Book Review: Eden

I hardly ever read, so this is the first book review on my blog. I first heard about the fictional book “Eden” written by Andy Merritt on www.StevanSheets.com.  Stevan read the book and said it was great. I told Stevan I am not much for recreational reading. Then I ended up reading a few sample pages from the books site. I was fully hooked after reading just a few pages and ordered the book on the spot. I couldn’t stop thinking about those few pages I had read and couldn’t wait for the book to come in the mail box.

Once into the book, the pages just fly by. The words are common, nothing big and fancy. It took me 2 and half days to read it…. and I had a busy schedule during those days.  I think I would of read it in one day had I gotten it on a day off morning! I would rate this book a 10, and will definitely order anything that Andy puts out there!  I don’t want to give away to much on the book, so if your even a little interested in it, check out the books website by clicking HERE.

What in the world is “Happy Holidays”?

I had someone the other day say, “have a Happy Holiday”.  Made me think why don’t they just say, “have a Merry Christmas”?  Well, I believe its because the stores have trained people that you shouldn’t say “Christmas”.  All the stores are wanting to be so politically correct that they don’t dare say “Christmas”.  They love the fact that we will spend 450 BILLION (thats the real number, not an exaggerated one) this year on buying gifts for the 25th day of December- Christmas!  They play “Christmas” music in the stores. They decorate for Christmas with Christmas trees. They hang Christmas lights.  The run sales and ads up until Christmas.  They have specials on shipping, that if ordered by a certain day, you will have it in time for Christmas! Yet, they want to change the name to Holidays?  Holidays (plural) would refer to Christmas and New years day right?  Whens the last time you got a gift for “Happy New years day” under your “Happy new years day tree”?

It just drives me nuts.  I will say Merry Christmas, and when I do, I mean that I hope you have a great Christmas day celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Oops, I said it, the word “Jesus”.  That is whole new topic and blog post for another day! 🙂

Merrell Shoes ROCK! I got new kicks!

I am short on time tonight, but HAD to blog this quick like.  About 2 years ago I bought some really nice hiking shoes (Merrell Brand).  They have been great shoes, but the other day I tried kick starting my dirt bike…. it would not start, so I got mad, and kept trying, and trying, and trying.  To hard of kicks that were to hard tore off a lug on the bottom of my shoe. Oops.  Other than that, these shoes wore incredibly well and didn’t look more than a month or two old.   I called Merrell to ask if  I should caulk the hole or what, and they said that that should not of happened.  The really nice lady at Merrell (who by the way is in Michigan and I can understand her!) tells me to mail em back and MAYBE once they inspect them I will either get my shoes back or a new pair.  She says it will take 3-4 weeks if they decide to replace them.

Here is the timeline. I talked to Rachel at Merrell on wed.  Mailed the shoes out on thursday.  I called on Tuesday cause I am curious, and they tell me they ARE replacing them with a slightly newer/better model and I even got to pick the color!  She says she can have them to me NEXT WEEK! Do I get them next week? NOPE,  got em THIS week on Friday!  Thats 6 business days that I was without Merrell’s!

Long story short, I think I paid about $115 for the first pair, the new ones retail for $130.  I will definitely buy more in the future if/when these wear out.  Oh, and of course, both pair are very comfortable.   You can see my new kicks by CLICKING HERE.

New Puppy!

Here is Noka…. our new Chocolate lab.  Picked her up today at a breeder in Silverlake, IN.

We were looking for a name, and Gary thought Godiva would be cool because its expensive (like a dog) and chocolate (like our dog).

Well, I think Godiva is a lame name for a dog… BUT, there is GOOGLE!  And a quick search tells me that Noka chocolate is in the top 5 most expensive chocolates in the world!  It is over $800 a pound!  That makes my dog a bargain at 13lbs and cost MUCH less than that!

Bryce 8th birthday party video!

Here is some video footage of Bryce and his buds partying down.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Bryce 8th birthday party video“, posted with vodpod

Help keep me out of jail!

Help keep me out of jail by donating some money by CLICKING HERE.

Thanks for your help! It means a lot to me.

Survive This…. With Les Stroud!

This looks REALLY cool… so cool, I wish I was a teen again.  READ HERE to find out why Les Stroud will NOT be doing his show Survivorman anymore.

This is truly inspiring!

