Scrapbooking for Dummies aka me

Abby F I N A L L Y got contacts this week!

My birthday present was the opportunity to take pics of the kids. I've finally chosen the Christmas Card photo and can share the runner ups. (Yes, it's only May but my kids likely won't be together again until December).

When did they grow up?

This one is my favorite of the day!

My space pic with MOM...

Quite possibly the most beloved brother ever...


And a couple of random shots.






Chris Fraser update- being paid to do math... happy as a clam this week!


Clearing out the phone came across this... someone hid Mac's laptop in the ceiling. It's random but I know several of you will enjoy this one. :-)

Volunteering: 2

I'm loving volunteering for Film Action Oregon, but in addition to doing something good, I'm also learning as a leader. This week during my 4 hours in the office I created a data base of volunteers for them. I combed through volunteer applications that have been collected over the past couple of years.

Here are a few things I learned/relearned this week

People want to be part of something they believe in or are interested in.
Lots of people volunteer to be part of this organization. Most of them are students, many are unemployed, some retired. Everyone, regardless of life circumstance CAN serve.

Communicate a need practically with detail and then connect with people who show interest. This has to be ongoing and a high priority in any volunteer dependent community.

Volunteers like to understand how the task they are doing fits in to the bigger picture. Don't apologize for giving them what feels like busy work, but help them understand why it matters. I spent 4 hours on data entry which is tedious, but I understood what the end goal was, so it felt useful.

Slow down. Real people with real lives are serving shoulder to shoulder with you. Take the time to care, appreciate, connect.

Volunteer information forms:
Alot of people use gmail.
Most people choose phone contact over email. This was shocking and convicting to me. Volunteers probably do at least deserve a phone call every once in a while...
Creative email addresses make me laugh, but this one made me curious... azure raven @ something... wish I was that interesting.
Ask questions so that you get the answer you really want. One of the questions on the form was "do you have any special skills that could benefit us?' Over half of these answers were silly...
and above all... please write legibally- your name and email address may be old news to you, but it's critical information for others.

For Mature Audiences

I've often wondered about the expression for "mature" audiences only. Why is it that the more "mature" we become, society twists that to mean we can be exposed to more graphic content. Shouldn't we, as we mature, be making better choices about what we take in rather than opening our hearts and minds to the darker/uglier side of life. I'm not suggesting that we bury our heads in the sand, but is graphic content really something to grow in to?

Last night I discovered something which the rest of the world already knows about.
2006 Emmy winning TV film, most successful Disney Channel original movie ever produced, soundtrack is was the best selling album of 2006 (that's more than Rascal Flatts, Justin Timberlake... )High School Musical.

A group of girlfriends took me to see the stage show for my birthday.
It was great fun and made me realize that there's good stuff out there which I'm missing because of my season of life. My youngest child is 14. So we've never owned a Veggie Tale, nor had I seen High School Musical. That's kind of a bummer.

It was really fun, we were seated in a section of mostly elementary kids and the energy was infectious. It felt good to go see something that was good clean fun and to feel energized and happy when I left rather than that i should take a shower, confess or lock my doors.

Laugh if you want, but I loved it.

43

Today's my birthday and I woke up with this song playing in my head.
Then, twice this morning when i've been blog checking it's played, so i'm sharing it with you...

Magnificent Holy Father
I stand in awe of all I see
Of all the things You have created
But still You choose to think of me
Who am I that You should suffer
Your very life to set me free
The only thing that I can give You
Is the life You gave to me

I stand before You at this alter
So many have given You more
I may not have much I can offer
Yet what I have is truly Yours

This is my offering, dear Lord
This is my offering to You, God
And I will give You my life
For it's all I have to give
Because You gave Your life for me

(lyrics and music by Mac Powell, Third Day)

GLS and Arts Conference Update

Talked to Larry my Global Leadership Summit team leader today and got some more info.

I'll travel to Willow June 10th for base camp. I think there are 7 of us who will be trained and then travel to a new international site this fall, to assist local teams in the production of their own Summit. Willow is training and paying all my travel expenses. That alone is amazing.

