Blog Hijack!

The Four of us just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. You are the best dad and husband around!!

What is more fun then getting to run around and play with Daddy??
Fun with Daddy

Feb 16-18

NFL vs. WWF

Something tells me if the Super Bowl were in the WWF someone would be getting a haircut afterwards.

Remember back in the day when they had the hair match?

Polamalu vs. Matthews

Someone would be going home with a shaved dome.

I was 3

On this day 25 years ago:

For the record I don't remember any of this day, all these stories are past down through the years.
So on this particular day I was home sick from preschool. My mom was at work so the lady that lived with my mom and I at the time stayed home with me. She was younger than my mom and had no children of her own but was willing to take care of me for the day. So we sat down on the couch with cereal in hand in front of the T.V. and she explained the best she could about space shuttles to a 3 year old. We were all ready to watch the shuttle take off.

Then you know what came next. Horror.

My mom told me that Lori didn't say a word to me. We sat there in total disbelief with the rest of the world. She called my mom and said I have no idea what to say to him.

Wow. I can not imagine what had to be running through her head right then.

Single Digits

Here are the events that are happening around me:

In 1 week our church starts it's Flavour series. This signals the beginning of my busy time at work.
In 2 weeks we start preparations for our annual C3 conference. Even more work. We will almost go around the clock for 2 weeks to set the stage for the most amazing conference on the planet.
On week 3 Mandi's parents will fly in from the Philippines and we have our conference at church.
Then, in 4 weeks baby Lainey will be born. That is the cherry on top!!

Those are a lot of single digit numbers. Let's get ready to rumble.

Only Me

Ever been driving the car and hear a concerning sound come from the back seat?

Today while taking a leisurely drive to and from our neighborhood popcorn store I heard a gagging sound. PANIC!! Head on a swivel kinda freak out.

And only in my world would it be that Lillian had stuck her toes so far in her mouth she choked.

Women are Wierd

The other day I was on the hunt for the keys to my wife's car. This an almost daily occurrence because there is absolutely no rhyme or reason as to where she is going to put them down. This drives me crazy but doesn't seem to faze her.
So I checked her purse. I was looking for her keys (a pretty normal thing to find in a purse) and what I found instead was a measuring cup (not normal at all.) So I took it out and threw it in the dishwasher. I asked her why on Earth she had that in there and without second thought she said she was making oatmeal at work and went right on about whatever she was doing.
This is odd.
Reminds me of the game they used to play on Lets Make A Deal where he would call out random objects and those crazy ladies would pull out all kinds of junk.

One time I knew a girl that had a whole filing system in her purse. And for some reason it just seemed normal.

If you are wondering, in my wallet I have my ID, my debit card, insurance cards, and some business cards. That's it.

Soft Towels

We have figured out the recipe to have the softest towels ever.

We used fabric softener, but not in the traditional way. No Downy ball for us.

One day when I got home I told Mandi that the house smelled nice. (Side note, we have a Scentsy wall plug-in in our bathroom. We got it a while back and it works amazing. We even have to turn it off occasionally because it can get to strong.) In the back of my head I thought that was what smelled. So after a while the smell was super strong and while we were eating dinner I said it kinda smelled like fabric softener. That is when Mandi jumped up from the table and ran to the laundry room.

The new unopened fabric softener that was sitting on the washing machine was now sitting on the floor in a puddle. And of course it was lavender vanilla so it was PURPLE. Panic. So we went into clean up mode. Something that with two kids running around we do quite well and rather quickly. I ran to get towels as she assessed the situation. So after we soaked it all up with about 6 towels we were in the clear.

Sent the towels through the wash a couple of times. And now, like magic, we have the worlds softest towels.

I don't recommend this technique but if you do find yourself in this same pickle take a word of advice from us; use your good towels. Don't go grab the junky ones from the guest closet. Grab the fancy ones.

Your Welcome.

