8.11.2008
8.03.2008
It's a new day
First thing in the morning, I (Adam) will be hopping on the bus for the 20 minute ride to Case Western Reserve University. My first day of MBA orientation begins at 8 am.
This journey has been a long one for me, and the family as well. Anne and I started tossing around the idea of me pursuing an MBA back in 2004. At the time, I was Director of Operations for a CCC summer project in Lake Tahoe (the best job I've ever had, BTW). In the midst of doing the accounting, payroll, rules and regulations, and property management, much to my surprise I realized that I was good at those things, and they were fun!
It was a shock in many ways. I had never been involved in the business side of things before. But the next question quicklybecame, "How can I best steward these talents?" It became obvious that ministry is a generally poor environment for professional growth, and the opportunities within CCC to use my skills were pretty limited. So, Anne and I started thinking, "Why not learn from professionals?"
This led to a two-year waiting period where the idea was never far from the back of my mind. Then, in Decemeber 2006, I was in Washington DC for a CCC conference. While there, a friend of mine set us up with an after-hours tour of the Pentagon, through one of his former CCC students that had been working for the DoD. As we walked the halls of the Pentagon, and listened to the former student talk about her influence in high places of government, a familiar but friendly jealousy was aroused within me.
Over a late dinner, as our group talked after the tour, I was thinking that I would like to do something similar to what our tour guide was doing; that is, to be an insider in influential places, to have a voice with powerful people, and to be developed to the fullest capacity of my God-given abilities.
At once, very audibly in my head, I heard what I still think was the voice of God, say to me, "If you want that, then make it happen. You're a man, right? I've given you the skills, right? Stop talking and start doing!" The tone was by no means scolding; rather, it was the tone of release, a loving tone that said to me that I was free to choose between several good choices for the future of our family and to take an active role in playing out God's calling on my life.
Anne was immediately on board; she had been having similar stirrings. From there, it grew into choosing schools, locales, programs; mapping out timelines; scraping together money for study books and application fees and test fees; studying for entrance exams; writing essays; hectoring those filling out references; and a host of other challenges.
Tomorrow, it becomes reality.
There is much to tell from the journey. I am happy to answer specific questions, if anyone poses them in the comments. I will write more in the coming weeks to attempt to share some of those stories, for Anne and I have learned much through it all.
This journey has been a long one for me, and the family as well. Anne and I started tossing around the idea of me pursuing an MBA back in 2004. At the time, I was Director of Operations for a CCC summer project in Lake Tahoe (the best job I've ever had, BTW). In the midst of doing the accounting, payroll, rules and regulations, and property management, much to my surprise I realized that I was good at those things, and they were fun!
It was a shock in many ways. I had never been involved in the business side of things before. But the next question quicklybecame, "How can I best steward these talents?" It became obvious that ministry is a generally poor environment for professional growth, and the opportunities within CCC to use my skills were pretty limited. So, Anne and I started thinking, "Why not learn from professionals?"
This led to a two-year waiting period where the idea was never far from the back of my mind. Then, in Decemeber 2006, I was in Washington DC for a CCC conference. While there, a friend of mine set us up with an after-hours tour of the Pentagon, through one of his former CCC students that had been working for the DoD. As we walked the halls of the Pentagon, and listened to the former student talk about her influence in high places of government, a familiar but friendly jealousy was aroused within me.
Over a late dinner, as our group talked after the tour, I was thinking that I would like to do something similar to what our tour guide was doing; that is, to be an insider in influential places, to have a voice with powerful people, and to be developed to the fullest capacity of my God-given abilities.
At once, very audibly in my head, I heard what I still think was the voice of God, say to me, "If you want that, then make it happen. You're a man, right? I've given you the skills, right? Stop talking and start doing!" The tone was by no means scolding; rather, it was the tone of release, a loving tone that said to me that I was free to choose between several good choices for the future of our family and to take an active role in playing out God's calling on my life.
Anne was immediately on board; she had been having similar stirrings. From there, it grew into choosing schools, locales, programs; mapping out timelines; scraping together money for study books and application fees and test fees; studying for entrance exams; writing essays; hectoring those filling out references; and a host of other challenges.
