MOMS

Gotta love the moms. Without her I wouldn’t have been alive to get into all the fun situations I have written about. There was a time where she was a single mom and I am sure it had its challenges.

Roll mental camera…

Don’t get me wrong, my dad was in the picture, but I was living with my mom during the week. She got the brunt of my craziness.

I was about 12 when my parents divorced. Soon after that my mother took a job at a hotel and convention center because they allowed us to live and eat in the hotel. I am not sure if she did this out of necessity, but I am pretty sure she did.

Man I loved it, running around the back secret hallways and hiding out in empty conference rooms. I got to eat in the kitchen with the cooks and have pretty much anything I wanted. For a kid it was heavenly.

But for a mom I am sure it was a big old honking smack in the face. Going from being a homeowner to living in a hotel, from a tight family to broken. I am not sure if there was any support for single moms back then but I don’t think she had any outside her friends.

Do all you can to love and support single moms. Reach out and find some, don’t wait for them to come to you. If you are ready to jump in and help there is an awesome single mother’s conference here in Edmond that Kim Heinecke blogged about yesterday. Check out the site ariseministries.net. If that doesn't float your boat then other choices are just a google away.

Anyone have a strong single mom they want to give some props to?

FLIRTING WITH DANGER

Did you ever mess with something you knew you shouldn't. Don't know why we want to tempt fate or flirt with danger, but it sure has a way of getting even.

Roll mental camera...

When I was a kid a good buddy's backyard backed up to open lots on the next block. Across the street from these open lots was a business that had some very mean guard dog inside some very tall fences. Being ornery kids we used to enjoy tormenting the dogs from the other side of the fence. The dogs, of course, seemed to enjoy trying to eat are faces through the fence as much as we enjoyed watching them try. One evening right before dark we were in our usual torment session and all of a sudden we heard the hum of an electric motor and the rattle of the gate opening.

SOMEONE HAD SET THOSE DOGS LOOSE ON US!!!

The gate was on the opposite side of the property from where we were but we were still in huge trouble. We bolted for his backyard that wasn't but 50 yards away. My heart was about to jump out of my chest as I could hear the bark of these dogs growing louder. The dogs were snapping at our heels as we both jumped over his chain link fence. My buddy made it... I didn't. I fell on top of the chain link fence and it pierced through my abdomen and my arm. Boy that was fun let me tell you.

That should have taught me to never flirt with disaster ever again, but did it? Heck no. I have a pile of other great stories I might tell if you all are good boys and girls. But I think this sewed the seed and all of my other mess ups watered it. I might have finally learned to avoid disaster, at least for now.

Have you ever messed with danger and had it get even?

Did you learn from that or are you still flirting with it?

Ever been so scared you thought you were going to die or at least wet yourself?

LOST IN THE MUD

I wrote before about how much I enjoyed playing in the mud as a kid. Growing up doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying it especially if you have a 4 wheel drive to add to the mix.

Roll mental camera…

In college, my buddies and I used to go to the lake and try to bury their 4 wheel drives in the mud. I didn’t own a 4 wheel drive vehicle so I lived vicariously in the back seat. Being a veteran backseat driver I would scream for them to go faster, hit that huge mud pit, scale that boulder and launch off that cliff. Sometimes they would listen, but this story is when they didn’t.

I was riding with a novice to the mud in his brand new Jeep. We approached a mud pit that I knew very well. I told him to get up some speed and keep on the gas as he hit the mud. The guy seemed bought in and hit the pedal. We were gaining speed and approaching the pit. Just as we entered the mud he chickened out and let off the gas. BIG HUGE MISTAKE.

If he would have kept up speed we would have skipped over the top of the mud. Since he let off the gas we lost all momentum and sank. As we started to sink the driver freaked out and floored it trying to save his new Jeep. I screamed for him to stop but he didn’t listen and BANG! He threw a rod in his engine.

We had to tow the car back to the city. Figuring the warranty would cover the engine, he towed the Jeep to a car wash to hide the evidence of misuse. Thinking he had cleaned the engine well enough he dropped it off at the dealership to be fixed. He was getting away with it until the mechanic opened the engine and found a cylinder full of mud. Needless to say they didn’t cover it under warranty.

I act just like that driver sometimes. I totally ignore what I am supposed to do. Yea maybe what I am supposed to do is scary or difficult, but that is no excuse to chicken out. Then I go and try to cover it all up. Maybe I try to wash it all away by doing good deeds. Or I might just ignore it ever happened. In hind sight it is always easier to keep on the gas.

Do you find yourself letting off the gas pedal and sinking in the mud?

Do you hit the spiritual car wash to hide it or make yourself feel better?

Ever seen a two week old car buried in four feet of mud?

FRIDAY UNSCRIPTED

This picture of our boys is by far our favorite. It defines them both to a T. We want a good caption to go with it for a scrap book and that is where you come in.

Give us the funniest caption for this picture and get a coupon for a free sitting fee with Images of Life Photography. (Yes that is my wife's photography business)

FREE MONEY... FOR NOW

Being young and full of wonder just seems like a heck of a good time. I love watching my sons with their heads buried firmly in the clouds.

