ORGANIZING CRICKETS

Lions, and tigers and bears....

Oh my...

and monkeys and croc's and birds...

Oh wow...

and elephants, giraffes and hippos...

Holy cow

Take 16, 4 and 5 year olds to the zoo, and try and organize the chaios that will ensue.... I think this is VERY similar to trying to organize crickets.

We had a great time and saw some really cool animals. The day was beautiful and for the most part the crickets were tame. None were stepped on or eaten and all returned with us so that is a huge success. We found out where the siren came from...these monkeys...WOW loud and pretty cool.















Here is another group ski video I forgot to post and it is one of the best ones....go figure

I fell for the informortial

Yea...I did I am now the proud owner of Space Bags. I actually got them at Bed Bath and Beyond for our ski trip to try and minimize the baggage that ski stuff takes up and I have to admit I am impressed. I now have all of our ski stuff packed and stored in half the space and that is impressive to me....and they are dust free and downy fresh and will be next year when they see air again.
We had a FAST trip to Austin this weekend for a baby shower and Bepaws Birthday that is actually not until the end of the month but they are all tied up the next few weekends. I have to say I love baby shower gifts. Now that mine are out of the cute bibs and all...go figure to want what you can't have....not that I want another child. I love mine but starting over again would be so HUGE, we are at the point of no diapers, naps optional, all can entertain themselves....so to be at M and go back to A....no thank you.
We also ate at Toyko Steakhouse in Roundrock....Yummy, a bit of a wait and crazy cold while he was cooking but great food, the boys at salad, tried new soup, and ate their dinners really well and then CHOWED on Bepaws ice cream we got for his birthday...no kidding Reid ate 3 bowls, Macy and Bepaw shared theirs and mine, and Dale had at least a few and tons of fortune cookies...they just kept appearing....crazy, then we did and fast stop at momma sams to deliver her valentine flowers and pick up they items she has for the kids and blazed home.
Sunday we really did nothing, the kids played I ro-organized the playroom, and put up the bookshelves that we gave Scott and Tanya 4 years ago that they now have no space for so they are in the playroom....MORE Storage YEA. And that wrapped the weekend, Dale is off this friday for a work day and Reid and I go to the zoo tomorrow with his pre-school class, so more to come soon.

Here are some videos of the Ski Trip

Reid Skiing

Paul Stuck in the snow

Dale skiing the trees

Update time

Teaser pics....

The clan...notice Duke's eyes or lack of....
Snow Fun
More Snow
Paul stuck ...

Ekks almost a month has passed...my bad....here is what you missed

Healthy, for the most part Susan has a kidney stone....she has to pass it....it hurt, there are more but they are small....

Kids : good, healthy, happy

Duke...his parent company TOUSA filled chapter 11....ekkk...but his job is secure.....as secure as it can be in this type of situation, and we both feel we will come out stronger on the other side.

We are morning the lack of good NEW TV shows, and plugging along...that was January for the most part.

Feb.... Susan is having WAY too much fun with Tanya's diaper cake....so excited to throw her a shower in March and also de-baby-fy my home and gift it to her:) Great news Troy and Carolyn are moving to Dallas in July......YEA back in Texas finally.

