Washington Trip - July 19

FRANK'S JOURNAL - Day 5

We got up and started packing up camp. Karen found a Banana Slug and brought it back. We all got our picture with the Banana Slug. We tried to go to church but no one showed up. We finished packing up and started on our way to some "Hot Springs." At the hot springs there was 3 pools that were 100, 104, and 106 degrees. There was also a big pool that was a nice swimming temperature. After that we drove around a lake that was formed by a melting glacier. The water was actually a blue color. We then set up camp on the north part of the Olympic Penninsula. I finished reading White Fang. We ate supper then we had S'mores. Then we went to bed.

Washington Trip - July 18

FRANK'S JOURNAL - Day 4

We got up, ate breakfast and started off for the Hoh rainforest. We saw a bald eagle and 2 elk on the way. We stopped at a river to find invertebrates. The water was actually blue because it was a glacier river. We finally got there and went on a hike. The hike was called "Hall of Mosses." It's name described it. there was cool moss hanging off of everything. We ate lunch there then we started back. We went ot a Ranger Talk when we got back. Then we ate supper and made a fire on the beach. We stayed there until sunset was over then we went back to our camp and went to sleep.

Washington Trip - July 17

FRANK'S JOURNAL - Day 3

We didn't do much today. We woke up and had a breakfast of homemade bacon, pancakes, and juice. We packed up and headed for the Olympic Penninsula. After a long drive there we finally got there and set up camp. Once we were set up we went on a walk on the beach. There were dead crabs everywhere on the beach. We went a little way into the water but it was freezing! We went back to camp, ate supper, and started a fire. When it was getting dark we went down to the beach and watched the sunset. It was really neat. The sunsets there last for a long time. We went back to camp and went to bed. I threw-up in the middle of the night.

Washington Trip - July 16

FRANK'S JOURNAL - Day 2

We got up and ate breakfast. After brekfast we started driving towards Mt. Saint Helens. This is the story of the 1980 eruption. Mt. Saint Helens had been acting active and people were told to leave the "blast zone." After a while the people were getting tired of waiting and the police let them go get their stuff from their house. Just 10 hours after the last person left the blast zone with their stuff the only people there were loggers. Just 10 hours after the people who lived there got their stuff and earthquake occured. The magma in Mt. Saint Helens had been pushing a bulge out of the north side of the volcano. The bulge had been growing by a rate of 6 feet a day! The earthquake caused the north side to collapse causing the biggest landslide in history! It destroyed everything in its path. It destroyed all of the thick forest and carried it down the river. All the logs from the Fir trees looked like spagghetti going down the river. Then toxic ash started coming out. The ash had rocks flying through it. It was the middle of the day but the ash turned all the light to blackness for hundreds of miles away! Ash from the eruption even reached Texas! No one could enter until all the toxic dust had cleared out. All the ground was barren after the eruption. All the destruction made Mt. Saint Helens 1500 feet shorter! It used to be a perfect cone-shaped volcano, now it is an odd-shaped volcano with a huge crevasse in one side. Harry (B) Truman died in the eruption (it wasn't the president Harry Truman). We went on some hikes then we went back to Doug and Karen's house.

Washington trip - 7-15-09

Frank's Journal:
Last night we stayed at our friends house just outside of Seattle. Our friends, Doug and Karen, fed us breakfast of home-grown strawberries, blueberries, and cherries. The climate is a temperate rain forest and it feels great. We went to Mt. Rainier, a dormant volcano, and we went on hikes. We went up a hike up the side of a volcano. It was uphill all the way and there was snow everywhere. It was a hard hike at first because the air was thin. We got to a point that you would have to be a mountain climber to get up. Then we started on our way down the mountain. It was the funnest part. We slid around in the snow and had snowball fights! It was actually powdery snow not the ice we have in Texas. It was the most snow I have ever seen. After that we went on a hike and saw some cool waterfalls. Then we went back to our friends house for the night.

Merry Christmas 2008!

How can it be that another year has gone by? In some ways it seems like Christmas was just yesterday, but in other ways it seems a very long time ago. This year has taught us much about treasuring, rather than measuring time.

We are all well, and, as always, are thankful for your care and concern for our family. Abby is a 9th-grader at Hill Country Christian School this year.
She is doing very, very well. She’s playing volleyball, softball, and planning to run track. She’s also taken up the bass guitar this year and shows a remarkable sense of rhythm (not sure where she got that!). Her other big hobby continues to be her dog, Arby—they did very well in obedience and agility competition this year. She’s a blessing to us; just the thought of her leaving home in less than four years is one of those things that has us treasuring time.

