Cat Spring Life

Christmas Program Pics

2011-12-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

Kevin and Santa

Yummy Cupcake.

Singing.

Kiera's school program.

Kiera.

Kaylee as a puppy.

Snaggletooth

2011-07-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Snow In Cat Spring 2011

2011-02-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

Dance Recital Pics

2010-12-10T16:17:00.001-08:00

I think I need to be afraid. Very afraid.

Waco Trip #3

2010-09-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

The final stop for the day was one of the fire stations in Waco. John Linda, who we stayed with, is a fireman, and we literally got an inside look at the station and the trucks. We even got to take a short ride in one of the first responding vehicles. It was very, very cool. The kids even got plastic firemen hats.

Waco Trip #2

2010-09-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

It's taken me waaaay too long to get this posted, but here it is. Finally.

Our second day in Waco, we were taken to the Mayborn Museum on the Baylor campus. It's a natural history/children's museum all rolled into one. Sorry for the lack of pics, but we were busy trying to keep up with the kids.

Waco Trip #1

2010-09-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Dawna, the kids, and I headed up to Waco. My mentor was celebrating his 30th anniversary of ordination. Our very good friends, John and Carol Linda let us stay with them through the duration. We had an absolute blast!

We arrived Friday evening and immediately headed to Lion's Park in Waco. They have a kiddie park that our children absolutely loved. They wanted to ride everything over, and over, and over. Luckily, they had taken very good naps that day, or we would have had major melt down!!!

Enjoy the pics and video.

Kiera's First Day of School

2010-08-24T17:59:00.001-07:00

Today was Kiera's first day of school. She was pretty excited and all smiles to begin with.

Still smiling when we got into the truck.

Got to school, and the smile started disappearing. We could tell she was getting a little timid not knowing what to expect.

Got a little more so when we dropped her off outside her classroom.

It was really quiet at lunch with only two kids. Pretty strange feeling, but I know it will get worse (better?) as all the kids get into school.

Dawna was kind of freaking out waiting for the bus. She was hoping Kiera didn't miss the bus or somehow get overlooked. There was no problem. The bus arrived. Kiera was on it, but she had fallen asleep on the way home. Look closely, and you can see she isn't too happy here.

Dawna was obviously relieved.

We decided to celebrate and take Kiera out on her first day of school. Fortunately, we had been given a gift certificate, and that made the trip cost effective. Kiera really didn't talk much or have anything to say until she had drank a couple of cups of juice and eaten a salad and some rolls. Once the blood sugar was back up and she was fully hydrated, she started bouncing off the walls again. She didn't have must to tell about her classroom experience, but she did inform us that as the bus drove along, a branch hit inside the open windows.

"It was cool," Kiera said.

At least she's looking forward to school tomorrow, but she's trying to negotiate out of riding the bus.

Remembering Granny

2010-07-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

I wracked my brain over and over again trying to come up with a story that I thought captured Granny’s person, and I kept coming time and again to this one. It seems that one night, some would-be robbers broke into Granny’s house. Of course, she didn’t hear them come in as she was in bed sleeping. They made their way through the house and into Granny’s bedroom. They flipped on the light waking Granny. She sat bolt upright in bed and yelled out, “You get the hell out of my house!” And they left! Those thieves learned something that those of us who are a part of this family and who married into this family came to understand really quickly–you don’t mess with Granny.

At her tallest, Granny was four feet eleven inches of pure dynamite. And I think the Lord intentionally left her fuse pretty short. She wasn’t afraid to go off when she felt like something wasn’t right or if you were getting on her nerves. This had both a positive and a negative aspect to it. Positively, you never had to worry where you stood with Granny. She would let you know regardless of your feelings. When my wife Dawna was pregnant with Kevin, Jr. I gained a few pounds. I called it sympathy weight gain, but in reality it was stress eating. Walked in to visit Granny shortly before Kevin was born, and Granny blurted out, “My, Kevin, you’ve put on some weight.”
“Thanks, Granny, I love you too.” But she was right and I learned not to take such statements personally simply because of that negative aspect that came with that short fuse. You just didn’t want to get on Granny’s bad side. She might have only been four feet eleven inches tall, but she could give you a tongue lashing that would cut you down from six foot four to three foot six in a matter of seconds. Luckily, when I started dating, Dawna, I was warned right off the bat. I took Dawna’s warnings seriously, and I worked constantly to stay on her good side. I am sure I am not the only one here this morning who did the same. You didn’t want to light that fuse. If the tongue lashing didn’t take you out, she might have invited you to ride a long while she drove somewhere.

Yes, that was an experience that I was fortunate not to experience. I had heard too many stories and seen too much evidence to ever allow myself to step into 1978 Granada with Granny behind the wheel. I don’t know what Justin did to get invited on a ride, but I remember him having to go with her someplace one day. Justin walked in the door of Don and Linda’s house, and I asked him, “So, how was the ride with Granny.”

Now, mind you, Justin is a Marine. This guy was trained to do some incredible things that I don’t think I’d even consider doing in my dreams like repelling down cliffs and facing enemy bullets. He served time in Kuwait during Operation Iraqui Freedom. He learned combat techniques where he could kill a man with his bare hands. Yet, when I asked him that question about that car ride, he turned white as a sheet. His hands started shaking, and he looked like he was about to pass out. He made some type of comment about wanting to forgo that kind of experience ever again. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact she would slam the car into reverse and floor it heading out of her driveway. Oh, did I mention that she wouldn’t even check the rear view mirror while she did so? And that was just the beginning. You really don’t want to know the rest. How she ever made it back and forth from home to the Thrift Shop up here at church so many times without an accident is beyond many of us. She very likely had a guardian angel looking over her.

But you couldn’t tell her anything about her driving. She was fiercely independent, and she was going to drive and do as she pleased come hell or high water. She was so independent, she was bound and determined to do all her own house work well into her 90's. Broken hip? No problem. The trees need trimming, and the yard needs weeding, and she was going to do it. Fortunately, Emery and Don came along to hide all the clippers and the ladders. But there was no slowing her down. She was going to take care of herself, by God. Oh, and I remember the day Dawna’s other grandmother asked Granny if she would ever get married again. Granny looked her in the eye and said, “I had one old fart, why do I need another one for?” Yep, Granny enjoyed her independence. Even in the end, she was cussing nurses and family members alike because she wanted to go home and take care of herself.

Now, in some ways, I seem to have painted the picture of a hard, nosed, short Italian woman who didn’t cut anyone any slack or care about what anyone thought of her. In some ways, it’s the truth, but you also have to understand that Granny had a heart of gold. There were several things in her life that were very important to her that showed this beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Perhaps first and foremost on that list is her love of her family. God, she loved hanging out and being with them. Perhaps the happiest times of her life were spent at the 4th of July. I’m not sure there are words to convey the joy she felt being around all of her kinfolks, visiting, eating, and drinking. Such activity made her truly happy, and she really got happy after a malt beverage or two. This was evidenced by her willingness to jump out on the dance floor and dance with whoever came close. Didn’t matter: man or woman, sister or brother, young or old, give Granny a beer, and she’d dance your socks off. Granny would never miss a fourth of July. She had to be tied down with chains, so sick she couldn’t get out of the house, or literally dying before she’d miss. It was that important that she be with her family.

Granny was also thrilled that she was able to take care of her great grand children Matt and Katelyn. It’s not every great grandmother who gets to say such things.

And, of course, along with her family, was her love of her church family and the Thrift Shop ministry of St. Paul Lutheran Church. Granny was always talking about helping out and being part of the church. It was never far from her mind. Even in these last few months, when the nursing home nurses would come and take her to therapy, Granny would say, “I’m going to the thrift shop.” She took great pride in offering her services to God’s people in this manner.

And such ministry reminds me of Granny’s generous heart. For years, she lived on a meager Social Security Check buying groceries and medicine, paying her bills. God knows she didn’t have a lot of money, but when Christmas time rolled around, there was a gift for all of the grandkids and great-grand kids. How she managed, I’ll never know, but she was absolutely amazing. I am also reminded of her generosity and love of family every Christmas time when Dawna, the kids, and I decorate our Christmas tree. The tree is overloaded with many ornaments that Granny hand made. For years she would give a package full of them to her grandkids, and they are treasured keepsakes for us.

Of course, I’ve been married to Dawna for fourteen years. I’ve known her for eighteen, and every Christmas, it seemed like Granny would say the same thing. During the family gathering, she’d say, “You know, I think this is going to be my last Christmas.” And every year, it wasn’t. Until this last year. I think most of us could see it coming, but we really didn’t want to. We didn’t want to acknowledge that this woman who overcame so much in her life was being overcome by old age and deteriorating health. But, alas, Granny had to travel down that road that we all must travel one day, and I know that I will miss her as will many of you. But I take comfort that I’ll get to see her again one day. Save a spot for me at the table Granny. Hope the food up there is as good as the cookin’ you served to me.

Trip to the Houston Zoo

2010-06-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

Kiera's been begging to go to the Houston Zoo, so this being a weekend free of church and other obligations, we headed to the big city.

Of course, we checked out how much things would cost us ahead of time online, and we almost choked on the price of $43 for our family. However, after browsing around a bit, we decided to become Houston Zoo members for $80 for the family. This includes 1 year of unlimited usage, and we figured that if we went just two times, we'd recoup our money.

The day was pretty nice for early June, and we discovered the zoo had a special dinosaur exhibit. It was $2 per person, but the kids loved it and went through it twice!

Hermann park also had a train ride, and of course, we took that too. After the ride around the park, we decided we'd make it a habit of heading downtown to the park as well as the zoo. There were playscapes galore as well as a water park, plenty of shade, picnic tables, and free parking. Needless to say, we will get our money's worth out of that zoo membership.

End of School

2010-05-31T18:04:00.000-07:00

The end of school is here. It went by extremely quick. Here's a few shots of Splash Day.

Here's a shot of Kaylee's class at the end of school program.

And, of course, pre-k graduation.

Here's a couple of vids of the kids' classes singing.

First Tooth is Out!

2010-05-21T05:49:00.001-07:00

Kiera really, really wanted this tooth to come out, and I don't think she would have gone to school if it wasn't out. She wanted to use her tooth for show and tell.

I confess, I'm a little squeamish when it comes to yanking these things out, so I was going to let Dawna handle the duties. However, Dawna couldn't get a hold of the tooth, so I pulled out (pun intended) one of my Dad's tricks.

I took a strand of dental floss, tied a hog noose on the tooth, and yanked. It popped right out. Kiera didn't cry or anything. She flinched a bit, but I know it hurt just slightly. However, that hurt was overcome immediately with the excitement that she now held the tooth in her hand.

Off to show and tell! Now, for my family and friends...the "Tooth Fairy" may be hitting some of you up for a loan. Do you realize how many teeth three kids have?

Field Trip to the Jersey Barnyard.

2010-05-10T17:48:00.001-07:00

Kiera's class took a trip to the Jersey Barnyard outside of La Grange. Because it was an extended day trip, we got permission to take Kaylee out of class and take her too. Of course, mom, dad, and baby brother went too. It was a lot of fun.

The kids got to feed myriads of animals including goats:

Bunnies:

pigs:

doves:

and calves.

Got to see a 500lb pig.

And milk a cow:

Oh, and we managed to meet someone famous along the way.

Yep, it was Belle the Bluebell cow.

Easter At Church

2010-04-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

Bluebonnet Pics Round 1

2010-04-03T18:24:00.001-07:00

Dying Easter Eggs

2010-04-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

Day 4: Just Hanging Out

2010-03-21T17:20:00.001-07:00

Day four of Spring Break was spent just hanging out at the in-laws. We tried to rest up before heading back home, but the kids weren't satisfied just to sit and play at Nona and Grumpy's. They wanted to do something, so we took them to the Live Oak Park to play. According to my wife, they have done some major work including two very nice playscapes. We only had time for one, but the kids didn't seem to mind too much. They had a blast.

Kiera was bound and determined to accomplish the feat of log rolling. She fell several times, but as she said, "I did it little, by little, by little." (Remembering her Ni Hao Kai Lan.) By the time we were finished, indeed, she could log roll.

