Missing Kona...

I should start by unequivocally stating that 'missing Kona' does not imply that I am considering replacing Kona!

But, yes, I have to concede that Kona was a great dog. When I came across this photo of Webb putting socks on Kona, it did make me quite nostalgic.

Our first dog, Torrey, also turned out to be a winner of a family pet only that was after 2 intense years of surviving Torrey's puppy stages. But Kona was pretty great from the get-go.

Australian Shepherds are known as a very smart breed and I always thought Kona was a little too smart for our crew of amateurs. We flew by the seat of our pants in our knowledge and acumen as pet owners.

The 'dog experts' were actually our neighbors and I think they liked Kona more than they liked us! In truth, Kona may have saved the neighbors from procuring their own family pet since Kona was around to entertain their kids. I'm not sure if I bought their line about being on a waiting list for Bernese mountain dogs! 10 years later and that is one long waiting list!

But, back to Kona: Kona was steadfast. You could count on Kona. Her temperament was generally always good spirited. In fact, it was so unlike Kona to not happily greet us that her lethargy was the first clue something was wrong. Yes, Kona you are missed by a someone who isn't really into the whole pet drill. And that is saying A LOT!

Paige's New Crib...

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and

narrow-mindedness." -Mark Twain

Paige is enroute to her new digs at 27 Palace Court in London. She'll join a crew of BYU students for Winter Semester Study Abroad in England. I am very jealous!

The experiences I had during my BYU Study Abroad in Vienna, Austria definitely influenced my life. I have wonderful memories from traveling abroad as a student and my nostalgia has me very excited for Paige.

Traveling abroad is a great teacher; one of the best! While Paige is learning all about London she'll definitely discover things about herself as well.

As Paige embraces the UK culture she'll likely become an avid anglophile. Who could live in England and not fall in love with the Tube, Jane Austen, the Beatles, Shakespeare, Oxford, Dickens, C.S. Lewis, and Harrods, just to name a few. I'm definitely planning to vicariously enjoy her adventures!

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford." -Samuel Johnson

Reality Bites....

A safe return home always feels good, until the reality sets in that the vacation is truly over.

Preparing before a trip is busy but the anticipation awaits. After the trip, there is plenty of catching up and no looming excitement.

Just lots of mail to open, luggage to unload, laundry to sort, and meals to fix. And, with the holidays winding down there are Christmas lights and decorations waiting to be boxed up.

Those hammocks that were so plentiful in the Caribbean seem awfully far away today! Those naps we took on the tramp at the bow of the boat were a luxury indeed!

Homeward Bound....

From dawn to dusk, yesterday was all encompassed by travel. It always surprises me that I feel tired traveling when I basically do nothing all day but wait at airports and sit on airplanes.

Our most exciting leg of the trip was our Cape Air flight from Tortola to Puerto Rico. We were wondering why they asked each of us our weight when we checked in and then we learned that the plane was tiny! The smallest I've flown in with just 8 passenger seats.

Webb was placed in the co-pilot seat, his knees were touching the controls. In the air we had an incredible view of the Caribbean Islands. Quite a rush!

Before that flight, at 6 am, Paige noticed a celebrity in our midst at the nearly empty Tortola airport: Morgan Freeman. He was tall, thin, and regal looking in person, even with his denim shirt and khaki's soaking wet from a morning rain we were all caught in. It was nice to see the casual crowd notice him but leave him alone, nobody was bugging him for autographs, etc.

The British Virgin Islands were definitely a memorable holiday vacation! And reality starts up again today!

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life for Brent...

"Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirates Life for Brent!" - a K2 version of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean theme song

The marauding, pillaging, and ravaging antics of pirate scoundrels doesn't quite fit, but the sailing part of a pirate's life would be perfect for Brent. He loves to sail! And, he's quite the nautical guy, hoisting the jib, rigging the mast, tacking to the left, tacking to the right, etc.

Half the fun of this vacation is watching Brent's excitement every time he's at the boat's helm.

