its that time once again, that time when the guys and i take our annual trip to the cabin. we've been going for years now, and this is our 6th annual trip (archives: 5th annual, 4th annual). we go up for a night and do manly guy stuff. most of it i am sworn to secrecy about, but some of it i am able to share. we got up there just before dark this year, we broke with some traditions and went to a different place to eat. when we got back we did our usual cabin stuff, including some great new inside jokes ('are you done with this?', 'like a hurricane', and something or another about a guy named ted). by morning we exhaustedly woke up and head back to the civilized world, some how changed by what was experienced, and somehow closer friends then when we arrived. even though we were missing a few of the usual members (adam and zagman), we made the most of it and had an amazing time!
the cabin '08
its that time once again, that time when the guys and i take our annual trip to the cabin. we've been going for years now, and this is our 6th annual trip (archives: 5th annual, 4th annual). we go up for a night and do manly guy stuff. most of it i am sworn to secrecy about, but some of it i am able to share. we got up there just before dark this year, we broke with some traditions and went to a different place to eat. when we got back we did our usual cabin stuff, including some great new inside jokes ('are you done with this?', 'like a hurricane', and something or another about a guy named ted). by morning we exhaustedly woke up and head back to the civilized world, some how changed by what was experienced, and somehow closer friends then when we arrived. even though we were missing a few of the usual members (adam and zagman), we made the most of it and had an amazing time!
the main event
with dinner done, that means theres only one thing left: presents! (or as my family calls them: prizes!). we all found a spot to sit and started to dig in. we let the kids go first, and then they were in charge of bringing the gifts to whoever they were for. it was a great time, everyone was pleased with what they had gotten, including myself and diana! we both made out pretty good- my family always spoils us! a great time was had by all, and we certainly felt loved.christmas dinner
downstairs we had set up the basement for dinner, just like thanksgiving. the two tables were set up and filled with tons of great food mom and jill had prepared. by the end we had full bellies and a great time. the kids even behaved themselves very well during dinner. maybe its because they knew more presents were to come...(more pics)
just one
before we knew it, jill & tim and the kids were there and it was time for the party to start! all of us were hungry, but the food wasnt quite ready yet, so we allowed the kids to open one gift before dinner. my mom had gotten all three of the kids their own digital cameras! jackson got a pixar 'cars' camera, tweets got a 'hello kitty' designed one, and aves even got one too!taking it easy
christmas morning we all slept in and enjoyed the fact that we had so little planned. we lounged around all afternoon doing as little as possible!christmas eve
my mom wanted to go and get her nails done, but she waited around for us to drive up wednesday morning so diana could go with her. i dropped the women off to get pampered, and i went and finished my christmas shopping. i came back a bit early, so i stopped in at the kregal bookstore and listened to a few new cds. i found a couple good ones, and ended up buying a short sampler from a band called 'the myriad'. its pretty cool!at 6:00pm we went to the candlelight service at kcc. they always pull out all the stops for the christmas eve service, but i was really questioning their strange music selections... that night we went over to tim and jills and hung out with them and talked for a while. its always good to spent time with them, and we actually get a chance to talk and enjoy each others company when the kids are in bed!
rain delay
tuesday morning i woke up on time to drive down in the bad weather and take diana to work. she didnt work until 12:30, so i was able to make it there in time. we went for lunch at logans, then in the evening we had planned to come back up here because she had the next two days off. unfortunately, the weather was not willing to cooperate! while i was playing at panera and getting the last of the christmas presents for my family, it started raining on top of the two feet of snow that had accumulated over the past three days! the temp was hovering right around 30 degrees, so i didnt want to chance the rain turning to ice by the time we were ready to go after she got out of work, so we were stuck down there for the night. wednesday morning we felt pretty certain that the roads would be ok, so we headed back up to grand rapids.
