Two tidbits of awesomeness

#1. Check out this ad for Uzbek Airlines. Who comes up with their marketing slogans? "Good Luck" - really?!?



I found this lil' gem on the fascinating world of Twitter. If you're not on Twitter yet, check it out. If you are, follow me!

#2. Check out this bumper sticker that I snapped a picture of. There is just so much to love about this bumper sticker, but I think the best is the picture of the poor logger who is caught in the owl's talons, but he still is managing to hold on to his axe!

A few photos from this weekend

Had a great weekend and decided to take a few minutes to post a few photos. The awesome Newton fam make their triumphant return to Seattle after moving down to Roseburg, Oregon last fall for a job change. They stayed with us one night and we loved having them and their great dog Jack with us.







On Saturday morning we went for a short hike right here in Newcastle and the dogs (and kids) decided that the water looked too good to pass up!








Suffice it to say, we're enjoying taking photos with our new camera!

Saturday afternoon Drew and I had a baseball scrimmage. It went OK but we still have quite a bit of work to do.

This morning I had a blast running the Seahawks 12K fun run with a few great friends from here in Newcastle/Bellevue. Brian, Chad and Curtiss did a great job and we managed to run at a much faster pace than we had had been training at.



If you're wondering what I'm wearing, you really had to see the whole get-up for the total effect. Let's just say there were spandex, short running shorts, and tube socks involved.

It was a great weekend!

Whew! That was a tough day...

But I loved it. What am I talking about? Last Wednesday I took the day off work (thankfully I'm not crazy busy right now) and did a version of the Cascade Triple Crown. The CTC is an attempt to climb Granite Mountain, Mailbox Peak, and Mt. Si in one day. That equates to about 22 miles of hiking and 11,000 feet of elevation gain. I heard about the CTC from a friend at work who loves to climb, and we decided to go for it to "commemorate" the fact that one of my best friends in Seattle is moving to the East Coast in a few weeks.

We had been advised to do Granite first, Mailbox second, and Si third. The reason for doing it in that order is two-fold. First, that is how the mountains geographically sit east-to-west. It was easier to start farthest east and then progress westward. Second, Granite is fairly challenging, so it was good to start with that one. Mailbox if definitely the most difficult, and Si is the easiest. We wanted to do Si last when we were the most tired.

We met at the trailhead at 5:30AM and started climbing Granite just before 6:00AM. There were four guys in our group, and the other three were definitely all in better shape than me. Granite was a great climb, fairly challenging in parts, but nothing too tough. We took a slight "detour" that we thought would save us some time, but ultimately slowed us down because we were climbing through snow up to our knees. It also got really steep and we didn't have mountaineering gear with us (crampons and ice axe). We did, however, have Yak Trax, and those were really helpful for Granite. If you haven't done this climb and live in the Seattle area, I highly recommend it. Great views from the top and a good trail. It was about 4 miles up and we gained somewhere around 4,000' of elevation.


Here we are at the trailhead getting ready to head out


Two of the guys I climbed with on the way up Granite


This picture does a good job of showing the type of terrain we faced heading up Granite thanks to our "shortcut"


On the climb up Granite Mountain


At the top of Granite


One down, two to go!

Mailbox Peak gains about 4,200' of elevation, but it does it in around 2.5 miles, so you can imagine what the terrain is like: STEEP! The trail heads up and just doesn't level out. My legs felt pretty good after Granite but Mailbox was pretty tough. The other guys powered ahead and reached the summit 5 or 10 minutes before I did, but we all made it.


They aren't joking! Mailbox is very challenging!


Here is the iconic "mailbox" at the summit.


Made it to the top. Looks like I was eating something when this photo was taken.

I was feeling pretty tired heading to Si, but it isn't too bad of a climb. It's about 4 miles up, and also gains around 4,000' of elevation. The first two miles up Si were no problem and I was leading the group at a good pace, but the last two miles of the hike were tough. Part of the reason it was tough was because something I had eaten (probably the energy gels) were not sitting well in my stomach (this is another story in itself - ask me about it sometime). But we made it to the top, and managed to make it back to the cars around 7:30PM, making it about a 13 hour day of climbing.