Tomorrow, it becomes reality.
There is much to tell from the journey. I am happy to answer specific questions, if anyone poses them in the comments. I will write more in the coming weeks to attempt to share some of those stories, for Anne and I have learned much through it all.
8.02.2008
From Baseball to Football
We spent Friday evening at the Cleveland Browns Stadium for their training camp Family Night. It was families, fireworks and football...a great Midwestern Friday night.
8.01.2008
Anne found her driver's license....
....on the floor of the backseat of the Corolla. Under a Nalgene bottle, a toy shovel, and the floor mat. What a great place for it!
Indians Game
You wouldn't be a true resident of the Midwest if you didn't support one of many Major League Baseball teams. We made our first outing to Progressive Field to watch the Indians beat the Detroit Tigers 9 - 4, and to enjoy some freebies (it was Backpack Day). The highlight was when Grady Sizemore hit a three-run home run in the 5th inning. The crowd went crazy and fireworks exploded. Allison leaned over and asked if the Indians scored a touchdown. I think we need to school her in some baseball fundamentals before our next game.
7.30.2008
Do You Like Green Eggs and Ham?
Allison, last night, read me all of Green Eggs and Ham in about 20 minutes. Its the second time she's read the book in its entirety. I've discovered its a great book for early readers because it practices all those tricky words (do, would, could, etc).
7.27.2008
Anticipating Cinderella
The kids and I (Anne) along with my mother are taking a short trip to Disney World next week. One morning we will be having breakfast with Cinderella at her castle. Allison is getting very excited!
Fun in the Kitchen
Homemade pizza for lunch!
And, we stole this idea from a recent Facebook photo I came across. Its the sweetest tasting hot dog and french fries ever! The 'hot dog' is made of strawberry ice cream, however, next time I think I need to find an ice cream that's a little more 'meat' colored. I made my first trip to a local Walmart thinking that it was a Super Walmart. It wasn't...and they had very little ice cream choices. Strawberry had to do for this time!
And, we stole this idea from a recent Facebook photo I came across. Its the sweetest tasting hot dog and french fries ever! The 'hot dog' is made of strawberry ice cream, however, next time I think I need to find an ice cream that's a little more 'meat' colored. I made my first trip to a local Walmart thinking that it was a Super Walmart. It wasn't...and they had very little ice cream choices. Strawberry had to do for this time!
Past Due Moving Photos
I'm getting a little bit more organized today. And, even those these are past due, I thought it was appropriate to post them because it is exactly one month since we loaded the truck (on 6/27).
40 More Posts
I reformatted our blog last night, and if you notice in the archive, we managed to have 104 posts in both 2006 and 2007. Trust me, this was purely coincidental. However, now that its been brought to my attention at post number 64, I may shoot for 40 more posts in 2008 just to make it even.
7.26.2008
Misplaced License
I seem to have misplaced my Washington Driver's License. Which really wouldn't be that big of a deal, if I was in Washington. But since I am no where near a Washington DMV this is proving to be a little bit of a hassle.
The last I remember seeing it was about two weeks ago. Adam needed it in order to activate our Ohio insurance. I remember seeing it on the counter and thinking to myself, 'that's not the best place for that'. I slipped it into a side pocket of my purse. On Thursday I went to register Alex for school, and that's when I noticed it was missing. My best guess as to what happened, is that it fell out of that side pocket of my purse during one of my many Target runs over the past 10 days. (I went back to Target to ask if anyone turned it in, but no luck!).
I called the Ohio DMV to ask what I needed to do to get an Ohio license. Since I have no proof that I am a driver, I would need to apply for my temps (I did that once....18+ years ago), and then return to take the written and driving portion of the Ohio driver's exam. (If you have a valid license, all you need to do is take the written portion). I would need to pass the maneuverability test (if you didn't test in Ohio, that's parallel parking through orange road cones...I saw a kid practicing this in a parking lot the other day. He wasn't doing too well). Plus, our Corolla is a manual transmission, and whereas I have becoming a fairly decent stick driver, I'm still paranoid I would stall out during the exam which would cost me points.
