Ethan is involved in Upwards Basketball at church. His first practice was tonight....apparently. I say that because we didn't know it was tonight until he came home and said his friend told him that it was and so we called the coach and lo and behold - - practice tonight! What time did we call? 6pm. What time did practice start? 6pm. And so - - Ethan was late. Yippee.
I was at work and drove straight to the church. Got there and immediately felt completely and utterly OUT OF PLACE. The only time I'm in a gymnasium is....well.....hmmmmm......college? for dinner theater or music functions or chapel or something. Either way, it was NOT to play a sport! :) Dads, Moms and siblings all along the wall, while lots of little boys were running around, bouncing basketballs and shooting hoops. I'll admit it - - I'm definitely a NERD when it comes to sports. And therefore I was way out of my league in this environment. Found my wife and daughter and bee-lined straight to them! Sat on the stage, eyed my son, gave a thumbs up and pretended to pay attention - - waving to Ethan when he would make a basket.
And this was just practice.
I'm not one of those parents who's used to spending time at a gym, watching a basketball game. I like to go to the ballpark or arena.....for the atmosphere! I rarely actually watch the game! I like to watch the people. And eat the food.
Not so interested in the sport itself. Don't watch it on TV.
Ethan seemed to enjoy it, and I will go back - - for his sake, of course. I might bring a book next week :)
And now to the randomness of this blog:
When I come home from work each evening, I like to just change right into my pajamas if the plan is to just stay home. I like to be comfortable - and a t-shirt and lounge pants were made for me when they were created! Anyway....both cars needed gas fill-ups. Too tired to mess with changing, I drove to the gas station in my tee shirt, lounge pajamas, and slippers. Yes....slippers. Filled up my wife's car and came home. As if that wasn't enough, I did it AGAIN by taking my van to the same gas station....in the same outfit.
Nothing like being comfortable with who you are, huh? (a real-life nerd!)
37
Today marks 37 years for me.
It's not quite the "cool" number to celebrate, so I will make it fun by proclaiming 37 things I have learned so far!
#1 No matter what I feel/do or don't feel/do, God is still on His throne, accepting me no matter what. Trusting Him is sometimes easy and sometimes hard. So I just do my best to keep Him first in my life and ask His forgiveness when I don't.
#2 My wife is amazing. We've been together for 15 years, and she still laughs with (and at) me! We still talk (in between kids' comments) and laugh until our bellies hurt. We each have lives outside of home (work is a big part of our lives right now) and we each enjoy coming together at the end of the week to become a closer family. We strive for balance in all we do, and we have an amazing love that keeps us going.
#3 Kids are a blessing. We thought our lives wouldn't be complete without them. God chose for us a journey into adoption, love, and acceptance that only He knew we could pursue. Now we continue to learn and love and enjoy being "family" and it's just AWESOME!
#4 Friends come in all shapes & sizes, types & personalities, laughing & non-laughing too! At work, at home, at church, and in the local restaurant, friends are near. Thank goodness! Cuz life would be so boring if they were too much like me!
#5 People are funny. I like to laugh, and being around people is one of the most funny things ever. So many stories, tall tales, and stupid experiences! Laughter IS the best medicine!
#6 Worship is a great way to start every day. I can't remember what made me start doing this, but I play the piano almost every morning. It is so peaceful and reflective on God's touch for the day. When I am away traveling, I always miss this "my time with God" moment. It's become a treasured time with Him.
#7 After 37 years of life, I'm glad I found out about chocolate. Though bad for the weight, it's definitely good for my soul.
#8 Jigsaw puzzles relax me. I just wish I could leave them out for more than a week - - - the kiddos find a way to knock the pieces on the floor!
#9 I don't like to sweat. Unfortunately, I am currently in a job that requires sweating. It's not a pretty sight and I hate those times.
#10 I finally know a little bit about football, baseball, and basketball to talk intelligently with my 7 year old son. The task is still daunting, but I'm getting better.
#11 Creativity is in my soul, and I need some sort of creative outlet in ANYTHING I do: at work or at home. If it's not there, I am unhappy.
#12 Though hard, sometimes going through challenges are worth it in the end.
#13 Oreos, Swiss Cake Rolls, and Oatmeal Creme Pies - - A Nutritionist's Nightmare. Robb's saving grace.
#14 Sometimes getting up, going to church, singing/volunteering at church is crappy. Good thing I'm just as imperfect as the next person there. Otherwise I wouldn't fit in.
#15 MY extended family (parents and in-laws and grandparents, cousins, & aunts/uncles) are incredible. With so many across the country and so many different types of people, it's amazing God put us all together under the same name! I'm in awe of what we are all doing for God and for others!
#16 Mowing the lawn, taking out the garbage, unloading the dishwasher are all things anyone can do to love another member of the household.
