A True Fat Moment

Have you ever felt fat? Maybe it's because you, like Kait and me, ate strawberry shortcake with whipping cream rich scones; fresh, mashed strawberries, and whipped cream both before and after dinner. If that is the case, I have no sympathy for you, for misery loves company. But can you imagine the shock and horrified surprise of that poor female sea turtle who, after enjoying the practically weightless sensation of floating through oceans, leaves the water and must haul her heavy shell and body over the sand to dig her nest and lay her eggs.

We were in Cancun during the week these sea turtles came on shore and laid their eggs, and we were able to watch a couple of the turtles on the beach right in front of the resort - although none of them seemed to be suffering from a feeling-fat crisis. They sure were slow, though, but we gave them a break since all they had were flippers and they had to dig a deep hole. With a flick of their flippers, they would shoot the sand way up behind them. Every couple of flicks, they would stop, raise their head, look around, look back down, and in a minute or so, start flicking again. The employees at the resort watched for the turtles and would collect the eggs and rebury them in a fenced of area where they would be protected until they hatched. After those hours of slow work, the turtle would turn back toward the surf and slowly make her way back to weightlessness. As for me and Kait, we have a slightly longer road to getting rid of our strawberry shortcake pounds.

Some Beach Pictures

Not only did the beach have water that was unreal shades of blue outlined by the white sand, but that very same beach was right outside our patio. We could sit and read to the repetitive crash of the waves and pull of the surf, watch sea turtles crawl on shore to dig a nest and bury their eggs, and watch the sun as it changed the color and depth of the sea from the morning's sunrise to the night's moonlight. It was breathtaking throughout the whole day, and I don't know that I had a favorite time of day. Maybe by looking at the pictures, you will find your favorite. The two dark pictures are of the moonlight reflecting on the water.

Mayan Adventures

“This is our Mayan massage,” our van driver yelled back to us as he turned the van onto a bumpy dirt road that cut into the jungle. Every bump and pothole threw us toward the van roof or careened us toward the windows. The friction of bouncing up and down on the seat added seat warmers to our luxury experience. “And this is a good road,” he added. We were thankful to stumble out of the stopped van five minutes later. Following him to a stick hut, we struggled into repelling harnesses and made our way to the sink hole.

That was only the beginning of our adventures that day. Repelling down into a sink hole and swimming in the underground pool was followed by hiking through the jungle, zip-lining across a lake, kayaking, biking around Mayan ruins, and climbing to the top of the ziggurat, Coba. I included this picture because it shows Annette about 15 steps further up the ziggurat than Kait and I (a moment greatly cherished after her sand dune experience in Wadi Rum). After climbing all those steep stairs; recovering at the top; and then scooting down, clinging to the rope to keep from pitching headlong down the stairs, I have no doubt that if I ever had to be a priest in the Mayan religion, you would have to just sacrifice me now. Climbing up and down those steep steps while wearing robes and headdresses in the humid jungle weather and having to look regal while doing it has got to be an impossible task. At 138 ft and 122 steps, Coba is the tallest ziggurat in Mexico, and the view from the top was incredible. The flat terrain and the level trees allows you to see for miles. All of these pictures were taken from the top of Coba - do they capture how hot and sweaty we felt? :)

Hope and Change Comes to Oregon

It's been a few weeks, now, but Obama's visit to Oregon brought change to more than one woman's day.

When Annette (a.k.a. Annie) arrived at TCBY to open the store on Sunday morning, she found the side street taped off, firetrucks and ambulances crowding the gas station across the street, and police with their police tape swarming around the store. "We've been broken into again," shot through her mind as she pulled into the parking lot across the street and crossed the crosswalk to talk to the police. After she explained that she managed the TCBY store and was there to open, they assured her that the store hadn't been broken into but that all the activity was security for Obama's speaking engagement at a center down the side street. They allowed her to bring the groceries into the store but only after they searched both her and her car.

Not only did Obama bring change to Annette's morning but also to the morning of a woman coming to TCBY to get her morning smoothie. Either unaware of the police/rescue activity around her or mesmorized by it, she drove right through the police tape on her way to TCBY's drive through. It surprised her as much as the police officer who reacted, realizing that the police tape just got between a woman and her smoothie - no serious threat.

The Gag Gift

"What is your return policy?" I asked the Big 5 cashier. I was as concerned with getting my money back as I was with not having to keep the roller skates. It was Kait's birthday, and she had been asking for roller blades for the past few weeks. Since roller blades were not our area of knowledge and expertise, Melinda had sent us information and prices for the quality brands and styles. The roller skates displayed next to the roller blades at the sports store where Dad and I were perusing gave me the idea. These white skates with purple wheels and laces would be perfect. I thanked the cashier, tucked the receipt in my wallet where I was sure not to lose it, and left the store.