a small milestone
wow! this is my 500th post on this blog. its a small milestone, but i thought i could use it to reflect on this whole blog thing. my first post was on september 29, 2005, and quite sarcastic. when i started all that time ago, i remember thinking that there must be something to it since so many people seem to be doing it. i told myself i would try it for a month, if i liked it i would continue and start to share my blog with others. if i didnt like it, i would delete it and move on. from the tone of those early posts i certainly didnt think i would enjoy it, but i guess i was wrong! i started off posting a couple times a week, if i had the interest or time. today i eagerly look forward to the time each week that i can spent updating and improving this little slice of the internet i call my own.from those first few posts it has grown into a whole collection of blogs! i started with just the 'poke it with a stick' page, but i quickly expanded to include pages on music, movies, critiques, an image gallery, a page for odds and ends, one defining some strange words, a page dedicated to a tv show, a strange inside joke, and a page for everything else! this is my 500th post on this main page, but i've actually racked up over 1600 posts all together on all my different pages! (yikes, it almost seems like an unhealthy obsession when i put it that way...) doing this blogging thing has changed me quite a bit: i have been challenging myself to write better, i examine the events of my life more and try to express what positive things have come from them, i take a ton more pictures (which not everyone seems to think is an improvement...), and i have been able to share my life a bit more with those who know me. not too bad for some dumb online journal, huh?
ive got more planned, so stay tuned for the next 500!
movie madness!
yesterday i was able to fulfill a dream i have had for a long time. as a big movie lover, i have always dreamed of wasting an entire day at a movie theater. monday i made that dream a reality! when i shared my vision with the guys, they wanted to be a part of it as well. so monday rex, jeffry lee, and i met up at the movie theater and proceeded to watch 5 movies in a row. no, you did not read that wrong: we saw five movies in a row!the day before i had carefully orchestrated our plan of attack, a way that we could fit all five of them in during the course of one day. we started at the theater on knapp's corner, there we saw 'slumdog millionaire' (my review). diana had dropped me off and then took my car back to her house, so the three of us guys had to scrunch into jeffry lee's tiny truck to make the transition to the next movie. we then drove to the woodland theater and watched 'eagle eye' (my thoughts). after a quick run to the mall food court (chinese food, yumm...), we were back and ready for 'rocknrolla' (my review). after a short break, and the addition to our ranks of aaron and freddie, we strode back in and saw 'role models' (my review). after that it was off to the rivertown theater to catch a late showing of 'punisher: war zone' (my review). one day, five movies, and it was glorious.
living the dream, brother, living the dream.
booger king
the other night diana and i drove through a burger king for some food. it was quite a wait for some reason, and as we were sitting there we noticed this sign. look closely, its missing an 'r' in the word 'burger'. diana and i got quite a good laugh at that- buger king? booger king?!? i know its really lame, but it was hilarious at two in the morning...
dealer looses
we had originally planned to go to aarons and hang with the guys sunday night, but with the bad weather and all diana and i decided to stay at my parents instead. my mom was pleased- finally someone to play cards with! we pulled out the ol' phase 10 deck and had at it. last time we played i didnt do so well, so i assumed my luck might change for this game. well, you know what they say about assuming... my mom and diana dont like to shuffle, so i always did, and then i would deal. after a few miserable hands, my mom suggested that i only did bad when i dealt. i decided to make mom deal instead. and wouldnt you know it? i won the next hand! i started doing well for the next few rounds. i wanted to see if this theory of hers was accurate, so i dealt the next one. -70 points. turns out that that theory has now been upgraded to fact!
