A Christmas Heartwarmer....No Room in the Inn

Merry Christmas from the Fox Family!

Here is a video of Allyson singing in her pre-school Christmas program. She is growing up way too fast.

Incapacitated Mommy

For those of you that don't know, I enjoy watching "Jon & Kate Plus Eight" on TLC. It chronicles the lives of a family with twins (8 years old) and sextuplets (4 years old). They're real. They say what they have to say, even when the cameras are on. I can appreciate that kind of "reality show." Anyway, something that Kate has mentioned at least a few times is that her biggest fear is somehow becoming incapacitated, so that she is unable to do the hundreds of things that her 8 children require each day. Although I hadn't thought of it too many times since, I did get a pretty real picture of that this weekend.

You see, I'm not a lay-in-bed-when-I'm-sick kind of person. I have sung on the worship team with bronchitus, I led a children's event with sinusitus and pinkeye...you name it. My life just goes on with the illness. Having said that, I don't often get the flu. I usually just get stuck with cold viruses of varying severity. Sunday, at 5:30 AM, I awoke with the strange urge to...well...expunge things. I cannot remember being so sick that it is an effort to walk across the room. And it was a SUNDAY! Remember? That's the most important work day for pastors. Good grief. I stayed home, of course, and the kiddos at church survived without me.

I had very little energy the entire day. My body just closed up shop. At one point, Ally says, "I've never seen you sick before." In the afternoon I told Ally I'd play a game with her (just a touch reluctantly). Let me tell you, when she said she was ready to be done, I nearly sang the "Hallelujah" chorus; I couldn't get to the couch fast enough.

My poor, sweet, fabulous husband was all things on Sunday. Music Pastor, Daddy, Mommy, chef, game player, obnoxious-kids'-shows watcher, bottle-preparer, diaper changer, errand-runner, dish-washer....seriously folks, he is SO COOL.

We celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary on Friday and I was amazingly reminded of why I chose him.

For Your Enjoyment.....An Allyson Original

Perhaps we have the next great pop song writer on our hands!

Allyson Singing in Church

Yesterday, the children of our church presented their annual Christmas musical under the direction of the beautiful and talented Kristen Fox.

Allyson's class was not in the actual musical, but they started things off by singing a few songs. Here is the video from the event.

Natalie's New Skill

It seems that Natalie is constantly learning something new. She has been anxious to walk for a long time now. In the last week or two, she has finally been getting all of her coordination together enough to accomplish her goal. Every day she is walking a little further.

Enjoy this clip that shows off her new walking skills. Sorry about the poor lighting and all the noise in the background. Grandma Webb is here and we were watching "Frosty the Snowman" when Kristen captured this moment!

Sad, But Accurate

Ronnie is a satirical glimpse inside the mind of an average church member/attendee in America.

The Best Christmas Card Ever!!!!

 

A few weeks ago, we found these cards laying around the church building! My only response to them was, where can I go to buy these?!!!!

As most of you know by now, I (David) am a fan of tacky Christmas items! This card definitely fits into the tacky category!

So, what do you think? Would you like to receive a poodle Christmas card from the Fox's this year?!!!!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Can you spot the character that doesn't belong in the manger scene?!

I am pretty sure that Patrick Star wasn't there at the manger when Jesus was born!

Lately, SpongeBob and Patrick are pretty popular around our house. Nickelodeon plays that show incessantly, and Allyson has developed an affinity for it! (Like father, like daughter...)

This picture is a great example of something that I have been thinking a lot about lately. If you are like me, much of your fondness for Christmas is in relation to the warm and fuzzy memories you have of the Christmas traditions of your family. For me, it was was watching shows like "Rudolph" and "A Christmas Story" and decorating our house for Christmas. Then there are the great Christmas songs like "Sleigh Ride" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas". I catch myself whistling "Sleigh Ride" all year round!!! Every time I hear Elvis singing "Blue Christmas" I can't help but smile as I picture my grandma Fox singing along with him and talking about how handsome Elvis was. All of these things tend to stir up pleasant thoughts and nostalgic feelings that make this one of the happiest times of the year.

But, here is my dilemma. How does a Christian strike a balance between the joy of the "Holiday Season" and celebrating the birth of Christ? Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the World is THE reason a Christian should celebrate Christmas! Unfortunately, I fear we may lose sight of Him in the rush of holiday parties, Christmas specials, gift buying, and decorating.

