EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC, EVERY LITTLE THING JUST TURNS ME ON...

THE LAST IMAGES OF ME AS A 20-SOMETHING

Tomorrow I turn 30!!!

A WALK IN THE WOODS

One of the things I miss about the 802 is surface water. A series of recent storms have filled the stream that runs through the camp with a wonderful rushing, splishing, splashing sound that reminds me of bygone days tramping the woods of Vermont. The first few storms were simply absorbed by the dry mountain sponge, and I was disappointed that the stream didn't begin to flow, but apparently the mountain has reached a point of saturation where it is allowing some of the moisture to escape its thirsty grasp and run down through the stream.

JOURNAL 1/9/2008

Worked from 8:00am until 4:30pm. Josh and Emily came over for lunch. Everybody in the house has a low grade cold- runny nose and sniffles. Sarah and Lisa went for a walk into town in the afternoon, and I went for a walk in the woods. Finsished the day by going to our Wednesday night Bible study. Went to bed early.

"7-2-8 Central"

"Go ahead 7-2-8"

I'm gonna be 10-7 at my S1 for lunch"

"10-4, 7-2-8"

JOURNAL 1/8/2007

Worked from 8:00 until 5:00 pm. I took an hour lunch to watch the Joe Gibbs Press Conference at noon. It's too bad that he retired, but I appreciated the things he had to say. Sarah went to hemet in the morning, and bought me some new pants... an early birthday present. Spoke briefly with Mom and John in the afternoon. Sarah was going to go down to the valley today, but after recieving news that Selah was sick she thought better of it, and stayed home. John McCain and Hillary Clinton won the New Hampshire primary. My man, Fred Thompson, came in at the bottom of the heap. Ah well!

LOOKING FORWARD TO A VISIT FROM MY MOM- SOMETIME AT THE END OF FEBRUARY POSSIBLY

WHY JOE? IS IT ME? DID I DO SOMETHING WRONG?

JOURNAL 1/7/2008

Woke up to a winter wonderland. Jack and lucy still sick. I took Lucy and Bowden sledding in the morning. I held Jack for a good portion of the day while Sarah caught up on some housecleaning around the house. Lisa came over for dinner. She brought goodie bags from her nephews birthday party for Bowden and Lucy which were received with much joy and squealing by the kids.

SLEDDING WITH BOWDEN AND LUCY

Bowden, Lucy and I went sledding.






...and a stick gutted the bottom of our red plastic toboggan like a fish and exposed my yellow boxer shorts to the cold winter air.

I'm afraid the pants were damaged beyond repair, but a cup of hot cocoa did a lot to make me feel better.

JOURNAL 1/6/2008

Jack still throwing up. Lucy appears to have pink eye now, but her tummy is no longer bothering her. Cold today with rain in the morning and switching to snow as the day went on. We didn't go to church as the kids were sick. Sarah also not feeling 100%, but not sick enough to slow her down. We received a surprise visit from Cassie Yates, her son Kylan, sister Allison and her boyfriend Alex in the evening. It was fun hanging out with them. I just hope we didn't get them all sick. It was still snowing as we went to bed.

JOURNAL 1/5/2008

Cold rainy day. Worked from 8 until 1. Stopped work early to watch to the Redskins/Seahawks playoff game. I was bitterly disappointed when the Seahawks beat my skins...again. Called Chad Irving after the game to congratulate him on the seahawk's victory. Jack and Lucy feeling poorly today- jack is throwing up and Lucy has diarhea.

JOURNAL 1/4/2008

Worked from 8:00 until 4:30 pm. Emily White came over with Joel and Seth to hang out with Sarah who is still feverishly trying to remove all things Christmas from our home. The day started out mild, but the mercury dropped as the day went on. It began raining in the late afternoon, and continued raining all night long. Forecast is calling for continued rain changing to snow as the weekend goes on. We'll see. We hung out with the Barr sisters, Emily Blunt and Lisa again in the evening after the kids went to sleep. I turned in early as I was feeling tired.

"WE WANT DALLAS" Sean Taylor

JUST A FEW HOURS FROM KICKOFF.

If we can just get a win today, we travel next week to "BIG D," and if I may quote the late great Sean Taylor, "We want Dallas!"

I think the skins have an excellent chance of coming out of Seattle with a win today, but all of the talk from sports analysts about how good the Redskins are has me a little worried. To quote Gibbs, "We have to stay hungry and humble." I hope they get their minds right before the game.

I think the key to the game is to run a lot of stretch running plays against Seattle because their defensive ends are a couple of lightweights. Our oft touted DB's have to live up to the hype against a talented Seattle receiving corp as well. I predict a close game 24-17. I'm just hoping Washington has 24.

JOURNAL 1/3/2008

Out the door at 5:30 for a men's bible study at 5:45. Got back home at 7:30. Started work at 8:30 and wrapped up my day at approximately 5:00 pm. Roughly 200 campers from the Thanksgiving Korean Church arrived at 12:30 right after I had completed my first of two dump runs. I Swapped out the air filters under my house over the lunch break, and saw that Sarah had been busily deChristmasifying our house. Warmer today than it has been, but the forecast is calling for dropping temperatures and precipitation through the weekend. We hung out with the Barr sisters, Lisa and Emily Blunt in the afternoon before I fell asleep on the couch in front of the TV. I love ending the day that way.

MIDNIGHT PIE AT DENNY'S

Photo courtesy of The Dream Weaver



Several weeks ago, while I was attending a camping conference in San Diego with Lisa and the Shirleys, Lisa and I got together with my old college buddy, Steve Leader, and our good friend Kaitlin Barr. We were out until almost two eating pie and hanging out at the local Denny's. I just wish Sarah could have been there. That would have made it perfect.

Thanks to Kaitlin and Steve for allowing me to monopolize their time, and keep them out so late feeding my insatiable appetite for fellowship and pie.

JOURNAL 1/2/2008

Worked from 8 until 4:30. Saw the in-laws off after lunch. Sarah and I went out to dinner with Lisa in the afternoon and bumped into Josh and Emily who joined us at Arribas. The house felt empty after everyone left, and we miss everyody. Spoke breifly with John who was driving home to Georgia from Vermont. I was sorry to hear that his house was broken into while he was away in Vermont. John felt sorry for the burglar who must have felt very disappointed by the slim pickings at his place.

JOURNAL 1/1/2008

Got up early with Jack. He played in the high chair while I made breakfast (waffles) and did the dishes from the night before. At 9:30 Sarah and I went in to the kitchen to help prepare for brunch which was served at 11:00. Worked until 4:30 pm. Josh and Emily invited us over for dinner, but we had to decline as Mom Paulson was making a special New Years dinner. Sarah made the Richard family's famous coconut cookies in the evening and we all played a game of Settlers of Catan before going to bed. Annie, Justin, Rosie and Selah leave tomorrow morning.

JOURNAL 12/31/2007

Worked from 7:45 am until 9:30 pm with a break in the afternoon. Sarah worked two meals in the kitchen as well while Nanny watched the kids. The Whites came over in the afternoon and hung out until around 11:15 pm before collecting their slumbering kids and driving home. We had a good time, as always, just hanging out and eating rotel & chips. I fell asleep on the couch while trying to stay awake until midnight...didn't make it. Good bye 2007!