This reminds me of my motorcycle “trials” days.  This is a video of Danny MacAskill in April 2009.  I saw this video on my buddy http://www.StevanSheets.com blog, and I just had to copy it.  It is truly unbelievable and unthinkable what this guy can do on a bicycle!! Make sure and watch to the end…. it gets better the whole video.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Inspired Bicycles – Danny MacAskill A…“, posted with vodpod

$8,000

Buy a house!

Pics with new phone….

Bear with me…. I got a new toy.   It is my new nokia 5800 Xpress Music cell phone.  One thing cool is I can take pics with its 3.2 megapixel camera and then while on the go, upload directly from my phone to sites like Flickr!  Here is a cool artsy kinda pic I took and uploaded the other evening.  I used black and white and changed the contrast settings.   To view more pics I have uploaded and will continue to upload, check out my flickr photostream, it is on the right side of the screen if you scroll WAY down… there you will find the most recent photos from my photostream.

What DOES 1 Trillion dollars look like?

That is a question I never really thought of, but Todd from www.familymanweb.com had this link in his weekly e-mail to Dads that I get.

Click here to see exactly what 1 Trillion dollars actually looks like!

Pretty stinkin cool if ya ask me!  Yet kind of sad how easily some of these terms get thrown around by our Government and society.

Thought for the day….

…or could be a thought to live by!  I was driving thru Goshen yesterday, and saw this on a Church sign.  This may not be the perfect quote, but close,

“If we don’t enjoy that which we already have, then what makes us think we will be happier with more?”

Really got me thinking how grateful I am for my family and all the other blessings in my life.

Anyway, thats as deep as it gets. Thanks for reading, feel free to comment.

Hack yourself!

Hack yourself!  This is from G4TV.com on the attack of show segment of the site.  Cool site, with lots of cool videos.  Thanks to my Cuz Todd for sending me the site.

Click here to watch the video of how to hack yourself!

Insane? Or cool?

I tried this when I was a little kid… only I was using arm wings made of cardboard and old jeans, and I was jumping off of a deck.  It didn’t work, LOL.  I will rate this as super cool, but I am to old to actually try it!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “moogaloop.swf (application/x-shockwav…“, posted with vodpod

Sparkler bomb!

Today, a buddy of mine stopped in the office…. we were slow and he had some sparklers he just bought in Tennessee.  Next thing ya know, I am out in the field watching my first sparkler bomb go boom! He said we used lame tape (all we had in the office) and it normally is 4 times louder than this! They were also the “mini” sparklers.   I will say it was much louder than the video shows.

Here is a pic

Sparkler Bomb!

And here is a video for your viewing pleasure,

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Kyle Sparkler bomb“, posted with vodpod

Las Vegas… with pics!

OK, finally after a long week, here are some pics and an update after getting back from taking my cousin Matt to his huge soccer tournaments in Las Vegas.  

Everyone wants to know how I did in vegas…. I WON BIG!  When I say big, I mean I didn’t gamble any money and walked away a winner that kept my money and had a total blast.  We rented a car from priceline for only $13.00 a day!  And a TOTAL bonus when we got to the avis counter, the guy upgraded us to a pontiac solstice!  FUN.  It was great having almost no schedule and acting like a high school kid again!   You can click here to see all the pics I uploaded.

Here are a few must see’s!

Matt posing for his valentine girly LIZ. This is the funniest pic from the entire trip!

Cruzin the strip in our $13 toy!

Small trunk! Glad I was driving! LOL

This pic is posted solely for the viewing pleasure of Shawn French!

Mountains. Best view in Vegas! I personally thought the buildings and lights were WAY over rated!

Las Vegas!

As I type this, I sit in Sunny LAS VEGAS!!  I am here with Lisa’s cousin Matt Franco (ya, the soccer/football high school star/wonder).  I was fortunate enough to get to bring him out here for his soccer tournament.  We got here LATE friday.   Its early Sunday morning here, but back home most people I know are in Church right now (3 hour time difference).  We fly out late monday night and will get home around 3:00am.   Check back here on Tuesday evening…… I am hoping I will of caught enough rest by then to post some pics!

Genius!

This is genius.

I forwarded this to a the missionary’s in Haiti where I went on my mission trip… they said it was an awesome idea that they would look into.  He said it even looks safer than the merry-go-round they have now. 🙂

Bullrun 2009!

