Andrew Sledding Solo

Feb 1 Snow Day

Savannah Sledding Solo

Feb 1 Snow Day

Laurie Sledding Solo

Feb 1 Snow Day

Mommy & Savannah Go Sledding

Feb 1 Snow Day

Tumnus Loves the Snow 2

Feb 1 Snow Day

Tumnus Loves the Snow

Feb 1 Snow Day

New Song Overplay

Don't you just HATE IT when Christian radio stations overplay a new song that comes out? WCIC is doing that with the new Steven Curtis Chapman song "Cinderella"... It seems like everytime I have WCIC on in the car or at the house they have to play that song.

If there is one thing (yes, I'm limiting it to just one thing) WCIC hasn't figured out how to do yet it's how to play a good variety of songs and styles over a 24-hour period. They're doing a little better job of it, but as a whole... they've got a long way to go. WAY too predictable at times what's going to come next on their play list.

But, let's be honest... what Christian radio station plays a good variety of songs & styles? Zippo!! Sad thing is, it's not like we can just switch to another Christian station. That's what REALLY stinks... no choice in our listening. So... out come the CD's.

NASTY Weather!!

I pulled into our church's parking lot a little bit ago… or rather, let me correct myself, I SLID into our church parking lot.

When I went into Gold's Gym at 1:30 it was 55°… when I came out at 2:30 it was 40°. When I got out here to the church at 4:00, it was 30°. It's now 4:30 and it's 24°. They said wind of gusts of up to 40 MPH, but... let's be serious, the wind gusts I'm staring at right now are more than that.

It's suppose to drop down to 6° tonight. Ok, now that's just CRAZY!! Why oh why do we live here?? Give me 80° now, Lord!!

Change in Look

Needed a change in how the blog was looking... created a new header (notice the seasonal look I gave it) and changed some of the font colors/sizes throughout. Also, I widened the columns a little. Hopefully it looks ok... give me some feedback and let me know. With so many different monitor sizes these days, it's hard to know. I didn't change the colors too much, but... what looks good from my perspective might be hard for someone else to see.

Let me know what you think.

Notes About Self

1. I have a hard time spelling taikwondo, or is it tae kwon do or tae-kwon-do (Ok... it's actually taekwondo)
2. I need to shave more often
3. People take notice when I dress up now (compared to several years of wearing suits and people noticing when I didn't dress up)
4. I love to sing more today than ever before
5. A day doesn't go by that I don't think of my oldest sister still (22 years June 24th)
6. I've lost 9-lbs in the last few weeks, but I'm not sure where I lost it
7. I'm almost 42 but don't feel it
8. I've actually considered coloring my hair (I don't like my "natural highlights")
9. I still wish I would have gotten an ear pierced several years ago (Laurie says I can't now because it will look like I'm having a mid-life crisis)
10. I'm looking forward to the start of my business year on March 1st (first time in a couple of years)
11. Fine print is getting finer and finer
12. I can't go 3-months without a haircut anymore
13. I'm getting bored with "regular" Christian music (latest turn-ons [not all Christian]: The Fray, Mute Math, Snow Patrol (or referred to as "Snow Plow" in some conversations :), Cold Play, Rush of Fools, Augustana, The Afters, Lifehouse, The Fray, Plain White T's, Jimmy Eat World, Yellow Card [to name a few])
14. I'm enjoying "recreational reading" for (I think) the first time in my life
15. It's becoming more and more difficult and frustrating to define my political beliefs and align myself with a particular party
16. I'm a slow-mover on home improvements (VERY slow mover)
17. I'll finally admit it... my hair is beginning to thin on top (Grrrrrrrrrrr!! Don't worry, no toupee or, the other extreme, shaving bald)
18. I still have some Christmas lights up outside and they turn on every night
19. I become completely overwhelmed and stressed out with bathroom & kitchen fixture choices (which is why Laurie and I will never build a house)
20. I want to write a book some day called "Everything I Need to Know I Learned From Gardening"
21. I really miss a "team" atmosphere while working (I spend approximately 95+% of my work time by myself)
22. Winter depression really stinks (although, I am doing better this winter)
23. I LOVE watching The Weather Channel
24. My favorite art is... Savannah's
25. As I get older my to-do list gets longer
26. More frequently I have to sit back down to remember why I got up
27. Lattes make me feel bloated
28. It concerns me that I'm becoming less concerned about the color of socks that I wear with what shoes and with what outfit
29. I'm becoming too obsessed with Facebook
30. Tumnus had "the surgery" this week... I gave him my frozen corn I used a couple of years ago (he ate it)
31. I thoroughly enjoy wearing flip flops with wool socks in the dead of winter (a little bit of "rebellion" that I have left in me)
32. I might be showing signs of "reality" overload... I missed all of Survivor China and all of Amazing Race 12 (we've never missed any more than 1 or 2 episodes in each season of Survivor and Amazing Race)
33. My achy breaky body... 1-2 Aleves in the morning and 1 at night, 1 Zantac in the morning and 1 at night (or one Prilosec at night only), 1 multi-multi-multi-vitamin each morning, at least 1 Sudafed PE daily
34. I am thoroughly enjoying working out at Gold's Gym
35. I love reading random blogs of people I don't know (is that weird?)
36. I am utterly disgusted and sickened by child abuse
37. Recently I have had a constant craving for chocolate
38. I love listening to Andrew talk about Star Wars trivia (he's well beyond what I've ever known)
39. I'm beginning to accept that we are in Bloomington, Illinois for the rest of our lives (not a bad thing, but just really hating these single-digit temperatures right now!!)
40. My wife is awesome (and very cute, too) ;)
41. Andrew & Savannah are two of the best behaved, well mannered, cutest, loving kids I've ever known (how the HECK did I get so lucky on #40 & #41!?!?)
42. I'm enjoying life right now...

Shadow Pictures

Andrew entertained himself in the car today by figuring out how to do several shadow pictures - he was pretty good. Can you tell what this one was?

Word Find

Amazing how well she does on a word find puzzle when she can't read yet!!