Collins Family Blog

One man band

2009-07-09T09:38:00.003-05:00

This is very well done. I've always loved this song since my guitar playing days (which are long gone sadly). This guy has some serious musical talent...keyboards, drums, guitars, bass...and the clapping is right on time! I just wonder why the lead singer didn't put on a shirt more worthy of the video?

If you like that, this one is also good (but clearly an earlier one with poorer editing)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzocOzt0BBs

AutoPitch

2009-07-06T13:55:00.002-05:00

So is this acceptable like makeup, or is this fraud on the part of the singers. We all knew it was going on for recordings, but the fact that they can do it for a live performance is shocking to me, and just seems too fabricated.

Mouse Site

2009-06-12T17:05:00.000-05:00

Have some fun on this site. Move you mouse around and enjoy.

Be Quiet. Baby Pigs are Sleeping

2009-06-02T09:21:00.000-05:00

Check this one out.

Basketball Skills

2009-05-29T09:20:00.001-05:00

This screams editing and photoshop, but just enjoy it for what it is...

White House Interactive Floorplan

2009-05-26T07:56:00.002-05:00

I've seen the white house from a distance, but never been inside for a tour. This online experience helped me see how the white house was laid out. I also learned that the oval office was in the West Wing, not in the house itself. Go figure. Just click on the rooms that interest you and you can see pictures of the rooms through the ages. Be sure to check out the chocolateer's room, the kitchen (to see it through the ages), the oval office, the indoor pool, and the huge woodshop (why do they need this?). Those were some of our family's favorites.

Link

Pizza Vending Machine

2009-05-25T13:44:00.001-05:00

This is awesome.

via videosift.com

Long Day

2009-05-11T12:36:00.000-05:00

Sometimes is seems like the days will never end...

Summer in the Arctic Circle means 24-hour daylight. The sun doesn’t set; it just bounces along the horizon! This time-lapse video covers a week of Arctic summertime.

Outsourcing

2009-05-11T08:38:00.001-05:00

Simpson's A Capella

2009-05-07T09:53:00.002-05:00

This is one perky group of folks. Except the shortest lady, she doesn't seem to fit in with the group. Just not enough spunk. I can't help but think of Andy Bernard from the Office when I see this, and all the hand gestures that go along with a capella singing.

Coldplay Puppet Video

2009-04-25T08:59:00.000-05:00

I have a feeling the boys are going to like this one...

Jumping Like Crazy

2009-04-23T08:28:00.000-05:00

These girls are incredible.

Disney - Cut and Paste Style

2009-04-21T08:27:00.002-05:00

As a CPA, I do my fair share of copy and pasting, but this just seems wrong. Watch the similarities in this video between so many Disney movies.

Head Spin Trick

2009-03-24T10:57:00.001-05:00

Ping Pong Celebration

2009-03-20T18:50:00.000-05:00

Be sure to watch this to the end...

via videosift.com

Corkscrew

2009-03-18T09:45:00.000-05:00

This is just what every home needs. Very practical, and a good use of space, vs. the clunky corkscrews that people are forced to use these days. My arms are already relaxing at the thought of never having to actually lift a bottle again to pour.

All kidding aside, it is a cool invention to watch.

via videosift.com

Dangle

2009-03-16T09:20:00.000-05:00

A little predictable, but fun to watch anyway...

Funny Videos | Funny Cartoons | More Video Clips

Pesky little monkey

2009-03-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

Street Art Crack

2009-03-06T08:41:00.001-05:00

Antarctica Condition 1

2009-02-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

Pick Me

2009-02-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

Fight Scene Run Through

2009-02-21T16:46:00.001-05:00

This is pretty awesome. I don't know the movie, but the timing of this practice shoot is incredible.

Crazy Ballin' Skills

2009-02-13T09:21:00.000-05:00

via videosift.com

Update and Shameless Plug of My New Business

2009-02-10T12:09:00.005-05:00

I know I haven't been posting much lately. If you haven't heard the news, I have left my former firm and started my own CPA practice. That has been an adventure and has required most of my time recently. Hopefully my new work situation will give me more time to blog, and this site will be revived.

One thing is has done is give me more time with Emily and the kids, which I am truly grateful for. I am so thankful that I can keep food on the table without killing myself or sacrificying my family time and that I will have more control over my worklife in the future.