So, my alternative, is to order a replacement license by mail from the state of Washington. It will have no picture or signature on it, but it will be a valid license. I was told it could take up to four weeks, so until then I'm using my passport as a valid form of identification and guarding that thing with my life. Its imperative that I have an ID to sign closing papers on our house, open any local banking accounts, etc.
With our lives being in transition for so many months, I feel pretty good that we only lost one thing. It just happens to be a major thing. If it turns up, I'll be sure to let you know.
FYI....when I was 16 I did pass the Ohio Driver's Exam on the first try. Even the manuverability part. Many of my friends, at the time, could not say the same. I took the test in a 1979 Pontiac Bonneville. If you are unfamiliar, it is a rather LARGE automobile.
And, I titled this post, 'Misplaced License', because when I told my mother I had lost my license, she inquired as to what I had done to have it taken away by the authorities.
The last I remember seeing it was about two weeks ago. Adam needed it in order to activate our Ohio insurance. I remember seeing it on the counter and thinking to myself, 'that's not the best place for that'. I slipped it into a side pocket of my purse. On Thursday I went to register Alex for school, and that's when I noticed it was missing. My best guess as to what happened, is that it fell out of that side pocket of my purse during one of my many Target runs over the past 10 days. (I went back to Target to ask if anyone turned it in, but no luck!).
I called the Ohio DMV to ask what I needed to do to get an Ohio license. Since I have no proof that I am a driver, I would need to apply for my temps (I did that once....18+ years ago), and then return to take the written and driving portion of the Ohio driver's exam. (If you have a valid license, all you need to do is take the written portion). I would need to pass the maneuverability test (if you didn't test in Ohio, that's parallel parking through orange road cones...I saw a kid practicing this in a parking lot the other day. He wasn't doing too well). Plus, our Corolla is a manual transmission, and whereas I have becoming a fairly decent stick driver, I'm still paranoid I would stall out during the exam which would cost me points.
So, my alternative, is to order a replacement license by mail from the state of Washington. It will have no picture or signature on it, but it will be a valid license. I was told it could take up to four weeks, so until then I'm using my passport as a valid form of identification and guarding that thing with my life. Its imperative that I have an ID to sign closing papers on our house, open any local banking accounts, etc.
With our lives being in transition for so many months, I feel pretty good that we only lost one thing. It just happens to be a major thing. If it turns up, I'll be sure to let you know.
FYI....when I was 16 I did pass the Ohio Driver's Exam on the first try. Even the manuverability part. Many of my friends, at the time, could not say the same. I took the test in a 1979 Pontiac Bonneville. If you are unfamiliar, it is a rather LARGE automobile.
And, I titled this post, 'Misplaced License', because when I told my mother I had lost my license, she inquired as to what I had done to have it taken away by the authorities.
7.25.2008
The Power of Advertising
We have a cable TV subscription now. We have never had one, and the only access the kids ever had to cable TV was when we visited family or stayed in hotel rooms. And, this is beyond basic cable. We have about 500+ channels. It is a little overwhelming for me (Anne) to even navigate the remote control. However, we aren't keeping the package. They needed to install the television in order to install our online package, and we get the first month free. Whereas we are excited for our all-Olympics-channel, we will be cancelling the cable TV in three short weeks.
Prior to this, our children only knew of cartoons on PBS. And, PBS does not run commercials. Commercials are a fairly new thing to them, and I'm realizing how suggestible they are to advertising. For instance.....
(After spotting the Clorox Disinfecting Wipes on the counter).
Allison: Hey...those are quick and easy one step disinfecting.
Alex: Mom, next time you should buy the Lavender ones. They have a fresh scent, and their dispenser comes with 25% more.
Alex: Mom, in case your Diet Pepsi doesn't wake you up, there is now a new Diet Pepsi max with more caffeine and ginseng.
Both kids running excitedly into my room: Mom! There is this new magic fishing pole with a net that attaches to it to catch minnows! You place it into the water, and it does all the work.
Alex: It is only $30. You need to call a phone number to order it, but it is also available in stores.
