The Family Farm

Our family farm is one of the most beautiful, peaceful places I have ever been. I remember with great affection the times that I spent there growing up and look forward to the times we can return. This Christmas was spent there in my parents' new home on the 'bee ridge' - where the bee hives used to be. Cheryl and I took a morning to go and photograph some of it and later that day, I caught an amazing sunset (although, amazing sunsets are somewhat the norm there). I've posted the photos with comments at Webshots. Below is a slideshow, but they really look better over at the album. Click here to go there now.

The Farm

The Fun of Family Photos

Cheryl and I do fancy ourselves quite the photographers. Our children lead a HIGHLY documented life. We have pictures of them doing just about everything and sometimes it is just too much for them. Today we set out to get some pics in their somewhat holiday attire. We trotted them out in our somewhat scene backyard and took no less than 83 shots of them ... including the one below. I think Julia had had enough! We did get a few good ones, though.

Overheard at the Landes House...

Tonight during dinner, we were enjoying each other, laughing, having a very enjoyable meal. Julia, being the little lady in training that she is, began to toot. This did stop the conversation a bit as she puttered along. Cheryl and I, always on the look out for a teachable moment, tried not to giggle. Cheryl prompted Julia, "What do we say?"

Julia, remembered her training and replied, "AMEN!"

Julia Time by the Tree

I've blogged in the past about my times with Julia on Wednesday nights when Cheryl and Isaac are away. This past Wednesday was special. After our normal play and mischief we spent some time in the chair by the Christmas Tree. She was enthralled by the lights and kept going back to the chair next to the tree. She wanted to play with the ornaments and touch the lights. Her curiosity was as apparent as her awe at the spectacle of the whole thing. I tried to get some pictures, but the lighting wasn't good enough and she certainly wasn't going to suffer any long exposures. I did manage to get these two, though. They're good enough! What a great girl.

Have You Been "Elfed"

We did! We have had so much fun over the last couple of days. Cheryl came home from her Bible Study Tuesday night giggling about a video she had seen and said something about being elfed. Elfed? I wasn't sure if she had gotten into some bad hot chocolate, but she dragged me in to the computer and had me look at this website.

OK. This is funny. It is funny enough watching anyone in an elf costume do a funny dance to peppy Christmas music. But it is REALLY fun to watch yourself! This website allows you to upload a picture of yourself, position your face in a little oval and click GO! Next thing you know, YOU are the star of this little video! Here is our little chorus line:
If you get a chance go to http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1175562436 and see the full video! ... Then, ELF Yourself!

The Cat is Out of Santa's Bag

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later! The names we drew for our gift giving this year got all mixed up and Mom had to bring it all out in the open to get everything cleared up before somebody got left out. The list hit the digital air yesterday, revealing all the givers and who their 'givee' would be.

Betty Landes to Billie, Tarah, Phyllis, Matt, Jake, Gabe, Don, Cheryl, April
Hey Dears,
Since there are two family members who do not remember whose name they drew for Christmas, I checked around and this is my best guess.

Drawor - Drawee
Don - Tarah
Betty - Phyl
Phyl - Betty
Billie - Don
Gabe - Jake
Cheryl - Matt
Matt - Gabe
April - Cheryl
Jake - Billie
Tarah - April

I am happy to report, though, that our good intentions are still intact as evidenced by this loving exchange of email that only serendipitously coincided with the list's publication:

Dear Matt,
Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you as a brother. Of all my family members I have always thought especially highly of you. Your generosity and the liberal way that you love those around you is wonderful. I just felt moved today to express this to you in a completely unmotivated way. You're swell!

Love, your brother that doesn't own a 40" flatscreen TV,
Gabe

... and a quick response ...

Dear Gabe,
As I sit here trying my best to choke back the tears welling up in my eyes, I can't help but be amazed by the irony of this situation. I myself was ,just this second, contemplating how your lovely wife exemplifies these same characteristics. Her generosity is surpassed only by her beauty! Let's face it, big brother, you married WAAAYYYY up! You should consider a career in sales. I digress... Anyway, as I was saying, I was just about to email this heartfelt, sincere, and, also, unmotivated ,byselfish motives sentiment to your wife, however, since I felt it polite to respond to you and say thank you for the compliment, I will simply ask that you pass my feelings on to your, again BEAUTIFUL, wife.

Love, your brother (and brother-in-law) that does not have a Browning 7mm A-Bolt Rifle,
Matt

Ah, the love in this family just... well, ya know... it just does!

Isaac's Advent Letter

Cheryl has been doing a daily activity with Isaac that follows advent. Each day they open a tiny envelope and find a small card inside. The card each day has an activity that is intended to give Isaac real opportunities to give an love. Today the card asked him to write a letter to me about what he loves about me.