These next 4 weeks mark the Christian season of Advent. It is a time of symbolically waiting/anticipating the arrival of the Messiah! I have been challenged to make sure that I spend time during this Advent season waiting on God. We have also been making sure that we are talking about it a lot to Allyson also (Helping her to develop a Christian Worldview may be the reason I have been so concerned about this!) Don't forget to slow down and spend some time thinking about the greatest miracle that ever happened during this season. That will definitely stir up warm feelings and probably put a few tears in your eyes! Jesus' coming to earth was the greatest thing that could have ever happened for any of us.

I'll stop preaching now.

Decking the Halls!!!

We had a great time decorating our tree and our home on Sunday afternoon. Allyson is definitely loving all of the Christmas/Holiday preparations this year! She was beyond excited to get the tree decorated and to rediscover all of our decorations.

As you can see from the pictures, Natalie wanted to be right in the mix of things also! We started around her nap time, but she decided that she didn't need a nap. So, she "helped" also! Decorating with a curious 10-month-old is like trying to decorate with a bunch of kittens in the room.

All in all, it was fun getting everything decorated and making our house feel a little more festive! How do you like the new light up star on top of our tree?!!!! After many years of begging, Kristen finally made my dreams come true by allowing me to have a "tacky" light up star on top of our tree!

The girls have not been able to take their eyes off of the tree since we lit it up. It is quite sweet!

Communion Curiosity

Last night, we had a Thanksgiving Eve worship service at our church. It is not often that Allyson experiences a worship service, but this was one such occasion. She politely listened to Daddy lead worship and Daddy and Pastor Tom (the Senior Pastor of the church sharing our building) play a song together on sax and trumpet. When Pastor Mike started preaching, Ally quietly colored pictures. Near the end of the service, Pastor Tom led the congregation in communion. As I said previously, Allyson has VERY little experience sitting in a regular service, so I was anticipating questions. Maybe even LOUD questions. But, to my surprise, she sat very quietly, STARING at my cracker and juice. I didn't acknowledge her stares, because I knew I couldn't explain anything during the service.

Later, as I was tucking her into bed, I asked Allyson, "Were you curious about what we did in the service tonight?" She nodded and I proceeded to tell her exactly what the cracker and juice stands for and why we celebrate communion.

She ended my mini-theology lesson with one simple statement. "I was really just curious why they didn't pass me some."

30 Seconds With the Foxes...Bath Time

The other night Allyson and Natalie were having a grand time in the bathtub. They were both laughing hysterically and entertaining each other (and Kristen and I). By the time I thought to grab the camera, things had calmed down a little. Here is a quick look at the giggling sisters!

Little Scrubbers.....For All Your Cleaning Needs

I [Kristen] was making dinner the other night when Allyson joined me in the kitchen and declared, "Mom, I made you a little scrubber.

I asked her to clarify. She held up her creation and said, "You use it to scrub things!" I asked how she came up with such an invention. She said, "I just got a cotton ball, made it wet, then put the soap on it."

She proceeded to wander around the house, "cleaning" various surfaces (many of which may not appreciate a hand-soap washing, but I didn't have the heart to stop her).

A few moments later, Daddy entered the room and I asked Ally to share her invention with him. She led him to the bathroom to show him EXACTLY how it is done. He helpfully pointed out that after using the "scrubber," you must rinse off the soapy film. No problem; she just grabbed the hand towel and wiped it across all of the soap left behind. (Just a note, Daddy did not appreciate "his towel" being treated with such disrespect...but I was giggling in the other room.)

Here you will see Ally's picture tutorial, should you wish to make a "Little Scrubber" of your own!

Yum.....Spaghetti

Natalie is proving to be very excited about trying new foods. She quakes with excitement every time she realizes that it is time to eat.

As most of you know, Natalie is our little "Miss Independent". In keeping with that title, she no longer is satisfied with baby food. In the last week, she has decided that she wants what is on our plates.

Tonight, we had spaghetti, and I think she may have eaten more than Allyson did! It was one of the most quiet and pleasant dinners we have had in a long time!

I (David) was most impressed that she was able to eat the spaghetti without making too big of a mess! Neat children are a blessing! :) (Thanks Dad for passing along the aversion to anything sticky or messy!!)

