Early Birthday Celebration

With Kaylin's 3rd birthday coming on Monday we headed to San Jose to celebrate with Jenni, Jaron, Avery, Grams and Papa...

Kaylin was all smiles with her
presents in front of her

One gift that Kaylin got was a doctor set from Grams and Papa... she immediately dressed up and began to examine everyone...

including "Puppers"

and Uncle Jaron!

Then, she took a break from checking heartbeats to blow out the candle on her cake!

5 months old!

Trevor John is 5 months old today. Yep, another month gone by already...we can hardly believe it! He is so much fun, such a smily boy! He LOVES his big sister, Kaylin. She makes him giggle all the time by playing peek-a-boo, tickling him, giving him kisses, etc. Today I've been asking him, "Where's sissy?" or "Where's Kaylin?" and alot of times he looks over at her! Not sure if this is a coincidence or intentional, but either way it's cute! Trevor is now sleeping in his crib in his own room...still not a super sleeper, but he's definitely improving with age. His current favorite activities are blowing raspberries, playing in his exersaucer (fun to watch him using his hands!), listening to sissy read books, and nursing (of course!! :). This past month he started being able to roll over from his tummy to back. He's truly a CUTE boy!!!

Sweet Charity starring Molly Ringwald

Amy and I were excited about an opportunity to go "out on the town" last night for dinner and a show! A couple that we know from church generously treated us to dinner and then shared their theater season tickets with us to see Sweet Charity starring Molly Ringwald at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. It was very cool to take in the show from the 2nd row! Amy said, "It was so cool to be close enough to see when the actors were out of breath and where their 'hidden' microphones were."

My latest hobby...

I am so excited, so I just HAD to show off my latest creation. :) My wonderful friend Robyn is teaching me how to sew and I am LOVING it!!! I first learned on a diaper bag we made for my sister Dee Dee (not shown here...I shipped it Friday and she won't get it until tomorrow. I want her to get to see it in person first :). I just started sewing this (my first solo project...although I did have to consult Robyn a few times) bag yesterday morning, and I finished it today. Fun, huh? The inside fabric is a little hard to see in the photo...it's a fun red with little white polka dots. Robyn just ordered a new sewing maching (a b-day gift from her parents), so I think I might buy her old one. It's the one I'm learning on. In recent years I've really been wanting to learn to sew...mainly for practical reasons....like being able to hem my own pants, etc... But now I'm getting into all of the fun stuff I could make...like purses!!! Ya know, a girl never can have enough. :)

Cute Boy!

Way To Go Coach!

I (Derek) use a very cool Google feature called Google Alerts to keep track of news that's of interest to me. You can input search terms and Google will send you an email whenever those terms appear in an online newspaper, etc. However, that's the point of this entry... I mention Google Alerts because that's how an article about UOP Men's Basketball coach Bob Thomason came to my attention. Coach T has been the Head Coach at Pacific for 18 seasons... so that of course includes my year's working in the basketball program. Anyway, I was excited to read this article and then I thought I'd share it... you can read it here: "Finding Solace" - lodinews.com Go Tigers!

Back to Bloggin'

The kids and I (Derek) have been sick quite a bit during the last week... so there has not been much new stuff on OlsonWeb. But we're back... =)

a photo of T.J. taken today

Kaylin hanging out with her friend Ocean.

Grandpa's Obituary

Following up on my previous post, here's the obituary that ran in today's News-Sun:

Jon Rouch
Dr. Jon Henry Rouch, 81, of Sebring, died Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006. Born in Indianapolis, he moved to Florida in 1998. He served as a medical missionary surgeon in the Central African Republic. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was a member of Baptist Mid Missions and Faith Missionary Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife, Marion Jean; daughters, Deborah Dorsey and Darlene Ohrdorf of Colorado and Andrea Frederick of Alaska; son, Greg of Colorado; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Visitation will be from 10-11 a.m. Thursday at Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Sebring. A funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. at the church. A luncheon will be served at the church after the service. Interment will be in Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. Memorial contributions may be made to Gideons International. Arrangements are being handled by Morris Funeral Chapel, Sebring.

Let's Never Forget...

Derek writing: Earlier tonight the Lord called my grandpa home. Jon Rouch, my mom's dad who lives in Sebring, Florida, was 81 and his health had been deteriorating more quickly in recent months so it was not entirely unexpected. Grampa's pastor and the pastor's wife were with him when he passed and although he had been in significant pain over the last day or two, they reported that he went in peace.

From the Word of God - John 14:1-6
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Earlier in his life, my grandpa was a missionary doctor in Africa. He always was very interested in my life and in what was going on with my family. He loved Jesus and he was always sharing his faith with others. In fact, I know that he would want me to take this opportunity to ask you, "Would you like to know God personally?"

I will always remember him fondly and be thankful for the way he desired to see me grow in my relationship to Christ. Most of the books in my collection of Bible reference books and commentaries that I have used extensively throughout my few years in ministry, came as generous gifts from my grandpa. When I was young he started referring to himself as "Grandpa on the Lake" and sign his letters GOTL because he lived in a cabin on Lake Chautauqua in New York. I have great memories of a trip that Jaron and I took to visit him there when we were young. Amy got to meet him when we took a trip to visit him in Sebring several years ago. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to have a great conversation with him on the phone not too long ago. It was definitely a conversation that grandpa thought could be our last. We reminisced, shared stories, he encouraged me and I was able to thank him for what he's meant to me.

I'm definitely sad... and it just seems a bit strange right now to think that he's gone... but I am so happy that he's with Jesus! Bye Grandpa... I'll miss you... but I'll see you again someday.

The words of an old hymn:
"When We All Get To Heaven"

Sing the wondrous love of Jesus;
Sing his mercy and his grace.
In the mansions bright and blessed
He'll prepare for us a place.

[Refrain:]
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We'll sing and shout the victory!

Onward to the prize before us!
Soon his beauty we'll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open;
We shall tread the streets of gold.
[Refrain]

A Video of Trevor!

Here's a video of Trevor smiling and laughing while his Big Sis makes funny noises and plays peek-a-boo with him... check it out!