Day 3: The San Antonio Zoo

2010-03-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

O.K. Maybe choosing to go to the zoo during Spring Break isn't the brightest of ideas. There were an unbelievable number of people who were already lined up to go in right as the zoo opened. Believe it or not, this first pic is when we left at 11 to go ride the train. It wasn't much different from when we first arrived. Guess that's what happens when you get a sunny day after a rainy one.

I really can't complain too much. We went the opposite way of most folks so we really didn't have too much of a crowd around us. The kids did really well looking at the exhibits. Our first stop was the Africa exhibit the zoo has worked on for the past several years. It is really first rate!

I actually managed to catch a really good one of the three kids posing at the elephant statue. I think it's actually the first picture I have ever gotten of the kids standing together and looking approximately in the same direction.

The kids enjoyed the porcupine, although they were a bit skittish knowing that the quills can hurt you. This particular exhibit was really need considering you were only a foot or two above the animal.

After seeing the porcupine, we visited the Lorries. I bought some nectar for a dollar, and then the fun ensued. Kevin nearly got pooped on, but was spared by several inches. Kiera had one bird land in her hair who took a liking to her pony-tail holder. She giggled until his nails started scratching her head a little. However, afterward, she thought it was the neatest thing in the world.

After the Lorries, it was off to the petting zoo. You can see the videos of that below. After the petting zoo, we headed to the kids' place. I caught this one of Kevin as he looked at the prarie dogs.

Kids started getting a little cranky at the kids' place, so we decided to head to the train depot. Along the way, Uncle Bubba and the kids posed for a picture.

Kevin, Jr. is very much into trains right now, and he thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

After the train ride, we headed to Cheesy Jane's a little burger joint off of Broadway. Delicious burgers. Since we went with one of Dawna's high school friends and her kids, we had to wait a while. While we waited, I entertained the kids by letting them play in the old Chevy pick up in the parking lot.

Videos of the kids feeding and brushing the goats:

Day 2: Inflatable Wonderland

2010-03-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

Rainy Spring Break day means heading to an indoor activity. Apparently many other parents had the same idea: Inflatable Wonderland in Rolling Oaks Mall. Fortunately, the kids didn't mind the crowd, and they thoroughly enjoyed the time. We ate lunch at the food court, and then tonight we're meeting up with friends for dinner. Tomorrow, the San Antonio Zoo.

Spring Break 2010: Day 1--San Antonio Children's Museum

2010-03-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

Day 1: A trip to the San Antonio Children's Museum. It was a ball--literally. They had a really neat ball area that the kids loved. Also popular was the airplane and bubble room. We capped off the day with luch on the Riverwalk at Rita's. It's great to be in S.A. where they know how to do Mexican food!!!

Present time!

2009-12-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

Remembering Grandma Grote

2009-12-22T08:00:00.001-08:00

When Dawna’s Nanaw died, it was quite easy to write a snippet. After all, I had known Nanaw for only 16 years. I could easily remember many of the things that had transpired in that length of time, but how does one condense 35 years of knowing someone into a few paragraphs? It’s darned near impossible.

My earliest memories of Grandma Grote entail the rare visits that occurred during childhood. Grandma and Grandpa Grote lived in LaMoure, North Dakota. That was quite a distance to travel since we lived in South Texas, so we generally got to see Grandma and Grandpa once, maybe twice a year. And there was much excitement around those times.

I can remember one such time when Grandma and Grandpa were coming to visit. My cousin John and I couldn’t stay inside at all as we waited. We entertained ourselves in the yard playing football, tag, or whatever else little boys play. Ever so often, we would run into the street in front of my home in Odem and look to see if we saw Grandma and Grandpa’s car. When we finally saw that old beige sedan turn onto Pecos drive, the excitement bubbled over. Grandma and Grandpa were coming!!!

Grandma and Grandpa usually stayed a week or two, and I remember much of the evenings were spent playing Bridge. Of course, the adults played, we kids meandered around looking at everyone’s hand and not understanding a doggone thing about that card game. Honestly, to this day, I still can’t figure out the nuances of Bridge, but Grandma sure could. She was a card shark when it came to Bridge. When she and Grandpa played as a team, you had to really be on your game, and even if you were, odds are you still were going to lose. They were that good. Grandma even tried to patiently teach me some of the tricks to bidding and playing, but they were lost on this redneck. I think I’ll stick to Skat.

I wish I could remember more about Grandma’s visits to see us, but most of those memories are drowned out by all the other stuff of childhood. I do remember more clearly our visits to North Dakota. I can honestly say that those were really good times. My sister Laura and I would climb to the top of the stairs in their two story house and slide down on our butts. I’m not exactly sure how Grandma and Grandpa remained calm as two of their grandkids came inches away from the door at the bottom of the stairs time and time again, but they managed. Grandparents have a way of letting you get away with stuff that parents won’t!!!

And Grandma had bubble blower for us. Geez, I remember standing on the front porch and blowing bubbles. Of course, as kids, you spill bubble blower. Kids simply cannot keep a bottle upright for more than five minutes at a time–my own children are a testament to this phenomenon that God seems to have built into nature. My sister and I were no different. We spilled the bottle. Several times. But somehow, Grandma always seemed to come up with more. We saw no giant bottle of bubble blower (like you can buy now a days). And I didn’t see any other little bottles either. Somehow, she just made it magically appear much to the delight of her grandchildren!!! (I know the trick now, by the way.)

Grandma was part of the EMS in LaMoure, and when she got a call, she jumped on her three speed bike and headed out. She wore an orange hoodie or jacket (can’t remember which) so that she could be seen. I don’t know if it was because she enjoyed her job so much or because she just had terrible taste in clothing, but that orange color became a part of her wardrobe. She loved that color. Most folks I know wouldn’t be caught dead in it except on hunting expeditions. But for Grandma, it was everyday attire. Grandma had a bit of an eccentric streak.

And that manifested itself in how she cooked. Now, I tend to take after my dad’s family when it comes to cooking. You know, you stick to the basics. Meat, potatoes, noodles, vegetables and some fruit. Well, Grandma used that stuff, but she used it in ways that I don’t think God really intended them to be used. Sure, she tried to pawn it off as an exercise in understanding how other cultures fix food and how some folks have fine, exquisite dining, but I knew better. She was experimenting on us trying to see just how far she could push us country folk from down south!!! I can’t tell you how many times I had to choke down stuff I really didn’t care for, but on the positive side, there were at least a few victories. I still really like the Burmese dinner, and I have to hand it to Grandma. She introduced me to Raspberry Sherbert. I love it to this day.

Grandma also adjusted to life up north as I remember. I couldn’t believe it one day when I got a glass of iced tea. According to the laws of culture, iced tea in the north means one or two cubes. How in the world could anyone drink a glass of tea with only one or two cubes!!! I know my father and I had to have that discussion with Grandma more than once, and by the time it was said and done, we cleaned out the ice trays so we could drink tea proper.

In 1984, Grandma and Grandpa moved to Bella Vista Arkansas. They were a little closer to home, but we still didn’t get to visit but once or twice a year. But, of course, they were memorable times. I will forever remember the Christmas vacations out at the ranch. When Grandma’s mother died, she inherited 260 acres of thorny, brushy, cactus infested land 16 miles from Freer, Texas. Luckily, it has White-tailed deer on the premises or there might not be much use for the place (at least I first thought).

But Grandma loved the place. It was the place where her parents and grandparents had lived and worked. It was the place where she spent much of her childhood, and her stories about “The Ranch” fascinated me. It was something to hear her talk about the characters that were in that side of the family and how if it were not for an interesting twist of fate, I would probably be a Baptist preacher today instead of a Lutheran. Grandma would go through long walks through the pasture–much to the chagrin of us hunters who claimed she and other family members who did so ruined our hunting. But now, I’m positively glad she got the opportunity to do so. Very few of us get a chance to feel the dirt that our ancestors worked and tilled and shed blood, sweat, and tears on. I am sure that for Grandma, each step was a step connecting her to her past.

Grandma loved to walk and exercise. She had to become very cognizant of her diet and exercise as she aged and started having a few minor health problems. So it seemed like every time we’d get together, we’d go for a walk. I remember walking around the hills near their home in Bella Vista–down and around Chaucer and down the “bunny” street. Grandma would walk the tread off the soles of your feet. Man she was in shape. And if she wasn’t walking the air out of you, she would swim circles around you. Up until just a few years ago, she’d swim 3/4 of a mile two or three times a week. (Don’t think that’s too long. Try doing it yourself one of these days.) She really was a physical marvel.

Man, there is so much more that comes flooding back. Trips to Eureka Springs to the Passion Play. Trips to Branson to Silver Dollar City. Trips to Carthage, MO to see the Precious Moments Chapel. And discussions of faith and church. Perhaps this is a fitting finale to the memories of Grandma for indeed she was a person of faith, and it shined through all her actions. Until she could no longer do it, she read Scripture at many of the family devotionals at breakfast. She talked often about reading good books centered on faith. She went to church and Bible study. She put her faith into action by volunteering and then shopping at Helping Hands–a thrift shop that worked with the poor in Bentonville. She was extremely generous in giving, and she’d sure make sure you’d toe the line when it came to language and other such stuff.

It was quite the experience to sit in on a conversation regarding faith and life with her and Grandpa. Before you knew it, both of them were talking at the same time, and you really couldn’t keep up with the conversation. Both were trying to say something that was really important to them, and they would passionately work to get their points across. My head starts spinning just thinking about it. But it must of had an impact. Look where I am at and what I am doing today.

For the longest time, Grandma was my “measuring stick.” As the shortest of all my grandparents, it was she who I “measured” myself against to see if I had gotten taller. It was a really big deal when I finally exceeded her in height. Of course, I kept growing until I towered above her, but that was only physically. In many ways, I wonder if I can ever measure up to her spiritually and faith wise. She was and is a pillar of strength in this area, and her faith is now brought to perfection. She will be missed tremendously by many, but I take comfort that one day I will see her again.

Thank you Grandma for the many ways you touched my life.

Christmas Program

2009-12-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

Today was the children's Christmas program at church. I was lucky enough to simply sit with Dawna and Kevin, Jr. and enjoy the show. Kiera and Kaylee were angels, and they actually acted the part!!!!

While the girls were playing the part, Kevin was a little rambunctious. Couldn't quite sit still.

Caught the girls making their entrance and taking their places.

Tree Farm Field Trip

2009-12-19T13:24:00.000-08:00

This past Friday, Kiera's preschool class took a field trip to a local Christmas Tree farm. They had been scheduled for Thursday, but due to rain, they had to cancel it. Therefore, I actually got to go with Dawna, Kiera, and Junior to the farm.

The weather was absolutely perfect, and all we really had to endure was a little bit of mud as we arrived.

After touring the Christmas Wreath making facility, it was load 'em up to take a tractor drive around the farm.

We snuggled together to enjoy looking at all the trees.

I personally didn't know that they raise a tree four years before allowing folks to cut them down. This, of course, requires a goodly acreage to make sure you have plenty of trees from year to year.

Close up of a field.

After finishing the big tractor ride, the kids got a chance to take a little train ride. Dawna was the only adult that got to ride, but that was because there was no way Junior would have stayed in the car.

After finishing the train ride, it was off to The North Pole for storytime, hot chocolate and cookies...

Each kid was given a cookie, a blob of icing, and a plastic knife. Luckily, there weren't any accidents.

After eating and drinking, it was off to find the magic Christmas Tree that grew candy canes.

And, of course, sugar loaded kids had to exert some of that energy.

Next year, it will be Kaylee's turn. I hope she enjoys it as much as Kiera did.

School Christmas Party

2009-12-16T11:30:00.000-08:00

The events just keep on coming this time of year. The girls had their School Christmas party and program today. The teachers made the comment that the place was a "zoo." We did receive a comforting comment in that Mrs. Dornan, the school director said, "At least your kids behave." I replied, "I guess it's different than at home!" It was a fun time.

Kaylee singing. She's a beat off, but who cares?

Dance Recital

2009-12-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

Video of the girl's performance in tap:

Some pics of the event:

The Best of Both Worlds

2009-12-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

Build it up and knock it down.

It's the Most Wonderful Time...

2009-12-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

What a day. First it started out with a weather forecast for snow. The earliest snowfall recorded for the Houston area. Turns out, there wasn't much too it, but it was still snow.

