I likey! Some of my current favorite things!

It has been a while, I know! I have been slacking, but I am back, and hopefully it won't be so long between this and my next post. As I eat a bowl of my cereal of the month I thought I would post a few things that I am really enjoying right now.

1- Wheaties Fuel Cereal

Very, very good and it's packed with daily vitamins and healthy stuff like that. It also takes me back to Jr. Pro basketball at MHBS when me and some of my friend would have to have Wheaties the morning before our game. We thought it would make us "Be Like Mike". It didn't!!

2-Camelbak Water Bottle

If you don't do good drinking water during the day, this baby will help you tremendously. I just keep mine on my desk all day and when I finish it up, I just go re-fill it. I will suck down 3 or 4 bottles worth in a day. I have had this one for a while and it is great! Callan loves them too! We are going to get her one of her own very soon!

3- Bible Podcasts

I have been trying to run 4 or 5 days a week. Well, I have found it difficult to have my quite time with God and maintain a work out routine. So, I have combined the two. I simply go to iTunes and look through the Podcast section for Religion and Spirituality and find something that I want to study. I have listened to sermons from people like Tommy Nelson, Francis Chan, Jeff Walling, Rob Bell, James Dobson and more. I have also listened to Bible Study Groups as they work through a particular scripture. It has been a blessing to my life for sure! And I have dropped 10 lbs in the process. Now if I could just consistently eat good...oh well!

4- Gillette Fusion Razor

I have long been a fan of the Schick Mach 3 disposable razors. But Melodie (through her couponing) got this little baby for next to nothing and I have been uber pleased with it performance. I tend to be pretty scruffy and have a tough beard. This thing, with the help of Arbonne NutrimenC Shave Gel make shaving about as easy and smooth as I have found. It actually keeps me from dreading shaving. Thanks Mel!!

5-Jumping Rope

I have been hittin' the rope pretty heavy during my work outs. I usually run (as I listen to my Podcasts) and then do some jump rope and work in some strength building like push-ups, hammer curls, sit-up and other ab work and also shoulder work outs. Jumping rope is awesome though. When I get back from running a couple of miles jumping rope between sets of the exercise du jour helps me keep my heart rate going. I usually do 100 reps or 200 reps between each set. But my rope broke today so I am in need of a trip to Dick's to pick up another! You should try it, it is a great relatively low impact work out and it is great for your legs, shoulders, abs and heart rate.

6- Crocs Santa Cruz

I love these shoes. Me, I would wear the regular Crocs everyday all day, but they just, well, they've lost some of their flare (were they ever cool, I am not convinced of that). I don't think you are going to see the things in GQ anytime soon. I even had a friend (key word, had) who called them "birth control shoes". You can take that however you would like. Well, these Crocs are a little more pleasing to the eye and maybe even more pleasing to the sole! They are incredibly comfortable and cool on my feet. The look fine with shorts or jeans and I wear them a lot! I might see if I can talk my wonderful wife into hooking me up with some Navy ones. Who knows...I do love me some shoes though! I'm always looking for my next pair of sneakers. I have my eye on some Nike Air Max 2009's right now! But the $159 price tag is not my friend. I'll wait till someone on Ebay is getting ride of a gently used pair!

7-My Wife and Girls!

I know, I know, that sounds corny and cheesy to some, but man, am I blessed. My little girls are growing so fast and they make me smile and laugh every single day. And my wife, wow, she has really been going the extra mile for me over the last few weeks (she might say months). But she really has, from taking care of the house to leaving me sweet notes, she really has been showing me an example of what it means to be a loving, selfless, and Godly spouse. I guess this is me showing her just a little of my thanks! Thanks Honey! It hasn't gone unnoticed.

If you have anything on my list that interests you or you have any current favorite things, let me know! Your favorite things might just be something I can't live without!

Roots and Wings

I tell you what, having little girls changes a lot. It changes the way I think about a lot of things. To think that one day my little girls are going to be women??? (Wow, I can't believe I was even able to type that.) And to think that one day there will be boys chasing them and wanting to hold their hand...I am cleaning my shotgun as we speak. But little girls, well, there is absolutely nothing like 'em.

