Welcome to the world of mandanjim!

New layout, and a closet.

2010-07-02T11:56:00.001-07:00

Well, we finally updated the look of our blog a bit. Aren't we so hip and relevant?

Ok, you got us...we just used a default template from blogger. We're not hip and relevant at all! But we didn't really have you fooled anyway, did we?

In other news, we are working on turning the closet in our bedroom into a bathroom. In order to do this, phase 1 involved building a new closet to replace the one that will become a bathroom. (We'll lose some floor space in our bedroom, but the benefit of not having to sneak by Sam's bedroom in the middle of the night should far outweigh the lost space.) Phase 1 is now complete! A special 'thank you' goes out to Nathan and Sarah Partain, who put the idea more firmly in Amanda's head, thus giving me 6-9 months of extra work to do! ;-) Actually, it's a wonderful idea. I'm glad they brought it up.

For those interested (ie, family members and the Partains) you can find a pseudo photo-journal of the process here:

Closet Photos

For the rest of you, we'll cut to the chase, offering just the initial and final pictures.

Before.

After.

After, with door knobs!

Voilà! There you have it! Next step is to move on the the bathroom, and first on the list is plumbing. Cross your fingers for me!

P.S. - We solicited design suggestions from many people. Most of them were much more complicated, albeit very good. In the end, we went with our original, simple design. Please do not be offended if we didn't go with your design. We still love you.

With Ammy and Papa

2010-06-10T18:06:00.001-07:00

Sweet times

Spring Time 2010

2010-06-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

My tulips!

A front yard picnic

Daddy and Sam in the tractor across the street

The ladies, after an evening of catering a rehearsal dinner.

Who wouldn't love these boys?

Our dear friend Jocelyn, working her way into Sam's heart.

"Singing" and playing his guitar. Apparetnly singing is when you look around the room and shout what you see for a prolonged length of time.

Inexplicably, Sam believes that Bert and Ernie live in the cupboard under the counter.

Christmas, New Years, and a bit of fun confetti

2010-06-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

Uncle Terry and the kiddos on New Years morning

Gramma and Sam

General Bucket Head

Lovely paper whites

Sam explains Christmas (to the best of his ability)

Birthday Ferry Trip with Friends--12/12/09

2010-06-10T17:41:00.001-07:00

Please sir, may I have some more?

Birtday pie, with lifting help from Jordan Francis

Brats and beer, and pretzels for the little one

Our first make believe tea party

Some of you, who witnessed our nuptials 10 year ago, may remember something similar. Random barbershop groups seem to follow Jim. Or maybe we follow them.

Chritsmas Tree Hunt 12/09

2010-06-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

Warm drinks after the adventure

We were afraid Sam would be scared of Santa (based on previous experiences) so we let him know that Santa just wants to know what he wants for Christmas. So he walked right up to him, while another girl was on his lap, and said, "I want a truck."

The fearsome huters...

...and the women and children

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

A few movies... Enjoy!

2009-10-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

The possibly overwhelming birthday song.

Jammin' with a singing birthday card

abcd...

Bedtime

In the rain

A chocolate treat

Birthdays & Weddings

2009-10-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

Looking out the window on the way to Colorado Springs.

Hanging out with 'tough' military friends. Sam learned to greet people with a growl.

Hooah!

Doesn't every good party end with guests rolling on the floor?

Dressed up to celebrate Jocelyn and Ian's nuptials.

Spending time with our dear friend Jocelyn.

We saw Wicked! We would definitely recommend it.

Sam finally figured out the joy of blowing out the candles after all the guests went home.

The motley crew to celebrate Sam's second birthday.

One more...

2009-09-10T00:06:00.000-07:00

...because this picture is too perfect not to share.

A little bit of Richards life...

2009-09-09T23:06:00.000-07:00

Sam gets a big boy bed! (aka a twin matress on the floor)

With Sam's second birthday on the horizon, we thought it might be time for a new bed. So we disassembled the crib Saturday morning then googled "how to transition your toddler to a bed." Apparently, 2 is still a little young. But we got him all excited about his big boy bed and amazingly, it worked. No tears, no escape attempts. Then around 11 we heard a "thud, thud" and found him like this: (Still sound asleep)

But he loves it, so we are thrilled!