Mini Me

I got these from 2 different people for Christmas. Why? What makes everyone think I need miniature tools? Is there something I am missing?

The Omnipresent God

Just one example of why Landon is to smart for her own good. She is asking questions like these that we don't know if she is quite ready for the answers to.

"Dad? Is there more than one Jesus?"
"How can Jesus be in Texas and Minnesota. Can He fly? Or does He just jump from cloud to cloud real fast?"

I am amazed at how her little mind works, I just wish it would slow down a little and just be 4.

Last night Mandi took her to the grocery store by herself. Mandi is typically the one that gets the really wild questions, and last night was no exception.

"Mommy? Are Jesus and Santa Clause friends?"

She must know that Mandi is struggling with whether or not to promote the big round man. But when she tried to compare him to Jesus the cat was almost out of the bag.

I have told her my strategy for these questions. "Landon? Want some ice cream?" But I guess when she is in the pressure situation she forgets her only way out.

Random Horse's Rear

One day on the way to Magic Kingdom the intercom system went out on our bus so the driver had to tell us all the information of the day rather than just hit play on the recording. So he went through the normal stuff and threw in a little humor. "Like don't forget you belongings on the bus, especially your kids." He was a part time comedian. When we got to the park he said something that sent me on a mission. He threw out a little trivia. He asked,"how do you know what horse on the carousel is Cinderella's?" The answer was, Cindy, Cinderella's horse had a gold ribbon on her tail. So the hunt was on!! When Landon and I got on we were hunting. It isn't as easy as it sounds, there are 90 horses on that stinkin thing and they are 5 deep, and the clock is running, there are kids everywhere scrambling around. And on top of that Landon had to ride a PINK horse. So there I was like a mad man, hunting a pink horse next to the horse with the tiny gold ribbon (which at the time I had no idea what it even looked like.) So after a few minutes and an agitated kid, since we passed about 40 pink ponies, I gave up. It was OK though because I was cruising in circles in the shadow of the castle with my own little princess by my side. Then, I looked ahead at the horse in front of us and saw this:

I was so excited!! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I fumbled around trying to get my phone out and ready for the picture. And for the record, when I got home I Googled a picture of Cindy. And ladies and gentlemen, this is NOT her. It is just a random horse's rear.

Maybe next time I will find her.....

Bad Judge

Today I realized I am a bad judge of what is going to "catch on."
Here are a few examples:
I can vividly remember in elementary school when a teacher of mine bought a new car. And that crazy lady got a CD player instead of a tape deck. How could she? Those things were just a fad and way too expensive.
Then, I can remember when DVDs were coming out. And we used to go to Blockbuster and check out videos and there was one little lonely rack with DVDs on it. Not many titles and you had to rent the DVD player and put a huge deposit down for it. Who would ever do that?
And now this morning I had another realization. I remember when you used to have to lick a stamp to put it on an envelope. I can remember when I first saw those sticker stamps. I though "Gosh, you have to be super lazy to pay for those. Just stick your tongue out!" And now that is the only option.

The Grass Is Always Greener

So to prove that this is true,here are a few pictures:

(This is the tree in my yard)

(And here is the house across the street.)

Perspective

Today Landon grabbed a rubber band that was on the counter. She looked at it kinda weird. Then looked at me and said, "this silly band doesn't look like anything."

Diversity

This weekend I was reminded of the diversity of the church that I serve.

Every weekend I seem to realize something different or something stands out to me. This weekend it was the diversity of the individuals that make up Fellowship Church.

When we went to service on Saturday it hit me during the worship music. I could see a friend's parents sitting a few rows in front of us. They were an elderly couple. They were singing every word and had their hands out. To the side of us I could see high school students in full on worship. They were shouting, bouncing, and just about ready to jump on top of their seats. I could also see the mom and daughter in front of us. Mom had her arms stretched up in surrender as her and her daughter sang along to every song. What a diverse group. All there for one reason: worship their creator.

