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.