Oh my goodness! The best burger meal ever. A friend told us about a place where the hamburgers start at $15 and they are worth so much more. So we scrounged up some pennies and shared a burger to end all burgers. He was so right!

A friend commented that half of our old Europe pictures were just of the food we ate. So here is a nod to the old days.

A visit from Grampa Joe and a trip to Ivars.

How cool is this kid?

Maybe my favorite picture ever taken.

This boy makes me giggle.

So does this boy:

Perfect timing to capture the bite

This one is for all the baby model scouts out there. But no, you can't have him.

We were so excited to take him out on a boat! He was less excited.

2009-09-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

We did a little trip to Idaho where Jim's Aunt Barb and Uncle Larry treated us well, gave us boat rides (see above) and fed us home made moose smokies. Pretty yummy.

Summertime in Seattle

2009-08-04T21:20:00.001-07:00

Daddy explains the wonder of the french fry.

It's the Richards family. Eating. What a surprise!

Sam turned this lunch bag into a hat. We didn't notice until someone on a neighboring towel called over to ask where he could get a hat like that.

Sam, can you smile for the picture?

He put this hat on and walked around the house saying, "Pretty."

And keeping with the theme of hats, my two favorite boys in hats.

Some recent videos

2009-04-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

In the next video, try to focus on Sam and not his mama. (Although I think she's adorable!) This is the Sam dance, and his favorite electronica band.

We're blogging again!

2009-04-23T22:27:00.001-07:00

Don't anybody get used to this type of regularity....no promises for the next six months. Here are a few of Sam lately.

Discovering the beach in San Diego

Meeting his new cousin Malia

Gotta fix this trike!

First time in a chair like a big boy

This is daddy's trick to get him to stick his face in the water to get clean

Sam's first and most common word is "Stella." This is Stella.

Reading with Grandma

Discovering sprinklers! In PJs!

Ammy Jane does the ammy dance.

Googly eyes for Aunt Jenney

Surprise visit from the cousins

2009-04-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

A few months back we got a surprise visit from the Catheys (Amanda's sister's family). What a treat it was.

More recent photos

2009-04-23T21:49:00.000-07:00

A little more advanced walking

2008-12-18T17:36:00.000-08:00

These were taken a few weeks ago. The first is on a Washington Ferry on the way out to the Olympic Peninsula. Check out those sea legs!

Sam loves to help out around the house. Sweeping is his favorite task.

Sam's first(ish) steps

2008-12-18T17:18:00.003-08:00

For Keren. :-)

Here are a few of the first videos we took of Sam walking. These were taken the first week of November.

Sam's first haircut!

2008-12-18T08:56:00.005-08:00

Before: "derned Hippie!"

After: Clean cut boy.

November Sam

2008-12-18T08:52:00.002-08:00

At the space needle with Aunt Jenney.

Sam loves the wind in his face!

The washing machine is better than any TV he could watch.

At dinner with Ammy Jane.

Sam's Fall spread

2008-12-18T08:33:00.008-08:00

Sam's GQ shot.

That's actually just a backdrop at JCPenny's.

Nice product placement, Sam.

Sam's baby bird look.

Yearbookyourself.com

2008-10-14T23:16:00.001-07:00

Apparently we have too much time on our hands...

We have a one-year -old!

2008-09-21T22:08:00.002-07:00

Thank goodness for short names.

The gratuitous one year birthday cake shot

Representin'

Music and movement

2008-09-16T23:56:00.003-07:00

Looks like he has his mama's rhythm...

Super Sam!

2008-09-08T08:50:00.002-07:00

Squeaky shoes

2008-09-07T22:46:00.003-07:00

He won't be wearing these shoes long.....

Summertime!

2008-09-07T22:27:00.004-07:00

Munching on Korean noodles outside the space needle.

"Hey ladies....."

Sharing a swing with buddy Big Lou.

Storytime with daddy.

"Look at my curls!"

