Week 3: A taste of winter and snowshoeing

After spending the last part of our 2nd week and into the weekend battling colds, Laura and I were determined to get out and explore at the end of week 3.  However, our chances looked bleak as Lynden and the surrounding area got hit with a mid-west style snowstorm this last week.  Amazingly, the Korthuis' kids (we are staying with their parents) got the ENTIRE WEEK off from school (as such, the kids, along with Robin, were home much of the week, and Laura was able to hang out with them, while also getting to know the family better...change of pace for Laura who has spent much of her time catching up on "me" time and reading).  We (Laura and me) dreamed of such a scenario when we were their age.  But they got lucky - Washington handles winter weather a bit differently.  Normally, only the mountains get much snow, so in Lynden they are panicked when they get more than about 5 days of snow, with a total accumulation of about 6-7 inches.  During this storm they got wind chills in the single digits (unheard of around here), 8-10 inches of snow over 2 days, which then drifted with 20-35 mph winds (they call it a "noreaster"), followed by freezing rain.  Most everything, with exception of the clinic and few other businesses, closed!  Fortunately for Laura and me the weather pattern moved out, allowing us a near perfect day of snowshoeing on Mnt. Baker.

I think Laura may have had a little too much time on her hands this week, as I returned from the clinic on Friday night to find the following in our bathroom.  Have you heard of "Pinterest?"  Laura has gotten some awesome recipes, ideas for a future home, and random other items as showcased by this pic...

A quick overview of the clinic - I am continuing to learn on a daily basis from Steve, as well as the other staff and therapists.  Steve has formed a very well respected practice in Lynden, and as such, has a wealth of knowledge on business, customer relations and value vs. quality.  I am extremely grateful to be learning from him, as well as getting a first hand look at how he is implementing his words into actions on a daily basis.  The other really neat aspect, which I have mentioned to Laura repeatedly, is that every day I get to discuss my faith or how faith intertwines into every aspect of our lives.  Lynden, as mentioned in previous posts, is a small, Dutch community, with a "reformed" heritage.  As such, even though Lynden is located in Washington state, which is said to be one of the least "churched" states in the country, most everyone in town is very open about their faith.  I am constantly hearing stories from my patients on how God is working in their lives, or how they are amazed at the intricacies of the human body and creation, or.....  This is rare in healthcare, and a nice change for me to be experiencing.
(Side note: it is encouraged at LFPT to be a "shining light" as a staff member. The idea is to be "shining His light," and, if another staff member wants to recognize an exceptional effort on behalf of another staff member then they are awarded a "shining light."  In other words, faith in action as God does not need our good works but our neighbor does!)

After our "taste of winter" during the week we decided this weekend would be a great opportunity to play in the fresh powder on Mnt. Baker.  (Mnt. Baker got 78 inches of fresh powder from this last week's storm, adding to their already impressive base...they currently have one of the deepest snow bases in North America!)  After renting snowshoes from REI, which I might add is dangerous having a really nice REI so close with such awesome outdoor items, we headed for the mountain.  Surprisingly, the base of Baker is only about 3500 ft. with the summit reaching just over 10,000 ft.  However, they get an immense amount of snow per season.  This makes for great winter recreation.  Laura and I got the scoop on trails for snowshoeing and spent 3+ hrs. hiking around the mountain.  Unfortunately, falling snow and thick cloud cover kept us from getting some good views of the summit; however, this is merely an excuse to return on a sunnier day :)  Below are some pics...

We continue to enjoy our time in the northwest, in case you cannot tell.  There is still much left "undone" on our list, and we look forward to sharing it with you in the weeks to come.  Hopefully, our weather will begin to cooperate in order to allow us to complete a better portion of our "northwest bucket list."  We continue to pray for God's blessings for all of our families and friends - just as our lives have changed much over the last weeks and months we also know the new year has brought new challenges and changes to many of you.  Thanks for your encouragement and your prayers.

More to come... :)

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever!  Psalm 118:24, 29

Week 2: part 2

Top left: This is a picture from the corner of our apartment, looking toward the kitchen and through that door is the staircase outside. To the left of the bike is a couch and coffee table and to the right from where this picture is taken is a dining area, with a high top table (that I love).


Bottom left: This is a shot back at our little bedroom area. To the right of this is the restroom door, and to the left of where I am standing is a large cabinet space that we are using as a catch-all.



So...now that you have that visual....imagine looking out every window and seeing snow covered mountains. Yep, this is my reality, and it is amazing!!! There is rarely a time that I look outside and feel sad, especially when I am used to looking out my window and seeing a parking lot and/or corn. Since being here, Joel and I have been able to experience many of the exciting opportunities that this area of the country has to offer, and we have not even scratched the surface!

Admittedly, I was a little nervous coming to Washington for 10 weeks, as I had heard about the rain and the "grey days". I tend to struggle, as so many seem to, during those weeks of endless cloud-cover. Let me tell you...Michigan has this place beat! The dreary days here pale in comparison, and I have no worries about the rain either, as it is not a constant occurrence. I never thought I would say this, but I would take rain over snow any day! Needless to say, I am one happy camper...

Side note: Joel and I got a library card the first week we were here, best thing we ever did (outside of getting marred...aww). Never underestimate your local library :)

The view from the backyard, sunrise this past Thursday...ah! :) If I would have waited 10 minutes, the entire sky glowed pink!