Turns out that I won't likely know what country I'm going to until later in the summer. Larry will make the decisions after spending time with us, reviewing final dates and seeing how things play out. (Note to Allison, he did mention the Phillipines. A site that has come to mind for me a couple times is Costa Rica, which he also mentioned).

Our base camp training was moved out from this week to mid June in order to coincide with the Willow Creek Arts Conference.



Our team isn't attending this year so I wasn't planning to go, but my entrance will be comp'd due to my GLS role. This threw me in to a spin. I have loved my Arts Conference experiences over the years- I can trace much of my growth as a leader, philosophy of ministry and sustainability in a 52 weekends a year treadmill to the Arts Conference. Best guess is this will be my 7th year attending- but in addition to rest, amazing training and the opportunity to worship without responsibility... the best best part has always been the relationships that we've developed while we're away.
This trip I will be going solo.
Yeah, that's right... just me on the ferris wheel at Navy Pier...
This is basically horrible for an extroverted person who loves her team. How could this be what God has in mind? On the other hand, I will be traveling to a foreign country by myself in the fall, so maybe this is good experience. So I've wondered, prayed, asked around and this week decided to attend the Arts Conference.

Next hurdle: The cost of the lodging has been weighing on me. Today, Larry said he's arranged for me to housesit while I'm there. Apparently I am meant to go and money is no object for the plans God has. When will I learn.

Got online today to purchase the plane tickets and for a minimal difference I'll be traveling Saturday to Houston, spend two nights with Chris and then fly on to Chicago for Base Camp and the Arts Conference.

Then got online for the Arts Conference and basically am about to burst with excitement. Gilles Ste-Croix is one of the Session speakers. He's the creator of Cirque Du Soleil. If I wasn't married with children I would find a way to work for this company. I seriously can't even stand this news. Tomorrow's my birthday and this is my present.

In addition, I'll be sitting under the following teaching:
Nancy Beach, Brian McLaren,Richard Allen Farmer, Francis Chan
Worship leaders/artists: Robbie Seay and Kendall Payne
Attending these breakouts:
A Biblical Model for Worship and the Arts- Ross Parsley
Snakes & Doves- Mark Batterson synopsis highlight: stretch your imagination as you discover new ways of redeeming technology and culture to “incarnate” the Gospel message.
Conducting an Effective Tech Rehearsal
Building a Visual Arts Ministry

Can't Wait

yes i know most the world already saw it, but i'm busy Thursday nights :-)

skimming

I've been struggling through the blogosphere, well really life, lately... reading others' posts, wondering if we really communicate what we mean when we post, wondering why I post, or rather watching it evolve. It has been evolving because I am using this blog to connect and communicate with my parents in California, thus all the newsy posts with pics. But that's not the whole truth. At core, this had become a place to share what was going on in my head and heart. A place to talk whether anyone listened or not.

But anything much more than "news" has most recently been left off the page because I'm in a stormy place in my life and am not sure how or what to share.
How much information is too much?
How much care must be given in the selection of what is written and what remains unwritten?
It seems inauthentic to post only the news that's fit to print when the other, is at least equally, but far more likely vastly more important in how God is refining and defining me.

Recently God has been giving me the opportunity to deepen several of my relationships. It's SO good and it requires more of me and more of them. Sometimes, it's "easier" to skim, to only know the surface. Knowing things, sharing things changes relationships and rightly so, but skimming is less risky and less challenging.

All I know is that I don't want to stay the same or maintain status quo in my life and my relationships. So I'm wading in...

Catching Up

Celebrated Michael's birthday Wednesday night with Granny and Kathleen.
Went to a new restaurant (the Berlin Inn) in SE.
Great food and company! It literally took us about 10 minutes to decide on which dessert.

We went with the white sponge, apricot with fresh marzipan cake (left center). It was so good, i'd drive back downtown just for it!


