Twilight midnight releas at Hot Topic!

Not good...its been too long since i have posted and I am sure i will wonder some day why i did not write more. Updates are important, but that is what facebook and myspace are for these days. I am not even sure where my journal is or when i wrote in it last. Its been hard to keep track of though, not an excuse! We have been busy so i will try nothing short of a quick recap.

Hollys mom came over last night to help organize the kitchen. We are getting set for another Spring garage sell since we truly have way to much stuff and not enough room for it all. Tonight we will be heading out to Hot Topic for a Twilight release party to get the DVD and enjoy feeling like we are young again. Sat night we have a party at our house for the movie and enjoyment with friends.

Work has been good and i am still there which is really good. We have all been struggling to get by with the shape the country is in, but we must push through. This is a strong land and our Lord will be with us. I know even when things get hard He is always faithful. There is nothing needed to say.

Avery is of course growing more every day. She is getting a lot better with her words and saying things. It all takes time, still working on the ptty time too. Its eary and that is about the sum of things for the moment.

Back in Oklahoma and back to the routine of life as it is. Avery at least seems to be okay with getting back to the program of daycare and the not as exciting parents. We had a great time on the vacation though and i realize now i have not updated since we got to CA in the first place. So why don't i attempt to say a few things just to remind myself later on.

Thursday morning was spent mostly on the back porch watching Avery have a blast since it was 70 degrees, sunny and the grass was very green. So of course she had a great time away from the cold and brown land we have been used to since fall and winter. We got a kick out of watching her fun and play. She even got used to the doggies. She picked up on a lot more words during the trip. It helped to have my parents, sisters, and Uncle Jason there to help. We all gave her lots to say and learn.

Jon and his family arrived and we spent more time on the porch. Then just our little family and theirs headed to the park for lunch. This was the same park i asked Holly to marry me. We watched Lexi and Avery play and enjoy the park together. It was a blast seeing them together and after they got used to each other they became best friends. At first they were shy, but by the end they were leading eachother hand in hand, it was great! Something about those girls, I am looking forward to watching them grow. It was great to have time with Jon and Jess. I gave Jon a copy of the Love Dare book featured in Fireproof. We are going to go through it and keep each other accountable as we learn to love our wives even more. It was hard to see them go but i know we will see them again.

Later that evening I took Holly to the Sycamore Inn the night we were engaged. I owed her a cheese cake, which turned out to be divine! I think i would go back there just for that cheese cake. Anyway it was a wonderful eveing. Friday was mostly stay at home day though we did make it out to the mall a little to show Avery the RainForest cafe. It was good just to spend time with my parents and sisters. Saturday was beach day. We all went out to the hunington dog beach for some fun. Jason wasnt able to go, but the rest of us did along with the two dogs. My sister had her dog along with her.

Avery enjoyed every minute of the ocean and beach as soon as daddy made sure she understood it was safe. We collected shells and felt the sand in our toes! It was so much fun. Sunday was more time spending with family. We also played this future version of Risk which is really fun. I won which never happens so that was a nice treat. I will try to get pics up of the weekend later to show off. Just wanted to recap though.

Its hard to leave California everytime we have to. Being apart from family leaves you with something missing from your life. But I know we will be together again soon for more fun. And I will keep myself busy taking care of my beautiful wife and daugther and see what we can get into. Its also good to have Hollys side of the family here too, it makes it a little easier. All for now, got to get to bed!

As i sit here with my baby girl on my lap in the chill of my parents house, i reflect on the trip so far. I can say this for sure, traveling with a two year old should be avoided if possible, and perhaps would have gone easier if we had given her a little something to make her sleepy. She was already tired and pretty much awake the entire flight screaming her head off making all the other parents on board laugh at memories of their own children being that young. Ah yes.

We are finally in California though and there is a blanket of snow on the mountians. Hopefully today will be warm and sunny and we can enjoy every minute. Part of me wants to hop in the car and go see Jon right now knowing he is at his parents house as well. But that will have to wait till later when they come over after breakfast. It will be so good to see him and Avery will enjoy visiting with Lexi.

