My Mugs

Julie tagged me on this.


I started drinking coffee in the Army while on out in the field in the cold, wet Ft Lewis Washington terrain. It carried over to the office and it seemed everyone in the Army drank coffee (I needed it after getting up for PT at 4 a.m. and running several miles and getting into the office at 7). Shortly after arriving at my 1st assignment I became the "links lieutenant" because I was always on the golf course after getting off work at 4:30. This mug got knocked off my desk and chipped so now it serves as a trusty pen holder on my desk.

Today my mug of choice is the Dixie 20 oz insulated paper cup so I don't have to wash it or remember to bring it home, though I am on a coffee hiatus until temps drop under 90 - can't wait for November...

Make Me Laugh Monday - eni mini minie moe

Yes, for those who have always wondered, that is officially how its spelled, at least according to a google search...

So the kids have started using this (since I always beat them at rock, paper, scissors - click here for that story) for various things most recently to try to decide who prays first at bedtime or who gets to pray for a meal.

Natalie's version changes everytime, but tonight it was (picture my sweet 3 year old pointing her finger back and forth) "mi-ne, mee-ne, catch a lion, tiger, zebra, mo!... daddy's it".

Make Me Laugh Monday -

Funniest thing I heard (at least that I can recall) on our road-trip so far...
We're driving across the Bay Bridge and Julie is telling the kids all about San Francisco.
She says "And then there's China-town".
Noah says, what's China-town mom?
Julie replies, "It's like a miniature China with lots of Chinese food restaurants."
I burst into laughter and Noah replies, "Do they have a miniature Great Wall of China there too?"

Friday Five – My Top 5 inventions for a road trip

5. The compact, portable sleep number bed. I still have never found a hotel bed that doesn’t make my back ache in the morning. My sleep # is 100 – so I guess I’d probably do better to just sleep on the floor when we travel.
4. The P (pee) Pill – to be taken by all children before you get in the car – lasts up to 5 hours or 400 miles so that you can drive without stopping for the kids to pee. As usual, we made the kids go potty before we left the hotel in the morning and not 5 miles down the road Natalie says in her high pitched voice “I need to go potty really bad”!
3. The other P (patience) Pill – to be taken by all parents/drivers before getting in the car – lasts 24 hours or until the conk out for the night.
2. The mini-van limo – equipped with the roll-up window between the driver’s front seat area and the passengers in the rear, as well as satellite tv (Natalie needs her Nick Jr) and high speed internet – Noah refuses to believe that you can’t get internet on the laptop in the car, and continues to ask if he can play Toon Disney.
1. The Back-to-the-Future Delorean Time Machine Car (Ok, so this one I didn’t come up with – Credit to Michael J Fox). But it would be the bomb if you could just get in the car and not have to hear in the most annoying whining voice possible“Are we there yet” and “When are we gonna get there” every 10 minutes for 700 miles.

Thursday Thirteen - My Favorite TV shows growing up

Not in any particular order…
1. Gilligan’s Island - a timeless classic
2. Dukes of Hazzard - I wanted to be Bo Duke when I grew up - I can remember rolling down the windows on my parents car to practice sliding in the window. I also got a bassett hound because flash was awesome! And who can forget the name and character Roscoe P. Coltrain
3. Six Million Dollar Man – I still make that noise when I run sometimes
4. Hogan's Heroes - Sgt. Schultz has to be the most gullible tv personality of all time.
5. Knight Rider - David Hasselhoff was a dork, but KITT was awesome!
6. Miami Vice – Don Johnson is the only guy who could get away with wearing pastels year-round and still be cool.
7. The A-Team - B.A. Barackus, Howling Mad Murdock, Hannibal, and "Face" - Lots of shooting, blowing things up, beating people up, cars chases, and humor - what more could an adolescent boy want?
8. Mork & Mindy - Robin Williams (Mork from Ork) - "Shazbot!", NA-NU NA-NU
9. Happy Days - The Fonz has to be the coolest TV personality of all time - "Aaaay!"
10. The Brady Bunch - All kids could relate to every episode.
11. Diff'rent Strokes - Arnold was so funny - "Whatcha talkin bout Willis?"
12. Cosby Show - Probably the funniest family sitcom ever
13. I dream of Jeanie – I think every 70s boy had a crush on Jeanie

Honorable Mention:
Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom – Ok, this is a strange one, but it was always on Saturday mornings while I was flipping to see what cartoons were on and I loved to see the cheetah (or lion or any other predator) chase down the deer. The only way that Discovery Channel and Animal Planet can compete these days is that all of us 70s & 80s kids still channel surf and get stuck waiting for the cheetah to eat the deer.

