TH2 Visit

Julie and I had the pleasure, last weekend, of visiting Joel, Carissa and Ryan in Salem.  It had been since mid-May since we had seen them... so we were eager to get up there and spend a couple of days together.

We discussed all sorts of possibilities for what we could do while we were up there and one of the ideas that stuck was going berry picking.  Carissa loves to pick and freeze (as well as can) fruit during the summer.  Of course, Julie and I are old pros from our childhood days.  So, Friday morning we were off to the fields for some fruit!

The first farm we went to (for raspberries) we generously described as 'sketchy' :)  Our hand drawn map to the berry location included us finding a walnut tree and a fence.  That sort of thing.

Once we found the picking location (try  #3) we had a great time in the bushes.

 Ryan was a real trooper.  He love wandering around. But, the bushes are a bit prickly so he had to be careful.

One of the cool sights we saw while we were picking was this bird's nest nestled into the branches of one of the raspberry bushes.  There are about 6-8 babies inside there.  Check out #3 calling for security as we invaded his bedroom.

Joel was enjoying the picking as well.

Between locations we stopped in a little town outside Salem for lunch.  When we were leaving for some blueberry picking we noticed there were some deer in the sideyard of one of the houses.  I jumped out of the car with my camera and snapped a couple pictures as Mr. Deer and a couple of his kids beat a retreat into the backyard.

Next we were off to blueberry and cherry picking at a second self-pick farm.  This particular farm was a beautiful, well maintained farm location atop a hill overlooking parts of the Willamette Valley.  It was a gorgeous location to spend an afternoon.

Here's Joel and Carissa hard at work in the fields.

Here's Joel finding the perfect blueberry.  Sorry, Jon, you couldn't be there.  You would have loved it ;)

We picked almost a complete flat of blueberries while Julie got to play with Ryan (that's why you didn't see any pictures of her pickin!). The results: Yummy!

Saturday Joel and Carissa wanted to take in the latest Harry Potter movie so Grandma and Grandpa got to take Ryan to his favorite park to play for a couple hours!  Sweet!

We've never been to the park with him, so it was fun to explore the different stuff there and see Ryan's reaction to it.  For instance, he *really* liked the swings.  He not only loved hanging on and being pushed back and forth - but he loved having me catch his feet and hold him for a couple seconds before releasing him to keep going.  He giggled so much.

He also loved the little tunnels and climbing aparatus!

And he absolutely has a blast with steering wheels!  He bee-lined it straight for these and had a blast pretending he was a Nascar driver.

However, he wasn't as sure about the water features.  You see, they go on and off at random times.  So, it is easy to get shot with a blast of cold water when you are least expecting it.  Tremendous fun if you are 4 or 5 years old.  Those kids were squeeling and having a blast.  But, Ryan was a bit more tentative ;)  I think he will grow in love for this one over the years. 

  He did like the green fence! 

Here's a couple random pictures I took at the dining room table.

We had a great time visiting.  It's fun and rewarding to see TH2 growing and thriving.

Can't wait to go back!

Hannah's Big Day!

Today was Hannah's day.  We are proud to tell you that she received her BS in Business Administration from the University of California Berkeley Haas Business School.  The celebrating started early this morning with Julie gifting Hannah with a lei.

The graduation occurred in the Greek Theater at the campus.  It was very emotional seeing Hannah walk in during the processional.

She looked jubilant as she walked in.
 

Ryan got a special call out for showing up in his Cal polo shirt.

Here's a better picture of the venue.

 

After wonderful speeches honoring the graduates - it was time to receive her diploma.  With tears in our eyes we proudly watched as Hannah was honored.

 

And, if you know Hannah - you know there is going to be a celebration!

Here she is sitting between her friends Calvin and Graeme in the student section.  Don't you love Calvin's outfit?

That's Hannah's cap sailing through the air.  Nailed the picture.

After the festivities it was time for a reception at the business school.  It was great to see Maggie again (it's been months!) and Calvin.

And we got a bit of a tour of the facilities.  FINALLY.. here it is folks.  A picture of Hannah in a classroom during college!  Hahaha.

Julie and I are immensely proud of the young woman Hannah has become during her college years.  We are so thankful to God for holding her in His hand throughout this journey.  We're thankful for the friends that she developed and maintained through her years at Berkeley that form a solid foundation for her future.  And we are thankful to God for the grand odyssey that God entrusted to us when he brought a little red-headed ball of joy into our lives almost 22 years ago.

We are all excited for her future.  And we are thankful for those family members that were able to be here in person to witness her graduation and cheer her on.

And we are thankful for the Godly influence and support of our family members, through the generations, that have directly led her to this moment.

Our prayer, our wish for Hannah is that God would continue to be an important part of her life and that He might guide her through a most adventuresome, rewarding and meaningful life.

Heading Out

As many of you know - Hannah is studying abroad this semester in Berlin, Germany.  Today we had to say goodbye as her adventure began. 

It's been quite a challenge to think of her being so far away.  Even when she was at Berkeley there was a reality that we could see her in an hour if we needed a Hannah fix.  As a result - I think there has been a part of the normal separation that accompanies the college years that we have avoided until the last few days.  Now, it's hitting harder.

However, we are very much looking forward to the experience Hannah will get being abroad.  And it started with being able to pack up into a few bags for the adventure.  If you know Hannah - you know the concept of traveling 'light' isn't in her vocabulary. But, I must say, she did an outstanding job getting packed and ready to go.  Here's the end result right before we left the house for the airport.

Here's Julie and Hannah sharing a last hug before she had to go through security and off to her new adventure.

And off she went....

So for now we'll rely on Skype and our memories to get us through the next few months.  Please pray for Hannah for safe travels.  And, that she will have fantastic experiences in Europe.  I know many of her days will be magical.

One last memory from our week together as a complete family... this is Ryan showing his patented Hannah lazy eye ;)

Bon voyage Hannah!!!