Mother's Day Tribute to Kathy

Before we get started with this Mother's Day blog tribute... Thank you so much, Kathy, for leaving Lena at home with me this weekend.  It sounds like you girls had a great time at the beach.  Lena and I had non-stop fun during our Daddy-Daughter time here at home!

Getting a little crazy at home while Mommy plays at the beach

With a Mommy like Kathy, our baby Lena is the luckiest 20 month old in the world!

Lena and I spent last weekend honoring Kathy with the expected 18-stem rose bouquet, dinner, gifts and Mother’s Day card (from Lena, of course).  One thing I’m just now getting around to, however, is publicly celebrating the qualities that make Kathy such a knock-out Mommy!

Judging by these (mostly) previously unreleased Mommy-baby photos, it’s obvious that Kathy is…

A Mommy who relaxes at home with Lena

A Mommy who also takes Lena outside to splash around in the pool

A Mommy who is always working hard

A Mommy who shows off Lena at every restaurant

A Mommy who plays with Lena on the beach while Daddy surfs

A Mommy who occasionally dons Daddy’s baby backpack to join Lena and Daddy for their hikes

A Mommy who swings with Lena at the park

A Mommy who steers Lena through the maze of big kids after church (This pic could have been included in last week's "Lena Gets Moving" blog post!)

A Mommy who fosters Lena’s love of flowers and plant life…

…and also her love of animals!

A Mommy who helps Lena make new friends… like Reagan!

A Mommy who brings Lena to PDX Airport to visit Daddy at work

A Mommy who makes Lena aware of human need and global missions (pictured above at the WPC Homecoming missions benefit dinner)

And a Mommy who rocks Lena to sleep when she needs rest.

Of course, things aren’t fun and rosy 100% of the time...

I just couldn’t resist including this hilarious pic of Lena scowling at Mommy during Daddy’s birthday weekend hike!

….But no matter what, Kathy is a Mommy who shows her love to Lena with every moment that they spend together!

We may have officially celebrated last weekend, but it’s never too late to keep wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day, Kathy!!  You’re the best!

Coming Friday night on Garth's Blog...

An E.P.I.C. Student Ministry Update

Followed by...

Lena's first ever trip to the zoo!

And then...

My crazy adventures in Asia this month!!

Lena Gets Moving

Update: Additional, mostly new photos were added on 5/11/13!

The room fell silent as Lena unexpectedly walked a record 10 steps during our student ministry outreach event last night.  This morning, she took around 30 steps away from her bedroom door!  And her new walking skills were the center of attention this afternoon at the L.A. Fitness "Kids Club" during my workout.

Ever since taking her first steps a few weeks ago (video clip here), Lena has been dominating the floor of every room she lands in.  After all, her earlier attempts to walk have already been drawing crowds for the past 19 months!

Here are few previously unreleased photos from the long journey of Lena getting up and moving:

We're not going back to the very beginning (that would be 9/10/11!), but we have to start somewhere.  At 6 months old, Lena strengthened her neck muscles enough to lift up her head...

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...Then, we propped 8 month old Lena up against a step in our living room...

...And Lena soon developed the core muscles to sit up on her own!





Next, Lena learned to climb up the step in our sunken living room...







...And then, for the first time, she bouldered her way back down!









I'm so glad that I had my camera handy as Lena bravely navigated her first stair!















Then, Lena had to figure out how to crawl...

At 16 months old, we fully expected Lena to be walking already. She continued to try new things, though, like when she tackled the stairs of our rental house in Sunriver.

That same weekend in Sunriver (The story of Brent and Cheryl's wedding is here and here), Lena mastered the art of letting go with one hand while standing.



Lena eventually learned to briefly stand on her own, to bounce while standing, and to take a few steps while holding onto the hand of a grown-up.


As most readers know by now, this all led to Lena's big, long awaited moment last month:

The day Lena took her first steps!

We're taking Lena to the Portland Zoo tomorrow to celebrate her turning 20 months old.  Now that she's occasionally on her feet, my load just got 24 lbs lighter!

Coming next weekend on Garth's Blog...

A photo-filled Mother's Day tribute to Kathy!!

Milan Epilogue

My Russian friend Ravil' Sadreev snapped this photo of me and added it to his blog in New York's JFK airport on my way home from Milan, Italy.  Photo credit:  http://www.innerlight.ru/index.php?option=com_easyblog&view=entry&id=15&Itemid=198&lang=ru

Can't get enough of my quick trip to Switzerland and Italy (links)?  Well, here's an unscheduled blog post about one of my typical, comfy cozy trips back home to the US:

Train from Milan:  Dog tired but undeterred by a late-ish night out and a morning sucker punch to the wallet (read: money clip... I'm old school like that) by the Milan Hostel Emmy, I chased down the earliest train to the airport possible.

 

Milan Malpensa airport:  Leave it to creative Italian airport designers to transform a bare, darkened foyer into a futuristic looking laser tag arena.  It's kind of awkward when you're the only passenger who wants to play laser tag, though.