I came home as I normally do. Isaac from his place at the table where they were eating early called to me. "Papa!" And, without much concern for the apparent surprise that it was supposed to be, followed that with, "Go look at your bathroom!" I did and found his letter taped where I would see it over the sink. It said

"1. He wrestles with me
2. Snuggling with him
3. Hugging him
4. He plays with me"

I love my son. He will likely never really understand how much I love him until he has a little blond guy running around his house to wrestle with. But I do know that I'm going to give it my best, anyway.

A Gift and Secret

Cheryl and I had a special date the other night and for the occasion, I got her a gift. Yes, the dog-bone was the gift. No, Cheryl has not been craving rawhide or had any trouble lately chewing on my shoes (not lately anyway...hehe). Actually the bone was a sign of more than my total ineptitude at gift-giving! Cheryl knew immediately that it as my way of saying I'm ready to get a dog! Cheryl was absolutely giddy when she saw the bone. She jumped up and down and squealed like a little girl!

We've talked about getting a dog before but have never acted on it. Between babies and space issues there have been certain reasons not to get a dog. Then, there is my own personal feelings about owning a dog in the suburbs: In a nutshell - man was not made to walk behind dogs picking up their poo! All that being said, I've given in to the real need that a certain little boy and little girl have for a puppy.

Now, you are all, hereby, swore to secrecy! The Kids won't know about this until Christmas! Many pictures will be taken and we'll have some good video, too! So until then .... Shhhhhh!!!

My New Car

...probably won't be one of these! Yeah, the Mustang in the picture is kinda pretty, but it is not mine. So, what is the story here? A few weeks ago, we brought in a trainer from a software vendor that we use and he had this as a rental for the week. He didn't want to bother with learning the roads, so he handed me the keys! Weeee!

Yes, it was fun. On the other hand, though, I don't think I want one. This was the LX model with an automatic transmission, so the driving experience was less than exhilarating. But, hey, there is something cool about driving one. Now I can say I've done that.

I Said 'Pouty', not 'Dumbfounded'

Let me try to make a long story a bit shorter...I was evaluating a piece of software for a project and found a list of websites that use the software. The list included a women's fashion site based in the UK.

So, I bring up their site and before I can begin my technical evaluation, I'm struck by the expression of the cover model...
I mean, we're all used to the type of expressions and such that 'high fashion' models find, but this one was just a bit off. She seems to have been caught off-guard, but not in that "I'm cool, spontaneous and candid" way. It's more of a "That guy with the clicky, confuses me" kind of look. I was mildly amused until I realized that this is her ONLY LOOK! I poked around the sight and found several other pics and sure enough, the look is stuck.

Here are 2 more shots as proof:Comments Contest: give these shots a caption! The title of this entry is my suggestion.

Cheers!

Isaac and I enjoyed the first eggnog of the season this weekend. I was in HEB for some quick groceries and, what do you know?! The eggnog was in stock. Not that canned stuff, either. The good stuff. I jumped back in the van with my find and waited for the right moment to reveal it. That time was, of course, almost immediately.

Cheryl was just as excited as I thought she'd be - not at all. But, while she was busy rolling her eyes, Isaac and I made plans to have a glass together right after dinner! I'm proud to report that he likes it! Cheers, Isaac!

Ramping Down

Have you ever heard the phrase "ramping up"? Sure - we use it to say we're gathering resources and momentum towards the end of some big effort. I feel like I've been ramping up for so long now that I've forgotten what I was ramping up for. I have come to a recent point where I'm realized that I am working too hard. That was the easy part. The hard part, though, is figuring out how to stop it! I need to start ramping down. As I struggle with the concept here a couple of things jump out as the bigger hurdles.

One, the felt need for the extra income from the side jobs. Part of what log-jams my time at home are the side jobs I've taken on. They have kicked in some cash from time to time but not a lot. The opportunity cost of them seems like it has been pretty high, too. It takes a long time to do a job and that time come from family time. There are just so many hours in the day.

Two, I've forgotten how to relax. I'm serious about this. When I'm thrust into a non-working time by a holiday vacation or an outing with friends, I can figure it out pretty well - I really do enjoy those times with family and friends. But what I've forgotten how to do is the "management" of those times. Planning vacations, looking for opportunities and pursuing family-level hobbies like taking our bikes to the park, camping and river trips are things that have fallen by the wayside to me. The void is obvious, but when it crosses my mind, I often find it burdensome rather than refreshing; it feels like one more job asking to be added to my already crushing load.

I'm out of balance. I'm admitting that here. Changes need to be made. But, I know that I can't do it all at once. It took a long time to ramp up to this level of intensity. Getting back to normal is going to take some ramping down.

Round and Round They Go

Do you remember spinning as a child? Ya know - the time that you figured out that it made you feel dizzy and that was fun! Well it is almost as much fun as a spectators sport! Isaac and Julia got going in the kitchen the other night and it was a hoot! The was a decidely higher risk of head injury than the kitchen normally presents, but if we keep them near the center of the room, this can be fun for the whole family! ... until they puke.