Placing the large, brightly-wrapped box on Kait's lap later that night, I tried hard to mask my anticipation. As soon as the paper was torn back to reveal a cardboard box, she grinned, "Roller blades!" Perfect! Right on track. Her grin changed to a bit of a confused frown as more of the paper was torn away and she saw the picture of the roller skates on the side. She laughed, "I hope that's not what's inside the box." The box lid lifted to reveal the purple and white skates. She laughed harder, "No! I hope this is a gag gift!"

"That isn't what you wanted?" we asked, laughing and trying to look innocent. "That's what you've been asking for." "Oh, that's not what you wanted?" we said to her response. "Maybe what's in this one, then." Another box of the same size and shape was pulled from behind the chair. The black, grey, and red roller blades that she pulled from that box were more what she was hoping for and expecting. But as you can see from these pictures, I think she secretly liked the skates best.

WSU duathlon

"I breathe in, I breathe out, I put one foot in front of the other..." The bars of the country song ran over and over through my mind. Ok, maybe he meant the words to lament the pain of life after love and I was using them as I was huffing and slogging my way through the second 5k of my duathlon, but the words still applied. "Al-most-there-don't-slow-down," I stomped out each word as I skipped every other step up a short flight of of concrete stairs from the parking lot to the cross-country path above. The almost 90 degree sun beat down as I made the hairpin turn and started up the last hill before the path would dip down and curve around toward the home stretch.

I had entered a duathlon that was hosted at WSU in Vancouver. Pretty sure that I would drown on the first swimming leg of a triathlon, I decided a duathlon - including only the running and biking events - would be the way to go. A 5k run, transition to the bike, a 15 mile bike ride, transition back to running, and a second 5k run along the same route to finish - that didn't sound too bad. "It'll be fun," I told myself. Well, fun wasn't the word I'd use right now to describe the experience. I was just happy to be somewhere in the middle of the racers and not in last place. My stride lengthened. I searched for every energy reserve to speed me toward the finish line. 1:57:18 the large, digital numbers read. It was over. I had reached my three, low goals - 1) to finish, 2) to not be last, and 3) to finish in under 2 hours. I plunked down on the grass next to my bike, only the first few measures of the song running through my mind as I focused on what was really important, "I breathe in, I breathe out ..."

Banana Art

Growing up did your mother ever tell you that you couldn't have a cookie until you've had a piece of fruit or a vegetable? Or maybe you tell that to your kids. Anyone can choke down a less appealing piece of healthy food if they have a dessert waiting for them once they swallow. But when no dessert is promised, how can you get someone to each a more healthy, less exciting morsel? The answer is banana art.

Change the outside to more interesting and the inside will be more appealing - at least this is what Sharon and Joanie learned in their fruit marketing at the 3rd Place(the coffee shop where I now work twice a week). If they put bananas in a bowl and sell them along with the cookies, coffee, and pastries, the bananas would sit there until they turned brown. But decorate the peel with colored-marker works of art - pictures and witty sayings - and the response is a laugh and "I'll take one of those." For who could resist a banana with "Apples are for sissies," "Leg spasms be gone," "Still cheaper than a gallon of gas," or a line of gymnastically inclined stick figures brightly drawn on the side? So the next time you are trying to tempt yourself or your kids or anyone else with a less than saliva-stimulating banana - try some banana art. It's sure to be ap"peal"ing!

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow!

For all those who are familiar with White Christmas and the train ride song they sing about snow, you will understand the origin of the title and that it wasn't just the result of an excited-don't-know-when-to-stop repetition.
Returning home from the snowy mountains of Washington, I was thrilled to find that I hadn't left the snow behind. Inches of fluffy snow covered every available surface. The steep roads in our neighborhood were perfect for sledding and so were filled with neighborhood kids who were flying down the snow-covered roads trying to avoid the cars, both parked and driving, and each other. Doesn't Dad's truck look beastly all covered with snow like that?

Operation Amina

Operation Amina

Over 10 years ago, a military family, the Phillips, attended Trinity Bible Church with us. Our families became good friends, and we enjoyed every bit of the three years they were stationed here. After three years the Marines moved them to different assignments and states until Colonel Phillips retired at Camp Lejuene, NC. Although no longer in the Marines, they now have a son and sons-in-law who are currently military officers.

Major Kevin Jarrard, a part of their extended family, is currently serving in Iraq. While there, he met a 3 year old girl named Amina. Amina has a terminal heart condition. Kevin was able to find a hospital in Nebraska that is willing to perform the operation and is now working on gathering teams, military and civilian, to take Amina to the Jordanian border and then travel with her to Nebraska.

Please pray for Kevin and his friends, family, and colleagues as they try to save Amina’s life. Kevin and his family are believers and please pray that their testimony and love for Christ will be evident to all they interact with as they try to save this little girl. They have started a blog to give updates and information of their progress. The blog address is www.operationamina.blogspot.com.