Even with all of the morning's hurdles, I checked in at the Milan airport with time to chill.  As usual, I was seated in the cushy Business Elite cabin for the flight back to the U.S.  I am so thankful for my job at Delta Airlines!

JFK Airport:  In New York, Ravil' Sadreev and I killed a few hours as he traveled from Russia to San Francisco.  We talked about everything from surfing the world's oceans to Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina (film vs. the novel).  His photo of me is at the top of this post, and this is my half of our photographic "Mexican stand-off":

I can't wait for Ravil' to visit the Northwest so I can teach him how to surf some waves!  Check out Ravil's blog at http://www.innerlight.ru/index.php?option=com_easyblog&view=entry&id=15&Itemid=198&lang=ru for his side of our story (in Russian) and his long shot of me below:

Ravil's caption: The deserted cafe. A lone companion. And the endless talk about the waves of our own happiness. New York. USA. March - 2013.

Home:  While I was overseas for the weekend, nearly 18 month old Lena returned home from Salem and discovered a creative use for my boxers.  Not just any baby can pull off the Middle Eastern headdress look, but Lena rocks the hijab with style!

Coming Thursday night on Garth's Blog...

Photos from the journey of Lena learning to walk!!

Italy: Killing a Day in Milan

Duomo cathedral in Milan, Italy

My current situation: I have been briefly detained in Micronesia, trying to catch a flight out of Guam to continue a long, complex journey home from my extended weekend in Asia.  I'll post some of the crazy stories and pics from this week's compact Asian adventure in the coming weeks!

But first, we conclude our previous Switzerland: A Protest in Lausanne, Switzerland story (link) and finish in Milan, Italy...

Avocado and eggs. Sebastien, a buddy Kathy and I met last year at Club Med in the Turks and Caicos Islands, whipped us up a quick breakfast before we left his second story flat in Lausanne, Switzerland. We walked downstairs, up the hill, past the site of the previous day's protest in front of the Church of Saint-François (pictured below), and to Seb's bus stop.

Seb and I said our groggy goodbyes, and I continued on to the Lausanne train station.

Zurich was my planned destination, but second thoughts crept into my mind as I waited in line to buy a train ticket.  The flights out of Zurich to visit friends at my next European stop (and back to New York) were overbooked.

Plan B: I had friends in both Italy and France I could visit. And Milan was only a short train ride away from southern Switzerland!

Houtan from Bologna and Neal & Sandy from San Francisco were my seat mates on the train ride from Switzerland to Italy. They had some fascinating stories to tell.

Rail side views of Switzerland's and Italy's mountains, forests and rivers were breathtaking!

Crossing over Italy's border from Switzerland

Houtan and I talked for a while at the Milan train station before parting ways. He transferred to a train heading home, and I hopped on a couple of Metro lines to find the hostel I had booked that morning from Switzerland.

A much longer than usual roundup of my backpacking blunders from Milan: 

• Getting into an unnecessary tussle during check-in at the Milan Hostel Emmy
• Searching all over my Milan neighborhood for a bank that WASN'T inexplicably closed at 3:00 p.m.on a random Tuesday
• Getting hosed by the exchange rate at the central bank, (plus a 5 Euro commission charge that exclusively applies to exchanging Swiss Francs?  Do Italian bankers hate the Swiss?)
• Trying to view Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" at Santa Maria delle Grazie without ordering a reserved ticket weeks in advance
• Accidentally ordering a portion of food and beverage that was big enough to feed 1/3 of my table mates

 At least my new friends got a good laugh at that last one.

Here are some of the more memorable sights from that evening:

Duomo: The 2nd largest church in the world, this is one of the most spectacular Gothic cathedrals I've ever entered; The 135 spires and nearly 3200 statues on the roof and marble facade make for an eye popping approach.  From the floor level on the inside, visitors are only 165 steps plus 4 Euros away from reaching the panoramic view of Milan on the roof!

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (also pictured above, next to Duomo): The historic "shopping mall" of Milan, filled with designer boutiques

Spinning on the bull's, um, jewels:  This PG-rated Italian superstition is so common that I saw several passersby casually take a one-heeled spin for good luck without looking down... or even breaking conversation!

Ahhh, gelato:  The Italian cuisine and espresso delighted me all day and evening, but nothing brought me to my knees like this double gelato from Grom.  How are these even legal?

Riding the jam packed evening Metro line out of the Milan tourist area to begin my night out on the town


I've also left out some truly awful pictures which don't do justice to: Via Dante (including the museums of Castello Sforzesco), Basilica di Sant' Ambrogio (Milan's oldest church), Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace), Teatro della Scala (world famous opera house), and night life in the Brera district.

