Roxton Texas

Sealed for Time and All Eternity

The Blue Angels

So, I had just driven to Javelina Stadium (in Kingsville). I had gone with my whole grade, and I thought it was going to be pretty fun, oh, was I wrong. We were supposed to meet the Blue Angels, and we had. Some of my teachers had gone on and on about how fun it would be to go meet the Blue Angels and see The Leap Frogs, which is the parachuting group from the Navy or Marines. I am not entirely sure which. I was pretty excited. I was even more excited because I was going in a group with one of my best friends, Michael. (Now, I will explain Michael in a later post.) We were all ready to go. Our group was walking out the door and out to the bus. Our bus driver was a coach, and boy, he likes to go fast. (We were first there and first back from our school.)

When we got on the bus, we weren't at the front of the line, so we had just taken an empty seat at the front, and if you go to public school and ride the bus, you know why people sit in the back. And this bus was fairly new and quite shiny. So we were talking along when an aide comes up and asks us to move. We got up and started towards the back of the bus. There, in our horror, we found out that there were no more seats open. Therefore, I had to sit with a kinda weird guy, even though many people may think of me as weird, ha. Every time I tried to do something, he would copy, and wasn't very good at copying either. I mean, how many people like to be copied by the annoying kid most people don't like? Well I don't. It was pretty quiet on the way up there. It didn't feel like very long either.

When we arrived at the stadium, we walked our way past little kids all wearing the same things. We had gone through the place where you get your concessions and had seen part of the field. There was an outhouse shooting out flames... I mean, what is up with that? How many people have seen an outhouse shooting out flames before? Well that was my first, and I hope the last. I feel bad for the guy that is in there. If you know what I mean. So I had walked up the steps with Michael behind me. We found ourselves way up to one of the top rows just to the right of the box, if you were in there, we would be to the right. Now there was this girl sitting in front on me. And she was the very, very annoying one. Uh-oh. Michael didn't have a very good reputation for being 'normal' or meeting the 'status' quo. In accordance, she tried to annoy him. What a stupid little girl. She messed with the wrong Michael. I bet, she wished she had been sick the day with pneumonia. Michael could've annoyed the crap out of her, if it was possible.

Well it turns out that 3 of the things that were supposed to be there couldn't make it. So we were cut short about 2 hours. When we returned to the school I had some how popped up with a bloody nose. Just like the one I had at 3 that morning. Ugh, these things are getting annoying. When I got to the Nurse's office, the sub. nurse had given me ice, what the? What will ice do? But, it turned out that it had made it stop. Although when I went back to class and took the ice off for a minute, it started back up again. Lucky me! My teacher let me go to the bathroom, and I got it to stop again. That time it hadn't started back up without the ice as my companion. We were going to watch a video but we couldn't get it up because of legal reasons, with copyright stuff. So my Dad had to control my teacher's computer and setup a program to ensure it was legally being shown. (He is Technology Admin at my School District.) Right as the video was starting, the bell rang. Time for Science, probably another video. When we had gotten settled in and the tardy bell rang, we started the video. We had just gotten past the legal stuff again when someone called on the PA for me.


Time do drive back to Kingsville. Every week that the Blue Angels come to NAS Kingsville, my family goes. It turns out that my grandpa works there and we don't have to get checked and what not. We got down the airstrip to go watch the other people fly before the Blue Angels. They were pretty cool. Then, the Blue Angels took off and they flew. (Right now I am pretty tired, so I am going to finish this post off.) So yeah, it was pretty cool an all. We had lots of fun, and I got a lot of good pics. I might out some on later. So seeya!

The importance of Dates.

I have found, and was previously counseled, that it is important to continue to have regular dates even after you are married.  I would go so far as to say that it is imperative once children arrive.  So much of our time is spent in loving, teaching, counseling, correcting, and playing with them that we tend to lose our "me" and "us" time that we once had.  And so it should be...to a degree.  I try my best to have regular dates with my wife, and they continue to be wonderful times together, and away from all other worldly headaches!  Sometimes they are dining events, sometimes just short shopping trips, and on occasion the wonderful opportunity to attend the Temple together to re-focus on our eternal goals.