Abby's Great Gatsby project went from a video production to an original song.
Lyrics and melody by Abby Fraser, Music by Chris Fraser. Love seeing my kids work together on something! Special thanks to Travis and the Sunset recording "sanctuary."

houseguests

Our houseguests moved in today
i imagine blogging on this topic will likely cease after today but I am compelled tonight, to write.

I believe that I was built for kibbutz living.
Sharing responsibilities and benefits, company, conversation, doing what you are good at and letting others do what they are good at, enjoying other people's way of doing things, learning from them- i pretty much love all of it.

I like the sound of Jos and the boys down the hall, homecooked meals, folded laundry and vaccumed hallways.

I know there's a downside...

On the other hand, maybe it's good to be on "good behavior" rather than devolve in to a reality where we don't treat one another all that well.
How would your family be different if there were other adults and children watching? What routines and habits need shaking up?

Beach Scrapbook

We're home from the beach.
Here are some of my favorite candid photos from the trip!
There are alot of prettier ones, but these make me smile the most...


Classic Abby at the beach, grin and sweatshirt (she inherited the Brandt porcelain skin)


Classic Molly at the beach, laying out- photo by Abby (i loved the composition including the flip flops)


Classic Chris... cheese. He was a block of Tillamook cheese for Halloween in grade school and has converted all his Rice roomies.


While we were there we produced a Great Gatsby trailer for Abby's homework project. Love this picture of us fascinated with our own footage :-)


Captures the Fraser kid spirit... LOVE Molly laughing at Abby


Don't often get the three of them together anymore...

The Fraser Version of H,E, double toothpicks' kitchen

Chris lived off campus this year and had to cook for himself.
I remember learning about new things when I first went to college… for me it was bagels and cream cheese, nuked… yummmmmm
One thing he discovered was… peas. I don’t like them.
Well, I didn’t like them until tonight.
He asked if he could make a new recipe for us while he was home so tonight he made a new pasta dish for us.
One of the things which kills my enthusiasm for cooking is when people are fussy about it before they even tried it.
Just sucks the life out of the whole creative process.
So, trying not to dampen his enthusiasm we dove in to the cooking process… a lot of recipe checking and “yes chef’ing” later… we had a great dinner!

Spaghetti with Parmesan and Bacon (notice it doesn’t mention the peas)

1 lb. uncooked spaghetti
12 bacon slices, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup 2% milk
1 t. salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs
1 c. frozen petite green peas, thawed
1 ½c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese.

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2c. hot cooking liquid.
2. While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large non- stick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan reserving 1 T drippings in pan. Discard remaining drippings, and set bacon aside. Add garlic to drippings in pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
3. 3. Combine milk, salt, pepper, and eggs, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add reserved hot cooking liquid to milk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add pasta, milk mixture, and peas to pan; cook over low heat 3 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add bacon and cheese; stir to combine.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 ¼ c) ** note unless your family has spent the day at the beach and Chris is home… in which case you’ll eat every bite.

Volunteering: Film Action

Friday was my first day volunteering with Film Action of Oregon. http://www.filmaction.org/
They’re committed to educating emerging filmmakers, supporting working artists and engaging diverse audiences.
I thought this would be cool and a good way to get out in the community and build relationships, but yesterday I fell in love with what they are doing.
I'll share more here as time goes by... today’s post is about being new somewhere.

I was a little nervous... would they like me? would I fit in or stick out like a sore thumb. The answer to this was something Julie said yesterday... Christians should be the most loving people in the world. Well, I knew I could do that.

The experience of being a volunteer rather than being the staff person who works with volunteers (my day job) is invaluable training and experience. Justen, who I work with, was GREAT! but I still learned something about how it feels to be new and not on staff.

Being a receptionist when you don't know ANYONE is tough. Are they new? or can they tell you are new? Or when someone calls and leaves a message, and you cannot remember the names of the people you were just introduced to... that's stressful.

