The Lois Photo Contest

The long awaited moment has arrived and it is time for the voting to begin. The judges have picked the best out of half dozens of entries. Now it is your job to pick which photographer will win the grand prize: A trip to England sponsored by The Westbrook Times! Here is how you can help. All you have to do is pick which picture you like the best and send in your vote through the comments at the bottom of this post or via email. It is that easy. With your help you can send one lucky photographer on a trip to England. Place your vote today!

<= #1 #2=>

<=#3
#4=>

<=#5

#6=>

<=#7

#8=>





<=#9

#10=>

<= #11

#12=>

#13 =>

The Sephton Family Visit

June 30 - July 11, 2007

Here are a few pictures from my trip to see the new addition to the family. It was a very relaxing trip and I had a little bonding time with my niece. Memories to highlight:

• Dancing in the kitchen with Lois to "All I Ask of You" from the Phantom of the Opera,



• Getting Lois to Smile (more than once!),



• Letting Hilary and Mark convince me to try a Twister (very, very refreshing),



• Helping Hilary and Mark's friends Gordon and Beth move (seems to be a staple in my holidays),



• Hearing Hilary say "Where are you now?" every time she found me reading The Woman in White (a book she recommended),



• Going out to Coombe Abbey one of the two days the sun was out.



• Going to a Lord of the Rings DVD Trivia night hosted by Mark's sister Jeni and actually getting some of the questions right tying for last place with all of the rest of the teams that didn't win.

Hilary's friend Crystal from High school was also over visiting for a few days. I think that is the closest I will ever get to a paparazzi looking shot.
Mark made a lovely daisy chain for his daughter while we were at Coombe Abbey

Mark catching an alligator in their garden that managed to escape from the neighbors pool

Little Lois

As a little update, the Sephton family is doing well. Lois is having no problems gaining weight, Hilary is recovering well, and Mark is showing off his daughter with great pride.

As you can only imagine, having only one niece means that she will be getting a lot of attention. I am afraid that much of that attention will be reflected here at the Westbrook Times. You can’t really blame me though. If you received a picture of a baby as cute as Lois you would want to show others too. There will be more to come. I can guarantee it. Especially since I will be meeting Lois in person the first week of July. I can't wait!

The Laura Shank Tribute

June 10, 2007
Having a roommate like Laura Shank can only keep life interesting. Sometimes it is hard to know why a person comes into your life for such a short period of time. But, I am happy to say that I have enjoyed the past year living with Laura. I honestly didn’t know how it was going to be when we made our living arrangement. I had only been in contact with Laura a few times. But it seemed back then that circumstances were in our favor.

Now Laura is entering another stage of life. She has moved on to San Francisco to be married late this summer. This was a surprise in some ways, but expected in other ways. All in all I am very happy for her and I am excited to see what else the future holds for her.

The Laura Shank I will always remember:

• Hearing whole musicals being sung while she was in the shower
• The hours I would distract her from doing her homework
• Hearing the fake cry
• Hearing the laugh immediately following the fake cry
• The Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Comparison Project
• Sonic runs
• The Charlotte Church impression
• The Easter egg hunt
• Fresh baked cookies
• Noticing how opposite we are and yet seeing the value in that
• Walking through the cemetery at night to go to the Gathering
• The Dog Episodes
• The Bird Episode
• The Spider Episode
• The spontaneous “study” parties
• The diet that will start on Monday
• The late night talks about our emotional adventures
• The fashion dilemmas
• Helping her with her lines for the play "I'm cold"
• Fun times with Jordan and Sandi and Twila
• The Office and Arrested Development

A Watson Wedding

June 9, 2007
Three families: The Watsons, The Adams, and the Westbrooks. All my life the Watsons and the Adams have been an extension of my family; two more moms, two more dads, 5 more sisters and a brother. Over the years I have been highly involved in the wedding productions for almost all of them. I couldn’t let the youngest of the three Watson girls get married and not be involved at some level. So on a very last minute decision, I decided to fly home and surprise the bride to be with my two hands ready to work. Being that her wedding was to be in her backyard there was plenty to do and I think I can confidently say that my help was gladly received.

For those of you readers that have been to a Watson wedding, you know the bar that has been set. Makenzy’s wedding was no different. All throughout the ceremony, the reception, right down to the cake and the decorations you could see the Makenzy flare that we all know and love. With much hard work put in by many, everything fell into place beautifully. Congratulations Jason and Makenzy!

