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)