Young Priest Climbs Tall Ladder {and 6 other stories}

Joseph competes in the individual medley relay at the district finals meet

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In an all out effort, Joseph nearly earned himself a spot on the state swim team at the culmination of his first year competing in the varsity sport.  About one second distanced him from the opportunity to join his teammates at the state meet this weekend and defend his team's (four-year-running) state championship title in Washington AA swim and dive.  As a small consolation, Joseph and Tim will travel to the state meet and volunteer as timers for the finals, so Joseph will be on site to witness the excitement.  Though he would much rather be in the pool than on the deck, his final swims at the district meet were personal bests with a 1.11 breast 2.24 IM, and his team won the district title (again).

Peter sports his new Star Rank patch

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Peter earned his Star Rank this week, after successfully completing all the requirements, which include a Scoutmaster conference and a board of review.  His next goal: Life Rank.  Peter's new leadership position, Troop Guide, will give him an opportunity to mentor the incoming Boy Scouts this spring and summer.  We lift up our prayers for the national leaders of the Boy Scouts of America, at this time when the organization faces a serious well-funded and skillfully launched attack as outside forces attempt to force their Pagan agenda upon it.

A photo texted home by Zachary from his retreat

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Zachary's second semester at Notre Dame well under way, he fled campus last weekend with a bus full of dorm-mates and a few clerics for a short retreat on the shores of a frozen Michigan lake.  Talks, confession, Mass, and hours to explore the snowy wilderness gave this Knott Hall retreat its appeal.  We received several messages with photos (a dream come true!) and brief texts relating the successful tracking of various wild animals to their dens and moon lit explorations of the countryside.  Other funny text messages from Zac this week include:

• "I've spent probably over an hour explaining to people that I'm not afraid of bears." 
• In response to my apology for 'dropping the news so suddenly' that an elderly parishioner died: "Is there a less sudden method? She half died... three quarters...okay she died. Thanks for the update."
• In response to my texted request to 'take pictures' after the elated students and fans stormed the floor following the recently televised 4OT win by the Notre Dame basketball team:  "Of my TV?  I didn't manage to get a ticket."  I thought he was watching from the stands, not from his room.
• "Speechless" first thing in the morning on February 11th, alerting us to Pope Benedict's abdication.
• "I suddenly have realized why eating fish can be a penance."

Raw expansion opportunity

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Tim acquired a new location our next pawn shop, this one in a neighboring town about thirty minutes south.  He will soon be outfitting, staffing and operating our fourth business, and the commute may require him to upgrade from the 1995 Toyota 4Runner he's driven the past decade and a half.  His staff recently expressed regret at the new vehicle possibility, since the roaring engine gives away his impending arrival by about two blocks, giving them plenty of time to get back to work and look busy before he bursts through the door.  No imminent plans for a stealth-mobile, but there's only so many miles his 4Runner can handle before it's mechanisms give up (car talk).

Father Josh on high before Sister first vows

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The most unexpected sight at St. Joseph's Passionist Monastery in Kentucky had to be the young priest perched atop a 15 foot ladder just inside the chapel entrance.  Father Josh was pre-positioning a birds eye view camera soon-to-be stealthily operated during the Mass of Religious Profession for my friend, Sister Cecilia Maria.  I met Father Josh in the receiving line in the nuns' parlor after Mass, and learned that he operates Lolek Productions, and is a missionary in evangelizing our culture and sharing the Gospel through the media.  His team's efforts yielded a high quality vocation promotion video for the Passionist Nuns.  Check it out!

Peter, Father Joseph, and Joseph at Benediction

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Our Lenten prayers are joined with the worldwide Church for Pope Benedict XVI in these final weeks of his pontificate, and for his successor.

'Luke' looks up to Peter in goal

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Our delightful former foster twins routinely beg to come and visit us, according to their mom.  We schedule visits as often as we can, and love hearing their new words and funny expressions.  She still begs for food, he's still ambivalent towards meals; he loves to zoom around the house on the plasma car and she prefers to be next to someone.  They are in the potty training process, so they come with pull ups rather than diapers these days.  Two two and a halfs guarantee entertaining visits, but the fact that these two ask to go to Church whenever we're riding in the car together gives me something even greater to smile about.

Click over to Jen's place where nearly 200 other bloggers have shared their 7 Quick Takes!

