Track Awards 2007

Tonight was the spring sports dessert at Hosanna . . . Phillip's first athletic awards program. Coach Zach introduced Phillip first amongst the runners and spoke very highly of him. In fact, he gave Phillip the Most Improved award. He commented that when Phillip first arrived at practice, he even had to be taught how to run! No, this doesn't mean that Phillip had to be taught how to run fast . . . he had to literally learn how to move his arms and legs in a running motion. His progress this spring was phenomenal. He couldn't make it around even one lap around the track at first but with practice he was able to run almost a mile in under six minutes.

Jordan was next and Coach was extremely complimentary toward him, calling him the hardest worker on the team and saying he has a great attitude. He told the story of getting a call from him because Jordan was at the Big 5 sporting goods store and was going to be late for practice . . . and so Jordan ran all the way to OIT for practice, more than six miles. Jordan did get his varsity letter but, maybe more importantly, he received the Coach's Award. Zach doesn't give an MVP award but he sees this as its substitute. It recognizes the qualities of a strong work ethic, positive attitude, coachability, Christ-like attitude and being a good teammate.

Zach also talked about how much he would miss the guys next year and you could hear murmurs of agreement around the room. Needless to say, I couldn't be prouder of them.

Quote of the Week

"Only the mediocre are always at their best."

- H.L. Mencken

OrAckRow

All the acronyms in my professional life--PahNacAck, NackCap, EyeCar, NacAck and more--drive my family crazy. Last weekend, after spending some time with our families in the Salem area, I went up to Seaside for yet another alphabet soup organization's conference: OrACRAO, the Oregon Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers. The conference was followed by a meeting Tuesday afternoon of ICAR, the Oregon University System's Interinstitutional Committee on Admissions and Recruitment. Since I'm now officially a short-timer, these meetings were largely a chance for me to say good-bye to many of the people I've gotten to know in Oregon over the last seven years.

OrACRAO did a kind of cool thing in honoring its members who have been active in other organizations so at lunch on Monday, Reid Kisling, OrACRAO's president-elect, gave me a certificate recognizing the various ways that I've been involved recently with PNACAC and NACAC. It was neat to receive it from Reid since he's a Christian college colleague, from George Fox University, and an OIT alumnus.

I do have to say that the food at this conference was really good and there was tons of it. The workshops were okay but, like I said, I'm a short-timer so perhaps my own motivation is a bit weak.

One of my OUS colleagues, Mara Affre from Southern Oregon University, is also moving on to a new job. In fact, Thursday was her last day at SOU as she's on her way to Boise State University. Since we're both on our way out the door, at Monday night's social--with a beach party theme--we had our picture taken together. After the social, Agnes Hoffman from Portland State Universit invited all of the OUS admissions folks to her room so that they could make champagne toasts (using little hotel bathroom plastic cups) to Mara and me.

At the end of the ICAR meeting, I was stunned when Agnes, then Martha Pitts from UO, Rob Findtner from Western, and the crew from OSU and OSU-Cascades gave Mara and me going away gifts (I'm wearing my Oregon sweatshirt at this very moment). I never would have expected such generosity and it was really touching. My first ICAR meeting was May of 2000. Mara had started at SOU just before that meeting, too, so we came in together and leave together. I could not have imagined how much some of these OUS colleagues would come to mean to me. It really has been a privilege to work alongside them.

(L to R - Mara Affre, Kirk Koenig from UO, who I've known since his days at Gonzaga in the '80s, Agnes Hoffman, and Martha Pitts)

Photos from Last Weekend

Filed under the category "Better Late Than Never," here are some photos from last Sunday. It was my mom's birthday so my sister, Laura, and her husband came down from the Seattle area. Since Laura got some really great photos, I figured I'd post them here. After church, we all went downtown for a Chinese buffet and Mom opened some of her presents . . .

Quote of the Week

“God enters by a private door into every individual.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Walk on the Wilder Side

Jeannette's mom is Joyce Wilder and tonight we went over to Jeannette's brother Paul's house in Albany. Since this might be our last visit for awhile, we had to get some family pictures. Here is Grammie Joyce with eight of her nine grandchildren plus new addition, great grandson Tristan . . .
Grandma bought her granddaughters matching July 4 shirts from Old Navy today . . .

Quote of the Week

“People buy for three reasons and three reasons only: Price and/or Service and/or Exclusivity. If all things are equal and your price is lowest, you will get the order. If you service is terrific, your sales people warm and knowledgeable, your guarantee of satisfaction ironclad, people will buy. Or if you are the only game in town (e.g., Rolls-Royce, Segway, Picasso), you will make the sale.”

- Denny Hatch

Offer Accepted

Well, after about four offers and counter-offers, the sellers of the home on Oakbriar accepted our offer this evening. Now we just have to sell our house as quickly as possible so we can close on it. So, if you're homeless, please make us an offer. We are motivated sellers now!

More Melody

My sister e-mailed me some more photos from MelodyJoy's second birthday celebration in Salem. They were so cute that I had to post them here . . .

Mother's Day 2007

End of the Track

Saturday was the Mountain Skyline Championships--the district track meet for Jordan and Phillip. The meet was held at OIT and we were optimistic about the day. Jordan has been aiming to qualify for state all year and this was supposed to be the competition that sent him there. With it being on our "home" track and at 4200 foot elevation, things seemed to be in order for him. Unfortunately, Saturday was definitely not his day.

About three weeks ago, Jordan started running the 300 meter hurdles. He developed shin splints because of this and they started wrapping his right leg. On Saturday, they must have gotten the wrap wrong because it cut off circulation. From trackside, we could tell he was struggling but weren't sure why. By the time he finished, in his second worst time of the season, he was in agony. It was a real shame. He went on to do the 1500, too, and recorded his worst time this year. I was so disappointed for him. He finished in fifth place in both races, which is where he was projected to be based on PR's this year, but his times were just horrible.


Phillip had a little better luck. He managed to set personal records in both the 800 and 1500. He didn't quite get to where he wanted but he improved. I hope he'll give cross country a shot when we get to Indiana.

Birthday Bowling

Friday was Phillip's 15th birthday. Because we're feeling guilty about moving our boys thousands of miles away from their friends, we decided to spring for "big" birthday parties for him and for Jameson, simultaneously at The Epicenter bowling alley. About six of Jameson's friends from church and school came, and all but one of Phillip's classmates showed up.








Jameson gave Phillip a bowling pin and all his friends signed it for him . . .

Bowling held their interest only so long and then it was on to the arcade, where Dance Dance Revolution was the center of attention . . .

School Delay

Another note for the boys: You won't believe this but, yesterday, Blackhawk Christian School (and most of the other schools in the Fort Wayne area) had a two-hour delayed start to the school day because of . . . fog. Yes, fog.

Blackhawk Christian School

This post is for the boys. Jeannette visited Blackhawk Christian School when I was out for the interview. This week, I checked it out, too, because we plan to send them there. I used to visit Blackhawk when I recruited for Asbury College but had never toured the facilities.

This is the outside of the building that is used for the elementary school . . .
This is the elementary library, which on the day I was there was being used for a book sale . . .
This is the gym, which is also used as a lunchroom . . .
Here are two classrooms. I think they are fifth or sixth graders . . .


This is the church building that houses the junior and senior high school, as well as the pre-school . . .

This isn't a very good photo but it's the high school gym. I'm told they take their basketball pretty seriously . . .
This is a classroom that is used for the computer classes . . .
One of the high school classrooms . . .

And here is the bandroom . . .

As you enter the school, the first thing you see is the cafeteria . . .