Here is the good stuff ....SKI TRIP..... just got back from an amazing ski trip to Telluride. Us, Sam and freinds had the very best time. If we were ever going to play the lotto this would have been the week. First we get an upgrade on our accomodations from a 2 bd with loft in the ski village that would have been great to a log home on the mountain. WOW this house was better than great, ski in ski out....not for the faint of heart but very dooable. Our own hot tub, total privacy, soo much snow, heated garage, tons of space....great suff. Upon arrival to the airport in Montrose we pick up the car...upgrade from mini van to Suburban for free....the roads are bad and they want more 4x4's on the road...uhhh OK! So we got to drive a 2008 suburban with DVD which Duke was pretty excited about, as this is what he wants for my next car. Arrive in Telluride no problems and even found snowboots for Macy on sale for 16 bucks....at a shop in the ski village...this NEVER happens. Also the ski shop honored our cupon for free kids rentals...for a 200 dollar savings! Also to top it off friends, Paul and Brandy and Jake were able to join us for a few days. We had 2 blunders....Sam fell and strained her thumb, and Duke got an awful case of hives....that made him swell up and itch like crazy, he looked like a wrinkled puppy around the eyes. Most folks would take a steroid shot and move on but Duke is allergic to steroids so he had to do a concoction of over the counter items that seemed to help by day 3...and upon arrival home he was tons better. It was really an awesome trip both the boys are turning into great skiiers. It made my heart swell to watch them tear down the mountain, so fullfilling to have them love it and be successful at the sport. We skiied 4 days....day one...beautiful and sunny, Day 2 started good but had some searious snow and wind....no kidding we came over the top of a hill and all hit a wall of snow and wind soo fierce it stopped you and pushed you back...luckily a restruant was 100 yds away and co-co called ....you could not see the lift 20 feet infront of you! Nuts, but fun. Day 3 snowy but great, and Day 4 the very best ever sunny, clear and gorgeous.

The Hot Tub

The Reid-Deamon....the skiing champ...check out the parallel ski's downhill!

My Boys

Skiing with the boys....it is sleeting here our goggles were totally iced over!

Paul, Brandy, and Jake


Momma Sam and Macy on the Gon-bo-la

Macy and her snow ball

The white-out....that is the lift on top of the restruant...

Our view from the back deck...we saw more stars than you can imagineThe Log Cabin main room

Dale's Snow man

videos will be here soon

Ok now the promised videos and pics

The New Cars Tent that gets me out of the doghouse for donating his old torn one to the salvation army.

The Moon Jump that has seen so much use in less than a week!

The Bike riding that the boys mastered! So cool....Reid is a natural and Dale is doing awesome too!

The 4 -wheelers that are now so very loved and driven often, something that makes me smile.

I've been Tagged

My neighbor tagged me and I will tag on but I only have a few bloggers to tag so I have a handicap in my tagging. None the less here are the quid-pro-ques

The Rules:

Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.

Share 5 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.

or

Share the 5 top places on your “want to see or want to see again” list.

or

Share 5 things you never pictured being in your future when your were 25 years old.

Tag a minimum of 5, maximum of 10 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

The tagees have a choice of which they want to do.

I think I will go with the want to see or see again.

1. In the USA Niagara Falls, D.C., South Carolina, Alaska

2. In the water: The great grey whales swimming while scuba diving with my kids

3. Other places: Italy, Paris, Germany, England, Turkey and the Holy Land

4. A 50th wedding anniversary with Duke

5. See all my Children graduate high school, college, get married and be there for my grandchildren

6. A cure for Cancer

Yea somewhat general I know but hey that is how I am rolling tonight. Ok Carolyn and Erin I am tagging you!

In other news Dale and Reid have each accomplished one of their New Years Resolutions

To ride a 2 wheeled bike.

We took them up to the school for a nice FLAT, OPEN area and had Dale try first. Struggles, frustration, determination and he did it...fell a few times but got the jist of it. We asked Reid if he wanted to try and he said NO....I think because Dale had such struggles and tumbles...nothing big but they were there. We tried to prep them by saying it is a new skill, it will be hard, you will fall. So then we convince Reid to try....the kid was OFF....like he has been riding a bike for years...CRAZY. We took Grandma and Bepaw up to the school to let them show off their new skills today and they both did AWESOME..... video and pics to come soon just realized it is 7:30 and I need to prep for school, bath 3 kids, read, and get their laundry ready.....gonna be a busy 30 mins!