Waiting and Preparing {7 Quick Takes}

Another letter of acceptance (plus another presidential scholarship offer) arrived in the mail for Zachary from our alma mater, the University of Puget Sound, in Tacoma, WA.  With a few more letters of acceptance (or denial) still 'in the mail' Zachary will wait for the dust to settle before entering into final decision making mode.  The suspense is thick!


After more than a week out on his own, Ezra stopped by the shop to collect a few belongings, and let us know he's staying with a 'friend' from school.  Automated school attendance alert phone calls come more frequently now, announcing Ezra's sporadic absences.  His Job Corps departure date (March 20) still stands, but only time will tell if the opportunity will be actualized by the now independent Ezra.  We continue to pray, and ask your prayers, too.

Nesting boxes inhabited, Joseph and Peter continue to apply the final touches on their new pigeon loft.   Enoch helped apply a coat of paint on the exposed parts before this weekend predicted to be filled with rain.  Joseph and Peter also painted each others' exposed parts.  Go figure. 

Zachary with SHS varsity swim coach Don at the end-of-season awards ceremony

His final varsity swim season behind him, Zachary continues to train almost daily with the local club team, a great way to stay fit and connected with the guys.  The hot tubbing time after practice nearly doubles the time spent at the pool, and includes extraordinary challenges like, "I wonder if your reflexes are fast enough to stop this ball if I throw it at your face (from 3 feet away)."  Not so much; ouch.

With Ezra's departure comes the opportunity to re-vamp the downstairs disaster family room, and the dreams and possible re-designs are flowing.  From projector-assisted multi-computer gaming stations, to an indoor racquet sports facility, the ideas are... extremely creative.  Tim started with a systematic purge of the out-dated and rarely visited lower bookshelves, and in only moments filled several boxes for taking to a donation station.

Celebration dinner for Apollo's successful heart surgery

We hosted dinners for ten under seventeen (first seating) plus two over forty (second seating) in celebration of Apollo's successful heart surgery.  What a great joy to have been able to offer some tiny bit of support for his family during his hospitalization and recovery.

Our traditional lenten observances coupled with awesome liturgical events has made this solemn time of preparation for celebrating Christ's Resurrection at Easter especially meaningful.  Extraordinary Form High Mass in Seattle at North American Martyrs with Archbishop Sartain, an evangelically charged mission given by Brendan Case at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Everett, weekly Stations of the Cross, daily Mass, adoration and frequent confession make for a powerfully re-charging spiritual renewal. 

Visit Jen @ Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes Friday.

Washington State AA Champions {Sehome Swim and Dive Team}

AA STATE CHAMPIONS 2012

Sehome HS Swim & Dive Team

Making headlines and winning admiration from all corners of our state, Sehome HS swim and dive team captured the title of Washington State AA Champions for the fourth straight year.  Front page spreads yesterday and today celebrate the team winnings and the individuals who made it happen:

PREP BOYS' SWIMMING: Close-knit Sehome team hoping to continue championship success

DAVID RASBACH - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/02/19/2401575/prep-boys-swimming-close-knit.html#storylink=cpy

FEDERAL WAY - Sehome senior Zac Adams wore a smile as big as the trophy he was lugging off the pool deck at the King County Aquatic Center on Saturday, Feb. 18.

And why shouldn't he?

(Read the rest of today's Bellingham Herald article.)

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/02/19/2401575/prep-boys-swimming-close-knit.html#storylink=cpy

 

4th straight title: SHS Swim & Dive State Champions '09, '10, '11 and 2012

True to his super-analytical side, Zachary figured out the team's stroke and distance statistics for the season:

• 7 million strokes swam by the team this season
• 150 thousand strokes per swimmer
• 142 miles swam per swimmer this season
• 5000 yards swam per day, per swimmer

 Impressive numbers, impressive team, impressive season.

Prior to the state meet finals, Captain Zachary lead his last team cheer with gusto.

Hauling off the loot, Zachary claims the trophy for Sehome 

CONGRATULATIONS SEHOME SWIM AND DIVE TEAM;
CONGRATULATIONS CAPTAIN ZACHARY!

Senior Send Off {Varsity Swim & Dive}

 Team Captain Zachary leads the pre-meet yell

Today marked the final home swim meet for Zachary and the other seniors on his swim team.  Following team tradition, the five seniors were honored with a call-out by Coach Don, a run through the team tunnel and a gift (purchased by their parents; presented by cheerleaders).  The guys beamed as they took the blocks for a moment of honor during a short break in the swim meet after the diving competition.  The gifts this year, embroidered team towels, seemed to be a big hit, and rather more useful than a bouquet of flowers as presented in previous years. Although Zachary has been home schooled since kindergarten, our high school PE curriculum centered around participation in sports through the local public high school.  

