Tuesday, May 31, 2005


JP' putting a great effort into pulling this wagon loaded with cousins!

The cousins having a miniature hay-ride! :)

Some cousins came up from Florida to catch up with the family in this area. So the girls all got to play together, and oh what fun they had! :)

Look how strong she is! She can stop a dozer in its tracks! Waaa, ha, ha, ha!

My in-laws are having an excavator clear of the 2nd piece of property they own next to us to get the 'lay of the land' for their home. Well -obviously the excavators didn't work over the holiday and I couldn't pass up this opportunity to get a photo of my dozer driving daughter! :)

Here's JP and the infamous Mr Turtle. She LOVED hanging out with him. She'd talk to him, she'd sing to him, she'd take him everywhere we went if we'd let her! :)

Sunday, May 29, 2005

Memorial Day Movies

Doreen and I have caught a few movies this weekend. Last night, I had the option of watching Stepmom with Doreen or Star Wars 3 at my computer.

Sorry gals, had to choose Star Wars. JR & SS acting is ok, but I just can't stand their politics, so they really bug me. We watched over half of Pretty Woman (Can't stand Richard Gere either, but that's not a bad movie.)

Tonight we watched Oceans 12. It was OK - but a HUGE let-down after Oceans 11.

The story wasn't nearly as well written as the first. Oceans 11 had so many twists and turns, but kept you in it all along with one huge suprise. Oceans 12 keeps you in the dark about the actual event and is just a bunch of jibber-jabber until the big reveal. Usually when Doreen asks me what something means or why something happened in a movie, I can tell her - but I was befuddled a many a time in this one.

So is that a testiment to the quality of writting when the first one was written, or an indictment on the writting of today?

Of course it could be a simple revelation of my actually being an idiot!

Have a Very Happy Memorial day! (I will cuz I don't have to be to work AT ALL! PTL!!!)

He, he, he!

Saturday, May 28, 2005

A Cursed Name??? or A Great Flick!!!

Hey,

Just got back from the Sabbath meeting at the Georgia/Cumberland Campmeeting. The girls are finally old enough they can go to their meeting by themselves! Wooohooo!

So Doreen and I went to the young adult meetings to hear Don Keele, Jr. Good message. I love my daughters, but it's good to be around adults for some Sabbath meetings!

Anyway, we're just waiting for family and friends to arrive for lunch - so I thought I'd take this moment to blog.

A few weeks ago we got a call from some friends, an aquaintance we know down here got in a bicycle wreck - he was going down the mountain on a bike and did a head on into the windshield of a car. Last we heard he's still in a coma with multiple bone breaks everywhere and a severed spinal cord. If he comes out, at the minimum, he'll probably be paralized from the chest down.

This got Doreen and I to thinking, because this guys name is Terry T. Then we realized we know other "Terrys" with similar problems.

You all know about Terri Shaivo from the news.

Terry D is my wife's cousin who was in a motorcycle accident and a vegetable.

Terry W was a college student of my father-in-law. He was in a gymnastics accident and is now a quadraplegic.

Then a member of a church I used to attend, Terri O was killed in a white-water rafting accident.

So - I leave it up for you to decide, is that a cursed name or just coincidence.

On to other more enjoyable topics...

Doreen and I went to see Star Wars the other night. Man is it a cool movie. Doreen thought there was too much light saber fighting going on, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Seeing Yoda go off on the Emperor was awesome. At points the movie felt a bit long, but overall it was a GREAT climax to a very, vert good series of movies.

I liked all 6, I'd say the "Empire Strikes Back' Was my least favoite. I'll have to watch all 6 again, in a row, to see which is my favorite! Do you have a favorite or a least favorite of the Star Wars Saga???

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Friday, May 27, 2005

Hoppin' Man

Hey - what up?

So last Friday, just before noon our church service coordinator calls and says she had a person back out on telling the Childrens story and would I fill in. "Sure" was my reply.

