Tiffany and I are very excited to announce that we are going on a mission trip to Ghana from January 13-24, 2010!! To read more details about the trip, please click here (This opens a PDF).
We are looking forward to God working through us to accomplish His will in Ghana!
If you are willing and able, we prayerfully ask that you consider supporting us financially on this trip. A large portion of the proceeds goes to building a church. More importantly, we are seeking people to be praying for us as we prepare for this trip and as we minister to the people of Ghana. If you would like to support us in prayer or financially, please print and mail this form (This opens a PDF document that you can print).
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Thank You Park & Go!
In August, Tiffany and I took our first cruise to Mexico. As we reported earlier, we had a fantastic time on the Carnival Elation! A few days after we go home, we realized that our nice Canon camera was missing. It is a terrible feeling when you discover that you have lost something. As I thought back on the trip, I remembered setting the camera down in the shuttle van we took after the cruise, but I did not remember picking it up.
After a couple of phone calls to the San Diego Park & Go, we found out that it had been found and was being stored in the safe! Not only had the driver found our camera, but he thought it best to store the camera in a safe while they waited for us to claim the lost item. Although we had to pay for the shipping (which is completely understandable), Santo graciously packed up the bag/camera and shipped it home!
So, we would like to officially thank the San Diego Park & Go for their honesty and safekeeping of our lost camera - Thank you Santo! You all have demonstrated the kind of customer care that we miss today!
After a couple of phone calls to the San Diego Park & Go, we found out that it had been found and was being stored in the safe! Not only had the driver found our camera, but he thought it best to store the camera in a safe while they waited for us to claim the lost item. Although we had to pay for the shipping (which is completely understandable), Santo graciously packed up the bag/camera and shipped it home!
So, we would like to officially thank the San Diego Park & Go for their honesty and safekeeping of our lost camera - Thank you Santo! You all have demonstrated the kind of customer care that we miss today!
Monday, August 17, 2009
8 Years and It Keeps Getting Better!
8 years ago, on August 4, 2001, Tiffany and I were married in her Grandparents backyard outside of Richmond, Virginia. We are always amazed at how fast time flies, but even more amazed that it has been 8 years. It is also amazing to see how much two people change over time and how close we continue to grow.
Since I spent last year working on my anniversary, we decided that a proper vacation was in store this time around.
The first part of the adventure took us to Sea World in San Diego (I think this was our 3rd or 4th time being there). Our friends Emily and Sarah came along with us since we all bought season passes. We had a fantastic time watching all of the Summer Nights special shows. I also enjoyed the all-you-can-eat pass that I bought for the day (Probably not the wisest choice for the waist, but there definitely was not much waste...).
The next day was partially spent enjoying the sights, sounds and activities of Balboa Park. Our first stop was to the Museum of Man. I have to admit that we were all severely disappointed with the Museum and expected a lot more (especially for the price). We had a good time, but expected more bang for the buck.
After Museum, we bought hot dogs and nachos from a street vendor. Sometimes, the simple lunches are the best!
From lunch, we took a short stroll over the the Spreckels Organ. On Sunday afternoons, there is a free concert. That was a treat for sure. The organ and pipes are amazing and the atmosphere of an outdoor venue is fantastic!
The International Houses are also open on Sunday, so we enjoyed walking through the various countries represented while eating some good food and enjoying live music.
The weather was the most amazing part of the day!
In the evening, Tiffany and I went to Coronado Island to stay at the Marriott resort. One of the benefits of traveling so much for work is the points I have been able to build up for FREE lodging. We enjoyed our evening at the resort and on the Island.
On Monday, August 3, Tiffany and I made our way to the Carnival Elation cruise ship in San Diego. Balboa Park and Sea World were appetizers for the adventure that we enjoyed on the cruise. Not only was this our first cruise, but it was also our first time to Mexico. The cruise was 5 days and ports of call were Cabo, Mexico and Ensenada, Mexico.
In Cabo, we enjoyed some snorkeling and walking around the city (It was hot and I burned the top of my head!). In Ensenada, we did some shopping and enjoyed some street taco's. The two cities are very different from each other.
