Young Photographers

When I first saw this picture I had asked Anita who she asked to take it. Did she just pick a random person to capture the moment with the lilies? Nope. She asked the kids to take it. So far from what I've seen they're actually pretty good at taking pictures! When I upgrade Anita's camera here in the near future I have a feeling I know where our current digital camera will go.

Shark Attack

We went with Anita's brother, Stephen, and his family (Jennifer, Katie, and Caleb) to the World Aquarium. Apparently, it's been in downtown Dallas for years and considered a big tourist attraction but I had never been. It was a little too crowded for my taste, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. There is definitely a whole lot to see and it'll take the better part of the day to tour the whole place. Anita took this photo of us with the sharks. She couldn't pass on this one!

Snow Day

A few days ago we had our last bit of winter hit us. It called pretty cold (at least for us Texans) and we received a couple of inches of snow. Well, that was more than enough for the kids to have plenty of fun. We built a miniature snowman and had some snowball fights...good family fun. Down here in the South we may get precipitation like this once or twice a year, so when we do get it, it's a big deal! Until next year...

Face Painting

Anita took the kids to the Arboretum where they got their faces painted. Apparently it was a very long line that they waited in but was well worth it. This was not the first time that they've done this -- each time they choose something different for the face decoration. This time it was SpiderMan and Princess.

Building Projects

One of the things we've been doing as a family lately is go to the local home improvement centers (i.e. Lowes or Home Depot) on Saturday mornings to build various things through their kid's program. It's pretty cool...they have all sorts of building projects geared towards their age group. Most of the work they can even do themselves with just a little oversight. I think it's a great marketing tool for getting folks in the door.

PreSchool

The kids go to the First Baptist Academy pre-school on Monday's and Wednesday's. Recently the music department put together a program to showcase the talent of the various classes at the Academy. Of course we had out the camcorder and camera to document the moment. Anita and I were very proud of Annika and Andrew...they sang beautifully!

Dallas Zoo Trip

Anita, the kids, her mom Kerstin, and our friends from Sweden (Guhn, David, & Lily) went to the Dallas Zoo. They had a good time and David (the photographer) took a lot of good pictures. We enjoyed their stay with us and look forward to their next visit.

Learning to Fly

The kids have been learning how to ride their bikes without training wheels. While teaching them, we learned a valueable tip from some of our neighbors that have older children. Don't do it on the concrete! First, they're going too fast and have trouble with control. Second, if they fall, expect an injury. Finally, it takes longer to learn good balance. Instead, take them to a school field and train in the grass. It was amazing how quick they got it...and without any injuries!

Midieval Times

I don't know how many of you have been to the Midieval Times, but if not you should go at least once. Apparently it's been in the DFW metroplex for over 20 years but this was my first time. We went with Guhn, David, and Lilly Nillson (swedish friends) and had a great time together. The next day I built a sword, shield, and axe for Andrew so we could do battle and joust with each other.

Rock Star

I'll bet most of you didn't know that I have a "rock star" in the family! Yep, my daughter occasionally puts on a real show with outfits / costumes and of course some jamming music to accompany her. In this particular concert she chose to adorn herself with Princess wares that she received for Christmas. I forget the tune that she used in the performance but it was definitely entertaining!

Rock Climber

Anita took the kids to this indoor play center she'd heard about in Plano. Inside they had a rock-climbing wall that Andrew was immediately attracted to. He wanted to climb! So, they strapped him up and he made it to the top. I'm very proud of his athletic abilities. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there for the moment but Anita took some good pics.

Master Bedroom Remodel

Anita and I decided to take on the project of remodeling our Master Bedroom. It's the last bedroom in the house to redo. The project involved painting all walls, ceiling, doors, and trim, wall repair, new molding, and new electrical. Then of course we had to re-arrange the furniture when it was all done. Next project -- Master Bathroom (summer '08).

Happy New Year

Well, there are just a couple of hours left in 2007. It's been a blessed year for our family. I'm looking forward to the new year and for what God has in store for us. May you all find peace and joy through our Savior and Lord, Jesus Chirst. God Bless you all and keep your stick on the ice!

Little Brother's B-Day

My "little" brother Kirk recently had a birthday. The whole family got together for lunch...it was a good time. Kirk is almost finished with the Dallas Police Academy and will soon be taking the streets keeping us safe. I'm very proud of him! Here is a photo of Kirk and his girlfriend Jordan at the party -- I just couldn't pass up the wonderful opportunity to improve the picture.

Family makes it special

This year we hosted the Christmas party at our house for the Benners family. I always enjoy it when the whole family gets together no matter what the occasion. Around Christmas time though family makes the time of year extra special. Over the last few years it has become the "norm" to include "funny pictures". Really, they're my favorite -- they're much more entertaining than looking at normal pictures. Stay tuned for future family events and wacky photos.

First year of T-Ball

This is one of my favorite "action" pictures of Andrew playing T-Ball. It was his first year and he did great! We're very proud of his good fielding and homerun hitting. Those four and five year old kids are really a lot of fun to watch out there on the field -- I'm convinced that the parents have just as much fun!

Opening Day 2007

My Dad and I have made a tradition of going dove hunting together on Opening Day. It's a lot of fun shooting them elusive dove birds and we have good quality time working together to shoot things out of the sky.

For all of you out there that shutter at stories like these, don't worry...we eat everything that we shoot. That has always been my policy with hunting.

Best Friends

Our kids have always been close. Perhaps it has something to do with being twins. Recently I've had to get on to Andrew though because he gets too rough with his sister. He likes to watch and play football and I suppose she's considered an opponent. Anyways, we recently struck a deal. If he's nice to Annika throughout the day with no rough-housing then when I get home from work, we'll wrestle. So far he's holding his end of the bargain. Ultimately though they're best of friends. Here's a recent photo of the best buddies.

How Retailers Rate

I recently received a company email with an invitation to our company "Holiday Party". I'm not planning on going for several reasons, but one of the main ones is because they've made a deliberate attempt to remove the word "Christmas" from all marketing material. So, I will make sure to saturate the party with my absence. Guess what? I plan on doing the same thing with retailers this year!

The good news is that others have already done the legwork for us. Here is a list of the "good, bad, and the ugly": http://www.citizenlink.org/pdfs/fosi/Attack_on_Christmas_2007.pdf. They've made it easy for us to determine which retailers we should and shouldn't do business with. After all, it's the "Christmas" season that actually makes or breaks many retailers, and one of the clearest ways to send a message to those you disapprove of is to saturate their stores with your absence. What do you think? Try it with me!

Camping Trailer

A few weeks ago we bought a pop-up camper trailer. It is several years old but the previous owners took great care of it...we were very excited about the deal we found. Anita and I stocked it up with camping goods and this last weekend we took our first trip out to Tyler, TX.

We all had a great time camping with a few added amenities such as electricity and running water through the camper. This method of camping is not roughing it, but allows you to experience the best of both worlds. We're looking forward to many more trips and hope to make a lot of memories through the years.

Friday NIght Lights

Recently our family went to a friday night high school football game. It was my Alma Mater's (Lake Highlands) homecoming game. I enjoy the high school games for a few reasons: 1) they bring back so many fond memories of those times I had at that age, 2) the energy and excitement levels that are seen and felt are tough to match, and 3) the desire of the boys to excel and simply win the game is a joy to experience.

Unfortunately for scheduling reasons we won't be able to make any more games this season. We'll make a point to go to more of them next year though! BTW, if you haven't been to one in a long time, then GO! You'll be glad that you did.

First Family Road Trip

Our family just got back from our first road trip together. We spent a week traveling across four different states. The journey started out traveling from Dallas to Springfield, MO where we tunneled through some cool caves. We then hopped over to Branson, MO. We stayed there for two days...went to a couple of live shows, the Titanic Museum, and had fun with bumper cars.

Next, we drove up to St. Charles, MO where we stayed with my Aunt and Uncle and their family for a few days. It was a very enjoyable time with them. From there we drove down to Little Rock, AR and visited the largest park in that state (right). The kids just loved those playgrounds.

I say all of this to hopefully encourage families out there to do this. It doesn't matter if you drive, fly, or even take a boat. Make an effort to spend more time with those that you hold most dear to you, especially your kids. I gotta tell you, I probably heard, "Daddy, are we there yet?" a hundred times...yet, Anita and I are already talking about where our next journey will take us!

Patience...the virtue for all ages

Recently Anita told me about an incident that happened with my son Andrew at school. He was working on a school coloring project and at some point began getting frustrated...perhaps with the chosen color pallette (I don't know). Anyways, he got to the point of being so upset with himself that he broke down in tears. When I first heard this story, I'll admit...I laughed...it is sort of funny. However, I later sat down and talked with him about it and he expressed to me that he just "couldn't be patient anymore". I then understood, could empathize with him, and thought to myself, "hmmm, how many times have I lost my patience as an adult?".

This past weekend was opening weekend for bow hunting. I went out on three different hunts, didn't see anything on any of them, and at one point began getting frustrated and impatient with the circumstances. I very quickly though remembered back to the conversation that I had with my son about being patient. I needed to practice what I preached! The act of patience is definitely an area that I constantly need to improve on, and is also one which I believe our culture as a whole really struggles with. It most definitely is a virtue for all ages!

Girl's Night Out

I spent this evening with the kids -- we had a good time. We ate dinner together, then went on a neighborhood bike ride, played at the playground, came home to take baths and I read to them. This is usually something that Anita and I do together with the kids after I come home from work, but tonight she went "out with the girls".

For some time now I've encouraged her to do this...it's important that she has that social outlet. Likewise, from time to time I'll do something with the guys. This of course is not a new concept, but it is a practical one that I think all couples should exercise...especially you mothers out there that stay home during the day with small children. It does our marriage good and as the old saying goes, "If momma is happy, then everyone is happy". Cheers!

Significance

From time to time I'll stop and think about what I'm doing in life that has "real significance". I'm not talking about your normal day-to-day activities (i.e. work, school, etc.); rather, things in the here and now that are making an eternal impact.

Yes, my wife and I support our church, we do our best at sharing God's love with those around us in our community, and we're passionate about discipling young boys and girls in the church, but sometimes I feel a yearning to reach out and do more.

There are a lot of non-profit organizations out there that do great things for hurting and hungry people in our world and we actively support some of them. Several years ago though I heard about a ministry that has been around for years making a huge impact in the eternal realm by spreading God's Word to some of the darkest places on the planet. When I heard about it, I said, "count me in!".

I've been supporting this ministry now for several years and I'm excited each time I get the "opportunity" to put Bibles in the hands of people that are desperate to read the Scriptures inspired by our Creator. It would be wrong of me to not also make you aware of this ministry...it's called the Bible League. Through the Scott Wilder Radio Show they are offering a special promotion with the help of some generous donors. Basically, your gift is quadrupled! In other words, your gift of 5 Bibles will turn into 20. Each Bible is $4 and their statistics show that each Bible helps in bringing 5 people to Christ. So, if I give the gift of 20 Bibles, potentially 100 or more people could come to know the Lord! Wow! Now that my friends is "significance"! Click on the following link if you want to participate: http://www.wildershow.com/dispatch.

Balance

A few weeks ago my wife Anita and the kids (Annika and Andrew) got back from their trip to Sweden. They toured the country-side, both North and South, and visited a lot of extended family and friends for 3 weeks. They had a great time.

While they were gone I kept myself busy with house remodeling; in fact, some of you that know us have seen the work. I had a lot of time to myself and while working I did a lot of thinking. Before this trip I had never been separated from my family for more than a few days and I missed them tremendously! I came to the realization that I could do a much better time with "balance" in my life. I've made a commitment to do a better job at spending more time with my family, have more fun and not work so much, and spend more time on my own spiritual growth. I'm still doing all the same activities that I was doing before but I'm working on the "balance" of how much time is allocated to each area.

On a lighter note, I've actually had this blog for a long time but have failed to post anything to it. I had a family web site for about 4 years that I developed and was diligent about posting new content and pictures to it on a regular basis. I stopped though about a year ago because I couldn't devote the time to it that I wanted to anymore. So, this will now be my avenue of posting "stuff" to the Web for the world to read.

I'll be honest with you. I probably won't be posting new entries every day. Rather, they'll come when I either feel inspired or if something significant occurs...I don't know, we'll see. I guess I should say, "stay tuned". God Bless.