Lookin' hip with Ammy Jane

At Pike's Place with Grandma Jeanne and Aunt Jenney.

2008-06-10T16:25:00.002-07:00

"Sam, look smart for the camera."

Monster baby terrorizes town, eats bus driver

Sam's Baptism

2008-06-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

Springtime, Seattle, and Sam

2008-05-17T16:51:00.003-07:00

Most recent family photo.

Sam stands in on drums for the Damon Castillo band.

Flying with mama!

"That was a funny joke!"

Sam discovers the sun.

Sam is an easy laugh

2008-04-26T08:58:00.002-07:00

April 08

2008-04-26T08:51:00.005-07:00

Here are a few more of Sam from the last two months.

At Green Lake

Sam takes care of a little girl named Francis three days a week.

At breakfast with Aunt Jenney

Boning up on a little Cisco networking.

A random Smattering from January and February

2008-02-24T23:47:00.001-08:00

We love this smile

Yeah, he's a prodigy.

The Valentine's day Sam-o-gram

2008-02-24T23:44:00.001-08:00

I'm gonna take you down mister lion.

Sam and daddy try to look intelligent.

Cool party shirt for a friend's first birthday party

2008-02-24T23:29:00.001-08:00

2008-02-24T23:25:00.001-08:00

With Gramma Jane

Learning to knit...

...And learning to fly

Staring Aunt Jenney down

2008-02-24T23:20:00.002-08:00

Instant Teddy Bear--just add baby!

Ready for the Superbowl

Mama's little angel

The ladies' man

2008-01-12T00:13:00.000-08:00

"Come on over to my bucket seat."

Sam speaks!

2008-01-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

Sam discusses his new year's resolutions for 2008.
Unfortunately, I picked up the camera too late, and he was mostly finished. But I caught a little of him talking.

Hap-py New Year!

2008-01-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

This year for new year's we hung out with the Haugs and the Hitch-Moores. It was quite fun. Here is a clip or two of our fireworks extravaganza.

2007-12-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

Sam gets his first Christmas tree...

...and it snows!

He loves the nativity scene.

We call this his worship time.

"Do you like my new chair?"

Slow dancing is a little different these days.

The men of the family at Jason and Amber's wedding.

Sam gets a taste of the Southwest while in San Diego.

A baby to bear chat. "Come here often?"

We're blogging fools now!

2007-11-21T20:11:00.000-08:00

Look at us, we're crazy! Three posts in four days!

Sam tries out his wedding duds.

Sam: master of his domain.

"whassup?"

Sam's second month

2007-11-18T20:41:00.000-08:00

Here is a various assortment of Sam pictures. He has recently started smiling, so we think we'll keep him.

"I like mommy's hair."

No, these tracks aren't actually used. But it makes for a funny picture, doesn't it?

"Let's go play outside daddy!"

Uncle Scott making noises with his hands.

Look ma, no hands!

And for anyone who might call CPS out there: no, he didn't actually get any beer. But again, it makes for a funny shot, eh?

Sam's Halloween costume

That smile makes it all worth it.

Sam's GQ shot.

Sam arrives (2 months late!)

2007-11-18T20:19:00.000-08:00

No no...Sam didn't arrive 2 months late. We're two months late in blogging his arrival. Samuel Morehouse Richards arrived to the world September 18, 2007. He is doing very well. Mommy and Daddy are quite tired, but other than that we could not ask for anything more. Here are a few pictures of Sam from the first days.

Cinque Terre, April 2007

2007-05-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

Cinque Terre (5 lands) is a magical little strip of land on Italy's west coast. The water is clear and cool and so inviting after hiking to each of the towns. Even with the throngs of Italian tourists, we had a great time. To break up the drive we stayed with our friend Jessica who has a great little Tuscan appartment not far from the area.
This was just the first course!
Anyone want to go swimming?

Check out his kitchen skillz!

A little view of the pregnant tummy, for any who might be interested.
Enlarge this one to really get the beauty.

This one would also be better if enlarged.
Little local girls.