Here is my buddy signaling to his wife down below. She was able to see us on top from their house!


On top of Si - it was all downhill from here. My smile is a bit deceiving as I was feeling pretty wiped by this point.

Here I am writing this 3 days later, and my legs still don't feel like they've fully recovered. Missi asked me if I had fun, considering the punishment I inflicted on my body, and I can honestly say it was one of the best times I've had in quite awhile. The guys I was with were excellent, I love being in the mountains, the weather was perfect, and I love pushing my body hard. It was a great day!

Really looking forward to the next few days

Heading to the beach for a weekend with the Zimels! Can't wait!

Trip to the Vancouver Olympics

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few weeks, you know that the Winter Olympic games are underway in Vancouver, Canada. What you may not know (at least I didn't), is that Vancouver is just a short drive - less than 3 hours - away from our house in Seattle. So you can see where this is going, but let's take a step back...

An old friend posted something on The Book of Faces saying that he had 4 Olympic hockey tickets he was trying to sell for a reasonable price (less than double their $80 face value, which was very reasonable). I happened to mention this to a few of my friends and they immediately answered, "Buy them! Buy them! We'll buy them from you!" So I contacted my buddy and bought all four tickets. When I purchased them, I knew I had 3 definite buyers and I figured I would just sell the fourth ticket to make my money back, or maybe a small profit. After all, I thought it would be cool to go to the Olympics but I don't really consider myself to be a hockey fan, and the tickets were for a playoff-round game where we had no idea who we would see.

The error in my logic, however, was that I underestimated the persuasive power of my friends. Through some gentle cajoling and a few persuasive emails telling me how this would be an experience I'd never forget, I decided just to keep the fourth ticket for myself and go to the game. I got a little help when a big case I was working on ended up settling, as it would have been in trial for almost the duration of the Olympics.

So, now fast forward to earlier this week. We all took the day off work and left Seattle around 8:30 a.m. We stopped for some awesome breakfast in Kirkland and headed north. Fortunately, the border had about a 2 minute wait to get through, and after a leisurely 2.5-hour drive, we were suddenly in Vancouver and in the midst of the most culturally diverse, hyper-patriotic environment I've ever seen. There were Canadian flags EVERYWHERE - on the buildings, flying from cars, draped around people's necks, and it seemed like every third person was dressed in red. And those who weren't were wearing the national colors of some other country. Sidenote: I was the only stick in the mud of our group who didn't wear any country-oriented gear. Curtiss was sportin' the Latvia shirt and both Andy and Justin wore their Norwegian colors with pride.

We spent most of the day walking around Vancouver, as the game we had tickets for didn't start until 9:00pm. The only bummer was that the weather was terrible, and we were fighting a persistent rain/wind combination most of the day. But that didn't dampen our spirits and we had a great time. When we wanted to dry out and refuel, we managed to find a booth at a great little English-style pub to watch the Canada-Germany hockey game surrounded by rabid Canuck hockey fans. Fortunately for everyone, the Canadians bounced back from their loss to the U.S. (BOOYAH!) and won easily.

The game we ended up seeing was Slovakia versus Norway. Norway was supposed to be the big underdog, but they fought hard and made it a great game. The Slovaks ended up winning 4-3 but they had to score the winning goal in the third period. What made the experience even better was that one of the guys I was with is a former pro hockey player, so he could explain the nuances of the game to this novice, and the other two guys are of Norwegian heritage, so they were cheering lustily for the men in red (even ringing cowbells and waving the Norwegian flag). And I will say this for Olympic hockey - I'm totally a fan. It is a fast-paced, energetic, end-to-end game that is totally fun to watch. It was even better in person where you can really take in the sights and sounds of the game.

It was a really great experience, and one I won't soon forget. We ended up getting back to Seattle about 3:00am, and I had to work the next day, so I was operating on little sleep. But what is one tired day for memories like these, right?

Here are some photos:


Riding the train into Vancouver. The public transportation system worked really well for us.


