Accolades and Liposuction

You'll note that I've trimmed the fat from my list of other folks' blogs... Anyone who hadn't posted in over a year was slashed from the list like a victim in a cheesy B-movie. Chad, Katie, Starrs, this means you. And Walker, you're in danger yourself... one post in the last 7 months? The only thing that saved you was the ultra-awesomeness of your last post. Let's see some art-project updates! Jenny gets a temporary pass, being newly-wed and all...

On the other hand, I feel that a few blogs deserve some sort of award, however meaningless, and thus I hereby nominate the following:

• Ryan - Most Prolific (and incredibly great) Photographer
• Jessica - Longest Posts (that's what happens when you live in a village in Namibia, and post a month's worth of blogs all at once...)
  
• The Burnses - Best 9-Month Adventure (Baby Jake was born 10/28!!! Go see the pictures!)
  

First Snow

Last weekend we went up to Rocky Mountain National Park for the first time. It was overcast and pretty chilly, but we wanted to catch the fall colors... and they were awesome. While we were hiking, it actually started snowing lightly, which made the scenery that much more picture-perfect. Of the hundreds of photos I took, the best sixty or so are in my online picasa album... here are the best of the best.

I didn't have my zoom camera that day (it's on the fritz), just my Pentax point-and-shoot... so the squirrel/chipmunk photos were taken the old-fashioned way... by sneaking up verrrry slowly...









Fall vs. Winter

Tagged 11th...

I was tagged by Dane (who was tagged by Charissa, who was tagged by Ryan...). In this game of blog-tag, I'm supposed to post the 11th photo in my 11th album...

But, boringly, the 11th picture in my 11th album is one you've seen before...

This is from back when Eva-Lynn's mom was out here helping us fix up our new apartment (which I haven't really posted pictures of, have I? I'll add it to the to-do list...).

So I did like Charissa, and looked for the 11th photo in my 11th online Picasa album:

Not bad. It's from Beka's birthday party, at Amy's family's cabin on the Oregon coast. SUCH good times!!!

Out of curiosity, though, I dug deep into the photo folder on my backup hard drive -- the folder that has every pictures I've taken since I first got a digital camera (70,000 and counting...)...

Here's folder 11, photo 11. This is June 2002.... a month after I got my first digital camera as an early graduation present. There I am at the bottom... hair parted in the middle? I did that? Behind me, left to right, are Matt, grandmothers Nana and Mimi, great-aunt Bobbie, and Mom. And finally, little brother Kelly at the top... I think he might actually still be smaller than me back then. And appropriately enough, what am I doing? Showing everyone photos on the computer? Some things don't change....

Let's see... I'll tag Ginny.

We've got company!

Many of you know Matt Hildbrandt, the fearless leader of the worship team at my church back home in Crescent City. He's nearing the end of a cross-country adventure that included Hurricane Ike in New Orleans, Disney World, a cruise to the Bahamas, Washington DC.... and last weekend, the highlight of his trip.... visiting the Lunds in Boulder!!! (Without a doubt, the highlight of any trip...)

(And now, a brief plug for HIS BLOG... it's awesome! It has cool pictures! Go check it out!!!)

We had a rad weekend with him - hanging out, showing him around Boulder, and, of course, getting him up to speed on this season of Heroes (he has good taste in television). On Saturday, we took him on a drive up Boulder Canyon and a quick hike to Boulder Falls... the waterfall is a few hundred yards up a rocky trail, but at this altitude, that's plenty to leave an un-acclimated, sea-level "flatlander" feeling light-headed. Of course, I was very gracious and understanding at all times (despite any spurious comments to the contrary you may read at Matt's blog....). :)

Sunday's highlight was a visit to our local mini-golf course, with plenty of photo ops:

(The last four photos may or may not have been rearranged, in order to conceal who actually ended up with their ball the water.... although the astute viewer may be able to draw some conclusions...)




Several King Kongs attacking a medieval castle...

Where's the fire?!??!!?