Best of 2009. This years memorable pictures.

Here's a link to the slide show. If you hover your mouse over the picture it will allow you to speed up, slow down or pause the pictures. Thanks for looking.

http://family.webshots.com/slideshow/576080016oTSldS

what's next?...from Em & Jen

With the  arrival of the girls, Emmy broke her tooth...blood...EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!! Jori screaming with Olivia with the color of the blood.. out of Emmy's MOUTH.They weren't here for more than 2 hours,when Em and Jenna were already baking.In the middle of biting a really cold candy bar Emma Kate broke her tooth,AGAIN.OUCHY Mama! After that little problem happened, of course we just had  to build a fire! (Kids- don't do that at home we're professionals, mind you we're 10 yrs. old) Oh,by the way em and jen are typing this.don't believe it?eh. Guess what? you probably wish you were here why are we asking because were awsome! So whats next to happen?

                                                                 Your Friends,

                               Emmy & Jen                               

Gifts from God

Amy and I were discussing some of the unbelievable ways that God moves through your life. I'll save some of that discussion for another day except to say that our girls remind us of this in some way everyday. Some days it's the intelligence they demonstrate, or the innocence, humor, companionship or one of a hundred other things. Very often it will be something that we need to be shown. Usually it's on a day when we need patience.

Wednesday night Jori got in the car after her youth group all excited. Partly because she made a new friend who she described as exactly like her (oh boy, here we go), and partly because a teacher asked if anyone wanted to give their life to Christ. Well, Jori raised her hand. She always raises her hand. She gets so excited that I think she forgets that she always raises her hand. Maybe she just see it as insurance. She's awesome though and we're thrilled that she loves Jesus.

Yesterday, Jori and I are driving to the library and the radio is on. Francesca Battastelli is singing  'Free to be Me'. If you haven't heard the song, there's a part where she sings about the battle already being won. Excellent. Jori digs this song and we have some time alone. Great opportunity for a Daddy/daughter teaching moment  right?(turns out it was-just not what I was thinking). So I ask Jori if she knows what she meant by that. I got shushed because the song wasn't over and Jor is singin' her brains out. So we are sitting in the parking lot at the library singing the rest of the song (and getting funny looks). The song ends and Jori looks at me and asks me what I want to know. She explains that the battle was between God and Satan over our souls and that we already know that Jesus fought for us and won, but that life can still be a struggle and we still make mistakes. That's what the part of the song is about when she sings about dents in her fenders and holes in her jeans.

Wow on me. Then she looks at me and says "lets go get our books".
Here's the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKSQjSdU8VA
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What else is new around here? Not too much. Here's Em just bein Em...

That scarf/boa thing has been a constant part of the wardrobe for the last week. The day started with her in full Little House on the Prairie regalia...bonnet, dress, the whole shebang courtesy of Grammy. Her cousin Nicholas says that she's Emish.
She also got a perfect score on today's math test which was on multiplication of decimals when zeros are annexed....whatever that means. She did teach me how to multiple improper fractions when we were on vacation( ok- that sounded really lame), so I got that going for me.
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In case you needed more evidence that I'm not quite right......

You never know what you can do with a fruit basket and a Sharpie.

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That's enough for now, Jenna and Olivia are on their way for the pre-Christmas child swap. They are staying with us until Sunday and then we send our girls home with them until somebody makes us go get them...sorry, I mean, I think Wednesday. Should be lots of giggles in both houses this week.

Later

Cool People

If you remember back in July, my doctor told me that out of all the activities in the world in which I was likely to participate, there was only one that I was actually prohibited from doing.

Shoveling snow. (I did a really good job of being somber and grave given the gravity of the moment, I don't think I even smiled out loud)

Now, on its face, that would seem to be a pretty spectacular way to get out of some grim work. Particularly if you happen to have a driveway that is 120 feet long. I mean, it's way better to say, " sorry sweetie, you know I'd love to get right on that, but the cardiologist says I can't".

The problem lies right where this concept bumps up into reality. The reality revealed itself to me when I began to think about the fact that my beautiful wife, and newly commissioned snow removal technician, usually comes home from work around 2 in the morning. I get up at 4 in the morning. If you haven't quite grasped the enormity of this, let me paint a picture.

It's been snowing since the afternoon rush hour. You know, cars spinning into ditches, drivers playing bumper cars. The usual carnage. This is how my wife is occupying her evening. She's not sitting in the warm house having dinner with us or by the fire reading. Instead she has some Wayniac screaming at her about paying for a tow truck. This goes on consistently until 2 in the morning when she gets to come home and sneak in a few hours of sleep until she has to get up to teach.

At 4 oclock my alarm goes off. I look out the window and then gently shake my bride awake..."honey, can you please go shovel my car out so I can go to work?"

See? Not so stinkin' good.

The easy solution would seem to be a snowblower, however the snowblower tree I planted did not bear any this year so I'm kinda stuck.

I was explaining my dilemma to a couple of friends one day and one of them just casually offered me his. Great. Apparently he is replacing his this year and I can make use of his old beater right? So he calls me last week when he sees the weather forecast and tells me to get over there so he can give me this machine. Turns out that he doesn't have another one, but he still insisted that I take his. And this is a like-new snow blower. So now I have guilt.

So Mark and Laura, thank you from the bottom of my repaired heart. I got that nasty wet heavy snow off my driveway in about an hour. Last year it would have taken me at least 3. I didn't even break a sweat. And you've ensured that there will be less stress in the house this winter.

We really appreciate you guys. You are a Godsend. Thank you.

If you haven't been mad yet today.....

Check this out.
This gentleman is a 90 year Medal of Honor recipient. His homeowners association is going to take legal action against him because he put a flagpole in his yard. Some dingdong apparently thinks they are pretty important.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/article/POLEGAT02_20091202-091201/309031/P10/title=Henrico

And as an aside, here is what Mr. Barfoot did to be recognized. Unbelievable. By the way, he served us in three wars and retired as a Colonel.

BARFOOT, VAN T.

Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Carano, Italy, 23 May 1944. Entered service at: Carthage, Miss. Birth: Edinburg, Miss. G.O. No.: 79, 4 October 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, near Carano, Italy. With his platoon heavily engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on commanding ground, 2d Lt. Barfoot (then Tech. Sgt.) moved off alone upon the enemy left flank. He crawled to the proximity of 1 machinegun nest and made a direct hit on it with a hand grenade, killing 2 and wounding 3 Germans. He continued along the German defense line to another machinegun emplacement, and with his tommygun killed 2 and captured 3 soldiers. Members of another enemy machinegun crew then abandoned their position and gave themselves up to Sgt. Barfoot. Leaving the prisoners for his support squad to pick up, he proceeded to mop up positions in the immediate area, capturing more prisoners and bringing his total count to 17. Later that day, after he had reorganized his men and consolidated the newly captured ground, the enemy launched a fierce armored counterattack directly at his platoon positions. Securing a bazooka, Sgt. Barfoot took up an exposed position directly in front of 3 advancing Mark VI tanks. From a distance of 75 yards his first shot destroyed the track of the leading tank, effectively disabling it, while the other 2 changed direction toward the flank. As the crew of the disabled tank dismounted, Sgt. Barfoot killed 3 of them with his tommygun. He continued onward into enemy terrain and destroyed a recently abandoned German fieldpiece with a demolition charge placed in the breech. While returning to his platoon position, Sgt. Barfoot, though greatly fatigued by his Herculean efforts, assisted 2 of his seriously wounded men 1,700 yards to a position of safety. Sgt. Barfoot's extraordinary heroism, demonstration of magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of pointblank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers.