My Soul With Joy Attend

Campout

Camping with the kids this past Friday night was a lot of fun, and here is a picture that shows the results of the fruits of our labor that evening.

Reality

I was thinking today that I would like a pulpit right now, and a willing congregation, to preach on the reality of the child of God - particularly the believer. God is real, Grace is real, and Heaven is real. The things of this life are real, but they are swiftly passing by and some day will not be in existence. Heaven will be, though. Heaven is not some dream or fantasy, but it is real, and someday will be the only reality we know.

Song Request

If someone could email me, or mail me, the words and music to the hymn "It Is Finished," I would be most greatful.

Adam

Sea World

We spent this past Thursday at Sea World in San Antonio, Texas. We had a blast. Many thanks to Aunt Sarah for coming with us and for helping us keep an eye on the kids.

After pictures

One way to get brownie points

Ashlie finally has her new countertops, and new sink in the kitchen. It has been a long time coming, and she should be commended for her patience....maybe. ;) Here are some pictures of the before and after.

And more!

More pics

Fishing Tournament

Fishing Tournament

If you all ask nicely, or just be insistent, my dear wife might post pictures from our family fishing tournament....

Commercial

Those of you in the Fort Smith area be watching for Adam and Alli on TV. They were asked to be in a commercial for a law firm.

Things that have happened this week...

• Audrey bit our dog on the ear and the dog ran away crying.


• We have a new nephew.


• Michael got hit by a baseball and broke his nose.


• I found Audrey playing with my makeup. She decided to smear mascara all over her eyebrows.

Like Father, Like Daughters!

Razorback Baseball

This past weekend Papaw took us to see our first Hog Baseball game. It was lots of fun but hot. I didn't realize I would need to bring sunscreen to a baseball game in March. Most of us sunburned except Jakey who just tans beautifully. The Hogs lost to #1 Vanderbilt. They were ahead most of the game but a couple of errors towards the end of the game caused Vandy to get ahead. Thank you mom and dad for getting us out of the house while Adam was in Atlanta. We enjoyed the weekend very much.

Poor Thunder Nug

Thunder Nug fell out of a tree today in the neighbor's yard. Pick said she was about 10 feet up, and he heard her limb break and tried to catch her, and said that she fell looking up at him with her hair streaming up above her face and her arms and legs reaching toward him. Shook him up some to watch it...but not as much as it shook up Thunder Nug! She just laid there and cried, and she said that Pick managed to pick her up and carry her to the house. (Brownie points for Pick evidently, given the way she told it).
Thankfully, the only damage seems to be some sort of sprain to her hip or knee. She doesn't like walking on it tonight.

Just ask Sashly

My love, my dove, my Sashly is getting to be quite the connisseur of old movies herself. If any of you gals are wondering about good ones to rent off of netflix, just ask her.
She is a big, big fan of Cary Grant...but that is ok 'cause I don't mind watching a movie that has him in it if it has Grace Kelly in it. they don't make actresses like her anymore.

From Thunder Nug's Journal

Cleaning out the old van, I found Thunder Nug's journal. She evidently does not consider it a private thing. I would like to share with you some of the entries, starting with the first day.
Entry 1: A sad day. It was a bad day.
Entry 2: Monday. It bad day.
Entry 3: Its a bad day.
Entry 4: It was way way way sad day.
Entry 5: It was a fere butet. (I have not a clue what that means.)
Entry 6: Its a long cleanup.

That appears to be all the entries so far. Do you see a trend? Perhaps she should have some of that Loraset stuff they gave Jakey? Hmmmm....

Ok, ok...I know it has been a while

I should have posted sooner. Sorry. Seems like I really need a 30 hour day to catch up or even remotely keep up with the things that need to be done. Let's see, what has happened since we lasted posted a blog:
* Ashlie got a new minivan this week. A 2005 Nissan Quest.
* I was called to pastor Pleasant Hill Primitive Baptist Church near Mt. Ida, Arkansas.
* Jacob got a splinter stuck in his thumb down into the root, and it took a trip to the doctor and then being forward to the emergency room, a topical anesthetic, a shot of anesthetic in the thumb, a nerve block, another nerve block, and finally a big dose of something called Loraset? to get him to where they could cut the nail and get it out. Fun times - lots of screaming. One doctor felt so bad she had the office refund us. By the way, from the instant result of that Loraset stuff, it must be mighty good.
* We've had baseball signups, and are now just waiting for practice schedules.

Just some of the same things that regularly, or irregularly, happen that make our lives so full of adventure.

Jakey

Jakey's last basketball game was last night. They lost their first game of the tournament. It didn't seem to bother him that his team didn't make it very far in the tournament. He is very excited about getting his participation trophy next week. I thought I might post a few pictures.

