No electricity for Christmas!

We lost our power sometime in the night on Sunday Dec. 21st. It came back on around 10 am Friday Dec. 26th.

On Tuesday the 23rd Adam was going to drive home from Portland after work. We were worried about him driving in the terrible road conditions so we decided to go and get him. We ( Lorelei, Jon, Cody and I) headed out from the house a little after 3:00 in the afternoon for a normal drive time of about 1 hr and 15 min to Portland. It took us over 3 hrs to get there! Snow, ice, freezing temperatures were just a few of our problems. We finally made it to Adam's place of employment and put a new set of chains on his truck and then we headed back to his dorm room at the college.



Adam shares the room below with another student. Adam had said that his room was small. We were surprised how SMALL it really is!



We finally made it back home after 10 pm. We were greeted with a chilly house with no electricity or running water (the well doesn't pump water without power)

Below, trying to melt snow in the kitchen worked out well until the soot from our outdoor cooking pots smoked up the house enough to set off the smoke detectors. We moved everything out of the freezer and the fridge.



Christmas day, still no power. We made the best of it. We went into town for dinner to one of the only restaurants that was open. It was packed with people but it was nice to sit down and be warm and not worry about melting snow to do the dishes. They also had some amazing bathrooms there that had lights that worked with the flick of a switch and toilets that flushed!



Jon and Lorelei



Cody got some nerf dart guns and the boys spent some time target practicing.



The snow is really pretty, but we were so glad to see the rain!



I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Ours had some challenges but we endured. The boys were a great help and kept a positive attitude through the whole thing. We were all healthy and we have much to be grateful for.

All of the pictures for December are HERE

Glynn Jr.

Still snowing!

Well this morning the power is out, which also means we have a limited supply of water along with no electricity. A day or so is no problem but more than that will get to be an inconvenience. This morning was the most difficult driving conditions yet. Ice on the roads and then snow on top of that and then another layer of ice! I just barely made it up the road, even with chains and 4 wheel drive.



Below, Matteo, Aaron and Jon with a huge snowman they made!



Lots more pictures here

Snow and cold in the Great Northwest

After church yesterday we had a few errands to run and the forecast was for cold temperatures to be moving into the area. Jon had planned to stay in town and go to his youthgroup meeting later in the evening but we decided he should return home with us. At around 11 a.m. it began snowing off and on as we made our way around town. At the local farm store (we stopped to pick-up chicken feed) we ran into some local Amity parents one of whom had just come from Portland. He said he had been stuck in traffic for 3 hours and had seen some 30-40 car wrecks! Great, just what we needed to hear, especially because we knew Adam probably had to work and he doesn't have snow tires on his little truck. We finished up our errands and made it home and the thermometer said 39 degrees.....hey where is all this cold weather?

After lunch we did some chores outside and I finished up the calenders, still the temp was around 37 degrees. Cody, Jon and I sat down to a game of hearts and between hands we checked on the temperature as it began to snow outside. 35....34......32...it was dropping fast. By the time dinner was over it was 30 degrees and still dropping. The boys and I went out and tried the sled but the snow was very powdery so we hiked and messed around for a bit. There was about 4" of snow and the gravel road to our house was deserted with no cars attempting to come or go. We came inside to warm up and looked at the thermometer.....27 degrees!

We warmed up and decided maybe a movie would be a good idea, so we picked out "The Man from Snowy River". By now it was 24 degrees. Lorelei, Cody and I sat down to watch and Jon was checking his email. About 7:30 I glanced out the front window to see some shadowed figures approaching the house. Now I knew that someone had not driven up so I reasoned that it must be neighbors. I recognized Nic (neighbor up the road and Jon's teammate) but some of the 6 or 7 faces I did not recognize. Nic peered in the window and hollered to see if Jon wanted to come outside. As the kids waited outside, I could see that more than half of them were girls and we eventually pieced together names and where they lived from their faces. There were giggles and laughter while they waited for Jon.

Jon made it outside and the kids milled around a bit while Jon found a sled (not really a sled, but a "knee board" intended to be pulled behind a boat). Off they went, 7 or 8 teenage boys and girls with one sled and smiles on their faces.

Now after thinking about this, several things are interesting to me. Most of these kids have nothing in common! These kids rarely, apart from school ever associate with one another. They are different ages and from different belief systems. Several of them had to walk over a mile in the snow in 24 degree weather just to get to our house! Yet for this one evening they joined together and enjoyed one anothers company and laughed and talked and were just kids enjoying simple pleasures. No tv, no video games, no hurrying to be anywhere at a certain time. A bunch of young people....one sled....and some snow.

I wish adults could act this way more often!

Glynn Jr.

Lorelei's birthday!

Lorelei's birthday was last week. She turned 30 something....oops I mean 40 something....oops I mean 50 something!
We had a great day on Friday. We toured around the county poking into antique shops and second hand stores. We stopped in at an "art gallery" and soon discovered we were on another planet. When a small 4" x 4" blob of paint splatter is $850 it must be another planet! So we left there and went into a small coffee shop and had a cappuccino that we were guaranteed to be just like they make in Italy. Hmm.....what the heck, we each had one and although I didn't feel like I was in Italy, it was good! The weather was great and the company was even better!

