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Saturday, January 17, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Christmas 2008 - The Choo-choo Train
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Well, it's been over a month since we last blogged, so I guess it's time again.... :-)
I plan on following-up with a 2008 recap but just don't have the energy right now. I don't know if it's because I was one of the 5 people who actually had to work today or if it's because I ate 50 pounds of pasta for dinner....either way, I'm drained...
So, just to get something up - and something entertaning at that - I wanted to post the video we took of Preston when he came home from Ci-Ci and Pop-Pop's house and saw his choo-choo train for the first time.
I know we're biased, but this video is great! He's such a sweet little boy...and to think about how much he talks and what he recognizes....and to not even be 2 years old yet....man....what great things to come. God has truly blessed us!!
So, sit back and enjoy. Hopefully I won't fall asleep while this video loads.....it may take a while to load, so if so...sorry..... (RPR)
Well, it's been over a month since we last blogged, so I guess it's time again.... :-)
I plan on following-up with a 2008 recap but just don't have the energy right now. I don't know if it's because I was one of the 5 people who actually had to work today or if it's because I ate 50 pounds of pasta for dinner....either way, I'm drained...
So, just to get something up - and something entertaning at that - I wanted to post the video we took of Preston when he came home from Ci-Ci and Pop-Pop's house and saw his choo-choo train for the first time.
I know we're biased, but this video is great! He's such a sweet little boy...and to think about how much he talks and what he recognizes....and to not even be 2 years old yet....man....what great things to come. God has truly blessed us!!
So, sit back and enjoy. Hopefully I won't fall asleep while this video loads.....it may take a while to load, so if so...sorry..... (RPR)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
2008 Post Election Thoughts and Birthday Surprises
Well, the election has come and gone....and as much as I am (personally) disappointed by the outcome, at the end of the day, it is what it is.
Today was my 30th birthday and it was a wonderful, wonderful day. My incredible bride left me a very special, sweet, nice note on my way to work, my employees decorated (thankfully not to too much of an extreme) my cube (see below), one brought peanut butter filled cupcakes in for me....yum, yum....another brought ice cream, and as a whole presented me with an O'Charley's gift card (they have DIET MT. DEW on tap...LOVE IT!)...along with a pretty funny birthday card...got some nice compliments from one of our Sr. VP's at work pertaining to some projects I've been working on and then when I picked up Preston from daycare found out he "peed in the potty" today for the first time!!!!
All in all, it has been one great day! Not to mention, there was a historic election that took place. While I still stand behind my "Why I Voted the Way I Did" post, I would feel the same way regardless of who was in office.
All this to say, we still live in a country where we are free to express ourselves and free to do many other things. I found the below "survey" on Facebook from one of my friends I met while in Wales a few years back (here's a link to his blogsite: http://amazedbygrace.wordpress.com/).
Anyway, I feel this really sums up and puts in perspective the "big picture."
I hope you enjoy! (RPR)
2008 Post Election Survey:
Take the test*, then ask yourself how you should respond to the election results:
1. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, Jesus will still be King.
2. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, our responsibilities as Christians will not have changed one iota.
3.True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the greatest agent for social change in America will still be winning the hearts and minds of men and women through the gospel, not legislation.
4. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my primary citizenship will still be in this order - (1) the Kingdom of God, (2) America, not vice-versa.
5. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the tomb will still be empty.
6. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the cross, not the government, will still be our salvation.
7. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, our children will still be more concerned with whether or not we spend time with them than with who is President.
8.True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my neighbor will still be my neighbor, and loving him/her will still be the second greatest commandment. (Do you know the first?)
9. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the only way to see abortion ultimately overturned will still be winning men and women to a high view of life through the gospel of Christ.
10. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the only way to see gay marriage ultimately defeated will still be winning men and women to a biblical view of marriage through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
11. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my retirement will still not match my treasure in Heaven.
12. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, "Jesus Is Lord" will still be the greatest truth in the Universe.
13. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, we will still know that God is in control.
*Written by Dr. Wyman Richardson, pastor of FBC Dawson, GA.
Today was my 30th birthday and it was a wonderful, wonderful day. My incredible bride left me a very special, sweet, nice note on my way to work, my employees decorated (thankfully not to too much of an extreme) my cube (see below), one brought peanut butter filled cupcakes in for me....yum, yum....another brought ice cream, and as a whole presented me with an O'Charley's gift card (they have DIET MT. DEW on tap...LOVE IT!)...along with a pretty funny birthday card...got some nice compliments from one of our Sr. VP's at work pertaining to some projects I've been working on and then when I picked up Preston from daycare found out he "peed in the potty" today for the first time!!!!
All in all, it has been one great day! Not to mention, there was a historic election that took place. While I still stand behind my "Why I Voted the Way I Did" post, I would feel the same way regardless of who was in office.
All this to say, we still live in a country where we are free to express ourselves and free to do many other things. I found the below "survey" on Facebook from one of my friends I met while in Wales a few years back (here's a link to his blogsite: http://amazedbygrace.wordpress.com/).
Anyway, I feel this really sums up and puts in perspective the "big picture."
I hope you enjoy! (RPR)
2008 Post Election Survey:
Take the test*, then ask yourself how you should respond to the election results:
1. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, Jesus will still be King.
2. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, our responsibilities as Christians will not have changed one iota.
3.True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the greatest agent for social change in America will still be winning the hearts and minds of men and women through the gospel, not legislation.
4. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my primary citizenship will still be in this order - (1) the Kingdom of God, (2) America, not vice-versa.
5. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the tomb will still be empty.
6. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the cross, not the government, will still be our salvation.
7. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, our children will still be more concerned with whether or not we spend time with them than with who is President.
8.True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my neighbor will still be my neighbor, and loving him/her will still be the second greatest commandment. (Do you know the first?)
9. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the only way to see abortion ultimately overturned will still be winning men and women to a high view of life through the gospel of Christ.
10. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, the only way to see gay marriage ultimately defeated will still be winning men and women to a biblical view of marriage through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
11. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, my retirement will still not match my treasure in Heaven.
12. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, "Jesus Is Lord" will still be the greatest truth in the Universe.
13. True/False: The day after the election, regardless of who wins, we will still know that God is in control.
*Written by Dr. Wyman Richardson, pastor of FBC Dawson, GA.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Why I Voted the Way I Did....
