Finish Line

"When God wishes to rejoice the life of a poor man, he makes him lose his donkey and find it again." --Czech Saying

Yesterday at preciously 3:15pm, I closed my books and slipped my notes into my backpack. I dogged earred the upperleft hand corner of my final exam because I have a habit of removing the staple at the start of the test. This time around I lost the staple during the test. To the TA, I handed over this evidence of my 3-month education on earthquake engineering and then walked out the door into the sun.

I'm done with school.

Lachlan fights back against the rising cost of oil

In addition to earthquake engineering, this quarter I have had courses on Personality, Leadership, and Negotiation; Structural Performance and Failure, Managing Engineering and Construction Companies, and Public Speaking. After the "sharp" analysis classes of the first two quarters, this was more of a touchy, feely quarter (if that exists in engineering).


While school is over I am just beginning to realize that education is really a lifelong process. Take last night for example. Michele and I went out to a dinner with our friends Jenny and Jin. I learned that even as a 25-lb man without the skills to walk, Lachlan can still tear apart and cause havoc in a pretty nice sushi restaurant.

Lachlan and Parker Clayton taking political sides in San Francisco

But baby chaos isn't the only thing we've been up to. Now that school is over Michele, Lachlan, and I are trying to make up for lost time and enjoying all the Bay Area has to offer. Monday took a ferry to Angel Island in San Francisco Bay and today we had a barbeque with classmates on the beach at Half Moon Bay. We are trying to soak up all the sun we can over the next few days (it's been in the upper 80s) because on Monday we make the slow drive back to Seattle. I've been hearing stories about the weather back home this year...these stories I hear...they're not good stories.

Michele and Lachlan "Machine-Gun" Johnson with Alcatraz in the background

After many months of discussion, investigation, and prayer Michele and I decided to head back to Seattle where I will take up my pencil and calculator again PND. I am really excited to be heading back. After sometime away for perspective it really seems to be the best fit for me and a place where I can still learn and make a contribution. Along with that decision we will be moving back into our place in the Central District. Since we have spent a total of 10-15 nights in the house, it will be like a new place for me and Lachlan. Michele's an old pro in the CD.

Michele and Lachlan soaking up the sun on campus

Like Ketchikan, it's going to be really hard to leave Stanford and friends we've grown to love but we are looking forward to getting back home to our family and friends (and cat) in the coming month and nurturing the roots we began establishing there years ago.

A whole lot of firsts!

Spring break was great. We had a wonderful time down in southern California. We road tripped it south and Lachlan did great as usual.

Who ever said car rides aren't fun or maybe mom was getting a little tired in the back seat and decided to jazz things up! Love the sun glasses Lachlan!!

Lots of firsts this month for Lachlan... here goes!

First time in the sand! We stopped at Pismo Beach on our way south to dip our toes in the sand. Lachlan loved the beach.

Lachlan's first Easter!

First time with a real doggie! Lachlan loved my sisters dog Jazz.

Lachlan's first dip in the pool. What a little water baby!!

Lachlan's first time driving a car!

More Pictures

I am really excited! I just got a new camera and have hardly put it down. I just wanted to share a few of my favorite shots of Lachlan!

Playing Catch Up

Out for a walk in the sunshine!

So this is my attempt at keeping family and friends updated as to the life we are leading down south. Sorry the posts have been so sparce. I have decided that while I am not as eloquent as my better half I will do my best to share our lives on a more regular basis.
Rian is so very busy these days and is spending almost every waking moment studying. Every other moment he is spending with our precious baby boy and me. Rian warned me from the outset of this quarter that this would be the most challenging of all the quarters. He is doing well and plugging through with a great attitude.

What Rian is doing most of the time

I continue to love being at home with Lachlan and have now joined a great group of women to study the Bible. I have enjoyed making new friends and with spring in the air I am outside more than ever.
Lachlan is growing like a little weed. He has become the youngest volunteer at one of local retirement homes and loves making the residents smile. Whenever we enter the building he is a sure show stopper to whatever they are doing. We spend most of our time in memory support helping the residents remember the lives they have so often forgot. He is truly a form of therapy and I love hearing the advice they have for me as well as all the reminiscing that goes along with seeing a little one that so often reminds them of their own. Mostly I love watching Lachlan look at each person with such innocence and with such a big gummy grin!
We have started going to baby story time at the local library and he loves listening to the stories and hearing us all sing songs. A real favorite is "head, shoulders, knees, and toes"!

