SO TRUE

I like to read the "comic strips" that this guy makes. Sometimes they make me think, smile, or even wince. I have them in my daily bloglines, though recently, they feed got all jacked up or something so I have to go directly there to get the latest.

But anyway, I have posted some before, but these ones I had tucked away for a future post and decided today was the day.

• I resonate with this when church goes long occasionally . Sometimes I think I can be this guy. The subtitle really makes me fear that people might actually feel that way after I get done teaching. That's reason enough to stay on my toes and work hard.

• I feel this way every time my church sings this one song with the chorus of "fire fall down" repeated a million times. I keep thinking, um... no thanks. Fire stay there. I just can't get the visual to work for me.
  

• I will forever work to keep this wall from not running my life. I don't think it will ever go away, I just have to daily say "no" to it. Some days I do less climbing than others.

Read more...

LISTS

The last 3 days were filled with fun times, good food, relaxation, and good conversations.

I had made a list of questions that I wanted to ask Shannon about- I never pulled it out, it was just stuck there in my head. Periodically, while driving or walking or eating, we'd chat about them. I also brought a small moleskin that I wrote down our thoughts in.

The result of those questions were some lists:

PLACES WE'VE BEEN TO FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY (at least the ones we could remember)

• Disneyland
• Sonoma
• Foxes Bed and Breakfast in Sutter Creek
• San Diego - before we lived here.
• Pelican Bay near Watsonville- several times.
• Applefarm Bed and Breakfast in St. Luis Obispo
• Palm Springs
• Dana Pt - twice now. Once we stayed at Cardiff by the Sea one night too.
• Napa
• Halfmoon Bay

OUR MARRIAGE AND FAMILY HISTORY BY THE NUMBERS:

• 1= years our children have all three been in full time school together, number of marriages we've been a part of, number of horses we have owned
  
• 2= years Shannon worked full time as a teacher, number of churches I've worked at full time, number of trucks I've owned, number of times we've been to Disneyland as a family with the kids
  
• 3= number of children we have, houses we've lived in, dogs we have owned, cars shannon has driven as her daily driver, number of seminaries I've been to in the process of getting my MDiv.
  
• 4= number of college degrees between us either completed or in progress, number of MAJOR home remodel projects I've done
  
• 5= Jakes Age
• 8= Tyler's Age, Number of years we dated (also we noted number of years we waited for sex), and the number of Mac computers we've owned
• 10= TJ's Age
• 11= Number of times we've been to Mexico to do missions as a couple/family
• 12= Number of years we've been camping at Richardson's Grove state park for a week during the summer as a married couple. 16 if you count dating.
  
• 14= years we've been married
  
• 36= our age (uh... my wife says it's my age- she is a youthful 35)
  
• 38507, 37413, 11734= street address numbers of our homes

DREAM LIST OF STUFF WE WISH WE COULD AFFORD TO DO. SOME WE MAY DO, SOME MAY JUST BE A DREAM...

• new kitchen
• new master bed/bathroom remodel
• upstairs bath remodel
• huge family camping road trip for like a month one summer
• pool
• cruise the Eastern Caribbean
  
• go camping with a local family/friend
• buy a Vespa
• get the wife a laptop
• get the wife a new cell phone
• new sectional for the front room
• new patio furniture
• wall unit in the boys room
• house painted
• new doors and windows
• new flooring
• trip to Israel
• trip to New York
• trip to Washington DC
• revamp Shannon's wedding ring
  

3 QUESTIONS WE ASKED THIS WEEKEND AND ARE COMMITTED TO ASKING ALL YEAR.

• How are you?
  
• How are we?
• How is our family?

Read more...

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW

This is going to be a post I'll do every once in a while. I'm not going to give a prediction on how often, because then I'd feel guilty when I dropped the ball and did not do it.

But, for what it's worth, I read/skim Newsweek and Time just to hear what the media is saying about stuff I sometimes care about ... here's what I found by reading the latest issue of Newsweek:

• Friday, June 20 is take your dog to work day. I'm bringing Zeus. Question is will Stina have the guts to bring Darby?


• Craig Venter is making bugs. But not just any bugs. He is making a bacteria that will eat carbon dioxide and poop engine fuel. No joke. He's my hero. If he can get one to eat salt water and poop fresh water, we could change the world. I think I'm going to try and figure out how I can poop something worth money. So far.... I it's just poop though.


• Wanna green up your wedding? Here's an article with links to donate your dress to a charity that will turn it into a prom dress, get a ring made from post consumer gold, and give potted plants to guests instead of cut flowers on tables.
  


• What would you do with 293,000 dollars? If you're brad pitt, you'd buy a marble table for your wife. No worry, your kids pictures will bring a cool 15 mil. I'm selling my kids pics on e-bay soon then I'm gonna buy a silver spoon too.
  

Read more...

24 HOURS OF PICTURES

We've been sharing our room


with these two love birds


they like to kiss

here's what happens with too much kissing


last night we went for a walk and found the home they are building for us... it's in the background


this is the view we'd get every night- two beautiful sights:


here is the sunset. God is a good painter.
This is my breakfast the next day. I love bed and breakfast places.



Went for a bike ride. Started at the Ritz just up hwy 1, ended up finding the St. Regis along the way.

Got the bellhop to take our pic since we were the trash that rolled in on our bikes instead of the benz people kept getting the valet to take.


Then I posed and added my name to the statue of my dear friend Mr. Dana


We went back to the room and watched sail boats


Took a nap and dreamed of boats

Woke up and went to dinner through the concierge and ended up having dessert paid for by the Blue Lantern Inn and dinner on my folks. Sweet place for sweet price!

Worked off dinner by walking with my lovely wife to get her starbucks. This is a fabulous new outfit that I bought her.
Then back to the room.

24 hours in pictures.

Good Night.

Read more...

BLUE LANTERN GETAWAY

My wife and I are celebrating 14 years of marriage on a 3 day getaway.

Shannon's mom came down to see TJ's graduation and said she'd stay with the boys. Gary landed a job with the state in town so he got to come too. So she and Gary are kicking it for 3 days with them and we bounced.

Last December my wife leaked to Sarah Merk at Christmas that we loved this place we went to once before on a recommendation. As a result, my adult leaders pooled their resources and hooked us up with a sweet gift certificate that has covered almost our full stay for 2 nights. I owe you all!!!

Our day started with lunch at panera and some shopping for an outfit I promised my wife for her Mother's Day gift. Now we're in Dana Point at the Blue Lantern Inn. A sweet place with a sweet view. Here's the one from our balcony.



Below is a collage of the inn.

Click the picture to expand it. Here's what you'll see.

Top Row: our car loaded with bikes to ride, the inn (our room is the top balcony on the left)
Middle Row: the afternoon complimentary wine and food for "tea time"
Bottom Row: the huge tub every room comes with, our room complete with fire place not pictured.

That's all the details I can post. Now we're walking to dinner a few blocks away.

Read more...

SPONSORED BY THE COLORS YELLOW AND GREEN

I did not know my palms had a flower. I definitely did not know my grass did. This post is sponsored by the colors of yellow and green. God evidently likes them.

Read more...