Coach Don congratulates Zac on his four years as a varsity swimmer.

 Zachary's senior gift, presented by cheerleaders~~from the high school he never attended but represented well as a four year letter man and team captain.

 

Although Zachary was quite forced to join his first public school sports team as a home schooled ninth grader (freshman), he developed a great love of especially swim team.  Zachary participated on the (phenomenal) cross country team for three years and the track team for one, but swim team became such a focus that he rejoined the club swim team last winter to train all year in preparation for this final varsity season.  Together with his coach, he set high, yet realistic goals, and stands a good chance of reaching them in the next few swims before the final varsity splash in a few weeks.

Ezra in air

Ezra took first place in the diving competition, beating out three divers from the opposing team.  His dive scores weren't as high on the whole, but the six dives he performed ranked at higher degrees of difficulty, so adjusted scores gave him the win.

Zachary's still looking to shave a few minutes off his times, and has high hopes that the well planned taper will give him a burst of speed to round out post-season competition with all-time PR's.  Speaking of shaving, the facial hair, body hair, hair-do-shaving ritual happens in a little over a week.  I am looking forward to having our clean-cut son back after the scruffy swim season.

Our local newspaper covered today's swim & dive meet: gallery here.  Enjoy!

A Few Laps To Go {Varsity Swim & Dive}

Zachary competes in the 200 free

With only two home swim meets remaining on the schedule, the varsity swim and dive season will soon enter post-season competition.  Zachary's hopes are very high for a state qualifying time, and Ezra may wild card to the state meet in diving.  The three-time defending AA state champs, Sehome HS swim and dive team looks to wrap up the season with an undefeated record, their biggest conference challenge coming from Anacortes next Tuesday.

Ezra's sixth dive

In the interest of team unity, discipline and cross-training, Ezra's coach signed him up to swim a leg of the 4 x 100 free relay in yesterday's meet against Bellingham HS & Mt. Vernon HS.  Ezra participated, though not gladly.  He completed the 100 with only a few breaks, and his teammates cheered for him as if it were the final leg of a competitive race.  The support was heartwarming and hopefully Ezra felt the love a bit more than the pain.

Ezra's off the blocks, a new kind of dive

Tim and his parents cheer for Ezra in the 4 x 100 free relay

Joseph and Peter join the high school swimmers cheering for Ezra on his final leg.

The crowd goes wild as Ezra completes his forced swim race.

Team captain Zachary leads the final cheer before the team meeting in the hot tub.

Zac Report {Junior Year Update}

At mid-point of the varsity swim season, Zachary continues to improve his times and techniques.  His goal is to qualify for and compete in the the state meet.  He's giving his all with the usual every day workouts in the pool and 3x/week 6AM 'dry land' aerobic and weights work outs.  As always, the coaching is amazing.
But by far the best news from the swim team: Tristan is back in the pool!  Considering doctors weren't sure if he would ever be able to talk or walk again after his car accident a few months ago, it's truly a miracle that he's in the pool and nearly ready to return to school.  Thank you to all of you (especially St. Pio!) who have remembered Tristan in your prayers!

Zac and Tristan in the hot tub relaxing with the swim team after a recent meet

In the mail this week...

Dear Zachary:

The Dean’s List at Whatcom Community College honors full-time students who have achieved a grade point average of at least 3.50.  Each quarter, less than 10% of the more than 5,000 WCC students enrolled for credit earn Dean’s List recognition.

Because of your outstanding performance Fall Quarter, 2010, you have earned the honor of recognition as Dean’s List Scholar.  On behalf of the entire Whatcom Community I congratulate you on this outstanding achievement.  Your success is also Whatcom’s success.

 Thank you for all you contribute to the College’s continuing commitment to excellence.

Zachary's first quarter in running start ended well, and another quarter is off to a great start.
He's in his first science class ever, and enjoys music theory 2 and a philosophy class also.  He's still studying Latin on the side, as well as theology; and continues to develop into an expert in game-ology (home made role playing games).

About Zac's Eagle Project: it's stalled...but not forgotten.  It's mired in the process of obtaining a building permit from the city.  Someday the carport at the rectory will be built!

And that, my friends, is a brief update on our first born son, Zachary.