Mark you calendars, make a phone reminder, put it in your outlook, tie a piece of string to your finger or whatever you do to remember really important stuff!

Bullrun the TV show is back and will be on YOUR TV on Feb 19th on Speed channel!  What is Bullrun you ask?  Remember the movie “Canonball Run”?  Sort of like that, but turned reality TV.

12 teams and there rides will travel 4,000 miles in 12 days.  This show is good enough that I actually watch it (I watch almost ZERO TV) and even my wife totally digs it.  Our DVR is set for the season.

Click HERE for more info on the REAL Bullrun.  It is in July, and starts in New York, and runs to Austin TX.  Here are few quotes from the real Bullrun:

‘I’m more excited to do Bullrun than when I won the Indy 500’ – Mario Andretti

‘Seriously, the best week of my life’ – Dennis Rodman

Pastor says: 7 Day SEX Challenge!

Check this video out.  I saw it on www.StevanSheets.com blog (he is a youth pastor).  I totally agree with this pastor (Ed Young)…. post your opinion in comments!  Video below is from The Colbert Report on Comedy Central.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Ed Young | January 26th | ColbertNati…“, posted with vodpod

Inclinometer for the jeep!

OK, first I gotta wait until the Nokia 5800 comes out (hopefully in Feb.).  Then I will load this app to my phone, and put the phone in its mount on my dash for off roading!

inclinometer

Then, this one seems really useless, but maybe cool for a day when your doing lots of walking at a show or something to see how far you walked.

Step counter app for nokia 5800

Get Amber alerts via text! FREE

Ok, this just seems like a no brainer that anyone and everyone that has a cell should sign up for.  I just signed Lisa and I both up.  Pretty simple, if a kid gets abducted, and they issue an Amber alert, then they text it to you.

Click here to sign up, it takes about 50 seconds, and they don’t sell your number to anyone.

No brainer if you have kids.  Also, a no brainer if you don’t have kids.  Of course, your regular text $ applies.

My review of the North American International Auto Show.

Also known as the NAIAS, held in Detroit every January, it the most rockin and latest metals from around the globe.  I am going to keep the wordage short and sweet, and let the pics do the talkin’.  My uncle Mark invited and took me up here, we had a great day together hanging out and drooling at all the shiny stuff.

JEEP! This is the vehicle that all vehicles should be judged by! (and will be for this review)

Rich mans "jeep". This is what you wheel if you have more money that brains. Its cool, but not for me.

This may have a jeep sticker, but is not a Jeep! I hope jeep is reading this, because that thing needs to be deleted from the line up. We need more locking axles, not cars.

Another wonderful example of what should have jeep stickers ripped off of it.

This is not a jeep, this is a Lambo, or also known as, just plain old badness. This drew ALOT of attention.

Another pic of a pure wicked speed machine.. cool... even when compared to a jeep.

That's my uncle mark in the blue, the other people are a special inside Chrysler/Dodge team that makes videos, commercials, and inside videos for dodge trucks. They interviewed him with a personally mounted mic for quite awhile!! They were telling me they were a big part of the commercial of the Dodge Truck Ram Challenge! They said he will likely be on a you-tube promo in a few weeks.. I will post again when I see it, they said they would e-mail me a link to post on this blog! Cool!

Name that guy! Hint: MTV!!! Click below link to see them pimp a stang in 4:30!! Mark and I watched in person, then rubbed shoulders with the big shots.

Video of Mustang pimp out.

Ford Raptor! This is ultra trick... think factory truck in the Baja 1000.

Raptor guts.... rear end

What I would drive if I were cool. Vette's are just classic cool in a rich guy kinda way.

I am buying one of these! 4:1 transfer case, selectable lockers front and rear, pretty much unstoppable off road. I should take delivery of my pre-owned 4 door in approximately 10 years! LOL

Ever see that show "what not to wear" on TLC? Well, this pic describes "What not to drive, or buy, or take off road".... Unless you like boys! Yes, I am serious.

Same deal here folks... its just not a jeep.

Jeep, jeep hat, jeep sweatshirt. Yep.

This is an awesome piece of machinery. I can see my Cuz Todd driving this bad boy someday.

R8. Yep, that is the car from "that" movie! Anybody care to be the first to comment on what movie?

