A Great End to the Year

Today is the last day of 2010. As promised, the weather finally delivered us our first real snow of the season. The experts say we got between 5 - 10 inches. I think it was probably closer to 5, but I'll take it. It's seriously cold, though. Today was only a high of 11 degrees. Tonight, it is supposed to drop to -7. Yikes. But, it certainly doesn't feel that cold. What a great way to end the year. My beautiful wife will have snow to usher in her birthday. God loves her. As promised, here are some photos of our snowfall.

The view from our first story window during the storm.

The boys enjoy the snow.

 Our home blanketed in snow.

Christmas and The Coming Snow

We had a great Christmas this year. We woke up and read the Christmas story from Luke. We opened our stockings and then some gifts. The kiddos were showered with gifts from relatives in California and Colorado. After gifts we got ready and traveled up to Arvada to meet with the Ferris Family for a traditional Christmas dinner with turkey and all the trimmings. We had a great time visiting and hanging out. Then back home to open and play with some of our toys. It was a very nice day. Unfortunately, it was sunny and 50 degrees....so no white Christmas this year. But, it was a great day nonetheless. I have this week off of work, so we've had the chance to get things done around the house and spend time together. Yesterday, we super-cleaned the boys' room (wow, did it need it!) and rearranged their furniture. It looks much better. Let's see how long it stays that way. It's been a good week and looks to be a great weekend. My brides birthday is January 1st, so we plan to celebrate her on Saturday. She wants my Homemade Chicken and Noodles for dinner/lunch, so I'll start making that early on Saturday. Otherwise, it is supposed to be a high of 22 degrees....so we probably won't go outside to play. It looks like a day to stay inside, play games, and have some quality family time, while celebrating my beautiful wife. The cool thing is, the first real storm to hit Denver this winter is on the way. Weather experts are predicting 8 inches of snow today. I've been receiving "Severe Weather Alerts" on my cell phone since yesterday. I woke up to blue skies this morning, but I can see some dark clouds creeping their way over the Rockies and heading this way. We were hoping to have our nephews stay the night tonight, so hopefully the snow fall won't be so bad that I can drive up to Arvada to get them. I'm excited to get some real snow fall. I'll post a picture after the storm has dropped it's payload. It will be nice to see everything covered in 8 inches of a white winter blanket.

Robot Christmas

Chances are this will be my last post until sometime after Christmas. I don't have to be at work again until January 3rd...so I'll be enjoying my wife and kids and probably won't be posting very much (if at all) during my Christmas break. So, I wanted to wish all my faithful readers (both of you) a very Merry Christmas and leave you with a video of two of my favorite things. Robots and Christmas. Enjoy the awesomeness!

Kids and Tuna Casserole

Joi will be going out with a girl friend tonight. I'll be watching my boys and two other kiddos (the kids of Joi's girl friend). I pre-made my Grandma's Famous Tuna Casserole last night so that Joi could pop it in the oven for me and we can all eat on time when I get home from work. My boys love the Tuna Casserole. It's definitely a comfort food for me with lots of memories. All I need is a salad with homemade Hidden Valley Ranch from a packet and a glass of Kool-Aid Lemonade and it would be complete. Just like Grandma used to make. I'm glad that I learned how to make this and I can pass it on to my boys. They are already looking forward to learning how to make Aunt Rosie's Famous Home-Made Chicken and Noodles. The boys help me roll out the noodles when I make them. Someday, when they are ready, I'll give them the whole run down...so that they can make it for their wives and kids. It's fun to pass down culinary traditions like this.

The Storm Vacuum

We keep hearing on the news how California is getting pummeled with rain. They've got flooding, non-stop rain, mud-slides, etc. And yet, the Denver area is dry, clear, and sunny (or at least only partly cloudy). All of the satellite photos show the jet stream carrying that massive storm directly toward Colorado. The Rockies are getting hit pretty hard. They expect 3-6 feet of snow to fall today in the Rockies, according to the radio news. And yet, we are partly sunny and 40-50 degrees. No rain, no snow. Nothing. Where is the storm disappearing to? Is there a massive vacuum in the Rockies that sucks the storm in before it can proceed to the Denver metro area? Is there a Bermuda Triangle for weather that exists somewhere between Grand Junction, Durango, and Boulder? Is the storm too wimpy to make it over the massive Rocky Mountains? Does it hit the multiple14,000 ft peaks and just stop in fear? Who knows? But, all I know is that we have yet to have a real storm in metro-Denver this winter. The 10 day weather report shows more partly sunny and 40+ degree weather for us. No snow. No crazy storms. Nothing. I'm bummed. I was really hoping for a white Christmas. I just don't understand where this storm disappeared to. I even watched the weather channel for a while yesterday evening to see if they would tell me. Nope. Can anyone explain where this crazy storm went?

The Digital Nativity

What if Mary and Joseph lived today? Would the Angel Gabriel text Mary on her Smarphone? Would Mary and Joseph use Twitter, Facebook, and Google to plan Jesus' birth? Would the Wise Men coordinate their gift giving digitally and then buy their gifts via Amazon.com? This is what it would look like if the Nativity took place today.

