Meeting up with the in-laws

We said goodbye to Tokyo this morning as we packed up all of our things and caught a bullet train to Niigata prefecture.  A bullet train experience is not complete without a bento box and we were lucky enough to snag some before leaving Tokyo Station.  The Maruyamas (Sassa's parents) were there to greet us and welcome us to the scenic mountainous valley where the wedding will take place.  We piled in their two cars and a couple of taxis to the wedding venue.  We spent the rest of the afternoon helping prep for the wedding.  The Bulthuis' are getting pretty proficient at making origami cranes.  We even got an assembly line going.  The venue is wonderful.  The complex features open timber framing and windows.  We enjoyed a Japanese version of Italian food that was superb.  It was a pleasure spending time with our new in-laws though any meaningful communication needed to be channeled through Calvin and Sassa.  A bus from the pension where we are staying brought us up the foot of a mountain to our accommodations.   Tomorrow promises to be an eventful day.

A Whale of a time in Tokyo

One of the features of Japanese culture that our family seems to enjoy is the unique architecture.  The Japanese are champions of simplicity and balance.  This morning we took a trip to the Edo-Tokyo Architectural Museum.  The museum has collected historic buildings from around the area and reconstructed them for visitors to explore.  We spent the morning taking our shoes off and on, exploring tatami rooms and beautiful woodwork.  We ate a lunch of Udon at the museum.  In the afternoon, I took Ruby and Ada back to Fuchu to play in the house and swim in the pool at the church.  The alternate activity fit the girls fancy well and they nodded peacefully off to sleep at a decent hour.  The rest of the gang spent the afternoon and evening on a final Tokyo adventure.  Ueno Park is a vast inner-city park with a zoo, temples, museums and an extensive lake filled with lily pads.  After wandering through the park, the crew did some shopping at the nearby Yuniqlo store. Some of the more brave of the party pretended to enjoy eating a snack of whale meat.  They next went to a geek's paradise, including the largest electronics store in the world where the  weary tourist enjoyed Okonaniyaia on the 8th floor.  The evening was capped off with a jamb packed train ride at 9:00.

The Adventure Begins

Hot muggy weather does not invite sightseeing especially to the tune of fifteen miles.  After quick breakfasts we walked to ICU campus.  I stayed with the girls in the cool cafeteria while Calvin gave a quick tour.  Once again we were struck by the beauty of the grounds.  Next we caught a bus and then trains to Meiji Shinto shrine.  Large trees helped give some shade to our walk through the grounds.  Ruby in particular was irritated by the direct sunlight.  After some yogurt cones we wandered through several shopping areas, stopping occasionally to make purchases.  Ada did wonderful through the long hot afternoon, but Ruby had a little too much and began to melt down and embody the weariness that most of us felt.  We eventually made our way on foot to Shibuya station for a look at Hachi the dog and a long anticipated bowl of Ramen.  As we squeezed into trains on our homeward journey, both girls fell asleep in someone's arms.  We collapsed into our lodgings at about 10.  Josh deLacy dropped in after returning from his hike up Mt. Fuji.

The Journey Begins

Our long convoluted journey to Tokyo ended in midnight arrival and collapsed exhaustion.  It started with a 3:30am get up in Lynden.  Bria and David accompanied our small caravan to the Vancouver BC airport, as they returned our vehicles to Lynden.  A morning flight brought us to Los Angeles at about noon.  We met Markus and Steph for our next leg.  Steph was feeling a little better from her stomach ailment, but was clearly suffering.  After a four hour layover it was on to a twelve hour flight to Japan.  Ada and Ruby did great considering the length of the flight.  We were all exhausted from trying to sleep in a cramped airplane seat.  Calvin and Sassa were at Narita to welcome us to Japan at about 8 o'clock.  Our last task of the trip was to drag nine exhausted bodies and eleven bags of luggage through trains and train stations for two hours.  After 28 hours of traveling, we were ready for some sleep.  We are housed at two locations:  Markus, Steph, Esther and I are sleeping in Calvin's apartment; and Ellen, Calvin, Bjorn, Jenny and the girls are staying at the church's guest house.  Pastor Rich and wife Candice are generous hosts.