30 Seconds(Give or take a little) With the Foxes

We had a relaxing evening tonight and I grabbed the camera to capture a few moments for you all. Please note the "sarcasm" in my voice at one point. I was not trying to be sarcastic at all, but I guess it just comes naturally for me!! :)

Have a great week.

Fall Fun

Last weekend, we were blessed with unseasonably warm and dry weather. We took advantage of the opportunity to spend some time outside playing in the leaves! This weekend, it is very cold and we have seen our first snow flurries! What a difference 7 days can make!!!! Have a great week.

Template Improvements

I spent a little time working on our blog template this morning. I have always been bothered by the narrow posting area of our site, and decided to fix it today. I wanted to put up a quick post to thank the folks at "The Blogger Guide Site" for posting a simple to follow tutorial that helped me widen our template in a matter of minutes.

For their services, I agreed to post a link to them on our blog. If you are using blogger and want to widen your template, you may want to check out their tutorials. Here is the link to the the tutorial I used: http://bguide.blogspot.com/2008/11/rounders-3-with-wider-post-area.html

Have a great weekend.

My First Halloween...Flashback

Once again, it is time to see a flashback. Natalie wears Ally's clothes weekly, but certain outfits are much more memorable. My Dad purchased this Halloween outfit for our Allyson before she was born. We looked forward to seeing her in it, and we were not disappointed! This year, I was excited to see this outfit again! Enjoy.

For Fun...E*trade Baby

I know that we Foxes are probably way behind the times, but we saw this commercial this morning and couldn't stop laughing at it. When I looked it up on YouTube I found that they ran these on the Superbowl this year. Too bad we don't watch televised sports!!!! :)

We are working to get our acts together and get a few more posts up. We have plenty of videos and photos, but not enough free time!

Have a great weekend.

Natalie's Love of the Dishwasher

I only have experience with one cat. Her name was Keeky (we never spelled it, so I'm not sure how to spell it). She lived in my childhood home for as long as I can remember. She wasn't particularly loving or cuddly. In fact, she wandered the house and the yard without paying us much attention at all. But she did have a few lovable quirks. That cat had a sense of hearing that was remarkable. When she heard the sound of the can opener in the kitchen, she came racing to the kitchen, anticipating a treat. It was truly amazing. Whenever we needed her or were curious where she was, all we had to do was hit the can opener and she came running.

I wrote all that for this reason. Our Natalie is displaying Keeky's traits, only it isn't the can opener. It's the dishwasher. Natalie LOVES the dishwasher. As soon as she hears the whoosh of the door opening, her head perks up and she speedily crawls to the kitchen, not to be distracted by anything else. Once she gets to the dishwasher, she starts pulling things out, climbing, playing with the pull-out shelves... you name it.

Enjoy these pictures and think of her the next time you open your dishwasher.

(FYI: This bruised head is the same as in the box picture...believe it or not, her head is now beautifully clear. Unfortunately, now her lip is fat after splitting it yesterday!)

Creativity

Yes, this is a little Beanie Baby and yes, it is wearing Barbie clothes.

Enough said.

No toys necessary...

There are days that we feel like our home is being overrun with toys. We have now added a large plastic fence-thing that blocks off the living room so that Natalie cannot wander to the steps without parental supervision. It works, for now, but it is also bulky, colorful, and hard to miss.

Anyway, with all these toys, you would think the girls would have endless entertainment. However, this is how they spent at least 30 minutes the other night.

(Yes, that is ANOTHER bruise on our poor little one's head. Hold on tight for a post you will see later this week about Natalie and the dishwasher!)

Do I detect a bit of jealousy?

Clearly there will be a bit of competition between our girls in the coming years. Obviously Natalie displays her need to be first simply by being...well...needy. But Allyson displays her bits of jealousy in different ways each week.

Lately this is what happens when we try to take a picture of Natalie...

The Swings Song!

Allyson is occasionally tolerant of "Mommy and Daddy music" playing in the car. Sometimes she even enjoys it! Today there was a Paul Baloche CD playing. (He is our favorite worship leader - go get a CD if you don't have one!) Anyway, there are one or two songs on the CD with which Ally actually sings along.

Today she politely asked, "I want hear the swings song, please."

