Filling out the fafsa is one of those nagging chores to which all parents of college students must subject themselves. Remembering PINs, finding financial statements, making reasonable estimates, clicking the wrong button and retracing your work-none of it is at the top of my list of fun activities. But in an attempt to redeem a January 'snow day,' I completed the form to ensure a loan for Markus education next year. I can't imagine filling the thing out with paper and pencil and no help windows. Well, five years are completed, and five years to go! Like many of you in Western Washington, we get a 'day off' today (only to be made up in June). We have had no snow in Southworth and the sun has been shining most of the day. It kind of takes that cozy 'snowed in' feeling away.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
bumming around bainbridge
We couldn't resist going for a ride on a sunny winter day. I have been cooped up for most of the weekend, organizing a visitation program for the church. A scenic drive was just the ticket. It had been a long time since we had actually explored the back roads of Bainbridge Island. (twenty years, in fact) Calvin joined us for the adventure since we had very little family time this weekend. Even though we can see Bainbridge from our house, it's a long drive away. We explored the perimeter of the island and drooled over waterfront property and million dollar houses. We wrapped up the day with a visit to the buffet at the Clearwater Casino. This evening we are stuffed and ready for a week of work tomorrow morning.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
make it two years in a row
The Seahawk's dismal loss to Green Bay was made a little more palatable yesterday as I also watched the Sidney Glen boys win the district wide championship. They won the championship last year as well. There are ten elementary schools in the district, and every year they have a tournament that lasts two weekends. Both the girls and boys teams from Sidney Glen usually make a good showing. A large part of the success comes as a result of an after school intramural program that CJ Scott (PE teacher) organizes every fall. The boys championship game was a barn burner. A last minute three point shot from one of our boys put the game into an overtime in which the SG Dolphins prevailed. Somehow, the loss at Lambeau Field paled in comparison as I screamed for a handful of eleven year-old boys.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
A January canoe ride
Much to my chagrin, we had a snow day today. There wasn't even a drop of snow in Southworth, but I guess the hinterlands of the district must have had considerable snow levels. I decided to try to make the best of it. I quickly ran to school and district office in attempt to secure a personal day for Feb. 19 (snow make-up day in which we plan to be at Big White) Then I decided to take a winter canoe ride. Clad in my new under armor and wool, I launched the canoe from its ever ready Sebring beach storage and paddled my way to Blake Island. It was a rejuvenating mid-winter jaunt for a sea starved sailor. Though it threatened to rain, it held off until I got home. I had an interesting welcome back to Southworth waters when a snorting sea lion (8+ ft.) came barreling towards me, submerging 20 ft. from me, only to surface behind me, snort, and come at me again. I was a little unnerved, hoping he didn't realize how easily he could swamp my canoe! I didn't even dare stick around and get a picture:(
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
New Years Eve Red Hot Bash
The Eide family celebrated New Years Eve in style this year. In an attempt to put a little celebratory life in the evening, we bought tickets to the Mars Hill Church Red Hot Bash. Mike had noticed the event online a month ago, and Jenny made sure we followed through. The festivities at Mars Hill started at 9:30. They had a very live and loud jazz band playing salsa and funk music. Just about everyone at least tried a little dancing. Mike and Marti made a good show for the older generation and Jenny, with some help from Bjorn, out danced us all. Needless to say, the celebration was out of character for a bulthuis/eide celebration, but I guess the new member of the family pumped a little life into the dutch/norwegian veins. All I can say is: it wasn't your typical church watchnight service.
Friday, December 28, 2007
a new 'cat' in the house
One of our gifts this Christmas was the new Mac OS X leopard family pack. We are all enjoying the new features which this new kitty brings to our computers. I especially enjoy 'stacks' - a cool way to keep your desktop clean, yet files and recent downloads a click away. Another feature that I have already used a lot is the new interface between mail and iCal/Address Book. Calvin likes the 'cover flow' feature. We will be discovering new features as time goes on. Mac users, if you haven't upgraded yet, do it. PC users, just hope that someday Microsoft will steal some of these features in a future OS.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Christmas Dinner at Benedict House
We took advantage of a somewhat quiet Christmas Day to help serve a dinner at the Benedict House in Bremerton. Our church, along with many others in the county, take turns providing meals for homeless men who are temporarily housed at the Benedict House. Esther and a couple of others spent the afternoon cooking up a prime rib roast, potatoes and veggies. The boys and I joined in serving and eating the meal. The men were appreciative and friendly. It was an added treat to drive through snow on Christmas Day.