Our friends in Germany

2007-04-26T22:51:00.000-07:00

Our good friends Dave and Daniela left Vicenza to live up in Germany. They also took our favorite German American kids (Liam and Finn) with them. But we forgive them because it is so fun to visit them.

Jim gets fatherhood practice tickling Finn...

...and takes some lessons from a pro.

Friends and hot chocolate, how can this be better?

Weeee!

He's random, but we thought he was blog-worthy.

Liam shows his brother the finer points of being an automobile.

I know which stuffed animal I want to squeeze.

Ireland!

2007-04-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

Feeling like we were due for a trip, we went to the little town of Dingle in February. The town is known for their traditional music pub scene, fish, and beer--much like the rest of Ireland. It is also a haven for the Gaelic language which is the first language for many in the area.

What cute Irish style!

Jim announces our news to the Irish before we told any friends locally.

(Side note: He wore this shirt around the high school and most of the kids just thought he is the kind of guy who might wear a shirt like this without any good reason. And they just might be right.)

You can still see the plots of land (in the upper hills) where the potatoes were left to rot in the ground during the great potato famine of 1845-1849. There were never again as many people in Ireland after the population dropped due to starvation and emigration and thus, no need to re-cultivate the land.

Gallarus Oratory: a 6th -9th century monastery church.

A fun pub scene with interesting instrumentation.

The apostle's creed on the wall of a church.

Strength, anyone?

We don't know what he is saying but he is smiling at us.

Christmas 2006

2007-04-25T22:40:00.000-07:00

We spent this Christmas with family on the Richards' side. Jim's mom, sister (Jenney), brother (Jason), and brother's girlfriend (Amber) all came to hang out and see Italy together. To add to the fun, Amber went from girlfriend status to fiance status on the trip. Che romantico!We always love Venice shots.

The tired crew on the steps of a Venetian bridge.

A German Christmas Market

Quadruplets from the neck up.

Glorious Lake Bled, Slovenia

Family shot in the Vintgar Gorge, Slovenia
The master at work:if anyone thought Jim takes a lot of pictures, you should have seen his brother!

Seefeld, Austria

2007-04-25T22:38:00.000-07:00

For my (Amanda) third birthday in Europe, we did our third Ausrtian Christmas Market.

And holy cow--did it snow!

We stayed at a deserted B&B and had to wait for the owner to come by to tow our little car out of the powder.

Little Austrian Angels.

Yeah, marching band!

Horses, horses, horses, horses...

Budapest

2007-04-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

We went to Budapest, Hungary over the Thanksgiving holiday. It is a town with old-world charm, interesting communist era relics, and stories of the struggle for freedom.

This is a museum which shows the old style of living with one main room in a house where cooking eating and sleeping take place for the whole family.

We got to see a folk dance and music fest.

We always think the communist era trains are interesting.

Lunch! Hungarians are known for their use of peppers. Locally they are just known as 'paprika.'

We think the theme in this restaurant was, "If we own it, we hang it from the ceiling."

Milano - Trains

2007-04-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Florence with Club Beyond

2007-04-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

This fall we took a group of students to Florence for a retreat. To kill time we played a game where you got a point if you could make it in someone else's photo. Two points if you had your finger in your nose. You gotta love high school.

Student Spotlight: Andrew is the one slyly looking at the camera. He regularly wears a bathrobe.

Even around Florence.

"Cheese!"
Student spotlight: This is Chris. He plans to be the president of Mexico.

He currently doesn't speak Spanish.

Burton and his wall climbing prodigies.

Roma!

2007-04-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

The forum. Bellisima!

Circus Max, where chariot racing was done.
Jim contemplates ruling the known world from the seat of the caesars.

More forum.
and again...
Inside the Coliseum.

Trevi fountain at night.

The Old Appian way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appian_Way
(Thanks wikipedia!)

An early Christian symbol from the catacombs.

Venice

2007-04-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

We felt that this guy merited his own post.

Yeah for accordion!

A nice Villa in Vicenza

2007-04-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

We just liked this photo

London--October, 06

2007-02-28T13:48:00.000-08:00

Enjoy a view of the London tube...

...and the wild animals that rome the streets.

