Cap the Soccer Star

6-14-08 197
Originally uploaded by Germburner

Here is Cap playing soccer. He still thinks it is better to throw it, rather than kick it.

Ella and Cap

Ella and Cap
Originally uploaded by Germburner

Here is a picture of Cap and Ella. Amy's is actually holding on to Ella's arms.

Mr W's Birthday

Mr W's Birthday
Originally uploaded by Germburner

Here is a picture with the boy's at Mr. W's Birthday Party.

OKC

Last weekend we went to OKC (which is short for Oklahoma City) to celebrate Whaetly's birthday. The trip was a lot of fun. We took the pickup which was good, until we hit a monsoon about 10 miles from the hotel. I had to get out and put a tarp over the luggage. I agree with the boyscouts, in that you should always be prepared. Cap thought the rain and Storm were just one more big adventure. We went to White Water and had a good time, I did several laps around the lazy river (walking, not floating), and played in the kids pool with the kids. Actually, it was more like herding cats. Saturday night we had the birthday party, complete with cup cakes that turned your teeth green. On Sunday, we went to the big furniture store, the mall with the Apple store, and Kid's Pottery Barn. I am not sure why they call it pottery barn, I did not see a single pot in the joint. I played with an apple computer at the apple store, I really was not to impressed. Perhaps that is because I have had 13 years of Windows pumped in from Microsoft.

This weekend, we stayed in the area. Yesterday, I took a desk to the salvation army, and one to the transfer station. It gets transferred to the municipal dump in Pampa. Then I worked on the Mustang. Last night we took the kids to the park. Cap played in the water park, and Ella and I made a few laps.

Today we went to church and had our first experience with the new pastor. He seems nice, he can sing so he lead the hymns.

105 F

Today the high temperature in Borger reached 105 degrees Fahrenheit. That is pretty hot for the second week in June. I swear that I can watch my grass turning brown in the heat of the day. I did not realize how hot it was today, until I left the office at 5:30 pm, it was about 30 degrees warmer than it had been at 6:20 am when I walked in. In the event that you did not know, the Fahrenheit temperature scale was developed by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736). I for one think it is interesting that America is one of the few countries that us the Fahrenheit scale, which was actually invented by a German Scientist.

I did get the new computer desk set-up and the computer put into the desk. It is nice, and the draws are not falling off like the old desk. So, in the next few days the old desk will take a drive over to the "Transfer Station". That is the city's way of saying, the "central trash depot" or perhaps, the "trash truck central". What they do is bring in all of the trash trucks, dump them in a building, and load all the garbage into semi trailers which are hauled to a city 30 miles away for disposal. This was less expensive then operating our own sanitary land fill. Again, another oxymoron, how exactly is a landfill sanitary, when you dump thousand of tons of trash in it daily?

Changing of The Gaurd Tommorow, our new computer desk will arrive. I have to say, that I am excited about this prospect for the following reasons.

Tomorrow, our new computer desk will arrive. I have to say, that I am excited about this prospect for the following reasons.

1. The computer is currently on the bar.
2. We do not have any bar stools.
3. I have to sit 1- feet away from the monitor to comfortable type the blog.

So tomorrow evening, I will be moving the computer to the new desk, yippee.

This is the week in June when many Methodist Pastors move to a new church. Because the Methodist church is a correctional church, the pastors are assigned by the bishop and his cabinet, and this is the week when most will be moving. Don, our current pastor is moving to Abilene to take on the role of District Superintendent, where he will be more of a pastor to the pastors. Don and his family served our church for 5 wonderful years, and they will be missed.

Our new pastor is coming from Childress, and I have heard many positive things about him. One thing that I always find interesting is the question, "What do you think of the new pastor". When I was in high school I asked one of the older members this question (several actually and got more or less the same response)- You know I have seen 13 pastors come and go, and when this one leaves, I will still be there. At the time I was taken back by this comment, but it does have some stark reality in it. I believe that the pastors are at church to aide, guide or otherwise facilitate the members in ministry to the community. I think most churches are good at doing ministry to the other church members, however, where we sometimes fail is in engaging the community. I will say up front, that I to fail in this aspect.

