A few pictures and some quiet time...

Today when I got home, it had just finished raining and there was an awesome rainbow in the sky but it had all but faded away by the time I thought to get the camera and take a picture.

Here are the last remaining minutes of the rainbow.

The sky was a strange color tonight as the sun began to set and I thought the way the trees looked against the sky made for an interesting photo.

Last but not least is a picture of Connor from his birthday at Chuck E Cheese. Connor says he had an awesome birthday~ The contraption he is on goes up in the air as you pedal it. It looked fun and I thought it would be cool if they would get one for adults...maybe I should get a petition signed for them to install adult rides at Chuck e Cheese, or not???? :)

Right now is my favorite time of night at my house. Everyone in the house is asleep and it is very quiet. I can hear the piano music playing softly in Lillers room. I have found that if I put on a Jim Brickman CD very softly, she will fall asleep to it. It's nice to have some time to listen to the sounds of the building and at the same time, have some really peaceful quiet time. I encourage you to take some time like this occasionally and just listen. Sometimes it's moments like this when God will speak to us, when we finally sit down after all the hustle and bustle of a long day of working, running kids all over, and making ourselves busier than we really should be. When we finally stop, and all distractions have melted away with the rest of the day, that's when God will let you reflect on the day and occasionally offer you a tidbit of His wisdom. I have always heard people say that they have thier quiet time in the morning as a way to start their day with Bible study and a time to pray. I have found that the evening works best for me, I am more awake than if I try to get up early and after everyone has gone to bed it is quiet. I also like the fact that I am not rushed, if I want to spend an hour reading my Bible I can and the only time constraint I have is getting up in time for work. No matter what time of day you choose, I encourage you to spend a little time each day reading your Bible, praying, and talking with God.

I hope you have had a great week so far...Hang on, Friday is just around the corner!

No news is good news!

Wow, it has been a while since I posted anything. It's funny, there has been a lot of little things going on, yet it seems like there really hasn't been anything worthy of blogging about.

I see on my friend Philips blog that his brother Mark is exploring the option of running for Lt Governor of Arkansas in the next election. Personally, I think that is awesome. It would be good to get someone in office who is down to earth and understands the needs and concerns of the general population. We as a Country need to stop electing these "Professional" politicans who are so out of touch with the people they represent. Take Nancy Pelosi for example, she is completely off her rocker but she thinks that she represents a good portion of the American public...I can promise you that if she came to Arkansas she would get a rude awakening as to what the general public thinks of her hairbrain ideas. So, back to my original thought...Good Luck to Mark! Maybe he will have a position on his cabinet for Philip and I? Wait a minute, does the Lt Governor have a cabinet? Guess I should brush up on my Civics and Government a little!

So, what else has been happening...let me see, Ah Yes! Today, I took Lily and Connor both to the doctor and they have matching ear infections in their right ears. In addition, I asked about Lily grinding her teeth at night so they took an X-Ray of her tonsils and adenoids...yep, you guessed it, they have to be taken out. I am nervous about this but at the same time I'm relieved to know what may be keeping her (and me) from sleeping at night. Lily has had a lot of issues with going to bed lately. I have tried being calm and soothing, I have tried being strict, I have resorted to bribery, and nothing works...it always ends up with her throwing a fit and having a meltdown, screaming that she can't go to sleep! I welcome any suggestions that anyone may have, at this point, I'm willing to try anything. 4-5 hours of sleep each night just isn't cutting it for me.

My friend Jackie Dolan called me today so we could work out a schedule for Turkey season. April 11th is opening day and I can't wait. Hopefully a few gobblers will be in the sights of my trusty shotgun!

This week is Spring Break! I know that the faculty and students were ready. There have been some idiots calling in bomb threats and also threatening some of the faculty right before the break. I hope they catch whoever is doing this and give them the maximum punishment. The kids probably feel like they are in prison instead of school what with all the additional security measures and searches going on. Hopefully the rest of the school year will go on without incident.

Since it is spring break, Andria and I decided to take the kids somewhere. Tulsa seems to be the popular destination and we may just do that as well. We have been to the Tulsa Zoo several times but never to the aquarium...I guess we'll leave it up to the kids and let them decide where we go and what we do, after all, it's their spring break.

Well, I have rambled on long enough! If you are on Spring break this week, hope you enjoy it. If you are like a lot of us and are still working this week, keep in mind that tomorrow is Wednesday and we are halfway through this week already! Hang in there, just a few more days until Friday! Wahoo!

