BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER

my bestest friend forever, abbi k. (http://www.churchoftheundignfied.com/, http://www.simplyphotography.us/), her lovely husband, benji, and sweet baby boy, sam, gave us this magnet (among other things) for xmas.
Christ have mercy on Your church! Forgive us for making the Good News about attraction, comfort, and tradition. Come quickly Lord Jesus....

XMAS EVE SERMON

here is my sermon for Christmas eve...if you go to Aurora, don't cheat and read it. ;) Peace to you...and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

WELCOME HOME
ACN – 12.24.06 – B. HULL SOMERS


Luke 2:1-39

When my brother and I were still very young – I think Dean was five and I was six - our older brother, L.D., went away to college. It was awful…our little kindergarten and first grade minds and hearts could not understand someone leaving us like that. There were tears as we watched the plane disappear into the cloudy day at SeaTac. Even though he was faithful to write us letters from the east coast and then from around the globe, we missed him.
It caused quite a stir in our classes at school as well…one kindergartner in Dean’s class came home and declared to her mother that she was never going to college. When asked why she replied because you have to go far away and you can’t come home until Christmas!
It was hard to have him leave, but – as with anything that you cannot change – we got used to it. The excitement came, however, when it was time for him to come home. We would prepare as though a celebrity was coming into town. My mother went out and bought huge reams of paper and markers so big and pungent that you lost brain cells just opening them. We made signs and would spend hours on them, drawing and writing and getting marker all over our little fingers – WELCOME HOME L.D….with flowers by me and army guys or basketball players drawn by Dean….then we would hang one of the signs on our garage so that when we came down the driveway he saw it….and we would take one with us so that when he got off the plane, he was greeted with style.
Now this was WAY WAY WAY before 9/11 so we could go all the way to the gate to greet him when he came back from that other, strange country called Boston. When he got off the plane he would see the sign, come toward home, and be enveloped in his family’s love.
There is something about welcome signs that are an invitation – they are a declaration of hospitality…just in case you didn’t know you are WELCOME here...you are HOME here…come in…you are loved…we are glad to see you!
As I was reflecting on this text this week I kept thinking of how we could be a welcome sign for Christ…I was thinking about how smart I was and what a great and interesting perspective it would be for our Scripture this morning…
Then God woke me up at 4 a.m. on Wednesday morning with another idea. Don’t you love it when He does that? Couldn’t He have told me this some other time???
But honestly, God wants our attention so He waits for when He can get it and for some of us – busy as we are – it has to be awakened from slumber.
So here I was at 4 a.m. – not sleeping – and God said…about the sermon…no no no…it is not about EARTH giving a welcome home sign for heaven…it is about HEAVEN putting up a welcome home sign to earth. Those angels who were rejoicing and telling of my arrival were not welcoming ME – I own this place…I created this place and everything in it…they were welcoming YOU unto me.
The angels were welcoming humanity to salvation. The angels were inviting people to experience LIFE in me…they were declaring WELCOME HOME fallen world…your salvation has come. He is here….His name is Jesus.
Throughout this text we see, through the account of Christ’s humble birth, people experiencing the welcome home of Christ. First it was Mary and Joseph…who were, no doubt, still shell shocked by the whole ordeal. They were the first to experience the presence of God in flesh. God had prepared them, but no one can be truly prepared to welcome the Most High like that. How awesome and exciting and scary and confusing it must have felt for them…but how hopeful to look in His face and see the eyes of the Ancient of Days who would save them.
Then it was the shepherds – their welcome home sign was written across the sky by a thousand angels – immediately declaring to them and to the world that this Savior is for ALL people – all walks of life…not just for the rich, the theologically astute, or the socially important…but unto YOU salvation has been born this day…He will be the great shepherd of the sheep…and you will be His sheep and because of Him, you will have hope.
Then it was old and respected Simeon – who was full of the Holy Spirit and moved by the Holy Spirit…unto whom God had promised would see the Messiah before He died…who then prophesied over Jesus. Saying – THIS is the One. This is the One who will be Life and redemption for both the Gentiles and Israel.
And finally in our text this morning, Anna – a faithful woman of God whose life’s purpose was to praise God – who fasted, prayed and praised all day every day….she immediately recognized God in the flesh and did what she did best – PRAISED GOD for His goodness…
All of these experienced the welcome home of Christ…they were amongst the first to encounter Him and SEE Him for who He is…it is beautiful to see so many different perspectives and ways of encountering Christ and yet all with the same end – praise and thanksgiving…and recognition of the Gift.
This morning as we celebrate His birth we experience again the welcome home…we feel the invitation…we feel, although we may fear to believe, that we are loved, that we are welcome somewhere…that we are family, that we are home…in Him.
Some of us this morning, however, are tempted to not embrace this invitation. Why is it that during holiday times when we are supposed to be celebrating that so many of us are tempted toward feelings of sadness? The enemy is working overtime to try and steal our joy, steal the recognition of the GOODNESS of God and we fall into that trap. The blessing that is in your bulletin this morning speaks to common feelings of frustration, negativity and loneliness during this season…of how even in these happy times we are tempted to focus on the things that are going wrong in our lives.
It is from a prayer book called, Kneeling in Bethlehem by Ann Weems and it reads, “Not Celebrate? Your burden is too great to bear? Your loneliness is intensified during this Christmas season? Your tears seem to have no end? Not celebrate? You should lead the celebration! You should run through the streets to ring the bells and sing the loudest! You should fling the tinsel on the tree, and open your house to your neighbors, and call them in to dance! For it you above all others who know the joy of Advent. It is unto YOU that a Savior is born this day, One who comes to lift your burden from your shoulders, One who comes to wipe the tears from your eyes. You are not alone, for He is born this day to YOU.”
Do not be tempted to focus on your brokenness – but instead, this morning, this year, embrace your salvation. Know that He is born to YOU this day…to the grandmas and the grandpas, to the singles, to the divorcees, to the moms and dads, to the children and grandchildren, to the widows and widowers, to the college students and teenagers, to YOU.
This is our promise. In Christ we have salvation. For He came…born in a lowly manger, immediately inviting people into hope….he came to live, to minister, to heal, and to sacrifice Himself so that we might have life. For although we are celebrating the birth of Life today, as Christians - we are always Easter people. We proclaim that He is our salvation because He took on our sin, our grief, and everything else that keeps us far from God and He died….He died to conquer death and rose again the third day. We are Easter people full of the promise of the resurrected Christ…today celebrating that He came to set us free.
So as you hear those familiar words in the next couple of days – Merry Christmas – let your heart soar…know that as you hear those words, they are a declaration that you are invited to share life with the One who formed you from the clay. Remember as you hear that phrase what it means to celebrate the coming of the Messiah…it changes everything – it changes you…it makes all things continually new and it is offered to you every day – every hour…as often as you need it SALVATION IS HERE and His name is Jesus.
Jesus Christ came in the flesh to welcome us into Life…that night, with the star and the angels and the shepherds…it was not a welcome from earth toward heaven but an invitation straight from HEAVEN for us.
This morning you may not see a host of angels singing Glory to God in the Highest, you may not go home to see a sign on your garage, but know that – in Christ – you are welcomed, invited, and loved. Welcome Home.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.


