It's been a long time since I've posted and while there have been numerous things that I would like t talk about, the one that stand out the most is that on July 3 at 9:25pm , our youngest daughter prayed to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior!!!!!!!! Thank you Lord for Your love and mercy!!!!!!!!
What an incredible feeling it is to have her come to her mom and I and ask us about what being a Christian means and how she goes about doing it.
I know that the angels in Heaven are rejoicing over her decision as are mom, dad, friends and church family!
Yesterday, we started going through a workbook for younger children that helps explain what a Christian believes, why it's important to read the Bible, etc.
Thank you again Lord for your love and mercy.
Because Truth matters,
George
He is risen!
What an awesome day! We started the day with checking the oven for our resurrection cookies (hollow merengue and almonds). They kids thought they were cool, but our 5 year-old was a little underwhelmed that they did not turn into chocolate chip cookies overnight... lol
Service was great today as our pastor preached our of 1st Thessalonians and the resurrection of our bodies and the rapture of the church.
The kids then had an Easter egg hunt.
Anyway, as I sit here and think about the day, I am reflecting on the real love and sacrifice that our Saviour has shown to us as well as the future resurrection that waits for believers when the Lord returns.
At the end of the day, I am happy that our children know and can explain the real meaning of the today which is not an easy thing to do when trying to keep your 5 year-old's mind off of the chocolate bunny in the next room... lol
Thank you, Lord for your love, sacrifice and for chosing and saving us!
Because Truth matters,
George
How are you living your life and faith in front of your children? Do you reflect a life of faith and trust in Jesus? Does your life reflect what you say?
The following is a short cool video about how kids observe what their dads do and what they learn and although it's a father and son in the video, the same applies for both mom and dad, boys and girls.
Congratulations to G3!
Today, George won the JROTC cadet of the month for his batallion. He was chosen to represent his company against three other companies.
He was tested on his knowledge of a variety of subjects, including drill, chain of command and current events on a local, national and international basis. He was also judged as well on his appearance.
We are very proud of the time and effort that he has invested in this program.
It's also incredible to see how humbly he accepted this honor and the young man that he is becoming.
Way to go!
If my father were alive today, he would've been 73 years old. Wow, that seems old, then again, when I was growing up, I thought that 30 was old and that 40 was ancient... lol
Now that I am 40, I still think that it's ancient, but I reflect on the years as a chance to look back and remember where I was then and when I am now. I have learned a lot of things in what/how a parent should and shouldn't be through my parents. These things help to shape my life for the better.
Growing daily with Jesus and making life purposeful changes things.
I purpose time to play dolls with Jules
I purpose time to play catch with the boys
I purpose time to be silly with Megan
I purpose time to love me wife and make sure that my children see how much she means to me.
I purpose time with God to pass on spiritual truths to the children,
Diana once said that "God made you an original, don't die a copy." Regarding our relationship to others, this is true. The only one that I want to reflect as a copy is Jesus and I am far from that.
So today, I look back and reflect and look forward with anticipation of the wonders that God has in store for me and our family.
The boys and I have been getting pretty serious about wanting to go turkey and eventually deer hunting. Well, one of the first things that they had to do was to complete a Hunter Education Course that the State of Tennessee requires for all residents born after 1969 in order for them to hunt. Even though I squeaked by the age limit (Man am I old...lol) I wanted to go through the course with them. We took the online classes and studies, completed the online test and headed down to Bass Pro Shops for more education, another test and a live fire exercise.
I am proud to say that we all passed. I'm not sure what the boys got a bigger kick out of, winning Bass Pro Hats or getting to shoot a .22 rifle.
Anyway, above is a pick of them with there certifications.
Great job, boys!
This past Saturday night, I took the kids down to the car show at the Smyrna Sonic. It was pretty neat to see all of the cool cars that showed up, although I do have to say that the '57 Chevy was pretty much my favorite.
I think that the kids and I went crazy with the camera, but what a cool night out with the family!
Yesterday was our youngest son's first cross-country meet. There were 16 (or was it 19) schools represented and hundreds of runners that had to cover a distance of 1.5 miles. He had a great time.
I am very proud of him. He placed right in the middle of the pack, which is good considering that was up against Goliath-sized eighth graders and it was his first year running and first competition ever.
Needless to say, I can't wait until his next meet
Today I received a funny email from Diana. She said that Jules is running around singing, "You hungry, you hungry. You Momma says you hungry!" which she squarely blamed on me in teaching it to her.
It's funny how certain commercials ingrain themselves in our heads. When we were over at a friend's house last week, the kids were in the pool while our friend was grilling burgers and dogs. Jules looks over and notices and promptly yells out, "I said a beef hot link!"... lol
She is too funny. I do have to admit that I am a fan of the commercials as well and they do stick in your head.
