Autumn Evelyn Ingalls

I HAVE A NIECE!!

Autumn Evelyn Ingalls was born at 3:58am in Nashville, TN. 7 lbs 2 oz, 20 inches long. All are doing well. Here are some pics!

Weekend Adventure

Yesterday, Dad decided to surprise me with a fun adventure. All he told me was to bring my camera (with a fully charged battery) and to wear shorts and my hiking sandals. I had no idea where we were headed or what to expect, but I was excited!

It was an absolutely beautiful drive. We were about 20 minutes away from our final destination when my Dad finally decided to fill me in. Turns out, we were headed to go hiking around some ice caves. It was awesome!!

We got there, had a little picnic at the trail head, and then set out for the caves. Apparently, last winter there were some pretty decent avalanches that knocked out the bridges. So we had to wade through the river. Keep in mind, this was glacial ice water. COLD! I kept thinking, "Just keep going, just keep going." And then when we got to the other side I was thinking, "Keep moving. Warm your muscles back up. Just keep moving." It worked. :) Then we began the second half of our hike up. Finally we got to the ice caves, and it was most definitely worth it.

Geocaching 101

What is Geocaching?

Geocaching (pronounced geo CASH ing) is a high-tech form of "treasure" hunting played around the world. A cache is the object that is hidden; geocaching is the act of finding a cache, utilizing a GPS and exact coordinates from the internet. A geocacher can hide a cache somewhere in a public area and then post the cache coordinates online at www.geocaching.com. Anyone with a GPS can then try to locate the cache.

Personally, I'm a fan because it is a fun way to explore the world around me. I have found so many parks, trails, cool views, historical sites, etc that I never would have known even existed otherwise. It can be done alone or in big groups, and provides a new adventure every time.


How do you begin?

1. Purchase a GPS, or befriend someone who owns own. :)
2. Visit the geocaching website.
3. Register for a free account. Be sure to pick a cool username, as this will be what everyone sees.
4. Click "Hide & Seek a Cache."
5. You can search for caches by either typing in your address or zip code, or putting in your coordinates.
   
6. Choose any geocache from the list and click on its name.
7. Make sure to look at the terrain and difficulty level, and plan your adventure based on your preferences and time limits.
   
8. Enter the coordinates of the geocache into your GPS unit.
9. Follow the GPS directions to the cache area and start searching. Good luck in this stage!
10. Sign the logbook and return the geocache to its original location.
11. Log your find in your online account. Please share your geocaching stories and photos!

Tips on picking a GPS:
Below is the list of things to consider, taken directly off of the geocaching website. From my experience I would suggest looking for the following: ability to add additional SD memory cards, ability to download maps, long lasting rechargeable batteries, and easy operating instructions. And recently I've noticed that a colour screen is handy too...though not at all necessary.

• Basemap. This is highly recommended. The additional cost is marginal, and the increase in the equipment's usefulness is substantial. Driving directions to the area near a cache can be incredibly useful, so consider this feature in a higher end device.

• Channels. Most GPS units today now have 12 parallel channels. Channels help to acquire GPS satellite signals faster and more accurately. If you are looking at older GPS devices, consider models built after 1997. Older, single-channel receivers are much slower and may not be as accurate.
• External antenna jack. With new GPS devices this has become less important since the newer chips are sensitive enough to acquire signal inside a vehicle. However, it is not always possible to obtain good satellite coverage through a front windshield; this is when an external antenna can help. Even backpackers will benefit from the ability to safely store the receiver inside a pack with an antenna attached to backpack shoulder straps. It can also help outdoor use in places, like heavy tree cover, where signals are weak.
• Interface jack. If you are using the receiver with a computer, be sure that it includes an interface cable so you can quickly load maps and waypoints onto your device. Newer GPS units often support USB while older devices generally have serial attachments. If you purchase an older GPS device and have a newer computer, you may need to purchase a USB to serial port adapter as well. If you own a Mac, you should check to ensure that it supports the Mac operating system.
• Memory. This is used to load detailed topographic maps, street-level maps, or additional waypoints into the receiver. Detailed maps can use a great deal of memory on your device. Consider internal storage capacity. Higher end devices also usually accept a memory card for additional storage.
• Power source. It is preferable to have a device that can support external power, like a cigarette lighter power cable. Due to the power requirements the device should support standard batteries (AA or AAA) for easy replacement on the trail. Lithium batteries are recommended for newer GPS models to ensure a longer battery life, and power geocachers should consider rechargeable batteries.
• Rocker keypad or touchscreen. Using a receiver without a rocker keypad is like using a computer without a mouse. Some newer GPS units have touchscreens which helps immensely when navigating using the maps.
• Screen size. For visual ease of operation, use a device with the largest screen that can be realistically carried. Screen size is measured diagonally. Color is great and helps define map features and a backlight is important, although both features burn additional battery power. A screen protector is important in preventing scratches out on the trail.
• Waterproof. Sooner or later your device will get submerged. Get a device that is at least water-resistant, although an IPX7 designation is preferred. An IPX7 designation means the GPS case can withstand accidental immersion in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. Plastic bags and boxes are also recommended for added protection.
• Geocaching Features. An increasing number of higher end GPS devices now have functionality specifically created for geocaching that can store all the information from Pocket Queries. Some will also store field notes to help you log your caches after a hunt.