Picking out a teapot in an antiques shop.

Bonus point to the person who can name this bridge. (Hint: it is not the London Bridge.)

2007-02-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

We saw Chicago on stage and hung out for an afternoon in the theatre district. While there, Amanda landed a role in the Monty Python musical, Spamalot.

2007-02-28T13:38:00.000-08:00

These are some shots of cool London scenery

We bought our teapot (pictured in another photo) at this antique shop on Portabello Road. Bedknobs and broomsticks, anyone?

We try to eat Asain food any time we are out of Italy. We spent a lot of time in London's China town.

Thought this was an appropriate photo. (Sidenote--in this store we found a pair of underwear for 200 pounds--roughly $400! We tried not to touch anything.)

VHS Pep Rally!

2006-11-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

Last month I had the honor of being asked to be 'the Cougar' for a Vicenza High School pep rally. Only a few teachers knew of my identity, so it was fun - but very strange - having total anonymity. More than once, I gave a student a slap on the back, and was returned with a look of "Who are you?!"
When my identity was revealed, the students all stood and clapped, so it was great to be so warmly recieved. It was a great experience, and I'm glad I got the chance to do it.
Those suits are hot! When I took of the suit to change back into my street clothes, eveything I was wearing was completely soaked in sweat. I have never sweat so much in my entire life!

Piazza dei Sapori

2006-10-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

Is there anything better than when local food vendors from all over Italy convene in one place to celebrate and sell you their wares?
It's possible, but you'd have to work hard to convince us.

Piran, Slovenia

2006-10-06T05:42:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we day-tripped to the Slovenian coast to catch some sun, warmth, and water before the last few days of summer slipped into fall. The water of Piran was so clear and blue, and we had a great time swimming around while looking at views of the magnificent city in the distance.

Ferie di Zocco

2006-10-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

The Ferie di Zocco is like a county fair. They had all sorts of things, ranging from rides to food to plants to hot tubs. But our favorite was the tractors. They had the coolest collection of old tractors.

Our neighbors took us Friday night to sample one of their favorite foods: octopus. Unfortunately, my weak equilibrium and I (Jim) made the grand mistake of riding the tilt-o-wheel prior to sampling the bottom-living cephalopod.

Needless to say, I probably won't be eating octopus ever again.

Lamborghini. Niiice.

These two gentlemen were fun to watch, chatting it up Italian style. Notice the old John Deere in the background.

cute kid.

An old Ford tractor.

A day of reckoning

2006-10-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened. I (Jim) turned 30. Along with turning 30, 12 years of inactivity finally caught up with me in the form of 30 pounds over the last 6 years of my life. While I won't argue with the many people who have told me "30 pounds! You probably needed to gain 20 anyway!", it's the last 10 that I have an issue with. They have taken the form of a small bulge around my waistline.
Yes, I now have a spare tire.
So, the day after my 30th birthday, I decided to take up running, in an effort to shave down the tire. The first day was awful. Two minutes into my jog, I felt like I had a large sandbag tied to each foot, and a sack of bricks on my chest!
At this point I have been running for about a month, and it is much easier, although I still can't match my speed from high school.
Ahh, the folly of youth, eh?
A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.

Birthday surprise, Slovenia (canyoning)

2006-10-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, Amanda surprised me with a trip to Slovenia for Canyoning.
What is canyoning, you ask?
The blogged photos give a pretty good idea, but it involves sliding down waterfalls and jumping into pools of clear blue Slovenian river water. (Note: Slovenian water is not a prerequisite for canyoning. But who doesn't like Slovenian water?) Our good friends Gil and Patti also made the trek, and were part of the grand surprise. We had an absolute blast! It was a great 30th birthday surprise for me.

We stayed in the cute town of Bled. Slovenians refer to the small island in the middle of Lake Bled as 'the island', since it is the only island in all of Slovenia.

In Bled, we did a little of our favorite alpine activity: luging!

At the little B&B we stayed, every other guest was an Aussie! We had a great time chatting it up over dinner, talking about cultural differences and beer. (It turns out that Australians don't drink Fosters. Who knew!)