President's Day

I am not sure how we managed to get today off as a holiday, but am glad to have it nonetheless. I changed the contactor in my AC unit, and then we played a little pitch and catch in the backyard to try to encourage spring to finally get here. Somehow the smell of cowhide gloves just seem to make the weather a tad warmer. Pick starts "kid pitch" this year, and we are trying to focus in on the strike zone. He should get a chance to pitch a little this season. Jakey will either be in t-ball or coach pitch. Basketball is more fun for me, but Mrs. Green prefers the summer sport.

Days of our lives...continued

Well, it is the flu. The real, old timey, cotton-swab-up-the-nose-to-prove-it flu. Jacob, Michael, Ashlie, and Allison have it. The Wookie doesn't have it...yet.
My wife is such a trooper.

I learned yesterday how to take a drain trap off and run a snake. I located the main block, and called the city to unstop the street sewer line and unblock it at the joint for my line. Charleston's water department guys responded swiftly and professionally. The clothes-washer drain pipe was still flooding out into the wall, so I had to call a plumber for it. I think squirrels have dropped acorns down the ceiling pipe like they did the gas furnace. Once spring squirrel season is in, I will enact my revenge. Today, I really dislike squirrels.

These are the days of our lives

There are two separate virus plundering this house right now. One is your classic stomach virus, and certain folks around the age of 3 have not figured out that one's bed is not the appropriate place to redeposit previously enjoyed meals. (thus, long night last night for Ashlie). At least there is no fever with this stomach virus, and it only lasts for 12 hours.
Then, there is another totally separate bug that has hit us. It is a flu-like virus with high fevers. Jacob has hit 103-104 degrees several times (thus, long night last night for me), and Michael was at 103 this afternoon. It is 24-hours-and-counting bug. Both boys are still sick.

Then, this evening we have found 1-2 inches of standing water in our hall bathroom soaking under the hall flooring and under the walls and into the hall closet. I am at a loss here. It appears that we have a blockage in the line somewhere because the shower and tub flooded water up into them from the drain. I hope this mess dries and doesn't mold.

Oh well. Right before we discovered the flooding the kids and I were reading a Bible story about Christ as a child. It speculated somewhat about his early life and surroundings based on what was known about the lives of "common folk" during that day and time. Even with a flooded bathroom and hall, we still enjoy more creature comforts than the Lord of Glory had on this earth. That is somewhat staggering to consider.

Too much cold!

There has been to much discussion about the cold weather. We must find a way to warm up this blogspot, so I am posting a picture from this past summer. It is Pickle with his king mackerel. This was a lot of fun - especially seeing giant sea turtles and a mother dolphin and calf come right up near the boat.

I think the funniest part was when a shark bit the red snapper almost in half that Jakey was trying to land, and when he saw the bite and understood it had been a shark, he went up into the "bridge" and quit fishing for a while.

Jakey & Thunder Nug

I thought I should post a picture of Thunder Nug playing in the snow. She is feeling much better and enjoyed playing in the snow very much. The kids were not happy when I ran out of hot chocolate, though.

It's snowing in Charleston!

Thunder Nug the Alligator has the stomach flu and was not happy to miss out playing in the snow. The Wookie is taking a nap and will be surprised when she wakes up and sees the snow on the ground. Pickle and Jakey had fun playing outside but it wasn't long before they were back inside asking for hot chocolate.

Comments from Thunder Nug the Alligator (typed by Dad)

Me and Jacob were playing but then he had to go to the game with Uncle Josh that Pickle was talking about. (thinking with finger in mouth) Then, I....I ated with Daddy right beside me and Momma right beside me and then I readed books. And.....I laid down for a little bit and played with Momma's hair, and then Daddy said for me to go brush my teeth and get my pajamas on, the momma told me to go get in bed. and I told her to tuck me in and to close the light off. and I had the bad hiccups.
And that is it!

Comments typed by Dad, from Pickle

Pick says (adding to his earlier post):
101 to 97 was the final score. I thought every time they made a shot it was 5 points - the score was really fast on both games. And then when the game was over, Uncle Josh took us back home and on our way I got an ice cream. Uncle Josh rocks! He said that he got a drink my most favorite place to get shakes (Bruce Terri drive-in.). Daddy just called Uncle Josh right before we got home, but he was asleep when I got home. Because he was so tired, he was exhasuted, and he had a headache.

From Pickle

Last night I went with Uncle Josh to a basketball game.
The lions vrs. cowboys?
Anyway it seems that we got there a little early but Josh said we weren't.
I guess he wanted to watch the girls game because of what was at half time the extream team! The extream team was my favorite part of the hole thing.
They did flips in the air on trampolines wile dunking.
After the girls game came the boys game!
at first the lions were loosing but then they won!

Opening the Page

Seems like everyone is using this blogging avenue these days, and at the risk of further bogging down the information superhighway the Mrs. and I have decided to place a post.
The wookie and her sister are playing frogger, the boys have accompanied Unka Josh to a Yewfuss basketball game, and we are trying to blog.
Blog. That sounds like something that should accompany a round of Montezuma's revenge more than a proper piece of prose.

Anyway....3...2...1....blastoff.
Here goes our test balloon.