Special News Report:

We interrupt your regularly schedule routine habits to give you the latest breaking news.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007
On November 3rd, The Westbrook Times reported that Mark and Hilary Sephton were at the beginning stages of a new chapter in life. As of 12:26pm (6:26am CT) today, the long awaited and anticipated moment finally arrived. At 6 pounds 3 ounces and 19 1/4 inches long (49cm), Lois Anne Sephton finally made her way into the world. “Lois needed some help coming into the world, Hilary had an assisted forceps delivery which we all went down to theatre[1] for,” Mark wrote in an email to his family.

The process of bringing Lois into the world was a long, hard, and draining experience. Ten days after her due date, on Sunday May 20th, Hilary was taken to the hospital at 8 am to be induced. The process was explained to Hilary and Mark a few days prior and all thought it would be a hard process but Hilary was confident that she would have the baby on Sunday.

“I talked to Hilary on Saturday and she seemed confident that she would be home on Monday. She wanted to schedule a time for me to meet my new little niece via web cam,” Hilary’s younger sister Heather recalls. “I was a bit surprised at first but I knew that we Westbrook women were strong. So I was hoping to meet her on Monday.”

As Sunday came to an end, the Westbrook family in America waited on the edge of their seats for the phone to ring with any news. The next morning, Mark sent a message to his family. “Yesterday was a long and tiring day for both of us and mentally very challenging. Things were progressing well, but at 10:30pm things slowed right down. Hilary is 1cm dilated and she needs to be at least 3cm to have her waters broken.”

That was the last news the Westbrook family heard until today. “Monday was a huge struggle for me mentally,” Heather admits. “Not knowing what was happening was about to push me over the edge. I went back and forth between wondering if she was born yet and wondering if they were having some serious complications. I did not sleep well on Monday night.”

Fortunately, at 11:46am (CT) Heather’s mind was put to rest. “I had been walking around the office since her due date with both my work cell and my personal cell phone on hand, not knowing which would ring. By Monday, everyone in the office new what was going on and was excited to finally hear that my Niece had finally arrived.”

In Mark’s recap to the family he stated, “After 17 hours of labour when they mentioned the possibility of a c section I was close to a breaking point, the whole ordeal pushed me and Hilary to a breaking point. Every minute I was coaching Hilary through each contraction helping her to relax and release small breathes, so we built up a nice partnership one which helped us both even when the urge to sleep was so powerful.”

Even after the long, grueling hours of labor and the mental marathon that left both of them close to a break down; the special moments that are shared between a parent and a child were already beginning. “When Lois was first born she was a little shocked so they gave her some oxygen and she was rasping a little bit with her breathing. As mom was being taken care of, I looked after Lois and started to sing over her. I sang from my heart over this new life and her breathing started to improve and she became a lovely pink colour. It was awesome to have that first moment with our daughter.”



















______________________________________________________________________________
[1] Operating room in American English

Ginger's Move. Part 2: The Drive

April 13-15, 2007

My alarm didn’t have a chance to go off. My mind was ready to begin the next stage of our adventure. After loading the last of the things that we used during the night into the truck, we hit the road at 6:28am. An early start was very important. Although the journey to Raleigh, NC takes only 8.5 hours, it was important to give us plenty of time. The main reason: Ginger had to be at her new apartment by 5:30pm at the latest to sign her lease papers and get the key to her apartment. The second reason: beat traffic.

Without delay, we made it out of New Jersey and into Delaware. Everything was running smoothly as we took our first pit stop. Lynette at this point in the journey reached a milestone by setting foot on the only state she hadn’t been to East of the Mississippi. I too was able to check one of the four states I had left to go to off my list.

What seemed like seconds later, we were back on the road and crossing into Maryland. This state was the last of the states East of the Mississippi that I had not been to. So the good friend that Ginger was pulled over at the next rest stop to let me put both feet on the ground. In what was actually seconds later, we were back on the road with all minds fixed on getting to North Carolina.

Washington D.C. came and went as did the Maryland/Virginia border. Just shy of halfway into Virginia, the smooth flow of the drive that we had thus far experienced came to an abrupt halt, literally. After passing a sign that said “Accident 14 miles ahead”, everything stopped. Slowly we crawled along. After about an hour, we hardly moved. I started looking for an alternate route. It was a gamble, but we decided to take a road that ran parallel with the highway. Unfortunately, we weren’t the only ones who had that idea.

