Overheard at Our House

At dinner Cheryl wanted to showcase some of the progress Isaac was making in his math studies. She explained to me that he was doing great and had even been solving some simple problems. At this point she turns to Isaac who is now beaming and in an increasingly silly mood.

Cheryl: Ok, what is 1 plus 3?

Isaac: (without hesitation) ... Addition!

Wish You Merry Christmas I Do

So what was the coolest gift you've gotten in a White Elephant Gift Exchange? Huh? Was it the pink sweat band, the cartoon character phone, the Gone with the Wind commemorative placemats? Maybe it was the pristine copy of Ice Pirates on DVD? Whatever it is for you, let me tell you - mine... the BOBBLE-HEAD YODA SANTA! Not only is it guaranteed to get a smile from any age-group when you flick an ear and set him a-bobbin', but also a sure fire in-road with those ultra-exclusive sci-fi types! That's right baby - no more driving by yourself to the Star Wars convention! Look out trekkies! You may think this is just an over-zealous attempt at profit by marketing guys that could've say no to any single suggestion, but No! This is your ticket to the stars! (...or at least a hi-5 in the tech shop at work!)

A Pretty Good Day

It is a great thing to have a good day. I must say that I've had some great days but the good days are different. To keep them separate, let me explain. A Great Day is the type of day that includes some experience that you've never had. Climbing a mountain for the first would be a great day for me. Skydiving was an especially great day! Good days are different though. Good days are the ones where the actual activities may be mundane, the events uneventful, but the whole thing just works. It's like the gears of the universe all mesh just right and life goes smoothly.

Today was a good day: We slept in a bit, got donuts together, did a little work around the house and put up some Christmas lights, napped and even wrapped presents after the kids went down.

Looking back at the day, I find that family is a part of all that made the day (and any other for that matter) a good day. And, that is what a good day does. When one of those comes along, it shows what we really value down at the practical end of life - the day in, day out values that really make up who we are. I'm pretty happy to realize how much joy my wife and kiddos bring me. This was a pretty good day

Go Fish, Isaac!

Cheryl is off to see her sister Karen, and enjoy a couple of days celebrating her birthday. That leaves Isaac, Julia and I home alone for the weekend. While the cat is away...! The kids and I headed out right behind her to pick up a pizza, bring it home and have a little "Game Night". Isaac finished eating a little earlier so he and I decide to play a "grown-up" - that means one of the games from the hall closet (where we keep the games that are just a bit over their head).

Isaac is pretty solid with number recognition, so what game would be better with that skill - GO FISH! He did great - even won! we did have to work a bit on the concepts, though. He didn't get at first that when I called for a card that he had, that was not something to get excited about and cheered for me when I did! So, I returned the favor - it was an exceedingly cordial game! He also needed help fanning his cards but beyond that, he picked up the game quickly. We had a blast! Julia even had fun watching for us while she ate! What a night!

Head in the Clouds: My First Skydive

Experiences, I'm convinced will define our memory of our lives. It is also particularly the new ones that will stand out! I'm convinced that this is why time seems to fly faster and faster as I age: I have fewer and fewer opportunities to do something I've never done. This weekend I made a memory that will certainly stand out! I went SKYDIVING!

The opportnity came when a friend offered to let me use one of 2 vouchers that he had gotten as a gift. Of course I accepted, and of course Cheryl and the kids wanted to be there. So, we made plans and on Saturday, we loaded up and took off.

Let me say right up front, skydiving is awesome! It was everything that I had hoped for and more. I can hardly express how great it was, but that has never stopped me from trying. So, here goes.

First, was I scared. Actually, no. I was not scared at any point (this could be a bad sign but I'm going to go with it!) Maybe the all the rationales worked on me: "The odds are far higher of [blah,blah,blah]" and "People do this all the time!" Whatever it was, I honestly didn't have any point at which I thought twice about doing it. Instead, it was a total rush from the moment I put on the harness to the moment I put my feet back on the ground.

We arrived in Beeville at around 3 and did the paperwork - scads of papers to sign. "Yes, I know I could die", "Yes, I agree not to sue if I die", "No, my family won't either." (I seriously think that a hand cramp from all the signing was about the worst injury I risked!) The training was brief - "This is a plane. You will jump out here" - and we were off to the airport.

At the field we decided I would jump first (small plane = 1 at a time). They strapped me into a harness that was tight enough to kill any hope of walking normally to the plane. Then we climbed into the plane - a Cessna. The plane likely at one point had more than one seat, but not now. I sat with my back to the pilot and 3 other guys (2 solos and my instructor) piled in around me. We looked more like a clown car than a serious skydiving operation. Once in the air, though, it was great. We circled the field gaining altitude and enjoying the view. The guys even had a little fun with me asking the instructor if he had taken his meds. He naturally replied, "No, I haven't blacked out in days!"

Then - we hit altitude. 2 miles.

