What a Long Strange Trip It's Been

 I feel like I've lived many lives. Childhood. College. Post-college in Eugene. Moving to Portland. Having children. Losing my dad. Losing Emily. Covid. All these feel like different lives, and I would have trouble remembering the person I was before and after each step. As time fades on you get to an age where you start to take account of your own mortality. Time goes by faster the older we get. As a child, we want to be an adult, and as an adult, we yearn for the carefree bliss of childhood. What do I want my legacy to be? Will I be a grandparent? What lives will my children live as adults? What will life be like for me once I no longer have to work? I've spent most of my life sacrificing for others, sometimes at the expense of myself, and I wonder emotionally how I will handle life when I don't have to live that way. These things I cannot know until I make it that far. I also understand each day is a gift, and each day could be our last, although some days I don't have the energy to live that day to its fullest. I want to live in the moment and savor these last few years of having my kids still both living with me every day. Soon, that will not be something I'll have, and I may find myself alone. That day will be the start of another new life. Probably not the last life I live, but certainly one of the last ones. I want that life to be a meaningful one but I don't know what that means yet.

Is This Thing Still On?

 I am not sure why but I thought about this blog today and wondered if it still existed and yes it does. It looks like it's been 9 or so years since I updated this thing. Yeah life has changed a lot. In 2018 I lost the greatest man I'll ever know, my dad Larry Liedtke, very unexpectedly and in front of me and my mom and my children of a heart attack. A year later I would have to say goodbye to my wife and the mother of my children Emily. Her death was complicated as was her life and our relationship. I know she'd be proud of our two children Rem and Mady, the two most opposite kids a dad will ever have. They are also my two favorite people on the planet. I also want them to know that they will always be loved more than they will ever know and I couldn't be more proud of them. They'll never learn as much from me as I have learned from them but I hope they take the lessons I tried to impart on them. Nothing means more than family, life is going to knock you down but it's how you get up from that knock down that shows your real character and perhaps the hardest one there is : to live in the present and believe in yourself. Rem 19 and Mady 16 below. Picture is Rem at Frog Pond Farms in Wilsonville, Oregon in October of 2025 and Mady at THE 2026 OSAA State Cheerleading championships were Mady at and her teammates at Mountainside High finished 3rd.

Mount Hood Viewed from Timberline Lodge

The Hardest Working Pony Around

Here's Applejack!

Photo of the Day 3/12/2014

February Snow
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

On a lovely warm almost spring day I think back to the snow storm of the last month and I so happy that we are not going through that now.

Photo of the Day 3/10/2014

A Boat Named Evie
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Found this boat in Newport, Oregon during a short trip to the coast for some snorkeling at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.

Picture of the Day 2/28/2014

Duck in Hawaii
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Life has been unusually crazy these days - here's a photo of a duck I saw near the Black Sand Beach in Hawaii.

Photo of the Day 1/26/2014

Hapuna Beach
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

This was taken ay Hapuna Beach on the "Big Island" of Hawaii. Most of the USA is freezing right now I am sure it is nice in Hawaii though!

Photo of the Day 1/22/2014

Art by Mady
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Mady created this at school - she's talking about our trip to Hawaii and learning to swim.

Photo of the Day 1/15/2014

Mady's First Day at Taekwondo
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Just got back from 9 days on the Big Island and it was sure great!. Here's a shot from Mady's first day at taekwondo last night. Evie was such a good big sister, helping Mady when she didn't know what to do, praising her with hugs when she did well and holding her hand to make her feel comfortable. Such a proud and lucky parent to have such great little ladies in my life.

Photo of the Day 12/26/2013

Duck in the Pond
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

So Christmas was over and ours was a great one. Here's a shot to remind everyone of warmer times.

Photo of the Day 12/19/2013

Christmas Tree
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Wow Christmas has sure come fast not sure I am totally ready yet! Here's a photo of the girls "little tree"

Photo of the Day 12/6/2013

Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Larry walked Evie to school. As you can see we had a small amount of snow, The rest of the state got hit a lot worse.

Photo of the Day 12/4/2013

Holiday Cheer
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Emily and the little girls in front of our tree which we had just decorated. Everyone is really getting in to the holiday mood. The little girls love Christmas!

Photo of the Day 12/2/2013

Picking Out the Trees
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Yesterday we went out to the Loch Lolly Christmas Tree Farm and picked out a few trees for the holidays.

Photo of the Day 11/20/2013

Oregon vs Sacramento State
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

We took the girls to the Oregon vs Sacramento State game at the Matthew Knight Arena. After the game the girls were able to meet some of the players and get autographs. An NCAA record for combined threes attempted and made occurred in a high scorning game won by the Hornets.

She Melts My Heart

Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

Evie's writing assignment this week was to talk about her hero and she picked me! I am so lucky to have such a sweet child!

Picture of the Day 11/4/2013

Wailua Falls
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

This is Wailua Falls on the island of Kauai.

Picture of the Day 11/1/2013

Halloween 2013
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

The girls had a great time trick or treating. We came across this pumpkin created by one of our neighbors.

Picture of the Day 10/31/2013

Halloween 2012 by BeFunky
Originally uploaded by pete4ducks.

This is the girls from Halloween 2012. Hermime Granger and Little Red Riding Hood. Tonight we have Padame Amadala and well I think Little Red Riding Hood again.