A Closer Look

Every year scores of Washingtonians make the pilgrimage to the Skagit Tulip Festival, and this year we joined the throng. Though the fields were full of color, none of it came from tulips. A cold spring delayed the blooming of the tulips, but the daffodils were out in full force. From a distance the fields seemed like they were covered in white or yellow tarps, and the distinct beauty of each individual flower couldn't be appreciated, but when viewed up close, each flower had its own look.

Andrew, being the photography hobbyist that he is, took the time to search for the perfect flowers and the perfect camera settings with which to capture the awesome scene.

The kids thought the flowers were pretty cool too, the only trouble was keeping Clancy from picking one, since he's learned the value of giving flowers to girls at an early age. FYI: Chloe was smiling, if there was a question.

We ventured into La Conner to watch the mid-afternoon parade (always a favorite with me) and found a really cute and quaint downtown. Andrew loved the jazz band playing in a public square, and I loved the shops, galleries and cafes. Clancy loved the dogs, firetrucks, and of course the candy being hurled at him from the paraders. Chloe was just happy to be held. La Conner is definitely a perfect retirement town (if anyone is looking). There Clancy found his match ...(pointing at himself and the fire hydrant), "look, we're the same!"

After driving all around the Mount Vernon/La Conner area, we found our favorite field and returned several times to get "just one more" shot. Finally, when our camera's memory card was full and the batteries drained, we called it a day and headed home.

On the way out of town, we saw this field of white. Much to the farmer's displeasure, the white in this field was not due to daffodils, but to birds eating his seeds. When the birds flew off, the ground was no longer green but a barren, seedless brown.

The rising of the birds was like a huge tidal wave, and the sound was incredible. I have never heard such a chorus of cawing and cooing. When we saw the massive flock heading our way, we scrambled to shut the sunroof and windows so we wouldn't get nailed with "bird splat" and grabbed Andrew's phone to catch the craziness of the moment. After the birds circled around and landed in the neighboring field, we left La Conner for good, feeling sorry for the farmers, but grateful for what we had witnessed.

Well, with thousands of birds overhead, we were a prime target, and our car was "bird splat"-ted on, so we headed to our local Brown Bear Car Wash, where the workers dress like missionaries and the parking lot is surrounded with brown bear statues. After an exciting, 7-minute power washing (Clancy's first carwash experience), our car was returned to its sparkling state (which it achieves very rarely) but with a lot of hubcap paint missing. Oh well, at least we still have four hubcaps...for now!

All in all, the Tulip Festival was a hit. We hope you all join us next April when the fields are full of flowers and the birds are in flight.

Four

Today we celebrate 4 years of marriage, and wedded bliss. With all that has happened and changed in the last 4 years, it seems like we've already lived through half of an eternity, but I'm still looking forward to the other half. I love you Andrew!

Here is an awesome original song that our friend and my former mission companion Cim Carr wrote for us four years ago:

Wedding Song

(sung to the Tunes of "Another Saturday Night" and the Aquabats "Skateboard Song")

Another Saturday night the week after the wedding

It's half past midnight, but there's no more curfew.

All week long they've been getting surprises,

Oh, what they both wish they knew.

They'll share a bank account and a bed and a bathroom

When they have kids they'll share a big mini van

When Laura speaks Cantonese out loud while she's sleeping

her new roommate will understand.

Oh, Oh, she'll change her last name and get a new ID

They'll watch old re-runs of 3's Company

When he cooks her breakfast

He'll know how she likes her eggs

When he can't find his razor

It's cause she's using it on her legs

Oh how they'll love their life in matrimony

In their new world filled with surprising fun

No more secrets No flirting Just marriage

For our new couple Mr. and Mrs. Wan.

When Laura met his parents she felt kinda nervous

and had to show them both that she was the best

After all of their interrogation

She passed the lie detector test.

For Andrew the story was a little bit different

He won her family just by honking his nose

And after all those months of patiently waiting

They were glad he finally proposed.

Oh, Oh, they'll buy a new house

And Start a new family

Their kids will look like Cindy Brady and Bruce Lee

He's never had a sister

So he'll have to learn about PMS

And when she asks

You should never say she looks fat in her dress

How they'll love their life in matrimony

In their new world filled with surprising fun

No more secrets No flirting Just marriage

For our new couple Mr. and Mrs. Wan

Their relationship has been defined

They both knew it from the start

Now they'll have to lock their heart

Till the end, end, end of time.

They'll never have to worry about being alone

'Cause Philippina's like to call him on the phones

he'll read Martha Stewart Living

He'll read the Wall Street Journal

They'll be so glad they found their companion eternal.

How they'll love their life in matrimony

In their new world filled with surprising fun

No more secrets No flirting Just marriage

For our new couple Mr. and Mrs. Wan

A Reminder

The other day I had a bit of a revealing experience as I was sitting in my car waiting in a crowd for a chance to fill up my gas tank at Costco. For some reason, as I was looking around at my fellow Costco patrons, the thought came to me that everyone has their own set of hidden trials, challenges, weaknesses, and hurts along with talents, gifts, joys, etc. I was reminded about how important it is to treat everyone gently and carefully. You never know how your interactions with people will affect them for good or bad.

That same evening, I saw a report on the NBC Nightly news about Susan Boyle, a contestant on "Britain's Got Talent". I was as amazed and shocked as was everyone else that saw the video. It just reminded me that we can never judge a person's worth or validity based on appearances or personality. Even if Susan didn't have an amazing voice, she would still be a valuable and interesting person. Everyone has a gift.

For those of you that haven't seen the video of Susan's audition, check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Skills (read Skeels)!

Like Napolean Dynamite Clancy and Chloe have some pretty rad skills. Instead of num-chuk skills and cake-baking skills, they have:

1. Dismantling skills (a.k.a. Jenga skills)



2. Domination Skills (this picture tells it all)

3. Food Appreciation Skills


4. Crowd-pleasing skills

This plus a host of other really fascinating skills... As you can tell, I'm the proud parent. Noone ever told me how entertaining having children can be. I love these kids, they make me laugh!