Photo Contest Winners

Well, the photos are in!  There were 18 entries from six people.  I downloaded the pictures and randomly organized them in a folder so I did not know who submitted each.  Then I simply chose my three favorite.  Below are the three winners, followed by three honorable mentions from the remaining three people.  Great job everyone!!!

Sierra Adams
First Place
This photo has so many wonderful qualities.  The contrast in colors and the asymmetry give it depth and interest.  I also love the stark contrast between 1) the hard lines and geometry of the engineering and 2) the soft clouds of God's natural beauty.  Of course, the best thing about it is that it displays in a creative way the most recognizable of all San Francisco landmarks.


Bethany Beer
Second Place
A number of things make this an amazing photo.  First and foremost, it displays the struggle that an aging bridge faces with the harsh conditions of the Golden Gate Strait.  Fog, wind, and salty air make rust a constant problem for the bridge.  This photo also has immense depth to it with the blurred bay in the background.


Isabel Fernandez
Third Place
This photo really captures a scene that an average San Franciscan might see on a daily basis.  The Lillian Coit Tower can be seen from almost every point in the city.  Another great thing about the city (and this photo) is that due to its many large hills, San Francisco's streets can seem very long and straight.  


Honorable Mentions

Noelle Michael

Cable Car

Matt Beer

The Palace of Fine Arts

Joey Keller

Alcatraz Island

Check Back Soon!

Thanks for following our blog!  But if you thought we were done, think again!!!  Like last year, we will be having a photo contest to see who took the best picture in the Bay area.  I will post the top three photos along with any honorable mentions next week.

San Francisco!!!

I guess I really am a slacker!  It's been two days since we got back and I still haven't posted anything.  Well, our trip ended with two awesome days in the Bay area.  But not before our final worship service at St. Peter.  We thank the Cortrights and all the members of St. Peter Lutheran Church for making it such an enjoyable week!

After church, it was on to San Francisco.  We went straight to Lombard Street, the crookedest street in America.  Then we drove to the Golden Gate Bridge, which we walked across and back.  On the way back, we brought some cheer to the motorists stuck in traffic by smiling, waving, and yelling our greetings.  Surprisingly, we got a positive response from most people.

We ended the day at the Palace of Fine Arts before heading to our hotel in Oakland.

We hung out in the Fisherman's Warf area most of the day on Monday.  Highlights included an awesome acrobatic show (with the craziest laugh I have ever heard), a tour of Alcatraz, and a visit to the saltwater taffy store.  Zach and Tor got to play along with a couple street musicians as well.

Then it was on to the airport and back to DC.  It was a redeye flight, but we only had a couple hours of darkness since our flight was delayed a while.  The captain told us, "We need to replace the brakes.  I think you'll want us to have those when we land at Dulles."  Um, YEAH, we really do!

Amazing Yosemite Journey

Levi is getting a well deserved break (a.k.a. slacking) from writing the blog.  Today we drove to Yosemite and enjoyed taking photos of the breathtaking picturesque scenery despite the fact all of the waterfalls were dried up.  

The short hike we planned was cancelled when the road was closed because so many people visiting the National Park.  

 The 3 Brothers

We're lucky the brakes didn't go out this time on the van or we might've been flatter than a pancake on Christmas morning.  (Joey)

We love Moby!

Levi got some quality time with his new best friend, the steering wheel.  

VBS Day 5 - Amazing VBS Finale

Alrighty then. Well Levi's slackin again and the blog needs to get done, so...

Today, we concluded our Amazing Desert Journey.™Many of us felt stranded along the way, but somehow we pulled through and reached our destination! Afterwards, there was a grande fiesta (big party if you are not bilingual. (bilingual means you speak more than one language(If I have to explain language...))) Anywho, there were hotdogs, ice cream, una (a) pinata and an awesome balloon bro there named Steve. Check out his website.

After el party we went nuts! Well actually, we went to see the Modesto Minor league team, the Nuts. Before the game we tailgated in the parking lot with some members from St. Peter. And fun was had by all!

VBS Day 4 - Amazing Boomers Excursion

Well, VBS day 4 has come and gone.  We are still having so much fun, but it's getting very tiring doing "Father Abraham" 4 to 5 times every morning (Levi and Zach).  Here is Sierra helping her class with crafts and Isabel helping her class with games.

After a wonderful lasagna lunch, we headed to Boomers amusement park.  We spent quite a bit of time there enjoying the go karts, mini golf, rock climbing, bumper boats, and "Flamethrower."  A good time was had by all!