When the door came open it was finally "real." I was about to jump OUT that door ... at 2 miles up! The instructor attached to my harness and we moved to the door ... awesome. I followed my training and put my right foot out on the strut ... Awesome. I grabbed tight to my chest harness and a second later felt his weight come out behind me and watched the plane fall away behind us ... AWESOME!

The freefall was intense in every way: Strange G-forces in so many directions, the wind literally screaming past, the earth in every direction with nothing between, the amazing sensations of literally flying through the sky at an incredible speed. In 45 seconds we had just enough time to look around and do a couple of 360's just to see the sights.

I was warned on the ground that the chute opening would be quite a jerk. It was not, however, as bad as what I was prepared for. In a moment we were floating serenely under the canopy and all the intensity of freefall was replaced by calm and quiet. We did a couple of sharp turns in a figure-8, and then prepared to land.

The landing was a breeze. To keep from risking a face-plant, we came in with our feet out and plopped down in the field just a few yards from where Cheryl and the kids were watching. Then it was Will's turn.

Would I do it again? HECK, yes! Unfortunantly it is a bit pricey. You could spend 3 to 4 thousand easily gettng trained and geared up. Sadly the inflight video was pretty pricey, too. But, my personal videographer/photographer was there so we go the video below.

If you ever get a chance ... GO SKYDIVE! Meanwhile, enjoy this video...

Back Home

We pulled into the drive last night at midnight. We are now home and our vacation is just about over. It has been a great week, but it seems that an unexpected benefit of going away is appreciating being home again. After a week of amazing sights and experiences, after a week of new places and faces, after a week of getting up and going down at unusual times, it is nice to be back in our little house with familiar things and ... soon ... the familiar faces of our children.

Missing the kids was beginning to drive our attention from the things of vacation. All of the wonderful distractions of our adventure were loosing their hold, and at just the right time, we were wrapping up the time off. Now we are anticipating seeing them soon!

Being off will certainly have its lasting effects. I got up this morning late (unusual for me) and took the time to make myself a Carmel Machiatto - something my mornings never afford me the time to do. Maybe, along with the souvenirs, pictures and memories, I'll take home a renewed commitment to taking time to relax. Ahhh .... Vacation!

Olympic Dreams

Our last full day of vacation held a real surprise – rubbing elbows with Olympic athletes at the Utah Olympic Park (UOP). If you are not familiar with it, the UOP was the site of ski jumping and sledding events in the 2002 Olympics. Thursday AM we had already found out about the events going on – bob sled and skeleton. Jake found out from a worker that not only were the ‘camps’ have more events on Friday but that in the evening they would have events starring many national level athletes and even past Olympians. We showed up and the evening was awesome on several counts.

First, the athletes were outstanding. We had already seen runs by the ‘amatuers’ that were amazing to watch, but these athletes were clearly a notch above that. Cheryl said it best, “This just doesn’t get old!” Agreed – every time a sled came by, we were awed by the speed and spectacle.

Second, we had better than front row seats - we were almost the only people there that weren't directly involved. This was apparently not a publicized event! We just showed up and walked up to the track. No one batted an eye as we walked the length of the track and stood just a couple of feet away watching them go by - WOW! We were able to hang out at the landing area (half way back up the mountain where they come to a stop and even ride up with the athletes to the starting area. Absolutely surreal! These were world class Olympians and we were just chatting with them and milling around in the crowd. Wahoo.

We watched a number of starts in men's skeleton, women's 2 person bobsled and men's 4 person bobsled. All fascinating. If you know me at all, you'll know that I watch almost no televised sports. But, after this weekend, I'm thinking about following sledding! ... and just in time for Vancouver 2010!

On Vacation

Oh the joys of a vacation. It is not often that I take time for a vacation. We've really not done this type of a trip since our honeymoon, so the last week has been a real change for us. The real highlights have been the sights like the Olympic Park and Arches National Park and, especially, the time I've gotten to spend with Cheryl all to ourselves. Cheryl has done quite a few posts on the trip's goings on, but I thought that I'd add my 2 cents worth here, so here we go with the highlights...

SUNDAY - Olympic Park
We visited the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics ski jumping and sledding events (bob-sled, luge and skeleton). The big fun there was a zip line that ran the entire length of the longest jump - Weee!

MONDAY - Shopping
We spent most of the day Monday piddling around town. We saw the "Main Street" and walked most of it looking in shops and such.

TUESDAY - Hiking and a Date
Cheryl and I really wanted to get outdoors and this was our chance. We walked out of the resort and right onto a dirt service road that led up the nearest ski mountain. We followed these service roads most of the way to the top. It was a LOT of uphill hiking, but it was rewarding to say the least. Amazing views and probably the most fun part - just enjoying it with Cheryl.

