Friday, November 30, 2007

Sigh. Whine. Complain.


Unbelievable. After a year of good health, I have managed to come down with my second cold in two weeks. Great. Last week I woke up with the worst sore throat I've ever had, on Thanksgiving Day no less.

Today, our day off, G-Dub and I had planned to string the house with Christmas lights, then spend time with a friend this evening. I've been looking forward to it all week, but this morning I woke up with that stuffiness and yuckiness that tells me I won't be doing very much today.

Yay, winter.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Ode to an Icon


Farewell, Heather.

Thank you for making America's Next Top Model the best show of the season. We believed in you from the beginning, and you've proven you have what it takes.

Thank you for being okay with being a "geeky" girl. Who knew awkward could be so charming?

Thank you for teaching America about your Asperger's. You call it a disability, but it didn't stop you from taking slammin' photos.

Your ride may be ending a little early, but I believe we haven't seen the last of you. Rock on.







Wednesday, November 28, 2007

It's knitting needles you want, not iPhones

Believe it or not, we had the knitting class (see previous post) in the works before finding this article.

Apparently a study called D-Code was just released, an annual survey that tracks youth culture. According to the study,

"Young people's circuits are overloaded. They can't keep on top of their email, surf their Facebook, handle their Second Life avatar and upload their Flickr. They find all this technology that is designed to connect them is in fact disconnecting them. They are actually in multimedia meltdown."

The result is a knee-jerk reaction towards the less sophisticated, as young people seek temporary salvation from the cutting edge. They are being driven to activities reminiscent of their childhood and more familiar with their parents' generation. Out goes MySpace, PS2s and iPhones, and in comes knitting clubs, craft fairs and cloud appreciation societies.

..."But this is not a fight against technology – youths want to be at the leading edge, but they also need a time for back to basics, where analogue living provides some respite."

Perhaps this hunger for the tangible explains the popularity of the knitting Sunday School class. When signups began, I had expected that class to garner less interest, but so far the first ten signups have been for knitting, including three very active 6th grade boys! I am very curious to see how the class plays out over the next four weeks.

If all goes well, perhaps we should consider starting our own 'cloud appreciation society'...

Coming Attractions

Last Sunday, we concluded our second round of Sunday School "Reimagined" classes.

Instead of trying to create some 'one size fits all' program to meet the needs of all junior or senior highers (it does continue to boggle my mind that 6th grade boys and 8th grade girls are the same species, much less the same age group!), we have created various Sunday School options that students can pick from.

This past month was a shortened four week cycle, that gave students choices such as "Volleyball & Values", "JH Drama Workshop" (creating a short film for an upcoming worship night), "Guys Only / Girls Only", and "Hungry for the Kingdom" (overview on world hunger plus preparing for our upcoming 30 Hour Famine).

This Sunday we kick off our next round of classes:

Fighting Temptation: Kick Sin in the Shin

Don’t let the Devil pick on you, fight back! Find out how junior highers can deal with temptation in their lives.

In Stitches: Knit & Crochet to Warm Up America

Learn a new skill while helping those in need! We will be turning balls of yarn into 7 x 9 squares that will be joined together to make warm afghan blankets! Bring your yarn, knitting needles or hooks if ya got ‘em!

What the Heck, God? Talking to God When You’re Upset

Fact: Life is hard sometimes. Fact: God can handle our emotions. Join Pastor Gary in an exploration of some very honest Psalms.

Heaven’s Kitchen: Cooking with Donna G.

Does your gourmet cooking taste like honey and locusts? Get comfortable in the kitchen as Donna shares her insider’s secrets.

Friday, November 23, 2007

World Race 06 Video

This week marks the ONE YEAR anniversary since Gary and I arrived home from our mission trip around the world. It blows me away how quickly the time has flown by.

When we first returned to the states, we shared a slideshow with pictures from our trip at a special dinner with our supporters in Sacramento. For those of you that weren't able to join us, I finally posted our slideshow video on Youtube for all to enjoy.

Here's our video:

Breathe Africa



Here's a way to support women and children in Swaziland while getting your Christmas shopping done
:

Check out Breathe Africa.