Okaaaaay. Knowing that she quickly gets irritated with my ignorance, I mentally analyze the songs from the CD, pondering which could be the "swings song."

Clueless, I reply, "The swings song?"

She says, "Yeah, I call it the swings song because I don't know what it's really called."

Okaaaaay. So I flipped through the CD, listening for any mention of swings (which I knew was nearly impossible on a worship CD - "Lord, you make me feel like swinging..."?)

My intuition jumped in and I thought of the songs with which she regularly sings.

AHA! At the end of a song titled, "A Greater Song," Paul and his team are worshipfully repeating these words, "Hallelujah, we want to lift you higher. Hallelujah, we want to lift you higher."

Get it?

A Great Article from John Piper

I was excited to hear the news that the I-35 bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis has been re-built and opened this week. John Piper wrote a great article on the topic this week. God's grace and mercy were definitely on display through this tragedy. I thought that some of you might be interested in reading a biblical take on the I-35 tragedy. You can read John Piper's article here.

Mr. Over-Emotional Worship Leader

I couldn't resist sharing this!

"Playing" With Big Sister's Toys

No matter what Natalie is given, she always wants what Big Sis is playing with. Therefore, her favorite toys are Polly Pockets and the sweet little pets from Littlest Pet Shop. Unfortunately she doesn't play with them the way Allyson does! (Rest assured, we are always close by when she is "playing" as we know these are choking hazards.)

Natalie Laughing

This should put a smile on your face!

Allyson was throwing stuffed animals at Natalie the other day, and Natalie thought is was hysterical! Thankfully, we captured some of it on video. This is one of the first times that we have heard Natalie laughing!

Have a great weekend!

Payback....No More Stereo Knobs!

I have often heard the stories of how I would pull the knobs off of my parent's "hi-fi" stereo system when I was little. There were sliders missing from the stereo that were never found again. They tell me that I was responsible for those missing pieces.

There is another favorite story about how I would pull the knobs off of the stereo in my dad's sweet Ford Pinto. On one occasion I threw one of them out of the window of the car.

Well, here we are 30 years later, and I am being repaid for mistreating my dad's electronics. Natalie has proven to be quite apt at getting her hands on everything in the house. My stereo equipment and the remote controls all survived Allyson's baby years without harm. As you can see below, Natalie is not being so merciful.

I walked into the living room the other day to find her sucking on a round, black piece of plastic. At first I thought it was a wheel from a toy, but I soon realized it was the volume knob from our stereo.

Taking a lesson from the stories of my childhood, I have now removed all of the knobs from the stereo so that none of them are lost!

I hope you enjoy the pictures below of our mischievous and incredibly cute little Natalie in action!

		From The Fox Family Blog

From The Fox Family Blog

From The Fox Family Blog

Wordless Wednesday

Outside Antics

Both of our girls are thrilled with the outdoors. The slide show below chronicles the first fall evening outdoors. Natalie is enamored with the purple car I picked up at a garage sale not long ago. Of course, she cannot manage the vehicle by herself, but she doesn't seem to notice. Allyson is on her beloved "hippity-hop." She'll hop all around the yard while we watch. This cool evening was the beginning of the end of our outdoor moments. Winter is fast approaching and we are NOT happy about it.

Daddy's Girls

Here's my new computer wallpaper...my three favorite people.

First Day of School

Allyson's first day of 4-year-old preschool was Wednesday. She was so excited to be back at Sonshine Patch. Here you will see some shots of that day. Both of her teachers are pictured, but only the back/side of their heads (sorry!). Mrs. Gorman is the dark-haired teacher and Mrs. Sullivan is the blonde.

Enjoy!

As I See It...

The other day we were all piled in the van and David and I were ranting and raving about something or other. David said something like, "It's like they've taken Jesus out of the picture!"

Allyson jumped in and said, "Jesus can be in the picture! He's cute!"

I'm not sure I've ever heard the words "Jesus" and "cute" in the same sentence!

"Jesus Gives us the Power to be Brave!"

The title above was one of the Bible points learned at VBS this year. Therefore, bravery has been on our Allyson's mind. She can be very timid when it comes to new or different things, so this lesson was quite appropriate.

