Farewell, Tara, Juan and Esteban

Tue, 3 Aug 2010 09:07:48 -0400

In one week, we have gone from six people in the house to two. John left for college last week, Tara left on Wednesday, and the boys left last night. What a change. The dishwasher and washing machine will no longer run every day. I won’t be running to the store three times a week. I will have to start watching the expiration dates on the gallons of milk I buy, as I can no longer count on them being consumed within two days of purchase. The pizza rolls, hot pockets, and toaster strudels will sit in the freezer for a long time. Blizzard and Gopher are looking for someone to play with. And I finally have the time to catch up on literally months of un-edited and un-posted pictures.

This was a challenging placement. What started as “a month or so” with one girl ended up being 5 months with three children. They won our hearts, but they tried our patience and absolutely decimated our limited ability to keep the house organized. Their family situation is heartbreaking.

Juan and Esteban went to a perfect placement. A family they knew well from summer camp. A small church where they already know and like most of the kids. And close enough that we can still see them often. Tara is not yet where she needs to be, but we trust that God has his eye on her and will guide her steps and make her know His presence in her life.

Here is a link to all the photo albums I took of the kids while they were here (as of today, I still have quite a few moe to add to this page). It is password-protected, but if you know the color of our church, you know the password. Or email me for it.

Happy 10th Birthday. Blizzard!

Mon, 2 Aug 2010 14:09:04 -0400

Our beloved and loving Golden Retriever Blizzard turns 10 today. She has been with us since she was 6 weeks old, and we have taken birthday pictures every year. She’s getting a little grey in the face, but she still her youthful exuberance - especially when she spots a tennis ball. She has won over the many visitors to our house with her famous smile that looks like a snarl. And she is the best foster-child therapy dog ever created. And she still acts like a cat, sitting on the back of the couch and purring when she is petted! For her birthday, she got a cake made out of a waffle, whipped cream, and dog biscuits, plus a couple new toys. Happy Birthday, sweet Blizz.

July Vacation Bible School

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:26:17 -0400

Mt. Bethel had another successful VBS this week with 600+ kids learning and playing On the High Seas. As usual, I was there taking pictures, and I made a slideshow to be shown on the last day.

McKisson Boys' Adoption

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:38:16 -0400

Our dear friends Kale and Jeff McKisson completed the adoption of their SIX boys today! The journey began when James and Alex joined the McKissons in June, 2007. Joseph and Jonathan came into the family in August. And with the addition of the twins Alberto and Michael in September, the family was complete. We are so excited, and look forward to watching these special boys grow up over the years. Frank and I were not able to attend the ceremony, but here is a link to Jeff and Kale’s pictures of the day.

Joseph Allen
Alberto Samuel
Michael Glenn
Jonathan Joshua
Alex Charles
James Ray
(and of course Shane James, who was always there!)

Jerry's Homecoming

Thu, 8 Jul 2010 15:04:10 -0400

Our dear friend Jerry Harding came back from a 6-month tour in Iraq today. He is a career Army officer, and has been away from home a lot over his life. But this was a tough deployment, as he and Heather were in the process of adopting Liz and Jackie. We had planned to have a big crowd to welcome him, but the Army had other ideas. They couldn’t tell us when during the day his plane was due to land. So only Frank and I went there with Heather. As it happened, he was on the ground before we even got there. The Mt. Bethel Veteran’s Ministry was there to welcome him, and we arrived shortly after. I got great pictures of Heather and Jerry’s sweet reunion. Later in the day, Jerry came to FaithBridge camp to pick up his daughters, and all the kids saluted him and welcomed him home.

Juan’s Birthday

Tue, 6 Jul 2010 11:46:19 -0400

Juan turned 11 on July 5. Liz and Jackie were here to join in the fun. John took all the kids to Sope Creek for some water fun, and then we had dinner at home (our favorite - homemade pepperoni and chorizo pizza). The five kids had lots of fun playing with each other, and Juan certainly enjoyed being the center of attention!

Fourth of July

Sun, 4 Jul 2010 18:23:51 -0400

We had an old-fashioned Independence Day celebration at home this year. Heather brought the girls over, and, after a swim, we cooked hotdogs and burgers on the grill. The kids actually ate outside, despite the 90-degree heat, while we adults enjoyed some air-conditioned peace and quiet. After dark, we had our own fireworks display in the backyard fire pit.