So much we will be doing in the next few days, i look forward to the time off. Though leaving work can be hard when you are responsible for so much and you hope its in good hands while you are away. But i cant think about work i need to just relax. At least we are finally here and we will never take a late night flight like that again. Poor miss Avery is so tired, mommy is as well. I seem to be able to operate on four hours of sleep so i think i will make it. My next goal is to find a scanner for some old pics i found here hiding in my parents albums. Those of course way back in the day before digital photos made things so much easier.

Meanwhile i love my dear wife for putting up with the frusteration of tiredness from Avery and me. She is a great wife and i love her so much. Well off to a fun filled day of California.

Yesterday morning we slept in as long as we could, enjoyed a healthy breakfast and cleaned the house for a little while. Once we got that accomplished we hurried off to hollys dads house. Him and Joey watched Avery for us so we could go enjoy the rest of the day together alone. To start off we headed to the beauty parlor to have pedicures and eyebrow wax. This would be a first for me so is was interesting to say the least. I preferred the foot bath more than anything that was fun. After that we went to the bakery for some cupcakes, headed home...
that evening we went to the Air and Space Planetarium where they had a Romance under the stars. It was very fancy, formal, and awesome. We sat under the dome watching the stars along with other people including some board members. It was a great time and very enjoyable Valentines day. Holly got me a new phone and I got her a plate setting Fiestaware Chocolate. Avery got a large stuffed ladybug plush friend. Ill get a pic when i can and post it! Ah so on to the next big holiday which isnt for another month and a half, that being Easter!

It is late into the evening here, and in the chill of my bedroom i hear the sound of my heater trying to kick itself on. Avery is sound asleep and Holly has yet to return from her girls night out. She and some friends went to see a movie so i expect her home anytime now. Its good for her to get out and feel like she is enjoying herself, probably good to get away from me too, just for a little while. I am tired now of course and i wish i was able to get some rest. Its a new month and a new day and weekend. It has been busy too this week which is partly good and keeps me working hard. Anyway i am getting weary even now thinking of it

I would like to crawl into bed at this point and probably will soon. Currently though we are babysitting several little ones which are a blast of energy. Avery enjoys the company but mommy and daddy are tired out. All good just wanting to head into the next month asleep...soon.

Fireproof is a highly recommended movie, so lets talk about why i think so for a moment. First of all it is a well directed and acted movie. Its got action and the story of love written all over it. It shows us how difficult marriages can be but why they are worth fighting for and working at. We bought the DVD and have watched it several times already, a great reminder every day of not only the love we are to have for each other but the love we are to have for God.

Facebook is proving to be a pretty neat way to connect with old friends and people from all over. The furthest out is David in Japan who works with the YWAM, he is out there working on a school of worship. Its a fine ministry and we commit to helping him and his wife and their three children as they work there. I remember the blessing we had from others while we were in ministry so i know how important it is to share in the work.

As i grow more tired here i am excited as well at the future and what God will do. Holly and I are looking forward to Valentines day since its on a Sat and we can enjoy the whole day together. We also still look to selling our home and trying for another baby. These are the desires of our hearts and we put them out there for the Lord and His will. We trust Him now and always. So even in the hard times we continue to give to His will.

My wonderful new dell which is only four months old and not even paid for yet has died. I spent all last night with tech support trying to reload the OS and drivers only for it to still give me the same failure. Seems a virus or something got a hold of it. Unfortutnaly all my documents and important files are wiped out now. I think i can rebuild with out too much trouble. Once again i will have to rebuild my WOT email list, among other things. Its a mess.

On top of that my wifes car is still in the shop being fixed after my tailgate accident a few weeks ago. So she has to drive my darling 10 year old car. I at least have a ride since my brother in law and i work at the same place so he can drive me in. The ice storm came through last night making the roads real fun to drive on... well you know what i mean. So its going to take some time to get back on to gear. I should have a new hard drive for my computer in a couple days and will get going from there hopefully.

Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity. 1 Timothy 5:1-2Do not be so quick to judge your fellow man or woman; for at face value we are all in the same boat of grace. Not one of us can be held higher than another as the Bible reveals all have sinned and fallen short. Still I have found myself in the familiar spot from time to time forgetting who I am and who God is. Consider everyone around you to be a part of your family. In essence this is Paul’s instruction for he knows the love of a family is strongest. And true we can love despite the errors and mistakes, and faults. Throughout the years and my own failings it seems like my family has always been the quickest to forgive and love. We all desire to ask godly since that is what the Lord has commanded. So it is natural for our spirit to rise up within us when someone is around us falling short. Remember how Jesus lived and loved, and still loves us daily. God does not turn His back on His children. We in turn must never turn our backs on each other. For in the family it can go both ways and we want to love others; just as we expect to be loved. Treat men like brothers and women like sisters. This will help in your purity toward them. Be respectful of those older than you; trust the Lord will guide them as He has you. Our Holy Spirit within us shows us daily how much grace we have been given. So remember He is giving grace to each of us, for we are still alive to try again today.

Our economy is in trouble, the world at large is facing a very difficult time. We all have to tighten back our hedges and make sure we start saving every penny we can. The only hope this country has now is Jesus and the grace of our Lord falling upon us. Our Nations leadership must grab hold of the Bible and trust in God's help now. I pray they do because we need it so much right now. On my mind lately has been the subject of giving to God even in the midst of all these problems.

Last year was a very difficult year for us, between job changes and trying to sell our house there was much struggle. Holly went through a job change in mid summer which has worked out for her now, though it will be better next month once we can get onto her insurance. We have been on mine for a while now and its just not the greatest, we would have saved more money not having it at all probably. After losing my job in May and going through that period of hopelessness i finally found a job in July thanks to my brother in law and the Lord's provision. Its hard though because we literally took a 70% pay cut compared to what i was making. I don't know what the exact numbers are but its been hard.

When we begin to lose the battle for freedom in our own lives as must trust God. Trusting Him is something He has been laying on my heart lately to do. I had been trying to decide on giving but did not know the answer. Last Wed a fellow brother in Christ and co worker reminded me completely out of the blue just what i needed to hear. God will use other people to speak into our lives, but its always regarding something He has already been dealing with us. We were talking about our paychecks which come on Thursday, and he made mention of still how important it is even though our paycheck is going right to the bills, its important to give back to God in tithe. Offer back what He has given to us. Amazing since he had no idea this had been on my heart.

So my challenge is to trust God now even more. If i do not give even when the times are hard I am not showing i believe His Word or even His voice through my friend at work. So no matter how difficult the road gets ahead trying to cut back all we can should not cut back our giving back to Him. For that matter he is the one who keeps us going every day, has blessed us with work to do, and given us grace to accomplish all things for Him.

A new era has begun, a new president, and a new country. I really do not know what is in store for this land in the coming months and years; but i trust God. Regardless of what policies i do not agree with, regardless of what i do not like about the leadership; i trust God. I will trust Him because if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without Him knowing, than a country or man can not rise to power without His hand. All things are in His control. His grace be with us and His wisdom be with our new president. The first African American President. We shall see what is ahead for this land.

A little closer to home I am currently waiting here at the ITT computer library for my class to begin. I discovered i new hobby online, that is the facebook. Its cool because it allows me to catch up with old friends from high school, and Water of Life youth group. I forgot how many people there are i used to interact with on a daily basis out in California. Seems like i am living in a different world in Oklahoma with a whole new crowd of people. Hopefully I can find my place at our home church here in much the same way. My spirit is yearning to be involved with what God is doing, and I pray He leads us and gives us wisdom. Its my desire to be the man of God my wife and daugther need. I work hard toward the goal, but struggle. I guess we all do.