On board, we enjoyed most of the amenities offered. We ate plenty of food, visited the spa, read a book on deck, swam, watched shows, window shopped for stuff we could not afford and met some new friends. We had a fantastic time on our cruise and will plan another one for sure.
On our anniversary, we were able to get a table for two. Our waitstaff even brought us a cake and sang "Happy Anniversay" to us. It also happened to be formal night on the ship, so we were dressed up for some professional pictures.
After the cruise, we did not want to drive home. Instead, we drove up to Irvine to spend the night with a friend. We needed a good night of sleep to recover from the trip. I always find it odd that vacations require a recovery day... Go figure.
All in all, the vacation/anniversay trip was excellent. We had a great time and highly recommend San Diego and the Carnival Elation!
Since I spent last year working on my anniversary, we decided that a proper vacation was in store this time around.
The first part of the adventure took us to Sea World in San Diego (I think this was our 3rd or 4th time being there). Our friends Emily and Sarah came along with us since we all bought season passes. We had a fantastic time watching all of the Summer Nights special shows. I also enjoyed the all-you-can-eat pass that I bought for the day (Probably not the wisest choice for the waist, but there definitely was not much waste...).
The next day was partially spent enjoying the sights, sounds and activities of Balboa Park. Our first stop was to the Museum of Man. I have to admit that we were all severely disappointed with the Museum and expected a lot more (especially for the price). We had a good time, but expected more bang for the buck.
After Museum, we bought hot dogs and nachos from a street vendor. Sometimes, the simple lunches are the best!
From lunch, we took a short stroll over the the Spreckels Organ. On Sunday afternoons, there is a free concert. That was a treat for sure. The organ and pipes are amazing and the atmosphere of an outdoor venue is fantastic!
The International Houses are also open on Sunday, so we enjoyed walking through the various countries represented while eating some good food and enjoying live music.
The weather was the most amazing part of the day!
In the evening, Tiffany and I went to Coronado Island to stay at the Marriott resort. One of the benefits of traveling so much for work is the points I have been able to build up for FREE lodging. We enjoyed our evening at the resort and on the Island.
On Monday, August 3, Tiffany and I made our way to the Carnival Elation cruise ship in San Diego. Balboa Park and Sea World were appetizers for the adventure that we enjoyed on the cruise. Not only was this our first cruise, but it was also our first time to Mexico. The cruise was 5 days and ports of call were Cabo, Mexico and Ensenada, Mexico.
In Cabo, we enjoyed some snorkeling and walking around the city (It was hot and I burned the top of my head!). In Ensenada, we did some shopping and enjoyed some street taco's. The two cities are very different from each other.
On board, we enjoyed most of the amenities offered. We ate plenty of food, visited the spa, read a book on deck, swam, watched shows, window shopped for stuff we could not afford and met some new friends. We had a fantastic time on our cruise and will plan another one for sure.
On our anniversary, we were able to get a table for two. Our waitstaff even brought us a cake and sang "Happy Anniversay" to us. It also happened to be formal night on the ship, so we were dressed up for some professional pictures.
After the cruise, we did not want to drive home. Instead, we drove up to Irvine to spend the night with a friend. We needed a good night of sleep to recover from the trip. I always find it odd that vacations require a recovery day... Go figure.
All in all, the vacation/anniversay trip was excellent. We had a great time and highly recommend San Diego and the Carnival Elation!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
4 Months Later...
So... Umm... It's been really busy over the past 4 months. As a result, I have procrastinated putting together a blog post. I keep a running list of items that I would like to blog about. In order to clean up my list, I am going to give the shot gun list of what has been going on lately. In other words, this will be a fast overview instead of an in depth analysis... Ready?
As I write this blog, I am sitting in San Jose, California. This is my 4th trip to San Jose in the past 4 months! I have also been to Albuquerque, Atlanta and Orlando on business. The Atlanta trip was for training. Tiffany and I went out a week early to see some friends and enjoy some vacation time. The Orlando trip was for InfoComm.
At InfoComm, I met a lot of great people in the industry and had a great time seeing new products. I was also honored to speak on two panels about technology. In particular, I spoke about the convergence of AV and IT. I also spoke about Unified Communications as it relates to video conferencing.
