tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86564002024-03-06T22:37:52.331-08:00Our Seattle SojournOn July 19th, 2004, the Kuest family left their ministry of 14+ years in Mesa, Arizona to follow the call of God to plant a church in the Seattle area. This Blog is a pouring out of their hearts in an effort to stay connected with friends and family all over the United States. Please read and interact with us. Pray with us as we seek God's heart for <a href=http://www.findpathways.com>Pathways Church in Mill Creek, Washington</a>.Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-52449783557498402842009-03-22T18:14:00.000-07:002009-03-22T18:23:58.137-07:00Rain Outs!<a href="http://www.cruiseandvacationpackages.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/seattle-rain.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 146px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 175px" alt="" src="http://www.cruiseandvacationpackages.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/seattle-rain.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>So games were supposed to start last week. In total, we had six games cancelled.</div><div></div><div></div><div>Here's hoping that this week we see more sun. </div><div></div><div>Forcast does not look promising.</div><div><br /><a href="http://www.weather.com/weather/wxdetail/98208?dayNum=1&from=tenDay_topnav_undeclared">Daily Weather Forecast for Everett, WA (98208) - weather.com</a></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>It's not much different than <a href="http://seattlesojourn.blogspot.com/2008/06/this-is-june.html">June</a> is it?</div>Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-56118992034253278552009-03-15T15:33:00.000-07:002009-03-15T15:42:43.067-07:00It's Baseball SeasonWell, it's that time of year again when I dust off the ol' blog. Seems I'm only here during baseball season. I don't know what it is that makes me want to write during this time of year...but here goes.<br /><br />This year we'll be rooting for three (four if you count both of Kyle's) different teams.<br /><br />Kyle is playing for the brand new high school in town. He is a Glacier Peak Grizzly. His select team has time off for the high school season and will kick up as soon as it is done. He'll be playing with the North Corner Tribe in the summer.<br /><br />Josh is in 8th grade and the middle schools here don't have baseball programs. A crime, I think. He is playing for the Maltby Battle Cats. We have our first tournament on the other side of the state at the end of this month in Wenatchee. I'm sure you'll get updates.<br /><br />Andrew and Brett are playing AAA for the South Snohomish Little League Indians. I have been really impressed with their coach thus far. I've never seen a more organized practice for kids at this age level. Once again, Brett is the smallest guy on his team - by a long-shot. I'm quite confident he won't play the smallest...if you know what I mean.<br /><br />Should be fun. Now, I have to get the schedules straight. Yikes!Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-20701964417426250242008-11-21T12:15:00.001-08:002008-11-21T12:15:24.517-08:00On Our Anniversary<a href="http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/332720/Leslie" title="Wordle: Leslie"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/332720/Leslie" style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd" /></a>Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-2332646403394390192008-06-26T12:15:00.000-07:002008-06-26T12:26:42.827-07:00Pioneers vs. SettlersThanks for the encouragement many of you left on the last post. It'll take me a while to get ramped up, but I'll commit to blogging my thoughts as they hit me - they just don't hit that often. :)<br /><br />I've been thinking about what it means to be a "pioneer". Those who risked so much to pursue a dream. Those who see what ought to be and are willing to pay any price to pursue it. Has our culture lost this? Have we conquered all that we can see and become settlers? Where do we see pioneering taking place in our culture? Who are the people paying the price to pursue what ought to be?