Arrival in Thai airport

Playing in Taiwan airport

So here is k

Trip continued

So we were lucky enough to have an empty seat next to us on both flights so Kaiya had her own seat and was able to sleep. She was a great traveler, no crying.

Thailand trip

So here is Kaiya and I waiting to board the plane for the 18 hours worth of flying.

Traveling across the planet

So were in Thailand for the next several days visiting my wifes sister and doing some site seeing. We've been here a couple of days and were slowly getting adjusted to the time difference, I'm almost there the baby and wife are a little behind. I hope to be posting some pics throughout the week of our trip so stay tuned for picture proof of our adventure.

Rock the vote

So the race for president has begun and boy it looks like a fun time is going to be had. The Democrats have Mrs. Clinton and Obama and it looks like this might turn in to a wonderful battle for the Democrats and on the republican side we have Giuliani running. I think so far these are the three to be looking at for a real chance of making a serious run at the White House. Could the States be ready for a African American or a woman, time will tell. I am for now backing Obama he is a great speaker and I like the fact that he doesn't seem to be in the same mold as the other politicians. Both Obama and Giulianii come across as being themselves when in interviews while Clinton and others seem to be watching what they say and very calculated. Well I am loving the coverage and the crazy people over analyzing things and turning what they order at Taco Bell into a glimpse of how they will handle the White House. So watch and enjoy the smearing has only begun.

Crowder

So this past thursday a couple guys from the dorm and I went to Sacramento to see the David Crowder Band in concert. It was a pretty cool modern worship experience. We had seats towards the back but there a small fenced off area right but the stage with people in there so I sent the guys to check it out and they came back with arm bands that gave us access, so we got be right up front. Look at his website and check out if they'll be in your area soon and if they are check em out you'll be blessed.

Go Payton

So for the Super Bowl this year I will be going for the Colt's, mainly because of Payton Manning. I like the way he plays and carries himself off the field. As you may know I am a diehard Dolphins fan thus I am a huge Dan Marino fan so I feel for the pressure that Manning goes through. He may very well be the best QB (Manning) when its all said and done but if he doesn't win the big one he will be considered a lesser QB than Tom Brady even if his numbers end up being the best in the Game, just like Dan is viewed inferior to Joe Montana even though Joes teams were always better than Dans. (Sorry the Dan being the best post some other time.) So for that reason I want to see Payton win so the poor guy will not have to be under the oppression of the flawed reasoning to who is the best QB of all time. Just a thought the reason Brady is seen as so great is because of his playoff wins, but you put Scott Norwood kicking the field goals he would be holding two less rings at least. Just like you put Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott and Roger Craig with Dan the Man he just might have a couple dozen rings.

Favorites Day 7

My Wife and Baby

So of course they would be one of my favorite things that goes without saying, but I put them on this years list because they are the biggest thing that happened to me this year. I had my five year anniversary with my wife and my baby girl was born this year totally changing my life and the way I think. After seeing my wife deliver the precious cargo (naturally by the way) I have a new respect and awe for her, not to mention that she is a wonderful mom who loving and selfless. My little girl always makes me smile even if I see the same tricks tens of times a day they always make me laugh. I thank the Lord for a great year made even better by my lovely wife and adorable child.

Favorites Day 6 (a day late)

New Super Mario Bros.

So this goes with my day one favorite, the Nintendo DS, the New Super Mario Bros. Those who like video games have almost all played the classic Super Mario Bros. and were raised with the great games of Mario and company. This new one harkens back to the roots of the original, its a side scrolling 2D, with the look and feel of the first one, with a shiny new graphics. If you liked the first one this one is a lock to enjoy.

Favorites Day 5

Chocolate

So my brother was visiting San Fran this past fall and since that's pretty close to us he swung by for a few hours. With him he brought some treats he bought in the city (they can be found anywhere), a tin of Ghirardelli chocolate squares, three different flavors. He told us the raspberry filled one was the best, so I gave it a try and loved it, and I thought these were going to be all mine cause my wife does not typically like fruit flavors with her chocolate. To my disappointment though she loved them too, which at least says there pretty good, but left me to have to share. The others were ok but not nearly as delicious as the raspberry ones. The dark chocolate is perfectly offset by the sweet tangy raspberry filling. I tried a similar truffle from the See's company but the raspberry center was lacking compared to the Ghirardelli one. So go ahead and pick up Ghirardelli Dark chocolate Square with Raspberry filling and I dare you not to like it.