All theories beside, Don and his family, exemplified their love of Christ in the way they served our Church. If I had it my way, they would not be leaving. However, it is also note worthy to say, when I have things "my way" and do not listen to God, the ole train usually derails. If you cannot think of anything to pray for this week, pray for your pastor, and all the pastors that are in the great Methodist shuffle.

Annual Confrence

Last week I attended the United Methodist, North West Texas and New Mexico Annual conference in Glorieta, NM. It was a good conference, and it was the first time in over 30 years that the two conferences convened together. I should point out that both conferences have shared a bishop since 1968. The business of the conference was completed. Through out the week there were several worship services which were very spirit filled and powerful. The conference Preacher was Rev. Tyrone Gordon, who reminded us that everyone is on the list for communion, and that as fishers of men we should use a net to bring in all fish, instead of a rod and real, with "special bait" to bring in one select type of person. I listened to the reports of the delegates that went to the General Conference in Ft. Worth last month. (I the event you do not know, every 4 years the United Methodist Church has a General Conference, where delegates from each annual conference across the world come together to do the business of the church and to worship together.)

On a more personnel note I was able to visit with many off the former pastors that had been to my church, and some other pastors who I am friends with. I did get to visit with Ryan, and had lunch with he and Don one day. The Cooke's took me to Santa Fe for dinner one evening which was good. While the business of the church is an important aspect of annual conference, it was far overshadowed for me by the worship and fellowship.

Dumpster Fire

I had a little bit of excitement today, which did involve the fire department and 911. I was out back mowing and smelled, and then saw smoke. I went to see what it was, as it was in the alley and found a dumpster on fire. It was a few houses down, but I called 911 anyway. I mean, why not let the professional fire eaters deal with the situation. While I was talking to the operator I walked up the street to verify the address. When I returned on of the girls that lived in the house the dumpster was behind was spraying water in the dumpster. Her mom came out and I said that I had called the fire department, and she seem put off by this, turned and walked back in the house. It even took the firemen 15 minutes to get it out, so I don't think the garden house would have done much good. As it turns out the mom's boyfriend had put coals from an outdoor fire pit into the dumpster that were not completely, how do you say it, extinguished. I would hope that if anyone saw the dumpster behind my house on fire, they would not hesitate to call 911. So in the event that you see it, go ahead and call.

That was the most exciting thing that happened all day. I did try it and I can swing the golf club while talking on the bluetooth ear piece. Just thought that you should know.

The Sabbatical

I am calling it a sabbatical, because that is a $5 word, and you would not be reading this if you did not want to come across one of those every so often. The word actually means, any extended period of leave from one's customary work, esp. for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc. I have not written anything in about 6 months (give or take a few days). I suppose that the sabbatical was on set or as a result of long days and early mornings at work. Additionally, going from 2 on one to a man defense with the kids has been a change. Right now I am sitting at the dinning room table, typing on a keyboard that is about 7 feet from the computer. Wireless technology is great. We got the tile re done in the old kitchen, and I decided that it was time to get a new computer desk. So we have on e on order.

Today, I attended the funeral of my mom's sister, my aunt. While it was a nice service, and good to see everyone, families should make it a point not to need name tags at funerals by getting together more than once every 10 years.

I have pondered as to why I quit writing, and for the life of me, I have not figured really why. I do know that it is a stress relieving activity, so I will pick it up again, along with golf. Can you say FOUR! Do you ever wonder if the greens keepers in the world, are like Bill Murry in Caddyshack?

Cap and his Gingerbread House

Cap and his Gingerbread House
Originally uploaded by Germburner

Boys Weekend

Amy went to Albuquerque over the weekend, leaving Cap and I at home. Cap spent Thursday and Friday at Honey and Bear's. We also had breakfast on Saturday, Supper on Saturday, and lunch on Sunday at Honey's house. (I would have fed him myself, but who would pass up Honey's cooking?) We had a good time and survived the weekend with out Momma, although there were a lot of questions about where she was. I am happy to report that she and Ella have returned home safely, and in good spirits.

Last week I finally returned to my real job, it was a bit of a shock to the system. I am working on mentally preparing myself for tomorrow, and the return of the fast pace. I do not have any issues with the fast pace, I just had a few to many days of a pace that was more like a stroll or even a saunter, instead of a sprint slowing down to a marathon.