So if you need help with your taxes this year or if you just have a quick question, please don't hesitate to contact me. Don't make the mistake of going to one of tax preparation chains in the strip malls. I see their mistakes all the time, and I generally charge the same or less than they do.

Feel free to also check out my fancy shmancy site at www.acollinscpa.com .

Blog Book - Preserving the Hard Work

2008-12-31T07:30:00.000-05:00

Emily told me about this website (I think Tara told her, so thanks Tara). They export all of your blog entries into a photobook. It is a really cool way to preserve all the pictures and stories that get put on a blog, but then forgotten about. If you are interested, here is a video telling you more about it.

Scripture Memory System

2008-12-25T07:30:00.000-05:00

Here is a scripture memory system that I came across that I really like. Before you brush this off and move on with your day, give it a look. It's much easier than you think, and just requires a small amount of time each day. Someday I hope to use this with the boys (and myself) to help begin hiding God's word in our hearts more faithfully.

Mega Skate Ramp

2008-12-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

Slow Time Around Here

2008-12-15T10:02:00.003-05:00

So life on this blog has come to a halt. Sorry for dropping everyone cold like that. Life has just gotten much more busy with some changes at work requiring more hours, leaving less time for things like blogging. Emily has agreed to take up my slack and post lots of wonderful pictures of our boys over on her blog. I'll still try to post some, but it will be irregular. I hope to continue the special bible night lesson series if nothing else. Thanks for reading.

The Prediction

2008-12-04T07:30:00.000-05:00

So did he predict your move correctly? He did mine. I'm pretty sure it's basic mathematics and elimination of possibilities.

Redneck Thrill Ride

2008-11-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

Luke Pics

2008-11-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

Can you get enough of this little guy?

Day at the Park

2008-11-21T07:30:00.001-05:00

Just some great pictures from our trip to the park the other day. We love to take the power wheels up to the local elementary school and ride around the track. I can chip some golf balls while they drive around. Then we hit the playground. It was great weather and a fun morning.

In Inspirational Story For You

2008-11-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

Luke Pics

2008-11-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

Somebody's getting chunky these days.

God's Memory

2008-11-18T07:30:00.001-05:00

Family Bible Night dealt with our memory as we played the game of memory tonight. We played a quick game and then talked about how hard it is to remember where the cards are sometimes.

Then we talked about God's memory, and how it is perfect. He knows all of our good and our bad choices. We also practiced saying the word omniscient, and discussed that that means God knows everything.

We all agreed we never want to challenge God to a game of memory.

Family Fire

2008-11-17T07:30:00.001-05:00

Last winter Emily and I just loved having a fire in the evenings when it got chilly. It's just so relaxing. My dad had some trees that fell and gave us some free wood, so we actually had a real fire the other day rather than a pine mountain log. It is a lot more work to split the wood, but you do get to hear the crackle. The boys just love to watch the fire.

Harvest Festival

2008-11-14T07:30:00.001-05:00

Here are some pictures from the Harvest Festival at our church. The kids had a blast on "hay mountain" and the inflatable slides. This one child, who I'm related to but will remain nameless, decided that her costume was cramping her style, so she took it off while in the bounce house. It was too funny.

A Man's Swing

2008-11-13T07:30:00.000-05:00

via videosift.com

Trick or Treating

2008-11-12T07:30:00.001-05:00

This year we had a "Bad Fireman," a pirate, and a penguin. They boys thoroughly enjoyed trick or treating. I can't remember a year where there were so many other kids running around from house to house. It was a lot of fun to see so many neighbors all out together. They both got more candy than they could dream of, so that should make for an interesting next few weeks.

They also had a blast handing out the candy to those who came to our house. Ben was kind but firm to anyone that tried to take more than they were allowed. He isn't afraid of big kids.

(Unfortunately we had a flash problem with the first picture - finger in front of the old flash.)

Family Bible Night - Haste Makes Waste

2008-11-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

No, you won't find a verse that says haste makes waste, but you will find the principles of hard work, patience, and doing your best in the Bible. First I had them make a tower as tall and strong as they could in 30 seconds. They got frustrated real quick as I counted down, especially Ben. He practically begged for another chance so that he could do the tower like he invisioned. We looked at the final product and measured their height.

