Friday, December 29, 2006

The Bad Plus


Boys night out on the town... Nathan's treat (thanks bud!)
The Dakota on Nicollet down town Minneapolis to see the The Bad Plus. Top notch jazz trio that sales out two shows in a row all three nights.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Andrea



Pictures from 0utside the Signature Cafe in St. Paul.
December 22nd.
Yes, that is a ring.
A surprise relationship, many commonalities, dreams, a world worth pursuing and sharing together.





Monday, December 25, 2006

Christmas 2006

Merry Christmas
from
Nick & Tanya
Nate & Nancy
Lyle & Murphy




Sunday, December 24, 2006

Christmas comes









I can do this... a clean house, a dinner, presents, getting dad here. Not bad for a guy.

In the midst of a war, disease, of homeless, illegal immigrants trying to provide for families, of changing relationships, and lose of people loved, Christmas still comes.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Hear Gloria

And if you haven't been over to MySpace to hear Nick's band's latest...

What ya waiting for?????

CD sampler will be released at their show on the 29th of Dec.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

From Mom and Dad

(click on picture for full size)
Love, Mom



Things that I pray for you!


• Passion for faith
• Life led by integrity and values

• Respect for others, and yourself

• Organizing priorities, money and time
• Practice and knowledge of health and wellness
• Responsibility as a citizen of neighborhood, community, country and the world
• Love and responsibility for family
• Willingness to work towards and accomplish purposeful, and passionate goals
• Be able to discern, protect and accept that all in life is not fair, equal, or honest. In other words to know enough not to get taken advantage of. And, knowing when to stand up for things that are not just.
• Enjoy life, people, faith, talents and arts.
Love, Dad

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Small Details Great Stories

It is almost 50 degrees on December 14, 2006 with a bright sun and a warm wind making for a peaceful afternoon run.I noticed a small nest hanging above the trail, a detail I must have often missed passing underneath. Maybe my mind is always too busy, or I have been watching the more easily noticed geese landing on the lake. It is easy to miss the small details that for some small creatures must have held a great story. Maybe it was in that nest young first peaked out discovering a world of baby strollers, runners, roller bladders, bikers, young boys carrying fishing polls, and romantic couples all passing a few feet below them. The nest hangs on the end branches of a tree that must, in either a breeze or a thunderstorm, gave a continued sense of motion, sway, and sometimes tumult.

It is Nick who I remember always noticing the detail of the world missed by those who tend to only see the macro. We reminisced together the northern Minnesota path that led our family over a small walking bridge to the base of a splendid rushing waterfall. As we all hurried to see it, little Nick stooped on bended knees to witness a small bug making its way across the path. No matter how much we called and pleaded for Nick to come and experience the site of the falls, he remained mesmerized by the smaller fascinating world.

Maybe there are bigger stories in the smaller unnoticed. Maybe understanding life, faith, relationship, and joy doesn’t really come from the hype that calls and pleads for us to rush to the base of the bigger and better commercial promises. Oh come, oh come Emmanuel… the small, the insignificant, the unnoticed. Born this day in the city of David… the unheard of comes the seemingly impossible of a sacred mystery. It is easy to miss the small details that hold the great stories.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Sabbatical Tasks


After finally getting back to running I was able to finish laying the wood for the living room floor. Just the molding to go.

Friday, December 08, 2006

Dad the Artist




Christmas at Ebenezer last night. Santa, great food and the art show. Got to love that smile!

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Cold Moon

Not one of my better photographic moments. As the moon came up over downtown St. Paul I pulled over to take a shot of… I guess of the streetlight. But the moon still crept into the lower right of the frame. Okay, not the best shot, but a moon represented by a new star that holds a collage of memorable words.


The Full Cold Moon;
or the Full Long Nights Moon - December During this month the winter cold fastens its grip, and nights are at their longest and darkest. It is also sometimes called the Moon before Yule. The term Long Night Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long, and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low Sun.

Monday, December 04, 2006

Christmas Tree 2006


Time to hang the tree!
You mean stockings.
No... We hang our tree.
I don't get it.
Well, here it is. Our hung tree.