The Amazing Bed-Head

Wow - Julia's hair is getting long! She's got enough now for pig-tails and especially enough for some amazing bed hair! When she gets up in the morning after pig-tails the day before and her on style of sleeping (borderline gymnastic) the effect is wild. The look defies gravity and gives the distinct impression that she has been frozen in time mid-air while jumping on the bed ... or papa. Cute!

A Yearning for Country Life

I'm more than thankful for the healthy dose of country life that my brothers and I got. We had the opportunity in Arkansas to run out into the pastures and get lost for the whole day on our own doing country kid stuff. We made forts, slid down washouts in the side of a gravel pit, climbed trees, poked at the curiosities that crossed our path and generally got real dirty doing it. Those were great days.

Growing up in Suburbia wasn't bad, mind you, but in retrospect, there is something about kids that is just drawn to the wild places. Even at home in Rosenberg, we spent a huge amount of our play time at 'the ditch' - a large drainage ditch that ran behind our neighbor hood. We explored the undeveloped fields and climbed any tree that we could find outside of someone's yard.

My recent fishing trip with Isaac gave me a rare glimpse into that part of a child's heart. He didn't want to fish long. Not with friends to run with, hills to conquer and all the excitement of exploring. There is not a lot of that to be done in our neighborhood. Our parks are groomed, fenced and all the play equipment appropriately smoothed and padded. It is a safer world but the kids know there is more. I think that might be why they are drawn to the wild places. And really, I don't think it's just the kids.

Ice Cream Cuteness

We had a quick meal at Freddy's Frozen Custards the other day, and, of course, we had to have a custard to finish our meal with! Julia dove in with no concept of how much ice cream belongs on a spoon at one time. We all got a laugh, but man she was cute! You have to see this picture - click it for the full effect!

The First Eggnog of the Season

My wife and I have a lot of things in common. Love of eggnog is not one of those. I really love it! It is sweet, smooth and instantly reminds me of the holidays. Cheryl, on the other hand regards it much more like a cup of chilled snot. We'll just have to keep praying for her on that one.

Meanwhile, I had occasion to be in WalMart the other day and what do you know? The eggnog was out! They are already gearing up for the season. I didn't buy any ... but I did consider it.

Just Me and My Daughter

Sadly, besides being off to work, even when I'm home, there are bills to pay, side jobs to finish and house work to be done. I often enjoy my children in snatches of time. A tussle here. A hug and kiss there. But, I don't often get to totally devote myself to my children and give them the most tangible symbol of love that there is ... time. Tonight was not like that, though.

I had the best time with Julia tonight. Cheryl and I have a new arrangement for Wednesdays. She takes Isaac to Awanas at 6:15 and then meets one of the young women in our college/career ministry friend for some girl time and fellowship. I get one-on-one time with my daughter.

Tonight, I had 2 hours and, to be honest, wasn't quite sure what we'd do with it. But she did. She wanted to sit on my knees while I ate. Then she wanted a piggy back ride. Then we played on the couch. Then we played piano. Our evening ended brushing our teeth together and reading stories. No fits, no fussing. Just a great evening with my daughter.

Cabinet Trim Done

This just a quick update on a project I've been working on - Julia's Toy Cabinet. If you want to go back to the original post, you'll have a better idea of what I'm talking about. I finished the trim and the bulk of the sanding yesterday. The cabinet now is ready for paint! The back is not shown because it won't go on until after the whole thing is painted, literally the last step.

The trim has been a fun part of the job. After milling a long piece of rough cut poplar down to 1½" by ¾", I needed to put a profile on it - shape it to be prettier. I set my great little Porter-Cable Router in my homemade router table and chucked up a small ogee bit (pictured). I ran the wood past the bit on both sides to give myself a good size piece of molding. Yesterday, I used my table saw to cut the angles and get the molding ready to go on. After glueing and nailing them on, the holes and gaps were puttied. Later I sanded the whole thing down and it looks good. Here are a few detail pics:

Letting the Country Boy Out

Isaac had such a blast this Saturday. If you haven't seen the previous post or the video at the end of it, go there first. As soon as we arrived he wanted to be a part of everything! He and Matt's boys (our friends from church) were off and running before we even got to the creek.

Isaac wanted to fish initially and even got to catch one. I had to cast for him, but as soon as the worm hit the water, a fish hit it! Isaac worked the reel himself pulled it in - a baby channel cat about the length of my hand!Perfect size for him.

Soon, though, he and the boys decided to do some exploring. They mostly stayed in sight but you could tell he was having a blast doing what little boys are wired to do. They climbed up the banks holding roots, poked around the bushed and inspected anything they could find. For a time they got out of sight past the bank. Later Matt and I would learn that they had found a deer blind and had even climbed up in it (about 20' up a shaky ladder!)

