Tiny E

T2 Update

2011-09-17T17:34:00.000-05:00

Instead of breaking the year into Quarters like the business world, and since Three is the Magic Number, we here at the Williams Family Blog are going to break our year into Thirds. You've already gotten the T1 Update of January through April, so lookie lookie, it all works out!

May
May was very busy and fun. It began with Kim having a girl's getaway in Las Vegas. While she was there I was the Homeschool teacher, and I think we all remember how that turned out. Upon her return, we celebrated Drew's 6th Birthday with a Lord of the Rings theme, and, once again, Kim created a masterpiece of a cake.

May also saw Elliot celebrate his First Holy Communion! He was so excited and we are so proud of him. Gran and Pop Williams and Grandma and Grandpa Harvey came in to celebrate the special day with Elliot.

We closed out May with our first ever trip to Schlitterbahn Galveston. We had so much fun and look forward to going back!

June
In June we tried to stay as cool as possible! Evan recieved his rank of Scout in Boy Scouts and we spent many a day on the "dirt trails" playing and fishing.

July
We started July by volunteering for a flag route on the Fourth of July. Evan, Elliot and Drew all woke up bright and early to put out 60+ flags around Mills Branch in Kingwood. We picked them up that evening. What a great day.

August
August was a very fun month for us, packed with many activities including Dylan's 3rd birthday and our first vacation in Texas Hill Country.

For Dylan's birthday, we all gathered at Gran and Pop's and celebrated with a(nother) Dinosaur-themed party! I can't recall how many dinosaur birthdays we've had throughout the years, but it has been quite a few.

At the end of August, I played music at a Fullness of Truth Conference in San Antonio. We spent the weekend at the beautiful Hyatt Hill Country Resort, enjoying the grounds and taking in some solid Catholic teachings.

When it was over, we spent a day in San Antonio visiting the Alamo and the Riverwalk, and then a week in a farmhouse on over 60 acres in Johnson City, TX. It was wonderful! Oh, the views of that landscape and the quaint little towns. Our farmhouse was right out of a picture book. The look, feel and smell of that farmhouse brought me back to our old family Camp in Bundick Lake and it also reminded me of my Grandmother's house in Bull Shoals Arkansas. There was a playhouse in the backyard that served as the boys' "home base" for their daily battles, and a bunk house that had a pool table.

Vacationing in Hill County is a big change for us, and we filled it with excursions to nearby attractions and just plain old decompressing under the large oak tree watching the boys play. We spent one day walking around Fredericksburg and on the way back we took detour to pass through Luckenbach, Texas, and I was officially converted to the side who yearn to get back to the basics of life. Jimmy Lee Jones was the leader of the picker's circle that day, and even though it was a bit early, he brought his guitar inside to get out of the heat and he played a few songs for us. After he was done he looked at Evan and said, "Ok, now it's your turn," and when Evan said "OK", I think it took him by surprise! He asked Evan if he played and if he needed a pick, but Evan had his own in his pocket. Evan sat down and picked out the opening notes of Sweet Home Alabama, but not knowing the full song, he quickly switched gears to play a song that he knew all the way through. So that day, in Luckenbach Texas, Evan played.....God of Thunder by KISS. (I'm not sure, but I would think that is the first time that has ever been played in Luckenbach...) It was a great experience, one I hope he never forgets. I'd love to go back on the weekend, since that is the time the food vendors are there as well as the music. It would have been great to eat lunch or dinner under the oaks while listening to some good tunes.

We also spent a day visiting Pedernales Falls State Park. The water was low and hiking down to it wasn't a "walk in the park" (yuk, yuk) but once we got down to the river it was incredible. The boys enjoyed trying to catch all the fish that would swim up and nibble on your toes.

On the way home we stopped in Austin and spent a few hours swimming in Barton Springs, and we also stopped in Brenham and walked the antique shops in downtown and sat down to some Blue Bell at an ice cream parlor. Breaking up the return trip made it much easier for the boys (and us!) and it also gave the trip a nice "Tour of Texas" feel.

With Labor Day wrapping up our Summer, came the beginning of the 2011-2012 School of Rock, and this year we have 3 students (Drew 1st, Elliot 3rd and Evan is a big time 6th grade middle schooler this year!!!)

So, that was our summer in a nutshell. We are ready for this heat to go away and bring on the cool Fall weather and, Please God, some much needed rain. Our prayers go out to all who are fighting the wild fires around the nation, and especially here in Texas.

God Bless You All!!
Love, the Williams Family

oh, and p.s. - one more photo I'd like to share with ya'll:

"We're gonna need a bigger boat..."

Homeschooling

2011-05-02T13:54:00.000-05:00

I feel I owe it to the few who follow our blog to show both sides of the homeschooling coin.

And while it is true that homeschooling enables us to explore new ways to present material to help make learning "fun", the fact of the matter is that it is still school.

So, today, when Evan had written a snide comment regarding school at the top of his paper, I made him diagram it.

Just trying to keep it real.

God Bless

Chad

March

2011-04-01T00:52:00.000-05:00

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."

- Charles Dickens

It has taken 39 years, but Spring has finally taken over Fall as my favorite season of the year. And it's no wonder - just look at all the great memories that our family makes each Spring. From my childhood memories of the Camp at Bundick's Lake, the most memorable times were at Easter; the March weather is so nice in Houston, our family spends many of hours outside; and with half of the Williams Family celebrating birthdays in the month of March, and Drew's Birthday in May (technically still Spring, but by then Houston's Summer has begun) I think it was only a matter of time. I daresay that March is perfectly poised to take the crown of "The Most Glorious Month of the Year" away from November in my book.

Here is what has been going on in our family this month:

Cub No More

(Don't look, Evan, but there's an Indian staring at you!!)

After participating in the Arrow of Light ceremony, Evan officially became a Boy Scout! What an incredible ceremony. Gran and Pop came over to witness it which was very special for Evan. Dad is an Eagle Scout and also a member of the Order of the Arrow, and he and Evan spent a lot of time talking about his days as a young Boy Scout and all the fun that they had at Camp Edgewood. Evan loved it!

St. Joseph, Pray for Us!!

After many years of wanting to make a St. Joseph Altar, we finally did it this year. My maternal grandmother's family immigrated from Sicily, Italy to New Orleans, LA in the late 1800's, and they brought with them this rich tradition of making St. Joseph's Altars on March 19th - the Feast Day of St. Joseph.

For many years, I've wanted to make one of my own and I've even discussed the idea several times with my grandmother asking her what all was on the altar and she'd tell me lots of stories from her childhood.

Ours was pretty humble, and it may not have had all the "official" items on it, but we decided to go kid friendly for this year and as the kids grow up and we actually plan well enough in advance we'll try for more traditional fare.

At the "heart" of our St. Joseph Altar was the brick that inspired me to build an altar in the first place. While visiting Kim's grandmother in Baton Rouge, LA, I found this brick in her yard and I thought it would be a fantastic "cornerstone" for a St. Joseph Altar. So, finally, here it is! Also on the altar were fig newtons in place of the fig filled pastries, Goldfish in place of actual baked fish (I said "kid friendly" didn't I?!) and a can of fava beans instead of the dried ones (Kroger didn't have the dry, so we had to make due!) Grandma told me about a man who would always take a lemon from their altar, so I made sure to have lemons as well. Bruchetta, tomato salad, bread and wine rounded out the food, and we had a cookie cake with "Happy St. Joseph's Day" for dessert (God Bless the lady at the Kroger Bakery for helping me out in a pinch. Actually the entire Kroger staff was wonderful that day helping me find the fava beans as well.)

Statues of Jesus and Mary and a vase of lillies completed the altar.

We ordered veggie pizza in keeping with the no meat nature of the altar and we said a prayer to St. Joseph asking for his powerful intercessions. What a wonderful day that was!

"You say it's your birthday? It's my birthday too!"

Again, with half of the Williams household celebrating birthdays in March, we were having some serious party time this month. Patrice came over to visit and watch the boys so Kim and I could go have dinner with our friends the weekend of her birthday. It was so wonderful. Thank you so much Patrice!!

That Sunday before Patrice left we had a birthday party for Kim. It was a kitchen birthday this year. She got a ceramic egg holder, a Kitchen Aid Ice Cream attachement and ice cream mix and topping to get us along on the first batch. Hey...speaking of....where is that first batch of homemade vanilla?!

Next up was Elliot. Oh my, I can't believe he is EIGHT YEARS OLD!!!! Wow how time flies!

The morning of his birthday he awoke to a table of balloons and streamers, a silly card picked out by Evan and a gift card to Toys R Us! That afternoon, we all met for lunch at the Potatoe Patch near my work and later that evening, with the gift card, he bought a game for the Wii and we all had ice cream at Cold Stone.

Putting an exclamation point on March we had Evan turning 11!! It seems like yesterday I was blogging about Ten Years Gone.

Again, the traditional birthday breakfast of powdered donuts with candles greeted Evan as he awoke this morning. He got a Pokemon game for his DSi and he loves it. For lunch I met them at Chuy's Mexican Restaurant and afterwards, Kim took all the boys to an indoor bounce house place where they jumped to their hearts content. Later in the evening after a wonderful homecooked meal we enjoyed cupcakes from a nearby bakery. YUM!!

God is Good indeed!

p.s. As you will notice from the boys' birthday pictures, they are both wearing KISS t-shirts. I took Evan, Elliot and Drew to the KISS concert at the Rodeo earlier this month and it was fabulous. It took Drew a few songs to fully get into it, but eventually he had a blast as much as Evan and Elliot did. They all have t-shirts to commemorate the event.

p.s.s. The buzzkill of the month goes to our two year old AC that went out unexpectedly last week. Luckily it is still under warranty. Unluckily is that warranty work apparantly is on the back burner for repair priority. We've been without AC for a week. Luckily, the weather has been absolutely perfect....did I mention that Spring is my new favorite?!

Love Y'all!!

The Lord of the Quiddich Rings (or my comparison of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter)

2011-02-05T19:09:00.000-06:00

***Spoiler Alert. If you haven't seen or read the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings books, and you do not wish for plots to be revealed, stop now, go pick up those books and read them instead. Tolkien and Rowling are much better writers than I***

I have a confession to make: I was one of "those people" who made a judgement call about Harry Potter before reading the book. Years ago, a co-worker of mine had commented in amazement that I had let Evan watch all three Lord of the Rings movies, but not Harry Potter. The details are fuzzy to me now, but from what I recall I had "heard" that the premise was that the adults were made out to be the bad guys and the students were sassy. I know I saw the Sorcerer's Stone on DVD when it came out, and I don't recall my exact feelings towards it, but it must not have shaken the notion mentioned above, because for 7 more years I had no desire to watch any of the movies, let alone read the books - especially beginning with Goblet of Fire, as it seems they got exponentially larger!

Well, at the constant nagging of yet another co-worker, I finally gave the series another chance and I rented all of the movies through Netflix over the course of this past Summer. I guess it was after Prisoner of Azkaban that I got really hooked and I started going to Blockbuster because I couldn't wait for the mail in movies to arrive. At the conclusion of Half Blood Prince, I was dumbfounded and I absolutely could not wait until November to see the movie, so I bought the Deathly Hallows book and read it. I'll admit I'm not an avid reader like Kim is, so it took me a while to get through it, but eventually I did, and once I was done, I decided to read all of the books starting at the beginning.

It was then that I really began to appreciate the writing of JK Rowling, and the overall theme and message of the books. I especially liked how each book ended with Dumbledore imparting a deep truth to Harry, and how those messages are not only good, but downright Christian.

One day Kim emailed me a wonderful article that listed the common "sticking points" that Catholics in general have (or should have) with the Harry Potter series and countered each with a comparison of how the same sticking points existed in Lord of the Rings. Shortly after reading that article I received a dramatized version of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy on CD to listen to on the way to work. As I listened day after day, I couldn't believe how alike the Harry Potter series is to Lord of the Rings. Furthermore, it blew me away that, given how much I loved Lord of the Rings, it took me so long to come around to Harry Potter.

Which brings me to the main reason for this post. Many Catholics will sing the praises of Lord of the Rings, going out of our way to tell people that "JRR Tolkien was Catholic, you know," and in the next breath throw JK Rowling under the bus for writing a book about a school where boys and girls learn about witchcraft (gasp!) Rather than compare the philosophical points of both series, I'd like to just begin with pointing out the similarities in characters, plots and such.

The Hero's Quest:
As with most good adventure stories, the Hero's Quest involves mortal peril...to quote Ron in Chamber of Secrets: "Follow the spiders?? Why couldn't it be follow the butterflies??"
HP - Ultimately to destroy Voldemort.
LOTR - To destroy the Ring of Power.

The Hero's Mentor:
HP - Albus Dumbledore. A wise wizard who mostly guides Harry along his journey, but will join the fight when he needs to. Is killed in Half Blood Prince, but "comes back" in Deathly Hallows to help Harry finish his quest.
LOTR - Gandalf. A wise wizard who mostly guides Frodo along his journey, but will join the fight when he needs to. Is killed in Fellowship of the Ring, but comes back in Two Towers to help the Frodo finish his quest.

The Hero's Company:
Both series illustrate the necessity for the Hero to have help from not only close friends, but an extended support cast as well.
HP - Besides close friends Ron and Hermione, we gradually realize that most of Harry's adult allies are members of the Order of the Phoenix.
LOTR - Besides close friends Samwise, Merry and Pippin, Frodo is joined at the outset of his adventure by the Fellowship of the Ring.

The Villain:
HP - Voldemort aka The Dark Lord. Was "killed" after his killing curse meant for Harry backfired on himself. Somehow returns to power to command dark wizards and witches against the rest of the wizarding world.
LOTR - Sauron aka The Dark Lord. Was "killed" in battle by Isildur, yet somehow returned to power to command dark forces against Middle Earth.

How the Villan Survives:
HP - Voldemort made 7 Horcruxes: special objects that held a piece of his own soul. He will not be truly defeated until all Horcruxes are destroyed.
LOTR - Sauron survives because the ring he forged has yet to be destroyed. In a way, the Ring of Power is a Horcrux for Sauron.

The Bad Guys:
HP - Dementors and Death Eaters. Let's face it, from the first time you are introduced to a Dementor, you know they are not good, even if they are under "ministry control." Feeding on despair, they seek out happiness and suck it out of people. They are creepy and, of course, cloaked in black. Completely hidden by their cloaks, but Harry spots the hand of one and describes it as "glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like soemthnig dead that had decayed in water." The Death Eaters are a group of dark wizards who have allegiance to Voldemort and do his bidding.
LOTR - Ringwraiths and Saruman. The nine Ringwraiths used to be men, but they fell under the influence of the rings that were controled by the One Ring. Now they do Sauron's bidding, constantly searching for the Ring. They are creepy and, of course, cloaked in black. They are actually invisible to mortals, but Frodo can see them when he puts the ring on and describes them as having "haggard hands". Saruman is a dark wizard who have allegiance to Sauron and does his bidding.

Fear of a Name:
HP - Wizards are afraid to speak the name "Voldemort"and instead refer to him as "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" or "you-know-who."
LOTR - Everyone gets spooked at the name of "Mordor".

"Bad Guy" shown mercy in beginning...plays part in the end:
HP - Peter Pettigrew. Harry stops Sirius and Lupin from killing Pettigrew in Prisoner of Azkaban. This act of mercy plays a part in Harry's escape from Malfoy Manor in the Deathly Hallows. Immediately afterward, Pettigrew dies.
LOTR - Gollum. Frodo wishes that Bilbo would have killed Gollum when he had the chance. Gandalf reminds him that pity and mercy spared Gollum's life and that, perhaps, Gollum will play a part in the end, which he does. Immediately afterward, Gollum dies.

Hero's Inner Connection with the Villain:
HP - Harry can read Voldemort's mind (and vice versa). This is good and bad as sometimes it is used for Harry to know what Voldemort is up to (like the attack on Mr. Weasley), whereas other times Voldemort uses it to trick Harry (implanting the image of Sirius in the Department of Mysteries to lure Harry there.)
LOTR - When Frodo puts on the ring he can see the Eye of Sauron and hear Saruon speaking to him. The Palantir was used by Aragorn to show himself to Sauron.

Looking into the Past/Future:
HP - Dumbledore's Pensieve is a bowl full of liquid that you look into to view memories. It can put you into a memory so you can re-live it in case you missed something the first time.
LOTR - The Mirror of Galadriel is a bowl full of water that you look into to view things that are, that were and that may yet come to pass.