<br /><br />I guess the reason I'm thinking about this is because I had a conversation with a guy who has been coming to Pathways for a year or so. He informed me that his family is stepping away. They feel like it costs too much to be involved here. They don't have the time to invest in what we are doing.<br /><br />What does it mean to be a pioneer when it comes to following Jesus? Have the church let the pioneering spirit be quenched because we "conquered the land"? Why do the settlers seem to shoot at all of the pioneers?<br /><br />I don't have answers, but this is what I'm thinking about today.Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-3738548226098018042008-06-17T15:44:00.000-07:002008-06-17T16:39:43.423-07:00Refresh vs. RefuelWell, we are coming to the end of the baseball season. Andrew and Brett had their last game on Saturday. We took 4th in a tournament of 12 teams and lost to the eventual first place team. It was so much fun to see and be a part of them playing "real" baseball. Now, I am getting ready to leave home for the second to last game (Saturday is the last) for Josh's team and Sunday marks two team parties. We had the opportunity to play on some summer tournament teams but have turned them down so that we can actually go on vacation and have family time.<br /><br />Today, I had a great conversation with my friend <a href="http://ryan.russell5.com/">Ryan</a> and he was kicking my butt (in a nice way) about writing something on my blog beyond baseball. So here it goes...today was a good day. It started with a pretty lousy hour and half drive to a meeting that I didn't end up having (another story), but on the drive there I spent it listening to a <a href="http://www.stevenfurtick.com/ministry-perspective/a-gift-for-senior-pastors/">podcast</a> that really challenged my thinking about the priority of where I spend my time. That was followed by an hour long conversation with Ryan and our conversations are always both encouraging and challenging. I made it back to Mill Creek to engage in a conversation with Josh Williams, our Worship Pastor in which I was talking about all of the challenging things that I was processing. It was a great morning.<br /><br />Bottom line: I am discovering the difference between being "Refreshed" and "Refueled". When I am exhausted, either physically, emotionally or spiritually, my first response is to run toward refreshment. What does that look like for me? Baseball games, away time with my family, or simply quiet time alone. Those all refresh me. However, when I get back to the grind of church planting, the exhaustion overwhelms me almost instantly. Why? Because I have not refueled. It's like taking your car to the car wash, but never gassing up. The car feels good, looks good, and smells good, but it's still not going anywhere. What I often fail to do is gas up the engine of my soul. That happens for me through Bible Study, listening to leaders speak about leading and pastoring, challenging conversations with friends, and getting away from it all to listen to God (not necessarily talking to Him). Those things cost. They require investment, but the dividends are outrageous - it fuels me.<br /><br />I obviously need both refreshment and refueling. How do you find each of these things in your life? (I'm veclempt. Talk amongst yourselves.)Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-62885191544917534102008-06-11T08:43:00.000-07:002008-06-11T08:49:34.638-07:00I Don't Know WordsMy parents are missionaries, but not missionaries in the sense of being planted in one place overseas and staying there. They live here in Washington, but travel about seven months of the year to differing locations to teach and lead leaders. Last week my parents came home from one of their many overseas trips. They often bring back things for my boys and tell them a little bit about what they experienced on the trip. This trip was to Tajikistan (a first for them) and they brought back some handmade bookmarks for the boys (who are avid readers). Jamie, my youngest, is about to turn four this month and did not understand the purpose of the bookmark he had been given. I explained that when you read a book and want to stop, you put the bookmark in the book so that you will remember where you stopped reading.