New House

Tonight, I got the call, our counter-counter offer was accepted. We will sign the papers tomorrow night.

We're excited!

(Click for a larger picture)

I'll have more pictures later once the paper work is in order.

It's Sold!!!

Tonight we sold our house! We are very happy about it. Now we just have to find a house to buy before we are homeless! :)

We have 2 that we are very interested in. Hopefully we'll get to take a second look at both houses this weekend.

Spring

I went out on the back porch this afternoon, and noticed that there are buds on the plum tree in our backyard!

It's not the plums, but the buds that has me excited!

Spring is almost here!

Update

Wow, it's really been a long time since I've posted. I knew it had been, but I didn't realize it had been almost a month!

For the most part, things have been really quiet (and I'm NOT complaining). We have decided to start looking into buying a new house. I've let the church next door to us know because they had shown some interest in buying the place if we ever sold. So, we've had about 8 people from their church come by and look at the place. I was always under the impression that they wanted to bulldoze it, but they've been asking a lot of questions about the house, so sounds like they may want to keep it. I really don't care as long as we get out of it what we need for a down payment on the next place.

We've not done a lot as far as hunting goes. We've looked online a bit, and drove by a couple houses we've seen, but we've not gone into any of them yet.

Last week, we've also filled out loan papers and are still waiting to hear back on that.

I guess that is basically it. Hopefully it wont be another month before I post again.

Winter storm and pulled muscle

Well, the storm is here, there is a good bit of ice on EVERYTHING, roads, cars, everything. It took me over an hour to come home yesterday from work (which usually takes about 20-25). I picked my son up from the bus stop so he wouldn't have to walk home, and the bus was 30 minutes late. It was crazy.

Anyway, I went ahead and made it to the gym. It was about 25 degrees outside and everything was covered in ice, (the car again), but I didn't want to break my exercising streak. Easier to keep it going than start over. Anyway, since the car was covered in ice again, and the gym was 2 blocks away, I put on my spiky shoes and walked to the gym.

I had a really good workout and after the day I had, I was good to be there and work out some of my stress. Afterward, I got wrapped back up for the cold and started walking home. As I was crossing the street, and Jeep came sliding around the corning going way to fast, so I make a run for it to get out of the road. Well, as he was sliding, he slid right into the parking spots across the street (where I was running to), so I'm trying to make it up on the curb and into the ally (safe from the crazy jeep). About my second step, I pulled a muscle in my right calf!

It was all I could do to get across the street before getting hit! As I did get to saftey, I turned around to check on the jeep, and he was sliding towards an old parked semi. I thought he was going to hit it, but he didn't.

So, I had to hobble the 2 blocks back home to get out of the weather. Every step was horrible. But I made it.

It feels better today, but there is no way I'll be able to make it to the gym today.

*sigh*

Great Horned Owl

The weather has been nice lately, so I've been going on walks. Well yesterday, on my walk, I startled something that flew out of a tree and down the row of trees. It was huge. When it landed, I realized it was an owl. I didn't know what kind, but it was huge!

Thanks to Google, I figured out it was probably a Great Horned Owl. Their bodies can be between 18"-25" long with a wingspan of 36"-60". Those upper numbers are close to how large I thought this owl was. I've never seen an owl in the wild. I've heard them, but never seen them.

I need to try to get a picture of it.

Birthday Cake Time

Well, it's that time of year again, time for another birthday cake. Big number 9.

This year, the cake was Spongebob Squarpants. I think I did ok.

Last year, was Pokemon:


The year before that Yoda. That year, I did 2 cakes cause we had to parties, and I wasn't happy with the first cake.
Second Cake:

First Cake:


I guess I'm getting better, not sure. course when my practice is a year apart, it will take me a while to get really good at it.

Birthday Boy

Today is my son's Birthday... big number 9. The last birthday before he hits double digits. He is getting so big!

Today, he also came home with his report card.

Language Arts - A
Math - A
Reading - A
Science - S
Social Studies - S
Spelling - A
Music - S
PE - S

Considering where we were at the start of 2nd grade, this is nothing but a pure miracle!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone!

May you have a blessed year.

Friday Night Storms

With me not feeling well yesterday, I forgot to talk about the storms that came through Friday night. I'm not sure how, but they managed to knock out my Satellite. Two of my receivers aren't receiving, and 1 (in the bedroom) is only picking up 1 of the 3 satellites it should be.

Wait it gets better. They can't get anyone out her till Wednesday between noon and 5:00.