BENEDICTION: THE PRAYER OF MARY….OF AN OPEN AND WILLING HEART TO RECEIVE CHRIST…MAY IT BE OUR PRAYER TODAY.
LUKE 1:47-55

CELEBRATE!

Not Celebrate? Your burden is too great to bear? Your loneliness is intensified during this Christmas season? Your tears seem to have no end? Not celebrate? You should lead the celebration! You should run through the streets to ring the bells and sing the loudest! You should fling the tinsel on the tree, and open your house to your neighbors, and call them in to dance! For it you above all others who know the joy of Advent. It is unto YOU that a Savior is born this day, One who comes to lift your burden from your shoulders, One who comes to wipe the tears from your eyes. You are not alone, for He is born this day to YOU! - from Kneeling in Bethlehem by Ann Weems

ADVENT

well...I'm waiting...what an appropriate time of year to be waiting...I am really getting into the spirit of Advent. Aurora is getting a new pastor soon...most likely I will be out of a job and back to wondering - but maybe - by God's grace - I won't have to wonder at all. And so I wait...

Here is a couple of verses that God has given me to pray into during this season:

These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens, no one can shut, and what He shuts, no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and not denied my name. -Revelation 3:7-8

I wait with expectation...

MONET

here is something beautiful for you...as we enter advent, remember to see the beauty in the seemingly normal circumsances of life - nativity bursts forth everywhere. peace to you...

Monet Refuses the Operation

Doctor, you say there are no halos
around the streetlights in Paris
and what I see is an aberration
caused by old age, an affliction.
I tell you it has taken me all my life
to arrive at the vision of gas lamps as angels,
to soften and blur and finally banish
the edges you regret I don’t see,
to learn that the line I called the horizon
does not exist and sky and water
so long apart, are the same state of being,
fifty-four years before I could see
Rouen Cathedral is built
of parallel shafts of sun
and now you want to restore
my youthful errors: fixed
notions of top and bottom,
the illusion of three-dimensional space,
wisteria separate
from the bridge it covers.
What can I say to convince you
the House of Parliament dissolves
night after night to become
the fluid dream of the Thames?
I will not return to a universe
of objects that don’t know each other,
as if islands were not the lost children
of one great continent the world
is flux, and light becomes what it touches,
becomes water, lilies on water,
becomes lilac and mauve and yellow
and white and cerulean lamps,
small fists passing sunlight
so quickly to one another
that it would take long, streaming hair
inside my brush to catch it.
To paint the speed of light!
Our weighed shapes, these verticals,
burn to mix with air
and change our bones, skin, clothes
to gases. Doctor, if you could see
how heaven pulls earth into its arms
and how infinitely the heart expands
to claim this world, blue vapor without end.
-Lisel Mueller

HOW I FEEL

have you ever seen an image and known that it is a picture of how you feel? this is how i feel...

