Ketchup

It's time to dangle some pics in front of you to satisfy those loyal fans who have been asking where the posts are, and to get Ryan off back!

Ryan constantly asks me where his brotherly love pictures went from Emily's outdoor bray party. Here they are.


The motivation usually just isn't there for home projects at my place. I'm more likely to get something done at the parent's place. A couple weeks ago, a plumbing job took three times as long as it should have, as usual. I was talking to a buddy shortly after about what it's like working on home projects with your father. It always reveals the impatience of the son and the experience of the father. And if you're smart the learning opportunity for the younger. Stupid faucet!


Things at the new land are going splendidly. I was long over due for some work out there and got myself on the parking lot sealing team. Bad idea for the lower back but rewarding since it's something I can see results from for years to come.


We found out for Butch's bday that in the absence of proper candles, Doritos work almost too well.


I didn't have the heart to put the hose away without satisfying Tilly's burning desire to attack the water.


Will someone please invent candles made of frosting? It would have made Butch's other cake much easier to eat. :-)


Last week was too hot and busy for Sunday volleyball. But the week before it, Ben and Jon played a serious game while some spectators we didn't know gladly joined us. It could be a great opportunity for the future if they haven't given up after we ditched them last week.


Joe (left) and I had the pain pleasure of being thrust out into the local mission field a couple years ago by our discipleship leader, Danny. I've never gotten to hear Joe speak there until this month though. On my favorite verse as well...he's so thoughtful. Psalm 37:4

Partly Cloudy

So I haven't done a very good job keeping up the blog this month. I blame it on work. Monday starts a new work schedule. That's right, I'm back to part-time IT work. However, it's "salaried" part time IT work with maintenance, which means "get lots of work done you slacker", so no promises. To keep you from leaving me altogether, let me introduce you to some of my weird interests. I like clouds. Ever heard the question, "if you could have one superhero ability, what would it be?" Well, my answer would be to fly, because I love clouds. Here's some Peoria clouds from July.





Ominous, tall, colorful. These are some of the things that make clouds cool.






Car? These look like they were taken from a moving vehicle? I don't know what you're talking about.
Cloud picture? Actually, it's a cloud picture meant to remind me to complain to the IDOT guy I know about how the only alternate route around I-74 construction was plagued with one-lane traffic due to construction on 150 with no visible signs of actual work being performed.

Birthday Week

It's bout time to give credit to all those jerks (except you Mom, you're not a jerk) who wanted to do something for my Birthday over a week ago.

Tuesday 14th

A couple of the dudes at work, Ron and Frank, treated me to donuts at Trefzgers since it was my first time on a donut run. Before leaving the store, I saw the cake I really wanted. The week went by though...and no one got it for me. (sigh)

The Stubers made up for the lost cake dream with a gigantic "Harms Recipe" mint chocolate brownie when I got home from d-group. Amazing. Yes, it went well with the milk I brought home. There was also a singing voicemail left on my phone from a couple of crazy ladies!

Finally. Mail call had the cutest card ever made!!! Thank you!
There's a little heart at the top of the "n"! Did you see it!?!

Wednesday
Nan would not take no for an answer about hosting a dinner at his place. He asked me what my favorite food was. I spent a little more time thinking about it than usual. Usual is "I have no idea". It occurred to me that cheese is often in my favorite dishes...so I said anything with cheese!

The result was an appetizer of fruit and three types of gourmet cheese.

Along with Filet Mignon covered in goat cheese.....amazing.

You can't help but talk about food at Nan's house. A long conversation about various herbs and spices lead someone to bring up the existence of an herb named anise. That's right, anise. And it's pronounced almost like the word you're hoping it doesn't. I think the jokes would have died down relatively quickly if Nan hadn't announced, "I have anise, let me show you!"

Thanks to Wes (thanks Wes) the men managed to sing Happy Birthday to me in three different styles.


Thursday

Wanting a fourth excuse to sing Happy Birthday, the guys planned another celebration during Thursday night Bible study. Don't let the smile deceive you...I want to kill them.


Friday

Knowing my knack for over-packing evening plans, the fam held off on birthday celebrations for Dad and I (Happy Birthday Dad!!) until Friday. Someone recently made a comment about how many of my peers are being more health conscious at meal time. The fam is being no different. Knowing that no one wants to be stuck with leftover birthday cake, Mom found the smallest cake I had ever seen.

Perfect!! Four pieces and you're done!

Thank you for everyone who reminded me that they care!

Why So Quiet?

I know this blog has been pretty quiet over the last couple of weeks. Not that you care about an explaination, but you're getting one anyway.

Work is kicking my butt. That's pretty much it. I haven't had to be on my feet all day since the Shoe Carnival days, and that did not include 8 hours of painting or 6 hours of trimming bushes. It's time to get up early, come home late and grow up. Well, for me anyway. I can't say the same for my co-worker, Bricen.



We've spent probably a day and a half just tightening bolts on bleachers and playground equipment.

I still have alot of appreciation for the birthday week to send out. I promise it's coming!

Operation Sweaty Man

For Ryan's birthday this year, his family and friends wanted to surprise him. He's popping his head over the hill, and while he doesn't need pitty, it's still special and worth celebrating. Ryan has been known to take a jog from his house to his parent's house a couple of times. So the deal was to convince him to jog with someone and surprise him at the parent's place. The problem was, he just got off a plane an hour before this. Well, the surprise didn't go according to plan, but there was still some surprise in it for him, and I think we had a good time.

How would you like to show up to your surprise party looking like this?

Probably better than being AT your surprise party looking like this!

Let's not forget about the NYC team. Peter was certainly exhausted and finally found a place around the corner to sit down for lunch on his break, and still thought of me. Thanks man!

More NYC Updates

Here's a batch from yesterday and today. Turns out they headed to Little Italy Saturday night. Had worship at the Brooklyn Tabernacle Sunday morning. The Street team pounded the pavement with the gospel while VBS and Basketball passed out fliers for the camps. Today, everyone's workin' hard in their areas until late afternoon.


Brooklyn Tabernacle

Some guys singing in the subway.

Their car for the week.

No clue where this is

...No clue where this is

Food!!

Prayer stations Monday morning!

It's The Little Things

There are still many birthday updates to share, but it's the small things I'll leave you with before bed. The Stubers always manage to drop off (or remove) surprises at my house. Tonight, I came home to Buster.

Or as he shall only ever respond to from now on...Bust-A-Move.

New York Is Here!

There's a week of Birthday updates to give you as well as odds and ends, but something much more important is happening today. The 2009 NYC team (here's last year's) has left and touched down in the big apple. Team members are Ron, his daughters Amber and Jasmine (Yaz), Andrea and daughter Emily, Peter, Charly and Matthew (hope I didn't miss anybody). The team left early this morning. I started harassing them with text messages at 8am and they started getting images back to me shortly after. If Peter and the gals keep up with the text messages, you should get some decent updates throughout the week here as well as whoever else they are in contact with.

(Jasmine, Matthew, Peter, Charly)

On a mission for cinnabons!


One of the MANY highlights of the trip...FOOD!!!

Stay tuned. Today they probably had orientation and a little sightseeing in Brooklyn. Most likely, the promenade (stock photos below)