I did give Isaac a stern warning about not straying and never doing that without Papa around
but in my heart I was secretly a proud papa. Proud of my adventurous, fearless boy. I was excited, too. Excited to see him getting to taste the wide open spaces. There are no such creek beds in Isaac's neck of the woods and straying out the front door is far more dangerous than anything he got into there in the woods.

My brothers and I tasted it in Arkansas at the farm. We even found our wild places in the ditch that ran behind our neighborhood and in the empty lots that still had trees that could be climbed. I'm sure that Isaac will find his own. I'm also sure that I'll enjoy the little taste of my own childhood that I'll get from watching him!

Fishing Fun

Since high school, I've not really pursued fishing as a hobby. I've either been distracted by other hobbies or just not had much of an opportunity for one reason or another. But, recently it seems as though God has ordained that I'll be doing a bit more fishing. I believe Isaac is a big part of this new ordination, too. Fishing is just such a great family thing to do! You get to spend time together and it is a fun relaxing environment. God's hand in all this was to create the opportunity.

Sure, I admit that at any time, I could've rounded up the gear and started fishing the local rivers. But that just doesn't appeal to me. It usually means going to some crowded public area or using a boat (that we don't have). So what changed? A friend at church who was already generously letting me come out to use some woodworking tools suggested I bring Isaac back for some fishing! We took him up on it today!

Isaac and I picked up some fishing equipment at the local Academy including a new "Spider Man Reel" for his first Reel of his own. We loaded up this morning and headed out to our friends' place. The day couldn't have been more beautiful. The air was cool and the fish were biting! Isaac had a blast being a 'country kid' for the morning... but that is another blog! I did carry the video camera with me and I've attached the video below!

October Already? ... 2007 Already?

Wow, life is speeding up every day. I've hit that point where I'm remembering things from 10 years ago like they were yesterday. All my friends talk about it. Oddly enough though, kids talk about it too! I overheard a high school student saying something to the same effect the other day! It can only be explained by acceleration. We're moving faster and faster every day.

Maybe it is because we are running out of new things. Maybe we only really register time when we're learning or experiencing something new. That doesn't explain how fast my kiddos are growing, though! That's all new and it is just roaring by.

I noted to Cheryl the other day that I'm starting to "get" what a mid-life crisis is about. You start putting stuff off in college thinking "I just need to get established". Then its "just need a job", "a promotion", "a wife...family..." and suddenly you're staring at a looming 40th birthday. It stops you for a sec - just long enough for those dreams and ambitions you've been trailing along to hit you square in the back of the head. When they do, you've got a conflict. You've never dismissed them, but you have outgrown many of them. Now you've got to reconcile them. So what has it taught me? Live your dreams or dismiss them but don't drag them along unfulfilled.

Isaac's First Night at Awanas

Isaac started Awanas last night. Our little baby boy. Our bundle of joy ... he's now a 'cubbie' in Awanas. Before I wax hyper-nostalgic about how fast Isaac is growing up let explain what Awanas is for the uninitiated. Awanas is a club for kiddos pre-K through 12th grade that teaches children the bible and Christian values in a fun setting with games, songs, activities, outtings and the like. It is somewhat comparable to RA's (all the Baptists will get that) or even Scouting (if Scouting was coed).

Now for the waxing part... I can't believe haw fast Isaac is growing up! I'm so excited for him to be getting involved with Awanas from the beginning, but I'm just a little sad to think of him passing yet another milestone in his life. It really did catch me off guard when Cheryl mentioned he would be starting this year. Man, where are the brakes? This ride is going way too fast!

High Speed Photography

Have you ever had one of those evenings where you had occasion to be out on the road and got to see an amazing sunset only the realize that you’ve got no way to capture it! Yes, gone are the days when life was slow enough to be able to enjoy these things from your porch. Those days are gone along with the days when people like myself could just enjoy this kind of beauty without feeling a compelling urge TO capture it, store it, blog about it and generally abstract the entire event! Ahhh, ‘Modernity’!

I actually don’t normally see driving as a photographic endeavor, but this sunset was particularly stunning. I had my phone in my hand so (without looking away from the road any more than I did to notice the view in the first place!) I snapped a quick pic.

Now I can share it with you! Aren't you glad you don't have to go outdoors anymore to enjoy these things. ...You're welcome. No... thank YOU.

Special Delivery

Julia is a consummate explorer – always into something! This box was sitting in the garage empty the other day. I got a big laugh when I looked up from what I was doing at my work bench to see her sitting in the box, clapping her hands and having the biggest time with nothing but an empty box.

Knowing this, I suggested that for Christmas we just get stuff for ourselves and give the boxes to the kids as their gifts! I bet that Julia and Isaac would really love a big box from a band saw or a new tool cabinet. Cheryl didn’t seem to go for that though!