#17 Still amazed that computers didn't make things simpler like "they" claimed they would. We're working harder, faster, and supposedly smarter with the same (or more) paperwork than before!
#18 Cracking up that my daughter is wearing an updated version of the 80's styles! Go leg-warmers and boots!
#19 Learning to love people by spending time with my neighbors, taking time to visit grandparents, and keeping in touch with friends/family who live far away.
#20 Personally, I would like to have more time to read. And sleep. They seem to happen at the same time, when I have just a moment of silence at the end of the night. Not quite what I am looking for long-term but it will do for now.
#21 My only regret is that in high school, I did not pursue my interest in playing tennis or following my gym teacher's suggestion to do gymnastics. Not that I'd like the sweating, mind you. But I do enjoy the sports and wonder if I would have been any good back then.
#22 While I'm on the sports subject, I have learned to really enjoy watching the tennis tournaments on TV and now that I live in Mason, I am able to take my "personal day" from work to spend it watching the US Open Series Tournament for one day in the summer. LOTS of sweating, and SO worth it!
#23 I enjoy being friends with my parents and with my in-laws. Sure glad they all love the Lord and raised both my wife and I in that manner. We can now have fun together: chat and laugh: without arguments, awkwardness, or challenging times. VERY thankful for continued love, acceptance, and relationship-building!
#24 Prayer seems like an easy thing to do - sometimes it isn't. Glad God accepts other different and creative communication options. Praising through song, mind, and spirit is a method of mine. Others include: reading, drawing, playing the piano, and spending alone time.
#25 While on the spiritual subject, I might mention that reading the Bible is one of the hardest things I am learning to do. Having grown up in the churchy world all my life, it has become routine to do all the "right" "Christian" things. I wish the Bible would be "newly released" and brought to life again and again to remind me that it is relevant and worth reading again and again. I get a lot of that from sermons each week in church. I just wish it could be proclaimed in some way in the "secular" world as a "hot item" necessary for every living soul. I guess that's our job as Christians, huh?
#26 37 years to think of crazy questions like:
What if everyone in the world knew Jesus and He hadn't returned yet? What would we all do, day in and day out?
#27 I'm glad God made us to "grow up" instead of keeping us in diapers all our life. How gross would that be?
#28 After biting my nails for approximately 27 of my 37 years, I have learned that this is a bad idea. And now I can't give my son a good reason why he should stop.
#29 Being a good worker at work means actually working at work and not working at home. Those priorities are pretty important, so I'm continuing to adjust my work life with my home life so they stay in balance.
#30 TV is mostly a waste of time. And oh-so-fun to watch after a long day. I'm stuck on the 9pm and 10pm shows for the drama, comedy, emotional release, and laughter!
#31 Holding a child is one of the most incredible moments in all my life.
#32 A full life is one with multiple experiences with multiple people within one purpose. The hard part is figuring out the purpose first, instead of the other way around.
#33 The best sundae I've ever had was : 1 scoop mint chocolate chip, 1 scoop cookies & cream, 1 scoop chocolate - add chocolate syrup, kit kat topping, and a cherry. DIVINE!
#34 Some time in my life, I'd like to own a baby grand piano.
#35 I stand by my favorite verse of Scripture - - since my sophomore year in high school: Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" (NIV).
#36 I love my wife and my kids.
#37 I love my God.
It's not quite the "cool" number to celebrate, so I will make it fun by proclaiming 37 things I have learned so far!
#1 No matter what I feel/do or don't feel/do, God is still on His throne, accepting me no matter what. Trusting Him is sometimes easy and sometimes hard. So I just do my best to keep Him first in my life and ask His forgiveness when I don't.
#2 My wife is amazing. We've been together for 15 years, and she still laughs with (and at) me! We still talk (in between kids' comments) and laugh until our bellies hurt. We each have lives outside of home (work is a big part of our lives right now) and we each enjoy coming together at the end of the week to become a closer family. We strive for balance in all we do, and we have an amazing love that keeps us going.
#3 Kids are a blessing. We thought our lives wouldn't be complete without them. God chose for us a journey into adoption, love, and acceptance that only He knew we could pursue. Now we continue to learn and love and enjoy being "family" and it's just AWESOME!
#4 Friends come in all shapes & sizes, types & personalities, laughing & non-laughing too! At work, at home, at church, and in the local restaurant, friends are near. Thank goodness! Cuz life would be so boring if they were too much like me!
#5 People are funny. I like to laugh, and being around people is one of the most funny things ever. So many stories, tall tales, and stupid experiences! Laughter IS the best medicine!
#6 Worship is a great way to start every day. I can't remember what made me start doing this, but I play the piano almost every morning. It is so peaceful and reflective on God's touch for the day. When I am away traveling, I always miss this "my time with God" moment. It's become a treasured time with Him.