This current election has definitely seemed to spark a lot of interest in many people, myself included. I find myself discussing politics more at work than I do about actual work sometimes.....and I'll be the first to admit I don't know or understand every angle of every stance of each candidate....
My wife was reading a note posted by someone from our church (or if she doesn't go to our church, she's connected to a lot of people from our church...) and it made me get off my tush and put my thoughts down as well - nice note Jan by the way....
I consider myself a Conservative moreso than a Repulican or a Democrat. After all, I voted for Clinton in '96 when I was able to vote for the first time and then for Bush, Jr in '00 and '04....
To keep this short and simple, there are two main reasons why I chose to cast my vote for the McCain/Palin party instead of the Obama/Biden party. 1 - the strong stance the current Democratic party has on "pro-choice" and 2 - the support of redefining marriage to include same sex couples.
As we heard in church this past weekend, and something that has been on my mind A LOT lately, it is becoming so, so clear that as a society we are becoming waaaaaaay too accepting. We are a country founded on the core Christian values of "In God we trust." Call me Southern Baptist, call me narrow-minded, whatever you want....but the fact of the matter is, BIBLICALLY speaking, abortion is murder (God speaking to Jeremiah: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you..." - Jer1:5) and marriage as defined by the Word of God is between male and female ("For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" - Gen 2:24). For any Christian to say that a baby is not really a life until a certain period of time is clearly not basing that on the Word. Sorry if this is harsh....but as Richard says every week, "take that up with Him (God)...."
It honestly disheartens me when I hear Christians saying things like "well, even though I don't necessarily agree with that (the pro-life or same-sex marriage), I think people should be able to have their right to...(fill in the blank) and we need a change..."
My good friend Chris posted something on his blog the other day that I thought nailed it...."we have the "right" to go rob a bank or do drugs but we'd go to jail for doing so..."
It really is very, very sad to see how "accepting" we as Christians are becoming. Now hear me out...I have homosexual friends....I have friends who are borderline alcoholics....I have my own issues as well...and a sin really is a sin....but at the end of the day, I strive everyday to live according to the Word of God...to "...hate what is evil; (and) cling to what is good" - Rom. 12:9
Anyway, all this to say - the Republican party stands for Pro-life and for keeping marriage as a union between male and female. The Democratic party (currently) is about "choices"....sorry folks, but for those of you who are Christians, I challenge you to Biblically back how supporting such evil would be seen as pleasing in the eyes of God.
I won't even get in to the "Basic principle of fairness..." as Obama claims...I mean quite honestly, I have busted my tail and owe many a pretty penny to the Student Loan Department to better myself so I can be in a decent paying job....I don't really see how having the government dictate "redistributing" money from what they deem as wealthy to give to the lower-paid is fair - after all, most of the people I know who are in a lower income bracket give more than those in higher income brackets...so talk about destoying work ethic....we are already a lazy society....what do you think this would solve?
Referencing an email from eariler this month....would you consider it fair if you were a waiter and your customer stiffed you for the tip you earned in order to give that money to the bum out on the street b/c, in the customer's mind, they felt it was only fair to give money to those they felt were actually more in need...?
Don't get me wrong - "redistributing the wealth" is actually a Biblical pricincple but it shouldn't be mandated by our government - it should be something we do out of our own convictions - i.e. "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret...." - Matt. 6:3-4
The government is the last place I would want making these decisions for me - the same government that thinks a full-term abortion should be the choice of the mother if she so chooses or decides she no longer wants the child....at any event, I know this note will likely offend some people or flat out make them mad, and for that, it is what it is...I felt I needed to express what was on my heart and if we truly want a "change" we need to get back to the core principles this nation was founded on, and that was Christianity, and stop thinking/believing that our government should be the ones making all the decisions for us.....
Well, so much for short and sweet and not getting in to the other issue.... but I felt like this needed to be said. If nothing else, to get it off my chest. I encourage each of you, if you haven't already voted, please do so. I would hope you would truly vote for what convicts you - it is our privilege, not right, to vote, so no matter where you stand - please do so.
I'm Ryan Rickards and I approve this message....
My wife was reading a note posted by someone from our church (or if she doesn't go to our church, she's connected to a lot of people from our church...) and it made me get off my tush and put my thoughts down as well - nice note Jan by the way....
I consider myself a Conservative moreso than a Repulican or a Democrat. After all, I voted for Clinton in '96 when I was able to vote for the first time and then for Bush, Jr in '00 and '04....
To keep this short and simple, there are two main reasons why I chose to cast my vote for the McCain/Palin party instead of the Obama/Biden party. 1 - the strong stance the current Democratic party has on "pro-choice" and 2 - the support of redefining marriage to include same sex couples.
As we heard in church this past weekend, and something that has been on my mind A LOT lately, it is becoming so, so clear that as a society we are becoming waaaaaaay too accepting. We are a country founded on the core Christian values of "In God we trust." Call me Southern Baptist, call me narrow-minded, whatever you want....but the fact of the matter is, BIBLICALLY speaking, abortion is murder (God speaking to Jeremiah: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you..." - Jer1:5) and marriage as defined by the Word of God is between male and female ("For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" - Gen 2:24). For any Christian to say that a baby is not really a life until a certain period of time is clearly not basing that on the Word. Sorry if this is harsh....but as Richard says every week, "take that up with Him (God)...."
It honestly disheartens me when I hear Christians saying things like "well, even though I don't necessarily agree with that (the pro-life or same-sex marriage), I think people should be able to have their right to...(fill in the blank) and we need a change..."
My good friend Chris posted something on his blog the other day that I thought nailed it...."we have the "right" to go rob a bank or do drugs but we'd go to jail for doing so..."
It really is very, very sad to see how "accepting" we as Christians are becoming. Now hear me out...I have homosexual friends....I have friends who are borderline alcoholics....I have my own issues as well...and a sin really is a sin....but at the end of the day, I strive everyday to live according to the Word of God...to "...hate what is evil; (and) cling to what is good" - Rom. 12:9
Anyway, all this to say - the Republican party stands for Pro-life and for keeping marriage as a union between male and female. The Democratic party (currently) is about "choices"....sorry folks, but for those of you who are Christians, I challenge you to Biblically back how supporting such evil would be seen as pleasing in the eyes of God.
