Happy birthday, grandmother

I am so fortunate to have three of my grandparents alive and well as I approach middle-age. My paternal grandmother had a milestone birthday last week...I think it's 90 (I lost count somewhere along the way). I was not able to go to the celebration, but here are some photos from "my favorite cousin", Shanon.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Three Generations

Three Generations

 

We bought a new computer this weekend, and it came with a scanner. So, we pulled out some old photos to scan. I haven't seen this one in about eight years. I love it. It's my now ten-year old Matthew and me with my only living grandpa, and Matt's only living great grandpa.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

We had a pumpkin carving party at the poolhouse tonight. Lots of friends were there and there were many, many pumpkins carved! Fun, fun, fun! Here are some photos.

From 2007-Q4-Pumpk...

What happens when you mix "funnest" and "hardest"?

What happens when you mix "funnest" and "hardest"?

With all of the "indoor" time necessitated by the smoke in the air here, we've been looking for cheap fun indoors. So, this week we taught Matthew and Madison to play "Nertz". Nertz is like a group game of solitaire where everyone is allowed to play on the Aces in the middle. I think it's a common game, but it goes by different names in different parts of the country (Nerf, Gluck, Peanuts, Pounce, Solitaire Frenzy...).

Anyway, it's a really fun game to play with the family, but it's quite a bit more challenging than any card game the kids have ever tried. So, after about three hands Matthew was having a great time. He blurted out

This is the FARDEST game I've ever played!

Of course, he simply used the common contraction of "Funnest" and "Hardest", but it sure made us laugh!

We're home!!!

We're finally home. As you can see from this photo, the fire was dangerously close to campus. I'll post some more photos later. But there is evidence of the fire all around. The top of the ridge surrounding campus is black and the brush over by Baxter is completely burned up. My friend JA says that the fire was burning about five-feet from the Payson Library and that at one point the fire fighters asked the Emergency Operations Center to move from Thornton because they did not believe they could protect it from the flames. Amazing!

We were only inconvenienced for a few days, and we had a good time. We went to the movies, Chuck E. Cheese's, the bookstore, and out to eat. Overall, it was not a bad time. However, Michelle and I were pretty stressed and on the edge much of the time. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have lived through Katrina. To be displaced from your home and have no control over the events causing your displacement is very uncomfortable. May God have mercy on all of those who are affected by this fire and other natural and man-made disasters around our world.

Thanks to all of those who have called, e-mailed, prayed, or posted.

We are still fine. We

We are still fine. We are having fun in Ventura. Hope to be home tonight.

We are still fine. Roads

We are still fine. Roads in & out of Malibu are still closed. Hope to be home tuesday.

We are still fine. Roads

We are still fine. Roads in & out of Malibu are still closed. Hope to be home tuesday.

The Latest News

We are still fine, but not back home yet. Pepperdine allowed faculty/staff/students to return to their homes about 2pm this afternoon. However, they are still encouraging people to stay off the roads nearby. So, we're at the La Quinta Inn Ventura for a few days. We've spoken to several friends who stayed on campus and I think they are out of danger for now. The fire is still nearby, and smoke is a big problem. I think our house and furniture will smell for years. :-( But no people or buildings at Pepperdine were injured.

The biggest personal loss to us is the Malibu Presbyterian Church. MPC has been a wonderful presence in our lives these past four years. We've worshiped there several times, plus the kids participate in their VBS, Michelle has Community Bible Study there, as well as M.O.P.S. (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers), and--most importantly--where Marcus attends pre-school. Apparently the church building was completely lost. On TV we've seen footage of the play area, where Marcus enjoys the sandbox, completely gone.

Please keep the good people of Malibu Pres in your prayers. Many of our friends and colleagues are members there and they have a long and difficult journey ahead.

Fortunately, the local elementary school is completely safe so far. However, all classes in Malibu (PU and local schools) are canceled for tomorrow and will re-evaluate Monday afternoon about the rest of the week.

2007-Q3-Pepperdine Fire

This morning at about 6:45 am we were awakened with news of a fire near campus. We evacuated by 7:20AM to Camarillo. Now we're at a friends house in the Conejo Valley. Here are some photos of the smoke over campus on the way out.

Pepperdine was just evacuated due

Pepperdine was just evacuated due to a fire. We are fine. We left at 7 am for denny's.

School Photos are here...

Fifth & Third Grade photos. Too cute, huh?

We're so pathetic...

Michelle and I are FREEZING! I just came home from class and it feels like a freakin' freezer in the house. I checked the temp and promptly turned on the heater. It was 69 degrees in our house! Gosh!

Outerspace

Outerspace
Originally uploaded by M_M_M_M_M_W

We went to the Malibu Pres Autumn Festival tonight. It was a kick. One of the highlights was the rock wall. Marcus tried several times. At first, he would go about 10-feet, then drop back down and do it again. Finally, on his fourth try he kept going. He LOVED it! He did it over and over. After his third time to the top, I had to beg him to leave so we could go do something else. He was so proud. Later that night as we sat around eating dinner he said, "Dad, I was in outer space! It was just black above me!" :-) So cute! I still remember the first time Matt made it to the top at a mall in Nashville with the Becks. He was probably about 4 or 5.

Good days.

A reason to celebrate...

Guess who was named one of the 2007 Howard A. White Teaching Excellence Award winners at this year's Pepperdine University Faculty Conference?

Thanks KK!

AreSlugsCredible
Originally uploaded by M_M_M_M_M_W

Speaking of old friends... KK read my post a few weeks ago where Tiny had a bad case of "slug disease". Today, this tee shirt arrived in the mail for her. She loves it!

Thanks, KK!

Old friends...

MeAndAnn
Originally uploaded by M_M_M_M_M_W

I'll never forget one of the oddest social experiences I have ever had.

It was one time when I was a student At Oklahoma Christian. I was probably twenty years old and was visiting a church in Dallas with a friend of mine. before the service as we were sitting and waiting for things to the again, a woman in front of me turned around to look in the back of the auditorium. When she saw my face she'd looked straight into my eyes and asked "Are you David and Jeanette Williams' son?"

I felt so odd. Almost like I had done something wrong.

This was a church I have never been to and I had no memory of this woman. However, she had been a close family friend fifteen years earlier when we lived in Dallas. Somehow, she recognized me over fifteen years later even though I was only a kid when we left TX.

I had a similar experience this week when I ran into an old friend from Frederick. I haven't seen the Bryan's since 1984 when I was a freshman in HS. Yet we recognized one another and enjoyed an afternoon together.

Here's to old friends!

Vote for 9/12

Tom Friedman is a good author (I recommend "The World is Flat"). But I don't often read his NYT OpEd column. Today's however, is worth a read.

Enough is enough!

When will madness like this stop? I've blogged before about Blackwater, but what will it take to stop this craziness?

Powered by ScribeFire.