I forgot about that agreement until later in the evening and so I'm trying to think about what I can tell. I could tell a story about trucking. (So many people tell borning stories though.) Then I try to think about something I could take to draw a good thought out for them... Hum, maybe a blank CDr and one that has been burned and then tell how our lives begin blank and the choices determine what is written there. Oh wait - we found a turtle cleaning up the new yard - kids (and adults) always LOVE animals. Ok - now what story do I tell?

I start looking on the web Sabbath morning trying to find a story to tell. And miraculously I find the story about The race between the Beaver & the Turtle. My girls have had a hard time sharing lately, so this story fit perfectly. Everyone at church loved it and the turtle even stuck his head out when I picked him up to show everyone. It was perfect. What a blessing.

Did you know that if a turtle eyes are red it's a female if they're yellow, they're a male? I didn't either until someone at church told me that as I was walking out with the turtle. (Course it may just be an old wives tale - but oh well!)

So when we let Mr Turtle go, Joelle & Natalie said "Bye, bye." Then Sunday morning we went outside to try and find Mr Turtle - we couldn't see him anywhere. We went back inside for breakfast and Joelle started waxing eloquent. (It was soooo cute!) She said Mr Turtle really liked going to church with us and he was going to tell all his friends about going to church and hearing about Jesus and how they can get to know Jesus if they'll come to church with us! (All together now, aaaahhhhhhh!)

Wednesday eveing before leaving work, I get told that we have to create a 60 sec spot for GC session that is due Friday morning. WHAT???!!! So I say, give us a script and we'll put it together. I don't get the script until 10a on Thu morning, and that was after beggin for it for 2 hours. AAaarrrrggghhhhh! Then it was so incredibly bad - my 4 year old could have written it. So we (my team of 3 video guys and me) rewrite it - and then 'he' comes back upstairs at noon with a second script, (it's better, but very old school, preachy and condecending) and chooses to use it over ours. Oh well.

We shoot it and then begin working on it with everything else. I leave work very late and my guys don't leave until 3am, but it got done! And done very, VERY well I might add!

Well, "He" comes in this morning and starts picking it apart. Stupid little things, stupid, stupid little things. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

So we appeared to 'fix' the little technical things he was complaing about - but really didn't because they were FINE. You know most producers are find because the talent comes in and does their thing and leaves the technical thing to the technicians - and just want to be made to look good.

Not where I work. "He" thinks he knows it all and so he started editing around on what we did, then went downstairs for a few minutes. I closed the program without saving any of his changes. We did have one spelling error that got fixed - but other than that it was perfect! Oh man did I get 'hot' under the collar today!

Thank God the weekend is here and that it's a long holiday weekend. Give me a chance to cool off and forget.

Hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Monday, May 23, 2005

"Adventist On the Air in Athens" - Ooohhh Yeah!!! :)

Oh man,

Check THIS out. We had our dedication at Athens for our brand new LPFM Radio Station and here's the write-up about it.

It's a beautiful thing! :)

Hope you enjoy it! (For all the effort I put in and all the time my family had to be on their own while I was working - it is definetly worth having this station reaching out to the community - and I definetly enjoyed it!)

Star Wars III - Here we Come

Tonight we're shipping our kids off to the in-laws so we can have a date night. It's gonna include our favorite Chinese restaurant and then going to see Star Wars 3. I appreciate my wife putting up with my love of Sci-fi movies!

Have a marvelous Monday!

Uh oh - I set up an old computer I had for my daughters to exclusively use and I really believe that in 3 weeks she'll be better on computers than I am! :)

Big helper girls! They have been faithfully watering our tomato and pepper plants to help them grow big!

My daughter trying out for the Dixie Stampede horse show!

My Sis & Bro in law on their bike they no longer own. They traded it in for a coupe of dirt bikes. Is that a lack of loyalty or what? He, he, he! (To understand - read my bro-in-law's blog... http://www.minus7.org/archives/001246.html)

Saturday, May 21, 2005

Digital Photos

Man, I LOVE my digital camera. I really, really love having a digital camera.