Video of Abby and Arby on an agility course

Frank is also back at Hill Country this year for 7th grade. Although I miss my homeschool buddy, he’s enjoying the chance to play junior high basketball and compete in academic competitions. He had another good season pitching for his Little League baseball team in the spring. He also continues to play guitar and piano (and GameCube) and enjoys unwinding with his puppy, Aggie. They started beginner agility classes this fall. Frank really grew up in a lot of ways this year (literally—he’s almost as tall as his mom!)

Video of Frank's fastball (the batter was surely out at first!)


Gordon and I just try to keep up. Besides our jobs at Texas Parks and Wildlife, we’re both involved in the music team at church and helping out at school and in the Wimberley 4-H club. We were blessed this year with the chance to serve a couple of meals at the Ronald McDonald House in San Antonio where we stayed all those weeks in 2006. It was good to just give back a little of the care we received there. And then we all enjoyed a camping trip in California this summer. The sequoias, Yosemite, and Big Sur were awe-inspiring, even through all the smoke—you can check out pictures of our trip and read Frank's journal in the posts below.

However, the year did bring us some heartache. In September of this year we suddenly lost Gordon’s Mom to heart failure. We will miss her presence in so many ways—she created such a loving home and wonderful family. I was struggling with words to try to pay her a fitting tribute, and, suddenly, as I read through Proverbs 31, I realized that I only needed to update the list of activities and the passage would be a perfect reflection of Mom’s life. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it below. Even in our sadness now, I realize that she has left us with many blessings…

May you count, treasure, and hug your blessings this Christmas season.


A Woman Who Fears the Lord – Proverbs 31

In Loving Memory of Charlene Ophelia Brown Linam

An excellent wife and mother who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
She takes up the dishes and laundry,
and works with loving hands.
She is the friend of the merchant (especially Dillards!);
she shops for quality in food and goods.
She rises while it is yet night
and cooks those famous meals for her household
and for all their friends.
She considers a perfect gift and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she picks the garden and pecans.
She shows remarkable strength;
she does not tire from encouraging her family.
Her work is respected in the City, and still,
at home she works into the night.
She travels for soccer and baseball and basketball and softball…;
her children’s children are her passion.
She gives to the church
and opens her home to friends.
She is not afraid of snow (especially on Christmas Day!),
for she gives fine clothes to her family
(even to her reluctant grandson!).
She wraps her home in beauty;
her clothing is tasteful and stylish.
Her husband is known in the City;
doctors and associates respect him.
She makes clothing for her grandchildren;
and pies and cakes that are beyond compare.
Kindness and generosity are her appearance,
and she laughs with joy among her family.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household;
and, except for Spurs games, she is never idle.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceiptful, and beauty is passing,
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

We love you, Mom--thanks for all the wonderful years.

California Vacation - July 24-25

Frank's Journal:

After our plane landed we drove through Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Hollywood and stayed in a La Quinta in Santa Clarita. We woke up to the best hotel breakfast ever.
Then we left the hotel and travelled through the hot, boring valley, where we bought some fruitThen we got to Sequoia National Park (NP) and saw our first sequoia trees. They are huge! We went on a couple of hikes--first up Morro Rock and then to see the General Sherman Tree, THE largest living thing on earth! It is 311 feet tall and weighs 138.5 tons! Then we set up our campsite, made smores, and went to bed.

.

California Vacation - July 25

Frank's Journal:

We woke up in Sequoia National Park, and we ate breakfast and went on a hike right beside our campsite. We corssed the river and hiked up a hill to a cool boulder formation that had water running through it. Then we packed up and went to King's Canyon NP.


We saw the General Grant sequoia tree, the national Christmas tree. Then we followed the King's River into King's Canyon where we saw some cool marble rocks and a waterfall called Grizzly Falls. The we got to the campground, set up camp, and went exploring at Cedar Grove. We saw Roaring River Falls, and then we went on a short hike to a meadow with lots of mosquitoes. Then we went back to camp and went to bed.

Grizzly Falls

California Vacation - July 26

Frank's Journal:
Today we woke up, ate, and then went on a "3-hour hike" to Mist Falls. The hike took us through a cold valley and then up a hot mountain, and then down to a cool waterfall. The water at the waterfall was freezing. Then we started on our way back. It seemed like the hike would never end. We just kept going around a turn to see that we were not there yet. When we finally got back it was 2:00; our "three-hour, 9 1/2-mile hike" took six hours!

When we got to camp we ate; then we went swimming in a 58 degree river! Before we swam we turned in our Junior Ranger packets and got our badges. Then at night we went to a ranger talk on bears. Then we went back to camp and went to sleep.

California Vacation - July 27

Frank's Journal:

During the night I had bad nosebleeds. Then we got up and packed and started back down King's Canyon toward Fresno. On the way we stopped and got some fruit. We also stopped on the way at a little church and went to their church service. When we got to Fresno we ate at Pizza Hut. That was a nice change from soup cooked on a camp stove!