These outtings keep our marriage and love fresh and save us from the insanity of day to day affairs.  There is one other "date" that I've found to be equally important though.  I've started, and hope to continue, one on one time with each of my children.  They, and I, look forward to the chance to be together, without anyone else, and learn about each other.  We may go hunting, working, or even take a short trip to Dairy Queen for some quite "us" time.  I truly believe that these will build into the best memories of their childhood, and, more importantly, into a relationship that will foster trust and eternal family bonds.  They will hopefully know that I love them and that they can approach me with anything that ways on them, or that even excites them!

My family is what brings me the most joy, and this time with them is so short, but important, as it shapes our eternal relationships in the time to come.

Old Journals and Snuggies

So I started reading posts on the blogsite itjustgetsstranger. My brother, David, made me aware of the site, and I thank him for it. Reading the posts have been a blessing of hillarity in the sometimes bleak clouds of daily issues and grinds in the I.T. world. I think some of my staff feel I'm about to crack because they hear me trying to stifle my laughing and chuckles at the down to earth posts that strike a cord because they are all to real.

One series of posts in particular really made be think (and laugh) about how the world sees us as we leave behind our sometimes mindless rambling (kind of like this one!) on pages we call journals. The author would type earlier journal entries from his youth and comment on what he found. It makes you realize that even WE don't fully understand younger selves sometimes.

I'm not so sure I want my kids to read my journal posts. Some of the entries I would swear were written by strangers, aside from my "handwriting" stating otherwise. Other entries I'd rather just have shreded, burned, and then disolved in acid which is then buried with nuclear waste that no one will want to examine for a thousand plus years. Really. What makes us feel compelled to write down some of the random thoughts in our heads? Perhaps we're just tired of having them and hope that by putting them on paper we won't have to think them again!

So, I'm going to think twice about what I write...or type, hopefully...in the future. But, if you want to get a good laugh at someone else's strangeness (allbeit seemingly normal attitude since we all do it) I encourage you to visit the itjustgetsstranger site. It will make you feel better!

For Christina

Here are some pictures I took for Christina! Only 2. Let me get the face next time!

Zoo Pics.

Here are the pics. we took at the Austin Zoo. Took a while, but we have them!

Library Thing

Easter Egg Hunt/Kenny's House Pictures

I will be posting some photos that I took at Kenny's house.... By Blake

Christmas

Well I think we have all got what we have been wanting in my house I got my laptop, Jenna got her iPod touch http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/ you can look at it and its feature at the link. Jacie got a bla-bla-blizard maker from Sonic. Bryce went to Utah and clothes and stuff. Jesse and Jay got clothes cologne and all that other stuff from Abercrombie&Fitch and jackets, shoes and stuff like that.


by: Blake

Hello again

Woops sorry I haven't posted things in a while I will start get more thing posted =D


by: Blake

pictures

Family

Picture Requests

If you would like to see some pictures please leave a comment on this post,and I will get them a.s.a.p!!!

Brant

Here are some photos of Brant!!By: Blake

Baby Steps

About 3 weeks ago Brant started to take some baby steps.Yea Brant! The whole family was amazed. Now Brant walks along the couch, ottoman, and his musical toy,and he even takes things out of the dishwasher and he pulls over the trash can.

Introspective Day

So, today should have been like any normal day, and in many ways it was. I spent a few minutes this morning reading a Sherlock Holmes book. And no, it wasn't because of the upcoming movie. I have a habit of reading several different books at a time (ADD maybe?) and I was over at Mom and Dad's house last night and saw it. So, I picked it off the shelf and began to read. I'm quite impressed, as it is quite good. I believe the book is called "The Return of Sherlock Holmes". Apparently in the previous book, it was thought the Sherlock was dead.

But that's not the point of this post. It was a nice day outside, and as usual, I was spending most of it inside. I had meant to go over to Dad's and help him work on one of his projects. I WAS playing on the PS3 with Jessie, trying to keep him from wonder how much longer it would be until his surgery to remove his wisdom teeth. In between here and there I was helping Julie clean the house. My brother Christopher came over and asked what I was doing. I thought he was going to invite me to ride along (and he did, sort of) while he was working as a police officer. Instead, he asked me to go with him to Austin to pick up a new gun that he was buying.