charlie's brunch
we had planned to go out to charlie's crab for brunch, and we werent going to let a little (a lot) of snow slow us down! once we had the cars cleaned off and the driveway clear, we were ready to face the challenges that might come. we got there right on time and had a seat. diana had never been there before, so it was pretty cool to have her there. the thing about charlie's crab is that its situated right on the grand river. since the weather had been so crazy, it was strange to see so many huge ice chunks floating by! the meal was amazing and a very good time, even if we kept getting interrupted by chad calling trying to find his keys. he had planned to come with us, but wanted to get a head start on his trip up to the cabin with his friends. because of the key situation and the weather they didnt end up going that night anyway- he should have just come with us. his loss...the great blizzard of '08
the whole family was planning to go to church sunday morning, tweets was even going to go up with the kids in her sunday school class and sing, but the weather had a different idea in mind. in the morning my sister called my mom and informed her that church had been cancelled due to the outrageous amount of snowfall that had accumulated during the night. i didnt find out until much later because mom was nice enough to let me sleep!once all of us were up and about, my dad, brother, and i headed out to take care of the driveway. it was quite a mess, not only because of the huge amount of snow, but also because of the huge amount of vehicles in the driveway! there were a total of six (thats right, six) vehicles at the house that morning! my parents vehicles, my car, diana's car, and chad's car! as we were trying to clear the driveway, we also had to play a little three-car monty. we finally got it taken care of, but somehow chad lost the keys to his car in the shuffle. after having to go to the nissan dealer, and calling a locksmith, he was finally got a new key. what exactly happened to the old one? i guess we will find out when the three feet of snow finally melts...
verve pipe annual
after we left my sisters house, diana and i headed downtown to the intersection club. for the fourth year in a row my favorite band (well, second favorite) was playing! they have a tradition of playing the weekend before christmas every year. ive been to every one so far (last year i wrote about it here), so of course we had to go to this one too! we met up with rex, aaron, jeffry lee, freddie, jessica, and chris when we got there. the first band was on when we arrived, but i wasnt too interested, so diana, jeff, and i walked back out to the front of the place and sat down at a couch and chatted for a while. we headed back to the show and heard the last song by the second openers, and then they had a surprise for us: many of the original members of the popular local band 19 wheels were there and headed on stage and played one song for us! it was really cool to see them again.finally, it was time: the verve pipe took the stage and rocked out! this year was especially awesome, two more of the original members were back! a.j. on lead guitars, and doug on drums. the only original member missing was brad, the bassist. it was great to see those four guys back together rocking it up there! the set list was unexpectedly heavy on older songs- which i loved! in fact, they played a couple songs ('la la', and 'penny is poison') that i had never ever heard then play live, so that was awesome! i had never been to a concert with diana before, and it was really cool to have her there with me for a band that i love so much. after the show i even got a chance to talk to brian vander ark, the lead singer, for a minute, and had him sign a poster for the show that i might or might not have stolen...
the whole family
saturday evening the whole family headed over to tim and jills for dinner. when we got the the kids were really excited because their uncle chad was home! its the first time my brother has been able to see them since spring, so it was really cool to see them react when chad walked in! jackson and tweets latched on to him right away, but aves took a bit longer to warm up to him, shes a bit young to remember him from last time he was around. chad went with the kids to the basement and he and i had a blast roughhousing with them, playing with their foam swords, picking them up by their feet, and playing all kinds of fun games with them. finally it was time to eat, so we all sat down at a really long table, jill had set up two of them together. the food was really great! after we had finished and started cleaning up i got a call from diana that she was almost there. i drove out to the highway and had her follow me back (she's still a bit hazy on the directions to jills house).when she got there the kids got excited all over again! she gave all the kids hugs and kisses and the girls wanted her to read to them. it a rather special night: it was the first time we have ever had our entire family under one roof! by the end of the night the kids were really tired and dragging, i guess uncle chad had done a good job of tiring them out- tim and jill were very thankful!
vacation begins
now that break had begun, it was time to head home and see the family! first things first: i went to go see diana for dinner. she got out of work around 5:30, so we met up for dinner at hacienda (one of my absolute favorites!).then it was up to grand rapids! i stopped at my parents and unpacked and got to talk with my parents for a while. around 10pm i met up with the guys at our usual hang out, fridays at rivertown mall. after a little while we went to go see a 'the day the earth stood still' (my thoughts here). after we got out of the movie, rex, jeffry lee, and i were still up for hanging out, so off we went back to fridays... it was good to see the guys again . ive been a bit delinquent with talking to them lately, so we got to do some catching up.