FedEx tried to deliver my new flash on Thursday and they left one of those tags because it has to be signed for. So I called them and it took 15 minutes for me to explain to the customer "help" desk that it was futile to deliver the package on Friday and most likely on Saturday as well. I was ready to pull my hair out.

I have been thinking about Christmas, and I have the following question. Why do we have a celebratory candlelight church service the evening before Christ was born? Have you ever thought about that? Don't get me wrong, I love the Christmas Eve service, with the Christmas carols, the candles, and communion, but have you ever wondered that?

Ella's New Doll

Ella's New Doll
Originally uploaded by Germburner

Ella and her new doll.

Cap Shoveling Snow

Cap Shoveling Snow
Originally uploaded by Germburner

Captain Snow Shovel

End of Year Review 2007

In the event that you did not know it, 2007 the year of the pig is coming to an end. As I was sitting down to hammer this out, I thought to myself, "I will not write the generic stuff about how good of a year it was, and that time seems to be flying by like a Boeing 747." However, it is hard not to start with some cliche about the year. Below are some high points to the year.

Cap turned 3
Amy Turned 31
I turned 33
Ella Mae arrived in August (2 1/2 weeks early).
I purchased my first "Artificial Tree" which looks surprising good considering I have not watered it.
The pressure plate in the mustang went out again.
I Purchased the Nikon D80 SLR camera, that's right it is a sweet camera.
I transferred out of the refinery!!!!

I was taking to my sister the drug-dealer in training (don't worry it is all legal) about the group called the Decemberist. She had not ever heard of them, and I kind of like some of their stuff. They have one song that is or was on the radio titled O Valencia!

We took Ella to the doctor today, she has a cold and an ear infection (I hope I am not violating HIPPA), while she and Amy were at the Doctors office, Cap and I went to Barns and Noble. I was going to purchase a few books, but I left my wallet at home. I felt a bit embarrassed buy the situation, because I realised I had no money after she said, "That will be 20.19." It did remind of my aunt Dorthy, who spilled the entire contents of the hospital cafeteria tray onto the floor.

Cap Shoveling Snow

Cap Shoveling Snow
Originally uploaded by Germburner

Here is a picture that I took yesterday of Cap in the driveway. He wanted to play outside because I was shoveling the snow off the driveway. Of course, he also wanted to shovel the snow with me.

Yule

Today was the kind of day that I like, with the exception of attending one funeral. I woke up and went to the office to work on sending a note out with my boss. Then I ran down to the Tar Box creek and checked the Oil Wells on the Hodges. After that I went home, at some lunch, attended a funeral. After that I had a message on my phone from my dad, he had locked the keys in his truck and was stranded at the riverview station. So I went to rescue him, and Monroe. Once that was done I stuck around and ran the pulling 54 joints of tubing into a well.

The Funeral was the second one that I have attended this month. Today it was Max Nuttall's funeral. Max was always at Church, the first one there on Sunday morning and he locked the doors once the service had completed. He was always happy and a pleasure to talk to. When I was learning how to play golf, I got to play with him a few times. There was a group of retirees that would hit the links at sun-up and he was usually there.

A few weeks ago I attend the funeral of Dorthy Fahle, who was a neighbor on the street that I grew up on. In the summer she and her husband (Mark) would sit on their front porch for a couple of hours each night. As a kid I would usually find my way down to visit. They were both wonderful people. The first few years that I lived on the block during the winter, Dorthy would have a bible study on Monday evenings for all the kids on the block.

On a side note, the word Yule means: Christmas or the Christmas Season. In case you wanted to know.

Stick'em Up

Stick'em Up
Originally uploaded by Germburner

Here is Cap and Braegan showing off thier new work gloves on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas

The holidays are upon us, and many people across the world celebrated Christmas on Tuesday. You can count me as one of the masses that did celebrate Christmas. Christmas has been a splendid time for the most part. The only exception is that my aunt and uncle were involved in an 80 car pile-up on I-40. They both landed in ICU and are still in the hospital. We went Clovis last Friday to celebrate Christmas with Amy's family. One famous line that I heard on Saturday was, "Well there is only 31 people coming today."