At the park last night, David was showing off, climbing on top of the monkey bars. At one point he became a bit nervous and was unsure how to get down. (Great job, Dave!) Allyson told him, "You just pick up some braveness (she motions picking up something from the ground), and put it in your head. Then you take the scaredness out."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Because He Lives!!!!

I discovered these videos this morning while searching for something else. I am glad I "stumbled" upon them...they were a blessing to me. The lady in these videos, "Rosie Hayes", can really make the saxophone sing! If you love gospel music and the saxophone, you will enjoy these videos. Makes me want to get my horn out and start practicing!!


There are two clips below. The first is just saxophone. She sings and plays in the second!

Our little bruiser...

Here is Natalie's favorite new pastime. She pulls up on everything, no matter what it is, and stands until her legs get wobbly.


Below you will find the results of her favorite activity...an ever-present bruise on her forehead. A close-up of the first picture shows two bruises. The second and third pics show the biggest one yet. This one freaked me out! I was only about 12 feet from Natalie and her forehead was already blue when I reached her to pick her up! And, of course, she refused ice for the swelling. Oh, the joys...

A new toothbrushing experience...

It has been over a week since we last wrote...sorry to those few who can hardly get through the day without a word from the Foxs!

Life is continuing on with only some normalcy. Natalie keeps life unpredictable - she currently has a large bruise on her forehead from smacking it on the dining table leg. Lovely. (I'll post a picture of it later - it's a doozy.)

Last night I was getting ready for bed, doing the normal routine. I pulled out my toothbrush, added the toothpaste and started brushing. (I know you're thinking, "Where's the story here?" Just hold on, it's coming.) I brushed for at least a 10 seconds or so before I noticed a decidedly...soapy...flavor. There was also a different consistency to the foam in my mouth. Hmmmm. I spit and rinsed, then rinsed the brush thoroughly, thinking, "It must be in my head."

This morning, just out of curiosity, I asked Allyson, "Did you get soap on my toothbrush?" She quickly looked away, covered her mouth and her eyes got...guilty. I couldn't keep from giggling...I had to walk away! I couldn't even correct her because I couldn't stop smiling. When I got my composure, I asked her what happened. At this point, I was figuring it was an accident; she must have been playing in the soap and my toothbrush fell into it or something. Nope. She proceeded to tell David and me, "I just put it under..." (she motions putting the toothbrush under the soap dispenser) "...and pushed it down." (she motions pushing down the soap dispenser) She was entirely matter-of-fact about the whole thing.

We have yet to determine why she gave my toothbrush a bath, but I think we may open a few new toothbrushes today and toss the old ones, just in case.

Another year of VBS... or shall I say "DVS"?

Allyson has always called VBS "DVS." It's pretty sweet to hear her say it.

Anyway, "DVS" is over for another year. Because I am the director, it is a stressful week, full of multi-tasking and organizing. It was a largely successful week. We had more students than ever (76!) and more volunteers than ever (30!). Everything went smoothly and the kids had a great time.

Allyson awoke each morning at about 6:00, dressed in her "DVS" shirt, and went to jump on Grandma V.! (Poor Grandma!) She had a great week with her buddies. Maybe we can get her to record one of her favorite songs to post later!

For now, you can see Ally in a VBS presentation at vbs.emmanuelfmc.org. Click on Day 1 and see if you can spot her!

Story Time With Allyson

Allyson has been enjoying "reading" some of her books to us. She was so proud to be able to get through "It Looks Like Spilled Milk" by herself.

Here is a video of her reading the book for your enjoyment.

A reason to smile

Happy Wednesday! I thought you might like a reason to smile. This is a headband from one of Allyson's dress-up outfits. We just couldn't resist putting it on Natalie.

This is her new facial expression. Along with it, she sniffs and sniffs - hysterical. We have a great video of it...maybe you'll see it soon.

Coming Soon..."Storytime with Ally."

Getting Older...

Does anyone else have days where you just feel older? Yeah, I thought so. I'm so lucky that I have Allyson to assure me that my feelings are accurate!

I recently got a haircut, nothing extreme and not anything drastically different, but it was a bit more than a trim. Anyway, the following day, Allyson came into the room and said, "You look like an old mom." Lovely.

David assured me later that she must have meant old like, "my old friend from college." Anyway...it was a kick in the pants.

No, I will not post my picture, lest you all agree with Ally.