Our LIFE group also has remained very active over the past few months. We have taken a couple camping trips in Sedona and Payson, AZ. We also had a GREAT time rafting and camping on the Grand Canyon for a few days. The trip down the Grand Canyon was amazing. I haven't taken the time to get pictures up on Flickr yet, but they are amazing!
June marked my 10 year anniversary of graduating from high school. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the reunion this year. Tiffany and I are planning to take a much needed anniversary trip at the same time (We are going on a cruise!). Never-the-less, it is amazing to see how fast 10 years goes and how much can change from year to year. The one thing I know for sure is that God is always in control and grows more amazing day by day.
Climbing has also continued to go well. Although, it has been difficult to climb while traveling.... It's fun to see how much progress we have made and how much more needs to be made.
The other big news is that we are in the processes of buying a house! The market is ripe and we are ready. So far, things have gone well. We are bidding on short sales, so that can be a little un-nerving. Stay tuned for updates on the house process! It's hard to be patient, especially when you find a house that you really really like!
As I write this blog, I am sitting in San Jose, California. This is my 4th trip to San Jose in the past 4 months! I have also been to Albuquerque, Atlanta and Orlando on business. The Atlanta trip was for training. Tiffany and I went out a week early to see some friends and enjoy some vacation time. The Orlando trip was for InfoComm.
At InfoComm, I met a lot of great people in the industry and had a great time seeing new products. I was also honored to speak on two panels about technology. In particular, I spoke about the convergence of AV and IT. I also spoke about Unified Communications as it relates to video conferencing.
Our LIFE group also has remained very active over the past few months. We have taken a couple camping trips in Sedona and Payson, AZ. We also had a GREAT time rafting and camping on the Grand Canyon for a few days. The trip down the Grand Canyon was amazing. I haven't taken the time to get pictures up on Flickr yet, but they are amazing!
June marked my 10 year anniversary of graduating from high school. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the reunion this year. Tiffany and I are planning to take a much needed anniversary trip at the same time (We are going on a cruise!). Never-the-less, it is amazing to see how fast 10 years goes and how much can change from year to year. The one thing I know for sure is that God is always in control and grows more amazing day by day.
Climbing has also continued to go well. Although, it has been difficult to climb while traveling.... It's fun to see how much progress we have made and how much more needs to be made.
The other big news is that we are in the processes of buying a house! The market is ripe and we are ready. So far, things have gone well. We are bidding on short sales, so that can be a little un-nerving. Stay tuned for updates on the house process! It's hard to be patient, especially when you find a house that you really really like!
Monday, March 30, 2009
1Q09
Swoosh - The first quarter of 2009 is history! It's hard to believe that the past three months have passed by so fast. On top of that, I have a back log of "Blog Articles To Write." So... I have decided to do the 35,000 foot flyby and lump everything into one article. It's a cheap way to get everything on "paper."
Buckle up, this is going to be fast!
Shortly after our last blog post, we took a trip through Sedona to the Grand Canyon. There was fresh snow in Northern Arizona and I wanted to see it (Notice the lack of WE in the previous sentence). Needless to say, the snow was great and so was the trip. We even played in the snow a little.
Other big trips in the past couple of months include:
Locally, Phoenix has a lot to offer. Spring is a great time in this city and we have made the most of it this year (There are only three seasons in my mind: Spring, Summer and Fall - I know that Spring just began, but it feels like it is actually summer now):
One of the biggest blessings and changes in our lives is climbing! In the beginning of February, we joined a climbing gym and have tried to spend 2-3 nights a week climbing. We love climbing! It is a great way to workout and have fun at the same time. It is neat to look at how we have changed during this time.
Work has been up and down a bit recently. Due to the economy, we underwent a little downsizing at work. Thankfully, I am still happily employed right now. The downside is that I lost some leadership that I really respected and trusted. It will take a while to build up again. Other than that, work seems to be picking up quite a bit.
To close things out, I have decided to add a few more pictures from the past couple of months. I am really bad about sharing our pictures, so I am going to try and spruce things up a little by adding pictures more often.