WEDNESDAY - Arches National Park
Utah is an outdoor enthusiasts dream land - amazing national parks with stunning sights. Although the biggest and best parks were several hours south of us, we planned from the beginning to go see at least one of these parks. Arches seemed the mosted doable, so we got up really early (5am!) and gt on the road. The drive alone was incredible - mountain passes, high deserts, waterfalls .... WOW!

The park, though was the best part. Enter by switch-back road into an absolutely phenomenal menagerie of sandstone spires, fins and arches. Strange shapes everywhere and most of them towering over you hundreds of feet in the air. We got out and hiked a short trail to see the "Delicate Arch" and were blown away by the view and the surreal immensity of the arch. After dinner in Moab, we drove home in the dark and slept well!

THURSDAY - Back to Olympic Park
We had heard that some athletes would be practicing on the ski jump so we headed back to the park for the morning. They were practicing - it was fascinating to see them jump without snow! The jump was iced over mechanically and the landing was a synthetic material that was wet down. The jump then ran out into a grassy area, where the skiers came to a stop on green turf - crazy to watch.

The big surprise was when we walked over to look at the bob-sled track and realized it was not only up and running but they were actually running Skeleton and Bobsleds that afternoon. We got to stand right by the track as athletes rocketed past at 74mph+ speeds. It was amazing! TV does not do the sport justice! Wow! ... WOW!

FRIDAY ... hmmm, we'll see!
Today looks to be a quieter day as we get ready to head home tomorrow. Any excitement will have to come in the next post!

Ahhh .... VACATION! (more pics on Facebook!)

Back to Blogging

So, its been over a month and a half since my last post. That is a long time. But, I need to get going again. Being on vacation is a great opportunity, so get ready! Here comes some posts ... tomorrow.

My Little Rocketman

Isaac as you you may know has been on a bit of a "space" kick lately. He has his books about space. He's got a growing collection of space theme lego-creations. He's even got some nifty "WALL-E" sheets (by the way - great movie!). I really dug space as a kid, too, so what better hobby to introduce my son to? Model Rockets!

I dropped by WalMart and for the low, low price of $20 we got a starter kit complete with launch pad, launch controller, 3 engines and - can you believe it? - 2 Rockets! Yes. The thought "Great! One for me and one for him!" did cross my mind, but only for a moment. Of course they are both for him ... my 4 year old. um...

In all honesty I've enjoyed this a bit, but my uber-nerdiness cannot compete at all with his genuine exhuberance! He cannot put them down. He runs around the house despite my measured warnings about their fragility.

We had our first launch last Thursday, and the result: We need a bigger field! Isaac loved it - the first one went off without a hitch. It was a larger rocket with a parachute that was easy to follow down to where it landed. The second rocket was a different story. It was considerably smaller with the same size engine as the first. We pushed the button and "Whishhhhhh" - completely out of sight. Uh, houston, we have a problem. Since it went considerably higher it could fall further away ... and it did! We tromped all over the field where we launched it to no avail, until I finally left Isaac with Mama and struck out to cover more ground before the daylight waned! I did find it a good 50 yards beyond the furthest place I thought it could have fallen. Whew! Next time, I'm going to find a bigger field!

Settling Catan

We are hooked! Have you ever heard of this game, "The Settlers of Catan"? If not you really need to experience it. A couple of months back some friends of ours, the Andersons, mentioned that they wanted to have us come over to play "Catan." "Sure" we said in that i've-got-no-idea-what-this-is-about-but-i'll-do-most-anything-to-humor-a-friend kind of way.

A couple of weeks passed and I finally was available on a weekend to hang out with the guys. We headed to Steve's house and started getting ready to play Catan. Now, I'll be honest - this game is a little on the complicated side at first (kind of like Katrina was a 'little' on the rainy side). They started throwing down the game board tiles, little monopoly looking game pieces, 2 decks of card, dice, a 'robber' (hard to explain) and partridge in a pear tree. ...Ok, no partridge but there really were a lot of things to keep up with.

The first game was a little like watch foreign films without subtitles: It was interesting and I knew something significant was happening at times but I was otherwise completely lost. But, that is about what it takes to get the hang of it. Game 2 made more sense and was actually really fun. So much so, in fact that I decided to blow a $25 Amazon gift card I'd been sitting on for over a year and buy it myself.

Cheryl was hooked almost immediately - of course, I 'let' her win that 2nd game, but she is actually pretty good at it. It must be genetic; her sister came down and won the first game she played! We've also played it with the singles group we work with at the church and my aunts and mom. So I'm not sure if we are settling Catan or if Catan is settling us!

Try the game - you'll love it!

Learning From the Best

Recently I had a chance to do some woodworking with a friend, Ken. In fact the friend is actually a pastor at our church - the very one that conducted our ceremony when Cheryl and I married. Before that, he and his wife did our pre-marital counseling, and before that, he spent a lot of Friday mornings at the local Denny's letting me weigh my heart on the subject of this beautiful, fun, caring, godly woman I'd met 3 years into giving up on dating.