House Hunting

The hunt has begun! We made some preliminary moves toward getting into a bigger house last spring which ended in our realization that we had a lot of work to do on our current home to be able to sell it for what we want. But this summer we managed to get a couple of the bigger items out of the way – namely redoing some of the wood siding on the gables. Now the new siding is still awaiting painting, but after that, our biggest jobs are just about done!

The Hunt began in earnest when Cheryl came upon a house near our current house that looked great … on paper. The right number of rooms, interesting layout and a good price. On inspection, though, it turned out to be much less attractive – smaller, flooring issues, and really looking like it would be a ‘project.’

Now as we continue to look at houses, we are starting to get the bug! Even I’m getting a bit more excited at the prospect of being able to get the computer out of the bedroom and have a master bathroom with a big tub (one of our ‘deal killer’ requirements!). We’ve seen a few that we like, but are most excited about a new build that would be just a little bit further down 35. We’ll see.

Overheard at the Landes House

I used to keep a blog on Yahoo and they had a special area where I could put up quotes and other short snippets. I often used it to put up the funny things that our kids would say. We had a funny one last night so I think that I'll start the "Overheard..." up again right here.

Last night Isaac earned a spanking. It hadn't been a particularly awful 'transgression' and Cheryl's pop wasn't delivered with full force. Isaac started to wimper but realized that it hadn't really hurt... and said so!

Isaac: " ... that didn't really hurt."
Cheryl: "Oh, really."
Isaac: "Wait, I mean it did hurt! It did ... OWWW!"

A Big Weekend at "Ankle" Matt and At. April's

We've hit the road this weekend! Off to Houston we are - we're staying with Matt and (the very pregnant) April this weekend. April has a baby shower that Cheryl is going to on Sunday, so we made a whole weekend of it. It has been great fun.

Julia is getting old enough to to really enjoy her extended family. Ma is here as well and has enjoyed being with her grand-daughter. And her uncle Matt got some good practice time in on life with a little girl! He's already pretty great with the kids but she gave him some extra special lovin' today. She's normally bouncing off the walls and rarely slows down enough to sit, much less to sit in your lap. But after her nap today, she agreed to sit in his lap and watch football!


Isaac has also had a big day. Not only has he had the extra attention of Ma, Matt and April, but we had a big first today, too - Isaac got to hold a snake for the first time. Uncle Matt found a snake (non-poisonous, of course) in the yard while mowing and gave it to Isaac to "play with." He was enthralled to say the least. Mama even enjoyed the event (if not the snake!) After a little while we had a first of our own - "Can I keep it?" Uhhhh ... no, sorry. We did let the snake go soon after. I'm sure it was almost as happy about that as Cheryl!

Bug Hunter

Isaac and I were doing something in front of the house when Isaac spotted a bug. Not just your run of the mill, insect-y, little bug but a big, slimey creepy crawly bug. To be honest I couldn't tell you if ti was a slug or a snail sans shell, but it was cool. You should have seen us both hunkered down in the driveway as cars are driving by giving us odd looks! But, it was cool. We got his "bug keeper" that At. Phil sent and kept him in there to show Mama ('cause we know how much Mama likes creepy crawly bugs!)

I really enjoy these times when I get to see, encourage and share Isaac's enthusiasm for the world around him. It helps me remember just how interesting everything really is.

Back To My Woodshop

Gettin' Jig-gy
Joe showed me how to make this jig for drilling the peg holes. The wood block on the drill bit keeps it from going too deep.


Gut Check
The moment of truth is when you slide the bins in that the cabinet was made to hold... they fit. Whew!


Almost There
It is assemble, nail holes puttied and sanded. Now for the trim!

Things at work have settled a bit lately and I've found the time to get back into the garage to work on some projects. One of these projects is a toy bin area for Julia's room. Sadly, I haven't been using my garage workshop much lately, but this project dates back much further than the summer. We had big plans early on for Julia's room and a few of them (the ones I was in charge of) never came together - wall cut-outs like we did for Isaac and this toy cabinet. But, I'm back at it now.

This project is unique in that it will mark the first real 'cabinet' I've done on my own and in my own 'shop.' I've done a lot of projects and even some pretty big ones, but none like this where the finished product will be a nice piece of furniture. A few years ago, I started hanging out with my friend Joe at his shop (he does woodwork). We built the pantry that stands in the kitchen now. But that was built at Joe's shop - with a sizeable bit of input, labor and know how from Joe. Since then I've assisted him on 3 or 4 entertainment centers and even an on location install. I've been learning from the best! Joe did come in and give some input on this project, to be sure, and for that I'm thankful.

Some details: The cabinet is around 36" tall, 14" deep and 28" wide. It has an off-center divider and adjustable shelves for both sides. It's made of 3/4" furniture grade plywood with hardwood trim and nosings to hide the the front edges of the plywood. At this point the cabinet is almost done. It needs a back piece to be cut from 1/4" ply and all the hardwood trim. Once that is done, it is off to the painters. It will be painted at Joe's dad's shop where he has all the gear for a professional finish. (I have no plans for installing a vented paint room!).

