The Loecken Family

The Loecken Family



Last week we got a call from the Loecken family, whom we had never met before (Mommy knew Mr. Loecken in high school, but had not seen him since then) and they said that they were coming through Washington on their tour around the country in their RV and they wanted to stop by and see us. They came for dinner on Saturday evening and we hit it off right from the start. After about 10 minutes, mostly spent in introductions, we began to feel like we had been friends forever. Since then we have gotten together several times during their stay here and every time we have more fun than the last. It is amazing the fellowship that there is between believers. It is such an encouragement to spend time with likeminded people who are on fire for the Lord, love His Word and share the same passion for the home and family. The Loeckens have been a great blessing to our family and we are enjoying every minute that we get to spend with them.



Multnomah Falls


On Sunday afternoon, after church, we all went on a hike to Multnomah Falls. The day was beautiful, the sky was clear, the fall colors brilliant, and the air was only chilly enough to make a brisk walk feel good. We decided to do the 1 mile hike up to the top of the falls. "One mile there and one mile back," I thought, "nothing so easy, this should be a cinch." What I didn't calculate was that it would be 1 mile uphill the entire way (a fact I should have considered as we were hiking to the top of the falls). We all made it to the summit at last, but in four different groups (I was in the second group, but my excuse is that I was walking with Annalise). Mommy, Mrs. Loecken, and Austin were the last group, but what can you expect? Mothers can't talk and walk at the same time. :-)

Kayleen and Cosette made instant friends with Becka and Abi Loecken and all week we have heard about nothing else. We listened to accounts of everything that was done and said when they were together and finally, we had to interrupt them with protests that this was the third time we had heard the same story. Then they move on to discussions about the future and the next time that they will get to see each other. Oh well, I think all of us older ones have had just as much fun, we are just a little more staid in our expressions of enjoyment. The Loeckens have become very special friends.

Proof that we made it to the summit

Entering the Age of Blogs

I have finally yielded to the superiority of modern technology in the field of communication and decided to start a blog. It is a wonderful way to keep up with friends and family and let them know what is going on in our lives. Besides, I suppose that blogs are the contemporary forms of journaling and, in a family of 11, there is always something to write about (dull moments are few and far between), and it would be fun to keep a record of our daily life.

So...in this blog I am going to endeavor to give everyone a glimpse into life in the Spafford household. Hopefully, in the meanwhile, you will be able to get a picture of what it is like in a family of 11 and of the different personalities of those that make up our family.

I will try to post as often as I can. I guess this will be a test of my discipline and writing skills, but I should have plenty of material to write about. :-)