Lachlan and his Ketchikan teddy bear

As far as development Lachlan loves sitting up and he loves his toys. He sees no need to rush into being mobile he enjoys what is in front of him and every now and again he will lean really far over and almost appear to be in the crawling position. He is now eating solids and is enjoying his rice cereal mixed with pears, apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, and avocado. Hmmm...next week we will try a mix, perhaps apple/pears.

Time to eat!

Lachlan outgrew his baby tub and he is still too little for the entire tub so I got him a giant duck to take his bath in. He seems to really enjoy it.

Lachlan in his new tub!

He is a little chatter box and no one can make him belly laugh like his daddy. He has a very pleasant disposition and loves to snuggle. He is still my little early bird and wakes up like clock work at 0600.

Tired boy!

Lachlan loves to swing at the playground behind our apartment.

Quarter Recap

"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise..."

-Psalms 8:2

Winter break is winding down and the J-team is back on the Farm after spending some time up in the Puget Sound area. Nice to get back in the rain, though after a year in Ketchikan Michele and I have met our Seattle rain quota until 2014.

While up in Seattle I worked at PND for a week and caught up with friends at work. It was nice to contribute value to a project that was not myself. After a few years in the working world, one of the hardest aspects about becoming a student again is coming to terms with being primarily a drain on resources, rather than a contributor. After working we spent time with friends and family including a long weekend with the Johnson family in a beach house my parents rented on Tulalip Shores. It was most relaxing and we really enjoyed catching up with everyone including Julia, our niece, who is three weeks older than Lachlan.

This quarter my classes tend more toward the engineering side of things and I am excited to get things started again. I am guessing this will be my heaviest quarter so this weekend I'm trying to get as much time in with Michele and Lachlan before I mentally go away. My schedule this quarter includes:

Goals and Methods for Sustainable Building Projects
Design and Construction of Concrete Structures
Organization Design for Projects and Companies
Integrated Concurrent Engineering
Behavior of Structural Systems for Buildings (bad structure, no no!)


Lachlan continues to captivate us. Every day he seems to have discovered something new and is now learning to sit on his own. He is drooling a ton and we are anticipating the sprouting of his first tooth. We are just in awe of the little gift that the Lord gave us and we pray to raise him up in a way that is pleasing to Him. We are thinking that we should probably begin to "baby proof" our little apartment in anticipation of a mobile little man.

Michele is busy getting ready for the start of the quarter and is looking forward to getting started in her mom's group and ladies Bible study here on campus. She continues to spend time with her sister and her family while I am busy with class. She is looking forward to getting out on walks again now that we are heading into some dryer weather.

In November Jeff (my brother) was able to come down for a visit.

Rian and Jeff at the UW v. Stanford football game with Lachlan looking on.

Lachlan: "Dad, you call THIS football, ugh!"

Field trip to Operating Engineer's Training Facility near Sacramento. They never let you drive the equipment in elementary school.

Lachlan's first solid food experience. "Don't like rice cereal, buddy? Just wait 'til we get to broccoli."

Michele and Lachlan out on an evening stroll in the Stanford Quad

Michele and Lachlan at Half Moon Bay, CA. Can't complain about being half an hour from the coast. In other words, one could drive to the coast, loaf for an hour, and drive back to campus in the time allotted for the average class lecture. (Not that I ever think about that.)

Lachlan's first Christmas...

..."Stockings of Fury"

Family retreat at Tulalip Shores, WA just after Christmas.

Student

--Ted Kooser

The green shell of his backpack makes him lean
into wave after wave of responsibility,

and he swings his stiff arms and cupped hands,

paddling ahead. He has extended his neck

to its full length, and his chin, hard as a beak,

breaks the cold surf. He's got his baseball cap on

backward as up he crawls, out of the froth

of a hangover and onto the sand of the future,

and lumbers, heavy with hope, into the library.