We had a great Christmas today. Grandma and Grandpa Twinkie (Amanda's parents) sent us a bunch of gifts that we had fun opening all morning. They had sent us questionairres awhile ago and many of the humorous answers we had replied with came back wrapped up as little packages.
In the evening we had my family over and had dinner and another present exchange. It was all very nice.
Many of the gifts Amanda and I received this year revolved around the theme of wine. Sara bought us a nice carrier and 2 bottles, one a Bordeaux. I was very excited about that as I haven't had a Bordeaux before, but have wanted to try one. I am realizing more and more how much I really like the complexity and different dimensions of wine. So, hopefully that will get incorporated into some of the posts here.
Now, this is the week where you start preparing for all the New Year's Eve resolutions you are going to make. I cleaned up the garage so I could start weight training again. :) I'll keep you all posted.
For now, it is good night. Can you believe it... I have an 8am meeting tomorrow. Ugh.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Saturday, June 24, 2006
First solo 1863C
This was a beautiful morning for a flight. I dropped Amanda off at the airport at 5:30am – she is going to a conference in San Francisco for a few days – and then headed over to the plane. I have been a pilot for almost a year now and so far my solo adventures have been relegated to renting planes. This is good for practice, to stay proficient, and to get up flying. (I was able to take one lunch trip up to Talkeetna.) But, when the sun was shining and I had a free hour I yearned to just be able to drive to the airport, hop in a plane, and take a flight.
So, a couple months ago I started flying with Rich Young in Dad’s 170 in order to start earning my taildragger endorsement. I put in 12 or 13 hours with him and he signed me off. Next signoff I needed was Dad’s. (Not to mention getting on the insurance!) We went up a few times and my landings were a bit shaky, but I felt okay. Earlier this week we went up and did some stall practice and recovery and with that, I received the all clear.
So, after dropping Amanda off I went over and took a flight. The morning was beautiful – calm, sunny, a little traffic. I was a little nervous but made sure I kept going through my checklists and visualizing what I needed to do. I went over to Goose Bay and did several stop-and-goes. My landings were pretty good… I had one bounce that ended up settling in really nicely, so it was a good confidence builder. Then, on the way home, coming into Lake Hood, I probably had my most perfect landing yet. I flared at the right height and flared completely so that my tail wheel hit right before my mains. I kept it straight on the runway – no swerving… it was gorgeous, if I say so myself! Man, what a feeling! I don’t think there is any better way to start out a day than have an exhilarating flight like that!
Now that I’ve conquered the first taildragger solo, I’ll keep going up to gain practice... whenever the weather is right and I have a free hour I’ll be heading to the plane to take to the air.
So, a couple months ago I started flying with Rich Young in Dad’s 170 in order to start earning my taildragger endorsement. I put in 12 or 13 hours with him and he signed me off. Next signoff I needed was Dad’s. (Not to mention getting on the insurance!) We went up a few times and my landings were a bit shaky, but I felt okay. Earlier this week we went up and did some stall practice and recovery and with that, I received the all clear.
So, after dropping Amanda off I went over and took a flight. The morning was beautiful – calm, sunny, a little traffic. I was a little nervous but made sure I kept going through my checklists and visualizing what I needed to do. I went over to Goose Bay and did several stop-and-goes. My landings were pretty good… I had one bounce that ended up settling in really nicely, so it was a good confidence builder. Then, on the way home, coming into Lake Hood, I probably had my most perfect landing yet. I flared at the right height and flared completely so that my tail wheel hit right before my mains. I kept it straight on the runway – no swerving… it was gorgeous, if I say so myself! Man, what a feeling! I don’t think there is any better way to start out a day than have an exhilarating flight like that!
Now that I’ve conquered the first taildragger solo, I’ll keep going up to gain practice... whenever the weather is right and I have a free hour I’ll be heading to the plane to take to the air.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Gotta tri...