Cousin Christina

The past couple of days we have had the privilege of hosting Esther's second cousin, Christina Andersen from Norway.  She spent the last month in the US visiting family, most recently helping to babysit our granddaughters in Corvallis.  Christina is a charming young lady who is very personable. It was a pleasure reacquainting ourselves with our Norwegian family.  We spent a day visiting the Seattle sites and spending a few hours with George and Kirsten Eide.  Christina was very excited to see her great uncle and aunt.  I think she was a little relieved to be speaking some live Norwegian after a couple of weeks of only English speakers.  She returns to Norway today.  We hope to see her again soon.

Lavender Ladies Day Begins Big Weekend

The past 4th of July weekend began with the Eide and Bulthuis women congregating in Southworth for an overnighter before a day trip to Sequim.  They converged from Lynden, Seattle and Corvallis.  The ladies did the lavender rounds at four farms, stockpiling fragrant goodies for another year.  Meanwhile the Bulthuis boys minus yours truly had a bachelor party day, hiking and enjoying a Freemont made dinner.  On Saturday the Bulthuis family all came to Southworth to celebrate the Fourth and say good-bye to Calvin.  The evening was capped off with a trip to Olson shindig  and some impressive Bulthuis dancing.  Bjorn, Jenny and the girls left Sunday morning to pick up Christina from Anna's on their way to Oregon.  Markus and Steph spent the day with us as we encouraged Calvin in his packing preparations.  On Monday, Esther and I took Calvin to the airport early in the morning and said good-bye as he embarks on a Japanese life for a couple of years.  It wasn't too hard because we will see him in a matter of weeks.  Since we were in Seattle, Esther and I did some Japan trip shopping and even score on a dress for her to wear to the wedding.

Hello Corvallis

Last month Bjorn started his new job working for Oregon State University Foundation.  He and Jenny quickly found a great house to rent that is a block off of the main drag.  It is on a somewhat quiet street, but is accessible to the unique downtown Corvallis amenities.  Calvin, Esther and I spent Memorial Day weekend with the new residents.  Jenny was able to show us all of her old stomping grounds.  We even took an extensive walk through OSU and saw Bjorn's new office.  Ada and Ruby were troopers and showed that they will be ready for Japan.  The weekend included a BBQ with Greg and Janette, Jeff and Whitney; the new intown family; a dinner with Mikal and friends who popped in Sunday; a visit to Zion Lutheran Church; a climb up Mary's Peak (highest in coastal range); and a visit to the local nursery to gets some landscaping started.  We enjoyed Bjorn and Jenny's new house.  It has a lot of historic integrity with lath and plaster walls, high ceilings and large wood trim.  The back deck and yard are a great hangout place.  The girls enjoy the enclosed driveway with their bikes and trikes.  I am sure that we will soon be wearing our vehicles out driving the four hours down I-5 on a regular basis.

A Much Needed Sunny Break

It seems like California is our default road trip for Spring break.  We had kind of planned on going to Arizona this year, but with a late start to the trip, we decided on California.  The added bonus to California is the chance to spend some time with my sister Ellen.  Usually our spring breaks do not coincide, but this year they did.  So we were able to do some day trips with Ellen.  We took our time heading down, spending a night in Ashland and Chico, with a stops in Redding, Oroville and Sutter Buttes.  The weather was perfect all week, sunny and mid-seventies.   Our sunroof got a lot of use and my head got a lot of burnt :)  We discovered a great park on the outskirts of Chico-Bidwell Park.  It gave us a chance to hike up one of the surrounding hills.  Northern California is in the full bloom of spring and the wild grass is still green.  It won't be long and it will turn brown.  

With Ellen we visited the town of Murphys in the Sierra Foothills, stopping at a winery and browsing the town boutiques.  We also enjoyed a six mile hike on the American River trail and a stroll through the capital grounds.  Other highlights of our time in Sacramento was dinner of Japanese shabu and an Easter service on Saturday night at Ellen's church.  Our trip home was a thirteen hour grind on Sunday with our only food stop at a casino for their Easter buffet.  We returned ready to hit our schools for a close to the year.

Bria and David

Our Spring break began with a bang.  Niece Bria and new husband David tied the knot at Rosario Beach near Deception Pass.  The venue was a risky call for the end of March, but the weather gave the needed break with filtered sunshine.  The ceremony and reception were a delight. The setting was fantastic-a secluded cove with camp/convention facilities on the western shore of Fidalgo Island.  Our family (kids and grandkids) shared a cabin for two nights and were able to spend some time together planning our trip to the next wedding!!  Esther and I got a late start to our road trip, but it was well worth it.

