blaylockblog

Florida Vacation 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 01:21:00 +0000

It's been awhile since I've posted to this blog (Facebook is taking over, truth be told). But I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about the vacation we took a couple of weeks ago in Orlando. This was a great vacation and the weather was very nice (70s and sunny everyday - the last day was in the 80s). Some highlights of this trip:

We spent the first day visiting my Uncle Joe and Aunt Deb in Vero Beach. We play on the beach and in the surf all afternoon and had a wonderful meal that Deb cooked that night. Joe has been very influential in my life - he was the one who first introduced me to Christ and gave the love and encouragement I needed to progress spiritually.
We spent a few days hanging out at the condo. We swam, sat in hot tubs (Dad), played putt putt, rode bikes, read books, watched movies, and played shuffle board. These down days at the condo are my favorite part of the vacation.
We did one day at Univeral Studios, Island of Adventure. This is a rollercoaster kind of park. The kids and Sandi love the coasters - I like to eat ice cream and read newspapers. They did get me to go on "The Hulk", and like David Bannester I ended up turning green...
We did one day at a water park called "Blizzard Beach". This was a perfect day for getting wet as it was in the low 80s. It was a bit crowded, but the kids had a wonderful time.
The real highlight of this trip was Cirque Du Soleil at Downtown Disney (please do not ask me to pronouce it!). This is something Sandi has wanted to do for a long time, and since she is turning 40 next week I decided this was the year. With some help from my Mom (we both took out Home Equity Loans) we bought tickets for the entire clan. It was truly an amazing experience. Sandi was thrilled and in the end it was worth every penny.

So, there is a little Blaylock vacation update. We are very thankful for the opportunity God has given us to enjoy these types of vacations - they are gifts to be cherished.

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:02:00 +0000

The Blaylock family had a great Christmas celebration this past week. The gifts, of course, were wonderful. But we are most thankful for the gift of Christ and for our family. We wish you God's very best this Christmas and in 2009!

Gift to Grandpa - 8 point mount

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:49:00 +0000

This past deer season, despite seeing fewer deer, I was blessed to harvest 3 (one spike, one 8 point, and a doe during the late season). After Grant and I decided to mount the 8 point we both thought it would be a great idea to give it as a Christmas present to my Dad (who hunts with us on opening day each year out back - but so far with nothing to show for it).

We glued two pictures on the back of the mount and then Grant wrote the following note:

"Dear Grandpa, Marry Christmas! I hope you like this present. Maby we can get one together next year.

Love, Tom and Grant"

Isn't that just too precious?

Happy Birthday Megan!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 01:55:00 +0000

Well, believe it or not, we celebrated Megan's 14th birthday the other night. Wow, 14 years old! (Don't tell Megan, but Sandi was 13 when we first called ourselves a "couple".) Thankfully, she is not boy crazy - in fact, I would have to say that she has a good head on her shoulders when it comes to boys. So far, she pretty much avoids them. This is a strategy that I will heartily support for at least the next 8 years...

So, Megan, this is what I want to say to you as you turn 14. (You most likely will not read this for months or years to come, and that's fine.) First, I want you to know that Mom and Dad love you very much. We not only love you (parents have to love their kids, right?) but we like you, we enjoy being around you. I look forward to coming home from work and having an hour or so to visit with you before the other kids get off the bus. One of the things I enjoy most about you is your sense of humor - you make me laugh just about everyday.

Another thing I appreciate about you is your desire to help people. Through TeamKid, the Impact Team, and helping out at Lighthouse you demonstrate this time and time again. We see God growing your heart for him and the people around you - and that makes us smile.

This will be a big year for you - no more Middle School come this September. Soon we will be talking about Drivers Education and college...My prayer is that we can slow down long enough this next year to experience all the blessings God has in store for you and our family. You are our first born and you will be the first child we send out into this world. I believe you will grow up into a godly, intelligent and beautiful woman. You are already well on your way.

Opening Day 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:17:00 +0000

Once again my Dad came out for opening day of gun season yesterday. He arrived by 6 a.m. and Grant sat with us out back most of the day. In all I hunted 13 hours yesterday, and we did not see a single deer!

Fortunately I took this spike on the final day of bow season (two days ago) and we at least got to see one deer, albeit already dead and hanging upside down...

