Ok, here’s another one and it’s pretty bad…
Two years ago, my mom and I went up to Portland to visit Fran (we weren’t married yet). We decided to go to the local Elmer’s to have dinner. As the hostess was getting our menus, she turned to us and said, ”Okay, two adults and one child?” Sheesh! I was already 28 then…
The end…until I go to another restaurant!
On our way to the conference, we had lunch at Olive Garden. And now I have another restaurant story to add to my repertoire:
At the restaurant, our server kept calling me “sweetie”…ONLY me. Every time she would ask me something, she would call me “sweetie.” We would all grin at the table because we were thinking the same thing – our server probably thinks I’m a little kid. So, when she came back the next time, my boss asked her who she thought was older – her or me. Without hesitation, our server said, ”Oh, I am.” When we asked her how old she was, with confidence she said, “I’m 20.” Well, after I told her I was 30, she stopped calling me “sweetie.”
But now can you guess what my nickname at the office is?
So last week was our very last teacher conference of the season. It was in the Seattle area, specifically in Bothell, WA. I had a blast! I was still nervous, but more prepared for what was to come. For those of you praying and biting your nails with me, all went well! Conferences are interesting in that they are extremely tiring but also extremely rewarding. I kinda miss it, now that it’s all over with…I took some pictures on my phone, but for some reason the pictures are too big…so, instead, I’ve decided to name the Top 5 things at this particular conference:
1) The beautiful weather and surroundings. Washington is so beautiful with the trees changing color. The weather was great! No rain – just the crisp air and clear fall skies. I loved taking a detour through Kirkland, WA too.
2) Spending time with our national director of early education. She is an awesome lady – inspiring, wise and so thoughtful! She’s based in Colorado Springs so it was nice to see her again. We also got to eat in swanky Bellevue Square…that was a treat!
3) Choppin’ it up (i.e. having a good conversation) with our office staff on the drive to and fro. It’s nice getting to know co-workers and building context with them.
4) Jeff Myers – a great speaker who has impacted my thinking about leadership and “passing the baton” to the next generation. He’s very funny and down to earth too. You can read about him here, here and here.
5) Being around so many teachers and leaders of organizations that seek to make Christ known. I was borderline overwhelmed by all the people I encountered – it was an educational/training event, but it also felt like church!
I thank the Lord for guiding my steps and for providing the wisdom to make decisions and know what to do. He gets all the credit!
We finally went on our anniversary getaway! We were so blessed to be gifted by family and friends with a stay at the Alderbrook Resort & Spa for our first year anniversary and 30th birthdays. It was wonderful! The weather was a little chilly – perfect for cozying up next to the window and soaking in the beautiful sky and water.
Rustic-chic
Strolling on the pier
Parents be warned…
We had a refreshing time of reconnecting and talking/praying about our goals for the next year. Thank you family and friends for pampering us!
As soon as we met Thomas, we knew we would get along with him. He is thoughtful, genuine and very talented. His violin adds a rich layer to the music on Sunday at church.
Thomas has a knack for getting people together – he truly has a shepherd’s heart. When he’s not busy being a surgeon, he performs with another talented musician, John (who also happens to be the assistant pastor and worship leader at church) at several venues around Portland.
So we present to you our friend Thomas, who we have only known for a short time, but who we feel like we’ve known for a long time…
What is one favorite memory growing up?
My favorite memory from childhood is going to a baseball game with my father. It was in Korea, the baseball was terrible (it was the national championship for high school teams–my dad’s high school was in the finals ) but I was really happy to just be there with my dad, who was usually a very serious man, acting happy and excited.
Name one person, besides family, that has had an impact in your life. Why?
Jamie Wilson was the pastor in charge of outreach to the homeless at the church that I went to in San Diego. Not only did his ministry feed hundreds of people every day, but he also ran a residential discipleship program for some of the homeless men that he got to know. This was with his wife and small children. He had such a clear idea about what it meant for him to live in faith. How he lived his life challenged me and gave me hope that following Jesus courageously can be truly beautiful.