Dodge Circuit. Cool looking electric concept car.

Sweet rearend! That is pure Dana 44 action with an electric selectable locker in her! (in my jeep to be)

one more view of awesome.

The army recruiters were there, and brought a rock wall to climb. This is not the actual wall we climbed, but it was this same design. I jokingly said we should climb it. Next thing I knew we were in line! All I can say is, we are very fast climbers, and both hit the buzzers at the top in record time.

Well, there you go, that is my review of the NAIAS.  Short and sweet (in words atleast).  Hope you enjoyed.  Love to here you comments, post em up.

SNOW ICE CREAM!!

I always make the kids wait until the first BIG snow, you know the kind, big snow that stops school buses!  Then we hop on google and type in “Snow ice cream”.  There are a ton of variations, but they are all close to this one.  This one is VERY simple and we had everything, so here is the one we made:

• 8 cups snow
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk

“When it starts to snow, place a large, clean bowl outside to collect the flakes. When full, stir in sugar and vanilla to taste, then stir in just enough milk for the desired consistency. Serve at once.”

We just scooped up some snow in a huge bowl, then made it.  It was OK, as long as your not expecting it to taste like…. ice cream.  But then Ethan had a GREAT idea, he took oreo cookies and crushed them into powder in a ziplock.  We added that to our snow ice cream, and it was then fantastic.  Hint: make and consume immediately!  The taste and texture drop very quick as it warms up!

Let me know if you make some, and let me know what you think.  Did you try a different recipe or add something extra?  Post in comments to let us know!

Old pic and updated Family tab!

I was thumbing thru some old pics and some not so old pics.  Here is an old pic of a kitchen…. it is a cool kitchen, but one of my favorite customers.

Sherlock Homes Kitchen

Also, I just added a few pics to the tab “Family”… check it out by clicking above on the tab.

The Sling Shot Man

This is amazing… at least to me!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Carolina Camera: The Sling Shot Man“, posted with vodpod

Stevan gets a PSP!

Hey, I figure nobody really cares except Shawn and I, but oh well.  Stevan Sheets just got a Play Station Portable and I am stoked to play Navy seals online with Him and Shawn.

Along the same lines of useless info, my decal for my PSP from www.decalgirl.com should be here soon.  It will look like this:

my new PSP skins....

If your online with a PSP playing socom Fireteam Bravo 2, my name is 33rd-19Delta.

Rantings…

This rant is going to be as short as possible.

This morning I turned on some morning show while eating breakfast. (I normally don’t do that for this very reason).

What has this country come to?   They had some lame news that wasn’t news at all.  Then, what really got me, was this fashion thingy.  They had some little chick on saying what the hottest fashions are for 2009.  She went on to say how this big gaudy plastic jewelry is “so in”, and what a bargain starting at only $350 made by blah-blah guy.

Then the absolute icing on the cake and in my face, she starts showing these special “numbered” t-shirts that are special made by artist and have “art” (it was computer generated graphics) on them.  To me, they looked like the graphics every teen has on at walmart.  The kicker???  she said they were a superb value starting at a mere $100 each and you better hurry to get one because they are very limited production.  My friend Stevan Sheets can design any shirt I can think up for $5 plus the $12 shirt…. and his look killer! I even one, that is a ONE of a kind!! Wow am I lucky.

Are you kidding me?

For the record, I work in an office, wear a shirt and tie.  I can buy a high quality shirt on sale for $19, some nice dress slacks for around $30, and a pretty sweet tie for about $20.  Some dress socks for $5.  That is $74 TOTAL.  And, I look better than any kid in a t-shirt.

My favorite t-shirts I got while going somewhere or doing something, and normally pay no more that $20… usually less!

OK, I am done ranting. Thanks for reading.  Please don’t buy one of those T-shirts…. I have some I will sell you for $50!

Happy New Year!

Here is hoping you have a blessed and awesome new year!!!

Sorry I haven’t posted much lately… been pretty busy.  Still playing to much Navy Seals with my buds, and I have been trying to beat my kids at our new Jeep Wii game and the old school (no electric) battleship…  I have yet to beat either of them on the wii, and Ethan rocks at Battleship!  I have tried my hardest and he still winsEVERY game.

