A Tribute to My Friend Beth

Today I'm grieving the loss of one of my best friends. I met Beth in either 2000 or 2001 at Green Lake Pres. We hit it off immediately. She was single then. I rejoiced when she became engaged to Stuart. I was unable to attend their wedding in 2003 in Pennsylvania since I had just had my first baby. She moved to Taiwan soon after and I rejoiced with her at the birth of her daughter Kylie in 2004. Kylie has Down Syndrome. Stuart and Beth spent a few years in the US and adopted their son Jack from the Ukraine. They moved to England in 2014. They ministered to Chinese students in Sheffield.

One fun memory is when J and I had a garage sale at our house in Ballard. Stuart and Beth were engaged at this point and they brought things to sell at our sale. Their prices were much lower than ours. We joked that they were Wal-Mart undercutting the "mom and pop store" since I was pregnant with A at the time. 

This is Beth with baby Alexander.

I have many fond memories of the stories that Beth told about Kylie. My favourite is when she was resisting doing her school work. She complained that her pencil was " too pokey."

In 2013, I took Kylie to Build a Bear at Alderwood Mall and she chose to make a bunny.

Beth was very good at keeping in touch. She kept a blog for many years and she also sent me hand written letters. I wish I had sent her more letters and was intending to write one a few weeks before she died.

We had a tradition of taking photos of Kylie (and later Jack) with my boys on the couch. 

The last photo is when we said goodbye before their move to the UK.

I loved the photos she took of her area of England and I had hoped to visit her there. 

Beth had a great sense of humour. She loved to create scrapbooks and quilt. She also loved to read. My last communication with her was filling a request for fiction recommendations.

She recently wrote a Bible study on Habakkuk and she was working on two books before she died. One about Kylie's birth and one about her experience with cancer.

Beth developed liver cancer in March 2020.  She passed away peacefully with Stuart at her side on April 21, 2021.

The magnolia were in full bloom when I said goodbye to Beth before she moved to the UK. Today the magnolias are again in full bloom. I think magnolias will always remind me of her.

2014

She was a wonderful friend and I miss her very much. I will pray for her children and Stuart as they grieve.

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Trip to California

During the boys' Spring/Easter break we travelled to Los Angeles in order that A might visit a college campus. We've been waiting to visit this campus for an entire year. The visit was only a drive thru tour but I decided that it was important for him to actually see the campus in person in order for him to make a decision about his future.

I hadn't flown in over 2 year so it was a bit strange adjusting to the new rules. We had to wear masks for the duration of the flight (2 hours and 15 minutes or so). I'm glad the flight wasn't any longer. Boarding passes are now primarily on one's phone and that can cause problems. On our return flight I asked for printed copies. The boys hadn't flown since they went to DC and New York with school group tours. This was 2018 for C and 2016 for A.

At Paine Field in Everett we had a delay at security on our outgoing flight because C wears a back brace and that set off the metal detector. He was hand frisked by the TSA agent which I was annoyed at. 

I will say that Paine Field is a dream to fly in and out of. I'm a huge fan now. It is about 15 minute drive from our house compared to up to an hour drive to SeaTac. Paine Field is a new airport. Small but very nice.

I rented a car and enjoyed driving the one that J picked for me. It is quite similar to my own car but smaller. Buick Encore. The black interior was problematic, though, for heat wimps like us. 

We stayed at the Holiday Inn La Mirada which is the closest hotel to the university. It was a basic hotel. It had a smoke smell which so many hotels have. La Mirada seems like a lower middle class city. Most houses are single story. Very clean. We drove around the perimeter of the campus. 

We explored La Mirada Park. A large park very close to the campus. It has a disc golf course which is a game in which frisbees are thrown into numerous metal structures around a course.

We drove to Huntington Beach. It is a 45 minute drive from La Mirada. We walked the pier and then around the streets. It seemed like a popular place for tourists. I spotted this house a block or so from the beach.

I enjoyed watching the surfers. You have a great view of them from the pier.

I drove the perimeter of Disneyland. It plans to reopen at the end of April. If it was open when we were there I don't think the boys would be in a big hurry to go.

Our entertainment on Tuesday night was watching a car chase on local TV. A guy was on the run for almost 2 hours in the Pomona area. We were impressed with his driving skills. It ended with a semi blocking him. A very L.A. event.

We did the drive thru campus tour on Wednesday morning. It lasted about an hour. I may write a separate blog post about the college.

We didn't eat anything very interesting. Only fast food (In and Out Burger, Chick fil A, McDonald's, teriyaki). The only time we ate inside a restaurant was at Panera Bread. That was the best food that I had during the trip! Most LA area restaurants don't have eat in. Dine In was prohibited for most of the last year in CA and some are only recently going back to dine in.