Taking the Triumph for a Spin

Sat, 3 Jul 2010 13:07:53 -0400

After months of requests (read, nagging), we took Juan and Esteban out for a spin in Frank’s prize 1976 Triumph TR6. I had to drive each boy separately because there is only one passenger seat, but they each enjoyed tooling around the neighborhood, and the one not riding was running alongside as far as possible. I find the car difficult to drive, but a lot of fun. John also had a chance to take his turn at the wheel. Since he isn’t very experienced at driving clutch, it was especially challenging. But he is now hooked, so I think the car will get more use than it has for the past few years.

• Coyote in our Yard

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:35:42 -0500

This young male coyote was in our neighbor's backyard, and then in the woods behind our house this morning! The coyotes don't often get this close, but this young man suffered from either a bad sense of direction, or a biological imperative. We live right on the edge of the Chattahoochee National Forest, and we hear the coyotes howling in the dark many nights. But we rarely see them this close. When they do come close, our dog Gopher’s menacing bark usually sends them away quickly. But this pup was hungry, so he was not deterred by our “ferocious beast”.

• Miel's Vegetable Soup

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:38:00 -0500

Today is cool and rainy in Atlanta, as we get the outskirts of Hurricane Ida. I decided to make this year’s first batch of Miel’s Vegetable Soup, a longtime family favorite cooked by my grandmother, Eleanor Adams, or Miel to us. It is the ultimate comfort food, also healthy and delicious - more of a stew than a soup, but we keep Miel’s name for her trademark recipe. This recipe originated with Miel’s Aunt Rose Hitchens. Miel and her housekeeper Margaret perfected it, mostly by adding ketchup. Since Miel was famous for loving ketchup with everything, it’s a fitting memorial to her. If you want to try it yourself, here’s the recipe. This version is transcribed from one she wrote for me in the 1970s. You will need a large stockpot. Don’t be afraid to increase or reduce ingredients, but don’t leave anything out. I’d be delighted if more people started making it, as this recipe is too yummy and unique to fade away.

• Chomp and Stomp!

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 14:53:51 -0500

It was a beautiful Fall Saturday today, Frank and I took Jonathan, Julio and Miguel into Atlanta to the Chomp and Stomp Chili Festival in Cabbagetown. Drew and his friend Pat met us there. Frank and the older boys listened to live music, while the little boys and I went around to the different attractions. Everyone won a brightly-colored t-shirt from the sponsoring radio station. We all had a great time.

• Sunday Lunch at the Hoppes

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 22:28:08 -0500

Jan and Kathy invited all the kids and families over for Sunday dinner on November 1. We got to see the newly-refinished sun room, and help celebrate Jan's birthday. It was another gorgeous and mild Fall day, and I captured a few shots of the boys running around the Hoppes’ backyard gardens.

• Halloween

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:19:13 -0400

Kale brought Jackie and Landi by for a visit on Halloween afternoon. Jackie and Landi grabbed my camera and took a few pictures of each others. Later that night, the girls went trick-or-treating with their brothers (last picture), and I went to Mt. Bethel to photograph their family-friendly Trunk or Treat party.

• Yamil’s Short Stay

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:01:00 -0400

5-year-old Yamil was only with us for a week, but we will never forget his sweet spirit and his zest for life. He loved the Batman costume we got him, and wanted to wear it everywhere!

The Boys Playing on Soccer Game Day

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:36:14 -0400

Yamil and I spent Saturday, October 10 at the Mt. Bethel soccer fields, watching the McK boys play, and letting Yamil burn off some steam running around with them. Here are some pictures of the boys playing in the woods by the field. edit

• James and Christina Come to Dinner

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 22:42:34 -0400

Frank's nephew James came to dinner with his wife Christina and son Jonathan on October 8. James is the son of Frank’s first cousin Jo Ann, and we had never met. But, thanks to Facebook, we found out that they were headed to Atlanta from their home in Austin, and they were able to come by for dinner! It was wonderful to get to know them.

Frank's Birthday Dinner

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 16:09:54 -0400

Frank had a wonderful birthday weekend this year. Drew and John were both here for the weekend, and so were our “girls”, Jackie and Liz, along with their new sister Landii. Our somewhat unconventional family enjoyed a nice dinner on Saturday (Frank’s birthday), topped off with a cake decorated by Landii and delicious cookies from Mom and Steve. Adding to the fun - this is his first “Facebook” birthday, and Frank was showered with good wishes from many of our family and friends through my Facebook page.

Habitat for Humanity Road Race

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 16:07:41 -0400

Nearly 500 people of all ages (and species) took part in the “Framing the Future” Road Race held on October 3, 2009 at Mt. Bethel to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Liz, Jackie, and Landii participated as runners in the 5K, and Frank and I were there as volunteers. I photographed the event, and my pictures can be found here.