I think we all need to petition TV-Land to get these timeless classics added to the lineup.

I'm sure I missed a couple good ones, so you'll have to post your own lists and leave a comment to let me know.

Hugs Can Change the World

This past week has been a real reminder to me of how short life here on earth is and made me think a lot. A week ago I met with a couple from church who just lost their baby - carried until 32 weeks and delivered stillborn. What faith they had in the midst of this trial - No coincidence I think, that they had given her the name Faith. We shared some tears and hugs.

On Monday I did a funeral for my mom's aunt Marie. She was a wonderful woman - I shared about my memories of her - mostly of soft and gentle spirit and of how I will never forget her hugs - She gave a hug like few people I've ever known. She definitely loved God and loved her famliy.

On Wednesday afternoon I met in the office with Barb Cassell - She has been severely hampered for months after a foot surgery and I talked to her about some things and encouraged & prayed with her. She shared with me that her foot had made some great improvements and she was bursting with joy and excitement that she was going this weekend with the youth missions trip to cook for them again this year. She also shared about the Bible study she was leading for women at a half-way house and the youth she worked with in our "Project Freedom" group for troubled youth, and how she was trying to gather donations for the women who had nothing and even using much of what little she had to share and provide for these women.

I got a call yesterday (thurday) afternoon that Barb had been broad-sided in a car accident. A little later I got a call that she had passed away. Barb, I will miss you - Everyone who met you saw your sincere love for people, and your love for Jesus, and surely remember you for always having a hug to give. Thanks for being who you were. I only wish I had taken a little more time to talk to you this week, but I know we will catch up one day in Heaven.


Life is short - slow down and enjoy the wonderful people God brings across your path each day.

Ecclesiastes 3 - Selected verses
1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
11 He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Psalm 144:3-4
3 O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?
4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.

Make Me Laugh Monday - I'm Going to Princess Land!

My kids crack me up on a consistent basis. The most recent was tonight when Natalie, my 3 year old told me that she really wants to go to Princess Land - this infatuation started several months back when we decided to take the kids to Lego Land, and she insisted that she didn't want to go there, but instead to Princess Land. Being the seasoned parent that I am, I knew not to argue with her on this or tell her that there was no such thing as princess land, and so we appeased her by saying that maybe another time, but this time we are going to Lego Land.
Well, she enjoyed Lego Land and loved the Dino roller-coaster, but she continues to talk about Princess Land on a fairly frequent basis. So.....

tonight I took the bait and said, "well I don't know where Princess Land is". Just what she was waiting for - she launched into a 15 minute description of of where it is and how there is a special princess roller-coaster that picks you up at Lego Land and goes really fast up and down (insert animated 3 year old re-inactment of a roller coaster here) from Lego Land all the way to Arkansas (Ok, now that is a REALLY big stretch of the imagination there - that's where her cousins live - sorry, no chance of a roller-coaster there, although I heard they were getting some paved highways soon :), and then it takes you all the way back to your house. And the best part is there are no lines! Ok, that last part sold me - Sign me up!

We then got off track and she launched into her new rule of the day - not sure where this one came from, but apparently we are only allowed to touch snow with our feet and hands, NOT with our eyes or our elbows. Good luck touching any snow in Phoenix, sweetie.

Natalie you will always be MY little princess. Nothing makes my day more than putting her to bed so I can hear her say "I Love You, Daddy".

So for those of you that have kids, what's your funniest kid saying this week?

Friday Five - Top Five Ways You Know Summer Has Arrived

Seasons come and seasons go, but some things never change. In Phoenix, we have 2 seasons: Summer and the rest of the year. Lots of places know summer has arrived when school lets out. Kids or no kids, here's 5 ways you know summer has arrived in the Valley of the Sun:

1. The forecaster says "Temperatures will be in the teens tomorrow" (Yes, that would be over 112).
2. The gum that was on the ground in the parking lots and sidewalks are now just grease spots.
3. Your 3 year old refuses to get in the car because "my carseat burns me, daddy".
4. You can't drive more than a mile on the freeway without passing an overheated car on the side of the road with their hood up (knock on wood).
5. You think the A/C is broken in your car as it blasts you with warm air, and it just starts to cool down by the time you get to where you're going.
P.S. If for some reason you miss these obvious clues that summer has arrived, it will finally hit you when your June electric bill arrives :)

How do you know summer has arrived?