Then I gave them as much time as they needed. Both built larger towers and talked about how much less frustrating it was. We talked about how haste makes waste (and defined both haste and waste - Caleb thought I was talking about his mid-section!). They understood though as we talked about some examples of racing through deskwork at school or brushing our teeth at home.

Career Day - Caleb's School

2008-11-10T07:30:00.000-05:00

Caleb's Kindergarten had a Career day where each child got to dress up however they wanted. Then they all lined up and went from room to room showing off their costumes in a parade. Caleb chose to be a fireman, but if you ask him he'll probably tell you he is an evil fireman. I guess that means he makes fires instead of putting them out. Pretty scary isn't he?

I thought it was interesting to see what the different costumes were. A friend from church who is a policeman was also there watching his son, and he was probably bursting inside with pride at all the kids dressed up like policemen. His son had the coolest swat team uniform on (I wish I had a picture). There were also lots of doctors too. One girl was dressed up as Hannah Montana, wig and all. I even saw one girl carrying around her baby and car seat, a future mom in training.

There were no kids dressed as CPA's though. Go figure.

Luke and Ben

2008-11-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

Wing Suit

2008-11-06T07:30:00.000-05:00

Keys to Living - Family Bible Night

2008-11-05T07:30:00.001-05:00

This Family Bible Night was one of the best yet. I took a bunch of luggage locks and put them on a puzzle we had. Then they got to choose keys to try to unlock the puzzle locks. This took a long time for them to figure out what keys went with which locks. They had a great time though.

Then we talked about how the Bible contained truths that were the keys to living. We named as many of those keys as we could (like the 10 commandments).

Political Ads

2008-11-04T07:30:00.002-05:00

In the spirit of the political season, Emily and I put together these spoofs for the Sunday school lesson on Sunday. We were covering 2 Samuel 1-4, and David and Saul's son Ish-bosheth are both jockeying for control of the kingdom after Saul's death. Hope you enjoy.

Guess Who?

2008-11-03T07:30:00.001-05:00

We got this game for the boys and they love it. It's the super heroes edition, so it has required all four of us to learn what the names and stories of each of these marvel heroes is. I was surprised how well Ben understood the concept of the game and how to narrow down your choices.

Daddy's little boy

2008-10-31T07:30:00.001-05:00

Luke sure is a sweet boy. He rarely cries, and saves his cries for when he truly needs something. He loves to be rocked and held while he sleeps. He's a great baby.

Motorbike Recovery

2008-10-30T07:30:00.000-05:00

Amazing Recovery - Motor Bike Race - The best home videos are here

New Lovie

2008-10-29T07:30:00.000-05:00

Ben got his first lovie a few weeks ago. Emily picked it out. Apparently it's getting harder to find blankets with stuffed animal heads on them anymore. I guess we need to get about 4 more now in case Luke loses this one.

God's Creation - Family Bible Night

2008-10-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

While at the beach we had Family Bible Morning, not night. The boys wake up at 6:30 regularly, and the vacation at the beach was no different. One morning I took them out to watch the sunrise. We watched it come up and talked about how God made it, the ocean, and all we could see. "The Heavens Declare the Glory of the Lord" was our theme. Unfortunately it was pretty chilly and we left the boys jackets back in Raleigh, so we just took turns wearing my hoody sweatshirt. It wasn't the prettiest sunrise because of the clouds on the horizon, but hopefully the boys will remember it.

Gameboy Parasite

2008-10-27T07:30:00.001-05:00

One of the highlights for Caleb and Ben while at the beach is getting to play their cousin's gameboys (and Kathryn's gamegirl). When they aren't playing, they are hovering over someone who is.

Family Pictures

2008-10-24T07:30:00.000-05:00

It's a tradition for us to have a family picture each year on our beach trip. Here is the gang from my side of the family as of 2008.

Traffic Stop Incident

2008-10-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

http://view.break.com/584896 - Watch more free videos

Ben and His Kite

2008-10-22T07:30:00.001-05:00

This was one final installment of beach photos. Ben got to fly his cousin's airplane kite and thought he was such big stuff. He just walked around in the beach and carried that thing with him wherever he went.

Honesty - Family Bible Night

2008-10-21T07:30:00.001-05:00

This Bible night focused on honesty. We each had two coins, and we could put one, two, or no coins in our hand. Then we told the person next to us a number. They decided if we were being honest about the number of coins we had in our hand, and if they were right they got the coins. Sometimes we all told the truth, and sometimes we lied.