In May 2007, members of Breathe Africa found almost 40 orphans in Nsoko, Swaziland. The children had been without food for about a week. These are the poorest of the poor, the worst we’ve seen in Swaziland. It was at that moment that we knew we needed to do something…. Presently we are helping to make sure that the children have enough food, as well as working on getting them all clothed.

We also have long term goals, as we are working on building a children’s village – it will have a community center, gardens, fish ponds, 6 – 8 homes that will house double orphans and have a mother and father in it to care for the children, a home for a gogo (grandmother), lodge (to house teams that want to come and serve), a market and cafĂ© (there will be sustainability projects, so that they do not need to always rely on the support of others but can provide much of the money for themselves).

Purchasing items from Breathe Africa allows us to continue to move forward in our endeavors to provide, protect, and encourage these children and others like them.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Reflections on the Atlanta NYWC

This year, our trip to Atlanta marked the fifth time that G-Dub and I have had the privilege of attending the NYWC (Since we started in youth ministry, we’ve had to miss it twice and sorely missed it both times). It was interesting to me that this year I attended with a new perspective; the first few years I was desperate for ideas and training, this year I came with experience under my belt, but hungry for encouragement and spiritual renewal.

This need was reflected in my ‘convention highlight’ list. I didn’t attend all the seminars, and those I did attend were moderately helpful. My most memorable moments were those that made me laugh, smile and cry, and those that captured the mystery and wonder of the unique relationship we have with our Almighty God.

Here are a few standout experiences of the conference:

Critical Concerns Course with Brock Morgan and Mark Helsel: Re-thinking Traditional Youth Ministry Models - This was an in-depth seminar that led to some great conversation and laid the foundation for concepts that spanned the entire weekend. Youth ministry is a relatively new phenomenon, and it was fascinating to see how it emerged and the transitions its already undergone.

Sand Artist Joe Castillo - I had never even heard of, much less seen this incredible artistic performance in which sand is moved around on a lit table, creating moving images set to music. What a unique and stirring way to portray the Passion.




Marquis Laughlin - Marquis is a gifted performer with a unique ability to memorize and recite scripture. "Recite" is too dull a word, though, as what Marquis does is present the word of God in a way that springs to life. I've never been so enthralled with the Bible. Sunday evening, Marquis presented Genesis 12-24, all by memory. As he concluded, I couldn't believe how quickly it had gone. I had a strange conflict of emotions, impressed by Marquis' gift, sad it had concluded, wondering if the dull, boring ways we are accustomed to hearing scripture might border on the downright sinful. G-Dub and I bought a DVD to share with our youth, and had the chance to chat with Marquis for a little while. Good stuff.


Shane Claiborne - If you read Gary's post a few days ago, you know that Shane's session was the most controversial of the weekend. For whatever reason, I found Shane's reading of the sermon on the mount to be beautiful and encouraging. Of course I would love to hear about his different experiences, but instead of feeling 'ripped off', I appreciated that Shane told his story not through words but his demeanor. The way he carried himself as he walked on and off the stage. The humble and sincere tone of his voice as he read Jesus' words. The innocent joy in sharing his greatest treasure, the words of his saviour. I didn't feel preached at, but invited in.

Compassion Testimony - At the convention each year, there is always a Compassion booth encouraging attendees to sponsor a child. During one of the general sessions this year, we had the opportunity to hear from an incredible woman named Michelle who had been a Compassion child as a young girl in the Philippines. She shared her story, how she had been raised in poverty in a broken home, and really had no hope until Compassion intervened, providing her the necessities of daily living as well as the value of knowing the heavenly Father who loves her. At one point, she brought out letters she had received from her sponsor as a child, and told us through tears how she had treasured every one. It was so powerful, I can't even write this without tears coming to my eyes. I was blown away by the realization how often I underestimate the ability I have to actually change a child's future.


Worship with David Crowder - Throughout the weekend, we had the privilege of worshipping with a number of great groups, including Desperation Band, Chris Tomlin and Steve Fee. Historically, I've never clicked with the DCB live, but for whatever reason when they took the stage this weekend, I was most able to set down the burdens I've been carrying and just give them to the Lord. What a gift. There's an indescribable intensity about worshipping with thousands of other youth workers, and these times never fail to be my favorite of the convention.