We've done it! Amanda completed her second triathlon a few weeks ago - the world famous Gold Nugget (http://www.goldnuggettriathlon.com/). And I have completed my first triathlon, the Eagle River triathlon (http://www.eaglerivertri.com/). Both of us are very excited about the achievment and also all the fun we had talking about it, training for it, and doing it. Kris Hadden did it with me also, which was very nice to have someone else to encourage you along on the first one. He's done some others, but it has been a while, so he was a bit challenged by the course, also.
The races are called a sprint distance and they average about 500 yards swimming, 10-12 miles biking, and 3-4 miles running. Mine had a 12 mile bike with some pretty nice hills... wow, I was a bit out of it when I came in from the bike. I wasn't sure how my body would respond to running right away. I just started going and hoped the mind and body would click in. They eventually did after about a mile. My intercostal muscles and diaphragm seemed to cramp up for a bit. I thought that may be because I was breathing so hard through the bike and then again in the run. After a couple miles though I got into my typical running groove and, other than being tired, felt pretty good.
The volunteers on the course are great... they are always yelling encouragments, clapping, and waving the racers on. Everyone of all ages and abilities participate, so it is a great atmosphere. On the run in I had my whole family, Pam and Kiera, and Rich and Stacy Young and family cheering me in, loudly. Stacy's practice is one of the sponsors and she had brought bright green shirts for everyone, so I think I officially had the biggest cheering squad. The announcer called my name as I was crossing the finish line... Brian Walch and the Walchettes!
The races are called a sprint distance and they average about 500 yards swimming, 10-12 miles biking, and 3-4 miles running. Mine had a 12 mile bike with some pretty nice hills... wow, I was a bit out of it when I came in from the bike. I wasn't sure how my body would respond to running right away. I just started going and hoped the mind and body would click in. They eventually did after about a mile. My intercostal muscles and diaphragm seemed to cramp up for a bit. I thought that may be because I was breathing so hard through the bike and then again in the run. After a couple miles though I got into my typical running groove and, other than being tired, felt pretty good.
The volunteers on the course are great... they are always yelling encouragments, clapping, and waving the racers on. Everyone of all ages and abilities participate, so it is a great atmosphere. On the run in I had my whole family, Pam and Kiera, and Rich and Stacy Young and family cheering me in, loudly. Stacy's practice is one of the sponsors and she had brought bright green shirts for everyone, so I think I officially had the biggest cheering squad. The announcer called my name as I was crossing the finish line... Brian Walch and the Walchettes!
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Juneau
I am in Juneau, sitting in the Goldbelt Hotel, waiting for Amanda to give me a call. This is the first time I've been here in about a year and a half... I actually like comming here to visit every once in a while. It is nice to see the changes and progress being made. I also like visiting the RDI office here and meeting some of the employees that I've interviewed and hired but never seen or met. So, on this trip I'm here for three days doing some analysis on Department of Revenue permits as they prepare to put them online.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
AP Boy and more serious topics
Well, since the beginning of this year Connor has had quite the series of accidents – broken arm, tooth knocked out. The latest is he got stitches. This was a couple weeks ago, he and I were playing around in the kitchen, right before bed, when he smacked his eyebrow pretty hard on the kitchen counter. Sure enough, it split open and so 9pm at night I made another trip to the urgent care center.
He did good, but he had to get three stitches. Of course, it required a shot, actually several of them to numb the area. Then, it didn’t take the first time so they had to give him some more shots and basically impregnate the whole eyelid with lidocain. He was in agony… he hates shots more than anything and the poor kid… he does so well and has such a great attitude until he sees that needle come out.
Anyway, 5 days later he had the stitches removed. He’ll have a little scar, but it looked to me healing up nicely. So we’re all out in the backyard moving their basketball hoop. We go to put it down and sure enough our accident prone (AP) boy gets whacked right on his cut… I mean whacked hard. It didn’t break back open but it swelled up about an inch out of his head. The scar is now all purple and his eye got all black and bruised. It is starting to recover, but I think the scar will be a bit more pronounced now and I’m not sure his eyebrow will grow back completely.