Smoke but no fire...no visible fire

Last night after dinner the boys were wanting a snack before bed....ok what is fast, easy, and fairly healthy....fruit...no dice both said no, crackers, NO again...Popcorn....ok...I grabbed a bag of Microwave stuff....tossed it in and hit popcorn.....ahhh the ease of it all. I go and start folding laundry....I turn to go back and get out a bowl and WOW there is smoke billowing out of the microwave....BIG TIME, I hit cancel on the microwave, left the door closed afraid of what I might find and thinking if there is a fire it will burn up its oxygen and die. Reid runs over to Duke who is wishing for death on the sofa, suffering from allergies....he rolls over and says "what?" DADDY THERE'S A FIRE...."oh" Duke rolled back over and put the pillow back on his head and went back to sleep, well if there is a fire I am not dragging HIM out! ....I tell the boys open the doors to air it out.....as we open the front door Macy is coming home from Kathys house where she was playing in a clean house to arrive here at a smoky stinky house. So I finally get to open the microwave and the entire bag is BLACK and there is no popcorn ....just black char, and WOW the smoke that was in the microwave I think was toxic and the bag I am certian would have caused cancer in california. (why is it only in Califorina?.....another blog...another day) ok so the microwave has a layer of burnt butter/oil/funk that is orange....making me question the healthyness of popcorn but alas another blog as well....

Now 24 hours later my house STILL smells like burnt popcorn, the burnt bag is outside and has been since last night so I am a little puzzled but it will pass so I hope. What happened you might be wondering. Well I grabbed an individual snack size one of the kids got for something and since it was in the regular box I just assumed....yea ass u me....dang the intelligence of it all.

Also the UPS man came and never told us. We were expecting Reids gifts from Momma Sam and Grandma and Bepaw.....out for delivery the tracking said. At dinner I saw the UPS truck pass and said "he skipped us!" Turns out he set the 2 packages in the garage and never told us. So Duke went to feed the dogs at 7:30 and said there are boxes in here. The excitement was to follow b/c not putting it all up was not an option ....I could not make him wait a whole day, bedtime could wait a bit, plus besides a little hot...they were TIRED when bedtime did come.

Happy Birthday Reid-o

We're gonna score tonight,

we're gonna score tonight.

We're gonna rock, we're gonna roll,

We're gonna bop, we're gonna bowl.

We're gonna score score score score score....TONIGHT

Name it.....name it .....come on...... Grease 2 baby


REID TURNED 5..... I am in shock of this fact but face reality mamma....Ok well for Reids birthday we went Cosmic bowling...which is bowling via black light and music....super cool. The kids and adults had a great time no tears....no issues ....that is a great 5 year old party! Reid got a strike, I did not, but I beat Duke! Dale did awesome, claims he scored 102....but I never got the visual proof..., but I do believe him, and Macy even hit a few pins Bepaw was the big winner with 169....WOW nice show of skills Bepaw.

Reid and his buddy Max

The family patriarchsNate, Reid's buddy was SO excited with his first ever bowl and he did awesome!...prior to the picture he was dancing around....it was great! Macy Bowling and yes they do make sz 7 toddler bowling shoes....good to know!

Reid had a great number of friends come wish him well and showered him with AWESOME gifts, monster trucks, remote jeeps, more trucks, more trucks, tools, trucks.... and not 1 repeat and not 1 he already had.....better to be lucky than good sometimes. You might think that is alot of trucks.....tooo many? Have you met my son Reid? That is impossible in his mind of 4 wheelers and trucks, trailers, tractors....he is in HEAVEN. Grandma and Bepaw got him a huge pop up tent ...he is thrilled b/c 2 years ago he got one and it ripped so we a year later gave it to good will....I HAVE NEVER BEEN FORGIVEN ....EVERY time and I really mean EVERY time we pass the donation center he asks can we go see if they have my tent....I did NOT want to give it away MOMMY! I want it back...PLEASE...(tears) I loved it. so now #2 is on the way to be delivered Tuesday by UPS. Momma Sam got him a Bouncy Castle...his very own....for the yard, that in the summer a pool will be at the bottom of its huge slide for more fun than he will be able to handle! Then Duke and I got him the coolest little electric 4 wheeler. It is made by razor...they make the electric scooters.....it is awesome....truly stellar. So now he can ride it any time we are out to play, since the real one requires Daddy sometimes to start it and total parent supervision....so me at home alone with the 3 of them does not work. But this does and it has rubber tires...a huge plus on our sloped cul-de-sac! He loves it, Dale loves it , Macy loves
it .....one of those GREAT GIFTS.