Of course Santa came and gave me some nice oven mitts (top of the line), candy, two movies, and boxers and socks for the year. Cap and Ella had fun, particularly Cap. He enjoyed opening presents, and playing with his new toys. He got a couple of new Geo Trains. Ella got some neat dolls and a mat that has animals that make noises, the lion growls, the elephant trumpets, etc.

I have started posting some pictures on a site called flicker, below is a link to my pictures. I think that will work better in the future. I have had some issues with blogger only allowing me to upload one picture per posting, which is inconvenient when you have a lot of pictures.

http://flickr.com/photos/22236683@N06/

Snow, Ice and Rain

Over last weekend the weather man was predicting a rather large ice storm for our area. Thankfully he missed the forecast. For Friday he is predicting some snow flurries, which means that it will dump 12 inches of snow on top of everyone. (Well probably not, in all actually they do pretty good about predicting something that is fairly unpredictable.) I would pull my hair out if I was a weatherman (or person if you want to be politically correct).

I watched an interview with Mike Huckabee on Sunday morning, and I noticed two major points about all of his responses. He did not criticize the other opponents on anything and he actually answered the questions. I was quite impressed. He seemed genuine, especially when you pit him against some other politicians (Ted Kennedy for example.)

This week Jerry Jones (the owner of the Dallas Cowgirls) and some NFL guy testified to the Texas House Regulated Industries Committee about the cowgirls not being on normal cable. I read a report in the paper that quoted Jones as saying, “As America’s team, the Dallas Cowboys have millions of fans outside the home market who are being kept in the dark by Big Cable."

Of course, on the other side Todd Baxter, general counsel for the Texas Cable Association, said, "The billionaire NFL owners have every right to make more money, but they need to be intellectually honest about it and stop blaming the cable companies."

In my opinion, the state government should not be involved. This should be dealt with as most business deals are dealt with. If the cowgirl fans want to watch them play on the NFL network, the cough up the money and pay, or protest professional football all together. My vote is for college football or even Baseball. Also, I think someone should really tell Jerry Jones that the Cowgirls are not America's team.

Life in the Fast Lane

I took yesterday off from work, witch was really nice. I took Cap to Kid's Kamp, and because it was me, when I was standing in the church the power went off. So I checked on a few things and waited for the power to be restored, and checked on a couple of other things. Then I went and ran some errands. (Welcome to my exciting life.) It was a nice day off, and I enjoyed it.

The wind has been blowing strongly yesterday and is forecast to blow hard today as well. During the night it switched from the North to the South, and is part of mother nature's plan to de-leaf all trees in the Texas Panhandle.

The Christmas lights are going up all over town, along with the environmentally friendly policy of cutting healthy trees down and sticking them inside a house for a month. Where the trees become a fire hazard and cleanup mess. On the other hand you can purchase a plastic tree, where you will save a tree. If you think about it, instead of having a nice biodegradable tree to dispose of, the plastic tree will be around for the next thousand years, if not more. Of course if your name is Clark W. Griswold, you will drive out to the county and pull your tree up. Note: This house has not decided on a tree this year.

An interesting article that I ran across in the Newspaper. I find the first few paragraphs the most amusing.

Local couple receives a sweet homecoming

Three Amigos

On the Fast Track

I was looking through a FAO Schwarz Catalog over the weekend and found an interesting gift idea. I think that the gift might be a bit excessive no matter whose family you are in. If I was a kid I would love to have it. However, I reflex back to the many miles I road my bike down the alley and the hours I played on the north side of the house with my cars and trucks, and it was fun.

The caption is to small to read so I have written it below.

D 1942 Willys MB Junior Replica On the road again, this time in an authentic replica of a real Willys, sized for kids. Just as tough as its grown-up version, the 2/3 scale model has a 5.5 hp engine that goes up to 20 mph on private property (no streets, please!). Detailed with a cushioned canvas seat with room for two, plus working headlights, seat belts, side mirror, rollbar, and all-terrain tires, including a spare. This set of wheels is also designed with an additional brake pedal on the passenger side that parents can use to teach about safety and the responsibility of driving. Includes steel roll bar (not shown) as a safety feature and a removable canvas top for covered driving. Gasoline powered. 7' x 3'. SPECIAL ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW TWO WEEKS FOR DELIVERY GIFT WRAP NOT AVAILABLE. AGES 12 AND UP. $9,900 EACH ($900)