I won't even get in to the "Basic principle of fairness..." as Obama claims...I mean quite honestly, I have busted my tail and owe many a pretty penny to the Student Loan Department to better myself so I can be in a decent paying job....I don't really see how having the government dictate "redistributing" money from what they deem as wealthy to give to the lower-paid is fair - after all, most of the people I know who are in a lower income bracket give more than those in higher income brackets...so talk about destoying work ethic....we are already a lazy society....what do you think this would solve?
Referencing an email from eariler this month....would you consider it fair if you were a waiter and your customer stiffed you for the tip you earned in order to give that money to the bum out on the street b/c, in the customer's mind, they felt it was only fair to give money to those they felt were actually more in need...?
Don't get me wrong - "redistributing the wealth" is actually a Biblical pricincple but it shouldn't be mandated by our government - it should be something we do out of our own convictions - i.e. "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret...." - Matt. 6:3-4
The government is the last place I would want making these decisions for me - the same government that thinks a full-term abortion should be the choice of the mother if she so chooses or decides she no longer wants the child....at any event, I know this note will likely offend some people or flat out make them mad, and for that, it is what it is...I felt I needed to express what was on my heart and if we truly want a "change" we need to get back to the core principles this nation was founded on, and that was Christianity, and stop thinking/believing that our government should be the ones making all the decisions for us.....
Well, so much for short and sweet and not getting in to the other issue.... but I felt like this needed to be said. If nothing else, to get it off my chest. I encourage each of you, if you haven't already voted, please do so. I would hope you would truly vote for what convicts you - it is our privilege, not right, to vote, so no matter where you stand - please do so.
I'm Ryan Rickards and I approve this message....
Happy Halloween 2008
Nothing really eventful to post about for halloween here, but that's fine by me. Little man hasn't been feeling well all week, so we tried to keep it low key. We let him have a lollipop and help us hand out candy. We had about 4 groups of trick-or-treaters stop by, we had pizza for dinner, and I just got in from taking another picture of our poor pumpkin. As you can see, when we carved it Sunday evening, it looked great:
However, as you can also see, outdoor living is rough on the skin:
Sunday, October 19, 2008
What Life Would Be Like
I have been driving myself (and Ryan) crazy over the past two weeks trying to find the lyrics to a song I heard on the radio on the way home from work one day. I pretty much listen to two radio stations every day, yet I've only heard the song that one time and could not for the life of me remember the lyrics enough to do a search. This past Friday on my way to Spartanburg, I heard the song coming on the radio again and was THRILLED because I was going to use my handy-dandy "Shazam" application on my phone that will identify songs for you. Just as I the song came on, I got a phone call from work I had to take and by the time the call was over, the song was off the radio. Needless to say, I was ever so frustrated. Anyhow, I was better able to remember the few words I heard this time, and FINALLY was able to figure out what the song was. Since I've been on such a quest, I wanted to share my success with you all.
Like I said, I first heard this song on the way home from work one afternoon and it really spoke to me. Below are the lyrics from Big Daddy Weave's new album, What Life Would Be Like:
I wish I was more of a man
Have you ever felt that way
And if I had to tell you the truth
I'm afraid I'd have to say
That after all I've done and failed to do
I feel like less than I was meant to be
What if I could fix myself
Maybe then I could get free
I could try to be somebody else
Who's much better off than me
But I need to remember this
That it's when I'm at my weakestI can clearly see
He made the lame walk and the dumb talk
He opened blinded eyes to see
That the sun rises on His time
Yet He knows our deepest desperate need
And the world waits while His heart aches
To realize the dream
I wonder what life would be like if we let Jesus live thru you and me
What if you could see yourself thru another pair of eyes
What if you could hear the truth
Instead of old familiar lies
What if you could feel inside
The power of the hand that made the universe You'd realize
All our hearts they burn within us
All our lives we've longed for more
So let us lay our lives before the one who gave His life for us
Like I said, I first heard this song on the way home from work one afternoon and it really spoke to me. Below are the lyrics from Big Daddy Weave's new album, What Life Would Be Like:
I wish I was more of a man
Have you ever felt that way
And if I had to tell you the truth
I'm afraid I'd have to say
That after all I've done and failed to do
I feel like less than I was meant to be
What if I could fix myself
Maybe then I could get free
I could try to be somebody else
Who's much better off than me
But I need to remember this
That it's when I'm at my weakestI can clearly see
He made the lame walk and the dumb talk
He opened blinded eyes to see
That the sun rises on His time
Yet He knows our deepest desperate need
And the world waits while His heart aches
To realize the dream
I wonder what life would be like if we let Jesus live thru you and me
What if you could see yourself thru another pair of eyes
What if you could hear the truth
Instead of old familiar lies
What if you could feel inside
The power of the hand that made the universe You'd realize
All our hearts they burn within us
All our lives we've longed for more
So let us lay our lives before the one who gave His life for us
Sunday, October 5, 2008
VERY Random
I'm really tired right now and should be sleeping; however, I couldn't resist sharing with you what's going through my mind right now. (Please don't think this is about to get deep - 'cause it'll be far from it.) I was just looking online for a vertical mount paper towel holder because I cannot stand the vertical ones that go on the counter (what we have now) and I don't have room by the kitchen sink to mount one under the cabinet. I want it to be pretty, yet simple since it will be very visible, so I'm being pretty picky. After searching for a while I found one that I really liked. It was classic, simple and fairly inconspicuous. Perfect I thought...let me get out the credit card so I can get this ordered and have it by the end of the week. Then I thought, I should probably see how much this is going to cost me...
$218.00 - the price tag on this thing is $218.00!!! Yes, that's right - $218.00 for a PAPER TOWEL HOLDER. Are you kidding me? There are some things in life that are worth a little extra money because you know they are made well, hand-crafted, etc., etc., but a paper towel holder that cost $218? That's just plain ludicrous. So now, after spending an hour on the computer searching and finding "the one," I am filled with disappointment. BTW, if anyone reading has a extra $218 dollars to "spare", I'm taking donations. (You know I'm kidding...even if I had it, I cannot fathom spending that kind of money on something to hold paper towels.) (LLR)
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Bumps & Bruises
Preston and I spent the afternoon at urgent care because he got a "boo-boo" at daycare today. Nothing too major, but we had to get it checked out just in case. He was walking outside to go play and tripped over his feet at the threshold and hit his head right where the door frame comes to a point. He has a bad cut and a nasty bruise, but we didn't have to get stitches. They did have to put Preston in some device that looks like a straight jacket to keep him still long enough to be able to thoroughly clean the cut and make sure it wasn't going to require stitches. (I am so thankful we didn't have to go the stitches route because it was hard enough to watch them squirt water on the cut while he was restrained.) Our nurse was very kind and worked well with me and my "active" child.
