A Week With Granddaughters

     This long neglected blog will finally get a new post.  Several factors have contributed to a gradual lack of activity.  For one thing, life has been fairly routine in Southworth the last couple of months.  In addition, I have found that the presence of Facebook has slowly taken away my sense of purpose in maintaining a personal website.  And my last excuse is that my blog host site (blogger) no longer cooperates with my photo website (Flickr) making it more difficult to post pictures with my entries.  But despite these feeble reasons, I will plod on for personal journalling purposes.
     Well the last week has been anything but routine as we took care of Ada and Ruby for the entire week.  Jenny was in Georgia visiting her sister and Bjorn had work all week.  Esther and I decided to each use our two personal days for the year which neither one of us had conveniently spent.  We alternated days and covered the short week.  Fortunately, the week was somewhat pleasant weather wise and many hours were spent playing on the beach, going to parks and hanging out in the yard.  Ada and Ruby got to meet our small group and go to an elder's and wives potluck as well.  We enjoyed our time with our granddaughters very much.

Full Circle

Ironically, we end our mission sojourn at the first mission we visited several years ago.  Sonoma is a favorite destination for us.  The surrounding countryside and the historic town square next to the mission seem to draw us in.  Several years ago we visited the Solano mission and first caught the ambition to visit all 21 of them.  So it is fitting that we should end here.  It was also the last of the Spanish missions to be built.  We stayed at a favorite motel that has very nice garden grounds and a nice facility.  The past few days we have driven through windy winery laden roads and enjoyed shopping and strolling in Healdsburg, Windsor, Geyserville, Calistoga and Sonoma.  Oddly, we don't stop at the wineries, though we do enjoy driving through the vineyard laden hills.  Our final days of Spring break will find us enjoying some time with Ellen in Sacramento.

'Mission Completed'

Well, as of today we have visited all 21 Spanish Missions.  Our last two were Mission Delores in San Francisco and San Rafael Arcangel.  The San Francisco mission is adjacent to a huge basilica (which is impressive in itself) It features the twenty-one missions in stained glass windows.  The San Rafael Mission is a recently reconstructed replica.  We will still visit the Sonoma Mission again on our way back to Sacramento of Friday.   But having finished our mission hunting by noon, we headed to the Sonoma Coast to enjoy the newly exposed sunshine.  We had a nice drive along Tomales Bay and up to Bodega Bay.  The sun roof on the Scion was open the whole time and we soaked it in.  We are spending the night in Santa Rosa and will explore the area some more tomorrow.  We found a great hike on a nearby 'mountain' to end the day.

Soggy Sight Seeing

"It never rains in California; it pours, man it pours."  Those lyrics never rang truer than today for these tourists that are no strangers to precipitation.  We managed to squeeze in three missions between some pretty serious downpours.  We visited the missions in Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and San Jose (which is actually in Freemont).  The Santa Cruz mission is a minimal presentation of the original, with a small chapel and gift shop.  The Santa Clara mission has been absorbed into the campus of Santa Clara University and tastefully presented.  The Mission San Jose is more typical of the rest with an impressive restored chapel and adjoining museum.  The highlight of the day was actually the food.  For lunch we had unbelievable sandwiches on a toasted 'Dutch crunch' roll at Ike's Sandwich.  Then for dinner, we stumbled upon an authentic Japanese sushi and ramen bar near our SF airport hotel.  The ramen was outstanding, second only to Calvin's ramen bar in Tokyo.  Tomorrow promises to be a drier day, but I'm sure we will not be as impressed with our meals.

Mission Hunting Resumed

After a two year hiatus, we are back on the trail of the historic Spanish Missions of California.  We had completed visits to 13 of the 21 missions and today we visited numbers 14 and 15.  After spending the weekend with Ellen in Sacramento, we drove down to the Monterey Peninsula to pick up where we left off.  San Juan Bautista is the only mission that adjoins a section of the original El Camino Real.  They old trail by the rest of them has been replaced by paved road or plowed up into fields.  This mission sits in a quaint small town in an agricultural valley.  Many old buildings still comprise the town's streets, but it hasn't sold its soul to tourism.  The other mission we visited was one we have often peaked at but never gone in.  San Carlos Borromeo Carmelo sits on the outskirts of the swanky town of Carmel by the Sea.  This mission is beautifully restored and is a functioning parish church.  We unfortunately had to deal with rain and cold weather which put a damper on the enjoyment of the mission gardens.  We are spending the night at a cozy motel in Pacific Grove just blocks from lighthouse point.