With Curtiss and Andy on the Vancouver waterfront. You can barely notice the rock cairns that people had built to resemble the Vancouver Olympics logo. They were everywhere!


Requisite group shot


Requisite shot of the the Olympic flame


Requisite group shot in front of the Olympic flame


This guy affectionately referred to himself as "Canadaman"



GOOOOOAAAAAAL for the Norwegians!


Between the second and third periods.


The view from our seats. We were up sort of high but had great sightlines, so it didn't bother me at all.


Final Score: Slovakia 4, Norway 3

This is why I blog...

...to record stuff like this for prosperity. I came up to bed last night (after watching (500) Days of Summer with Missi - a really good movie, by the way) and I found that our little artist had left a note on Missi and my pillows. Here is what she wrote on my note (my interpretation in brackets and click to enlarge):

Dad I hoop you fenish you’r woock and you aer my valentan I wl mis you be ckas you’r woorck

[Dad: I hope you finish your work and you are my Valentine. I will miss you because you’re working]

To: Dad From: Sam



Here is what she wrote on Missi's note (click to enlarge):

M I love you you aer a grat mallthr to: mom from: Sam

[Mom: I love you. You are a great mother]



Notice also that she included a drawing of herself on each note that has a heart for a body. It has been so fun to see Sam's knowledge of letters and words grow at a rapid pace over the past few months. Her attempts to spell out words and leave us precious notes like this are something I hope I don't soon forget.

Winter Camp, brought to you by Drew

Drew showed this to me tonight, on the eve of us heading to Cub Scout winter camp:

Winter camp (Cub Scouts)
by Drew Wilson

Tomorrow is Friday, Feb. 5, 2010. We leave around 5:45 p.m. We will come back on Sunday, February 7, 2010. We will do activities, games, eat and warm ourselves with campfires. We will stay in cabins during the 2 days. I am writing this Thursday, February 4, 2010. These are the activities we will be doing.
2/5/10 day #1





Drew also made up this awesome supply list.

Reflecting

As John and I were driving back from our wonderful road trip to So. Cal, I was hit by what the Lord has done in and around our lives in the past decade. I thought it would be fun to take a moment and and make a "pillar" of sorts, praising His goodness in all He has accomplished. So, just to give some highlights:

The decade started with a bang. John started at UPS the begining of February 2000. Six days later, we got engaged. We were married February 25, 2000 (yes, he only gave me TWO AND A HALF WEEKS!! But man, it was beautiful, thanks to very special women in my life, helping me like CRAZY!)



And then three very short weeks later, Andrew Samuel was born (March 17, 2000). Here is a little bit older picture of our precious Drew.



The next few years were full of haze as we moved 4 times, John changed jobs, I started working part time at The Difference, and all the while treading through what it actually means to be married and have a child. Needless to say, we messed up more than a handful of times. But by God's grace, with the help of our church family (especially our young marrieds Bible study), and the Lord bringing new friendships into our lives, we pressed on (or, more accurately, He pressed on for us).

In the summer of '02, we bought our first home in Tigard, OR. It happened to be just minutes from where John grew up and where his parents still live to this day. Great starter house. We were able to discover a passion we both have: hosting others. And it was there that we brought home Samantha Kathryne (born May 10, 2004).



Here is our home in Tigard



Our little lady



Then came another boat rocker. John and I had decided before we bought the home that law school wasn't the best idea. Not quite a year later, he came back and admitted that it was something he couldn't get out of his heart. That re-started the process which took another two and a half years. But by fall of 2005, we had sold our Tigard home, bought our second home, and both John and Drew were off to school...in Eugene, OR.



Here is our house in Eugene (before we removed that big hedge in the front yard)



Here is Drew heading off to his first day of kindergarten

Eugene was such a great time of learning for us. We were taught that we could survive as a family, we were able to see our true friendships, the kind that miles apart can't shake the foundations of love. And we learned that the word "organic" wasn't as scary as we once thought it was. It was also a season where we went through a bit of a desert in our faith. As painful as that was, I now see the reasons for it.

