Sary-Jo & the boys met up with a good friend from school and his mom (also a teacher at their school) at Wild Waves water park. It was a beautiful day to be at the water park and they had a great time. Click the picture to see more.
Category Archives: Photos
Phoenix 2011
Sary-Jo’s mom, Sary, recently had a birthday. Her four kids, and their families, planned a surprise party for her in Phoenix. Preparations took place over several months, with invitations going out to anyone we could locate (sorry if we missed you) without tipping the surprise. Guests arrived from several states and Puerto Rico. We gathered at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale and enjoyed time visiting and playing in the pool. Sary was floored as people arrived over the course of a couple days – and she still had no idea about the party. The party itself was held at a fascinating place called the Boulder House, which is a large house built right into the existing boulders in the desert just on the edge of Scottsdale. Dinner was amazing, thanks to Kerry’s brother the chef. The best part was all the friends and family that came in to make this special for Sary.
Click the picture above to see the pictures from the party. Click the picture below to see our other Phoenix pictures.
Tigist Update
Our agency (Adoption Ministry of YWAM) has blessed us by keeping in touch with Daniel and David’s older sister, Tigist. They have helped her with medical care when she needed it, and they made sure she got some schooling – she will graduate as a hairstylist this August. We are so happy that they are able to help her in real ways. That’s one of the many things we appreciate about the agency.
On top of all that, we are able to send updates of our family. We hope and pray that being able to see the boys’ progress is an encouragement to her. She did her best to look after them when they were younger (she was probably about 11 when she became head of household), and we know she cares deeply for them. Recently, we sent some letters and pictures with Joy. When Joy returned from Ethiopia she shared pictures that were taken as Tigist read the letters (with translator) and looked at the pictures. These brought smiles to our faces and we think you’ll enjoy them too.
Track
We’ve long known that Daniel and David are extremely athletic. They took on basketball and baseball this year, and they both excelled (to put it mildly) against other kids, many of whom have played the games before. They also had a season of soccer, experiencing their first team and season in a sport they have loved since a very young age. They are stars in that sport and they enjoy working hard to remain that way. This Spring we had an opportunity to see them compete in track and field, and it too was an eye-opener for us.
Daniel, especially, was able to demonstrate his ability. As a 4th grader, he was able to compete in the Puyallup School District’s elementary track meet (open to 4th grade and up). His coach placed him in the 800 meter, the 4×100 relay, and the softball throw. The 800 meter run was an amazing event – there was a mass of humanity at the starting line (probably 60 to 70 kids) and Daniel got tripped up – twice. He went down briefly and then came up limping and in last place. After a few steps limping, he got moving to try to make up his 100+ meter deficit. Watch this (somewhat shaky) video as he proceeds to pass almost everybody in the remaining 700 meters. He finishes in 2nd place!
The next week, both boys competed in the local Hershey Invitational meet. This meet allows kids to compete, by age group, with other athletes for an opportunity (top 2 in each event) to advance to the state meet. Winners from state then have their times compared to the winners from other states to see who advances to the Nationals in Hershey, Pennsylvania. This attracts the most talented runners across the nation.
David competed in the 400 and the 200 meter runs, finishing 3rd in each. He was in the 9-10 age category because he turns 9 this October. We have video of the 4oo meter (below). He ran a good race and I think the top 4 times of the meet were in his heat, so his third place finish held up. Unfortunately, this did not qualify him for state.
Daniel ran the 800 and the 200 in the 11-12 age group. We did not realize that those events are back-to-back, since very few athletes attempt the two, very different, races. He did well in the 800, finishing 2nd and qualifying for state – watch the video below. But he was out of gas for the 200 and finished in the middle of the pack.
In the Hershey state-meet, Daniel ran into a bit of trouble at the start. There were two slower runners than unintentionally boxed him in. By the time he broke free, he was well back of the leaders, and his third-place finish is quite impressive! The video is here.
Tacoma Rainiers
On May 21, we went to see the Tacoma Rainiers in the newly-remodeled Cheney Stadium. The ballpark is beautiful and all seats give a great view. It’s so much fun to be close to the action, and it was great to see Daniel and David experience a different kind of excitement than at a Major League game (which we also love). Click on the picture to see a few more.
Adoption Dinner
YWAM’s Adoption Ministry sponsored a dinner for the families who have – or are in process of adopting – Ethiopian kids. We met at the Children’s Museum in Tacoma. There were lots of great families, a tremendous variety of great food, and much wonderful fellowship. We had a great time and we took a few pictures. Click on the one shown to see the rest.
Work Party
In May, a group of us from Lighthouse Christian Center spent a few hours at Adoption Ministry’s headquarters. We completed a few projects, got to know each other a little better, and generally just tried to glorify God with the time we had together. Sary-Jo, Daniel and David snapped photos and took some video, which will give you a quick overview. Click the photo to see more, and click on the video to play it. Enjoy.
Little League – 2011
This was quite a year for sports in our household, as Daniel and David each wanted to try just about everything. The challenge for us is that they seem to excel in every sport they try, now including baseball. Daniel proved to be quite a fielder, pitcher (left handed) and a hitter (right handed), while David is also extremely talented and a student of the game. Both teams finished in first place, and both boys made great friends, had fun and were among the best players in their leagues.
Click the picture above to see a few more (just a few, really). David has a grey uniform jersey (Volcanoes) and Daniel is in the red (Diamondbacks).
And we had to include one video. This one shows Daniel absolutely crushing the ball for a home run. You should understand that few balls were hit out of the infield in this league, making this hit all the more impressive. He hit this ball over the outfielder’s head and into the game on the next diamond. He is crossing home plate as the left fielder reaches the ball. Enjoy (suggestion: watch it full screen).
And here’s a quick video of David’s coach commenting on him after the last game. The audio is a little rough because of the wind, but you can make it out.
David & His Hat
David has wanted a cowboy hat for some time. At the Spring Fair, we went shopping! David spent quite a bit of time picking out just the right one and he definitely enjoys it. We’re not quite sure what triggered this in him (perhaps just because it annoys Sarah), but you can see his delight in these pictures.
Orting to South Prairie
On one of the few nice days of Spring (it was better than nice; it was beautiful), we met up with Mike and Mary and rode our bikes from Orting to South Prairie (about 25 miles round trip). Along the way, we stopped to throw rocks across the river (first, Daniel & David seemed impressed that Mike could do it; then Daniel ended up making it too!) and enjoy the scenery. We ended up at the coffee stand near the South Prairie Trail-head for a little refreshment. Beautiful day with good company. Click the picture to see more.