So times are going by fast. Watching the market carefully and hoping we can sell our house so we can move into a better area. Also waiting and praying for the right time to work on having a second child. We want to start working on that in the summertime. Avery could really use a sibling to run around with. I will trust God. So between busy at work and school, time with family, and time online there is not much more. I look forward to catching up with some old friends i havent heard from in a while. Makes me smile when i think about how far God has brought me since highschool. Married to the best wife a man could ask for, and father to an amazing toddler who is the expression of her parents in such amazing ways. She is a load of fun. Well thats all the updating for now....

Already off to a busy start for the new year, hard to believe its almost the end of the first decade of this century! We hardly began, which is funny since Hol and i also started dating in Aug 2000, so for it to be 2009 makes it really seem like time has flown. But that is the nature of life.

So with the new year and excitment there is also the overwelming task of saving and making it through a difficult ecomomy currently plauging the world. I have made my new years resolutions, or more or less desires for the new year. Hard to believe the first month is already almost up. My goals and hopes are set though on getting a new house and a new baby on the way by this time next year. I know it sounds crazy, even more so with the straps the world is in right now. But the last thing i want to do in a time like this is allow it to keep me from living life and enjoying what the Lord has in store. So we need to keep in prayer for both of these desires.

Avery continues to come up with new words and strengthen her vocabulary. For example she can repeat pretty basic words and point things out, flowers, train, moon (she loves the moon). She also knows who mommy and daddy are as well as knows us by Holly and David too if we ask her to point us out. She can say Diane, Laurie, Cole, Haye, Beth, for her five aunts. She also is working on her last name which is coming along. She understands more than she can say of course, though she is a wise and wild child, still very much a toddler. I think she really could use a sibling! So could mommy and daddy. And a nap too, which is what both my girls are doing now.

We bought a treadmill and Wii for Christmas and have been enjoying those greatly. Its nice to go for a stroll from the comfort of my own guest room, not having to worry about the weather or any other distraction, just listen to the quite music and enjoy. And of course I am also enjoying the game system in between doing school work. Right now I am working on my math courses, so there is a lot of catching up and remembering to do with that. Its been a while!

I got done watching You've Got Mail for the hundreth or so time, I love that movie. It really just captures the whole excitment me and Holly felt when we were doing the whole net chatting and emailing thing so long ago. Times have changed so much though, i hate to even think about letting my own daugther online. Its just not the same world it was ten years ago. Ten years ago this November is when she first emailed me. I read that email every year, makes me smile and be so thankful God brought us together.
Okay enough of that i need some ice cream!!

What a weekend it has been. Of course Christmas day was full of the usual driving around to family and having fun with presents. Then of course since then i caught a cold so i have not been much fun to hang out with. Still trying to get over it though. All and all it was fun and i will get some pics up here soon enough of little Avery and all her excitment.

Of course I am awake. Its CHRISTMAS!!! Now the trouble is getting everyone else up so we can get to the tree. Santa did his work last night, ate the cookies and milk, enjoyed putting out stockings and presents for all. Quite the amazing sight, a tree with presents under it. Its a reminder of the ultimate gift given to us 2000 years ago in a manager. We cannot forget the meaning of this season is Jesus coming as God in the flesh to save all mankind. I wish my own words were as eloquent as some who can describe it all so much better. My message is simple and my words do not carry overtones of vast English knowledge. I only know one thing Jesus Christ came down to earth as the one and only answer for the sinful nature of mankind. He is the cure to our dark hearts for His light will fill us up and bring us life. Jesus my savior, my friend, my Lord and my God. He came and we celebrate by giving what little gifts we can to one another. When the whole meaning is the message of Jesus coming and humbling himself into the worst of the world's governments, in a terribly cruel time. Still we praise the Lord for all that He is and all He does. Praise His Name!