Skit Guys - I've seen Tommy & Eddie perform several times now, and they never fail to make me laugh or cry with their hilarious and touching dramas. Sunday night, I was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down my face, easily the hardest I've laughed since hearing Ashley's bathtub story almost two years ago. Thanks, Skit Guys, for the joy you've brought into my life! I'll see you in April at Planet Wisdom!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

An Internal Conversation

Gary Weston writes:

If you’ve never been to Youth Specialties’ National Youth Workers’ Convention, you need to know that there are a series of General Sessions, where several thousand youth workers all gather together in one room to worship, to celebrate our calling together, and to hear from some of the best speakers in the field of youth ministry and in Christendom in general. These General Session speakers are usually quite unforgettable. And tonight’s speaker was no exception.

Tonight, we were to hear from Shane Claiborne. Shane wrote a book called Irresistible Revolution, inspired in part by his experience serving the poor alongside Mother Teresa in India. This is especially impressive in Shane’s case, because Shane did it as a teenager. He called Mother Teresa on the phone, spoke with her personally, expressed a desire to serve in her ministry, and was personally invited to do so. Shane’s book is one I’ve desired to read for a long time.

And he was speaking at NYWC tonight! Alright, I thought to myself. An opportunity to hear this important voice without actually having to read the book!

I walked into the convention hall with eager anticipation. I enjoyed hearing Third Day play, and I tolerated an overly loud worship set, knowing that Shane Claiborne was about to take the stage and drop some wisdom on us.

And to the stage he came, introduced by Youth Specialties President Mark Oestreicher sharing just a bit about him, but refraining from the rest so as to give Shane the chance to tell his own story. Up the steps and onto the platform came a lanky hippie, younger than I expected, dressed in baggy cotton pants and a plain white T-shirt, his long, brown dreadlocks tied back in a brown do-rag. I was more eager than ever now to hear what he would say.

After a fire-breathing/fire-eating demonstration (no, I’m not kidding), Shane set up a music stand podium and gathered his notes. He said, “I’d like to share with you tonight the greatest sermon ever preached.” And then, in a soft, unpretentious, Southern-accented voice, he began to read.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted…”

Oh, cool, I thought to myself. He’s going to talk about the Beatitudes and how he saw them lived out in Calcutta. That’s going to be awesome!

The reading continued.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden…”

Oookay, my inner monologue continued. This is a big chunk of Scripture to try to handle in fifty minutes, but let’s see what he does with it.

Shane kept going.

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder…’”

Is he going to read all of Matthew 5? Context is important, so let’s go with it.

“Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them…”

Wait a minute. That’s Matthew 6. I don’t think he’s stopping.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”

He’s going to read the entire Sermon on the Mount. That’s really cool. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it read aloud at once like this. I wonder what he’ll say about it when he finishes.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…”

Man, I forgot how long this thing is. I hope there’ll be enough time for Shane to make his point about all this.

“Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find…”

At this point, I snatched a peek at the big digital clock onstage facing Shane, the one with the big countdown timer telling him how much time he had left. It read 22 minutes and some change. Oh good, time enough to tell some stories about Mother Teresa and connect it to the Sermon on the Mount. Sweet.

“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”

That was cool. Now what should we know about it? I’m so curious to hear what he’ll say.

With that, Shane said, “It’s the greatest sermon ever preached, isn’t it? Jesus, give us the strength to live it today. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.”

And he went down the steps and sat down.

The countdown timer still showed eighteen minutes remaining. The crowd applauded, unsure if that was the appropriate thing to do, but not knowing how else to respond.

Tic Long, head of Events at Youth Specialties, came up on stage and asked the crowd to spend a few minutes in silent, prayerful reflection on the words of Jesus that Shane had just read. And there in the silence, I debated with myself. What had I just heard? Wasn’t this guy supposed to be a voice for social justice? Wasn’t he an acclaimed author in his own right? Then why would he choose to simply read three chapters of Scripture and sit down? I felt slighted somehow. I mean, I can read Scripture!! Tell me about Mother Teresa!!

And then, a thought rose up from my heart. It was like the voice of the Spirit. It said, “You know how you complain when people make their seminars and sermons more about themselves than about the Word of God? You know how angry you get about people either intentionally or unintentionally stealing God’s glory for themselves? What charge can you bring against this young man? He stepped aside, and put the spotlight on Jesus. He decreased, and allowed Jesus to increase. Do you condemn him for that?”