Buckle up, this is going to be fast!
Shortly after our last blog post, we took a trip through Sedona to the Grand Canyon. There was fresh snow in Northern Arizona and I wanted to see it (Notice the lack of WE in the previous sentence). Needless to say, the snow was great and so was the trip. We even played in the snow a little.
Other big trips in the past couple of months include:
- San Diego, CA -- Sea World and the beach!!
- Austin, TX -- Business trip/training
- Chicago, IL -- Saw my step brother, his wife and three nieces while I was on this business trip
- Las Vegas, NV -- Really cheap way to get-a-way for a weekend! We crossed the 10,000 mile mark with our Honda Civic during this trip. A friend came in from out of town, so we decided to make the journey!
Locally, Phoenix has a lot to offer. Spring is a great time in this city and we have made the most of it this year (There are only three seasons in my mind: Spring, Summer and Fall - I know that Spring just began, but it feels like it is actually summer now):
- Dare2Share -- I went with our youth group to this event. We had a fantastic time. Singing. Witnessing. Learning. This is a great event and I look forward to it each year.
- Luke Days Air Show -- Unfortunately, this only comes every other year. Fortunately, this is one of the years. Even more fortunately, we know a lot of people in the Air Force, so we felt like we had the royal treatment this year. We had a great time at the Air Show and are very thankful for the men and women that we know that serve this country. It is a real blessing to have them as friends. How many people get to go on base and fly a simulator?! Too cool!
- Golf -- I went golfing early in March. I had a great time and did reasonably well. This is only the third time I have ever golfed.
- Baseball -- I helped work on the Goodyear Ballpark earlier this year. As a reward, I was able to see a few spring training games for free. Not only that, but we got the best seats in the house (That would be the room with all of the A/V stuff, naturally)! It was fun getting to be a part of the stadium and seeing the first couple of games.
- Zoo -- We went to the Phoenix Zoo a couple of weeks ago. In fact, it was the same day that we went to the Air Show. Yeah. We got a lot of sun that day.
- Aloha Festival -- Another great outdoor activity in Phoenix. Lots of sun. Lots of food. Tons of fun! This is a March Must!
One of the biggest blessings and changes in our lives is climbing! In the beginning of February, we joined a climbing gym and have tried to spend 2-3 nights a week climbing. We love climbing! It is a great way to workout and have fun at the same time. It is neat to look at how we have changed during this time.
Work has been up and down a bit recently. Due to the economy, we underwent a little downsizing at work. Thankfully, I am still happily employed right now. The downside is that I lost some leadership that I really respected and trusted. It will take a while to build up again. Other than that, work seems to be picking up quite a bit.
To close things out, I have decided to add a few more pictures from the past couple of months. I am really bad about sharing our pictures, so I am going to try and spruce things up a little by adding pictures more often.
Friday, February 06, 2009
State of the Kelly Address
Parents, Friends, Family, Acquaintances, People We Do Not Know,
The state of the Kelly Union is great!
2009 has started off on the right foot - Almost literally too! Every weekend of January was spent being active. From biking in the White Tanks to hiking in South Mountain and Sedona. The weekends were absolutely beautiful and begged to be be enjoyed. We praise God for His blessing of strength and health. We look forward to a full year of enjoying His creation!
At the beginning of February, we joined a local climbing gym. It is time to get serious and get in shape. Climbing is a fantastic workout and lends itself to good friends and adventure. It is an exciting way to workout too!
Tiffany has been great with devotions over the years. She is always reading and studying to Word. We recently found a devotional series that we are working through at the same time. It has been great getting spiritual exercise and regularly being in the Word. We are also very active in our LIFE group, Sunday School, Youth Group and Sunday morning services - We are trying to be immersed in the Word as much as possible!
I also have a fully implemented "Getting Things Done" system now that seems to be working for me. I have struggled with different systems for a while and let that be an excuse for not getting things done. Now, I do not have an excuse. I have a system that is always in front of me or in my pocket: Microsoft OneNote.