The picture below was taken after we got home and Preson and his daddy were being silly. Preston looks pretty pitiful here, but he seems to be doing just fine and is sleeping soundly now. (LLR)
We met two very nice young girls in the waiting room who were there with their baby sister and were kind enough to allow Preston to "drive" the car toy that he so anxiously wanted to play with. Preston also received a popsicle upon our discharge which made him very happy (so much so that when Daddy arrived, he didn't greet him until after the popsicle was finished).
The picture below was taken after we got home and Preson and his daddy were being silly. Preston looks pretty pitiful here, but he seems to be doing just fine and is sleeping soundly now. (LLR)Monday, September 8, 2008
Random Thoughts and Things
I don't have anything in particular to blog about tonight, just a bunch of random thoughts and things that I thought I'd share.
1. We watched about 15 minutes of "America United: In Support of Our Troops" last night before we went to bed. We saw the end of some comedian act and then the next thing that came on after the commercial break was a song by Snoop Dogg. I have no idea what he was singing but I did notice the HUGE gold chain he was wearing. All I could think of was that it looked like he'd pulled out gold tinsel from the Christmas decorations and wrapped it around his neck before going on stage. Of course, I took a picture of the tv so I could share this with you all...
2. We had another crazy toy experience last week. I was sleeping GOOD and about 11:45 p.m. Ryan wakes me up saying "I hear music." I was so out of it and I just thought he was dreaming and wondering why he felt the need to wake me up and tell me this. However, I realized that he was concerned about this music he was hearing so I was trying my best to come out of my deep sleep and listen to what he was saying. After a few minutes, I too hear the music.
This time, unlike our last toy experience, I knew which toy was making the sound. You either have to spin a wheel on the toy or drop something into the toy to make a lever move to make it play music, so there's no reason the music should have been playing. Ryan is getting ready to go downstairs to turn the toy off, but unlike last time, thinks that me getting the phone would be a good idea ;) I immediately went back to sleep after this with no problems, I think because I never truly woke up out of my sleep. Ryan slept horribly, with crazy thoughts filling his head about what might have caused the music to play. Here is a picture of the culprit:
3. We got to go to our first Clemson home game of the season this past Saturday. Although the game itself was fun I most enjoyed catching up with some friends and running into people that you only see when you're in Clemson. We went to TD's for lunch and ran into a friend of a friend that we hadn't seen since we lived in Spartanburg, but sat down to eat lunch with him and the people he was with and had a great time. (Kenny, if you ever randomly stumble upon our blog and happen to read this, thanks again for letting us sit with you, and again, I'm sorry we got our food first.)
The one thing that I was most excited about was the fact that Saturday was Military Appreciation Day. I'm such a patriotic person and I just get a thrill out of all the uniforms, music, the 21 gun salute, and flyover (which we didn't get - and yes, I promise this is the last time I'll mention it). I cried all through half-time and enjoyed every minute. To all of the men and women who have served our country in the past, present, and who will serve in the future - "Thank you for all that you do to protect our country and our freedoms. It is such a great sacrifice and you do it so willingly. Thank You."
4. My high school reunion is coming up next month. Some days, like today, when you have a long day at work it definitely seems like it's been ten years, but most of the time it feels like it was yesterday when I was roaming the halls at good 'ol Boiling Springs High.
5. I love my moon flowers. These are flowers that bloom at night instead of during the day, hence "moon" flowers. They have huge, beautiful, white blooms, that kind of look like they have starfish in the middle. I was talking to my friend Katie about these while we were staying out of the sun at the Clemson game, so I thought I'd share a pic with everyone. Just beware if you decide to plant these: they start from seeds and literally take over anything in their way as you can see in the first picture. It's also a very strong vine -two weeks ago when we had a lot of wind and rain, the vine on the trellis by the front corner of our house was about to fall over; however, the vine had wrapped itself around the gutter and was holding up the rest of the plant and trellis until we could get it situated back in the ground. (LLR)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Viva Mexico!!!
Well, we made it back from Mexico (and survived being away from Little Man for a week)....
We just wanted to go ahead and put up some pictures for you. I'll try and give a brief narrative around each set, so we'll see how that goes....
Real quickly, we stayed at Paradise Village Resort and Spa (http://www.paradisevillage.com/) in Nuevo Vallarta (right outside of Puerto Vallarta) with some friends of ours. We had an ocean-front view and it was very, very nice. (If you click on the pictures, it will bring up the pictures in a new window.)
Wednesday morning, Nate and I went golfing. Well, I went golfing - Nate drove the cart and swung a few times one-handed. (He broke his shoulder a few weeks before we left so he wasn't able to get out and take me on...!)
We just wanted to go ahead and put up some pictures for you. I'll try and give a brief narrative around each set, so we'll see how that goes....
Real quickly, we stayed at Paradise Village Resort and Spa (http://www.paradisevillage.com/) in Nuevo Vallarta (right outside of Puerto Vallarta) with some friends of ours. We had an ocean-front view and it was very, very nice. (If you click on the pictures, it will bring up the pictures in a new window.)
On Tuesday, we went on a "day cruise" where we were scheduled to go snorkling then go to a beach and ride horseback up to a waterfall. The cruise started out nicely...we headed out to "Los Arcas" where we dove in and did some snorkling, but when we got back on the boat, our boat wouldn't start up...we had to get off a fairly nice sized boat and cram on to a much smaller boat. It looked like what I would imagine refugees would be rescued with (see below). From there, we were taken to a nearby beach where we had to wait for a few hours for another boat. That boat then took us to Boca de Tomatlan (sorry if I spelled some of this wrong...just trying to go off my memory...) where we had to wait another hour or so on a bus to take us back to the resort. The bus took about an hour and a half to get us back....we didn't get to ride the horses, nor did we get to see the waterfall, but we got to ride on 3 different boats!!!