Then on Sunday morning while I was working again I saw a show of diversity in the nursery. Normally you can predict the type of person who wants to work with the babies. Normally grandmothers and couples. Not us! We have all types: single moms, 18 yr old high school students, pastor's wife, even a couple with infertility issues who are struggling to have a child of their own. But the exchange I saw after our last service was special. We have an older lady who stays a little late to clean all the strollers. While she was doing her normal thing one of the girls that used to volunteer with her stopped by to say hello. The lady that cleans is the sweet old lady that her hair is always fixed up, smells nice, and everyone knows her name. The girl that came to see her, she did smell nice, but is covered in tattoos including a colorful neck tattoo, wears a pair of old check taylors, and has spiky hair. But they are friends. Now that's an odd couple. But it is just a normal friendship up there. Which made me feel special that I get to experience such a diverse place every week.

The last example was special to me. There is a guy that I have recently become friends with. He and I went to our men's conference earlier this year. We watched a few boxing matches together. We shared manly experiences. This weekend I saw him volunteer for the first time. And not just that, this manly man sang a sweet little girl to sleep. It wouldn't surprise me to hear him sing Led Zeplin any day of the week. But Sunday he sang You Are My Sunshine.

I am truly blessed by my experiences.

Sweet Embrace

I had the privilege of witnessing one of the single greatest hugs I have ever seen this weekend.

There were many accommodations and specials scenarios that led up to the event. I could go into great detail but instead I will just tell the scene.

There we sat in a quiet room in the nursery. Just a normal Sunday. Worship music playing softly from the corner. And in a little glider I saw Jesus' hands wrap around a child and adult simultaneously.

The nursery volunteer was wearing a cute hat covering her still bald head from the effect the chemo had on her body. She had a smile that said that even though she was not the same externally, her soul was still filled with the Holy Spirit and no cancer would ever take that from her.

The child wore a baby doll dress with a matching headband. Her dress covered the plug where her feeding tube went in and also the port in her chest that was just used for her own chemo treatment. One of her hands gripped her Minnie Mouse doll and the other was wrapped around the volunteers body.

As we sat there all I could think about is they were both going through the same experience and were sharing a bond that not many of us will ever understand. I could see the looks in their eyes. No words were spoken. But the embrace was special. I will never forget that moment.

The little girl's parents were able to go experience worship for the first time since her treatment began and we sat in that quiet room praising God for His hand in this situation. Everything lined up perfectly for just that moment.

Video From This Weekends Service

I Will Follow - Live from Fellowship Creative on Vimeo.

Crossover

We no longer own a crossover, we have now crossed over.

Pockets

You don't know what you have until its gone. True.
I realized recently after pulling out a pair of old fleece pajama pants (gotta go deep in the drawer for something warm and snuggly once it goes under 70 degrees) that I have to have pockets on my sleepwear.
Weird I know. But all my other pajama bottoms have pockets on them. Didn't even realized that I used them until they were gone.
I shouldn't be concerned with carrying around stuff at 10 o'clock, but apparently I do.
Oh well, I guess I will add that to my funky list of things that make me happy.

Gooble Gobble

Just a normal day at work for me:
Here is a conversation that I overheard in the nursery at church this past weekend.
Keep in mind the two ladies talking are very proper ladies that were volunteering at church this weekend, both are mothers of three small children, both are married to pastors at our church, and both are stay at home moms.

Lady #1: "We have found a live turkey to live in the lobby next weekend inside the Thanksgiving food drive display."

Lady #2: "Thats great. Who had it?"

Lady #1: "We borrowed it from a feed store."

Lady #2: "What are you going to do if it poops?"

Lady #1: "We found out that if it gets nervouse one time it will empty out, that way we only have to clean it up once."

Lady #2: "Great. Then you return it Monday?"

Lady #1: "Yes."

Lady #2: "You think they would sell it to me? We need a turkey."

