found a video from Eugene of Switchfoot playing This Is Your Life - one of my favorite songs that they performed that night! Hope you like it!

well i'm finally home! overall my trip was really great, and i won't ever forget all the things i had the opportunity to do and experience, but it's good to be back home. I think i got over jet-lag, so it should be smooth sailing again from now on. At least till school starts again tomorrow. That will be...interesting.

So, where did i leave you hanging? Ah yes...the trip to Seattle! Well, me and uncle Mike drove up there on Sunday, checked into our motel, watched a little tv, and got in line at around 5. There were probably 50 or so people in front of us, which we were a little surprised at...We should have gotten there even earlier! Oh well, at least we know now for next time! =) Luckily for us though, there was a Krispy Kreme two blocks away, so we darted back and forth from there keeping our legs alive and nourishing ourselves with donuts and coffee. At about 7:30 we were let in (I wanted to bring the video camera so you guys could see some video of the concert, but the security was unusually high and they wouldn't let it in) and we proceeded to the front of the room. I was on the right side of the stage, right in front of the huge speakers =) And also about 3 meters away from where Tim would eventually stand. It was pretty amazing.

So, long story short...the concert was once again amazing although i must say that Eugene was a little better. But it was still really cool because i was a lot closer this time and also because of one special surprise...which i will tell you about it a minute!

After the show i picked up the live CD, a Switchfoot shirt for Claire and four wristbands. Me and uncle Mike hopped in our car and drove around back to where their bus was, eagerly awaiting the band's appearance. I decided to head over to the crowd that had formed, not knowing if anyone was there yet, and sure enough, Jon was already out talking to people and signing stuff and taking pictures! So i trotted over there and waited for a few minutes...and then realized that i should probably at least get the camera from my uncle still in the car! But i was already pretty far into the crowd and didn't wanna have to shove in again. So i patiently waited with the CD cover to Oh! Gravity in my hand for him to sign.

After about 20 minutes of patiently and gradually getting closer to Jon (I make it sound like he was a long ways away, but he wasn't that far, but he talked to everyone he met so it went slower than if he just said hi, signed something, got a picture and moved on), i finally wound up in front of him. He turned to me, and this is something how it went:

Me: Hey, my name is Tyler! Thanks for a great show, i came all the way from the Czech Republic just to see you guys! I was also in Eugene two days ago!
Jon: [stunned at first, then impressed] Wow! It's really an honor to meet you! How long have you lived there?
Me: About 12 years. My parents are missionaries there so...yeah. It's great.
Jon: Which show did you like better?
Me: Probably Eugene...
Jon: Yeah, me too. [smiles] [turns to crowd] Sorry guys! [laughter all around] But that's what's great about the shows is that each one is different and you never know what to expect!
Me: [smiling like a dork =)]
Jon: [turns back to me] we haven't gotten too far into Europe yet, the farthest we've gotten is Germany, but hopefully we'll get farther in the future!
Me: That would be great! [i couldn't think of anything to say...i couldn't believe i was actually having a conversation with Jonathan Foreman!]
Jon: Well it's really great to meet you! I wish you a safe trip back!
Me: Yeah, it's great to meet you too! Thanks again for a great show!

and i then walked back to the car, stunned! during the time we were talking he signed the CD case, so that was great! That was probably the best part of my whole trip (even though my Bapa insists that it must have been the Krispy Kremes =))!

The next day uncle Mike took me a to a huge rock museum thingy in Seattle with exhibits with great guitars, one was on Jimi Hendrix, there was also a place where you could play different instruments etc...a really cool place!

We then headed to the Market where they have fish, trinkets and anything you could ever want and need! Across the street was the very first Starbucks, so we got to go inside there and i got a Vanilla Frappuccino to warm me up...it was an incredibly cold day!

We then met up with my mom's arguably best friend Michelle Watson (who also happens to be a psychologist, and who periodically reads my blogs entries - hi Michelle!) at Red Robin and hung out and ate burgers and talked and then headed to her place where i picked up goodies to bring back home!

The next few days in Junction City, OR at my grandparents' house were spent gathering up all the stuff i had to bring back. So not much interesting went on.

We drove to Portland on Thursday morning and i flew home! I first stopped in San Francisco (which turned out to be a pretty boring airport), and then got on a plane and flew to Frankfurt. The plane was incredibly horrible...i don't know why, but it made me really sick on the way back. So when i stepped off the plane, i wasn't in the best mood. Plus i had missed my connection to Katowice where my mom would pick me up, which meant i'd have to spend 6 hours waiting for the next plane to leave. Luckily i started to feel better and i slept in the chairs for a little bit and it went alright. Then i flew to Katowice, mom and Claire and Lily picked me up, and we drove home!