Yesterday we left the Bitter End with Trellis Bay in Tortola as our final destination but we stopped at the Dog Islands for some snorkeling along the way. In Tortola we found a marginal place to go running, actually in a mango orchard, so at least it smelled nice. Our hope of finding nice souvenirs didn't pan out very well. I think the US Virgin Islands might cater more to shoppers.

Our evening at the The Tamarind Club in Josiah Bay was a fun last family dinner together. By tonight we'll all be off to different cities: Palo Alto for Andie, LA for Webb, London (in 2 days) for Paige, and Los Gatos for the parentals. The food was good but our waitress was cantankerous (nothing like our favorite chef, Kenetha).

It's sad to become so close to our boating buddies, Kenetha (aka Kay) and Tery (yes, that is how he spells it) and realize that our paths in life are unlikely to cross again. They've been wonderful hosts! In fact, we could never have done it without them! All hail, Pirate Brent (generous Dad/Spouse), Skipper Tery, and 5 Star Island Chef Kenetha!

New Year's Caribbean Style!

"Ringing in the New Year,

With Old Jamaican Ginger Beer!" -K2

"Boat Hopping" is one popular New Year's Eve tradition in the Caribbean. But we're not sure if our boat, My Ann, had visitors last night since we went to check out the celebrations at the Bitter End Yacht Club.

On Friday morning it was a lengthy sail from Peter Island to the Bitter End. Brent was in heaven; he's particularly resistant to using the boat's motor. Pure sailing adds time and makes the ride more daunting for the prone-to-seasickness-crowd (or, the rest of us) but we've all decided to humor Brent and let him have his fun. After all, he did get stung by a jellyfish!

We found another winner hike in Bitter End called "Guy's Trail" recommended to us by the physiologist triathlete New Yorker we met earlier in the week. At the top we had great views of surrounding islands. We spent the afternoon swimming, snorkeling, shopping, etc.

Our delicious dinner was holiday worthy as well! Kay's been a wonderful cook and we'll certainly miss hearing her menu descriptions and calling us all "darling." I love getting Kay talking about her daughter, Kayla, and seeing her pride in being a mom.

After our New Year's Eve Feast we pulled out the best attire we'd brought on the boat (Andie wins for bringing the dressiest) and went ashore in search of the nightlife. It was great people watching, a live Caribbean band with everyone from little kids in preppy outfits to the old folks, dancing it up.

It's been hard to focus on any new year's resolutions on vacation so I think my 2011 goals are going to have to wait until I'm back in the states. Anything I might resolve while traveling in this "it's all good" atmosphere might not be quite up to snuff.

A Series of Unfortunate Events...

"Each little clam here, Know how to jam here, Under the sea.

Each little slug here, Cuttin' a rug here, Under the sea.

Each little snail here, Know how to wail here.

That's why it's hotter, Under the water,

Ya we in da luck here, Down in the muck here, Under the sea!"

-sung by Sebastian in The Little Mermaid.

Well, today is New Year's Eve and I'm pretty sure our party style will be a little more subdued than most tourists.

I've never been much for raucous celebrations and after our adventures yesterday I'm just glad we're all alive and kicking to see 2011 roll in!

Actually that's a little dramatic, but we did happen to have some run-ins with our "under the sea" creatures yesterday. After a gorgeous morning hike around Peter Island we settled in to spend the afternoon on Dead Man's Bay. Yes, that's an ironic name for the location of our little incidents.

First, we rented a small Hobie and Brent and Webb tested their sailing skills. Then, while Paige had a sailing lesson, Andie and I were relaxing with the Peter Island Resort crowd. When Brent rented a stand up paddle board, Paige, Webb and I went kayaking. But, while Webb was snorkeling near a big reef I had a harebrained idea that we could relax our arms if we got closer to the rocks to rest a bit.

Unfortunately, my rowing prowess is more about canoeing in lakes and it didn't take long in the rough waters for Paige and I to bash up onto a rocky reef and sport some bloody leg scratches. Then, for my 2nd bad decision I tried not to lose our kayak but in the attempt I ended up with sea urchin stings all over my hands and feet! Although I did save the kayak (fwiw!).

Meanwhile, Andie summoned Brent to our folly and his rescue efforts to swim toward us was thwarted by a jelly fish sting to his arm. Ouch! As Andie described it; it was just plain one series of unfortunate events!

