J&R Wedding Support Cast

Power cord. Check. A few minutes of free time. Check. Okay.. time for more wedding photos.

Here's some of my favorite pictures of the supporting cast from the wedding.

Here's Hannah and Courtney.
















And the fabulous Hannah and Taylor.





























Aaron and Emily seem like they're having a good time!



















I think this is a great shot of Auntie and Julie.

















Oh.. and did you meet the una-guest?



















I guess that makes Dean the una-dad?

Jon and Rachel - Married at Last!

Well, I saw a bunch of formal wedding photos posted on Jon and Rachel's Facebook pages so I am going to do a little posting of my own :)

These photos are just to wet your whistle. I'm running on a diminishing battery.. so will have to finish this up later.. but please enjoy.

We just want to start by thanking Jon and Rachel for allowing us the distinct privilege of being a part of the their lives. It is a tremendous honor and joy to be a part of their community and Julie and I are committed to encouraging them and supporting them throughout their marriage.

We ' love you honey'. 'Love you'. ;)

First and foremost, here's the beautiful bride in her gorgeous wedding dress. They were married at the Quail Hollow Ranch in the Santa Cruz mountains. It was a beautiful, sunny 70 degree afternoon. Perfect for a wedding!





































Here's Rachel going to wrangle her up a man!



















It's time to get hitched!



















And here's Jon. Does he look like a man who's about to get married or what?!



















Of course, I'm particularly biased.. but I thought Jon did an excellent job in picking his groomsmen. Here's Jon with his best man. Recognize the guy with the short hair?



















And here's the whole group. Who would have thought that over 20 years ago when our families all met and bonded in the Carpenter's Union Sunday School class at First Baptist Church of Los Altos that we would fast forward and see them all standing together as Jon took his marital vows. I hope our kids will form as good and as lasting friendships in their lifetimes. There is a strength that comes from being in community and it is such a blessing to see them all creating their own strong bonds that with a little effort should last them a lifetime.















Here's the 'sisters'! Don't they look great?















Is Aaron the ring bearer just the cutest kid ever? Oh, and take a look at the ring pillow that Rachel made (with assistance from Julie). There were so many personal touches from Jon and Rachel in this wedding. It definitely reflected their personality and creativity.





































Enough of the pictures that were taken before the wedding.. while the boys hid from the women and vice-verse. After all - they did get hitched! Afterward it was time for some pictures together. Do you think they even know the photographer is nearby?















Here's a picture of Jon and Rachel enjoying the traditional first dance. They danced to Tony Bennett's 'I left my heart in San Francisco' as we all looked on in joy.



















And here's Jon dancing with his Aunt Linda - or Auntie as she is lovingly referred to by all. Do you notice anything unique about her leg? To make a long story short Auntie suffered a broken heal/foot the day of the wedding rehearsal! Can you believe it? She was such a trooper though! She made it to the rehearsal dinner and of course a team of horses couldn't keep her away from the wedding ;) She wouldn't have missed this special moment for all the world. What a joy to dance that special first dance with your married nephew! Priceless. Well done Auntie!















Oops.. my battery is running out - so I only have time for one more quick picture/story. Here's one of my favorite pictures from the wedding.. but a little explanation is in order. You see, Hannah had bought a 'special gift' for Rachel and Jon. She had intended to give it to Rachel for use during her honeymoon - but had forgotten it in the car. Well, it finally dawned on her as the entire wedding party was gathering to see off the bride and groom. 'WAIT!' she cried as she scrambled for the car keys and ran to get her present. By that time the bride and groom were already approaching the get-away vehicle and about to take off. So out comes Hannah - racing for the car and the present. Whew! She did get it to the bride just as they were about to leave! So, in the picture the satisifed Hannah is jogging back up the walkway as the bride waves her Victoria Secret package out the window! Ahhhhh... sweet success!

T Minus 1

I was thinking about the first time I met Jonathon today. It feels like just yesterday we visited the Logans in their little house with their baby; Jonathon. How quickly the years go by. Tomorrow one of my favorite people in the world is getting married to an amazing woman. Yeah, the day is almost here.. and they're getting hitched.



















Jon and Rachel... know that we are praying for your special day - that God will engrave it in your minds to share for years to come. We love you!

Here's looking at you!















These two geese are pretty excited about tomorrow too!

Thursday Tweets

Do you know what a tweet is? If not.. check out this earlier post for more information! What is a Tweet?