300,000 and Going Strong

Almost seventeen years ago Esther and I went out on a financial limb and purchased a brand new Toyota Sienna van.  It was 1998, the first year of Sienna production and our boys were still very young.  We reasoned that Toyota reliability would insure that our transportation needs would be secure for the next decade or more.  I told Esther that my goal was to reach 250k before it died.  Well, the boys are all grown up, out of the house, with households of their own; and our Sienna just turned over 300k and is still going strong.

 I faithfully changed the oil myself every 3-5k, replaced the tires, brakes, battery, shocks and timing belt and kept believing.  Aside from some dash bulbs burned out, she seems as good as new. A friend once told me of a conversation he had with a salesman before buying his Sienna.  The salesman said, "You'll be tired of the van long before it ever dies."  My friend traded his van in long ago, but I kind of want to wait until ours actually dies from some major repair need.  A different vehicle would be nice, but as long as Esther is satisfied with a mini van, and it keeps running, I guess we'll hang on to her.  400k?  We're trying to think of doing some nice for her.  Any ideas?

February Fun in the Sun

Two days off from work for Esther and I on President's Day gave us the opportunity for a getaway to the Oregon Coast.  The weather was amazing!  We would be happy for these conditions in the summer; sunny and in the high sixties.  We spent one night in Seaside and one in Newport.  Seaside on Sunday was a clamor of activities with the beach and streets packed with families.  Our favorite part was the promenade walk.  Our hotel was on the canal, but our fourth floor balcony had a great view of the town, ocean and surrounding hills.  A leisurely morning drive down the coast with an open sun roof and a picnic lunch at Depoe Bay brought us to our Newport Nye Beach Hotel.  We enjoyed some more walking on the beach and the streets of Nye Beach and the Deco District.  The view from the cliffside hotel absorbed the last rays of a fabulous February? day.  On our way home we stopped at the Woodburn Outlet mall and each found some much needed clothes.

It's Official

Calvin and Sassa got officially engaged last weekend.  Calvin has been in Japan for the last month visiting friends and spending time with Sassa.  He was able to spend some quality time with her family as well. Calvin and Sassa are planning an August wedding in Washington.  Several of Sassa's extended family members will be making the trip.  Sassa will continue teaching in Japan until August and Calvin will return next month to work again at Nintendo.  We are very excited to welcome Sassa into the Bulthuis clan.  We are also very happy to know that Calvin will have such a special lifetime companion.

Christmas 2014

Our Christmas festivities began with our children converging on Southworth.  Bjorn and Jenny came down Monday night and joined Calvin who came after the Messiah.  The working newlyweds joined us Christmas Eve in time for dinner.  After a delicious meal of ham and scallop potatoes, we enjoyed an evening of gift exchanging.  The girls did well until the end of the evening when Ruby had a little meltdown.  On Christmas Day we packed into two vehicles and drove to Cle Elem to join the Eides for a celebration.  The cabin was cozy, but the men were kicked out so that the women could have a 'Woodland Tea"  The men enjoyed a hike in Roslyn and a trip to Suncadia and a tour of the house under construction.  Oyster Stew and Clam Chowder were followed by a gift exchange.  The next morning it was the customary sausage balls and peppermint jello.  Some of the party took a walk near the cabin before we all went to Suncadia to view the lodge and house as well as appetizers at the winery.  In the evening, Markus, Steph, Calvin, Esther and I drove to Lynden to pick up Ellen from Doug and Pam's.  Saturday we brought Calvin to the Vancouver airport for his trip to Japan.  We spent the day enjoying the sights of Vancouver.  Ellen and Steph had not been in Canada for a long time.  Fortunately, the filtered sunshine allowed us to enjoy Stanley Park, Granville Island and Canada Place waterfront before dinner at the Spaghetti Factory.  Sunday we headed back to Southworth, stopping to watch the Seahawks game at Steph and Markus as well as meeting the Bishops in Tacoma to see Rebecca and Olivia.  We had a leisure New Years week.   Bjorn, Jenny and the girls joined us for New Years celebrations on their way back from Oregon.

Bulthuises at Benaroya

I need a Messiah fix every few years, so it was off to Benaroya Hall and the Seattle Symphony with our children yesterday.  I seem to forget how long the full performance takes (2 1/2 hours).   With the exception of some of the less familiar solos of Part 2, I enjoyed the entire concert.  I appreciated the choir and the orchestra more than the soloists.  After the concert, we went to an Indian restaurant near Pikes Place Market for some excellent food and conversation.  We rounded the evening off watching the Seahawks trounce the Cardinals to secure a playoff berth.