Wednesday morning, Nate and I went golfing. Well, I went golfing - Nate drove the cart and swung a few times one-handed. (He broke his shoulder a few weeks before we left so he wasn't able to get out and take me on...!)
In order to get the rest of the pictures loaded so I can go to bed, I'm just going to put them up now....we went downtown Puerto Vallarta Thursday night to a place called "PiPi's" for some authentic Mexican. It was actually mostly like the Tex-Mex we have here, but it was really good.
All in all, we had a really great time and can't wait to go back! I hope you enjoy the pictures!!! We should have some videos loaded shortly as well, including me doing the Limbo. :-)
(RPR)
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Bulldog and a Tiger
Today was a monumental day in our lives -
Ryan received his MBA!!!
I am so proud of him and all his hard work over the last 2 years. I am also happy that this season in our lives has passed us and we can go back to a "normal life", whatever that is ;) We got up really early this morning and travelled to Athens for the ceremony, sat in the coliseum for a few hours, had lunch in downtown Athens, and are now home. Yes, there was much more to it, but I'll spare you the details. Ok, I do have to include one little detail...Preston learned to say "alright da-da" this week, so that was his way of saying "congrats" to his daddy for all his hard work. Below is a pic of little man in Ryan's cap. 
Ryan took a much deserved nap this afternoon while I downloaded our pics and videos from today. Now we are packing and getting ready for our vacation that is much overdue! Thank you to all of our family that was there with us today and for all our friends and family that have been there to support Ryan/us over the past two years.
Below is a pic of Ryan in downtown Athens. For those of you wondering, NO, we are not going to become Georgia fans. Although it is a fine educational institution, our blood still runs orange!!!!! (LLR)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Empty Me
Well, as I'm sitting here desperately wanting to go to bed but too wound up to go to sleep because of working on papers, finals, etc...I figured, "why not blog...?" After all, isn't that what most sleep-deprived people are doing these days????
As most of you (or those of you who actually read our blog) know, I've been "in school" for the past two years - attending The Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia - pursuing my MBA in Management. I remember when I got the call (or voicemail) stating I had been accepted....Lori and I were on our way back to Spartanburg from Orangeburg. I was so excited! Mostly because I really didn't think I was going to get in. My GMAT scores had expired and I REALLY did not want to take that exam over...so I had to rely very heavily on my recommendations and work experience. Apparently those were good enough b/c I got in. :-)
Just like every other academic setting, you have your book worms - aka "nerds" (said in the most loving tone by the way) - who will settle for nothing less than an "A" in every class -- most of these people are actually in the full-time program and are able to devote ungodly hours to studying....the slackers, and the in-between-ers...which I would fall in that last group. Working 50+ hours a week, trying to spend time with my family (seeing as how Preston was born right at the end of the first semester, plus wanting to keep my wife so I needed to help out when I could), and also wanting, or should I say NEEDING sleep, I did what I could to "get by"....don't get me wrong, I put in my hours of studying - mostly at the last minute to get my papers finished...like the time I cranked out a 21 page paper the day before it was due....and still pulled out an A...woo hoo - go me!!!
Well, I could go on and on about all the fun I had over the past two years, and perhaps I will do that at some point in time, but for now, let me reign myself back in to what I was originally working on....
Over the past two years, I've found myself really being tested in the faith. I've had to type and delete this next statement a few different times because what I want to say isn't coming out right....so I guess I'll just type it and hope that when people read this they will understand where I'm coming from. I don't know if it is a matter of the more education people receive, the less reliance on God and/or faith they have. I'm not saying this as a universal statement, but more of what I've experienced. It seems as though the "smarter" people become, the more they tend to try and rationalize or look for a specific answer pertaining religious matters. In many of the classes I was in, Christianity was openly mocked (whether by the Professors or by students), and in some cases, it was painful to hear.
Lori and I have been going to the Family Church (http://mysugarhillchurch.com/) for the past 3 years now, and I can honestly say that during that time, I have been challenged - as the Spiritual leader of my home, I know I do not put forth the effort that is needed to truly be the man of God that I should be. Don't get me wrong - I want to. And the fact that I am putting this out for the whole world to see...ok, well, the 3 of you who read this anyway....I guess that's a good first step. I mean, it's so easy for me to just come home, sit back in the recliner, turn on the "we're-back-to-the-80's-team-Braves" game or any other senseless thing on the television instead of opening up the Word and engaging our family in something of worth. Shoot, I'm sitting here typing up this dissertation instead of reading....but I digress...
So, back to our church....I love our church. It's an AWESOME church. One of the biggest "takeaways" has been coming to a full understanding that Christianity isn't about a religion; it's about a relationship.
We've been reading and discussing Colossions, and this past Sunday we were talking about "putting to death" our earthly desires (Col. 3:5). In this book, Paul is talking to believers (NOT non-believers) - telling them (us) that because they (we) have given their (our) lives over to Christ, they (we) are to "put to death" things that pull them (us) away from God - sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed (which is idolatry), anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and lying (Col. 3:5-9). (All this ties together at the end, I promise....)
Take a step back...re-read what I just said...I bet what I was trying to convey didn't actually get conveyed....
Paul is talking to Believers...not non-Believers. He is addressing God's chosen people - those who have ALREADY given their lives over to Christ and professed a faith and love and acceptance of Jesus being the true son of God, born of a virgin, completely free of sin...the One who came to take the pain of our sins away....to DIE for us...man, I mean, is it just me or is that not the most awesome gift in the world?????
What I'm saying is, God loves us for who we are. If we were to wait until we rid ourselves of everything unholy before accepting God's precious gift of salvation, well, to be blunt, we'd never get it....there's not enough time for that.
Anyway, after hearing that sermon, I really felt God speaking to me, and I have such a strong urge to get closer to Him every day. I just pray that I can satisfy that urge by acting upon it. I have the MOST AWESOME, loving, compassionate wife and most adorable son in the world. And I feel we are all very spiritually grounded....but I want to go deeper...and I really feel that this helped. Maybe I'll get back to blogging more frequently.... :-)
So, nearly 2 hours later (and after completing a final and a paper in between starting this post), I just wanted to share the words to what is my "current" favorite song. It's by a former American Idol contestant, Chris Sligh (the dude with the crazy hair from last season), and the song is called "Empty Me" (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=279152559&id=279152526&s=143441).