• Fall Garden

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:34:02 -0400

I took a few pictures in our garden this weekend. The butterflies are out in full force, and I captured this lovely black one as it chowed down on the butterfly bush. I also got a shot of a pretty female cardinal on the tube feeder.

• Drew and Dad

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:13:42 -0400

After living here for about three months, Drew moved into his own place earlier this week. But he is only a few minutes away, and he came by on Friday to help with a few things around the house, and to have a hone-cooked meal. He was wearing his Dad’s old lacrosse jersey from college (Davenport was his house at Yale), so I just had to grab a few pictures, some over his objection.

• Wednesday Dinner Pictures

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:59:08 -0400

Many Wednesdays, we have the girls, their brothers, their families and Jan and Kathy all dining together at Mt. Bethel’s weekly dinner. This week, I happened to have my camera, and grabbed some wonderful shots of Jerry, in his uniform, playing with 4-year-old Jesus.

• Mt. Bethel Sports Fall Opening Day

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:13:06 -0400

As I traditionally do, I wandered the “Field of Dreams” behind Mt. Bethel church and took pictures of the various sports kicking off their season. We had hundreds of children from age 4 to early teens competing in soccer, flag football, baseball and tee-ball. Here are the pictures. I also shot all three soccer games of my “nephews” Julio, Alberto, Miguel, Jonathan, Shane, Alex and Jesus.

• The Boys’ First Soccer Games - Ever!

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:38:28 -0400

All seven brothers are playing soccer at Mt. Bethel this Fall, and they had their first games on Saturday, Sept. 12. Jeff and Kale set up a tent for the day, since they had games from 11a through 4p! All of the boys played very well, and they had a great time. Jackie was there too, to spend time with her brothers and to help out. I took lots of pictures of each game: The Rattlesnakes (Julio, Alberto and Miguel), the White Tigers (Jonathan, Shane and Alex), and the Black Bears (Jesus). It was so much fun to watch them play, I’m sure there will be more pictures!

• Heather’s Birthday Party

Mon, 7 Sep 2009 05:30:15 -0400

Heather and Jerry invited us to their house on Labor Day for a cookout lunch celebrating the anniversary of Heather’s 39th birthday ;-). A small group of good friends enjoyed a lovely late summer afternoon. The kids had a blast on the slip ‘n’ slide, and we all enjoyed meeting the resident dogs, cat, birds and fish! The men present also managed to move a donated piano from Jerry’s truck to its new home in the front parlor.

• Surf’s Up and P.O.D.

Sun, 6 Sep 2009 22:33:17 -0400

Mt. Bethel has two exciting new children’s worship programs this year: Surf’s Up for kids K-2nd grade, and P.O.D. for kids in grades 3-5. I had a chance to take pictures at both services on Sunday of Labor Day weekend. Crowd was a little lighter than normal due to the holiday, but the spirit was definitely there.

• Swim Party

Sat, 5 Sep 2009 22:19:52 -0400

We hosted an impromptu pizza-and-swim party at our house on Saturday of Labor Day weekend. Liz and Jackie came over with their family, and the brothers came over with their family. 10 kids, six adults, and 2 dogs - the house was full and full of fun. After lunch, we all headed over to the pool for a swim. Liz and Jackie stayed overnight, and it was nice to have them “home.” Kids and water definitely mix, so there are some very happy pictures here.

• Michigan Trip

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:41:29 -0400

We rented a house with Frank’s Mom in the Lake Michigan resort town of Pentwater, MI for the last week of August, 2009. Frank’s brother Steve and his family live nearby in Grand Rapids, so they were up there with us for much of the week as well.
It was a quiet week, mostly spent catching up with each other and exploring the shops and restaurants of quaint Pentwater and other small coastal towns. The beach was near, and the sunsets were lovely, but it was a little too late in the season to do much beach-going during the day. On the other hand, the antiquing was excellent. We also found a small shop with the best assortment of kitchen gadgets we have ever seen. Called the Bitchen Kitchen, its name made 11-YO Marie giggle every time she said it. We had a delicious dinner at one of the local favorites, The Brown Bear. Marie wrote a 5-page review of the restaurant, but we posted a very short one on UrbanSpoon. If you’re in Pentwater, check out both of these spots.
A high point of the week was Friday, when Steve brought his boat up and took Frank fishing on the lake, while Nana and I went power-shopping in Luddington and Pentwater. When the men returned with their catch of 6 large fish, I got to watch Steve clean them, and then he cooked a salmon on the grill for us to enjoy along with local corn and tomatoes for dinner.
We’ve posted lots of pictures of the week: Sunset at Pentwater Beach, shopping in small-town Manistee, Frank and Steve’s fishing trip, and a few pictures of nieces Katie and Marie.