I spent some time by the hotel's pool but didn't get in. The hot tub was closed due to COVID.

On Wednesday night we drove to the Griffin Observatory which is a famous landmark with an amazing view. The parking was 15 dollars minimum no matter how long you stayed. I wanted to take turns staying by the car (to ward off parking police) but my oldest son wouldn't go for that idea. I stayed at the car and the boys walked to observatory. C got some great photos for me. 

I would love to come back when I'm feeling rich (and pay the $15) and spend some time enjoying the view. 

On the last day (Thursday) we went to Laguna Beach in the morning. That was a highlight for me. We intended to go to Crystal Cove (near to Laguna) but there was some road work causing a long back up and then once we got there, the parking nearby was at a state park and they wanted 15 dollars to park. I'm seeing a pattern here!

After we parked the car on the main street in Laguna and walked along we found this mini park with a look out called Brown's Park.  

The "stained glass" fence's inscription reads: 

In this fleeting moment what extravagant respite as blooming surf speaks its mystical passage across the undreamed depths.

Here are the people who aren't used to so much sunshine!

I loved Laguna Beach. The beach we went to is probably my all time favourite. There was no wind and the temperature was perfect. Plenty of space. The specific beach we went to is called Sleepy Hollow. Laguna Beach is the name of the city. I could see surfers in the distance.

We checked out of the hotel at 1 pm and had to return the car by 6 pm. This gave us a chunk of time to kill. The first place we went was The Source (a mall which is primarily outdoors with three levels). Very Korean. I liked this wall with artificial flowers.

Next we drove to Buena Park Downtown, a more traditional mall.  Next we drove around Knott's Berry Farm which is closed of course. A found it funny that an amusement park has that name. 

I drove to the car rental office to catch a shuttle to the airport. We checked in super early and just relaxed by our departure gate. I people watched for amusement. We grabbed some snacks from the Starbucks. Our flight left at 9:10 pm.

There were many empty rows on the plane and we could stretch out. I think this trip was the first time I wasn't seated next to a stranger on a flight. We arrived at midnight. It sure felt cold at home!

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Mom Tea 2021

 

The boys' school has a tradition of hosting a Mom Tea (for seniors and their moms) each year. The food was provided by the junior parents. Fresh strawberries, chicken salad sandwiches, smoked salmon, cucumber sandwiches, scones, and a green salad. Tea and coffee was self serve. The event was held in the foyer of the sanctuary.

The decor was special as well with a photo area and lovely table centres. 

The kids (around 60) were required to dress in chapel wear. It was so great to see the dresses and ties since this school year this requirement has been waived. Each student wrote a letter to their mom. The microphone was passed around and each student stood up to speak. The best speeches (in my opinion) were from a boy whose mom is currently struggling with cancer (not many dry eyes for that one) and the girl who wrote and sang a song to her mom while playing her guitar. The song was a variation on You Are My Sunshine. 

A's speech was very well done. A mom friend said it was "clever and witty."  Here is the video.

These boys were at our table.

A is friends with the boy in the bow tie. 

Here is A with some soccer friends.

These two girls attended the same elementary school that A did.

The girl on the left was in the same homeroom as A for several years. I have a few photos of them on class party days.

The moms received a favour bag containing this tea light candle.

Each mom was also instructed to take a rose on the way out.

Here is another photo of me and A.

I'm so thankful that this event happened, in person. A special memory to cherish.

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Senior Sneak 2021

 

I volunteered to help chaperone Senior Sneak this week. What is Senior Sneak? I think it started from the tradition of kids "cutting" or skipping school one day in their last year of high school. Senior Sneak is a school sanctioned day away from school, having fun as a group. In previous years, the seniors have gone down to Pike Place Market but Seattle is rather a mess right now and parents want to avoid it completely.

The first thing of the day was handing out t shirts to the kids. Thankfully this t shirt has nothing about COVID on it. The kids took 2 buses. I rode with another mom and got to know her better.

The chaperones were 2 teachers, one staff mom, and four other moms (including me). I'm thankful that A was OK with me being there.

The day started off at Mukilteo Lighthouse and Beach where a photographer took a formal group photo of the kids that will hang in the walls of the school. Next, kids and chaperones were given breakfast bags (bagels, etc) and custom coffee orders from Dutch Brothers. We put in our orders the night before. The coffee was delicious.

The bus drivers helped built fires in the fire pits at the beach (a teacher brought along some wood) and the kids gathered around them. It was still chilly at this point of the morning. A boy and a girl played their guitars and led some worship songs.

The next stop was Arena Sports in Mill Creek. The kids were given free range of the place with many activities. The most popular was the virtual reality game. It was interesting to see the different personalities. One girl screamed so loud. A was very low key as he played.