Then we left Fresno and started toward Yosemite. When we finally got to Yosemite we couldn't believe it. A fire had started two days ago, and we couldn't see anything! So there we were in one of the most scenic places in the world and we couldn't see anything. We drove up to some view points, but we couldn't see. So then we sent down to our campsite in Yosemite Valley and found out we had the best campsite! We were on the edge, so we had extra room. We were also close to the trails and the bathroom. Mom went on a hike, and when she got back we ate smores.

California Vacation - July 28

Frank's Journal:

We got up, ate breakfast, and started on a hike to Vernal Falls. We started out going through some tress by a creek. Then we started going uphill through some rocks; then we cleared 700 steps! We saw awesome views of the waterfall, and then we got to the top of it and saw where the waterfall began. It was a really tall waterfall.

We stayed there for a while; then we started back. We went back a different way which was much harder. It went uphill and then it came back down. On the way down it wnet back and forth going almost nowhere, and the duirt was super-slippery. In the end it took four hours to go four miles.

After lunch we went to the Awahnee Hotel, and we went to Visitor Center and saw a cool Indian Village. Then we went to Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in North America and the fifth tallest in the world, and I touched it!

In the evening we went walking to Mirror Lake. On the way we were walking and people said, "Just past the bridge there's a black bear and her cub!" We walked slowly, but only heard it. When we got to the lake it was almost dry, but we finally got to see a nice view of Half Dome through the smoky air. Then we went to a Ranger talk on geology. Once that was over we went back to camp, ate oreos and milk, and went to bed.

California Vacation - July 29

Frank's Journal:

We packed up and left Yosemite Valley and saw a great view of El Capitan.

Then we went to the upper part of Yosemite, picnicked at a cool lake, and went to Tuolumne Meadows. I finished my Junior Ranger packet and got my badge and bought a cool Marmot stuffed animal. Then we started out on a hike to go to the top of Lembert Dome. The dome was about a mile away, but the road took us up hills the whole time and was winding so it was at least four miles. At the beginning of the hike we tasted natural carbonated water. It tasted like iron.

Then we started going uphill. We went uphill for forever and finally got to the dome. We started climbing up it; it was really steep, and in one part we were really rock-climbing. When we got to the top of the dome we could see everywhere. We talked to a couple of other people, had snacks, and then came down. We explored some more areas to look for marmots, but didn't find any. Then we drove and set up camp in the dark at the upper part of Yosemite. We had smores, then went to bed.

California Vacation - July 30

Frank's Journal:

We got up, packed up, and left Yosemite. We had to take a different route because of the fires, so we drove through gold country on roads that winded back and forth. It took forever! There are no straight roads or trails in California!


Then we finally got out of that country and got into country that was dry where there were tons of almond tree groves. We just kept travelling through them. We thought we got lost and would have to eat almonds forever.



Then we got to straight coastal roads. The Pacific Ocean was really cool. Then we finally got to Monterrey at 5:00. We went to our La Quinta and had our first showers in a week! Then we ate Chinese food, washed clothes, watched cable, and went to bed.

California Vacation - July 31

Frank's Journal:

We got up, ate breakfast, and went on the famous 17-mile drive. We drove past the Pebble Creek Golf Course (which costs $450 to play on!). We drove along the pretty ocean. Then we started driving down the coast. We picnicked with some Redwood tress at Big Sur. They were tall, but they weren't nearly as big or impressive as the Sequoias. Then we left there and saw some more good views of the ocean. Then we went to a fancy restaurant called Nepenthe. The whole building was made of redwood wood. We ate cheese and bread there. We drove more winding roads along the coast and saw Sea Lions and Seals. We also saw a couple of Sea Otters. The we got to Moro Bay and set up camp and went to bed.

California Vacation - Aug. 1

August 1, 2008 - Lee Ann's recollections:

Frank finally got tired of journaling, so I had to recreate the notes from our last full day in California.

As soon as we got up we headed down to the harbor in Moro Bay (a moro is an igneous dome that has been exposed by erosion, so Moro Bay is named for the large rock that sits at the entrance to its harbor) to do some kayaking. We'd really been hoping to see some sea otters up close, but, after a couple of hours of paddling past sea lions and pelicans, checking out all the sea grass beds, and hiking across the harbor peninsula to wade in the ocean breakers, we still hadn't spotted an otter. Finally, we thought we better head back to the concession and there, right by the dock, was an otter floating along on his back! He'd disappear occasionally to bring up some type of shellfish, and then paddle along on his back again. What a neat experience.

We opted for an inland route that would let us make faster time down the coast, but the scenery was still awesome, even with the burned areas. It was a bit like the Texas Hill Country, but more rugged.