Cold Turkey

Well, the turkey wasn't cold, but the northeast wind was brutal.  Actually, Thanksgiving day in Greenwood was stormy and wet.  It wasn't until Friday night that the cold hit.  We did have a warm time of family togetherness as Markus, Steph and Calvin joined us in converging on Bjorn and Jenny and the girls.  In addition, Steph's brother Nick spent the weekend with us.  Thanksgiving Dinner and a Seahawks game was shared with the Mike Eide family.  The food was superb as always and the Seahawks victory over the 49ers was whipped cream on the pie.  Friday included a trip to the local tree farm, sanding and refinishing the dining table, and visiting with Doug and Nancy while the younger ones went to the movies.  Saturday saw some more table refinishing and a trip to a cold expensive pizza parlor.  A late night trip home set us up for a relaxing Sunday in Southworth before it was back to work.

Long Needed Kitchen Lights

Ever since purchasing this house ten years ago we have put up with the annoying buzz of the florescent  lights in our kitchen.  Our procrastination for not doing anything about it was our future plans to remodel the kitchen and living room. (A project which continually gets put off because of $$)  We decided that we couldn't stand it any longer and purchased some track lighting.  I pulled all the florescent lights and false celling out, did a little sheetrock repair and hung the new lights.  We are enjoying the quiet of soundless lighting even though the kitchen is not as bright.

Windy Wetlands

This Veterans Day Esther and I took advantage of the sunny weather by taking a drive and a hike.  We wanted to catch some roads and places that were not too familiar to us.   We started by taking the backroads to Steilacoom and Dupont, then down to the Nisqually Delta to the National Wildlife refuge.  Though passing the area constantly on I-5, we have never stopped to visit.  We took the four mile round trip walk to the end of the trail and back.  The trail includes a mile long elevated boardwalk above the muddy tidelands.  The wind was strong and freezing.  We were a little underdressed, but we gritted it out.  After our hike, we took a drive through the towns of Yelm, Rainier and Tenino before heading for Olympia and a dinner at the Oyster House.

Back to School

This fall I dusted off my student hat and enrolled in a class at The School for Teaching English as a Second Language.  The school is under the umbrella of SPU, but is located in North Seattle near the North Seattle Community College.  I joined eleven other students in a class about teaching grammar to English Language learners.  This was my first class of four in my attempt to complete the requirements for a certificate in Teaching ESL.  I'm not sure where this will take me, but I decided to start the process and see where it leads.  The class met for three hours on Thursday nights, which made for Thursday marathons: rushing from school to catch a ferry and driving through Seattle evening rush hour to catch a 5:30 class which went until 9:00.  The hour drive home brought me back at 10pm.  I enjoyed the class and I am starting to get a feel for what teaching ESL is all about.

September Catch Up

     Lest the month pass without record, I must present a telling of some highlights.  We had the chance to see Ingvar and Swanhil two times while they were visiting from Norway.  Once was at Dan and Jan Eide's where several of the extended Eide family were in attendance.  The next weekend we had them over to Southworth with George and Kirsten.  We enjoyed both visits and really appreciated our time with Ingvar and Swanhil.  They are such a nice couple and it is interesting to hear of the Norwegian Eide history.
     We also took an annual anniversary getaway.  Because the weather was so great on the west side, we held off on reservations and at the last minute stumbled on a great little place in the community of Dungenness by Sequim.   It is an old homestead barn that has been converted to a bed and breakfast.  We arrived early afternoon and had the place to ourselves.  The property sets on a bluff overlooking the Dungenness spit and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  Esther spent a little time shopping and I poked around the marina.  Dinner was at the Dockside Grill and breakfast at the 'inn' was very good.  An advantage to being so close to home was that we made it home for the Seahawk/Bronco game.

Labor Day weekend in Cle Elem

Rather than our usual trip up north to the Cain Lake cabin for the Labor Day weekend, we joined John and Mike at their newly rented cabin near Cle Elum.  Eide Homes started building a house in Suncadia with the hopes of building more, so John and Mike needed a home away from home.  They were fortunate to stumble on a furnished cabin with lots of character.  The cabin has a lot of wood surfaces; walls, ceiling and floor are all wood in addition to log furniture.  The 'old folks' spent Saturday and Sunday enjoying  the cozy cabin and exploring the CleElum and Rosalyn surroundings.  I think Marti and Kay will be joining their husbands on weekends, rather than the other way around.