Final Day in Seattle

With an early start on the day we quickly packed up all our gear and prepared to check out of the Red Lion. With our van at Aunt Irene's home and our final ticket from the City Pass yet to be used, we left our bags with the bellhop and walked down through Pike Place Market to visit the Seattle Aquarium. This stop on our tour was probably one of my most anticipated. I really wanted to do the harbor tour and the Aquarium prior to coming to Seattle. The harbor tour was OK, it would have been better without the rain, and the Aquarium certainly lived up to the hype.

Dropping down through Pike Place Market we purchased a bag of freshly made doughnuts for breakfast, and then viewed some of the shops. While I stood in line for the grub, Shanda and the kids walked over to one of the fish shops and watched as the guys working with the seafood were happily working tossing large salmon through the air.

The Seattle Aquarium was full of all kinds of exhibits. I think the kids were sort of tired at this time, though they all said they had a good time. The aquarium was about the right size and we spent roughly 3 hours viewing the fish. After the aquarium we walked down the waterfront to a great little lunch spot the Alaskan Sourdough Bakery. We enjoyed a couple bowls of clam chowder in sourdough buns, and some great oatmeal raisin cookies and chocolate brownies. After lunch we connected with Aunt Irene as she was awesome and helpful by bringing our van to us. After she picked us up, we returned to the hotel and picked up our bags, then on to Aunt Irene's home. We are SO VERY greatful to Aunt Irene for helping us this week. She welcomed us to the city with open arms and opened her home up to us, where we spent several hours talking and getting to know her better. She took time out of her busy day to help make sure we made it in to our hotel OK, and also she helped us by bringing our van to us Thursday afternoon, which allowed us to maximize our time in the city and maximized our chance to see as much of Seattle as possible.

After leaving Aunt Irene's home, we drove a few hours in to Kennewick to spend the night with Uncle Charles and Aunt Bette. We were warmly accepted with a wonderful dinner and very nice accommodations. It was fun to visit with my uncle and aunt. We have great respect for both of these guys and were again impressed by them.

The meals prepared by Aunt Bette were wonderful! After eating out for a week we all felt like a home cooked meal was the perfect end to the week. I was VERY excited that Shanda was able to get a digital copy of Aunt Bette's cookbook. It's always fun for Shanda to try something new.

Here are some more pictures from the day...

Executive Council - Day 3

Wow, what a day! Easily the best day of the week thus far. Today we listened to Sy Sternberg say farewell to the Executive Council Agents. I sat in awe of such universal approval and adoration by such an expanse of agents. To be so popular among a group of this size in today's business climate is clearly a very notable accomplishment. It was interesting to hear about the insurance industry and state of the company when Sy took the reins of the company and how it has changed to what it is today. Knowing what I know now, it only adds to my respect for my Dad and his notable and exemplary career. Essentially the decision to remain a mutual insurance company, remain primarily a life insurance company with an career agency distribution, though contrary to the trends and admittedly more conservative approaches, really is the reason New York Life has remained the industry leader in life insurance. Today pride swelled within because of the company I represent that I have never before felt. I think there was a switch within me that changed today, and I truly understood things that were told to me many times before.

While enjoying the morning meetings, Shanda and the kids visited the Pacific Science Museum. The kids began to show the wear and tear of the week, and Shanda was very excited to have me join her at the Museum later in the day.

After the morning business session, I got some hot chocolate and began walking toward the Monorail. As I turned the corner of Pike and 5th Avenue, I recognized a girl that looked a lot like my cousin Justine. Not being 100% sure, but figuring a slight embarrassing moment would be better than not saying hello, I called out "Hey Justine!" She turned and looked at me rather perplexed and then recognition dawned that her cousin was greeting her. She was hustling back from lunch, so we weren't able to talk much, but I was rather pleased to see her like that. Imagine, in a city as large as Seattle, with thousands of things that could have interrupted such a chance meeting, there two cousins were able to meet each other like that! Justine of course will be getting married in 3 weeks, so I wished her luck with all the plans, and gave her my congratulations.

The Pacific Science Museum was really neat. We spent the balance of the day looking at all the exhibits. Joseph was obviously taken by the mechanical items. He had a good time playing a giant mechanical arm a game of tic-tack-toe. Matthew seemed to be curious about everything and I'm certain he read every sign/description he could. Andrew was a good sport most of the time, though he did his best to torment his older brothers. He is really good at that. Maleah, not to be out-done by Andrew, put a great deal of effort into getting under Andrew's skin. The end result was a frazled mother and a tired father and 4 rather contentious kids. On a side note, I had a constant reminder of my previous day's run.

Given the fact that we don't often visit this fair emerald city, we decided to unload the remaining portion of the family gold and visit the Space Needle. It was somewhat painful to turn over the plastic card to be charged such a large sum, just so we could ride to the top in order to see a bird's eye view of the place. We could have gone into the gift shop and purchased a couple hundred post-cards of the very same view. But alas, we forked over the change, and we can now say that we have been to the top of the Space Needle. We took lots of pictures and even though the contention climaxed while atop the large structure, nothing could take away the overwhelming feeling that we got cheated... ;)

Tonight we were treated to another top of the line dinner, further tributes to Sy and a show with the guy that does the Billy Joel musical "Movin' Out." The kids got restless so we weren't able to see the whole show, but I think Maleah enjoyed the signing and dancing the most.