More serious topics…
Amanda and I are enrolled in Marriage Dynamics. It is a course designed by the Family Dynamics group. It is a pretty intensive 8 week course – homework, weekly sharing at class, mandatory attendance. There are 12 couples taking the class with us. When I told my Dad we were taking it he said, “what, are you having marriage problems?” Well, not really, Amanda and I both love being married to each other. But, we have our challenges like any other couple and we want to be married, happily married, for the rest of our lives. We want to stay in love and knowing how to do that after 10, 15, or 20 years (we’re at 12) is always a learning process.
My thoughts so far about the class are that it is good. I think it will give us some tools and concepts to be able to take forward for the years going forward. We are already learning a lot more about each other and what our emotional needs are, but I think more importantly we are actually learning how to respect and listen to each other’s emotional needs. Long and short is I would recommend it to anyone, but don’t enter lighthearted… you need to be serious or else it may overwhelm you.
Finally, on to not so serious topics… I received my tailwheel endorsement from my friend and instructor Rich Young. He’s been teaching my in the 170. It has been fun and challenging. Now I will work on passing Dad’s endorsement… the FAA was easy! Hopefully by the next post I’ll be soloing in 1863C!
He did good, but he had to get three stitches. Of course, it required a shot, actually several of them to numb the area. Then, it didn’t take the first time so they had to give him some more shots and basically impregnate the whole eyelid with lidocain. He was in agony… he hates shots more than anything and the poor kid… he does so well and has such a great attitude until he sees that needle come out.
Anyway, 5 days later he had the stitches removed. He’ll have a little scar, but it looked to me healing up nicely. So we’re all out in the backyard moving their basketball hoop. We go to put it down and sure enough our accident prone (AP) boy gets whacked right on his cut… I mean whacked hard. It didn’t break back open but it swelled up about an inch out of his head. The scar is now all purple and his eye got all black and bruised. It is starting to recover, but I think the scar will be a bit more pronounced now and I’m not sure his eyebrow will grow back completely.
More serious topics…
Amanda and I are enrolled in Marriage Dynamics. It is a course designed by the Family Dynamics group. It is a pretty intensive 8 week course – homework, weekly sharing at class, mandatory attendance. There are 12 couples taking the class with us. When I told my Dad we were taking it he said, “what, are you having marriage problems?” Well, not really, Amanda and I both love being married to each other. But, we have our challenges like any other couple and we want to be married, happily married, for the rest of our lives. We want to stay in love and knowing how to do that after 10, 15, or 20 years (we’re at 12) is always a learning process.
My thoughts so far about the class are that it is good. I think it will give us some tools and concepts to be able to take forward for the years going forward. We are already learning a lot more about each other and what our emotional needs are, but I think more importantly we are actually learning how to respect and listen to each other’s emotional needs. Long and short is I would recommend it to anyone, but don’t enter lighthearted… you need to be serious or else it may overwhelm you.
Finally, on to not so serious topics… I received my tailwheel endorsement from my friend and instructor Rich Young. He’s been teaching my in the 170. It has been fun and challenging. Now I will work on passing Dad’s endorsement… the FAA was easy! Hopefully by the next post I’ll be soloing in 1863C!
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
First tooth gone
We have a winner! Connor was our first child to lose a tooth! It all started about a week ago, Connor and Andrew were playing hard running around and Connor smacked into Andrew, hitting his mouth. That jarred loose one of his front teeth. He was pretty excited about it and for the next week talked about it and worked at it until yesterday it was barely holding on.
At breakfast he showed it to me and I tried to talk him into letting me pull it (no way!) or pull it himself (he wouldn't take a firm grip on it). So, Amanda and I left for work once Asia arrived, knowing today would probably be the day. Sure enough, later on Amanda got a message from Connor that the tooth had come out... during lunch... and, he SWALLOWED it!