Then we all discussed how it felt when we were lied to, and why it is important to be honest. We followed this up with a song the boys knew called "you must stop telling lies."

Patio Project

2008-10-20T07:30:00.002-05:00

The final major project of 2008 is our new back patio. Our deck is pretty small, so this will give us some more outdoor living space. I was surprised by how easy it was to build, but also surprised by how much sand it took. 75 bags! That's approximately 3,500 pounds of sand. Needless to say my back was a little sore afterward.

We gave the boys some time to play in all the sand before we started covering it up. They loved having so much sand at their disposal. It was like a beach in their backyard.

Putt Putt - Beach

2008-10-16T07:30:00.002-05:00

During the rainy days we were able to squeeze in 2 games of putt putt before the showers started. This was one of the coolest courses of putt putt I've ever seen. We stumbled upon it by luck. The first course was a castle and the second was animals. The boys really enjoyed it because it took them through caves/tunnels, over bridges, up an then down, and in and out of the castle.

Brookgreen Gardens

2008-10-16T07:30:00.001-05:00

While at the beach, we went to some historic gardens so Emily could play with her new camera, we could all get some exercise, and just to get out and about and try something new. They were beautiful and had some pretty amazing statues. The boys tolerated the gardens pretty well, looking for animal statues around every corner. They also got to go to the "zoo" at the end of the tour which had otters, eagles, owls, other birds, alligators, and a few more animals I'm forgetting about. We had nice weather and some good family time. Here's the website if you want to know more.

Arcade

2008-10-15T07:30:00.000-05:00

One of the highlights of the beach for the boys is going up to the pier to play at the arcade. It's cheap entertainment (although each year you get less tokens for your money it seems). Ben loves ski ball (and has quite an arm for a three year old). Caleb likes the whack em games.

On the first day we found a game that gave you high bouce balls for a prize, and we walked out with a dozen of them the first night. The next day it was broken unfortunately. Caleb had determined he was going to only play that game the rest of the week, and probably come home with 50 high bounce balls.

Of course they got their tickets, and they turned them in for cheap Oriental Trading company style prizes. Ben always goes for the candy (Airheads, dum dums). Caleb is into scary and creepy things. He took home a rubber snake and a zombie looking finger puppet. Plus some candy.

Beach Trip Pictures - General

2008-10-14T07:30:00.000-05:00

Here are the basic pictures from our beach trip. I'll post pictures from our excursions and activities later on. We had great weather at the beginning of the week, and then things got rainy for the last two days. The boys really loved being around all their cousins (8, with one more on the way). Luke enjoyed being held by so many people. He was really good all week considering he was in a new place with new noises and people. They boys loved kicking the waves and building sandcastles this year. Since it was the off season, we practically owned the beach. I'll have more pictures in the next few days.

Beach Trip 2008

2008-10-12T21:18:00.000-05:00

We are back from our Beach Vacation. That is why the blogging was sparce last week (despite rumors of quitting the blog). With the new camera, we took a lot more pictures this year, so Emily and I will have them edited and uploaded in a day or so.

Backup Plan

2008-10-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

Luke Pictures

2008-10-06T07:30:00.000-05:00

Just more wonderful pictures of Luke we wanted to share.

Get your Own Milk

2008-10-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry if anyone finds this picture offensive. I think it is funny (and obviously innocent). I've captioned it "Get your own milk!" Feel free to leave you own caption suggestions in the comments.

How a Dog Drinks Water

2008-10-02T07:30:00.001-05:00

Hold that Baby Close

2008-10-01T07:30:00.001-05:00

It takes a lot of hands to keep a baby happy. We all have to chip in from time to time.

Parent in Training - Part 2

2008-09-30T07:30:00.000-05:00

Another job that Ben loves to have is helping feed Luke with his bottle. Ben is an amazing combination of rough and tough at times and sweet and kind at others.

PIT - Parent in Training

2008-09-29T07:30:00.000-05:00

Ben loves Jellybean (Luke). I mean he talks about him all the time. He always wants to know where he is and give him a rub on the head. He likes to pretend with his own baby as well. He got Baby Andrew all buckled up, complete with passy and burp cloth the other day and then headed for the door. He is really enjoying being a big brother.

