Category Archives: Photography
Training Begins
Yesterday Daniel picked up his work uniform (slacks – check, shirt – check, shoes – too small). Today he began training for his new job at Chick-Fil-A. It’s exciting enough that this part of Washington is finally getting it’s own famous chicken restaurant, but to have it also coincide with a job for Daniel? Wonderful!
Can’t pose for pictures when I’m getting my shoes on.
We are all so pleased and proud of Daniel getting hired on the spot after his interview. It’s been several months since his last regular job ended. He’s been living off of side jobs and yard work (and driving my minivan) to pay the bills. I know he has been frustrated not to find work. How kind of the Lord to open the door for Daniel to work for such a god-honoring establishment.
It will be interesting to watch how things unfold. Daniel is a diligent, hard worker, so I know they will be glad they hired him. He’s had his afternoons and evenings mostly free for some time now; it will be a challenge to give that up for a demanding job. At the same time, I also know he’s ready for the squeeze on his empty wallet to end. He’s eager to start earning money again. Daniel has such a big heart – he is generous and likes helping others. Last month he signed up to sponsor a Compassion International child. And earlier this week he wanted to give money to AirOne’s radio fund raising drive.
That smile says I’m going off to work!
We are praying for you, Daniel! We are proud of you and are your biggest cheerleaders.
“Goooooo, Daniel!!”
Next week you’ll turn 18 AND start your new job. Wow!! Changing times. We love you!
Project 365 – Day 98
Kathy
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Low Carb
A bunch of us in this household are trying to lose some weight. When I had surgery about 18 months ago, I lost 30 pounds, but I have gained most of it back, especially over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. So we’ve been trying to eat according to a plan that limits our carbohydrate intake.
As it turns out, I like carbs. I am terribly fond of sweet and starchy foods which (who knew?) are both high-carb. So my habit of eating ice cream every night had to go.
It looked so promising — “Triple Chocolate” — what could go wrong with a flavor like that?
It has been several months now, and I’m stuck at about the 8-pound mark. I can’t seem to drop below my pre-Thanksgiving weight without (gasp!) going hungry for extended periods of time or exercising (or both). Every time I start to lose some weight, I sabotage myself and gain it all back. It is very discouraging.
So you can imagine my delight when I found this low-carb ice cream at the store. I love the main-stream and the ‘light’ flavors of Dreyers ice cream, and I really miss my evening dessert — this seemed a perfect answer to my dilemma.
Sadly, it doesn’t taste very good. It really isn’t much like ‘real’ ice cream. It tastes about the way you’d expect it to taste, when you read those fateful words: “No sugar added”. No sweet, creamy goodness — just a half-hearted mockery of what ice cream could have been.
So we doctored it up a little with some Nestle Nesquik. A good dusting of Nesquik covers over a multitude of culinary sins.
Just a spoonful of Quik makes the medicine go down …
And since (as you can clearly discern from the label) the Nesquik now has 25% less sugar, we’re even better off! With these kind of dieting strategies, we’re practically guaranteed to lose weight fast!
I’ll keep you posted.
Project 365, Day 97
Tim
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Young and Old
Sometimes the cleaning falls on older, ahem, more experienced hands. And other times there is room for the younger generation to help.
David, Tarah, and Sarah – my cleaning crew today!
Poor Tarah, whenever she comes over, invariably we put her to work. I think, just once, she’d like to spend the night when the house is already clean. I can just imagine it:
Sarah: Hi, Tarah! What are you doing?
Tarah: Nothing, just watching tv. My mom’s out shopping.
Sarah: Oh, cool, do you want to come over? We’re hanging out.
Tarah: Yeah! That sounds great. Oh wait, [stalling for time] I think I left something in your room last week. Did you find it?
Sarah: I did. It’s right by the front door. I found it a couple of days ago.
Tarah: Good. So, you found it…when you were, um, cleaning? You were cleaning your room? Like, it’s all picked up?
Sarah: Yeah, my mom made me clean it yesterday.
Tarah: Nice! I mean, oh, that’s a bummer. Moms are so annoying.
Sarah: I know. We had to clean the living room too.
Tarah: Really? So, like your house is all clean now?
Sarah: Yes.
Tarah: Wait, the whole house?
Sarah: Yes.
Tarah: The WHOLE house? I’m just curious. You know, cause I love to talk about cleaning. Like, is the kitchen clean? Did you do the dishes already?
Sarah: We did them this morning.
Tarah: Boy, your mom is making you work hard. Did you vacuum too? And dust? Just wondering.