Our first tooth and we don't even have it to rally around, look at, admire, etc.??? Connor was so excited that it had come out finally and he could return to eating normally. Of course, being a good dad I didn't pass up the opportunity for a physiology lesson and let them know that the tooth would be coming out the other end. They have made sure this lesson isn't wasted and included this in their recounting of the story to friends, family, and strangers we meet at the soccer game! Amanda is very impressed with my fatherly wisdom.
Connor knows the tooth fairy is Mom and Dad, but he still was beyond excitement going to bed. We game him a little bag with a dollar and some other goodies that he is enjoying this morning. Maybe when Andrew loses his tooth we'll be able to keep that one!
At breakfast he showed it to me and I tried to talk him into letting me pull it (no way!) or pull it himself (he wouldn't take a firm grip on it). So, Amanda and I left for work once Asia arrived, knowing today would probably be the day. Sure enough, later on Amanda got a message from Connor that the tooth had come out... during lunch... and, he SWALLOWED it!
Our first tooth and we don't even have it to rally around, look at, admire, etc.??? Connor was so excited that it had come out finally and he could return to eating normally. Of course, being a good dad I didn't pass up the opportunity for a physiology lesson and let them know that the tooth would be coming out the other end. They have made sure this lesson isn't wasted and included this in their recounting of the story to friends, family, and strangers we meet at the soccer game! Amanda is very impressed with my fatherly wisdom.
Connor knows the tooth fairy is Mom and Dad, but he still was beyond excitement going to bed. We game him a little bag with a dollar and some other goodies that he is enjoying this morning. Maybe when Andrew loses his tooth we'll be able to keep that one!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Technology
This is an oldie but goody. This is Amanda and I on our trip to China to pick up Jenna. I actually am trying out some new free software - Picasa - which has an automatic link to the blog site. It is pretty slick.Of course, if you are going to try it, be prepared for a long initial investment. When it starts up it will scan your computer and pull in all the existing pictures on your computer. That process is pretty fast, but, if you are like me, it'll take you forever to just go through and look at all of the pictures... ahhh... it brings back so many memories.
Anyway, you may see a few more oldie but goodies from me...
Monday, April 17, 2006
Oyasumi Nasai
It's getting close to bed time... actually, Amanda is on her way to bed. I thought I'd write to say hello. I know that if you are reading this you are looking for pictures. Well, one of my ambitions is to organize our picture collection. In the process of that, I'll be posting some pics. I think we need to get back to taking some pictures. Since China we haven't taken many, which isn't good.
All the kids have been taking swimming lessons, which they love. They have an absolute blast there. Connor was hilarious tonight. The boys are practicing their strokes so they are learning to kick and use their arms together. Connnor would push off from the wall and do his strokes fine. But, when returning to the wall, he'd only do one arm... the other arm would just sort of lay limp at his side. We were all cracking up because we couldn't figure out why he did it.
The girls are doing really well, also. At the start of this session Jenna wouldn't let go of the teacher, not on her life. Several times she almost ripped the instructor's swimsuit off she was clinging so tight. Now, however, she can float on one of the noodles and kick herself all around the pool by herself.
I have been doing some flying, learning how to fly 1863C - Dad's Cessna 170. Our friend, Rich Young, has been taking me up and giving me some tail dragger instruction. I'm having fun but I think I'm a bit of a slow study. "Dude, you gotta flare" can be heard from Rich during our landings as he grabs the controls.
We have a couple more weekends in town but I am itching to go somewhere. I think we'll try a weekend up at Big Lake soon or maybe just a day trip down to the Kenai... who knows, just SOMEWHERE!
Stay tuned for pictures...
All the kids have been taking swimming lessons, which they love. They have an absolute blast there. Connor was hilarious tonight. The boys are practicing their strokes so they are learning to kick and use their arms together. Connnor would push off from the wall and do his strokes fine. But, when returning to the wall, he'd only do one arm... the other arm would just sort of lay limp at his side. We were all cracking up because we couldn't figure out why he did it.
