Jared's Blog

New Toys!

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:02:00 +0000

Secret agents??? Um girls... don't those bubble guns belong to your kids?
That's better.
The boys left great grandma's house exhausted after wrestling with Uncle Ed for hours and running around the back yard shooting bubbles at each other.

Christmas Morning

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 21:16:00 +0000

Christmas morning is the best when you are 2-and-a-half years old!
All the boys had a blast opening their presents with grandma & the family.
Even Westin got in the Christmas spirit!
Poor Toby had to work on Christmas.
Mrs. Clause handed out gifts & was rewarded by a few nice things of her own: a sewing machine & tickets to Cirque Du Soleil.
Liam's favorite present was his big Buzz Lightyear!

Bell Square Santa

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 23:30:00 +0000

"For Christmas I want a big Buzz Lightyear!"
-Liam

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:04:00 +0000

Just look at what you can find at Value Village for only $3!
Homemade sweaters are the best! I think we have a winner.
Thanks for hosting, Jess! By the way, your Santa vest is hot.

NHFD's Chief LaVielle Stepping Down

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:56:00 +0000

Today North Highline fire commissioners made a very difficult decision: to eliminate the Fire Chief and his assistant from the budget. Chief Scott LaVielle took over for former Chief Russ Pritchard to start the new year in 2007. IAFF Locals 1810 and 3780 helped create a budget that would maintain current firefighter staffing and service levels going into 2010. The recent downturn in the economy and Burien's annexation of half of North Highline's fire district has made it virtually impossible for the small fire department operate on its own without consolitating some administrative and training positions with King County Fire District #2. Burien Fire Chief Mike Marrs will oversee operations of North Highline beginning February 28, 2010.
I volunteered under Chief LaVielle for 3 years. He was a huge supporter of my efforts to become a career firefighter. Scott left a good impression on many local residents and businesses. He grew up in White Center and started his career in the fire service as a volunteer with North Highline. Even as the Fire Chief, he was active in coordinating fundraising events and charitable activities to help kids and those who are less fortunate. His philosophy has always been to do what is best for the community.

An Inspirational Memorial

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:02:00 +0000

Today hundreds of friends of Luke Gullberg packed out a gym in Des Moines to remember his life. Friends and family went on and on with stories of his life climbing mountains, making movies, and putting others ahead of himself. Komo 4 News covered the story.
Luke died of hypothermia last week on Mt. Hood, most likely risking his life for his 2 friends who were climbing the mountain with him. The brochure at the service featured a photo of Luke climbing Mt. Hood on 12-11-09, taken from his camera the day he died. A 12 minute memorial slide show can be found here (takes about 5 minutes to download).

Luke Gullberg Memorial Service

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:44:00 +0000

Luke Gullberg's memorial service will be 3pm-6pm at Pacific Middle School at 22705 24th Ave S Des Moines, WA in the gym. An estimated 600 people are expected to attend. We are going to celebrate his life on Earth, as Luke is now in Heaven. He was a good friend to my brother and a great role model while they attended Seattle Christian School together. Luke lived 26 years to the fullest.

Mt. Hood Search Continues

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:08:00 +0000

Please keep Anthony Vietti (pictured above) and Katie Nolan in your prayers as rescuers are searching for them on Mt. Hood. The latest report is available here.
In the photo above, Luke Gullberg is shown battling the weather in 2006 on Mt. Hood. Bad weather and high winds blew in again after they started their assent 1am this Friday. Luke was found dead by search and rescue Saturday, with his equipment scattered around the glacier at 9,000 ft elevation. Rescuers are using his camera and 20 photos to try to locate the other 2 climbers. They are currently searching by helicopter. All 3 have had snow survival experience. Details of the ongoing rescue are available here.
Our prayers go out to Luke's family and his brother Scott (both pictured above). Here they are shown successfully summing Mt. Hood 4 years ago. The Gullberg family is known for being physically active, compassionate toward others, and having strong faith in Christ.

Luke Gullberg: Loved & Missed

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 08:50:00 +0000

Luke died yesterday while climbing Mt. Hood. He was a close friend of my brother while they attended Seattle Christian School together. Luke was a positive influence on all of his friends. His family struggled with losing Luke's mom to cancer 2 years ago. Please keep his family in prayer. Search & Rescue is still looking for the 2 climbers he was with on the mountain. More information is available online.

Go Purple!

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:44:00 +0000

God must be a Husky fan. The sunset was purple last week vs Cal.
It was nice to see a blowout win against #19 Cal... 42-10! Please, Jake don't leave us for the NFL!

Downtown Seattle at Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:59:00 +0000

We saw a fantastic play over the weekend - A Christmas Carol at the ACT Theater! It was an event for Alaska Airlines employees and family members; a nice way for us to say goodbye to Alaska.
Afterword we walked around Downtown Seattle which was alive with holiday lights and music in the streets.We had good clean fun at Von's Roast House - Non-alcoholic beer. She's a good girl.