<br /><br />Jamie's face got really sad and he looked at me and said, "But I don't know words". Pretty dang cute. Now he wants Mom to teach him to read. We'll give it shot this summer.Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-88552760708393733512008-06-10T16:26:00.000-07:002008-06-10T16:28:35.866-07:00This is June???<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7BQDc1HoNiRE5j5NL2hDAK41uxWuWqGNr2pXsKsA2LcWfIJuYPHXoAEGwn0P7GhUs1gT4Y-44CpCxELpP1xyWzdcXSvL1LTIZISmFLk1gmwlmtKmRru4jHYHLruMIdpeldk3G6Q/s1600-h/Snohomish+Fields.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7BQDc1HoNiRE5j5NL2hDAK41uxWuWqGNr2pXsKsA2LcWfIJuYPHXoAEGwn0P7GhUs1gT4Y-44CpCxELpP1xyWzdcXSvL1LTIZISmFLk1gmwlmtKmRru4jHYHLruMIdpeldk3G6Q/s400/Snohomish+Fields.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210398535843155026" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For some odd reason, they canceled our tournament game today. I must admit that at this time of year, I long for Arizona weather to play baseball in.Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-44750585000487098452008-06-10T10:53:00.000-07:002008-06-10T13:27:07.456-07:00The Seattle Aquarium with 2nd Graders<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigprtXs6_a5jCmFlBM7SkfQFMXg5mGmEzrQUYPgu_xN9ueEPOQaTEu4JTqowamnHQr7IsUqhxzuMrEzrHjhGbcAt4d0Ucu0nrKPkJ_H0qvNPZRG2JgeFC3Yq3JWNcagQLvWys2wA/s1600-h/Seattle+Aquarium.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210352022565240082" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigprtXs6_a5jCmFlBM7SkfQFMXg5mGmEzrQUYPgu_xN9ueEPOQaTEu4JTqowamnHQr7IsUqhxzuMrEzrHjhGbcAt4d0Ucu0nrKPkJ_H0qvNPZRG2JgeFC3Yq3JWNcagQLvWys2wA/s400/Seattle+Aquarium.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This past Thursday I went to the Seattle Aquarium with Brett's class. I love going on field trips with my kids. I was a volunteer in their class all year, so the kids know me pretty well, which makes it all the more fun. I did this trip with Andrew's class last year, so I knew the drill, but this year they added something that we did not do last year, which was a classroom experience where a marine biologist talked to the kids about things that you might find in a tide pool.<br /><br />Why am I blogging this? I guess it's a follow-up to the "Gulper Eels Don't Poop" post.<br />We learned:<br /><br /><ul><br /><li>Starfish vomit their stomachs onto their food and digest it outside of their body and then reswallow their stomachs with the food.</li><br /><li>When you disturb a sea cucumber, it will completely poop out it's intestines and stomach, hoping that the predator will eat that and leave it alone. It then regrows it's innards. </li><br /><li>Sea cucumbers also smell through their butt.</li></ul><br /><p>With information like that in a classroom of second graders - you cannot fail! </p></div>Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-46286699549261116832008-06-02T15:04:00.000-07:002008-06-10T10:50:56.643-07:00Awards Banquet<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTjJZK5WtEBNxzavxKhZwX1-6EYTiDRkTwDmrtYuMFcLyuL5NpKsxqYrYq0Cvi8jWpS0MKtE1ChtLBaoRB8B4FNZiQLxxOAwuW1jJTqtEe6w3gHp4Mx0TZsKl5AMI2b-mp19fxg/s1600-h/Kyle+Baseball+Awards+Banquet.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210311638718402754" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTjJZK5WtEBNxzavxKhZwX1-6EYTiDRkTwDmrtYuMFcLyuL5NpKsxqYrYq0Cvi8jWpS0MKtE1ChtLBaoRB8B4FNZiQLxxOAwuW1jJTqtEe6w3gHp4Mx0TZsKl5AMI2b-mp19fxg/s400/Kyle+Baseball+Awards+Banquet.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div> </div><div>Last night I accompanied Kyle to the end of the year awards banquet for his school. It was yet another reminder to me of a thought I had thunk years before (yes, I know "thunk" is not a word). Schools need to hire church worship pastors to help them figure out how to do banquets, concerts, graduations, etc...because they either don't put any thought into it or they just stink at it.