Cinderella Play

Last week Megan took part in her school's Cinderella play. Here she is with one of her good friends, Rebecca who was also in the play. The quality of this play was really outstanding, and Megan did a great job as part of the chorus, along with singing a special number "step-sisters lament" with a smaller group of girls. Great job Megan!

Daddy-Daughter(s) Dance

Here am I with Megan and Emily getting all gussied up for our annual Daddy-Daughter Dance! This is an elegant affair where we go out for a nice dinner (girls usually order a cheeseburger or chicken strips with barbeque sauce) with another Dad and his two girls, and then off to the ball. And the dancing? Who needs the waltz when you have the chicken dance and the hokey-pokey (which are probably the only two dances that I can stay on beat with). When it comes to dancing I am in the same league as Elaine on Seinfield (except I know how really bad I am at it) - but when it comes to dancing with my two sweeties at the Daddy-Daughter, there is no place I'd rather be.

Happy Birthday Sandi!

Happy Birthday Sandi! We all went out for a nice dinner the other night to celebrate her 37th (you have to admit, she is looking pretty good...) After some good food at Clara's we went out for some ice cream at one of those places where they mix up your decadent delight right before your very eyes. The kids completed the birthday celebration with some hand-made cards and I pitched in with some flowers and then made the ultimate sacrifice - sat through the entire movie "Pride and Prejudice" without a single audible complaint. I think this fulfills my chick-flick quota until Sandi's 58th birthday...

New Piano

Pictured here are Emily and Grant at our new piano. Here's the story.

A few months ago Sandi started saying that she really wanted the kids to take piano lessons. So, we started looking for used pianos. After a couple of months we hadn't come up with anything. Then Sandi mentioned our piano search to a friend (Kim), and she said, "I have a piano in storage, would you like it?" This was such a generous offer - thank you Kim! We moved it to our house a few days ago and the kids have been banging away at "Twinkle, Twinkle" ever since. Now, if we pay for lessons, they do learn how to play other songs, right?

Signs of life...

Grant and I were in our back woods yesterday doing some guy stuff involving chainsaws and mud. As I bent over to pick up a piece of wood I noticed a very small, tightly compressed leaf trying to poke out from a plant of some sort. Right now our woods are all gray and brown, completely dormant. But underneath it all life is present, and that life is irresistible - it will emerge. As a Christian, this is my hope - that the life of Christ within me (beneath the layers of "dead wood" and decay) will emerge, must emerge into the sunlight of experience and relationship. After all, his is a life that even emerged after death.

Congratulations Jay and Nancy!

Here is a picture of my cousin Jay and his beautiful new bride, Nancy, at their reception last weekend. To Jay we say "good job, you have found yourself a wonderful woman". To Nancy we say "welcome to the family, we love you already!". And to both of them we say "may God bless you richly in every way as you begin your life together."

Mom and Dad

Last Friday night we celebrated my cousin's wedding. At one point in the evening I overheard my Mom say to my Dad, "I really like this song, let's dance". (Now, keep in mind that I am 38 years old and have no vivid memory of my parents ever dancing together.) So, you can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when my Dad grabbed her hand and they walked to the dance floor. I immediately found my wife and told her to take this picture. My parents have been married for about 45 years, and like all couples they have had their ups and downs. But as I watched them on the dance floor that night I was reminded of this old saying; "all's well that ends well". And after 45 years I believe they are more committed to one another than ever. I trust that the final chapter of their story will be a happy one.

Mom and Dad, here's to many more years of life together and to a few more good pictures of you on the dance floor.

Our Oldest - Megan

Today is the day I introduce you to our oldest daughter, Megan. Megan turned 11 last December and this fall she is heading off to Middle School (if that thought is not enough to send a parent into a panic they probably lack a pulse...)! It's funny, I spent almost 8 years as a Youth Pastor watching dozens of kids transition from elementary to middle school, and it never seemed like such a big deal. But now that it's our fair-haired, green-eyed "little" girl it's a whole other matter. Yep, things will be changing in some big ways around our house over the next year. In a way, the time we have right now with all 3 kids is sort of "the calm before the storm". And by "storm" I don't mean havoc and destruction, I simply mean change. There will be a storm of change for our family starting this fall that will continue for about the next 10 years when we send our youngest off to college (remember Grant, college is good, you want to go to college, college is good...).

Allow me now to brag on our daughter for just a minutes. Megan is such a great kid! She is very smart (she especially excels in reading, writing - when properly motivated, anything artistic, and has done very well in science of late), she takes after her mother's good looks, and she is nothing if not determined. When Megan sets her mind on accomplishing something she will keep at it until it's done. She will overcome hurdles, recover from set backs, and work through discouragements. She is a tough-minded, strong person. In fact, she is a lot like me in regards to personality (which is why as a toddler she was such a handful - her first 4 words were "my do it myself!)

Megan is also a spiritually engaged person. She is part of an after school VBS type club, and active at church (looking forward to being part of a middle school youth group). Recently she and I have have some good talks about topics such as prayer, baptism, reaching out to other students, and her relationship with God. She is a wonderful person in so many ways, and we love her dearly.