Thankful for Family

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:06:00 +0000

Thanksgiving Day brunch was eggs benedict. Delicious! Um.. Kenny, are you gonna share?
Thanks soooooo much to Brian & Stephanie for cooking! We were excited to spend the day with family!
Today we give thanks for siblings (no matter how silly), for family, for God's sacrifice.
As usual, mom provided the home cooking, the venue, and grandma care! Thanks to Teresa for your fishy faces. :)
My job: turkey carving. Yes, I'm new at this.

Above Greenland & Baffin Island

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:43:00 +0000

On our way home we had the pleasure of flying high over Greenland.
Our route took us over Northern Canada, including Baffin Island.
The flight from Amsterdam to Seattle was 10 hours. We made it home safe & sound... and excited to see Liam!

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:11:00 +0000

The streets of Amsterdam were full of life (and bicycles). We had no shortage of delicious food & great places to see.
Unfortunately our dollar doesn't go very far against the Euro, so we opted for the grocery store breakfast.
Nevertheless, we had fun exploring. We spent a day-and-a-half touring the city, including the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House.
We absolutely love their transportation system! Hop on, hop off day passes available for the train, bus, tram...
or even the canal boat, which takes you just about anywhere in the city!
The food was spectacular. We ate traditional and imported cuisines. Not to mention, it was nice to take a break from Indian food for a little while.
Hard Rock Cafe Amsterdam; it's becoming a tradition for us. We've visited one in 6 different countries now.We'll miss you, Amsterdam!

Haarlem, The Netherlands

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:12:00 +0000

It's nice to be out of the third world and into Europe (The trains are a lot nicer).
Finally, we're in Holland; the land of windmills and wooden shoes.
We're in a town with fresh cheese. Mmmmmm... I love that smell.
Where the streets are narrow...
And the buildings are nostalgic.
We're in Haarlem, and we love it!We are at the former house of Corrie Ten Boom! If you don't know what I'm talking about, you have to read this book! Touring the Ten Boom Museum was inspiring to say the least.
We crawled into the hiding place where Jews were hidden from the Nazis during WWII.
We were given a personal tour by one of the volunteers. She took us through the house and retold Corrie's story of faith. We felt like we were reliving the resistance. The Anne Frank house was a good experience, but it was modernized due to the volume of visitors and the rooms were barren. The Ten Boom house was set up much as it was 60 years ago with original furniture and artifacts. It's a must see!

India - Last Day

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:52:00 +0000

Our time in India has come to an end. Time to hitch a ride out of here.
I'm tired of washing my clothes in the river, anyway.
Now I know why it's important to drink bottled water.
And THIS is why we didn't eat the beef at The Hard Rock! No way.
Apparently Chandigarh is where the money is at. We found a genuine LaCoste store here... we must be getting closer to Europe.Headquarters for Chandigarh Fire: The nicest fire station I've seen so far in India.Last King Fisher for a while. It was good while it lasted (and cheap).

India - Punjabi Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:24:00 +0000

Attending as guests at a traditional Indian wedding, we decided to dress in authentic local attire. I never would have guessed that I would hear bagpipes played in the streets of India, but apparently the marching band is going to lead the way to the wedding reception hall, announcing the groom to the guests.
Here comes the groom, complete with a sword to defend his beloved.Our first stop was the reception hall. We had to let the guests in so the party could start and the bride's family met us at the entrance.HP and his entourage led the way. I still don't know how he could see under that decorative turban.The groom's family was stopped short of entering the building... apparently they have to agree on a price before they could enter. The bride's family was happy to negotiate.
Surprise foam attack by HP's family! The ribbon was soon cut so the party could officially begin.
As most guests were eating and socializing, we were invited to join the family at the temple for the wedding ceremony. This is the first we have seem of the bride and soon, their arranged marriage will be complete.
After the ceremony, Harpreet and Navdeep make their grand entrance officially declared husband and wife.
Party time! This is a dancing culture. Guys and girls share the dance floor, but normally dance separate.For those looking to relax... hookah. (Flavored tobacco.)
Cops on hand to make sure this party didn't get out of hand.13 Alaska Airlines employees/spouses made it to the wedding to support HP. Unfortunately, I got sick the night before and quickly recovered. John (standing next to me) got sick just before we took this photo, but also bounced right back. All in all, we had a great time and were honored to be treated especially well by the hosting families.

India - Wedding Preparations

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:52:00 +0000

The most important thing after a long day of traveling: breakfast... provided by our Indian hosts in Ludhiana.
We tracked down the groom-to-be: HP (Carmen's co-worker at Alaska Airlines, who has claimed her as his unofficial little sister)
He let us into his tent with the family where we took part in the pre-wedding ceremonies.We took off our shoes, of course...and we had to cover our heads.We listened to this guy and his buddies for a little while sing in a language we can't understand. The religious chanting went on for 3 days without stopping.Eventually we had the chance to give HP a little honeymoon money.
After we had spent some time learning a new culture, we headed to town to find new some clothes appropriate for an Indian wedding.
11 of us packed into a small SUV provided by our host. Well you know; when in Rome...Nothing like a million colors to choose from and custom hand made fabrics. Their tailors are amazing.
Later we returned to HP's house where they were preparing him for the big day. Ok, everyone else went to the party while I stayed home sick from drinking some bad water. It was a rough night for me. I may be suffering, but I'm optimistic that I will heal quickly and make it to the wedding.