The girls are doing really well, also. At the start of this session Jenna wouldn't let go of the teacher, not on her life. Several times she almost ripped the instructor's swimsuit off she was clinging so tight. Now, however, she can float on one of the noodles and kick herself all around the pool by herself.
I have been doing some flying, learning how to fly 1863C - Dad's Cessna 170. Our friend, Rich Young, has been taking me up and giving me some tail dragger instruction. I'm having fun but I think I'm a bit of a slow study. "Dude, you gotta flare" can be heard from Rich during our landings as he grabs the controls.
We have a couple more weekends in town but I am itching to go somewhere. I think we'll try a weekend up at Big Lake soon or maybe just a day trip down to the Kenai... who knows, just SOMEWHERE!
Stay tuned for pictures...
Friday, April 14, 2006
Catching up
Let me give a little recap of life...
- Carli seems to continue to do very well with the transition to her new life here. When she first came she wasn't the most balanced walker. However, now she is running quite a bit and her gross motor skills are improving
- Jenna had a difficult time with the transition, much more so than we expected. There was one week where she spent most of the time crying. She is doing much better now
- Carli and Jenna are true sisters. They love each other, but they get into some great arguments, also. Carli loves to make Jenna laugh. But then, like at breakfasts, they'll start arguing over something and it'll just keep escalating until they're both yelling... it is funny and not so funny both at the same time
- Connor and Andrew keep plugging away, slow and steady. They are doing really well at swimming lessons and love doing it
- Amanda and I? Well, having 4 kids has been a bigger challenge than we expected. We're coping, but we are also trying to make some changes. We've scaled back some of our responsibilities, Amanda isn't going to school this summer, we're trying to have more unstructured time with the kids, and we've lined up some babysitting so we can go out on dates!
That's the update for now... stay tuned.
- Carli seems to continue to do very well with the transition to her new life here. When she first came she wasn't the most balanced walker. However, now she is running quite a bit and her gross motor skills are improving
- Jenna had a difficult time with the transition, much more so than we expected. There was one week where she spent most of the time crying. She is doing much better now
- Carli and Jenna are true sisters. They love each other, but they get into some great arguments, also. Carli loves to make Jenna laugh. But then, like at breakfasts, they'll start arguing over something and it'll just keep escalating until they're both yelling... it is funny and not so funny both at the same time
- Connor and Andrew keep plugging away, slow and steady. They are doing really well at swimming lessons and love doing it
- Amanda and I? Well, having 4 kids has been a bigger challenge than we expected. We're coping, but we are also trying to make some changes. We've scaled back some of our responsibilities, Amanda isn't going to school this summer, we're trying to have more unstructured time with the kids, and we've lined up some babysitting so we can go out on dates!
That's the update for now... stay tuned.
Monday, February 20, 2006
Carli-ism 1
Whenever Carli has to go to the bathroom she says "mamala" and point to her bottom. We say, "potty" and start walking to the bathroom. She runs in ahead of us laughing and goes to the wall or the corner, giggling until we come in to help her go the bathroom. She has done this since the first day we got her. My theory on this is that maybe in the orphanage they went to the bathroom as a group, would run in and line up to wait their turn. Lining up may have been fun with a bunch of kids all waiting to go the bathroom. Who knows, but that's my theory.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
The journey continues...
Well, we have now completed our family and this is the start of a hopefully regular update on life with the Walches. If you want to see the journey of how we got our 4th (and last) child, see http://carliyuan.blogspot.com for a detailed trip journal.
Posts here won't be daily and mostly I want to do this for our own records. But, please feel free to check in often and leave comments. Technically, this is an easy way to keep a journal and also share it with others, so I'll try to keep it up.
An updated family picture will be coming soon.
Posts here won't be daily and mostly I want to do this for our own records. But, please feel free to check in often and leave comments. Technically, this is an easy way to keep a journal and also share it with others, so I'll try to keep it up.
An updated family picture will be coming soon.
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