I look forward to Dad coming out again next year, and maybe by then we will have a better story to tell.

Impact Team Service Project

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:08:00 +0000

Last week we took our Impact Team (a group of students who have committed to serve, pray, and encourage one another's spiritual growth) to Spring Hill Camp in Evart, Michigan to do a service project.

As you can see, we raked leaves all day long. The weather was cold with a mix of rain and snow - mostly rain. I was very proud of these students as they hung in their for over 5 hours of raking in miserable conditions serving God and this ministry.

We also worked hard on memorizing Matthew 28:18 - 20 in which Jesus gives his followers the command to go and make disciples, baptize them, and then teach them to obey all he commanded. This is a great group of kids and my wife and I truly enjoy serving alongside of them.

Grant and the cheerleader!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:33:00 +0000

Here are some pictures that will live on in infamy for our son Grant and his good buddy, Daniel.

Guys, sorry to say it, but you will be seeing these images at every important event for the rest of your lives. Graduation parties, weddings, and yes, even your retirement parties...

We just hope that when we show them at your wedding you are both marrying a girl!

Halloween 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:26:00 +0000

Well, here is a photo of our beautiful children! For Halloween this past year Emily was Cleopatra (she was beautiful), Grant was a punk rocker (is this is a vision of the future, may I please be excused?), and Megan was the "5 minute girl" (this means she threw a costume together in 5 minutes and called it good - it's all about the candy when you are 13!).

It was a beautiful night to be out banging doors and demanding free candy! This year Sandi and I sat around a camp fire talking with friends while the kids made the rounds with a few other parents - very nice.

Upland game at Nettie Bay Lodge

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:56:00 +0000

Last weekend about 18 guys (several from our church - along with a bunch of friends) headed up to Northern Michgan for some waterfowl and upland game hunting. The weather was perfect and the hunting was pretty good. We hunted grouse, woodcock, duck and goose - and as a group shot a few of each (mostly woodcock and duck). I shot my first grouse - while grouse hunting anyway - and woodcock, and a friend, Ken, also shot his first woodcock and duck (his Dad shot the squirrel over his right shoulder - Ken is not claiming that!)
I always enjoy this trip and next year will most likely bring Grant along. There is something special about spending lots of time outdoors in God's creation - something that both cleanses and expands the soul. The camraderie and excitement of the hunt add elements that make this trip one that I wouldn't want to miss.

Family Bible Study

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:29:00 +0000

Last night we drove down to Sandi's Mom's house near Detroit and held our first family Bible Study. This was a very big deal to me because my Mom (third from left, in the front row) came out and because this was a key way God reached out to me over 25 years ago. Back in 1981, when I was 13 years old, our family got together once a week for a very similar Bible Study. In fact, the same guy who lead the studies back then (my Uncle Tom - second from right) also lead this study. Uncle Tom was very influential in my life as a young Christian and has continued to study God's Word with a passion and teach with a lot of energy all these years. Thank God for people like Uncle Tom and Aunt Wanda who have been so solid for so long...

Sandi also had some family members come out - and we were especially happy to have her Aunt Connie join us along with her cousin. We will be inviting others from both sides of the family for our next gathering (November 14). For those of you who are Christians, please pray that God uses this study to bless our families with the good news of Christ and the new life he offers.

Good-bye to Summer!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:12:00 +0000

Wow, I can't believe we are already into mid-October! Our kids have been back in school over a month now, and it has been a whirlwind of activity. But, with the recent heat wave (80 degrees again today) I feel like it's still August and wanted to take one final look back at the summer of 2008.

This picture was taken on the shore of Lake Michigan near Saugatuck at a friend's birthday party. It was a chilly sunset, but very beautiful. Our kids ventured into the big lake for a few minutes that day, but came into the house blue-lipped and shivering in short order. It was one of our final adventures of the summer, and all-in-all last summer deserves a B+ or better.

We spent the first week of summer in Colorado on vacation - which turned out to be one of the best vacations we ever had. Then we did some camping all around the state and spent 5 days at Brown City Camp. Our kids also spent a week at Camp Barakel and we ended the summer with a weekend at Spring Hill Camp in Evart, Michigan.

