Facebook, Friends and Feeling Sorry For Myself

What a week or two! I guess I was a little behind the times, but finally managed to get on Facebook. It is totally addicting and I haven't gotten much done at home. Fortunately work has been keeping me occupied during the day, but my nights have been spent looking up friends on Facebook and reminiscing with my wife about all of the memories that flood my thoughts.

I have been so fortunate to find childhood friends, church friends, old friends, new friends, big friends, little friends, and extended family members. I realize how fortunate I am to have grown up and known all of these wonderful people. It has been so much fun to get a glimpse of people's lives and see how they've grown up after being apart for so many years.

In saying that I've been feeling a little sorry for myself. All of these people seem to have wonderful, great, successful lives. Many have become doctors, lawyers, mothers, fathers, police officers, military members, teachers, business owners. I look at them and am somewhat envious. I can't imagine anyone being envious of my life. I feel like I've struggled so hard to get to where I am now. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy with my life, but I've always felt like there is more for me, like something spectacular is waiting for me.

I don't want to sound down and depressed because I'm really not. I'm so happy inside and just ready to burst with joy to know that my friends and family are happy and healthy. I would be remissed though if I didn't express my deep concern for their eternal happiness. Many friends and family members have fallen away from the gospel, which I love so dearly. I wish there was a way that I could convince them that they can improve their lives by living the gospel.

I hope to continue to find more friends and reconnect and re-energize the friendships we shared so long ago.

"One Day He's Going to Kill Himself"

As you may or may not be aware, I shave my head. Mach 3 razor works the best. Sometimes when I'm tired or in a hurry, I lose my focus and I nick myself. I usually nick myself behind an ear (seems to be the hardest place to get).

As luck would have it the other day, I was tired AND in a hurry and I nicked myself. I came down stairs with a piece of toilet paper on my cut and Alex saw this. He proceeded to tell Samantha that if I wasn't careful, "one day he's going to kill himself".

Just another cute moment from a cute kid.

Just when I thought I could breathe.....

After Christmas I was a little bored for a few days, work had slowed and the house was clean and I didn't have much going on. Then it hit...Work is back and a friend asked me to help her paint (that is her business) and through a friend of a friend I got an order for draperies and I also pick up teaching Pre-K at KVPAC again...and I have company coming next week. My house is a wreck, the laundry isn't done, my personal drapes are draped over a chair because I haven't had time to get the rings. I am not sure what day it is when I wake up in the morning and have to take a minute to think about it and what I have to do. I just don't have the time. I guess that is the way it goes.

P.S. Even though I get crazy I am very thankful for the work!

Campout

I took Dylan on a campout last weekend with our scout troop. It was a wilderness survival campout, so the scouts were told not to bring anything except a sleeping bag. Dylan was excited to go. He loves to "hang out" with the bigger boys and like to use the word "dude" a lot.

We got up to the park late, so it was dark and the first order of business was getting shelters put together. We took the scouts about 100 to 200 yards off the trail back into the brush and left them to fend for themselves for the night. Dylan decided that wasn't his style so we went back to the main camping area.

He made a fire, with one match, and we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Since we didnt have a tent I suggested we sleep under the stars by the fire, but that didn't fly. We ended up setting up sleeping bags in the back of the van. It was cramped but fun to snuggle with my little guy as we gazed at the stars through the back window.

The next morning we ate breakfast and tried to make fire using the bow method. Key word...tried. He was very diligent in getting an ember, but it just didn't work for us. We managed just fine with matches and as you can see, he enjoyed playing with the fire, just like the rest of them.

It was a good experience for him and a fun one for me.

Oooohhhhh Tooth Fairy, where are you???

Alex finally lost his first tooth. He is 6 1/2 and has been waiting all last year and all this year for it to happen. He was feeling a little sad about it a few months ago and we checked for wigglies and found one to be the tiniest bit wiggly. So yesterday morning I checked it before school and told him it would come out soon. Well, yesterday at lunch while biting into a pizza pocket at lunch it came out. I think it is so cute because if they lose it at school they give them a little treasure box to put it in. So we put it under the pillow and guess what? The Tooth Fairy came!!! However, when Alex went to read the note the Tooth Fairy left he misplaced the money and we can't find it. He wasn't even upset, he just wanted to know what the Tooth Fairy said. So everyone be on the look out for the lost Tooth Fairy money!

Craziness...getting ready for school

Does anyone else have a crazy time getting their kids ready for school in the morning. I do claim some fault as I am not the most organized person. There are lunches, snacks, breakfast, backpacks, water bottles, homework, books, socks, shoes, and jackets...all times 3 kids, all in 45 minutes...AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH! Kudos to those who have more kids! When they actually walk out the door I have to breathe a sigh of relief.

Dental Dystrophy Disaster

We've had our first dental disaster this last month. Dylan, 8, has had several root canals and yesterday was the last day of hopefully a long list of dental work that had to be done.

We started with a doctor closer in town that was recommended to us, but that turned out to be a joke. Dylan went in for his first root canal and only started the second.....DIDNT FINISH IT. Samantha was in there and apparently the doctor wasn't too nice to her. He said that Dylan needed some additional work, but because he was having a hard time that they would schedule another appointment to come back.

Samantha was so turn off by that doctor that she found another one here in Katy and Dylan went in 3 times this week. The doctor was very very nice and we have nothing but good things to say about her. In all, I think Dylan ended up with 3 root canals, had a tooth removed because of an abcess and had one crowned.

Some of you may think we are terrible parents, but we methodically teach our children to brush their teeth in the morning and before bed. Samantha said that while they were there the other day that there was a 4 year old that was going in for multiple procedures too. Oh the joys of dentistry.