It was a real treat to tag along. The project was moderate in scope - 2 tall boxes with minimal trim to serve as offering collection places in our church. From the beginning, though, it was easy to pick up bits of wisdom in everything from how to saw the sheet goods to how to set up your shop. If we'd never said a word, I would have learned a lot.

It is interesting how that process applies in so many areas. As Cheryl and I have begun working with the college and career group at our church, many of the things that I learned from Ken early on have come back to me. I try to use them to bless the men in the group that I now get to sit with.

As the Lord would have it, one of these men, is now about to marry Ken's daughter who was in the early years of high school when I first came to our church. Drew and I have met for coffee a number of times and I can only hope that I've been half the help Ken was to me. If I've done any good at all, it is because of those like him that showed me how. Ultimately, we owe it all to our ultimate teacher, Jesus.

The boxes were completed, by the way. Ken wrapped up the project and had them in the sanctuary by Sunday. They looked great!

Our New Kazeebo!

Yes. If you were wondering a "Kazeebo" is the same as a Gazeebo. Isaac wasn't real clear on the name and the fact that we enjoyed the new name so much didn't help, so it is a "Kazeebo" now! ...And a really cool one at that!

This is the next project as we move (back) into our house. We've got a lot of plans and this one involves taking down the old crazy looking gazeebo(-esque) thing in the backyard and putting up something prettier - maybe something without cheap lattice tacked to 2x4's.

Big thanks to our friends Kyle and Kelly - they had the kit in their garage and passed it along to us. They were happy to have it out of the garage and we are happy to have this step get a big boost in the budget department!

The Women in my Life

I was not the guy in HS that all the girls wanted to date. In fact, I distinctly remember that my brother, Matt, had more success with the girls in my class! (Love ya brother - I'm not bitter!) When I met Cheryl and began falling in love and began realizing that she was the first one that 'got me' (and didn't run), I began the most amazing relationship of my life - the one with my wife. I never could have imagined what this would be like. I knew early on that I was a family man, and really struggled in my mid-20's giving that part of my life to God when all my friends were marrying. But he knew what he was doing and blessed me with Cheryl just as soon as he had done what he needed to get both of us ready for it.

If that blessing wasn't enough, he brought yet another beautiful lady into my life - our daughter, Julia. She is the most beautiful baby girl and as the 'baby' fade and the 'girl' shows, I'm blessed to be witness to her life.

Both of these women have shaped who I am today. They challenge me in different ways to look outside myself. They expose me to their world and invite me to learn to love another for who they are - to love like Christ loves his bride. I can only hope that they know how special they are to me.

My Review of MagLite Solitaire Key Ring Flashlight

Originally submitted at REI

This compact, take-along flashlight features a high-intensity adjustable light beam (Spot to Flood).

MagLite Solitaire Key Ring Flashlight

Old Faithful

By Happy Gear Head from San Antonio, TX on 8/2/2008

4out of 5

Pros: Waterproof, Spare Bulb, Durable, Long battery life, Stable, Adjustable Beam

Cons: Dim

Best Uses: Hiking, Backpacking, Everyday use, Day trip, Car Camping

Describe Yourself: Casual/ Recreational

If Maglite would update this to LED, it would truly be the perfect light in its class. I've carried one in my pocket for years. The AAA battery means it is easy to find replacements. The adjustable beam is more than handy. It even does the 'candle' trick it's larger 2-AA model is known for (remove the lens and light still shines - handy in a tent).

I recently had a few problems and sent it in to Maglite out of curiosity. They went above and beyond - repaired it and returned it for free within a couple of weeks. Turns out the malfunction was my fault.

When it wasn't working I bought another AAA light. While brighter (it was an LED) was heavier, bulkier and has not been nearly as dependable.

Maglite! Make this an LED!!!

(legalese)

7 Years Today

Today is our 7th anniversary. Wow! 2 kids, a house and a dog - we are living the dream. Having these years with my wife is more of a blessing than I can even communicate. She is more than half of who I am! The most exciting part is knowing that she is the one for the rest of this journey.

I love you (1st), Babe!

Our Adventurer Reutrns Today!

Isaac and Julia will be home today! Whoopee! I can't wait to 'wrassle' with him and hear all about every tree he climbed and bug he caught - wow, I miss that kid!

Guitar (Nerd) Hero

I love the latest trend in video games - games that let you really 'play' them. The "Wii" is the best example but the one that has become my come-from-behind favorite is "Guitar Hero". If you haven't seen it, it is hard to explain. It is a small plastic guitar that serves as the controller - you've got 4 buttons out on the neck for the 'frets' and a little 'bar thing' where you would strum the strings. They put up a blazing metal song and you follow images on the screen that show ou when to strum and hit the buttons. It is as close to playing a blazing, melt your face off guitar solo as many will ever get and you don't have to grow your hair out or where any black and white makeup! Admittedly, I thought it was hokey... but play it once and you'll be hooked!