Since we've moved in - we're kinda going through stuff and getting rid of a LOT of extra junk.

So yesterday afternoon, I start looking through a pile of unmarked used CD'R pile. One of the CD'rs is a bunch of pictures from our first digital camera. (May 03) So I start looking through the pics then I realize this is an extra and toss it. But it got me started down memory lane, so I pop open the folder of pics on the computer and browse through the last three years.

Of course the girls have gotten much, much taller. Doreen has pretty much stayed the same - except she's in the process of growing her hair out. And I've grown wider!

It was a lot of fun. Many, MANY pictures had me chuckling and a bunch of them had me roaring with laughter. Others with a huge cuteness factor got a big, 'aaaaawwwwwwwww' when they popped up. It was good to refresh those memories.

I have resolved to take more pictures of everything. They're digital - no developing costs - so careful, if you're around us in the near future "Smile cuz you'll be on our camera!" :)

This week of work has been a little bit better. I don't know why specifically. We still haven't 'shot' anything of value. Still trying to wrangle equipment and stuff out of the guy. If he wants to set up television - he's gotta set it up right. So I gotta keep beggin. Aye, yai, yai! That's tiring in itself.

Doreen has really done a TON around here - outside - in getting our lawn to grow more. I've only got 'so' much time after I get home now before bedtime, etc. So she's been really getting into getting stuff raked and mowed and weed 'et and when I get home we are able to focus and really get the 'big' stuff done. This week we got all the major dirt piles cleared and huge rocks and sticks cleaned up and dumped 100 lbs of grass seed down on the 'dirt' areas. Wooo hooo!

I set up my folks old computer for Joelle this week. Had problems with the sound card - but opened the case, blew out 3 tons of dust and reseated all the cards and voila - a working computer. She has had a TON of fun using the paint programs, typing on a word processor and playing an Arthur reading game we've had laying around here waiting for me to get that system up. I fully expect her to pass me in computer knowledge in the next two weeks or so! :)

Well, we've got some friends coming over, and they should be getting here in the next coupla minutes. So I'm going to bid you "adu" for now!

Blessings!

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Name Change

Hey Y'all,

Some of you will notice the change of the name at the top of this page.

That's cuz today at work, one of my guys was doing some google searches on the web of the names of us that work in the video dept. My blog came up - but thankfully he didn't click on it. :)

I've been having a struggle at work - but right now, it's between me and a 'few' I trust and my blog. So I'd like to avoid any potentially challenging situations becuase they read my blog. Right now I just need a place to vent and writing it is extremely helpful - so I made my blog a litte more unobvious!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Monday, May 16, 2005

Coincidence - I think NOT

Ok -

After my last written post, in which I happened to be a bit 'rough' on things at work. Well, the very next day while watching some TV and a video with my daughters - I believe I got a very strong message to endure and excell.

We were watching Janice's Attic on 3ABN and the story time was about a boy who got his first a job as a janitor and how he eventually worked his way up to be the President of the company. His dad taught him before starting that he should always "Do More than is Expected of You."

The second program was a Veggie Tales DVD called the Ballad of Little Joe." (By the way I LOVE their version of the Bible story about Joseph in this one.) Of course we all know the story of Joseph and ALL that he went through from becoming a slave to being thrown in prision to becoming the number 2 man in all of Egypt.

So the moral of my story is... I am currently in prison (metaphoraphically speaking -he, he, he, he) I just need to remain faithful and follow through with everything and be the best that I can be and I'll either be the leader of this ministry or the number two guy to a very wise leader we will one day have! ;)

Or at least hang on until something better comes along!

You have a Maaaaaaaaavelous Monday!

:)

We're getting ready to plant a tomato plant and two green pepper plants in these barrels - but I wanted to see two little girls planted in 'em first! Cute. They're growing as fast as weeds! He, he, he!

Joelle's first visit to the dentist. "Open Wide" She did GREAT!