No…I don’t.

So with great humility and tenderness of heart, I say this:

Well done, Shane. Well done.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Worship with Third Day

My favorite image from the convention thus far:



"Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness stretches to the skies..."

Friday, November 16, 2007

Blogging Blindly

Though my airline security incident (detailed in my previous post) was inconvenient, it was not as costly as my most recent mishap will turn out to be.

You see, after I got out of the shower this morning, I put in my contacts, rinsed out my contact case, then dried my face with a towel. Just like any other ordinary morning. As I set the towel down, however, I realized that I could only see out of one eye. Hmm. My right contact had somehow disappeared into thin air! It must have somehow popped out and gotten rinsed down the drain. Argh.

So here I am, stuck wearing my glasses for the entire rest of the convention. Those of you who know me recognize that I usually avoid wearing my glasses whenever possible, as I hate having to look through them. But, it’s better than the alternative, peering through my left eye while completely blind in the right.

(Unless I had an eye patch, then I could just claim to be a pirate! Yarrrr!)

Misadventures of a so-called seasoned traveler, part two

Continued, from part one...

Once we boarded the train and settled in, we figured the excitement was behind us. This turned out to be not quite true, unfortunately. We deboarded at ‘Seffo’, checked our luggage, and headed towards security. The line was short, so we figured we were good. Until the security guard checked my driver’s license gave me a funny look and asked if I had an alternative form of ID. Yeah… no. Didn’t think to bring my passport for a domestic flight.

Turns out, my driver’s license had just expired six days earlier, on my birthday. So, in addition to having to say GOODBYE to my twenties (sniff), turning thirty also means I have been driving illegally! Dangit! Isn’t the DMV supposed to send me a little form thingy in the mail for situations like this? C’mon, where are my tax dollars at work? And now what was I supposed to do? Would I miss my flight?

PTL, American Airlines did not automatically boot this distraught thirty-year-old with the recently expired ID. Instead, they sent me to the secondary screening to check me for bomb residue. The security personnel ushered me into a phone booth-like glass chamber, warned that I was about to be SHOT with super-power air vents, and recommended I hold my shirt down! Puffs of air shot up at me from the floor, then a little machine analyzed the air for any trace of residue. A weird experience, to be sure, but in a surprisingly short amount of time, they fortunately determined I was not a terrorist and sent me on to my flight.

The good news is, the excitement ended there, and we were able to enjoy a smooth flight through Chicago (yes, I can now say I’ve been in Chicago!) to our final destination here in Atlanta.

I do plan to blog throughout the convention, and look forward to sharing more stories of our experience throughout this weekend. (As soon as I get more time to write, I hope to blog about my visit with world race teammates Laura and Ashley, as well as some tidbits from our “Critical Concerns Course”, an eight hour in-depth look at youth ministry models. It’s been good stuff.)

Misadventures of a so-called seasoned traveler, part one

Hello friends! I am happy to report Gary and I have safely arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, and have been enjoying a wonderful trip so far.

Following our youth program Tuesday evening (yes, talking about YOU KNOW, fortunately reported “not awkward at all”, by one of our eight graders to her mom), we immediately hopped over to the BART station to catch a ride to the San Francisco airport (apparently pronounced ‘Seff-o’ by locals). Ah, the joy of public transportation in the Bay Area, with its inherent invitation to people-watch. I find myself always intrigued… sometimes scared… usually enlightened. This trip was no exception.

This time, my eye happened to be caught by a particular gentleman on the other side of the track. To my surprise, this older man, wearing a beige trench coat, decided to pass the time by doing pushups on a bench! Hey, as long as you’re hanging out, waiting for a train, you might as well get fit in the process, right? Pretty cool for an old dude.

Right about then, a couple of cops ran past us followed by a team of paramedics. They rushed to the bench on our right, and began to assist a woman who had been sitting there since we’d arrived. I had seen her, but she had been waiting calmly and did not appear in any distress. Gary and I looked towards her, concerned and yes, curious, when Gary exclaimed, “Hey, that’s Jim! That guy goes to our church!” Turns out the lead paramedic was someone Gary had recently met.