Here is the super (nerdy?) funny part: now, you too can play guitar hero at home... WITHOUT BUYING THE GAME! That is right - someone out there has heard the cries of all of us 'non-console' owners - the nerdy masses who still do all ther gaming on their PC! In a feat of Flash programming and some deftly, creative use of a standard keyboard the online version of Guitar Hero has arrived! Now you, too can (swallow your pride and) have a shot at this gaming phenomenom. Check it out here!

Missing the Little Feet

It has now been eleven days that Isaac has been with grandparents. It has been strangely quiet around here! Julia joined him Thursday so the last 2 days have been completely quiet. Odd memories of bachelor-hood and early marriage have floated into my head at times but mostly, I've just missed them!

There are a number of things that the absence of the kiddos permits - sleeping in on a Saturday and going shopping all day, catching a movie and going out to eat. These are all well and good, but there are also things that their absence also prevents - no screams of "Papa" when I open the door after work, no big hugs from tiny arms, noone to read to at night before bed time! (I tried with cheryl, but she didn't want to sit in my lap in the Rocking Chair!)

Don't get me wrong I like to be able to carry on a complete conversation without being interrupted ... or jumped on. But I have come to really enjoy all the things they find so important! I relish their affection and can't wait to have them back. It will be good to hear the little feet around again!

The End of an Era

My Father made the comment as he passed me. "It is the end of an era." He was walking away from the site where I was headed to help my brothers dig a grave for our family dog. Bandit was our companion for 15 years and he passed away during the weekend of our family reunion. He joined us after I left for college, so I only knew him from the summers I came home, but there was everything to like about this dog and nothing to dislike! I will not try to tell the stories my brothers and parents can tell, but I really liked him.

Dad's comment was very true, too. Bandit's time with our family was an era in our family. He came in right about the time that my brothers and I were on our way out of the house. He greeted us in Rosenberg an for the last decade in Arkansas. He saw us return in a variety of vehicles. He greeted our girlfriends and welcomed them into the family when they returned as wives. He even saw us bring home our children. While we were gone, he was a constant companion to my parents and close to a legend as a working dog. Stories of Bandit were just as much a part of the Landes 'lore' from this era as those of us his keepers.

It seems like it is the 'eras' that often make a better definition of our lives than the years. We remember our lives more often in terms of these brackets that we set around time. Maybe that is part of the pain. Bandit's passing pushes us out of a great era and into the next which is unknown. Our Creator God gave us many blessings. There are an infinite number of ways that he gives us joy! I'm thankful to Him for Bandit. And now, when one blessing goes, I'm challenged to trust His providence. But, I know he is faithful! Thank you, Lord, for Bandit.

Moblog: Remember the Alamo!

I'm in downtown San Antonio today for a convention and had a chance to go by the Alamo. Even though (because?) we live here I don't think about this place much. But it is still here and the area is real nice too! I need to bring the family here sometime.

Family Building

I have been trying to connect with the men's ministry at our church more recently. I was able to attend the men's retreat weekend a month or so ago and this weekend was blessed to be at the men's breakfast on Saturday! Hearty food and even better teaching.

I have been really hearing it from the Lord lately on being busy. I am too busy. It is a way of life for me. But I have admitted it, confessed it and now I'm going about claiming my freedom. In light of that struggle, there was a scripture that I ran across lately that came up this weekend again. It is this:

Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved {even in his} sleep. Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate. Psalms 127

I've been rolling that one around a lot lately and it hits home ... hard. I work hard. I work late. I take on extra projects and duties. I rarely stop to even consider relaxing. I am a work-a-holic in a lot of ways. It is easy to justify this - two kids, single income, etc. but the short of it is that I work so hard that it easily can sap time and energy from my family. The scriptures are clear that we should be industrious (Pr 6:6) and do good work (Col 3:23), but they are even more clear (above) that our work has to honor the Lord in every area.

My work to build a family is far more eternally consequential than any amount of stuff that I do in the workplace. In 100 years (if the Lord taries!), no one will likely remember any of the websites I've built, nor even my name. But, in Christ I can build a legacy of faith. Each generation will have it's own decision to make but the heritage is eternal.

It is the Lord that builds me and mine; it is time for me to stand back and let him.

Moblog: The Perfect Snack

Cheryl and I have a funny little trick that we learned on accident. One day after leaving a Dr. Pepper inthe feezer for almost too long, we discovered that if it is rally close to freezing when you pop the lid it will feeze up instantly into wonderful, slushy goodness. We've now got this down to a science! We can generally time it just right and the result is shear tastebud delight! Warning - if you leave it in too long you get a popcicle that tastes like flat DP ... and you waste a good DP! That would be tantamount to sacrelidge!