Joelle enjoing some of the frosting off her 4th b-day cake!

Doreen and the girls just 'a bouncin.

My kids and I just 'a swingin.

The girls saying bye-bye to great-grandma Pester.

Not a bad looking bunch actually! :)

Dressed all pretty.

The cousins all snuggled in the camper watching Bambi before a good night of sleep!

Ah - here we were eating and yaking! :)

Here's Grandpa surounded by his great-grandaughters.

A lot of our time there was, yak, yak, yak, yak! :) Look - they're supposed to be working and yak, yak, yak! :) (It was really fun catching up with everyone!)

Here's a young group of cousins all talkin on cell phones!

Here's the cousins. Linda, Evie, Jean, Louie & Sheri - a FUN bunch!

Friday, May 13, 2005

Yeah - I remembered how to get here!!!

Hey y'all,

How in the world are ya? I've had about 3 and 1/2 million things going on since getting moved to Chattanooga and it hasn't slowed down.

Quick update...

My family is doing well. Joelle is just 'sprouting' up this spring. She's getting so tall and lanky. It's very cute.

Natalie is coming into her own. She has a lot to say and much of it is quite interesting. Right now she LOVES to make funny faces that just cracks all of us up!

Doreen has done a wonderful job at getting us settled in our new home. We still have a few boxes around - but very VERY few in comparison to what was laying around originally.

I'm still working - don't enjoy what I've been currently assigned to do and dread each weekday, but I hope to make it through this alive! :) Things were supposed to get better after we got all moved (Both home and work) and settled. I tell ya - it's pretty much gone down hill. (So at this point, just call me a Grumbling Isrealite. Right now I'd be relieved to be bitten by a poisionous snake or swallowed by the earth!!!) Plus I recently found out that I have to go to Michigan Campmeeting (Leave June 13) for 2 weeks, then immediately to the GC Session in St Louis for another 2 weeks with no time in between at home. (Return July 11)I do not get to pass "Go." I will get well over $200 in per diem though. It's gonna be tough being away for a month, it's even worse because as VBS leaders - Doreen and I scheduled our event months ago and I was told I had to change it or get someone else to do it because I HAD to go. No "If's, and's, or's or but's about it. That just really stinks. It's very 'anti-family' and frankly quite infuriating.

On the bright side, I'm blessed though to be able to eat breakfast with my family before work, come home for a very nice lunch time and still have a pretty decent evening with my 3 girls. That makes work bearable - a chance for escape! :)

Last weekend we made a quick trip to Lincon, Nebraska for my grandma's (Dad's mom) funeral. (1863 miles round trip - thank goodness for portable DVD players!!!) She lived a very long, passed away at 93, and fruitful life. She was a great grandma and will be missed.

The funeral was very VERY nice, but the best part was time with family. We sure enjoyed an afternoon (and a place to stop for the girls to get some wiggles out and a place to crash for the night.) with Doreen's Aunt Amy and family in Smithville, MO on the way there. Then we got to hang out with all sorts of relatives once we arrived in Lincoln. What a very cool time. It's just so sad that it was a funeral that had to bring us together. I'd not seen three cousins since the last funeral. Gotta change that! :)

Anyway - we had a great time. For Sunday night we had 6 adults and 5 kids sleeping in my folks 5th wheel. It was really cozy and worked great. Getting around in the morning after everyone woke up was a challenge - but I think we did ok with it.

We're finally getting into somewhat of a life here. We still have to attend the church in Athens we were going to until after VBS - but we'll start church shopping around here pretty soon. That should be pretty interesting. It'll be nice not to have to drive 50 min on Sabbath mornings either! :)

Well - tomorrow is our dedication for WKPJ-LP 104.5fm at our church. All sorts of Georgia-Cumberland Conf and City and County officials have been invited. Hopefully it'll be a big shin-dig! So I better hit the sack.

Hope to be able to throw some pics up in the near future.

Until then - "see ya!"