REID-TOPIA

Dale giving Macy a ride...when we said "Dale go slow." she said "NO GO FAST!"

He's a coooool rider...a cool cool cool cool rider.....I got Grease on the brain....

Reid told me tonight even when he is 5 he will still tell me he loves me, and still wants me to sleep with him.....he may be big but not that big. Happy Birthday buddy!

My bad...its January and I never finished December.

oh yea this is the best picture ever......see compared to them I AM normal!!!!

OOPS time flew by so fast I have not caught up yet....

The Eychner Christmas



Following Christmas day Grandma and Bepaw had grandkid pangs and took the crew from wed-Saturday....WOW such a huge treat that was. They played with Brad and Jonelle and Grandma and Bepaw. Reid came bake using many of the same gestures as his Uncle Brad...good ones I might add....yea huge shock if you know Brad...just kidding, brad and Jonelle have VERY well behaved dogs and so Reid came home trying to put sami and annie on "stay" and sami looked at his with the "you talkin'to me?" dog look, and then later Reid went out back and put his hands in his pockets and disciplined the dogs....it was brad in a mirrir....CRAZY! Grandma and Bepaw, Scott and Tanya and Brad and Jonelle with sedona and ally....two VERY well behaved dogs. Again the onslaught of great food, the second using of the good silver and pool table/ dining table combo great company, so many gifts...Then polished off the year with fabulous friends for new years. The 'rare form' that I was last new years did NOT appear this year....an event Duke was very grateful for!

Week in review

The Rosanky Daniel- King Family

This could be a J. Crew add photo

Christmas Re-cap.....we have had several Christmas programs and half of Christmas is over....the decorating, and shopping, and cards....now the rest, wrapping, cooking, & guests. Kinda ready for that but not quite.

Last Friday ......Dale had his sing along at school this morning 9-10.....10:40 taking Dale lunch at school as per request....10:40-11:45.....12-1:30 Dales class party and as room mom I have to be there and set up and facilitate.....1:30 Dale leaves with me. 2:00 possible errand for the day care, 3:30 get Macy and Reid and head home with all 3.....= 1 day gone......time with Dale priceless....but really could have wrapped a few gifts too. I am doing laundry so there is some productiveness happening just not enough.

Dale, the ONLY one of the 3 to speak to or want anything to do with Santa.

Reid ... Pre School Play, he was a wiseman.....he took gold.....he dropped it on the floor for Mary and Jesus saying "I brought you this."...thunk.... very cute...he said his line and that was HUGE in my book of his shyness.

My Wiseman

On the mountain top seeing the star, deciding to follow it.

FYI I had to get approval for this one...

Macy's class also sort of sang jingle bells for her show....and chewed on the bells.

The Terrible Twos are here, and if there was anyway to return this particular "gift" I would... We had an ugly rearing of the Orneriness the other day Macy ripped off the letter z and x off the laptop keyboard. Brings it to me and says here is the squishy thing, I do not want it. I recognize what it is to and find the destruction. I holler a bit b/c I find the x but the z and all z pieces are gone.....Macy where is it......I don't know....in tears.....Macy I need you to remember.....I don't know....more tears.....MACY.....Its hiding.....WHERE....uhhh Did you check the trash....no....ok I found it go to your room. So thankfully I fixed it and all is well in zzzz and xxxx land so I can sleep and kiss in the one letter realm again. AHHHH