A nice Slovenian apple tree.

Canyoning!

2006-10-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

Real men wear diapers!

Dogpile!

Mandy takes the plunge.
(Don't look too closely at her expression of fear.)

This guy is now paralized from the waist down.

Just kidding.

Canyoning, Part 2

2006-10-05T12:52:00.000-07:00

Whoopie!

Patti twisted her ankle posing for this picture, but wasn't it worth it?!

I'm not really as scared as I look.

Canyoning, Part 3

2006-10-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Go Gil!

Aren't we hardcore??

The clear emerald green water of the Vintgar Gorge.
Gorge-ous!
(Amanda made us put that in.)

Reality check

2006-09-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

We know that from all of our blogging, it seems like we are living a fairy-tale European life. So, in order to create a more balanced image, we present a picture of some of the problems that plague us just like everyone else. This one is a common theme: semi-reliable cars.
Here I am under one.
Again.

Pasubio

2006-08-29T22:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went hiking with some friends to Pasubio. Pasubio is in the Southern part of the Alps, and the Italians dug tunnels into the rock to defend against the Germans/Austrians in WWI. The tunnels are now laced together to form a nice trail.

When we reached to top, we had a picnic lunch. Amanda and I brought typical American fare, with PB&J sandwiches, granola bars, trail mix, and beef jerky. Our neighbors on the other hand, brought prosciutto panini, sparkling water, hot coffee (with sugar and cream!), a block of chocolate, and topped it off with a digestive liquor. The Italians sure know how to eat!The crew before the sweating began.
A WWI canon.

Lunch!

Pasubio Part 2

2006-08-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

The reward after a hard day's hike.

Our Anniversary!

2006-08-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

Amanda and I went to a wonderful little agriturismo for our anniversary. (I think that Amanda mentioned it before in an email.) Everything around us - right down to the chairs and tables - was contructed by the man who served us. And his wife was an excellent cook. We enjoyed a night of fine food and wine undeneath a canopy of stars. It was wonderful (just like the last 6 years!)
Ooooh...so good.

Making sauce

2006-08-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

Every year the Porinari clan makes a ton of spaghetti sauce with the buckets and buckets of tomatoes they have. It's quite a production. There were stations for dicing, pre-cooking, pulverizing, final cooking with the spices and veggies, and the final canning stage. This year we got in on the action too. We had a blast dicing tomatoes for about an hour. (I think that everyone else clocked about eight hours on the project.) They'll have sauce for the next 10 years! A small portion of the tomatoe vines. (Franco and Elaria)
Here are the dicing and pre-cooking stages.
"Ouch! I cut myself. Again."
The pulverizing stage.

Making sauce part 2

2006-08-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

A morning with Richards' Maple

2006-08-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

Aunt Kathy, Uncle Jim, Margie and Rick brought us Richards' pure maple syrup and pankake mix from Chardon's Mill.
It was quite good.

Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic, July 2006

2006-08-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

The Czech word for 'hello' is 'ahoj'. (Pronounced 'ahoy.') It seemed fitting that this greeting was jovially exchanged so many times on the river as we floated by other boaters and folks sipping a beer on the shore.

Cesky Krumlov was wonderful.

The food and lodging was inexpensive and good. The people were very friendly and receptive to our botched attempts at the Czech language. The river was so cool and refreshing - great for canoeing or lazily floating by in an intertube. Most of the tourists were other Czech people, so the town had a very 'real' feel to it.

The bottom line: we recommend Cesky Krumlov. Budweiser in its home town.

Cesky Krumlov Part 2

2006-08-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

On day two we canoed down the river. It was a warm sunny day, and we enjoyed relaxing on the (mostly) calm river, going in for a dip when necessary to cool off. Along the way, there were huts with folks grilling up meats. We stopped for lunch and had some bratwust, and washed it down with the Czech Republic's favorite beverage. This hanging canoe let us know that there was beer and brats to be had.
Mm, mm good.
A very campground-esque atmostphere.
On day 3 we intertubbed around the town a bunch of times. Since the strip of land connecting one end of town with the other was only about 50 meters long, we could just jump out at one end and jump back in at the start on the other! It was the best five dollars we ever spent!