Another hour passed, and we began to wonder if this was the right decision. Our progress on our new route seemed even slower. The slow time passing was starting to take its toll mentally and physically. Three out of the four of us had bladders that were starting to send some strong messages. Lynette and I were approaching the red zone, but still had some time. Ginger’s Mom on the other hand had entered the red zone and was quickly moving toward the desperate/panic zone. As we passed over every hill or went around every bend, the mental gymnastics continued as we surveyed the area to see any place we could stop at. Finally, hope was restored as Lynette spotted a café up the road.

Ginger’s mom was the first to experience the ultimate relief in this one bathroom café. Lynette and I followed suite as Ginger inquired about the accident and what the best plan of action would be. At this point we realized that we might not make it to Raleigh by 5:30pm. As this realization began to set in, we ate quickly and continued our journey. Finally finding the south side of the accident, we once again merged into the flow of moving traffic.

Time was still an issue. Situations like this you can never predict. The only thing we could do was find a solution. After doing some calculations, there was no way we could make it to Raleigh in time.

Determined to find away to get the key, we devised a plan. After a few phone calls, some waiting, and then a few more phone calls, Ginger finally heard some good news. Even though we weren’t going to arrive until 6:30, one of the ladies that worked at her apartment complex pulled a few strings and arranged a place were Ginger could find her lease papers and get her key. Instantly, a heavy weight was lift and our determination to get there grew even stronger.

After 12 hours on the road, we finally arrived at our final destination with a renewed energy to have that 17ft truck unloaded in record time. What I hadn’t realized until we arrived was that Ginger’s new apartment was on the third floor and there was no elevator to speak of. It took a while for me to rebound after that news, but Lynette and I shifted into fifth gear and started to carry things up the second floor. From that point we handed what we had to Ginger and her mom to carry the rest of the way.

A rhythm was established quickly. After may trips up and down the stairs and a few breaks to peal of layers and taste a refreshing drink of water, an hour and forty minutes had passed and the truck was empty. Ginger’s boyfriend Brent and a fellow Indiana Wesleyan friend Alicia had joined us at the tail end of unloading the truck. Even after all of that work our energy and determination were still high. So we started unpacking and organizing Ginger’s new home into the late hours of the night.

The next morning, we were able to reward ourselves by sleeping in. I was so sore that laying there was on the verge of being uncomfortable. The weather was not as warm as we hoped, so the rest of the day was spent doing a little shopping for odds and ends and just relaxing trying our best to recover from the previous days events.

Sunday was very much the same. More college acquaintances were reunited as the weekend winded down. The drama flavor had finally reached its peak. That flavor can be hard to handle sometimes, but with every exciting adventure and every good story there is always lurking a little drama in the mix. Life just wouldn't be the same without it.

Ginger's Move. Part One: Set Backs, Surprises, & Drama

April 11 & April 12, 2007

One would think that two canceled flights for two different people flying to the same airport would have been a sign that this trip was going to be a wild ride. As I called Ginger to let her know that I would be flying into LaGuardia instead of Newark, NJ, she told me about the chain of events that happened on her last day of work. My canceled and redirected flight was just another to tag on her list right after Lynette’s having to fly on a different airline because of a canceled flight and her locking herself out of her apartment for the first time on her second to the last night of living there.

Our adventures in the past have always been great fun but not without a dash of drama to add a little flavor. Why I expected this trip to be any different, I don’t know. As I listened and laughed at all that occurred during her day, I couldn’t help but hope that all the drama and unpredictable circumstance decided to happen all at the beginning to clear the way for a smooth trip to North Carolina.

After hours of sitting on airplanes and waiting in airports, the three of us finally made it to Ginger’s apartment completely exhausted. After a brief discussion about the plans for the next couple of days, I finally found my way to the much-needed sleep at about 1 am. Little did I know that this would be the first of many late nights.

My internal clock woke me up around eight o’clock. I slept well and decided stay on the couch for just a little bit longer to think about a course of action for the day. We had a lot to do and very little time to do it. Empty boxes were stacked around her apartment waiting to be filled.

As the day progressed, Ginger and Lynette went to get the U-haul as I continued to pack boxes. Completely focused on the job at hand I really didn’t pay attention to what was happening outside. Only upon Lynette’s return did I notice the next piece of drama that we were now facing. As Lynette noticed my progress in packing, I could only look at all of the water that was dripping off her jacket and the water line that was inching up the bottom of her jeans.

Despite the rain, the climbing of many stairs, and the small hike to the truck parked down the street, Lynette and I manage to make great progress loading the truck while Ginger went to pick up her mom. Ginger’s roommate Carol and Carol’s boyfriend Matt also joined in the efforts, and soon everything was loaded and ready for our early morning departure. At this point the rain stopped and we decided that we could not leave Hoboken, NJ without taking a little trip across the Hudson River to spend Ginger’s last evening in NYC.

