My Life In a Moment: Lazy Day

What is your favorite way to spend a lazy day?

I would say I love to watch a movie or a documentary. I also enjoy catching something interesting on YouTube. I love to sort through my sports cards and also arrange playlists on iTunes.

Blended Families Rock and Rival (Taylor vs. DP)

Tonight, Katy Taylor HS play Deer Park HS in football!!! Trina's kids' school against my employer and kids' school!!! Should be fun!!!

Toothpaste Love

Trina pushed my toothpaste up into the tube, so it would be easier for me to get it out. This was done anonymously. She loves me and makes my life easier and lighter.

I love her.

Birthday Joy

Yesterday was amazing!! Trina and I began celebrating Sunday night with a dinner to Perry's. We killed it.. ate so much we were too full for ice cream and popcorn. Then yesterday we chilled out. We met Zach and Emily at House of Pies, then jetted over to their apartment to meet Lady, the newest addition!

Trina then cooked a great dinner Shrimp and Grits. AWESOME!!! We ended the day with our daily bike ride through the neighborhood. Had tons of texts and FB posts. So nice of people to reach out. Here's to 52 and more!!!

She's a Good Woman

This was the very quote from my colleague when I described how Trina put pictures up of me, and especially my kids, around the house. She did this even before the wedding in July!! She is kind, faithful, considerate, generous, and bee-you-ti-full!!! Check this post out 8 years ago..

Friday, November 19, 2010 Dating: In Search of... At our Staff Retreat last weekend, I made a statement about my "lame" dating life. I said to Pastor Richey, Michelle, and Margaret..."I need to find a woman I can lead and be the more dominant person in the relationship." He replied, "No, I don't think you have to be more dominant...it's not in your genes. You need a woman who will love you for who you are." Wow...I turned away and wept a little, as they continued talking about something else. I heard nothing for the next few minutes.

I love her and stoked to walk with her the rest of my life.

The Kid, Teenager, Man

He left today for the Navy Seals program and training. I can still see him riding his bike at 6, doing tricks like letting go of the handlebars and pedals. I can still see his concentration as he caught a pass from me, in the driveway. The first time I realized he can catch now. I can still see him hiking the ball on the flag football team to the quarterback. He was the only one on the team who could hike it shotgun and get it to the quarterback. I can still see his excitement when he got his BB gun for Christmas. I can still see him making a double-play in T-Ball. No one made double plays! I can still see him getting the All-Star Game Game Ball for playing great, at 3B. He never played third before. I can still see him serving the kids at Field of Dreams. I can still see him take care of the elderly at church. I can still see him work hard for 3.5 years at Discount Tire. I am proud.

Abby and the Scriptures

Abby made me proud this week! On her way to the 8th grade basketball game, she was taking notes from her Bible app, on the school bus!!

Emma's Family Tree!!

http://prezi.com/oivtbfiozsph/my-family-tree/

1974 Super Bowl Sunday and Salvation

On January 13th 40 years ago yesterday, my parents surrendered their lives and family to Jesus and my heritage of faith was drastically altered!! It was Super Bowl Sunday 1974. The game was played in Houston, at Rice Stadium!! My parents faith is the biggest reason for my love for God. They instilled it in me both intentionally and by default. I am forever changed because of that day!! By the way, the Fran Tarkenton-led Vikings lost to the mighty Dolphins and I was a big time Viking fan then!!

Genealogies Matter

Matthew 1 contains some of the beautiful words written in the Scriptures.. ancestors. The line from Abraham to Jesus was both promised and fulfilled. God's word never fails. He uses rascals and rebels, as well as righteous and right!! God is in charge, even of the family of Jesus and yours.

1 This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David[a] and of Abraham: 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. 3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram.[b] 4 Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. 5 Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse. 6 Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah). 7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asa.[c] 8 Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.[d] Jehoram was the father[e] of Uzziah. 9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham. Jotham was the father of Ahaz. Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah. 10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amon.[f] Amon was the father of Josiah. 11 Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin[g] and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon). 12 After the Babylonian exile: Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel. Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud. Abiud was the father of Eliakim. Eliakim was the father of Azor. 14 Azor was the father of Zadok. Zadok was the father of Akim. Akim was the father of Eliud. 15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar. Eleazar was the father of Matthan. Matthan was the father of Jacob. 16 Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah. 17 All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

The next time we complain or feel unjustly treated by being in such and such's bloodline, remember Jesus. He had several who were suspect in character, but strong in purpose.. God's purpose.