Giant, Talking Spiders:
HP - Aragog
LOTR - Shelob. (Shelob doesn't speak per se in the books however, it is implied that, somehow, she communicated with Gollum regarding the Hobbits. We also know that Shelob's kin are none other than the spiders of Mirkwood in the Hobbit, and they actually do speak.)

That's all I can recall right now. If you know of any other similarities in characters, plots, etc. between the two series, comment below.

The Field

2011-01-10T07:19:00.000-06:00

Across the street from my in-law's house is a large field in which the boys love to play when the grass is not too high or too wet. When we went in to celebrate Christmas, the field was relatively dry and it had been mowed fairly recently, so the boys took the opportunity to run and play and I took the opportunity to take some priceless pictures.

Winter Vacation

2011-01-09T16:43:00.000-06:00

What with the change in employment and all, we were unable to take a proper vacation in 2010, so we decided, rather spur of the moment, to take off the first week of January 2011 and travel to Orlando, Florida to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure.

Here are a few pics with some of the Hogwarts Express Conductors...

Of the whole experience, I'd say one of my favourite (sic) parts was eating at the Three Broomsticks. It was an identical recreation of the movie set that had really good food for breakfast and lunch and, of course, ice cold Butterbeers to boot. Here we are enjoying the famous beverage.

Cheers!

Got Butterbeer?

Kim and I toast to good health in the Hog's Head which was adjacent to the Three Broomsticks. (The hog head in the background actually moved and snorted at you!)

Merry Christmas from the Williams Family

2010-12-29T13:52:00.000-06:00

We have been very busy here in the Williams Household. It's hard to believe that Christmas has already come and gone...wasn't it just yesterday that we were inviting a ridiculous amount of people to our house for PumpkinFest the Saturday before Halloween?

I hope to post more and include many more pictures of our Fall/Winter activities, but for now, this photo caputres the peace and beauty of Christmas Eve night.

Be Blessed.

The Williams Family

Champ or Chump

2010-06-02T20:37:00.002-05:00

In my world, running is prayer and equivalent in all aspects. It is impossible for me to separate the two. When I am in a strong running groove, likewise, I'm in a strong prayer groove. Running rut = Prayer rut. It's time I get my groove back.

Stop me if you've heard this before, but during the last few lunch runs I've felt a theme running through my mind. My "Spirit-Man" is a Champ, but my flesh is a Chump. Sometimes the Champ doesn't feel like coming out, so the Chump claims victory. I hate that. Sometimes the Champ takes a dive. I hate that even more.

Let's face it, life is just one big race. We have no choice but to run it. We all will cross the finish line one day. When we do, the Judge will not ask us if we placed in our age group. He'll look inside our hearts and be able to tell instantly if we threw the race.

Run so as to win, my friends.

Bonus Lesson from my Spirit Man:

Run with your head up, looking forward towards the finish line. Keep it in your sights. If you're always looking down, you won't see what hazard is coming at you. While swimming in a triathlon you have to sight where you are going after every couple of strokes, otherwise you'll go way off course in the water.

What's On the Menchu?

2010-04-22T23:45:00.000-05:00

For years growing up, that was my Dad's way of asking what was for dinner, and it drove my Mom bananas. Upon finishing the meal, the typical response was an imitation of my Pappy's deep drawl, "pretty fair chow bay-bee."

My cooking skills are limited to breakfast. I can scramble eggs and I make a pretty faithful version of my Grandma Denton's homemade biscuits. That's about where it ends.

My wife, on the other hand, is a wizard in the kitchen. She takes pride in cooking anything and everything and she loves to experiment with new ideas, especially when it comes to our little Dylan who apparently has a food allergy. (What exactly he is allergic to we have yet to uncover, but currently Kim has taken him off of dairy and gluten and the rash that has been bothering him is clearing up nicely.)

Back to my main point though, a meal in the Williams household is rarely a quick or easy feat. She puts out dishes that deserve to be shown on the Food Network, and we've actually joked that she should send in an idea for a show called "One Armed Chef," since many times, she's cooking while holding a baby.

I love to come home to the aroma of dinner cooking. To me, that's home. I really need to fix the weatherstripping on our front door because I can smell dinner before I walk in! I go to the kitchen to see what is cooking and usually don't have to wait long for dinner to begin. We'll call the boys to the table and as they all run up and go to their chairs, sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes, one of them will look at the plate and say, "YUCK!"

Our boys are not really that picky, but sometimes, they do not agree with what it is we are having for dinner and they will complain about it to no end. Sometimes it is something little, like butter on mashed potatoes. Other times it's the whole meal, and they haven't learned that you don't tell someone who just spent hours cooking your dinner that it is "gross."

The other day, my good friend Clay and I met for a prayer breakfast at McDonald's. After discussing who is our favorite Beatle John or Paul, the writing skills of Robert Plant vs. Pete Townshend and the merits of quitting our real jobs to pursue our true calling of becoming rock stars, we settled in on the real task at hand which was, after all, to pray.

My prayer was to obtain the Graces necessary to accept God's Will in all things, and we turned to the analogy a picky eater. Heaven is often described as a wedding feast. A banquet. There will be food and when the LORD serves us our dinner, we better not say "YUCK!"

But sometimes I feel like that's exactly what I'm doing when I don't agree with God's Will for me. He has plans for us all. He has a plan for me. That plan requires my cooperation. He puts things in motion, and if it bucks my system I'm like the boy crying because there's butter on my mashed potatoes.

"How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?" --Pink Floyd

Of course, all kids (myself included) will gladly clean their plates if it is full of dessert! Yet, your belly doesn't stay full for long afterwards, and you are left wanting more. Desserts are not filling, not nourishing and do not sustain our bodies. We need the long lasting food of the banquet. We need meat!

"I gave you milk to drink, not meat; for you were not able as yet. But neither indeed are you now able; for you are yet carnal." --1 Corinthians 3:2

It's after dinner now at the Williams household. The boys are upstairs playing, Dylan is watching Go Diego GO and Kim looks at me and says "If you do the dishes I'll be your best friend..."

"I want you to 'want' to do the dishes" --My wife

Remember how I said that Kim is a wizard in the kitchen? Well, it takes a lot of pots and pans and measuring cups and baking pans and spoons and forks and knives and just about every item in our pantry to prepare that meal! And I totally agree with the "I cook, you clean" philosopy of duties. But, WOW, the kitchen looks like a tornado just ripped through Sur la Table! Now, this is where God is molding me. He knows that I need this. I need to understand that to get the good - the feast, the prize, the eternal reward; I have to deal with the things that help get me there. In short, God's plan has dishes! Illness. Job uncertainty. Monetary struggles. Temptations. Africa. These are all just part of the deal. You have to take the bad with the good. There could be no Resurrection on Easter Sunday until Christ had suffered and died on Good Friday.

I want to do God's dishes. I want to be at the Heavenly banquet, and I want to clean my plate. And when I'm done, I want to look up at God and say, "Pretty fair chow bay-bee."

Spring 2010 Cub Scout Family Campout

2010-04-01T00:46:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we were blessed with some BEAUTIFUL weather with which to enjoy the Spring Family Campout for Pack 1727. As last Spring, the campout was held at Peach Creek just up the road from us. Having it so close is really nice because it enabled Kim, Dylan and Gran to come visit us both Friday and Saturday evenings and have dinner with us!

Kim torches a marshmallow in preparation for S'Mores

Kim and Gran discuss the finer points of camp cuisine

Pop continues to step up his game, this year bringing a 30,000 BTU 2 burner propane stove to cook all the meals. He also brought a TV that he powered with the inverter! I was amazed at how good of a picture that little thing got. Finally, he brought a small generator; however, I don't think he used it. (This time around, the inverters worked and provided ample lighting for our campsite.)

The camp crew

While we were packing up to go home (we've always been the last ones to leave), Pop mentioned that maybe we shouldn't bring so much stuff. To that I replied that it's easy to say that when packing up to leave, but it's easy to forget how nice it is to have all that stuff throughout the weekend. The canopy, the stoves, the inverters, batteries, lights, air mattresses, etc, etc, all make it that much easier to go camping. I've never said that we were "Roughing It"! Plus, have you ever stepped out of a tent on a very cold Spring morning and smelled bacon and eggs cooking? It's Heaven! When we first moved to Houston before we had children, some Fraternity brothers and I went on several hiking trips where we packed everything we needed on our backs. The "meals" eaten on those trips and those nights of "sleep" that were had on those trips don't compare to what we've been having on these Scout camping trips. There is something to be said for roughing it, but right now, I'm enjoying this type of camping experience with my boys and my dad. And next time *I* may kick it up a notch by bringing a full out coffee maker! I'm tired of trying to perfect the art of making instant coffee. It just aint right! I'm sure the inverter will handle it, and if not, I saw a nifty one that I could buy online or at Target.

The Menu:
Friday
Dinner - Fried Shrimp, Catfish and French Fries. Yes, the entire camp full of boys once again came by to partake of the fries.

Saturday
Breakfast - Bacon and Eggs
Lunch - Hot Dogs w/ Chili and cheese
Dinner - Aunt Bessie's famous Chicken Jambalaya (ooooh this is so good.)

Sunday
Breakfast - Bacon and Eggs

After Dinner on Saturday night we had a huge bonfire and the boys told jokes, we sang songs and generally had a blast. Next time I will be fully prepared to play a lot of "campfire songs."

All throughout the weekend the boys played "War." They divided themselves into two groups: Indians and Warriors and played a generic version of Capture the Flag. It reminded me of my only two camping trips that I went on when I joined Boy Scouts as a teenager. Both trips we played capture the flag and me and Scott dominated everyone else. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, I dropped out of Scouts.

When we got home, we were so wiped out. Drew fell asleep on the futon upstairs, and I napped on the couch.

Friends

ooooh.....snaaaaaake.....

Such sweet brothers

Me and my Cub Scouts

Drew is a "Cub Scout Helper"

Where's that confounded bridge?

We made a tiny fire so we could do S'Mores by our site

Upon Further Review...

2010-03-31T21:54:00.003-05:00

Earlier this month I blogged about our old camp at Bundick's Lake and I tallied all the fish that were recorded as caught and by whom in the camp log book to create a top 10 list of Camp Fishermen. You may recall I hinted at a "Lost Page" of the log that told of mass numbers of fish caught by Dad, Uncle Jerry and Myself. Well...wonder no longer. The page has been found, and, yes, the rankings have changed.

As you can clearly see, the numbers are quite impressive. Over that three day period in November of 1985 we caught 65 fish!

And with this new information, we have a:

New Top 10:
1. Pop - 53+
2. Mike - 33+
3. Chad - 22+
4. Gina - 20
5. Ernest - 16+
6. Uncle Jerry - 15
7. Tina - 7
8. Glenn - 4
9. Grandma Denton - 1
10. Mike Stelly - 1

Again, I'm sure this list will generate lots of debate, but let this bed a lesson in proper Log Book recording!

This was perfect timing! We all go to the Camp for Easter this weekend, and I may just catch every fish in the lake!

Ten Years Gone

2010-03-31T07:50:00.000-05:00

Evan turns 10 today and I can't believe how fast the time has gone. He was a scheduled C-Section, so we knew the exact day and time that he'd be born. I remember the night before he was born. Kim had gone to bed and I stayed up folding baby towels and clothes. Once I was done I looked around and took it all in. Took in the silence of the house. Our lives would never be the same.

Evan has truly been a blessing, he's a great son, and he is an awesome big brother.

Happy Birthday, Evan!!

We didn't have any single candles, but we did have a 6 and a 4. When Evan came down and saw that, he bent over and imitated an old man and in his best old man voice, he said, "Well, I didn't realize I turned 64 today!" I said, "Yeah, you slept a long time, Rip Van Winkle!"

We love you son!

John Mark McMillan

2010-03-24T23:49:00.002-05:00

Tonight my good friend Bill Phillips and I went to Magnolia, TX to see John Mark McMillan and his band play as the opening act to the Robbie Seay Band, and boy were we blown away! As an opening act, their set was short, but very powerful. They opened up with Breaking Down and followed that with Out of the Ground. Next was the wonderful How He Loves. I'm a huge fan of this song, but seeing it live was more powerful than I ever imagined. They closed the night with Skeleton Bones. Another wonderful song. After the set, they went to their merchandise table and mingled with fans. Bill and I talked to him and the band for a good 20 minutes or so. We supported the cause by buying their album - yes, on vinyl - and they gratefully signed them for us.

One of the things that really suprised me was how approachable the whole band was. Really down to earth and very nice and obliging to the fans. I noticed John Mark praying with two girls about a situation that the girls were clearly concerned about.

Me and John Mark's guitarist, James Duke.

Getting back to the vinyl albums, he made a comment that there is an art to making music and an art of listening to music. When you have an album on vinyl, there are sounds there that don't exist in digital media. You have to engage yourself to the music because you have to put the needle on the record, flip the album over, etc. to listen to it. Well, when I got home, I broke out Kim's old record player and prayed that the years had been good to it. After a few crackles from the needle, the sweet sounds of Death in His Grave came out of the tiny, dusty speaker as though it was travelling through 20 years of time and space. I was in Heaven. It has been over 20 years since I've put a record onto a turntable, and it was no doubt, Pink Floyd's The Wall.

The album is heavier and thicker than what I remember albums feeling like. Thank you, John Mark, for reminding me of what music is supposed to do to us.

What a long, strange trip it's been.

A Few Stragglers

2010-03-23T00:04:00.001-05:00

Is "straggler" even a word? It dawned on me that we did not take a picture of the t-shirts from the party, plus, I felt obligated to not leave all two of you hanging, waiting with baited breath on whether or not we returned Elliot's guitar.

First, the shirt. Here's the one Evan made:

Front

Back

And as for Elliot's guitar...

We returned the blue guitar, went to Guitar Center and bought this one. It is a sweet Squier Mini by Fender. For $30 more we really upgraded and I'm glad we did. This little baby really plays well, and I admit I hold on to it a bit too long after I'm done tuning it if you catch my drift! Hmm...reminds me of....

That's my grandpa "tuning" my first guitar...

....still tuning.....

"Come on, grandpa, I wanna play my guitar!!"

FINALLY!!

I'll close with a few more pics that we took this past Sunday.

Drew is really itching to get an electric of his own. For now, we bought him a strap from Guitar Center because he really has been a trooper this weekend watching Evan and Elliot rack up with presents. His birthday is in May, so who knows...maybe a Vee Wee is in the cards?

Oddly enough, I really like this picture.

Snapshots

2010-03-21T21:06:00.000-05:00

I really love our new camera.

So Sweet!

So Beautiful!

So Happy!

You Say It's Your Birthday...

2010-03-21T09:04:00.001-05:00

The boys' long awaited "Rock and Roll" birthday party has finally come! Kim made an awesome cake that was topped with KISS figures, we decorated the house with posters, set up Rock Band/Guitar Hero on the downstairs TV, and set up Evan's guitar and my bass in the back room so we could "play our gig" for the guests.

As each party goer arrived, their hands were stamped with a skull and crossbones stamp for admittance, then it was off to either play Rock Band or to make their own custom Rock and Roll t-shirt. We cut out stencils for The Beatles, AC/DC and a Flying V guitar. We also bought some pre-made stencils to add extra flair if they so desired.

After the t-shirts were made, the live music began. I give Evan huge props for how much he has advanced on the guitar. When he received his electric guitar for Christmas, he said he wanted to play a concert for his birthday party, and we practiced for months getting three good songs down to play. We opened up with I Love Rock and Roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, followed by The Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin. The closer was Iron Man by Black Sabbath.

After that, everyone was ready for some cake and ice cream and to open gifts.

Everyone had a blast and after a bit more Guitar Hero (Evan got a new one as a gift) the party drew to a close.

It will be hard to top this one. I think I had just as much fun as the boys did, and for sure this was the coolest birthday party I've ever been to!

Enjoy the photos!

The table was set.

Kim did a great job on the cake!

Dylan gets a little drum action

Preparing for the party. Elliot wanted a Paul Stanley face.

Rock Band!

Drew and Jared decide to go for the real thing.

Rocking out with Evan...a great moment for me!

All the rockers get together for a picture.

A future rock star.

Time for presents!

Pop wearing my old Led Zeppelin shirt...and a full head of hair!!

Up to this point, Elliot had recieved a guitar stand and a guitar amp. Hmmm. I wonder what this one could be??!!

Elliot finally joins the electric age!

Elliot tests out his new axe. (Unfortunately I think it's too big for him. We may have to find a smaller one for him.)

Pop and Evan on Guitar Hero

Drew and Dylan under the table and dreaming.