As I said, accumulation wasn't much. Here's the extent:

Oh well. Maybe later this year or early next year we might get a snowfall the kids can actually play in.

We had to keep Kaylee home from school today. She's got a cough to beat the band--a product of allergies. No fever.

We dropped Kiera off and proceeded to drive through the snow flurries to Brenham do so some Christmas shopping. After stopping in several places, we ended up back in Bellville at a new Indoor/Outdoor Store. While shopping, they informed us that Santa would be stopping in at 11 a.m. to take pictures.

We decided to pick Kiera up from school early and get the family portrait taken. Unfortunately, this company didn't have the digital disk thing, so everyone will have to wait until we get stuff in. Sorry.

But homeward we headed, but first a stop at Crossroads for lunch. We enjoyed eating Bonnie's hamburgers, turkey sandwiches, and cheese sandwiches gathered around a wood burning stove with snow falling outside. Eat your heart out Norman Rockwell.

After naptime and supper, it was time to make some cookies. We are intentionally working to reduce the t.v. time our kids experience, so that means more family interactions like the following:

The cookies were delicious. Eaten with a cup of hot chocolate, it made a great end for a great day.

Passing On What I Have Learned:

2009-12-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

One, two, three, four...

The girls join in:

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

2009-11-27T18:20:00.000-08:00

It's the day after Thanksgiving. Time to put up the tree!

Phase 1

Kids anticipating hanging the ornaments.

Hanging time.

All done. Kevin wasn't about to pose for a picture, so y'all will have to settle for the girls.

Kevin hanging ornaments for the first time.

Everyone getting into the act.

Pre-School Thanksgiving Party

2009-11-21T12:26:00.000-08:00

The girls had their Thanksgiving party at school on Wednesday. It was a lot of fun to see them march in with their class, sing songs, and then chow down on a Thanksgiving feast.

I volunteered to cook the turkeys for the meal, and though it's not in my nature to brag too much, I will brag on my turkey this go around. It was great. Parents were even remarking that their kids were eating turkey when they wouldn't touch it normally. Makes you feel kind of good. But, I know most folks aren't too interested in that. Onto the pics and video.

Kiera in her pilgrim hat.

Kaylee chowing down.

Everyone's in place.

Kiera's class.

Kaylee preparing to put on a show.

Cleaning Day

2009-11-15T13:02:00.000-08:00

Kevin seemed to be having a blast.

Wedding Day!

2009-11-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

The girls were asked to be in one of our member's wedding this weekend. If I don't say so myself, they were absolutely gorgeous.

Hat Parade

2009-11-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, (Nov. 5th) Kiera's preschool class had a hat parade. Dawna and Kiera worked really hard on her animal hat. Thought the results were worth sharing.

PUMPKIN CARVING TIME!!!

2009-10-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

And some video...

And what was Junior up to while the girls were cleaning out pumpkin? Well, he was enjoying some Teddy Grahms. And what happens when Junior decides to crush up the Teddy Grahms while sitting on the couch?

Halloween Party

2009-10-29T16:36:00.000-07:00

The girls had their first Halloween Party at school this Wednesday. Dawna took Kevin up there to participate. Unfortunately, I had Senior Service at the church and was unable to attend. They all seemed to get along pretty well.

Kiera is a bride this year.

Kaylee is a princess.

Kevin is Pooh. Sorry for the lack of pictures of him. Dawna didn't have him in his costume before I went to work, and then at the party, this was the only side she saw of him as he spent most of the time running away from her.

Getting Better

2009-10-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

Well, we've had the girls in school the past two days, all of them are running around like wild banshees, and even Dawna and I cough only occasionally. I guess you could say that we're getting better. Kevin's nose continues to run like a sieve right now, but other than that bit of messiness, it looks like we're over the hump.

Just hope that by tomorrow my vocal chords are back tomorrow. The church band that I am one of the vocalists for is playing at another church's fall festival. It might put a little crimp in our ability to do quality work if I'm squealing all over the place. But it's a church function. Folks should be forgiving.

Back Home and....

2009-10-14T10:28:00.001-07:00

SICK!!

Yep. Kaylee's virus apparently liked the rest of the hosts in this family, because EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US got this cotton-pickin' virus.

It's a nasty sort of buggar that coats your vocal chords and rests in your chest. For the girls, it's been rather nightmarish. They are fine for 45 minutes to an hour or so, and then the coughing fit hits. It doesn't end until something comes up, which at first, was whatever was in their stomachs. Kiera's been a good sport, I taught her how to hock a lugy (don't worry, I didn't take pictures), and since then, no more vomiting. Kaylee, however, doesn't seem to want to listen to her mom and dad's instructions. Of all the kids, Kevin seems to be handling the drainage best. He still coughs from time to time, but nothing like the girls.

What is fun is dealing with sick kids when you are sick too. That's been the most interesting aspect of the whole ordeal. Luckily, Dawna and I have been spared the worst, and it seems like we are coming out on the end of it.

Now, I have to give a shout out to my sister who feels terribly guilty that we came down with this nastiness when we came up to visit her. Don't worry, sis. As Dad told me when he gave us advice about whether or not to come see you (when y'all might have gotten H1N1), "Sh-t happens. If you're gonna get sick. You're gonna get sick."

Well, guess what, Dad. It happens.

North Carolina Part 3

2009-10-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

Kaylee had a really, really rough night last night. Her cough intensified keeping her awake quite a bit. We ended up moving her out of the room with Payton and Kiera and put her in bed with Dawna. I got the couch downstairs.

About 6:30 EST this morning, Kaylee woke up with a lot of coughing. She said she wanted Daddy, so Dawna brought her down to me. When I held her, I could tell she was running a fever. Sure enough when Aunt Laura brought the thermometer, it was 99.7.

Well, we knew plans to go to Hanging Rock State Park were out, so we worked to get Kaylee into see my sister's pediatrician. Appointment 10:45 a.m.

After Tylenol, Kaylee's fever broke completely. She was off running a playing with Payton, Ian, Kiera, and Kevin in no time. Still was draining and coughing. We decided to keep the Dr's appointment considering we were embarking on another road trip tomorrow. Didn't want an ear or sinus infection causing us a lot of grief on the way home.

I ended up taking Kaylee to the doctor in Laura and Scott's Nissan Murano while Laura, Dawna and the rest of the kids went to a nearby park.

Doc came in and looked Kaylee over. No ear infection. No sinus infection. Probably the start of a virus. Doc was pretty sure it wasn't H1N1 because Kaylee's fever was non-existent (Tylenol had even worn off by then).

So, now it's treating all the symptoms to help the little girl get well: changed OTC meds from Mucinex Decongestant to Mucinex and Cough Suppressant, got a portable vaporizer, stocked up on Tylenol in case the fever comes back. Whoever gets the room next to us in the hotel on the way home will probably be wondering what in the world is going on, but I really don't care. Got to take care of the kid.

After the Doc's visit, Kaylee wanted to join the rest of the kids at the park, so I took her there. Never would have known she woke up with a fever. She had a blast as did all the other kids.

The kids were fascinated by several "Daddy Long Legs" Spiders.

This evening, we will probably hang out at the house playing in the playroom and running around the backyard. It's an absolutely beautiful, fall day in NC.

Tomorrow, we'll head to Asheville to take a small foray into the Great Smoky Mountaings as we head toward home.

North Carolina Part 2

2009-10-07T11:45:00.001-07:00

Today, we took the morning and went to Dan Nicholas Park near Salisbury, NC. The park was amazingly kid friendly with play parks, a train, a carousel, mini-zoo, petting zoo, picnic areas, and more.

We first headed over to the playground area. I've never seen that much equipment in that small of a space.

They had some really cool and unique stuff for the kids to play on.

I think the kids would have had more fun there if it weren't for the southern yellow-jackets flying all over the place. They were a complete and utter nusciance while playing on the playground and eating. Both Kiera and Kaylee ended up getting stung. Kiera almost right away. After that, she wanted nothing to do with the playgrounds. So, it was off to other attractions.

Of course, the kids saw the photo op places...

Then it was time for a train ride.

Next, a trip to the carousel!!

They had just a slight amount of fun on the carousel:

We then went to the mini-zoo. The kids enjoyed looking at the animals, and their tour through a bear cave!!

Finally, it was time for the trip back home. Everyone except Dawna and I fell asleep, and we were trucking along having a good time until Kaylee threw up. Poor baby. The allergies up here have really affected her, and when she gets too much drainage (and we forget the medicine at home) she gags on it and lets loose. Aunt Laura took the brunt of things, but it could have been worse. Oh well, next time, we'll remember the children's Musinex!

North Carolina Vacation: Post #1

2009-10-06T11:43:00.001-07:00

Finally took another vacation from work. We'd been trying to get out and see my sister and brother-in-law out in Winston-Salem, NC since they moved there roughly a year and a half ago. So, we packed up the Suburban and took a road trip.

18 hours in the car later (broken up by several stops and a night in Mobile, AL), we arrived in Winston-Salem. I have to say that the kids did FABULOUSLY!!! There were a couple of true sibling moments, but nothing I had to pull the car over to deal with. Yeah!!!

The weather hasn't exactly been all that great. It's cloudy and misty today, so we decided to go to the Natural Science Center of Greensboro about a 40 minute drive away. The kids had a blast.

Even the exhibit at the door caught their attention.

Surprisingly, so did some big rocks.

Not surprisingly, the dinosaurs really caught their eyes!

Then it was time to head out to the outdoor exhibits. The museum is really a museum/zoo combo. Even though it was misting, the kids enjoyed looking at monkeys, lemurs, snakes, and tigers.

It was really cute to see the girls walking hand in hand as we got ready to leave.

After finishing up at the museum, we headed to a nearby pizza restaurant. The food was really good even though we had to deal with some really tired, cranky kids. In fact, four out of the five fell asleep as we headed back to Laura and Scott's (Payton was the only non-conformist). We'll be hanging around at the house for the rest of the day, and we'll probably have an early bedtime.

Weather permitting we plan on going Dan Nicholas Park tomorrow.

SPAGHETTI!!!

2009-09-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

No comments. Pictures tell it all.

Texans with the Guys

2009-09-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

Ah, what a Sunday.

Every once in a while, we pastors need to get away from "churchy" things. I got my chance again this Sunday with what has become an annual trip to watch the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium.

One of the members of the church donates 4 tickets in the Brazos Suite in our Fall Festival Silent Auction. A couple of the guys go in with me so that we can purchase them.

Dave, Darrel, myself, and a newcomer to the group, Luis, headed for Houston as folks were arriving for worship at the church on Sunday. Part of me felt like a heathen, but part of me knew I needed some time away.

It was a very relaxing time. I hadn't been so relaxed in quite some time. We enjoyed gourmet hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken strips, peanuts, popcorn, and chips--all included in the ticket price. So were all non-alcoholic drinks. Can you say fun?

The Texans lost the game, but that was secondary. None of us were all that emotionally invested in the team--not like some of the crazy folks we saw. We were more interested in enjoying a good time together. Which we had.

I brought home souveniers for the kids: each received a soft Texans football and a free pom pom. I am glad to say that Kevin spent much more time with the footballs and avoided the pom poms. The girls, on the other hand, were quite the opposite.

Kudos to Dawna and her friend Andrea for looking after the kids so that us guys could hang out. Going to have to find some time in the future to give her and her girl friends a chance to have a good time together.

First Haircut

2009-09-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

Daddy got tired of the curls. Too girlish.

Kaylee's First Day of School

2009-09-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

It's quite amazing how life sometimes repeats itself.

When Kiera was sixteen months old, we had the plan all laid out. When she turned 18 months old, we would get back on the adoption list and prepare for another child.

Other plans ordained by One greater than we had a different idea. Overnight we went from a family of three to four when the adoption agency called us about a little girl who would be named Kaylee Grace.

Fast forward to this year. Kiera started pre-school, and once again we had the plan all laid out. Each child would get a year of pre-school. Kiera, Kaylee, and then Kevin.

Well, some One had different plans. Through an initiative of the Dayschool and through no action of our own, Kaylee was invited to begin her schooling. Suddenly, we have two children in school. Wonder of wonders.