In the game, scary creatures some toward you and you have to shoot them. Other activities were bowling, an indoor soccer area, ping pong, air hockey, basketball, and arcade games. A played some indoor soccer which was fun to watch.

We had lunch brought in from Qdoba (chicken or beef, tortillas, rice, and various toppings) and I helped serve it. The kids were so polite!

A and one of his good friends. 

We took one more group photo (the one at the top of this post) and then the buses returned to the school in time for dismissal at 2:45 pm. I'm so thankful that these kids get to have these activities when so many others are stuck at home and isolated right now.

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Mid Winter Break in Ocean Shores

For the last few years we have gone to Suncadia for a few days in mid winter break. This year I wanted to try something different. I read something about "king tides" where the waves coming in at the ocean were at an amazing height. I found out that those occur in January. Too late for that.  I heard that Westport, WA is a great place to see king tides but there aren't many restaurants and places to stay in Westport. I finally decided on Ocean Shores because we had been there before (in 2016)  and I knew there were lots of businesses. This may be the last family vacation we take, at least for a while. I anticipate that the boys will be busy working this summer. C wants to earn money to buy a car. 

Ocean Shores is only 2 1/2 hours away from our house. It is basically straight west of Olympia. We found a great VRBO (vacation rental by owner) in the Judith Anne building.

We left home on Wednesday, just after noon. We drove straight to Aberdeen. Near Satsop (along the highway) you can see two nuclear reactors. We did some research and found out that the plant was built but never used. C and I would like to back for a tour.

We got snacks and coffee in Aberdeen from Starbucks and Taco Bell. We stopped at the Kurt Cobain park. I'm not a big fan of Nirvana/Kurt Cobain but I wanted to stop anyway.

This sign at the house closest to the park was funny. 

Once we arrived in Ocean Shoes (35 minutes later) we explored a little after finding our accommodation. We drove on the beach.

The beach is massive. Goes for miles!

The condo we rented had one bedroom with a sofa bed in the living room. There was also a really nice blow up mattress. C slept on that and A slept on the couch. The hideabed wasn't comfy enough for A. Super tall ceilings.

The condo had this cute guest book/journal for guests to write in.

There was a small balcony with a view of the ocean. 

Here's a sunset view.

The first night we ate at Bennet's Fish Shack. It was a strange experience. They insisted we pay before we got our food, including tip. The other strange thing that happened was that A and I said we would just like water, unlike J and C who ordered drinks, the waitress brought large bottles of water and charged us quite a bit for them

Back in our condo, we played a card game (rummy) as a family.

Thursday. We had breakfast in the condo. J and the boys explored the activities in the town. There are two fun centres. The boys weren't interested in them. One has mini golf but outside which wasn't appealing at 40 degrees.  We had lunch at Ocean Beach Roasters in Ocean Shores. Great service and super friendly staff. Both C and I had Dungeness crab mac and cheese. 

A got a kids meal and the guy at the register jokingly asked A for some I.D. We went on a short drive north towards Seabrook. We stopped at Roosevelt Beach. 

We walked around Seabrook. We spent some time in the bookstore. Seabrook is a strange place. Very new and completely planned. Feels a bit creepy. Like you are in a movie.

That town hall is NOT old. 

Here is the ocean view from Seabrook.

We came back to Ocean Shores and went to Sharky's. It is the local gift store. A and I bought swim suits to use in the hot tub. The prices were very reasonable.

In the afternoon we relaxed at the condo for a while. It was raining sideways so it was a good time to stay indoors. We had some trouble picking a restaurant for supper. The first one we chose was full and closing early. Our second choice was Mike's Seafood. They had plenty of room. Three of us had steamed clams as an appetizer.

A and I split a salmon entree. When it arrived, it smelled like feet! I took one bite and thought it was terrible. I've never had bad salmon before. J fixed the situation with the manager. I got fried salmon and chips as a replacement and that tasted like salmon. Very good. A ate his portion of the salmon I thought was off. After supper, A, J and I used the hot tub/jacuzzi in our room. 

Friday. Our check out time was 10 am which seemed a bit early since we had to do some tidying and cleaning as well as have breakfast. We managed to leave by 9:30.  We stopped at Ocean Beach Roasters for coffee and tea. 

Before we left Ocean Shores, we explored Damon Point at the south end. I think this was the highlight of the trip for me.  I loved watching the waves and water crashing against the rocks. It is a very large beach. It was pretty cold so we couldn't stay out there very long. A doesn't wear pants or a coat so he was probably there for 5 minutes. We could see Westport, WA in the distance.

An old boat.

We had lunch at Subway in Aberdeen. We got home by 2:30 pm with minimal traffic. I'm glad we were able to get away for a few days as a family. 

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