27

"Thank you all"
27, I'm lovin it!
As every year, with my birthday comes the end of July, right now I'm listening to Sparklehorse's It's a Wonderful Life, still my favorite band, try it out, I just finished 1776, so did dad, did you know that our relative Nathaniel Greene was second in command to Washington and was the first recorded person to use the term Declaration of Independence in writing? The book is best explained by the last sentence,

Especially for those who had been with Washington and who knew what a close call it was at the beginning-how often circumstance, storms, contrary winds, the oddities or strengths of individual character had made the difference-the outcome seemed little short of a miracle.

I think for August's reading we are going to do an "all skate" - what I mean by this is that everyone has the assignment (if you should so choose) to pick a book which is short (around 200 pages, preferably something you haven't read yet or would like to read again) and recommend it to the rest of us. Your goal is to read at least one of the selections, and for those more ambitious read as many as you can. The one who has read the most gets a secret prize! So post your recommendation ASAP. Thanks again, for all the calls (gramie was the only one to give me the shaft) and for making me feel special on my B-day, it was truly warm fuzzies throughout! Peace. My pick is Godric by Fredrick Buechner.

A FEW MOMENTS WORTH SHARING AT WES' PARTY

AHHHHH Yeah. Steph, Caleb and I shot down to see the fam and celebrate the big day. Here are some brief instances where I almost lost the FABULOUS African Tilapia that Lena cooked up for us.

1. Upon sitting at the table...I realized my V-neck was clinging to the raging sweat beads that so furiously poured down my chest like a popsicle melting on hot pavement. Lena called it a hot flash. May be I was nervous???

2. You all have heard about Petey right? A cute snorty little Red Sox terrier that has...let's just say the ole' mouse don't stay in the house. Who is the only one at Petey's level....but little Caleb. After 6 or more attempts, while we are in the sun room enjoying birthday cake with none other than Dave and Jill Silver, Petey mounts my son's back and takes full advantage of Caleb's small stature.....THEN! Dave blurts out, "Well, looks like Petey fianlly found someone HIS SIZE..." (I took it a bit overboard wth calling Caleb jailbate...oooops)

3. We're about to leave when Bill starts imitating Lena and Debbie's "Tall Dark and Handsome Golf Instructor". Picture Bill right behind Lena swaying the hips and gripping her club in front of her with Lena laughing..He swings...looks at Wes and I...and yells..OOOOH....Birdie!" Wes and I just start cracking up.

Anyone Else has a moment...feel free to chime in. Have fun in Hawaii Ben and Becky...See you soon ABs and Jake...Andrew...just rock on!

27 Reasons why I love WESLEY GAINES...

27. The Golden State Warriors hat I gave you you never wore
26. Goin' skins in bed together...Hakuna Matata
25. Sniffin' glue under the tables during Rick Yarborough's youth group chat
24. Your sweet bowl cut
23. Takin some heat off the "brace face (8 years!)" jokes with your beaver teeth
22. Ratting out Travis Miller for stealing my blue slacks and soaking them in the urinal
21. Defending me against Cory Selva
20. Allowing me to stand aloof at BHS Bible Groups ...comfortable ahhhh....
19. Being a scapegoat for Shawn McCaig's harassment
18. TANGLING!!! There was just something about my tan thighs and your white limbs (jungle fever)
17. Stayin COLLEGE at SITS instead of going PRO in b-ball to make me feel good despite pressure from Ernie Perry
16. Being somewhere between 1- 17th when I was 18th on Mrs. Luck's soccer team....4 years in a ROW!
15. Sharing Becky Ketola moments
14. Introducing me to country music.."I got friends in LOW PLACES.."
13. Hand meets thigh on a warm May 27th 2000 afternoon near a pond and a quaint tree. "You can do it, man"
12. BAPTIZING me in the Sea of BCC! and then my brother???
11. Clutch double in the 9th that eventually led us to a WOLVERINE championship and skinny dip in Hal Howell's pond.
10. Forgiving me after our first fight (AND LAST) in Florida! SHUT UP C!
9. Becky Ketola
8. Sharing awkward puberty moments..."Dude, what's that?"
7. PETRA PRAISE..."Jeff, this is the real deal. Look at Schlitz's locks!"
6. Telling 2 girls on the SAME nite TOGETHER..."Listen, we're going to college....this isn't gonna work"
5. Fanning the flame about the BEACH HOUSE dream with me till about eleventh grade when I realized that it was pretty sick.
4. Not bragging about scoring the Target scholarship for $1,000 that sent me through a year of isolation at GVSU
3. INTRODUCING ME TO SARAH JANE GAINES, DUH!
2. After 4 years of holy spirit promptings, you finally had the guts to tell me to "Watch what you are doing...Repent...and accept JESUS (Dude, why so long?)" finally becoming a sheep!
1. I ALL SERIOUSNESS....BEING MY BEST MAN (in all regards)

