New puppy, not enough time to do this blog right

My family got a new puppy today from a animal care facility in Des Moines. Not my idea, but that is what we have. He is a mini pincher, black, and is fun. Cute, and good natured. Alexis and mommy love him to pieces.

love

Goals for 2009 and 2010

Well for 2010 I don't need new goals because I failed to accomplish most of my 2009 goals. I want to do better, but it is difficult. I want to be a better Christian, better father, and more dedicated and loving husband. Praise by to God that I have this chance.

Church family fun night

Instead of the typical door-to-door trick or treating, this year our family is planning to attend a family fun night at our church. The event is open to the community on Oct. 31 from 5 to 8. We'll have fun games, candy, food, fellowship, and things for kids to take home with them. We hope to get lots of people out for this.

Wish for the best.

Summer too cool and short

Summer for me was just too cool and short. I'd sure like it to be longer and warmer, but it's over now. Oh well. God has blessed us with the summer we had, and it is my fault if I didn't use it well enough. Hope you all used you summer to bless others and do good for yourself, your family, your church, your community, and your God.

mn vacation

This week we went to Minnesota to visit some family and friends. We went fishing and tubing in a boat. Then I helped cut down some trees for a friend. I had the pleasure of catching a 27+ inch northern pike. Plan to eat it soon. I also got an excellent sunburn when we did the tubing. Lots of fun and few or no regrets. Wish we could stay longer but we are all busy. Great to visit other Christians and churches where we go.

First camping trip of the summer

I enjoyed having the opportunity to go camping at Springbrook State Park in our state with my family and two of our kid's friends. Highlights included fishing, crickwalking in a pristine stream, hiking, and of course the campfires and smores. Gets us away from the headaches of life. Went to church in a small town and barely got there before church was out. Oops. Camping experiences prove God exists.

Adventureland

We had a fun week last week, going to Adventureland with friends Tina and Joseph and then the next day Mark, Angie, and I went to an Iowa Cubs game. We had lots of fun. Ethan, 2, did well at Adventureland, loving every ride we went on, including the water rides and even the Underground dark roller coaster.

The fireworks show made up for a lackluster ballgame. We hope to do it more in the future.

Successful time at Bible Camp

Well, the kids are home from Bible Camp, and all had a good time and hopefully a learning time. The kids brought home a bunch of frogs and toads, over a dozen total. Ours kept some and gave the rest away to the other kids who came and wanted frogs (Mark's friend Heaven). We had to let the frogs go after a few died. Mark and Jesse won Bible drills. I still don't know which tribe won the awards. I'll have to find out. Next week Mark is off to Boys' Camp, where he'll learn more about boy stuff, like fire, fishing, football, etc. We try to keep him away from firearms. God bless y'all.

6 kids go to Bible Camp

6 campers plus Alexis (too young to be a camper) Went with Angie to Sharon Bluff Bible Camp this week. One was not from our church, so we are hoping she may be an eventual convert. It is Mark's good friend Heaven. The other 5 campers are from our church and one is a Christian. We are very excited.

I hope they have fun and learn a lot.

Grandma

Some of you know that my grandmother Alma had a sudden stroke and died a few days later last week. Happy Mother's Day. She was at a graduation party. It was and still is a shock to us all, as she was in great health (at least it seemed).

What we all loved about grandma is she was a glue that kept our family going. She arranged and held many of the family gatherings, even when her first husband was very sick for years and when she was alone for years after his death. She was fun-loving and always had a good comeback to any joke or situation.

No favorite memory, but just have that sense that she was such a great part of my life.

One other side-note. She knows what to give me for my birthday: cash!

Wish you all have a great relationship with you parents and grandparents while there is time.

Mother's Day

This Mother's Day will not be all that great for me. For the first time, I won't have a biological mother. Thankfully, I have a wife who is a mother and as a Christian there are motherly ladies who are like a spiritual mother to me. Amen to this family I have from God. If your mother is still alive, so something special with her this year. You don't know when the last Mother's Day will come. You don't want to regret what you missed like I do. Blessed is the man who has a Godly mother. Do your best by being a Godly child. Who knows, it may convert a mother who has yet to see the light of the world.

Boat Fund Started

I have a $50 boat fund, thanks to my wife's generousity. Some day in a few years I hope to go catch some "hawgs" with the lady and kids and not have to fight the weeds along the shoreline. To make a donation, send a check to......LOL

A fine lady

As many know, my mom passed away on December 31, 2008, at 5 PM. This is a sad and difficult time for our family, but God is seeing us all through it. Please continue to pray for us, and that the remaining family would be saved by God's grace. I did not realize how much my mom was loved until her death. She had over 300 people sign in at the visitation and almost as many for the funeral. In total over 400 people visited and took part. For a humble woman with no prestige, our family was inspired. See my fair lady's blog in the coming days to see photos from the weekend and from my parent's photos. God bless you all.

My mother

As my few readers know, my mother is very sick. She is dying. I can tell you she has been a great mom over these years. When I was growing up, she would pray for me and help me with things like homework, problems I was having at school and work, and issues with friends. When my friends, brother, and I slept in our tent in the back yard and snuck out at night to run the streets, and cause trouble, she rarely failed to catch us. She was the common sense source for me and often enabler of my lack of common sense. She was always there to bail me out of problems but never made me not learn from them and then be a better person. She kept with us despite our family issues - unruly kids and a husband who once drunbk too much alcohol. We all really respect her because she was and is a strong woman and one who would lead in the times of need, especially during my teen years. I thank her and love her.

Christmas is about family

With my mother very ill, I wanted to post this family photo, including me, Angie, my kids Mark, Alexis, Hannah (on bottom) and Ethan (mad). My two sisters and brother are in here too. Hopefully we'll be together again soon, but with mother sick and my brother living far away, it is hard. Pray for us, pretty, pretty please.

Mark Started LItlle League today

Our little hoop shooting stud, who is now a week from being 8, started Little League practice today. A nice coach and a boy from his Cub Scouts is on his team. Games to start soon. He's a bit rusty but excited to play. Lexie and Hannah will start girl T-ball soon too. Summer, fun but busy.

Mark's birthday is next week. We plan to have a party this Saturday afternoon if the weather is decent. You can send checks to daddy....ha ha.

Mark's Insightful Question

Our 7-year old asked the other day, "If God already knows what we are going to ask, why do we need to pray"? An excellent question! It took me a bit to answer. However, God wants us to talk to him for the sake of discussion. Just because I come home with a smile from work, my wife may still want to know if I had a good day at work. God wants intimacy with us, and prayer is the best way to gain that. Besides, Jesus said in the book of Matthew, "You don't receive because you don't ask." Even if (because) He knows, He still wants us to humble ourselves and actually ask. It's like when we intend to give our kid a treat, but we still want them to say, "Please give us this treat." We still like them to ask and say, "please," and "thank you."

Goin' Pro

Mark and Alexis snowboarding....gnarly, dude.