Now, here’s the strange thing. Most people, if one happened to bump into them while working, would be able to stop and exchange a few pleasantries. Not so much with the paramedics. They’re kinda busy. So here we are, watching Jim do his job not ten feet away, without being able to acknowledge him. And really, the next time we see him, what would we say? “Remember the woman at the BART station? Yeah, we were watching you. Good job with the life-saving!” What’s EMT etiquette here? I just don’t know.

I glanced back over at Old Trench Coat Dude. He didn’t seem too concerned with the sick lady. He had finished his pushups and moved on to squats.

To be continued…

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Atlanta, here I come!

I'm so close to my trip to Atlanta, I can almost taste it!

In just a few minutes, junior higher will began converging on our home for youth group. We're doing a series on 1 & 2 Corinthians, and tonight's lesson just happens to be on sexual purity. Always an interesting topic with junior highers!

As soon as youth group ends, we will hop in the car of one of our students, and her mom will whisk us to the BART station, which will take us to SFO in time for our red-eye flight through Chicago! We should arrive in Atlanta about 9:30 tomorrow morning.

We plan on renting a car and driving out to our friend's place in Gainesville. Hopefully we'll get to take a nap, then spend the afternoon touring around and catching up. Thursday morning we head back to Atlanta for the beginning of the NATIONAL YOUTH WORKERS CONVENTION!!!! Ok, I'm a little excited.

I plan to blog from the convention so I can tell you all the exciting stuff I get to do and learn.

Stay posted!

To all list-makers out there...


When comparing yourself to the cast of "Friends", do you see yourself in the neurotic, control-freak Monica?

Or do you simply embrace list-making as a way to bring order and focus to your day?

Either way, you would probably get a kick out of this site.

www.todolistblog.com is a blog dedicated to the revered "to-do list". They welcome and publish to-do lists of all sorts submitted by readers. Apparently, the site has been so popular that they have turned their collection of lists into a BOOK! (Now, that's being productive!)

Rate Your Blog

For all you bloggers out there, here's a tool to tell you the 'readability' of your blog. I have to say, I wouldn't have expected a 'postgrad' reading level, but, who knows who makes these things up? (And still, I can't resist...)

cash advance

ht: Marko

Monday, November 12, 2007

Smile!

Do you ever feel like God is smiling down on you?


ht: Gary Sr.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Happy Birthday to me!

As many of you know, G-Dub and I just celebrated our thirtieth birthdays (he is only 9 days older than me). For his big day, I schemed with out of town friends to surprise him with a fun birthday weekend. This week, for me, Gary put together a wonderful day trip to Napa for a birthday ride on the wine train!


Since we arrived in Concord about 9 months ago, we haven't really gotten around to doing much exploring (I guess traveling through 23 countries last year got it out of our system!). I knew Napa wasn't too far, but it hadn't really sunk in that we're only a 45 minute drive away from the beautiful rolling hills of Napa Valley. Now that we've been, I hope to return much more often!

Anyways, our afternoon on the train was wonderful. We enjoyed a delicious meal in the elegant dining car... sampled fantastic varieties of red wine... made new friends... relaxed in the lounge and watched the countryside go by as we ate fresh creme brulee. We had a fabulous day, the most fun we've had just the two of us in a while!

Without further ado, here are a few more pictures from our afternoon on the wine train:












Thank you, Gary!

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Vote to end child slavery

Help Us Get Zach's Voice Heard

YS author and teen abolitionist Zach Hunter, has been featured on CNN for the work he's doing to end slavery. Now he has the opportunity to appear on a prime-time special where he'll have the chance to tell millions about modern day slavery. He needs your votes to be featured as the CNN Hero in the category of young people making a difference. There is a cash prize involved which Zach would like to use toward the aftercare and education of rescued child slaves.

Vote at www.cnn.com/heroes as many times as you'd like and please share this link with others.

Voting ends Monday, November 12th at noon.

If you're not familiar with Zach Hunter, he is the fifteen year old author of "Be the Change", a book about how students can work together to end child slavery around the world.

Teach in the Philippines for a year!