Bishops, Boykins and Bulthuis

image, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

Henry and Rebecca Boykin will be moving to South Carolina next month. Henry was fortunate to receive a new military assignment twenty minutes from his childhood home. We took the opportunity to invite the newlyweds and Jack and Sue to a Southworth salmon bake. Henry needed a Puget Sound ferry ride before heading east. We had an enjoyable afternoon of conversing and outdoor strolling. We will miss having Henry and Rebecca around, but it is wonderful that they can live near Henry's family.

Calvin's 'new' car

Calvin's 'new' car, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

Evidently I instilled a proclivity for old cars in my sons. Since Calvin is on his own with a job on the other side of the 'pond' (Puget Sound, not Pacific Ocean) it was time for him to buy his own car. As I helped him hunt for one, it became obvious that he wanted an older car in good condition and low miles rather than a not so old car with a lot of miles. He was a little particular on color as well. After about a month of scouring craigslist and checking leads, he zeroed in on a 1990 (his birth year) Toyota Corolla with 122k miles in amazing condition. So I guess we have to chalk up one more Toyota on the Bulthuis fleet list. I only hope that this one will be as reliable as the others.

New Job at Nintendo

Calvin gets a job, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

There are many transitions and milestones in life. Some pass without notice, while others are celebrated with much fanfare. At the end of January, Calvin was hired at Nintendo in his first full time job after college. It is not only a milestone for him; as parents we are celebrating all three sons graduating from college and gainfully employed. Calvin was looking for a job in the Seattle area that utilized his knowledge of Japanese. He is hired as a game tester with translation responsibilities as testers of the English version communicate with Japanese programmers in Japan. He is adjusting to work life; and after a week of commuting from Southworth to Redmond, he was offered weekday lodging at cousin Sarah and Mike Hauer's until he can arrange more permanent housing. We are excited for him and look forward to watching his career develop wherever that may bring him.

Congratulations Markus and Steph

Engagement Party, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

Sunday was not only the occasion to cheer the Seahawks into the Super Bowl; it was also the family's opportunity for an engagement party for Markus and Steph. While the Bronco's were taking care of the Patriots, the Bulthuis' and Eides were honoring the newly engaged couple. Though the engagement took place in December, Markus and Steph were in Sri Lanka visiting Steph's parents for the holidays. The Greenwood gang put on a great salmon dinner to toast the couple. For dessert, we donned our Seahawk attire and moved to a different house to cheer on the Hawks.

Celebration at Seabrook

big dinning room, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

Ever since our first Seabrook experience several years ago, we have been anxious to share the experience with the Eides. We anticipated the appreciation that Eide Homes might have for the unique housing development. We rented one of the larger houses which facilitated our group very nicely. After a night in Southworth with everyone, the accommodations felt very spacious. A real bonus was the large dining room; and since food is at the center of many of our traditions, it was important. The weather was exceptionally nice. We spent three days and two nights in the seaside getaway, walking the beach, riding or strolling through the 'town,' and playing games. We missed having Kelsea, Markus and Steph in our company and thought of them often. We started the new year off with a big bang.

Chelsea Moore's Wedding Port Gamble

Chelsea Moore's Wedding Port Gamble, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

On Saturday we had the opportunity to witness my teaching partner Don Moore's daughter Chelsea get married in Port Gamble. The venue was classic, a small historic chapel and an elegant reception in a nearby hall. Chelsea's new husband, Allen Slade is from South Africa. The couple met through Bethel Church in Redding, where Chelsea has worked for several years.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day 2013, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

Christmas Day brought Jack, Sue and Ellen to Southworth for a relaxing day of conversation and good food. Calvin patiently put up with the older generation. I insisted on a ham for dinner as it was our family tradition. Ellen split her time in Southworth and Olympia. We had a short extended Bulthuis get together in Lynden later in the week.

Did I say she was excited to get an iPhone?

Christmas Break 2013, a photo by The Enforcer on Flickr.