We'd reserved a campsite at Malibu Creek State Park, simply because it was near Los Angeles (and wasn't closed due to fires), but we were excited to later learn that it the location where the TV series MASH was filmed. Our whole family loves MASH, and, sure enough, as we pulled in the gate, it really looked like we were at the 4077! We took a little side trip to the beach to play in the cold, rough breakers, rounded up all the quarters we could find to take showers, and spent our last night in California. It's been a great trip!

Christmas 2007 News

Merry Christmas!

I feel like we've already written an unbelievably long Christmas letter in the form of our two blogs (this one and www.abbylinam.com), and those of you who have kept up with your reading know that we've had a full year--full of baseball and dogs and horses and volleyball and basketball and 4-H and academic contests and traveling and much, much healing. We are so very glad to have been granted this full life and full family once again.

For those of you who haven't kept up and want the condensed version...After spending much of the spring continuing outpatient rehabilitation therapy, Abby returned to school full-time this fall. She's back in 8th grade playing sports, running her dog Arby in agility contests, and continuing to ride horses at a local riding therapy center (where she also volunteers). Some activities take a little more time and effort, but she is doing very, very well. Frank has chosen to homeschool once again, and I'm enjoying having him here while I work from home. Homeschooling suits him very well, as he's a conscientious worker and then enjoys having time left to play sports and take some after-school classes in art and music. He had a very successful baseball pitching season in the spring and summer, but is really looking forward to the start of basketball season (his favorite sport). Gordon and I continue to stay busy with our work at Texas Parks and Wildlife, with church activities, and with our kids' 4-H and sports. We had a 20-year-reunion with our German friends, Uli and Birgit, this fall, and our summer vacation to the canyon country of Arizona and Utah is described below!

Finally, we need to introduce you to the newest member of our family, "Blanco River Aggie" or just "Aggie" for short. She's a cute, cute golden retriever whose mission seems to bring new life and enthusiasm to all of us (Arby and Amigo included)! It's great to be around someone who is always happy!

May this Christmas season bring much happiness to you. We keep you close in prayer--knowing that each year may bring new challenges to each us, and yet knowing that Christmas itself brought to us the hope and strength that can carry us through. Though I said I was finished with Abby's blog on October 3, I added one more post this month, featuring lyrics from some songs that seem to tell our story. We pray that, if you face hard times this year, you may also find the strength and hope that these songs reveal and that you will let us walk together with you as friends.

Love,
-the Linams

Canyon Country Trip - August 24 & 25

Frank's Journal:

We got up and ate breakfast at the hotel. Then we went to hike up the Organ Mountains. When we got there we saw hummingbirds, signed in, and went to go hiking. We got there and went hiking on the trail. The trail took us up to the mountains but not up them. We turned around and went on a different trail back to the car. When we got to the car we drove and and ate lunch at Burger Time. Once we were done with lunch we went back to the hotel and swam in the pool. Then we went shopping and went to the Rio Grande. After we were done shopping we went to a cool playground, and swung. Then we went back to the hotel and went to bed. The next day we drove home--most of the way across Texas...

good bye!

Canyon Country Trip - August 23

Frank's Journal:
We got up at Aunt Linda's Dad's house in Phoenix and went for a hike at South Mountain Park. We got there at 9:00 and it was 95 degrees! We went on a hike, saw cool quail, and lots of small lizards. My Mom and I climbed up some rocks to look for lizards. We were climbing and I saw the tail of a Chuckwalla! We didn't see a Horned Lizard but we did see lots of other lizards. Then we drove through Saguaro National park and saw lots of cool saguaro cacti. Then when we finally got to the Desert Museum, we went on lots of hikes, and saw awesome animals. We saw birds, reptiles (including a Gila Monster in the zoo and a Regal Horned Lizard in the wild!), foxes, pumas, coyotes, wolves, and lots more. Once it closed we drove to Las Cruces and spent the night there.

Canyon Country Trip - August 22

Frank's Journal:

Abby, me, Kayla, and Aunt Linda with their new calf, Star

We got up and met Michael, whose house we had been staying at. He was nice, but he had strep throat. Then we started on our trip to Phoenix. We drove past Vermillion Cliffs and some rocks called Balancing Rocks. On our way we stopped on a bridge to look for California Condors. We looked for a couple minutes then my Mom said, "I got excited because for a second I thought that was a Condor, but it's only a vulture". I looked at it and it spread its wings out. "That's a big vulture!" I said to myself. Then it turned to us and it had white triangles on its wings; it was a Condor! It went inside a little cave; then it flew away from us. After a little while we saw it coming toward us. Then it landed right under us! It stayed there a while, and then it flew off the other way. Then another one came flying really high! Then they flew off in separate ways, and we left. After driving for a while we stopped at a Navajo roadside market, and I got a cool necklace.

It was my favorite day. =)