Snow....finally!

Well, after the weather experts promised that there was a 90% chance we'd get  four inches of snow on Wednesday night and we woke up to nothing, they said that there was only a 40% chance last night...and bam...we got our first real snow. A little bit more than a dusting this time. I am was so excited I snapped this picture with my phone on the way out to catch the bus. It's probably all gone now...but hey...at least it happened.

Who Needs Toys? Not my Boys!

My boys are very imaginative and creative. In most cases, they would rather make their own toys than play with store-bought toys. Here's an example. Garrison is reading the Warrior book series right now. It's all about cats that are formed into clans and fight in wars against each other. There is probably more to it than that, but that's what Garrison tells me when I ask him about it. Anyway, he and Gavin have been frantically making their own cats out of toilet paper rolls, masking tape, twine, and a marble (for the head). They've made their own army and have even given them their own names like "ShadowClaw" and "SunPelt". They can hardly wait for us to finish a roll of toilet paper so that they can make another cat for their clan. These guys are genius and they love playing with them. We've literally got these homemade cats everywhere at our house. Here are some pics I took with my phone last night.

 A Close Up

The Entire Clan (so far)

I've always said that my boys would prefer receiving duct tape, masking tape, wooden dowels, and other craft making materials rather than store bought toys. I'm glad that my boys use their imagination and prefer to play with homemade toys that they constructed themselves. It makes me proud.

A Demented Christmas

For those of you who didn't grow up using vinyl albums, this will be a treat. One of my favorite things to do with my record player when I was a kid was to put the needle on the record and use my finger to dictate the speed of the song. I could make any song sound like the Chipmunks by running my finger in a fast motion. I could make any song scare the P-Diddy out of myself too by slowing it down and making it sound like a bunch of monsters and demons. You could also play records backwards. One of my favorite things to do was to play the sneeze in David Bowie's "Please Mr. Gravedigger" backward. It just cracked me up. Anyway...it's just not Christmas without hearing the Chipmunks sing "Christmas Don't Be Late". But, what if we slowed it down. Would Dave Seville sound like Satan and the Chipmunks sound like a tortured trio of singers forced to over-enunciate every word for all eternity? Yes...yes they would. Have a listen...

A Word about Profanity

Cursing or filthy language is prevalent in our society. The types of words that are now allowed on TV is appalling compared to what was allowed when I was a child. I've had my own stints at poor language in my lifetime. I experimented with bad words when I was a child. The adults who told me that those words were inappropriate were the very adults who taught me those words to begin with. In high school, as many people do, I had a potty mouth. I probably wasn't as bad as some high-schoolers, but I did blurt out my share of bad words. Someone once said something to me that stuck with me to this very day. That person told me, "There are so many wonderful and intelligent words to express how we are feeling, it just makes you look stupid to use bad words!" It's ironic that that same person has one of the dirtiest mouths I know. But, the sentiment wasn't lost on me. I agree. There are so many wonderful and intelligent words out there, why do we resort to the F words or the S words...or any other filthy, dirty, and inappropriate language that exists. Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean that it's right. The bible says "Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving" (Ephesians 5:4). But, this isn't the only reason that I choose not to curse. The fact is, it makes you look stupid. The Oxford dictionary claims that there are upwards of a quarter of a million words in the English language. That means that there are plenty of words that we can choose from to make our point or to express duress, pain, unhappiness, or any number of emotions. Why choose the easy, stupid, four letter, common, dirty, and inappropriate words? It just doesn't make sense to me. Unless you really are stupid and you can't find an alternative word. But, I don't think that's true for most of you. But, first, let me admit. When I stub my toe or get really angry, it's easy for a foul word to cross my lips. And sometimes they do. But, the truth is, I know that I am smarter than those words. So, I do my best to keep those words inside or instead replace them with appropriate, intelligent words. Let me make my point by sharing some interesting quotes about profanity.

"Profanity is the weapon of the witless."

"Profanity is the attempt of a lazy and feeble mind to express itself forcefully."

"When a man uses profanity to support an argument, it indicates that either the man or the argument is weak - probably both."

"Profanity is the common crutch of the conversational cripple."

When I teach my kids about not using profanity, this is the stance that I will be taking. My hope is that my boys will take my advice and will apply it to their lives. I want my boys to be more intelligent than those words allow. I want them to act with appropriateness and to carry themselves like gentlemen. Profanity makes you look stupid or dirty...or both. I want more than that for my children.

I Elf'd Myself

Okay. It's a holiday tradition. Here goes.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

It hasn't been much of a winter season in Colorado yet. Hardly any snow to speak of at all. Just a couple of very light dustings of snow. There is a 20% chance of snow tonight and then a warming trend that puts us back into the 60's for most of next week. It doesn't look like I'll get my white Christmas. Oh well...