Both Lynette and I had come to visit Ginger before on separate occasions. During our prior visits all the big tourist attractions were seen. Because of our previous visits to the City, we wanted to take this opportunity to do the less common things that one really doesn’t think of when New York City is mentioned. We left the apartment around 6 to catch the bus into the city. The three of us love the movie Hitch, so we decided that we would go to a place were they filmed a scene in the movie. A place that can only be found in New York; a place called Rice to Riches.

I have never sat down and tried to learn the New York public transportation system. I just follow Ginger and settle into the flow of the sea of people. Having seen what our destination looks like in the movie, I kept me eyes peeled as we were walking waiting to see if it was around the next corner focusing on little else except the path I was to take through large groups of people.

As I made my way through a large group of people, I suddenly heard Lynette and Ginger calling my name. I turned around to see that they had stopped walking. I didn’t quite understand what was going on. I knew we hadn’t reached Rice to Riches, so I joined them still trying to figure out what was happening. As I started to notice my surroundings, it slowly began to sink in where we were.

The three of us have always been into the arts. New York City has no shortage of live performances and in the past each time we have been to the city we have seen a show. The last time Lynnette came to visit Ginger, they did a lot of the things that we planned on doing on this trip. The show that they saw was at the top of my list and I was very disappointed that they went and saw it without me. Because this visit was so short, I didn’t think that we would have enough time to go and see a show.

All of my doubts and disappointments were shattered as we stood in line waiting for the doors to open for Stomp, the one show that has been at the top of my list for as long as I can remember. Not only were we going to see the show, but as an early birthday present Ginger and Lynette paid for my ticket! I would have to say that they are pretty much the best friends a person could have! I am not big on surprises, as they have learned in the past. They took a chance. They took a risk. And it paid off big. So big that I didn’t even know how to react once I figured everything out. I don’t know what the look was on my face, but that combined with the confusion I initially went through gave them plenty to laugh about. It seemed the drama of the days events were finally taking a turn for the better.

<= After witnessing such an incredible show, it was time to finish what we set out to do. Rice to Riches wasn’t far, and soon we found ourselves in the great dilemma of choosing which flavor of rice pudding to try. I must say that is was not any easy choice. They only had about 20 flavors to choose from. But as it turned out it could not have work out more perfectly. We each got an epic, which has two flavors. Almost each flavor chosen was a different flavor so we all got to try ad enjoy several different flavors while taking in the unique ambiance. =>

The late transit back to NJ was nice and quiet. We all were tired from the day’s events but satisfied that much was accomplished and great times were experienced. Now all we could do was get a good night sleep to prepare of the early rise and the long awaited adventure that was ahead.

Are We Ever Too Old?

April 8, 2007

As each year passes and I grow a step deeper into adulthood and one step further from being a child, I have found that I am never too old to do the things that I used to do when I was a kid. Whether it be flying a kite, catching fire flies, or making forts out of blankets; I enjoy finding opportunities to be a big kid. Sometimes that includes staging opportunities for others, who are a little stressed with the pressures of life, to take a quick trip back to the days when everything seemed carefree.

Easter this year provided just that perfect opportunity. My roommate Laura has been under a lot of stress. The full time college student is not any easy life to lead. So I decided to treat Laura with the prefect way to distract the mind and boost moral, one of the childhood classics, an Easter egg hunt complete with a big surprise at the end.

I must say that my plan worked perfectly. I hide over twenty little chocolate eggs throughout our living room, kitchen, and laundry room. Some were easy to see and others proved to be a bit more challenging.

Overall, the experience served its purpose. It proved an outlet of fun, problem solving, and laughter, which is always good for the soul and a great foundation for memories. When all the eggs were found and the big surprise was discovered, I could only smile at how a simple child’s activity can so easily trump the overpowering responsibilities of life in just the right way for just the right amount of time.

Special Update
April 19, 2007:

It seems my skills as an egg hider have exceeded even my own expectations. A few days ago I saw an egg that has not yet been discovered by Laura. I am interested to see how long it will sit there. I will keep you posted with any further developments….

Spring in Arkansas.

March 27, 2007
This year, spring came bursting forth without holding back. Bright flowering trees after a refreshing rain can do nothing but reflect that our Creator knew what He was doing when He spoke the world into being.

I have always marveled at nature; the life and death that it represents. The parallels that can be draw between what I know of the life I lead, the seasons of change, the need for water to sustain life and the importance of strong roots to survive the storms.