Later that night, some German college students and I hit up a pizzeria near our hostel to catch the end of a (tape delayed?) soccer game. They taught me some boisterous cheers, sang some ridiculous songs, and snapped a lot of pictures. We stayed well past closing time, until the owner patiently showed us the door around 1 a.m. With a 7:15 a.m. train to catch in the morning, I resisted their pleas to drag me to their next hangout.

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The next morning, I overslept my alarm. My bunk mates groaned as I attempted a silent in-room shower and hasty backpack stuffing session.

Ringing the bell at the front desk, I waited in vain for the hostel owner to appear. Not a peep from his room. Choosing between the return of my hostel deposit and catching the dead last train to make my flight, I forfeited my 20 Euro deposit. The hostel has yet to respond to my emails about overcharging me at check-in AND hoarding my deposit.

Closing advice: 

Reserve tickets in advance to see "The Last Supper," and do not stay at the Milan Hostel Emmy.  But definitely visit the beautiful country of Italy!

And if you're in the neighborhood, Milan isn't a bad place to kill a day.

Coming Thursday on Garth's Blog...

Photos from the journey of Lena learning to walk!!

And also in the month of May...

* A Mother's Day tribute to Kathy *

* An E.P.I.C. Student Ministry Update *

* This week's adventures in Asia and Micronesia *

[Update: Check back here on the 1st week of June for stories and pics from my Asia trip]

...And more!!!

China: Beijing in My Sights

Beijing is in my sights! This is not a declaration of war on the People's Republic of China. And certainly not on the capital city of Beijing. This is the first day of my extended weekend in China!

My legal restrictions to remain within Beijing city limits should allow me to visit minor sections of the Great Wall...but not the biggies like this one.  Photo credit: cescassawin/ www.freedigitalphotos.net

3:30 a.m. was a familiar time for me to leave the house for PDX airport this morning. But a plane ride, not a Jeep drive, will mark the end of my Delta shift today.

I was warned to expect some possible resistance tonight in Seattle due to the, um, complex nature of my attempted entry into China. The details won't be divulged here, but suffice it to say that everything I'm attempting is 100% legal and ethical. And if I actually pull this off, tomorrow morning I'll be strolling through Tiananmen Square and into the Forbidden City!


Note: The point of these brief, occasional weekend trips is to scout out places around the world where Kathy will feel comfortable visiting with our 19 month old Lena. As soon as we agree on a destination and the appropriate age for Lena, I can't wait to bring the family along for adventures that we'll never forget!


My fast paced travel style may not allow on-location Garth's Blog updates like those from Bogota, Colombia (link) last February. But stories from my current Chinese adventure (assuming I am granted entry into the country) will be shared here soon!  In the meantime, here's what I'm working on as I travel to Asia:

Coming this week on BlogSpot...

We conclude last month's story (link) from Milan, Italy!

And later...

Photos from the journey of Lena learning to walk!!

Huge Anniversary: Celebrating the Big 1-5!

A surfing weekend at Seaside, OR to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary

15 years of marriage. How is that even possible? How did I find someone who could put up with me for 15 years?

Some guys are fortunate enough to marry out of their league. Clearly, I married out of my species.  It's hard to imagine anyone else on Earth that could tolerate my hyperactive and sometimes immature antics for as long as Kathy has.  Seriously, she deserves a medal!

Case in point:  Would any other wife allow me to drag her all over town on St Patrick's day (multiple gigs on a work night AND finals week, no less) as part of a 15th anniversary weekend that should be celebrating BOTH of our interests? I won't kid myself into thinking that Kathy appreciates late nights, loud music, and dancing as much as I do.

Don't worry, I delivered some more "Kathy friendly" anniversary surprises earlier (and coming up!)... hopefully that should make up for St. Paddy's night.  And Kathy's characteristics that make her such a wonderful wife and mommy will be featured in next month's "Mother's Day" blog post!

Baby Lena got in on the anniversary festivities last month, too!

Before unstrapping the surfboard, Daddy and Lena snuggle in the back seat at Seaside.

The more family oriented moments of our 15th anniversary celebration included a fun weekend at the beach in Seaside. Kathy and Lena played on the sand while Daddy surfed the waves.

At night, we sought refuge from the chilly Oregon coast weather with a seafood dinner at Dooger's and a relaxing soak in our hotel room's jetted tub.

**********

Admittedly, the day of our actual anniversary ended up being a romantic disaster that then morphed into one long library study session for Kathy.  None of my ideas to spice things up could salvage it.  Lena and I barely even got to see Kathy that day.


To top things off, Kathy was stuck at PCC taking finals while Lena and I went hiking on some nearby trails.

But Kathy was eager to put that day in perspective.  After all, why limit the Big 1-5 celebration to a single day when the fun can last all month long?



Happy 15th anniversary to the best wife ever, Kathy!!  I thank God for you every day.  You just made my last 15 years fly by like a week!

Coming next week on BlogSpot...

We conclude last month's story (link) from Milan, Italy!

And then...

Photos from the journey of Lena learning to walk!!