The Helser Family West Coast/Hawaii Excursion

{ Part Two: Oregon Coast }

So here is part 2 of the 20 day trip....We said goodbye to our beloved Brittany with a lovely breakfast. Our children have learned to love deeply, and savor time with the ones they love. We left the lovely mountains of Eugene and drove up the coast. I am convinced that Oregon is one of the most beautiful states in America. We could not believe how many breathtaking views there were.

Traveling with kids Tip #3
[When visiting friends arrange time for intentional goodbyes]




Traveling with kids Tip #4
[Try to arrange several days for just them, and trust that they will appreciate it.]








Traveling with kids Tip #5
[Let them take off their shoes and have an adventure...does it really matter if they get wet?]



Traveling with kids Tip #6
[Point out beauty to them...and then let them point out beauty to you.]



Traveling with kids Tip #7
[Take silly pictures when they ask you to, I promise you will laugh later.]

The Helser Family West Coast/Hawaii Excursion

So one of the beautiful parts of being in full-time ministry, doing home school, and being married to Jonathan is all the lovely traveling. Our kids are now getting old enough to travel and remember all the amazing sites, appreciate the good food and make it through long plane rides. We had the privilege of going to Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii this November. It was a 20 day trip...Super Fun, Super Long, Super Amazing.


{ Part One: Washington to Oregon }

Seattle, Washington Pike Place Market

Traveling with kids Tip #1
[invite them into loving the things you love]
Our kids love, love, love big cities, little cafes, amazing coffee shops (for hot chocolate...of course), good food, breathtaking views, nice hotels, quiet moments to savor the privilege of traveling, movies on airplanes, quality time in the midst of a crazy schedule, meeting new people and the list goes on.


Downtown Seattle...Jonathan and Haven



The Crumpet Shop...Seattle {Cadence and Haven loved it!}


Traveling with kids Tip #2
[always make intentional time for them and the people they love]

Oregon Coast...Brittany & Peter drove up from California.





Me and my lovely husband.

Why Blog?

Why Blog? I want to write about my life...it's so full, that it is overflowing. I want to show off my beautiful family and the people I do life with...they are all so extraordinary. I am submerged in the dream of my life and it is worth sharing! I am a wife more in love after 11.5 years than the first day I said I do. I am a mother to two of the most lovely children in the whole world, they are the greatest joy of my life. I am a friend, thriving in beautiful relationships. I am a leader, loving full time ministry...pioneering schools, camps, and internships. I am in love with discipleship; the everyday nitty gritty of living in community and watching people get new hearts one day at a time. I am a songwriter finding the sweet relief of processing my seasons through melody, singing things to the Lord that I don't pray or journal or talk about. I am a worship leader, longing to see His kids get wrecked by His love. I must warn you, I am fearless in this area of my life and on a regular occurrence completely “let go.” I am a photographer, and have spent the last 7 years shooting weddings for a living, I loved it with all my heart and now I must fall back in love with looking through the glass eye and forever capturing moments that I wish would just stick around. I thought it would never happen, being jaded by what you love but the wedding business in all its glory can be a little exhausting. And last but not least I am a home school teacher, that's right I am in my 5th year of teaching my children how to read and write, how to spell, count, and analyze, but mostly I teach them how to love. How to love with a deep life fulfilling love, to love those around them with an uncommon, generous love...you know, the kind that unravels your tangled beliefs that love isn’t real. I am consistently teaching them how to be world changers, one smile at a time. So it is here that I take this leap into blog world...to write, to photograph, to be serious and be silly. To share and open a small window into our life, pier in with grace we are after all real people.