There have been a few others, including a Red Robin song that they kept singing last night at the dinner table. Adam was reminded of Marge Simpson saying, 'Does anyone in this family know any songs other than food commercials?'.
We lose the cable in three weeks. Then its back to the commercial-less land of PBS.
Prior to this, our children only knew of cartoons on PBS. And, PBS does not run commercials. Commercials are a fairly new thing to them, and I'm realizing how suggestible they are to advertising. For instance.....
(After spotting the Clorox Disinfecting Wipes on the counter).
Allison: Hey...those are quick and easy one step disinfecting.
Alex: Mom, next time you should buy the Lavender ones. They have a fresh scent, and their dispenser comes with 25% more.
Alex: Mom, in case your Diet Pepsi doesn't wake you up, there is now a new Diet Pepsi max with more caffeine and ginseng.
Both kids running excitedly into my room: Mom! There is this new magic fishing pole with a net that attaches to it to catch minnows! You place it into the water, and it does all the work.
Alex: It is only $30. You need to call a phone number to order it, but it is also available in stores.
There have been a few others, including a Red Robin song that they kept singing last night at the dinner table. Adam was reminded of Marge Simpson saying, 'Does anyone in this family know any songs other than food commercials?'.
We lose the cable in three weeks. Then its back to the commercial-less land of PBS.
7.21.2008
Our Backyard Neighbors
I took these this morning right out our back door. I'm not sure if you can tell from the pictures, but this mother had three fawns. One is kind of hiding behind the others. We think it might be a different family from the other one we've been watching, since that mother had two fawns, and hers seem a little bigger.
Last Front Porch Photo
My favorite place to take pictures of Alex and Allison was on our front porch at our Vancouver home. If you went through our photo collection, you'd see nearly every major holiday and event documented on our front porch (weather permitting). I snapped this shot right before we left for the airport to begin our journey to Ohio.
7.20.2008
Fortunately for Alex...
...the tooth fairy found him in Ohio. She visited him for the second time last night.
7.18.2008
The Last Three Weeks....
Three weeks ago, we were loading the moving truck and preparing for our departure from Vancouver, Washington. Today, we are about 80% moved into our home in South Euclid, Ohio. A lot has happened so I thought I would give you a brief update....
6/27 - Anne and kids leave PDX on a red-eye flight to Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Her folks have a cottage about 90 mins from there).
6/28 - Adam and his dad leave 7715 NE 55th Ave in a 26 foot Penske truck complete with a tow-rack for our Corolla. After only stopping for three overnights (near Salt Lake City, central Nebraska, and Davenport, Iowa) Adam and his dad make it to Cleveland by July 1st. (One day they put in 18 hrs of driving)!
7/2 - Anne leaves Michigan (without kids) and meets Adam in Cleveland. We had planned on leaving the kids in Michigan for at least a week with her parents while we house-hunted. We thought it would be easier that way. It was! We looked at five houses that first evening.
7/3 - 7/5 - We drove the streets of South Euclid, and walked through what we guess was about 20+ houses. We had already narrowed down our search significantly by location, which made the shopping around much simpler. Plus, South Euclid is an extremely small suburb which helps too.
7/5 - After viewing several houses, we decided the one we're in, was the one we liked the best. We began putting together an offer. The owners had already moved out, but they were still in the area, which also made the process a quick one.
7/6 - While negotiating, we discovered the house had an offer on it three weeks prior. Unfortunately (for the seller, but fortunately for us) the buyer backed out post inspection, and after the seller had already made the necessary repairs. This sped up our process even more, because we were able to obtain the inspection report, and waive another inspection (which could have made the process take longer). Once we were done negotiating, the seller agreed to let us move in on that Wednesday, 7/9, and rent it from them until we close (which should be by the end of the month). Here's one of the best parts....we didn't even have to move our stuff into a storage locker! We were dreading having to unload the truck into a storage locker, in the summer heat, only to load it all back into a truck a few weeks later once we located a place.