Tomorrow I am really looking forward to going to Gabe’s house after Church to help him work on his house remodel…. big time stuff, rippin out walls, kitchen, etc… can’t wait to to finally help him for once.  He is always helping me and everyone else out.  A few other pals are going to join us.  guys and hammers, can’t imagine a better day.

Anyway, I am going to make 2009 an awesome year, I hope you decide to make your 09 awesome as well!

I made a Hiking Stick/Monopod…

I thought I would throw up some pics of a Hiking Stick/Mono-pod I made for my mom.  This summer she had back surgery, and that is when this all got started.  I thought it would help her get around once she was up and around, but thankfully she was up and around VERY quick.  Now she is doing great and has no need for a “cane”, but she is a photographer, and does need a mono-pod for her camera in the great outdoors.    I ended up finishing it Christmas eve morning and gave it to her for Christmas.  Here are some pics:

Here is a pic showing the adjustable hand lanyard. It adjust up and down and the loop itself can be made bigger or smaller. It consist of 3 complex knots. The knot holding to the Hiking stick will slide up and down by hand, but will NOT move by pulling down on the lanyard if your hand is in it! There is a guy on the web selling a lanyard exactly like these for $25 PLUS shipping!! I of course made this on my own.

This shows my art-inability of what is supposed to be a horse shoe (my mom has and loves horses). The top section screws off to reveal the threaded camera mount.

Here is where the camera screws on.

Here is a pic with my old camera on it....

Here is pic of the top with a high end liquid filled compass embedded down in the top section.

Please leave comments if you have any!

This sums up gun control…

This video sums up what I have been saying for a long time about gun control…

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “gun control criminal – Google Video“, posted with vodpod

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! And its day 5, the end of the Christmas Story.

From the Knepp house to your house, we wish you a Merry Christmas!!

Here we are, with the end of the story that really started everything. From The Message translation:

22-24Then when the days stipulated by Moses for purification were complete, they took him up to Jerusalem to offer him to God as commanded in God’s Law: “Every male who opens the womb shall be a holy offering to God,” and also to sacrifice the “pair of doves or two young pigeons” prescribed in God’s Law.

25-32In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God:

God, you can now release your servant;
release me in peace as you promised.
With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation;
it’s now out in the open for everyone to see:
A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations,
and of glory for your people Israel.

33-35Jesus’ father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother,

This child marks both the failure and
the recovery of many in Israel,
A figure misunderstood and contradicted—
the pain of a sword-thrust through you—
But the rejection will force honesty,
as God reveals who they really are.

Day 4 of the Christmas story.

OK, running a bit behind on posting, but here is day 4.  Tonight we went to Christmas eve service with Billy and Sarah and Mom and Bob, and even Grandpa was there.  It was a good time, I always enjoy Christmas eve services.  Tonight I am using The Message bible translation.  Here is day 4 of the story:

When Elizabeth was full-term in her pregnancy, she bore a son. Her neighbors and relatives, seeing that God had overwhelmed her with mercy, celebrated with her.

59-60On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child and were calling him Zachariah after his father. But his mother intervened: “No. He is to be called John.”

61-62“But,” they said, “no one in your family is named that.” They used sign language to ask Zachariah what he wanted him named.

63-64Asking for a tablet, Zachariah wrote, “His name is to be John.” That took everyone by surprise. Surprise followed surprise—Zachariah’s mouth was now open, his tongue loose, and he was talking, praising God!

About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

6-7While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

8-12There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

13-14At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

15-18As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. “Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.” They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

19-20Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!

21When the eighth day arrived, the day of circumcision, the child was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived.

Day 3 of the Christmas Story.

Ok, Here is day 3 in the countdown…  (remember I took some versus out for the sake of story telling)

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived.   She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth.  At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  “When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.  You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said. “ Mary responded,  “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back to her own home.

Wow, what a Sunday, and 2nd day of The Christmas story.

WHEW,  Sunday was not the day I had planned!  Woke up early, got the kiddo’s and wife up and ready, and off to Church we go.  Oops, half way there my mother in law calls to say our Church is canceled due the horribly bad weather.  So we just decided to head to her house for our Christmas get together.

Then a tenant called to say she had frozen pipes, that was around 10:00am.  Meanwhile, all the relatives are calling saying they can’t come because they have so far to drive and the bad weather.  So my wife invites several of our friends to help eat all the food.  I assumed (mistake) I could quick thaw her pipes and get home to food and friends.