God is good. Everyday He shows that through His creation. Sometimes, it takes the death of winter to draw my attention to the beauty of life that is reborn every spring. May my eyes continue to be opened to capture the intricate depth and beauty that I am only beginning to understand.

The Web Cam

March 17, 2007

The Web Cam. Although this technological gadget has been around for a while, my family is now beginning to see the great advantages that the web cam has to offer.

The first advantage is one of the obvious; you have the opportunity to talk “face to face” with people all over the world. Hilary, my sister, lives in England and can’t have her first child without having a proper baby shower. No problem. Send out the invitations, set up the web cam, have the guests gather around the computer, and voilà! You have a baby shower.

Hilary had her sister-in-law Jenni join the party on her end. Just as if there were sitting in the room, they saw all the cute baby cloths, bottles, bibs and blankets pass in front of the camera. Oooing and awwwing with the rest as is custom when a group of women gather at any type of shower.

Games can be played as well. One of the staples at any baby shower is the Try to Guess the Size of the Mother-to-be’s Belly game. Again, no problem. Have her stand up and show that belly off and let the guessing begin. I will say that the web cam does add an element of challenge to this game. With the picture being so small there isn’t a lot of help of a size comparison to aid in the guessing.

The second advantage was a little less obvious than the first. Believe it or not, a web cam makes you a little more self aware. If you look at the picture to the right you will notice a smaller display box beneath the display box with Hilary showing off her cute, neat, little bump. That display box shows what your camera is seeing (In this case it is someone taking a picture of the computer. I have a feeling it is my mom.). When you are talking to someone, you have the opportunity to see what you look like when you are talking to someone in an every day conversation. Let me tell you, it is not like watching yourself talk in the mirror (Don’t deny it. You know you have.)

I for one know my face has a lot of expression when I talk. But I had no idea how much. I am consistently saying something none verbally. I noticed that my face gives out more information than I want it to sometimes. I also discovered that I am constantly moving. My hands fly all over the place (Thanks mom. I get it from you). This was not a hard one to notice because my web cam has a slight delay so if I am not careful my hands and arms become a white blur on the screen. Although this can be quite annoying during a serious conversation, it also can cause a great amount of laughter as you try to see all the weird things you can do. Hours of fun, I am telling you! Hours of Fun!

And the third advantage doesn’t apply to everyone but it certainly applies to those people like me that live in small towns or really don’t have a lot going on in their lives giving some free time to spare. Also, being a photo major in college I am more naturally inclined to do something like this. The web cam is a great tool to assist in your very own photo shoot. The great thing is you can see what the picture is going to look like before you take it. You have full control over your own self portrait. Combine those photos with the photo editing program Picasa (which you can download free thanks to those wonderful folks at Google) and you will have semi professional looking pictures featuring you as the photographer and the model. Oh the world of possibilities. Happy Web Caming!

Away on Business

February 1-4, 2007

This past weekend I went on a business trip. I never thought that I would be saying those words. I am all about traveling but usually I have to foot the bill. Well once a year the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) conference allows me to go on a official business trip.

One great thing about the ACCT conference is that every year they choose a different city to “host” the conference. Last year it was Denver. This year they chose a city that is known for its baked beans and tea parties and the midnight ride of Paul Revere.

Naturally I am not one to shy away from taking advantage of this type of situation. Although it was important that I focus on soaking in new experiential learning games, initiatives, tools and other activities in countless workshops; I also found it important to leave having experienced a little of the Boston culture.

Some of that included seeing the burial sights of some of our founding fathers and some of our founding fathers’ fathers. But the grand finale on the last night in Boston had to be a step up from church yards and historic sites. So Lynette (my roommate from college who is also in the experiential learning bizz), Leslie (one of Lynette’s students) and I walked about two blocks from our hotel in Boston’s theatre district and saw the Blue Man Group…A show that managed to weird me out and amaze me all at the same time.

A few other highlights from my business trip:

#6. Playing Knee tag with 50 adults
#5. Finding even more things to do with a deck of cards
#4. Eating at California Pizza Kitchen
#3. Staying in a hotel that had an old fashion mail chute.
#2. Lynette and I getting second place in the ACCT euchre tournament. Which, by the way, was a vast improvement from last year were Lynette and I taught another team how to play and wound up loosing to them thus being eliminated from the tournament.
#1. Watching Lynette walk right into a parking meter. It was one of those instances that looked like it was in slow motion but it by far was one of the funniest things I have ever seen! (Love ya Lynette!) And she walked away unharmed.