Wait, it gets even better. The OSU bowl game is Tuesday night and is on ESPN.

I think I get ESPN on the upstairs TV. I think, but I'm not sure.

Sick!

I started getting sick Tuesday with a low grade fever and a cough Tuesday night. The fever finally broke (for good) Thursday night. My cough is still annoying and my throat hurts and I'm hoarse.

Yesterday, my wife started complaining about her stomach hurting. It looks like she's got the stomach virus that's going around. Today, I've started having problems.

*sigh*

Some Vacation.

Merry Christmas

I wanted to post earlier today (on Christmas Eve) but I've been running a fever since yesterday evening.

I hate being sick on Christmas.

Anyway, I hope you all have a good Christmas. I'm hoping to go to bed soon and get more rest. I was in bed most of Christmas Eve.

Anyway, If I'm sick or not, Christmas is here and it's still time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ!

Luke 2:1 - 20

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Merry Christmas Adam!

I wanted to take a moment and wish you all a Merry Christmas Adam today ( you know, Adam came before Eve).

I also wanted to share this picture with you. My WONDERFUL wife got me this hat Saturday! I love it!

Death of a Friend

Today, my son had his real first touch of death.

We were cleaning out his hamster cage today, and he took Ang out, but Katara didn't come out after him, so he went digging through the bedding and got her. When I came in from cleaning the top of the cage, he had me look at her. She was dead. Not only was she dead, but it looks like Ang might have chewed on her a bit after she died.

He did really well for about 15 minutes or so, and then he started crying. We went to have a funeral for her, but he didn't want to go outside when it was time. He wanted me to go and bury her by meself. I felt really bad for him.

He's doing better now.

No more Santa pictures?

Yesterday was a little sad. My boy didn't want to take a picture with Santa today at school.

When I asked him why, he told me why would he want to take a picture with a fake Santa?

"Santa's fake?" I asked him. He informed me that this one is, you can take his beard off real easy, just by pulling it.

I asked if he might be one of Santa's and he told me Santa didn't need any help.

He agreed to go ahead and get his picture takenso we were happy aboout that, but who knows about next year.

Snow?

Went to Walmart this evening and as I walk buy one of the entrances, I saw this stand of snow shovles with a sign on it.

If you can't read it, it says

Weather forecast is snow late Tuesday all day Wednesday and early Thursday morning..

I'm so glad Walmart is looking out for us by letting us know the forecast.

Bah!

You know, there are days that I really don't like AT&T

A while back, AT&T Yahoo stopped their photo storage and went to Flickr. Anyone that paid for their AT&T Yahoo account would get Flickr for free! I had used the Yahoo one, but several of my friends used Flickr and I used it some. So when they made that offer, I was all over it! I was impressed.

Then today, I bought a new camera, and uploaded several of my photos to Flickr, and I see this message:

Due to changes in your AT&T Internet Service, your Flickr Pro account will expire on 1st February, 2009.

I wondered what was up with that, so they had a link asking why my Pro Account is expiring, so I clicked it:

AT&T and Verizon Internet Services have reworked their broadband packages and will no longer be offering Flickr pro to subscribers after January 31, 2009.

Now, I can upgrade my Flickr account to Pro for $24.95, but still, AT&T is the one that offered it for Free to begin with. They didn't need to do that to begin with, now that I'm used to using Flickr, I either have to switch to something else, pay for the pro account, or go back to their free account.

*sigh*

:(

Our house is mourning after the 4th quarter ended. The Pokes did pretty well, but about half way through the 4th quarter, they just couldn't keep up with the Sooners.

Lost

While watching the BIG game, we saw an awesome Lost preview. It looks really, really good. January 21st won't get here soon enough.

Back to the game.

Christmas Shopping

First things first.

Thanksgiving was AWESOME!!! The food was great! I got to see a whole lot of the family, we looked at the sales ads in the paper, and did I mention the food was great?!?!?

As usual, I went shopping today. I did get out early, but not as early as I have in the past and I was out earlier than I expected as I woke up before the alarm went off this morning for my wife to go to work, so I went ahead, got up and went shopping.

I didn't hit as many stores as I normally do, but as usually, my shopping is now complete. I spent WAY too much money, but I had a great time, and I can't wait to see everyone open their presents.

I love to shop, it's a lot of fun, but by far, watching everyone open the presents is by far the best.

I'm so tired though it's all I can do to stay awake and try to finish wrapping some of the presents I got.

I did manage to get the tree up, so later, when my wife gets home, we'll decorate it and get these presents under the tree.

I love this time of year!