THANKSGIVING FOR THE JOURNEY

All I can say to today is THANK YOU...in a whisper, in a kiss, in my tollhouse pie - thank you, thank you ,thank you, a thousand times thank you. I am overwhelmed with blessing...mystery and blessing, joy and uncertainty...this is my thanksgiving...

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

-Thomas Merton

TWENTY SOMETHING

i turned 29 this last week...30 is approaching like a freight train, due in 11 months from now...i feel like someone who has just been told something unbelievable - like they won the lottery (only not good like that)...and they just stare and say, "yeah right." i literally feel that way - yeah right...i'm NOT going to be 30. sure, my high school 10 year reunion was this summer, but i'm not good at math so that little number 10 doesn't scare me...but 30...30????? and yet, look at me borrowing trouble...maybe i won't ever be 30 at all....

hmmmm....i guess turning the big 3-0 wouldn't be that bad compared to the alternative.

FED UP

i'm fed up...with church as usual...

• i'm fed up with programs that consume so much time that the average lay person does not have the time for God to lead them into the ministry God wants them to do...
• i'm fed up with pastors so bereft of the Holy Spirit that they plagiarize from the pulpit rather than seeking God (and the leadership that affirms and supports their deciet)...
• i'm fed up with the same revolving door fights that stall us as Christians - which music to sing, whether the pastor wears a suit, whether we should draw people in the doors or go out the doors and MINISTER in the name of Christ Jesus, etc.
• i'm fed up with the way the church acts like a business - if you've done your time, you get the "promotion"...
• i'm fed up with the idolization of church tradition (i.e. we ALWAYS do this every year...)
• i'm fed up with creating little consumeristic Christians by making kids think that church is all about being attractional and not transformative...

i'm fed up...and yet i know that God loves His people and that God calls me to love them above myself...but God is doing a NEW THING and i want to be a part of it....maybe then i won't feel so fed up all the time...

ODD LIFE

do you know how it feels to have people look at you quizzically when you tell them what you do for a living...even if they've known you since you were a toddler (especially if they only knew you in high school or college or some other time in life that should be struck from the record)...that when they realize what you do they begin to watch what they say - start to try and put their non-cussing vocab forward and pretend...because they think that is what they are supposed to do with clergy...and then they will either push you away or tell you something that they would never tell any other normal person EVER even though they just met you...stuck between no one's friend and too much intimacy...stuck between avoided and confronted for answers...stuck between being expected to have the right answer every time for every situation and then being held accountable for every wrong that a person feels that God has dealt them...it is an odd life...this life of proclaiming the Good News. i didn't realize fully how much of me would have to die...has to still, continually die for me to do this...i have to be willing to be thought strange, be willing to be thought crazy or simple minded...be willing to listen when it is hard and have grace when pushed away....willing to do these things so that someone, anyone might know how deeply they are LOVED. this is a very odd life i lead...i pray every day for the grace to live it in a way that might bring glory...

A SERMON

hey y'all...i preached in oregon last weekend...if you want, you can listen to it: http://www.springfieldchurch.org/streaming.html click on October 8th

I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON

so...as the previous post suggests, i am now officially a "myspace" person. creepy, i know...i am probably too old, but deal with it.
one of the things that has been disturbing to me is tonight i decided to scare up some old friends to be my myspace "friends"....i went to all my schools and started checking out profiles...i ran into quite a few people that i know...er...knew...herein lies the disturbance to my soul...i saw myspace profiles of people that i have loved deeply - that i have lived in the same house with, that i have shared joys and sorrows with, that i have seen every day and been in community with....whom i don't even speak to anymore....
don't get me wrong, there were never any falling outs, just slow falling aways...i am very good at beginning in new places - sometimes too good....so good and so focused on the present that i forget the past. i don't think there is any excuse for that.
i hope that i can connect with all of my precious ones whom i have loved throughout the journey of my life...if myspace helps, hallelujah...regardless, i will try to remember in the future, to be more grounded in the past as i reach out to the unknown.

I GAVE IN

so...i guess i gave in to the myspace phenomenon...beau doesn't like that i log onto his sometimes - i thought we were supposed to share EVERYTHING!!!! one thing i promise: I WILL NOT DO A POUTY FACE PICTURE...for those of you who have been on myspace before, you know what i mean. ah well...say a prayer for me, hopefully it will not become too consuming. ;)

NEVER ENDING SAGA...UNTIL IT ENDS THAT IS...

i do a LOT of dishes...approximately twice as much as before i got married (go figure). now, don't interpret this as a critique of beau's dish washing prowess...he is at work all day and my schedule is "different." i don't HAVE to go to work at 6:30 a.m. and i get to go in WHEN i have work to do or a person to visit....then i get to be flexible and work on my sermons at home....so, it is only fair that i should do most of the dishes...
it is interesting though - every time i do the dishes, i feel such a compulsive sense of accomplishment and something akin to joy. even though, if i were to think for a moment, i would realize that there WILL be dishes in the sink again...and soon. and yet, somehow it does not get me down because - dog-gone-it...there are no dishes in the sink right now. i think this is how we are to be with our spiritual lives...as we constistently fall before the Father with our selfish hearts, half-truths, and short comings - we are cleansed and renewed....that does not mean that we will not fall short again, but it also does not mean we can wallow in the fact that we will - most likely fall short again, and soon. it gives us hope that we can be made whole as often as we encounter Christ....and a renewed passion to be further transformed into His image and not have to fall short in quite the same old ways...
there is an excellent book on dishes and various other forms of "women's work" - Kathleen Norris' Quotidian Mysteries - she explores what it means to do the dirty work of working out our salvations with fear and trembling...the little things that we do that may seem insignificant, but that can actually bring us deeper into relationship with Christ. check it out.

