Gone to Lynden...

I will be back soon.

Have a great day!

Happy Birthday Krista!

Krista 1971 - 1992

My sister's birthday is today. She would have been 37 years old today. That is hard to believe since she died when she was almost 21. She is always in my thoughts and memories the way you see her here in this picture. I was 16 years older and so I would spend time with her like a motherly older sister. I thank God that she was in my life and I remember her at her birthday. My mother when she was grieving and the internet was new had this on a website HERE. They helped her as she tried to make since of losing a daughter. I love you and miss you Krista, although I know I will see you again in heaven one day.

I had a long drive to Challenger HS yesterday morning. I was told by the teacher there by email that I would be the only rep there on Thursday. He had wanted more but...

Well, I asked him if it would be OK to put out a call for more college reps at 5 pm the night before. I didn't know if any one would be able to come but it was worth trying. Well, 3 other representatives were there. Just enough for a small room. So it turned out very well.

I didn't have enough time to go back to the campus. So I ended up just going to pick up the boys. They stayed over night so that Kari could go to an event with James and study for her finals on Friday. She seemed a little tired so it will be good for her to have a break from them.

Dave went to the market to get the food for the BBQ on Saturday since we will be heading out to Lynden tonight. We are going to a KOA to stay in a cabin with the boys. On Saturday Deb and Rick are to meet us there and then go over to the main street to see the Farmer's Parade. I took that picture above last year at the parade. It is very patriotic, huh? Last year it was very nice weather. I am not sure what it will be like this year. It has been cold and wet. Not at all like June. More like March.

The BBQ will start at 6 pm. We will be back long before then to get the last moment things in place. I bought decorations at the dollar store which are just as nice as any I could have bought at Party Universe or Target. I will show you them in pictures of the party.

I better get to bed. I must get the boys to school in the morning which taking strategic planning and a good night's sleep. I also must have the car packed with what we are taking with us to the cabin tonight. It is finally Friday! Make it a good one.

So Long Phillip :-(

I am having to say "so long" to a lot of people this month. Phillip's last day with us is Friday. We had a heart to heart today after our Welcome Center Open House. I found out a lot of things that I didn't know and I have a deeper understanding. I know he is doing the right thing for him and his family. He will be making so much more money too. He is doing well for only being 25 years old. He acts like he is 30 + in his years. We talked about when Renee was with us and the changes that took place after she left us. We talked about the year we all have had together and how much work we have done.

Later we went to the RAM to celebrate his moving on. It felt odd and different. Lindsey and I will be the last two standing out of the original four of this team. I have been in Recruitment and Outreach for almost 5 years. Half of the time I was part of Admissions at the college. And when I started there in 2000, I was in Registration. I had been working in a high school before that and was totally "burned out". I must say that I am very glad that I have had the opportunity to work with Phillip. I am really going to miss him. He will be on the same campus but it just will not be the same... if you know what I mean.

The Open House went well. A Welcome Center is where a potential student comes to one place on the campus and has their educational needs met in one place. They walk into a place that will help them apply, assess, talk to an advisor (counselor) about what classes they need to take, and understand how to register for classes in one stop shopping place. In these day and age, this is one of the best ways to get someone on track that walks onto a campus. Gone are the days that a person would have to figure it out on their own like it was when I went to college. The younger kids of today have to have things that are specially for them or they may not even give something a chance.

I better go and get rest. I stayed up too late last night. I don't want to become "unbalanced". Dave is really good about doing what a person should do. I am not... so I try to do both; what I should and what I want to do. The trick is doing what you want in a disciplined way. Does that make sense? Have a good Thursday! The week is almost over.

This weekend we go to Lynden to stay in a cabin and see a parade with the boys. We are going to meet up with our Canadian friends Deb and Rick. We will also have a BBQ to celebrate with the family Aaron's graduation. On Sunday afternoon, we will be going to Aaron's graduation. I will have lots to share with you.

Is This June?

Even for around here where it rains etc, this hasn't been a normal Spring. You can even tell it in the flowers blooming. Those that typically bloom in March are blooming now. It seems that nature is just as confused. The calendar says June 4th but it doesn't look like June 4th. When I look at the weather for the next 5 days, all I see is "showers". We are all trying to be hopeful that summer will finally come. There is still light in the sky until after 9:30 pm at least. A sign that it is really June.

Sorry for complaining. I know you would understand and think me a saint if you were in the rain that I was in yesterday with the 6th grade tour. I tried very hard to keep them dry by taking them various ways around the campus that had coverings or into buildings instead of walking outside.

OK... I feel better now. We continue to get ready for company and Aaron's graduation. I also met Susie, Norma, and Kaye for dinner last night. Kaye and Norma wanted to say "goodbye" to Susie. She showed them the pictures of the space that she is going to have a bookstore in the church back in North Carolina. It is a big undertaking and she will be very busy this summer. As I walked to my car, I could feel tears come up in my eyes. I am not even saying "so long" yet. I just know how much I will miss her and how empty her place will be. I realize that I don't have many women friends these days. I am usually busy with the boys, Kari, Dave, and my job. I have all of you online and that is a comfort. I guess Susie may become one of us too when she gets back east. I know that I need to pursue more opportunities that may cultivate friendships around me.

I better get some rest (I am back on track with writing posts before bedtime for the next day). Wednesday marks the middle of the week... can you believe that? Have a good one!

It's Raining and Pouring

Happy Tuesday! It is raining hard here this morning as I write this post. Again I will have to be quick today (like yesterday) because of time. Yesterday we had the dedication to a new building "Welcome Center" at our college so we were there later after work. It is fun to have the public come on campus.

Today we have an elementary school coming for a visit and we are going to tour them around the campus. Unfortunately, it is raining. People here in Seattle can't be afraid of rain or we would never come out of our houses. However, this isn't the normal rain we have around here. This is rain that one could actually get wet! I am going to have to make sure that I try to keep those little students dry.

Tonight I meet Susie and Kaye for dinner. This will be of many events before Susie leaves for North Carolina on June 15.

Aaron has gone with the senior class on a retreat to Yelm, WA. I am not sure if they are getting the rain we are getting here. I hope he is having a great time. Dave and I are cleaning up here at home getting ready for the BBQ and guests.

Have a great Tuesday!

This Feels Like Monday

After being at the conference and having a day and a half off to go there, I felt like I had taken more time off. This will be a quick post because I am catching up. Sunday after church we went to get our reclining chair. Yes, we have also bought a loveseat too. We have a bit of a problem with our current living room that serves as a family room too. It is small. We choose to be in this house because of our life style... being gone a lot. But when we are here, it will be nice to have "the comforts" of home. So, we have bought a chair, loveseat, and end tables. I am going to reserve taking pictures yet because all of the pieces aren't here yet. When they are all in place, I will do my best to share pictures with you.

I have been reviewing my notes and trying to do things that I learned at the conference. Sunday night Dave and I both sat down and watched a DVD that I bought when I was there. The next day without talking about it we were both up studying the Word. I start with Proverbs. There are 31 chapters of Proverbs... one for each day of the week. That's my starting place.

Well, I will say by for now... Have a great day!