The Hanson Chronicles

School Daze

2010-09-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Sophie started Kindergarten. After a week of school, her highlight seems to be.....the monkey bars. She mastered this nemesis of playground equipment.

Sophie also enjoys riding the school bus with her friends. About 50,000 kids ride the bus in our neighborhood and the sight is reminiscent of a cattle drive.

Now we enter the world of fundraisers, parent/teacher conferences, homework, and report cards. Then there are the friendships, crushes, gossip, and fashions. Oh boy.

2009-02-10T06:38:00.001-08:00

Jennifer and I watched this movie this weekend. We really liked it. It's made by the same church in Georgia that produced "Facing the Giants". It's got such a good message and it's about as opposite of what usually comes out of Hollywood.

We absolutely recommend this movie.

Here's a video from the movie with a great song by John Waller.

Family Funnies

2009-02-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

#1 Tim and Jennifer are alone in the kitchen after putting kids to bed. Tim looks at the counter where he sees a gas station receipt that had been in his pocket. He then dutifully announces to Jennifer, "I got gas."

With a stunned look, Jennifer says nothing.

Realizing his mistake, Tim says, "No, I filled up the car with gas. Here's the receipt."

(we track all of our expenses during the month and Jennifer enters all of our expenses into a spreadsheet)
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#2 Sophie and Cole are watching a show together. Like she often does, Sophie grabs Cole and makes him sit between her legs on the floor - like he's on her lap. Sophie jumps up runs to the bathroom to take care of some personal business. When done she runs back to the living room saying that she needed to get back to Cole because "he needs some sister time."

Cole needs more sister time like he needs another bump on the head.

Making time to connect

2009-01-15T20:36:00.000-08:00

Picking up on yesterday's post....Ever wonder how you can live with another person and not talk with him/her? Here’s a typical evening routine in the Hanson house.

She puts a kid to bed; I clean-up the kitchen.
She picks up toys, I check my email.
She reads her email, I pack my lunch.
She makes some tea, I do something for work.
Don't forget the TV.

Notice we’re near each other, but never close. We hear the other, but no one’s talking much. I call this a rut. We’ve been in one and I know we’re not alone. It’s easy, low energy, and often ‘comfortable.’ It’s consistency in a chaotic world.

Do you know what else? It’s bland as all get-out. We've been making a lot of effort that as we are doing different things, we'll steal just a moment for a hug or kiss or "I love you." We figure it's good for the kids to see this - even if Sophie finds it funny.

This is a hot topic for me so look for more posts about it.

January

2009-01-14T20:48:00.000-08:00

Wow....where has Tim been? Sorry, ya'll - holidays keep one busy. Add to that the new time-wasting activity of Facebook, and blogs are so 2007.

Anyway, 2009 is off to a fun start.

Why? Well, I've been enjoying exploring some romance with Jennifer in our relationship. No juicy details coming here (this is a family blog). You don't realize how after a few years you forget some of the really simple little things that make you feel connected and appreciative of each other. And then have two kids on top of that and life becomes a blur.

One fun activity we're doing is the 40 Day Love Challenge through familylife.com. I get an email each day of something to do with my spouse - Jennifer.

So take a risk and 'wow' your mate. It's fun. I'll have another post soon with ideas for the creatively-challenged.

This is the relationship fire. Ooooh, aaah. Now grab your poker and move those logs around. Stir up that fire. Nice!

Verse of the day

2008-11-18T06:25:00.000-08:00

"As in water face reflects face, so a man's heart reveals the man." Prov. 27:19

This is special verse for Jennifer and me. It basically, says that a man's heart reveals his true nature. It get's past the superficiality and goes to a person's actions; that's his character. Something like judging based on the content of a man's character (apologies to Dr. MLK Jr.).

I have always had a mental picture of a mountain lake, like this picture, with an incredible reflection.