All along in law school, the plan was to end up right back in Portland. And once again, God had different plans. He opened no doors there while opening a huge door in Seattle. And as you all know, in the end we ended up here. I could not praise Him more for doing it. We have authentic community, a great neighborhood, and best of all, an amazing church. And again, I am learning the lesson along the way of contentment. He has opened door after door here for me to serve and to be used. For the first time in my life, I feel like He is putting to death some of the demons that have taken a free ride for so long on this journey.

All in all, in the past decade we have been married, welcomed two amazing children, moved seven times, lived in two different states, called three churches home, traveled to Mexico and Disneyland twice and to Austin to visit the Zimels I think five times, owned seven cars, gone to four bowl games with our beloved Ducks, added our precious puppy to the family, met fantastic friends, read countless books, fought with each other, made up, watched too much TV, played Wii, cleaned the house more times than I would like to recall, fell in love with working out, played dozen of games, and learned how to actually cook...sort of at least:)

Thank you Jesus, for through You alone we know true redemption. Thank you John for leading me through these past 10 years with grace and humor. Thank you Drew and Samantha for being the bestest teachers God has given me. And thank you friends and family for keeping me ticking!




I do believe that a life like this is the definition of "Living the Adventure". And as we enter the next decade and all He has in store for it, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Comment weirdness

I just realized that I hadn't changed over my "comment notification" email address from my old 'uoregon.edu' account. Sooooo...if you've left a comment on the blog in the past six months (?) or so, I probably didn't read it. I just went through and scanned a few of the comments, so thank you to Neal, Katie, Janelle, Brenda, Jessica, etc... for the comments.

And thanks to everyone else for checking out the blog. I apologize that my posts have become so infrequent!

Fun with Photo Booth

One of the fun programs included on my MacBook Pro is Photo Booth. This software, combined with the built-in iSight camera, have quickly become a favorite of my kids. OK, OK...I've actually had fun with it too. Photo Booth does this fun 4-plex series of photos just like you would have taken in the photo booth at the carnival.

Check these photos:

The Great Rose Bowl & Disneyland Road Trip!

On Christmas morning we surprised the kids with a book that informed them that we would be taking them to Disneyland, Legoland, and the Rose Bowl! This was something that we had been thinking about ever since it became a possibility that our beloved Ducks might make it to the "Grandaddy of them All"

We packed up the 4Runner and left Portland on Sunday, December 27. Our first stop was in Roseburg where we were able to see our great friends the Newtons. They used to live in Seattle and have recently relocated to the 'burg (boo!) but we were really happy for a chance to see them for a few hours. The Newtons also have a really great dog named Jack.



We woke up at 3:00AM on Monday morning and drove all the way to Anaheim, where we checked into our hotel a few blocks from Disneyland. Here is Sam in her jammies in the car watching a movie.


On Tuesday we hit Disneyland and the kids loved it!










Wednesday we headed about an hour south to Legoland. While it was an experience we don't necessarily regret, we probably won't be going back to Legoland. It seemed to be focused on much younger kids, and after the thrill rides of Disneyland we were a bit "let down" with what Legoland had to offer.




This is a picture of Drew being forced to go on a ride that he wasn't all that excited about. As expected, he ended up loving it.


Look at that look of glee on Sam's face!


Drew with the Lego Indiana Jones


Legoland featured this huge and very impressive models of various cities around the globe made entirely out of Legos.

Thursday (New Year's Eve) we returned to Disneyland and fought huge crowds everywhere we went. The kids were troopers and we managed to make it to midnight, even though Sam was basically falling asleep in my arms.





















Friday we packed up and headed to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl! Even though the Ducks didn't get the result we had hoped for, we had a really good time. After the game we hit the road and pushed it hard all the way home to Seattle, driving through the night and finally getting home about 12:30PM on Saturday. We were exhausted but it was a great time!


Here is Missi setting up our little tailgater. It was great to see a bunch of friends from Eugene and Portland who had made it down to Pasadena for the game.














Here are the kids passed out in the back of the car.