Luckily, Brent's sting wasn't severe enough to cause any paralysis! Phew! Although he had a miserable night trying to get any sleep. And I learned that one way to alleviate my pain is to pee on the sea urchin stings although I didn't feel that desperate. But our skipper Terry had to extricate about 7 sea urchin spines from my hands and feet. What a guy!

Happily, Webb saw lots of cool things snorkeling by the reef so the rough waters didn't spoil everything. And we're all on the mend and no worse for the wear. But, I do think the Disney Little Mermaid movie needs a disclaimer: these "Under the Sea" creatures are not are as friendly as they are portrayed! Who knew there were such dangers lurking down under!

"No Bad Days...in the BVI!"

"No Bad Days. . . in the BVI!"

The positive affirmations are so plentiful in the British Virgin Islands that you almost start to believe the "No Bad Days" rhetoric. T-shirts and souvenirs all endorse the hype.

We bought a bumper sticker from the Perfect Pineapple Inn that reads: "Positive Is How I Live." Since most bumper stickers with "positive" usually reference HIV Aids, it's nice to find the slogans in the West Indies are all upbeat!

Yesterday we explored the island of Virgin Gorda which was named by Christopher Columbus who thought the shape looked like a fat woman lying on her back. The highlight of Virgin Gorda was The Baths National Park. The Baths and Devil's Bay were super cool. And the trails between the two take you hiking through boulders and tight spaces and wading through water and crashing waves. It's quite a rush! Especially for people like me who get a little claustrophobic. But I came and I conquered....loved it actually!

It was no small effort to order "virgin" drinks in Virgin Gorda. The waitress acted like leaving the alcohol out was impossible. With all the young families we've seen we can't be the first tourists to make such requests!

So far, the only trip casualty is Paige's Nano that got wet and appears dead, but, all in all, it was another great day in the British Virgin Islands!

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Clothes...No Problem!

The dress code in the British Islands is definitely casual (you could pitch up almost anywhere in a swimsuit). The general theme here is a "no problem" mentality...followed up with a "no hurry" policy (especially when ordering food).

The pace is pretty much slow and slower. No one is in a rush to be anywhere or to do anything.

Yesterday we hiked across the Jost Van Dyke Island over to The White Bay which is home to the Soggy Dollar Bar. Patrons at the Soggy Dollar were talking about a Gwyneth Paltrow appearance yesterday but even the news of celebrity sightings is shared with minimal excitement.

Listening to the beach crowd it seems the most enthusiasm comes in comparing notes about the local bars. For example, The Soggy Dollar Bar is renowned for a rum drink called The Painkiller. So, it's not really a scene I can relate to, but it's been interesting to observe.

One lady on the beach had seen us out running earlier and she told me it just depressed her. She'd said she thought of the islands as a vacation where you couldn't really get much exercise, only finding a whole family out running, spoiled that theory for her. Oops, didn't mean to ruin her trip!

It's true that exercise doesn't come easily. First, no one else exerts themselves much. And the islands are mountainous so running and hiking aren't for the faint of heart.

Yesterday we also did some kayaking and then set sail for Marina Cay. The sailing was rough; a pretty treacherous ride. Everyone got a little seasick except our skipper, Terry, and his self appointed first mate, Brent. Webb officially lost his lunch over the side of the boat but he was quite stoic about it, Andie was so nauseous she couldn't move out of her cabin (we're not sure why she stayed there in the first place), and I laid on the floor in the stern of the boat hoping the fresh air would help (it did, but I'm sure I wasn't a pretty sight).

It was a windy night so the boat was pretty bouncy most of the night. With the high winds I'm not sure what ideas Captain Terry has planned for today. But I'm certain the weather shouldn't be a 'problem', since nothing in these parts is a problem!

British Virgin Islanders...

After our redeye flight from San Francisco to Miami we flew to Puerto Rico and took a half hour shuttle flight to Tortola.

Terry, our skipper, and Kay, our cook, are an awesome team. The meals are so good that Paige keeps taking pictures of her food!