Sweetie, if your reading this, could we please place smoked kielbasa on the menu this week? :)
Today is Juliana's 5th Birthday!
It seems like yesterday I was in the delivery room with Diana, watching Jules being born. What a special blessing and miracle she was and continues to be.
As I look back on the past 5 years, I can't imagine what our family was like before her. She adds so much to all of our lives.
Diana has some incredible pictures from the past 5 years on her blog. You can see them here!
I think back to a poem that I wrote for Jules when she was born and it still rings true today...
"My heart it surely skipped a beat,
the day I saw her dainty feet.
I cannot get her out of my mind,
So cute and sweet, she's one of a kind.
My second daughter, born today,
Through this all I have to say.
My joy that she is ours to love,
An angel sent from Heaven above.
I saw my child begin her new life,
Brought into this world by my sweet wife.
Oh what a joy, this truly was for me,
To see my daughter who was born to be."
~Daddy
Today, her feet aren't so dainty, but the joy that she brings gives me just a glimpse of the love that God has for us for she is such a blessing.
Happy 5th Birthday, Sweetie!Love,
Daddy
I got this from Diana's blog. It's from one of those emails that goes around now and then. It's fun to fill out and to read about other people.
1. What is your occupation? Network Security Specialist. Sounds important, no?
2. What color are your socks right now? Blue dress socks
3. What are you listening to right now? My co-worker talking to himself
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Breakfast
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes. The first car that I bought on my own had a stick shift. I bought it without knowing how to drive one. What can I say?
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Blue, (it's Jules' and my favorite color... inside joke)
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? CSR from health insurance co. They rally are difficult, aren't they?
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? what kind of question is that? Would you send it to people you don't like
9. How old are you today? 40
10. Favorite drink? Code Red Mountain Dew or Sweet Tea
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Pro Football (Titans :) )
12.Have you ever dyed your hair? No, but Diana has dyed my hair
13. Pets? Cats and a dog
14. Favorite food? Diana's Chicken Marsala
15. Last movie you watched? Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi. The kids are on a Star Wars marathon right now.
16. Favorite Day of the year? Everyday
17. What do you do to vent anger? Hmmm... I don't know. I guess, yell.
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Legos
19. What is your favorite season? Spring and Fall
20. Hugs or kisses? Hugs, but I wouldn't turn down kisses :)
21. Cherry or Blueberry? Cherry. Actually, strawberry.
22. What's under your bed? Plastic bins of winter clothes
23. What are you wearing? Dress slacks and and shirt
24. What do you do with your spare time? You've got to be kidding, right?
25. When was the last time you cried? Hmmmm.... I'd have to think about this
26. What is on the floor of your closet? I don't have a closet, just an area that Juliana uses to sing Hannah Montana songs.
27. What is your favorite music? Contemporary Christian or Country
28.Favorite hobbies? Read, work in the yard, play with kids
29. Favorite smells? Forest/trees
30. Worst smell? My kids when they don't shower....ewww
31. Who inspires you? My wife
32. What are you afraid of? Missing out on God's plan for my life.
33. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Ollie.
34. Favorite car? Truck
35. Favorite cat breed? I don't know
36. Number of keys on your key ring? 10
37. How many years at your current job? Just started a new one so <1
38. Favorite day of the week? Saturday and Sunday
39. How many states have you lived in? 6, Florida, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Tennessee
40. Do you think you're funny? I'm hysterical...or just slaptastic (Yes, that's my word)
It's been a while since I've posted, so I wanted to update the "goings on" around the house. Tonight, I will be taking the some of the kids camping. This is pretty cool because I haven't been camping for a few years. The last time was when Matt and I went on the Father-Son campout.
This should be a fun experience. We are going on a GA and RA combined expedition. Well, it feels like an expedition with all of the sleeping bags, chairs, lanterns, compasses, etc.
I do want to mention something funny. As we were loading all of the equipment into my little car last night, the kids were handing me things to pack. I look up from the trunk to see Matt standing there with an ax. He casually said, "Well, we're going to need to chop wood." I don't think the ranger at the park would like that, besides, we're bringing out our wood. He was a bit disappointed, but understood.
Whew... that's one less thing to cram in the trunk :)
The only thing that really stinks is that we are supposed to have thunderstorms over the next few days. I hope that it holds off.
Oh, well, it should be fun :)
Congratulations! I just wanted to say how proud I am of Megan. She was one of 13 girls who were just selected to be a part of the SCMS Dance Team. In order to tryout, she had to attend a two-day camp to learn a routine as well as develop an ending of her own.
Congrats, Meg! I am proud of you and your talent and look forward to seeing you dance!