Our biggest adjustment was Sandi's work schedule...We had less flexibility for travel and spent more time around the house than usual. But with the great weather we had this summer and my travel for work lessened, it all turned out just fine. The good news is that Sandi really likes this new job and that God is providing for us (as he always does) even in this tough Michigan economy.

I am now looking at the autumn colors in our back woods and am ready for fall. The weather should cool off in a few days and that means I will be doing some deer hunting soon...More on that later.

First Day of School

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 13:52:00 +0000

Here is Grant and Emily, getting ready to load the bus for their first day of school. Grant is in 4th, and Emily in 5th. We met their teachers and saw their classrooms last week, and we feel very good about all of that. Sandi and my Mom took the kids clothes shopping and we have all the needed school supplies, so "it's all good"!

I am feeling a little sad to be honest - it's a bittersweet thing. This is Emily's final year of elementary, and after next year they will all be in Middle School and High School. As I stood waiting for the bus this morning I had this flashback of putting Megan on the bus for the first time. Sandi panicked after the bus left and jumped in the car to follow her to school - much to Megan's chagrin. There is no way that could have been 8 years ago!

Time seems like pebble that slowly begins rolling and picks up size and speed as it moves along. I am now at a place in life where I would like to see that pebble slow down just a bit...I am in no hurry to send these kids out into the world as adults, (eventhough I know that is our job as parents).

My prayer is that God helps me to live in the moment more consistently with our kids while they are still young. I tend to get so focused on the project at hand or on future planning that I often miss out on what is taking place all around me. "Help me God to see and appreciate the gifts you have given me today with our family."

Summer Camp

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:55:00 +0000

A few weeks back we sent all 3 kids to Camp Barakel for a week of summer camp. Yes, you heard me correctly ALL 3 KIDS GONE FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK! Pictured here is Grant's friend, Danny. The girls also brought a friend - so everyone had someone to hang out with.

Camp Barakel is the camp where Sandi and I first got to know each other way back in the winter 0f 1982 (gulp - that would be 26 years ago). It is also the place where I learned what it was to serve God and work hard - I spent several weeks up there working as an "engineer" during the summers. During the summer of 1985 I spent the entire summer at Barakel as a counselor - by far the most exhausting and rewarding thing I have ever done in my life.

You may be wondering how Sandi and I partied while the kids were gone? Well, we cleaned the basement, got ready for a garage sale, and went to a few open houses. It was not exactly a second honeymoon, but we did enjoy going out for dinner a few times and catching a movie. To be honest, I think we both really missed the kids and were glad to have them back home - strange, isn't it?

Colorado Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:37:00 +0000

Here are the highlights from our Colorado vacation we took in early June. It was a great trip! We stayed in a really nice timeshare in Breckenridge and the weather was very nice for the most part (about 70 degrees during the day with sun - the last two days were windy and cooler).

The first picture is of a hike we took to "Hanging Lake". This was the toughest hike we took on this trip, but it was well worth it. The biggest problem was that we hadn't adjusted to the altitude yet, and we couldn't seem to get enough O2. Sandi and the girls struggled the most with this, but bounced back after a couple of days. Once we climbed up to the lake there were beautiful waterfalls and amazing views of the mountains.

The second picture was our horseback riding. This was on our final day and by far, this was the coldest day. Thankfully the wranglers were able to loan us coats, hats, and gloves. This was a lot of fun - we actually galloped the horses! The best part of the day was when they "helped" Emily's horse to gallop. She ended up almost getting bucked off as the horse reared up and took off at full speed. Emily hung on for dear life and now has a story to tell.

The last two pictures are from the white water rafting. The water was liquid ice, and we were the ice cubes floating on top! Thankfully we were all in wet suits - this kept the shivering to a minimum... We had a great guide who made the trip a lot of fun for us, and we all stayed in the boat (although the girls just about got ejected when we hit our first real white water). We really enjoyed doing this and would probably do it again if we get the chance.

Overall it was a great vacation. Another cool thing we did was read the book of 1 John together and memorize 1 John 4:4. All the kids got this verse down and we had some great discussions about what the message of 1 John means for our lives.

Too cute for words...

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:21:00 +0000

Here is a shot of Grant and Emily we took on Easter. Is there some way we can keep them both exactly the way they are right now? I mean really, have you ever seen a more precious picture of a brother and sister?