The Moorings company requests information before arrival to cater to special dietary requests or food allergies. They also asked for a ranking of interests (ie. snorkeling, diving, shopping, nightlife) and favorite drinks.

Kay told us they were really curious to meet us; they thought we were quite a mystery! At first Kay thought we sounded old (I guess for lots of young tourists it's all about the party scene and we requested no alcohol) but we sounded fit (we had noted that we'd like to find good spots on islands for running). She thought we might be Jewish but we hadn't listed that we were kosher. Basically Kay was a bit dumbfounded with what to expect.

I don't know if Kay and Terry have been pleasantly surprised that we aren't old geezers (well, 3 of us anyway - maybe Brent and I fit their image of old) or disappointed. They are much too polite to reveal if they think they are stuck spending the week with our goofy group. But they did seem relieved to learn that we are Christian although they aren't familiar with Mormons so we'd better set a good example.

On Sunday we sailed from Tortola to Norman Island and anchored for the night. Monday morning we went hiking/running on Norman Island and Terry set us up with snorkeling gear to explore around these cool caves in Great Harbor. We sailed slowly (not much wind) up to Jost Van Dyke Island on Monday afternoon and checked out the famous Foxy's Bar. But the Conch Fritter Appetizers at Foxy's paled in comparison to Kay's spicy cooking.

The first night our boat, named "My Ann," was parked next to T. Willy's, a boat that is actually a party bar, so we listened to entertainment late into the night. Apparently Andie captured some of the wild and crazy nightlife on video! Last night was a little more subdued. Webb impressed us with his magic tricks and we played Crazy Eights, BS, and California Speed. Paige was the reigning card champ for the night but she'll likely have to defend that title in the upcoming days.

No Worries, Mon!

"No Worries, Mon!" - John Keyes

We're off on an adventure unlike anything the Knudsen bunch has done before. We've charted a boat with The Moorings to go sailing in the British Virgin Islands.

In addition to the 5 Knudsens, a Captain and a Cook accompany us. So it seems I've been replaced for the week. Since the meals will be prepared by the Chef and the homefront (or, boatfront) duties are the Captain's responsibility, I'm not sure what I'll do with myself all week. Maybe eat, sleep, read, swim, snorkel, shop, and possibly even learn to sail!

This could be my last blog post until we return since we might not have internet. However, since most (maybe 99 %) of my blog readers will be cruising the islands with me, the interruption won't likely be noticed a bit.

The classic line was emailed to Brent a few days before our departure. Brent's been asking The Moorings all the questions we throw out like, 'Is there electrical power for blow dryers?' and 'What size suitcases?' packing questions, yada, yada. Finally, after several email exchanges Brent asked about the forecast and the potential for rain. John Keyes wrote back encouraging us to relax, it's all good, and closed with "No worries, Mon!"

Yes, the laid back, laissez faire, island lifestyle could be good for this uptight Silicon Valley family! We'll probably return all ready to just "chill" in 2011!

Merry Christmas!

"what is christmas?

it is tenderness for the past,

courage for the present,

hope for the future.

it's a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace." - agnes m. pharo

Removing Christ from Christmas...

Stealing Baby Jesus from nativity displays has almost become an ancillary part of Christmas traditions. Every year there are widespread reports of Baby Jesus theft.

I think most Baby Jesus disappearances are likely just pranks by teenagers but some think it's done by people with an anti-Christian agenda, a blatant "taking the Christ out of Christmas" theft.

But it's also possible that completely innocent reasons are behind a missing Baby Jesus. Consider the following (not true) but touching story from an episode of the old TV series, Dragnet.

Sergeant Friday is investigating the theft of a Baby Jesus from a church nativity display on Christmas Eve. When he is unable to solve the crime, Sergeant Friday tells the priest that Mass will have to be celebrated without the Baby Jesus.

But the figurine is restored when a boy arrives with it in a wagon. He tells the officers that he vowed that if he got a wagon for Christmas, Baby Jesus would have the first ride.

Hopefully many Baby Jesus figures that disappear are off on adventures that bring the theft culprits closer to Christ. After all, that's kind of the reason for the season! Merry Christmas!

