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Oregonian Thanksgiving Review

by shaun

We had a wonderful thanksgiving up in Portland.  I loved the drive ... mountains, mist, miles of road.  There were so many textures of place we drove through.  *It's a great 10 hours on the road!  And, I really enjoy that city.  Especially where the Sharps live - their neighborhood is just a blast to walk around, grab something delicious to eat, or just watch the people, things, places.  

It rained and misted, but that was fine.  Back in Reno, the sun is bright and you can really sense the difference of the two places.  I like them both.  

We enjoyed good food, great homebrew that Ryan had cooked up, and meeting new people from SanFran.  Here's some pics I stole from our friend Pax's blog!  :) We are grateful they hosted us and plan to get back soon ... Ensha'alla.

Texas Visitors

by Kyndra

Richard and Brendon came to visit us last week. We loved having them here and we had plenty of fun playtime.

We made sure we took them to our favorite food places around town throughout the week ... Peg's Glorified Ham N Eggs, Silver Peak Brewery, The Blind Onion, Roses, & Sup.

SATURDAY: We ventured downtown for the River Wine Walk where we walked from vendor to vendor to sample the different wines. We even got to keep the painted wine glasses from the Art Mansion for souvenirs! It was a great time, especially watching Brendo's reaction to the new kinds of wine! ;)  Wine Walk Pics.
Later, we got a little Dark Knight action at the theater. (Anyone else share the love for Christian Bale in this movie?)

SUNDAY: We started out the day with church at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, where Shaun just accepted a job as Family & Children Ministry Coordinator. They introduced us to the church, and we pretty much shook hands with everyone there after the services! Brendon and Richard came to support us - and they loved every minute of it! In the afternoon, we took a trip up to Lake Tahoe for some nice bike-riding along the Truckee River and the west side of the Lake. It was beautiful, and the down-hills were tons of fun (not so much on the uphill!)

I had to go back to the hospital for internships once Monday came, but the boys kept playing ...

MONDAY:  Hiked up to Mt. Rose and explored another summit overlooking Lake Tahoe. Checked out Wall-E on the big screen. Everyone loved it!

TUESDAY: The boys headed up to UNR to check out the campus. In the evening, we made veggie burgers and headed downtown again to the Truckee River with the dogs in tow. Brendon & Richard jumped in and took on the rapids. We finished the evening with some fancy ice cream from Cold Stone. Can't forget the little casino visit! Shaun finally came out on top this time (not sure this has ever happened!) Can't say the same for Richard and Brendon.

WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY: Traveled to the South shore of Tahoe to Desolation Wilderness and hiked to a nice camping spot next to Susie Lake. I hear it was breath-taking views, freezing cold swimming and burnt oatmeal. Those Pics here.  Later that evening after everyone was home, we all crammed on our bed and watched Juno, the dogs too! We were packed in like 4 grown adults on a queen sz bed with 2 dogs bouncing around on top of us!

FRIDAY: After Richard asked for a Peg's breakfast again, they cleaned up the guest house they had been staying in, and then they all came to visit me at the hospital and we ate lunch together. Special! But, I hear they had to make one last stop at the favorite brewery before heading back to Texas!

So, come and see us and we'll show you a good ole time in Reno.  Here's how Brendo and Richard feel about it:

White Thanksgiving in Review

by Kyndra

We headed west this year for an O’Reilly Thanksgiving in Ruidoso, NM. We left in our T-shirts and shorts and by the time we had to fill up with gas in Abilene … the winter cold had rolled in and we were shivering fools.
We woke up on Thanksgiving morning to SNOW … and it pretty much SNOWED the rest of the time we were there and stayed under 30 degrees!

Photo Album here!

While we were there:

• We stayed in a cabin nestled among tall pine trees covered in inches of snow. It looked like a magical wintry wonderland to us Texans who are thrilled to see the weather actually get down to 50 degrees in December.

• We ate a vegetarian Thanksgiving lunch … let’s just say the new item – succotash – did not turn out as we hoped. But the sweet potatoes made up for it – BIG time!!

• We drove some scenic roads up a nearby mountain and took in the beautiful sites of snow-dusted pine trees and a glassy, snowy lake.  -video here-

• We played Apples to Apples … and Dad O won the whole thing with the Anne Frank card.

• We ritually spent the last half hour before bedtime every night in the deck hot tub with Brendo. One evening, it was snowing when we got in … and it felt like little needles poking our exposed shoulders.

• Off to Starbucks for coffee and internet.

• Walked the snowy main street of Ruidoso one evening. It was lit up with Christmas lights and restaurant signs. The smell of wood burning from fireplaces and food cooking in restaurants filled the cold air.

• We slid down the hill to our cabin …no not on the back of trashcan lids … in our car going backwards because the road was too steep and too icy and Shaun’s car is just a little too old – ‘95 Accord. Kyndra jumped out and walked the rest of the way up, leaving Shaun to try, try, try again.

• Football.

• Kyndra retreated to the downstairs room to write her research paper for Autism class.

• We watched ELF, the GREATEST Christmas movie EVER!

• The ride home:

            3 hours of beautiful New Mexican landscape, still and covered with the heavy snow
            3 hours of snow storm from the NM and TX border to Abilene
            2 hours of rain as we passed through Abilene
            4 hours of traffic ushering us right into Ft. Worth
            30 minutes of fast moving roads and clear weather to bring us on the final stretch to our home

Annual Veggie Party - Oct. 12th

UPDATE!:  Due to a trip for 3rd-5th graders at IBC (to pine cove), we will have to have the Annual Party later this month.  Evite still forth coming, as well as another blog post.  Your Oct. 12th evening is now back open!  Read a book or something! 

Here are some links to previous veggie celebration recaps and also "the story" of becoming a vegetarian almost 3 years ago. 
For now, save the date - that Friday night - and we'll send out some evites soon!  Hope you can join us.

-shaun & kyndra

go vegetarian

My first attempt at blogging my short (though fulfilling) journey to vegetarianism is posted over on ThoseAwake.  Most of it is based on thoughts by Henry David Thoreau, whose Walden passages have been very challenging.  I'd love your response - help me fine tune what has driven me to make the life-change.  I think the best change would really happen within community, so ... lemme know.

here's a taste:

One farmer says to me, "You cannot live on vegetable food solely, for it furnishes nothing to make the bones with;" and so he religiously devotes a part of his day to supplying himself with the raw material of bones; walking all the while he talks behind his oxen, which, with vegetable-made bones, jerk him and his lumbering plow along in spite of every obstacle. - Walden

food resolution

This speaks to my thoughts on food in the New Year ...

technorati tags: RESOLUTION, KFC, FAST FOOD