2010 Round-Up

The year of 2010 was full of lots of changes for the Vastbinder clan. First we moved from Enumclaw to Maple Valley only to move again 6 months later, just down the street. Needless to say, we had two different opportunities to clean out and reduce "our stuff". Not that I want to move again for at least 5 years.

We really enjoy the Maple Valley area, especially the schools and lacrosse program. This year Kari is the treasurer for the local lacrosse club, so everyone is involved.


James Somewhere in between our moves, I was riffed from Microsoft. Which I'm beginning to understand was a very good thing as I'd grown a bit complacent - something I said I'd never let happen. Since then, I've been writing for an online social news site, Infoq.com, and am back consulting at Microsoft on the SQL Azure marketing team. This allows me to stay platform agnostic and gives me a good start at building my software consultancy, abattre. An idea and domain I've owned for almost a decade now. Scary, but interesting.
In this photo I'm attempting to funderwhack as I pass the Ragnar baton to Travis, but I clearly need to work on my form.

As for my expectations this next year, I'm still holding out for the iPad 2, but daily pine for and annoy Kari for the current iPad.... (Kindle on iPhone greatly extended the length of my bathroom visits this past year.)

Kari
This is my favorite photo of Kari from this last year. I played with it in Aperture until I got it looking right. I know it's not a pseudo-professional shot, but its my favorite. AND she looks HOT!!! I stink at Aperture compared to Photoshop, but I'm trying.  Kari is still in Nursing school and since the beginning of the year switched to part-time status. This has her finishing her degree in August 2011, which everyone is looking forward to. Kari, herself, will tell you she is done doing homework and pulling all-nighters studying for tests and quizzes. And, for a short time, Kari was a Cub Scout leader which tested the very limits of her patience and she has since vowed never to experiment with Cub Scouts again... (this is not entirely true lol, ok so a little true about it not being my "thing". lol   I am now teaching the sunbeams (3-4 year olds) in primary, which fits my schedule better because of school :) and I love those little 3/4 year olds-- Kari added this)

EJ
I'm putting up this photo of our eldest as this is how 3/4 of all his photos look like. Him, hiding is face from us to keep from being photographed. He turned 14 this last year which meant early morning seminary and Saturday night dances almost any given Saturday in the Seattle area. In true EJ style, he has yet to get his dance card and as such must endure a quick intro seminar on dance standards at every single dance he attends which is several times a month, even the New Years dance tonight. One day soon he may actually expend the energy to request a dance card and endure the 5 minute interview required to obtain it. But the real question becomes, will he remember to bring it with him to the dances....

TJ
TJ was able to play two different seasons of football this year. He played football for his Jr High team in Enumclaw this past Spring and for the Maple Valley Jr High this Fall. TJ plays half-back and linebacker and can always be found where the most action is on the field. TJ loves to fish and evidence of this is literally all over our home. In any given room, there is at least one pole, reel, piece of fishing line, tackle box, or random lure. The dilemma for TJ is keeping it in a single tackle box and obtaining permission from MOM. With the Cedar River down the ravine behind our home, he's snuck away more than a few times to commune with the river against his mother's wishes.

Rae
Rae literally embodies the nursery rhyme definition of a girl, sugar and spice - everything nice - that's what little girls are made of. Everywhere we go she has little friends going out of their way to to say "hi" to her and I swear she's every teacher's pet. Rae is 11 yrs old this year going on 30. This next year she graduates from Primary and can't wait. At least once a month she reorganizes and decorates her bedroom a different way and is a second mother to AJ.

CJ
CJ is our sensitive child. You can always expect a hug from CJ if he thinks you are feeling down. CJ is now 10 years old and reads like a champion. He's a natural leader among his friends and is always willing to help. He's often my sidekick when I'm working on a project, I thought with being a newer home those projects would go away, but at least I have CJ by my side reminding me not to use those 4-letter words of encouragement when I think they'd help things along....

AJ
AJ likes to show off his pearly whites and is always smiling, too bad Santa forgot to bring him new front teeth this past Christmas. So I thought I'd put up this photo of him to remind AJ of a time when he had them earlier this year. AJ is a consummate joker and snuggler. He's picked up EJ's sense of humor and can already tell a joke with a straight face. Most evenings you can find him snuggled up to Kari while we read scriptures waiting patiently for his turn to read a verse or two.

Plan for 2011

We have many plans for the new year, except participating in the Hill Cumorah pageant since they've denied us as participants 3 years running now. We received this most recent denial letter just before Thanksgiving, but we weren't thankful. I may decide to grow up, Kari will finish school, EJ will be able to get his driver's permit, TJ will begin attending Church dances, Rae will join Young Womens, CJ becomes a Boy Scout, AJ's two front teeth will grow in.