on the Potter's wheel

Dancing Baby

2009-04-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

The other day we were sitting in the living room listening to music and Abigail started dancing. It was the cutest thing ever.

Happy Girls

2009-04-08T19:48:00.001-07:00

Abby is pretty lucky to have such a great Mommy. And I am pretty lucky to have two sweet ladies.

Favorite beach activity

2009-04-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

Is it wading in the water? Collecting rocks? Filling sand pails? No, it's eating sand. We spent the day keeping her from eating it, and then decided to let her enjoy, hoping that she would realize that sand really is not that tasty. She never came to that conclusion though. She would have continued shoveling it in until she got sick, but we had to interrupt her bliss.

From walking to climbing

2009-04-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

I had off on Monday and the weather was beautiful, so we drove up to a State Park on the Chuckanut Hwy. Abigail had a blast. It was a little hard for her to walk on the uneven ground, so she took to climbing. I will have to say she has some skill, there may be a future for her in climbing.

Ok, so she had a little help.

walking faster

2009-04-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

This was taken on the afternoon of the day she started walking. As you can see, there is going to be no turning back for her.

Abigail is walking

2009-04-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

To our delight Abigail decided to start walking during the morning of my 3 day weekend. That meant I got lots of time to enjoy it with her. She had been walking while holding my finger for several months, so when she decided to use her legs as a mode of transportation she was all over the place, and very excited about it.

Timid Smile

2009-03-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

This is Abigail's smile when she is around a group of people. She is very quiet, and observent.

A day with friends

2009-03-11T19:29:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we headed up to Lynden to hang out with some good friends. Lynden is near the Canadian Boarder, about two hours from here. It was rather chilly, but hanging out on the piers and waterfront was a lot of fun. Abigail loved holding Daddy's finger while walking around.

2009-02-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

Are We Soft Clay?

2009-02-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

We are learning again to allow God to shape us and use us for the purposes He has for the present time.... We had plans to go to New Tribes Mission Aviation's technical evaluation this spring and to head off to the NTM mission's training center the fall of 2009. At this time, NTMA's minimum requirements for a pilot's flight hours have been raised to 400 and also 1 year of maintenance experience. Ben has close to 300 hours and maintenance exp. from his training at Moody Aviation, and this job he has now will give him more.

So, for a few days we kind of reeled at this change of our plans... "Lord, what are You doing?... don't we need to go now...."it already takes so long for a missionary pilot to get to the field... "okay, mabye we need to just live for a while...."the past several years have been extreemly intense..."mabye You have need for us here.... "mabye we need to learn to rest, repose and just be in relationship with You, making sure we don't find any of our "worth" in what we do, but who we are in Christ..."yet finding the balance of walking in the good works that He has prepared beforhand for us to do...."but finding our identity in Christ alone..."

That said, mabye it gives you a glimpse into where we are. We are settling into life here, now that we're past the surprise of the change of "our" plans and we have jumped in with both feet to "normal" life in the northwest. It's good. And we can see that the Lord knew exactly what we needed. Of course. : )

Glasair

2009-02-11T14:01:00.000-08:00

The blog hasn't been updated much lately since my husband got a job.... so I will be taking on the blog postings every so often. In light of this difficult economic time, we are thanking the Lord that Ben actually got a job. Just when January was feeling very bleak and we had begun to doubt, the Lord reminded us that He has a plan. Ben is now working for Glasair, a company in Arlington that builds small fiberglass aircraft. This job is such a God-send, such a specific answer to prayer... Ben really wanted a job that he could get maintenance experience in and possibly have opportunities to gain flight hours- both of which this job provides. And he is working with a buddy from his graduating class. The comradrie is very encouraging.

Christmas

2009-01-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

This picture turned out blurry, but I thought it was so cute. Abigail snuggling her teddy in front of the Christmas tree.

Time with Daddy

2009-01-05T10:15:00.000-08:00

I am still in the process of looking for a job, so I have been home a lot. That equates to lots of time with Abigail. If I play it just right, by sitting with her after a nap, I get a little snuggle time with her. Most of the time though, she is pretty active, and into everything.

Teddy Bears

2009-01-05T10:08:00.000-08:00

Abigail loves her teddy bears. She very frequently gives them hugs. I just wish I got half as many hugs as the teddies do.

More Snow!

2009-01-05T10:04:00.001-08:00

Snow was in the forecast even for the west. Here in Monroe we had nearly 18 inches on the ground at Christmas. It also got down to the teens for about a week. Very abnormal for this area.

Christmas tree

2009-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

On the Seattle side of the state, rain is more likely then snow. As was the case when we cut down our Christmas tree.

Snow!

2009-01-04T21:04:00.000-08:00

After I completed the basement I had a little deterrent to my plans of leaving. We got two feet of snow! So I spent the day shoveling and helping people in our neighborhood get their cars back to their driveways after failed attempts to traveling. The following day I put chains on my truck and headed out, for what I thought would be a long journey home. But once I got to the freeway it was smooth sailing. The road was bare for most of the trip. In all I was gone for 12 days, but it felt like forever.

