Words with Friends

I didn't think I would like the app Words with Friends because I never really liked scrabble. But boy was I wrong. I kinda love it.

I was just handed my second defeat last night at the hands of a good friend of mine. It was a good game. She didn't double my score or call me a dumby in the process so all is good. We will remain friends. The other defeat was not so fun. It was with a total stranger who I am pretty sure is in Mensa or writes the New York Times crossword puzzle. Those are the only two logical definitions as to how that guy got some of the words he did. It was bad.
I am currently in the process of one more game, it to is with someone I know. I am currently winning, but with my spelling skills that could turn sour at any second. But I love it anyway.

So if any of the 5 or 6 of you that read this have a Words with Friends ID lets play. Game on!

Grateful

I am so grateful that I go to a church where I get to experience this:

What an amazing celebration it was!!

On The Playground Is Where I Spent Most Of My Days

I'm pretty sure this place wasn't called a "private school" when I went there. It most more like day school. And it was only preschool age kids not all the way to 5th grade. But that aside this is the same place.
I feel like I owe Ashley's a few thank you's.

Thank you for introducing me to the peanut butter and honey sandwich.

Thank you for letting me play Ms. Pacman for hours at a time. I still LOVE that game!!

Thank you for putting the bar of soap in that kids mouth. It made a huge impression on me to NOT to end up like him.

Thank you for your swing set. I had hours of target practice with my sling-shot.

Thank you for giving my mom a huge laugh when you called to tell her I was involved in a "gang fight."

Thank you for taking me to roller rink to polish my skills. I also developed my love of the pickle-sicle from that roller rink.

Free At Last

He's Alive!! I went to put the girls in the car this afternoon to go grab a Jr. Candy Sundae from Sonic and guess what.....the bird had escaped the how water heater. He was free but he was stuck in the garage. Apparently he had a hurt wing and couldn't fly. So with the girls safely hunkered down in the car I set out to get the bird out quick enough that I could still make happy hour. He hid under the car. Ran behind the tools. Circled the the trash cans. So I had to pull out the heavy artillery......THE BUTTERFLY NET. I know Landon told me to not use it, but when you have a raptor on the loose you gotta do what you gotta do. So we set the little guy free after a quick camera phone photo shoot and we were on our way. Even got a 96 cent large DP to celebrate the events.
Hope it was a girl bird. If it is a dude, he is going to be embarrassed that he got caught in a pink net.

Bats in the Belfry

OK. I looked it up. A belfry is a bell tower. But who cares? Not me! All I care about is the dumb bird that is stuck behind my hot water heater.
That's right, there is a BIRD stuck behind my hot water heater in the garage.
And since he can't take off like a helicopter I don't know how he is going to get out of there. There is only about 1/2 inch clearance on either side and about a 2 inch clearance on the bottom. So it seems as though he has gotten himself into a fatal predicament.
Now I am brainstorming how to remove said bird when he bites the dust.
Any idea? Landon has already said that I can NOT use her butterfly net!

Game Time!

Saturday at church we sat behind a high school basketball team. Could have been the most distracting thing ever, and I must admit that when I heard the ushers say that they were saving those seats for a basketball team my immediate thoughts were not pleasing ones. But they were not distracting and actually planted a seed of thought in my head.
Before I get to the seed of thought I can't help but to give praise to that coach. What an amazing thing to do as a role model and a leader of a group of kids, take them to church. He was modeling leadership to those kids that most don't experience. Way to go Coach!
Now here is what got my brain rolling:
The service went a little long because we had a guest speaker. Andre Olivier from South Africa was there and that guy can't be limited to the typical hour that we have service. So towards the end of service they had to stand up and leave. They had a lot of energy during the worship music and during the message but when they stood up to leave they had an extra bounce in their step. We heard one guy say to the other when they got up, "Game Time."
And then they were headed out. Extra amped up. Ready for game time.
All I could think is that is the same way that all of us should leave service every week. The real game is outside the walls of the church. The world outside the walls, the people that don't come to church, the hurting who can't make it to church; that is where we should be excited to go.

Creativity

I love to listen to Landon in the bathtub. For some reason it is when she says the funniest things. She is so creative and imaginative in there. She is other places also but it seems that every bath time she comes up with something new.
Here are a few of the things that she said today:
"Dad this is my turtle, he can talk." Really honey, what does he say? "I don't know, he speaks turtle."
"Daddy, you know what his name is?" "Crayon" What? Why is that his name? "Because he can change colors and draw things with his head." <---- I have no clue where that one came from but I laughed out loud.
Then she took out the sticks that came with her floating xylophone and told me they were magic wands. She turned us all into crayons. Usually she turns us into animals, today we were colors.
After trying to draw on the walls with her hair she changed her magic wands into chopsticks.
"Daddy, want to see me eat fish with chopsticks?"
Her brain is all over the place and it is so fun to be along for the ride.

Happy Dance Time!!

Thats right.....if you blog it, it will happen.