7/9 - We moved into our home in South Euclid! And, I must mention, that the kids were still in Michigan this entire time! Which, again, made the whole process much easier. They were spending the days along the shores of Lake Michigan, while we were moving into the house, cleaning, unpacking and setting up their rooms. Even with so many uncertainties coming into the situation, we have agreed that this has been the easiest move we've ever made!
7/12 - Anne picked up the kids in Michigan and brought them home. They were thrilled to see the house, and more importantly their rooms!
We've spent this past week making many Target runs, putting away lots of stuff, and getting to know our way around. I was hoping to have some pictures up of the house yet, but alas, the camera is still buried away somewhere. And, right now it would be hard to take a picture of anything without it looking like just a bunch of boxes. Plus, we've only had Internet for a few days.
However, I will let you know some details on our house. Its a two-story, split level with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, built in 1971. There's a bedroom downstairs, which became our office/crafting room. The basement has two good-sized rooms, one is now the laundry room and the other we're turning into a home gym. The kitchen is fairly big, and there's a separate living room and family room area. We love this feature, because at our other house there was just one great room. It did get crowded at times.
There are several features though that 'sold' us, and since I (Anne) am typing this I will let you know mine. First, there is a huge entryway. I think it compares in size to our bedroom at our Vancouver home. It has newer tiling on the floor, and a decent sized coat closet. We had none of this at our other home. You just walked in, and you were right on top of all the action. In fact, there were times that you couldn't even get the front door open depending on where the shoes and toys were strategically placed. Now there is a place for shoes and coats, as well as a place to greet guests.
Secondly, right behind our home are woods and the Euclid Creek. We both loved the idea of our children growing up playing in the woods. Plus, the wildlife is present! There is a mama deer with two fawns who make an appearance in our backyard at least twice daily. (I promise I will take pictures). We have a great view. There is a Euclid Creek Metro Park that is less than a half-mile away. At the park there is a 6-mile out-and-back bike path. This, too, was a selling point, considering we had the Padden Parkway bike path nearly out our front door in Vancouver.
We haven't closed on the house yet, but anticipate doing so by the end of the month. Everyone is moving very quickly for it, partly because they know we've already moved in, partly because of the situation with the seller and the previous offer.
More than anything, we know that this whole process has been very Divine. Everything has been so directly guided, that we are eternally grateful!
Check back for pictures.......
6/27 - Anne and kids leave PDX on a red-eye flight to Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Her folks have a cottage about 90 mins from there).
6/28 - Adam and his dad leave 7715 NE 55th Ave in a 26 foot Penske truck complete with a tow-rack for our Corolla. After only stopping for three overnights (near Salt Lake City, central Nebraska, and Davenport, Iowa) Adam and his dad make it to Cleveland by July 1st. (One day they put in 18 hrs of driving)!
7/2 - Anne leaves Michigan (without kids) and meets Adam in Cleveland. We had planned on leaving the kids in Michigan for at least a week with her parents while we house-hunted. We thought it would be easier that way. It was! We looked at five houses that first evening.
7/3 - 7/5 - We drove the streets of South Euclid, and walked through what we guess was about 20+ houses. We had already narrowed down our search significantly by location, which made the shopping around much simpler. Plus, South Euclid is an extremely small suburb which helps too.
7/5 - After viewing several houses, we decided the one we're in, was the one we liked the best. We began putting together an offer. The owners had already moved out, but they were still in the area, which also made the process a quick one.
7/6 - While negotiating, we discovered the house had an offer on it three weeks prior. Unfortunately (for the seller, but fortunately for us) the buyer backed out post inspection, and after the seller had already made the necessary repairs. This sped up our process even more, because we were able to obtain the inspection report, and waive another inspection (which could have made the process take longer). Once we were done negotiating, the seller agreed to let us move in on that Wednesday, 7/9, and rent it from them until we close (which should be by the end of the month). Here's one of the best parts....we didn't even have to move our stuff into a storage locker! We were dreading having to unload the truck into a storage locker, in the summer heat, only to load it all back into a truck a few weeks later once we located a place.
7/9 - We moved into our home in South Euclid! And, I must mention, that the kids were still in Michigan this entire time! Which, again, made the whole process much easier. They were spending the days along the shores of Lake Michigan, while we were moving into the house, cleaning, unpacking and setting up their rooms. Even with so many uncertainties coming into the situation, we have agreed that this has been the easiest move we've ever made!