We went to Rosanky and saw Vicki and crew. Wow what a treat. This is Dukes sweet aunt who so lovingly made all the kids their special blankets they sleep with each night. And now she is the super cool Aunt Vicki that let Reid drive the truck, and tractor and feed hay, the Aunt that let Macy ride horses....that she now wants, and toted us all over their ranch to show the kids the cows and horses and cool stuff. We had a BALL, and seeing that side is always a treat. They make you feel so welcome and are so easy to be around even when visits are too far in coming....Duke has made a promise to go camp this spring and take the 4 wheelers there to ride. That is ALL Reid talked about on the ride home.....Dad remember the trailer, and tent, and we will need helmets, and gas, and fishing poles....so get all that when we get home....and we are going to need food....on and on and on. He is ready to go today! Macy said can we go back to Mickey's ( Vicki's) tomorrow....I need to ride a pony again.....just a'cause I need to.

I love Ponies

All 3 on Tire-Rod

Reid would rather ride Dale...or drive a truck

Feeding Midnight

Macy and My-Sam

Sam Troy and Carolyn came for Christmas and brought a toy store with them. We had a wonderful meal together on the pool table....a little clampitish by Dukes terms.....but totally functional and it was decorated nice and tasted YUMMY. Then we played a few games and then opened gifts....and gifts and gifts. We were all Totally spoiled with purses, jewelry, toys, jeeps, remote control stuff, gift certificates, perfume, clothes, decorations, books, movies, video games....wow so so incredibly blessed with family and top with great gifts makes it so special. I think my favorite gift is Dales Calendar he made me at school, he was so proud of it and hid it until Christmas, I teared up looking at all the hard work that went into it.

Reindeer Food Spreading
Santa arrived, we put out the Reindeer food, and apparently Prancer LOVES blue glitter so our stop was extra long.... and we were blessed with bikes for all, a table and chairs, more remote control cars, games, books, videos, boots, clothes, bags, helmets, candy.....wow going to need some organizational magic in this house to accommodate. We also have a FLEET of some really cool remote control cars and their garage is my kitchen table....I had no idea I needed them there....I am so very lucky....good thing we can eat at the kitchen island.

Best yet we have round 3 with the Eychner Side this weekend.....more great, food, company and gifts. This is some GOOD living, I hope all who enjoy this have had the same.

Wishing you and yours the most blessed Christmas and New Year imaginable.

2007 in Review

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

That was yesterday

Yea my last post was all sweet and cuddly...that was SOOO NOT TODAY, b/c today I awoke to Macy ....that sweet Macy.....she opened 2 tubs of vaseline .....and used them ALL over her room, bed, blankets, pillows, chair, otoman, herself, her HAIR, babies, shirts.....have I painted a greasy enough picture. SOO gross.....her hair WOW is nasty, so you may think well this is nothing a good wash cannot fix. You would be correct but here is where Murphy enters in laughing. Rewind to last night and me at my wits end I inform Duke it is his turn to parent, I am going to lock the bedroom door and take a bath.....ahhhh a long hot bath.....with bubbles....ohhh how relaxing. So I run the tub, it is billowing with bubbles, I lit a candle, turn on the bath heater, and enter my paradise....huh...this is not HOT...warm but not hot, I want hot...certian it is a user error I turn on the hot water....wide open....it is icy....maybe in needs a second....no still icy. Awww crap! So now I am covered in my billowing bubbles....in cold water, and have to rinse them off to get out.....using ICY cold water. I am still cold from the experience. So Duke passed the parenting back to me and went to help the hot water heater and to no avail we are pretty sure it is toast. So back to this morning, I cannot wash her blankets or her because there is no hot water and there is not enough cold to fill the washer either....yea I love greasy kids.....gross. So today that was going to be the day of movies and warm indoor activities since it is cold and windy outside will now be filled with my christmas gift of a new hot water heater...just what I asked santa for....there better be a hot shower tonight. I tried to find a silver lining and said well then I want a BIG heater so there is TONS of hot water.....enter Murphy doubled over in laughter.....the stupid "closet" in the garage that houses the heater....there is not enough space in the door to fit anything larger than what is there.....great.....so I hope there is hot water for my guests when you visit.....if not then I guarantee I will have Murphy tied up to a chair so we can all beat him with bats. Oh and to ice the cake, no pun, Macy has a fever....where is Murphy hiding cause I am gonna make him take a BATH!