SASQUATCHES CAN'T READ

I may be the only Christian on the planet that has not read This Present Darkness. I have just read my first Peretti book - Monster. It was engaging and I particularly enjoyed it as a pacific northwest gal whose brother has an unnatural fixation on Bigfoot....do you know how many times I've had to hear the "proof" for their existence????? So...read it y'all (especially Dean)...and then take a hike (yikes!).

RAISE THE ROOF FOR ANCIENT LITERATURE

We are on our way to see the Dead Sea Scrolls at Pacific Science Center this evening...good times. We got free tickets that were sent to the church by a local Christian radio station...it is before the general public get to see them complete with a horsdeeevooorrss and a lecture (oh, nerdy fun - I LOVE IT!)...

UPDATE: We LOVED the exhibit - it is so amazing...if you live in Western WA, you have GOT to go...some of these texts have never left Israel before now. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. So so so cool...plus we got to go to the butterfly house and that is always beautiful...GO SEE THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS AT PACIFIC SCIENCE CENTER NOW...buy tickets and get directions: www.pacsci.org

THE REASONSI MARRIED HIM (that i never knew)...

...because when i am sad he forces me to smile and take a bike ride, because he is honest with me (truth sets us free), because he only gets cuter every day we are married, because he doesn't wake me up in the mornings when he wakes up (5:45!!!), because i learn more about who he is every day, because he is patient with me, because he encourages me and does not hold me to impossible standards but encourages me toward Godly ones...because waking up next to him will NEVER get old, because he loves to create....because he is a crazy fine dancer...because he makes me laugh out loud....because of all the things that i know and a million things that i will find out...

a witness

Marriage is crazy. No one ever says that....they smile with something like knowing in their eyes and say, "Are you excited? How wonderful..." (or some variation thereof). They never say that no matter how much you thought you knew this one that you have joined your life with, there WILL be things that are a suprise. Not awful suprises - just suprises....like that Beau was a hairy baby....these kinds of suprises. At least he doesn't scare me anymore. I was so used to living alone in this place that when all of a sudden there was another body around - in the kitchen, in the bathroom - it freaked me out!
Marriage is crazy...but the most beautiful crazy I have ever experienced. The thing that has been the biggest blessing to me lately is the thought that I do not have to experience my life alone. Although I have loving family and friends who have supported me and listened to me - it is not THEIR life...but when you join your life in marriage to another - in this covenant - their life becomes connected to yours, and yours connected to theirs. Not in a losing identity sort of way but an illuminating of identity kind of way...I cannot hide from Beau - he is a witness to who I am and what I go through as I am for him. The thought that I have a witness - of the crazy things our neighbors do, the misadventures at church, the first ride on our brand new bikes - amazes me. I think one of the deepest human needs is to just simply be seen and heard - acknowledged.
I have to be honest, I did not fully know what I was getting myself into with this marriage business (I probably still don't)....but I am so thankful to have a witness and partner to walk beside on this journey.

PICTURES

Hey everybody,
The pictures are up on the web. If you would like to view and/or order some, go to: pictage.com and set up an account....then search for Bethany and Beau and you will find us! We are very happy with the photos...have fun looking.
peace,
B & B

ONE MONTH STRONG

Hello all...one month of marriage and we are so happy! THANK YOU to all who attended our wedding, reception, or gave us words of encouragement during this time. We love you...

SO CLOSE I CAN TASTE IT...

Hello all....it is so close....we are soooo excited. We look forward to spending this beautiful time with you all. It looks like the weather is going to be great - so we are probably on for the outdoor thing....which means, if you want to be seated during the ceremony you need to bring a lawn chair or a blanket/towel to sit on (or plan on sitting on the rocks)....the ceremony won't be long, but we thought we'd give you the option. It is going to be so beautiful....here is a picture of the view from the wedding site - that makes me just want to PRAISE HIM! See you all very soon! -the bride

NEW CONTACT INFO...

