Japan Relief Trip

 Getting packed up. United Airlines waived fees on four bags each.

(Click images for larger view)

 Pretty varied assortment of stuff!

 Clay came to pray for us

Team mate Paul Bishop and good friend Shelley

 Interviewed by Hannah Horne WIS-TV
Click here to watch.

 Ready to depart Columbia

 In Chicago O'Hare in plenty of time to connect

 Catching up on stuff

 Our plane

 All Nippon Airways food

 The stewardess took our picture

Sometimes only heaven's perspective makes sense of our paths 

 Never seen this before - Immigration almost deserted

We HAD to eat again

 We are based at Honda Chapel in Chiba. Tohoku is the name of the larger area where the earthquake and tsunami hit.

 Several pics of a Sunday School room taken over as headquarters

 Bob Drews, MTW Chiba missionary, and team mate Paul Bishop

Paul and I will probably be here at the home base doing assigned tasks for a day or so and then go north to help directly with relief efforts. It is a 6-7 hour drive. The other three members of our team arrived here Tuesday and left at 3 this morning to drive up.

Need sleep! Barely running on jet lag fumes. Should be able to post tomorrow before going north.

Thanks again so much for your prayers!

See Paul's blog here.

Baptism, Christmas and Ice Storm

Catching up on the blog since tomorrow is the third day of closings due to snow and ice!

 Ella and Dave before the service in which Kate was baptized, Dec. 19, 2010

Beautiful stained glass windows

 Both sets of grandparents were there!

 Before the service

Kate, the guest of honor

Family row before service

Dave and I did a tile project in their new family room / man cave. To save money the hearth was unfinished so we finished it.

Done!

Another project was to install a GFI outlet in their bathroom. Previous owner was using the "fixture" on the left - an extension cord tacked to the wall with a sheet rock screw.

One night we drove through this huge light display. Probably 50+ displays.

Kate chewing on some kind of oversize toxic glowing pacifier

One night we went to B's house for dinner. Here's a macro of greenery on her porch in the snow.

Had a wonderful time, watched Charlie Brown's Christmas, had a delicious meal from B's kitchen, and opened stockings.

Ella was in a Christmas Eve presentation and candlelight service

Our Christmas Eve feast back at Dave & Rinny's

Trying to calm down and go to bed on Christmas Eve

Christmas morning (yes, it was snowing!)

Lucy, Ella and Baba decorated a gingerbread house

Lexington got 4-5 inches of snow followed by a coating of ice Jan. 9 that closed us down for 3 days

A New Dog

After Conan died, I tried to keep our household to one dog...I really did...for a whole 2 weeks.  Then I gave in and rescued a new little boy.

See Spot.

See Spot cuddle.

See Spot pose.  Smile, Spot, Smile!

See Spot walk.  Walk, Spot, walk!
















See Spot hang around.
















(By the way, Dave's parents' names were Dick and Jane!)

If you don't understand why this is funny, you're just not old enough!