• Tadpoles and Farewells

Wed, 5 Aug 2009 22:41:11 -0400

Heather brought Liz, Jackie and Landii over so they could get some tadpoles from our pond to stock their new pond. We weren;t finding a lot of tadpoles in the pond, so we tried a more fertile source: our neglected hot tub! Yes, the poor, unused hot tub has become a breeding ground for hundreds of tadpoles. We even found one fully-grown frog in there. After filling an empty baby-wipes tub with critters, the girls came in for a visit. Later, we took John to the airport - he and his buddies are heading back to school a couple weeks early to break in their new house (yikes!). Pictures from today plus some various yard critters are here.

• Drew, John and The Dogs

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 10:41:03 -0400

Here are a few shots taken of the boys and Dad near the end of John’s summer visit. He is heading back to Ole Miss on Friday - where did the summer go?

Blizzard is Nine Years Old today!

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 00:45:20 -0400

Our beloved and loving Golden Retriever Blizzard turns 9 today. She has been with us since she was 6 weeks old, and we have taken birthday pictures every year, She’s getting a little grey in the face, but she still her youthful exuberance - especially when she spots a tennis ball. She has won over the many visitors to our house with her famous smile that looks like a snarl. And she is in Heaven now that both Drew and John have been home for awhile this summer. For her birthday, she got a fresh can of tennis balls and lots of attention. Happy Birthday, sweet Blizz.

• Drew and John are Home

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:06:53 -0400

Drew and John drove in a couple weeks ago for a long stay. John is here until early August, and Drew has moved into the bonus room. It’s great to have them here, and the dogs love it. We’re tackling projects around the house and watching a lot of sports on TV. The boys came with us to help at St. Philips VBS one night, and the girls were there too, so we had a mini-reunion.

• Baby Birds are Here

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:19:16 -0400

I am still enthralled by the many birds that come to dine in our yard, especially early in the morning and at dusk. It is cool enough at night tht we are able to sleep with the windows open, and I love waking to the sound of the birds. This time of year, the baby birds have left their nests, and we have a regular group of baby birds in our feeders. Also for some reason, the adult birds are getting humongous. Food must be very plentiful this year. This album has some baby birds and some nice blue jay and cardinal pictures.

• St. Philip VBS

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:59:47 -0400

Mt. Bethel has a sister church, St. Philip UMC, which is located in Jackie and Liz’ old neighborhood. Frank, Drew, John and I helped out with their Vacation Bible School in July. We took lots of photos, and made a video to show on the last night.

• T and Q

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:39:14 -0400

We had two little boys stay with us overnight. Wonderful, adorable boys - but, oh, my goodness, what energy and curiosity! I have a new admiration for mothers of multiple toddlers. Not too many pictures, my hands were busy keeping them from getting into trouble!

• Tourheads Website is Back

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 14:16:15 -0400

From mid-2000 to mid-2001 I was COO of a dotcom called eTour. eTour was a high-flying darling of the dotcom world when I came to lead them through their IPO in 2000. It was flying so high (and our publicist was so good) that I even made the front page of the WSJ’s Marketplace section! But the tech crash hit us hard, and the company was sold to AskJeeves (now Ask.com) within a year. This was an amazing place to work: high-energy young people, a game room, and a work-hard/play hard ethic that you don’t see in business today. Some of the former team members started a Facebook group, so I decided to create a simple website (thanks, iLife) and re-post the pictures and memories from that period. Click here to go to the website, and follow the link to the Facebook page.

• Mission Photo Contest

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:28:26 -0400

I had the honor of being a judge for the Adventures in Missions 2009 Mission Photo Contest. Missionaries were invited to submit pictures that captured “A person, a place, a moment and a mission.” We chose 30 finalists from over 3000 submissions, and then selected 5 prize-winning photographers and 15 honorable mention photos. You can read more about the contest, and see the winning pictures, on the AIM website.

• Jackie is at Camp

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:29:39 -0400

Today, I took Jackie on the 2-hour drive up to Clayton, Georgia, where she was to spend a week at Camp Evergreen (the church camp run by Mt. Bethel at Camp Winfield.) Jackie was assigned to the same cabin that we had used for CHARGE in May, and she was thrilled to see that they had installed a latch on the screen door to keep bugs out (little things mean a lot....) I left her in good hands and enjoyed the drive home through the back roads.