Well, Diana let it out of the bag that I'm 40 today... the big 4-0... top of hill and looking down, as it were. It's OK, though. I've come to accept the fact and am trying to age with grace. That being said, here are some, "You know you are over the hill when's...." that I've come across. I have to laugh, because the sad thing is that some of these ARE true... lol
Anyway, here we go...
You know you are over the hill when...
Your back goes out but you stay home
At the breakfast table you hear snap,crakle,pop and you're not eating cereal
When you wake up looking like your drivers license picture
It takes two tries to get up from the couch
When you yell at your kids to "turn that darn music down"
When your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio
When happy hour is a nap
When you're on vacation and your energy runs out before your money does
When you say something to your kids that your mother said to you and you always hated it
When all you want for your birthday is to not be reminded of your age
You go to step off a curb and look down one more time to make sure the street is still there
It takes longer to rest than it did to get tired
Your memory is shorter and your complaining lasts longer
Your address book has mostly names that start with Dr.
You sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going
The pharmacist has become your new best friend
Getting lucky means you found your car in the parking lot
The twinkle in your eye is only a reflection from the sun on your bifocals
If everything hurts and what doesn't hurt doesn't work
If your house catches fire and the first thing you grab is your metamucil
You look for your glasses for half an hour and they were on your head the whole time
You get two invitations to go out on the same night and you pick the one that gets you home the earliest
You sink your teeth into a steak and they stay there
You get to the check out line,see how long it is,and decide what you have in your buggy isn't worth the wait
You have more patience,but actually it's just that you don't care anymore
Rocking in a rocking chair feels like a roller coaster ride
You confuse having a 'clear conscience' with a bad memory
You finally 'get your head together' and your body starts falling apart
You turn off the lights for economic reasons instead of romantic reasons
You wonder how you could be over the hill when you don't even remember being on top of it
Getting a little action means your prune juice kicked in
Caution is the only thing you excercise
You wake up with that morning after feeling and you didn't go anywhere the night before
You're not worried about losing your looks, only your glasses
You find yourself beginning to like accordion music.
Lawn care has become a big highlight of your life.
You tune into the easy listening station... on purpose.
You discover that your measurements are now small, medium and large. In that order.
You light the candles on your birthday cake and a group of campers form a circle and start singing Kumbaya.
Someone compliments you on your layered look... and you're wearing a bikini.
You keep repeating yourself.
You start video taping daytime game shows.
At the airport, they ask to check your bags... and you're not carrying any luggage.
You wonder why you waited so long to take up macramé.
Your Insurance Company has started sending you their free calendar... A month at a time.
At cafeterias, you complain that the gelatin is too tough.
Your new easy chair has more options than your car.
When you do the "Hokey Pokey" you put your left hip out... and it stays out.
One of the throw pillows on your bed is a hot water bottle.
Conversations with people your own age often turn into "dueling ailments".
You keep repeating yourself.
It takes a couple of tries to get over a speed bump.
You discover the words, "whippersnapper", "scalawag" and "by-cracky" creeping into your vocabulary.
You're on a TV game show and you decide to risk it all and go for the rocker.
You begin every other sentence with, "Nowadays..."
You run out of breath walking DOWN a flight of stairs.
You look both ways before crossing a room.
Your social security number only has three digits.
You keep repeating yourself.
You come to the conclusion that your worst enemy is gravity.
You go to a Garden Party and you're mainly interested in the garden.
You find your mouth making promises your body can't keep.
The waiter asks how you'd like your steak...and you say "pureed".
You start beating everyone else at trivia games.
You frequently find yourself telling people what a loaf of bread used to cost.
Your back goes out more than you do.
You keep repeating yourself.
Cafeteria food starts tasting GOOD.
You refer to your $2500 stereo system as "The Hi-Fi."
You make it a point to attend all the RV shows that come to town.
You realize that a stamp today costs more than a picture show did when you were growing up.
Your childhood toys are now in a museum.
Many of your co- workers were born the same year that you got your last promotion.
The clothes you've put away until they come back in style... come back in style.
All of your favorite movies are now revised in color.
The car that you bought brand new becomes an antique.
You keep repeating yourself.
You find this list tasteless and insensitive.
We just returned from MTSU and what a day it was! Today was Matt's 4H Regional competition. He had placed first in county last month and we were anticipating and preparing for this event. Even so, he was a bit nervous, but handled it like a pro.
We sat through 5 other presentations in the same category as his and it was incredible to see the confidence that this gave him.
I do have to commend him as well for being a gentleman. He was very nice and genuinely friendly to the other students competing.
I am so proud that that it wasn't about winning for him, but about doing your best. It was funny, when we were walking into the room for the awards, he was just as happy that we were going for tacos afterwards than he was in anticipation.
In the end, he got 1st place and we are very proud of him!
Way to go, Matt!
Throughout my ALMOST 40 years, I have known some great ladies. I appreciate the sacrifice that women make in putting their children first and in nuturing and guiding their them into being loving and responsible members of society.