Lillian went #2 in the big girl potty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So to celebrate we had M&Ms,

and maybe we danced a little (A LOT)

My Appologies

Sorry that I had a moment yesterday and posted about, well, you know....
It was gross. Just like the title said.
Yesterday I was having one of those days where the mundane was dragging me down. Anyone who stays at home will understand.
So in response today I will post a small list of the things that make me smile:

The smiles that greet me EVERY morning. They forget the previous day as quick as it passes and are excited about the possibilities that await today.
Staying in our pajamas as late as we want. PJs make for a comfortable day.
Spontaneous bath time (for them, I have to strategize on mine) They get so excited to splash, I don't even mind cleaning the floor afterwards.
The way that Landon prays before she eats. She learned at church to shake her hands first and we do it every time. She is even starting to teach Lillian.
Tea Parties are the best!
Talking about princesses, watching princess movies, dressing up like princesses.
Waiting for mommy to get home. Landon likes to hide and Lillian likes to peak out the windows.

This is just a small list of the things that keep me going. My girls make me a happy daddy every day and I wouldn't change a thing about my days at home.

Warning: Gross Post

I'm SICK of Poop!

There, I said it. I don't think it takes me out of the running for Dad of The Year. I'm just sick of it. If I never had to change another poop diaper again I would jump around and do my happy dance.
It used to not bother me, it was just a part of life as a dad that I embraced. I told myself these days will be gone soon so tackle this stage of life full on. And I did. I just went for it.
But now, now I hate it. It isn't even just the smell. It is the whole process. It is gross.
And now guess what I do for my job on the weekend. I work in the nursery -- full of poop. Lucky for me at church men aren't allowed to change diapers, but I am still surrounded by them. They haunt me.
And then when we potty train the girls, they do it so soon they can't wipe well so I am still involved in the process. Joy.
So here is what I was thinking this morning. And this is the gross part:
"If poop is submerged in the potty is it as gross?" The answer for me is NO. It hit me today (I know this is a weird thing to think about) I don't mind submerged poop. It is the dry, live ones that make me cringe.

OK. I promise that will be my one and only poop post. Sorry.

Backfire

I know I already blogged about this but this is an update.

There is a local news channel that keeps trying to report our church in a negative light. The first time they did this was right before our annual C3 conference. Then this happened:

Amazing!

They tried to stop momentum but only kick started what God was doing. Thanks channel 8 for that. Many people that came where led to turn their lives over to God.

Then, last week they did a follow up story. Tried again to shine a negative light, all I could do is wait for the backfire.....

So this weekend God showed up again in a big way! 983 people signed membership cards to join the church this weekend alone. That is awesome!!!

Last night, while playing games on the iPad I had one of those thoughts that pops in your head and then decides to set up shop and not pop back out. I have been going over and over it and wondering why it hit me.

So here is the set up: I was playing a game that my wife and I like to play. There is little skill level involved but it is mostly a game of chance. There is a small inkling of strategy involved (that is what keeps my playing). So one day I got the high score and accidentally put her name in. So now on the leader board her name is on top. I know and she knows that it was me, but now I MUST beat that score!! It has to be done.

So last night I played and played and played. Never beating the high score. I have a way I like to play, a strategy that I came up with.

And here is what hit me:

"Instead of trying to prefect an old strategy to get better results,

why not come up with a whole new strategy."

I know it sounds simple. But it is stuck in my head. I can't help but wonder if it is in there for reasons other than games. For some reason it is there and won't go away. Huh? What now?

P.S. The game was not Ms. Pacman, but Ms. Pacman is the greatest game ever invented.

Prize Fighter

I know this is about to be a weird comparison....

This Saturday there was a big boxing match (I know no one really cares about boxing anymore, but I am a fan of almost all sports, so I care, kinda). Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sugar Shane Mosely were fighting in Vegas. It was a big spectacle, lots of flash and glitz. I was intrigued just by the weigh in that was shown live on ESPN.

But enough of that.....

I didn't watch the actual fight. Partly because it was pay-per-view and was expensive (not that big a boxing fan), but mostly because we go to church on Saturday night. It is our sabbath.

So here comes the comparison.....

I couldn't help but relate my pastor to a prize fighter that night. I don't know why, it just popped in my head. Where Mandi and I sat this weekend we were a touch in front of the front center row where our pastor sits while the worship music is going on. It's hard to explain unless you have been there, but go with it. I'm saying that because we could see his face and actions from where we where.

When he walked in I could see immediately that he had a bounce in his step. You know the bounce that fighters have when they walk to the ring, just a slight little bob on the balls of their feet. It was a walk of confidence and anticipation.

And then my mind wander to when fighters walk to the ring they have a posse all around them. Ed walked alone. Well, alone to our Earthly eyes. I know that the Holy Spirit always walks along beside him. Like the posse guides the fighter, the Holy Spirit guides his words.

Then while he was at his seat I could see him rubbing his hands together. Like the build up to going into the ring.

It was about to happen. He was going to step into the ring (in front of the congregation) and fight (take territory for the Kingdom).

And fight he did! His words were like punches right to the head of the enemy. It was great.

I am thankful that Pastor Ed comes ready for a faith fight each weekend. It is amazing to see the intensity and enthusiasm that he has for the church. With a man like that in our corner we can take on any opponent out there.