December 23rd 2008 has arrived and is nearly ended at this point. Quiet now the house was just a while ago full of busy children and birthday fun. But we will go back to this morning to recap as it always starts somewhere. We woke up an hour earlier and dropped Avery off with grammy. Then we headed to get a quick breakfast together and off to work it was. I made sure to send Holly some flowers for her birthday and also for Christmas, though they were not supposed to show up on the same day. Anyhow they were very beautiful...and are since they are still here on the table.

After work i picked up the cake and the baby and rushed home. We enjoyed an evening with friends and family.. mainly Lindsey, Isaac and the children. Avery loved playing with them and was on a sugar rush most of the evening. Now she is fast asleep as well as my birthday girl and wonderful wife. I bought her a braclet for her birthday. From Avery she got a snowglob from precious moments which has a mommy and daugther theme, very pretty. We had pizza and watched Top Gun which is Hol's favorite movie and of course has nothing to do with Christmas. I always try to keep the two separate. However tommrow is Christmas eve and for the first time in a long time I have the day off so that will be nice. I will let you know how things turnn out from there.

Christmas, less than a week away and still so much shopping to accomplish. Such a short amount of time for that matter. As for this morning after nearly burning the house down by leaving the stove on, and burning my cookies in the process, i cannot get back to sleep. I left them in and forgot about them so now i lost a perfectly good backing sheet for that matter. Life goes on though, as they say. It seems.

Work has been going good, pretty busy this time of year. At least we are getting Christmas eve and Jan 2nd off. This only means of course i need to take two unpaid days off to save the vacation hours and try making up the time in other places during those two weeks if possible. Since it is only five working days i dont think i will have much luck with that. Shall see though. I love the holidays though. This year we wont be traveling out of the state though just to a few places here in the state. At least we get to go to CA in Feburary so i look forward to that.

It is in this time of year we rejoice in the birth of our Lord Jesus. Celebrating with lights and lots of food. Its a good time. Much better than last year with the ice storm. I wouldnt mind some snow though, not sure its going to happen. But at least we can enjoy what we have and be thankful for all the Lord's blessings.

Avery is putting words together more and more. She never leaves the house or anywhere without her puppy and her blankets. She calls the blankets mimi. She also calls grandma mimi. And of course when grandma comes over to visit she says, mimi's at the door. She is a good little doorbell for us. To cute. Ever growing. She may not understand all about Christmas but she will get it soon enough, at least we can work on the memories of the season. All the good ones.

Friday evening we all got in the car and went to the Bible college in the city. They have a massive display of lights to enjoy and walk through. We went with Holly's bf Lindsey, her hubby and their three kids. Avery is just the right age to play with those three and they had a blast running around enjoying the lights. We all did very much enjoy the time. Here is a pic of us, of course it was hard to keep Avery on target with taking a picture, way to much to do and not enough time to do it. We had a great time though and have made it a tradition for our families to enjoy together.

We arrived home yesterday from our little family vacation. What a trip it was, of course we didn't really go that far from home but still got to enjoy ourselves. Carthage is a nice city and the Precious Moments is beautiful, though i can tell its fading a little. We got to paint some figurines. Holly's and Avery's looked very diffrent. You can see Avery had fun with the one they gave daddy. She is also into this teeth bearing smile these days. She does know what smile for the camera is though.

We also enjoyed a light display at a local monestary which was rather fun. They had everything up to the birth of Jesus, however they left out the most important thing which we noticed was odd. There was no cross or any mention of Him dying for our sins and being raised again. The stories portrayed in the lights were great, but they lacked the vital piece.

We had a silent auction of figurines and bingo. Avery caused such a chaotic time in bingo i finally had to drag her out. One of the guys in charge handed us a figurine on the way out. Its called Rasin' Cane on the Holiday's. Its adorable and it seemed to fit right. Avery had a good time with Mommy and daddy all weekend and will not enjoy going back to school today, but alas she must.

So just a couple more weeks till Holly's birthday and Christmas are here. Hard to believe how fast time goes but we always look forward to this time of year, lots of good times ahead. Even with the world as crazy as it is we have each other.