I'll post on it again when it is done!

Crossloop is Cool!

I do a fair amount of Tech Support both on and off the job and let me tell you it can be grueling.

• "Are you on the desktop?"
• "Yes."
• "Click the blue button."
• "I can't see any blue button."
• "Are you sure you are on the desktop?"
• "Yes! I'm sitting right here!"
• "You're sitting?"

And so it goes. 90% of my time is spent trying to figure out what they are seeing! If I could see their screen it would be so much easier, but up until now that would have required a significant amount of networked software. Until Now!

I was introduced to a wonderful piece of free software the other day! Crossloop. It is a tiny download. It install in seconds and is brain-dead simple to use. Case Study: Cheryl called me from home at work with an odd question about MS Word. We couldn't figure it out, so I said, "Hey, click the blue & green circle icon and tell me what the numbers are in the box." I opened CL on my machine and typed in the numbers. Bingo! In 5-10 seconds, I'm looking at her screen and controlling her mouse and keyboard and Cheryl is amazed.

If you're a little intimidated about whether you could actually work this, here is the test:

• Can you "double-click" an icon?
• Can you read up to 12 numbers aloud?

If you answer yes to both, you're in good shape! See you on-screen soon!

BTW - this software will now be a mandatory install for any family members calling me for tech support! :-)
Get Crossloop at: http://www.crossloop.com

Bugs Galore

AP, California - Mother Nature has settled a class action lawsuit brought by the ALCU for drivers world wide. The ACLU claims bugs are too hard to see to be able to avoid and the result car-bug collisions infringe on the driver's right to choose not to hit them. Mrs. Nature has agreed to mark bugs more clearly.---
We were at home depot recently when we saw this enormous yellow and black grasshopper. Isaac and I were both pretty impressed. Isaac has been quite the bug-wrangler lately! He has really started to get a big kick out of picking them up (much to Cheryl's chagrin!) The interest has extended to frogs as well and momma REALLY doesn't get much out of that. So for now, we'll just be keeping the pictures!

Julia's Promotion

Julia moved up this Sunday to the next class ... for bigger kiddos! Our little girl is growing up. True to form we were ready with the camera phone to document this momentous occasion. Julia was pretty ambivalent about the whole thing. As is often the case, this was probably much more of a big deal to her parents than it was to her. In fact I know it is the case.

I'm constantly amazed at every milestone. I'm caught off-guard at how fast they are growing up. They on the other hand take it all in stride, no doubt their overall demeanor buoyed by the constant air of achievement and sometimes frustrated when achievement tarries. In thinking about this odd dichotomy, it strikes me that this has likely been a part of life for all of history. Its an odd connection to thinking of my parents ogling my every change. It's even more awesome to think of Mary and Joseph watching Jesus grow like this.

Julia handled the promotion well, though. She was a happy camper most of the morning and topped it off by falling asleep on the changing table! The nursury workers placed her on a bean bag, and she snoozed the rest of her big event away right there.

So Many Blogs

It all started out with one little blog. Maybe this one. Then you started one. And so did your brother/sister/-in-law. Then they all started putting up link to their favorite blogs and you started finding your own. You might have even started returning a particular website to read their headlines! The number of articles and blogs to read just keeps on growing. If this keeps up you'll end up going nuts! We'll find you huddled in a corner of your closet with a laptop you stole from Best Buy strung out on caffine pills mumbling and typing what you mumble into a series of increasingly incoherentblogsthatyoujUSTCAN'TSTOP!!!!! DO YOU WANT THAT?! DO YOU, PUNK!? ...sorry, i think i need a time out from blogs!

Wouldn't it be great if you could go to ONE website and have all the articles and blogs you like to follow posted right there? You can! Recently a friend put me onto a cool service by (who else?) Google ... the Google Reader. It can take all the blogs you read and combine them into one list of articles. (The techie name for this is a "Feed Aggregator".)

If you don't already have a google account (your "blogger" account is one) you can start by setting that up. Then go to http://reader.google.com and start adding subscriptions - click "Add Subscription" and type or paste in the address of a blog you like. Most of the time this works with out a hitch. Give it a shot - you'll be glad you did!

A Little Quiet Time

I'm not the most disciplined man in the world in any realm of my life. Spiritual disciplines included, I have to confess to a high degree of 'flux' in all of my routines. Still I know the value of quiet time and try to get some in before leaving for work as often as possible.

Coincidentally, Isaac often gets up early. We normally send him back to his room to lay down. But, recently I've started letting him come into the living room with me. The understanding, though, that I try to make with him is that mornings are for Quiet Time. I'll let him come out 15 mins early, but he has to spend that time looking through his picture Bible. Somewhat to my surprise he has accepted it readily. The photo was one I snapped just before sitting down with him at the end to pray. We pray together on these mornings.

