Bahrman Bulletin

The final ballots are in, matrices are filled out, and the decision is made.  University of Portland will be housing and educating me in hopes of helping me reach my full potential. Through all the cracks about them kicking me out if I stay even one day past four years to wondering if they have a swimming pool or not (which they do), I have seen the light shining through all the clouds onto the bluff. After pouring every avoidance technique into stalling on making a decision, I finally caved in and had many long and slightly painful chats with my father and Amy. I even googled decision-making processes to help find the right technique to gather all the information and opinions on the schools (which ended up being a matrix). But it is safe to say that in the end, I made the right choice for me and I can’t wait to start school in the fall at the University of Portland.

Saturday proved to be a day of festivities in the Bahrman household. Not only was it Tom’s birthday, but it also was Senior Prom night. Becca had a great time, getting dressed with a bunch of friends at Ali’s house and taking over an entire room at Johnny Carino’s for a dinner party. The dance was wonderfully organized and decorated to the theme of the Roaring Twenties (although music was not along those lines…mostly rap, for better or worse).

When the music stopped, the fun did not. After the dance, they headed to Shari’s for dessert and then back to Ali’s for a night of giggling, hot-tubbing, and sleeping (a little bit). To top it off, Ali’s family graciously hosted a not-too-early breakfast for the girls the next morning. And so prom ushered in the spring senior festivities…including selecting where to go next year. More news to come soon…

Happy day! The sun is shining and we spent the afternoon together celebrating Tom’s birthday. Carrot cake (not nearly as good as Joan’s) and singing welcomed in Tom’s new year. Gifts were opened, our neighbor brought a card and chocolate, and Tom relished in a lazy day playing with Chiara and his new toys. As Chiara went to take a nap, she started singing the Happy Birthday song, “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Dear Dad!” A fun day made brighter with the enthusiasm of our little girl.

This past year has been an eventful one, making us appreciate each day–and this landmark day–even more. We hope this next year will offer many more reasons to celebrate–sunshine outside, a loving family surrounding us, and a wonderful, amazing husband, father, and son. We are one lucky bunch.

It seems like just yesterday we were touring the monuments along the mall in Washington, DC with my grandfather providing historical facts and my mother trying to keep the three of us kids in tow. On this more recent trip, which wasn’t quite yesterday but close, we saw many of the same sites: we toured the monuments at night, visited the Capitol and sat in on the House of Representatives (the day after the historic health care vote), wandered through the American History Smithsonian museum, and traveled to Mt. Vernon.

We also got to see the new World War II memorial (thinking of Papa the entire time), the Holocaust Museum, the Newseum (a museum about public media and the press), Monticello (Tom’s favorite), and Williamsburg. From the top of the Washington Monument we were afforded a most fantastic view of the District. In addition, Tom and I wandered through Georgetown while Becca and Eleonor shopped the Pentagon City Mall. What more could two teenagers (or two parents) want?

The cherry blossoms were just about to burst into bloom while we were there. Sadly, though, the coming of spring meant the going of Eleonor. Upon returning home, she quickly re-packed and moved to her third host-family. We all miss her dearly. The other night Chiara went to Eleonor’s bedroom door and started calling for her, looking around, and finally asked me, “Mommy, where Eleonor?” We know she is well-loved at her new house. Still, we hope to catch a few more glimpses of her before the year is over.

Is it spring, or is it winter?

It must be spring. Today, my duckies came home after vacationing down South for the winter. For the third year in a row, this pair visited our pond for a quick nibble and respite from whatever worries a duck might harbor. A rather hilarious sight given the size of our pond.

Or is it winter? Several inches have accumulated and the snow continues to fall. You can see the ducky foot prints through the snow.

Spring in Central Oregon–you gotta love it!