Its been awhile....

I know its been awhile since my last post. Work has been busy and with my upcoming trip to North Carolina I've been trying to spend as much time with the kids as possible. Both Alex and Ariel have been getting pretty good at shooting hoops with the new basketball hoop Alex got for his B-Day. I was able to get a new net that has glow in the dark beads on it and it makes a unique sound when the ball goes through it, I can't wait until the nights are a bit warmer so we can "charge up" the beads and play a little late night ball.

This past weekend was Easter which is always a thought provoking "holiday", it seems that this time of year it becomes natural to constantly evaluate my personal relationship with God. I find my emotions run deep whenever I think about the sacrifice that was made in order for us to be able to have that one-on-one relationship with Him.

The weekend was an eventful one to say the least. My weekend started out with a brutal sinus infection when I awoke Friday morning, thankfully I was able to spend the morning in bed as I had nothing on my work schedule. Just when I thought I was in the clear to enjoy my Guaranteed Weekend Off Call I got paged for a call in Boston. Thankfully all went well and I was able to repair the unit and get home before my truck turned into a "pumpkin"!
Rebecca stocked me up on sinus medicine and I dragged myself out of bed around 11:00 on Saturday morning in order to bring our chairs over to Rebecca's parent house for Easter Sunday Dinner. I was excited to make the quick trip there and back so I could veg-out in bed the rest of the day watching TV with the kids. I should have know better than to plan ahead!

The local wildlife in our area are showing the signs of spring fever this past week. On Tuesday the kids got to watch a red fox in the back yard, on Thursday I saw a black bear less than 2 miles from the house, and 2 small herds of deer. With that said I should have been prepared for what the weekend had in store for me!

As I started writing about earlier - I was making the quick jaunt to drop off the chairs. Due to my condition Rebecca decided to go along for the ride and help me unload, so with kids in tow we went on our merry way. Well the merry part was short lived! I managed to get about a mile and a half from the house when I noticed several deer running through the woods, when I asked if everyone could see them they all acknowledged they could - the only problem was we were all watching different groups of deer on separate sides of the road! All at once we all realized our predicament. I managed to avoid several daredevils and was almost stopped when the unimaginable happened-I stuck a deer with my truck.
Now normally I would look forward to the prospect of fresh venison in the freezer but not today. Alex on the other hand was in the back seat chanting "Fresh Meat - Fresh Meat, I Love Deer Meat!" To some this may seem morbid but I am grateful that my kids realize that God has provided us with animals here on earth not only to enjoy watching in nature but for nourishment as well. At this point I wasn't sure the status of the animal so I pulled off the road and walked the wood line. Once I located the deer I called the Resident State Trooper and then Rebecca's parents to let them know we would be delayed. (I did take pictures of my first deer taken with a Chevy V8 for my brag book but I will spare you this time!)

So as I'm sure you've guessed I didn't get to veg-out in bed all day-I spent the day playing Mr. Butcher. With the help of Rebecca and the kids it didn't take that long - I am thankful that my family is willing to help out with this "chore" as most people think of meat as something that comes prepackaged for them at the local grocery store. Not my family they understand where the meat comes from and show a level of respect for the process-from start to finish.

I know, I'm rambling on--I'll just blame it on the decongestant.

Unfortunately I was in rough shape Sunday morning and I missed Sunrise Service in the Meadow but after 12 hours of sleep (I love NyQuil) I was feeling better and enjoyed Easter dinner and fellowship with our friends and family. The meal, fellowship, and especially the desert were wonderful. It was nice to see all the kids playing together as well as the adults acting like kids so they could play along!

All in all it wasn't quite the weekend I expected it to be but looking back it was one I will remember for years to come. Despite all the excitement and drama the important thing was that we Celebrated Easter this past weekend. My hope and prayer is that everyone who reads this takes a moment to reflect on the true meaning of Easter and as we officially observe the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, the fact is we should express our thanks daily for the sacrifice that was made on our behalf because without him we are nothing.

A day of celebration, a day of remembrance.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

While many will be celebrating the good deeds of St. Patrick next Monday, I will be celebrating the life of another man - my father. The past 2 days I have found my mind swimming with memories of him and the good times we shared together. The man truly had flair - he entered the world on St. Patrick’s Day and departed it on St. Valentine’s Day. I am sad because I miss him and not a day goes by that I don’t think of him. During times like these I find myself fighting my emotions in order to get through the day so I have decided to use this as an outlet. Although I miss my dad, I must acknowledge that I have been blessed with two wonderful men in my life who I respect and love; both Chuck and Roger are there as a father for me. Even though it's a few days early, I would like to take this chance to celebrate in memory of his birthday, the life of the man who taught me among many other things how to hunt and fish, how to drive a car, and the importance of making time for family. As I look forward to my meal of Corned beef with potatoes, carrots and cabbage I will have a smile on my face as I remember my Fathers disapproval of my brother and I smothering our cabbage with tomato ketchup. I will reflect on my memories of days spent in the woods hunting, days off from school working with my dad in the big red truck (my dad was a truck driver), afternoons spent drowning worms on the banks of a stream, sledding at the local high school after a winter storm, Sunday driving lessons, listening to the baseball game on the radio while playing in the back yard, digging up wild daffodils and day lily’s on the side of the road for Mom's flower gardens, Sunday lunch together as a family, and the memories go on and on. I am thankful to have the memories that I do and to have had the privilege of being my father’s son. Remember the reality is we are only here for a season and it is up to us to determine how we spend that season. Life may throw us a curve ball on occasion but as the saying goes if life gives you lemons make lemonade! He may not be with us in the flesh but he is here in my heart and in my memories so for no other reason other than that of good memories…
Happy Birthday Dad.

Age vs. Maturity

We celebrated more birthdays this past weekend and I couldn't resist sharing some of the pictures. Happy Birthday Luke. I am blessed to have you as a brother. Thank you for the friendship we share and I am thankful to be part of your family. Don't worry the best pictures are of L***, I mean Batgirl! Happy Birthday and may you both be blessed throughout the next year.

P.S.
Mom R. I would like a full size batman suit for my Birthday and Dad can make the gadgets to go on the belt!

The Torturer - AKA Dentist

My mother will appreciate this clip, Steve Martin even looks like the sorry excuse for a dentist I had as a kid.




For all of those who didn't know I am afraid of the Dentist and not ashamed to admit it! From the time I moved out of my parents house as a teenager I avoided the tooth doctors at all cost. Thankfully I took care of my teeth for the most part and when things did go bad I trusted my local oral surgeon to eliminate the problem. After several visits he told me not to come back - he ordered me to find a "DENTIST"! So with the help of my family and friends I located a dentist who understood my fears and fixed my issues rather than remove them.
With all that said don't assume that I enjoy going (like Bill Murray in the movie Little Shop of Horrors)




My fears were once again realized when my upper jaw started bothering me this past weekend - it was so bad I called and left a message for the dentist to call me back ASAP so I could "visit" him and Rebecca didn't even have to nag, force, or do it for me! I will spare you all the details but in the end he removed the problem (the problem which he supposedly fixed during our original meeting). Thankfully the teeth I've had removed are all rear molars and I still have a full pearly white smile. My only wish is that I could get my hands on one of the portable gas masks that Steve Martins character uses for my yearly visits to the dentist! Also in case you were wondering the Dentist keeps the teeth they pull and they charge you for it - I guess the partial coverage for the extraction from the insurance company is the adult equivalent to the tooth fairy.