There are more neat stories about how this verse has been a part of our relationship from early on, but many of them are Jennifer's and I'll let her share them if she wants to :)

What a game

2008-11-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

OSU 34, Cal 21

Thanks to my brother-in-law who scored two tickets to yesterday's game, I got to witness one of the more memorable wins in Beavers football history. What a game!!!

There's not much more to say. It is so much more amazing being there in person.

This picture is the Pick Six by Keenan Lewis that sealed the game. It happened practically right in front of us (we were in the scoreboard endzone, four rows up).

What are people thinking?

2008-11-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

Here is a sad story about what's going on in Nebraska - and a lesson in unintended consequences.

OMAHA, Nebraska (CNN) -- Nebraska officials said they're concerned about an apparent rush by parents to drop their teenage children off at hospitals before lawmakers change the state's troubled "safe haven" law.

Four children have been dropped off at Nebraska hospitals in the last two days.

The latest cases came on the eve of a special session of the Legislature on Friday to add an age limit to the law. On Thursday, a boy, 14, and his 17-year-old sister were dropped off at an Omaha hospital; the girl ran away from the hospital, officials said. A 5-year-old boy was left by his mother at a different hospital, officials said.
The day before, a father flew in from Miami, Florida, to leave his teenage son at a hospital, officials said.

"Please don't bring your teenager to Nebraska," Gov. Dave Heineman told CNN. "Think of what you are saying. You are saying you no longer support them. You no longer love them."
Nebraska's safe haven law was intended to allow parents to hand over an infant anonymously to a hospital without being prosecuted. Of the 34 children who have been dropped off at hospitals, officials said not one has been an infant.

All but six have been older than 10, according to a Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services analysis.

(acknowledgement to CNN.com)

Safe Haven law sounds good in theory, but the repercussions are significant. Perhaps these kids will be better off, perhaps not. There are all kinds of factors that precipitate each abandonment (let's call it what it is) - mental/emotional stress, economic crisis, abuse, drugs, alcohol, behavior problems, etc. But there is no good excuse for a parent to treat their child like this...not when there is so much help available in this country.

Frankly, I hope they track down the dead-beat parents. They should not get out of their parental duties, because of inconvenience. Pray for these kids to find better homes.

I'm a fan, but not that much

2008-11-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

Jennifer told me that I should post something on my blog about how my favorite baseball team, the Red Sox, won their two recent World Series titles in years that we had a new child: 2004 and 2007. Last year, I watched the Red Sox win while we were in the hospital after Cole's birth.

This year, no Hanson offspring and no championship. Sorry Sox.

The Pensieve

2008-11-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, when I have too many thoughts in my head, I wish I had one of these....

How great would it be to have your own, personal pensieve, just like Dumbledore?

Total Money Makeover

2008-11-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

Saturday was a great day for us. Jennifer and I were blessed with tickets to Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover Event in Portland (part of the gift included watching the kids for the afternoon - thanks Wally and Carolyn!).

Dave Ramsey is in the business of helping people achieve "financial peace." He teaches about getting intense about eradicating debt, having a savings safety net, and getting saving and investing in your future. He's helped millions through his best-selling books, radio talk show, training tools, and live events. Want to know more: http://www.daveramsey.com/

Until a few months ago, we weren't really familiar with Dave Ramsey though. I was talking over some financial decisions with Jennifer's dad. He mentioned that Dave Ramsey might have some advice on his website that would give guidance.

We made the decision to attack our last bit of debt - Tim's student loan. I'm glad to say that Jennifer and I are presently DEBT FREE (not including mortgage). At the time it seemed so risky....we sold all of our HP stock - taking advantage of a 0% capital gains tax rate for our income bracket - and paid it off. That was only 3 weeks before the entire stock market did a tailspin. Certainly God had a plan to kick us into action at just the right time.

Next up is getting a serious budget in place that can allow us to invest aggressively (I mean dedicating a greater income percentage) and pay down the mortgage.

