CHIC '09 - UNDONE

Another huge event of my Summer was CHIC. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this event it is a tri-annual event that our Denomination puts on for high school students. I went to CHIC ’97 at CSU in Ft. Collins, Ben went to CHIC ’00 at UT in Knoxville, and this year Sophie went as a student to CHIC ’09 at UT in Knoxville. In planning this event the break up all the areas of responsibility and planning to a team of people and then those people recruit teams to help them. So 2 years ago I signed on with some of my best friends to work on this event. We met for the first time in December of ’07 and have been talking monthly since then and working hard to get ready for this large event.

The week was amazing, honestly and truly amazing to see how everything came together. I love the moment when we were all in the arena with all 5,500 people for the first time. It’s like there was finally flesh on the bones of all that we had been planning for the past 2 years.

In the morning I was in charge of basecamp experience and then after lunch I would switch to helping produce the bands that played at the blockparty that happened every afternoon. It was a challenging week and many different sides of my were used and challenged and pulled. I didn’t sleep very well and was often really hot. But I would do it all again next week if I had to. Why? Well because I absolutely loved everyone that I worked with and it was amazing to see how students connected with each other, with their leaders, and with God throughout the week. That makes it more than worth it!

My Mainstage i-team in the arena the last night

My basecamp i-team in the UT arena March of '08 on a planning trip to TN

Lots of planning, and talking, and walking, and dreaming, and visioning

Glimpses from the week...

First night - Mainstage and the rain curtain

Mainstage night 2 - David Crowder Band

Group1Crew rockin it at the HUB sidestage

Basecamp experience - "My relationship with God"

Students answers to "God is..." on an easel

Salvador drawing in a crowd at the HUB

A little rain at the HUB...only a 20 min delay, good work team!

Mainstage the last night, confetti and all

HUB crew, runners, DJ Promote and Propaganda...love these people

Landon and Liz's Wedding

After the week with my dad’s family in Maryland we had an excuse to see all of my Mom’s family in New Orleans for my cousin Landon’s wedding. Last Christmas Landon brought his Fiance Elizabeth to Denver to meet the family and it was not hard to quickly like this girl. They were married on July 10^th in New Orleans with a fun reception on a river boat. Ben was in the Wedding and Sophie and I read scripture. It was such a fun weekend and I loved being with them as they celebrated the big day! Welcome to the Family Liz!

Ben, Michele, Laura and I rehearsal dinner-ing it up

"I do"

Ben and Laura being great in the wedding party

Leaving the Church

Mr. & Mrs. Larsen

Mom, Michele, Soph, me, and Aunt Carol at the church

Scuzin Laura and I

Ben, Mich, Landon, Liz, Me, & Soph at the reception

Losing Grandpa Gene

One of the tough things of this summer was the death of my dad’s dad, my Grandpa Gene. On June 2^nd he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, it was very advanced and they warned us that the end would be very quick. Little did we know just how fast that would be. On June 22^nd he passed away surrounded by all his Children and a few of my cousins. Those last weeks were incredibly stressful and hard on him but we are all thankful that he was not in pain for long and that he was able to have time with all of his kids in those 3 weeks. I was able to fly out to Baltimore with my family for the week to spend some time helping to tie up loose ends and to spend some time together. Amazingly our entire family was able to be at the funeral, all 4 of the kids, spouses, and all 8 grandkids and spouses. It was a tough week but also full of fun and laughter and the usual insanity that comes with that group of people. There is no doubt that grandpa’s death and cancer was sad and hard on everyone but I’m so thankful for an amazing family that could process it together and still have fun together.

Gpa's Funeral

The Whole Family

The post funeral dinner, good to have everyone in the same spot for a night

Sophie always makes the thumbs up pose and so this is us mocking it...in response to her face here she said, "well you all took my pose, so I didn't know what to do!"...hilarious

We have so many pictures on these steps...funny how when everyone is grown up you can't see the steps at all, to many people on them!

Love this Porch

A crowded Dining room, always full when we were in town

Fells Point downtown Baltimore, this used to be Gpa's police pier

Grandpa's Obituary...

Eugene J. Wysocki

Baltimore police officer

By Jacques Kelly

June 28, 2009

Eugene J. "Gino" Wysocki, a retired Baltimore police officer who patrolled the harbor and spent his free time playing the trombone at East Baltimore social events, died of cancer Monday at Franklin Square Hospital Center.

The Dundalk resident was 77.

Born in Baltimore and raised on Bank Street, he studied music with his father, who was organist at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Fells Point.