Our Little Engineer

Isaac is quite the builder these days. He has gotten very adept with blocks and train tracks. This AM he came and got me to show me his latest creation - he called it his 'playscape'. While the description involved play areas, it also included a cooking area (the stove's chimney can be seen on top of the nightstand - round, red block. He lost me a bit on a system that 'heated caulk', but it did include a pipe system that went through the whole thing, the floor and at some point ended up in the ceiling fan!

Cheryl mentioned the other day that he might be just about ready for Legos - Oh yeah!

SeaDoo Fun

Wow - what a great weekend. We took the singles group out to a local lake and enjoyed the day waterskiing and riding on two jet-skis. Let me tell you - these were no ordinary jet-skis. These were the high-end kind. ...The high-end, blow your hair back kind. ... The high-end, 0-60 in close to 3 seconds, rocket across the water at 70 mph, fear for your life, "man, I wanna buy a jetski" kind. I haven't been blasted forward like that since riding the Greased Lightning at Astroworld as a kid. Wow.

Cheryl took a brief turn in the driver seat but seemed content to let me to the drive. ...So I did my best to make it fun (read "terrifying!") We did laugh a lot and it was a blast! Julia didn't take a turn but Isaac did give it a go. Sadly as choppy as the water

What is really funny is how biased I used to be about them. I used to say things like, "How fun could that be?" and "It would just be like a motorcycle stuck in a big flat parking lot!" Yeah, I was wrong. Ahhh, another expensive hobby! That will have to wait.

Here are a few more pics...

Moblog: Makin the best of it

Well - we're out of the house again. Another showing. Sadly the hope and anticipation of showings has just about gone away entirely. We are still showing the house but with interest rates going up ...

But if we have to be out it can still be fun. We decided tonight to go to the mall and get an ice cream from Chick-Fil-A. The kiddos generally are taking this in stride. They found the kiddie rides in the food court and had a ball. I'm not sure if I should worry - Isaac spent the majority of his time role playing wrecks!

Moblog: Sorry, Babe

I love my coffee mugs! I especially love the ones thnat have been given to me as gifts. I'm sad today because my very favorite mug broke! This was a gift from Cheryl for my last birthday. It is the one I use at work and have put a lot of miles (gallons?) on it it the months since. Man!!!

Sorry, babe, but for my next birthday you've got it easy!

Honey-do Ninja

I think I beat my all time record today for honey-do execution! I gave myself a bit of a head start by starting on the garage door opener Thursday! But I still managed to finish that (and it works!) as well as install a junction box cover, put in 2 GFCI's in the Kitchen and caulk the trim around a door! Yeah - it is not all that much, but given all that is going on lately, I felt pretty good about it!

The thing about honey-do's these days is that they are not just the run of the mill stuff. These are borderline construction projects. My short list right now includes 4 screens to replace, siding to repair and some sort of valve thing on the water heater to replace (which I think is going to involve draining the whole darn thing!) And, they aren't really just coming from Cheryl either! most of what I'm doing now is to try to sell the house. AHHHHH so much to (honey) DO!

Moblog: What is keeping me so busy?

I just don't have any time these days. Why? Moving! Working my job(s) and playing Mr. Fix-it all the time consume my day pretty quickly. Today I'm going to be finishing up my latest handman job - the garage door opener. If you don't recognize it, that is it in the picture! The parts arrived and I've set to replacing the drive gears. The one in the pic is the old one and the white stuff all around it is the remains of the teeth! It is a new experience, though, and that makes it a bit more fun.

Our Offical Language

With all the hubbub surrounding immigration and our policies towards it, heated opinions abound. But add protest signs to the fray and things get fun. This picture is about the best summation of the whole 'language debate' that I have seen yet: The debate is one-sided - immigrants couldn't care less about changing our national language. And, the english-speakers aren't making good arguments!

It's not that I don't like english as a language. I enjoy it; probably as much as any of my contemporaries. But, the idea of declaring it the "official" language is pointless. English is not in danger. It's not even remotely threatened. In fact it has become quite the invasive species! France is actively on the defense against english words sullying their venerable language. And guess what country has the largest english-speaking population ... INDIA. The US is 3rd behind China! Can you say 'McSushi'?

So relax. English isn't going away. You can still make it our 'offical [sic]' language, but maybe we should worry about something that really does matter.

Jinxed Myself

Yep just as sure as I think I'm out of the woods gonna be free to post some - WHAM! A thousand things pop up. I do still intend to keep this blog up, but right now. Every free minute is going into house prep, packing, finances, etc. I don't know when I'll have time to post anything real! 'Till then...

Taking a Break

What a great weekend - so much to blog. By golly, I'm going to blog it too! We took the weekend off and went to Coleman to see Cheryl's family this weekend and celebrate Julia's Birthday a little early with them since they couldn't make it down next weekend (Julia is 2 this week!). It was a great break and we made some fun memories. I haven't put up a blog post in a while so this one is just to prime the pump. Stay tuned!