Kaylee walked in with a little bit of apprehension, but as far as I know, she shed no tears, and when she came home this afternoon, she was very cheerful. I hope that she enjoys school just as much as her older sister!

A Loving Family

2009-08-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

Yes. I can truly say that we are a loving family that shares and shares alike.

Kiera gave her wonderful little stomach bug to Kevin, Jr.

Kevin, Jr. was not content to keep it to himself, he gave it to me (Daddy).

Wonder who in the world will get it next?

That's one of those drawbacks to starting school. For four years, we've avoided those wonderful little bugs that get passed from student to student. While they are great for building one's immune system, they sure wreck havoc on the health and well being of everyone in the household.

Sure hope the church keeps my medical paid up.

First Day of School! and Early Dismissal?

2009-08-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that our eldest is now taking those first steps toward independence and learning. Seems like just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital and were cradling her in our arms as the precious gift she is.

Seems like just yesterday, we were cheering her on as she started raising her head off the floor, working her arms and legs to crawl, and then taking those first steps.

And now she's heading out to begin pre-school. To begin her journey of learning that will hopefully lead to her deciding what she wants to do and be when she grows up. St. Mary's Dayschool in Bellville is where it will start, and we hope it will be a good ride.

Ah, but we did get a sharp reminder that we are still the parents and are caring for this little girl. Kiera got sick on her first day. Not sure if that's a good omen or not, but she threw up a couple of times, and Dawna had to go get her. Seemed like she was doing O.K. for most of the afternoon until she threw up again right before bed. Unfortunately, her second day of school will be postponed at least one day.

AAAACHOOOOO!

2009-06-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how as parents, Dawna and I tend to do many of the same things our parents did with us--no matter how goofy we thought they were when we were younger.

Last night, I worked most of the afternoon out in the garden, so I neglected to take anything out for supper. Therefore, I decided we were going to go to Dairy Queen to eat. We packed up the truck and headed to Bellville.

Well, whenever we go to DQ, the girls have to investigate everything before sitting down to eat. Kiera is especially drawn to those little machines that distribute worthless crap--I mean kids toys, jewelry, and tatoos. For some reason, someone had forgotten to check their machine and had left a bouncy ball in it. Kiera immediately seized it and began playing with it at the table.

Well, Grandpa had made things "disappear" before, and Kiera wanted me to do the same. So, after making the ball disappear several times and pulling it out of the girls' ears, Daddy decided to do something different.

After making the ball disappear, Daddy started acting like he needed to sneeze. Of course, I dropped the ball from my nose to the table as I sneezed.

Kiera and Kaylee HOWLED. They were roaring with laughter!!! It was too cool.

At this stage, it's cool. In a few years when I do the same thing with Junior, I'm sure the girls will have a different opinion, just like I did as I got older. The cute stuff that was funny became an embarassment. How things change.

But now, the embarassment for me is fun. It brings smiles. Here's hoping you have one of those smiles or laughs today as well.

Oh Yeah!

2009-05-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Weekend + auto dealerships who really need to sell cars + knowing prices are going to go sky high after recession is over = one satisfied buyer.

Decided to go to Ryan Ford Mercury in Sealy to check things out this afternoon. I sat down with the salesman, and we began taking about what I wanted. Supercrew with those automatic pedals, color doesn't matter. He kept trying to pin me down on whether or not I would buy. Wouldn't commit.

We eventually went out into the yard and came across this one. It had all the features I wanted plus quite a few extras. We went back inside and started talking. He pulled up all the rebates ($4,000) and went to talk to his boss about how much the dealership would discount.

They took off roughly $2,500 more off the MSRP. At this point, they were $150 above invoice. I didn't think that was too bad, but at this point, I told them I'd hedge my bets and wait for year end rebates.

Well, the dealership wanted to sell at least one car today, so they asked me what more they could do. I said that they could look at my trade and see if they could give me enough for it. Well, they started looking at my 06 Saturn Vue (5 speed manual transmission). The salesman and I went for a drive in the new truck, and when I came back, they offered me 8k for my Vue AND took off another $600.

That was too good to walk away from. My Vue, according to KBB and NADA was roughly 7K, and we were now well below invoice. I shook hands and went to the financing. We have to make four payments to Ford Motor Credit before we refinance, but all in all, I think everything came together very nicely for this vehicle where the entire family fits including three car seats abreast in the back!

I've already got a few uses for the truck as well including hauling some very natural, very good fertilizer for my gardens!!!

Belated Easter, Kaylee's Birthday, and Trip to Moody Gardens

2009-05-09T20:20:00.001-07:00

Just thought I'd show a few pics from Easter. The kids had fun decorating eggs.

Kevin, Jr. even got into the act...sort of.

We actually got a decent pic of the kids at church on Easter morning.

Of course, a few weeks later, we celebrated Kaylee's birthday.

Kaylee's enjoyed her new bike as well as all the other gifts she got; although I think the best gift she received was having her Nona, Grumpy, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Bubba, and Uncle Gardy at her party.

Our house is currently undergoing renovations. The congregation decided their parsonage was too small to accomodate our family, so they are adding another bedroom, bathroom, and storage room to the house. It will be quite nice. Yesterday, they moved the power box, so we were without power much of the day. We conveniently slipped away for a family day out. We headed to Moody Gardens to visit the acquarium. It was worth the long drive and the price of admission to see the kids enjoy everything. The girls took to it, well, like a fish to water, and after a few minutes, Kevin had a blast too. We look forward to several return trips.

Kevin's Birthday Party

2009-04-04T19:04:00.000-07:00

What a fun day. We celebrated Kevin's birthday a few days early. It was either do it early or try and do a birthday party on Easter weekend. Don't think my job exactly meshes with the last idea. So...

We had grandma, grandpa, nona, grumpy, Uncle Bubba and Uncle Gardy all come over for a celebration. I bar-b-qued chicken thighs for fajitas, made a pot of refried beans, guacamole, and all the other fixins. Must have been good because there weren't much leftovers.

Kevin didn't seem to want too much of his cake. I think he was pretty full from eating chicken, beans, and fruit. Oh well, there will be plenty of time for the sweet tooth to kick in!

Birthday cake. Dawna outdid herself.

Uncle Bubba and his girls.

New John Deere wagon.

We're In Trouble Now

2009-03-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's sideways, but the program won't rotate it.

Bluebonnets 2009

2009-03-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

We drove to Brenham today to take pictures of the kids in a bluebonnet patch. Believe it or not, right behind Wal-Mart, there was a giant field filled with the flowers. Several families were out and about snapping their kids. Luckily, we managed to get some pretty good shots of the kids.

Kiera.

Kaylee.

Kevin.

The girls together.

And now, time to get a good picture of all three kids together:

Aw, hell. There's always next year.

It's Started Already

2009-03-06T17:13:00.000-08:00

The video speaks for itself:

A Few Pics

2009-03-01T19:03:00.000-08:00

Daddy's back didn't feel too good for a couple of days after this one, but it was worth it.

The girls playing with some Christmas gifts. They enjoy dress up.

Junior obviously didn't realize how the Cowboys did this year. He's too happy.

Just Haven't Felt Like It

2009-02-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

I know that many family and friends out there have been wondering what's up with the blog. "Do you know it's been early January since you've updated?" "It's been a while since you've updated the blog."

I know.

Just haven't felt up to it for some reason.

Got involved in playing a particular video game, which was a little more mindless than blogging.

Kids have been wearing me out.

Have had to travel down to Houston at least a couple of times a week, one for teachign a Bible study at First Presbyterian.

By the time things are done. I'm tired, and between that and household responsibilities: I just want to sit and veg.

So, I'm throwing everyone a bone. Don't know when I'll get back around to blogging again. Here's a couple of pics to tide you over as well.

10 Month Old Picture

Christmas Angels?

Surprise Birthday Party at Church

Dance Recital

2009-01-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

"It was an unmitigated disaster."

That's how I described the rehearsal the night before Kiera's dance recital on December 12th. The description was very, very accurate.

The dance studio asked us to have our kids there at 6:30 p.m. for the rehearsal. They were supposed to be done by 7:30. Yeah right!

I had Kiera there on time, but they got started very late. They still told the parents to return at 7:30, which I did. I got there just in time to witness Kiera and her class run through their routine--and that was only half way through the rehearsal! It wasn't pretty.

Imagine 10 three and four year olds who are nearing or past their bedtimes. Not good. Not good at all. Kiera was one of the worst. She left her place in line twice, running to her teacher once and trying to grab the microphone the second time. "Oh my God!" I thought to myself. "Tomorrow's going to be a fun day."

Well, it was a fun day. Dawna got Kiera's make up and everything on her early.

I got her to the auditorium and waited for everyone else to arrive. Grandma, Grandpa, Nona, Uncle Bubba, Dawna, Kaylee, Kevin, Jr., and I took up nearly a whole row of seats. The show started, and Kaylee was absolutely enraptured by the whole ordeal. Finally, it came time for the pre-K ballet class. Things started off a little rocky. Kiera took some time to try and locate everyone.

She settled down though, and toward the end, she was actually doing some ballet moves when she was supposed to be doing them.

The recital itself was far from the unmitigated disaster of the night before. In fact, all things considering, they did a great job.

The neat part of the whole ordeal is that after the recital, things finally clicked for Kiera. Up until that point, she had been very reluctant to do any of her ballet moves around the house. After the recital, she knew what it was all about, and she was only too happy to dance around the house. We'll be enrolling her again next summer for more dance, and we look forward to see what surprises are in store later.

Yes, I know...

2009-01-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

That it has been quite some time since updating this blog. Sue me. It's not like we pastors have anything to do during the Christmas season anyway, right?

Well, I do have quite a bit to catch folks up on, especially dance recitals, Christmas program, holiday visits, and birthday parties. So, I'll begin tackling them one by one.

I'm going to start with the Christmas program that our church did on December 21st simply because I have those pictures on this computer.

The program was a pretty cool one entitled "Life 101" where Jesus has to go through school to be taught everything he needs to know to live on earth. I got to play the adult Jesus who didn't want to go back to school. Unfortunately, the angel Gabriel had a thing or two to say about that.

Kiera had a part this year in the program. She was a "tiger"-at least according to her. The costume we had made for her looked much more like a leopard, but she doesn't know the difference or didn't say anything about it.

Her part consisted of walking in with Noah's wife at one portion and then being a "lion" with Daniel in the lion's den. You should have heard the congregation crack up when Kiera ROARED! She did a great job and was far and away the loudest roarer of the group.

She also helped all the other kids sing "Away in a Manger" and "Silent Night". We had been working on "Away in a Manger", and she did very well, especially on the first verse.

Of course, not to be outdone, we had to put Kaylee in her little leopard outfit. She didn't have a part in the play, but she wanted to at least feel like she did.

Afterward, the girls enjoyed the traditional candy and fruit bags afterward. It should be interesting in a few years when all three kids have a part in the play.

Holy Snow!

2008-12-10T17:03:00.000-08:00

Last night as I was putting the girls to bed, Kiera said, "Daddy, ask Jesus for snow."

Daddy did what any daddy would do at that moment. I prayed for snow. After finishing, I told Kiera, "Now, we'll see if Jesus says, 'Yes.'" Little did I know...

The news had been saying that we had a chance for rain with a wintery mix, but since the temperature wasn't expected to be below freezing when this occurred, I wasn't too optomistic that we'd see any snow. And if we did, I didn't think we'd see any accumulation. Well...

About 2:30, I heard a strange sound at the church. I could tell it wasn't rain, so I came out of the office, and it was a wintery mix--sleet and snow. Believing that this would be the only chance we'd get to see snow, I raced home and got Kiera up from her nap. (Kaylee was dead asleep at the time.) I wrapped Kiera up in a blanket and took her outside to see the snow.

After checking out the snow for a few minutes, I took Kiera back inside and laid her back down. She was still pretty tired. I went back to work, called my parents and told them it was snowing. While talking, Dawna buzzed the office and said that Kaylee was up and wanted to see the snow too. Well, I raced back home and took them outside to see this rare occurrance. About 3:30, the snow stopped, and I thought we were through. Well...

We had a wonderful supper. I made chicken and dumplings that were absolutely hot and delicious. They really warmed you up! While eating, we had the news on, and, of course, the main story was the snowfall in Houston. They showed the radar, and it indicated that there was heavy snowfall right in Cat Spring! I went outside just to check things out. Well...