From Clifford to Classics

Clifford the Big Red Dog was one of my kids' favorite book series and TV Cartoons in the late 90's and early 00's. The stories taught values of friendship, loyalty, the love of pets, family ties, and honoring your word. My son will be graduating high school in a few months, and he will have traveled from Clifford to Potter to Tolkein to the classics he will read in college. I pray that he develops habits much better than he has shown in high school. There will be reading beyond what he has ever faced. God, give him wisdom and determination to do what it takes to get it done.

Happy Birthday, Emma!

Wow...14 today!

The Empty House

It's been a year this weekend since my children rode away with their mom in the van. I watched them leave their empty rooms, the wooden fort, and the swing set they played on for many years, plus the trampoline they dearly loved.

I have them this weekend in a new house, well not new, but new to me and them. I am renting from Pastor Len. I have been living with people, renting rooms from friends and strangers for a year. Now, the time has come for healing to come to my children.

We have healed and are healing from so much pain and loss. Yet, have remained strong and loving through the mess and tragedy. I love them with every ounce my heart can conceive. A new day has begun and we are moving on to greater things than I imagined. God is good.

After School Pics

Girls Basketball

Abby played on the Deer Park Elementary Ninjas last season as a 3rd grader. This season, she will be one of the bigger girls (not that it stopped her last year)! She was a rebound machine! In one game, she made the go-ahead bucket with 25 sec. left. Then as the opposing team came down the court, they had two shots and two free throws to tie the game and missed all 4! Abby grabbed the last rebound and turned to pass to a teammate and the clock sounded...she had saved them from shooting once more! Even though it was a 3rd & 4th grade team, you can tell from the pic below (Abby is last one on right) that she was one of the tallest players! hahaha

September Memories

Football, birthdays, 9-11, and Ike...these are some of the recollections I have about September.

High School

WoW! That time has come that I thought was soooooo far into the future! My firstborn is a Freshman. Years ago, I wondered what he would look like, act like, and be like. I wondered how tall he would be and if he would be a good person.

He is in fact 5'7" and weighs 120 pounds. He's trying out for the Freshman Basketball Team and the Sophomore Baseball Team. He's a good kid and I love him and am very proud to be his Dad.

What An Inning!

Jon Mark came in to pitch in the bottom of the 4th inning after playing brilliantly at 3B. He faced the Longhorn's (best team in the league) 2, 3, and 4 batters - and K's all three!


An outstanding performance by a 13 year old against three 14 year olds!

Sad Songs

This song, "I Wonder", is an awesome tune about a daughter who's mother left her and now she wants her to come home. I must admit, it brings moisture to the eye when you hear the longing and hurt in her voice and in the words.

I Wonder
by Kellie Pickler

Sometimes I think about you
Wonder if you’re out there somewhere thinkin' 'bout me
And would you even recognize the woman that your little girl has grown up to be
‘Cause I look in the mirror and all I see are your brown eyes lookin' back at me
They’re the only thing you ever gave to me at all

Chorus
Oh, I hear the weather’s nice in California
There’s sunny skies as far as I can see
If you ever come back home to Carolina
I wonder what you’d say to me

I think about how it ain’t fair that you weren’t there to braid my hair like mothers do
You weren’t around to cheer me on
Help me dress for my high school prom like mother’s do
Did you think I didn’t need you here to hold my hand, to dry my tears
Did you even miss me through the years at all?

Chorus

Forgiveness is such a simple word
But it’s so hard to do
When you’ve been hurt

Oh, I hear the weather’s nice in California
And just in case you’re wondering about me
From now on I won’t be in Carolina
Your little girl is off,
oh your little girl is off,
your little girl is off,
to Tennessee

Home Run!

Jon Mark, last Saturday, hit a Home Run in Select Ball practice on the Pony Field! It traveled about 305 feet! He was really excited and hopes that more follow.

The ones he hit in Little League were back-to-back jacks off of Craig Cochran in All-Star practice in June, which went about 210 feet.