I'm looking forward to reading more from Dave Ramsey and applying the tools. I'm also interested in finding ways to help others with these tough issues. Here are some sobering statistics:

70% of all consumers live paycheck to paycheck (WSJ)

This year, more people will file for bankruptcy than will graduate from college (Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey)

The typical household has $38,000 in debt, and the total consumer debt is nearing $3,000,000,000,000 (trillion) (Consumer Reports Money Book)

This is "normal" in America. If that's the case, then I want to be weird!

One of Dave's favorite sayings is "if you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else." What this means is there is a lot of effort and sacrifice required, but the pay-off is big. Dave admits that he has his critics, but he can only point to method that is simple and has worked for millions. What better track record do you need?

This stuff not only helps in finances, but it helps marriages, mental health and more. Do you know how much divorce costs?

My other favorite quote of Dave is "this is the same advice your grandmother gives, but we'll keep our teeth in." So thanks Grandma....and thanks Dave. Keep up the good work!

Cole's birthday

2008-10-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

Cole had a 1 year old birthday party. He had a blast at his. Sophie had even more fun opening all of Cole's presents.

Almost here

2008-10-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make. Jennifer and I like HSM (High School Musical, for those who don't know what that means). We first say HSM and HSM 2 over a year ago. They were cheesey and funny. These movies are permanently saved on our DVR.

The third installment is coming out soon. But alas, it's a theatrical release, rather than television like the first two. So I don't know when we'll get to see it. Oh well. Something to look forward to.

Go Wildcats (get your head in the game)!

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/highschoolmusical3/

The Great Pumpkin

2008-10-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

It wasn't Charlie Brown and Linus....it's Sophie and Cole!

What a day! Actually it was only a little over an hour. It was sunny and bright (hence all the squinting). Sophie so wanted to help drive the tractor for the hayrides, but couldn't bring herself to be next to a stranger. So we settled for this rusty heap instead.

November 4th can't come fast enough

2008-10-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

Only 25 days to go..... The end is almost in sight! Hallelujah.

I follow politics. I admit it. I've written to my congressman (Rep. DeFazio and I disagree about most things). I registered to vote before my 18th birthday. And I'm in the minority among my peers who grew up in Oregon to have actually voted at a polling location (has it been 13 years of vote-by-mail???).

I followed the presidential race going back almost two years since the first candidates announced themselves. Now, I have politics (and campaign) fatigue. I haven't even been able to bring myself to watch the any of the debates. The economy and the lousy Economic Stabilization Bill (aka The Bailout) have really made me sour on our government leaders.

The first of two state voter's guides arrived yesterday. Oh joy. In most cases I already know how I'm voting, but I usually have to study the ballot measures closely. I'm an self-admitted ideologue (conservative values) and tend to vote Republican. I'll be voting for McCain. I like the future prospects for the party with Gov. Palin and Gov. Bobby Jindal (LA.) gaining a lot of experience.

Standing Boy

2008-10-09T19:31:00.001-07:00

This is my boy.

Cole is crawling like crazy. He likes to pull up to standing. And just yesterday, he began thinking it was fun to let go. Usually that involves a carefully controlled fall on his rump. This time it was 10 seconds of free standing!

This kid is reckless! He's out-of-control. I'm going to have to rein in this behavior.

Seriously, have you ever seen a kid so cute. He cried when I left for work today....aaaaaahhhhh. This evening, Sophie told me that "she liked me a little."

"How little?"

"This little." (showing me thumb and index finger pinched together so close only air molecules were getting through).

"But you love me, right?"

"Yes."

It's a Mommy Phase right now.

Jennifer ordered personalized Christmas stockings for our family now that we're complete. SOPHIA and DAD arrived today (MOM and COLE must be on back order).

Missions Update

2008-10-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

This is a newsletter from my high school friend, Mason. He is a missionary in Papua New Guinea. Here's an update from them.

Click on the image for a larger view.