THE SNOW WAS ACCUMULATING!!!! I almost couldn't believe it. I raced inside and got Kiera and Kaylee to show them. All day they had talked about making a snowman, but there was very, very little on the ground. So, where would the snow accumulate so that they could build a (little) snowman?

THE TRAMPOLINE!! Of course. Dawna and I wrapped the girls up in their heavy sweaters, and I took them into the backyard. I rigged a halogen light that I bought a year ago, and they had plenty of light to work and play by.

The girls wanted a snowman, so Daddy put on his gloves to keep his hands from getting too cold. Needless to say, this is a South Texas snowman. Such snowmen are much, much smaller than their kin up north.

And what would snow on the ground (trampoline) be without a snowball fight?

You know, it's quite interesting that even though I am a pastor and someone who has faith, I really didn't believe Jesus would make it snow. I've got too much adult in me, but I know a little girl who really and truly believed that if she asked Jesus for snow, He would deliver. Consider it a lessoned learned. Thank God for Holy Snow!

Damn!-My Book-Debt Free-Decorating Round Two

2008-12-06T11:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a very eventful few days for the Haug household. We'll kick it off with an interesting episode that occurred this past Thursday.

Damn!

I was sitting at the kitchen table shortly after supper when Kiera came up to me and asked me if she could do something. I can't remember exactly what she asked, but I do remember that my answer was, "No." I also really remember what she did next.

Kiera hung her head, and in perfect context, emphasis, and form said, "Damn!"

It was one of those moments where you wanted to laugh and be furious at the same time. It's no mystery where she learned the word. I've said it enough. She's been around other adults who have said it, but now we have to teach her why some folks can say it and others can't. She's right in the middle of the "Why?" stage right now, so things could prove interesting.

My Book

Yep. I've written a book and gotten it published. Now, lest you think this is some great deal, please know that I had to pay for the publishing myself. It's quite difficult to get a publishing company to even look at what you've written. They have a limited amount of books that they publish, their own regular authors, and a strict limitation on how many transcripts that they will accept. All this leads up to rejection after rejection after rejection for most new authors. It was the same for me.

However, I'm fortunate enough to have the ability to pay for my own (limited) publishing, and now I'm trying to sell the book. You can see the title: What is God Calling Us to Do and Be: Discerning God's Will for Your Life. It stems from a sermon series/Bible study that I had at St. John. We'll see how things go with selling and whether or not folks actually get anything out of it.

Debt Free

We took a moment to thank Nanaw this Friday. She left us a tidy sum of money as part of Dawna's inheritance, and so we payed off our Yukon XL. Taking a nearly $20,000 cashier's check to Security Service Federal Credit union was quite a unique experience considering we are now are in a position we have never been in our entire married life: debt free.

However, as my brother-in-law said, "You've got three kids. You'll never be debt free." There is a lot of truth in that statement; but the fact of the matter is we do not owe the banks anything. I guess in the middle of the current economic situation that's a good thing. Who knows what the next big purchase will be? But, in the mean time, we will enjoy not having to write any checks for monthly notes.

Decorating Part Two

Friday evening, we took the kids to Dawna's Granny's house for dinner. Granny's not doing so hot right now, and at Thanksgiving, she remarked more than once that she wanted to see our kids. Since we were in San Antonio, we thought it wise to head over. Dawna's mom picked up one of Granny's favorite things to ead: Arbys, and as we finished eating, Uncle Emery and Aunt Barbara showed up with a new Christmas tree and lights. It was time to decorate once again.

The girls knew exactly what to do, and they jumped in without hesitation. We had to be very discerning in what we allowed the girls to hang because Granny has some antique ornaments that shouldn't be handled by those who are too young or too old.

Granny got the thrill of the evening when Kevin, Jr. fell asleep and she got to hold him. It was a very special evening to have helped Granny decorate for Christmas: one that we will hold onto for quite a while.

Recapturing Christmas

2008-11-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been just a little bit cynical about Christmas? I mean after hearing about people trampling one another and even killing a Wal-Mart employee in the rush to get to the after Thanksgiving sales; after hearing about the culture wars over Christmas, like the university in Florida that was outlawing Christmas decorations in common areas until a huge outcry went up; after folks focusing on trying to make this Christmas the "perfect" Christmas and getting caught up in all the rig-a-ma-roe that they forget what the season is all about; don't you in just a little way feel cynical about the whole ordeal?

I'll admit that not too long ago, I had one of the worst cases of "Christmas Cynacism" that a person could get. A whole lot of it had to do with the first congregation that I served at. The senior pastor was very much a "Stick to the Liturgical Book" pastor. Advent was to be celebrated, and Christmas was to be put off until the Liturgical calendar said it was appropriate to celebrate Christmas. (For my non-liturgical readers, Advent is the preparation time before Christmas, four weeks to be exact. It's part of a larger church calendar that is broken down into many "seasons.")

My cynacism also had a lot to do with the fact that Christmas just plum wore me out. I served at a large congregation that had four Christmas Eve/Christmas Day worship services. Our first service kicked off at 2 in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. It was followed by a 7 p.m. service geared toward younger families with children. After that we had a traditional midnight candlelight service. When all was said and done, we had a 9:30 a.m. service on Christmas morning. After doing all that, I was wiped out, and that made it extremely difficult to enjoy being with family in the afternoon. All I wanted to do was sleep.

All of these things left a bad taste in my mouth when it came to the Christmas holidays. I hated it when stores began putting out Christmas decorations the day after Halloween. I abhorred hearing Christmas carols during Advent. Stories like the ones I told to begin this blog gave me even further evidence that Christmas was a commercialized bastardization of what it should be, and I felt righteous in my indignation.

But a lot has happened to me in the past four years to change my attitude. Probably the biggest is the addition to my family of three wonderful children. Watching their excitement as Christmas approaches is infectious to say the least. When Christmas decorations started going up after Halloween, the girls excitedly pointed out every lit Christmas tree in Wal-Mart or any other store we were in. Seeing Santa Claus in the mall made them grin and jump for joy. Hoping Santa comes to their house has them plum giddy. Kiera gets every circular from Toys R Us or Wal-Mart and excitely circles the gifts she wants Santa to bring her. When something neat pops up on a commercial on t.v. she asks, "Santa Claus bring me that?"

The kids loved it when I put the Christmas lights on the house, but they adored decorating the tree. They picked out ornaments and hung them all over the tree. Unlike last year when the tree had 50 ornaments within a small space, they took the time to distribute them all over. When they had trouble getting one on or if they thought the ornament was too fragile, they would come to me and say, "Daddy, help me." I'd gladly take the ornament and place it on the tree.

Most of the ornaments on our tree were hand made by Dawna's Granny, and each time my children hung one, I imagined my wife hanging them in a like manner when she was a child. I thought of the times I hung ornaments and my parents helped me. I remembered the magical nature of the season and how it made me soooo excited that Santa would come see me. Priceless memories.

As these memories infected my mind and heart, I got to recapture the wonder of Christmas. Through my children's excitement, I have been re-given a gift that I had allowed to be taken from me. I know it's early, but what the hell: Merry Christmas.

Fall in Cat Spring

2008-11-26T19:43:00.000-08:00

O.K. Cat Spring does not have the brilliance of fall colors that my sister has in North Carolina, but we still have some fall color around here.

The playground next to the church is a catch-all for many of the pecan and ash leaves that surround our house. Every year, I rake them up and use them as mulch in my garden.

This year, I thought it would be fun to let the girls play in the leaf pile. I actually started a pile yesterday afternoon while Dawna still wasn't able to get out or do much. I have decided that the Lord gave us two arms to rake leaves for a reason. Holding Junior and raking leaves at the same time was a tremendous workout for each arm for different reasons. I was able to get a decent pile going for the girls to begin with. However, since Dawna was really up and about today, I was able to go outside while the girls napped and put together a really big leaf pile. The girls had a blast with it.

Afterwards, we had all sorts of fun playing different games with the leaves including raining leaves, obstacle course, and bear in a cave. To play the last game, I took an old U-Haul box out from the time we moved to Cat Spring, opened it up, and raked the leaves all over it and around it. It was a pretty cool cave. Here's the raining leaves video:

One thing I did learn in this process: it's much less work raking leaves when you know your kids are going to be jumping in them and having fun with it.

Feedsack Clothes

2008-11-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

I was a little bummed out that I missed our Women's meeting this evening. The presenter did a presentation on the material that feed used to come in and the clothing that folks used to make out of it.

I had heard on numerous occasions from my parents and grandparents how they used to make clothes out of feed sacks. I somewhat found this hard to believe because the only thing I could picture was the burlap and paper bags that they use now. Boy, was the picture in my mind completely wrong.

I ended up taking the three kids over to the church for about 15 minutes of the meeting when the ladies were eating. The presenter was gracious enough to show me some of the materials, dresses, and shirts that her mother had made her and her brothers. The material was cool. It looked like it was picked up at a material shop, Hobby Lobby, or Wal-Mart. The clothes were nice. The only thing that separated them from clothing that you could buy in the store was the lack of a brand name tag.

I wish I were able to stay for the presentation when she talked about the history of the feedsacks as well, but I had to get home to feed Kevin, Jr. At least I can now connect the stories that my parents and grandparents told to actual clothes. It was kind of cool.

The Crap's Not as Deep.

2008-11-25T14:49:00.000-08:00

Thankfully, Dawna has progressed very well in the last day. Her back still pains a little bit, especially when she stands up. However, she is walking a little faster and is much more mobile than before. She still has a ways to go, but everything is looking very positive right now. We might be able to avoid the doctor altogether.

The kids have been pretty good for their father. No major dust ups. Kiera was a little freaked because mommy had an "ow ow" and couldn't get out of bed. I have a little theory that she was worried that mommy was kind of like Nanaw, so I have worked diligently to assure her that mommy is going to be o.k. She's gotten better as the day's gone on.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be even better than today, especially since I need to write a sermon for tomorrow evening.

Oh Crap!

2008-11-24T19:19:00.001-08:00

This morning, at about 9:30, Dawna called the church and said, "Kevin, I think I threw out my back. I've got shooting pains, and I can't stand up."

My secretary, Sandy, has training in equine touch, and she has also gotten certified to work on homo sapiens as well. She came over with me and worked on Dawna's back a little. Through Sandy's work, Dawna's back relaxed a little, but was nowhere near being even 30%. Therefore, it was off to bed for Dawna, and my work day was done.

Luckily, Dawna is not completely incapacitated. She can now actually stand up and walk around SLOWLY. Her pain has steadily lessened and her ability to do things has increased as well. Time is going to tell how long it will take her to fully recover.

Unfortunately, this episode couldn't have occurred at a worse time. Most of our family has commitments for Thanksgiving, and I have a worship service on Thanksgiving Eve as well as our regular service on Sunday. I am hoping that she recovers enough for me to get a couple of sermons done.

Until she recovers enough, I'm doing mom and dad duty. That was very interesting today since Kiera had dance class. Normally, I take Kiera to class alone. Kiera and Kaylee sleep in different rooms so that when it's time to leave Kaylee isn't woken up and doesn't cry when she sees her sister leave. Kevin usually is asleep on Dawna at that time or still in bed as well. But not today. All three kids piled in the Yukon with Daddy as we headed to Bellville. What a trip that was. I feel for parents who have to do this all the time, especially with kids as close in age and as young as my three.

I was actually able to get Kiera to dance class, take Kaylee and Kevin to the park, get Kevin a short nap, pick Kiera up, and return home without too much trouble. The only hitch was Kevin getting hungry on the way home and crying for about 1/2 the trip. That's no big deal in the scheme of things because he has certainly cried for longer periods of time in the car. The girls were great trying to get him to calm down, so that was nice.

If Dawna doesn't progress much overnight or tomorrow, I guess a trip to the doctor will be in order. Thankfully (there's always a reason to give thanks.) our deductible is already paid because of Junior's birth earlier. So, if there is anything that needs to be done, I'll be pushing for this year.

Christmas Lights

2008-11-23T19:15:00.000-08:00

One of my fondest memories of Christmastime growing up is when Mom, Dad, my sister and I would load up in the car and go look at Christmas lights. As kids, I think my sister and I drove our parents nuts by saying, "Ooooh Neato!" at every single house that had lights out.