Thanksgiving

One of my friends wrote that Thanksgiving is the only holiday that is devoted solely to a meal. I do not really agree with him, however, his observation is interesting. One could use the same logic and say that Valentine's day is an event devoted solely to one date. Or perhaps the MLK day is devoted to one person (well perhaps that is a bad example because it is devoted to Martin Luther King). I think that the meal around thanksgiving is more the central piece of the puzzle, with the larger pieces being a celebration. A celebration of Family, Friends, and all that we have been bless by the lord with. Below are a few pictures that I took over the thanksgiving holidays.

Dining Room Table prior to the Patman Celebration

Happy Thanksgiving

Once again the traditional thanksgiving holiday has arrived in America. Millions of people across the nation gather with friends and family to over indulge on turkey, desert, and sweet potatos. I have many things that I am thankful for, and I will not try to list them all here. In synopsis, life is good! Below are a few Halloween pictures.

Where is the Fall

TOday is November 16, 2007, and the high temprature was in the 70's. That is some 20 degrees warmer than the average hight for this time of year. Perhaps the earth is getting warmer. I saw the comic strip below in the newspaper on 11/4/07, and though that it was fitting. I am espically found of it since I have a degree in Environmental Science. I hope that it is not diffucult to read.

The kids are doing well, they are both growing, and it has been quite a change having Ella around. She has been responding alot lately to funny faces that I make, which is exciting. I should not that Cap has also been responding to the funny faces that I make.

If you have a chance you should listen to "Breathe" by Michael W. Smith.

New Concrete

I have found that running around with two kids take more energy then just one. It takes up four times as much energy as one (or so it seems). So of this could be getting up earlier to go to work at my new job. It is a good job, and I do enjoy it, although I am still adjusting to the sheer amount of driving that I do. Last week it was 220 miles, and I was in class at the home office for two whole days. That might not seem like much but at the old job it took ~1 to 1 1/2 months to put that many miles on the blue light special (my work truck there.)

Ella slept through the night last night, or at least she did not need a snack like I did. I have never really been good at sleeping through the night, I can remember as a kid waking up in the middle of the night, going downstairs and eating Goldfish crackers while watching CNN. (It was in the day after cable, but only 13 channels.)

Cap helped me in the backyard yesterday, we go an area ready to cement in. Once it was ready I began the process of making the cement on sack at a time. Ten sacks (800 lbs) later I had a nice little slab pour over an area that is always overgrown and difficult to maintain. Everyone, but Cap, (including Mazie the Wonderdog) put their hand or foot print in the wet concrete. For some reason Cap did not want to put his hand in.

Amy called on Thursday to inform me that the people were going to put in the new patio door. I said that i would have cleaned off the porch if they would have given us more notice. It looks nice, slides easy and locks. It is a much needed improvement.

Digging

Last night, or really it was evening time because when I think of night I think of midnight out at the bar causing trouble, I started digging a trench to lay some new conduit and wire to a plug in the back yard. Cap was my assistant. He and I put on our digging clothes and went to work. There towards the end, he told me that I was a "Good Digger Boy". I am still not sure what he means, so I will take it as a complement. It was fun, I find it interesting how fast a 3 year old can go from a jolly good time, to a near melt down. Ella is doing well, currently she is trying to settle down for a nap before her final feeding of the day. I tried to feed her a bottle at our bible study but she did not want any part of it.

As of late, I have had no major revelations about life, or the world around me. However, I do want to interject that the Red Sox will be playing the Indians in the ALCS, and once again the Cubs lost out in the playoffs. The Curse of the Billy Goat lives on.

Fall

The fall is starting to take shape here in the panhandle. The leaves are beginning to turn yellow as the surrender to the hard fought battle against the weather all summer. It is not a mass surrender yet, only a few here and a few there. The sun is sleeping later each morning and going to bed early each evening, reminding everyone that winter will soon be here. One observation that I have always had, is that the shortest day of the year, is in the middle of December, and we normally have our coldest spells in January and February. I find that interesting, I know that it is an exciting revelation. If you think that is not exciting, then just for a minute ponder the life of the early astronomer. The countless hours they sat and stared at the sky thorough their primitive telescopes.