Trying out Evan's new Guitar Hero

Sing me a song

Kim and Drew kick out some jams

I'm in the Band!

2010-03-19T07:51:00.000-05:00

We need a bigger "music room..."

Root-Cause Analysis and Lessons Learnt (sic)

2010-03-12T16:34:00.000-06:00

In my line of work when something goes wrong, what follows is a root-cause analysis and in the final report there is a section for “Lessons Learned,” which, more often than not, is misspelled as “Lessons Learnt.”

The few of you that read my blog know that I have been gone away from my family for quite a while. I departed on February 22nd and I returned on March 12th to participate in a job for my company in Chad, Africa. The job did not go as planned, but after the initial root-cause analysis we have some lessons learned that can be applied to hopefully garner success in the future. Well, in those 18 days, I learned quite a few things about myself.

First and foremost I learned, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God is no puppet master. He doesn’t have each human dangling on a string to control their every movement and decision. He has given us all free will, and in so giving, that means that while you may be diligent, sincere and persistent in your prayers for something to go your way, if it depends on the actions of others, it still may not be answered to your liking.

Further to this, I realized that nine times out of ten, I pray for my will to be done. When I prayed to be home on the 3rd, that was my will. When I prayed to be home on the 9th, that was my will. I was basically saying, “Father, not Thy will, but my will be done.” I don’t think God likes that too much. Once the job kept getting delayed and I’d have to change my tickets AGAIN, I finally reached a point where I just threw my hands up and basically yelled, “WHATEVER!!!!” to the LORD. I’m sure He had quite a laugh at my expense Tuesday night as I walked the long walk back to my room after learning that “yes you can go home on Wednesday, but there is no room for you on the flight out of the base to the city, so you’ll have to wait till Thursday.” That was my breaking point. I’ve never been so frustrated, so angry, so confused in all my life. I wanted to cry. I did cry. When I went to bed that night, I laid there still as a board. Reluctantly I made the Sign of the Cross and I just could not say one prayer. Finally, I vocally whispered, “God, I can’t pray tonight because I am so mad,” and at that I wept.

“When you go to the Tavern, which is to God, and ask for His Love, He’s the bartender. And He gives you a drink, and what you have to give Him is an empty glass. There’s no point in giving Him your heart if it’s full already. There’s no point in going to God if your heart is full of Doris.” – Pete Townshend.

Up to that point, my heart was full. It was full of good things: family, home, playing with the kids, evenings with my wife, relaxation, etc. All of these things were what I had planned for myself. And while these things are inherently good, they had no regard for God’s plan for me.

And what about God’s plan? Did He have a reason to send me to Africa? Did I convert any Chadians to Christianity? Did I feed any starving children? Did I serve some other grand purpose that was made known to me once I arrived? No. But slowly I started to realize something very important: Many times during the days, and especially at the rig site, I’d use language that would make my mother blush. Each day that my stay was prolonged I grumbled, and the longer my stay got, the less and less friendly I became. The native people are quite nice and eager to smile at ex-pats and welcome them to their country. But I didn’t feel like smiling. I was mad. Yet, each day, at breakfast, lunch and dinner, I’d cross myself and bless my food!

“You sure do cuss a lot for a Christian.” – Don Horner

It was at that point that I realized that I was being a hypocrite, and I realized how hard it is to be a Christian and to be Christ to others when things are not going your way. It was a very humbling moment.

I learned to appreciate, more than ever, being Catholic, primarily for two reasons. One reason is the oft-criticized “rote memory” prayers. I’ve heard comments suggesting that prayers don’t really mean anything unless you say them on the fly or basically making them up as you go. Well, I was so mad at God, I could not do that. But I did manage an Our Father, a Glory Be and the trusty old Blessing Before Meals with no problem. If not for these prayers, I don’t think I could have prayed at all, and I’m very thankful.

But greater than that is the love and respect that the Church has for the Blessed Mother and oh, what a sense of peace I had whenever I prayed to Mary. The Tuesday night that I spoke of earlier, after whispering to God that I couldn’t pray because I was too mad, I asked Mary to help me, and I felt a strange sense of peace. I then pictured a little boy being mad at his father’s decision, so he goes crying to his mother. The mother consoles the child, but does not reverse the father’s decision. This is what Mary does for us, and what little peace I felt on this trip, I attribute to Mary’s intercession.

Finally, I learned that I take a lot of things for granted. When you are in Central Africa, there are not a lot of luxuries. The company base where we stayed was very nice, the rooms were very nice, air conditioned rooms with showers. But it was the little things that count. Real salt and pepper and Tony Chachere’s. Good old American Made Coca Cola. A cell phone signal. An internet connection that actually works all the time at a fast speed. Mosquitoes that won’t kill you. But the biggest thing that I realized that I take for granted is freedom. I don’t want to go all melodramatic on you, but being over there was kind of like being in a type of minimum security prison. Sure, I was free to roam the campus, go to the gym (which I did!), go to the cafeteria, surf the net, etc. But I couldn’t leave the base. Although I had tickets to leave on Wednesday I could not get a flight out, and there was no way to get to the city otherwise. I felt trapped.

So, yes, the life of the Williams family experienced a sort of diversion. But at least I take with me some lessons learned. And as long as we learn something, nothing is “for nothing.”

Peace.

Psalm 22 (21 DR)

2010-03-05T14:16:00.000-06:00

1 Unto the end, for the morning protection, a psalm for David. 2 O God my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins. 3 O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me. 4 But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel. 5 In thee have our fathers hoped: they have hoped, and thou hast delivered them.

6 They cried to thee, and they were saved: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 7 But I am a worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people. 8 All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head. 9 He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him. 10 For thou art he that hast drawn me out of the womb: my hope from the breasts of my mother.

11 I was cast upon thee from the womb. From my mother's womb thou art my God, 12 Depart not from me. For tribulation is very near: for there is none to help me. 13 Many calves have surrounded me: fat bulls have besieged me. 14 They have opened their mouths against me, as a lion ravening and roaring. 15 I am poured out like water; and all my bones are scattered. My heart is become like wax melting in the midst of my bowels.

16 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue hath cleaved to my jaws: and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death. 17 For many dogs have encompassed me: the council of the malignant hath besieged me. They have dug my hands and feet. 18 They have numbered all my bones. And they have looked and stared upon me. 19 They parted my garments amongst them; and upon my vesture they cast lots. 20 But thou, O Lord, remove not thy help to a distance from me; look towards my defence.

21 Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword: my only one from the hand of the dog. 22 Save me from the lion's mouth; and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns. 23 I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church will I praise thee. 24 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him: all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him. 25 Let all the seed of Israel fear him: because he hath not slighted nor despised the supplication of the poor man. Neither hath he turned away his face from me: and when I cried to him he heard me.

26 With thee is my praise in a great church: I will pay my vows in the sight of them that fear him. 27 The poor shall eat and shall be filled: and they shall praise the Lord that seek him: their hearts shall live for ever and ever. 28 All the ends of the earth shall remember, and shall be converted to the Lord: And all the kindreds of the Gentiles shall adore in his sight. 29 For the kingdom is the Lord's; and he shall have dominion over the nations. 30 All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and have adored: all they that go down to the earth shall fall before him.

31 And to him my soul shall live: and my seed shall serve him. 32 There shall be declared to the Lord a generation to come: and the heavens shall shew forth his justice to a people that shall be born, which the Lord hath made.

You Should Have Been Here Yesterday

2010-03-04T07:14:00.000-06:00

“Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day.” --Pink Floyd, Time

As I sit here waiting on the job to start, I’ve had a lot of time on my hands. Luckily I brought the copy of the old Camp Log book with me to read in the down time. It has really helped me keep my sanity these days away from my family. I just open the book and I’m transported in time to the Camp and all the good times we had there.

The Camp Log Book spans a time period from April 1984 to July 1994. In those 10 years we fished, threw washers and played many games of Moon, Yahtzee, Bourre, Gin, Crazy 8’s and just about any other card game you could think of; and nearly everyone bragged of being the Camp Champ at this or that. We even inaugurated the “Camp Olympics” one year to decide once and for all who the true camp champ was! Apparently the system was too complex, as it only was recorded one year.

This actually began as an exercise to count exactly how many times we went fishing with “No Luck” because it sure seemed like that was a majority of the time! In spite of countless reports of people tearing up the fish here and there, on this or that bait, it always seemed that we were skunked on the water. Also, I noticed how many times we set out trout lines and caught nothing on them. It seemed like the catch phrase for Bundick’s was, “you should have been here yesterday.”

So, with all of this time on my hands, I thought I’d sit down and count how many fish were caught, and by whom, so we’d see once and for all who the real Camp Champ was.

Now, before I get to all the details, I must make a few caveats:

1) Regarding trout lines: Sometimes a specific number of lines set out was given, but other times, the entry would read, “set out trout lines.” Rather than assume the full three lines were set, if it didn’t say three, I put it down as only two. Also, sometimes in an entry they would run the lines but not report how many fish were on it due to other circumstances (such as the wind blowing the boat into the line and tangling up all the poles, etc.) In this case, I counted that as not catching anything, because surely it would have been mentioned if they did!

2) Regarding individual fishing tallies: Many times, a log entry will imply many fish were caught and kept, but no number was given. Once an entry says that, “Mike and Ernest caught 11 bream.” Not being able to know how many each caught, I split the fish between them and gave Mike the extra. (You’re welcome!) Finally there is a missing entry, mysteriously enough, that chronicles when Dad, Uncle Jerry and myself absolutely tore the white perch up at the locks. Hmmm… Anyway, those numbers are not included in the tally (…can you see where I’m going with this??)

10 Years of Fishing on Bundick Lake:
Number of trout lines set: 41
Number of fish caught on trout lines: 41
Number of times trout lines had no fish: 9
Number of times we went fishing with “no luck”: 12
Total number of recorded fish caught on rod and reel: 111

Will the Real Camp Champ please stand up?!
Now for the interesting part! The following list will no doubt generate great debate and braggery alike for years to come. If a number of fish were attributed to a person in the log book, they made the list. Sometimes no numbers were given, but implied such as “they caught a mess of fish,” or, “Chad was Camp Champ in fishing…” In that case, no number was given, hence the plus sign….

The List:
#10 - Mike Stelly: 1
#9 - Grandma Denton: 1
#8 - Glenn: 4
#7 - Uncle Jerry: 4
#6 - Chad: 5+
#5 - Tina: 7
#4 - Ernest Tabor: 16+
#3 - Pop: 16+
#2 - Gina (are you ready for this?): 20
#1 - Mike: 33+

So, there you have it, Michael was the True Camp Champ in fishing from 1984 - 1994. Maybe we’ll make up a trophy!!

I think I’ll compile the Moon numbers next. We'll see...

Stay tuned…..

Back to the Future

2010-03-03T08:09:00.000-06:00

“The present is the point at which time touches eternity.” --C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, No. 15.

Once again, I’m blown away at C.S. Lewis’ descriptions of time and eternity. I didn’t realize exactly how much Lewis’ work inspired Sheldon Vanauken until now. I commented about reading A Severe Mercy and how Vanauken and his wife were in that constant search for those timeless moments, and how that really struck a chord with me. Now I’m reading The Screwtape Letters, and C.S. Lewis just knocks it out of the park with the quote above.

The theme of Letter No. 15 is that, “humans live in time, but (God) destines (us) to eternity.” So, in order to divert our attention from what God wants us to think about – namely, eternity and the present. – the demons need to distract us somehow. It isn’t much value to have us dwell in the past because we have a real knowledge of the past. No, it is better if they have us living in the future, as the thought of the future “inflames hope and fear.”

Again, this really strikes a chord with me. Recently, I’ve been living in the future: Dreaming about the good – or fretting over the bad – that the future may or may not hold. I find it very difficult to not worry about the future. After all, I have a family to provide for. However, God does not want me to worry. Over and over, we are reminded, “Do not be afraid…” (John 6:20 among others)

But Lewis’ take on living in the future “inflaming hopes,” really made me do a double take. Up until now, I’ve been primarily focused on the fear and uncertainty that the future holds. I never even considered my hopes and dreams to be an issue, but Lewis does have a point. If we constantly look past the present into the future, we may overlook what God has put right in our laps here and now.

I’m going to have to chew on this one for a while.

“Hence nearly all vices are rooted in the future. Gratitude looks to the past and love to the present; fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead.” --C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, No. 15.

Screwtape Letters

2010-02-23T05:26:00.000-06:00

I received a collection of C.S. Lewis Classics for this past Christmas, and I started with the Screwtape Letters. Today I read one that really struck home.

In Letter #13, Screwtape is lamenting that Wormwood has let his "patient" slip through his fingers. But not to worry - the demons never give up...they fight for the patient's soul till the bitter end - because there is hope still for them to steal him away, as long as the patient does not act on these new feelings of grace that he has. Screwtape end the letter thus:

"As one of the humans have said, active habits are strengthened by repetition but passive ones are weakened. The more often he feels without acting, the less he will be able ever to act, and, in the long run, the less he will be able to feel."

I can't count how many times I've been guilty of this!

Lord, help me to ACT upon the Graces you bestow upon me!

School of Rock

2010-01-15T07:45:00.000-06:00

Did I mention that one of the reasons why I love homeschooling is that we can make the subjects very fun for the boys??

Here's the latest School of Rock Moment: Handwriting.

You all have heard the stories about boys and handwriting. Well, if they would just have something fun to write down, maybe they would be more enthusiastic.

Well...you're right!

Evan's Handwriting Assignment:

Elliot's Handwriting Assignment:

Now, seriously, don't you wish your school was this cool??

Home Sweet Home...it's about TIME!!!

2009-12-13T14:29:00.000-06:00

The picture may be blurry, but I just had to post it. I was so happy to be home. Walking through the door was like coming home to Heaven. The boys had made crafts for me, one of which was the American Flag hanging on the door with "Sweet Home USA" written underneath.

When people ask me how long I was gone, I'd say "a week and a half." But that doesn't do the absence justice! It's funny how my perception of time has always been. I've always looked at time in two ways: the overall and the in the moment. This trip for example, I look back now on the trip and it seems like it was just yesterday that I was getting on the plane to travel to Africa, yet here I am happily at home in the "blink of an eye." However, living each of those days that I was gone, it really makes me want to stress to everyone how long "a week and a half" is. (If you're wondering, it was 9.125 days, or 219 hours or 13,140 minutes.) In a way, I think this is a glimpse of what God sees in our lives. We see the moment that we are in, and we can reflect on the moment that just passed, or postulate about the moments to come. God, however, sees the entire trip from start to finish.

It was no mistake that I read A Severe Mercy while on this trip. One of Vanauken's themes throughout the book is time, or rather, the quest for the Timeless moments. Those moments that last forever, when you are unmolested by what's next or what appointment is pending, etc. Of course, this doesn't exist here on earth, but only in Eternity. It was interesting that he, and C.S. Lewis, used this yearning as a proof of an Eternal Afterlife. Our souls are not meant for this world, and as such, they long for Eternity.

Another interesting point of view I gained from this trip is how uncertainty, which is basically fear, can rob us of what God truly wants us to have. The ultimate gift that God wants us to have is Eternal Life with Him in Heaven. In order to possess that ultimate gift we have to pay the "ultimate price" of our lives. I love life, and to be quite honest, the thought of death is uneasy for me to say the least. There are lots of uncertainties with death and the afterlife. We have some promises that we can fall back on, but there is no "eye witness proof."

So, my trip to Africa represents my present take on death/dying. I did not want to do it. I dreaded leaving my family (death) and the long lines at the airport/long flights (Purgatory, no doubt). But once I arrived at my final destination (ok, I cannot, in truth, call Africa "Heaven"...sorry) It was OK. I was OK. I was pleasently surprised at how "normal" it was.

Conversely, my return trip home from Africa represents what I'm striving for as a Christian. I looked forward to it. I was leaving a place that I knew was not my home (death.) Yes, the lines and flights (Purgatory) would be long and taxing, but I knew what was waiting for me when I arrived at my final destination of home (Heaven.) Again, walking through the door that day was like entering the Pearly Gates of Heaven. I was greeted by my children and loving wife. The house was so warm and cozy. So welcoming. Candles flickered on the table and many more on the mantle. It was nothing short of heavenly. It was one of those "timeless" moments that I just wanted to freeze and remain there...after a shower, of course.

