Spring is here!

Early crocus blooming

Brian is making faces at me

Winter has been here for awhile, obviously not much was posted during that time! It felt like winter to be sure. It seems almost like a dark cloud is lifting with the sun returning. My crocus's are blooming and Brian is out riding his Harley. Spring break is one week away, and I'll be starting my garden seeds indoors. Praise God for season changes.
Very exciting news in the travel department: Brian and I will be visiting in Indiana late May for a photo show I am having at St. Mary's. We hope to visit with all our family and friends. Then, I will be flying back with my niece and she will stay in Idaho for some time and fly back with my mom when she comes in June. We are looking forward to some much needed family time!
Hope you all out there are doing well. Please write and fill me in on your lives.

U2 in concert!

Video from U2 concert

I am a little late in getting this posted, but here are some pics & a video from our trip to Vancouver, British Columbia. All in all, God was a gracious and it was an adventurous, fun, faith building trip! We enjoyed a great Amtrack train trip from Seattle to Vancouver, a one in a lifetime concert with U2, good food, sushi, pizza, a fun hotel atmosphere, public transport, biking, meeting internationals, seeing friends from Guatemala who were missionaries there and are now in Vancouver.
This is our second 'fall' concert we've been too, maybe it will be a tradition. It took awhile to catch up on work, now it is almost Christmas break!

Us at the concert. There a lot of internationals, Indian, Portuguese, Latino, and your typical 80's U2 fans!

Bono and the cool flying mic

The stage is called 'The Claw'. This was during the African rendition of the song
"I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight"

Capilano Suspension Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world!

Home, Idaho

It was a good feeling to make it back to Idaho. This is the view from the last rest stop on our way into town. Idaho has abundance, of which we have some of in our basement: onions, potatoes, zucchini.

"China Now" outdoor exhibit at the Portland Art Museum

Portland was full of art for most of us last weekend, and books. China is making waves in the art world and one of the current shows at the Portland Art Museum was called China Now that had video, design, fashion, photography, etc on display. I was impressed by the creative use of Chinese characters transformed into a new meaning in their posters. It was busy and overwhelming but very cool!

Looking down at Multnomah Falls.

Multnomah Falls, feels like Ireland and was cold!

Family in Portland

Scott my cousin and I outside of Powell's in Portland

It was really neat on this recent trip to Portland to actually be able to see family! My mom's sister, my Aunt Judy had 2 boys, Scott and Brad who my brother and I idolized as kids. Scott and I have lived in the NW area for the last few years, and actually spent Thanksgiving together the year before last. We caught up on each others lives this last visit over Italian Sodas at Powell's coffee shop. Entertainment was more than what I normally see in Nampa, a group of guys dressed up in red dresses ran down the street by Powell's, along with a few overstuffed Bunny rabbits. Early Halloween celebrations?
Anyway, I was grateful for the hugs, soda and conversation, thanks Scott.

Multnomah Falls

I recently drove a 10 passenger van with students in it to Portland OR. It was a great trip, and I am now tired and recovering :-) Here are some of the photos, with more to come!

Apple Festival at the Tuckers house!

The kitchen where the canning happens!

Shanae & Krysta with their apple butter.

It was nice and chilly fall weather for our day of canning. I made applesauce in the crock pot and apple butter on the stove and some of my students came over to help me can yesterday. We sipped on apple cider and steamed up the house with the boiling canner on the stove. It helped warm up the house since we hadn't turned on the heat yet :-) We finally did this morning when the house was 60 degrees! So, anyway, canning!!! This is so much fun and a great fall activity. I had no idea either that homemade applesauce was SO good, and easy! Peel and core the apples, put them in a crock pot, w/ some sugar and cinnamon and let them cook, mash them and they become delicious goodness! Thanks girls for coming by, let's do it again sometime, or make Christmas cookies!