Mini Golf - Mega Fun

We had a date night last night! We were joined by some friends, Will and Pat, and headed to Chipotle (or Chick-pootle as Isaac would say). We had thought about a movie after dinner, but decided against that. We wanted to be able to talk and hang-out so we found a mini-golf place. FUN!

Immediately we decided to keep no score which was good! Then off to the links. Hole one set the pace for the night - I shot an 8, just over the par of 3 for the hole but I really needed a pitching wedge for the flower bed! Will and I managed to retrieve extra balls from the water traps and played two the rest of the night. The girls joined Will and I for several "speed holes" - everyone putts at the same time and continues to putt as fast as they can in a race to the hole! Loads of Fun. That digressed a bit near the end into something that resembled hockey more than putt-putt. I was pleasantly surprised at how hard it is to sink the putt but how easy it is to have a blast while doing it!

Birds of a Mini-Van....

Parents do tend to wind up with other parents a lot. Maybe it is all that we have in common. Maybe the single friends just don't want to hear the kids anymore. One thing I've noticed now that we are (proud) mini-van owners is that they are EVERYWHERE ... that parents are!

Cheryl and I have a new game even based on this new discovery - "Silver Mini-Van". The rules are taken from the games "Slug-bug" and "Red Truck". If you see a slug-bug you get to scream it out, "Slug-Bug!" and whoop the other players ... unless they see it first; then you need to duck and run! I don't actually whap Cheryl, of course, don't want to teach that to the kiddos!

Becoming a Missionary

I have had this thought developing in my head over the last few days. How would their life change if someone were called to be a missionary. What if when they got there, their missions organization required them to support themselves by taking a job. As this scenario rolls around my head I can think of a few things that would change in my own thinking.

I'd get up in the morning and prepare for a day of ministry the way I've done when on a mission trip or at a retreat or camp. That extra measure of focused prep. I'd be a lot less concerned about my 'career' because it no longer defined me in the same way. I'd be a diligent worker, no doubt, but it would not be quite so the center of my life.

This weekend I've unexpectedly been called on to lead worship for a men's retreat - something that I haven't done in any real leadership capacity for a while. I go up this AM and prayed with focus on the weekend - for my heart and those of the men who'll be there. I prayed this way because my experience as a worship leader in the past has taught me it is vital. It strikes me that this new sense of mission was what the Lord has called us to every day.

As a child of God, I am the missionary from my hypothetical question at the beginning. I am called to the field right here where I am living ... at the ends of the earth. My prayer today is that I would be a faithful missionary.

Instant Replay for Parents

The other day, Cheryl and I were driving along and got to talking about our sweet kiddos who have of late learned how to blame things on the other. I suggested that it would be great if we could just get one of those video monitors - Ya' know the kind they make for infants. Hook that thing up to a DVR and you've got INSTANT REPLAY!

---

SCENE: Momma walks into room where an argument has broken out.)
Momma: What is going on here?
Isaac: She bit me!
Momma: Julia!
(Julia cries - ENTER NFL Referee...)
Ref: Just a second ma'am; let's check the instant replay.
(a moment later ... Ref steps to center of room and looks up to camera)
Ref: (with echo from the PA...) The initial call ...all ...ll
was intentional biting ...ing ...ng
on number two ...oo ...oo Defense ...ss ...s
Upon review ...ew ...ew
the call was found to be incorrect ...ect ...ect
the call instead will be ...ee ...e
Unnecessary Instigation on number one ...un ...un
Offense ...ss ...s

(The crowd goes wild!)

Technicolor Pancakes

Do NOT adjust your set! These colors are accurate! It may look like a science experiment but we decided to have BLUE pancakes last week! Monday (my first day off of Spring Break - yippee!) I got up and decided to make a special breakfast with the kiddos. Pancakes is always a treat, but these would be even better - they would be blue! ... and red ... and green ... and what ever other colors of food coloring we could find. Just 3 drops of color in a quarter cup of batter was plenty to color a single cake. Isaac thought it was pretty neato. Julia's frame of reference being somewhat shorter, she didn't seem as impressed but ate them none-the-less. The effect is pretty neat! I highly recommend it (even if they don't taste any different!)

One Hundred!

Wow, this is my 100th post on Blogger! That is a lot of posts. I thought it would be a good time to stop and look back at this whole blogging thing. I put up my first blog here at Blogger in November 2004 - W0w! 4 years ago... Back then I wanted to blog about current events, get my big heady thoughts down ... that took about 3 posts. I didn't do much with that first blog. I didn't really get started blogging in earnest until August of 2006 when I started a Yahoo 360 blog. That blog was a lot of fun and quickly became the family oriented blog that I keep today. Counting my Yahoo 360 blogs, this would actually be close to 200. One of these days, I hope to retrieve those posts and move them here.