Keep in mind:
As I mentioned before, make sure to take note of the terrain and difficulty level, as well as the size of the cache. Pack everything you are going to need, such as water, food, a pen, trinkets for trading, etc.

Now grab some friends and start your exploration. HAVE FUN!

I've been TAGGED!

So here are the rules…

1. Link the person who tagged you. -Thanks Kassia! You are such an amazing friend, and I miss you!
2. Mention the rules in your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers’ blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

THE QUIRKS

1. I have this crazy obsession with keeping track of random quotes. I tend to get into really odd conversations, which, of course, leads to really odd quotes. They make complete sense in the conversation, but if taken out of context they would be really really bizarre. And I HAVE to record them. I plan to make a nice little coffee table book sometime. :)

2. I'm kind of ambidextrous. I have a tendency to write with my right hand and eat with my left hand...most of the time. For everything else, the hand I use is pretty much up to whatever mood I'm in at the time.

3. I'm known for my universal hand symbols. When talking, I frequently use my hands to better convey my point. It really is a good way to express my thoughts. And the best ones, the ones that I use over and over, are now known as Universal Hand Symbols. Get ready because someday soon, you will be using them too.

4. I randomly break into song and dance, to songs that are constantly stuck in my head (whether it be a real song or one I make up as I go). Really, how could one not sing and/or dance when they always have songs in their head?!? *this includes finger dancing at the computer*

5. I have a bajillion nicknames. Apparently, I am the type who just needs a nickname. Here are just a few: Sours, Calgon, Frogprince, Buffy, Duk Wuk Stu, Rubber Face, Grandma Mad Cow, Coffee Cup, Hotlightsan, etc.

6. While watching movie trailors, I almost always forget which movie I'm about to watch. Maybe I get sucked in to the stories of the previews. Maybe I just have a bad memory. But, if we ever watch a movie together, be prepared to hear "What are we about to see again?"


Now for the tagging. I don't know 6 people with blogs, because my friends are apparently slackers. But here are some:

Teresa and Clayton

Adam

Eddie

Beth

Robin

I'm a PUBLISHED photographer!!

As my last blog stated, I was the lead photog for the dinner and auction event, called Field of Dreams, for Medical Teams International. An article was written about this event in the Puget Sound Business Journal, and they chose my photograph to go with their article!!

So, on Friday, June 13th the article came out. The photo is of Head Coach of the Seattle Seahawks and the Head Coach of the Washington Redskins (Mike Holmgren and Jim Zorn, respectively). Below is the article (on the right).

As you can see, Friday the 13th really did fulfill it's superstitious bad luck because they credited the photo to Brett instead of me!!!! But luckily, there was documented proof that I, in fact, took the photo. So in the next week's issue of the Puget Sound Business Journal, they wrote a correction. Below is the correction (bottom left). :)
So...while it didn't happen correctly the first time, I am a published photographer! WOOHOO

Field of Dreams 2008

As many of you know, I work for a fantastic organization called Medical Teams International. They are a Christian, humanitarian aid organization that sends medical, dental, and work teams worldwide for disaster relief and to help countries plagued by chronic poverty and/or conflict. I am extremely impressed with this organization and feel incredibly blessed to be a part of it.