Please feel free to tweet away.

Tod: is sooooo looking forward to this weekend; seeing Joel and Hannah and experiencing Jon and Rachel's wedding!

Tod: is so in love with Julie... and people.. she's gonna look HOT at the wedding ;)

Happy 'fiddieth' Birthday Lurinda!

Happy Birthday Sis! Yes, it's my much older sister Lurinda's birthday! She's fiddy. That's 50 for those of you in Casnovia.

Since she's been my sister my whole life - I kind of like the girl. Oops.. woman. Ooops... old woman. So, I wish I could be with her today to celebrate. I can only imagine what her peeps have already unleashed on her. Vicki.. you owe our audience a complete report!

Unfortunately, I'm here and she's there so I'll just leave it at this. Enjoy sis! You are loved and missed here in the big CA.

Oh, and here's what 50 Cent, himself, had to say when I told him it was your birthday:

“U like a trackstar running thru life, chasing ur dream.”

Detente

Okay, under normal circumstances this post would be about who was 'first in' the pool this year. Saturday was a gorgeous day - tipping 90 degrees; a perfect day for a first dip.

Under normal circumstances we would award 'first-in' using fairly straightforward criteria - such as visually identifying who gets wet first and telling you. This is the type of picture you would expect under normal situations; everyone smiling.



















However, this year we have some 'special circumstances' which require a certain level of detente in making this award - to avoid dealing with the following attitudes.















So, without further ado.. let me get to it. You won't be surprised to hear that we have multiple winners!

Rachel [almost Logan] Massey - recipient of the following:

• most in emotional need of being first-in
• it's your wedding week - so you're first-in
• designated first-in by those technically breaking the surface of the water earlier
• person first-in fully clothed

Jon Logan - recipient of the following:

• Logan or near-Logan first arriving in a non-predominantly oxygen filled location
• Logan first to concede victory to his soon-to-be wife although technically qualified to be crowned
• smartest non-winner in order to receive later - much bigger - victory reward
• individual most likely to be viewed as winner by non-friends or relatives

Julie Henderson - recipient of the following:

• most likely to reveal classified first-in plans to the enemy
• most likely to look the other way to avoid having an opinion award

Whew... this diplomacy stuff is hard work.

A Special Lunch Date

Today was one of my off Fridays and Julie planned a special lunch for us. The Rotary Club of Santa Clara hosted a luncheon today which we attended. The keynote speaker was Dave Dravecky who played many years ago for the San Francisco Giants.

Julie and I moved to California in the summer of 1984. The first few years we were here we had a difficult time rooting for any of the local teams. It wasn't too difficult to shift allegiance to the 49ers because, unfortunately, the Detroit Lions - our 'home team' never were very good. Even when Barry Sanders was there dazzling fans the team itself was pretty much a disaster.

However, it took some time for us to warm to the local baseball teams. There is something very special about listening to baseball on the radio as a child and following your home team. For me that was the Tigers and I can tell you the entire lineup in those golden years; Al Kaline, Mickey Lolich, Denny McLean, Mickey Stanley, Norm Cash, Bill Freehan, Gates Brown, Jim Northrup. They were all larger than life heros! I must have listened to thousands of games with Ernie Harwell at the mike. The Tigers won the World Series in 1968 when I was just 7 - and it was a magical time.

The Tigers returned to greatness in the mid 1980s. In fact, the Summer we moved to California (1984) the Tigers would go on to win the American League Pennant and the World Series. Alan Trammel, Sweet Lou Whitaker, Jack Morris, Lance Parrish... ahh.. the Tigers were fantastic.

So - it took us years to really warm up to our local team - the Giants. We picked the Giants because they played in the National League. So, we could still root for the Tigers and not feel like we were betraying our first love. We started following the Giants in earnest around 1987 which was the first year that Dave Dravecky played for the Giants. In fact, in 1987 the Giants won the National League West - eventually losing the NL Pennant to St. Louis; just missing the World Series.

Many of you may know the story - but the following year a cancerous tumor was found in Dave's pitching arm and in late 1988 he underwent surgery to remove the tumor and a big part of his shoulder muscle. A major story during the late 1989 Giant season was the remarkable - miraculous - return of Dave Dravecky to the mound on August 10, 1989 against the Cincinnati Reds. I remember watching that game - along with most of the Bay Area - and being amazed by his story. Dave pitched 93 pitches - leaving the game after 8 innings and the Giants went on to win 4-3. In was the feel good story out here in 1989.