I really feel that this song says everything I wanted to say....and it is my daily prayer that I can truly ask God to "empty me" so I may "put to death" those things which keep me from getting closer to Him.
(RPR)
Lyrics:
I've had just enough of the spotlight when it burns bright
To see how it gets in the blood.
And I've tasted my share of the sweet life and the wild ride
And found a little is not quite enough.
I know how I can stray
And how fast my heart could change.
Chorus:
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.
I've seen just enough of the quick buys of the best lies
To know how prodigals can be drawn away.
I know how I can stray
And how fast my heart could change.
(Repeat Chorus)
Cause everything is a lesser thing
Compared to you, compared to you.
Cause everything is a lesser thing
compared to you. So, I surrender all!
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.
Oh, filled with you. Empty me.
As most of you (or those of you who actually read our blog) know, I've been "in school" for the past two years - attending The Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia - pursuing my MBA in Management. I remember when I got the call (or voicemail) stating I had been accepted....Lori and I were on our way back to Spartanburg from Orangeburg. I was so excited! Mostly because I really didn't think I was going to get in. My GMAT scores had expired and I REALLY did not want to take that exam over...so I had to rely very heavily on my recommendations and work experience. Apparently those were good enough b/c I got in. :-)
Just like every other academic setting, you have your book worms - aka "nerds" (said in the most loving tone by the way) - who will settle for nothing less than an "A" in every class -- most of these people are actually in the full-time program and are able to devote ungodly hours to studying....the slackers, and the in-between-ers...which I would fall in that last group. Working 50+ hours a week, trying to spend time with my family (seeing as how Preston was born right at the end of the first semester, plus wanting to keep my wife so I needed to help out when I could), and also wanting, or should I say NEEDING sleep, I did what I could to "get by"....don't get me wrong, I put in my hours of studying - mostly at the last minute to get my papers finished...like the time I cranked out a 21 page paper the day before it was due....and still pulled out an A...woo hoo - go me!!!
Well, I could go on and on about all the fun I had over the past two years, and perhaps I will do that at some point in time, but for now, let me reign myself back in to what I was originally working on....
Over the past two years, I've found myself really being tested in the faith. I've had to type and delete this next statement a few different times because what I want to say isn't coming out right....so I guess I'll just type it and hope that when people read this they will understand where I'm coming from. I don't know if it is a matter of the more education people receive, the less reliance on God and/or faith they have. I'm not saying this as a universal statement, but more of what I've experienced. It seems as though the "smarter" people become, the more they tend to try and rationalize or look for a specific answer pertaining religious matters. In many of the classes I was in, Christianity was openly mocked (whether by the Professors or by students), and in some cases, it was painful to hear.
Lori and I have been going to the Family Church (http://mysugarhillchurch.com/) for the past 3 years now, and I can honestly say that during that time, I have been challenged - as the Spiritual leader of my home, I know I do not put forth the effort that is needed to truly be the man of God that I should be. Don't get me wrong - I want to. And the fact that I am putting this out for the whole world to see...ok, well, the 3 of you who read this anyway....I guess that's a good first step. I mean, it's so easy for me to just come home, sit back in the recliner, turn on the "we're-back-to-the-80's-team-Braves" game or any other senseless thing on the television instead of opening up the Word and engaging our family in something of worth. Shoot, I'm sitting here typing up this dissertation instead of reading....but I digress...
So, back to our church....I love our church. It's an AWESOME church. One of the biggest "takeaways" has been coming to a full understanding that Christianity isn't about a religion; it's about a relationship.
We've been reading and discussing Colossions, and this past Sunday we were talking about "putting to death" our earthly desires (Col. 3:5). In this book, Paul is talking to believers (NOT non-believers) - telling them (us) that because they (we) have given their (our) lives over to Christ, they (we) are to "put to death" things that pull them (us) away from God - sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed (which is idolatry), anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and lying (Col. 3:5-9). (All this ties together at the end, I promise....)
Take a step back...re-read what I just said...I bet what I was trying to convey didn't actually get conveyed....
Paul is talking to Believers...not non-Believers. He is addressing God's chosen people - those who have ALREADY given their lives over to Christ and professed a faith and love and acceptance of Jesus being the true son of God, born of a virgin, completely free of sin...the One who came to take the pain of our sins away....to DIE for us...man, I mean, is it just me or is that not the most awesome gift in the world?????
What I'm saying is, God loves us for who we are. If we were to wait until we rid ourselves of everything unholy before accepting God's precious gift of salvation, well, to be blunt, we'd never get it....there's not enough time for that.
Anyway, after hearing that sermon, I really felt God speaking to me, and I have such a strong urge to get closer to Him every day. I just pray that I can satisfy that urge by acting upon it. I have the MOST AWESOME, loving, compassionate wife and most adorable son in the world. And I feel we are all very spiritually grounded....but I want to go deeper...and I really feel that this helped. Maybe I'll get back to blogging more frequently.... :-)
So, nearly 2 hours later (and after completing a final and a paper in between starting this post), I just wanted to share the words to what is my "current" favorite song. It's by a former American Idol contestant, Chris Sligh (the dude with the crazy hair from last season), and the song is called "Empty Me" (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=279152559&id=279152526&s=143441).
I really feel that this song says everything I wanted to say....and it is my daily prayer that I can truly ask God to "empty me" so I may "put to death" those things which keep me from getting closer to Him.
(RPR)
Lyrics:
I've had just enough of the spotlight when it burns bright
To see how it gets in the blood.
And I've tasted my share of the sweet life and the wild ride
And found a little is not quite enough.
I know how I can stray
And how fast my heart could change.
Chorus:
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.
I've seen just enough of the quick buys of the best lies
To know how prodigals can be drawn away.
I know how I can stray
And how fast my heart could change.
(Repeat Chorus)
Cause everything is a lesser thing
Compared to you, compared to you.
Cause everything is a lesser thing
compared to you. So, I surrender all!
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.
Oh, filled with you. Empty me.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Who Said That.....??????
Last night Ryan and I had an experience that made us think we were in the middle of a bad, scary movie. We were lying in bed talking about how our days went and while I was talking, Ryan told me to be quiet. While this is not unusual, he said it like something was wrong. As I was about to ask "why?", out of no where we hear a high-pitched voice say "hello there". We looked at each other as to say, "um, are we hearing things?"