How I love thee, let me count the ways

Why I love my family:

DALE.....Dale I love your compassionate heart. How you comfort Macy and look out for her. I love how committed you can be to somthing when you choose it. I love watching you run as fast as you can, b/c man you are really fast. I love that you have mastered swimming and reading....tasks I deep down knew you would do but you did it so easily. I love that you are smart in logic and in common sense. I love how you try to dicipline your brother and sister, and yet still want me to put the syrup on your waffles. I love that you have your guys that you love and carry them all over the house like a little crew. I love your belly laugh, when you sound like you are in pain but really laughing. I love it when you say Thank you Mom, for random things and it is totally unsolicited. I love how you shock me with your intelligence, or compassion. I love that you are honest with me. I love your gap in your front teeth, b/c it reminds me of mine. I love your "superman curl" in your hair. I love that you are my first, you will pave the way for all to follow, and it will be a hard act to follow I am sure. Your memories will be momentous sometimes scary and wonderful to experience.


REID-O...... My Reid I love how you always tell me, I love you mommy, for no reason, just so I know. I love how you are so tough when you are away from me and so tender when I am near. I love that you need me to cover you each night, and ask Will you sleep with me? every night. I love how well you can play with Dale one second and then with Macy the next. I love that you only wear bathing suits as shorts in the summer. I love how you suggle with me on the couch. I love how you run home with Dale and try to match his speed. I love you belly laugh, when you sound like you are running out of air. I love how coordinated you are. I love how shy you are in the beginning and then the life of the party soon after. I love your board staight hair, b/c I never had that. I love your perfect teeth, hopefully they will stay that way. I love that you are my middle child, you won't be first or last but you definatly put your own stamp on all that you will do, your memories will be so special to me.

MACY...... Miss Monkey Macy, I love that I rock you before you go to bed every night and we have our little time. I love how you refer to yourself as a monkey. I love how you save me some covers each night to come sleep with you. I love how you take care of your babies, rocking and patting, dancing and comforting them saying, "its ok sweetie, its ok" and then drop them on their head to go play with another toy. I love that you allow me to shop for you and you like what I choose. I love how you love purses, shoes, nail polish, jewerly and all things girlie, and then every night end up running around the house in your panties. I love your hair fixed in a bow, and also all messed up and tosseled around. I love how you like to play teacher with your flash cards...quizzing me "whats this?" "very good Mommy." I love your belly laugh, I love your singing and dancing and bopping to music. I love how you include me in things....its our cake right mommy...just ours, right, for us, right... I love how you say, thank you, thank you so very much for things and... its very special to me...refering to random things and some things that are special to you. I love it when you wake up in the morning and run to hug me and squeeze me. I love that you think a tight hug and kiss will solve most everything. I love that you can hang with your brothers, and run the show alot of times. I love that you are the last and my girl and the one I will share so many memories with.

DUKE........Duke I love that you have given me so many fabulous things in my life. I love that I have made so many memories with you allready. I love that I have grown with you, and that we have grown togeather. I love that you love me, accept me and cherish me, even when I am in my pjs, with no makeup, frazzled trying to please everyone at breakfast. I love our time in bed right before we go to sleep. I love it when you scratch my back unsolicited. I love I can be totally honest with you, no secrets, no baggage. I love it that we tivo Greys and then watch it togeather in the same chair. I love it when you play with the kids and get them to laugh with their Belly laughs. I love how you can detail a home and then play Star Wars with Dale. I love that you can beat all the levels on the games so you can help Dale succeed, b/c I am awful at them. I love how strategic, and intelligent you are, and yet so creative too. I love your hands....your giant, make me feel so safe, bear hands. You amaze me that you are a real life pig pen, creating a mess in the cleanist of spaces, and somehow creating mud on your shoes when there is no mud to be seen ANYWHERE. I love that you can build things for me, that I love. I love you can fix things around the house, the right way, not all rigged up....like I would do, and you would take over and fix it correctly. I love that you want to make me happy and always ask if I am happy....I am so very happy, happy, content, fullfilled, stable, comfotable, at ease, in love, silly, crazy, goofy, HAPPY.