Positive Psychology for any Holiday Blues!

"The four things that help people be and remain happy even during the holidays are: good relationships, meaning in life, gratitude, and goals." -Trish Henrie

The holidays can definitely be a stressful time and many Americans have a hard time coping with the pressures of gift giving, the lack of time, or lack of money.

Professor Trish Henrie believes that positive principles like focusing on strengths instead of weakness, building the best things in life instead of repairing the worst, and paying attention to the things that contribute to human health instead of healing wounds and focusing on sickness, can lessen stress and increase well-being.

Positive psychology techniques can help us cope with difficult people (from store clerks to relatives), learn how to forgive our parents or siblings, and to be happy for what we have during the busy holiday season.

I've always believed in focusing on the positive over the negative so Professor Henrie's principles make sense to me. In fact, those 4 things that help keep us happy over the holidays are pretty much the same things that keep most of us content in life generally: relationships, meaning, gratitude, and goals. I'll toast to all 4!

The Christmas Giving Tree...

"While we try to teach children all about life,

children teach us what life is all about." -Angela Schwindt

The excitement of children during the holidays is often contagious. It's hard to be a grinch when kids around me get caught up in the spirit of giving. Consider the following (true) story:

For several years our ward has sponsored a "Giving Tree" where the ornaments are tags with specific gift requests for underprivileged families. Ward members can look at the ornaments and decided whether they'd like to take home the tag to shop for a chemistry set for a 12 year old boy, crazy socks for a teenage girl, or toys for 4 year old twins, etc.

So, we take an ornament tag and return the following week putting the gift under the same tree.

On Sunday, Connor Holland noticed about 8 ornaments still left on the tree - even though our "Giving Tree" drive had officially ended last week. Connor pointed out to Julie that if they didn't take those 8 tags and buy those presents, some kids weren't going to get anything for Christmas!

How can you turn down a kid like Connor? He can be pretty persuasive! So, on Monday, Julie and Connor went shopping for all those tags from the giving tree that nobody took. Connor wants to make sure all those children have presents to open.

Connor's giving spirit and Julie's generosity makes me want to be more charitable. I have to confess that I walked right by the giving tree and didn't even notice that some of the ornaments were still up, waiting to be noticed. Sometimes it takes a child to see the things adults might overlook!

The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease...

The Laundry Moratorium is over! Whew!

My incessant complaining finally resulted in a washing machine repair! Two weeks later. My daily phone calls were probably annoying but sometimes you have to keep bugging people until someone will help you, just to be rid of you.

Although, I felt justified in my frustration. A state-of-the-art 2010 washing machine should not break down in the first year. Even if Brent's comments about our washing machine getting more use in 1 year than some get in 10 years are true. Still, it's basically a new appliance, even if it's used frequently.

When the Best Buy estimate on getting the necessary part changed from 10 days to a whopping January 15th date I was livid. The words "it's on back order" are akin to cursing! I can't survive for a month without a washing machine, especially over the holidays.

With Best Buy giving me the run around, I went from the retailer straight to the manufacturer. Samsung was initially reluctant to get involved but I can be relentless. Which paid off because the Samsung repairman was 100% better than the guy Best Buy sent last week.

And, lo and behold, the mysterious back ordered part was located and installed yesterday. We have clean clothes once again. And, as I told Paige, it's like Christmas came 5 days early for me this year! The Laundry Fairy is back in business!

Christmas Worship Through Music...

"Music is truly the universal language, and when it is excellently expressed how deeply it moves our souls." -President David O. McKay

Paige was the lucky Knudsen that scored tickets to the "David Archuleta & the Mormon Tabernacle Choir" Concert in Salt Lake last Thursday night.

Since it was a free concert the church tried a lottery to distribute tickets fairly. But there were over a million email requests and only 3 performances at the Conference Center with a 21,000 seating capacity. So Paige truly was very lucky! Just one nice benefit of having great friends like Mike & Linda Dunn with connections!

Yesterday our Sacrament Meeting service was like a Christmas Concert of sorts and while we didn't have any American Idol stars or the MoTab, we still had our own star-studded cast of local ward celebrities! Our ward concert was also free, no ticket lottery needed (wouldn't Bishop Knudsen love to have that problem).

