Can you translate....?

Alex turns 6!

How is it that he keeps getting older when we haven't aged a day?

A Bedtime Note from Alex

Creative Allison

Race for the Cure

Yesterday we participated in Portland's Race for the Cure. The Portland event is the fourth largest in the country with over 45,000 participants. We were ambitious, so we registered all four of us for the 5K run. Alex finished with an impressive time of 42 minutes. His only stop was at the aid station for water. Allison's time was closer to an hour, however she did cover most of the distance on her own two feet.

The Karate Kid

Wacky Hat Day

Allison's Big Day

Allison started preschool today at Hosanna Christian School. She will be attending on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. She chose to wear her favorite dress, which is a hand-me-down from her good friend Caitlin. She had a choice of several 'new school outfits', but none 'twirl' as well as this dress. Here are some highlights....

She really, really likes her teacher, Mrs. Matthews.
She had Rice Krispie treats as a snack.
She got to play with blocks on the table.
She got to sing some silly songs.
She got to go outside for recess.

This afternoon Allison attended her first ballet class of the season. She has been looking forward to this since class ended last spring. It was a very, busy day for her.

Alex's First Day

Today was a big day for Alex. It was his first day of school at Roosevelt Elementary! Last spring we had him screened for the Transitional First Grade (T1) program within the Vancouver School District. This program is designed for older kindergartners (must be 6 by December) that may be ready for a full day of school, but don't have the foundational skills for the first grade. He had a great day, and here are some noteworthy facts he reported when he got home....

They get 2 recesses!
Ms. Pulham (his teacher) has a daughter named Allison.
He would like to have his friend Morgan over to play.
There are two Zacharys and two Andrews in his class.
Brandon shared his skittles with Alex at lunch.
Ms. Pulham read the book, Franklin Goes to School.
It was Amber's birthday, and she brought cupcakes.
The sink in the bathroom has a pedal, and three people can wash their hands at the same time!
They have 170 something days left.
They are going to practice writing their names, addresses and telephone numbers.

Tomorrow is Allison's first day of Preschool. Check back for an update on her....

Allison's Attempt at French

An Interview with Alex and Allison

The kids and I (Anne) were playing around with the camera today. Warning....they get kind of hyper when I pull out the camera.

Alex and Allison Singing

Alex Reading

Animal Diaries

This came to us the other day via e-mail. I think all pet-owners will appreciate....

The Diary of a Dog

8:00 AM: Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 AM: A car ride! My favorite thing!

9:40 AM: A walk in the park! My favorite thing!

10:30 AM: Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!

12:00 PM: Lunch! My favorite thing!

1:00 PM: Played in the yard! My favorite thing!

3:00 PM: Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!

5:00 PM: Milk bones! My favorite thing!

7:00 PM: Got to play ball! My favorite thing!

8:00 PM: Wow! Watched TV with my family! My favorite thing!

11:00 PM: Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

The Diary of a Cat

It is day 683 of my captivity: My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and myself are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I vomit on the floor.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. The audacity! There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released --and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded! The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. The captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe....... For now.

The Class of 2011

We found this on Scott Crocker's blog. Each year Beloit College distributes their Mindset List and this year's was just released. The Mindset List gives a glimpse into the worldview of the nation's 18-year-olds and the world they grew up in. This is true of today's college freshmen, most of whom were born in 1989 (note: Adam was a high school junior in 1989, and Anne was a sophomore).

Here are a few highlights...

- What Berlin Wall?
- They never "rolled down" a car window.
- They have grown up with bottled water.
- Nelson Mandela has always been free and a force in South Africa.
- Pete Rose has never played baseball.
- Rap music has always been mainstream.
- "Off the hook" has never had anything to do with a telephone.
- Wal-Mart has always been a larger retailer than Sears and has always employed more workers than GM.
- Al Gore has always been running for president or thinking about it.
- They grew up in Wayne's World.
- U2 has always been more than a spy plane.
- They were introduced to Jack Nicholson as "The Joker."
- Fox has always been a major network.
- Being a latchkey kid has never been a big deal.
- They learned about JFK from Oliver Stone and Malcolm X from Spike Lee.
- Tiananmen Square is a 2008 Olympics venue, not the scene of a massacre.
- MTV has never featured music videos.
- They get much more information from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert than from the newspaper.

- They're always texting 1 n other.
- They never saw Johnny Carson live on television.
- The World Wide Web has been an online tool since they were born.
- Food packaging has always included nutritional labeling.
- Russia has always had a multi-party political system.
- Being 'lame' has to do w/ being dumb or inarticulate, not disabled.

A New Year

Tomorrow begins a new year for Campus Crusade in Portland. For Anne and I, it will be the start of our tenth year with Campus Crusade. I will be in planning meetings all week with the staff team. We will be figuring out strategies, schedules, and events for the coming months. Please pray for focus and wisdom as we pursue what God has laid out for us this year!

Ho hum...

How to impress your children! Again this year I (Adam) am training for the Portland Marathon on October 7. This requires a series of increasingly long runs each weekend to build the necessary endurance to run 26 miles on race day.

A few weeks ago I ran 14 miles. I told Alex how far I ran. His response: "Why didn't you just run one more mile and go 15?"

The next weekend I ran 16 miles. Alex's reply: "So? That's only two miles more than you did last weekend."

CM2007 Review

This July, while we were in Colorado, Campus Crusade hosted one of its largest conferences ever in South Korea. 16,000 Students from 127 countries united in Busan, South Korea at Campus Mission 2007, the Campus Ministry's first global student mission conference
hosted by Korea Campus Crusade for Christ. The purpose of the international attendees - to be trained to reach their respective countries for Christ. Check out the video for highlights....

Typical marriage stuff

When I got home today, Anne and I had the following coversation. Keep in mind, we used to get upset about stuff like this. Now, we laugh:

Anne: "I threw away that awful green pillow that was on the sofa."
Me: "But that was my favorite pillow to sleep on when I am on the sofa."
Anne: "I'm sorry...I didn't know."
Me: "That's fine."
Anne: "You can get it out of the garbage can if you want. I'll wash it."
Me: "... ... Did you throw it in the can with the dog poop, or the one with a couple inches of 'garbage water' in the bottom?"
Anne: "... ... I'm so sorry."

RIP, comfy pillow.