Happy Birthday Daddy!

Here are 32 things mom loves about you:
1. loves the Lord
2. wonderful husband
3. amazing father
4. creative cook
5. playful
6. loving
7. handy
8. kind
9. loyal
10. dependable
11. hard working
12. smart
13. confident
14. dedicated
15. doctor
16. supportive
17. romantic
18. athletic
19. thoughtful
20. good looking
21. tall
22. funny
23. a good leader
24. a good cook
25. great with kids of all ages
26. fun
27. interesting
28. well rounded
29. loves me for who I am
30. involved with our kids
31. hot
32. outgoing

Ella With Straight Hair

Ella wanted me to flat iron her hair a couple of days ago. It didn't hold for very long before her hair went back to being curly.

Todd's 32nd Birthday Party

Anna's 3rd Birthday Party

Playing in the Basket

9:45am

This Man is Dying, Just Like You

A video worth watching ...

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

As one commenter wrote,
Life with Christ is not happily ever after HERE ...
it's happily ever after THERE.

Setting the Table

Ella loves to set the table all by herself!

11:30am

5 Things: Minneapolis :: Other Stuff

1. When we finally had an opportunity to relax in the hot tub, we found that one of Melissa's former students was in it. Nothing like seeing your teacher in a bikini. Nice.

2. The diverse beauty and theological depth of worship @ Bethlehem Baptist Church

3. The Bookstore

4. Piper's inspired preaching about parenting in tough times

5. The best company a man could ask for

5 Things: Minneapolis :: Food

We enjoyed a brief get-away in Minneapolis last weekend. Our stay included coupons for some free drinks and appetizers at the hotel's Chophouse restaurant each day. The food was delicious and we were able to try some new things.

1. The chophouse salad with Bleu cheese crumbles (9 out of 10) and warm rolls/compound butters (herb, sun-dried tomato, and bleu cheese) (8 out of 10)

2.Wagyu Kobe beef carpaccio - the highest quality Kobe beef served in thin, raw slices, topped with a white truffle oil, capers, a spinach salad, and Parmigiono-Reggiano) (7 out of 10)

3. The 38oz dry-aged rib eye steak (9.5 out of 10)

4. Crab cakes (6.5 out of 10)

5. Birthday dessert (chocolate peanut butter bomb and NY cheesecake) (8 out of 10)

Be Skeptical with Politicians' Predictions

After hearing some of the political back-and-forth this past weekend, especially on the promise offered by our Congress and President that the health care bill will save $500 billion over the next 10 years, here's some food for thought:

“Medicare cost $3 billion in 1966. In what it called a conservative estimate, the House Ways and Means Committee that year projected Medicare would cost $12 billion after inflation by 1990. The actual cost in 1990: $107 billion.”

-- Lloyd Brown, referenced by Cal Thomas.

Visiting Daddy at Work

The kids and I needed our eyes examined by our favorite optometrist, Dr. Daddy. We also had some fun trying on glasses. Ella kept asking me to take a picture of every pair she tried on!

Cutie Pie

5 Things: Recent Walks

The kids and I trekked out to one of our favorite trails last Sunday.
We repeated the walk with Melissa on Monday.
Here are five things from those hikes:

1. Ella feeding Jackson ...

2. As we approached a fallen tree blocking our trail, I asked Ella what we should do.

She said (and pointed) to "go right."
She shouldn't know that. We went right.

3. It's way more fun with the Mom ...

4. Jack is out ...
5. Good riddance ...

Honey Buzzards

G&G Schulz will be staying with the kids this weekend. I'm editing the schedule that Melissa typed up for them and I noticed an unusual item on the breakfast menu ...

It's actually Honey Buzzers (like generic Honey-comb), which taste much better than a bowl full of carcass-eating fowl. And only the Buzzers come in a bushel-sized bag that is larger than a plus-sized two-year old.

In my research for this post, I found out that there actually are Honey Buzzards.

Jackson @ 11 Months

• He sleeps from 7:45-8pm until 8am (12 hrs.).
• He takes 2 naps a day (10-12 & 2-4). He is transitioning to one nap (I am going to try to hold that off until he is one at least!).
• He drinks 4 bottles and eats 3 times a day. Jack loves people food (pears, bananas, cheese, bread, blueberries, yogurt, and any kind of meat).
• He has two teeth.
• Jack smacks his lips to give kisses, loves to point, can stand by himself for short periods without holding on, walks with me holding on to his hands, crawls fast, can crawl up our stairs, shakes his head yes and no, loves to give kisses & hugs, claps, does "so big", loves to throw anything away or dunk basket balls in his hoop, and waves.
• He can say no, hi, and bye bye now.