Callan, my oldest (she'll be 2 in 5 days), is one of the sweetest little girls I have ever been around. Shoot, she is one of the sweetest little KIDS I have ever been around. Her spirit is so kind and loving and her hugs and "knucks" warm my heart like nothing in this world. When I watch her grow I dread how fast time is flying. She is a tiny little thing, but is already starting to act "big". She climbs, she runs (it is more like a trot), she talks, she "pays" (plays), and she sits with me and watches TV (her favorite show is "baboo", Zaboomafoo). She is a daddy's girl for sure. I can't wait to see the woman she will be while at the same time I hate to see how quickly she is see getting there.

Lizzie (almost 7 months old) is a joy to be around. She gave us fits with colic and not sleeping very well, but her smile is magnetic and her laugh is narcotic. She is a delight to be around and always giggles when I tickle her feet (she gets her ticklish feet from her Daddy). Lizzie Ruth (We just call her Lizzie) is a beautiful little girl and continues to grow up and out without the same hesitations her sister seemed to have.

My little girls are the light of my life. I can't explain how excited, nervous, thrilled, scared, intimidated, eager, terrified, and elated I am about guiding them through life. Melodie stays at home with them and she does a tremendous job. Wow, what a woman. I am with the girls by myself for 3 or 4 hours and I feel like I can pull the rest of my hair out, and she does it every day (be with the girls, not pull my hair out). I guess that is my "shout out" to my wonderful wife who is and is becoming a "Super Mom".

I record all of this here for a few reasons. One is to give you an update on my children and the other is to share this with you: I am scared to death about messing these little angels up, leading them down the wrong path, and failing to establish a solid foundation of discipline and faith in them. It is such a mammoth responsibility. I can assume that every parent feels this way. I know that I am not alone in this. Not only is Melodie with me, but God and his infinite wisdom is guiding me every step of the way. Without God, I would be terrified. With him, I can relax (or at least attempt too), enjoy the ride and pray that he will help me (us) lead these girls down a path towards heaven.

I read a few quotes today about parenting and about children, here are a few of them:

"It kills you to watch them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't."

"Lucky parents who have fine children usually have lucky children who have fine parents."

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

"Parents who are afraid to put their foot down usually have children who tread on their toes."

"The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard."

I love that one by the way.

This one really stood out to me too:

"There are two lasting bequests that we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings."

To me, that is what it is all about. Establishing roots and a foundation with our kids at a very young age and then trusting that those roots will hold as they spread their wings of freedom. How important these "baby" years are for firmly entrenching the roots of faith, family and morality. When my little girls start to spread their wings I want them to always know who they are, what they stand for and why they were taught these things.

God knew that this parenting thing would be a challenge. But he gave us Ephesians 6:4 and Proverbs 22:6 and many other verses to assist us and also to show us that he is right here with us.

My hope is this, that God will give me the courage, the wisdom and the patience to raise my girls in His presence and to start right now establishing those roots so that when the time comes their wings will be strong.

I'll leave you with this poem by Diane Loomans:

"If I had my child to raise all over again I'd build self-esteem first and the house later.

I'd finger paint more, and point fingers less.

I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious and seriously play.

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I would do more hugging and less tugging.

I would see the oak tree in the acorn more often.

I would be firm less often and affirm much more.

I'd model less about the love of power and more about the power of love."

The key to me is balance. Fun with structure, freedom with discipline.

Here's to the adventure, the challenge and the ride that is being a Dad!

On a side note: I am unable to attach or upload any images here because something is going on with my computer. I hope I can get this problem resolved quickly, blogs are pretty boring without pictures.

I'm Back!

Not a real blog entry, but just wanted to let you all know that I am back to the blogging world. I look forward to using this blog as an outlet for frustrations, spiritual thought, and a life journal. I look forward to putting my thoughts in blog form in the not too distant future.

Stay tuned for post #1!