We muted the tv to make sure we weren't hearing things (because the night before I left the computer speakers on in our bedroom and around midnight, after the automatic anti-virus update ran, a male voice said "virus database is up to date").
Frozen in fear basically, again, we hear this high-pitched "hello there". My first instinct was that it was one of Preston's toys "talking" to us...but the problem with that logic was that I know ALL of the sounds his toys make and I've never heard "hello there".
So, we both get out of bed to investigate and go to Preston's room. Nothing was coming from his room, so we went back into the hall and we didn't hear anything for a few minutes, so we're about to go back to bed...but while we're in the hall we hear the voice say something else...not real sure what it was, but nothing familiar, and it now sounds like it could be coming from downstairs.
At this point, we are both freaked out..goosebumps and all. My mind instantly flashes back to the Chucky movies and I feel like a crazed doll is about to attack me or I think that there's some crazy person with a voice recording hiding in our closets and about to jump out and get us. I run back down the hall to our bedroom to get the phone. Ryan asks me what I think I'm going to do with it...I explain that I'm going to call 911 when someone jumps out! (All the while thinking, "what's your bright idea, mister?")
We continue to look around up stairs, turning all the lights on, opening closet doors, etc. and can't find anything. We both stand at the top of the stairs looking at each other and looking down over the foyer rail, scared out of our minds to attempt to go down stairs. Again we hear, "hello there" and we aren't real sure what we're going to do.
I finally realize that one of Preston's toys is out in the hallway. It's a toolbox toy that says all sorts of things and sings all sorts of songs. I have NEVER heard this toy say this phrase, nor could we get it to say it again last night, but we noticed that the toy was on and quickly turned it off. (If we could have crushed it with a hammer or something, we probably would have....)
We didn't hear anymore talking after this, so we were relieved. After all of this craziness, I told Ryan that stuff like this is precisely why I do not watch scary movies anymore...it's nonsense, but your mind makes you think of the worst/craziest possible scenario - even though YOU KNOW it's completely illogical.
This whole incident is extremely hilarious to me right now while I'm typing this, but in the moment, I have to admit that I truly was afraid (I really thought there was some nutcase in our house).
I now know exactly how to make this toy say "hello there". (LLR) :-)
We muted the tv to make sure we weren't hearing things (because the night before I left the computer speakers on in our bedroom and around midnight, after the automatic anti-virus update ran, a male voice said "virus database is up to date").
Frozen in fear basically, again, we hear this high-pitched "hello there". My first instinct was that it was one of Preston's toys "talking" to us...but the problem with that logic was that I know ALL of the sounds his toys make and I've never heard "hello there".
So, we both get out of bed to investigate and go to Preston's room. Nothing was coming from his room, so we went back into the hall and we didn't hear anything for a few minutes, so we're about to go back to bed...but while we're in the hall we hear the voice say something else...not real sure what it was, but nothing familiar, and it now sounds like it could be coming from downstairs.
At this point, we are both freaked out..goosebumps and all. My mind instantly flashes back to the Chucky movies and I feel like a crazed doll is about to attack me or I think that there's some crazy person with a voice recording hiding in our closets and about to jump out and get us. I run back down the hall to our bedroom to get the phone. Ryan asks me what I think I'm going to do with it...I explain that I'm going to call 911 when someone jumps out! (All the while thinking, "what's your bright idea, mister?")
We continue to look around up stairs, turning all the lights on, opening closet doors, etc. and can't find anything. We both stand at the top of the stairs looking at each other and looking down over the foyer rail, scared out of our minds to attempt to go down stairs. Again we hear, "hello there" and we aren't real sure what we're going to do.
I finally realize that one of Preston's toys is out in the hallway. It's a toolbox toy that says all sorts of things and sings all sorts of songs. I have NEVER heard this toy say this phrase, nor could we get it to say it again last night, but we noticed that the toy was on and quickly turned it off. (If we could have crushed it with a hammer or something, we probably would have....)
We didn't hear anymore talking after this, so we were relieved. After all of this craziness, I told Ryan that stuff like this is precisely why I do not watch scary movies anymore...it's nonsense, but your mind makes you think of the worst/craziest possible scenario - even though YOU KNOW it's completely illogical.
This whole incident is extremely hilarious to me right now while I'm typing this, but in the moment, I have to admit that I truly was afraid (I really thought there was some nutcase in our house).
I now know exactly how to make this toy say "hello there". (LLR) :-)
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Greetings from Iraq
While my family (less my dad) were here visiting last weekend, we had a really nice treat. My brother-in-law, Brandon, who is serving his second tour in Iraq was online talking with my sister. What made this one so much different was he had access to a web-cam.
Obviously, Kayla thoroughly enjoyed getting to see her "babe", but we all were equally excited....especially Preston. We were able to get a few small video clips that we'd like to share.
Hope you enjoy. (RPR)
Obviously, Kayla thoroughly enjoyed getting to see her "babe", but we all were equally excited....especially Preston. We were able to get a few small video clips that we'd like to share.
Hope you enjoy. (RPR)
PS - A special "Thank you" and "We love you" to Brandon!!! We are all very proud of you and admire and appreciate more than words could ever express the sacrifices you and all the other troops are doing for each and every one of us! God speed and God bless!
Play Time
Ci-Ci and Preston had a fun time playing!!! While we hope he doesn't carry this over to daycare and start trying to push people over, we couldn't help but laugh at how much fun he was having!! (RPR)
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Preston's New "Trick"
Preston is growing like a weed and has now discovered that he can open doors in our house, so once again, we have to adapt to his new behavior ;) Below is a video of little man showing off his new skill. (LLR)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Wii Wii
Are you looking for a good way to get in some exercise but can't leave the house for whatever reason? (my reason is that Preston is asleep and Ryan's in school) You need to purchase a Nintendo Wii and also get the Wii Fit game - we are having so much fun with this. With the standard Wii game, you can play tennis & baseball, go bowling, and box (my favorite). With Wii Fit, you can do strength training, yoga, play balance games, and do aerobic exercise, including step classes and Hula Hoop (I'm an expert...I was the hula hoop first place winner every year at field day all through elementary school). Wii is a great way to be able to play video games but get your hiney up off the couch and get moving. So far I've learned that I have really good balance, but that I'm weak, so I've got some work to do in the strength training area. Maybe we'll get some videos of us playing and post them on here so we can humiliate ourselves. (LLR)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Lessons Learned
This afternoon I came home expecting today to be much the same as every other day...go get little man, go home, see Ryan for about 20 minutes, eat dinner, play for a little while, give Preston a bath, put Preston to bed, then do whatever I need to do while Ryan's at school.