HAPPY B-DAY WES! At least you're not 30 like JAKE. j/k

FELIZ CUMPLEANOS WESLEY! HERE ARE 27 REASONS WHY I LOVE YOU... 

The Birthday Bowl

The Birthday Bowl
Originally uploaded by jacobgaines.

Happy B-day Wes! We look forward to celebrating with you in a week or so. Wes has always been a trend setter. First in the baptistry (darn that McFadden...that guilt trip set me back 3 years). First to leave the bunk bed room for his own (hey, I freely admit to my attatchment issues). First to don to the Whitey Herzog flat-top (I followed suit and added the beaver paddle). You are a quiet and humble leader who I admire greatly. You are a learner, a teacher, and it's an honor to call you my brother. Have a wonderful day!

Our God is an awesome God

This is the only sneaky opportunity I might get, so I thought I'd wish an early happy birthday to my lovely husband, on this his 27th year of life. Cheers to a kind, loving, daring (he always tells me all the "daring" things he's done which translates to "not well thought-out" in my mind see Colorado River) and extremely entertaining man.

Life with Wes definitely has its perks, I mean, who else can say her husband has met Mr.T or has portrayed Jesus on the spot with such artistic and dramatic poise?

Happy Birthday, Wes!

jASON teague..star runningback from FLorida takes some time to chill and sign Deante's T-shirt. Mary and Steph thought he was hot. Ok so did I. 

Linebacker KALEB thornhill and future Spartan Caleb Lampi pose for a shot.  

Football coach Smith came by for a pic. His words were heard loud and clear "The day of the dummy is OVER" Get the grades FIRST! Then football... 

Flexin' pipes with the football team in the official "players lounge". White guy on the right "Drew Stanton QB" lit up UofM last year at the big house until "cheap shot" took hiom out of the game. He's healthy now 

SUMMER SPLASH MICHIGAN STATE STYLE. Boyz in da hood with blue chipper top 5 recruit Marquis Gray MSU b-ball. He's rather large. 

Tiger Lena Hits the Links

The long awaited round of golf (9 holes) occurred at the Huron Meadows Open, Tuesday night. Tee time was 6:45pm. The 9 hole round on golf was over at 8:30pm. The crowd was light, but enthusiastic. No HM marshall had to speed up this two some as they carted around the front nine. The par 5 6th hole saw Tiger Lena's drive almost crest the hill. It was a mear 5 yards below her playing partner and soulmate. When all was said and done, each hole saw improvement. The nerves were present, but as Tiger Lena began to get into momentum, she began hitting the ball like her golf pro had wanted, down the middle. The 9th hole water hole gobbled up two of Tiger Lena's golf balls. She continued with abandonment. That 9 iron around the green was awesome. Putts needed a little work. A few 3 and 4 putt greens. All in all, her round of 75 was sweet and enjoyed by all.

Lucky Beth

It has been a while since I've bloged it up. Congrats Andrew on the new job. Not much new here in Mt. P. We are moving ito our new house next week. We saved a baby robin this week and named it "lucky beth" for some reason. it is pretty cute, but very needy. Talk to ya later. Have a good week all.

