Category Archives: Photos

Natsumi

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Of all the exchange students we’ve hosted, there have been a few that remain “special” in our hearts.  Natsumi was the first to stay with us for several months (most of the school year) and remains close.  She came to town to visit with a couple of her former teachers at Puyallup High School and we were able to have dinner at the home of the Prudens and visit with her.  It was a special time to catch up on her and her family, as well as with the Prudens and Sniders.  We reminisced, received updates of Natsumi’s family in Japan (hard to believe Honoka is 15!) and, of course, talked about Sarah behind her back (it’s all good).

On top of that, we were honored to be with them as they lit the Menorah for the seventh day of Hannukah.  We had recently talked with the boys about Hannukah, so it was particularly meaningful to be present and to hear our friends explain its significance in a bit greater detail and authenticity.

It was a great evening!

Danny’s Brief Visit

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Sary-Jo’s brother came to Seattle and we were able to spend some time with him on Saturday, Dec. 8. We had brunch with him, Joany and Alyssa. Then he came to the boys’ basketball practice and helped us put up our outdoor Christmas lights. Later, we went to Seattle to have dinner at The Naked City while the boys were with Margie, Richard and Ruli seeing the stage presentation of Elf at the 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle (what a treat for them!).  Even though Donald and Michelle weren’t working (their family Christmas party), we had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the meal.  Although the time went by too fast, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

Click the picture to see more.

Reindeer Run 2012

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Daniel & David both signed up to run the 5K in the inaugural Reindeer Run put on by Rogers High School.  It was a great day for running, with cool temperatures but no rain.  We saw many people we knew, including some teachers from Karshner.  As is typical before a race, the boys kind of got “in the zone” even though Mom and Dad wanted to talk with them.  Then the race started and they took off.  As expected, they stayed near the front.  Daniel was the sixth overall finisher and David was the 11th.  In the 14-and-under age group, they finished… let me try to remember… Oh yeah!  FIRST and SECOND!!!

Click the picture above to see more photos.  Watch the video that includes a bit of pre-race preparation and the start and finishes.

Santa Parade

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Daniel leading the group

This year the boys got to walk in the Puyallup Santa Parade.  All the members of the safety patrol (crossing guards) were involved.  Daniel got to help carry the school’s banner.  The parade was a lot of fun (Grand Marshall Danny Bonaduce for you fans of The Partridge Family).  Randy & Sary-Jo enjoyed a latte as the parade went by.  Click the photo above to see a few more.  Enjoy the brief video of the Karshner group.

Soccer Gathering

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Today was the second annual Wolverines vs. Parents soccer match.  As with other “new traditions” it improves each year.  This year, it included a cookout and pot luck.  Also, Janel and Ryan were in town so Ryan represented the parents.  Randy served as referee again and we’re pretty sure everybody enjoyed themselves.  We got a break in the weather.  For the record, the kids won 3-2.  David scored a goal off a pass from Daniel as time was expiring.

Click the picture for more.  The video below is very brief, but it’s all we took.

Thankful

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Thanksgiving DinnerWe have so much for which to be thankful.  In fact, I won’t even try to list things here because the list would be incredibly long – yet still incomplete.  God has been so good to us and we appreciate His close watch over us.  Thanksgiving comes but once a year, but our gratitude is felt every moment of every day.

Janel and Ryan flew up from San Francisco on Wednesday evening.  Wednesday night was pie-baking (& cranberry sauce) night.  Janel and David baked the pies this year with Randy playing a consulting and training role.  Janel is now officially better at pie shells than Randy.  We had two pumpkin, one pecan and one coconut cream pie, all of which were amazing!

Thanksgiving day was quiet for most of the morning.  Janel helped Randy with the turkey and the stuffing (again – amazing), while Ryan helped out by setting up Randy’s new printer (the old one died while printing Christmas letters).  Daniel and David were in and out – alternating between playing and helping get the house ready for company.  For dinner, Randy’s parents and Joany, Lauren and Alyssa were here.  The 11 of us made a dent in the 25-pound turkey, but were unable to devour the whole thing.  After dinner, Julie, Cindy, Jackie (friend), MacKenzie, Mason and Borja (exchange student) arrived for more fun and frivolity.  Sarah Skyped in to the room for a while.  We turned off the football games and turned on the Wii, had card games running, and a little general mayhem.  It was fantastic!  A bit later Chris and Carrie came over for a little while.  We were blessed by everyone who showed up – thank you to all.

The video below is a brief compilation of games and horseplay – Daniel and Borja get a bit competitive playing Fifa soccer on the Wii (Borja’s player earns a red card) – card games and general visiting.  Also, Sarah joined via Skype. Click the picture above to see more.

Halloween 2012 – revised with new pictures – 11/23/12

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The boys enjoy Halloween, especially the goodies.  They like to dress up, but they don’t seem to like to go overboard.  This year, their costumes were rather simple, with hooded sweatshirts that zip over the face to provide the mask.  We really tend to enjoy the pumpkin patch and we went to see the Picha Farms patch this year.  Sarah and Janel had a couple of the Picha men as teachers in Junior High and High School.  We saw both of them and they asked about the girls.  Meanwhile, we explored the farm, launched some gourds with the slingshot (David missed winning a free pumpkin by about 2 inches), and then navigated the corn maze.  It was challenging, but we took a picture of the map using David’s iPod before we entered; then we wound our way through to all of the check-in stations.

Also, the boys went with Sary-Jo and a couple friends to Fright Fest at Wild Waves.  They had a blast!  Finally, Sary-Jo and Randy went to a Halloween party in costume (pictures added 11/23).  This is highly irregular for Randy as he is not a fan of costumes.  Still, it was pretty good.  Click on the picture above to see more.

Tigist

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I’m sorry for the late posting; I thought I had posted this months ago.  In June we received an update from the boys’ sister, Tigist.  Joy and Abebe met with her on about May 31.  During their visit, they shared a letter that we had sent and pictures of the boys.  We are very grateful that Joy is able to keep us informed about Tigist (and their grandfather).  This year we learned that Tigist is now married.  In the pictures here, you can see her looking at recent pictures of the boys.  She seems healthy and all accounts are good.

Unique Opportunity

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Every once in a while, a person gets to meet someone very special.  Daniel and David had that opportunity earlier this month.  Lopez Lomong (click here to read his Wikipedia page) is a two-time Olympian for the United States.  He was born in Sudan and, as a young boy, captured by soldiers.  He and two teen-age boys from his village escaped and ran for three days into Kenya, where he lived in a refugee camp for 10 years.  At age 16, he was sponsored into a U.S. family and later became a US citizen.  (This is ultra-condensed – you should read his story).

Lomong was in Tacoma and met with the cross country team at Bellarmine.  We are fortunate to have connections and our boys were included.  As stated earlier, this was a truly memorable meeting for our boys.  We just have a few pictures and a bit of video.

Checking In With Joy

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We stopped by the Adoption Ministry office to check in with Joy Casey, the Executive Director, and to drop off the generous donations that were provided through the boys’ birthday party / fund raiser.  It’s always great to see Joy and, even though she sees Daniel and David a few times each year, she still seems a bit amazed by their growth.  We are truly blessed to have Adoption Ministry so close to home.