I remember wanting my parents to put lights up on their house, but there was only one year that I can remember that they did this. The light show wasn't extravagent, but dad managed to hang some wires and create a Christmas tree out of lights. I thought it was pretty cool that we finally had lights out.

One of the things that I realize now is that Christmas lights were pretty expensive when I was a kid. My parents couldn't necessarily afford lights to put outside, so they did the next best thing and took us out to look. I treasure the time they put in to do this with us.

Fast forward to now. Kiera has been anxiously awaiting Christmas season. If we were driving after dusk, she would always ask to see Christmas lights. Dawna and I constantly had to tell her that it wasn't time yet. She'd pout for a moment, but get over it eventually.

I guess the price of Christmas lights has finally come down to the point where regular people can afford them (especially if you buy the AFTER Christmas) because we are actually able to put lights out at our house.

Kiera especially was thrilled that I put out the lights. She even came out and "helped" me by handing me some plastic holders. When we finally lit the place up, she couldn't hide her excitement. I let her and Kaylee stay outside well after the time we would normally have them inside, but they were enjoying the lights so much I was enjoying their enjoyment.

It won't be too long, and we'll load up the Yukon and go look at Christmas lights. We'll hear the kids come up with their own little sayings to describe what they see, and Dawna and I will smile knowing one day they will probably do the same with our grandchildren.

Thanks Mom and Dad for the traditions and the memories. Hopefully we'll do a decent job of passing them on.

Christmas Shopping Already?

2008-11-20T17:48:00.000-08:00

Yep.

Today, we started the process. My parents spent the night here last night and decided to stay most of the day. Mom had the great idea that while they were here, it would be easier to do Christmas shopping for the kids. Dawna and I agreed, so we headed to Katy. First, we dropped the kids off with Grandma and Grandpa at Katy Mills Mall. They've got a great indoor playscape there that the girls could play at and keep themselves entertained while Dawna and I could head to Toys R Us and Wal-Mart.

After a successful trip to these two stores, we called Grandma and Grandpa and told them we were headed back to the mall and we'd have lunch there at the food court. That's when the real entertainment started. I took Kiera and Kaylee with me to order their lunch when Kiera needed to go potty. She ran to Grandma for assistance. Grandma took her potty and returned with these words: "We'll need to ride the cars, see Santa, and go on the carousel." Apparently, Kiera has Grandma's number (love you Mom!). Needless to say, all three things took place. Here's the best photo of the bunch taken by the photograher:

Here's why that was the "best" picture. The others have considerably more "character".

Junior wasn't too happy with Santa, but that was to be expected. Kaylee didn't care for jolly, old Saint Nick either which is why she sat on the stool between Santa's legs. Oh well, every Christmas has been an adventure when it comes to sitting on Santa's lap. This year was no exception.

After finishing up at Katy Mills, we headed to Target and then to Kohls. In the process we have finished 95% of the shopping for the kids. Still have all the other relatives to go. (Had to throw that last statement in there to make sure all of you continue to behave yourselves.)

Kohls had the best deals of the day. Quite a bit of their kids clothing was 55% off, so we stocked up on the winter stuff that we needed for the kiddoes. Quite a bit of it will be early Christmas presents--without the fun of opening. Don't worry, we'll save a couple of clothing items for wrapping. We're not totally Scrooges around this house.

Kevin is progressing well in his development. He can now scoot around on the floor; however, he doesn't have the forward thing down yet. Dawna tried to get him scooting around the living room backward, but he wasn't very cooperative. Her commentary is pretty funny.

King Sized Bed, Seven Months, Dance Costume

2008-11-10T16:20:00.000-08:00

One of the great blessings and curses of parenting is when the kids learn to climb out of their beds and climb into yours. The blessing is that there is nothing better than your kids wanting to be with you because they feel safe, secure, and warm. The curse is that they always wake up before you do!!!!!!

It is not unusual to have Kevin, Jr. wake up about 6:00 a.m. and refuse to go back to sleep unless brought into our room. When this happens, we can rest assured that within a few moments, we will be joined by the other two as well. No big deal, unless your bed it too small. We quickly discovered that even our queen sized bed was just that. Kiera even remarked one morning unprompted, "Mommy, Daddy, you need a bigger bed!" We readily agreed. The problem was we didn't think we could afford a new bedroom suite with a king sized bed.

Enter Dawna's brother. Nanaw had given Justin a bedroom suite with a king sized bed, and he wanted no part of it. It was simply too large for his one bedroom apartment. Discovering that we had need of it, he moved very quickly to ensure that we could get it. In fact, this past weekend, we spent Saturday moving it from San Antonio to Cat Spring. We had to mess with the arrangement in our bedroom, but we think it looks very good.

It just so happened that the day we moved everything to Cat Spring was also Kevin, Jr.'s seven month birthday. He's growing rapidly and eating everything in sight. There hasn't been a single thing that we've given him that he's spit back at us. He's scooting and rolling all over the place. He'd probably crawl if he had more motivation to get things. Unfortunately, he seems to have a taste for technology--like Daddy's cell phone and digital camera. We can't keep that stuff down on the floor too much because bad things could happen. Hopefully he'll find some other motivation quickly and start crawling before too long.

Dawna captured this shot of him yesterday before church:

Of course, Kaylee had to ham it up and get her picture taken too. See the leopard growl!!

Today, Kiera's recital costume came in for dance class. We had to try it on once we got home to ensure everything fit. We kept trying to get a really good picture of her smiling and being cute. Instead, we got this:

Three going on 16. Are we in trouble, or what?

Halloween

2008-11-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

Lord how time can get away from you. Hard to believe that I haven't blogged since just before Halloween, so I've got a bit to catch up on.

For everyone expecting photos of the kids in costume this year, sorry. We didn't do Halloween this year. Normally, we have a church hayride around Cat Spring and trick or treat around town that way. However, this year, one of our friends Karen Krupicka was getting married the same evening of the hayride. We couldn't be both places at the same time, so we saved the expense of costumes this year. Probably won't be able to say that for another couple of years.

But, I couldn't let Halloween go by without having a little bit of fun. We did carve a pumpkin.

Kaylee stayed entertained as long as we were taking out pumpkin "guts"--even though she touched the stuff and quickly decided that part wasn't for her. Once we got to the carving process, Kaylee was off to her tricycle. Kiera stuck it through to the bitter end.

You can tell from the video that she liked her pumpkin.

Later that evening, I decided we'd make some cookies. The girls helped put sugar in the butter, stir a little bit, and then put flour into the mixture. The pay off came after daddy finished mixing everything together.

The girls loved eating the dough, and they also enjoyed the freshly baked cookies. It was quite comical watching Kaylee climb up on her chair and grab another cookie even after daddy said they had enough. The temptation was simply too great!!! The next day, we traveled to College Station for Karen's wedding. Before the wedding, we visited with an old friend of mine (not in the aged sense, but in the since that I've known her from high school) Carrie and her husband Rusty.

They live in the country and next to a family who has a couple of little children. The kids had all sorts of neat toys that they allowed Kiera and Kaylee to play with including a wonderful electric jeep that you could drive around the yard. Kiera had a blast on that one. (Note to anyone even thinking about it--if you buy one of those things for my girls for Christmas or any other time, I'll extract my revenge in a very nasty fashion.)

Supergirls!!!

2008-10-24T17:26:00.001-07:00

Ah, a trip down memory lane. Today, Kiera came up to me with one of her brother's baby blankets. She put it around her neck and said, "I'm Supergirl. Help me tie this." I said, "Wait a minute." I went into our laundry room and came back with a clothes pen. Soon, Kiera had a cape draped around her neck held by a clothes pin--just like her dad did many years ago. Not to be outdone, Kaylee came up a few moments later with her brothers baby QUILT and wanted it around her neck. Knowing it was a little too heavy, I searched for a dish towel. I discovered quickly that they don't make dish towels as big as they did when I was a kid, so it was off to the closet for another blanket. Soon, Kaylee joined her sister in obtaining the rank of Supergirl!

God, how often did I do this as a kid and "fly"? Countless, and now my daughters (and probably later, my son) are doing the same thing. Priceless. Here's Kiera's "flight."

Not to be outdone, here's Kaylee's. Notice that Kaylee is still young in her training as Supergirl. She still has to flap her "wings."

Grandma and Grandpa are here for a visit right now. Since Nanaw died, Kiera has been pretty clingy. She hadn't seen Grandma and Grandpa since the funeral, and she's been concerned and wanting to see them very badly. She even wanted to phone them several times to see if they were o.k. Usually the first thing Kiera said after hi was, "Will you come see me at my house?"

Grandma and Grandpa couldn't resist their granddaughter, so they came up. We enjoyed an absolutely perfect afternoon, and look forward to the time together tomorrow as well.

An Evening at Fudruckers

2008-10-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

This evening, we drove into Katy. One of my congregation members gave birth, and as customary, I went to welcome the new tyke on behalf of the church and give thanks to God with the family. I had called Dawna earlier and asked if she and the kids would like to go with me since it was late afternoon and the odds of me getting back before supper were not good. Dawna thought it would be a good idea.

We drove down to Katy to the hospital, and I made my visit. Afterwards, we debated where we should eat. Kiera chimed in that she wanted, "Cheese." That's code for cheese enchiladas. Dawna and I weren't exactly in the mood for Mexican, so we did some more thinking. The choice came down to Friday's or Fudruckers next to Katy Mills Mall. Both of us thought Fudruckers sounded really good, so Kiera was going to have to settle for a hamburger.

As luck would have it, it was raining when we pulled up to the restaurant. Now, try getting three kids, one being an infant, a juice bag, and a diaper bag all into a restaurant relatively dry with only one umbrella. Not easy, but finally managed.

Then ordering and finding a table was fun. It usually takes us five minutes just to get everyone settled into their seats, get drinks distributed, and make sure no one can touch anyone else. Finally, everyone was in place, including Kevin, Jr. this time. Yep, Kevin finally joined the rest of us at the table. Up until this evening, he had always been confined to his carrier, but since we got the new car seat, we knew that there would be a change.

We put Kevin in a high chair along with one of those things that go in high chairs/grocery carts to prevent kids from getting germs (yeah right!). It propped him up perfectly, and he really thought he was hot stuff! He played with a straw and ate french fry guts throughout the meal. Kiera polished off her entire hamburger and some french fries. Kaylee ate just a little of her chicken nuggets and fries, but she pigged out on her fruit cup.

Of course, Kiera had to go potty, so Dawna had to take her while I jumped into Dawna's chair to ensure that Kevin, Jr. would continue to receive his french fry guts. Then, when Dawna and Kiera got back, Kaylee said she had to go potty (yeah right!). But Dawna took her anyway: don't want to discourage potty training.

By the time we were finished, the rain had stopped, and we loaded up the Yukon with no trouble. I jumped into the driver's seat and thought about the days when it was just Dawna and I and how uneventful eating out used to be. Life is so much different, but it's so much better. I felt so blessed to be a father and a family man. I'm proud of my wife. I'm proud of my kids. Other folks may think eating out with a car-full is a chore, but it's a wonderful family adventure to me.

I Hate Shopping!!!

2008-10-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

There was a day when Dawna and I were really, really pinching pennies. We would budget $250 per month for our credit card bill. That bill always consisted of our gas, groceries, and miscellaneous items like car maintenance, etc. If we went over, it wasn't by much. Can you imagine a $250 budget for gas and groceries?

Fast forward to today. We had to go shopping. A Sam's Club run was in order. Kaylee and Kevin, Jr. needed diapers. Kiera needed a new pair of tennis shoes. Jr. needed a new car seat. The dogs needed food. Here's the result:

What you are looking at is our attempt to stabilize the U.S. economy. It's nearly $500 worth of stuff back there. It's almost mind boggling remembering how we first started out. Of course, that was before three kids and three dogs. But you know what? Wouldn't trade it. Love it. Money is overrated. Family isn't. Remember that.