Hey everybody...I got a new cell number so when you all are on the island and need the bride, call the following number: 206-902-8111.
Can't wait to see you all...we got our marriage license so it will all be kosher on Sunday!!! love love love, b & b

HOW TO WALK ON

Hey everybody - only 10 days (my nightmares of not fitting in dresses and grange halls decorated in giant blue bows are at an all time high) but so is my excitement for the big day! This is for those of you who are planning on walking on the ferry on Sunday, June 11th (our future anniversary). The latest ferry that you can walk on and still get to the wedding is the 11:05 a.m. - if you get on any later ferry you will miss the wedding. Remember that even though you are walking on you still need to get to the Anacortes ferry dock a little early (shoot for 30-45 minutes early) so that you can secure parking, etc. The best place to park (i.e. cheapest) is before you get to the ferry terminal on the right, the next driveway after Billy Ray's Restaurant (if you see Charlie's on the left, you have gone too far). This little parking lot is cheaper than the big ferry lots but is dirt and requires cash (you can pay with a credit card on the paved terminal lots). Once you have parked, walk up to the ferry terminal (just walk toward the big boats and ferry slip) and buy your tickets - relax enjoy the beautiful ride! When you arrive in Friday Harbor you will have to disembark from the car deck. Once you get in town you may want to get some coffee or food or peruse the shops - all of which are within walking distance to the ferry dock and the grange hall. Remember that if you want to help decorate the Grange Hall you can be there at 1 p.m. (or as early as you can) and offer some help. The following are directions to get to the Grange Hall where, at 2:30, there will be shuttles to pick up guests and bring them to the wedding site: At the end of the ferry dock (after you walk off the boat) turn right - you will be on Front St., at the turnabout (next street) make a left on Spring St., walk for a couple of blocks and turn right onto First St. - the Grange Hall is about three blocks up next door to the Whale Watching Museum. If you get lost, ask an islander - they are friendly! Remember, you can wear whatever you want to the wedding - so dress comfortably so you will enjoy the ride, walking around, etc. Also, we will have a BIG feast at about 4 p.m. so don't get too full. ;) Alright you all - I look forward to seeing you very soon and I will be the one with a white dress and a huge smile! Love you guys! -b

NOT TOO LATE FOR CHEAP TICKETS

Hey everybody - 2 weeks and we will all be relaxing on beautiful San Juan Island....ahhhhhhh... But first, I wanted people to know that it is NOT TOO LATE TO BUY CHEAP FERRY TICKETS - Beau and I bought ten just for friends and family who did not order them before. We have 7 left...These tickets are GREAT - the "regular" fare for car + driver is $49.98 + tax and these tickets will only cost you $27.50 (!). If you have passengers, you will still have to pay per passenger but it gives you a huge break to start with the discounted car + driver ticket. June 11th is quickly approaching and you will kick yourself if you get to Anacortes and have to pay full price, if you would like a cheap ticket, get ahold of us NOW - bhull@hotmail.com or beaubox@hotmail.com - you may have to cut and paste our emails into your email account because I don't think it works to just click on them...Alrighty....be sure to scroll down for itinerary, directions, links to ferry schedules, etc. Much Love to you all, b&b

ITINERARY

WEDDING WEEKEND ITINERARY
June 9 -11th 2006 - Beau and Bethany


June 9th 2006
6-10 p.m. Join us for fun, games and bbq at Lakedale cabins. Please bring your favorite game and a side dish (it will be a potluck style bbq, but we will provide the burgers). There will be Frisbee playing, possible paddling on the lake and Rook tournament extrodinaire!

June 10th 2006
10 a.m. Hike up Mt. Young! Grab comfortable shoes and hike to the top of Mt. Young (highest point on San Juan Island) with the bride and groom! It is a short hike, but it is steep, so be warned. Please meet at Amy and Cole’s house – 396 Miller Rd.
2 p.m. Picnic at South Beach. This picnic is hosted by the grooms family (Annie, Buck, et al.), so all you have to do is show up with a Frisbee, sunscreen, and beach towel. Come hang out, play in the sand, or take a stroll around the beautiful South beach.
7-10 p.m. Whale Watching Cruise. Meet at the dock in Friday Harbor for the three hour tour. J Bring a sweatshirt as the sun will go down while we are on our ride. Join us for this amazing perspective of the San Juans - there will be snacks and drinks on board.

June 11th 2006
Enjoy your morning – take a stroll, go out to breakfast, see island sites, relax!
1:00 p.m. For those of you who are interested in being my FAVORITE people – meet at the Grange Hall to help the decorating crew decorate for the reception (many hands make light work!!). Answer to Giordi Yunge.
2:30 p.m. Meet in front of the Grange Hall to be picked up for the wedding ceremony. We have chartered two San Juan Transit buses so that you do not have to worry about getting lost en route or parking at the site of the wedding. Please be sure to be there before 2:45 as that is when the buses will take off!!! Park either in front of the Grange or in the parking lot of the Court house. You will be given a ride back to the grange hall after the ceremony on Cattle Point.


Scroll down to the post below for directions to all of these events. If you have any questions regarding the itinerary, please call Bethany: 360-269-0189. Can’t wait to see you guys!

DIRECTIONS

• DIRECTIONS TO ALL WEDDING EVENTS…
  Here are directions to the various wedding venues. Please copy and paste these so that you have them for the weekend. All on-island directions are from the Ferry terminal/slip in Friday Harbor, so please adjust from your location accordingly.
  