All of that is totally normal right?

Guabi Guabi

A good one!



I love that little blondie!

Big World, Small World

This past Saturday I experienced a big world become small and make a large impact.

A church that is way far away (Hillsong Church, Sydney Australia) 15,551 miles away
launched a new location this past Sunday (New York City) 1,555 miles away

So after church Saturday night we went down the street to eat with some friends (Chili's) 2 miles away

At dinner we started talking about churches that we would like to visit. One of my answers was the new Hillsong campus in NYC.

And that is when it happened!

The guy that we were eating with took out his iPhone and started texting like a mad man. I didn't know what he was doing at the time. But with a huge grin on his face he looked up and said that his sister and his father were going to go to the launch of Hillsong NYC the next day.

Wow. Via the Internet. Across a few oceans. All in a few short minutes. Someone was informed, invited, and going to attend a church the next day. I still am having a hard time concepting the magnitude of what all was in place and the simplicity of the simple conversation over a burger and fries that made it happen.

God is good and His timing is perfect.

A Peek Into Our Crazy Life

This may look like a random picture but let me explain. Today I cleaned out the back seat of the car and these are the items that emerged. What you can't see is the bag of trash that came out, these are the real items:

9 pairs of shoes
1 clothes hanger
all the closing paperwork from our home refinance
6 snack bowls
1 sippy cup
Dallas Cowboys coozie
Hair accessories (headband, 8 pony tail holders, 4 bows)
2 books
approx. 6 pairs of dirty socks
1 watch
1 bracelet
4 silly bandz

Keep in mind these are the things that are NOT supposed to be in the car. We do have a small toy box that we keep in there for toys that stay in the car. In there we have a few books, dolls, and some small toys to keep their intrest on the road.
This is kinda embarrassing but it is real.
Now we have a clean car inside and out to sport around town this weekend.

Oh Canada

Last night the Rangers won the ALDS! Go Rangers!! Antlers Up!

Then afterward there was a super classy act done by the team. When I heard the story I couldn't quit thinking about how awesome it was that not only the team did it, but they had to go out of their way to get it done. Josh Hamilton sat out of the champagne celebration when the team won the division because of his alcohol addiction. It was just not a place that he needed to put himself in. So as a team last night they did the time honored tradition again (and rightfully so), Hamilton again sat out. This time though someone asked him to come in the locker room the guys had something for him. He admittedly was nervous. Then the guys did the entire celebration again with Ginger Ale so that they could do it as an entire team. Amazing!!

Now on a related Canadian connection, where can I get some of these:

Remember those? I have put down many of those yummy bottles. And now I need more.

Versus

I have been a blog slacker for a while. But for good reason. I have been getting ready for and experiencing the greatest men's conference ever!! Here are a few pics to show you a glimpse:

The Opener:

(included full SWAT team dropping out of the ceiling)

Worship Night 1:

Real MEN raising their hands in full surrender to God

Man Sports:

Bad picture of tug-o-war

(didn't get pictures of the arm wrestling, ice cream eating, or slam dunk contest)

1st ever FC Fight Night:

Those are real punches... 2 KOs and 1 broke nose that night.

Push Up Contest:

With a drill instructor on a microphone.

Car Show:

Phantom:

Ferrari:

And then there were sporting contest to challenge your friends:

And maybe I ran that thing:

Final Worship Set:
Men's Conference not complete without Pyrotechnics and power tools

Kevin Gerald:

Bringing a strong word about The Harvest

Pastor Ed Young & Kevin Gerald:

Doing a man's Q&A to wrap it all up

What can never be captured in pictures is the pure energy that was in the room. (also the smell) It was an amazing couple of days that I hope will shape me into a stronger man. Next years dates are already set and I am making sure I am there to do it all over again!