Paint Job

2008-10-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't done too many of these since my college days....that is paint a room. I definitely haven't done it in my own house. Jennifer and I are pretty into our neutrals. But we gave Sophie's room a pink makeover.

She gave us this line after the work was done and she was supposed to be getting a bath, "my room is pink; my room is wonderful!"

When I see this much pink in a room, I think of the line from Steel Magnolia's (yes I've seen the movie - more than once - so drop it).

"What are your colors, Shelby?"

"My colors are blush and bashful."

"Her colors are pink and pink. It looks like the chapel's been hosed down with Pepto Bismol."

Sophie loves it and it's her pink room. We want to repaint the ceiling and Jennifer wants to do a stencil border on the wall.

Here's to pink rooms.

In closing, may I say GO RED SOX. They just beat L.A. (Anaheim) Angels 3-2 to advance to ALCS. Jed Lowrie of Salem, OR got the game-winning hit and RBI.

My Job

2008-09-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

This is not me

This has been an emotional, awkward, difficult week at work. Last month, the organization I work for notified some people that their jobs were being cut. This was their last week.

Those of us who remain feel regret over the loss of friends and colleagues. We feel relief that we still have a jobs, but there is also a sense of uncertainty about the future. When will the next round of job cuts occur.

I'm too young to know how this company used to be in the glory days of Bill and Dave, but apparently it's changed a lot.

I'm so thankful I find fulfillment outside of work. My family, my church, my friends. I'll be praying for those looking for jobs. I'll also be thinking more about my future and direction in life.

I'm back

2008-07-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a long time away from the blog.

In the Feb./Mar. timeframe, we were struggling with Cole's sleeping and just didn't have time for other things. Good news!! For the past 3 months, Cole can mostly sleep thru the night. He still takes short naps but he's a sweety. Sophie calls him Colie.

Here's Cole with cousin, Logan on Father's Day.

Favorite Things

2008-01-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

#1 - Dish Network - cheaper than our local cable utility and they gave us a DVR. Wow, I never realized what I was missing without the DVR. It's awesome! We record our shows to watch later. We record lots of things for Sophie. It's worth every penny.

Baby trick #57

2008-01-11T06:37:00.000-08:00

If your baby likes to be bounced, patted, or gently shaken - and most do - this trick might help. Use an exercise ball to achieve a rhythmic bounce.

This is like a light-switch with Cole. Fussy to quiet in a few bounces most of the time.

Growing Up

2007-12-31T10:38:00.000-08:00

Sophie has really made some big strides this year. This proud father has noticed her really "blossoming" into a little, big girl.

Just this fall, she has come to love going to her Sunday School class. The change has been so dramatic, we have actually contemplated pre-school for her. We couldn't fathom this by her behavior before.

Sophie's understanding and comprehension is growing. Jennifer and I struggle to answer some of her questions. How do you explain "die" or "lying" to a 3-year-old? It's tricky.

She still can't sit still much and prefers to be active. She will go outside in the dead of winter and play until she can't feel her hands. I took her to some snow last week just outside of Corvallis, and she had a blast!

She also has some problems with listening and being gentle around Cole. I wish I had a nickel for everytime that I start counting, "1..... 2......".

She's our girl and a spirited one at that:)

What's HP up to?

2007-12-17T06:42:00.000-08:00

Registered trademark of HP.

HP has announced plans to expand it's presence in the super-wide format printing (industrial printing). HP intends to buy NUR Macroprinters for this purpose (http://www.nur.com/nur/). This follows the acquisition in 2006 of Scitex.

Now HP will make prints for building facades, billboards, and who-knows what else.

BTW, this announcement is public (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2007/071210d.html).

Coming to an Airport near you

2007-12-17T06:39:00.000-08:00

If pre-schoolers were in charge....

2007-12-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

...our Christmas tree would look like this.

Here's Cole after our tree-hunting expedition. He slept the whole time.