Along Came a Spider

2008-09-26T07:30:00.001-05:00

We found this in our yard last weekend. I walked into the web when I was watering the trees and bushes we had just planted in the back yard. I was glad I composed myself pretty well in front of the boys, because this thing almost ended up on my head. It is the biggest spider I've probably ever seen in the wild. It was about the size of a baseball.

We looked it up afterward and found out it is a Yellow Garden Spider. Harmless to humans, but freaky looking. Freaky enough to warrant a few pictures, some study by my boys, and then a swift stomp with my boot. Sorry spider, you just don't look friendly enough to share a yard with.

Ninja Cat

2008-09-25T07:30:00.000-05:00

Blog Inspiration

2008-09-24T10:20:00.003-05:00

For those of you who don't watch the office and don't understand the new blog header, here is the picture that inspired me. I just thought it would be a funny spoof.

Special Bible Time - Lost Parables

2008-09-24T07:30:00.001-05:00

We are trying something new at our house. It's been in the plans for months, but just never got put into practice. I wanted to make the Bible story time more active and memorable by making it an experience rather than just a lecture. This isn't my idea, but I'm just running with some ideas that I've come across in the books I'm reading in Seminary [imagine that!]

So once a week I'll be putting together a Bible story experience that is hands on. I think the boys will be able to reflect back on this a it will definitely leave a more permanent mark on their minds.

So week one is the Lost Parables from Luke. The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Prodigal Son. I gathered a sheep, a coin, and a little man figure from their toy collections and hid them in their room without them knowing. We then sat down and read the story from Luke 15 (I paraphrased the Prodigal son because they were getting antsy and I wanted this first week to be very positive). I then turned them loose to find their lost items. They used flashlights to help them, just like the woman used a lamp to find her coin. Then when you find all your items its time to celebrate, just like the people in the story celebrate when they find their stuff.

I admit that this night did not have the amount of planning that I would have hoped, but I at least got the ball rolling and the inertia is broken. I'll share pictures and ideas about each weeks stories as we do them. If you have any ideas, please share them with me.

Stylin

2008-09-23T07:30:00.001-05:00

It's tough when your 3 week old has more style and class than you do. Chucks are making a comeback and Luke is looking hip.

Luke Pictures

2008-09-22T07:30:00.001-05:00

Luke doesn't do a whole lot yet, but he does know how to look cute, and he does that well.

Animal Rescuers

2008-09-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

For their birthdays the boys got some nerf guns. Uncle Daniel supplemented with a few more from his collection, and we can now play animal rescuers. We pretend that the animals have escaped from the zoo and are hiding all over the house. We have to freeze them with our bullets and return them to their cages. The boys love it.

Hows that for putting a positive spin on guns and shooting?

High Divin

2008-09-17T07:30:00.000-05:00

This man is the world record high dive champ. He dives 172 feet in this video. When he's up top preparing for his dive, it makes my palms and bottoms of my feet clammy. I expected him just to jump off, but give the guy credit for the flips and somersaults. And who is the judge who only gave him a 7.5? How do you give a 7.5 to someone who does a world record jump? I smell a conspiracy.

New Camera Test

2008-09-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

Emily got a new camera recently. She wanted to take it up a notch so we sprung for a Nikon D40. It takes great pictures. Even I can tell a difference, and I'm not a camera buff. These were some pictures she took while playing with the focus and settings. All the pictures that we took of our Echota trip were also taken with the camera. I do love the speed that it takes pictures. You don't miss the moment like you do with other digital cameras. So you can expect top notch photos of this new baby.

Lego City

2008-09-15T07:30:00.000-05:00

The other day we were playing legos and building a city. I built a school and preschool (the one with the cross on top because Ben goes to preschool at our church). We built a police station for his motorcycle. We built a gas station and mini mart, complete with bathrooms out back. We had a few bricks left over, so I just built this tower/pyramid thing you see in the first picture. I asked Ben what it looked like, and he said a corner. He then got his lego guy and put him in the corner in time out. I thought that was priceless and very telling.

Echota Trip - Coming Home

2008-09-12T07:30:00.001-05:00

Coming home, we drove right through Winston Salem, so we contacted some friends from college to see if they could eat dinner with us. The boys enjoyed the pit stop, and to get to play with some new toys. It was great to see our friends (we missed you Ben - sorry you had to work).

By the time we got home, the boys were beat tired. They both fell asleep watching Mary Poppins (I think). The new van really makes traveling so much easier. More space, more comfort, and the movies that they can listen to on their headphones.