It was a good ride. We listened to Glen Beck some, talked some and enjoyed (ha, ha) the ride through San Antonio into Austin. The trip and ensuing conversation brought to mind again the great desire I have had for some time, but have utterly failed to act upon, to work as a police officer. I guess it has always been more of a hobby dream than a work dream. I've ridden for quite some time with law enforcement officers, from Texas DPS, to CCPD and TPWD Game Wardens. They are all different, but enjoyable and interesting experiences for me. However, that's not what this post is about either...at least in its whole.

After coming home, Julie asked me to watch a movie with her. I wasn't too excited about the movie, "The Bucket List", with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. I'd seen the previews and , well, didn't really care to waste the time watching it. I was quite surprised and touched by it though. It made me wonder, as I seem to be doing more of late, if I had accomplished the things in this life that I wanted to do. Now, I know that this life isn't the completeness of my existence. In fact, I know it is quite a small blip on the eternal plan and life we are to live. But, I cannot help but think that there are things and experiences that we can only really gain and appreciate while in this mortal life.

So, how much time do I waste here instead of doing, learning, or sharing what I should. I believe all experience is for our good, and many good things can even be learned, say, from watching a movie. If we let it teach us something. I am amazed day after day how little time we have here. In a way, I feel blessed to know that already, but I've gone much further down the road. I hope it helps me, as a compass, to gauge my path and make corrections where possible and necessary. I believe I've been blessed for all I've done, or for having the opportunity to do them, thus far in life. But I wonder on those opportunities passed up and forsaken because I hesitated, or was afraid, or occupied but some lesser important or valuable task. (I truly hope all this introspection isn't a sign of time left!) But with all seriousness, I hope to try, day by day, to ask myself if there isn't something more, or different I could/should be doing, and not pass up those "LIFE" experiences before it is too late. I shudder to think of my children grown and gone, although it will happen one way or another. I revel in the joy of being there with them and their opportunity. I cry over the time lost or squandered that I did not spend with them to the utmost capability. I'm relieved in the fact that I can be forgiven, and, if so chosen and taken, can have the chance to be with them forever.

So, that's my Christmas wish this year. To all those, and they are very few, who might read or stumble upon this. Take the time to do that which you have always wanted, live life to the fullest, and do it with the ones you love, before there it is yesterday and the only experience you are left with is the wish that it were somehow different.

A little more like Christmas

Global warming? Are you serious? Recently, "hackers", got into the global scientests archives and found a "cover up" of the global warming group. Well, I don't know much about all the studies and bickering back and forth. But I do know it's been down right chilly here lately! I stepped outside my office today to find not only rain, but small, very miniature, hail falling from the sky too. The ground is too warm, so it pretty much melted right away. I opened the doors to the server room and let the cold air in to give my poor servers a well deserved break from the awful, heat trapping design we have here.

A little while later I got a call from Julie who said it was SNOWING outside. Now, I knew the forecasters had mentioned the possibility of snow, but let's face it. It just doesn't snow here in the northern part of hades. Well, most of the time it doesn't. There was that ONE time a few years back when it snowed for the first time in 100 years. So, I stepped back outside, and sure enough, mixed in with the rain and sleet, little flurries of snow!

I ran home and grabbed up the camera, but the stupid thing was full! ARGH! So, I grabbed the video camera...you know, the one we occasionaly use but never pull anything from. Well, it just so happened that the kids played with it last night so the battery was dead. DOUBLE ARGH!

After deleting a few pictures from the still camera, and plugging the charger into the video camera, just KNOWING that it would stop snowing any minute...I managed to snap a few shots and get a bit of video footage.

Tonight I'll work on cleaning it up and see if I can upload it here. Until then...enjoy the ALMOST Christmas weather!

Babysitting is hard work!

It's always good to know that we aren't the only ones who get tired from the kids. Here are some funny pictures that happened weeks apart. It's funny that it happened to both!

What's funny is Brant is the easiest one we've had to take care of so far! They all love him so much and all want to hold him. I guess when he just sits there it is easy to relax and go to sleep.