A perfect day of Walleye fishing!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:07:00 +0000

Thanks to the generosity of a friend from church (Jim - the guy standing second from the right) I recently had an opportunity to "jig" for Walleye on Lake Erie. The dude to the far right is none other than "Mr. Michigan Out-of-Doors" in the flesh - Jimmy Gretzinger (another friend from church and the guy who single-handedly got me into hunting).

Jim had purchased a half-day charter and invited Jimmy and I along. We had a perfect day. The water was very calm, the sun was bright, and the temps made it into the 60s. I had never jigged before (gee, I thought that was some kind of dance?), but once I got the hang of it I started catching some very nice fish. It took us a few hours, but we managed to limit out before lunch time and head back in.

And I must say, pan-fried Walleye is probably the best fish I have ever eaten. I am not usually much of a seafood guy, but this Walleye was excellent. We cooked it up fresh the next day and I suddenly discovered that I had more friends than I had realized (and they were all willing to help me eat the fish!) We had enough to share and I can't wait to go back and catch some more.

Turkey hunting report...

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:27:00 +0000

Well, a picture says a thousand words, and this picture says it all. My turkey hunting results for this season? Zip, nada, nunca, nothing!

Actually, that's not entirely true. I did call in a gobbler, and he was gobbling the entire way. He stopped at about 50 yards out and just looked over my decoy set up. (I made the mistake in this situation of including a jake decoy - this Tom didn't want to fight for love, he wanted it to come easy.) So, after strutting for a bit he started walking past. I went ahead and took the shot, but did not put the bird down. Bummer! (There was some brush between the bird and my position, but I still believe it was a good shot with this gun - just needed a bit more skill and a little more "luck".)

Oh well, as my friend Pat says, "that's why they call it hunting".

As every faithful Lions fan has learned to say, there's always next season.

Happy Birthday Sandi!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:31:00 +0000

Well, my beautiful bride turned 39 recently! (You must admit, she looks great doesn't she? Especially compared to that wrinkled dude in the blue shirt...)

We took Sandi out to dinner - we started at P.F. Changs, but after we were told that the wait was over an hour, we relocated to Outback. By the time we finally sat down and ordered some food, we were very hungry and a tad grumpy (yes, I'm talking about myself). Note to self - we must make a reservation next year!

The kids gave some nice gifts to Sandi, and we ended up having a very good day together. Sandi is closing in on the big 4 - 0, but as far as I'm concerned she truly becomes more beautiful every year...

Happy Birthday honey, I love you.

On the seventh day, you shall rest...

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:52:00 +0000

Allow me to introduce you to one of my new best friends - Broomtree Ministries. You can find them at http://www.broomtreeministries.org. Why are they one of my new best friends? Well, let me give you three reasons:

1. Five days and five nights with no work, no kids, and very little by way of schedule
2. Three meals a day, a banana split every night, and a beautiful setting at The Shack Country Inn in Jugville, Michigan (located about an hour north of Grand Rapids)
3. The only person I am with this entire time is my wife (did I mention the no kids part?)

Oh, and let's throw in a forth reason just for kicks - this entire retreat was provided for us free of charge through the generosity of the Broomtree donors. Wow! What's the catch? No catch - no multi-level marketing - no snake handling... Just five days and five nights to reconnect with God and your spouse (provided free of charge for those in full time ministry).

Pictured above is the room Sandi and I stayed in (fireplace, hot tub, lots of space) and a box of materials they gave us the first day to go through at our own pace according to our interests and needs. We dug into some of the stuff on marriage mostly, and it was very encouraging to learn together in that setting. There were a few other couples that were at the same retreat, and we saw them at dinner and a few other times during the week. Other than that, we were on our own...(can anyone say "naps at least once a day"?)

So, here's the deal. If you are in full time Christian ministry - you need to do something like this about once a year, at least every other year. If you care about someone in full time Christian ministry, tell them about this opportunity. If you are looking for a way to invest in the health and well being of pastors, contact Broomtree and become a donor.

The Bible says that a man shall work for six days, and then rest. But when do pastors really get to rest? Shouldn't our leaders be setting this example for us? Let's all encourage them to make it happen!