This weekend we had our annual fund raising event, a dinner and auction we call "Field of Dreams". It is held at Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners, and is backed by some of the most important people in the area. This year, I was asked to be the lead photographer (which, of course, I loved!). Here are some of my favourite shots of the night:

Family in Seattle

I promised some pictures of this fantastic vacation..and now I deliver. It was a GREAT time with the original Cutter clan (and a couple little Broussard boys). I miss having them around!

Home repairs

This has certainly been the weekend for home repairs / beautification projects.

1. We replaced the pulls and knobs on our kitchen cabinetry. They were these cheap white plastic things that "blended in" with our cabinets. Now they are these fancy brushed nickel pieces that really make it look a whole ton classier.

2. When replacing the pulls/knobs, we noticed that our cabinets and stove could really use a cleaning. So, we put to use our 409 and elbow grease. And now, our kitchen is sparkling.

3. We spackled 10 holes in our wall. Yes, I put the holes there in the first place with a separate "repair/beautification" project that I attempted a few weeks ago. But that doesn't matter...because I learned from it and fixed it. I OVERCAME! And now, it looks fantastic.

4. We cleaned the dickens out of our BBQ. This BBQ was a "perk" of renting this apartment. It was actually one of the reasons we wanted to live here. The only problem is that it was filthy. I don't just mean a little bit of dirt had collected on it from the previous tenants. I mean...mold growing in and out, some sort of egg sacs inside the lid, layers of grime, etc. (sorry if you just got a little sick to your stomach. I did while cleaning it.) It was quite disgusting. So we attacked it with a homemade bleach solution. It looks 10 times better. We still need to burn off some stuff from the inside. But once that is done, we just might have a backyard BBQ party. :)

5. We got a hammock! Okay, I didn't buy one. My parents are kind enough to let me use theirs because they don't have room for it at their condo. We set it up last night, and I have already spent several hours in it. In fact, I'm laying in it right now with my laptop in my lap. Ahh, sunny summer day.

6. Our water pump alarm has gone off twice this week. Our landlord called a repair guy, and they spent the afternoon fixing it. Hopefully. Now maybe we can take showers without worrying that some pipe will blow up underneath us.

That's it so far. But I still have another day and a half before the weekend is over. Who knows what other things can get done! WOOHOO for prettier homes!

Family visits!

My sisters and nephews (Teresa, Mary, Marc-Andre, and Luc) came for a visit recently. I am still working on the pictures and such. So...keep checking in because I will soon be posting something on it!:)

Joe visits!

One of my closest friends from Japan, Joe Myers, came to Seattle recently for a conference. He and I were worship leaders together for Project 196 in Okinawa. He was here for a few days so I just had to show him around this beautiful city. I only had a few hours to play tour guide, so I had to be picky on what we went to see.

Here's a slide show of the day. :)

2 firsts for Jessica

1. Red Lobster
She had never been to a Red Lobster! Can you believe that?? So, back in college, we put that on our "To Do Before Graduation" list. Unfortunately however, it was never completed. Now that we are living together again, I had to rectify this situation. So off we went. :)

Cheesy biscuits...caesar salad...shrimp alfredo. Is your mouth watering yet??

We were even allowed to hold a lobster. Don't worry, we informed the little guy that he would not be our dinner.


2. Bubble tea
After living in Japan and experiencing the fantastic creation of bubble tea, I just had to share. And if any of you have never had it, go look for a place that sells it. Seriously. [exception: do not get a bubble tea at the Mud House coffee shop in Springfield, MO. that stuff is just gross]

Personally, my favourite flavour is Taro. Jessica tried coconut. Both were tasty, but she also preferred Taro. You should try it. :) And always, always get the tapioca pearls.

Here's the progression of her first taste of bubble tea:

new haircut

It was time. My hair had gotten so long that it was down to the middle of my back...the longest it has ever been. While I enjoyed it long, and will have it long again someday, I was desperately needing a change. Below are the before and after pictures.

