one down. two to go

tie day at Sidney Glen
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

Today marked the end of the first trimester at our school. It was also the end of the month and time to celebrate November birthdays. The school had a 'tie day' to encourage school spirit. We of course rocked out at our now infamous IMA monthly party. The down side of this academic milestone is that I will be spending most of this weekend working on report cards.

Thanksgiving 2007

Turkey time with eighteen
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

We enjoyed a family holiday with both the Eides and Bulthuis' We are fortunate to have so much family in Lynden. Jenny's family also came up to Lynden, so they joined us for the Eide turkey dinner on Thursday. Markus brought an SPU friend, Scott, from Colorado who joined us as well. Mike and Marti hosted the feast which included oyster stuffing for the hearty Norwegians. Instead of shopping on 'Black Friday,' we enjoyed a walk at Boulevard Park in the sunshine. In the evening, we celebrated with the Bulthuis' at Doug and Pam's. Jack and Sue were up with Aaron and Jen, and Ellen spent the week with mom. It was good catching up and celebrating God's goodness. We also visited with Anna and girls who came up from from Tacoma, and longtime friends, Frank and Cynthia. On Sunday morning we visited 'Vintage 242' Bjorn and Jenny's church that meets in a movie theater in Abbotsford. The church is part of the Acts 29 church planting network, and Bjorn and Jenny are very involved in serving - Jenny with children's ministry, and Bjorn with music, AV and developing the web site. It was great to visit with so many family and friends.

Qwest Field at last

Josh Brown celebrates his tackle of Hester
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

Yesterday was my first visit to Qwest Field. Markus and I joined about forty people from Harper Church at the Seahawks/Bears game. We felt fortunate to catch the Hawks on a good day! From the nosebleed section, you can't see the game as well, but the atmosphere is great. To help add to the 12th man noise, I found myself belting out any kind of strange cry that my vocal chords could produce. The intensity in the stadium is so much higher on defense than on offense. The cheer over a completed pass is dwarfed by response to a false start. The crowd acts like they are an active participant of the defense (which they are!) My favorite play of the game was when kicker Josh Brown tackled the ominous Devin Hester. I don't suppose I'll get a chance to go to another game soon, so I'll cherish the feelings as I cheer on the Seahawks from my couch.

a new 'getaway' destination

our Astoria lodging
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

Every fall, Esther and I like to do a weekend getaway. We often go to Leavenworth or the Oregon coast. Last minute reserving insured that the bavarian village would not host our outing. Turning our attention to the coast, we were reminded that some Portland friends had recommended lodging in Astoria. With some reservation we booked a room at the Hotel Elliot, a renovated hotel that looked inviting. We were pleasantly surprised by our stay in the historic city. The town seems to be on the upswing, with galleries and boutiques slowly taking over abandoned buildings. We thoroughly enjoyed the dining options. Since the weather was nice on Saturday, we went up to the Astoria Column, which overlooks the whole northwest tip of Oregon. It was great! I enjoyed the Columbia River Maritime Museum as well. Astoria is close to Seaside and Canon Beach, so we were able to catch the coastal thing before returning home.

27 and still going strong

27 and still going strong
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

I faced a choice this month of whether or not to fix the brakes on the Datsun. Because of some unique features, brake replacement is a little more costly than most. After some hesitation, I went ahead and replaced the brakes. My father bought the 1980 200SX new and was quite proud of it. When he moved to a minivan a few years later, he passed it on to the Bishops. Jack kept exceptional care of it as it cycled through all three of their children: Aaron, Sarah and Rebekah. Jack gave the car to Markus, who used it for three years, and now it is under Calvin's 'protection.' My dad would be proud to know that his 'Datsun' has passed through five grandchildren.

Lynden visit

spooky table decor
Originally uploaded by The Enforcer

We spent Friday night and Saturday in Lynden. One of the purposes of the quick trip was to see Bjorn and Jenny's Halloween decorations before they took them down. They had quite an event on Wednesday night. We wished we could have been there. Another reason we made the trip was to say good bye to nephew Zach who left Saturday for Colorado. He will work at the ski resort in Brekenridge for the winter. With Kelsea in Hawaii and Zach leaving for the winter, John and Kay were feeling a heavy dose of desertion. We were also able to spend a little time with my mom, taking her to an apple orchard to pick up some cider and other goodies. This afternoon, we went with Calvin and the DeLacys to a college fair in Seattle. Calvin has some new schools to scope out now.