Monday, December 24, 2007
bulthuis family gathering
On Sunday evening, the Bulthuis family got together at Aaron and Jen's house. This was after a candlelight service at Bethel Church. It was great to see Karen who came from New York, and Rebekah who came from Michigan. We presented Mom with a digital photo display loaded with family pictures from us all. We hope that the continual visual exposure to her children, grandchildren and great-grand children will keep her memory of us sharper. We will spend a somewhat quiet Christmas Eve. with just the four of us.
Friday, December 21, 2007
first day on the slopes
It is rare for me to hit the slopes before Christmas, but with all the snow piling up and a prodding son, I began my snowboard season today. We were able to take advantage of some two-for-one ticket coupons that Markus snagged. Oh, it does a dutchman good to see his son pinching pennies! Calvin's friend, Josh deLacy joined us for the Crystal Mountain adventure, albeit on skiis:( It turned out to be a great day. Probably the only non-stormy day of a two-week stretch, with lots of powder and no crowds. Yesterday was a bulthuis-shop-till-you-drop day (downtown Seattle, Universtiy Village, Southcenter, Ikea and the Supermall) Today was a nice contrast to traffic and shopping malls.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
december decor for the classroom
The last few days before Christmas break, we allow the students to bring things from home to decorate their table. They like to make it a competition. The winners were obvious this year, with hanging Santas, lights, and pine streamers. The decorations added to the atmosphere of our December party. Today is the beginning of a two week break. It will be a pleasant change of routine for both the students and their teachers!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
definitely a 'God thing'
Every year our church sponsors an Angel Tree Dinner. Children of incarcerated parents are invited to a dinner where gifts are given to the children on behalf of their parent. The incarcerated parent makes the request for their child to take part; and sends a note to be given with the gifts. The church buys the presents and puts on the dinner and then presents the gifts This year Esther and I had the opportunity to host a table. Guests are not assigned to tables but hosts greet families as they enter and then invite them to sit at their table. As families entered, I recognized one of my students in a large group of guests and knew it was my clue! As it turned out, not only my student but one of his cousins who was a former student, sat at our table. I was not aware that either of them had incarcerated parents. It was a special moment when the children opened up the notes from their parents before opening the gift. The church also helps pay for the children to go to summer camp. The custodial parent can sign them up. It looks like both of my students will be able to go this summer. It is humbling to be a small part of something that God is so obviously orchestrating.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
my wishlist
At the risk of appearing selfish, I have posted a Christmas wishlist for the use of my loved ones who can't think of what to get me. (See the link in the left column.) I often have ambivalent feelings about the Christmas gift exchange routine. On the one hand, it feels like a burdensome cultural obligation to spend excessive amounts of time in crowded malls, frantically searching for the right gift/s. On the other hand, it feels like a small gesture of kindness in expressing appropriate affections to our well-deserving loved ones. I often wonder if Christ is pleased with all the activity surrounding the celebration of his advent to earth. It does heighten the celebratory nature of the season, and encourages generosity and kindness, reflecting the great generosity and sacrifice of God at Christmas. I guess I'll stick with the program.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
finally complete
A year and a half after installing the window, I finally have the inside trimmed out in sheet rock, plastered, textured and painted. We added it to let more light in the north side of the house. The fact that the rough-in didn't look that bad without trim, and that it was way up high, made it easy to let it go for such a long time. I picked at it this week in the evenings and finished it last night. In addition to my home improvement project, I also hung the exterior christmas lights and we procured a tree from Stocks Tree Farm. It feels like a weekend's worth of work done in one day. Esther has also been busy adorning the interior of the house with seasonal beauty. Markus came home last night as his quarter is over. He will head off to Whistler for a couple of days this week.