Mr. Wysocki also attended its parochial school and the old W.S. Seipp General Vocational School on Broadway.

He served in the Navy during the Korean War and survived a 1951 Narragansett Bay capsizing that claimed the lives of 18 servicemen.

Family members said that Mr. Wysocki was an excellent swimmer, a skill that would serve him in later years. He served aboard the USS Yellowstone.

He joined the Baltimore Police Department in 1956 and was assigned to the Eastern and Southeastern districts. For much of his time with the department, he worked on a police patrol boat, the Charles Gaither, based at Thames Street and Broadway.

"In the time he worked on the harbor, there were fires on the old wooden piers and in cargo holds and disturbances on boats he'd be called out for," said his son, David Tirrell-Wysocki of Canterbury, N.H. "He was a very good swimmer and didn't mind getting wet."

As part of his duties, Mr. Wysocki would be called upon to recover suicide and drowning victims.

His son said that his father, who had an upbeat personality, had a stock reply when friends asked him about removing the dead from the harbor: "Well, at least I never had one of them take a swing at me."

Mr. Wysocki also once saved the life of a man who filled his pockets with heavy pieces of masonry and jumped into the harbor at the foot of Broadway.

Mr. Wysocki dove in the water and retrieved the man, who later thanked him profusely.

On another occasion, Mr. Wysocki was pushed off a pier by a surging crowd that had assembled. Dressed in a heavy turnout coat, he sank to the bottom of the Patapsco, shed the coat and rose to safety, his son said.

Family members said he received departmental honors and later served in the department's community relations section before retiring in 1992.

He played in a police combo, the Sounds of an Era and also performed with the Melody Kings and other groups.

"He'd walk into a Highlandtown bar or social event, and maybe a band would be playing polkas," said Ray Bastianelli, a fellow musician. "Gino would say, 'Let's liven this joint up' and then bring out his trombone and start playing big-band numbers."

Recalled as a born entertainer who loved an audience, he was a devotee of the music of bandleaders Glenn Miller andTommy Dorsey and was recalled for his renditions of "In the Mood."

Mr. Bastianelli, who often performed with Mr. Wysocki, said his friend could play any instrument he put his hands on.

"I don't know what he loved more, his music or his family," said John Kaufman, commander of the Parkville American Legion Post No. 183, where Mr. Wysocki was a member. "He was extremely proud of his children and grandchildren."

His wife of 52 years, the former Eleanor Mazzulla, died in 2003.

Services were held Friday.

In addition to his son, survivors include two other sons, Gary Wysocki of Westminster, Colo., and Christopher Wysocki of Abingdon; a daughter, Linda Gates of Woodstock, Ga.; a brother, Alfred Wysocki of Timonium; a sister, Adele Misiora of Baltimore; and eight grandchildren.

Sweet Summer gig

Towards the end of the school year I wasn’t sure what I was going to do for a job or where I should be living this summer and in the midst of that got hooked up with a pretty sweet offer. I have some friends who work at the Covenant Church in Marin, CA. and knew that a family in their church was looking for a housesitter for 3 months. Enter me…! So I loaded up the car and my friend Brooke met me in Denver and we made the trek out to California. Living here has been so great, and I fully realize that it is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal. I don’t have a job so I get lots of time to unwind and explore the area. I get tons of time with Michele (she and Ben live just 20 min from me), time to explore the area and all the new scenery, and time to be with good friends in the area and make some new ones too. I’ve also had plenty of time to watch seasons 1-4 of LOST (a post graduation goal), and read almost 8 novels. All in all, it’s been unbelievable and so relaxing. I never realized how wound up and busy I was in Chicago until I got here. I just have a few more weeks to enjoy this lifestyle before I start my new adventure.

Dinner outside with Michele

Some pretty rough pool days:)

Inside the Casita (where I live)

Pretty rough view

Jam making day in Santa Cruz with the Mazzariello ladies

Pt. Reyes lighthouse...real foggy

Pt. Reyes beach

Done and Done

That’s right, after 3 years of classes and one year of an internship I finished up my MDIV this past May. The last semester felt so long and I was SO ready to be done. But then of course the whole week of graduation was so surreal and made me feel like the whole experience had flown by. I never thought that I would be able to complete the MDIV but am so glad that I stuck it out. My 3 years in Seminary were challenging, lonely at times, really busy, really cold, inspiring, formational, and full of great friends. So yeah, it’s hard to sum up. But more than anything I’m thankful for the chance to have gone there and been formed more into the kind of person that I should be.

Here are some pics from graduation…