Steve

Golf at Huron Meadows

Your mother (mother-in-law) and I are playing our first round ever of 9 holes at HM. I am taking bets on her golf score for 9 holes. The closest without going over her score wins one night at 7028 Winding Trail with the attic fan on all night and soft drinks at a restaurant of their choice..

My Afternoon at American Apparel

This afternoon, I was the first to have the privilege of visting Andrew inside corporate America and get a first hand view of his contribution to the GNP. First off, props to Drew for taking time away from the office banter to give me a whirldwind tour of the enormous American Apparel facility. It was a rare look like I've never had into a company that seems for all intensive purposes to be getting it right. I must say that the vibe I got from hanging out around the AA facility seems to fit Andrew well. I would call it laid back, but intentional and thoughtful.

We spent about 45 minutes weaving in and out of different parts of the facility. I was most impressed by the sewing floor where there must have been hundreds and hundreds of people working in teams at machines producing all kinds of clothing for as far as the eye could see. And yes, it was well ventelated, unlike my room (and Andrew's) in the pre-A/C days around Winding Trail. Talk about sweat box. "Just a little more attic fan, please dad!" "Son, does Iram have an attic fan? Our electric bills are through the roof what with all those lights I find on around the house. Go back to bed, it's all in your head" (ha, ha). Back to American Apparel...I was also privy to get to enter Andrew's "office space," and we even shared a cup of cold water around the water cooler. I met the boss (definitely a friend first, entertainer second, and then a boss) and a co-worker named Jake. Word is that there are even some office pranks already starting up. Don't worry... I reminded young Andrew to avoid the weird jelly in the shoes.

We ended up on the roof of the 7 story building with a glorious view of the LA skyline on a rather clear, though hot SoCal day. After Andrew scanned his handprint to clock out for the day (no kidding...sci-fi stuff), I also got to see his apt, and we dined on Japanese food in the Los Feliz district before hitting the road. All in all a lovely day and I must say I'm proud of Andrew and what's he's doing in the City of Angels. He's working hard, he's fighting for justice (look out Mass Transit Authority), he's being innovative, and he's even got a badge. Keep up the good work Andrew! And the rest of you bloggers...next time your in LA, I highly recommend a jaunt down to American Apparel to see what it's all about.

Yeah, baby!

Today Wes finished his second computer class since starting at SES Environmental. He received a 100% AutoCad class--which isn't an easy subject, judging by the four-inch thick text book! Do you think he's trying to on-up me? He told me that his next aspiration is to take classes on networking something-or-other a.k.a. the company computer guy.

Mooooooooooooooove!

feliz cumpleanos a senor petey

happy birthday to me,
happy birthday to me,
happy fourth birthday to petey,
happy birthday to me.

(All I got was this lousy toy).


That's okay b/c now I'm officially older than everyone in the house--dog years rule, baby!

Elena

This is Elena, an orphan who hung on to Becky everyday.

Mexico

This was our past week in Ensenada Mexico with Baja Bound Ministries. We had a great time working with John Rose and the group from Boston. After a short stay at the Rose household, we are back to Mexico Sunday for three more weeks. God Bless, call us!

Golf Talk

Everyone make sure and watch the Open Championship tomorrow, its at St. Andrews, where I played two years ago. I got a par on the 1st and 18th and that's all you need to know. It was the highlight of my golfing life (Other than how I always show up in a big way at family golf outings:
Ben's wedding: choked under the watchful eye of "sniper", got T.O'd @ caddie (Jeff), lost money to uncle Jimmy
Steve's wedding: choked again, got T.O'd @ partner (Jeff), lost to Bill and Norm

finally the most recent "Green Machine Incident" in Cali, oh well. I'm pulling for Monty tomorrow.

"Cause Sometimes They've Got to Feel It"

Servant Evangelism in SoCal
Originally uploaded by jacobgaines.