Friday, November 30, 2007
one down. two to go
Today marked the end of the first trimester at our school. It was also the end of the month and time to celebrate November birthdays. The school had a 'tie day' to encourage school spirit. We of course rocked out at our now infamous IMA monthly party. The down side of this academic milestone is that I will be spending most of this weekend working on report cards.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Thanksgiving 2007
We enjoyed a family holiday with both the Eides and Bulthuis' We are fortunate to have so much family in Lynden. Jenny's family also came up to Lynden, so they joined us for the Eide turkey dinner on Thursday. Markus brought an SPU friend, Scott, from Colorado who joined us as well. Mike and Marti hosted the feast which included oyster stuffing for the hearty Norwegians. Instead of shopping on 'Black Friday,' we enjoyed a walk at Boulevard Park in the sunshine. In the evening, we celebrated with the Bulthuis' at Doug and Pam's. Jack and Sue were up with Aaron and Jen, and Ellen spent the week with mom. It was good catching up and celebrating God's goodness. We also visited with Anna and girls who came up from from Tacoma, and longtime friends, Frank and Cynthia. On Sunday morning we visited 'Vintage 242' Bjorn and Jenny's church that meets in a movie theater in Abbotsford. The church is part of the Acts 29 church planting network, and Bjorn and Jenny are very involved in serving - Jenny with children's ministry, and Bjorn with music, AV and developing the web site. It was great to visit with so many family and friends.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Qwest Field at last
Yesterday was my first visit to Qwest Field. Markus and I joined about forty people from Harper Church at the Seahawks/Bears game. We felt fortunate to catch the Hawks on a good day! From the nosebleed section, you can't see the game as well, but the atmosphere is great. To help add to the 12th man noise, I found myself belting out any kind of strange cry that my vocal chords could produce. The intensity in the stadium is so much higher on defense than on offense. The cheer over a completed pass is dwarfed by response to a false start. The crowd acts like they are an active participant of the defense (which they are!) My favorite play of the game was when kicker Josh Brown tackled the ominous Devin Hester. I don't suppose I'll get a chance to go to another game soon, so I'll cherish the feelings as I cheer on the Seahawks from my couch.
Monday, November 12, 2007
a new 'getaway' destination
Every fall, Esther and I like to do a weekend getaway. We often go to Leavenworth or the Oregon coast. Last minute reserving insured that the bavarian village would not host our outing. Turning our attention to the coast, we were reminded that some Portland friends had recommended lodging in Astoria. With some reservation we booked a room at the Hotel Elliot, a renovated hotel that looked inviting. We were pleasantly surprised by our stay in the historic city. The town seems to be on the upswing, with galleries and boutiques slowly taking over abandoned buildings. We thoroughly enjoyed the dining options. Since the weather was nice on Saturday, we went up to the Astoria Column, which overlooks the whole northwest tip of Oregon. It was great! I enjoyed the Columbia River Maritime Museum as well. Astoria is close to Seaside and Canon Beach, so we were able to catch the coastal thing before returning home.
Monday, November 05, 2007
27 and still going strong
I faced a choice this month of whether or not to fix the brakes on the Datsun. Because of some unique features, brake replacement is a little more costly than most. After some hesitation, I went ahead and replaced the brakes. My father bought the 1980 200SX new and was quite proud of it. When he moved to a minivan a few years later, he passed it on to the Bishops. Jack kept exceptional care of it as it cycled through all three of their children: Aaron, Sarah and Rebekah. Jack gave the car to Markus, who used it for three years, and now it is under Calvin's 'protection.' My dad would be proud to know that his 'Datsun' has passed through five grandchildren.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Lynden visit
We spent Friday night and Saturday in Lynden. One of the purposes of the quick trip was to see Bjorn and Jenny's Halloween decorations before they took them down. They had quite an event on Wednesday night. We wished we could have been there. Another reason we made the trip was to say good bye to nephew Zach who left Saturday for Colorado. He will work at the ski resort in Brekenridge for the winter. With Kelsea in Hawaii and Zach leaving for the winter, John and Kay were feeling a heavy dose of desertion. We were also able to spend a little time with my mom, taking her to an apple orchard to pick up some cider and other goodies. This afternoon, we went with Calvin and the DeLacys to a college fair in Seattle. Calvin has some new schools to scope out now.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
The Blake Island Challenge
Someday I'm going to organize a race that starts at Southworth beach. Contestants must padddle over to Blake Island. Once on the island, they must run the perimeter trail, and then paddle back to Southworth. This afternoon, Esther and I completed a gentler version. We canoed to Blake, hike around it, and canoed back. We did it in just under two and half hours. The canoe trip takes about a half hour each way depending on current and wind. The 4.5 mile perimeter trail took us an hour and a half. It was a great Sunday afternoon couple activity. Maybe we could make a couple's race!
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