Good Grief...

Remember how Charlie Brown always said this when he was disgusted or aggrevated? This is what I have been saying all day today! After watching the news and hearing about AIG and all the buffoonery that is going on with that and then hearing that veterans who are wounded may have to pay for their own medical bills...I just borrowed Charlie Brown's Phrase and said "Good Grief!" What will the politicians come up with next? I did read that veterans organizations complained enough that the President has decided to scrap the plan, thank goodness! I can't imagine being deployed and getting injured only to come back to a stack of medical bills that my insurance company would have to reimburse to the Dept of Veterans Affairs...the very organization that was created to take care of American heros returning from war.
So, I have decided that I am not going to watch the news for several days now...it's depressing and there isn't anything good reported at all, only negative views and news.
I wonder if people would watch if I started a news broadcast that only had positive stories? I could see if my friend Philip would be the weather guy but he could only report the weather if it is going to be nice outside. No rain, ice, sleet or any other type of inclement weather would be considered newsworthy on the positive news show. Ha Ha

Well, I hope everyone is having a great week! Only a couple more days until Friday...Hang in there!

How bout this weather?...

I've always heard if you don't like Arkansas weather just wait a day or two and will be totally different. After this week, I truly believe that. We have seen temperatures in the upper 70's early in the week and now it is below freezing and it was sleeting when I went to work this morning. I guess ol man winter wanted us to know he wasn't going out without a fight! In case you were wondering the first official day of Spring is March 20th. All of the people in the Air National Guard always joke that the weekends that we are off, the weather is terrible but the weekend we have drill, it is always beautiful weather. I'm starting to believe that, although I guess I can't complain too much, the weather was gorgeous last weekend.

The good news is...tomorrow is FRIDAY!!!!

Creative attempt...

Did anyone else read about the nut that tried to commit suicide by jumping in Niagra Falls today? I have noticed in the paper lately that there are a lot of killings and suicides by gunshot, you know, standard stuff; but I have to give this guy an A+ for creativity. So the guy does go over the falls but miraculuosly survives the 180 ft fall. He eluded rescue attempts by swimming to the middle of the river and when the rescuers got to him, he was suffering from hypothermia and a head wound. Obviously this isn't the first time someone has attempted suicide at Niagra Falls...I mean look at all the guys that propose there every year...OK, bad joke! ha ha Seriously, another guy attempted this in 2003 and he survived.

OK, Something a little more serious. Not that suicide isn't a serious subject. I suppose I should have been a little more sensitive about the whole thing...anyway, the other topic of my blog today is a little bit of a concern to me. Its called HR 45 and it is being introduced into the senate. This is a gun control bill that is out of control. Now before you label me as a gun nut or a survivalist or even a extreme right winger, let me give you a little bit about this bill. This bill will make it basically illegal to own a gun with a clip, this includes hunting rifles and pistols unless you agree to the following. Please keep in mind I am doing this from memory and may not have all the stipulations of the bill in my post. Basically you have to pay an extra 25 dollars and be fingerprinted each time you purchase a gun, you have to store your guns a certain way and Government officials have the right to view how you store your guns at any given time. Another item in the bill would subject gun owners to a mental evaluation at the will and pleasure of Uncle Sam. If this passes gun owners will have to register every time they purchase ammunition as well. I just think this is the first step to trying to take away guns in the USA or at least make it so difficult and outrageously priced that the average outdoorsman won't be able to afford to own a gun. Thomas Jefferson once said "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." All I'm asking is if you have any interest at all that you take a look at the bill for yourself. You can type in HR 45 into any search engine and it will most likely pull it up for you. If you feel like it is not a good thing, take a few minutes to write your elected officials and urge them not to vote for this. Ok, I know there are some of you out there now calling me a right wing, gun loving, nut job! I swear, I'm not! I know, I know, the ones that say they aren't, are, right? ha ha Seriously, I'm not some guy stockpiling weapons or something, I just like the idea that I can own a hunting rifle and a pistol to defend my home and property...is that too much to ask from the "Land of the Free"?

It's almost Friday...hang in there!

Need some inspiration????

