Chris, Paul, Steve, Carrie and Nicole came for Thanksgiving this year (along with the kids). Dinner and conversation were great – so great, in fact, that we didn’t take many pictures.
Visiting with Tigist
Randy’s sister Julie & Cindy, Grammy and MacKenzie, traveled to Ethiopia to bring newly-adopted Ermias home. Ever the adventurer, Julie set her mind to tracking down Daniel’s and David’s older sister Tigist. Despite having virtually no shared language or contact information other than “somewhere in or near Adama,” they set out. Naturally, they had no problem locating her and arranging to meet her at a hotel with WiFi. Those who know Julie understand.
It was time to introduce Tigist to Skype and to give her a first-hand visual look at how her brothers are doing! What an amazing time we had (although it was about 2:00 in the morning our time on a school day). The only thing that could have made it better would be if the boys could communicate in Amharic which, unfortunately, they don’t remember. But with Julie’s host as a translator, all the messages got through just fine. There were plenty of tears on both continents as we visited. Tigist had never heard of Skype and was probably wondering how we fit her brothers into that little thing called an iPad.
We also got to see Tigist’s son Naol. What an adorable little boy! Tigist is doing well, and showed our family to her home. There, they met her husband and brother (yes, that makes him Daniel’s & David’s half-brother also). Additionally, Julie was able to take pictures of some of Tigist’s pictures. So we now have baby pictures!!! And pictures of the boys’ mother and father. This visit was such a blessing to all of us; we can’t thank you enough, Julie (and the rest of the traveling crew).
We posted a few of the pictures. Click on the one shown and take your time enjoying these pictures. We still look at them often.
Nice Visit
We love getting together with friends in a relaxed setting – typically at our home. We enjoyed a nice, (relatively) quiet evening with our friends, Andrew and Gretchen and their five kids. All the kids enjoyed themselves, and I think all the parents appreciated a bit of relative down time. We took a few pictures; click on the one shown to see some more. Sary-Jo especially enjoyed having some little girls in the house for a while.
Birthday Party
David and Daniel
The boys’ annual birthday party / fundraiser was held at Bradley Lake Park. What amazing weather! It was a beautiful day and many friends joined us for the event. As usual, the kids spent the bulk of the time playing soccer and other active games, while the parents visited with each other and enjoyed the food. We continued the tradition of inviting our family and friends to honor Daniel and David by contributing to the Adoption Ministry campaign. Funds used go to support the orphanage in Ethiopia. We are extremely grateful for the outpouring of love and support, with the financial contribution exceeding $1,500! Thank you.
The party did experience one mishap, with Andrew on the receiving end of a large bump from a collision with David. The size of the bump gave us serious concern for a while, but he recovered nicely.
Click on the picture to see more.
Haunted Hustle – 5K
Daniel and David
Last year, Daniel was unable to run in the Haunted Hustle because he got sick. So, David had to come in first in the 17-and-under category. As a result of his first-place finish, he was able to compete for free this year. In the 2013 race, they were both healthy and ran well. Daniel finished in about 19 minutes (a little under because he didn’t start at the front of the pack). David finished in less than 21 minutes. Daniel gets to run for free next year, but David’s name was drawn for a free pair of running shoes! What a day.
Here’s video of both boys finishing. And there are plenty of pictures – click on the one showing to see more.
School Starts
Daniel and David
Summer flew by and, right on schedule, the new school year started! This year promises to bring much excitement and many challenges for Daniel as he begins Junior High. Adjusting to a routine with six classes per day is of particular concern to his parents. On the other hand, Aylen Junior High has a great staff and also brings opportunities for new sports adventures. David is in 5th grade at Karshner Elementary and he will have many leadership opportunities this year. We are very excited for both boys!
Camping / Exploring
Michael, Daniel & David
This summer, the boys’ friend Michael and his parents invited them to join them on a camping trip to explore the Ape Caves in Southwest Washington. They stayed in the motor home and enjoyed their first camping experience. (Note: Sary-Jo and I gave up camping long ago.) The incredible darkness inside the caves impressed them. They enjoyed every minute of the experience, including campground games and the food and time spent with friends. Thank you so much, Rich and Stacey, for giving them this opportunity.
First Ferry Ride
One of the things we have wanted to do with Daniel & David is to take them on a Ferry. We essentially needed two things to come together – great weather and time on the calendar. Despite popular perception, the weather around here cooperates quite often; our family schedule, on the other hand… not so much.
We finally got the opportunity and drove to Bremerton so we could ride to Seattle. Approaching Seattle from the water is such a beautiful experience. The boys enjoyed it too. Click on the picture so see a few others.
River Jam (soccer tournament)
The boys have been playing a lot of soccer. One of the tournaments, in which they had a lot of success, was the River Jam. The weather was perfect and the tournament was right here in Puyallup. The boys played well and won their division. Click on the picture of the team to see a lot more pictures.
ECC Reunion 2013
David, Naoto, Daniel
For the 6th (I think) consecutive year, the Lakins have opened their beautiful home and property for the reunion of Edgewood Community Church family members. It was another great gathering of old friends. The kids had a blast hiking down by the creek (and vaulting across it at various points). Click the picture to see more (almost all of them are just our kids).