Zach and Torsten

Isabel, Matt, and Joey

Noelle

After Boomers, we made a pit stop at Del Taco to satisfy Levi's week-long craving, then to ColdStone Creamery to satisfy everyone else's cravings.  It was a very fun but exhausting day.  We are looking forward to a great conclusion to VBS tomorrow!!!

VBS Day 3 - Amazing Paint Undertaking

Day three was a day of mostly work, but a lot of fun too.  VBS has been so much fun and the kids have been really enjoying themselves almost as much as we enjoy helping out.

In the afternoon, we finished the painting project we began on Monday.  One of the teens from Modesto said it's like walking into a big mint chocolate chip ice cream.  Yummy!

After an awesome spaghetti dinner, it was VA v. CA in an epic capture the flag match.  VA came out victorious!!!  All the teens switched hosts in the evening, so most of the girls are now at the Cortright's home.  We enjoy hanging out with the coolest boy on this side of the Mississippi, Ollie Cortright!

Many of us made it an early night to bed since we've been working (and playing) so hard.  I, though, have a sickness: the Olympics.  It's like some weird compulsion; once I start watching, I can't turn off the TV.  I was up until Midnight watching the Americans get more hardware.  Go Team USA!!!

VBS Day 2 - Amazing Mountain Adventure

Tuesday VBS went very well once again.  All the kids are SO excited to be here, and more importantly, they are even more excited to learn about Jesus.  Isabel, Noelle, Sierra, and Torsten are helping the teacher with watching the kids.  Joey and Matt are doing games with Pastor Cortright.  Levi and Zach are doing music.  And Bethany is helping out with crafts.

After VBS we had a wonderful sandwich lunch and then made our dinner for our afternoon excursion. We headed up into the mountains a bit to Pinecrest Lake.  There were lots of people there, but it was a beautiful location.

Most of the group decided to go on a hike around the lake and through the woods.  Sadly, the trails were not marked with trail-blazes, so we did get lost for a short time.  That part wasn't too fun, but Levi made the decision to turn around and go back the way we came.  

We made it back in time for a delicious kabob supper made by Grill Master Cortright.  

Some thoughts from Levi:

Living in DC, it is so easy to forget about places like what we saw today in the mountains.  Everywhere one turns they see the beauty of God's creation.  As we drove back to Modesto, we listened to Christian music about our Savior while seeing God paint before our eyes the sky of the fading day.  I'll admit that it was an emotional experience for me.  What a privilege we as Christians have to see a sight like that and to know that God has placed every noble tree, every wisp of cloud, and every blade of grass so that we, the crown of his creation, can enjoy it and see his amazing love for us through it!

VBS Day 1 - Amazing Desert Journey

Levi's here, finally!  The teens bought me a very nice gift.  They thought I wouldn't like it, but this thing is really comfortable, and, let's face it, it looks cool too!

Monday was our first day of VBS, and it went off without a hitch.  There were more kids the first day that there were last year, so that was excellent news.  This year, the Grace group is playing a more prominent role in the leadership of the kids, so this is a great experience for us all.

After VBS, we enjoyed some eats from Papa Murphy's pizza, and then we suited up for a large painting project.

To end the day, to the Evers' house for some swimming, basketball, table tennis, and some AMAZING homemade Mexican food.  The Evers always treat us so well, so we thank them and God for their hospitality.

We all really enjoy hanging out with the Cortrights again...especially Joey!

Sunday Fun ~ Church and Chillaxin'!

After a wonderful "VBS Kick-Off" party on Saturday night, complete with a bouncy house and water balloon fight, we spent our Sunday relaxing and having fun. We started out with a great church service and then we packed a lunch and drove to the beach at Half Moon Bay (near San Francisco).

It was a chilly day, but that didn't stop our group from testing out the waters of the Pacific ocean (for those of you from WI, the temp was comparable to Lake Michigan in the spring...it was that chilly!). While at the beach, we even saw dolphins/sharks swimming in the distance, but its up for debate as to which one they really were...

After a dinner at California's famous "In-N-Out Burger" we headed to San Francisco airport to pick up Levi. I (April) left the kids in the care of Sarah Cortright, and hopped the train to Oakland to catch my plane home to VA. I was very sad to leave the group, I really wish that I could have stayed for the rest of the week. I'm so proud of the way everyone conducted themselves in a caring, Christian manner while they were under my watchful eye, and I can't wait to read their posts to come!