We had some snow-flurries at our house after church today. Sophie and I went out to look at it. We found some ice in a wheelbarrow with water in it. Sophie is holding a piece of ice getting ready to throw it.

It's a boy!!!!

2007-11-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

Our new son, Cole, was born about three weeks ago. Here's a picture.

It was a memorable experience that I won't forget. Jennifer had her first contraction around 5:30pm. Following the instructions of doctors and medical professionals, we timed these and expected to wait at least an hour. But, instead of contractions being 10-15 min. apart, they started off at <5 min. and lasting more than one minute. Whoa!

After less than an hour, we started making calls to get babysitters over for Sophie. By 7:10pm we were on our way to the hospital and the contractions were almost on top of each other. Never has the drive from Albany to Corvallis seemed longer than with a woman in transition labor. It wasn't much fun for Jennifer - or me.

View Larger Map

We went straight up to the maternity floor at GSH, after a stop in the ER, and reached the floor at 7:40. Cole was born 7:46. No time for IV's or epidurals.

I'm so proud of Jennifer doing something neither of us thought she would be able to - deliver a baby with so little medical intervention. She didn't have time to break a sweat.

What a great family, God has blessed me with. Welcome, son!!!!

Family Portraits

2007-08-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

After trying Sears Photography for a couple years, we opted for something different. For one, the experience is difficult in a tiny studio where Sophie just won't cooperate for a totaly stranger. And another, our discounted rates have expired.

This time we used a friend of Jennifer. She is getting into doing photography professionally. After doing this, we think she's got a future.

One great thing is that we were able to do them outside (something Sears doesn't do). And the price is quite good as she's just getting started.

Here's a link to the portfolio*. http://www.evansheathphotography.com/Flash/Hanson%20Family/Hanson/index.html

*please note that most of the pictures have not been "touched up". This is a service that is included. This portfolio is simply how Jennifer and I are able to view and select pictures.

Remodel

2007-07-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

This week-end, our family is in the Subaru cruising north of Corvallis on our way to our Church. We were stopped by some flaggers Lewisburg-Granger Road. After about 5 minutes they let us through. We saw buses and trucks and about a dozen sheriff's officers. Then Jennifer sees a sign that says Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Whoa! In Corvallis?

Later that day, the news started coming out about the hit ABC shows presence in little, old Corvallis.

Here's a link to a site covering the build (extrememakeoveroregon.com). I signed up to help later this week...if they need me. Maybe I'll get to meet Ty.

The family has a daughter with rare, serious form of cancer.

Sweet Double Play

2007-06-29T12:13:00.001-07:00

Here is one of the sweetest double plays. OSU vs. Cal State Fullerton. Amazing 6-4-3 double play.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=IR7CCvrZAt4

National Champions

2007-06-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

OSU.....2007 Div. I National Champions

What a great day!!!

I enjoyed these two games so much this weekend, in part because it was rather improbable and in part because the Beavers were so dominating.

There are too many superlatives to use in this post. Jennifer informed me that OSU is also the cutest team. Girls probably have crushes on several of the players.

BTW, last night on Sportscenter, the highlights from this game came about 40 minutes into the show (how lame). Then the not-so-bright Stuart Scott at one point called the Beavers, the "Ducks". Brilliant.

Props to the team and coaches. Way to go!!!! What a great new tradition.

Sports

2007-06-20T06:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm on a roll today. Three posts!!!!

I have to add that the week-old news that we're having a boy this fall is setting in. I have to really wrap my thinking around this. To prove a point, Jennifer spent an hour showing me various websites with crib bedding for boys. This is too complicated. But it's important for Jen. I think that cars theme won out.

I'm usually a casual fan of college baseball during the College World Series. But the past three years the Oregon State Beavers have made it to this final 8-team tournament. Last year, they won the national championship! Today, the Beavers have a chance to get back into the national championship series this weekend. They play UC-Irvine (a first-time participant). Go Beavers!