A Wonderful Date

My wife and I got the rare privilege to have a kid-free afternoon and evening together. Joi's sister, Steffanne, watched our kids over-night. The kids were dropped off in the afternoon and we had the rest of the day together. Joi got some writing done on her newest book and I was able to pick up a couple of items for Christmas. In the evening, we went out to Olive Garden for an early dinner and then home for episodes of "No Ordinary Family" and "Psych" (we watched three episodes). Then we watched most of a Lakers game until we feel asleep. It was a wonderful night and I enjoyed getting to talk and laugh with my bride. My only regret is that we don't get enough of these alone-time dates. But, I cherish the times that we do.

Dangerous Toys

Tis the season when most of you will be buying toys for the children in your life. As you shop, remember these safety tips by Christian comedian Tim Hawkins. Time to buy the glow in the dark trees.

Carol of the Bells

My all time favorite Christmas song is Carol of the Bells. I remember while growing up Catholic, I would be forced to stay up to attend midnight mass when I was a child on Christmas Eve. My parents were both in the choir, along with both of my Grandma's. The service started at 11:30PM and by that time a child gets very sleepy. Plus, the dark church and the incense didn't help me hold on to wakefulness for very long. I remember dozing off in the pew near the choir loft on many Christmas eve's throughout my childhood, but there was always one song that they did almost every year and it was the one song I made sure I was awake for. The Carol of the Bells. I don't know what it is, but it struck a chord with me (no pun intended). It's a beautiful song. I could literally hear the bells chiming in the voices and it always blew me away. Now when I hear that song, I remember being the small child almost asleep in the pew listening to my parents and Grandmother's singing this beautiful song. Here is an Emmy Rossum version of that song, for your enjoyment.

Dead Fishies

I used to have a Betta fish on my desk when I worked at Azusa Pacific University. They make good work pets, since they don't eat a lot, they don't smell, and they are peaceful to watch. When I left APU and shortly thereafter California, I gave my Betta to my co-workers. I had named him Gonzo (because he was purple) and looked a lot like the Muppet. They took good care of him and occasionally sent me photos of Gonzo swimming around. Well, I received notice that Gonzo finally went home to the big fishbowl in the sky. Niona, one of my former employees, sent me the word and two pictures of Gonzo laying sideways on the bottom of the bowl. While I was sad to see that Gonzo kicked the bucket, I was amused that Niona sent me two pictures of the dead fishy. She cracks me up.

We also had some fish at home that the boys and I picked out when they were very young. Again, we couldn't take them with us, so my Mom agreed to take them and care for them. The last of those fish died about two weeks ago. Tis the season of dead fishies. Well, everything dies....at least once.

Oh Christmas Tree

Earlier this week, my family ventured out to our traditional spot (a King Soopers Parking Lot) and picked out our 2010 Christmas Tree. It was a fairly tall and fat Douglas Fir. Not a bad looking tree. It was the coldest day of the year so far when we ventured out, so we didn't take long to pick it. It was in the mid-20's. It makes you less picky. We went inside to pay for it and find someone who could cut an inch off the base of the tree, so that it sucked up the water better. The store manager found a employee who was from the Ukraine (the best I could tell) and didn't speak very good English. When I asked her to cut an inch off the bottom of the trunk and smiled and handed me twine. I explained again that I wanted it cut. I made hand-motions this time. She said "Ahhh...scissors." I shook my head and said "No...saw!" After a few more attempts at communication, I went inside to find the manager again. She found someone else who secured a saw and cut the trunk. Unfortunately, it was at a weird angle rather than straight, which made the tree lean awkwardly when we got home and put it in the base. Oh well. We stuffed the tree in the trunk of our Ford Taurus with 4 of the 6 feet sticking out the trunk. I secure it in with bungee cords. We drove the five minutes home with the strong scent of pine permeating our nostrils. I carried it to our patio and tried to fix the sawing job. Joi and I stuffed it through our door and put it in place. I asked Joi to hold it straight while I turned the bolts in the stand to hold in it place. After a few minutes of turning and twisting, while laying under the tree, I arose only to find the tree leaning like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In Joi's defense, it did look straight from her angle. So, we tried again and finally made it look straight. We turned on some Christmas music and had Hot Chocolate and Hot Apple Cider...and brownies. We took out our lights and wrapped them around the tree. We pulled out our ornaments and relived some of the stories behind them and their meaning. We laughed and took pictures. We lit up the lights and I finally placed our fiber-optic angel on the top of the tree. It was complete. We made another Christmas memory and we did it without stress, bad attitudes, or broken ornaments. It was a successful and wonderful Christmas experience. The car continued to smell strongly like pine for the next few days, until I found a sprig of the pine tree in our backseat and removed it. We had a good time and the tree is beautiful. It's wonderful to smell the tree and see the blinking lights and all of the special ornaments. Also, Joi put this year's addition to our ornaments on our tree. It was a small book with the title of Joi's soon to be published book and the first chapter inside of it, made by her best friend, Kim. Read here for more details. It was a wonderful time together.

Wizard of Oz...McFerrin Style

I haven't had much time to write anything meaningful lately, but I wanted to give my readers something fun to watch. Enjoy! Keep watching until the end. It's like you saw the whole movie.