<br /><br />Anyways, this banquet was a big deal because the varsity team won the state championship this year, something that they last did in 1998. I enjoyed seeing the varsity coach get all veclempt as he talked about his team. Next year, another high school will be opening (which Kyle will be a part of) so this was the final year of one school in Snohomish - it's a big deal in this little town.<br /><br />It was awesome to be there as the Freshmen were honored by their coach. There were only four special awards given to individual players and Kyle was one of those. He was named the Most Improved Player of the Year. For a kid who has never played with players of this caliber, I was pretty stoked for him. He hit .421 on the year, had some good pitching outings and struggled through a couple of tough ones, and played some awesome first base. In fact, after the coach had announced the individual awards, he said he wanted to name the top offensive and defensive plays of the year. He ended up calling Kyle back up to give him the C0-Defensive Play of the Year award for a "Willie Mays" catch he made running to right field with his back to home plate.<br /><br />I guess a blog that few people read is as good a place to brag about your kids as any.</div>Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-10906740142821410202008-05-28T11:42:00.000-07:002008-05-28T12:01:23.935-07:001-3 .714 Happy BirthdayWhat you might ask would the title to this post be referencing? It's all about Memorial Day baseball.<br /><br />Game 1: RiverCats come out strong, scoring 10 runs in the second inning, and going on to beat the Narrows Baseball Club for the first win of the tournament. Josh goes 2-3 with a hit by pitch and an RBI.<br /><br />Game 2: We played one of the better 13 year old teams in the state - the Brewers. There are three kids on this team that Josh has played with before, two on all-stars and one played on his team for the past two years. This team is composed of kids from all over Seattle (North/South/East/West) and is truly a powerhouse. Maybe I'm saying all of this because we got crushed 15-0. Josh went 0-1 with a perfect sacrifice bunt.<br /><br />Game 3: The RiverCats played one of their best games of the season. Going into the final inning of the game, we were up 2-1. (To give perspective, the SBA Yankees, took the Brewers into extra innings before finally losing by one run.) The RiverCat problem was that two of our best pitchers were unavailable. One with a sore arm and the other on a Caribbean cruise with his family. When our pitcher's arm went "noodly" we had to go with one of our non-regulars. He promptly walked the bases loaded and gave up a bases-clearing double. Ouch! We lose 6-2.<br />Josh goes 1-1 with a double, a walk and another sacrifice.<br /><br />Game 4: Playing Power Alley, we are officially depleted of pitchers. Our strong-armed SS pitches after a few minutes of instruction from the coach, but it was the first time that he had pitched - ever. Pretty tough situation for the team. We have six strong pitchers, but without two and the others being used already, you bring in the hardest thrower on the team and try to teach him to pitch a half hour before the game. We lost 8-4. Josh went 2 for 2 with a walk and 2 RBI's.<br /><br />So, we go 1-3 in the tournament and Josh hits .714. That was Memorial Day Weekend for the Kuest family.<br /><br />Oh yeah, after the final game we had a big family picnic to celebrate Leslie's 40th birthday! She gets to test the water on the 40's and let me know what it's like before I get there in October.Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-27005346606894026612008-05-27T11:31:00.000-07:002008-05-27T11:54:42.099-07:00State Champs!