"It's a Black Mamba!!" (And some other African Scenery)

2009-12-04T12:59:00.002-06:00

Today, my office mate, John Paterson, took me out in the field just to get out of the office. While out on a back road, we spotted a few hawks eating a black mamba! It was really cool. Then he took me down another road that had village on it. I'm impressed with the things that these people have done with so little. They make their own bricks and build their houses with them. They farm the land and use every last bit of the crop. Nothing is wasted. The women here do all the hard work (I guess just like a pride of lions!) They do the work in the field, carry the crops back on their heads, cook, clean, everything....all with babies strapped on thier backs! It is unreal. Just like National Geographic.

One of my fellow coworkers today was, again, taken aback that I was named after his country. He had been to the States and he said that he was surprised to see other people named Chad. And that some women's names was the name of his tribe. What is the name of his tribe, you ask? Guess! KIM!!! I laughed and said, "That's my wife's name!" We all got a big kick out of the fact that me and my wife were named after his Country and his tribe.

Lunch time!

He's guarding the snake from us!

"It's a Black Mamba!" (Go watch Duma)

I'm not a bird watcher, but this appears to be a Blue Heron. It was great! (pun)

The village

Dear Evan, Elliot and Drew...(a love letter to my family)

2009-12-03T03:55:00.001-06:00

Be Thankful

2009-12-01T06:53:00.000-06:00

Evan is thankful for: Having good parents and brothers. Legos. MP3 Player. My own laptop (not really), the Wii, Pokemon cards, bike, scooter, Dish Network, flat screen TV.

Elliot is thankful for mom and dad and the whole family.
Drew is thankful that he slept all night in his bed

Catching Up

2009-11-14T16:56:00.000-06:00

Well, we've got some catching up to do to close out October 2009 and to ring in November (the most fabulous month of the year in my opinion - and it isn't just because of my birthday...)

The Vocations Chalice
We were honored to be the hosts for our Parish's Vocations Chalice for the week beginning on Priesthood Sunday. I was amazed to read that the Chalice belonged to a LaSalette Missionary! (The LaSalette Fathers have a special place in my heart, as I grew up attending LaSalette Parishes, and also since my Grandmother gave me the sermons and writings of Fr. Veillard, a LaSalette priest and former pastor of her parish years ago. These sermons are over 100 years old, yet still speak to the heart today.) Throughout the day we kept the Chalice on the Dining Room table and we prayed at mealtimes with the Chalice. Then at night, I'd bring the Chalice up to the boys room and place it on the dresser between their beds and we'd pray for vocations along with our night time prayers. The boys loved having "The Holy Grail" in their bedroom at night. Drew and Elliot said that they slept "super good" having the Chalice in the room with them.

The Vocations Chalice, aka "The Holy Grail"

Hmmm, which one is going to be the Priest?

PumpkinFest
Every year since 1988, my parents have had a little shindig called PumpkinFest. It had humble beginnings: gather the family together one Saturday afternoon, carve pumpkins, roast hot dogs, tell ghost stories beside the fire,hang out and go on a hayride. Judges - who remained anonymous until it was time to judge - would decide whose pumpkin was the best. The creativity - and competition - was such that we had to expand to include categories for the pumpkins: Freehand, Pattern, Decorated, Kids w/ no help, Kids pattern & Kids decorated.We did it again the next year and the next, and before we knew it we had a full blown family tradition. The festivites and crowd grew, and it became one of those things that you look forward to even when it is months and months away. I'd find myself in the Spring looking at something cool and saying to myself, "this would be a good pumpkin idea for PumpkinFest."

As the years passed, we started scaling back on the invitees, eventually settling in pretty much on immediate family and close friends. It is still a blast and we can still count on some things that will never change such as the Pumpkin Egg Hunt, the Hayride, and my brother-in-law Glenn winning first place with his pumpkin regardless of what it is!

This year, PumpkinFest was in danger of being cancelled. Pop had come down with fever the night before, so we opted to remain in Kingwood and not take the chance of passing it on to the kids. The boys were downright bummed. Halloween was on Saturday, so we made the decision that we'd have our very first Pumpkin~~Fest~~ West on Halloween morning. It was a simple affair with some tables for carving, some hot dogs for munching and some good friends to share it all with. Everyone seemed to love it and the boys were so excited to have our very own PumpkinFest, that I foresee this as an annual affair. I was really proud of the boys, especially Elliot and Drew. Evan is pretty handy with carving tools, but this year, Elliot and Drew really wanted to be independent with their design and cutting/gutting of the pumpkin, so I let them do it alone. The results are remarkable. We had the three designs set up for the trick or treaters to vote on as they came to the house for Halloween. Don't let the others know, but Elliot's pumpkin won by a landslide.

The first annual PumpkinFest West

Elliot hard at work

Drew concentrates

Evan's Masterpiece

Elliot's hard work pays off

Drew's is really good...and creepy when lit (see below)

Wow, look at those pumpkin-shines!

Later that night, we took to the neighborhood with Anakin Skywalker and two Ninjas to demand candy from our helpless neighbors. No one can resist a Jedi Mind Trick, and even if they wanted to, they wouldn't dare cross a Jedi when his entourage includes two ninjas! We had a borrowed Lion costume for Dylan, but he only wore it for the photo op. The next morning, the boys had their candy laid out and there was some rudimentary trading going on.

You will give us all of your candy!

Roar!

All Saint's Morning

Beer Judging
Kim had gone to the store that morning and came back with a "pick your six" six pack of beers and we had a little beer judging going on. They were all good for the most part. The only negative came as result of Kim's Party Foul.

Leinenhugel's Fireside Nutbrown Ale - Thumbs Up!

Sam Adam's Boston Lager - Sideways thumb, uh oh!

Kim's Guinness meets an untimely end...definite thumbs down!

Shiner Cheer - Thumbs up with it's peachy flavor!

Saint Arnold's Christmas Ale - Thumbs up.

(Not shown: Kim had an old favorite, Dos Equis Special Lager, which of course is a big thumbs up in our house!)

...for old time's sake...ah, Florida...

Official PumpkinFest
The next weekend we went to Gran and Pop's house for the re-scheduled Official Pumpkin Fest, so we can now say that PumpkinFest celebrated it's 21st birthday! Wow, that is so hard to believe!! It was a little weird having it in November, but all the important elements were there, especially the family, and we had a blast. On the Hayride, we are always saying that we need to come up with some "pumpkin carols" but we never do. Back in High School, our Chemistry teacher, Mr. Andreyk, went all out for Halloween including a slew of Pumpkin Carols that were usually set to Christmas Carol melodies. None of us remember any of them. So this year, we made one up on the fly called the 12 Days of PumpkinFest. We made it up by naming all those things that we love about PumpkinFest and sang it as the hayride wound throughout the nieghborhood.

So, without further adieu, I give you the 12 Days of PumpkinFest:
One set of pumpkin carving tools
Two pumpkin seeds
Three hot dogs
Four carving lessons
Five orange pumpkins
Six brownies
Seven miles of hayride
Eight pumpkin eggs
Nine marshmallows
Ten winning prizes
Eleven scarecrows
Twelve Glenn victories

Everyone is hard at it

Creativity abounds

Kim gets it just right

This pumpkin is mine

My baby angel pumpkin darlin' doodle dandy

Drew's pumpkin had a scar like Anakin Skywalker

Another pumpkin egg bites the dust.

The hayride

Evan leads the way

Gran's birthday was October 16th, Kim's Mom's birthday was on October 30th, and mine was November 8th, so we took the time for some birthday celebrations before heading home.

Elliot drawing in the dirt at Grandma and Grandpa's house

Pioneer Day
Saturday November 14th was Pioneer Day at Jesse Jones Park in Humble, so we went there and had a great time seeing how it was way back when. We missed out last year, so it was nice to get back and check it out. This time, Evan and Elliot both showed off their master skills with the bow and arrow. Up first, Elliot with his third try shot an arrow through a ring earning himself a handsome Large Red Feather. Not to be outdone, Evan on his second shot, not only shot his arrow through the ring, but also nailed a turkey! His prize was to keep the turkey to show off to all his friends and family.

Uh oh, a house divided! This is a new take...

...on a classic photo. Oh my, how I love, Love, LOVE this picture!!

Led Zeppelin wasn't available, so they brought in the Fretted Friends

Evan shoots

And Scores!!

Ah, to the victor goes the spoils!

Nice shot!

Elliot's Red Feather

Drew got a blue feather just for being so awesome!

Life is good ya'll!!

Love,

Chad, Kim and the Boys

An Insurance Provider's View of Family Planning

2009-11-02T15:22:00.000-06:00

Basically, "We'll give you a deal if you want to prevent pregnancy, but you're on your own if you need help getting pregnant. Sad. I yearn for the day when pregnancy is not treated as a "condition."

Right Here, Right Now, There is No Other Place I'd Rather Be

2009-11-02T14:11:00.000-06:00

The lunch time prayer run yielded some good thoughts today. First and foremost is the importance of being present in the moment, and to not let the anxiety of future or past events steal away the focus of being in the here and now. Sometimes the here and now is work, sometimes its family. Either way, it is important to be present in every moment of every day, especially on the home front. Sometimes I let anxieties get in the way of truly enjoying the moment.

So, today, I make a pledge to do my best to be present.

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day". --Matthew 6:34

Footprints

2009-10-31T00:16:00.000-05:00

Today's post is another one that was inspired by a lunch time run. (Today was a fantastic run, by the way.)

I caught a glimpse of one of my wet footprints and I coulnd't help but think that my right footprint looks like Africa. I thought of how cool it would be to have a race to benefit Africa and then on the shirt the logo would be Africa styled like a footprint. (I really like the idea of making shirts. Click Here).

But then, it occurred to me that my footprint also resembles a pork chop....(hey, it was lunch and I hadn't eaten yet!)

Deep thoughts, I know...

So, you be the judge:

Mark 9:24

2009-10-26T13:06:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about this post since last week, when Casa Doyle (minus one) came to join us for dinner. While the kids were playing, Alice, Kim and I were discussing Faith. I don't recall the exact train of thought that this caboose was on, but somehow we got on to the subject of the "Gospel of Prosperity" that we sometimes hear today. "God wants you to be successful. God wants you to be financially well off."

This sort of "preaching" also usually refuses to acknowledge suffering of any sort. Suffering should be avoided at all costs. Suffering is not something to deal with. In fact, if you just have enough faith, all of your ailments will be healed. And that is what our conversation zeroed in on.

I listen to KSBJ every day during my commute, and one day the morning DJ mentioned that his daughter is suffering with multiple issues, but they are praying every day for a complete and total healing. Callers were calling in expressing their prayers, and others to say that they had this or that ailment, but God healed them completely. The DJ asked one girl who had been struggling with an illness for some time if she could pinpoint when exactly she was healed. The girl replied that when she really believed that God would heal her, that's when the healing came.

There is something about that statement that really strikes a chord with me. There's a song on KSBJ right now by Addison Road called "What Do I Know of Holy" that puts it well in the second verse:

"I guess I thought that I had figured You out,
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about,
How You were mighty to save,
But those were only empty words on a page..."

We have all heard stories of out of miraculous healings happening, and as Christians, we believe that God, the Creator of all things, has power over His creation, including the power to cure the incurable disease. The question then becomes, "why doesn't God heal everyone?" Is it really, as the girl on the radio said, tied to our faith?

The title of this post is from Mark, and Mark speaks a lot about our faith. It is here that we find that Jesus is unable to perform any miracles in Nazareth because of the lack of peoples' faith (Mark 6:1-6). So, it seems there is some scriptural evidence to the young woman's claim.

So, does that mean that if you are praying for a healing and it doesn't come, that your faith is lacking? I don't believe that, and I turn to the story of Lazarus in the Gospel of John for my reasoning. When Jesus hears that Lazarus is sick, he doesn't immediately go to him. Instead Jesus waits for two days before leaving to go be with Lazarus, and by the time Christ was in Bethany, Lazarus was dead. Jesus loved Lazarus (John 11:3), so why would he wait? Because He was going to use the situation to Glorify the Father (John 11:4), and strengthen the disciples' belief (John 11:15).

How many times have we said with Martha and Mary, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died"? Brother, Sister, Son, Daughter, Father, Mother, Husband, Wife? But He IS with us, and He will not forsake us.

So what is my point to this whole post? I fall into the category of believers that maintain God can perform miracles, but usually chooses not to, not based on our lack of faith, but on the good that will be born of suffering. God will not leave us. His hand is always leaving fingerprints on our situations. But, basically, "don't expect a miracle." It bothers me that I fall into this category. I feel like I've mailed in the chance for my faith to move mountains (Matthew 17:20.)

So I say along with the boy's father in Mark 9:24, "Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief!"

Pack 1727 Fall Campout 2009

2009-10-13T07:18:00.001-05:00

This past weekend Evan, Elliot, Drew, Pop and I braved the rainy/cold forecast to attend the Pack 1727 Fall Campout and boy, was it great!

We arrived Friday evening around 5:30pm. It had rained on us pretty much the entire time, but by the time we got there, it was reduced to a slight drizzle. It was pretty chilly, however, which was a pleasant change from the unseasonably warm October we've had thus far.

Pop and I put the tent up while the boys kept warm and dry in the car. Once the tent was up, we let the boys run around inside the tent before we started piling things in. A concrete picnic table get up would become our kitchen and around this we erected dad's canopy to keep the kitchen as dry and inviting as possible. As with kitchens in many homes, this was going to be the heart of our campsite and provide a place for great times and great conversations. As with the Spring Campout Pop was our chef extrordinaire cooking fried fish, shrimp and of course his famous french fries on Friday night. There weren't nearly the amount if kids around this time due to the weather, but all who ate were satisfied! Pop cooked all of our meals including eggs, bacon and sausage for breakfast both mornings, hot dogs for lunch on Saturday and Aunt Bessie's Chicken Jambalaya for dinner on Saturday night. It was fantastic! Gone are the days of Chef Boy-Yar-D Ravioli out of the can!

--Pop's Kitchen

One great thing about having Pop there is that he lives up to the Eagle Scout billing. Ever true to the motto of "Be Prepared," Pop had a backup plan for anything that could have (and did) go wrong! The inverter that he brought to give light to the campsite smoked, snapped, crackled and popped as soon as it was hooked up to the battery. Not to worry, Pop brought his $1 garage sale Coleman Lantern just to test it out. It turns out that it was a dollar well spent, as it was our only means of light on the outside! The lack of an inverter also meant no electricity to blow up our air mattresses (hey, I never said we were roughing it!) but Pop had brought a hand pump. Luckily it never came to that because our tent neighbors graciously let us borrow thiers. Also, we were supposed to have a Pack dinner on Saturday night, but Pop decided to bring the stuff to make Jambalaya anyways and again that proved to be a brilliant move because our Pack Dinner cooks backed out due to the weather. So we were covered everytime something didn't turn out exactly as planned thanks to Pop! Thank You Pop! This makes me even more sure that keeping the boys engaged in Scouting is the right thing to do.

Saturday began with den time and pumpkin carving and after lunch the boys learned about alligators and even got to pet a baby alligator. Evan hiked back to the camp, but after last year's hike Elliot and Drew were more than happy to take Pop's truck back to the camp.

--Evan entertains a Big Daddy Long Legs spider

--Elliot and his Tiger Den

--I love this picture...so joyful!

--The Webelos lead a flag quiz

--Talk about bed head!

--Elliot and Kai.

--Elliot and the Tiger Den wait for the Alligator Lady

--Everyone waits patiently

--Elliot had a great time meeting new friends

--It takes all of Evan's energy to not make a silly face!

Evan's Pumpkin: Paul Stanley of KISS

--Drew's pumpkin: Scary face with a scar on his eye

--Elliot's pumpkin: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle!

--Camp neighbors enjoy the fire

As darkness fell, we moved to the bonfire where each pack performed a skit and told jokes and stories. After this, they gave some awards out. Elliot recieved his Bobcat badge and Evan received his Light of Christ medal and badge that he worked so hard to get. I was so proud! Elliot was so excited to get his badge, you should have seen the joy beaming from his face. My little boy is so grown up now. Also, I was very impressed with Evan on this trip. He really came out of his shell getting up and telling two jokes around the campfire and really getting into his skit. It was really neat seeing him and all of the Webelos leading the younger boys in some of the activities. Again, I'm reminded more and more of how Scouting is such a good character builder.

--Evan receives his Light of Christ medal and badge

--Evan telling jokes

--And another joke!

We were wiped out after such a long day and slept very well Saturday night. Sunday morning after breakfast we began breaking camp and saying our goodbyes to our tent neighbors. (Drew has a new best friend in Matthew Farace.)