The boys and I dropped another Maple tree on Saturday and we finished splitting it up on Sunday. I am behind on getting the calendars finished up. The boys are doing well in school and I think Jon is enjoying a break from competitive sports. Cody will start basketball soon. The weather has been too good for December in Oregon. Take care all!

Glynn Jr.

Thanksgiving 2008!

On Wednesday I took Adam, Cody and Cody's friend Lance to the Portland Trailblazers game. We had a great time!



Cody and Lance with some cotton candy.



Turkey day was a busy one. Adam's friend from college joined us. Of course there is a little more to the story. Bryce tried making it to our house on Wed. night but his car was having some mechanical difficulty, so he headed back to the dorms at school. On Thursday he tried again to make it part way to our house (about a hour and a half drive) Adam and Jon got in Adam's truck and took off to meet Bryce. They caught up with him in Tigard and made it back home before dinner. I asked Bryce how many kids were still at the dorm when he left and he said "just me and the Holy Spirit". We were really glad that he made it and had a place to spend Thanksgiving.
Here's Bryce.



My dad and Franci also drove up from California to be with us! They delivered some tools that belonged to my late uncle Bob and also the anvil that belonged to my great grandpa!

Cody and his grandpa get into a game of chess before dinner.



After dinner we solved all of the worlds problems.



And then the boys played guitar and sang some songs for us.



Our favorite girl payed us a visit too! It's always so nice to see Ashley's smiling face.



This is Iota! One fearsome attack dog that belongs to my dad and Franci.



We have lots to be thankful for. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving too!



Glynn Jr.

Fun weekend and Jon turns 17!

Wow....Jon turned 17 yesterday. Time sure flies. Another year and a half and he will be off to college. We had a low key day (Jon's choice)....we went to church and then worked some around the house. The weather was awesome. Cody and I took advantage of the mild temperatures on Saturday. We went up on the knoll where we have our "campsite". We cut down two small fir trees and used them to make a frame for a tarp that will keep us dry if we want to venture up there this winter.



Then of course we had to build a fire and make a pot of tea. Cody enjoys campfires.



Queenie just watched and couldn't figure out what
the big deal was.


Cody with a sharp object!


Then we found these cool mushrooms!






Another awesome weekend in the country.

Glynn Jr.

Adam was home for the weekend!

Adam came home for the weekend to see us and take a break from his busy school/work schedule. He is doing well and working very hard. Him and I took the boat and headed to the coast on Saturday. It was rainy and windy and we had a GREAT time! We got wet, we got water in the boat, we ventured out close to the jetties (which were closed to small boats) and rode the swells back into the bay. We talked about school, we talked about the economy, the elections and life in general. What a fun day we had. Below is Adam with a couple of the crabs we caught!



We cleaned up most of the garden on Sunday. We picked the last of the tomatoes and bell peppers. I also found some carrots that I had forgotten about. We turned the chickens out to help clean things up. In the afternoon I heard some squawking up on the knoll. It didn't sound like a chicken but it looks like only 9 hens made it back in the coop at the end of the day, so I am thinking that a coyote or some other critter had a chicken dinner last night. Jon cleaned out the rain catch system for the animals and we turned off the irrigation line so it will not freeze. I need to trim a few more fruit trees and clean the rain gutters and I think we are ready for the cold!

Cody was a big help also. He trimmed some maple trees and raked leaves. He and his friend down the street disappeared later in the afternoon with a wagon full of stuff they had put together. They went up on the knoll, built a campfire and made a pot of hot water and had some tea. They stayed up there until well after dark.

Lorelei is trying to use up the apples before they go bad. We had a great yield this year. She made us an awesome apple crisp yesterday. Last week she made apple sauce!

Below is a cool sunset from a couple of weeks ago.




Glynn Jr.

Cross Country season is over!

The guys and girls had a great season. We traveled to Eugene on Friday and had a great day. We ate dinner at coaches mom and dads house. The McChesneys are one incredible family that is famous in the track and field and cross country circles of America and the world.

Here is Lorelei looking over some of the memorabilia with Mrs. McChesney. There is a lifetime of accomplishments lining the walls of the McChesneys modest home in the hills above Eugene.

To this day although in his late 70's Bill McChesney Sr. still competes in various running events. He was telling me of a recent 5K that he ran. It seems at the last minute the organizers of the event decided to put hay bales out on the course so that they would need to be jumped over. Knowing something of these events I thought it may be ok to run around them and I asked Mr. McChesney if it would have been ok for him to do such. He looked at me somewhat surprised and said "now why would I want to do that?" That gives some insight to the tenacity and competitiveness of this family.

Below, Jon chats with Bill McChesney Sr. Mr. and Mrs. McChesney had spent the day at the PAC 10 meet helping out with things there. On Saturday at the State High School event they would also participate in helping run the meet. They truly enjoy having the kids over to their house and staying active in the running sports.


Below, the team chowing down on food from Mazzis, a local Italian restaurant.