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoFOGRkv6M0VC4ORuNglg7CzFDyvQRTZotc_aoqFvm5RBEdCTz25Hf3Ig9cv-QDiGJFbc_zh5scrr5i3KikO8rm5GwxhDSmWuMmzQW5vcznAj2b6NBrGX-M-rguYZJH0HsJ53Yg/s1600-h/Snoho+Trophy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205131313593345410" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEoFOGRkv6M0VC4ORuNglg7CzFDyvQRTZotc_aoqFvm5RBEdCTz25Hf3Ig9cv-QDiGJFbc_zh5scrr5i3KikO8rm5GwxhDSmWuMmzQW5vcznAj2b6NBrGX-M-rguYZJH0HsJ53Yg/s400/Snoho+Trophy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>This weekend, Kyle's high school varsity baseball team won the 4A State Championship, played at Safeco Field in Seattle. Pretty dang awesome. We got to go to the Semi-Final game at Safeco on Friday night, but missed the championship game due to Josh's Memorial Day Weekend Tourney (that's another post). </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9eX37h0G4riWJKOMD4X0fwbvki9k1HYYGgLbAaKCux61Frv_E6tWBo8LS3GgBnTCwhdvS7ZGIV1UjhgL0ydeOouq2TuZrUyU_LUxg-Yc5iRIFeHZIQZ-zV4u3Hgk2I0T6kOgpSQ/s1600-h/Snoho+Brawl.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205132902731244946" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9eX37h0G4riWJKOMD4X0fwbvki9k1HYYGgLbAaKCux61Frv_E6tWBo8LS3GgBnTCwhdvS7ZGIV1UjhgL0ydeOouq2TuZrUyU_LUxg-Yc5iRIFeHZIQZ-zV4u3Hgk2I0T6kOgpSQ/s400/Snoho+Brawl.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>The Semi-Final game included a bench clearing brawl started by the pitcher of the other team. With the Panthers ahead (that's us) 3-2 in the top of the 7th and final inning, two outs and a guy on third, a ball got past their catcher. The Panther runner attempted to score, but was tagged out at the plate by the pitcher. As our runner got up, he grabbed the pitchers jersey. I'm not sure if he slipped and was grabbing ahold of him for support or if he just was overly aggressive, but the pitcher went ballistic and threw our runner into a headlock and they went to the ground. The benches emptied. The pitcher was thrown out of the tournament. We got them out in the bottom of the 7th. Ahhhh Baseball....</div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-36609759553822973182008-05-23T10:30:00.000-07:002008-05-23T10:35:09.952-07:00Favorite Jamie PictureI keep going back and looking at the <a href="http://seattlesojourn.blogspot.com/2008/05/ooperman.html">Ooperman post</a> because it's one of my favorite Jamie pictures. It made me think I should post my other favorite Jamie picture. We were at my parents house and all of the cousins were packed onto one giant hammock. Jamie fell out of the hammock and this is the picture we got as he told us that his hands were dirty.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37i8ciOeMFjliQCBDMSv0J3SHh8dQOgZg_kWW_wGgPZ2yrKIMsBq4tLl_uHgYWnBo7fAlBVlVFNhog9q_cVyZqnBpGkrtVM5M_WtH6-7CFeX1SuGasITMEmz5x0MGy20xnM0NiA/s1600-h/Struggle.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203628014910203250" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37i8ciOeMFjliQCBDMSv0J3SHh8dQOgZg_kWW_wGgPZ2yrKIMsBq4tLl_uHgYWnBo7fAlBVlVFNhog9q_cVyZqnBpGkrtVM5M_WtH6-7CFeX1SuGasITMEmz5x0MGy20xnM0NiA/s400/Struggle.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Enjoy!Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-41930613777860071952008-05-22T23:46:00.000-07:002008-05-22T23:49:21.061-07:00Apparantly I'm in the Clothing BusinessFound this <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/kuestthreads">website</a> and laughed out loud. Let's all buy a few. :)Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-10338190597530506592008-05-20T15:52:00.000-07:002008-05-20T15:59:14.478-07:00Emotionally Exhausted<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OB-ZzyXVp3Eto6zJzdMzPddeUs4eUKcKwDlQvy4wlDSQsHEWcCcKznhkt7rb9vQ43SmmcjHy2Al1CG4VJALtqZIKnCzziSn7ZSc6K5lPFlDSWPze5_pIfJ927BNHkV4cCKameQ/s1600-h/Alex+on+Sauk+Mtn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202597452492742482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4OB-ZzyXVp3Eto6zJzdMzPddeUs4eUKcKwDlQvy4wlDSQsHEWcCcKznhkt7rb9vQ43SmmcjHy2Al1CG4VJALtqZIKnCzziSn7ZSc6K5lPFlDSWPze5_pIfJ927BNHkV4cCKameQ/s400/Alex+on+Sauk+Mtn.