Christmas at the Kimble's

Our first stop while back in Ohio was in Maumee at Mom & Dad Kimble's house. It was great that everyone was home at once as we invaded every room of their home! We shared plenty of laughter and fun, and Brooke and Maura were finally able to share in the 'Waterbabies' fun (has anyone else heard of this movie?)

we present... the kimbles:

bryan, steve, mom & dad k, andrea, and brooke.

enjoying the massive christmas tree!

mom k and andrea!

andrea and brother bryan

maura and steve.

what could be in this humongous box?!

uh....thanks. a memory card!

ice road truckers!

nothing says 'michigan' like an engineer in

a hard hat!

mom & dad k, andrea, and brooke.

uncle dan , aunt terri, and cousin munchie stopped by for christmas eve dinner!

munchie and andrea.

da 'burg

While back in Ohio, we made sure to make time with some good friends.

Andrea and Jenna were great friends back in High School.  She and Andy got married this past July in Madison, WI, where they live now.  They are a great couple!  We enjoyed catching up with them over coffee.

The P-burg girls all home over the Holidays: (from the left)

Abby, Jenna, Andrea, Colleen, Melissa.

Abby and I are also really good friends.  We have known each other since grade school, and have built up some crazy memories.  She and her husband, Mike, were high school sweethearts (yes!  sometimes those relationships really do last long!) and were married last year.

Funny how most of us are still our goofy old selves...even now that we're all married and 'old.'

We had a great time visiting with old friends in the bars of the suburbs.  

Thanks all! for a great time!  Come out to visit soon!

behold... the beauty of ohio.

old truck in field.

silo in field.

bellingham airport -> ohio

we woke at 330am to make our way north to bellingham airport. after checking our bags at the skybus [double wide] terminal, which looked more like a small lodge then an airport, we made our way through bellingham's microscopic airport. ohio...here we come!

40 minute delay because there wasn't enough

room on the tarmac for two planes!

sorry mow, kansas still sucks...but you rock!

Apples to Apples

Although we've know Matt and Danelle for a while, we go to church with them, and we're in the same small group, we've never really hung out. So we invited them over for dinner last night and a round of Apples to Apples. Danelle was the first person we met when we got to seattle; she works at the little coffee shop across the street from our building. we chowed down on andrea's amazing manicotti, talked a while, then preceded to play Apples to Apples.

matt and danelle...acting.

conferencing about green cards.

a sample of our rounds.

she is such a priority! my wife!

so i've eaten a lot of oranges this week...they're good!

as in 'my new shoes are so delightful!'

and the winner is...

getting worn out.

peep the digs. small.

even snorman the snowman got in on the action!

Night Out at the Nutcracker

we decided to spend the night on the town by going to see the nutcracker. a bit apprehensive, this was brooke's first ballet. a bit apprehensive for the title, not the ballet.

we spent the evening with friends from rei: mike, sarah, lisa, and her daughter katie. fun was had by all!

the trislers looking rather dapper.

so dapper a pipe must be smoked!

what's a trisler picture without an open mouth!

phone_photo: space needle w/ christmas tree!

Skiing at Mt Baker

i just got back from an amazing day of skiing in real snow on the west coast. for those that don't know, i feel that skiing is 'my sport.' i feel the way about skiing that i used to feel about water skiing/wakeboarding. breaking your foot in the middle of a great lake will hinder your love for a sport!

i enjoyed the day with byran, an a amazing guy. we left seattle before the sun was out to journey three hours north for some awesome snow and powder. we got to see the rising sun burn an orange streak along the cascade range and give way to the clearest of days i've seen out here.

phone_photo: mt baker is back-center.

phone_photo: bryan. you can't name a sport the
guy doesn't enjoy! he has been up almost all of the
volcanic peaks in the cascade range including: baker,
ranier, st. helens, adams, hood, jefferson, newberry,
crater lake, shasta, and lassen.

phone_photo: this was on one of our last runs.
mt baker ski area closes at 4pm because it's
pitch black by then. mt shuckson in the
background.

phone_photo: bryan and i had a blast. the sky was
crystal clear, the snow was good, and hardly anyone
was there.

phone_photo: ...and there was only one casualty.
my brand new ski poles i had bought less than 24 hours
before i bent them. thank God for our rei discount!

mt shuckston
i caught bryan looking at this eye candy all day long.
riding up the chair lift, i'd look over and his head would
be turned all the way around; mumbling something
about 'what a beautiful peak...it should be climbed.'