Pretty In Pink

Below are a few pictures that we snapped over the weekend. I must say that I have to adorable children.

Cap has an identity crisis when it comes to the BIG 12, he wears a Texas Tech Hat and a Nebraska Shirt.

A Random Smattering

I have had a difficult time getting back into the routine of writing on a regular basis. I am not sure why this has happened. I find it interesting the routines that people get into. Take Cap for example. For about 1 year all he wanted for breakfast was a bagel, makes the people in New York happy. Now he is on the kick about having pancakes, of course they are not pancake, they are actually waffles, but he calls them pancakes anyway.

It is not just limited to the writing routine being upset or upended. I am also in a funk about spending lots of time with the family or working hard on all of these extra curricular activities. Lately I have put aside the extra curricular activities. I do not see how some people do it. Work, family, community, they a focused on all of these areas of life. I think that some people, and culture in general pushes people to run on the ragged edge. Once you examine the list again you will find, work, family, community. There are a few things missing, one is self, the other is God. I think that everyone needs to devote energy to themselves from time to time. If you do not you will break at some point.

If you are not focused on God you will glorify something else. It could be work, it could be sports, it could be gambling, or worse. (It is the nature of humans to rank everything. From hurricanes to sins, of course, sin is just turning your back on God. This can be done just as much by sports, work or gambling, as it can the love of the "Building" that a church is housed in.)

Ezekiel 46:19-20 -- " In my vision, the man brought me through the entrance beside the gateway and led me to the sacred rooms assigned to the priests, which faced toward the north. He showed me a place at the extreme west end of these rooms. He explained, “This is where the priests will cook the meat from the guilt offerings and sin offerings and bake the flour from the grain offerings into bread. They will do it here to avoid carrying the sacrifices through the outer courtyard and endangering the people by transmitting holiness to them.”

In the temple at Jerusalem there was a special kitchen built so that the people in the court yard would not be endangered with what we should be seeking today, holiness. For if we are seeking holiness, then we will be searching for Christ and his will for our lives.

Are we as Christians searching for holiness? Is the church searching for holiness or are we just trying to get by?

The BIg Swim Party

Today after church Cap was playing with Ella and we got the old camera out. Below are a few pictures.

Ella's two favorite guys.

Tonight the church had a family fun night at a local (within 15miles) swimming pool. (On a side note, I find it interesting that Borger has had the same pool with little improvements since the 50's or 60's while a smaller community is able to build an entire new pool with slides and a great place for small kids to swim and play.) It was fun, Cap and I went, as well as many of the other young families. Honey, Bear, Crash, and Natalie came too. Cap went down the big slide by himself after numerous trips with me, Bear, and Natalie.

Crash riding solo...

Cap and Dad

(Dad is smiling behind Cap's head)

Brandon's "Big Splash"

The Backyard

I like sitting in the back yard during the cool summer evenings. As I sit on the patio tonight I can feel the humidity in the air as it begins to drop out on everything. I can smell the cool air of the outdoors, and it fresh scent. (A scent that no matter how many times they try, chemist will never be able to duplicate in a lab or an air freshener.) I can here and see the tractor sprinkler as it is making its march across the yard. Though unlike Sherman's march to Atlanta, the sprinkler is raining down one of the necessary ingredients to life, water. I can also hear the thousands of bugs that are hiding across my yard and the land around it. It is a time when I can really relax and forget about the trials and tribulations of the day as it comes to its conclusion.

So now, I sit in the backyard on the porch in a chair...

Norman Rockwell

I am now surrounded by my "Norman Rockwell" family, we have a wife, one son, one daughter, and one dog. You will note that we have no cats, our neighbors do and that is close enough for me.

Cap came down with a temperature (fever) on Saturday afternoon, and we went to see a doctor on Sunday morning. He received a prescription, which I filled at Walgreen's in Amarillo and got excellent service I might add. It was a rough day, which made Monday difficult. The first item note worthy that had changed at work was the toilet paper dispenser in the east stall in the men's room. It is new and it actually works.

Cap is doing well now, Amy's grandparents were in town last week for a few days, and this week one of Amy's mom's friends is in town which is nice. We took some pictures of Ella in a dress on Sunday, but the camera's memory card malfunctioned so they were wiped out.

First Bath

Life in the fast lane is really kind of fun. I am sure that most people think of the fast lane as New York city night life, or living in Hollywood parting all night. I am sure that both of these types of lifestyle make the day go by fast, however, living in the fast lane is raising children. It is the fast lane with benefits. In the movie Parenting the character played by Steve Martin says, "You know they make you go to class and pass a driving test before you get your drivers licence, but there is no class or exam required for becoming a parent." I am awestruck that God does not require training or a class before becoming a parent, it is truly a gift of God to have kids.

Last night we gave Ella her first bath. There are pictures below.

Of course Cap had to have a bath as well...

Last night Amy and I also watched a documentary on Stax Records, a recording company based out of Memphis that I had never heard of. They put out some of the great hits of the 60's including Otis Reading. It aired on PBS between 3:00 am and 5:00 am.

Early Arrival

I do not have to worry about picking a baby name as it has been officially decided. When I say officially, I mean listed on the birth certificate and everything. Elizabeth Mae "Ella" was born Sunday 8-5-07 (2.5 weeks early) at 8:33 am. She weighed 8lbs and 8 oz and was 20 inches long. Everyone is doing well, a bit on the tired side but we are all healthy. We were released from the hospital today and are now at home. Below are some pictures of the beautiful girl.