  1) Getting to the island.
  By Car - Washington State Ferries
  wsdot.wa.gov/ferries 800.843.3779
  Vague directions to Anacortes for ferry to Friday Harbor
  From Interstate 5, go north beyond Mt. Vernon, take exit 230 to highway 20, head west to Anacortes. Travel time about 1 1/2 hours from Seattle.
  Parking is available at the ferry terminal area for walk-ons. Allow enough time! (Can be lengthy in summers.) See ferry schedule http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedules/current/index.cfm?route=ana-sj.
  By Boat - Victoria Clipper
  victoriaclipper.com 206.448.5000
  
  By Air - Kenmore Air
  kenmoreair.com 800.543.9595
  
  By Air - San Juan Airlines
  http://www.sanjuanairlines.com/ 800.874.4434
  
  2) General map of San Juan Island: useful to have for folks:
  http://www.nps.gov/sajh/Island_map.pdf
  
  
  3) Directions to American Camp/Cattle Point Interpretive Center (where the "rehearsal", the wedding and the "rehearsal dinner" are scheduled ):
  
  1:
  Start out going NORTHWEST on S FRONT ST toward FRONT ST N.
  <0.1 miles
  
  2:
  Turn LEFT onto SPRING ST. (up the hill at the traffic circle)
  0.1 miles
  
  3:
  Turn SLIGHT LEFT onto ARGYLE AVE. Take it to the end
  1.0 miles
  
  4:
  Turn LEFT onto CATTLE POINT RD. (twists and turns, but stick with it)
  8.1 miles
  
  You will pass the interpretive center for American Camp (about 6.6 miles from the start), then later the access to South Beach (where the rehearsal dinner is scheduled). The turn is well marked, just about a mile before getting to the Cattle Point Interpretive Center parking area (on your right)
  5:
  End at Cattle Point Interpretive Center (just past the lighthouse on your right, a small block house and parking area on your right)]
  
  Total Est. Distance: 9.42 miles
  
  4) The Friday Harbor Grange (where the reception is scheduled)
  San Juan Island Grange, 152 1st St. N
  An alternate map of Friday harbor gives more city detail. http://www.nwplaces.com/sanjuan/sanjuanisle/htmls/mapfh1.html The Grange is the building on the left side, just below the arrow that says "stairway" on this map. A couple buildings left of the Whale Museum.
  5) To Cole & Amy Hull's home on San Juan Island.
  
  To get actual mapquest directions to our house, and a printable map, go to http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&addtohistory=&address=&city=Friday%20Harbor&state=WA&zipcode=98250%2d7020&country=US&geodiff=1
  
  Once in Friday Harbor, coming off the Ferry, follow the following directions.
  --As you get off the end of the Ferry Dock you have to turn Right (Front St.: it is a one way, so don't try anything else)
  --Pretty much right away (50 feet), you will come to a traffic circle (they are renovating it, so you may not be able to go around it, but if you can do so), you want to go left there, up the hill on Spring Street (the main street in town). These first 2 steps are essentially following the flow of 97% of all the traffic coming off the ferry, and is easy enough.
  --Once on Spring St., go 2 quick blocks up. First is called "1st St.", 2nd is "2nd St." Take a right on 2nd St.
  --For some bizarre reason, this street changes names several times, but essentially you want to stay on it right out of town. It will twist and turn, but stick with it. It goes from 2nd St., to Guard St., then Beaverton Valley Road (as you leave town).
  --About 3 miles out of town, turn right onto Egg Lake Rd. It is just past Synergy Farms (yellow buildings) on your left, and just opposite a big rock sitting in a field with slogans and painting all over it on your left.
  --After about .9 miles turn left onto Three Corner Lake Rd. (it comes just after a particularly curvy section of the road at the bottom of a slight hill: long road sign, and sharp turn).
  --Once on Three Corner Lake Rd., you want to just go .3 miles to a Y, with a small rural fire station on your left. Take the right hand branch: Miller Rd.
  --We are essentially .2 miles up Miller on your right: there is an arch over the drive which says "High Country", 2 mailboxes. Essentially the 5th house/drive on your right after getting on Miller, at the top of the first long hill. 396 Miller Rd.
  --Once in the drive, we are the log house on your left with a funny upper story. Brown minivan and white truck may be parked there. Watch for dogs, cats, and little children!
  
  ) Lonesome Cove: Where much of Beau's family is staying
  These directions bring you to the Resort from downtown Friday Harbor.
  
  --If you're at the ferry dock, turn right on First Street then take you're first left and you'll be on Spring Street
  --Turn right on Second Street (Friday Harbor Drug Store is on the left hand corner)
  --Go 0.40 mile and turn right on Tucker Street (which turns into Roche Harbor Road)
  --Continue 7.7 miles to Rouleau Road and turn right
  --Continue for 1.1 miles to Limestone Point Road and turn right
  --Continue for 0.40 mile to Lonesome Cove Road and turn left
  --Lonesome Cove Road ends at the Resort
  7) Lakedale Resort: Where much of Bethany's family is staying 4313 Roche Harbor Road
  
  From Friday Harbor’s Ferry Terminal: Initial directions are the same as to Lonesome Cove
  • Follow the flow of traffic; take a right turn on Second Street,
  then turn right on Tucker Avenue.
  • Tucker turns into Roche Harbor Road.
  • Follow until you get to 4313 Roche Harbor Road.
  • They are about 4 1/2 miles from the ferry landing with a large sign on your left.
  
  8) To San Juan Excursions (the Whale Watch Company we are going with Saturday evening)
  
  http://www.watchwhales.com/
  1-800-80-Whale
  
  They are located at the very bottom of Spring Street (the main street in Friday Harbor), in a complex called Spring Street Landing, #2. From the ferry slip it is about a hundred yards away (north). Also very close to the Port of Friday Harbor and the San Juan Island Grange Hall. Just on the water side and slightly to the north of the traffic circle at the intersection of Spring Street and Front Street. Next to and beneath the Downriggers Restaurant, you will see a number of shops and a small parking area, dominated by whale watch, diving, and kayaking enterprises. Do not park in their lot, unless it is to drop off and pick up. They can give you instructions as to the best spot to park for the whale watch. Because we are going out in the evening, on-street parking is not a problem (i.e. you will not be subject to ticketing for staying too long in a 1 hour zone, etc.)
  
  If you need more specifics about any of these sets of directions, or maps, feel free to contact Cole or Amy Hull at 360-378-1335 or came@centurytel.net
  
  
  
  
  

DISCOUNT FERRY TICKETS AND OTHER AQUATIC NEWS

Yes yes yes...three posts in as many days, what will I do with my time after this wedding??? Oh yeah...HONEYMOON! Now, down to the real reason for this post: DO YOU WANT TO SAVE ABOUT 25% ON YOUR FERRY TICKETS??? If you want to get a discounted ferry ticket you can do so one of two ways - you could go to the ferry terminal in Seattle or the ferry terminal in Anacortes and buy them (they come in packs of 5 I think) OR you could tell me ASAP. I will be getting discounted ferry tickets when I go up next week (for my immediate family and for Uncle Gene because he has expressed interest) - I am happy to get tickets for anyone else if you just let me know - bhull@hotmail.com. There are discounted ferry tickets for walk ons too...just let me know if you need them and are interested in the discount. For Beau's family - Annie and Buck will be going up this weekend and can buy some for you all too if that is easier...just get in touch with them!

AMY IS GOING TO KILL ME (just kidding...sorta...)

Hello again...there will be a wave of posting by yours truly as I obsess in the coming four weeks about the wedding...you can witness my slow turn into insanity on this website - lucky you!

Please note - the post explaining that we do NOT want gifts still applies - we are blessed to have what we need to survive and all we want from YOU is to come to our wedding!

But, because we figure that there will be people who will not take no for an answer and won't want to just give us a card or cash, we have registered for a few necessities (things that we are either currently borrowing from others or do not have ourselves) at the following locales: Macys (macys.com), Target (target.com), & Pier 1 (pier1.com). Just put in my name or Beau's and viola (is that how you spell that?).
Stay tuned for more changes, obsessing, and general excitement as the wedding date quickly approaches.
Have a beautiful day. love, beth

VOLUNTEERS

Just one month...wow. This is just a quick note to gather some volunteers to help decorate the reception site - San Juan Grange Hall. If you are interested, be at the Grange hall at about 1 p.m. and answer to Giordi Yunge (she may be tiny, but she is fierce!) who will be coordinating efforts. Thanks for those of you who can help. If you can't help before the wedding, there will be help needed after the reception as well. It is nothing fancy, but will require a few hands to set up chairs, put flowers in vases, etc. Thanks y'all. MUCH LOVE!!! bethany

NEW FERRY SCHEDULE...

Hey everybody...
The wedding is almost here...I am SOOOO excited. I have heard from many of you regarding what you want to eat - if you haven't told me what you want, DO IT NOW (steak or salmon - bhull@hotmail.com).
The summer ferry schedule is finally online!!! http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedules/upcoming/index.cfm?route=ana-sj - Remember that this schedule starts on June 11th (the day of the wedding) so it applies only for the day of the wedding and after. It looks like for wedding daytrippers the latest ferry that you can catch on Sunday morning is 11:05 a.m. to make sure that you are on the island for the 2:30 nuptuals - DO NOT MISS IT. Also, for those who are returning to the mainland on Sunday evening - you have a couple of options...6:55 p.m. (which is not ideal because you would probably miss some of the reception) or 10 p.m. (the 10 p.m. will give you plenty of time to relax, eat, and enjoy the festivities). For those who must get back early on Sunday evening and want to catch the 6:55 ferry, the reception hall is within sight of the ferry dock so you can park your car in line, come back to the reception and party on, and then - when you see the ferry - return to your car. If you can, try and plan on catching the 10 p.m.!
Alright you all...soon we will have the itinerary for the weekend on this website...hikes, picnics on the beach, and whale watching...it is going to be such a blast to celebrate with you all! Deep Peace of the Prince of Peace to each of you. We love you!!

