This past weekend was a busy one. It began with moving Bjorn's stuff to Lynden in the pouring rain in an open bed pickup (not fun!) Friday evening was a nice baccalaureate service in Trinity’s gym with all graduates and faculty. Bjorn’s actual graduation on Saturday was one of three separate ceremonies. They were divided by academic departments so we didn’t see Jenny walk. Bjorn received a bachelor of science degree in computing science and Jenny received a bachelor of arts in Christianity and culture. We ended the day with a graduation party at Homestead restaurant in Lynden. Then on Sunday, Jenny brought her family over to Lynden to meet the Eide half of Bjorn’s family. Last, it was over to Aaron and Jenn’s for a birthday party for mom, as well as a baptism party for Dylan (Aaron and Jenn’s baby) By the time we got home at midnight, we were partied out, though not exactly raring to start a week of work.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Surviving the Island of Grace
I recently came across this book in the used section of the Armchair Sailor bookstore in Seattle. It was written by a college classmate of ours. There weren’t very many married couples at Cedarville, so we quickly got to know she and her husband, Duncan. There is one interesting connection to Duncan. He was inadvertently responsible for us attending Cedarville College. He happened to be flying to Ohio from Alaska one year and sat next to my dad, who flying to Chicago. Dad was impressed with this ‘Calvinistic’ Baptist young man. That set us on a course to drive across country and attend Cedarville, sight unseen. The book by Leslie is a well written memoir of her journey of transition from a New England teenager to summer set gillnetting fisher on a remote island off from Kodiak, Alaska. For thirty summers, she and Duncan have returned to the Shelikof Strait to set nets and pick salmon for endless hours in harsh conditions. Leslie tells her story with skill and candor, as she relates her struggles to adapt to a life of near solitude and primitivity.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
the bridal tea party
Esther reported that the bridal tea party was a success. Jenny's college friends came down to Lynden, where Marti and Esther hosted the event. Three courses of delectable goodies kept the girls smiling. After a TP wedding dress competition, the future bride was pampered with gifts. The party moved to the patio for games and a toast. The event was one of the final activities for these college friends of four years.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Pete's Auto Body
For about two years I have had these fender flares bookmarked on the internet as part of a facelift for my aging truck. Since the truck is parked this month while I break in the Tercel, I decided to order the flares. Esther is up in Lynden this weekend, so I took the opportunity to play auto body shop. I was pretty impressed with myself. It was actually more work taking the old trim off than putting on the new. I haven't decided whether to put mudflaps on or not. I finished the job just in time before the rain came. I am anxious to hear how Jenny's bridal shower went. I sent a camera with Esther, so we'll see if she comes back with photos.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
southworth in watercolors
A couple of months ago, we noticed in a ferry newsletter that the Washington State Ferry poster for this year was a water color of Southworth. We were quick to note that both of our houses were included in the painting. We had been planning to purchase one of the posters before the end of the season. Yesterday our neighbor Howard came over and said that he had an extra one to sell us. We jumped on it. The artist is Alex Young. Since 1984, he has been painting all 20 of the WSF terminals. Southworth is the final one. Here's what the artist says about Southworth: "I think Southworth still looks like a rural area. It's not filled up, like Fauntleroy or Edmonds, where you have a lot of buildings in the background. It's one of the few that's still in such a nice setting." - I would concur to that! If you take a close-up look at the painting in the link to the left, you will see that the artist has hidden all of the names of his grandchildren in the painting. We are going to have to frame this one as a keepsake.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Easter dinner at the Eide compound
On our way home today, we stopped at John and Kay's for a great outdoor Easter dinner. The rain stopped long enough for us to enjoy ham, potatoes, salad and crossants. The deLacys got the chance to see the Eide compound, and we got to meet the new Russian family on the Van Dyk Rd. It was a great conclusion to a wonderful week.
village walk
Part of the Whistler experience is strolling the village walk at night. Streets are filled with people and lights. Most conversations are in a foreign language. Bjorn and Jenny joined us for an afternoon of snowboarding and an evening village walk. We were fortunate with the weather. The morning we left it started to rain.
Friday, April 06, 2007
warm whistler wonderland
60 degrees with gloves, helmet and winter jacket. I need to do some laundry tonight! The weather was wonderful and the snow wasn't too bad considering the temperature. Sometimes we would hit a pocket of snow that felt like cement- almost doing a pitchpole. We rode Blackcomb today and enjoyed it very much. I did the glacier for the first time. The surroundings were awesome, but the ride wasn't all that special, especially when we got to the uphill cat tracks. We had enchiladas for supper and a balmy evening stroll in the village. Lest you think all the shops are overpriced, Tim and Josh found demo skis and bindings for $99.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
We are spending four days at Whistler with the deLacys. The whole party hit the slopes today. The weather was pretty good - calm, no rain, but maybe a little too warm. By afternoon, it was quite slushy. Ben had his first day on skiis and did exceptionally well. I don't understand why his father insists on passing on such an archaic sport to his sons. The condo is very comfortable, and is in the village. It's great to park the car and leave it alone for four days.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
a visit from sister and mother
Ellen is also on spring break from her teaching in Sacramento. She flew up to visit mom, and brought her down to Southworth for a visit. We had a couple of beautiful sunny days to enjoy our time together. Mom took a liking to Esther's 'puppy chow mix' (sweet snack), and we sent her off with a bag full. It's always fun to swap school stories with Ellen and hear the latest in the Burton saga. Tomorrow it is off to Whistler with the deLacys.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
the parent rap
I always enjoy the week of parent conferences. It's great to touch bases with the parents. As a multiage, we get to see the same parents for two years. I love to report the progress that we have witnessed from the beginning of fourth grade to the end of fifth grade. They really do come out as different students. Part of our conference is student-led. Students pick their best work from the trimester to include in a portfolio which is then shared with the parents. The spring conference also gives me a chance to give a detailed description of the upcoming trip to Neah Bay.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
whoever acknowledges me. . . I will also acknowledge
Calvin was baptized today. It was special to have 'John the Snell Baptist' baptize Calvin, as he has now baptized all three of our sons. John's spiritual impact on our family has been immense. We appreciate him so much. I'm not sure what Calvin's namesake would say about this afternoon's ritual, as he reportedly condoned the persecution of the anabaptists of his day. Bjorn and Jenny made a quick trip down from Canada to witness the event. Wedding planning is in full swing, and Esther and I needed to cough up an invitation list for them. In another month, it will be graduation day!