A Completed Project

2009-01-04T20:57:00.000-08:00

Well, from start (Nov. '07) to finish (Dec. '08) that basement was a lot more work that I thought it would be. But it feels so good to be done. The only problem? We don't live there anymore to enjoy it!

Dusty mess

2009-01-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

After my Dad left I spent another five days down there sanding. That was a job I am glad to be done with. Even looking at these pictures brings back bad memories. In the midst of this we were also trying to pack for our move back to Monroe, WA. We wanted to be moved before Thanksgiving came. We did get moved, but I still had much to do in the basement before it was complete. So after Thanksgiving I went back to Spokane to finish up. Things like panting, putting up trim, installing a few windows and an interior door, among many other small projects still needed to be done.

Taping and mudding

2009-01-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

Our days were spent in the basement, taping and mudding, while listening to numerous Ranger Bill episodes (an old radio drama)http://www.rangerbill.zoomshare.com/. Though the work is not something I enjoy, I very much enjoyed the time I was able to spend with my Dad.

Dad pays a visit

2009-01-04T20:08:00.000-08:00

Well it was more like work than a vacation for my Dad who came out for five days to help me get our basement finished. We have rented out the house, but wanted the basement finished before they moved in. Though my Dad and I did put in long hours every day, he got a little time to be with his grandaughter.

New Flight Instructors

2009-01-04T19:49:00.000-08:00

The beginning of November brought the end of a challenging course. Fran Burgess (left) and myself, instructed by Bill Kilgore (center), passed our final check ride to receive our licenses.

Learning how to recover from a spin

2009-01-04T18:35:00.004-08:00

This fall I elected to get my Flight Instructors License. It was not a required portion of my training, but is recommended by the Mission we plan on serving with. Part of the training required me to practice recovering from a spin. This is a maneuver that we normally do not do intentionally, but as an instructor I need to be confident and ready to recover from if a student accidentally enters one.

One last flight with the Kodiak

2008-12-01T12:49:00.001-08:00

Toward the end of September, the Kodiak was to make one last flight to complete it's summer tour. The last stop would be Centralia, WA, which is south of Seattle. The flight from Spokane to Centralia took us right past Mt. Rainier. It was very beautiful from 12,500 ft. I am very thankful for the opportunity I had to pilot the airplane that was created for the use of continuing the spread of the Gospel.

It's about time I make an entry

2008-12-01T12:44:00.000-08:00

So it's been over two months since I have written anything. I guess that means time is really going fast, or I am a big procrastinator. I am going to attempt a try at catching you up a bit.

Wonderful time

2008-09-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

We had a great time in Connecticut with family and friends. And we wish Milton and Sheila the best. They work so well together, I know they will have a wonderful marriage. We hope this will not be that last trip out to Connecticut

Local wildlife

2008-09-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

I love walking the coastline looking for different creatures. While Amanda likes to look for neat rocks and shells. And Abigail, well, I think she just likes to eat the sand.

Grandpa and Grandma

2008-09-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

Abigail got a good dose of Grandpa and Grandma.

Shoulder rides

2008-09-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

On this trip she learned how to ride on my shoulders. It made carrying her easier for me, and she loved it, every once in a while she would let out a random giggle. As a Dad I loved spending more time with her. I am still staying pretty busy, working on getting my flight instructors license as well as providing for the family. So to have nearly a week of time together was great. I even taught her how to growl.

2008-09-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

Abigail enjoyed the coast also, though we didn't allow her to eat it.

Light houses

2008-09-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

Amanda has always been intrigued by light houses. So you can bet we spent some time looking at different light houses along the coast. This one was at a place called Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

Amazing history

2008-09-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

OK, I will be honest, in high school, history was a dreaded subject. But as time passes its becoming one of my favorites. And the east coast is full of some pretty awesome history. We were able to walk around some towns that were established in the 1700's. Beautiful homes, narrow downtown streets, and some very old war artifacts. It was great, I could have spent a lot more time touring.

Time with family

2008-09-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

While in Connecticut we were able to spend some time with Mom and Dad (right), Uncle Mike and Aunt Mary (left), and Aunt Darlene (not shown).

Wedding on the beach

2008-09-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

Our family recently had the privilege of witnessing my sister's wedding in Connecticut. The setting was perfect. They chose to be married at Harkness Memorial State Park overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The call for an outdoor wedding was a risky one, being that there was rain all day on Friday and then more on Sunday. But the day of the wedding was dry with overcast skies.

Baby on the move

2008-08-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

The day after I got home Abigail decided to start crawling. I was so glad that she waited for me. I took this video shortly after she did it for the first time. She grew so much over the two weeks I was gone. On top of crawling, she has gotten very good at eating food. She loves squash and chicken, but then again she likes to stick anything in her mouth. The day after spending some time on a beach she had a diaper full of sand. That had to be tasty!