Cesky Krumlov Part 3

2006-08-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

A view of the castle.
One could find tables like this all over the city for relaxing with a beverage whilst watching the river (and life) roll by.
"Roar! I'm a bear!"
Krumlov at night.

Cesky Krumlov Part 4

2006-08-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

A typical river scene.
Notice the guy in the lower right going down the falls!
The river lassoing in the town.
"Only Skippies can stay here!"

The Salzkammergut, Hallstatt, and a luge

2006-08-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

Since the drive to Cesky Krumlov was 7-8 hours, we decided to break up the trip with a night in our favorite Austrian town of Hallstatt. When we first arrived in Europe we spent a night there, and we finally got our first chance to go back to a "let's come back here" spot. Hallstatt is located in the Salzkammergut, the lakes district of Austria. It is the place where Maria sings "The hills are alive" in the Sound of Music, and it is every bit as beautiful as Hollywood made it look.
Along the way we stopped for a bit our favorite alpine pastime: luging.

A crystal blue salzkammergut lake.

2006-08-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

A lovely river town on the way to Hallstatt.
Hallstatt!
The building on the left is decorated by a two-dimensional pear tree.
Cute Hallstatter balconies in the rain.

2006-08-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

"This is great chicken! Want some?"
"No thanks. I've got some."

Tom heads home.

2006-07-30T04:33:00.000-07:00

Gil and I say farewell to our friend Tom, as he set sail for the shores of the USA! We'll all miss you Tom!

Laura and Anna visit!

2006-07-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

A week after the visit from Uncle Jim and Aunt Kathy, our good friends from Seattle came to visit. We had a wonderful time sitting around the table encouraging each other, and it made us miss Seattle quite a bit.
All the more to look forward to when we finally go home!Around the table.
The lovely ladies eating gelato.

UJ and AK come to visit!

2006-07-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

This June Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jim came to visit Italy with their friends Rick and Margie. We showed them around some of the lesser known (but equally cool) areas via car, and had lunch with the Portinari family that Sunday. We had a great time with them, and it was special to us that they could experience what our life over here is like. Drop dead sexy!
Two families collide
"Welcome to Italy. May I show you around?"
'The neck' with UJ and AK.

A Volksmarch with Juls

2006-07-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

Lovely countryside.
Relaxin' after a hike.
"We like cherries!"

Krakow, Poland, May 2006

2006-07-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

Krakow was a city that was both regal and down to earth all at the same time. The expansive main square had a grand feel to it, but the people, the atmosphere, and the food were relaxed and homey.
One of our favorite places to eat were at Bar mleczny (Milk Bars) all around town. In communism days, the government subsidised the Milk Bars, and workers could get a cheap, hearty, home cooked meal for lunch. After the fall of communism, the Milk Bars stuck around, for the most part maintaining their low prices (Two can fill up for less than 5 dollars!), cafeteria setting, and traditional Polish dishes.
It was pretty amazing to wander around the main square and to think that - just 15 years prior - communism kept all coffee shops, eateries, and for the most part, people, off of the beautiful main square. St. Mary's church
Communism's gift to Poland: the Trabant
The Town Hall Tower

2006-07-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

Some very tasty pierogi! Plum and pork.
The square at night.
Inside a fancy milk bar.
Two Polish boys eagerly awaiting the Pope. (Note the 'Pope flags' in hand.)

2006-07-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

Part of Wawel Castle.
"We're excited to be in Poland!"

Krakow has a Jewish district, where we went to listen to traditional Klezmer music. (As a side note: Prior to WWII, the area had 65,000 Jews. After, there were only a few thousand that remained.) All weekend long Krakow was dry (no alcohol for sale) because the Pope was in town. As we had heard that Poland has good beer, we were a bit bummed about this. When we arrived at our restaurant for our table, we noticed other folks with a 'beer-like' substance in their glasses. We asked our waiter, "Is that beer? And can we get some?"
"Oh no," he told us, with a wink. "That's apple juice. But it is very good. Would you like some?"
We nodded, and our 'dry' weekend ended while listening to Klezmer music.