However, the story turned tragic just 5 days later when Dave retook the mound against the Montreal Expos and in one horrific moment made a pitch which caused his left arm (his pitching arm) to snap in two. We all watched as he writhed around the ground in pain before medical help could get to him. I personally can remembering being so stunned at the time. It appeared that it was such an unfair loss after all Dave had done to rehabilitate his arm.

Eventually, Dave would have to have his left arm and half his shoulder amputated to fully remove all the cancer from his body.

The good news is that God is in control and has used Dave in unbelievable ways since 1989 to inspire people. Dave's unbelievable career and inspirational rehabilitation story opened up doors to speak to hundreds of thousands of people since - telling them of the strength he found in his relationship with Christ to overcome his cancer and his crisis of self worth that occurred after his loss.

It was a privilege to hear Dave this afternoon and to hear him be able to honestly say that he views getting cancer as a true blessing in his life. He didn't always feel that way, honestly. But, he has come to a deep understanding that without the cancer in his life he would not have developed the depth of character he has over the last few years. And he would not have had the doors opened that have occurred - allowing him to share the Good News with people and the encouragement that his story inevitable brings to those that hear it.

I am so glad I got a chance to speak with him for a few moments today - share with him how much I valued the memories of his career in San Francisco - and how delighted I was to see the results of my prayers, his prayers and the prayers of so many in those days that followed his tragedy answered so beautifully. It was a great lunch.


A funny side note. We had no idea she was coming.. but we ended up sitting right behind Sue - Diane Smith's sister. How funny is that. Here she is in rapt attention as Dave spoke!

More Easter!

We were happy to have Hannah come home for Easter last weekend. She has always enjoyed creating Easter eggs and this year was no different. She made a short visit - but it included making these beauties. It is meaningful to have traditions and this is one Hannah and Julie definitely enjoy together. It is fun to watch them carry it on.

Here's Hannah, mom and Taylor.



















Taylor seems to be enjoying herself!



















Here's a beauty by Hannah.















And here's the final results. I think I even got one in the lineup ;)

Thursday Tweets

Do you know what a tweet is? If not.. check out this earlier post for more information! What is a Tweet?

Please feel free to tweet away.

Tod: is going to the Sharks-Ducks NHL playoff game 1 tonight. Go Sharks!

Tod: 9 days left before the wedding! 7 days to Joel arriving! Getting excited!!

Bye Bye John... Sunday Will Never Be The Same

John Madden announced his retirement today. I am very happy for him.. but this is going to be a sad day and tough transition for Julie.

John Madden is the reason Julie watches football. She loves his voice.. his simple explanations of the game.. and those gynormous hands latched around the microphone ;)

Fall and winter Sunday afternoons at our house involve Julie grabbing some lunch and the newspaper, settling in on the living room floor to eat and read and putting John on in the background. The perfect afternoon.

I am happy for John. At 73, it's probably time for him to take a break and enjoy the fruits of his labor. But just know - you will be missed!

So - anyone got any fabulous ideas for how Julie can spend her Sunday afternoons now? What do you love to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon?

Stations of the Cross

Friday night the Highway Community hosted the stations of the cross at our campus in Mountain View. The creative team at Highway assists the worshiper in focusing in on the Passion of Christ by integrating Scripture with audio/visual displays and activities that parallel the last week of Christ's life.

I greatly appreciate their efforts and to have an opportunity to start Easter weekend by remembering the sacrifice that Christ made for you and me so many years ago. It is challenging, at times, to stay connected to God due to the distractions of life. This was a very meaningful way to reconnect in a deep way with God as we headed into the weekend. I am so thankful for that.

Happy Easter! He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Question of the Day

So Hannah's offer to shave her head in exchange for Joel cutting his hair short brings up an interesting question.

Q: What would you accept in exchange for shaving your head bald? What would be enough for you to do it today?

I am particularly interested in hearing from you ladies out there!

Thursday Tweets - Barely!

Okay.. weird day today. Someone intentionally cut some important communication lines in San Jose and San Martin - near where I work. The result was that we had a) no cell phone coverage, b) no incoming or outgoing phone calls at work and c) no internet access at work. Can you believe a $90 Million a year business unit with no phones or internet?! Crazy! It's like 1972 all over again!

Anyways, props to me for making it through a day without browsing the web, talking to someone on the phone or sending a text message! Whew!! BTW... How did Tiger do at the Masters???