If my greatest fear is that I'll not lead him properly, somehow cripple him emotionally or, worse, spiritually, my greatest joy is when I see him growing, maturing and best of all moving toward a spiritual life.

Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

The Joys of Home Maintenance

Cheryl and I have been putting off some home improvements and maintenance for quite some time now but this weekend we got started in earnest! We recently had the siding replaced and need to get the painting finished but that meant power washing some parts of our house. So we borrowed a pressure washer and got to it. While we had the machine we decided we might as well wash the brick ... and the walk ... and the driveway, patios, etc. What began simply enough turned into an entire day of pressure washing just about everything! I have to admit though, it is pretty cool to see the concrete gleaming now. It is rather noticeable - so much so that we had fun 'writing' with the washer!

Prayer for a Portal

I'm filing this one in under odd, funny, faith builder. A little backstory: I've been working on the "Topical Memory System" from Nav Press in an effort to grow in the area of scripture memory. Currently I'm working on "Prayer" and the verse that I'm memorizing is Phillipians 4:6&7.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests known to God. And the pease of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NAS)

At work I have a major project - our 'portal' website - to get off ASAP and we're having LOTS of troubles with it. I sat this morning at my desk after a frustrating round of calls and meetings with people trying to get this up and running. I looked at my memory card and read over it a few times when I realized that this is what that verse is talking about. So, I prayed. When I looked up, there was the log on screen where only gray had been before.

God sometime chooses the oddest places to reveal himself to me. I was humbled and yet again in awe of Him.

Little Helper

Isaac is at the age where he is interested in just about everything. I love that. If there is one thing that I really hope I can share with Isaac through our lives (beyond a love our Savior), it is a profound curiosity about the world around us. He has a good start already!

The other day I was changing the oil in my car and you know where Isaac wanted to be - right in the middle of it! ... Literally! I had to warn him a few times to back up or he was going to get oil dumped on him. He wanted to work the jack, turn the plug and filter, pull out the dipstick, ... anything Papa did, Isaac wanted to do. And within reason, I let him. Yes, the job took quite a bit longer, but who cares. I can vividly remember when my dad would let me in on the mechanic-ing. Great times. I hope Isaac has some of those same memories.

Taggin' in the Bloggerhood

Yo dawg! ... hehe Ok, I know you know that I know you know I'm a lot closer to "nerd-core" than "Hard-core" so I'll spare you my lame attempt at ghetto-speak. I'm going to start blogging a wider range of topics and I'm setting my sites on some blogging related topics up front! Today: Tagging.

If you use "blogger", you've seen the "Labels for this post" blank below the editor window. But, do you use it? Uh, no, What's it do? Glad you asked! The labels are stored with your blog as a list of words that you choose to describe the content. Different internet sites have started using this system to give users yet another way to drill through the ba-zillions of giga-bytes of stuff out there to find what interests them. Sounds simple, but is something to consider before you start tagging: what type of style of tagging do you want to use. There are basically 2.

"Cloud Tagging" (my term) involves tagging every key word or idea in a blog. Every blog is different and you'll quickley end up with a LOT of tags across your blog. This can be good if you want to be able to get really specific on a "search" but bad because the list is too long to really browse. Yahoo does a lot with the cloud style to make it easier to use.

Blogger is friendlier to "Category Tagging" where you pick a defined list of tags and limit yourself to those. Because Blogger lists them (with counts) it makes for a manageable list. It also gives you essentially multiple blogs. When people click on, say, your "pets"category (posts that you tagged "pets"), they see only those posts. It's like a mini blog!

Whatever you choose, stick to it! It is hard to change later! I do the second style - categories. Take a look at my "tags" list on the side for an example. Have fun tagging - don't tell the police I told you how!

Has it been 6 years?

Somewhere in the middle of last month's blogging hiatus, I did take a break from work to celebrate our 6th anniversary with Cheryl. What a great time we had.

First, we hoped on a jet and headed for the gay town of Paris! (Not that kind of gay!) Cheryl wanted to see the Eifel tower, so we headed down there for a picture. I kept her entertained with my attempts to speak French that invariably ended in someone giving us directions to a bathroom. I sang her a love song on a bridge and a large crowd of Parisians cheered.

Then it was off to the Bahamas. We've missed the warm tropical sands that we walked on our honeymoon, so what better occasion to visit them, than our anniversary. We were feeling adventurous and had lunch while dangling from a parasail! No one had ever tried that before and our success drew another crowd. I, ever sensitive to my wife decided to find some place quieter. We strolled along this beach and laughed while we made 'sand angels' with noone but the waves to watch.

To wrap up the day, we flew up to New York City for a Broadway Show. Grease was opening with Max and Laura as Danny and Sandy and after watching them all season on "You're the one that I want!", it only made sense to be there. We dined in a small restaurant on the water by the light of the skyline and took this picture.

Alas the night had to end, though. We headed back to San Antonio and our home and our sleeping children. What a great evening!