Favorites Day 4

A Collision: David Crowder Band


So a favorite album of mine this year was David Crowder Band's, A Collision. I love their music and this album did not disappoint. The DCB does a great job of mixing worship music with a great alt sound and their not afraid to experiment with their sound, on this album they mixed in some bluegrass, and masterfully at that. If you haven't heard it give it a shot, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Favorites Day 3

Restaurant, The Melting Pot

So I've been to the melting pot before and have always liked it, but I appreciate it more every time I go. It's a little pricey to do too often so Alana and I only go on special occasions. The melting pot is a fondue restaurant, which means melted cheese how could you not like that. They have several options of fondue types usually we get two cheeses cause the main course is meat, so being vegetarians we've never tried them of course. There is a vegi option but it never sounded good, but we went during Christmas with family and decided to try the vegi option and to my surprise it was really good. You cook the vegi's in a broth and then have some really nice sauces for dipping, delicious. The best is desert pricey but worth it this last time we had a hazelnut chocolate fondue, which you dip fruit, cookies, cheesecake, brownies and other delicious things, man it was great. The food is great and good options for all, and the experience is great they make the fondue right in front of you and it's wonderful fun dipping your food in the communal pot and eating together.

Fiesta Fun

So if you missed the Fiesta Bowl last night you missed the best bowl game maybe ever. I have never had so much fun watching a football game as I did last night. I was doing other things while watching and as the game went on it sucked me in. I'm not a big bowl game watcher but not much else was on, but boy am I glad I saw it. Boise State even though undefeated was an underdog to Oklahoma because Boise was from a "weaker" conference and not even a part of the BCS. Boise started great and looked like they were going to run away with it but Oklahoma came roaring back and tied the game with less than two minutes left. The rest of the game was a see saw battle of epic proportions with big play after big play and trick plays all over the place culminating in the Statue of Liberty play which gave the win to Boise State. This game was so good I found myself cheering throughout and clapping at the TV in appreciation when the game ended. If you missed it, find some way of seeing it or at least seeing the highlights of the game. It was an instant classic and a joy to watch.

Favorites Day 2

Lost

So I don't really watch to much TV, mainly sports, but everyone around me was watching Lost. I never was too interested, but after so much hype and so many people around me loving it including my wife I decided to catch up on season 1 and 2 this summer. After finishing season 1 I was hooked, but season 2 wasn't out on DVD yet but some friends had it on itunes so I saw them also. I love the writing and the story that kept you coming each episode, you never know what's going to happen and who's going to be around. I love the fact that no one knows what's happening and that everyone seems to have some theory to what's going on. I don't really have a theory other than it is really good and one of my favorite things of 2007.

My favorite things this year Day 1

So I've been gone a while, we all know how busy the holiday season can be. Well I hope you all had a great Christmas and I wish you a happy New Year. This week I'll be giving you 7 days of my favorite things this year. So with no further delay.

Favorites Day 1

The Nintendo DS Lite.

I like video games and I grew up playing nintendo and have a special place for them in my heart. The Nintendo DS the newest portable gaming system has given me hours of fun. I haven't had this much fun with a portable game system ever, the games are great and the duel screen with the bottom one being a touch screen really makes it a more robust system and makes the system more interactive. Sure the PSP the Sony portable is a more "powerful" machine with better graphics, but just doesn't hold my attention like the DS and I can say this cause I do own them both, and play the DS much more. The DS has produced better games and games that are just plain more fun. The DS day 1 favorite things of this past year.

Shopping madness

So we braved the stores today, I even got up at 4:30. There weren't many cars on the highway so I thought it would be an easy morning and I was dreaming of all the deals I could get, with my notes of what stores to hit in hand. As I turned into the Best Buy parking lot my dreams of deals turned into nightmares. I have never seen that parking lot so full, and the people were like ants on a hot fudge cake on the sidewalk. All the big items I was looking for gone, people had camped out to get them, so we got two DVD's and got in line which snaked through section after section from the back of the store all the way to the front. My wife waited in line while I went to Circuit City to find the lines not as long but twice as slow, luckily I found a cashier who was just opening and had no line yet. Then I met my wife a Target, the Family Christian book store and then the mall and finally Walmart. Here is what we were able to get:

Cat in the Hat DVD - 2.99
Big Fish DVD - 2.99
Groundhog day DVD - 2.99
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - 3.99
Larryboy and the Bad Apple - 5
Story of Jesus children's Bible - 5
Skillet CD - 7.97
bold plus 25% off
Simpsons Season 8 - 16
SD 1GB memory card - 2.99
Wagon radio flyer- 50 normally 70

We got some good deals, but wow what a hectic morning going from store to store and wading through the sea of people at each store. Our baby got the best of it with her new wagon, and we didn't get any of the big ticket items we might have wanted, but it's ok were still blessed and thankful for all we have. Have a wonderful Sabbath.

