Watch what you say

So Joy suggested yesterday morning that I stream Jaden's basketball game over the web so that they could watch it. I used www.qik.com to do it, though my phone was not one of the options on the website. So, I kept downloading versions until one worked....kind of...and I was able to start streaming. Well, what I didn't realizes was that it captures audio as well as the video...so, throughout the time I am streaming, I am talking with a friend, yelling encouragement and so on...
Well, I had set up Kristen's computer to watch as well...and she was, when I happened to comment to my friend that Kristen had been taking a nap right before I left for basketball.
Immediately I get a phone call and Kristen says..."Excuse me? Why are you talking about my napping?"!
Yikes!
Totally started laughing, though the guys around me said I should turn it off...making sure nothing else was capture for posterity :)
I was busted, but it was a minor infraction. You really should know technology before you use it...

Devotionals with the boys

I was watching YouTube clips...which I think is just kind of interesting all by itself...but, one of the things that a pastor talked about was that his daughter was 10 months old and he said "she wins....I get home for dinner....that is a year that if I wasn't there...I don't get it back, she wins....I can find another church, I can't find another wife or daughter." This was quoted paraphrase, but anyway, do my kids "WIN"? I hope so. I know that I have, at times, been a workaholic...driven to success...and I say I want it, for my kids...I certainly want to provide, but, is that just an excuse? I have to be honest and say that it is not always...for my kids...they want me to play...Kristen wants me to go on walks...I am not always thinking about them. Now, I have to do the work, keep my job and give to Caesar what is Caesar's...but, what about the rest? I don't want to look back on Jaden, Jacob and Jude's childhood and say...I can't get that back. I wish I would have....
I don't want to look back on my marriage and say, "I wish I would have...."
And to that end, it has been really neat to spend time with the boys in devotionals over the last week. Kristen and I bought the boys their own devotionals that we are doing with them at night on our date night. The boys have done incredibly well! They are attentive and insightful and it really is enjoyable to spend those precious minutes with them in study and in prayer.
I know that I will hold on to these times and hopefully, I will remember that I don't get these times back and therefore allot my time and energy appropriately.

Kristen Birthday - 3

Kristen's main gift this year was tickets for me and her to the Celtic Woman concert in Boston on Friday night. Kristen has loved this group of singers, their music and has watched them on PBS for the last couple years saying...someday....I want to go. Well, I made that happen for this year. We got a babysitter, got dressed up and enjoyed a night at the event center.

I know that Kristen enjoyed the event very much and I enjoyed the evening out with her :)

Kristen Birthday - 2

Just wanted to add a few little notes about the rest of the day.
- I took the day off and spent it with my wife...that was great
- She got to take a nap :)
- We went to dinner to the Olive Garden, which she loves
- We ate WAY TOO MUCH
- They sang to her :)
- The boys sang several times
- The desserts were awesome

- This is a good looking group of people:

Kristen Birthday 1

This was the boys giving mom her card...watch for the dancing...:)

My Birthday

Yes, happy birthday to me.
My family called and gave me cards and brownies, my wife and kids gave me gifts (I will post pictures soon), and I enjoyed a couple hours with my boys reading, playing and hanging out. It was a good day :)

Odds and ends

A few updates:

Jaden's school is having a couple half days as we have hit parent teacher conference time...we are excited to talk with the teacher and hear her comments on how Jaden is doing. For his part, he is excited to be home earlier and hopes this will let him watch a little more TV

Jacob is still doing his school as well. He seems to do pretty well socially, we think...but he also has some time before he will be moving on to kindergarten anyway. He is quite the complex character as we are learning to deal with a child that likes to go from one extreme emotion to the other in a blink of an eye. He is keeping us on our toes.

Jude is crawling and getting close to walking. I know I need to post more pictures and do some new videos, so hopefully I will do that soon. He is getting very big and is very close to being turned around in the car. I know that he is very excited about that, since Kristen gave him a test ride this week.

Kristen has an A going in her class through the mid-point and is very excited. It is well deserved as she has worked hard thus far...time to bring it on home, babe :)

More to follow....

Good looking couple

This is a good looking couple:

These picture was taken this weekend while we were at the local fire department for their annual open house. The kids get to ride on the firetruck, have some treats and climb into and around the other trucks. Always fun to see them get so excited.

Education...

Education has been on my mind this week as I read a column in Forbes that talked about our need to use innovation in the classroom to help us break out of the malaise that we are currently in. I also read another column online that said that the world is catching up, as in most things, however, we are still WAY smarter now than we were years ago...only the gap has decreased between us and the rest of the world...and in some cases we have been passed.

Well, Kristen is looking into schools to go back into the nursing track and Jaden is getting ready for 1st grade and even Jacob is going to start Pre-school as well. We will have a whole bunch of school going on for the next 20+ years in this household and I certainly hope that we see some significant improvements in our school systems, their quality, and our position in the world for turning out intelligent and prepared individuals into the world...meanwhile, I have to figure out what Kristen and I can do for them for those hours outside of school to support them in their endeavors...it gets a bit overwhelming...

Pray for us!

Proverbs 5:18

May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

It has been
and I do.

Love you honey.

Boring?

Kristen told me the other day that my posts on Proverbs are "boring". She is right, she usually is...but I guess that I have been writing them for me more than for others...It has been my way of ensuring that I am doing the reading and thinking about it...kind of a Bible journal...
So, while I may be boring some of you...hold fast, cause I will be adding other posts too...and in fact, if there are specific things you think I should post about or that you would be interested in me posting about, let me know.

Kristen's birthday present

This is what I spent my time on today. She is now waiting for me to call the cable company to get the cable hookup enabled. I may not be a great handyman, but, I gave it a go and it seems to look pretty good. Will have to see if Kristen really is able to get more cooking done now and is able to watch the news like she expects.

Kristen's birthday

My lovely wife had a birthday today. She was still up early with the kids (dressing them, taking Jaden to school), still busy with the house (general clean up and one of the boys figured out to overflow the toilet) and still busy making meals (lunches for school, etc.). Maybe not the most relaxing, greatest birthday, I am sure, but she knows that she is loved by her family and friends. Happy birthday honey.