India - Long Road to Ludhiana

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:31:00 +0000

Time to say goodbye to my favorite hotel doorman and hit the road. We've got a wedding to get to somewhere in Northern India near the Pakistani border.Our challenge today is to drive to the Agra airport, fly to Delhi, then find a group of Americans and ride with them to Ludhiana. So far there is no escaping the heavy traffic...
or the goats...
or cows in the road, blocking a lane.
We were stopped at the airport gate for a security check, since we are flying out of an Indian Air Force base.
Meanwhile, the locals kids were enjoying their chance to interact with the out-of-place Americans.Finally we were on our flight to Delhi. No, we didn't take this plane... It seems to be missing something important. I hope our aircraft is better maintained that this Indian Air Force jet.We made it! After our flight was delayed more than 2 hours, which subsequently delayed our entire group, we have just 6 hours on a minibus with a group of Americans that have traveled half way to get here. Fortunately, we are accompanied by a police officer to help speed us on our way.

India - Taj Mahal

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:31:00 +0000

We made it to the Taj Mahal...
...though we had to brave the streets of Agra to get there.
We ventured past camels and motorbikes, rickshaws and pedestrians (pregnant and carrying food on their heads no less).The city streets are chaotic; full of traffic, honest workers, and pickpockets.
But finally we stepped off the busy slum streets and into another world through the Great Gate.
I love tourists.
What a sight.
One of the wonders of the world, built more than 350 years ago.
It took 20,000 men 21 years to complete it at the order of an Emperor in memory of his recently deceased wife.
...and here I am pretending to attack it like some white godzilla. (Oh Tourists) :P

India - Sofosh Orphanage

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:28:00 +0000

After 24 years in the U.S., Carmen returned to the orphanage where the twin girls spent the first year of their lives and their place of birth. The woman standing with us has worked for the Society of Friends of Sassoon Hospital for 25 years and remembers Carmen & Christy being accepted in 1985.
To our surprise, Carmen was given a "Welcome Home" ceremony. It was an emotional experience.We were graced with a blessing and given gifts after traveling nearly 8,000 miles to Carmen's first home.The children in the orphanage were very well behaved and had plenty of attention from workers and volunteers.SOFOSH has been around since 1964, providing a temporary home to children from birth to 6 years old. They currently accept more than 100 children per year, and have been placing children with loving families since 1973. The waiting list to adopt from the orphanage is about 2 to 5 years.

India - Mumbai to Pune by Taxi

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:20:00 +0000

Here we are in Mumbai, India. We put our lives in the hands of this guy driving a 3 wheeled rickshaw.
Traffic in India is a free-for-all. Literally. Anything goes. (eg: sideways, wrong way, shoulder driving, passing on both sides, no signal, excessive honking, cutting off, backing up, no seatbelts, oversized & uncovered loads, no crosswalks, no stop signs, and plenty of bicycles & animals in the roadway) I thought Mexico & Thailand were bad... Nope.The bumper says it all. They want more horn. CNN calls it India's Great Wall of Sound.
Nothing like boosting your Karma for the day by feeding a sacred cow in the streets of India. This became a very familiar sight to us.
Another common scene were these types of shacks. These people were lucky enough to have houses. Others made their bed on the sidewalks. There is poverty here like I have never seen before.
Some things are similar, but it's still a different world.
We did manage to find the Hard Rock Cafe, Pune... an oasis amidst the chaos. (but we still didn't eat the beef)

Trick or Treat

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:52:00 +0000

"Ok, Auntie Reese, we did all this dress-up for you, now where's the loot?"
-The Boys
"Office trick-or-treating is where the GOOD candy is at!"
-Liam
Yea Auntie! Thanks Teresa for inviting us to raid your candy stash at Merrill Lynch!
Up, up, and away! Even Superheroes should use safety restraints when in a moving vehicle.

The Best of Times

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:16:00 +0000

Birthdays are the celebration of a persons life, referring to the day they came into the world. I'm glad we had so many great birthdays to celebrate. Dad & I never lived it down, that's for sure. We had fun skiing, canoeing, hiking, flying, towing, cruising, and working together. We had a great relationship and I'm thankful for every day, whether he was yelling at me or we were yelling at the Seahawks together from the end zone; we both loved it. Happy Birthday, dad.

Going to the (Albert City) Chapel

noreply@blogger.com (jaredstorer) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:13:00 +0000

"Clear skies, green grass, and Chuck Taylor's. Yup, I'm ready to get married."
-Liam

"I'm late!!!"
-Liam
"Nothing like a little pre-ceremony kiss for my future bride-to-be."
-Liam"Keeping it light; Eating chips with the flower girl. No stress."
-Liam
"Here comes my big moment."
-Liam
"I don't go anywhere without American Express... in case I need things on short notice, like an early 1900's horse-drawn carriage."
-Liam
"On second thought, I think I'll just blow bubbles."
-LiamCongratulations to Andrew & Diane!