I met Emmanuelle, a young student from Paris here on an internship. She's in film school in Paris who wanted to improve her conversational English so she's here for 3 months. We had a great conversation throughout the afternoon, which ended with "I'd love to come to your church!" Confession: Sometimes I am a little overwhelmed by all the production in the Eleventh Hour. I chalk this up to being 42 (for a few more days) but for my new friend from Paris, it made Sunset sound inviting. That was WAY cool.

The biggest challenge- they are quiet talkers... this could be an issue for me, since I'm not :-)

Friday Night at Canon Beach

We're at the coast for the weekend.
Chris is only home 3 weeks this summer, so this is our summer vacation.
The weather has totally cooperated with this plan.
It was over 90 at Canon Beach today...
We got here in time for this Sunset...

Signal to Noise update

Congratulations to Michael Groth who was one of the winners in the documentary category!

Signal to Noise- Thursday night

I usually post this stuff AFTER but got to thinking some of you might want to know.

This Thursday night is the annual Signal to Noise Image Festival featuring the best of Beaverton student- directed video and moving image art.
The festival is 7-9pm Thursday, May 15th at Sunset High School.
Admission is free.

Hundreds of videos are submitted annually and 30 judges reviewed over 11 hours of video before selecting the finalists in elementary, middle school and high school divisions featuring animation, documentary, drama, comedy, news, music videos, interactive, public service entries from students across the Beaverton School District.

This year we have friends involved in the production and as finalists.
Blake (and likely Bruce) Rupprecht works behind the scenes on the production end.

Comedy Finalist- America's Top Model-(ACMA)produced by Holly, Bette and Jasmine (Abby's friends) with our daughter Abby in the clip

Drama Finalist- Darkness-(Westview) produced by Andrew Mesa (Molly's boyfriend) a scary movie starring our daughter Molly.

Community

Work today felt a little like being in college in all the good ways...
Got to spend time on a fun and challenging homework project. Kent and I are working on a promotional video clip for Serves Up, the June 21st day when Sunset church will be "leaving the building" and loving our community. When I got home tonight, my daughter Abby had almost the same assignment from school, only her task is to create a trailer for "The Great Gatsby"

Then, headed over to the offices and within no time at all most of the staff ended up in the "dorm room" (Jay and Tyler's office).




Then somehow... 30 minutes later we were having dinner together at Schmizza. Somehow = Jay's stomach which drives many of our culinary decisions. At least I think it was his stomach's idea.


I love these moments hanging out with one another. It genuinely reminds me of my college experience. So much in common and not common. Men and women together.Caring and Community.

p.s. shameless plug... For more information on how you can get involved visit http://sunsetserves.blogspot.com. Worship ministries is adopting Vernonia! Join us!!

Making A Difference

I am so proud today of the work of one of the guys on our team.
Kent is a quiet, deep hearted guy who serves with excellence behinds the scenes. He joined our staff a little over a year ago and creates our service media clips.
He's totally committed to eternal reward vs. earthly gain. He would quit his dayjob to do ministry full-time if he could- and he's a pro. We haven't even scratched the service of how we can best position him to use his art to change hearts BUT he's out there doing it and I'm so proud of him. He worked on a pro-bono clip for a recent Habitat for Humanity fundraiser and the goal to raise was 55,000 and the current total is over 100K. (photo: Kent and his girlfriend Holly)

As a manager, he's a challenge because I cannot keep up with his potential. Which is a good problem to have, but I can't help but feel like I'm somehow holding him back. I've learned how to manage under achievers... but having an over achiever is a totally different ball game. Advice anyone?

Mother's Day 2008

Mother's Day 2008...


Abby left to serve at Overflow so she's missing from this one :-(


The "grands" in our family range in age from College Grads to age 7ish. I'm SO glad... we still get to do a "funny" pic. (Part of our family was at Gonzaga graduation for Emily)


Talk about Mother's Day... we love hanging out with Granny and Kathleen... so relaxed and comfortable, never at a loss for something to talk about...

Phil Wickham- rewind

I saw Phil Wickham tonight live at the Way.