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Cheryl, I can only hope to give you these things one day for real. Only God knows what fortunes he holds for us. But no matter where he leads us, the greatest fortune he has ever given me is your love. I love you... all the way around the world, to the moon and back!

So I Married A Blogger

Can you believe it?! I always suspected that Cheryl would really enjoy blogging if she tried it. I was right...MAN, was I right! At first, I was impressed, but now I'm downright intimidated! hehe - Seriously, I have really enjoyed not only reading Cheryl's blogs but seeing her get so excited about it! If you haven't seen what she has been doing, give it a look at:
http://cheryllandes.blogspot.com/

Beyond my shameless plug for her blog. I want to gush on a bit and say what a wonderful wife, companion, friend my girl is. Everyday I think about how blessed I am to have her. She is after God's heart and is an amazing mom! She supports me completely but never hides her thoughts when I need to hear them. She puts up with my faults and loves me anyway. When I say she loves me, I do mean the 'verb' kind of love. She is an incredible mother and is doing so many wonderful things with and for our children. They are truly blessed to have her! Most importantly, she knows who she is in Christ. She knows her heavenly Father and loves Him most of all. That makes all the difference in the world! Love you Babe!

Where have you been!?

What am I doing up at 12:30 am? I have been shamed into blogging again. I know, I KNOW. I'm the one who wassoooo gung ho about this and then I just disappear! OK - forgive me but I have been a bit busy lately! In fact I've been busier'n a one-armed paper hanger (ask an old-timer if you don't get that). Here is the scoop: I've been working my ever-loving tail off! My Clark Kent job is mild-mannered webmaster for Judson ISD and it has been anything but a mild summer! We're busy around the house, too and in the meantime I try to keep up sleeping and eating. But not tonight! I'm going to blog if it kills me! Actually I'm really missing this - there are some really fun things I need to put up and it is high time! So, here goes...

4th of July Fireworks

We took the kiddos to the city fireworks show this 4th of July. Both were mesmerized. Cheryl and I hadn't been to a live, public display in a long time, so it was even fun for us!

I shot these pics with our Olympus Evolt 500 - a digital SLR. It was hard not to get a decent pic if you were pointed in the right direction!

fireworks

Toobin for Tots

I know what you're thinking, "How fast was he going when he landed in that tube!?" But, no. This is really how it works. We saw another kiddo with it and had to try the "inner-tube shirt". OK, if you can stop giggling long enough to read on, this really is a cool deal. While he may look a little those videos of fat guys in inner-tubes, this is about as comfortable as Isaac has been in water. We've had a blast the pool this summer and now Isaac can even got out (somewhat) on his own. Guadalupe river, here we come!

Before you run out to get one though, be warned they only come in children's sizes. If the big people try to put them on they're likely going to get hurt or posted on YouTube!

iPhone ... oooooo ... ahhhhhh

Apple computer fans and Gadget heads everywhere have been waiting for this day - the iPhone has arrived (well, at 6:30 pm it will, anyway!) In case you've been in a hole for the last 6 months and have not heard, the 'iPhone' is Apple's insanely publicized entry into the mobile market. Entry is a bit weak of a word for this event; it has been billed as the death of (insert other smart phone of choice), the dawn of a new era and quite a few other titles that hint more at the amazing zeal of the Apple devotee than the deliverable goods on the phone. My own skepticism toward the device may be showing at this point, but I'm duly impressed with the magnitude of the launch event they've created.

I had opportunity to go by the AT&T store today and the zealous (I did intentionally refrain from calling them 'zealots') are camping on the sidewalk already. I've heard tales of individuals around the country that started camping as early as last Monday. While I don't ever plan on doing this, it is quite a sight to see.

The real question now is "Will the phone live up to the hype?" I've already heard a couple of reviews that while positive put the iPhone squarely in the realm of its mere mortal peers. Even Apple exec's have been quoted saying they hope those that buy the phone are not disappointed given the amount of attention. One thing does seem apparent, though - Apple is off on the right foot. The next few steps will be the real test, though!

Webshots - Pretty Pictures

Knowing that both of my brothers' families have enjoyed photography, I thought I'd share a website that I've really come to like for both posting photos and finding great shots - Webshots. I'm constantly amazed at the gorgeous images I find there, not to mention the great layout of the site - it is pretty amazing, too! Here are a couple of things that make it great:

• FREE! - yep, it's free. For the cheapskates like me, "Eeeet's the oooonly way to fly!"
• Beautiful - the site is great and makes you photos look great!
• Comments - there is a large community there, too. If you participate, it is easy to get great feedback on your shots.
  
• Widgets - the site offers easy access to 'code' snippets allowing you to put webshot on your own site, blog or even in an email. I placed the photo in this post with code from my album in webshots. Also, scroll to the bottom of the blog to see a larger module that displays your photos as an animated slideshow.

Webshots is a great place to have photographic fun! Enjoy!