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This is my friend Alex. I've known him for two and a half years - pretty much since we started our church. He's struggled with depression and wrestled with the pain of childhood sins that were committed against him. He believes in Jesus, trusts that his promises will eventually come true, but can't quite understand how that makes any sense today. </div><div> </div><div>Two weeks ago today, Alex ended his life. I conducted the Memorial for him on Saturday. His family all lived out of town and they were able to be a part of it. His work associates were there as were his friends from Pathways. There is no easy way to deal with suicide as a community, but it is even more painful when it is someone you all loved, but who could not love himself.</div>Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-1335386515509438712008-05-18T06:48:00.000-07:002008-05-18T06:53:51.072-07:00Can I Get Some Residuals?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIy8EQXgLJamSutEk2GFtpW2Sa1IBJEVcLdTt5q5Yc4itRJ88EQrB-Wa0iGUjXw49b0jE6taAv0fvZVS35PVCLt6gGsCZz7u0ePgM9NpHtVMJeZsoL-JZ1afa9SKfihwu5mPlOQ/s1600-h/Ron+Howard+Milk.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201715609807527746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIy8EQXgLJamSutEk2GFtpW2Sa1IBJEVcLdTt5q5Yc4itRJ88EQrB-Wa0iGUjXw49b0jE6taAv0fvZVS35PVCLt6gGsCZz7u0ePgM9NpHtVMJeZsoL-JZ1afa9SKfihwu5mPlOQ/s400/Ron+Howard+Milk.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-13311528123451167222008-05-17T08:03:00.000-07:002008-05-17T08:05:46.541-07:00We're off to a game.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB49aCveMYPZYXE-evuVf6-krvT041qy3z8wTDemaESijmSrBkfQReVaZUn_e6apRQEDrJeDvdxjhwdUCFjKrQrUrcRj0WZCArbwpMtj4SkUaLaDfPvRgU4buBch-ZEN5igFVWSA/s1600-h/Winter+2008+080.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB49aCveMYPZYXE-evuVf6-krvT041qy3z8wTDemaESijmSrBkfQReVaZUn_e6apRQEDrJeDvdxjhwdUCFjKrQrUrcRj0WZCArbwpMtj4SkUaLaDfPvRgU4buBch-ZEN5igFVWSA/s400/Winter+2008+080.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201363134726446898" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9Mbe4TLkuRPIsiJ4DhsgxCL6eSvIq4tnK-2qmBH2u3EvRHxFAB76oDT8sObcY0BLw-lk-5y1byfMaOwpshA2sSj1FrWL6L8GEZg8oooTbTvY1-jEjqgR_RqYbyg3ns1b0LN6JQ/s1600-h/Winter+2008+077.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9Mbe4TLkuRPIsiJ4DhsgxCL6eSvIq4tnK-2qmBH2u3EvRHxFAB76oDT8sObcY0BLw-lk-5y1byfMaOwpshA2sSj1FrWL6L8GEZg8oooTbTvY1-jEjqgR_RqYbyg3ns1b0LN6JQ/s400/Winter+2008+077.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201362958632787746" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> Mets vs. Cardinals today.<br /></div>Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-37811339247287535112008-05-17T07:56:00.000-07:002008-05-17T08:03:42.343-07:00Practicing Funny Faces<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtHIJ7GBx3TS6NNcGnaEkDZ2zNue5diJjkQKvVWbHFxXsCBmm8gWAQ9J5U3VDMOvz7YH-FQIzpGJrEVZPQRLTXMXVRduqQCFFp8tRNh7RYWhNQTc_578JLLsEHqjRAPIsllOTaQ/s1600-h/Winter+2008+064.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtHIJ7GBx3TS6NNcGnaEkDZ2zNue5diJjkQKvVWbHFxXsCBmm8gWAQ9J5U3VDMOvz7YH-FQIzpGJrEVZPQRLTXMXVRduqQCFFp8tRNh7RYWhNQTc_578JLLsEHqjRAPIsllOTaQ/s400/Winter+2008+064.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201361777516781314" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nke9aerVWQWTJNVdB9xLel-DLBEeE2CFxRehT-mCAyPKd-fMBARJoT4dhAs8V3u23o2rRjnozlxy9sTlOt3-UCssFSPh5yCjcIbn0ZuAD6NOT0HINy-cefGTUUcc2f_Aio0fnw/s1600-h/Winter+2008+058.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nke9aerVWQWTJNVdB9xLel-DLBEeE2CFxRehT-mCAyPKd-fMBARJoT4dhAs8V3u23o2rRjnozlxy9sTlOt3-UCssFSPh5yCjcIbn0ZuAD6NOT0HINy-cefGTUUcc2f_Aio0fnw/s400/Winter+2008+058.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201361644372795122" border="0" /></a>Or "Ooperman's got a boogy!"<br /></div>Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-9929981842088876892008-05-16T08:42:00.001-07:002008-05-16T08:45:04.248-07:00Ooperman<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9LcuOu2nsqy3zycApSEeYM8qsW48Js7APpk4GZ_q6I3RbJiYGj5uIWJGm1eXV6AsijNToOqSjWOebSZ_Zi3_xL3xfCv1ySCKHEMvYYBar8F42JroTzfcIjAxIJqu8-SHxiSorw/s1600-h/Winter+2008+054.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9LcuOu2nsqy3zycApSEeYM8qsW48Js7APpk4GZ_q6I3RbJiYGj5uIWJGm1eXV6AsijNToOqSjWOebSZ_Zi3_xL3xfCv1ySCKHEMvYYBar8F42JroTzfcIjAxIJqu8-SHxiSorw/s400/Winter+2008+054.