Echota - Playground

2008-09-11T07:30:00.001-05:00

Right before we hit the road to come home we went by the playground in the neighboring city of Valley Crucis (I'm sure I spelled that wrong, its Latin for Valley of the Cross). They have a wonderful park in the valley among all the mountains that it seems like the whole city comes out to on the weekends. The weather was beautiful and the boys got some energy out before our drive home.

His Car Gets Away from Him

2008-09-10T07:30:00.000-05:00

This guy is pretty oblivious. He must have had a rough night, or is one very focused person.

Echota - Hiking

2008-09-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

On Sunday morning we went down to the "conservatory" for a hike. It was really well done, with wide trails and river access. Perfect for young boys to hike on. The boys could have played down by the river for hours if we let them. Finding animals under rocks, throwing rocks in the water, racing leaves. We also found an eagle feather, which they could fight over.

This was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

Echota - Part 1

2008-09-08T07:30:00.003-05:00

Two weekends ago we spent some time in Echota, a development near Boone NC. It is very nice with an indoor pool for the kids, hiking trails, great views, and peace and quiet. The boys (especially Ben) were so excited to see mountains. They thought they were so cool and big.

We went out walking the first morning and discovered what the kids called the machine rock (second to last picture). It's just a name. It doesn't make any sense, even to them. But they liked to climb up the roadside hill and put leaves and rocks up on top of the machine rock. Little boy stuff.

The boy's cousins were also there, which made the trip even more exciting. They play well together.

We saw a lot of wildlife, including a deer that ran right in front of our car as we were heading up the mountain. (Rabbits, Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees, and a Chipmunk as well).

The outdoor pool at the other phase of the development has a waterfall feature with flowers covering it. It also overlooks the mountains as you swim. Pretty spectacular, but it was too cold with the strong winds from the hurricane in Florida to swim outside.

We can't wait to go back for a visit.

Fence Project

2008-09-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

While Emily was busy with her own building project, putting the finishing touches our out new baby in her womb, I was frantically trying to complete the fence in our back yard. Here are a few pictures at different stages of the project. It was finished with a few days to spare, right before we had all the rains last week. It's nice to be able to relax in the evenings after work for a change.

First Day of Kindergarden Pics

2008-09-04T07:30:00.000-05:00

Caleb's first day of Kindergarden went great. Here are the pictures I promised. We are still getting the hang of the drop off routine, because they want him to hop out of the car and walk in unaided by the teacher. He's not quite ready for that, but is moving in the right direction. The deal is that if he hops right out like they want, he gets to play games on my ipod on the way to school the next day. So far that has been enough of a reward for him to do what he doesn't want to do. Caleb loves a video game.

Last night as a family of Four

2008-09-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

On the night before the new baby was born, we headed out one last time as a family of four. We happened to run into my parents there, who were happy to take our picture. Well we won't fit easily into a booth at the restaurant anymore. Now we seat five.

Hospital Part 3 and Coming Home

2008-09-02T07:30:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of the new room we had a Rex. It was great. If you are planning to have a baby at Rex, try your hardest to get a room in the 3rd floor pods. The other rooms just don't compare.

We had a few other visitors who we were very happy to see. Baby Luke was a sweet little baby for everyone to hold. The boys came by again on Sunday and Ben and I played dress up and put on doctor outfits that I saved from when I put on my scrubs when Luke was delivered. He thought that was pretty cool. The boys really seem to enjoy holding and caring for Luke.

We came home on Monday and are happy to be in a familiar and comfortable environment. Our beds have never felt so good, and the boys seem to agree. They were exhausted and slept 3 hours for nap on Monday!

There is a great picture here of our new family of five all together on the couch. Hard to believe it, but our family has five people in it now. What a blessing.

Who does Luke Favor?

2008-08-31T08:58:00.001-05:00

I think this slideshow will prove without a doubt that Caleb and Luke could be twins (just born 5 years apart).

Baby Luke - Hospital Day 2

2008-08-30T21:57:00.002-05:00

Day 2 in the hospital was calm and quiet. We had a few visitors and took some well needed naps. Luke is a good sleeper and is eating well, but the nurses and techs kept barging into our room at all hours of the night. We're hoping tonight will be much calmer since Emily doesn't have an IV anymore and things are settling down.