--Drew and his new best friend, Matthew Farace

On the way home we drove by the giant statue of Sam Houston which was just minutes from the park. We really enjoyed that. After seeing this huge statue I asked Evan who Sam Houston was and he said he didn't know. I mentioned that for someone to have such a big statue, wouldn't that mean he was pretty important?! Hmmm, I think I have an idea for their next "Mission Impossible Homeschool Task!"

--Elliot kept calling Sam Houston Abraham Lincolon

--After taking these pics I thought one looked like a Beatles album cover...

--The gang stops to pose with Sam (and in Elliot's case...to pick his nose...)

See all of the pictures from the weekend here.

Multi-Tasking

2009-10-07T13:16:00.000-05:00

I've always yearned to have the true gift of Multi-Tasking: to do several things both simultaneously and WELL! I have the several things simultaneously down pat...it's the "well" part that I don't have. I'm working on it. For the most part, I just try to get as many things done as possible, and if there's any way to combine tasks and complete them at the same time, its all the better. Which brings me to today's post.

One of the things I was thinking about yesterday was the phrase "doing the LORD's work," and I envisioned God as my boss sitting behind His desk and me sitting there with Him receiving instruction. God has a job for all of us to do and we need to think long and hard if we are doing our jobs as well as we possibly can. Following the "God-as-our-boss" analogy, we are paid a salary by God, and it is a truly equal salary that we are paid. We are paid in TIME. God gives everyone the same 24 hours in a day. How well am I spending the time I've been given? How much of the time that I've been given have I used to His Glory vs. chasing after my own selfish wants and desires?

Then came my lunch run and in the true spirit of wanting to multi-task and make good use of the one hour of time that I have been given for lunch I decide to run and to pray the rosary. I've been talking a lot lately about God and Running and Spiritual vs. Physical fitness, so it only seems logical to finally and officially marry the two so they truly become one! So here I am running and praying the rosary and then the thought occurs to me that I should be using this time to evangelize. But how? Hmmm, I wonder how many people see me huffing and puffing as I make 3 rounds around the block? I wonder if I wore a shirt that had a Godly message on it? What would that message be?

So, that's it. I'm now on a quest to create some simple, Godly-Themed Shirts to use as I run. My first Idea is below. I created this on Zazzle.com.

Front of Shirt: All You Need is GOD

Back of Shirt: GOD is All You Need

It needs to be simple and to the point. And honestly, I'm wanting these messages to bring Faith, Hope and Love to anyone seeking it, even if it means they stop me and want to talk about it. So I'm just trying to think of a few good ideas that will make people stop and think of God if they see the message.

Please post here with some simple messages that you think would be good to put on a shirt that would spread the love of God!

The Physical and Spiritual Fitness Connection, Part 2

2009-10-03T14:09:00.000-05:00

Continuing on a previous post regarding the connection I feel between physical fitness and spiritual fitness, this post comes courtesy of yesterday's lunch run. Let me set the scene for you:

It was a gorgeous day outside: mid to low 80's, low humidity, cobalt blue skies. It was a calm day inside, ie: not many fires to put out around the lab. I had brought my running clothes out of habit more than actually thinking I was going to run at lunch, but somewhere around 10:00 am, I started getting a tinge of a headache and it just kept growing. Around 11:30 am, I start soliciting takers for going out to eat, but nobody took me up on it. I knew I should go running...that I needed to go running*...but I had a headache.

I made a half hearted motion out the door as though I'd go to lunch by myself, but I didn't make it. I forced myself to grab my bag and head out. I figured the fresh air would do me good. That there was a reason why no one would go to lunch with me and that reason is that I was supposed to go running that day. That I would somehow benefit from it.

And that leads me to the latest connection between physical and spiritual fitness:

You should do it even if you don't want to.

With exercise there are many excuses that I can use to not run: "It's too hot/cold/humid/rainy/sunny outside to run." "My foot/knee/hips/toe/head hurts." "I don't have the time to run." "Free Lunch!!" I have many excuses when it comes to neglecting prayer as well: "I don't have time to pray." "I'm not 'feeling' it today." "I don't know what to pray for." "I can't concentrate enough to pray."

"The spirit it willing but the flesh is weak."
--Matthew 26:41

My spirit wants to pray. My spirit wants me to exercise because my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and here lately, the temple has got some weeds that need pulling, some places that need some touching up and some rotten wood that needs replaced.

So, I forced myself to go running. Again, I thought that the fresh air would do me good. I would start out slow and just see how it goes. I forgot my mp3 player and so I knew I'd have a lot of time to just be with my thoughts and to pray. By the time I got out there, my tinge of a headache had turned into a full blown headache, and after the first quarter mile it was throbbing. To take my mind off of it, I began to sing to myself the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and little by little, step by step, my headache started to go away. By the end of the run, it was completely gone! I was amazed! As I took note of what had happened, I realized that I had to post on here about the importance of exercising and praying even though sometimes I don't want to. You never know the benefit/blessings you will receive until you do it! In my case on Friday, my headache went away. In the case of prayer, I've heard it said (C.S. Lewis?) that the prayers that are the most efficacious are those that we pray even when we don't want to pray. I believe that we will never truly know how much our prayers meant to others until the Particular Judgement. At that time, we'll see just what impact we had on other people's lives.

So what is it that causes the "don't wants"? For me I think it basically boils down to pride, the original and most deadly of the seven deadlies. The sin that goes before all other sins. I find it hard to run if I "don't have anything to run for," meaning that I'm not training for a race. I need to remind myself that I am still "running for a reason," and that reason is my health and, ulitmately, my family.

Spiritually, I realize now and admit that pride has kept me from growing in the way the LORD has wanted. I have always "taken pride" in the fact that I'm a "good Catholic." Go to Mass, read the bible, pray, etc., etc., etc. However, I should have realized that if I was "taking pride" in these things, I was missing the point! To put it one way, I had an inflated "Faith Ego." This inflated faith ego prevented me from going to the ACTS Retreat for three years. I thought I didn't need it. It would do me no good. I wouldn't get anything out of it. Well, God allowed me to eat some Humble Pie for a while and finally, my Spirit cried out loud enough to trump my Flesh and I signed up for the retreat. There were many obstacles put in my way, none bigger than when my car needed $600.00 of repairs two weeks before the retreat. I couldn't afford to go. Even though they say money will not prevent anyone from attending, my pride was the first to cry out that I, "wasn't going to accept charity." Instead of calling it off right away I slept on it, and I noticed that my first reaction to anything is that of the flesh, and this case was no exception.

"The spirit it willing but the flesh is weak."
--Matthew 26:41

So I decided to ignore my flesh and make the call to the Retreat directors to see if we could work something out. I'm so glad I did, because from the moment I got there until the moment I left, I could hear God talking to me, reaffirming that I was not only meant, but called to be there. After three years of telling God "no," I finally said, "yes" and He has blessed me ever since.

So, to quote a famous ad, when it comes to exercise or praying:

JUST DO IT!

And in hindsight, it is comical that I write this. Just last night I was telling Kim that I was trying to gain motivation from my good friend and Iron Man Triathlete David McCullough. I asked him what kept him motivated during those tough days when he didn't want to get out there. His answer was to "Just Do It!" I told Kim, "that doesn't help me at all!" Yet here I am agreeing!

*When we were in Florida I bought one of those Life is Good T-shirts that says, "Gotta Run." Here lately when I wear that I feel a little bit guilty, and joke that it should say, "Need to Run." Hence the pictures on this post.

Viking Quest

2009-09-30T07:19:00.002-05:00

Going back to Homeschooling, I really want to be more involved in homeschooling this year, and we are really trying hard to make it fun for the boys (especially Evan), so I looked at their books and found out what they were going to be studying to see if I could make a fun lesson for them. To my delight, Evan's history lesson a few weeks ago was on Vikings, so I decided to create a treasure hunt for him to find Viking Facts hidden throughout the house. The Clues were given as videos, and once he found the fact, there was a question on the back of it. The answer to the question was the password for the next video clue. At the end, I created a video clip of Viking Pictures mixed in with video of Evan playing guitar, with the whole thing being set to Led Zeppelin's The Immigrant Song (which is about Vikings!) I had a blast making the thing and at the very end, even put a blooper reel together. I'm going to attempt to post the video clues below. Hopefully they work. Unfortunately I cannot post the final "prize video" due to copyright laws. But here are my video clues and the blooper reel. Enjoy!

Intro and Clue #1

The clue was in the closet, and it was a picture of a runic carving. The password to the next clue was "runic."

Clue #2

The clue was a picture of a Viking Long Ship in the black chest that is visible behind me as I videoed myself. Kim's dad gave us the chest years ago and it is filled with their family tree information and oodles of old pictures. "Long" was the password for the next clue.

Clue #3

The clue was hidden behind the door of the gas valve for the fire place. It was a picture of "Valhalla" which was also the password for the last clue.

Clue #4

The clue was hidden in my guitar case.

Again, I couldn't upload the final video, so use your imagination. After the video came the blooper reel.

The Blooper Reel:

Wake Me Up When September Ends

2009-09-30T07:04:00.000-05:00

"Summer has come and passed,
The innocence can never last.
Wake me up when September ends."
--Green Day, "Wake Me Up When September Ends"

I can't believe how quickly time has flown this summer. As September draws to a close, I thought I'd post a ~~quick~~ note on what we did this past month.

First of all, we began the 2009 - 2010 school year! Evan is now in 4th grade and Elliot is in the 1st grade. We needed a better space for our homeschool room, so we decided to make the breakfast area the Homeschool room. This has worked out well. There is more space for all the boys to be in the area at once(Drew is pre-K 4, and he has his own desk and workbook and Dylan is constantly wanting to be near his brothers...the room at the top of the stairs just wasn't fit for that many students), and now Kim has her very own Sewing Room! She has made several nifty little items such as a purse and a coffee thingy that replaces the cardboard one that goes on your Starbucks cup. She's so crafty. Here's a picture of the Homeschool Area for 2009 - 2010. I'll let Kim post a picture of her Sewing Room.

With the start of the school year, so too begins the Cub Scouts. Evan is a Webelos I this year and they've been meeting all summer long. Elliot, however, had his first official Cub Scout meeting and he is just so excited. I've actually volunteered to be an assistant den leader since their den has 15 boys (yikes!) We are gearing up to go camping for the Fall Family Campout in two weeks. Pop will be joining us once again and we look to pick up where we left off. The boys are all so excited and so am I! Here's a picture of Evan and Elliot before Elliot's first Tiger den meeting!

September was a difficult month on the fitness front. I had to accept that I had not adequately trained for the Olympic Triathlon in Dallas, and had to drop out. The blow also hit my ego which responded with hearty case of the "don't wants" for all things fitness related. I did, however, manage to run Monday (small victory). It is all good, though, because now that I am not going to do the Tri, I will be able to go camping as mentioned previously.

And I can't fail to mention the ACTS Retreat. I've been running from it for 3 years but it seems like 10! Thanks to all those who kept nudging me to go because it was wonderful. The Holy Spirit was definitely moving and working in there that weekend. There certainly are no coincidences, and I was certainly meant to be on that exact one. Amazing.

Friends

2009-09-14T00:25:00.000-05:00

"Met a man on the roadside crying
Without a friend, there's no denying
you're incomplete, there'll be no finding
looking for what you knew
So anytime somebody needs you
don't let them down, although it grieves you
Someday you'll need someone like they do
looking for what you knew
I'm telling you, now
the greatest thing you ever can do, now
is trade a smile with someone who's blue, now
It's very easy..."
--Led Zeppelin, Friends

Over the past two weeks, I've really noticed just how many great friends we've been blessed with. And if there is one thing that I'd tell all of our friends, it is this: "Thanks for the inspiration."

The Physical and Spiritual Fitness Connection: Part 1

2009-09-07T11:50:00.000-05:00

While training for various events, my mind often turns to the thought of the connection between physical fitness and spiritual fitness, and how preparing for a race is very similar to living our lives on earth as preparation for Heaven. The more I train, the more I'm convinced that St. Paul was an athlete.

"Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified." {1 Cor. 9:24-27)

So, with that in mind, I thought I'd start a list of the ways my spiritual fitness is connected to my physical fitness in no particular order. Maybe you can relate.

1. It never gets easier. This is the most obvious one. Every day I get out there it takes a while before I can find my groove. Whether it's on the bike or running, I'm amazed how difficult it is for me to get going. My immediate reaction is to ask, "will this ever get easier?!" The answer, in short, is "NO!" When you do it right, exercise should always challenge your limits so you can go farther, faster or longer (more on that with #2 below.)

Likewise, the "race of life" will never get easier as St. Paul has warned us. Every day we face the temptations of this world and they will never stop. So, we must push ourselves to be spiritually fit enough to endure these challenges.

2. To see improvement you have to get out of your comfort zone. I can't count how many times I've "hit a plateau" in my exercising where no matter what I do, I won't lose any more weight. This happens in dieting also. Your body gets used to the routine that you've given it day in and day out and it has adapted and no longer responds as quickly with the weight loss. The only way to break out of the plateau is to change up your routine and do something your body isn't used to. For me this means that while running 3 miles at lunch 3 times a week is better than going to eat Thai food, my body is saying, "ho hum." Note: this doesn't mean that it's easy!! (See point #1). I need to spice it up with interval training, speed workouts and the like. I need to get on the bike more and longer. I need to get in the water. I need to change up my diet. Only then will my body begin to respond again.

I've spoken about being in a spiritual rut before, and maybe you've experienced that as well. It's the same thing. When you stay in your comfort zone, it's easy to be lulled into your existence as a Christian. I'm not trying to discount daily prayers and Sunday Mass, but if all I'm doing is my daily prayers and Sunday Mass, my soul gets bored, and that is the start of a rut. To get out of my comfort zone, I need to do more: Pray with my wife, daily Mass a few times a month, Eucharistic Adoration, frequent confession, witnessing, ministering. These things exercise our spirits and give our souls that boost.

3. You have to get out there. Again, this is tied to #2. I subscribe to Runner's World, and as a member of USAT I receive a quarterly Triathlon magazine. I also have lots of friends who run and do triathlons and I speak to them often. But if all I did was read about running and triatlons, or talk to my friends about running and triathlons, it will never get me prepared to actually participate in the event. Of course it is good to read about it so I can gain motivation, pick up helpful tips, or even spot that newest gadget that I have to have ;), but I still have to actually get out there and run, bike and swim.

It is very similar with my spiritual fitness. Again, I do not want to discount the importance of reading the Bible or stories of the Saints or inspirational stories and devotionals, or discussing the Faith with our friends. This is very important. But once we've read and once we've interacted and have been inspired, we must ACT on that, as St. James has written of:

"Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law 12 of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, such a one shall be blessed in what he does." James 1:23-25

That's all the time I have today. I'll post more of these as they come to me. In the mean time, if you can think of some, comment here and let us all in on it.

God Bless and have a wonderful Labor Day Holiday!

ONE

2009-09-06T07:47:00.011-05:00

On August 19, 2009, we celebrated Dylan's 1st Birthday. I can hardly believe how quickly this year has gone by! The day of his birthday, we stayed in and baked a cookie cake for (us) him. That weekend, we went to Gran and Pop's to celebrate with the whole family. We had a "brunch" party and it worked out really well. It was a "Monkey" theme (for our little monkey) and the table was decorated for a jungle vibe, complete with a grass skirt and pineapple. Kim baked a delicious quiche, and we had fresh fruit (including bananas, of course) and OJ before digging into monkey-decorated cupcakes.

Afterwards we all went swimming and for the rest of the weekend we just hung out at the farm. Dylan really loves the animals and when we fed the cows and donkeys he really lit up. He is especially fond of Gran and Pop's donkeys, Jack and Jill.

We also visited my Grandmother and Uncle Jerry since they were not able to attend the party. I love Grandma's house, especially her "hall of fame." She has a long hallway going to the bedrooms and both sides of it are covered in family pictures. I have always longed for a house with a hallway so I could have my own "hall of fame." Nowadays, they do not make houses with hallways anymore. I'd settle for a "wall of fame", but our current house doesn't really have a suitable wall for that either...

Back at Gran and Pop's, the boys made Rock and Roll crafts and generally had a blast. It's always so much fun when we go there.

In the weeks since returning home, Dylan has started walking all over the place. We had friends over last night and one of them commented that when Dylan walks he does the "Cabbage Patch". Dylan has also mastered going up and down the stairs properly, so we have gotten rid of the gate guarding the stairs.

Well, that wraps up the month of August for the Williams family. Homeschool starts on Tuesday and we look forward to a great year!