Saturday, March 24, 2007
playin in the mud
How do you like to spend your soggy Saturday morning? Well, Tim deLacy asked me to lend a helping hand at pouring the foundation walls for the new outdoor shed that he is building. Tim is an engineeer, and this shed has a foundation that would put some skyscrapers to shame. Having nothing more important to do besides sleep in, I joined the muddy party. The challenge of a foundation pour is to 'row' the mud through the forms until the walls are filled with cement. Tim, myself and his two boys, Josh and Ben, got our donned rubber gloves and paddled away. The pour went well, and the driver was pleasant to work with. What amazed me was that after thirty years, nothing has changed in cement truck technology. The equipment and procedure was exactly the same.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Markus home on break
Our neighbors never have to guess when Markus is home; it is always pretty evident by the pile of cars in front of the house. The gang has once again converged on the Bulthuis house. Last night they canoed over to Blake Island and spent the night. -hot dogs and frozen waffles-roasted over the fire. The ranger wouldn't believe that they didn't have any alchohol for the night and kept checking on them. Today they have been hanging out here. I'm going to have to chase them out sometime tonight as Calvin will need his brain sleep for WASL testing tomorrow. My weekend has been spent balancing yardwork and report cards. Esther is finally recovering from a nasty lingering cold. Only trouble is I'm starting to battle it now!
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Lynden High School - make it two!
Last night Esther and I went to Tacoma to watch her alma mater win the boys 2A state championship. The game wasn't even close. After charging ahead to a 15-2 lead, they never looked back. It was fun, just the same, watching the well-tuned dutchmen dominate the game over a previously undefeated rival. This is Lynden's second boys state championship this year. They also won the football state championship, with several of the same players. This is now the third time that the school has taken both championships in the same year--Must be that unpasteurized milk!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
spiritual reflections of a college student
One of Markus’ assignments this quarter at SPU was to trace his spiritual formation. He chose to compose a series of blog entries to express his ‘life map.’ He did a great job of expressing his perspective on his emerging faith. If you have a few minutes, it’s worth the read. You can find it at http://markuslifemap.blogspot.com.Saturday, March 03, 2007
another toyota for the Bulthuis'
After casually searching craigslist and autotrader for the last couple of months, I came across this 96 tercel with 100,000 miles. I drove to Seattle two nights checking it out, and brought it back to my mechanic for an inspection. We ended up paying $3500 for it. This is actually the first vehicle that we have purchased for the boys to drive. We were fortunate to have two uncles donate cars to their nephews, providing the rabbit and 200sx. This vehicle has by far the least miles of the Bulthuis fleet. Our five vehicles together have almost a million miles!
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
vanity makeover
In my spare time this last week, I refinished the vanity in our main floor bath. The birch plywood cabinet is solid and well built, but still sported the dark 70's stain. I sanded down the faces of the drawers and doors, followed by a couple of coats of verathane. The hardware was spray painted black and now match the counter accessories. The result is an improvement over what it was. (check my photostream for the 'before' pic) I still have to do something with the louvered bifold doors, but I'm not sure what.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Sidney Glen boys take district championship
Today was a marathon of basketball in South Kitsap. All ten elementary schools in the district battle it out for bragging rights in a boys and girls tournament. It takes place on two Saturdays, and today was the final day. The Sidney Glen Dolphins did great. The girls went undefeated until their last game, and the boys dominated with an undefeated record. They played five games just today. Coach CJ was proud of his talented teams, though a little disappointed that the girls didn't make it a perfect Sidney Glen sweep. One contributing factor to our school having good teams is an extensive after school basketball program. Each year CJ organizes the program and teachers volunteer to coach. Four of the boys on the school team have been on teams that I coached; and two of them are former students. It was fun to watch them do so well. They played hard and worked as a team. Way to go boys and CJ!
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Big White weekend
We are spending President's weekend with the Eides at Big White. The chalet this year is very nice. It has a large open framed living area, with dining, kitchen and living room all in one great room. It has good ski in/ski out access. We had one less day for the weekend as we had school on Friday this year. We are trying to pack in as much as we can. The snowboarding has been good. The runs are nice and long, and the snow is dry. It's too bad the vacation is so short.
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