So - that explains why we're late getting started with Thursday Tweets. Feel free to slide right into Friday Tweets if you feel the urge!

Do you know what a tweet is? If not.. check out this earlier post for more information! What is a Tweet?

Please feel free to tweet away.

Tod: survived a day without cell phone or internet access. how'd I do it????

Tod: is looking forward to the stations of the cross and worshiping this Easter weekend!

Are You Ready for Some Basketball?

Making it into the final four was bittersweet for Julie. On the one hand - MSU defeated the defending national champions - Kansas! On the other hand - we watched the game at the Scott's house. Remember - the Scotts went to Kansas! So - we kept the celebration to a minimum.












Next, they went on to defeat #1 nationally rated Louisville.. so now it's time for the Final Four! And it's time for MSU to keep upsetting folks! Next victim #1 seeded Conneticut!


















She wishes that this was her at the stadium - getting drinks and heading to her seat. However, since we can't be there.. we'll just cheer from here!



















So - here's to the Spartans! Go MSU!

I Found It!

When Julie works on Saturday mornings (around once a month) I always try to bring the staff something yummy during the morning. That usually involves some still-warm donuts from their favorite - Stan's donuts.

When we were in Salem Joel introduced us to the Great Harvest Bread Company. As I recall, we just hung around the entrance, sampling all their goodies (they provide very generous samples in all their stores) and then bought some amazing muffins and bread.

Recently, thanks to Seri, we found out there was a store in Berkeley - just around the corner from where we drive to visit Hannah. Last night I decided to surprise Julie's staff with some of their treats. So just after Julie left.. I popped up, showered and was off to explore.

I wasn't disappointed. Here it is.. the wonderful Great Harvest Bread Co. Berkeley! For you locals.. it's on College Avenue! Well, I brought about a 7 lb box of muffins, scones and cinnamon rolls to Julie's office a few minutes ago.. then came home and attacked the 9 grain bread loaf I got. Oh.. and the pumpkin-walnut muffin didn't survive the ride home ;0

I am glad this place is 45 miles away. It would be dangerous if it were just around the corner!

Thursday Tweets

Do you know what a tweet is? If not.. check out this earlier post for more information! What is a Tweet?

Please feel free to tweet away.

Tod: getting excited about having a 3 day weekend off! Niiiccceee!

Tod: Jon and Rachel are like 3 weeks away from getting married!

Schoolcraft Fight Song!

Schoolcraft High School, which both Julie and I attended (I guess that would make us high school sweethearts!) made it to the Class C Michigan men's basketball finals last weekend! We were so excited to hear of their success and cheer them on in the tournament.

I played in the band throughout high school and must have played our fight song 10,000 times during that period. I can still remember the music to the song as if it were yesterday. So, then I tried to remember the words.

Ooops... my alzheimers addled brain just couldn't pull them all out. I nailed the beginning and end.. but flailed in the middle.

I googled and googled to no avail! Stymied. Finally, I sent an email to the current director of bands for Schoolcraft High School, Ms. Luegge.

Well, it took her all of 30 minutes to respond. Victory!

Joanne, here are the words to our beloved fight song thanks to Ms. Luegge!!

Schoolcraft, Schoolcraft hats off to thee

fight, fight, fight for our victory

Shout to the Skies

Our High School War Cries

The Bravest will defy

Rah, Rah, Rah

Come and Cheer for Purple and Gold

Fight, Fight, Fight like teams of old

To strive, to strive for honor and team and victory!

Better Late Than Never!

Last week Hannah returned from Spring Break in Cancun. With her she brought a whole bunch of fun memories along with 2 medical issues!

1) a severely sunburned left leg
2) a bad case of Giardia (you don't want to know)

The next day Jules took our crispy baked, Giardia plagued daughter to the doctor and came back with a veritable fistfull of medications, creams, ointments, gauze and bandages.

The first day home Hannah literally slept 20 hours on the couch. But finally the treatments kicked in.. and here she is: vertical, dressed, bandaged and ready to take on the day!

One funny story. We were walking at Santana Row between Pink Berry (frozen yogurt) and the movie theatre where we were about to watch a movie. Some people were staring at Hannah - obviously trying to figure out what was up with her leg. All of a sudden Hannah let's out a loud 'it's a SHARK BITE people... but I'm okay!'.

Welcome back Hannah! We love you!