Yesterday the San Gabriel Valley Tribune showed up on the street corner when we were passing out cold waters in the 100 degree sun. We've given out around 30,000 waters and what not this year so far as a part of our servant evangelism (not bad for a church of 100). We have a goal of 40,000 for the year. It's nice to see that we're getting some positive press too. Click on the photo to read the accompanying article. This has been our month of media saturation with the documentary film crew also showing up 3 weeks ago. Look for the Vineyard to hit the silver screen in 2006? Much love to all in the MW. See you in a few weeks!

Talk to me

What's up everyone! I'm just writing to let you all know my new cell phone number.
213.923.0539.

My work is supplying me with this phone and it's one of the BIGGEST phones I have ever seen.
But everything at work is going great, this is my fourth day and I'm getting into the swing of things. I now have my work cell phone, my PowerBook G4, my own desk and bicycle work station, I get amazing lunches, and we get a free massage every two weeks. This place is pretty sweet and I urge you to check it out. Come take a tour West Coast gang, and Mid-Westerners when you're out here.
Ok...back to work.
Call me,
ANdrew

The Lampi Family thoughts

Picture 096
Originally uploaded by stevelamps.

Debbie: I love family time

Norm: God Bless America!

Jeff: Take the picture

Steph: Why is Caleb hitting me

Shea: I don;t want to leave yet

steve: Jean Claude Van Dam you look good girl.

Caleb a.k.a C-Unit

Picture 087
Originally uploaded by stevelamps.

Standing at 2 feet 1 inch, and weighing at 35 lbs. Truffle Shuffle included... Caleb!

The babes

Picture 065
Originally uploaded by stevelamps.

Standing at two feet tall and weighing in at 25 lbs. Mckenna!

Smitten by love

Picture 054
Originally uploaded by stevelamps.

"I love you McKenna, you are so good at playing with toys"

Rejected

Picture 058
Originally uploaded by stevelamps.

"Not today Caleb"

Cedar Point Pics

Picture 018
Originally uploaded by stevelamps.

Caleb loves lemons

Hmmmmmm.....any resemblance?

HEY, MAN..Got sum hot new DVDs for ya!

First one other than Wes, Sarah and Lena to find-out the story behind "WATCH WHAT YOU SAY," wins a Mark Cahill Evangelism DVD. Ready...Set....GO!

Oh yeah, way to go ANDREW!!! Congrats!

A new job

I was offered a position at American Apparel as the Director of Transportation today. I got called in for my second interview this morning. I was interviewing with a man named Roain, the Director of the office of Public Relations. This interview was more casual; we walked around the factory and talked, and eventually went up to the roof, where Roain talked to me honestly about the company I'd be working for me and my position, and then he offered me the job.
I accepted of course, and I start tomorrow (Saturday!).

This job looks very challenging but ultimately rewarding. I have a lot of responsibility, of which I'll be learning more about this week. But I'm very excited about this position and I'll tell you all more when I have more info.
Check out the company: www.americanapparel.net.
This is an amazing company, an Industrial Revolution, to be serious. They manufacture much more than clothing, they manufacture new ideas and ways of cinducting business.
I'm proud to work for this company.
Sincerely,
Andrew

Wing a ding ding

We forgot to tell you about Fort Wayne's exciting holiday weekend as over 10,000 Honda Gold Wing motorcycle riders (Wing Dingers) made the Fort their home for their 27th annual Gold Wing convention! This was their second year in a row to come to the Fort--claiming that they loved the city (and the ice cream). Here's a cool Journal Gazette article as well as a page of what I thought were cool, artsy photographs and bios of a few riders.


As they left Monday night and Tuesday morning we could hear their bike horns sounding off forever from our back yard.