What is one ritual you must have each day?
I need my morning coffee before I can get out the door.
What do you like most about your occupation? What do you like least?
I love that I get to care for people in my job. I hate that there are well meaning regulations in health care that are now so stupid and attention-dividing that it gets in the way of caring for people.
If you could only save only one earthly possession, what would it be?
I would save my violin.
What do people say you’re good at?
I am formally trained on the violin and worked on it with sweat and tears. I’m actually sort of a hack on the piano. I have never taken lessons but I was able to transfer what I learned about music and learn to play.
Who would play you in a movie?
Clearly, the role of Fezik in Princess Bride.
We know you love good books. Tell us about one that has had an impact on you and that you would want to pass on to others.
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Not only is the book very effective in eliminating any unwarranted euphoria about one’s spiritual self esteem, but challenged my understanding of what it means to be Christian.
Are you looking forward to any big events in the near future?
I’m getting married this coming January! I have known my fiancée Donna for 23 years. Through many turns and twists, God has woven our stories together despite us living in different cities for so long. We’re grateful and excited!
We’re excited for you and Donna too!
Thanks Thomas!
Portland is so beautiful in the summer. Lush trees, balmy breezes and deep blue skies.
But…even as I type, it is raining outside…so I need to keep reminding myself that everything is so green and pleasant here in the summer because of all the rain we get in the fall and winter…
If I start complaining in January will you remind me?
Remember my hankering for Asian snacks? Well, someone heard and they totally delivered! After a long week, I arrived home to find this glorious box filled to the brim with my fave snacks! Okay, so the packages weren’t arranged as nicely, but I wanted to make sure you got a glimpse of everything:
I love everything about these snacks – the cute packaging, the interesting slogans on the front (one says “A Happy Present from the Earth”), and the promise of delicious-ness! In case you’re interested here are the contents:
ONE huge box of strawberry Panda crackers (I’m munching on some right now!)
ONE huge bag of Shrimp chips (which Fran doesn’t like, which is fine with me because I don’t have to share them!)
ONE container of garlicky peanuts
ONE bag of Kasugai roasted nuts
TWO Pocky boxes – strawberry flavored, no less!
TWO bags of Snowpea Crisps
FIVE bags of gummies (melon, peach, mango and strawberry)
and the best of all …TWO bags of pan de sal…oh yeah!
Do I sound like a piglet? Am I using too many exclamation marks? Sorry – snacks make me happy. Don’t worry, due to my diabetic diet, I will spread out these treats and only have small servings…oh yeah, and make sure Fran has some too. We have been eating our pan de sal with almost every meal. When Fran made hamburgers the other night, we even used them for the buns…
Mini pan de sal burgers and homemade potato crisps…so good!
THANK YOU THANK YOU ATE MAAN AND FAM!!
Last week was our Portland convention and boy am I relieved it’s over! Not that I didn’t enjoy myself. It’s just that this was my first big convention and first time planning the Early Education part of it. The one thing I most dreaded – speaking in front of everyone! The one thing I enjoyed the most – meeting people. I was too busy to really take any pictures, but I did take some that are kinda boring because there are no real people in them. But this is to give you some idea of the convention. If you go to HCS, then you pretty much know how things work. And by the way, it is so fascinating to be on the other side of these conventions!
Looking up from the lobby of the Oregon Convention Center
Conference booklets with the theme of the year
A pillow from my hotel room. No, I did not have sweet dreams – I had nightmares that I would mess up my speech in front of the president, that I wouldn’t have enough rooms for my speakers or that I would oversleep and totally miss the whole conference and get fired from my job. Thankfully none of that happened! And yes, I did stay at a hotel even though our house is seven minutes away! I told you, I was afraid that I would miss the whole thing…I would’ve slept in the lobby of the OCC if they allowed it.
Well, despite all my worries, the conference went well and I think people were blessed, refreshed and encouraged. I don’t know about the refreshed part since I barely slept all week, but I was blessed and encouraged. It did make me miss being a teacher!
Next up, Seattle Conference – the biggest one!