At Fair Oaks Church, we support many endeavours around the world. One of them is a Christian school in the Philippines, called Bethel International. As the school grows, they add a grade every year. I just received this notice from our contact there:

**Teachers Needed**:

Next school year Bethel International School will be adding the ninth grade. We are trusting in God to provide teachers for ninth grade subjects as well as a music teacher, an art teacher, an English teacher and coaches for boys as well as girls sports. If you know someone who would like to have an exciting adventurous year helping meet any of these needs please have them email me.

(Please leave a comment with your e-mail address, or e-mail me directly if you would like the contact info.)

Monday, November 5, 2007

Book Review: Youth Ministry Edition

Seven years ago, when God saw fit to drop pre-teens on our doorstep, Gary and I didn't have a clue about youth ministry. Our first 'youth group' meeting literally consisted of an adult bible lesson with a treasure hunt slapped on the front (you know, to kid it up).

We've come a long way since then, mainly due to the grace of God, but I also give credit to the good training we've been given through books and conferences. The following are two youth ministry "must-haves" that I've recently read. Or re-read. If you're in youth ministry, and you haven't perused these yet, add these to your Christmas list:

hurt: inside the world of today's TEENAGERS, by Chap Clark


For this book, Chap Clark spent a year in a high school observing and interviewing students. What he came back with is an eye-opening look at the reality that today's teenagers are living in. With the explosion of technology, change in culture, expansion of adolescence and breakdown in families, it is a very different world today than when I was in high school fifteen years ago. I recommend this to all youth workers, teachers, and parents that want a deeper understanding of the lives of today's teenagers.

your first two years in youth ministry: a personal and practical guide to starting right, by Doug Fields


I was blessed to get my hands on this one as a volunteer early on. It is a treasure trove of advice from a seasoned youth worker, looking to help others learn from his mistakes. I credit Doug Fields for helping me develop a realistic picture of what healthy youth ministry looks like. I found it invaluable during my volunteer years, and have recently brought it out to read again from my new perspective of full-time youth pastor's wife. It still rules.

Fellow Youth Ministry Peeps: What are your ministry or culture "must-reads"? Drop me a comment!

Pray for Mexico

Hi friends.

Please keep the people of Mexico in your prayers as they deal with some of the worst flooding in their history.


This USA Today article states that after a week of flooding, 80% of the state of Tabasco is under water. 20,000 people are trapped on their rooftops, without access to food or a way to escape to safety. The state capital, Villahermosa, is completely under water. The city is huge, and I can't imagine how many people are without food, separated from family, or at risk of losing everything they own. Pray God's protection and comfort on them at this time.


This does hit close to home, as Gary and I spent the night with a kind family there in Villahermosa during the World Race. Our team translator Juan Carlos knew the family, so our team stopped to stay with them during our road trip from Veracruz to Palenque, Chiapas. They kindly fed us tamales and gave up their beds for us.


Lord, be with them, and all your children in Mexico right now. Be with the rescuers, and those working to get the flooding under control. Help everyone to get enough food, clean water, and medicine. May your goodness and love be poured out during this time of tragedy. Amen.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Happy Birthday, G-Dub!

Hooray! Gary's birthday weekend turned out to be a smashing success! (Hence the obvious lack of blogging over the past week)

A couple of months ago, Gary's best friend from high school, Jason, and his brother, affectionately nicknamed the Bonus, began to conspire with me about how to properly celebrate G-Dub's 30th. They each worked it out to fly out here (from Seattle and San Diego, respectively) to surprise Gary and enjoy a weekend of birthday fun! (For those of you confused by Gary's earlier post, Jason arrived a day earlier than the Bonus, thus prolonging the surpris-i-ness of the weekend)


My house overrun with testosterone, thus commenced plenty of birthday fun... the sort I participated in (going out to dinner, visiting Apple Hill), and the sort I did not (Halo tournaments, rasslin', Risk). They say guys need their buddies, and to see these guys reunited, I would definitely have to agree.


Since Gary and I have been married, we've had friend after friend move away, and his brother we barely saw during his stint at the FOX station in Minnesota. I can't speak for Gary, but the best part of the weekend for me was to look at the familiar faces around the table and appreciate the ease that comes with knowing one another forever. The more friends we've had come and go, the more I cherish those that remain. Hopefully it won't be another year or three before we do it all again...



THANK YOU JASON!!!! THANK YOU BONUS!!!!

(and thanks Bonnie for making part 2 possible!)