If i would have to give the trip a ranking from 1 to 10, 10 being the best, i would have to give it a 9, but only because of the lousy trip back and because i was stupid enough not to get a picture with Jon =) But everything else was more than anything i could ever have asked for! It was something that i won't forget!

Tomorrow we go back to school... I think i got over jet lag, but i'm not sure. We'll see in the morning!

The Switchfoot concerts really inspired me to be a better musician and even "performer" or how i present myself when i'm playing a song. It was really cool to see them in action, and i learned a lot from just watching them! Also, in the 3 days that i've been back, i'm learned 3 more Switchfoot songs - 4:12; Faust, Midas and Myself and the Shadow Proves the Sunshine! It was lots of fun! I'm thinking about putting something together for 4:12 with Caleb on the bass and Claire adding some percussion with a shaker, and i might get around to recording something, and if you're lucky, i'll find a way that you can listen to it! =)

Stay tuned for another update next week - the week without mom!!! Aaaah! It'll be a rough week. We'll eat nothing but bread and have to walk everywhere. It should be an interesting experience and i'm interested to see how dad will handle us naughty kids ;)

P.S. I got a haircut tonight...just in case any of you were getting concerned about my overly long hair in the pictures =)

P.P.S. And for those of you who are well educated in Switchfoot lore, might be interested to know that i have dubbed The Shadow Proves the Sunshine as the theme song of my trip. I got some video footage of stuff and if i have time to put something together that's what song'll be on there! So look out for something soon!

Wednesday morning at about 11 o'clock i walked out into the lobby of the Portland airport to meet my grandparents...and my adventures started! Hello to all you people out there, i have much to tell you about!

Our first stop was Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in Portland...and in the words of my Bapa: "It's all going downhill from here!" =)

It's been so much fun spending time in Junction City, Oregon with my grandparents and my uncle Mike. The whole thing started with my uncle making a joke about how i should come over because Switchfoot is playing in Eugene, the town about 15 minutes away from where my grandparents live! And sure enough, I did come! And i'm sure glad i did!!

I got over jet-lag fairly quickly; they made me stay up till about 3 o'clock my time so that i would be fine the next day, and even though i started to fall asleep in Barnes and Nobles the next evening, a quick coffee fixed that and i've been fine ever since!

Last night was the big night... Switchfoot played at the McDonald theater, where my mom saw movies when she was little, which has now been renovated and fixed into a concert hall. It was just the right size and it felt great! Me and my uncle Mike went down about 15 meters away from the stage and my grandparents went up onto the balcony, of course not forgetting their earplugs! And i'm not joking, they were sure glad they had them!

Copeland, the band that's touring with Jon, Tim, Chad, Jerome and Drew aka Switchfoot came out first, and played a 45 minute show. They weren't that bad! But they ain't got nothin' on the Feet. It took all the roadies about a half hour to move all of Copeland's equipment out and get all of Switchfoot's stuff inside and onto the stage. And that was probably the longest half hour i've ever had to endure!

And then...they came out. Opening with Stars, which woke us all up, nontheless. I was blown away! I couldn't believe it: Switchfoot, my favorite band of all time is playing right here, and i'm right here too! I'm not watching their performance on a computer screen, but i can see them with my own eyes!!! I was speechless and couldn't stop smiling! =)

They played about 10+ songs. I wasn't really counting - i just wanted to take in each performance seperately as it was. My favorite songs that they did had to be This Is Your Life and Awakening. Those were definitely the most memorable. Another favorite was On Fire and the encore: Let Your Love Be Strong and possibly their most famous Dare You To Move! DYTM was great because Jon did Love acoustically without any backing instruments, and he moved right on to DYTM still on his acoustic. So the first verse and chorus were acoustic, then the rest of the band joined in and he switched guitars (his good ol' Gibson did the trick) and really rocked out! Simply amazing.

I love it when he talks to the crowd, then you really feel like you know Jon and them all. Jon really carries the whole performance on his shoulders though, and you could see the sweat pouring down his forehead by the end of it. It must be crazy doing show after show after show... I don't think i really ever realized how much energy and time they all have to put into each and every one. I really admire all of them and am thankful for all of them as well!

I was so tired after the whole thing...but it was amazing. By the end my ears were ringing and when we walked out to the car my ears were still half shut down so it was strange =) But i soon recovered and got a good night's sleep!

Grandma and Bapa had a fun time too =) They made it with their earplugs, and said that that was the best concert they'd ever been to (but it was also their first!). But i don't think they'll be going again any time soon! =) Or...could i be mistaken???