He was recording a live acoustic worship night.

I first heard about him from Heather Davidson who is 20. She recommended the song "True Love" to me. loved it

Then I saw on Paul Frazier's (also 20) facebook that he was going to the show tonight.

Tyler http://manofdepravity.com/and Rose called on their way over to see if I wanted to join them. (They're early 20 something too).

I can't remember the last time I was one of the oldest people in the room... except my living room.

Hello church... there ARE college age kids on the west side.. lots of them and they are at the Way on Friday night. And... they know and sing hymns. The instrumentation tonight was one guitar, not an organ, and they SANG on hymns. I'd guess over 1/3 of Phils set was hymns.

It's strange for me to be in a worship experience where I know few of the songs coming in. My favorite moment was probably being introduced to the song "Beautiful" There was a moment where the crowd knew the song and began to hum while Phil carried the lyric. It was sweet.

Here's a post from the night

New Blog- Worship Ministry

I'm really loving the creative potential of blogger!
I spent the weekend developing a new blog for our worship ministry.
You can connect to it here:
http://sunsetworshipcreativeartsministry.blogspot.com/
If you do... you'll get to see a ridiculous photo of Abby and I that I'm using to convince the women of my church that NO Mother's Day is too ridiculous to share...

Eleventh Hour Playlist

Last night I published the May Eleventh Hour playlist to an itunes IMIX so if you like what you hear in worship and want to take it home with you... go here: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=280015823

Molly makes Varsity (again)

This week was Cheerleading tryouts for Molly. She made Varsity. It's her 10th year in the Westview Cheer program! She has a great coach, Melissa, and this year her Youth coach for 6 years, our friend Shelly, is coaching the JV team- what a great way to end your time with a team. Now, if they can threepeat State Champs that would be cool.

Mix Tape

Some people buy gifts, I compile music.
This past week I had a project burning in my head, screaming to get out, but my laptop burner was busted. It was like writers block for me... it was horrible. I needed to get something out and couldn't, I felt tremendous frustration. I happen to think you either "get" or "don't get" mixtapes... or in todays vernacular "Playlists."
It's ok if you don't... kind of like people who don't like pets (i.e. me). Politely people who do like pets find us pathetic, but we just don't talk about it. It's the same in the "mix tape" culture. Some of you think I'm kidding... Some of you know I'm not.

This guy gets it...

To me, making a tape is like writing a letter — there's a lot of erasing and rethinking and starting again. A good compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do. You've got to kick off with a corker, to hold the attention (I started with "Got to Get You Off My Mind", but then realized that she might not get any further than track one, side one if I delivered what she wanted straightaway, so I buried it in the middle of side two), and then you've got to up it a notch, or cool it a notch, and you can't have white music and black music together, unless the white music sounds like black music, and you can't have two tracks by the same artist side by side, unless you've done the whole thing in pairs and...oh, there are loads of rules.- High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

Enter new technology... My friend Jay introduced me to playlist.com and I am in love. That's what you hear playing during your browsing of this blog. If you don't like the music or are playing your own when you arrive, or worse yet thinking your own thoughts... you can hit pause on the player.

It's a Step...

Sunday night I saw "Lord Save Us" and today I'm taking a step.
I connected with Film Action Oregon (FAO)and will begin volunteering with them every other Friday at the Hollywood Theatre.
I'm really excited about getting outside of the walls of 14986 and building relationships with people in our community who are doing something good.

Film Action Oregon is a nonprofit arts organization serving the general public, emerging filmmakers, community groups and other arts organizations.

Film and video, and its related expressions in writing and advanced technologies are the core of our mission - to educate Oregonians about this art form and engage in relevant community development to support independent filmmaking in Oregon.

Film Action Oregon focuses on the following goals: educating emerging filmmakers, supporting working artists, and engaging diverse audiences at the Hollywood Theatre which FAO owns and operates.

Tonight at Sunset!

Tickets are $15 at the door.
Also appearing: Down Here and Jason Gray