COMING RIGHT UP

64 days until the wedding (yahoo...). That is both exciting and unnerving as there is still a LOT to do. Here is how you can help us...cause' I know you want to! Beloved family members and friends: please do not forget to RSVP about what kind of food you want (salmon or steak), book your place to stay (scroll down to the post appropriately titled "lodging" for more info), and stay tuned for more updates on this website (soon you will be seeing an itinerary of the weekend, directions to different events around the island, an updated ferry schedule for the daytrippers, and more!). Please let Bethany and/or Beau know of any questions you might have regarding the festivities (bhull@hotmail.com or beaubox@hotmail.com). We pray all is well with you all and can't wait to be with you all as we join our lives in marriage.

SURF OR TURF?

hey everyone, as you may have noticed on your paper invitations - we would like to know what you want for dinner at the reception. salmon or steak. thank you to all of you who have rsvped for the wedding and the whale watching (keep doing that...) - now, if you would be so kind, let me know whether you want to eat some rosemary garlic steak or herbed salmon filet...you can shoot me an email: bhull@hotmail.com.

BY POPULAR DEMAND

because uncle jerry and the world's oldest flower girl - cousin kp - insisted on seeing pictures of beau...here you go. LOVE YOU GUYS!

beau, bethany, and else's eyes 

beau and bethany at the famous centralia bowl 

prince aidan, heather, and beau daniel on the ferry 

on the ferry... 

in granite falls... 

how cute!!! 

WHALE WATCHING

All those who will be involved in the wedding weekend (if you are reading this, that means YOU) are invited to go with us on a whale watching cruise on Saturday evening from 7-10 p.m. Check out pictures of the boat and the whales at: www.watchwhales.com

Please plan on being involved in this special time - please RSVP (to bhull@hotmail.com) if you are planning on coming on the whale watching tour. An optional donation of between $15 and $40 per person (whatever you can afford - we want everyone to come!!!) would be welcome to help offset the costs of chartering the vessel.

GIFTS

we will NOT be registering for gifts...the reasons for this are many. first: we have everything we need...plates, blenders, sheets, etc. (and anything we don't have - that's what ebay is for, right?). second: your presence is your present. we understand that our wedding is at a location that will require more than just driving down the street...we would rather have you HERE than have a GIFT. If, after reading this, you still want to give us something - pray for us...if you want to give us more, write us a blessing, if you want to give us more - we would welcome donations toward getting out of debt from beau's surgery and starting our life together. we will have a money tree at the reception for cards and donations. please understand that neither is necessary...it will only be there for those who won't take no for an answer.

DAY TRIPPERS

you may want to attend the wedding but do not want to stay for the entire weekend. no problem! simply check out the ferry schedule (previous post) and come over for a day trip. the ceremony will be at 3 p.m. about 20 minutes drive from the ferry terminal.

FERRIES

hey everybody,
most of you will want to get to the island on a ferry. find out more about ferry schedules here: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedules/current/index.cfm?route=ana-sj&direction=west
you can either bring your car across on the boat or walk on with a bike or just rely on your trusty sneakers. please note that this ferry schedule changes on the 10th of June (right smack in the middle of the wedding weekend) so i will post the other schedule as it becomes available.

FERRY TIPS:
-please give yourself PLENTY OF TIME to get on the ferry you are shooting for (nobody likes to miss a ferry). the lines in the spring are long so get there 1.5-2 hrs. early. don't worry, there is a coffee/sandwich/cheesecake shop in the terminal and a beach to play on...it will be fun!
-please RSVP (to bhull@hotmail.com) so we can get you lower rates on your ferry ticket!

LODGING

here is some lodging information to help you come and celebrate with us....

HOUSE RENTALS:
one of the cheapest options is to go together with some other folks who will be at the wedding and rent a house from windermere. you can see availablities and prices here: http://www.windermerevacationrentals.com/

B&B BABY:
a bed and breakfast is a great way to experience the island (right amy and cole???). you can find a list of all of them here: http://www.san-juan-island.net/ there will be a b&b hotline number on the website so you can call for availability and pricing.

HOTEL, MOTEL, HOLIDAY INN:
there are other options a couple of hotels, etc. on the island - find out more here: www.travelsanjuan.com & http://www.lakedale.com/

CAMPING:
for those of you who are more rugged and/or on a budget, there is lots of camping on the island in both public and private parks. go to them here: http://www.co.san-juan.wa.us/parks/sanjuan.html & http://www.lakedale.com/

OTHER:
if you absolutely positively cannot afford any of these options, please email me: bhull@hotmail.com and we will figure something out for you.

WELCOME

Hey everybody...this "blog" is really just a free way for us to communicate with our loved ones about our wedding plans.

so...here it goes:

WHEN: June 11, 2006 three o' clock in the afternoon

WHERE: San Juan Island Washington an outdoor location....most likely Cattle Point

I will post more information under different headings later - like links to places to stay, ferry schedules (yes, you DO have to take a boat to get there), itinerary for the weekend, etc.

Love you all so much....I am SO excited about this wedding and the union that it will celebrate...I cannot wait to be Bethany Hull-Somers (you didn't think i was actually gonna get rid of hull did you?)...

peace, bethany