2006-07-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

"Ooops. Excuse me."
St. Mary's at night.
Krakow's main square at dawn after a rain.
The Chapel of the Blessed Kinga in the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow. Everything in this picture is either carved of wood, or salt. The floor, stairs (not the railing), walls, and even the chandelier are hand carved from salt by mine workers. The mine has been in operation since the 1000s.

Mandy in Venice

2006-07-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

Provence, May 2006

2006-07-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

Our trip through Provence was filled with flora and fauna, and all the sights and scents that accompany those things.

Roussillon is situated on, and built out of, a magnificent cliff of Ochre. This gives the entire town a beautiful, red hue. Just don't press up against it, or you clothes will end up the same color!
The ubiquitous lavender of Provence.

2006-07-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

This little girl was so cute and 'French'.
A little Provencial picnic we had in Avignon.
Très français!
Châteauneuf du Pape:
A sunset over the vines that Pope Jean XXII planted in the 1300s.

2006-07-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

Market goods.

The Grand Canyon of Europe. Who knew they had one, too?

2006-07-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

Something we didn't expect was all the white stone work, like in Gordes.
A lovely Provencial door and window.

The French Riviera, May 2006

2006-07-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

A picture is worth a thousand words, so we'll just let them do their work.

Our classy ride through the French Riviera and Provence.
Guess how much it cost?

And just in case....

2006-07-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

...you haven't gotten enough Tom, here's another one. We like Tom. He's pretty much the greatest guy we know. (Well, he at least ranks really, really high.)

Tommy A is Rex!

2006-07-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

For a club beyond skit, Tom and I did a little ditty from Napolean Dynamite.
And yes, ladies, this man is single.
Let us know if you want us to hook you up.
"You think anybody wants a roundhouse to the face in a pair of these badboys? FORGET ABOUT IT!"
"Number one. At Rex Kwan Do, we use the buddy system. No more flying solo. You need somebody watching your back AT ALL TIMES!"
"Just break the wrist and walk away."
"Owwww...."

Club Beyond Service Project, Slovakia, 2006

2006-07-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Posting this entry was a hard one. We have over 800 photos from this week long service project, and we wanted to post every single one. Clearly, that wasn't an option. We hope you can make due with seven.

Amanda and I were part of a team of adults that took 23 high school kids to Slovakia for a week. We helped build a playground for a school that was lacking the funds to build one themselves. It was an amazing experience. We got to see God work in powerful ways on that playground, and many kids’ lives were changed because of it. By the end of the week, some of our high school kids who were unfriendly to each other at school were hugging each other and hanging out. Kids on the “outside” were suddenly on the inside. It was a beautiful thing.
Our group also made friends with many of the Slovakian kids in the town who came out to see us work every day. Most of the kids have never left their town, let alone seen an American – so we were quite the spectacle. The first day a small crowd watched. But as word got out, the crowd grew larger every day. We took turns breaking from work to play with them - playing tag, soccer, or just trying to speak to each other. (Some of them were very good at English.) We played soccer with them, and their 6th grade team whooped our team of high-schoolers and adult leaders! The principal also invited small groups of us into the English classes during the school day, so that we could play educational (ESL) games with them, and they could ask us questions.
At the end of the week, we had a large celebration to officially ‘open’ the playground, and the entire village showed up to enjoy the festivities. When we left, it was a teary goodbye on both sides of the fence.
This is what the site initally looked like. The thin stip of grass is the kids play area. Looks a bit different that what we grew up with, doesn't it?
The whole V-town crew after a great week.
A piece of the final project.
As a 'thank you', the school put together a program of traditional Slovakian song and dance for us on the final day celebration.

More Slovakia

2006-07-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

Now these are some cool dudes. (Tom, Kyle, Tim, and Eric.)
Eireanne, Amanda, and Patti gettin' crazy. (ie. being themselves)
Tom and the school pricipal. She was so great, bringing us treats and goodies from townsfolk most mornings. Notice the industrial looking 'playground' behind them.
Hanging out before club talks.