• Jonathan and Julio

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:57:26 -0400

We had the pleasure of having Jonathan and Julio stay with us for a week in July. We went to Vacation Bible School, waded in Sope Creek, and had some fun trips to the pool. The boys made everything fun, even an ordinary spaghetti dinner.

• Our Kids and Friends at VBS

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:24:19 -0400

We made an album showing just our kids (Liz, Jackie and their brothers) and some of our good friends at Vacation Bible School in June and July.

• More Vacation Bible School Pictures

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 23:52:55 -0400

I was only able to be at VBS for awhile at the end today, but I got a few pictures, including one of teen helper and performer Rachel in which she appears to be flying!

• Sope Creek with Six Kids and Heather

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 09:42:17 -0400

After 12 years of living within a stone’s throw of Sope Creek (part of the Chattahoocheee National Park system that runs through North Georgia), we found out it has a jumping rock! We thought it was just for wading, and as a result, we haven’t come very often. Heather’s nephew Kenney, visiting from South Georgia, discovered the jumping rock - and an even deeper area for diving! - and showed it to Liz, Jackie, Landii, Jonathan and Julio. Here are some pictures from our visit today. Everyone had a great time. I’m sure we would have gone a lot more often when Drew and John were growing up if we’d known about this jumping rock!

• Vacation Bible School July

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 11:34:20 -0400

Mt. Bethel had 650 kids and another 200 or so volunteers participating in this year’s July Vacation Bible School, Crocodile Dock. Frank worked at the check-in desk all week, and I shot pictures on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I made a slideshow out of the best pictures, and it was displayed for the kids on Friday - and after that, on the Mt. Bethel Facebook page and website.

• Birds and Bees and Bunnies

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 11:00:58 -0400

This summer, I’ve been learning how to capture the amazingly vibrant fauna in our backyard. Here are the latest pictures. The bunny is one of a nest of babies that are living under a bush in our side yard (outside of the dogs’ Invisible Fence area). We call this one Roundup, because he comes out when the dogs are inside and munches on the weeds in our rose garden. I had to shoot him through our kitchen window, as we’d never get close enough outside. But it’s fun to watch him go at it every evening. We also have a wide variety of birds, including a pair of bluebirds who are raising their family in our birdhouse this year.

• We moved the site to BlueHost today

Sun, 5 Jul 2009 10:46:45 -0400

After almost 6 years with HostforWeb, we have moved Lachances.com, SoccerGA.com and all our other sites to a new hosting company. Moving 12 years of files is a big deal, and I’m not sure we got everything reloaded to the new site. So if you can’t get to something that used to be there, let me know.

• Blizzard and Gopher Outside

Sat, 4 Jul 2009 21:43:51 -0400

Blizzard and Gopher love to wander through the tall grass in the park behind our back yard. There must be a lot of interesting things to smell and taste! Here are a few pictures of the dogs, taken in early July.

• Salmon for Dinner

Fri, 3 Jul 2009 19:25:38 -0400

We had a little dinner party tonight to share some time with good friends and also taste some of the salmon we caught in Alaska. Jeff and Kale brought their boys, of course, and they played happily in our new playroom upstairs for most of the evening (thanks, Great Day of Service!) Most of the boys have birthday in June or July, so they each had a present from Liz and Jackie. Lots of fun watching them open the gifts and play with them.

• Happy 4th Birthday Jesus!

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 20:55:38 -0400

Liz and Jackie’s youngest brother Jesus turned 4 today. Of all 8 siblings, he has shown the most growth and change from a baby to a vibrant young man. I made this little video to celebrate his growth.

• The boys are gone for now

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 00:17:47 -0400

Drew has been staying here for a few weeks, and it has been great to have time with him again. He headed back to Texas today, and plans to return in a couple weeks.

• Alaska Cruise Recap

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:51:50 -0400

Frank and I have recently returned from a terrific cruise to Alaska. We sailed on Celebrity Infinity, June 19-26, out of Seattle. We explored Seattle’s downtown waterfront and Pike’s market, went salmon-fishing in Ketchikan, went wild-life-watching in Juneau, and antiquing in Victoria, BC. Along the way, we cruised the scenic Inside Passage and saw the spectacular Hubbard Glacier from our deck. Now we are home, and we have the salmon we caught fileted and flash-frozen in our freezer, ready to share with friends. It was a fun trip and we hope to return.

• The Salmon is Here!

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:56:15 -0400

We received a box today containing 23 1-pound filets of salmon, the result of our fishing trip in Ketchikan. I guess we’ll be doing a lot of entertaining this summer!