it looked like they weren’t going to get back before our flight back to the desert, my brother Josh was on our same flight so he was willing to drive all that way with just he and Lu to get her back in time.
• This also meant she wouldn’t be there for too long to be uncomfortable.
• This last one is the best part: A few of my brothers each cornered me at different times and extended a very genuine invitation to help take Lu up there. They knew how much she wanted to go. They also know her special needs. They know how rough the camping conditions are up there, but they were willing to take her under their wings and help her have that experience.

SO, Lucy went. Oh you guys, her excitement was tangible as she got ready to go. My worry was also incredibly tangible, but I was sure doing my best to hide it. Here’s at least part of the crew ready to head out:

I only got a few pictures from my brothers, and there were, to be sure, some incidents up there that were really tricky. I hope they all, my brothers and her cousins included, let the golden threads of the good parts take over the harder parts. Because we’re counting it all as joy.

Here’s Lu and her cousins up in all that beauty:

This is a screenshot of a video Jonah sent me, lucy navigating away with her cane through that wilderness quite well:

The girls on the “Grassy Knoll,” the place where we had church every week when we “lived” there:

If I ever get more pictures of what they built up there this year I’ll come back and post them. But the important part for this post is that Lucy got to feel that beautiful sense of belonging and love. Even when it wasn’t the easiest thing to take her along for the ride. Not only did she get that belonging, but she got to experience something so different and unique.

I wish I had a picture of her with all five of my brothers who each had their wing on her in different ways. Oh I am just so incredibly grateful for them. Can they know what a difference they made for that girl of mine? Or for her mama? Makes me teary to even think about now over a month later.

The End of Bear Lake

The slow-down once that Sprinter van, packed to the gills with kids and supplies pulls out of the driveway is pretty incredible. The lull after the storm of the reunion is one of my favorite parts.

For a while it was a bunch of us moms and only one little boy:

…who happened to have a birthday that day under that gorgeous moody blue backdrop.

Lucy and Josh met us after Oregon back in Utah for our flight back to the desert, the beginning of school on the horizon, so this was goodbye to Bear Lake.

And to Oregon.

Thank you for cradling us well in 2024!