Debt sucks!

But new cars rock!

For the first time ever, I had to get a loan to buy a car. I've always purchased cars with cash. But this time, it just wasn't possible. I definitely don't like the feeling, but I certainly am enjoying my car! It's a 2005 Honda Civic EX. It's a lovely dark silvery gray colour....moonroof, 4 dr, automatic, and absolutely gorgeous. If you can't tell, I'm pretty happy with my choice. Feel free to ogle. :)

Tempero do Brasil

I had never tried Brazilian food before, but man is it tasty! Our landlords gave us a great gift card to a local Brazilian restaurant, called Tempero do Brasil. It was a thoughtful and very generous New Year's present. We decided to use it to for Jessica's 25th birthday. My parents joined us (it was a VERY generous gift card) to help celebrate the occasion.


We started the meal by ordering two traditional Brazilian drinks: one was an alcoholic drink whose name I can't remember. But it tasted kind of like a strong margherita. If I drank more, I'm sure I could give you a much better description. I will have to work on that. ;) The other drink was called "guarana". It's an extremely popular soft drink made from a berry that grows in the Amazon region. They were both REALLY good.

For dinner, we all split two main courses and a side dish. We had the Feijoada, which is a black bean stew that incorporates a variety of meats (including smoked pork, sausage, and beef). That was served with a tasty black bean rice and sauteed collard greens. The second dish was called Moqueca de Camarao, which is prawns simmered in a fantastic blend of coconut milk, lime juice, vegetables, and palm oil...served with white rice. My gosh those were good! I think I liked the Moqueca de Camarao better, but just a smidge. :)

For dessert we split the Pudim de leite, which is the Brazilian version of a caramel flan. As someone who doesn't usually like flan, this was FANTASTIC! I could have easily eaten an entire one myself. It was certainly a great way to end the meal....a very very delicious meal!

I made her use the decorative table candle as a birthday candle on top of the flan. :)

While enjoying these amazing blends of flavours, we also were treated with live music....guitar and vocals. At the end of the meal, the musician (whom I now know is named Javier) came over and asked me to take his picture. Of course I obliged. ;)


All in all, it was a pretty addicting night. Amazing food, great live music, fantastic service with incredibly nice owners, and a fun ambiance. I will definitely be going there again!

Introducing....

Sophie and Grace

Right after Christmas, my parents decided it was finally time to buy a kitten...so off we went to the local humane society. We were told that it wasn't "kitten season" so we probably wouldn't find any. First of all, who has heard of "kitten season"?? Is there such a thing? Apparently so, because there weren't any....until we were leaving. Four little kittens were brought in as we were walking out. We decided to stay and look them over. We fell in love. We planned on one, but ended up with two. :)

Sophie is a bit bigger and the trouble maker
Grace was the runt, though is catching up well...and she's the main snuggler

I absolutely love them!

Oops!

Once again, I have been a slacker and I apologize. I am working on it! :)

Teresa is PREGNANT!

The title says it all! :)

They decided to tell us on Christmas day. (Though I have just now been allowed to announce it to the general population.) They overnighted us a little present that they said was "something extra," and we got it on Christmas Eve. So on Christmas morning we opened the package and there was a note inside that said, "We bought this the first year we were married and have been waiting for the right time to give it to you." Peek your interest? Yeah, ours too. So we opened the rest of the box and we found a camel ornament.

Yep, we were a little confused too. But, then I saw something inside of the camel, and wondered..is it a baby camel?...is Teresa pregnant??

Apparently I was right! Teresa is pregnant! They found out a few days before Christmas (which is why they had to overnight the present to us). The due date is August 30th. I can't wait to find out if it will be a boy or a girl. :)

Here's the first picture of little To-Be-Announced Ingalls:

Cletus Take the Reel

I was driving to work on Friday, and I heard the funniest song! It is actually a parody of Carrie Underwood's "Jesus Take the Wheel". I was literally CRACKING up. Now, maybe I was just tired and therefore highly susceptible to wacko humour. But whatever the reason, I thought it was absolutely hilarious. Other drivers were looking at me funny because I was laughing so hard.

So, I thought I'd share the joy with you. Enjoy :)