Here we are again, exhausted from the day and ready to turn in for another night of sleep.

Executive Council - Day 2

What a busy day! I began with the morning business session, while Shanda and the kids were able to get a good breakfast here at the Red Lion. After the meeting I was going to try and go with the family to the family activity at the Wild Waves Fun Park. As I walked down with the family I was firmly instructed that the agents were not allowed to attend as they were expected to go to the meetings. I bid the family farewell, and was chagrined later on to find that several other agents I know were at the Wild Waves enjoying the day with their families... oh well.

Ben called about this time and invited me to go work out with him. So rather than return to the meetings, I went to Ben's gym and ran 3 miles on the treadmill. The entire time I was thinking, "why am I running on a treadmill? I'm at this awesome city and it's cool outside, I should be running by the pier." So when we were done, I ran down through Pike Market, and down to the pier. I pushed myself pretty hard and really wore down my legs. Later on as I would carry the kids through the zoo, my legs felt like they would give away. As I walked back through the farmers market at Pike Market, I found a beautiful bouquet of flowers for only $5! I purchased the flowers and had them waiting for my family when they got home. They really improved the ambiance of our room.

After the family returned from the Wild Waves, we rested at the hotel for a spell, and then took the #5 bus to the Woodland Park Zoo. Our timing was a little late, so we weren't able to enjoy all of the exhibits, however what we did see was amazing! This park is by far the best I've attended. I don't recall when I visited San Diego Zoo, but the Woodland Park Zoo was spectacular. Not only was the variety of animals great and fun to see, but just walking through the park was a wonderful and fun experience, always something to look at.

Riding the bus was fun, I have always enjoyed observing people and this ride provided the opportunity to see many different types. We got back in the city late, so the kids enjoyed a memorable meal at McDonald's, and while Shanda walked the remaining two blocks back to the hotel, I went down to Ivars to get us a dish. Brandon Handy recommended we try the clam chowder, and touted it as the best in the world... I second his opinion. After eating some of the best food I've had in a long time; the creamiest clam chowder, tastiest sourdough bread, and fresh fish. We settled in for the night to await the fun in the coming day.

Executive Council - Day 1

While I was attending the morning meetings at the Washington Convention Center, Shanda took the kids to the Science Fiction Museum and Experience Music Project. I was blown away by the shear size of the company. For a career that at times can be so lonely, it is crazy to think that there are thousands of others going through what I go through. I was able to meet up with Umi, Silas, Paul and Erika from the CDC group. I am thoroughly impressed by the new CEO Ted Mathas. He seem to possess many qualities of a good leader, and I feel comfortable that the company will continue to be the leader in the Industry. During the breaks, I loved seeing both Ted Mathas and Sy Sternberg out among the agents visiting with us. It really is a pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful company.

The report from the kids and Shanda was that the monorail was a blast! Their favorite part of their morning was playing in the sound lab. They loved being so close to the Space Needle, and of course riding the monorail.

After the morning meetings and museum time, we were able to get back together and visit Pike Market. Here we met a few of the guys from CDC for lunch, and we were able to see some of the fun things unique to that market.

From Pike Market we went down to the waterfront and got our tickets to the harbor tour. From there we were able to sit in a boat and see the Seattle skyline from the harbor. The boat ride was good, but it was hampered by a little rain. The rain kept us inside the main part of the boat, after a while I found it impossible to stay cooped up, so I ventured out in to the rain to experience the thrill of the cold rain and wonderful ocean smell.

Tonight the kids were able to enjoy the Children's Dinner, while Shanda, Brooklyn and I were able to enjoy the honor dinner. Again, the size of the room that held the agents and spouses could have easily been two football fields, side by side. For whatever reason we were in the VERY back of the room, and therefor had a great perspective of how many people were in the room. I think they said it was just over 4,000 people. Prior to the Honor Dinner Shanda and I got our picture taken with Sy and Ted. I told Sy that I was Steve Richey's son and he said, "Of course, I know Steve Richey. Congratulations and welcome!" One thing, we have noticed for sure, and that is how much people have loved our little Brooklyn. Many have said, "wow you guys make such cute children!" The other is I'm surprised at how many people have congratulate me on making council. Either my tag has some special marking on it, or I have an dumbfounded amazed expression on my face constantly. I try to tell people I grew up coming to these meetings and while this is my first council as an agent, I've been in the business for years! It gets some chuckles :)

Here are some more pictures from our day...
Andrew and Maleah enjoying the Sound Lab

Cool Sailboat

I thought he was taller!

Seattle Skyline in the rain

Kind of blurry, but evidence I made it!

Three Harry Potters

Speaking of "I thought he was taller"

It's been a long day...

