Seattle brings sun

Why the visit? Being the adventurous new parents of 10 month old Grant, Liz "Foster" and Steve extended their big Italy vacation for a weekend in Amsterdam. And much fun was had ... including a 6 hour meal at a swanky new restaurant called "Super Club". Meanwhile, Grandma and Grandpa got plenty of quality time hanging out with Grant back in Seattle.

What's the connection? Liz "Foster" and I roomed together at Westmont College for 4 years ... and she is personally responsible for getting me to move to San Francisco, thus changing my life forever. Her and her husband Steve took their high tech skills to Microsoft, where they are now working for Uncle Bill.

Georgia Peanuts in the 'Dam

Why the Visit? A break for the Sibley's from baby diapers and daily life in London. For Claude, it was the last segment of a European trip, and a chance to explore dutch delicacies like the Scrumpy Jack canned brew.

What's the Connection? Clark "Claude" Tate, and Holden & Katie Sibley .... both are longtime buddies from growing up in Atlanta, which means plenty of communal counseling regarding the Dirty Birds. Holden and Katie made an earlier blog appearance after hosting us in London. Clark, a former roommate in San Francisco, a fine banjer and guitar picker, a talented artist, and one of my only friends who actually measures up in height to the Dutch.

Lil' Love from Ma & Pop Jacobson

Why the Visit? While my mom claimed she wanted to show my dad Amsterdam (first time for him), the truth for their visit was quickly revealed: She wanted to see first hand that we weren't living in a city where every other person was walking around high and red lights weren't hanging from the neighbor's windows. It worked, she can now rest easy. Despite the rain that welcomed them during their entire stay, they fell in love with the city and even got to experience our first roadtrip to southern Holland with us. (Yep, first time driving in 4 months) Overall, excellent time, even more special that we got to celebrate Mother's Day with a real live mother!

What's the Connection? This one is fairly straightforward ...

Our first backpackers

Why the visit? Fellow Oregonians Amy and Max spent over 3 weeks traveling around Europe ... and they swore that Amsterdam was #1 on their list of favorites. Amy spent the past 4 months living in Madrid teaching English to 3 kids.

What's the connection? Amy and I worked together at Chalkboard in Oregon. She started for a summer back in college nearly 4 years ago and somehow we convinced her to come back after graduation. She basically was an angel from heaven.