The Power of TV

Allyson and I (Kristen) were coloring and cutting the other day while Natalie was playing nearby. She puts two strips of paper together and announces that it is a cross. I quickly agree, then say, "It's also a t." She gives me a confused look, because she is much more familiar with capital T. I jump in and say, "Each letter has a big letter and a small one. That cross is a small t. The other T is a big one."

She quickly says, "You mean uppercase and lowercase." Nearly falling off the chair, I figure I must have misheard her, so I say, "What?" She repeats it, clear and simple, "They're called uppercase and lowercase."

The next question, obviously, is, "Where did you learn that?" To which she replies, "WordWorld!" You guessed it, "Word World" is her new favorite show on PBS, which we totally love. Every animal and object is made from the letters that spell the object's name. Pretty cool. You can check it out at http://pbskids.org/wordworld.

Ally Dancing

Here is a short video clip we took on Friday night at a GoFish Concert here in Janesville. As you can see, Allyson was getting into it! Check out the GoFish guys at gofishguys.com.

Ally's First Trip to the Dentist

On Friday, Allyson and I (Dad) went to the dentist. Kristen thought I should have the joy of this milestone moment with Allyson. (Actually, Kristen didn't want to deal with the potential crying and screaming....and I was available to take her! :) )

Well, Allyson did an excellent job. She was actually quite excited about the adventure. She waited patiently while they cleaned my teeth and then when they brought her to the kids room for her turn, she hopped right into the chair without any hesitation. It helps that the hygienist let her pick a stuffed animal out and made promises of more prizes when we finished.

Ally didn't even flinch as they proceeded to clean and polish her teeth. They also applied a fluoride treatment that Allyson said "tasted like air."

Ally's teeth are in perfect health, but we need to work on breaking the thumb sucking habit to prevent messing up her teeth in the future.

Allyson proudly left the office with a balloon, a ring, a sticker, and a stuffed animal!

We are proud of how well she did. Let's hope that she is as positive the next time!

Click the slide show below to visit the album containing the pictures from her dentist visit.

Flashback!

Can you tell these girls are sisters? I thought you might like a quick flashback! Today we are going to a patriotic carnival at the A/G church, so we had to dress accordingly. As soon as I saw Natalie in the dress Ally wore for her first July 4th, I couldn't resist comparing the pictures! Allyson is on the left, at about 3 months old, on July 4th 2004. Natalie is on the right and is about 5 1/2 months old. In some pictures the girls could be twins, but these are a little less similar. What do you think?

Do You Use One of These?

Here is a little "Christian" humor courtesy of wayofthemasterradio.com.

Anyone care for a new picture?

Here's a new picture for any admirers out there!

My favorite part? It's a tie between the 4 sparkling blue eyes and Natalie's sweet double chin!

Art by Allyson

Here is the second installment of Ally's Artwork. (See the first installment here.) She worked on this in Children's Church yesterday and I actually asked the teacher, "Are you sure this is Ally's?" No offense, Ally, but most of your artwork consists of scribbles and people with long hair and legs, but no body.

The teacher assured me it was Ally's and even pointed out her name! What? She wrote her entire name, by herself, without looking at a sample! I'm so proud.

There is nothing sweeter than a child's first attempts at writing her name. I said that I'm proud, but she is at least twice as proud of herself!

(By the way, we'll work on that backwards S!)

As I See It...Ranch Dressing

Today, we were having lunch with Grandma and Grandpa Fox at Famous Dave's. Since the waitress brought ranch dressing out with Allyson's chicken strips, Kristen asked Ally if she wanted to try some of the ranch on her strips. Allyson made me proud with her reply. She said, "No mom, that looks like bird poop!"

As most of you know, I detest ranch dressing. I know I am in the minority here, but I thought I could win some anti-ranch converts by planting Allyson's imagery of ranch looking like bird poop in your minds. Next time you go to dip that chicken strip, carrot, or piece of celery ask yourself, "Is it ranch dressing, or is it bird poop?"

Sorry for the potty humor, but if you have ever been around a 4-year-old for any amount of time, you would know that it is a constant topic!

Have a great weekend.

Zombo.com

Here is a link to a great site that I found today. It utilized Flash technology, which is something I am trying to learn through the summer months. Perhaps I can design a site this good in the future.

Here is the link: www.zombo.com

Make sure that your speakers are turned on before visiting the site.