I was listening to a local sports talk-radio show a couple days ago. The host mentioned something about a "6-4-3 double play". Baseball fans understand the meaning of that phrase. However, a caller (adult, male, sports fan) asked what "6-4-3" meant? The host was gracious enough to explain it on the air. I was embarrassed for the guy. I promise that my son will know what a "6-4-3 double play" means and not go through life ignorant.

Adventures in Potty training

2007-06-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

An adventure is what this feels like. Those with kids may remember what this is like. If it's been a few years, you might have blocked this period out.

Good news though is that Sophie appears to have taken an interest in using the toilet and it's only been about three days. I'll spare the details, but it's another one of those big milestones in the life of a child and parent.

New Title

2007-06-20T06:41:00.001-07:00

I have to change the title of this blog. I had used the highly unique and original "Sophia's world". While Sophie is my precious, charming, and spirited daughter, it would be unfair to my unborn son to keep this title so exclusive. Thus the change.

For those interested, we still don't have a name for Child #2. Number 2 probably doesn't work either. Jennifer has shot down my request to use "Mac". Oh maaaan.

Off-line for awhile...

2007-04-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

....I'm back to updating my blog. I thought that I would explain where why I've been busy lately.

The past two weeks I've been on jury duty. This week I was actually selected for a jury that went to trial. Until this time, I only recall being in a courtroom a couple of times. During the jury selection, I actually felt nervous for a few minutes; as if I was on trial. That went away and it turned into an interesting experience despite a very difficult case and deliberation.

Most people are reluctant to serve as jurors and consider this an inconvenience. I was one of them. Now, though I have great appreciation for the way that the justice system works. Having experienced it firsthand, I have new found regard for it. I find being an attorney (especially a trial attorney in criminal cases) to be very difficult.

In the end, our jury reached a verdict of Guilty on 2 of the 3 charges. The hardest part was delivering the verdict. The best part is knowing that the justice system does work. Jurors are for the most part impartial and take their responsibilities seriously.

Va. Tech (04.15.07)

2007-04-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

Today's tragedy at Virginia Tech reminds me that despite many good things in the world...each and every one of us is capable of true evil. Without the grace of God in my life, who knows what wicked, evil things I could do. And yet God's grace is free and available to all. It gives liberty to know that we have a hope beyond our temporal lives on earth.

"Lord, look upon the lives that have forever been changed by the events of today. Ease the pain and suffering, comfort the grieving. Fill the void left by those who were lost. Most of all, bring hope of salvation to the families, friends, campus, and community. Amen."

160

2007-04-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

That's the number of beats per minute of an unborn child's heart at 12 weeks. Awesome!

Amazing Grace

2007-03-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

We saw a good movie a couple weeks ago. This was Amazing Grace. It's the story of William Wilberforce and his political crusade to abolish slavery in the British Empire in the late 18th century. Through his powerful persuasion skills he slowly - over years - convinced the Empire to end the human slave trade. It was even done without a revolt, unlike that of the United States.

The film is not high-budget (read: not much on the special effects) but the acting is decent and the music is very nice. Included at the end (before the final credits) is a moving rendition of "Amazing Grace" by a bagpipe band.

www.amazinggracemovie.com

In loving memory...

2007-03-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

My grandfather, Robert Hanson.

He passed away in his home in Washington state last night. He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, fives sons, 11 grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.

Grandpa was a humble, Christian man and a veteran of WWII. He spent most of his life in blue-collar jobs (farming, truck-driving). One of his favorite hobbies was woodworking. He created many decorations for his home, his family and friends.

He is loved and will be missed. But he is now in a better place (Praise God!).

Boom......A new blog is born

2007-03-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

A monumentous moment. Today dawns a new blog. A better blog. A brave new world awaits you blog. Go forth and inform. Discover all that cyberspace has to offer.

This is my new weblog.

I'm creating this as part of a work assignment to learn and understand how the internet is evolving. Should be fun.

Looks for more posts soon.