Jude in the Hopkinton Newspaper

Fun memory....

Jude and Kristen went to the annual Teddy-Bear picnic and a local photographer was there and took a liking to Jude. Guess who showed up in the photo spread with a pretty sizable picture...?

Of course, Kristen was excited and almost equally so by the fact that her teddy bear Joey got his first photo in the newspaper as well :)

Last Week's vacation

Hard to believe that I had a whole week of vacation AND that I really didn't work during it! It went by awfully fast and I am afraid that I will be woefully behind as I start things off today...but, only about 6 weeks until I have another week off to spend with the boys while Kristen is in Colorado. Time off really does recharge your batteries and I really enjoyed getting to catch up on a little reading...I have felt like that has been missing for a little while. Now, if I could just get back into my workout routine :)

Taught my first Bethel Class today

I certainly wasn't as prepared as I would like to have been...and it is highlighting that I need to get more studying in for my own class so that I will have the best foundation I can for teaching...but, overall it went ok. I am sure I will hear some feedback on Wednesday at class. In the meantime, I have studying to do :)

Another book

I may have to read another biography on Grant based on reading this book. I found that I had things in common with Grant that intrigued me. I know that to a certain extent we always put ourselves into books to identify with the characters, and I am sure that is part of it...but I could tell (at least based on Korda's impression/interpretation of Grant) that he had similar traits to myself in several capacities. Since times have changed and I didn't go to West Point, I doubt I will ever be in the military, go to war, or become President, but I also dislike cigars and hopefully will not die from throat cancer when I am only 63 years old...as to all the places I found similarities...I may have to write on that more...

Ulysses S. Grant: The Unlikely Hero by Michael Korda


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a very short biography, but very readable and enjoyable. I have not read any other biographies of Grant yet and this one was a great place to start. I think that Korda did a nice job of piecing together parts of Grant's life to give us a nice picture of who he was, what he was driven by and to a small extent, how things ended up as they did in Grant's life. And while the asides to current times or the comparisons so other presidents don't add to the story of Grant, they do make it more comprehensible to a non-history buff reader.

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6am

Where am i this morning? At Pinz to let the kids bowl a free game for bringing in canned goods for the food bank.
Check out the pictures to come...

Another book

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
An enjoyable read and I do think that Miller writes well. The story is about his life and his changing perspective on his walk with God. I think that many people could probably identify with some of the feelings that Miller discusses, some of the quandaries he faces and some of the issues non-Christians face as well with those who are believers. I think it is a great read for those that are in similar positions as he was or those that engage with college-age people who would tend to be having the thoughts and discussions that he goes through in the book.

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Reading again...

Both ended last year and started this year off a little slowly with respect to reading...but, finally finished a book the Kristen gave me for my birthday.

What In the World Is Going On?: 10 Prophetic Clues You Cannot Afford to Ignore by David Jeremiah


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A good read. I enjoyed his take on current events and how they tie into biblical prophecy. Regardless of whether you believe the connections he makes, it is a good reminder that we are to always be prepared for the end times.

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New Phone!

Got the HTC Pure about a week and a half / two weeks ago and while it is taking some getting used to, I am enjoying it and it is a much better phone that what my Tilt was and certainly what it had become as it was regularly on the fritz. It has a 5MP camera on it, so hopefully I will be able to take a few more candid shots while I am doing things with the boys or out that I can post here :)
Hopefully it will be an impetus, among others to get me back out here blogging on a more regular basis.

Kristen's CPR course

Today I am hanging out doing housework and hanging out with the boys as Kristen is at school taking her required CPR course. It is a prerequisite for the nursing program and we are hoping to hear in the next 30 days if she is getting into the 2 year, day nursing program. If she does, we will have an even more interesting life than we have over the last year+ as she has been taking course at night and on the weekends. We would have to find daycare for Jude and work on our scheduling much more closely with each other than we have had to up to this point. We will certainly let everyone know what we hear...but meanwhile congratulate Kristen tomorrow on her completion of the class /CPR certification :)

Jude's New Bed

Jude has a new bed!

Kristen and I have been anxiously looking for a new bed for Jude for awhile now. The crib was falling apart, we certainly felt like Jude was big enough and we didn't want to have an accident with Jude trying to climb out of his crib...however, we really didn't want to spend money on a bed that we knew wouldn't last too long...so, we have been searching on CraigsList and finally scored the bed below for $10! We were happy, and though it was a 40 minute drive each way to pick it up....it was worth it. Jude was so excited to be getting a BIG BOY BED that I had to put it up right away!
Now every night he has to crawl into it himself because he is a big boy and luckily he is doing a great job of staying in bed. So all in all, it has been a great transition so far.


How cute is he? You can see that we are still giving him a little railing to ensure he doesn't roll out of bed...but that only goes for a section, leaving him space at the end to get in and out himself! Definitely the big time and a very cool milestone.