Cap and Ella

Life on the Front Porch

This evening Cap and I went out side to play after dinner. WE played out in Mazie's yard for a while, and then we moved out in to the front yard. After tossing many rocks back into the street, Cap decided that he wanted to get out his chair and sit down. So, I sat down with him and we talked about things. He was particularly interested in the colors of the cars, the Wasps (which we learned were bad bugs) and the locust that were "talking to each other". It was fun, in a way it was the first time that we just sat and visited, I think he had a good time.

Bear came over to see everyone one, he had been busy, one of their doggies danced with a skunk this morning and had to have the old tomato bath.

Changes

WEll it has been a busy time here at the ole homestead. I was ill over labor day and it took me about a week to start feeling better. Amy's dad came out to visit last week, it was nice, I think everyone had a good time. I changed jobs this week, same company, it is still Health, Safety and Environmental, just with a differnt division of the company. It has been intersting, as are all major changes are. Ella is growing, eating and pooping, all one can expect out of a 6 week old. Cap started Pre-School last Tuesday and seems to enjoy it. Last week we went to the local football game, the home team did not fare to well, and ended up loosing 41-14. (At least it was a nice number).

Below is a picute of Cap in front of his star at preschool on the first day.

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.

Names

Cory: a form of Corey
Joseph: (Hebrew) God will add, God will increase.
Conlan: (Irish) hero.
Henry: (German) ruler of the household.

As D-Day approaches for the launch of number 2 a certain amount of anxiety is rising because a name has not been selected yet. Amy and I have decided on Cathrine Mae "Katie" for a girl. In the event that we have a boy, no name has been selected. I do not quite grasp why it has been difficult to come up with a name for number 2. Perhaps it is that we do not spend as much time talking about it because we have Cap to keep up with. I have read a book that has 30,000 names, and highlight all the names that I liked. We, or at least Amy, actually has a book with 100,000 names. I did not know that the world had that many names, of course they are not all American names.

Alas it is time to start the water in the backyard. Hopefully without any tractor sprinkler incidents.

Stomach Issues

I have been feeling ill the last couple of days. On Wednesday the Administrative Assistant tried to convince me to go home. I did not, I compromised and said that I would not be in on Thursday if I felt the same. Thursday morning I felt a little better so I went on to work. Upon my arrive I went to visit the summer intern. After announcing my presence at work he said, "Well you look pale." I thought it was a great way to start the day. In the end I went to the Doctor who gave me a prescription antibiotic. I am feeling better now, I really do not like being sick...

I have been cleaning out the closet in the cave, a tedious task to say the least. Most recently I have been sorting boxes of pictures. During this sorting I ran across a few that I really liked, and thought that I would share. (If you thought I am never in any pictures these will prove you wrong. These pictures are from 2001).

This is me and Bear, I have the grey hardhat on.

This is me running the rig. Stuck pump...

Again, this is Bear and me. I am not entirely sure what we are doing.

Flag

Return from Lubbock

The wedding that we attended was very nice. It was an outdoor wedding, which added another level of enjoyment for some, challenge for others. Cap did well during the praise and worship part, but became insistent on chasing a peacock once the exchanging of the vows began. (That is right, there were peacocks all over the pace.) In fact, one of the peacocks strutted in front of the mother of the bride and began flapping and making noise. Cap and I went to the back of the area and chased peacock's with the rest of the children 3 and under.

Saturday morning we went to the Science Spectrum. We all had a good time, I think that Cap and I had more fun that Amy. Cap enjoyed all the exhibits, and was enamoured with the model RR that they have along with the fish exhibits. It was a tiring trip, as Cap did not go to sleep early. Tonight he did go to sleep at his normal time which is a good thing. I took a few pictures of where I used to live and work in Lubbock, they are at the bottom, along with one of 126 picture I took tonight.

Tonight I mowed the front yard, ate supper, took Cap to the Forrest (Honey and Bear's house) played with the boys, read a bed time story, mowed the back yard, changed the oil, air filter and blades on the lawn mower and started the tractor in the front yard. That would be a sprinkler, I am not plowing it up to plant corn.

This is where I lived in Lubbock, not to shabby...

This is where I used to work in Lubbock.