We bought Kiera's shoes at Academy. They have this neat little line of footprints on the floor that you can compare your child's foot to. We had Kiera measure, and (gulp!) she's out of the toddler shoes and into little kid's shoes. Size 12 to be exact. Of course, we bought 12 1/2 to be precise--need a little growing room. Unbelieveable how big she's gotten. Here's a pic of the shoes:

Kevin's car seat is the Eddie Baur edition without the Eddie Bauer name. It's pretty cool. Lots of gadgets and features. It's sooooooo much easier than Kiera and Kaylee's seats, especially for this big handed oaf.

Of course, we had to try Junior out in his seat. Poor guy. He fell asleep in his old car seat, and we just let him sleep there until he woke up. Immediately after his eyes popped open, we decided Junior had to try out his new toy. After initially fussing a bit, he settled down and enjoyed his brief time there.

We'll see how he likes it next time we travel.

Six Month Doctor's Appointment

2008-10-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

Hooray!

Kevin had his six month doctor's appointment today, and he has officially caught up with his weight! He was directly proportionate to his height. Only one minor difficulty--it appears he has his mother's genes for height and weight: the 10th percentile. Oh well, kiss the NBA dreams bye-bye.

Here are the vitals:

Height: 25 1/4 inches
Weight: 14 lbs 12 oz.
Head circumference: 17 1/2 inches

Kevin has also cut two bottom, front teeth. If you look real closely, you can see them in the following pic:

The only hitch in the giddy-up was that doc took a look at Kevin's ears, and he had an ear infection in each one. Then she looked in Kiera's ears. Bingo! One there too. And just for good measure, Kaylee... Yep! One there too. Three kids. Three ear infections. I actually hit the trifecta. Should have bought a lottery ticket. All three kiddoes are on antibiotics right now, and we have to make sure we give the right kid the right amount since all the bottles look alike.

Kevin has developed a new way of moving around. He bounces his hind end up and down and tries to scoot on his back. Here's a little clip that has him attempting the maneuver.

I also shot this video of Kevin straining to get my camera. I thought it was kind of cute. Hope you enjoy as well.

Thank God. It rained!

2008-10-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

We have been experiencing a severe drought here in East Texas. Many of the stock tanks are well below normal. We could probably use 10-15 inches of rain to help things out. Well, yesterday, we got a start. We had approximately 2.1 inches of rain. So, what did we do? Well, I allowed the girls to go outside and celebrate by running through the mud puddles. Let me emphasize that I was the one who allowed the activity. My wife doesn't do dirty stuff. But the girls sooooo loved it.

They splashed most of the evening going from puddle to puddle getting wetter and dirtier. I sat back and smiled through the whole ordeal. I was imagining what Dawna would say when she saw the girls.

Actually, I avoided that situation all together. I had the girls immediately come into the house, take off their shoes, and go straight to the bathroom. I had the girls undressed and in the tub before Dawna could see anything. Probably a good thing too; however I still have some photographic evidence. Here's a little something for Nona:

Remembering Nanaw

2008-10-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

Here is the eulogy that I am doing for Nanaw's funeral. Thanks, everyone for your thoughts and prayers.

I first met Nanaw, or Betty to many of you, right at 16 years ago through an interesting turn of events. I had scheduled a trip home from college with a buddy of mine, but that unexpectedly fell through at the last moment. I was downtrodden because I wanted a home cooked meal and some time away from school. I called Dawna, whom I had met through my roommate, and had a poor me moment. Little did I expect, but Dawna invited me to come and spend the weekend with her and her family. That weekend, I first met Nanaw.

Now, for some, this might not have meant much, but you see, I’m a good Lutheran who at the time was studying to become a Lutheran pastor. Nanaw was a good Southern Baptist, and if you read the history books, Southern Baptists generally didn’t get along too well with Roman Catholics. Now, what does that have to do with me being Lutheran? Well, Lutherans are one step removed from Catholics, so I was a little worried.

However, my worry was all for naught. Nanaw and I got along pretty swimmingly when it came to discussing faith. We had several good conversations regarding things; however, I personally never failed to inject the fact that we Lutherans have a thing for alcoholic beverages–something good Baptists should consider at some time. Nanaw always laughed at my commentary, even when I tried to lead her down the road to temptation. She never gave in, though. She held tried and true to her convictions, here. Even toward the end when she was in pain and was taking ice chips, Nanaw remained firm.

I remember sitting at her bedside and watching my wife give Nanaw some ice chips. I didn’t think the ice was chipped up fine enough, so I told Nanaw that I was going to take that ice and put it in the blender and make it more fine. I then added, “And I might just add a little something to that ice so that by the time you finish it, you won’t be feeling any pain at all!”

Nanaw grinned and shook her head. “No, she said, “That’s all right.” Leave it to Nanaw to hold steadfast to her position.

That was one of the things about her, when Nanaw thought she was right about
something, she wasn’t budging. And she wasn’t afraid of telling you what she thought about it. From raising children, to how one should dress, to how someone should act in a given situation, Nanaw wasn’t going to hold back her opinion. In fact, sometimes she would flat out tell you that you should or shouldn’t be doing something.

When my son, Kevin, was born, he had a little case of jaundice. My wife and I were under strict doctor’s orders to take Kevin and put him in direct sunlight for 2 to 3 minutes at a stretch to help break down the jaundice. Well, many of you probably know the old wives tale about taking a kid outside and exposing him to the wind and sun. Well, Nanaw knew that tale very, very well.

In fact, when we first brought Kevin home, I immediately took him out for some sun exposure. Nanaw just happened to be outside at the time, and I could tell what was coming by the look on her face. So, I did the only thing I could think of at the time–I looked her square in the eye and said, “The doctor ordered it Nanaw, so don’t even start.”

Well, she didn’t start. At least with me. She proceeded to head in and start telling Linda and Dawna and anyone else who would listen that these new ways that they were raising kids were so different now and that no one would have ever done that in her day and time. Which, she was probably right about that, but it still didn’t stop us from following the doctor’s orders.

Nanaw, though came from the old school on such things. She believed in being pretty conservative, in politics, in religion, and in how family should work. That, of course, didn’t mean her life was perfect. She had her troubles in areas, but she had the perseverance to try to work through them to the best of her ability. Take for instance when her first husband, Arky, died. Nanaw entered into a very dark time in her life. She struggled with depression, but over time, she worked through those dark days and found quite a bit of joy.

Her great grandchildren especially brought her joy and happiness. She would do just about anything for those little kids. She even did the unthinkable–I don’t know where your mind has just gone at this point, but I’ll clear things up for you. Many of you probably don’t know this, but Nanaw was terrified of being in the water. You could no more get her in a swimming pool than you could get her to take a nip of brandy. But, one weekend, Dawna and I took the girls to visit Uncle Gardy in Houston. Nanaw was visiting too, and it just so happened that Gardy had a pool. Kiera loved being in the pool and swimming around in her little boat. Guess who threw caution in the wind and climbed in the pool with her great-granddaughter? That’s right, she did, and I’ve got the pictures to prove it. She did take some ribbing from various family members for attempting such a thing.

And speaking of ribbing, I’ve got to tell this one on her. On Nanaw’s birthday a couple of years ago, we all gathered at Linda’s house for a little party. We had a great meal, cooked by my mother-in-law, and followed it up with cake and other sweets. Nanaw had just been diagnosed with cancer, and she was feeling tired. She decided to leave a little early, so she got up and proceeded to tell her good-bye’s. She came up to me, and before she could say anything, I said, “I am sure glad you got to see me today.”

Nanaw laughed a little, smiled at me and said, “I sure am glad that I got to see you too, because every time I see you, you keep getting more handsome and better looking.” Nanaw could lay it on pretty thick sometimes.

At this point, I grinned a huge grin. I put my arm around Nanaw’s shoulders, and I said, “You know, I wish I could say the same to you, Nanaw. But every time I see you, you keep getting older and more wrinkly.”

There was a collective gasp in the room. I think everyone expected Nanaw to rip me a new one right then and there, but you know what happened? Nanaw threw her head back and laughed out loud. She hugged me and headed out the door, much to the amazement of everyone around. Apparently, she needed that laugh, and I’m glad I was able to supply it.

The thing about it, Nanaw is now not getting any older. She’s not getting more wrinkly. She’s no longer in pain and agony from her cancer. She’s no longer crying any tears of sadness. She’s with Jesus now. She’s got a new body, one that no longer hungers or thirsts or feels the scorching heat. God has wiped every tear from her eyes, and now she is truly experiencing joy that knows no end.

Last Thursday, Nanaw breathed her last, earthly breath. When she died, she opened her eyes, and tears came gushing forth. I have a theory as to why those tears flowed. I believe she stood at the feet of her creator, and He welcomed her home. She knew great joy at that moment, and her last earthly act was to shed the last tears she would shed for all eternity. We will miss you Nanaw, but we know that you are at peace; we know you are at rest; we know that you are with God, and for that reason, we rejoice.

New Braunfels Children's Museum

2008-10-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we took the kids to the New Braunfels Children's Museum. It's a little further drive than the San Antonio Children's Museum, but we didn't have to fight downtown traffic and bigger crowds. We've taken the girls several times to this place, the last time being when Kevin, Jr. was born. It was fun watching Kiera and Kaylee go and play at all the different exhibits. They started off outside with the huge water table and animal statues. In a rare moment, both girls climbed on one of the animals.

After going back inside, the girls found the bat cave. I hadn't looked inside before, but when I did, I found the bat wings. A couple of minutes later, I had a couple of little bats for children.

The girls especailly enjoyed the rocket ship and space center. They dressed up in uniforms and played around for quite a while.

They also enjoyed the computer room where there are digitally projected butterflies flying on one wall and falling rocks on the other. When you cast your shadow on the wall, the butterflies will land on you, or you can keep the rocks from falling. It's pretty neat, and you can see from the smiles that the girls thought it was cool.

Kevin, Jr. particularly got a kick out of the large fish tank and trying to catch the fish.

We finished our time at the museum and ate at one of our favorite Mexican food restaurants: Adobe Cafe. Then, it was a trip to Wal Mart. We needed formula for Junior. We're having to stay in San Antonio an extra day or so because of the funeral, and we would have run out. We also needed to buy Kaylee some new shoes. Funny story on that one.

We got to New Braunfels a little before the museum opened, so we stopped by the courthouse to pick up an original copy of Kevin, Jr.'s birth certificate. While we were there Kaylee decided to take off her shoes while waiting in the car. We haven't figured out whether or not she threw one of her shoes out of the window, or she kicked it off next to the driver's side front door and when I opened it, it fell out. Regardless, there was only one shoe for two feet. Kaylee is now very happy with her new, pink shoes.

Another note of interest to some. Kevin, Jr. has been quite cranky for the past few days, and we discovered why yesterday. He broke his first tooth!!!! Bottom front. We'd been giving him Tylenol and Motrin daily, and we knew his gums were thick and bulging. Yesterday, Dawna stuck her finger in his mouth, and bingo, there was a tooth.

Somber Moment

2008-10-10T14:10:00.001-07:00

Last night about 10 p.m., Nanaw (Dawna's grandmother) lost her battle with cancer. The funeral will be Monday morning at 11:00 a.m. I will be helping her pastor perform her funeral service, and in a later post, I'll post some of the remembrances that I'll use.

So far, the girls are handling things pretty well. Kiera has been "sad" most of the day because she won't be able to see Nanaw anymore. It has affected her behavior, but that's to be expected. Dawna is doing very well. She's grieving appropriately.

It's kind of a sobering moment in the midst of our vacation, but it was expected. We still took the girls to the Children's Museum in New Braunfels, and I'll have some pics of that later.

San Antonio Zoo

2008-10-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days that a parent lives for. I'm not saying it was a perfect day, but it was one of those days that I've dreamed about since becoming a dad. This morning, Dawna and I loaded up all the kiddoes and took them to the San Antonio Zoo. The weather was perfect, and the animals were all out. The girls were excited, and Kevin, Jr. didn't cry a lick as we celebrated his six month birthday.

We went from exhibit to exhibit, and the girls enjoyed themselves immensely. I had flashbacks to my childhood when Kiera would look at an animal for five seconds and then say, "I want to see something else." She'll learn patience one of these days.

The girls probably had the most fun at a section of the zoo especially set aside for kids six and under. They wanted to stay there a long time playing with all the things the zoo had available, and they weren't too keen on leaving. Fortunately, the petting zoo was next on the agenda. The girls had a great time feeding, petting, and brushing the goats.

From time to time, especially when we were between exhibits, Kiera would get bored, and she would say, "I want to ride the train now." Since the first time we rode the Brackenridge Park Train and ate popcorn during the ride, Kiera's been hooked. The day would not have been complete without another ride.

We bought tickets, popcorn, a Coke, and prepared to take a ride. Earlier, we had called Nona and asked if she would meet us for lunch. She agreed to meet us in front of the depot. It just so happened that she arrived right before the train was about to depart. She was able to purchase a ticket and ride with us--the icing on the cake for the girls.

It's amazing what goes through your mind when you do things with your kids that your parents did with you. I remember trips to Brackenridge Park with my parents when I was a kid, and the memories are very fond ones. Perhaps one day, Kiera, Kaylee, and Kevin will be able to one day do the same with their children. Knowing that I am working on leaving a legacy with my children inspires me. Even though the economy is in the tank, the stock market continues to head south, and presidential candidates lie and demean one another, when I am doing these things with my kids, everything is right with the world. There are the things that we worry about, and then there are the important things. Today was a reminder about which we should really focus on.

Bouncy Play Park

2008-10-07T18:20:00.000-07:00

Today, I took the girls to Inflatable Wonderland at Rolling Oaks Mall in San Antonio. Kiera affectionately refers to it as the bouncy play park. The "Wonderland" is a converted movie theater where they arranged about 10 inflatable bounce castles from various themes.

The girls did much better this go round than they did the last time we went. Last time, Kaylee spent most of her time attached to my leg, scared of all the slides. This time, she actually went down the slides including the largest one.

Kiera really enjoyed the big slide as well. She went down it 20-25 times because it was, "really fast."

It was rare that the two would actually stay on the same bounce/slide together, so the next video is precious--in more ways than one.

Tomorrow, we'll be taking the girls and Kevin, Jr. to the zoo, so I hope to have some pictures and videos to post tomorrow.

Nanaw is still hanging on. In my non-medical opinion, she could last 24 to 72 hours, but you never know during these situations. The girls have been handling things pretty well. They do get a little freaked out at times, but things don't seem to bother them too much. I know better than to believe that they "don't get it." Kids are very perceptive, and I know that they are aware of things, but to what extent, who really knows?

Finally, a Lazy Friday

2008-10-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

It seems like ages since we've had a Friday just to hang around at the house. The day started out just like any other day, except we knew a surprise was coming for the kids. To keep them occupied until their surprise arrived, we broke out several of their toys that they don't get to play with much. Kevin, Jr. was awfully impressed with the girls' hopscotch mat. He enjoyed rolling around on it.

The kids were playing so well that we actually got a chance to do some cleaning around the house as well. In the process of cleaning, we graduated Kevin from his baby swing to his jumparoo. As you can see, the results were great.

This was quite a change from Kevin being in his swing. That wasn't very pleasant. I guess he never quite felt comfortable in the swing because after a few minutes, it was yelling and screaming city!

After the girls took their nap, the surprise arrived. Grandma and Grandpa came up for the evening and will stay until tomorrow morning. We didn't tell the girls they were coming, and I wish I had the camera to record their faces when they saw who was here!

They spent the afternoon making cookies, playing on the playground, and jumping on the trampoline. They were completely worn out, so they should sleep very well tonight.

The next few days will probably be sober ones for us. We received a phone call today that Dawna's grandmother probably has 24-48 hours to live. We do not wish to see her go; however, she will soon be rid of her pain and suffering. Cancer is such a nasty thing.

Don't want to leave everyone with the downer news, so I'll post one more clip of Kevin playing peek-a-boo. It's quite cute.

College Station

2008-09-20T07:03:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, we made the trek up to College Station to meet with Kaylee's birth mother and birth father. We met at Post Oak Mall which has a rather nice playscape for the kids to run around on. Kiera and Kaylee seemed particularly happy.

The girls spent most of the morning running with Kayee's half-sister Haylee.

Kiera had a special message for everyone.

We ate lunch at the mall with everyone, and we proceeded to do some shopping in College Station. Until Houston is full up and running with power again, it behooves us to try and shop in other places. The first week after Ike hit Houston/Galveston was interesting to say the least around here.

We went shopping on Tuesday. We traveled to Sealy to the local Super Wal-Mart, and we were very fortunate to get milk and eggs. There were NO canned goods to speak of. The bread was WIPED OUT. There was absolutely NO rice on the shelves. Toilet paper and paper towels were GONE. The store looked like they hadn't received a shipment of groceries for ages.

Of course, it was Ike evacuees stocking up before trying to head home. It was virtuall impossible to buy these things in Houston because of lack of power. Hope they were able to get what they needed and when they returned, I hope they found their homes in decent to good shape.

Life will be extremely busy for us in the next month or so. As reported in the previous blog, Dawna's grandmother is definitely going down hill. She has multiple tumors in her brain, and they are giving her radiation treatments to keep swelling down, ease pain, and prevent a stroke. The docs are giving her a month. We will probably be making several trips between here and San Antonio to get in as much time as possible.

Dallas Wins! (Except, I didn't get to see the end.)

2008-09-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

Last night, we had church council meeting. It finished up at about 8:15, and I headed home to watch my beloved Dallas Cowboys take on the Philadelphia Eagles (how those fans and that team come from a city that literally is translated "brotherly love" from Greek is beyond me.).

Anyhow, I walk in the door, and my wife greets me with the words, "The're kicking butt and doing great. If you start watching and they start doing bad, you'd better leave."

And what happens? Within minutes, Tony Romo throws an interception. A pass interference penalty on Anthony Henry, and Eagle's score. I remain in the living room watching. Eagles kick off. Cowboys muff the kickoff and end up on the five yard line. False start. Romo fumbles in the end zone. Eagles touch down.

This isn't looking good. I tell the girls its time for bed, and I head out of the room. While helping them brush their teeth, I hear that Dallas has the ball. As the girls are making their way to their room, I walk back in the living room, and Dallas has scored (my presence excepted).

Tuck the girls in, and head back in. Eagles score a touchdown. Take the garbage outside (I'm not watching), Cowboys kick a field goal.

The coincidences were a little much. I did get to see Marion Barber's great touchdown catch, but Philly scored again. It was too much for me. I went to take a shower.

Dawna comes in later and informs me Dallas scored a touch down and is finally ahead. I finish showering and decide that I'm better off staying away so that the 'Boys would win.

Dawna calls a couple of seconds later, "Might as well come back in. They're screwing up without you."

I walk in and see that the Cowboys had failed to convert a third down. The Eagles had the ball, and the 'Boys kept them to a third and one. Westbrook takes the hand off, tackled for a two yard gain, and a FIFTEEN YARD FACEMASK PENALTY. Are you kidding me?

I leave the room for good. I hear Dawna cheering as in the next series, Dallas' defense holds, sacking Donovan McNabb two times to end the last drive and run out the clock.

I sure hope this isn't the way things are going to work this year. I don't want to miss my 'Boys playing, as the saying goes, "Anything for the team."

Disturbing News

2008-09-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had a little bit of disturbing news from San Antonio way. Some of you know that Dawna's Grandmother, Nanaw, has been fighting lung cancer for quite some time. She has been having intermittent dizzy spells, and in the past week, she has vomited because of these spells. After having quite a spell, they took her to the emergency room. They did a Cat Scan and found that the cancer has moved into her brain. Not good.

Her doctor is contemplating doing some radiation treatment on this tumor, but the prognosis does not look good. Needless to say, we will probably be heading into San Antonio pretty often in the next few months. Thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

On another note: yesterday afternoon the family went on a little expedition. My aunt Winnie, who lives an hour away in El Campo is recovering from a ruptured appendix. She is doing quite well, and my mother is staying with her nursing her back to health. We decided to head to El Campo to have supper with them. Little did we know what we were getting into.

We noticed that traffic on I-10 was pretty heavy both heading into and away from Houston. We got off in Columbus on HI 71 to head to El Campo, and to say the traffic was hellish is an understatement. The exit ramps and 71 were bumper to bumper with no place to go. Therefore, we went exploring. We took a couple of country roads down to El Campo, and the extra drive was worth it.

Mom and Winnie (and Uncle Laird too, if you must know) were very happy to see us. Winnie looked very good, but she gets tired pretty quickly. My mom was pretty tired too. Looks like she could use several good nights' sleep. But, being around all the kids was a great pick-me-up for everyone. Kiera marveled at my aunt and uncle's bathroom, especially the jacuzzi tub. She wanted to come back and go swimming as soon as possible. We told her she could do that later, much to her excitement.

The only hitch in the trip home was about 30 minutes from the house, Junior started screaming. Turned out his car seat was a little too tight around the waist (but we didn't find that out until we got home). So, what did we do? Well, rather than listen to a screaming kid all the way home, when we turned onto FM 949, away from all the traffic, Dawna took Junior out of the car seat and held him until we got home. Law breakers? Yep, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Surviving Ike

2008-09-13T06:39:00.000-07:00

Don't know how many of you knew it or not, but Texas just got hit by a hurricane named Ike. (facetious grin inserted here) We battened down the hatches here in Cat Spring because we knew we'd get a little bit of the storm. Here's a pic of some of the clouds rolling in.

Anyone who is a parent knows that when the weather changes in such a drastic manner, kiddoes go nuts. It was no different in our house. Kiera and Kaylee were particularly atrocious, so even though the wind was blowing, we took the girls out and let them run while the weather held.

I took some video of the wind blowing through the trees. It was pretty strong, but nothing like they saw in Houston and Galveston.

We only got a half an inch of rain overnight, so we were also spared most of the heavy stuff. Don't know what we'll get the day after as the storm progresses north. We could have used a lot more rain, but not the nasty stuff. The only damage that I've seen so far is a couple of tree limbs down: one on the church playground and one in the backyard. The one in the backyard really doesn't count though, it's only about an inch in diameter. The one on the playground is pretty substantial. Here's the backyard tree:

And here's the playground:

Hope all in Ike's path stay safe, especially my Aunt Lucy and Aunt Becky in Dallas. Hope y'all are as lucky as we were.

Five Months Already! Are You Kidding?

2008-09-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, Kevin, Jr. turned five months old on September 8th. It's almost hard to believe how the time has flown.

So, how did we celebrate this momentous occasion? Well, we introduced Kevin to a new food: peas. I actually took some video of his first taste of vegetables, hoping to get a nasty face or two, but he loved them! I'd post what I had of him trying the peas, but I had the camera rotated vertically, and I can't figure out how to post it without everyone turning their heads and getting a crick in their necks. Oh well, I guess the following video will have to suffice of mommy and Kevin playing a little bit.

Not to be out done, the girls yelled at mommy to turn the music on the t.v. so that they could jump around and dance. Yes, it is very loud at my house when the kids are awake. The only time it is quiet is when they lay down at night to sleep. It really is a blessing.

Puzzled

2008-09-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

Today was a lazy Sunday afternoon, so what did we do to keep the girls occupied while Mom and Dad watched the Cowboys play? Puzzles.

Kiera started off putting her puzzles together, and Kaylee came along and tried to help. Well, there is a reason they put those age appropriate suggestions on toys. Kiera tried to put stuff together, and Kaylee promptly took things apart.

Therefore, we had to take preventative measures to ensure WWIII did not break out. We found all of the puzzles that Kaylee could use. Peace reigned!!

It was nice to get some unadulterated football time in while it lasted!

Growing Up

2008-09-03T05:37:00.001-07:00

Kevin has hit a couple of developmental milestones in the past two days. Yesterday, he rolled over for the first time on his own. He hasn't done it again, and I think it's because he didn't like being on his belly.

He has also slept past 7 a.m. for the past couple of mornings. Dawna and I are holding our breath hoping that this is more than a short trend and is the start of his move toward a shift in schedule that will shortly lead to his dropping his late night bottle.

Kevin is gaining weight rapidly (thank God) and even has dimples on his knees. Sunday, a member of the congregation said that he's getting cuter and cuter. I quipped, "Yep. I know. He's starting to look more and more like me when I was that age." If indeed this is the case, and he follows in his father's footsteps in this regard, he's doomed. :-)