Probably the most exciting thing to happen in the last year has been to see my wife and family start keeping blogs! Cheryl's blog is awesome and often gives me a peek at what's going on while I'm at work. Cheryl has really taken off with blogging and has even racked up hits from around the world (she actually had hits from Tel Aviv and London!) I especially love that I can keep up my brothers' families via their blogs and even my Mom has taken a stab at it (if she can ever remember her password!) What a great tool.

Here are a couple of posts that I especially enjoyed from the first 100; let me know if you remember one that you liked!

• Prayer in School - 3 Parts
  
• Cock-a-roaches!
• Can I Hold Your Hand, Papa?

Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

An Enchanted Trip

Today was one of my best days. It was one of those days that when I'm old and gray, I will remember with fondness and laughter. We took the kids to Enchanted Rock and had an absolute blast! The day began not too early with driving out to the park. Despite traffic and a long line to get in, we got there in great spirits (translation: the kids weren't tired of sitting in the van to the point of screaming - a real danger with that much sitting still on the road).

Julia rode on my back up the "mountain" and Isaac hoofed it. He loved jumping from rock to rock and exploring every nook and cranny. Cheryl and I enjoyed being free to let him for the most part. At the top, Isaac marveled at being able to see for miles in all directions!

Our biggest adventure was for Isaac and I. Cheryl waited with Julia and freed me to take Isaac through the cave! If you are unfamiliar with the cave at enchanted rock, it is a 'fissure' cave - not the lighted, guided type where you walk past formations in cavernous rooms. This is a series of connected cracks in the rock and there is NO LIGHT! ... save what you bring in yourself. HE LOVED IT! We climbed around, slithered on our backs, got dirty and wet in places - all the things a kid enjoys! (...and his dad, too!). Isaac at four was boldly going where kiddos twice his age were backing out of! That is a proud papa moment, for sure!

What made the day special for me was sharing Enchanted Rock with my children. "E-Rock" holds a special place in my heart, if for no other reason than I've been to this park more times than I can count and almost every chapter of my adult life since college has included time spent there. Rock climbing and camping, singles trips (where Cheryl first did the cave!), and now as a husband and father. What a great thing to hand down!

Here is some video we took throughout the day...

M: Mud Storm

Last night we had a big rain full of mud from Mexico! I walked out after dark to find this thick covering of mud/dust over both of our cars. Yuck! Actually raining mud is a new one for me.

Two Men and a Baby

Ok, so it was really one man, a boy and a girl but I couldn't think of a catchy title along those lines. The kids and I flew solo last weekend while Mama was enjoying girl time with her sister. The time with my children was great! What was not so great was getting ready for an Open House (we're trying to sell) at the same time as trying to spend quality time with the munchkins!

As for the kiddos, we did some really fun things. We got started Saturday with a trip to the park for a picnic lunch, climbing on the playground and kite flying! What a great day for kite flying. Our kite is shaped like a goldfish - we picked it up on a whim last year thinking we'd get a lot of use out of it, but there just aren't a lot of good kite flying days out there. After nap we made pudding, played in the yard and then grilled hot dogs for a dinner out on the patio.

Saturday night after the kiddos went down was my chance to clean up for the showing... until 2am! I had to finish some of the tasks Sunday AM and we barely made it to church. Our friends Kyle and Kelly were generous enough to host us Sunday afternoon while the house was being shown. Visiting them is always a treat for the kids which made the whole weekend a real bang for them.

I love my wife and the kiddos love their mother, so her return Sunday evening made the perfect ending to a great weekend. A little papa time is good here and there but it doesn't hold a candle to "all-together" time! Here a few photos from the big weekend:

M: Frogger Meets His Match

Isaac hit the mother load of little boy discovery fun today when momma moved the toy bin in the back yard revealing a herd of frogs, lizards and the like! Let me tell you who doesn't like frogs though ... MOMMA! I came home today to find Isaac giddy and momma very on edge about the whole deal. She was a great sport about it, though. She let him put them in his "bug keeper" and he spent most of the afternoon playing with them one at a time. Julia didn't really get much out of it, but just give her time!

M: is for "Mobile Blog"

If you've read much of my Blog you'll notice that it it often illustrated with pics from my phone. Now I'm taking it a step further ... The whole post can now be done on the phone. I can now Blog no matter where I am and even include a photo! I won't be doing this all the time but it is a fun alternative to "breakout" while waiting for a haircut! I'm going to put the "M" at the beginning of mobile posts so you'll know I did that one while on the run (or in the can! ... Sorry - TMI, I know).

(PHOTO: my coworkers comparing phones... but mine BLOGS!)

M: Going Nuts

Julia and Isaac had a ball this AM playing with nuts. Scads of toys in their room, a dog waiting in the yard and sun shining outside and what do they get the biggest time out of? Nuts! That's it! Birthdays are a cinch from here on out! We're getting the kids PRODUCE!