7/12 - Anne picked up the kids in Michigan and brought them home. They were thrilled to see the house, and more importantly their rooms!
We've spent this past week making many Target runs, putting away lots of stuff, and getting to know our way around. I was hoping to have some pictures up of the house yet, but alas, the camera is still buried away somewhere. And, right now it would be hard to take a picture of anything without it looking like just a bunch of boxes. Plus, we've only had Internet for a few days.
However, I will let you know some details on our house. Its a two-story, split level with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, built in 1971. There's a bedroom downstairs, which became our office/crafting room. The basement has two good-sized rooms, one is now the laundry room and the other we're turning into a home gym. The kitchen is fairly big, and there's a separate living room and family room area. We love this feature, because at our other house there was just one great room. It did get crowded at times.
There are several features though that 'sold' us, and since I (Anne) am typing this I will let you know mine. First, there is a huge entryway. I think it compares in size to our bedroom at our Vancouver home. It has newer tiling on the floor, and a decent sized coat closet. We had none of this at our other home. You just walked in, and you were right on top of all the action. In fact, there were times that you couldn't even get the front door open depending on where the shoes and toys were strategically placed. Now there is a place for shoes and coats, as well as a place to greet guests.
Secondly, right behind our home are woods and the Euclid Creek. We both loved the idea of our children growing up playing in the woods. Plus, the wildlife is present! There is a mama deer with two fawns who make an appearance in our backyard at least twice daily. (I promise I will take pictures). We have a great view. There is a Euclid Creek Metro Park that is less than a half-mile away. At the park there is a 6-mile out-and-back bike path. This, too, was a selling point, considering we had the Padden Parkway bike path nearly out our front door in Vancouver.
We haven't closed on the house yet, but anticipate doing so by the end of the month. Everyone is moving very quickly for it, partly because they know we've already moved in, partly because of the situation with the seller and the previous offer.
More than anything, we know that this whole process has been very Divine. Everything has been so directly guided, that we are eternally grateful!
Check back for pictures.......
7.07.2008
Life Moves Quickly
I am always hesitant to say anything, until a closing date, but if all goes according to plan, here is our new-to-us home in Cleveland, Ohio. And, even more miraculously, we will most likely be moving in THIS Wednesday, a mere week after rolling into town. We're quite grateful.....6.26.2008
What I hear...
I'm in our upstairs bedroom enjoying the open windows because its a cool 66 degrees out. I'm hearing Adam begin the process of loading boxes onto our 26-foot Penske truck that is now parked in our driveway. Perhaps I should help, rather than be on the computer....? Our way of helping him, is by staying out of his way. He prefers it that way.
6.23.2008
Busy Weekend
We spent our final weekend in Vancouver, Washington, and it was a busy one! Alex's last day of school was last Wednesday, and then he had a martial arts graduation on Friday night. Allison had a dance recital on Saturday afternoon. We specifically set our move date around these three events so the kids could enjoy their activities to the fullest!
Alex graduated to a full yellow belt, and Allison performed three times (one ballet dance, one tap dance and one Hawaiian dance). To add to the fun, Granny and Grampa Mike (Anne's parents) joined us in Vancouver one last time to see the shows. We've posted many pictures below.
We're headed out this weekend. Anne is flying with the kids Friday night, and Adam and his dad are leaving with the moving truck Saturday morning. We have lots of loose ends to tie up this week, but if you're in the area, please stop by. We'd love to see you one more time!
Off to work....
Alex graduated to a full yellow belt, and Allison performed three times (one ballet dance, one tap dance and one Hawaiian dance). To add to the fun, Granny and Grampa Mike (Anne's parents) joined us in Vancouver one last time to see the shows. We've posted many pictures below.
We're headed out this weekend. Anne is flying with the kids Friday night, and Adam and his dad are leaving with the moving truck Saturday morning. We have lots of loose ends to tie up this week, but if you're in the area, please stop by. We'd love to see you one more time!
Off to work....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)