One of the biggest things that I have accomplished through the system is finally documenting and putting into practice a photography work flow. Since we take a ton of pictures and always have people wanting copies, I needed to figure out a way to control the distribution, but also be able to showcase the ones that I wanted. With a little more tweaking, it should be a full functional machine. After downloading pictures, I edit them in Picasa 3 (Mainly delete bad ones and flip sideways ones). After Picasa, I copy them to a central location on our home network. The pictures are backed up once a week and stored in the safe. From Picasa, I upload the pictures to Flickr and mark them as private. From Flickr, I import the pictures into our gallery where people can sign up for accounts and gain access to download pictures that they want (You can select individual ones for a "shopping cart" or you can download an entire set - All in .zip format!). Back on Flickr, I can then open up pictures for public viewing to show the better pictures that are not full of people and stuff. I look forward to getting a lot of pictures online over the coming months and finally begin using the thousands of pictures that we have taken.
Work has been great as of late too! Praise the Lord for work right now. It is very busy and does not show signs of slowing right now. I am presently working a number of roles, among which are consulting and pre-sales. I look forward to working with many clients this year. Previously, I worked on one account. Now, I am able to expand the horizon more and get some more broad experience.
Thank you to those who regularly pray for us. God is good. We thank Him for the many blessings that He bestows on us and pray that we will never forget to give Him all of the glory. At the same time, we pray that we would continue to be more like Christ each day and let Him be glorified in all we say and do.
The state of the Kelly Union is great!
2009 has started off on the right foot - Almost literally too! Every weekend of January was spent being active. From biking in the White Tanks to hiking in South Mountain and Sedona. The weekends were absolutely beautiful and begged to be be enjoyed. We praise God for His blessing of strength and health. We look forward to a full year of enjoying His creation!
At the beginning of February, we joined a local climbing gym. It is time to get serious and get in shape. Climbing is a fantastic workout and lends itself to good friends and adventure. It is an exciting way to workout too!
Tiffany has been great with devotions over the years. She is always reading and studying to Word. We recently found a devotional series that we are working through at the same time. It has been great getting spiritual exercise and regularly being in the Word. We are also very active in our LIFE group, Sunday School, Youth Group and Sunday morning services - We are trying to be immersed in the Word as much as possible!
I also have a fully implemented "Getting Things Done" system now that seems to be working for me. I have struggled with different systems for a while and let that be an excuse for not getting things done. Now, I do not have an excuse. I have a system that is always in front of me or in my pocket: Microsoft OneNote.
One of the biggest things that I have accomplished through the system is finally documenting and putting into practice a photography work flow. Since we take a ton of pictures and always have people wanting copies, I needed to figure out a way to control the distribution, but also be able to showcase the ones that I wanted. With a little more tweaking, it should be a full functional machine. After downloading pictures, I edit them in Picasa 3 (Mainly delete bad ones and flip sideways ones). After Picasa, I copy them to a central location on our home network. The pictures are backed up once a week and stored in the safe. From Picasa, I upload the pictures to Flickr and mark them as private. From Flickr, I import the pictures into our gallery where people can sign up for accounts and gain access to download pictures that they want (You can select individual ones for a "shopping cart" or you can download an entire set - All in .zip format!). Back on Flickr, I can then open up pictures for public viewing to show the better pictures that are not full of people and stuff. I look forward to getting a lot of pictures online over the coming months and finally begin using the thousands of pictures that we have taken.
Work has been great as of late too! Praise the Lord for work right now. It is very busy and does not show signs of slowing right now. I am presently working a number of roles, among which are consulting and pre-sales. I look forward to working with many clients this year. Previously, I worked on one account. Now, I am able to expand the horizon more and get some more broad experience.
Thank you to those who regularly pray for us. God is good. We thank Him for the many blessings that He bestows on us and pray that we will never forget to give Him all of the glory. At the same time, we pray that we would continue to be more like Christ each day and let Him be glorified in all we say and do.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Train Derailment in Avondale
Earlier today, a few train cars were derailed near 10900 W Buckeye Rd in Avondale, Arizona (About a 1/4 mile West of 107th Ave and MC85/Buckeye Rd). I have not found any articles about the accident yet, but I did take some pictures of my own and posted them on flickr.
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