#7 After 37 years of life, I'm glad I found out about chocolate. Though bad for the weight, it's definitely good for my soul.
#8 Jigsaw puzzles relax me. I just wish I could leave them out for more than a week - - - the kiddos find a way to knock the pieces on the floor!
#9 I don't like to sweat. Unfortunately, I am currently in a job that requires sweating. It's not a pretty sight and I hate those times.
#10 I finally know a little bit about football, baseball, and basketball to talk intelligently with my 7 year old son. The task is still daunting, but I'm getting better.
#11 Creativity is in my soul, and I need some sort of creative outlet in ANYTHING I do: at work or at home. If it's not there, I am unhappy.
#12 Though hard, sometimes going through challenges are worth it in the end.
#13 Oreos, Swiss Cake Rolls, and Oatmeal Creme Pies - - A Nutritionist's Nightmare. Robb's saving grace.
#14 Sometimes getting up, going to church, singing/volunteering at church is crappy. Good thing I'm just as imperfect as the next person there. Otherwise I wouldn't fit in.
#15 MY extended family (parents and in-laws and grandparents, cousins, & aunts/uncles) are incredible. With so many across the country and so many different types of people, it's amazing God put us all together under the same name! I'm in awe of what we are all doing for God and for others!
#16 Mowing the lawn, taking out the garbage, unloading the dishwasher are all things anyone can do to love another member of the household.
#17 Still amazed that computers didn't make things simpler like "they" claimed they would. We're working harder, faster, and supposedly smarter with the same (or more) paperwork than before!
#18 Cracking up that my daughter is wearing an updated version of the 80's styles! Go leg-warmers and boots!
#19 Learning to love people by spending time with my neighbors, taking time to visit grandparents, and keeping in touch with friends/family who live far away.
#20 Personally, I would like to have more time to read. And sleep. They seem to happen at the same time, when I have just a moment of silence at the end of the night. Not quite what I am looking for long-term but it will do for now.
#21 My only regret is that in high school, I did not pursue my interest in playing tennis or following my gym teacher's suggestion to do gymnastics. Not that I'd like the sweating, mind you. But I do enjoy the sports and wonder if I would have been any good back then.
#22 While I'm on the sports subject, I have learned to really enjoy watching the tennis tournaments on TV and now that I live in Mason, I am able to take my "personal day" from work to spend it watching the US Open Series Tournament for one day in the summer. LOTS of sweating, and SO worth it!
#23 I enjoy being friends with my parents and with my in-laws. Sure glad they all love the Lord and raised both my wife and I in that manner. We can now have fun together: chat and laugh: without arguments, awkwardness, or challenging times. VERY thankful for continued love, acceptance, and relationship-building!
#24 Prayer seems like an easy thing to do - sometimes it isn't. Glad God accepts other different and creative communication options. Praising through song, mind, and spirit is a method of mine. Others include: reading, drawing, playing the piano, and spending alone time.
#25 While on the spiritual subject, I might mention that reading the Bible is one of the hardest things I am learning to do. Having grown up in the churchy world all my life, it has become routine to do all the "right" "Christian" things. I wish the Bible would be "newly released" and brought to life again and again to remind me that it is relevant and worth reading again and again. I get a lot of that from sermons each week in church. I just wish it could be proclaimed in some way in the "secular" world as a "hot item" necessary for every living soul. I guess that's our job as Christians, huh?
#26 37 years to think of crazy questions like:
What if everyone in the world knew Jesus and He hadn't returned yet? What would we all do, day in and day out?
#27 I'm glad God made us to "grow up" instead of keeping us in diapers all our life. How gross would that be?
#28 After biting my nails for approximately 27 of my 37 years, I have learned that this is a bad idea. And now I can't give my son a good reason why he should stop.
#29 Being a good worker at work means actually working at work and not working at home. Those priorities are pretty important, so I'm continuing to adjust my work life with my home life so they stay in balance.
#30 TV is mostly a waste of time. And oh-so-fun to watch after a long day. I'm stuck on the 9pm and 10pm shows for the drama, comedy, emotional release, and laughter!
#31 Holding a child is one of the most incredible moments in all my life.
#32 A full life is one with multiple experiences with multiple people within one purpose. The hard part is figuring out the purpose first, instead of the other way around.
#33 The best sundae I've ever had was : 1 scoop mint chocolate chip, 1 scoop cookies & cream, 1 scoop chocolate - add chocolate syrup, kit kat topping, and a cherry. DIVINE!
#34 Some time in my life, I'd like to own a baby grand piano.
#35 I stand by my favorite verse of Scripture - - since my sophomore year in high school: Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" (NIV).
#36 I love my wife and my kids.
#37 I love my God.
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