Backhanded Compliment

Here's the back story: There is a men's conference at church next weekend. It is the first ever so everyone is trying to throw the testosterone around pretty thick up there. One of the things that many of the guys are doing is not shaving until the conference. So what did I do? I took that challenge (kinda.) We all know that there is no way I could ever grow full facial hair. It would look like a hot mess. So I told Mandi that I was doing it just to get a rise out of her. I haven't shaved since Tuesday when I went to work. And just as I thought, it is nasty. So while she is at work today I will shave it off. She will be thrilled.

So here is the compliment, even though it was not intended that way: Last night when she got home from work she was on one couch and I was on the other. Then she looked at me and said, "You need to shave, your face looks like you have dirt on it." There it is! Many wouldn't see the silver lining there but I did. She noticed my scruff from across the living room. Mission accomplished!

p.s. I'm thinking about leaving the stash as a tribute to Dan Stark. If you don't know who Dan Stark is shame on you. He is one of the cops on the new series Good Guys on Fox. Great show.

Stary Night

The last couple of days we have had a new trend at bedtime.

We have gotten home later than normal, after dark, and me and the girls have gone outside and laid on the trampoline and looked at the stars. The weather has been awesome and it is a great time to just lay and hold hands and be together.
I wish we could do it every day. But the truth is that the weather wont always be perfect and the new will wear off.
So I will have to come up with new ideas to have special bonding time with the girls.

I dream of a lifetime of special moments with these little princesses.

Um......No Thank You!

Yesterday Landon and I had to make a quick run to the neighborhood Walmart to grab some soup for Mandi jo who was at home couch-bound.

I asked Landon if she had to go potty before we left home and of course she said no. And of course when we got there she started to do the pee-pee dance. So off we go to the public restrooms. Joys of being a dad of a daughter. Thankfully the family restrooms are popping up everywhere so I don't have to walk her past the urinals to get to the safety of the stall. So we got back to the potties (at the very back of the store) and the men's was blocked by the janitor's cart and the family restroom was locked. OH NO, decision time. (ps Why is there always only 1 family restroom?) Do I wait? Is the family one locked because it is occupied? Or because it is being cleaned also? So I did what anyone would do. Panic! And in my state of just standing and staring at the family restroom door we had a very awkward conversation:

Walmart Lady: "Does she need to go to the bathroom?" <--- What was your first clue?
Me: "Um....Yes"
Walmart Lady: "I can take her to the girls restroom."
Me: "Um....No Thank You." <----- With a very confused and befuddled face I'm sure.
Walmart Lady: "Oh, it's ok, I work here." <---- Obvious by the name tag. She was sure to point it out.
Me: "I think we will wait."

Then a miracle happened. A dad with his little girl came out of the family restroom. It was like a ray of sunshine came shining out. I almost cheered. We ran in as quick as we could.

So after that ordeal when we came out I thought I would get her a little treat from daddy. So I approached another guy in a name tag. This one a little less creepy. I asked him where we could find the kites. (Landon learned at church this weekend that God made the sky, so I thought this would be a fun activity for us.) His answer was we don't have any...... ARE YOU KIDDING ME.

So we just got some soup and headed home.

Love Letter

Love letter to my wife inspired by Sanctus Real's "Lead Me"

Mandi jo,

I promise to stand with you always. Through everything!
I promise to lead our family and stand strong in any situation
I promise to stand within arms reach whenever you should need me.
I promise to stand firm in any decisions we make together.
I promise to stand aside and let you shine.
I promise to stand up to any opposition that may come our way.
I promise we will always stand together.
I love you always.

DH

Me and My Bride

As many of you know that read this my wife has a shutterfly account that she shares family pictures with our family. Well, our sister in law has one also that she shares with her family. So I checked hers out today and I found a few of Mandi and I on there. I love this first one. It is us from the wedding that we recently attended in Minnesota.

Then she backed that up with this one:

Great! Now her family thinks I am a goober. Thanks for sharing the love. I can't wait till we catch her on camera doing something ridiculous.