Beautiful in Seattle

Mom and I had a wonderfull time in "SUNNY" Seattle. We saw Mt. Rainier two of the three days we were there and flew buy it on the way home. Laura's wedding was great. We got to see family and friends that came to B&B's wedding two years ago. Sunday we attended Overlake Christian Church. This was the church where the BCC changes were conceived. A wonderful service. We also went whale watching. And did we see the whales. They were everywhere. Ruffles was the oldest whale in the pod and they said he was 54 years old. I am not sure it that is correct or just a tourist thing. It took us 45 minutes out to see our first whale. The day b4 it took them 2 hours to see the first whale.
We also saw where Norm's Washington sweatshirt came from. I have to say that the Husky football stadium is quite ugly compared to the big house.
On the 4th we did Seattle downtown and saw the Marketplace. Billie found the Left Handed store I was looking for. Tom was the only one to buy something from the store and he is right handed. He bought a gift for a left handed friend. That evening we attended the fire works on Lake Washington and had at least three sets of fire works to watch. Becky's brother-in-law Kurt works on Lake Washington at a resort/office complex so we went there to see the fireworks out on the pier.

All in all it was a great trip. Wish the family on our side could be with the family on the Ylvisacker side. Hope I spelled that right.

God bless everyone and we'll see W&S this weekend and J&A in August. A, not sure when we'll see you. B&B, thank you for a great weekend. Hope to see you soon. But love you all.

Big hot smelly beautiful LA

Ok, this is my first post since being back in the States and it's been a very relaxing/hectic week. That sounds a bit contradictory but that's just how it feels. I've had plenty of time to relax and I've also been quite productive. I had a job interview that went fairly well and I'm still waiting to hear back and I found a place to live. So let me tell you about my place. I'm sub-leasing a friend of a friends place. It's in Silverlake, it's a one bedroom place, cats, cable, cookware, furniture, everything we need, and it's pretty cheap. We're just paying half of the rent for this place. And by we I mean Patrick and I.
It's basically pretty sweet. And we're staying in this place until August with an option to stay here until September.
We'll see.
Other than that, it's been nice to be back. Jake and I put in some new grass which is sprouting about as quickly as Harley is tearing it up. I'm packing and unpacking, I'm taking deep breaths of this hot smoggy air and wiping the sweat off my brow after long bike rides. I'm looking for a copy of 1776 to join Wes in his BOTM Club.
Chillin', just got done chillin'.
Peace!

The Independence Day Open

h5
Originally uploaded by stevelamps.

What better thing to do on a rainy day in Mt. P than go golfing with the in-laws. This is Pleasant Hills, comparable to St. Andrews and Pebble Beach for you golfers. SO here's a breif summar of what happened in poem form:

The first hole there was rain
Nice shots off the tee
Except Ja, who landed on hole three

Steady for about 4 holes
until dreaded number 5
where my score took a serious dive

Dad Stelter on in two (every stinkin time)
Laughing at me and Ja
enjoying his sons on this rainy day

Stupid Freakin soybean fields
kept taking my generic ball
Ti-Tech ball seriously bad call

Thought It was all good
Hole 13 Drove it a mile
until the wedge hit it a mile

Hole 14 spun out in cart
Uh Oh, ranger saw me
Gave a good apology

Hole 18 was for doozies
Ja went soy beans twice
On in 4 I took a twirl
Enjoyed a twix arxtic swirl.


All was well here in Mt. P . The patriotic spirit was out for a bit. We lit sum fireworks off and McKenna kept signing "all done" because she hated them. They made her cry.

Hope all is well

A NEW LOOK FOR THE BLOG

I took the liberty on the 4th to update our blog's look, but to be fair I'll put it to a vote, so if you care make your voice heard!

What do you think of the blog's new look?
	A. I like the change, good design, let's keep it.
	B. You really pulled one on us, give me back my old blog!
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Twas the 4th of July

Whilst celebrating the 4th Sarah and I, and the dogz relaxed at the Indiana Dunes State Park, catching our fair share of sunburn and enjoying the Lake Michigan water. I think Pete and June had the best day of their lives swimming with eachother, it was quite a sight. We also visited Indiana's Mt. Baldy (its real name...) a giant sand dune. Good Times, freedom was celebrated!