In thinking about my childhood, I know that I put my mother through all sorts of agony and grief and yet I was still placed first in her life. I think that my wife was easier on her mom, who was another incredible lady that I had the priviledge to know and love.
I know that Diana does through a lot in being a mom to our 4 children. She pours time, love and affection into them. Sometimes, there is a return and sometimes, there isn't, but it seems to be part of the deal. I thank God for her and the impact that she makes in our children's lives.
To my wonderful wife and all moms, Happy Mother's Day!
During the past 2 days, the kids and I have been getting the garden together. I know it's a bit late to start, however, I cannot let the season go by without a garden.
This year, we are planting tomatoes, corn and some spices. The garden sounds small by some standards, but given our time constraint, we will have to make due.
On Sunday, my two daughters and I went a picked up a load of free composted horse manure. What an incredible thing it is to have a neighbor willing to share :)
It was funny... I asked the girls (the boys weren't home at the time) if they wanted to go with me to run an errand. My youngest daughter, the 4-year-old asked where we were going. I told her that we were going to go get some horse "poo" to which she replied, "Horse poo? That's disgusting. Let's go, Daddy!"
So the rest of the afternoon before church we shoveled and loaded and then pulled the truck up to our garden where we worked some into the area prepared for the tomato plants, unloaded the rest ( Hint: There's probably a compost pile coming soon) and planted some tomato plants with baskets. My youngest son expressed an interest in having his own garden, which is cool to hear about. I pointed to one of the plants and said that one is yours to take care of for now and that he can help with the rest (until we can get a garden going for him)
Monday afternoon, my youngest daughter and I planted herbs for Mommy and started some corn plants that we'll transplant later.
All in all, it was a pretty fun time.
It's been a while since I've posted anything, so I thought that it would be fitting to talk about last week.
Last week was really tough. We had a TON of things happen in our lives that affected us in many levels.
On Monday, my cat, Sebastian passed away. He had gotten into a fight with a snake in the area and had massive infections all over his body. They finally proved too much for him and we had to let him go.
On Tuesday, my car's radiator developed a crack and spilt along the top, stranding me on I-65. Thanks to Diana (and Jules) I got running and we got the car fixed.
On Thursday, our Chihuahua, Willow passed away from old age. She is missed greatly by everyone, but I think especially G3, whose dog she was.
Sunday night and part of Monday, (OK, I know it's not part of the same week, but I DID say "and then some") Jules and G3 were sick with a stomach flu. I was up all night taking care of them and starting to feel queasy.
Tuesday, I was down for the count. I never felt that bad in my life from a stomach bug, althoug I think that I always say that when I catch something. Diana was also not feeling too well.
When it rains, it pours, as they say...
It seems like our kids give us enough fodder for the blogosphere with all of their (mis)adventures, so I wanted to post some good things that our kids do that make me want to brag on them.
Our two middle kids are in a musical play in school in which they sing to songs from Suessical, the Musical and Schoolhouse Rock. Last night was their performance and they were great. I am very proud of the time and effort that they've put in to Drama Club to be a part of this production. For those of you wondering, yes, that's THE llama :)
Great Job kids! 
Last night, my youngest daughter was in the process of going to bed when she had decided that she was going to take a new toy, a Barbie car to bed with her. When I was tucking her in, she had several Barbies and this big vehicle with her in her little bed. I asked her to hold on to the dolls, but to put the car next to her bed because it was too big and I didn't want her to get hurt during the night.
Well, she threw a fit fit and cried and kicked and carried on while I tried to reason with her. It was at this time that I gave her a warning to stop her behavior, to which she rolled over and continued. When she rolled over, I spanked her once on her rear. She turned over, wimpered (which broke my heart) and I continued to tuck her in and say prayers with the girls.
About 5 minutes later, I see a tuft of blonde hair peeking out from behind the couch near their hallway. I called to Jules to ask if everything was OK and to see what she wanted. She came to the edge of the couch and I got up and met her and bent down. She reached around my neck and told me that she was sorry. I told her that I accepted her apology.
She promptly said, "Will you tuck me in again?"
"Of course."
We went through the tucking in process again, when Meg called me to her bed. I asked her if she had put Nanna up to apologizing. She said that she told her to, but Jules was afraid that I would not forgive her. I thanked Meg and went over to let Jules know that she can always come to me and get forgiveness and for her not to be afraid.
That whole episode got me thinking about our relationship to God. How we want our own way with things and when we are disciplined, we are sometimes hesitant to come to Him and ask for forgiveness. The really awesome thing is that God always meets us, hugs us and forgives us. There is no reason that we should be afraid of the process.
In that small example, God let me see a bit into the awesome love that he has for us.
God bless,
George