Roll Mental Camera...


Connor was in the bath tub this evening wiggling a tooth that is loose and talking out loud about how long it might be before it comes out. He decided to chew on some ice in an attempt to pop it out. After a few big chunks out pops a tooth. Wow it actually worked. But the funny thing is it wasn't the one he was wiggling earlier. Don't worry he didn't damage a good tooth, it was just another one that was ready but wasn't wiggling just yet.


He immediately went from the awe of losing the tooth to the horror of seeing his own blood and then excitement for the tooth fairy. Oh he was jacked up about that. Nothing better than free money. No work involved, just easy money.


He didn't even question the fairies existence just knew she was coming. I am still waiting for the day that he starts to ask about all those mystical beings. I see way too many kids grow up way to fast. I think keeping their little minds open to a wild imagination is so important. They have the rest of their lives to grow up. Why start now. I am just not sure what I am going to say when he asks if they are real.


Is continuing to believe in Santa, the tooth fairy and an egg laying bunny OK for a 9 year old, how about 13, when is too old?


What would or did you tell your kid when they finally asked the big question?


Can't kids just stay kids for a while longer?

HELLO IN CRANKINTOPIA

Third grade was a strange time in my life. I moved from a Christian school to a Catholic school in the middle of third grade. Talk about culture shock.

Roll mental camera…

Swats were the only thing similar between the two schools. I think some older version of the bible had a verse that commanded all teachers to beat the devil out of cantankerous lads like myself. I have yet to find it in any of my versions but I am sure it is there.

But there was one thing made the move all worthwhile. I had a wicked crush on my new third grade teacher, and yes she was a nun. Sick and twisted I know. But she was young and nice to me and never once hit me with a ruler.

I had to impress her by telling her hello and goodbye in a different language everyday. I would walk in the door and say “lratheratewy, that means Hello in Crackintopia.” She would always mention how lovely the language sounded and how beautiful it must be there. I was a master linguist by the time a left third grade. Yea right! I never researched any new languages, I just made it all up. But she never let on that she knew I was faking.

Embellishment is something I always found myself guilty of. It has become much less as I get older, but still guilty. But there were times in my youth where I wasn’t even sure the fact from fiction. When it comes to my faith I try to make extra sure I don’t embellish, but it has happened. I don’t pretend to be a model Christian because I am not. I don’t think it is possible. We want and strive to be but always fall short. No need to cover it up with lies, God will accept us, flaws and all. Kinda like that nun accepted me, she must have been reading the version of the bible I have.

Have you let yourself embellish about any part of your faith or walk with God?

Is embellishing something you struggle or have struggled with?

Did you ever get called out when exaggerating something?(man that is a fun time huh)

CHAIN LETTER

So I guess this is like the blog version of a chain letter. I hate the email versions but this is a pretty cool way to get to know someone. Sorry to the people I tagged if you didn't want to be tagged. But hey I want to know, so spill it... Thanks to Teresa for tagging me

Here are the rules:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player tags 5 people and posts their name, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

What was I doing 10 years ago:
Ten years ago I was in the third year of marriage to my lovely wife Shelly and we were expecting our first son Connor. I was debating on whether or not I should leave retail mortgage lending for the broker world. Man I had a lot of wasted time on my hands back then

Five Snacks I enjoy:
In a perfect, non weight-gaining world (and if I could eat dairy):
1. Queso, queso and more queso
2. Pizza
3. Chocolate cake (no icing)
4. Cereal drowning in milk
5. McDonald’s, Sonic or Braum’s double cheeseburgers

In the real world:
1. I am a spin doctor
2. I don’t hold back
3. I am a night owl
4. I coach my son’s in all kinds of sports
5. I like a good adventure

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. I would start an organization that would pair up younger people with lonely older people. Kind of Big Brother/Big Sister in reverse. There are too many lonely people in this world
2. I would start a ministry where people can get clean and work at the same time. They learn a trade and upon graduation could work at a company I set up.
3. I would take my wife and kids to see the mountains

Five jobs that I have had:
1. Installed office furniture
2. Rented cars
3. Mortgage loan officer
4. Business to business sales
5. President of a title and escrow company

Three of my habits:
1. I am a blackberry/crackberry addict
2. I hit my snooze button way too many times
3. I have a tendency to take over cooking for my wife (not sure she minds)

Five place I have lived:
1. Oklahoma City, OK
2. Shiprock, NM (with the Navajos for three months I will tell that story later)
3. Stillwater, OK (college)
4. Edmond, OK
5. sorry only 4

What do you want others to get from your blog:
Mostly just to make people laugh. People don’t do it enough. They can laugh at me or with me I don’t care as long as they just do it. If they get a swift kick in the pants along the way that works too.

Five People I Want to Get to Know Better:
(a nice way of saying TAG!)
But don't feel obligated! Just do it if you want to.
1. Justin
2. Matt
3. Jessica
4. Gina
5. Scott