More From Grayton Beach, Florida

2009-08-09T23:35:00.003-05:00

After staying the weekend with Gran and Pop, we have finally made it back home to Kingwood. We spend the day decompressing and unpacking a bit, but there is so much more to do. I wish we could snap our fingers and be done with it. Here's a few more pics from the beach.

Grayton Beach, Florida (blogging by the beach)

2009-08-04T23:02:00.003-05:00

(And, yes, as I type this, I am in fact on the porch of our beach house, soaking in the moonlight and sea breeze and listening to the waves roll in.)

It is hard to believe it's been two years since we've visited the beautiful Emerald Coast of Florida. This year we met Kim's cousin Dawn and her Husband Michael and their 3 children Alex, Jaden and Sean to stay in a beach house in Grayton Beach. This beach is about 20 minutes East of Destin on the scenic 30-A highway, just outside of Watercolor and Sea Side, Florida.

So far we've done lots of relaxing and eating! We arrived on Friday and visited the Red Bar which apparently is very popular. We had every bit of a one hour wait to be seated and we ended up sitting outside-confiscating a table once the patrons were done! The food was really good though. To pass the time waiting on the table, Michael and I took the boys down to the beach for a little stroll. Of course, that stroll ended up with all the kids soaking wet and full of sand! Lucky for us, the restaurant was kid... (and water... and sand... ) friendly!

Saturday, the kids woke me up bright and early to go search for sea shells on the beach. We went and were foiled. No good shells. Maybe next time. The day was wonderful. To quote what I posted on my facebook page, I " built sand castles, rode some waves, collected sea shells, got burnt to a crisp, chilled by the pool, drank some beers and stayed barefoot the whole day. I love vacation!" That's pretty much it in a nutshell.

Sunday we visited Sea Side. What a great place. It's about 5 miles from Grayton Beach. We went there just after breakfast and walked around some of the shops and ate lunch at the Shrimp Shack. It was very nice. Once back at the beach house, we basically swam in the pool for the rest of the day. One note for all my Catholic readers: Destin-area Churches do not have a Sunday Mass any later than 10:30 am. BOOO!

Monday we took a trip into Destin and Kim did a bit of shopping at the Outlet Mall. We visited a few souviner shops so Elliot and Drew could pick out a little something to commemorate the trip. Evan didn't get anyting, saying the only thing he wants is a KISS t-shirt. (For all of you who are really gasping at that thought, just know this: the only KISS song any of my kids have listened to is Rock and Roll All Night.) We also stopped by the Destin Commons and spent some money there. We're here to stimulate the economy! I wanted to eat at Floyd's in Ft. Walton, so we made our way over there and had a nice dinner. When we got back that evening, we took a stroll on the beach.

Today, Tuesday, we had food on the brain. I wanted to go to this little breakfast place called Another Broken Egg and it was magnificent. Even the boys raved about how good it was. Very small and quaint, but very good. We swam in the pool pretty much all day and then for dinner went to another local place called House of Klaus. Again, the family raved about how good the food was. We got back a little earlier and went crabbing on the beach. I found some nets in the underside storage closet and flashlights in the kitchen, so we were all set. I caught one large blue crab the boys called "Sasquatch Crab" and one fish, and Evan also caught a fish. But the big story was the sand crabs. I'd shine my flashlight across the sand and you'd see all these little crabs just scurrying to and fro. Evan, Elliot and Drew all caught a whole bucket full of the little guys. After showing them to Kim, we let them go.

I seem to have misplaced the camera, so I am unable to share the pictures we took this evening on the "Great Crabbing Adventure," but once I find it, I'll post them. Until then, here are a few pictures from the pool.

Dylan's First Haircut!

2009-07-26T20:51:00.004-05:00

Ok, as cute as this is, it was just time for Dylan to lose the Mullet he stole from my high school year book picture! We had a great day on Saturday. Kim and I took turns running and then we went to La Madeline for Brunch. The boys had Burger King to go and we sat outside with a nice little breeze keeping us semi-cool for 11am in late July. We were just down the way from TGF Haircutters and we were sizing up the situation: None had gotten a haircut since getting the crew cuts at the beginning of summer. Evan's wings (sideburns) had gotten so long he could have flown to Florida, and Elliot and Drew really needed haircuts too. But the time really had come for Dylan.

Here he is sitting so still. He never fussed! I was amazed. He sat there patiently while the Mullet bit the dust. I don't know how it's possible, but he is even more adorable now with his big boy haircut than ever before! I could just eat him up!

And here he is admiring his new 'do. You can almost hear him saying, "look the Mullet is gone. I can feel the breeze on my neck. Goodbye 1989, hello 2009!"

The Journey

2009-07-13T14:21:00.006-05:00

Every once in a while, I get stuck in a rut. This post is from some email correspondence about one of those ruts that my good, good friends Clay Parker and David Nixon helped me get out of a while back. Friends like this don't come along too often, and I cherish them and thank God for putting them in my life. Add Chris Doyle to the mix and I have a "trifecta" of Christian Husbands and Fathers upon which I can lean on in any time of need. It's no mistake that I met all of these men through my wife, Kim! (Reason #2,452,701 to thank God for Kim!)

I discerned whether or not to post this due to the personal nature, but in the end I thought that if these words could encourage just one person who happens upon this little old "tiny E" blog, then it is worth posting.

I guess what it all boils down to for me is that I want to know the root of why I yo-yo between being in Grace and falling from Grace. I know I’m not supposed to look at others and gauge myself by appearances, but I see people who just beam with the Joy of the LORD, and quite frankly, I think I’m jealous or envious of that. To me, before I returned to the LORD around the year 2000, I was happy as a pig wallowing in the mud. Then God came to me and slapped me across the face and said, “Look, Chad, you’re in the mud. This is not my plan for you. Get up, let me wash you off and clean you up.” That made me very happy, and I remained in that happiness for a time, but then I started to remember how much fun it was to wallow in the mud. So, I go and jump back in it. Willfully. What is it about the mud? That’s what I’m searching for. If I could pinpoint the reason why I keep going back to the mud, I think I could really advance in my relationship with the LORD.

Yesterday I had a strange run. I listened to Gregorian Chant the whole time and just contemplated where I am. Then a thought came to me as I was taking note of the wind as I ran. There was a slight breeze blowing yesterday. When you run in a slight breeze, depending on what direction you’re going in, you either feel it or you don’t. In 93 degree heat, ANY breeze is welcome! Running with the wind, you don’t feel it and you get no relief from the heat. Running across it, you get a taste of the breeze and it feels good and makes you want more. Running against it you feel the fullness of the breeze. And I started to think that the breeze is like God. When I am doing His will, doing what I’m supposed to be doing, many times I don’t feel His presence. As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes I feel closer to God when I have fallen from Grace because that’s when I feel Him the most. That is when I know for a fact that there is nothing I can do to save my soul, only God’s Grace will save me, and I cry out to Him to have mercy and pity on this miserable sinner that I am. I’m like a kid who gets in trouble just so his dad will give him the attention that he needs. I know that none of this is right. I’m not trying to justify my sin by saying “but that’s how I feel God, so it’s ok.” I’m not saying that.

At the end of the run I sat down and was cooling off and I felt the breeze. Then two passages came to mind:

Be still and know that I am God. –Psalm 45:11

and 3 Kings 19:11-12 where God told Elisha to go on the mountain because He was going to pass by, so he goes and there was a strong wind breaking rocks, but that was not God, then an earthquake, but that was not God, then a fire, but that was not God. Then a quiet whispering breeze and THAT was God.

God is telling me to be still. To stop trying to figure it out.

I'm trying.

Starting Dylan Off Early!

2009-07-12T17:07:00.002-05:00

Wanting to take full advantage of Dylan's uncanny learning ability at such an early age, Kim put Dylan in Summer School this past week. Here's a picture of him at his desk ready to do his work like a good little boy! Such a cutie pie!

God Bless America (Happy 4th AND July...)

2009-07-10T00:34:00.004-05:00

For the Fourth of July we grilled ribs, chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers and kabobs with our good friends Clay and Allison Parker and their boys Xander and Zachary. We had a great time hanging out with them. After dinner it was time for the slip and slide, only this time I had to improvise with a bit of "Cajun Engineering." As I turned on the water to the slip and slide, the vinyl split open so there was no way to get the sprinkles down the length of the slide. So, I turned on a water hose and poured a dab of dish soap on it an viola!

Once the sun went down we pulled out the sparklers and we even got brave this year and bought some Roman Candles and some 3-shot artillery shells. Drew did not approve, but Evan, Elliot and Dylan didn't seem to mind at all.

Elliot really wanted to decorate, so we brought out the sidewalk chalk and he drew this beautiful flag. I had gone in for a minute and when I returned he showed me that he added the words to it , "Happy 4th and July." Then he asked me who we "beat" on our first Independance Day and I said, "Britan." So the next thing I know he wrote "Britan" and then drew the red circle with the line going through a la Ghostbusters! I said, "well, Elliot, that was a long time ago and now America and Britan are great friends." Without missing a beat he says, "Oh, ok," and goes to his "no Britan" drawing and turns it into a Red White and Blue Heart. It was so sweet.

Dylan Really LOVES Oatmeal!

2009-06-07T00:40:00.004-05:00

We have discovered that Dylan really REALLY loves oatmeal. The other day Kim sent me a picture of him using a spoon and all, and I'm just beaming about my big boy!! So, this morning, I get the feeling he wants a little brekky just like his older brothers are having, so I naturally fix him a bowl of oatmeal. I put him in the seat and hand him the spoon which he promptly ignores, instead choosing to dive in with both hands. Yes, he loves oatmeal. I would even say that he may be actually eating some of it!! He'll scoop up two grubby fist fulls of Quaker and bring them to the vicinity of his mouth. Some goes in, some goes in the hair, some on the cheeks...

So I ask Kim what gives with the picture of the spoon?! She just laughed and basically told me that he held the spoon for the picture, but that was about it!

Do I have something in my teeth?

I Wish I Had a Pencil-Thin Moustache...

2009-06-07T00:32:00.002-05:00

...and I could be in pictures too --Jimmy Buffett

Endless fun, and it only cost 75 cents!

Backyard Biology

2009-05-31T13:12:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we spent all afternoon exploring the wonders of our backyard. After realizing we had a wasp nest right above our back porch swing, we had to get out the wasp spray. Not wanting their deaths to be in vain, I thought it'd be fun to show the boys the different stages of a wasps development as a larvae. We also realized that we still had a bird nest in one of our hanging plants, so I was able to show the boys the babies. Later in the day, they all flew out and we watched them as they "stretched their wings"! It was wonderful. We did lots of yardwork and we discovered the strangest bugs in one of our trees. It looked like a creature the boys have from their King Kong toys. Finally, Drew spotted the world's largest stink bug! We had a wonderful time.

The wasp nest that was right above the swing. I couldn't take the chance at getting stung, so we sprayed it.

I explained to the boys how the wasps begin as a tiny little speck and then grow to a full grown wasp, then I challenged them to line up the larvae in order of youngest to oldest. This was the final result.

Here is the mystery bug. The antennae are longer than the bug itself! It looks like a type of "clicker bug" but much bigger and clickers don't usually have antannea like this. Maybe it's a female? We're going to research the bug to see what it is.

Here's one of the baby birds in the hanging basket.

Here's the stink bug that Drew found. It's camouflaged with the tree!

Boys of Summer

2009-05-19T23:02:00.003-05:00

It all started the last weekend of Evan's baseball playoffs. One of his teammates got a crew cut. Since then, I've been hinting that Evan should also get a crew cut. He vehemently refused.

At the end of the season party, we saw two more of his teammates (one of them, his best friend Josh) and found out also that Josh's little brother Jared also received a buzz cut. Again, I hinted that he'd look good and feel great in the summer time heat with a crew cut. "NO WAY!" was the reply.

Today at Adoration, Evan made a comment that he needed a haircut because it was too long, so when I got home I told him I'd give him 10 bucks if he'd get a crew cut! Well, now he wasn't so opposed, but he wasn't exactly for it either. Elliot, however, was sold! He wanted a crew cut and he wanted it now! Drew was also on the crew cut bandwagon.

So we went to Sport Clips and Evan was the reluctant Marine, going in first. The girl had him put his head down and she went to town with the old #2 guard on the clippers. I called Elliot and Drew over. Elliot immediately says, "I want my crew cut NOW." Drew, on the other hand, had a complete change of heart as he saw lock after lock of Evan's hair hit the deck. He looked up at me and I could see the look in his eyes. I was in danger of not even getting him in the barber's chair. I said, "Don't it look great?!" "NO! I don't want a crew cut..." Evan shared Drew's sentiment. He is not a fan of his new 'do.

The next barber called Elliot's name and got busy. Elliot was so excited and smiled all the while the clippers lopped off his mane. He LOVES having a crew cut.

When it was Drew's turn, he feared I was going to make him get one too, but I assured him he could get his "faux-hawk", and he did.

We got home and tried out the new ball player cuts in the front yard and confirmed that the crew cuts help them run faster, jump higher and hit the ball farther!

We're ready for Summer!!

The Spiritual Side of Running

2009-04-30T15:21:00.009-05:00

"Please stop to smell the flowers." -God

"Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:26-27
"The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." Mark 14:38

I have always felt a strong correlation between my physical health and my spiritual health, so the passages above are more like rallying cries. Spiritually and physically, I really feel the effects of Original Sin. When it comes down to anything that is healthy, for me at least, it is an uphill battle.

My Spirit wants to exercise at lunch, but my flesh wants to go eat Thai.
My Spirit wants to juice for breakfast, but my flesh wants a donut.
My Spirit wants to avoid bad habits, but my flesh cries out for them.

Praise God for His Mercy and Forgiveness and for Our Savior Jesus Christ to rescue us from our sins!!

Yesterday my Spirit scored a victory over my flesh whenever I finally got back out on the road for a run. I really love to run because it provides me with some of the best one-on-one time with the LORD that I've ever had. But yesterday was a bit different. Before I went out, I left a comment on my facebook account:

"Chad is: going for a run."

My reasoning is that if I put it on facebook, I can't back out! Virtual accountability as it were. So I get out there and start the run and immediately my flesh is staging a revolt! Knee pain, foot pain, leg pain, shortness of breath...and this is all in the first, no kidding, 50 yards of starting! As a matter of fact, in my head I was already composing my facebook comment for when I returned:

"Chad is: out of shape"
"Chad is: too fat to run"
"Chad is: not what I used to be"

But this is the one that really got me:

"Chad is: frustrated that my running efforts this year look more like 2008 than 2007"

2007 was a good year, and my goal this year was to match that. But LIFE happened in '08 and so far in '09 as well, and I didn't, and haven't, matched my goals I set for myself. So I was really ready to throw myself a great, big pity party right there on my run, but God just wouldn't let me. All I had to do was just stop feeling sorry for myself, and focus on the run and He took over. I began to remember how nice it was to pray while I ran. To think of things like the Sacrifice that Christ made for us all and how this little run is nothing compared to His walk to Calvary...uphill...with the Cross on His shoulders and thorns on His head, all so He could die for you and me. It really is profound, and again, it snaps one out of feeling sorry for oneself really quickly.

When I had to stop to walk for a little ways, I noticed a nice little flower in the grass and a thought occurred to me that God let me walk right now, just so I could see this pretty flower. He wanted me to see it, but why? The answer: to let me know that He is present with me right here and now. He literally wanted me to STOP AND SMELL THE FLOWERS!! So I plucked it up and tucked it in my watch band and there it remained for the duration of the run to serve as a reminder of His presence. The rest of the run just got better and better. My aches and pains went away as my body remembered that, "oh yeah, I remember this!" I focused less on myself and my thoughts turned heavenward and to those in need of prayer.

And once the run was over, I felt so good and was so happy that I ran at lunch instead of going out to eat. No food could provide the satisfaction that I was experiencing from that run. But like all things, tomorrow is a new day and the battle will begin anew, but:

"with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

So, in the end, God turned my frustration into encouragement. He turned a bad run into great run, and He gave my physical AND spiritual health a nice little boost!

And I'll close with one of the many ponderances (is that a word?) from my runs. I've really had some profound thoughts occur to me on runs, only to forget them before I can write them down. But some stick with me...

God doesn't want my first mile when my legs are fresh and my breathing is easy. That first mile is completed with little reliance on Him. If you can give at little to no cost to yourself, have you given anything? No, He wants my last mile, when I am totally spent and have nothing left to give but my breath, my sweat, my pain. In that last mile, it is only because of Him that I keep going.

