Mt. St. Helens

Cousin Lee came in for a visit from the great state of North Dakota.  Perfect opportunity to head down to Mt. St. Helens on a cold crisp day.  I actually don't think I've ever been there so it was nice to see.  The Johnston Ridge Observatory was closed, but we were able to drive all the way up to Coldwater Lake.  It was very foggy sea level despite clear weather forecasts so I was a bit worried at first that we wouldn't get a peak at the mountain but clouds began to clear and the drive up for a closer look was beautiful. 

Here we are at the nature trail surrounding the Seaquest / Silver Lake Visitor Center.

We saw a bit of wildlife:

As we began the drive up the highway, the views became increasingly amazing.  Check out that mountain!

Cousins!

Walking around Coldwater Lake was beautiful!

Thanks to Becca for being the excellent navigator!

Can't wait to return in the summer for some hiking!

Go Redhawks!

Redhawks basketball is back in full swing.  December 1 was the College of Arts and Sciences night at Key Arena.  My new coworker/former classmate/and friend Tonja joined us at the game.  Here we are at the pregame festivites ready for the Redhawks to take on Stanford at the Key. 

Shawn Kemp was even at the game! Fun times! I really do enjoy the games, even if our win/loss record is less than perfect.  Going Division 1 was controversial for sure on campus, but it seems to have had positive affects.  One perk is seeing old classmates/friends who come back as alums to support their alma mater.  At this game, I saw Joe & Sam from Campion 4 (Amy/Jen...I bet you remember them?!)  And Shane, an MBA alum. 

Thanksgiving 2011

It was a weekend of great food, visiting, relaxation and decorations!  The great food that I was responsible for consisted delicious gluten free pumpkin bars, amazing gluten free butter biscuits and some fabulous hummus.  Just call me betty crocker!  :)  The biscuits were amazing, I must admit...even gluten lovers like Tyler liked them!

The weekend also consisted of a fair amount of local wine drinking.  YUM!

We spend Thursday and Friday with Tyler's family.  Blayne and Megan came into town from California and it was a great few days!

Tyler and his dad adding the bay leaf...

Blayne and Arlen cooking up some stuffing!

On Thanksgiving morning, Myles and Michelle cooked up a wonderful breakfast feast.

Then it was on to the main course...in the newly remodeled dining room.  Lovely!

Throughout the weekend, Fluffy, Megan and I enjoyed some time by the new fireplace.  Meow!

On Saturday, we headed down to Auburn for round 2 of turkey.  This time it was smoked turkey, gluten free quinoa stuffing, brussel sprouts, and more.  Fantastic!

We didn't waste any time getting the Christmas trees up.  I helped decorate three trees that weekend.  Here is at my parents house:

And Tyler and I's tree!

All decked out!



Hope you all had a blessed thanksgiving and are enjoying the spirit of the holidays.

Congratulations, Fisch!

Dannette, Fisch and I gathered to celebrate Fisch's wonderful accomplishment this week: completion of her MBA!!!  I am so proud of her and feel blessed to have played a role in helping her along the way.  Her hard work, excellent communication skills and cooperative team efforts certainly served her well.

We gathered at our old favorite Thai Siam on Eastlake.  If you've never been there, it is amazing!  The new location really makes a difference as well. 

Here we are with the proud graduate!

Check out this food!  Phud See Ewe and Basil Chicken.  Amazing!!!!

Not only is Fisch graduating, she's making a big move to follow her dream of living in the sunshine.  This is a huge loss for Seattle and I'll miss her more than words can say, but I am so proud of her and look forward to visiting her in her new location.  Thanks Dannnette and Fisch for many great Thai Siam memories, I look forward to reuniting there again some day :)

Another wonderful silent retreat

My first silent retreat was in 2008 and as the veterans say, they become addicting.  I went again in 2009, missed it in 2010 but went back again this year for some much needed silence and time for reflection.  I am so grateful for SU's mission and ministry office for coordinating and offering this to faculty and staff.  Read more about it and see my quote in the SU Spectator!

This year, at one of the talks I attended, I was particularly moved by this:

Patient Trust
by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. (1881-1955)

Above all, trust in the slow work of God

We are quite naturall impatient in everything

to reach the end without delay.

We should like to skip the intermediate stages.

We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.

And yet it is the law of all progress

that it is made by passing through some stages of instability --

and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you.

Your ideas mature gradually -- let them grow,

let them shape themselves, without undue haste.

Don't try to foce them on,

as though you could be today what time

(that is to say, grace and circumstances

acting on your own good will)

will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit

gradually forming within you will be.

Give Our Lord the benefit of believing

that his hand is leading you,

and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself

in suspense and incomplete.

A lovely reflection.
It's been a challenging year, to say the least.  But thank God for a retreat like this and the many blessings in life.  Of course, I took some pictures!  Enjoy:

This is my favorite indoor spot: the library.

I took many walks, shuffling through the leaves in my rainboots.

My usual path to the beach (down the 180 stairs) was closed due to a landslide, but there was another route which turned out to be ok.

I love this barn!

I enjoyed walking the new labyrinth:

I even took some time for artwork.  Wow, I am quite the artist, haha :)  This is of the view from my room, except I made up the blue skies...that certainly wasn't reality.

Mmmm, what a wonderful weekend.  Can't wait for next year.

Halloween

We invited Myles and Michelle over for pumpkin carving this year.  Fortunately, Becca was on call and joined the fun too.  She even cleaned out my pumpkin for me.  What a darling sister she is :)

Tyler takes this very seriously!

And the finished products with happy carvers!  

Tyler named his "Mac 'O Lantern".  That guy is so creative :)




This was Abby's first visit to our house and she made herself right at home.  What a sweetheart.  xoxo.

We had a neighborhood Halloween party on Sunday as well so the celebrations continued.  I dressed up as a cowgirl (creative isn't it?!), Tyler a judge, and our neighbor Garin...well, he was Garin. 

Hope you all had a happy and safe halloween.  It was hard for me to resist candy this year but I am happy to report that I only had a tiny box of nerds and a small handful of candy corns.  I should've splurged on a butterfinger because that's what I really wanted.  There's always next year!