Portland Trip

Just got home a few days ago from my first ever visit to Portland, Oregon. What a beautiful place! The occasion was the "General Conference of the Missionary Church" - my primary partner in ministry.

The first picture was taken at Multnomah Falls. What a great spot. We were able to walk up to the bridge you can see in the background, and for the more adventurous there were trails going all the way up to the top of the falls. Since I was still recovering from my "Honduras Weight-Loss Plan" (more on that later) I couldn't venture more than 89 feet from a bathroom - so I didn't make the hike.

The second shot shows our little tour group atop a peak that boasted an amazing view of Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Hood (among others). In the background you can see the mighty Columbia River. This was definitely one of the most beautiful sights I have visited in the US.


Thanks to Al and Kim for serving as great tour guides and for buying me a great steak dinner at a restaurant near the bottom of the falls. It was a great evening.

The Blaylock Clan

Here is a picture of the Blaylock family. This shot includes my parents, aunts and uncles, and several cousins. The occasion was my 40th birthday party which we hosted at our house on June 9th. We had a perfect day for the party, and lots of people came by to wish me a happy birthday (actually, most dropped by to give me insulting cards about getting old - especially those over 50...)

The older I get the more I learn to appreciate my family. The Blaylock clan heralds from the hills of Tennessee. Sure, a few of our members do their primary entertaining in the garage and pee in 5-gallon buckets, but once you get to know us you tend to overlook some of the rough edges. As some of our older warriors (like my Dad) begin to mellow with age, there is a kindness and depth of character that comes out. I can honestly say that I am proud to be a "Blaylock" - and I hope that our children can further enhance this name through the quality of their lives.

God has blessed my life through this bunch. They have loved me unconditionally. I have cousins that are like brothers to me, and aunts and uncles that have been people I can rely upon. Of course, we all deeply miss Granny (who died about 11 years ago). She was the one who brought us all together. Some day I will tell you about her.