Central Heating and Cooling Plant 1

Blowing Bubbles

Random Thoughts on July 13, 2007

Tonight while we were driving in the car we heard a song about the 70's and 80's on a country station. I do not know what the title of the song is or who sings it. The point of the song is that the singer would not trade his childhood for anything, even though we jump at each and every fad that came along.

I feel rather distracted by life and work, and have had a difficult time connecting with anything other than work and working on the house. Both of which are tiring enterprises. I have come to realize that I am most likely an introverted person. This is particularly true in the warm summer evenings when I sit on the back porch with Mazie (she is not a person, only the wonderdog) and read a book. Or perhaps I chersih the time I get to spend alone because there is not much of it...

On a side note, I still have a cold and a cough, I have had these for about 3 weeks. It is really getting old. Also, it is fun coming to a place that you once lived and seeing the changes that have occurred. Tomorrow we get to attend a wedding, one of Amy's cousins. It is the Annual family wedding. I am sure that we will all have a good time.

Closet Cleaning

Tonight I started cleaning out the closet in the cave. It was not a very exciting adventure, it was however an adventure. I found hats, shirts, boxes, and shorts that I had forgotten. I gathered a nice size pile of clothes that I do not wear anymore to give away at the salvation army. In the middle of cleaning it out, I looked through some pictures from 2001. That summer we went to Virginia to a wedding, and afterwards Amy and I went to D.C. for a few days an looked around. It was a blast.

The Korean War Memorial

Amy and I at Antietam National Battlefield

Bloody Lane at Antietam

Arlington

More Books

This afternoon I set out to sort books into three categories. The first categories is books to keep out in the one bookshelf that we will be using. (We are preparing for the arrival of #2, do not know the gender, have not selected names... although I am leaning for Ebenezer). This category will have books that we reference on a normal basis or that we read at least once a year. The Left Behind series gets to hand out also because it is the complete set, and you never know when someone wants to read about the end of the world. The second category is books to put in a box. This contains a lot of text books that we have accumulated, I do not for see a need to keep The Sociology of Religion or Hitler out on the bookshelves at this point. It would be different if we were researching either of these subjects, but we are not. The third and final category as Amy likes to call it is, "do whatever you want to with that book," I say it is more of a, "we have not used this book in two years, nor do I foresee either of use using the book." The is the occasionally, "where did this come from book," also in pile #3.

Tomorrow I will be attaching a shelf full on nick-knacks, which in the language of men means, "Some small fragile decorative piece with no manlyness to it, which I have to pack an move each time so that it can sit on a shelf and stare at me."

Below is a picture during the book sorting...

Books

Tonight I stayed up late and finished reading Deception Point by Dan Brown, it was a riveting novel to say the least. I was quite captivated by it, of course tomorrow I will be tired all day, and with out a book to read. I have always like books, when I was in college I would go to the library to study. When I would take a break from the course work, I would stroll the isles and pick random books to review. Flipping though pages, reading chapter titles or random excerpts. We currently have to many books for the size of our house, which is an unfortunate situation. Books that range from Steinbeck, Ansel Adams, A Handbook to Literature, Fundamentals of Petroleum, the Bible (we have more than one copy), all the way to Hank the Cowdog. Marian, my grandmother whom I called Marian my entire life, always encouraged us to read. While I did a limited amount of reading for fun during college, once I got out I began reading.

I am also interested in photography and below you will find a few images that I snapped.

The original one was the first picture.

4th of July

What do other countries think about our Independence Day or 4th of July celebration? Have you ever though about that? Do other countries also have a national day of celebration? I think that politicians should spend sometime today in retrospect and think about July 4, 1776.

Tonight I cooked some hamburgers and bratwurst for Amy, Cap, Father and Bear. They came over and we had a good meal and a good time. We watched some of the show that took place on the mall at Washington DC. I always liked going to Washington. I think it is a neat city. Father and Marian took me and my cousin Loa when we were 12. It was a blast, we looked all over town and rode the subway. Amy and I went a few years ago for three days after a wedding. It was also a great time, we managed to get an almost private tour of the Capitol building with a congress persons' staff.

Since is was a national Holiday, we did take some pictures.

Cap the Photographer

Four Generations of Patmans

(or would you call them Patmen?)