A Year in Unpublished Pictures - 2011: Part 1

2011 was filled with many Rushcapades. Much is missing from our blog archive - like all of May through August. So this year's unpublished picture list grew to more than just the one or two per month I like to keep it to. I decided we needed a three part installment. Part 1 - The Lead Up. Part 2 - Travels, or Insanity. Part 3 - Intro to China. There are many more pictures on our flickr site if you are interested. Hope you enjoy! Make sure to click Read More to see the whole post.

January: 

Sisters love each other. 

Brian goes to California for his last Jan term and begins the final stretch to graduation. 

Shannon has her first skype interviews for international school jobs.

Iron Chef

While in Everett for Thanksgiving, we also celebrated my dad's birthday. Since he loves cooking and watching cooking shows, my mom arranged for 10 family members to go to the Blue Ribbon Cooking and Culinary Center. There we split into teams (Parents vs. Kids) to compete in an Iron Chef competition! We had access to a professional kitchen, including a stocked refrigerator and pantry, as well as a professional chef for assistance. Both teams had to create a dish with steak and a dish with salmon and a dessert with chocolate.

Brian was our documentarian as well as childcare specialist. Magnolia did super, happily playing well past her bedtime!

The Parents (my mom and dad, and Aunt Sherri and Uncle Craig) may have had fewer people but they had more experience, not to mention all the menu-planning phone calls weeks in advance. 

Mom and Aunt Sherri are making fake raspberry caviar for their dessert garnish!

The "Kids" team consisted of my sister Alli, her boyfriend Taylor, my cousins Matt and Adam, me. Alli and Taylor headed up the dessert and learned how to prepare white chocolate to dip dried fruit in. Adam got a lesson on how to use a knife and Matt learned how to deal with lemongrass after the chef saw us looking confused!

I learned how to make szechuan beans and how to choose which oil to use for a stirfry.

We had so much fun and made so many memories in addition to a great meal! In the end the judges gave the victory to the parents. It might have to do with the fact that it was my dad's birthday, or maybe that our rice never cooked.

Our family in pumpkins

Congratulations Little Sis!

Almost 22 years ago, my little sister Alli came along. I was 7 1/2 and yes, I did have a mullet. We shared a room most of our growing up years. Lots of my things were broken by Alli's curious little hands. I was often frustrated by my constant shadow. This was the first day of school. If you look closely you can see that Alli's eyes are red from crying. She wanted to go to school too.
It was hard on Alli when I went to college. She came to visit often, staying overnight in my dormroom, dreaming of her college experience.

Despite our a few early frustrations and our nearly 8 year age difference, Alli has become one of my closest friends. Almost 6 years ago she was my maid-of-honor.
Eventually when it was her turn to go to college. She deliberated long over where to go -- she didn't want to just go to Seattle Pacific University because that is where I went. In the end, that is where she decided fit her best. (This picture is one of my favorites of the two of us. It was taken at her highschool graduation four years ago.)
This weekend she graduated again. This time with a BA in Visual Communication! Congratulations Little Sis!
Eight years later and the other sister is wearing the gown. And by the way, her boyfriend, Taylor, who she met during her freshman orientation, also graduated. Congratulations Taylor!