Wall of Fame

2009-04-29T13:53:00.003-05:00

I love bringing the boys' artwork up to the office and putting it on my "wall of fame." Here is what it looks like currently:
Starting from the top left hand corner we have Drew's picture of Heaven, below that is my bib collection, and below that is Elliot's Easter Egg picture. To the right is a picture of Dylan and I that we took at Fuddrucker's. (They have a really neat new photo booth in the game room - $2 for a priceless memory. I'm a sucker for these. I have taken these with some of the kiddos when they were babes, but I don't think I've gotten all 4. These will be priceless gifts to them when they are grown.) To the right of the photo is Elliot's drawing of St. Michael (his Patron Saint) and below that is Evan's Blue Jay drawing. Next column to the right is Evan's White Wolf drawing and below that is his "Sunrise Savannah." Finally is Drew's depiction of a Sith battling a fierce creature. Not only does the Sith have his red lightsaber, but he is also giving the creature a heavy jolt of Force lightning!

Elliot through the years

2009-04-26T11:54:00.003-05:00

Elliot has always been more of a Daddy's Boy than any of the others. Here's a snapshot of his last 4 years.

2006 (3 years old)

2007 (4 years old)

2008 (5 years old)

2009 (6 years old)

...ooh, babe, you'll always be baby to me...

2009-04-26T11:11:00.003-05:00

All due respect to Pink Floyd, but I feel a strong connection with the song 'Mother' and can easily substitute 'Daddy' as the title. The fact is that no matter how much my children grow, they'll always be my babies. I'm at that awkward intersection of life when I can vividly recall being Evan's age, yet here I am on the other side of the dynamic. Strange and wonderful at the same time. I can remember my mom telling me that I'll always be her baby (me being the youngest of the family) and now I see what she means. Watching Evan, Elliot and Drew maturing and doing more and more each day is amazing. Especially when it comes to watching Evan play ball. I'm having to let go a little bit at a time and it's hard. I want to be the supportive parent, but don't want him to feel pressure to impress me. There's a fine balance to be made.

With that being said, we are fast approaching Drew's 4th birthday and I just marvel at his growth every day. He is such a 'big boy' and I am blessed to have as strong a connection with him as I have with all my other boys. Like Evan before him, there was a time when I wondered if Drew would ever want to have anything to do with ol' dad. We stressed a bit because he was still sleeping in our bed when Kim was pregnant with Dylan, but we eventually succeeded in moving him to Evan and Elliot's room and now it seems like he's always been there. He certainly growing fast and I don't want to miss a moment.

Here's a glimpse of the years gone by:

Drew celebrates 1 year at Gran and Pop's house, 2006.

Taking in an Astros game in 2007.

Playing in the sprinklers, 2008.

Exploring the Peach Creek Bridge during the Cub Scout Camp Trip, 2009.

HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY DREW!!!!

Yesterday

2009-04-26T00:40:00.002-05:00

This is a re-post of a note I wrote on my facebook account, but it is still very much fitting of how incredible yesterday was. So, instead of yardwork and grilling, it was baseball and Mass...now, that is a fantastic combination!

Wow, what a gorgeous and fantastic day yesterday was. Perfect weather! Why, yesterday was such a good day, I'm compelled to write a note about it!First of all I got to sleep in! After waking up, I was able to exercise and the boys even joined me at the end. It was so sweet...Elliot saw me huffing and puffing, so he left the room and came back with some Chocolate Milk for me and he said, "Here dad, I fixed you some chocolate milk in case you run out of water." My sweet baby!

After exercise it was homemade banana pancakes and coffee from my beautiful bride, Kim. I'd like to pause here and say that I've never been a coffee drinker until recently, and even now, I only like coffee when it is made at home. I find that the only way I can enjoy it is with Kim. She makes the perfect cup, but it's not just the taste. It is being HOME. I've tried drinking coffee at work and do not like it at all, and even getting a coffee at Starbucks just isn't the same as the experience I have at home.

Next on the agenda was to get some landscaping things and party supplies for the boys' birthday party next weekend. We bought 10 bags of mulch and it covered our front flowerbed only (I'll have to get some more to finish the job.) Evan and Elliot gladly helped with this "dirty job." We then moved to cleaning up the back yard which was not completed but it stlill looks a lot better now. Kim went to the store and bought some ribeye steaks to grill and Dos Equis Special Lager (green bottle.) My oh my it just does not get much better than that!

After the wonderful dinner and bathtime, me and the boys had a "slumber party" where we went up to the guest room and watched Inspector Gadget 2 while drawing Star Wars comics. Before the slumber party began, we said prayers and my boys all had some very profound prayers to say. Evan had so much to say that once we had gone around he asked if he could say "prayers part 2" because he thought of some more things to thank God for! So wonderful.

So, in a nutshell, yesterday was a lot like what I envision Heaven to be. Not only the perfect weather, but I was surrounded and enveloped in love and PEACE. Oh my, the Peace that I felt yesterday was unlike I've ever experienced. And we did so much, it was like the day was going to go on forever, and that was fine by me! So it was kind of like a little taste of Heaven and being in the "Eternal Now".

Yesterday, God answered a prayer I never actually prayed. Just the night before I pondered many things and I came to the conclusion that deep down, I felt like my best days were behind me. And that was the main reason why I want to do triathlons and 1/2 marathons and just try to get into good shape in general: I'm trying to prove to myself that while there are many, many good days behind me, the best is yet to come. Well, on Saturday, God showed me that He can take me AS I AM, and give me one of the best days of my life.Yesterday was awesome....I can't wait to see what God does TODAY!

Evan and Elliot's Birthday

2009-04-25T00:22:00.003-05:00

Move over Martha Stewart! This is the famous Clone Trooper Cake! I'm amazed at Kim's skills in the kitchen! She is awesome!

The Wampa Water was a big hit.

Solo's Snacks kept the kiddos happy until it was time for cake/ice cream

Darth Vader....he didn't stand a chance!

Where's the Pause button??

2009-04-25T00:10:00.006-05:00

With my new position at Baker in full swing, Dylan's rapid progress in crawling and now pulling up on everything (the kid will be walking by the time this is posted), and Evan's baseball games, time is just flying by. I've often joked that I wish I had a pause button. I'd use it sparingly...mainly as an alternative to the snooze button on my alarm! However if you'd happen to press pause at any other time, this is likely the image you'd see:

Evan's Orioles

2009-04-24T23:49:00.003-05:00

Evan is loving his baseball team, the Orioles. While it is a busy schedule, they are very well organized and he is learning a lot about baseball, teamwork and work ethic. This is a sequence from his first hit of the season.

On base getting the signal from Coach B.

Now on Third, watching the pitcher for any sneaky moves!

...and he SCORES!!!

I have an autographed copy of this baseball card...do you?? Evan wanted me to make him a baseball card, and after 2 days of searching online for a freeware baseball card maker, I figured I could do a better job myself. So, I did this up in PowerPoint. By the way, that is the swing that got him on base in the other pictures!

Cub Scout Camp Trip: March 2009

2009-04-24T23:29:00.005-05:00

Pop's famous catfish and french fries. Once we started cooking, a crowd gathered around us. We were the hit of the camp that night, and consequently, it was Evan's favorite part of the whole weekend.

"What'cha cookin?" We couldn't make the fries fast enough to keep up with the feeding frenzy!

There was a really neat bridge crossing the creek.

We went on a looooooooooooooooong hike Saturday afternoon. Drew and Elliot both decided that I had to carry them about half way through the trip, so that was interesting. I told the group to go on ahead of me and we'd catch up. That was the longest 1.5 miles of my life. I didn't recognize any landmarks and I was beginning to think I was lost! I kept going though keeping the image of Clark Griswold in my head and we made it back to the camp. Not long after that, Drew crashed in the chair.

Christmas 2008

2009-04-24T23:17:00.004-05:00

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go!

With Maw Maw

This was a really quick photo. The boys were all just getting over being sick and they didn't want to sit still for very long. Still, I had to get the family photo in front of the tree!

The peace and quiet of Christmas Eve. There's nothing like it.

White Christmas (almost)

2009-04-24T23:10:00.004-05:00

We were amazed that it snowed a couple of weeks before Christmas! In true Southern fashion, however, two days later we were sweating it out in shorts because it was so hot! That pesky Global Warming!!

To get you up to speed

2009-04-12T22:48:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything. here's what's been happening in our neck of the woods:

Evan and Elliot's shared birthday party this year was a big hit. We rented a bounce house and Kim made the most incredible Star Wars Clone Trooper cake. (I will post a picture of it soon, I promise.) Also featured at the party was "Wampa Water" and "Solo Snacks" (again, pics to come.) The party-goers participated in a "Spider Droid" race where everyone had to walk like a Spider Droid; and a "Lightsaber Relay, where the group was split into the Good Side of the Force vs. the Dark Side of the Force. The good side used a green lightsaber as their baton and the dark side used (of course) a red light saber. Afterwards, (almost) everyone got a chance to whack at a Darth Vader pinata. It was great fun.

Evan began his first year of KWFC Baseball, and he is on the Orioles with Larry Berkovsky (Josh's dad) as his coach. This league is a FAR CRY from YMCA Ball. Once practices began, it was at least 3 times a week and now that the games have started, they play on Saturdays and Mondays. The Saturday games are all double headers!! Evan is loving it and improving every day. In fact, in his last game he walked, stole second, went to third on a grounder and scored the winning run when the short stop over threw first trying to get the out! We're so proud!

Evan, Elliot, Drew, Pop and I went on the Cub Scout Spring Family Campout at Peach Creek and we had a blast! Steve (father in law) gave us a HUGE tent and I'm not kidding when I say HUGE. It was so big that it didn't fit in our back yard when I put it up on a practice run. Pop brought all sorts of gadgets to make sure we didn't rough it too much and boy, was it great.

Christmas this year we were able to add another stocking to the fireplace!! Dylan's first Christmas was fantastic even though the boys were all so sick. In fact, we thought we were done with it all when on Christmas morning, Drew threw up while I was videoing him opening his gifts. Poor baby.

November 2008: Dylan's Baptism

2009-01-06T18:28:00.003-06:00

October 2008: Welcome the Fall

2009-01-06T18:17:00.004-06:00

Pumpkin Fest celebrated 20 years!! Hard to believe its been that long!

Kim and I got a night out!!!

Elliot learned to ride without training wheels!

We took in an Astros game...their last of the season...and they won!

September 2008: Homeschooling Begins

2009-01-06T18:11:00.002-06:00

With Dylan in tow, Kim tackles a tough class! Evan (3rd grade) and Elliot (Kindergarten) are both competing for the title of "Class Clown." Notice that Drew is dutifully doing his work!

The Story of My Life: the Musical

2008-10-01T14:35:00.003-05:00

I’ve always been around music, but it wasn’t until Middle School where I’d actually go out and buy a tape or album. My life is broken up into different chapters with certain albums/bands providing the soundtrack. I’m a creature of habit, so I tend to get a band stuck in my tape deck/cd/mp3 player and leave it there for an extended period of time. Here’s how it worked out for me:

1982 – 1985: The Middle School Years
This was the heyday of the hair metal bands and I was ate up with it. I had posters of Motley Crue, Ratt and Poison all over my room. The Crue were my favorite though, first with Shout at the Devil and then Theater of Pain. Afterwards, I discovered their first album, Too Fast for Love which is very good. The last song on the cd was On With the Show and I get chills just thinking about it. Other notables were Bon Jovi and Twisted Sister.

1985 – 1989: The High School Years
At this point in my life I discovered, and was immersed in, Led Zeppelin. My best friend and soul brother #1, Scott Dougherty, and I were jamming out on tennis rackets pretending to play Black Dog and Rock and Roll not knowing who it was. I had always heard of Stairway to Heaven, but never actually heard it and one night the DJ on the radio said that the midnight request that night was Stairway, so I taped it. The tape ran out just as the solo kicked in and I was devastated. I knew my brother had a Led Zeppelin CD, so I asked him to just tape Stairway to Heaven. Luckily he taped all of Led Zeppelin IV. I was surprised to discover that Black Dog and Rock and Roll were on it. I loved every song. After wearing that tape out I bought Led Zeppelin II. Amazingly, it took me a good 3 or 4 listens before I really got into that album, but once it grabbed me I was hooked and I knew I had to get every Led Zeppelin album in existence. And I did. Every one I have on vinyl including the original Led Zeppelin III with the Alistair Crowley inscription on the blank space, the original Physical Graffiti and original Presence. I also have 2 bootleg Zeppelin albums. One is called Mudslide I don’t recall the name of the other. Stairway to Heaven was my reason for playing guitar. I also discovered that Led Zeppelin IV was released on the very day I was born – November 8, 1971. Cosmic! Another gem from this era in my life was the Platoon Soundtrack. Scott and I would stay up hours with that album. These were the days that forged my musical taste for classic rock (obviously) and I discovered The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, The Beatles, The Doors, Hendrix and Janis Joplin during this time. During the Summers we’d listen to Van Halen while swimming out by the pool.

Summer 1989 – 1993: The Early College Years
Pink Floyd dominated these days. It started with my good friend Phillip Godeaux and I learning how to play Wish You Were Here. Then I discovered the Wall. Man, what great days those were. I fell in love with Phillip’s sister, Mary, and when she broke my heart I turned exclusively to The Wall for comfort. Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Delicate Sound of Thunder were also very quintessential to my tape player in those days. Other notables were Guns n Roses, The Cult, Concrete Blonde, and Yaz. I went on a mini-binge with Concrete Blonde there for a while. Tomorrow Wendy is such an incredible song. These were also the days that Scott left for the Marine Corps. He gave me his copy of The Cult’s Love before he left for boot camp and it has remained in my car to this very day always prominently placed near the tape deck. Also KISS Destroyer and Rock and Roll Over were stuck in my tape deck on various occasions especially around Halloween. During this time I also fell in love with The Police: Every Breath You Take, the Singles CD while at a Theta Chi Fraternity CLC Convention in North Carolina. I also discovered that Roger Waters had some pretty good solo material out there. The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking and Amused to Death were fantastic. Pros and Cons was actually an option for Pink Floyd, but they did The Wall instead. At some point during this time, after Scott had joined the Marines, my brother and I began going to Pepper’s on Thursday nights. They had a live 2 man band that night, Tom and Mitch. My brother convinced me to get up and play during one of their breaks and I was hooked on playing live. This small event led to me and Scott playing during all their breaks, to us playing half the night, to us having our own night at Pepper’s and eventually at OB’s and some other places around Lake Charles.

Summer 1993 – 1995: The Late College Years
The Smashing Pumpkins. The Fall of 1993 was one of the best years of my life. I had just started dating Kim and the Fraternity life was really fun. It was all going my way when one of my friends came to the Fraternity house with the Singles soundtrack. I listened to it amazed. One song in particular caught my attention, Drown by the Smashing Pumpkins. Not too long after that I heard Cherub Rock on the radio and I bought Siamese Dream. Wow. Totally blown away. The very next day I bought Gish. From that point on I was a Pumpkin Head. I bought every album, and extended single they released. Other notables were, of course, Pearl Jam and Nirvana as well as Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots and Mother Love Bone. Man, what a musical explosion those days were.

Summer 1995 – Spring 1996: The Break
Kim broke up with me, and for 9 months I was in the depths of despair. Just before the breakup I had discovered Jeff Buckley and now that we were broken up, his songs took on a whole new meaning. Last Goodbye, Lover You Should Have Come Over and Lilac Wine (“Listen to me, I cannot see clearly…is that she coming to me…nearly?”). Man, I would just ball my eyes out listening to this. Lots of dance music reminds me of this time period, since we’d go out every night and get hammered. Songs like White Lines by Grand Master Flash, Headhunter by Front 242 and Boy by Book of Love remind me of these days. I also got hooked on The Crow Soundtrack and The Cult’s self titled album during this time.

Spring 1996 – Fall 1998: The Lafayette Years
I moved to Lafayette, LA and in 1997 Kim and I were married. These were some good days. I met two more of my soul brothers, Chris Guardia and Scott Norton, and we started a band and played a few times at Kitty’s Sports Bar. We went through several bass players, but eventually when Klark Bowen joined, we had the band as I will always remember it. I affectionately refer to it now as “The Klark Version.” We would practice every Wednesday night at Chris’ house on Albarado Street, and one night we captured the magic on a recording that I affectionately refer to as “The Tape.” We played our one and only gig at the P.A.G.A.N. Fest in Henderson, LA and shortly thereafter I moved to Houston. The music that defines those days for me is Radiohead and The Dave Matthews Band. One of my Fraternity brothers taped 3 or 4 of the “Dick’s Picks” Grateful Dead CD’s for me and I really liked them.