I saw this picture today and thought it was funny. It is a good reminder that there is always someone out there in a worse situation. Sometimes I think people get in a slump and think that they really have it bad. I think that sometimes we get so caught up in worldly things that we forget the blessings that God has given us. I must admit, I don't know why I was compelled to write this tonight, I guess it's just something that God laid on my heart.
I think maybe because of all the bad news surrounding our family and friends right now, I am trying to find the good in all of the situations, but it is difficult. How can anything good come from a doctor telling a mom that she has breast cancer? How can anything good come from a 12 year old boy finding out he is diagnosed with a lifelong disease? What about all the kids that are suffering from various injuries, illnesses, etc? What about all the deaths of family members lately? This is all overwhelming but we must stay focused and remember that God is in control and he will make things right. In our suffering, we should seek out the good things that He has provided. Faith will see us through the bad times. Remember the famous poem "Footprints in the Sand." by Mary Stevenson? In case you don't, I'll post it below. A little history behind the poem...it was written in 1936 and many copies were distributed for years with "Author Unknown" posted at the bottom. Mary Stevenson actually wrote the poem but knew nothing about copyrights and thought nothing more about it. Then while cleaning out her garage in 1984 she found a copy that she had dated 1939, she sought a copyright for the poem but it would take 11 more years for forensic scientists to prove the authenticity of the poem. So, if you're feeling a little down and out and need a little reminder, just read the poem. It's pretty inspiring!


"Footprints in the Sand"

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,
"The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you."

~Mary Stevenson~

Weekend Update...No it's not Saturday Night Live...

It's several days since my last post. Unfortunately, it's been a little crazy around our house. My inspection ended last Tuesday and from the preliminary report we recieved it looks like we did very well. There were only 4 safety write-ups, all were minor and were easily corrected, which is great!
Wednesday was Connor's Birthday and also the day that Libby had surgery. All in all, it was a crazy day! Andria went to Little Rock to be with her mom, For those that don't know, my mother-in-law had a major surgery. Basically, all her internal organs were pushing up into her chest cavity. The surgeons moved everything back where it is supposed to be. I know Libby is in a lot of pain now, but I believe that when the pain goes away, she will feel much better. The doctor said that they saw immediate improvement in her lung capacity and in her blood oxygen levels.
So, about Connor's birthday, I took him to school and then ran to Wal-Mart to get the drinks for his school party. Took those back to school and then took Lily to the doctor. I then took Lily to my mom's house and made it back in time to have lunch with Connor. I ran to my moms after lunch to check on Lily and then made a mad dash to pick up Connor from school so that I could get him to his vision therapy at 4:00 pm. After that, we went to Chuck E Cheese for some pizza and some fun. I think he had a good birthday. The rest of the week was uneventful with the exception of Lily being sick.
The weather over the weekend was outstanding! I wish we could have done more outside but Lily is still sick and Andria went back to Little Rock on Sunday to visit. I really want to take Connor and Lily camping at Devils Den State Park or somewhere like that before it gets too hot. I think they would like playing in the campground and maybe exploring some of the caves. If there is dirt, water, mud, and adventure to be had, you can bet that Connor will be all about that!
Ok, I think that pretty well catches me up to today. What's the picture of the mouse laughing got to do with anything, you ask? Noting at all, it's just that I have discovered that I can blog from work and since our internet at home is on the fritz, I am limited on pictures. We are trying to install wireless internet at home and according to the box it's very simple...Yeah right! I have spent an hour or so on the phone and so has Andria and it's still not working! Anyway, about my blog, It's funny, I can access my blog but can't access any photos other than my mishap photos. I considered putting a picture of one of my recent gym mishaps where a guy cut off the end of his finger in our workout facility. It was pretty bloody and I decided against it. The only other photos I have on my work computer are of airplanes that are damaged when the collide with birds...these are also pretty bloody and I thought better than to put them on here. If anyone wants to see these, I'll be happy to post them.... So, I tell you that incredibly long story just to tell you that the picture of the mouse has absolutely nothing to do with anything!
Please remember to pray for a friend of mine and his family! The Darr family has had two rounds of bad news this week. Lizzy Kate is their youngest daughter, aka. "The Caker" and she had a bad fall two weeks ago that left her with a hematoma on her head and also at the base of her skull. These seem to be going away but if they don't completely dissolve, she could require surgery. Second, Philips mother was diagnosed with cancer. They are awaiting the next doctors visit to discuss treatment options. Please pray for this family.


Hope everyone is having a great week!