We departed Ogden last night at 10pm. I drove through the night stopping once just before Boise, and then again in Yakima, WA. It was about 7am when we got to Yakima and at this point Shanda took over the driving duties and I slept part of the remaining 3 hours of the trip. Driving at night had the advantages of not having the constant barrage of "are we there yet?" Nor the constant bickering among the children, "he touched me!"

We arrived in Seattle and drove around looking at the sights. We were all taken aback by the beauty of the city and the enormity of the city. After checking in to the Hotel, we drove into Bellevue, WA to see the Temple, and then on to Aunt Irene's home. We had a great visit with Aunt Irene and were overwhelmed by her hospitality. The kids had a great time playing with a ground squirrel and shooting basketball hoops. And we were treated to the best pizza any of us has had in a long time, by Aunt Irene. On account of the $35/night cost of parking a car in Seattle, we asked Aunt Irene if it would be OK, leaving our car at her house while we were away. She obliged and we are very grateful for her help and accommodating.

The registration for the council was an experience. Without kids it would have been rather boring. However with 3 Richey boys bouncing off the walls and escalators, and Maleah dancing around and singing to herself, I'm afraid we were quite the spectacle. A quick glance through the list of attendees and I'm certain that we have the largest number of family members attending... sheesh!

Meeting some of the people behind the company was pretty neat, and I was overwhelmed by the amount of "resources" in the company. Following that we were able to enjoy a very nice buffet style meal. All the attendees and families were in one giant room, with live music, and probably 20 different stations where people could "belly up" and get their grub.

We are now back in the hotel room, relaxing and preparing for a very busy and "hopefully" fun day tomorrow.

I guess it's official, Vote for Me!

What goes on in this kid's head?

What an interesting child we have... I come in the room and Joseph has Popsicle sticks all over the place, a glue gun in hand, he's wearing a Batman Mask, he has two plastic swords down the back of his shirt, and is working feverishly to construct some kind of structure. Every day, this boy is coming up with something new... he has quite the inquisitive and inventive mind. So I ask him, "what are you doing?"

He responds, "I'm making the Eiffel Tower."

"Really, so how do you know about the Eiffel Tower?"

"My teacher went to London last year and saw it."

"Oh, that's interesting... you know the Eiffel Tower is in Paris, France though right?"

"Oh yeah, something like that."

I proceed to inquire about the Batman mask and swords and though he doesn't really have an answer, I'm sure deep down in side he has a pretty good reason for the paraphernalia.

All kidding aside, I have to admit I'm pretty impressed with this boy, and am constantly astounded by my Joseph.

I must be doing something right...

Yesterday morning at the gym I was swimming laps. I've been trying to focus on my kicking to propel my body rather than relying on my arms so much to pull my body through the water. I got into a really good rhythm and found myself concentrating on my kicking really well for about 800 yards. I swam 200 yards for a warm-up and after the 800 I stopped to stretch before a short warm down.

At this point, a lady who was wearing a wrap around floatation device and was doing a semi-side stroke/doggy paddle, came to me and said, "Can I ask you a favor? When you swim could you not kick so hard? You almost drowned me 3 times!"

I couldn't believe it! I told her I had finished my workout and would be doing a short warm down, and that I wouldn't be kicking hard at that point. Anyway, I really couldn't believe that I was being asked to "not kick so hard." Isn't that like asking a runner to not swing their arms when they run? Or, asking a biker to not pedal so fast? Consider where I was... AT THE GYM. It was lap swim time. If you don't want to get wet... stay out of the pool.

I'm certain that I am over-reacting, however the more I think about it the more excited I get about her honest request to have me "not kick so hard."

Please tell me, am I off base here?

Pictures of Shanda

Miranda and Shanda pre-race

Shanda pre-race

Shanda & Miranda after all the action

My Wife the Biker Babe!

(Here is a link for a picture http://www.zazoosh.com/photos/157011619)

OK so I don't have any pictures to post yet because Shanda didn't bring her camera. However I'll get some from our Sister-In-Law Miranda soon and add them to this post.

I am so proud of my woman! She road the ULCER in Utah County yesterday... the 67 mile leg. Keep in mind that this race comes less than 3 months from the birth of our newest baby Brooklyn.

Shanda and Miranda, (partners in crime) got up early Saturday morning and drove to Thanksgiving Point to begin a 67 mile ride. Shanda and Miranda have been training very consistently over the last few months with a ramp up in their training over the last two weeks.

The kids and I spent the night at Brent and Shelli's home Friday night. After getting up and having breakfast we spent the next few hours wandering the vast Cabela's store in Lehi. We scored a free lunch from a local radio station, and then went down to watch the women cross the finish line.

It was great to see her come across the line and I was impressed by the fact that she looked like she could have gone another 40 miles! I'm really happy that she has found something that she really enjoys and am glad she can get a break from the kids from time to time and ride.

Kudos Shanda! I love you!

A Whole Lot of Hair

ANDREW BEFORE AND AFTER


JOSEPH BEFORE AND AFTER


MATTHEW WE DIDN'T GET A BEFORE SHOT, SO HERE ARE THE AFTER SHOTS


THREE GOOD LOOKING BOYS; PETE, REPETE, AND DITTO