Everything was normal up until bathtime for Preston. I'll go ahead and warn you...this next part might gross you out if you've never had kids or been around kids. Preston and I come in from outside to get ready for a bath. He's had a BM, so I start running the bath water and then change him. Since he's about to get in the tub, there's no need to put a diaper on him, right? WRONG!!! I closed the gate to his room so I could go around the corner and stop the bath water before the tub got too full. Preston starts squealing like something is hurting him, so I run back around the corner. There I see him standing by his dresser, crying, wiping orange poop all over it (he had oranges for lunch), and trying to get it off his hands. In the floor of his room are 4 piles of poop (mind you, I just changed him because he had on a rather full poopy diaper). He's scared because he doesn't know what this is, why it came out of his body, and why he can't get it off his hands. I too am "scared" because I know I've got to pick him up, meaning this is going to get all over me, and deal with this. I don't know whether to laugh or cry and I know I can't fuss at him because bless his heart, he has no idea what's just happened. I thought about what one of my neighbors always says: "you've got to put on your big girl panties and deal with it."
So, I get Preston in the tub and get him cleaned up and I'm trying to clean up the mess he's made. He decides that pouring water out of the bathtub onto the bathroom floor is a new & fun bathtime activity and proceeds to pour full buckets of water all over the floor. I am just a little frazzled at this point and raise my voice and say "Preston, STOP." This scares him, he looses his footing in the tub, and falls. He seems okay, but a few seconds later, blood starts pouring out of his mouth because he's bitten the inside of his lip. All of this in about a 20 minute time frame!!! Preston and I both somehow survived the night. He's now resting peacefully in his bed and I'm washing towels and clothes.
My college roommates, if they are reading, are probably laughing hysterically, because they can vouch for the fact that I can be very particular about things and this situation had absolutely no structure. (Just an example-I once stressed out over the fact that one of my roommates used the "wrong" bathroom brush to scrub the floors of our bathroom. Can you belive that I was frustrated with her because she'd used the wrong brush??? SHE HAD JUST SCRUBBED THE FLOORS so that none of the rest of us would have to!)
I guess I'm sharing all this to say that apparently God has a really good sense of humor and He's trying to teach me that I am not in control, no matter how hard I try to be, and I've got to lighten up a little on myself and others. This is something I struggle with and having Preston around has definitely helped me in this area. I also learned tonight to NEVER, EVER, not even for a second, leave a toddler who's had oranges for lunch without a diaper!
Oh what a night! (LLR)
Everything was normal up until bathtime for Preston. I'll go ahead and warn you...this next part might gross you out if you've never had kids or been around kids. Preston and I come in from outside to get ready for a bath. He's had a BM, so I start running the bath water and then change him. Since he's about to get in the tub, there's no need to put a diaper on him, right? WRONG!!! I closed the gate to his room so I could go around the corner and stop the bath water before the tub got too full. Preston starts squealing like something is hurting him, so I run back around the corner. There I see him standing by his dresser, crying, wiping orange poop all over it (he had oranges for lunch), and trying to get it off his hands. In the floor of his room are 4 piles of poop (mind you, I just changed him because he had on a rather full poopy diaper). He's scared because he doesn't know what this is, why it came out of his body, and why he can't get it off his hands. I too am "scared" because I know I've got to pick him up, meaning this is going to get all over me, and deal with this. I don't know whether to laugh or cry and I know I can't fuss at him because bless his heart, he has no idea what's just happened. I thought about what one of my neighbors always says: "you've got to put on your big girl panties and deal with it."
So, I get Preston in the tub and get him cleaned up and I'm trying to clean up the mess he's made. He decides that pouring water out of the bathtub onto the bathroom floor is a new & fun bathtime activity and proceeds to pour full buckets of water all over the floor. I am just a little frazzled at this point and raise my voice and say "Preston, STOP." This scares him, he looses his footing in the tub, and falls. He seems okay, but a few seconds later, blood starts pouring out of his mouth because he's bitten the inside of his lip. All of this in about a 20 minute time frame!!! Preston and I both somehow survived the night. He's now resting peacefully in his bed and I'm washing towels and clothes.
My college roommates, if they are reading, are probably laughing hysterically, because they can vouch for the fact that I can be very particular about things and this situation had absolutely no structure. (Just an example-I once stressed out over the fact that one of my roommates used the "wrong" bathroom brush to scrub the floors of our bathroom. Can you belive that I was frustrated with her because she'd used the wrong brush??? SHE HAD JUST SCRUBBED THE FLOORS so that none of the rest of us would have to!)
I guess I'm sharing all this to say that apparently God has a really good sense of humor and He's trying to teach me that I am not in control, no matter how hard I try to be, and I've got to lighten up a little on myself and others. This is something I struggle with and having Preston around has definitely helped me in this area. I also learned tonight to NEVER, EVER, not even for a second, leave a toddler who's had oranges for lunch without a diaper!
Oh what a night! (LLR)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Playing Catch Up
So we've been a little slack at blogging lately. Probably because this past weekend was the first weekend we haven't been on the road in the last three weeks. Even though we're behind, we have tons of pics of little man to share. We won't post them all, but there are a few you have to see. The first one is at Sonny's Brick Oven Pizza in Spartanburg where we went on Mother's Day - Preston was trying to climb up to the bar. The second one is self-explanatory...just plain cute. The next two are of Preston at the golf course in Orangeburg - he had a ball with his John Deere tractor and riding around the course looking for his "Pop Pop". We also have more video of Preston's mad dancing skills as well as his first swimming experience. We'll post those later this week. Ryan started his last semster of grad school tonight, so he'll be VERY busy for the next 10 weeks, and I should have plenty of spare time. Enjoy. (LR)
Here's a video I had to share! I cannot tell you how many times I've watched this and nearly cried b/c of how hard I laughed. Lori says I'm a "bad dad" for doing this, but little man brought it about himself! He's such a ham....definitely gets that from his mom. :-) (RPR)
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