Calvin Rio Jarvis

2-28-16  "Just watched Saturday turn to Sunday . . . the 27th turn to the 28th.  Baby boy Jarvis is on his way."  Was feeling some nerves for awhile and then wrote " . . . much calmer.  Pillows around me on the couch.  Dishwasher humming away.  Scriptures at my side.  Phone staying almost attached and checking it every 15 minutes or so even though I don't hear any messages coming."
     "Excited.  Joyful.  Joy in my posterity.  This is truly a joyful occasion.  Jake has waited so long to be a dad.  He will be the best--and to have Lyndsey at his side.  So full of joy." Then I drew four hearts.  Then I read for awhile.
     "The clock just struck 1."

At 5:06 a.m., this glorious text came from Jake:  "Love this little guy more than I could have thought. Calvin Rio Jarvis - 2/28/16.

Such joy!

On my way to church, two more pictures came in showing father and son.

And then after church, a video!


And then this beautiful family photo.

Eliot

2-26-16  Jill's dissertation writing is interrupted thus . . .

But this is not a new development . . .

11-25-09 Apparently I have been sharing the exact same photo for six years (thanks for your patience, Facebook).

9-20-15  The beast I live around.

8-22-15  This face.  I think he wants me to put his name first in the dissertation acknowledgements or something.

6-1-15  Determined suitcase stowaway

3-9-15  More of the same here.

1-17-15  The daily challenge

1-10-15  winter sport

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Rex!

My dad drove many miles to visit his grandchildren, and Jake and Jill were definitely no exception. This first picture shows Dad with Jill in Provo, Utah, when she was about a month old.  She doesn't look all too happy in this picture, but Dad sure does.  He made this drive just to meet her.

When Jake was born in Avignon, France, Dad flew to Paris and then took a train to Avignon so that he could come meet him.  I remember feeling in awe over the fact that he made that trip successfully on his own all that way to meet this grandson of his.  He spent a week with us in Avignon, and we finally remembered to take a picture early in the morning in Paris as we were about to take him to the airport.  We woke Jake up to take a picture with his grandpa, and he was crying because he just wanted to sleep.  (Shall get that picture from Jake and post it here.)

This picture is taken on the front step of our apartment in Pullman, Washington.  Dad came to visit us there quite often.  One weekend we were out of town; and when we returned home, there was a note from Dad on our door that said something like, "Seems like you should stay home once in awhile." He hadn't notified us that he was planning to drop by, of course, but he expected us to be there nonetheless!

This one is at Uncle Dick's house in Selah, Washington, where we used to gather to celebrate the Fourth of July with the Bollmans.  As you can see, Dad was always trying to interact with his grandkids.

This last picture is a tribute to my cowboy Dad.  This looks like a picture where you dress up in western attire to have your picture taken--but, no, this is authentic Rex Bollman.  This picture was taken with his good friend Bud Boller at the old Paradise Ranger Station on Whitecap Creek in upper Selway River country in Idaho around mid-October of 1938.

Dad's on the left.  Happy Birthday, Daddy-O!!  He would be 107 years old today as his birthdate was February 23, 1909.  Wish he could have been here to meet Ben and Daniel, but he died June 1, 1985, and Ben wasn't born until 1988 and Daniel, 1990.

James

James Parker

born December 16, 2015

photo credit to Trina

Princeton Running Path

With permission from Jill, I'm sharing these snapshots of changing seasons along her running path last year . . . 

"Wait, for now.
Distrust everything, if you have to.
But trust the hours. Haven’t they
carried you everywhere, up to now?..."

Galway Kinnell

1-25-15  seven morning snow swans

January 2015

January 2015

2-4-15  the light of dark seasons

2-10-15  winter forest running companions

2-14-15  bicycle commute precarity

2-25-15  solid ice running challenge

4-2-15  Just this--this new season, this falling night--

4-5-25  not yet green but soon

4-12-15  It is different every time--

4-12-15  This, outside my door every day.  Hello spring evening sunlight!  What welcome solace you are.

4-19-15  Ten-mile meditation: not running away from or toward, just running through. After 10 miles there's really nothing left to worry about. (Pretty sure that runner's high is the secret path to bliss.)

4-19-15  it goes forever

4-19-15  spring greening

4-21-15  everyday otherworldliness

4-27-15  spring on my path

4-27-15  "...Listen, and lay your head under the tree of awe. When from that tree feathers and wings sprout on you be quieter than a dove..."

4-27-15  These were winter meditations but the season has turned at last.

5-14-15  Remember how this was bare and frozen just a moment ago?  I think I see summer.

5-17-15  It changed so quickly. So completely.  Blink and this.

8-7-15  Running is the secret to everything.  One step and then another, through this beauty--

8-11-15  summer night solace in the NJ jungle

9-27-15  the swans just outside my door

9-29-15  Nature chronicle.  Trust the hours.  Run through.  Breathe steady.  Strategies for staying human in place.  Semester, you just go ahead and be crazy.  I'm not falling for it.

10-13-15  Autumn forest virgin, heron, mallard.

10-23-15  Falling - - -

11-2-15 Winter is coming....

11-23-15  same

11-23-15  Well hello, winter, I remember you.

11-25-15  Peace---

Graduation Ceremony for My Saudi Students

This video from the Saudi Club graduation ceremony on Friday afternoon for my students from Saudi Arabia catches the essence of music, presentations, and celebration.

Some of these students were in my classes in the ELI (English Language Institute) three or four years ago, and it was like a joyful reunion to see them all together. . . I would guess there were probably 200 or so students gathered for this event.

Abdullah was a great student.

Always mixed up these twins.

No More Wisdom - Daniel

Don't think Daniel remembers much of this time in the recovery room. . .

. . . but he made a comment here about how convenient it would be to have all of his meals this way. 

Resting at home with Sox.