(more pics)
hard candy shell
when i went out to my car to get ready to leave friday i was greeted with about half an inch or more of ice encasing it! it was really strange, the whole car was almost like an m&m with a icy candy shell and filled with car goodness inside! fortunately it was a little over 30 degrees outside, so it wasnt too much of a pain to crack it off. it still took me about 45 minutes, but i had the day off, so i didnt mind the extra time!snow day
thursday night we had terrible weather which made friday a bit bittersweet. it was awesome, first of all, because the weather was so nasty and the icy sleet was so terrible that we got a snow day! hurrah! but, it was bittersweet because it was the last day before christmas break, so we were mostly going to spend the day bowling and having a pizza party! it was nice to have a day off, but it would have been such a fun day that i kinda wish we had had it.
stations of the cross
every once in a while at school we take the kids on field trips. the history teacher thought it might be cool to take the kids to see a religious park that was only about 30 minutes away. its called 'the shrine of Christ's passion', and its a park that features life size statues of 14 different stations of the cross. in Bible the we just finished covering the week leading up to and including the crucifixion. though the stations of the cross is a catholic tradition, we felt that it was still worth seeing for the students. after we returned from the trip we talked with the kids about what could be gained from viewing these statues, and where our beliefs and traditions differ from those presented.they liked the field trip, but there was one pretty big problem: it was an outdoor exhibit, and it was about 14 degrees. there was only mild frostbite, so we viewed it as a success...
day of rest
you know, sometimes its the days that nothing happens that are the best. sunday diana came with me to church, and we got to see wayne and pat, the couple we went out to eat with a few weeks ago. and we saw ken and kristine, who is really really pregnant! they are about a week away from the due date, so she is just about to burst! its a boy, and ken is really excited!we spent the afternoon reading and lounging around in front of the tv, we even fell asleep- ah, i love those lazy sunday afternoons! in the evening we got pizza and just enjoyed the time together.
man, these three months will not pass soon enough!
b-ball tourney
saturday there was a 6th grade basketball tournament at school. i had said i would work the ticket booth for the day, so i got there before it started. i hung out and collected money all day while the kids played b ball. every now and again some of the kids would come out and keep me company. it wasnt too much work, so i got caught up on my ds playing! derrick, our new p.e. teacher, came by and we talked a bunch. we got to get to know each other a bit better, which is always good. it was good to talk with him and learn more about him. i havent been able to do that very much this year. with the new addition and room change i am no longer across the hall from the p.e. teachers office, so i hardly ever see him! derrick is a pretty cool cat, but i still miss matt...the poco lounge
diana brought poco with her when she was here thursday. she knew she would be back on sunday, so i convinced her to let him stay with me for those days in between! it was fun hanging out with poco, having some good old fashioned guy time, just me and the pooch. he did a lot of laying and sleeping, so i followed his lead and did the same! (more pics)
compatible
thursday diana came over for our final wedding counseling meeting with pastor randy. i guess we are a pretty good match, because he said that he was quite pleased with us and gave us his blessing that he would marry us! phew! i was worried that we were all wrong for each other! to celebrate our apparent compatibility we went out to eat. when we got back we watched a little tv and diana let me play with her hair. i always love doing that because her hair is awesomely curly- i twirled it into fun little clumps that stuck! so, of course, i had to take some pictures!audio books
ever since i first started making the trip, back in the day, between home and dordt college i've been enjoying books on tape. every time i'd go on a big road trip i'd make sure i first stopped at the library and loaded up on some good audio books.with all the driving i've been doing the past year going back and forth to dianas, i've really been taking advantage of these audio books! i've been listening to a ton of them lately, and have been writing a bit about the ones i listen to. if you have any road trips ahead, or would just like an alternative to that same old cd or radio station, take a look at some that i have enjoyed! find all my audio book reviews here.
oh, and don't forget to check out the other Poke It With A Stick contents listed at the right!