My Pride and Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:31:00 +0000

Here is a picture I took last night of Grant sitting on his dresser in front of three antler mounts we had just finished working on. These are all bucks that I shot with a bow in our back woods. You will notice that we experimented with a European Mount on my most recent deer - which I was very happy with for our first attempt. (What I was very unhappy with was learning the hard way not to boil down the skull INSIDE the house - what a stench!)

Grant is proud of these mounts, probably more so than I am. There is something in every young boy that yearns to brag about his father. I remember well the "my Dad can beat up your Dad" arguments of my youth (in my case I was usually right about this one). Hunting has given Grant something to take pride in, and the proof hangs on his wall. Grant doesn't mind that these deer were hardly record setters, to him they are larger than life.

In this picture you see my pride and joy - and he happens to be sitting in front of three deer mounts.

My Big Brother

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 05:10:00 +0000

I was looking through some pictures from last fall and ran across this one of my brother, Marv, and I. The occassion was a trip to Cabelas where I bought a really sweet, albeit too expensive Benelli shotgun. My entire family - Mom, Dad and Marv all made the trip and then we went out for some lunch. The next week my brother and Dad came out and hunted opening day of firearm season. We spent the entire day together (yes, we did have a buck and a doe come by, but didn't do any shooting). My brother has worked as a carpenter for over 20 years, and he is good at it. He lives near my parents with his wife, Rosie.

I love my brother and hope that as we both mellow with age we get to spend more time with one another.

Snowman Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:41:00 +0000

Last Sunday we all decided to go out and

build a snowman in our front yard. I had to leave that night for a business trip and we wanted to do something fun as a family before I headed out. So, we decided on a family snowman project.

And what a project it was! The snow didn't pack very well, so we couldn't roll three large snow balls and stack them on top of one another. But, we discovered that if we shoveled snow into a huge pile, we could pack it together and eventually shape it. This was not a job for the faint of heart...So, after Sandi and I threatened to ground all of our kids if they didn't stop complaining about the fun, family activity we chose for that day, we started making some good progress.

In the end, it was a sight to behold. However, if you look at his rear end you can tell that this snowman is big of butt and has been caught with his pants down! (Compliments of our 13 year old.) Our poor snowman has already started to melt, but he looked glorious for a few days.

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:24:00 +0000

This picture was taken on January 1st in our front yard. We got over a foot of snow and it was really beautiful. We stayed with Sandi's family at a hotel in Saginaw on New Year's Eve and had a great time. We played board games, went swimming, sat in the hot tub and played "keep away". The next day we went to Frankenmuth for a good meal.

We hope that your 2008 is filled with laughter and God's blessing!

Megan, the great deer hunter!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:40:00 +0000

Here is a picture of a doe I took on November 16. Notice something weird in this picture? Yes, that's right! There is a young lady standing with me (shaking hands with the deer for some reason) dressed in beautiful camo but wearing a pink hat. How does something like this happen! Where is the DNR when you need them?

Actually, I am including Megan in this deer hunting story because she was the only one that would help me field dress and drag this deer back to the house. My normal hunting partner (Grant) was sidelined with a sliver (he's only 8, he's only 8...) So, since he had been incapacitated I needed to find another child to hold the lantern and help heave the deer into the trusy ol' wheelbarrow. And who agreed? Megan! What a pleasant surprise.

Of course, I first had to promise her that she didn't have to watch or touch the deer - just hold the light. And how did she do? Other than being a little grossed out a few times, she did great. She even looked cute in camo.

My season ended with harvesting two does - one on our property and one up in Standish while hunting with my uncles. It has been a good season - would still love to see a mature buck during muzzle loader, but I am very happy with the three deer that are filling our freezer.

A vision of the future?

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:27:00 +0000

Believe it or not, these are pictures of our 10-year old daughter, Emily. This was her Halloween costume - sort of a Pat Benatar/Joan Jet/Pinky Tuscadero kind of thing going here. (Of course, Emily wouldn't recognize any of those names, all ancient history to her...)

What struck me when I first saw Emmy in this get up was the amazing transformation that can take place when a girl puts on some make-up, some funky clothes, and cops an attitude. As a father my prayer was something like this; "please Lord, I'm not ready for this!"

Thankfully, the night ended with her sitting on the floor in her PJs looking over all of the candy she collected. That night I tucked her into bed, gave her a kiss, and we thanked God for a good (albeit, scary) day.