The boys came by yesterday to meet their new brother. It was a pretty exciting time. They both enjoyed holding Luke, and were very interested in Emily's tubes, bed, and surgery wounds. It was a lot to take in for a 3 and 5 year old. They both were very interested in the chair/bed convertible that I sleep on at night.

The exciting news for us right now is that we just got moved out of the "overflow" room that we were in and into the 3rd floor newly renovated nursing pod. So we left behind a typical hospital room that was small and basic (for which we were completely grateful for and had no complaints), and we moved into a room that is nicer than many hotel rooms that we have stayed in. All the furniture is new, the bed is much lower to the ground for Emily, the bathroom is almost as big as our old room, and the room itself is probably twice as large as our old one. Oh, and did I mention that we now have a flat screen TV and DVD player instead of a tube TV with a VCR. We are excited about the remaining two nights of our stay at Le Grande Rex.

Thanks for everyone who visited. We enjoyed the company and the conversation.

Baby Luke is Here!

2008-08-29T14:22:00.002-05:00

7 lbs 10 ozs
21 inches
Luke Reed

Happy Birthday Jellybean

2008-08-29T07:30:00.000-05:00

Today is Jellybean's birthday. As in the literal day he or she is born. We have a C section scheduled for today around 10. If you are reading this, please say a prayer for Emily, the baby, and the doctors. As soon as I can I'll upload some pictures and let everyone know if the baby is a boy or a girl. The voting of family and friends is definitely in favor of a girl right now.

Watermelon

2008-08-28T07:30:00.001-05:00

Here are some great pictures of our Watermelon party we had. It was a perfectly ripe one. Bet you wish you had a bite!

Rocket Rocket

2008-08-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

Gi Gi and Pa Pa (Emily's parents) gave the boys these rocket launchers, and they had a good time playing "rocket rocket" in the back yard. I was surprised how well the could both shoot the rockets.

Give Him a Chair

2008-08-26T07:30:00.000-05:00

This was the most generous wrestling crowd ever!

via videosift.com

Softball Prospect

2008-08-25T07:30:00.000-05:00

Ben and Caleb have both enjoyed coming to the softball games this past year. Caleb likes to come and play with the other kids there. They both like to run the bases at the end of the game. Ben likes to just sit in the dugout with the players and watch the game. He also likes to drink "sports juice" (Gatorade) whenever I come in from the field.

Help with the yardwork

2008-08-22T07:30:00.000-05:00

Caleb has been helpful with all the landscaping and yardwork lately, but Ben has been my buddy. He wants to get out there with a grown up shovel and do whatever I'm doing.

We planted a few trees in the back yard and he was right there with me getting them in the ground. He liked the pots that they came in and carried them around putting stuff in them. I think he could have fit in the largest one. He's a hard worker.

Einstein or Monroe

2008-08-21T07:30:00.000-05:00

Look at this picture from your regular computer chair and you see Einstein. Now get up and stand about 10-15 feet away from the screen. Marilyn Monroe. Pretty cool huh!

http://view.break.com/542695 - Watch more free videos

Diggin some holes

2008-08-20T07:30:00.000-05:00

You know a true friend is one who will spend the large part of his Saturday standing there just looking at you while you dig holes with an auger. It was hot. The ground was very hard. We persevered though, and dug about 50 holes in the yard. It was amazing how one hole would be easy and nice rich dirt, and then eight feet over you would be digging in hard, dry, powdery limestone type rock.

The boys thought all the holes in the yard were really cool. Caleb would ask every time we went out in the yard if he could go around an look in all the holes. Whatever thrills you man.

Thanks again Jonathan.

Cheesy Rap

2008-08-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

Rhett and Link are on their summer tour writing songs for alka seltzer. This one was pretty good I thought.

If you enjoyed this, you should also check out their BBQ song.

[Emily, be sure to show this to the boys]

First of many days of school

2008-08-18T08:01:00.002-05:00

One down and about 3,000 to go (assuming he goes to college). Caleb's first day of Kindergarten was today. He did great at drop off in the car pool line. We went and met his teacher on Friday of last week and I think he will do great in her class. She seemed very kind and very structured (qualities Caleb thrives under). So if you are reading this on Monday, please say a prayer for him as he gets acquainted with his new school, teacher, classmates, and schedule. (I'll have pictures from his first day soon)