A Good Wife Can Bring Balance To Your Life

I saw this picture at the Way of the Master Radio website and thought it needed to be shared!

Kristen definitely brings balance to my life. I would be lost without her!

The Stinkin' Zoo

I took the day off today and we went up to Madison. It was a beautiful day, and it felt wonderful to just "get away" from Janesville for a few hours.

One of our stops was the zoo in Madison. After looking at the giraffes we were headed to see some camels. As we were walking, Allyson had become quiet and was not acting as excited about the camels as she had been just a few minutes earlier.

I pointed out the camels when we got close to them and Allyson, plugging her nose, yelled out, "WHY DO I HAVE TO SMELL THIS STINKIN' POOP?!!!!" She then just kept right on walking past the camels in search of non-stinky air.

All in all we had a good time visiting less stinky animals!

It was a great day together!

Mom Jeans!!!

This is one of Kristen and my all time favorite Saturday Night Live sketches. It is a week too late for Mother's Day, but it is never too late to buy the woman in your life some "Mom Jeans"!

On the Eve of My 32nd Birthday...

I am not excited about entering more deeply into my 30's! I think I am going to adopt the stance that I am only 29 until I start feeling like I am in my 30's!

Tonight, I decided that I would spend a little time looking up my birth year, 1976, on Google, Youtube, and Wikipedia.

I have learned several interesting and useless facts about 1976....

1. I was born while Disco was still alive
2. I was born while Elvis was still alive
3. The Apple Computer company was started
4. The tradename "Microsoft" was registered with the Office of the Secretary of the State of New Mexico
5. Our country celebrated it's Bi-Centennial
6. The first class of women was inducted into the U.S. Naval Academy (My brother, Dan's, alma mater)
7. The Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec
8. Rocky was released. Yo, Adrian!!!!
9. "Bionic Woman," with Lindsay Wagner, debuted on ABC (This past fall, ABC relaunched the "Bionic Woman")
10. The fashion was bad, and most of the music was worse!

I initially started out to write something profound about life and gaining another year of wisdom, but as you can see, none of that is coming out right now.

All I can say is, "I feel old!" I remember looking at mom and dad's photos and thinking the 50's and 60's looked so old. Looking back at 1976 had that same effect on me tonight. All I can say is, I am thankful I can remember the 80's! It doesn't look like I missed much during my 4 years in the 70's!

These are too cool!

How can you not love disco!

Have a groovy day!!

A Perfect Spring Day

We woke to beautiful clear skies and warm temperatures today and decided to take advantage of it.

We spent a little bit of time visiting garage sales in our neighborhood this morning then we came home and opened the windows and the door to the deck and freely moved from the inside to the outside and back again.

Allyson is infatuated with dandelions. Unfortunately, despite my efforts to control them, we have quite a few dandelions in our yard. Ally cannot understand why I would want to kill them! While she picked dandelions, Natalie looked on from the doorway. It was the most peaceful that Natalie has been for a long time. She loves looking outside!

The fresh air this morning must have done the trick to tire the girls out because they both took good long naps this afternoon. While they were napping I was able to take a long bike ride that was just glorious!

When everyone was awake again, we headed out to pick up some food to bring to the park. We ate under a picnic pavilion this evening and then had some fun playing on the playground.

It was a great day together as a family.

Click on the slideshow to view the album that contains these images.

Mmmmmmm.......Cereal!

Natalie has started to eat something other than milk in the last week! We started with cereal, and tonight she tried bananas. She seems to enjoy these new foods and has been eating really well. Maybe this will help her to become more content.

The following photos are of her first time trying to eat cereal. Sorry to all of you non-grandparents reading....this is totally boring grandparent material!! :)

Princess Natalie

Here are some photographs of Natalie after she was crowned princess by Allyson. Natalie doesn't have a chance of not being a "girly-girl" with her big sister around!

Have a royal day!!!

Funny Video

I can't help but laugh every time I see this video. It kind of reminds me of the way Danny and I were when we were kids. Enjoy.

As I See It...husband material

Allyson has valiantly declared the first qualification of her future husband. He absolutely must not be allergic to cats!

(She has said nothing yet of his character, personality, or looks...)

May 3 Photo Update

Here are some photos that we just pulled off of our camera and onto our hard drive. Have a great weekend!