This past week proved to be a bit of a challenge. I now know what all of the business in Lynden are... and I know which of those businesses are hiring and those that are not hiring. None of them are, "...at this time, but please fill out an application and we will keep you in mind". This was not quite what Joel and I had hoped for (plan A), but I am enjoying my free time and thankful for a bit of a respite (plan B). One benefit of this time is I am trying some new recipes and since Joel and I have been trying to eat healthier I have even attempted to be creative. The other part of this past week that was a bit of a downer was Joel getting a sinus cold. Not fun. He is fighting it like a champ, but I know it is annoying because it is putting a damper on his training. Hopefully, he is on the upside, as he seems to be feeling better today. Yay for over the counter medicine, sleep, and airbourne!

Side note: I made lentil soup for the first time this week...success!


I can not end this update without addressing Joel's comments about my observations about the lovely people of Washington. However, I must first let you know that I am entirely aware that these are gross generalizations...and, as Joel so politely states, "Laura, you have an issue with hyperbole". My first comment/observation was, "everyone in Washington has a dog". Now, what makes this interesting is that Joel and I are slightly obsessed at this point in our lives with having a dog. We are itching to settle somewhere so that we can get one. This being said, my comment was perhaps more out of jealously than out of observed factual evidence. But seriously, a ton of people have dogs here :)


The second comment/observation was, "everyone has the same 'look' in regards to their clothing". Now, obviously this can not be true and again this observation was again stated somewhat out of jealousy. My comment was based on the fact that the people that I noticed all seemed to have a comfy/sophisticated/outdoorsy appearance. I would also have to imagine that if Urban Outfitters, met Eddie Bauer, met REI...that would be "the look" of Washington. And if I could redo my wardrobe this would be my "look" as well :) 

Stay tuned and thanks for reading thus far...much love to our families and friends that we think about often.


Oh and GO BRONCOS!

Week 2 Recap: Clinic overview and Bellingham Explorations

Week 1 in the clinic is in the books, and I'm happy to say things are going well.  Some of you may know that my last clinical rotation was busy (and that may be an understatement); however, my current clinical has a much different feel and focus, one which I happily accept.  I continue to be challenged in providing holistic care, while building relationships with my patients.  I'm finding transitions to be hard, as I am at my best with patients when I know who they are and what matters to them.  This is much harder to do when starting at a new clinic, but I'm up for the challenge.  It also never ceases to amaze me that even though the anatomy and foundation of PT never changes, the exercises, exams and evals, perspectives and treatment approaches differ widely from clinic to clinic.  Confusing to say the least, but also nice to have a different perspective on treatment and care approaches.  The other "bonus" about this affiliation is the opportunity to learn more about private practice and the "in's" and "out's" of running a business.  My CI, Steve, has indicated he is willing to provide further mentorship to me on that front, and I am looking forward to learning more on the business side of the aisle.

Since coming to the NW I've had it in my mind that I am not going to take for granted the time Laura and I have while here.  To that end, Laura and I sat down this last week and made our "to do" list while here.  We're excited!!  (No, I cannot tell you what was on the list...that would ruin the point of coming back to the blog if you knew what our next "normal" was to be) This weekend was devoted to exploring our own "backyard" - Bellingham, WA is located about 12 miles to our south, and is the main city in Whatcom county.  It was incorporated in 1904, and has an awesome downtown just off of Bellingham Bay.  Here's your history lesson - "English Captain George Vancouver first explored the area in 1792 and named Bellingham Bay for Sir William Bellingham, Vancouver's British Navy provisioner" - you see A LOT of B.C. (British Columbia) license plates in and around Lynden/Bellingham.  The Canadian border is only 20 min. from Bellingham, and it turns out they love US retail and shopping, most notably, Trader Joe's and Costco.

First exploration was to Larrabee State Park and Whatcom Falls Park - both were AWESOME!  Trails abound everywhere around here, but both parks have an abundance of scenic and nature-esque trails.  Our hike at Larrabee took us over 5000+ ft of elevation gain in a little over 5 miles.  We weren't expecting to be hiking quite as much as we did, but could not pass up a view of Bellingham Bay and Fragrance Lake, a secluded lake a top Larrabee that can only be reached on foot.  It seemed as if we were in our own private rain forest as the day consisted of gray, misting fog.  However, the green growth and mossy trees "popped" so much more against a dull backdrop.  Pictures of both explorations follow:


Throughout the day Laura and I continue to notice two very distinct characteristics about the Washington state's population.  But...you'll have to read her post for more details...

Lastly, even though Whatcom county has the most churches per capita (Steve believes they actually may have the US record) only 2 LCMS churches are anywhere close to where we are, and 1 is a deaf ministries congregation.  That narrowed our choices.  (Note: most of the churches around Lynden and Bellingham are 'reformed,' and as such there are 5-6 varieties of the same church...i.e. "First Christian Reformed Church," "Christian Reformed Church" and the "Reformed Church of Christ" - too confusing for me)  We attended Trinity Lutheran in Bellingham, and, through a connection at LFPT (Lynden Family PT), already have felt welcomed by the ministry staff.  It's a smaller church with an "A" frame design.  Why that is important is because nearly half of the churches Laura and I have seen in and around Lynden have an "A" frame design.  I have no idea if it is an architectural fad or something else, but it definitely is a popular design.

Stay tuned in the coming days for an update from Laura, as well as more pics and stories.  Also, if you have a question or comment feel free to drop us a line at the bottom of the blog.  We'd love to hear from you!