Sarah: Wow, you’re really into the details today.
Tarah: Heh heh.
Sarah: We did the whole house. We just have the two bathrooms left to do.
Tarah: That’s great. You guys worked hard. Um, so when will you finish the bathrooms? I’m just asking.
Sarah: We have to work right now.
Tarah: Now, now? Not later, like when I get there? You’re doing it now?
Sarah: Yeah.
Tarah: Okay, I think I can come over.
Sarah to Me: Boy, Tarah really wanted to know how clean our house was before she came over. She doesn’t usually care if it’s clean or messy.
Me: That Tarah, what a kidder!
Sarah: Now that I think about it, I guess we did make her clean last time.
Me: [under my breath] You mean the last five times.
Too pretty a day to take pictures inside.
Thankfully Tarah is practically part of the family and doesn’t mind being one of the slaves helpers. Or at least, she hides it well and works cheerfully.
Besties for so many years!
We got all sorts of things done today – vacuuming, dusting, loads of dishes (ran the dishwasher twice!), laundry, fresh sheets on at least three beds, all the surfaces tidied and put away, etc.
When Daniel came home he cleaned the upstairs bedroom and washed more dishes and even snuck in a quick haircut before we all went to the Saturday evening Easter service.
Thank you, kids, for working so patiently, cheerfully, and without any grumbling! You all are the best.
Tomorrow we will celebrate with Tim’s parents. So nice to have family in the area. We’ll miss Joshua and Rachel as well as aunts and uncles, cousins, and siblings who are in Michigan and Virginia and Georgia. Our thoughts will be with them. Wish we could be together!
Praises on this Easter Weekend!
Sunday is Coming!
Project 365 – Day 94
Kathy
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Good Friday Roots
My Dad was an Army Chaplain, so my family moved around a lot when I was a kid. As I spent a few years in college, then a few years in the Army as an enlisted man, then a few more years in college, it seemed normal to me that I moved around a lot, too.
Washington born and bred, David knows only the Duckabush and our current home, but he is a snappy dresser.
When Kathy and I were married, my first job was in Connecticut. After a few years there, we moved to the Detroit area, to be near Kathy’s folks. Five winters in Michigan was enough for me, and I convinced Kathy that we should move to Kirkland, Washington (in theory, to help with the establishment of the Refuge, a Christian retreat center my parents were building). Soon we built a home on the Olympic Peninsula, and moved again.
We lived nearly five years in the Duckabush valley, but I lost my job with AT&T Wireless, and we decided to move closer to ‘civilization’ when I started working at Amazon.com.
Sarah was only two when we moved to this house. If we didn’t visit, I’m not sure she would remember the Duckabush at all.
Now we’ve been here in Lakewood more than ten years — by far the longest time I have lived anywhere. And I’m discovering that putting down roots has its benefits.
I was sitting in our Good Friday service at church tonight, a few rows back from our usual row, but still on the aisle, which I strongly prefer. Communion was served at the front of the church, instead of by passing the plates, as we occasionally do for special communion services. We went forward early, since we shared a row with another family who was also not shy. Afterward, watching the other church members return to their seats after taking communion, something rather strange and heart-warming happened.
I began to notice how many people would meet my eyes and smile, or would take the time to shake my hand or punch me on the shoulder as they passed by. As an fairly extreme introvert, it is not uncommon for me to walk through a crowded room, and to avoid being greeted or speaking to anyone. At work, whole days have passed in which I have not spoken to another human being. (Admittedly, I work with engineers and programmers.)
We’ve made a lot of good friends, here at Lake City.
It touched me strangely, to realize that my years here at this church have made me known in a way that I have never really been known before. One good friend slapped me on the back of the head when he passed by, while another greeted me by name. I pretended to trip several others, as they returned down the center aisle. One of the ushers took the time to shake my hand as he passed forward. Our pastor touched my shoulder as he walked behind me (he was sitting with the congregation tonight, since one of the elders was preaching). Even after the service, there seemed to be a significant number of people who were genuinely glad to see me and wanted to talk with me.
Fortunately, no one wanted to use me as a climbing wall, as happened to some.
I really love being part of the family of God. I imagine that is how Heaven will be, 24×7 — people greeting one another and joking with each other in joyful fun, enjoying an intimacy deeper than the closest of families.
She’s a little young for Daniel, but seven-year-old Zoe might be worth the wait, if we could afford her dowry.
Until then, I think I could do a lot worse, than to be warmed by the love and kindness of my current church body.
Project 365, Day 93
Tim