Give Thanks

So I just want to say Happy Thanksgiving, hope the day went well for all. We have lots to be thankful for this year, and this year I want to focus on family. Working with teens I see lots of dysfunctional family dynamics and tons of broken families. I am thankful to the Lord for my family and the way in which they raised me with morals and a desire for the Lord, Though I want to remind you all to be thankful everyday, if you are reading this blog you odds are you are blessed. Remember to live everyday to its fullest and be thankful for every moment you have. Much luck to all who will brave the stores tomorrow for sales, we plan on doing some hunting ourselves. Oh yeah I'm thankful for a dolphin thanksgiving win, four in a row! Five more and we just might make the playoffs!!

Politics as usual

So I voted, and now I can complain. The terminator has been voted in again for another term, oh how wonderful (sarcasm). It is neat that the democrats have taken the house and the senate, now we can see politics at its finest, fighting between the white house and house and senate. It should be an entertaining two years. Things were getting boring with the President pushing his warring agenda though D.C. Hope your local elections went your way, unless of course it was against what I think.

Vote yes? Vote no?

So election day is coming and in an attempt to be educated I went onto the internet to research the canidates and propositions. As I researched I found myself having no clearer picture of how to vote, as the props. go. I read both sides and many of the props. sounded good and made sense, but the reasons for saying no seemed to always be based on the fact that taxes would increase or the state is in debt and can't afford it. Both sides argue their point well and make their point sound like the right one. I was trying to be an educated voter, but with my research I just felt more ignorant than when I began. I hope you have a better picture than I do and good luck on election day.

Dolphins make me sad

Look at what the Dolphins did, they broke my little girls heart. She got all dressed up only to have her feelings crushed by the lack of heart by those fish. The team has talent but can't seem to have that translate in to quality play. Well at least I have someone to cry with. Hope you enjoyed the blog exclusive picture of my little girl in her Dolphins outfit.

I'm batman

So the school at work at had a spirit week and one of the days was superhero day. It was fun to see all the costumes and you can see me dressed as batman with a student dressed as a fan of mine. It was kinda wierd running around campus all day as Batman, but fun never the less. Kaiya looked at me weird but wasn't afraid of her old man in a mask.

Finally

So the Dolphins finally won today and barely against a horrid Tennessee team. Our offence was offensive and just looks plain out of sinc. I hope that Mr. Culpepper can really start to grasp this offence and do what he is capable of. Well I am happy that were not the worst team in Florida right now, sorry Bucs fans it looks like the old days for your crew. Don't get me wrong I'm not boasting cause I know in two weeks the Dolphins seem to be very capable of being the worst once again.

Undrerroos

So you remember underroos, the little kids underwear that had cartoon characters on them mostly superheros. I remember going to the store and seeing them as a child and seeing the batman ones and wanting them but instead my mom would always buy me the economical tightie whities from K-mart. Anyways now a days I realize that the underroo generation is still here they have just moved on to boxers. Now that I buy my own underwear, I buy adult underroos. Boxers these days have anything you can imagine on them from little classy patterns to Tony the Tiger, and you can be sure that me as a underroos deprived child am reverting to childhood and catching up on the cartoon underwear. Don't get me wrong I have some plain ones with little patterns, but I love my Simpsons, Sesame Street, and Snoopy boxers because they remind me of the underroos I never had. So don't feel bad for my tightie whitie past - my present is full of fun, but don't get excited only my wife gets to see me run around in my adult underroos.

Five Great Years

So on August 5th five years ago my precious little lady and I got hitched. We were looking at some pictures of ourselves throughout our dating and marriage, and I got to say we have had a great time. We actually started dating a little over ten years ago, we looked so young. I must say it has been a wonderful five years with lots of memories and great times. She is still the love of my life and I love her more than ever, and every day I thank God for the love of my woman.