We returned to the hotel and were hoping for a quiet evening. The boys had brought along "Guitar Heroe" and played that until about 10:30 when it was lights out. Race day turned out to be a little rainy. Below, some umbrellas shield Kelsey as Ken stretches her out in preparation for her race.

Kelsey ran great finishing 56th. The boys did great and finished 4th in the state and brought home a trophy!

What a great season. All the pictures from the state meet are here.

Ok so I promised some pictures! These are from last Friday at the District Meet.

Here is the boys team. These guys are awesome! Our team had a score of 20 points. (In cross country the low score wins) 20 points is an incredible score.




Here is Jon and Aaron.....they ran side by side almost the entire race with no one challenging them.




And here is Kelsey running her way to a state berth.

All the pictures are here.

Amity boys win cross country district title....

The Amity boys XC team easily won the district title yesterday (this makes three years in a row). Coach McChesney was voted coach of the year for the third straight year! Congrats coach, you are the best!
Jon was first across the line and is district champ and he was also voted by the coaches to be district boys athlete of the year. There was an awesome article on the team last week in the paper, some of you I know have seen it, for those who haven't the link is here

Kelsey McKee, one of our girl runners also advanced to the state meet for the second year in a row!

What a great accomplishment for these kids and we have an exciting and challenging week ahead. The boys are going to have to get their times down even further in order to have a chance at a state title. We are ranked fourth in the state right now. It will be a busy week as we try and focus the kids on their biggest meet of the year.

I will post pictures next week from work.

In other news, Lorelei is feeling better. She rode on the bus with the team yesterday to the meet, it was great to have her along. The weather here has been awesome! Suppose to be in the 60's again today with sunshine through the weekend. I hope we have reasonably good weather for the meet next Saturday. The fall colors are awesome and the box elders are trying to find somewhere warm (which means getting in the house).

That's about it for now.

Glynn Jr.

Adam leaves for college.....

Or at least he tries to. On 08-17-08 Adam packs up his stuff and gets ready to leave for college.



He loads up his truck.....



Then he proceeds to try and leave!


Lorelei will not get out of his truck! She does not want her son to leave.




Finally we coax her out of the truck,



And Adam is off to college,



Cody doesn't want Adam to leave either and chases after him



Bye Adam!

I fell behind again!

Too much going on. Cross country is winding down, this week is districts and a week from Saturday is the state meet. Our guys are running well and should qualify for the state meet. They are going to need to run even faster if we are to have a shot at a team state title. We have one girl (Kelsey) who also has a good chance of qualifying this week.
Lorelei is feeling better! When I get a chance I need to tell the story of Adam trying to get on the road to leave for college! Lorelei would not get out of his truck so he could leave. Adam is doing well but we have not seen him for a few weeks. He works lots of hours when he is not in school to pay his bills. He has no student loans. He got a little scholarship money and some help from family but other than that he is doing it on his own. We are very proud of you son!

Glynn Jr.

Yesterday I went to the Amity fire station to take a first aid/CPR course. This is a requirement for being the assistant coach of the cross country team. Well typical small town setting....the assistant fire chief (whom I had never officially met) is the husband of the gal in the district office who set up the schedule for me to be there for the course. One of the other two people taking the course was Bobby, who is the same age as Jon and I have watched and coached in sports for the past 10 years and the other was Annette whom I have known her and her family for the past 14 years! I learned mostly that they have changed how you are supposed to do CPR! Wow, mostly it seems "dumbed down" and trying to eliminate possible litigation and disease transfer. Several times I asked the question (I think the instructor was getting tired of my questions),
"if this was a relative would you do it different" and several times the answer was "yes" Basically if you are dying it will be preferable to let a family member work on you!
In news around the place, the garden is about done for the year. We picked some tomatoes and the last of the cucumbers yesterday. The apples are ripe and we have picked somewhere around 150 lbs so far and there are at least that many more on the trees. The grapes are also ripe. We had a good year for blueberries and strawberries too!
The chickens are on strike and I turned the light on in their coop to get them laying again.
Lorelei is feeling better!
Gotta get to work, more next week.
Glynn Jr.

Lorelei is feeling better! She is moving around slow, but she is moving around. She is VERY frustrated at not being able to do her normal stuff. She always stays very busy and sitting down and resting is NOT in her nature. The Cross Country Team captured another win at the Chemawa Invitational last night. Some 23 teams competed and Amity easily took the first place trophy. These boys are on a roll! Only two more weeks to districts and then the following week is the state meet. Hopefully everyone stays healthy.


There was an interesting cloud at the meet yesterday.



The rest of the pictures can be found here

20 Years ago today!

Yep...Lorelei and I were married 20 years ago today!

If you want to see more pictures click here

Well.....I need to interrupt the gradual summer update for some breaking news! Lorelei pinched a nerve or something in her neck last Thursday. By Friday she was not a happy camper. Took her to the chiropractor Friday afternoon and by midnight Friday night, life here on earth was at an all time low! After a mostly sleepless weekend I think she is doing better. Hopefully she will be better for our 20th anniversiary tomorrow!