One thing that my uncle Mike surprised me with when i got here was that tomorrow, on Sunday, he's driving me up to Seattle...to see them again!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait!!!!! It's about the same distance from Frydlant to Prague, so about 4 and a half hours. I'm really excited though, because this time i can enjoy it even more than the last time because i'll know what better to expect! I'll definitely get some footage on the video camera, so hopefully i'll put it up here once i get home and stuff! And you guys can be praying for me... It would be really great if i could meet them after or something, so i'll probably be hanging out by their bus after the show!!

Today Bapa and uncle Mike took me to a HUGE guitar shop in Eugene, and i found Jon's Gibson! It was pretty cool. I want one! (mom-hint, hint...)

Well, we're gonna have to leave around 10 in the morning tomorrow so we can get there, get food, and get in line so we get all the way up to the front! It'll be awesome. Mom told me that i should make a sing saying: I FLEW ALL THE WAY FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC TO SEE SWITCHFOOT!!! I couldn't find any paper...yet. But i should totally do it and see if they notice!

I'm here till Thursday, so it's not over yet! I'll still have lots and lots of fun with my wonderful grandparents, and my quirky uncle! =)

well, a month has gone by since my last post, and no i wasn't kidnapped or locked in my room for that whole month. I just haven't gotten around to it, and for that i am sorry...sniff.

we just got our internet fixed so now i shouldn't have any problems while updating this time! Yesss... With our old internet what would happen all the time was that i'd write out this long post with pictures and all the details figured out, and then i'd click publish and the internet would go out and i'd lose it all! But like i said, it shouldn't be a problem any more!

i don't remember too much from before two weeks ago...so i guess i'll just let you know about the recent occurences!

It finally snowed...but then it melted. Luckily i got in some snowboarding before spring came! Hopefully spring isn't here to stay and we'll still have some good runs.

On the 20th of January it was Caleb's 14th birthday! We hung out with the Ellenwoods in Ostrava the day before and went bowling with them the next day! It was pretty fun. Here's a picture of us in Ostrava - I had just got a new book, which i'm holding proudly up! It's The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum, and it's a really great, but long book. I wonder when i'll finish it! I'm about a fourth through it now.

Then I had a big project going on during last Thursday and Friday... I will explain. As you may have read on here or heard from me, I got some Lord of the Rings figures for Christmas from my grandparents, and i've been busy painting them and making them look wonderful! But, i wanted and needed something or someplace that they would look good and not just be sitting out on my dresser. So i decided to make a terrain piece, or a scenario. It was lots and lots of work...but it was worth it! You can see how my work progressed in the following pictures. I present to you... The Mines of Moria!!!






























And since i promised it, here are some pictures of my painted figures! I have one in my hand to show you just how small they are and how hard it is to paint them! Normally it takes me about and hour and a half to two hours to paint one. I have special paints and really tiny paintbrushes. It's one of my favorite pasttimes, just sitting back painting and listening to music or talking with mom. Anyway, here they are!















































On Friday in the evening and on Saturday there was a conference up at the hotel. I went along as a part of our ministry team in Frydlant. The theme was spiritual warefare, and my dad did a great job of teaching it! I learned a lot of new stuff and i'm sure it will be of great help now and in the future. Anyway, here is a picture of our ministry team of Frydlant nad Ostravici!

I also forgot to mention, that on Friday in the afternoon, we got our new piano! It was a Christmas present from my dad to my mom, and it sounds amazing, even though it hasn't been tuned yet. Our old piano, which was practically falling apart, is now on its side in my dad's office on a little cart, waiting to find a place to be set permanently! Here's a picture of mom with her new, wonderful piano!

I also have some exciting news...exciting for me at least! Next week on Wednesday, i will be flying to the States to hang out with my grandparents (mom's parents aka Grandma and Bapa) and my Uncle Mike! I'm looking forward to it so much, and i'll be flying all by myself for the first time! I sure hope i don't get lost along the way, but it should be fine. The thing that i'm most looking forward to doing with my grandparents and uncle is...drumroll... going to a Switchfoot concert!!! For those of you who don't know, Switchfoot is my all time favorite and best band of all time, and one of my biggest inspirations in music and faith. And yes, both Grandma and Bapa, plus Uncle Mike will be attending the concert with me, so it should be fun! =) I'll be sure to let you all know how it went, i'm sure it will be a blast! Mom also says that Uncle Mike has some surprises planned for me so...we'll have to see what they are! With Uncle Mike you never know! =)

Well, it's getting a little late, so i'll call it a night. Hope you're all doing well! I'll update again as soon as something interesting happens!