Trains, planes and automobiles

2008-08-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

I had an 18 hour day on Monday the 18th, traveling from Reedsville, PA to Spokane, WA. About an hour in a car, 4 hours on a train and the rest in the air with a few layovers. It is so nice to be home after being away for a month.

Fasten your seat belts

2008-08-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

After I have everyone sign their waiver form and run the weight and balance I take them out to the airplane and explain the seat belts and other safety related items. Then I help them get seated and close up the doors. We do about one ride every 45 min when it is busy.

Want a ride?

2008-08-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

I am here holding down the fort. Lining up rides and answering the many questions that people have about the Kodiak. While it is slow I get a chance to post a blog or two. That is precisely what I am doing in the picture above.

A visit to Jersey Shore, PA

2008-08-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

We got to visit New Tribes Mission while in Pennsylvania. This was the location of the Missions Institute before they relocated to Missouri. NTM kept the property and is now using it for week long camps, offered to churches, schools and the general public. The program introduces tribal missions and the reality of a lost world that just needs to hear God's Word. I was very impressed with what NTM put together. Visit their website at: www.ntm.org/wayumi

Head in the clouds

2008-08-15T06:32:00.000-07:00

The cloud formations have been so beautiful. There were a few scattered thunderstorms on our way to Pennsylvania, but very easy to avoid. So far on this trip we have had beautiful weather. We haven't canceled any flights due to weather, which is uncharacteristic of the east in the summer.

A crew of three

2008-08-15T06:19:00.000-07:00

Ed Robinson and myself are in the front, and Steve Ottaviano is behind Ed. Steve will be taking over for me as I leave
in three days. Steve is a missionary pilot with JAARS. He has many years logged over seas and has been back in the States now foundraising for the Kodiak.

Somebody's got to do it

2008-08-13T10:34:00.001-07:00

Yeah, that's me under the belly of a Kodiak. To begin each day we get do a preflight to ensure the aircraft is in good condition to fly. We also clean the airplane every morning. Even though this is a rugged mission plane, we attempt to keep it clean for our guests.

Take off

2008-08-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

This was a take off on a 2,200 foot runway, with a slight incline, loaded to it's maximum weight. As you can see, there is plenty of runway left after lift off. He lifted off in about 800 ft.

Many stops

2008-08-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

We have been to thirty cities so far, some stops involve visiting a flight school, other are events put on my mission groups such as NTM, JARRS and MAF. Some places have been very busy, others have been pretty relaxed. We are giving rides on an average of thirty per stop. That puts us up to around 800 rides that we have given. I do all the loading and signing up of our passengers and also give them a briefing similar to what you would hear on an airline, though I try to make it a little more interesting.

My new friend

2008-08-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

At one of our stops in Moxville, NC I had a little helper named Harmony. She helped me organize papers and enter our riders information into the computer.

Partners

2008-08-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

Ed Robinson is on the left, and Micheal Stroh is on the right. He helped organize the Florida tour. In 2001 I spent some time in Indonesia with Micheal. He gave me a very good look at the life of a missionary pilot. His wife and three children will be serving in Arizona where we will be in roughly two years. I look forward to getting to know them better.

Very hot

2008-08-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

We had some very pretty cloud formations in Florida, but I was rather disappointed that we never got a good thunderstorm. The weather was very hot and humid, which is not my favorite combination.

I don't get it

2008-08-11T17:57:00.001-07:00

I don't know why that last picture didn't flip on it's side. I am a little confused now. If any of you know what I am doing wrong shoot me an email please

The rough life

2008-08-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

This was one of the hangers we stayed at in Sanford Florida. I have honestly never seen anything like it. The hanger had tile floors, fans that were made out of old airplane blades, a bar, and a very large table in the middle with a chandelier hanging over it.

Lots of rides

2008-08-11T08:20:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what happened to my other picture, it was right side up when I entered it. I guess I will chalk it up to inexperience:)
We have given over 700 rides on this tour so far. Ed Robinson does all the rides, while I do all the point to point flying. This picture was of me flying to Florida with a ride along passenger. He wasn't paying so I could still fly the route.

Stormy ride

2008-08-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

I was able to spend a week with my family and friends in Wisconsin half way through the Kodiak tour. Amanda and Abigail also flew out at the same time. We had a great time and it was a much needed break from the tour. On our way out we had a bit of weather to work around. The picture shows us just skirting the edge of a thunderstorm. We saw a lot of lightning and a lot of black clouds, but were able to stay clear of it. We got through just in time, because about a half hour later it really closed in and covered the bottom half of Wisconsin. The picture above shows the sattalite image in our cocpit as we flew through it. The flight was only four hours, from Oshkosh, WI to Bermingham, Al. After the initial storm we had smooth flying the rest of the way.

Starting our blog

2008-07-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally decided to start a blog page. We hope that it will connect us that much more with all of you.