Christmas 2013

Christmas 2013, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

On Sunday evening, we enjoyed the traditional Christmas Eve clam chowder and gift exchange with the family. Markus and Steph were in Sri Lanka. The girls were excited but patient as we all opened our gifts. A highlight was a surprise iPhone 5s which I gave to Esther. She had no idea and surprisingly was very excited about it. It's hard to imagine that we have held off all these years. It's hard for a Dutchman to shell out that much for a phone.

A dandy dancing holiday start

Ada's ballet performance, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

Our Christmas celebrations this year started with a quick trip to Bellingham as soon as school was dismissed. Ada participated in a ballet performance "We Danced Our Best for Him" at the Mt. Baker theater. She was a dancing donkey and did her daddy proud. The whole performance was very good. The emotion and message gave a great start to our Christmas festivities. It was a short trip to Lynden as we decided to celebrate a gift exchange with Bjorn and Jenny in Southworth as they made their way to Oregon.

Southworth Son Returns

Home in Southworth, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

The day before Thanksgiving, Calvin returned home from his Asian adventures. After graduating from ICU and working in Tokyo for the summer, he went to India with Sassa to visit the orphanage where she volunteers. After Sassa left to go back to school, Calvin traveled alone around India and Thailand for a month. You can read much more at
http://calvineb.wordpress.com. It is good to have him home after so long. He celebrated his first Thanksgiving in four years. While continuing to do some free lance work by correspondence, he is looking for full time work here. hopefully, he can find something that incorporates interpretation and translation.

Fourteen and a half years ago John Snell was hired as the youth pastor at Harper Church.  Bjorn was in junior high.  Over the many years that John and Sugar served at our church, they have greatly influenced the spiritual lives of hundreds of young people.  Our sons are no exception.  Each one of our boys were closely connected to the youth group and spent a lot of time with John and Sugar: worshipping, praying, learning, gaming, and traveling.  Esther and I are eternally grateful for God's work in our sons' lives through the ministry of John and Sugar.  Esther and I also became friends with John and Sugar and enjoyed many hours with them.  Today, Harper said goodbye to this beloved family.  John will become the senior pastor of a church in Kent, Washington.  We are very excited for them.  We will miss them, but we wish them the best in their new home.

Arizona transplants

The Peak's new home, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

For twenty-seven years we have lived on the Kitsap Peninsula as kinship loners, having no relatives nearby. All of that changed this month when Doug and Nancy Peak moved from Arizona to join us on the peninsula. Nancy is Esther's second cousin; and after living in Mexico and Arizona for the past twenty-five years, Doug accepted a job as a GED teacher at the Washington Correction Center for Women in Purdy. He has been working in corrections for the past ten years in Arizona. While feeling a little chilled, they are excited to be in the Northwest, close to both of their families. Doug and Nancy have been living with Esther and I for the past two and half weeks as they looked for a home to rent. Tonight they spent their first night in their new home in uptown Gig Harbor. It is a convenient location for Doug's commute, and Nancy hopes to get a job in Tacoma which is a quick trip across the bridge. Welcome to Kitsap Doug and Nancy.

safe in her winter berth

winter berth, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

My enjoyment of Autumn is always hindered by a subconscious nagging that my boat needs to be put away for the summer. When the chore is accomplished, I can embrace the season without restraint. Today I can fully embrace the beauty of Autumn. Last weekend Tim helped me pull up the mooring anchor and trailer the boat. This weekend I cleaned up a very scummy hull. A maritime friend was telling me about an invasive species of mussels from Asia that is becoming prolific in the Sound. Well, I found them on my hull, plugging up through holes and clinging to any metal bolts or nuts. The boat is ready for a cover and the winter, safely beside the house.

A weekend with the girls

Cramer Pumpkin Patch, a photo by Southworth Sailor on Flickr.

We got our grandparent fix this weekend. Bjorn and Jenny went to Vancouver Island for a wedding, so we were recruited to take care of the girls for two days. The weather was great, so we were able to do lots of activities outside. After enjoying the Seahawks game at Mike and Marti's, we walked over to the neighbor's country pumpkin patch to indulge in some agritourism. On Columbus Day, we dragged the girls to see mom and then checked out the newest Eide Homes in Bellingham and Birch Bay. Of course, a stop at the park and McDonalds was our concession to their active needs. It was fun to once again spend time with our granddaughters who are growing up so fast.