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201002207149727442" border="0" /></a>Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-74801053347263137072008-05-13T19:00:00.000-07:002008-05-13T19:02:24.301-07:00It's not the face of Jesus, but...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2VK13cL1N0AUtge3NxvCqMMyQ31XVF6Zii9cjljTGNIWREd3SUlxW2ItTAmhh8hyphenhyphenARz6ZK3HlM64zKq475nOMPIRwZnbcI80oZF07e0fOKAFnwyRfvfp1bWhjo2oOiCR0k3Bgg/s1600-h/Winter+2008+044.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2VK13cL1N0AUtge3NxvCqMMyQ31XVF6Zii9cjljTGNIWREd3SUlxW2ItTAmhh8hyphenhyphenARz6ZK3HlM64zKq475nOMPIRwZnbcI80oZF07e0fOKAFnwyRfvfp1bWhjo2oOiCR0k3Bgg/s400/Winter+2008+044.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200048058690084546" border="0" /></a><br /> Okay, maybe I'm getting a little bit "post crazy" here, but I am confident that the United States of America showed up on Andrew's leg bruise.Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-49492852789968300902008-05-13T18:56:00.000-07:002008-05-13T18:59:31.409-07:00All My Ballplayers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7G5i705bHDMj-LK5WFP3fQL6eo9Frp9biKkmaAZoj5ivuGZHAUcM1c0DcJ3iuazq5urow-tc3rJE20mjylEISenGQ5PaJuD1l8Hs-zUMIavy6iBu_oF1t4BYHALnrMYs-653CdQ/s1600-h/Winter+2008+070.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7G5i705bHDMj-LK5WFP3fQL6eo9Frp9biKkmaAZoj5ivuGZHAUcM1c0DcJ3iuazq5urow-tc3rJE20mjylEISenGQ5PaJuD1l8Hs-zUMIavy6iBu_oF1t4BYHALnrMYs-653CdQ/s400/Winter+2008+070.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200047272711069362" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> Here they are in all their uniform glory!<br /></div>Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-16617525787991676192008-05-13T18:53:00.001-07:002008-05-13T18:55:37.654-07:00Gulper Eels Don't Poop!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrvO6oRiHMRSwlMuCGgP_3_WCSvPDq-xubVq-iAhlZvI2SFvMUzw9NjTfZkazLTsf8Ac1-ig8xZNO_WcTaPIfg_tIcrWvUNjaWIakYLXRiEIhB0MJgsGHI1kMPd3hyHpTuDoh5w/s1600-h/Winter+2008+083.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrvO6oRiHMRSwlMuCGgP_3_WCSvPDq-xubVq-iAhlZvI2SFvMUzw9NjTfZkazLTsf8Ac1-ig8xZNO_WcTaPIfg_tIcrWvUNjaWIakYLXRiEIhB0MJgsGHI1kMPd3hyHpTuDoh5w/s400/Winter+2008+083.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200046284868591266" border="0" /></a><br /> A second grade boy's animal report doesn't get any better than when you find information like this! Gulper Eels just vomit whatever is left over from their meals. That is just too good.Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-21852861517479936902008-05-13T15:16:00.001-07:002008-05-13T15:22:46.235-07:00Panther's Season is OverWell, I didn't really do a great job of updating you on individual games throughout the season (you got some great pictures though). Now we're done.<br /><br />At the second to last game, Kyle was given the Defensive Game Ball for an amazing catch he made at first base. It was in foul territory up the right field line and he made a catch with his back to the plate running full speed. It was awesome. He then came in to close out the game in and pitched a three up three down inning. He was stoked.<br /><br />In the last game of the season he went 2 for 2 at the plate. He was also thrown out at the plate for the last out of the game. It was awful, because he was obviously safe (to everyone from our team). He tried to score from first base on a double and it would have put us within one run from tying the score. Instead, it ended the game. Bummer, but that's baseball.<br /><br />He ended the year with a .421 batting average and a .608 on base percentage which is pretty outstanding. I never hit like that in high school. I'm proud of him, not just for his stats, but the courage and character he has shown through the year.Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-48295116388407950832008-05-13T15:15:00.000-07:002008-05-13T15:16:23.045-07:00Rick, The WaverToday I met Rick, the Waver. We’ve crossed paths hundreds of times, but never met before this morning. Rick is a guy who walks his dog along a street that I drive daily and everytime that I pass him, he waves with a smile. Today, as we passed and waved at each other, I felt this compelling need to tell this guy that he encourages me daily even though we don’t know each other. So I whipped the old Pathfinder around, stopped, and hopped out to greet the man who has waved at me hundreds of times. I think I may have startled him at first as I walked up, shook his hand and thanked him for waving with a smile. He told me that he’s from the Midwest and can’t help himself. (Does everyone in the Midwest wave?) It started when he was jogging in Chicago (there for a doctor’s conference he was attending). He went out for a jog (he used to jog until he had back problems and had a disc removed - it’s amazing how much you learn about someone in a short conversation) and was flipped off by dozens of people. He decided that he would wave and smile back at them.<br /><br />Well, Rick is an encouragement to me. When I see him coming along the road, it changes my mood instantly. Thanks, Rick.<br /><br />How can you be an encouragement to someone today?Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-31183728026002088892008-05-06T10:25:00.000-07:002008-05-06T10:36:58.044-07:00Baseball UpdateKyle: His season is almost over for the high school. He has two games this week and then the annual "Bean Bowl" in which the Freshmen play the Junior Varsity next Monday. It has been a really good season for Kyle as he has never played on a team of this caliber before. It has challenged him and stretched him (see pictures below). I'm really proud of both his character and his performance.<br /><br />Josh: His team is perhaps only half-way through their season. They play about three games a week and the work is paying off. The RiverCats are really coming around. The team is made up completely of 13 year olds and they are playing quite a few 14 year old teams in the mix. I think that has really paid off when they face teams their own age. Josh bats either lead-off or second generally and probably has one of the highest On-Base Percentages on the team. Recently, he has been unconscious at the plate (in a good way), roping the ball all over the field and playing a solid second base. Josh is also becoming a catcher - out of need. The team has one of the best catchers I've seen at this age, but he also pitches and he likes to pitch to Josh, in spite of the fact that he's never caught before.<br /><br />Andrew and Brett: Their season is just getting started. I'll get some pictures posted soon. Currently, we are 1-2, but much better than our record suggests. We have another game today (weather permitting) and Andrew is scheduled to pitch. They are having so much fun. Andrew has two doubles already and Brett has made a few outstanding defensive plays. Brett is only eight and is playing on a team with 9-11 year olds. He's tiny out there, but he knows what he is doing and is improving weekly.Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656400.post-55443893529413521002008-05-06T10:21:00.000-07:002008-05-06T10:24:22.824-07:00Just Call Him "Stretch"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpFKe5C4jxm65PeavFZvg8imrcOEzn3Luweks1qEzPhSg_lTbGoBKUTYHQ6hC5dI5uDsmVWPgP5z8ps6CFB54_EQTeSluN7MfW8wfbhLNuyxKxcQl6S9kIbNx9km8J-JA3I0vPQ/s1600-h/Kyle+Stretch3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197316863438726466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpFKe5C4jxm65PeavFZvg8imrcOEzn3Luweks1qEzPhSg_lTbGoBKUTYHQ6hC5dI5uDsmVWPgP5z8ps6CFB54_EQTeSluN7MfW8wfbhLNuyxKxcQl6S9kIbNx9km8J-JA3I0vPQ/s400/Kyle+Stretch3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7uonIhFDEF6wCYJz8C-OgwY20M_Py07ApG4XR0Yzj2ebbNOLf-yUaHH11Gi1sv56-kd8_FELQHifVSljFNtaxD9mPCjYoT_Yj8qfsPg8nYrt95bQ85lKZa3oVJ7NJD0BwKkXJA/s1600-h/Kyle+Stretch2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197316683050100018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7uonIhFDEF6wCYJz8C-OgwY20M_Py07ApG4XR0Yzj2ebbNOLf-yUaHH11Gi1sv56-kd8_FELQHifVSljFNtaxD9mPCjYoT_Yj8qfsPg8nYrt95bQ85lKZa3oVJ7NJD0BwKkXJA/s400/Kyle+Stretch2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div></div>Dean Kuesthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06508487649013281394noreply@blogger.com0