work party
this past weekend diana and i got to spend a bit of time together. her work was having a christmas party and she wanted me to come with her. she had the day off, so we got to spend the whole day together! we went for lunch and then wandered around the mall together. the place was pretty crowded, but we didnt really have anything we were looking for, so we kicked back and just enjoyed it all. before the work party a bunch of her coworkers met up at hacienda. we got there about an hour and a half before the party and just got to hang out with them for a bit. it was pretty fun, her coworkers really enjoy spending time together, and its always good to see them outside of the work environment. around 7:00pm we all headed over to the hall that was hosting the party. we had a great time eating talking and laughing. they gave away some cool gifts, but she didnt win any of the big ones. i know diana is really looking forward to leaving home depot, but there are a lot of friends she is going to leave behind.crocheting for kids
for the past couple years we have offered activity periods for our students. its a time set aside for them to participate in activities outside of the normal class stuff. this includes things like journalism, where the kids write and print a newspaper, there is an option to learn how to use film editing software, where the kids create and edit their own videos, an introduction to the spanish language, an in depth look at the holocaust, and a drama class where the kids create their own short play to perform in front of the whole junior high. ive taught the drama class before, but this year i wanted to add another option: crocheting!the response was amazing! tons of kids, even a bunch of the guys, wanted to learn how to crochet! i actually had to add a second session just so i could fit everyone who wanted to do it. we started this past thursday, and it was a blast! some of the kids were able to pick it up right away and were even able to help those who were struggling. within the next few weeks these 44 students will be able to make their own scarves and hats, which they are really excited for! ill be sure to continue to take photos of their work and feature some of the most creative stuff they come up with.
regency
Diana always told me that when she was little, she always dreamed of becoming a hairdresser. when it came time for college she wanted to go to beauty school, but didnt have the support to do it. so instead she went to grand valley university. after every year she said that she would want to quit and go to beauty school. she didnt. after she graduated from college she looked for a job in a field she wasnt really interested in. she didnt find anything, so she settled for a job at home depot where her best friend worked. two and a half years later, she still holds on to that dream of becoming a hairdresser.in a few months she will be moving here and doesnt really want to stay at home depot (which is a good thing, because i dont want her to either...). so we are faced with the challenge of her trying to find a job around here. after much thought and prayer, we decided its time for her to pursue her dream. at the end of april she will begin classes at Regency Beauty Institute. 10 months later she will be a hairdresser.
well, thursday after our meeting with randy we decided to check out the campus. we drove over there and it was really pretty cool! she filled in the last of the forms she needed, and we got a tour of the place. it looked great, and i know she will be well equipped to begin a new career doing what she always dreamed of! happy ending are nice, huh?
marriage counceling
thursdays diana and i have our marriage counseling meetings with pastor randy. we werent sure if she would be up for it so soon after her surgery, but it turns out that she was feeling great thursday morning, so she drove over for the day. she got to my place in the afternoon and just hung out until i got home. she even brought poco to keep her company!then off we went to go see randy. these marriage counseling sessions are really a lot of fun. we get the chance to talk about some big stuff in a structured environment and really dig in. most of the stuff we have discussed before, but its quite helpful to have someone there to guide the conversation and challenge us in different areas. also, he gives us tons of material that we get to go over with just the two of us afterwards. its been good to talk through everything and has helped us grow deeper and closer.
clive
wednesday diana had oral surgery. she had to get a bone graft on her upper jaw, which doesnt sound like much fun at all. she got out of it ok and said it wasnt as bad as she expected, which is always good. afterward she felt well enough to go out for dinner with her family, so it must have been feeling pretty good- or maybe that was just the pain medication she was on...she told me i didnt have to come and see her, and i wasnt going to, but i thought about it and realized that i really didnt have anything better to do, so off i went! i didnt get there in time to see her family, but i did get to spend a couple hours with her. she was really glad to see me, and i brought her a new friend! we decided that he was probably a british dog, so we decided to name him clive.
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