Fall 1998 – Spring 2000: Houston, pre-Kids
Kim and I moved to Houston and spent many weekends downtown with my good friend and Fraternity brother, Brian Hall. Brian turned us on to Martin Sexton. Black Sheep and The American are two great albums. One day, Brian and I did a bike tour of downtown Houston. I don’t know how far we rode, but we’d ride a while and find a bar, stop in for a beer, and ride some more. At some point during the trek we began singing the entire Black Sheep album. That must have been a sight to see. We would also listen to Barenaked Ladies Rock Spectacle non stop. This is a band that took me by surprise. On the outside they were goofballs with songs like “If I Had a Million Dollars”, but then the song “The Old Apartment” just resonated with me. As a life long Louisianan, I was displaced from my “home” and I yearned to go back to my old stomping grounds and just remember the times we had in them. During this time I somehow got introduced to David Gray. White Ladder reminds me of the Spring.

Spring 2000 – Spring 2005: Family life in Mills Branch, Kingwood
During the early years of parenthood I got hooked on Nick Drake’s Pink Moon by watching a VW commercial. I bought the CD and began using it as a lullaby for putting Evan to sleep in the middle of the night. I later bought Five Leaves Left and found it to be equally good. His story is amazing. The dude that had control of his music sold all the rights to every band he had except Drake’s. He said he always knew deep down that something would come of Nick’s music and boy was he right. We moved to Kingwood and I got heavily involved in our Church’s Life Teen music ministry. I had never before heard contemporary Christian music, so bands like Third Day, Casting Crowns, The David Crowder Band, Mercy Me and Shawn McDonald really surprised me and were fun to play live.

Spring 2005 – Present: Expanding Family in Elm Grove, Kingwood
Having kids is pretty cool. When you see them jamming to the music that you love, there’s just nothing in the world that can describe that feeling. But sometimes, they lead you to new music. Curious George had a soundtrack provided by Jack Johnson and it was amazing. His style is much like that of Shawn McDonald. During one of my trips to Italy the restaurant where we were eating dinner was playing the entire James Blunt CD Back to Bedlam and it was a perfect CD for a perfect evening. One night I picked up The Band’s The Last Waltz DVD and was captivated by the combination of Levon Helm’s southern drawl and Rick Danko’s harmonizing. I bought the CD of that performance and for a few months that never came off of my mp3 player. With the release of Across the Universe, I went on a binge with the Beatles. I had bought Let it Be (Naked) and Sgt. Peppers a while back, so I dug those out and put them on the mp3 player along with the Soundtrack to Across the Universe. It was also during this time that I had full blown freak out over The Who. I had bought a greatest hits CD a while back but never really got into them. One day I bought Tommy and then one thing led to another and I was in love all over again. Watching them destroy the Rock and Roll Circus with “A Quick One While He’s Away” is awe inspiring. Check it out on YouTube. Also, while you’re at it, check out “We’re Not Gonna Take It” from Woodstock. Wow. Keith Moon is a maniac on drums. Live at the Isle of Wight is incredible. DVD and CD are very, very good. It is here at the present that I’ve met another soul brother, Clay Parker. He and I had a regular jam session/boys night out where he’d come over and he and I and Evan, Elliot and Drew would all rock out while Kim and Clay’s girlfriend Allison would watch Dancing With the Stars at Allison’s house. Clay and I have laid down some of our evenings on the 4-track. Some gems are in there. One night we were jamming and our neighbor came over and we all started singing Tom Petty. At some point during those few songs, I realized just how cool it is to have the friends that I have in my life. And you all are a part of that.

Thanks for being part of my soundtrack, and I can’t wait to see what music the future holds.

How Our Family Has Grown

2008-08-21T09:35:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd put a quick post up showing the obligatory "hospital bed" photo for each of our blessings!

First up is Evan in March 2000...

..next is Elliot in March 2003...

...then came Drew in May 2005...

...and now, heeeeeeere's Dylan - August 2008.

We are truly blessed!

Dylan Has Entered the Building

2008-08-20T20:02:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, we welcomed God's newest gift to our family, Dylan Joseph. Born August 19, 2008 at 8:10pm, weighing in at 8 lbs 7 oz and 20 inches long. Both mom and baby are doing fine. Here are just a few pictures. For all the photos from yesterday and today, check out the photo album on Snapfish.com : http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=239302861/a=94935808_94935808/fromupload=true/imagecount=59/videocount=0/t_=94935808

Cairo Egypt part 2

2008-06-21T09:25:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm in Cairo for the second time this year. I opted to sleep in instead of going to the museum. My body is still on Houston time as I slept until 1:00pm which is about 5:00 am Houston time. I know, I'm never up that early, but I never sleep until 1pm either! The flight from Houston to Paris was cramped. I was in a middle seat for some strange reason, and there was a metal box on the floor in front of me, so I couldn't stretch my left leg out in front of me. I got up a few times to walk and just stand in the bathroom under the AC vent! The Paris to Cairo flight was much better. I was asleep before we even took off!

In Flight Movie Reviews:

I watched many movies on the way. Here's what I thought of them:

Horton Hears a Who - I wanted to see it since the boys and Kim already watched it. I thought it was ok. 3-1/2 of 5 stars.

Fool's Gold - Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. Me and Kim almost rented this one. It was pretty good. Made me want to go back to the beach! 4 of 5 Stars.

Shine a Light - Documentary of the Rolling Stones by Martin Scorsese. I really liked this. It was cool to see these geezers still rocking. Keith Richards is so fun to watch as he interacts with the crowd. Even telling someone to shut up as he is harmonizing with Mick on one of the songs. He just doesn't care what people think. One of the highlights for me was when they brought out Jack White of the White Stripes and did Loving Cup. Man what a great song. Another good song was when they brought out Buddy Guy for Champagne and Reefer. Wow can that dude play and still sting too. He's got to be in his 70's. When the song was over, Keith Richards gives the guitar he was playing to Guy. It was really cool. 4-1/2 of 5 Stars.

10,000 BC - This was the big surprise of all the movies. I put this one on near the end of the flight to Paris just to pass the time and ended up really liking it, but we landed before it ended, so I had to finish watching it on the flight to Cairo. It is like Lord of the Rings meets the Mummy. Kind of on par with 300, but not as bloody. 4 of 5 stars.

Vantage Point - Dennis Quaid and Forrest Whittaker. This one was ok. I actually didn't get to see the very ending, but it was a bit tiresome in establishing the plot and unless I missed a huge twist at the very end, it was too predictable. 3 of 5 stars.

The JW Marriott Hotel
Wow this Hotel is fabulous! The room is not as nice as the one I was in at the Intercontinental City Stars, but that one was a suite and this one is a regular room. Still it's very nice. The pool area is fantastic. For the kids they have a wave pool, tube slide, and the play equipment in the water. There is also a giant game room with video games, a train and bumper cars! Here are some pictures.

View of the Hotel from the bridge over the kid's play area.

This is the regular swimming pool.

Another view of the pool.

Standing by the waterfall.

More Pictures from JW Marriott, Cairo, Egypt

2008-06-21T09:08:00.002-05:00

The Kid's Play Area

Another view from a distance of the kid's play area

The wave pool at "the beach."

The waterfall overlooks the wave pool (which is not on in this picture.)

Galveston 2008

2008-06-04T01:08:00.003-05:00

At the Rainforest Cafe.

Here we are at the end of the walkover from our "cottage" to the beach. We waited until sunset to go because Evan was recovering from not feeling too good, plus, I was a crawfish and needed a break from the sun! So during the day we did a craft where we cut out stencils of various things and painted T-Shirts and all the boys were wearing them to the beach. Evan's is the New Death Star (from Return of the Jedi), Elliot's is T-Rex and Drew's is a Mammoth.

I LOVE this picture. The Queen and all her Knights. Look at the color of the sky behind them!

Me and the boys. Check out my sunglasses! When we checked into our beach house, I found these in the pillowcase and have worn them to the beach and pool every day. No sense in risking messing up my good Ray Bans!

Egypt

2008-03-06T11:39:00.003-06:00

It's not every day that you can hug the Sphinx in your arms.

Needless to say, my tour guide had done this before. He knew all the right places to get shots like these.

When I took this picture, I was just standing there saying over and over again to myself, "That is the Sphinx. Those are the Pyramids. You are in Egypt." Wow. What an incredible experience.

Egypt

2008-03-06T11:30:00.002-06:00

Yep, that's a pyramid.

Inside the burial chamber of the King's Mother.

An alternate mode of transportation.

The great pyramid at Giza.

Christmas at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH)

2007-12-20T13:08:00.000-06:00

Each year volunteers from Baker Hughes visit TCH to spread a little bit of Christmas cheer to the children and families down there. I was honored to be invited to go play Christmas carols while Santa and his helpers passed out presents to the boys and girls.

Here are some pictures of the day.

Santa (Joel), Jamie (TCH events coordinator), Santa’s little elf (Darryle) and Rudolph (Brooke)

Santa and his helpers giving gifts to one of the precious children in an examination room.

Me entertaining with Christmas carols in the main waiting room.

Santa with more of the kids. The little boy in the lower right corner was so cute. He was transfixed on my guitar and had a smile that would light the world.

. . .and Santa receiving their gifts of love.

Evan Lost His First Tooth!

2007-12-05T20:54:00.000-06:00

Evan finally lost his first tooth! To celebrate the evening we went to eat at Texas Roadhouse and Nanou and Paran met us. We had been singing "All I want for Christmas is to lose my two front teeth..." for about two weeks now. The one next to it is loose too, so hopefully by Christmas, he'll have his wish.

The Lego Star Wars Nativity Scene

2007-12-05T20:41:00.000-06:00

Yes, nothing says Christmas like Lego Star Wars. Elliot came up with this great idea of making a Nativity Scene out of our Lego Star Wars men, so here it is in all its glory. An overview of the Scene: Mary (Palpatine...hey, the hood is on, so you can't tell) and Joseph (Han Solo) adore Baby Jesus (Luke Skywalker) while the Three Wise Men (Obi Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader (sans Helmet and scarred face) and battle warrior guy) present their gifts.

Ice Skating at the Galleria

2007-12-05T19:46:00.000-06:00

We took our annual Christmas trip to the Galleria this past weekend. After buying our new Fontanini Nativity piece (Gloria Angel) we went Ice Skating!! You should have seen us crossing the "freeway" to get from the wall to the Christmas Tree!

Fall Fun

2007-12-05T19:42:00.000-06:00

Elliot, Drew, Tyler and Garrett have fun playing in piles of leaves.

Halloween 2008

2007-12-05T19:39:00.000-06:00

This Halloween we went Trick or Treating. Evan was Jango Fett, Elliot was an Indian and Drew was Batman.

Houston Half Marathon - Run for a Reason

2007-11-21T11:38:00.000-06:00

I am running in the Houston Half Marathon on January 13, 2008, and I am representing a local charity called Bo's Place. Bo's Place exists to give support to children who have lost a parent or sibling, and it is Houston's only free of charge grief center for children.

With Christmas fast approaching, I know many of you will be asking what's on my Wish List. Well, I'll tell you: in lieu of gifts at Christmas, I would rather you make a donation to Bo's Place.
To donate, visit my Half Marathon Bo's Place Fundraising Page by clicking here.

Below is some art that was made by the children at Bo's Place. Art plays a major role in the grief process at Bo’s Place. The physical act of drawing and creating can be an emotional release as is the art created. These activities give the child a way to externalize overwhelming emotions in a safe way.

Worry Cloud

The purpose of this activity is to help group members identify worries or concerns they have and connect as a group. The members each have an opportunity to write or draw their worries on the cloud. This allows them to get the concerns out of their head and onto the paper, facilitating conversation with other group members.

Memory Rocks

Children decorate rocks in memory of their lost loved ones.

Broken Pot

Families are given pieces of a broken clay pot. They are asked to write and draw things that are difficult on the inside of the pieces such as holidays, school, scary emotions, or sadness. On the outside, they express what has supported them through these trying times, such as family, friends, etc. As a family, they glue the pieces back together. The broken pot looks like their new life - scarred, rough but held together with strength and support from each other.

Quilt Squares

Quilts line the walls of Bo’s Place that speak of each child’s journey through grief. Children and their parents have the opportunity to make a quilt square memorializing their loved one. The squares are then made into a quilt representing each support group. The commemorative quilts are a lasting reminder of their loved one.

Again, in lieu of gifts at Christmas, I would rather you make a donation to Bo's Place. To donate, visit my Half Marathon Bo's Place Fundraising Page by clicking here. It's simple and secure, and it is for a great cause.

Thanks and God Bless!

Chad

My Son the Rock Star

2007-11-21T11:33:00.001-06:00

Kim took this picture of Evan at the Children's Museum in Lake Charles. For the record, The Beatles' Hey Jude was playing while he was doing this.

My First Triathlon - Try Andy's Tri, Sugarland TX Oct. 14, 2007

2007-10-14T21:45:00.000-05:00

This weekend, Scott and I ran the Try Andy's Triathlon in Sugarland. Kim and the boys and Mr. and Mrs. Dougherty and Scott's boys came out to cheer us on. This was my first triathlon and my goals were to: 1) Finish 2) Not finish last 3) Finish in 1hr 40 min.

All goals were accomplished. We finished with our time being 1:22 and we were 58 and 59 out of 62 in our age group, so we didn't finish last! Not too shabby for a first timer riding a mountain bike!

Here are some pics of the big day.

It's hard to look cool in a swim cap.

Getting ready to swim, hopefully not drown, and avoid any brain eating microbes.

Can you see me?

Whoa Nellie...I gotta get my land legs back!

Triathlon Continued

2007-10-14T21:38:00.000-05:00

Scott leaving the water behind (did I mention the brain eating microbes?)

Wheeling the bikes out of T1

Leaving T2 to start the run leg.

1 Cor. 9:24

More from the Triathlon

2007-10-14T21:34:00.000-05:00

Photo Finish!

Evan enjoys some post-race refreshments.

Elliot with his white non-planet thingy.

Not to be outdone, Drew has a beverage of his own.

Elliot's Short-Lived Soccer Career

2007-10-14T21:28:00.000-05:00

Elliot really wanted to do YMCA Soccer, so we signed him up. He lasted exactly two games. Actually two practices. Below are some pictures of the young Pele before he hung up his cleats!

Hmmmm.....did I leave the iron on this morning?

Elliot stands ready for action.

He goes in for the score...

I think I'm supposed to kick this thing.

YMCA Dragons

2007-10-14T21:23:00.000-05:00

Destin Vacation

2007-09-10T21:13:00.000-05:00

Mommy and the boys watching the surf in Ft. Walton Beach (on the boardwalk behind Floyd's.)

Our two Surfer Dudes on the last day at the Beach.

Daddy and the boys in the beach house pool.

Family photo taken in Sea Side, Florida (about 35 minutes East of Destin on 30-A).

+++

Our late Summer Vacation was one week in Beautiful Destin Florida! Gran and Pop and Nanou joined us and we had a wonderful time. We stayed in a beach house that was two blocks from the beach. It came equipped with a golf cart to taxi us to and from the beach with minimal effort.

Some of the highlights of the trip:

1) Mass at Resurrection (http://rcc-destin.org/) and their beautiful prayer labyrinth. They had the most incredibly moving life-sized depiction of Christ on the Cross that I have ever seen.

2) Beach, beach, beach, beach, beach!!!! The first 4 days the water was as calm as a lake and crystal clear. The last two days the winds kicked up and gave us some good boogie boarding waves and the boys really got into that!

3) Pool, pool, pool, pool, pool!!!!! Having a private pool at our beach house was great! After each trip to the beach, we'd spend a few hours relaxing in the pool and having a blast. We grilled burgers and hot dogs by the pool on Labor Day and Steaks on another night and ate right there next to the pool at the table. The umbrella had solar lights for ambiance.

4) Beautiful beach house. The Cajun Riviera (http://www.vrbo.com/93545) was fabulous. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths with room for at least 12 if you include the pull out couch in the living room. It held our family and Gran, Pop and Nanou very easily.

5) The shops. Destin Commons (http://www.destincommons.com/) was really nice - it reminded us very much of the Town Center in the Woodlands. We also went to the outlet malls a little bit East on Hwy. 98.

6) Sea Side, Florida. We went to this quaint little town one evening for dinner. It really had that "Martha's Vineyard" vibe. They had a band playing that night in the town square.

Click on this link to view all of the pictures of the trip: http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=172649171/a=94935808_94935808/t_=94935808