One of those forwards that makes you think

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner.

In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE!!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arriv ed at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight.

Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did. The 16-year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her; no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket. When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears.. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?" He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?"

Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace. If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.

You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked up you and me on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit. Sometimes we just take things for granted, when we really need to be sharing what we know...Thanks.

An appropriate message for the season, about he who is the meaning of the season. Merry Christmas.

Happy Birthday Dale

I can not hardly believe it.....DALE IS 7.....7, wow that went really fast. And I have decided that I will take a cue from him for my next birthday.....make a week of 1 day!

On Sunday we took two of Dales best buds and went to Green Acres. This really cool golf and games place just outside of town. Bumper boats, paint ball, mini golf, water balloon wars, batting cages, a trampoline thing, go carts, an arcade.....tons of fun. So we went golfed...more like speed golf. There was no score kept and the balls rarely stopped rolling, there were not really turns taken per say, we found LOTS of water but the balls float,and they had these awesome water runs where if you hit the water it rolled down over a grate and back onto the grass...cool we did it like 20 times.. bumper boated, I was glad it was a warm day b/c each boat had a sprayer....Macy was in charge of ours and we sprayed the entire time, tossed water balloons, where again really glad for the warm day. Did the trampoline thing where you bounce really really high, check out my video of my aged skills. The arcade, had some pizza and cotton candy and wore everyone out.

The Mini Golf Pro-Am Open

Dale waging WAR Daddy and Reid on the battle front
Water balloon launching.....look out

Get all of your 50 lbs into it Dale.... Soaring....Flying.....
My jumping monkey

My aged trampoline skills....my old coaches would cringe at that poor form, but I did it!

Reid doing a Jeep game....go figure

On Wednesday he had his cake for breakfast, took cupcakes to school, and then took more cupcakes to football practice that night. He also chose dinner which was at IHOP to get a BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger....where he asked Duke,

Dad have you ever had a perfect meal?....

yes Dale I have,

Dad was it here....was it tonight?

No, not here..

Well mine is all perfect?

good Dale I am so glad you like it?

We then went home and opened his gifts. From, Macy Red velvet cake Twinkies, a Dale favorite and he loves having his own box he is in charge of, and a toy gun, from Reid a Ben 10 guy and a Star Wars guy, and from Mom and Dad a Nintendo DS and 3 games, and accessory kit. He was very excited and was allowed to stay up late to play his new toy, then asked if he could get up early to play the next day too....sure we say. At 1:00 am....Dale walks into my room fully dressed, and says

I got up early to go play my DS, and I went down stairs but keep thinking of the Grinch and I am scared.

You have been down stairs already?

Yes, for a while, but I got scared.

Dale it is the middle of the night, you need to go back to bed.

Will you turn off the lights downstairs mommy

Yes, I will, go to bed and we will get you up in a little bit to play your game.

He was up at 6am to play the DS....dressed and ready to roll.

Thursday night Grandma and Bepaw came down and we went again to Dales choice...Mr. Gattis Game Land. Pizza and Arcade time....7 year old heaven. Bumper cars, games, the choo choo train, and tickets galore. Reid hit the jackpot on the way out the door and upped the total ticket count by 100 tickets!!! Again a great but late night.

So I think I am all set for Christmas,the kids have shopped for each other and us, mine are all starting to arrive at my door, just a few loose ends and we are ready to celebrate and relax. Cards, Neighbors and Teachers and I am done.....I think.