Seriously, I really enjoyed our home ward Christmas program. With Kate Finlayson's funeral I couldn't make the Salt Lake concert so I'm glad a didn't miss our Los Gatos Ward Christmas Program. There is something about music to bring the spirit and then something additionally special about Christmas music.

While Tom Lugaresi isn't quite Lloyd Newall, Tom was sporting a nice black tux to narrate the program. And Paige didn't think the ward choir rendition of "Joy to the World" was quite as powerful as David Archuleta's version. But David Archuleta had MoTab back up vocals and the ward choir had our congregation joining them. Major difference there. So we might be a little more scruffy than the professionals but music is still a great way to worship. Especially at Christmastime!

"When we rejoice in beautiful scenery, great art, and great music, it is but the flexing of instincts acquired in another place and another time." -Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, May 1984

The Poet suffers Writer's Block...

The Poet Is Told To Fill Up More Pages

by Mary Oliver

But, where are the words?

Not in my pocket.

Not in the refrigerator.

Not in my savings account.

So, I sit, harassed, with my notebook.

It's a joke, really, and not a good one.

For fun I try a few commands myself.

I say to the rain, stop raining.

I say to the sun, that isn't anywhere nearby,

Come back, and come fast.

Nothing happens.

So this is all I can give you.

not being the maker of what I do,

but only the one that holds the pencil.

Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Make of it what you will.

Ice & Snow! Take it Slow!

Paige and I were so efficient on Friday. We loaded some of her school stuff into a storage locker, filled Bella with the rest and hit the road.

We smugly thought we had made it out of town before a big storm hits Utah today. And driving was a breeze but only until Wendover.

After that it was risky all the way. "All the way" unfortunately doesn't mean we made it home to Los Gatos. Not even close.

The snow and low visibility kept most cars (us included) creeping along at 20 miles an hour. Trust me, it takes a long time to get very far at that speed.

Safety trumped desire and as much as we wanted to keep cruising onward we hunkered down in a Comfort Suites for the night. Which leaves the rest of the journey ahead of us today. After a night of steady snowfall. Yikes!

We're heading out asap and hoping we can get to and over Donner Pass before any road closures. Our mantra for the day is definitely a "Slow and Steady" mindset!

The Story of Kate. . .

"Yes. I do have a lot of pain. But I try to cover it up with love." -Kate Finlayson

Peter Finlayson shared the quote above at the memorial service for his 26 year old little sister Kathryn Finlayson. Kate's comment was in response to her family asking about her pain during the health decline during these last 18 months of Kate's life. Managing the excruciating pain was an ongoing challenge.

It's exactly the kind of statement you'd expect from Kate. She was all about love! "Kate" and "Love" seem to go hand in hand. Kate's service yesterday in Danville was packed. People came from every stage of the Finlayson family's life (Stanford, Boston, Washington, D. C., Japan, Phoenix). Kate has inspired people all over the world!

Despite Kate's adversity with health challenges she was kind, she was loving, and apparently, she never complained.

For me, Kate will always be "Baby Kate"; the most beautiful one and and half pound baby I'd ever seen. When baby Kate arrived 4 months early every day brought medical miracles. Kate showed her fighting spirit from her 1st breath.

Looking back on those days it occurs to me now that Grant and Pam (all of us) were just kids. Kids having kids! But there was something about Pam, even that young, that took a mother's devotion to a new level. Pam was extraordinary. It's hard to convey the respect and admiration I had for Pam during our mutual Boston years. Pam's friendship was/is a treasured gift.

The entire Finlayson family is exemplary. Kate's perseverance, Pam's devotion, Grant's patience, and the tender hearted brothers, Peter and Sam. They're all impressive on every front.

Kate's funeral service touched my heart. Her mortal journey was shorter than most but her impact on others was great. Since we all experience various forms of pain, imagine a world where we all tried to cover up our pain with love. Like Kate did. The thought alone brightens my day.

So, that's just a tiny glimpse of The Story of Kate! Sweet Baby Kate!