Long story short, got the pipes thawed, but didn’t get back to the “party” till around 5:00 when everyone was pulling out of the driveway.

So thanks to my pal Gabe who really helped me out on thawing the pipes, and sorry to Shawn who sat at my in-laws all day without anyone to talk to!

Day 2 of the Christmas Story.

Sorry I am late posting this 4th day. Here goes, and remember, I skip some versus for the sake of story telling.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be frightened, Mary,” the angel told her, “for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.“ Mary asked the angel, “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! She’s already in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true.” And then the angel left.

The Christmas Story in 5 days…

OK, for the next five days(starting today December 20th, 2008), I am going to try and post on this blog what I read to my kids every year the 5 days leading up to Christmas and then we end on the morning of Christmas.  This is going to be copy and paste from the NLT (New Living Translation), with LOTS of text missing… I am only selecting the text I read to the kids for THIS story..  Here goes:

Starting in Luke 1:5b ending with Luke 1:25

Zechariah was a member of the priestly order of Abijah.   Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes.  He was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary and burn incense in the Lord’s presence.  While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying.   Zechariah was in the sanctuary when an angel of the Lord appeared,  Zechariah was overwhelmed with fear.   But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah!  For God has heard your prayer, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son!  And you are to name him John.  He must never touch wine or hard liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.   He will precede the coming of the Lord, preparing the people for his arrival.” Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know this will happen?  I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God.  And now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you won’t be able to speak until the child is born.” Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months.  “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children!”

The kiddos love this….

Type in the Christmas song you want them to sing…..  you can even type in non Christmas songs and they will tell you something else….  (Credit to Aunt Brenda for forwarding this to me!)

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “card.swf (application/x-shockwave-fla…“, posted with vodpod

ICON Aircraft, SUPER COOL!

OK, many of you know I have dreamt of the day that I can fly myself to and fro to this and that…. well, even though this little dude is $139,900, I think it is a sign of things to come!  Maybe buy a used one in 10 years for $40,000??  I hope so!  The main web page is here at www.ICONaircraft.com Watch or drool over this video….  [Edit, I took video off because it kept playing in background with annoying music…. click above link to check it out.]

Just ordered more RAM for my PC

Wow, so apparently when I ordered my current desktop PC 4 years ago, it was a “good” one with a whopping 512 of ram…. it has been really slow lately, so I called up Dell.  I really WANT a laptop, but NEED a PC that works, so I ordered up 2 GB of ram! I found a generic spot online for 79, dell was 99, but came down to $65!

Can’t wait to get it and install it…. anybody got any install tips?  I have NO clue!  I don’t even know if the old one has to come out.  He said I have a 4 slot ram thingy and my new 2GB is a 2 slot??  Can I leave the 512, or must it come out?

PLEASE leave a comment if ya know!  Thanks in advance for your help! 🙂

NEW LCD TV for Christmas!

So, I have an awesome boss.  Gary got us a LCD TV for Christmas!  It is a 40″ LCD Samsung.  It rocks, and most importantly Lisa loves it…  for real, I hardly ever watch TV. I am WAY more likely to be found wasting time on the web.  Our old TV was slowly dying (anybody want a FREE 35″ TV that works most of the time and some of the time is black and white?)  The only real problem was we could not find a new TV stand…. even the ones we did not like were several hundred bucks, AND were fake wood.  So whats a man to do?  Bust out the CHAINSAW!

OLD Tv Cabinet

Above is what the old $olid oak tv cabinet looked like before being chopped….

After the saw...

OK, really I didn’t chainsaw it… I called the master wood worker in the area… Jay Glon.  He picked it up on Monday night and had it back here on Thursday.  Now that is service… and as total bonus, Jay is to nice to charge what he should of, so he only wanted $50, but  Lisa wouldn’t let him leave without less than $60!  It looks better than any cabinet we saw, and its real wood!  The TV looks sort of smallish in this pic, but it really fits our living room nice.

Blizzard of 2014!

Quick pic of Bryce and his friend Jake  after getting a sled ride behind the jeep!

Tough Mudder training!

Wow, I haven’t posted FOREVER! Today’s post is partial experiment to test the app out.

I may post a few fun things in the next few months about a Tough Mudder I am training for. The crazy mud run is going down on September 21st, 2014!