Thanksgiving Day

It's been over 2 months since I posted here so I figured today was perfect. When you move in and out of reflecting upon your current life and all of the things that brought you to this moment, you realize that you have categorically aligned your memories. Fun, sad, difficult, amazing, transforming, etc. Whatever the memory or life experience is, it has a category tag. We all have them. Some we talk about freely, others we would rather just move on. That's life. So today as I'm reflecting and shuffling through random memories I'm sure at some point I'll think of you. And when I do, I will be thankful. Thankful that you are in my life. Thankful that I have been influenced in some way by your love and friendship. Thankful that we have shared some experience together and you have a unique place in my life. One that no one else can claim.

i know, i know . . .

i'm so ridiculously bad at keeping this blog up-to-date. i could make the excuse that i'm just way too busy. or i could say life just moves too fast and i can't keep up. but any excuse i come up with would easily be shot down by Lori and her multi-tasking, super-mom self! so i won't even try to rationalize my inconsistency. but i do know one thing for sure, we had a wonderful time this summer when Lori, John David, Julia, Boo and Max came to be with us in Colorado! Rather than post a bunch of pictures, just go here:Summer 08

5 more days!!!

only 5 more days till the fun starts! woo hoo! we're gonna have pancakes and tacos and cheezy spaghetti and coconut pie and home-made donuts and cheese burgers and popsicles and candy and apples and smoothies and steaks and shrimp and crab legs and ice cream and snow cones and popcorn and chocolate pie and peach cobbler and home-made chicken fried steak and mac & cheese and mcdonalds and rumbi's and cinzettis and then a nap . . .

tic toc, tic toc

only 18 more days!!!!

sometimes i wonder

so i'm sitting in a meeting in Milwaukee yesterday afternoon with all the techno-babble you'd ever want to listen to. after a while it just sounded like blah, blah, blah to me. then i started thinking, "what am i doing?" a thousand miles away from anyone i love or really care about. another day is ticking by and i haven't kissed my wife. i haven't hugged my son, daughter or son-in-law. i haven't chased or tickled my grand babies in weeks. i hate those moments. and for a fleeting moment i even imagined standing up and saying, "you know what, this just isn't that interesting to me." . . . and then walking out the door and heading to the airport. then someone said something in the meeting that must have gotten my attention. ugh! escape was so close!

a canvas in the sky

On Wednesday afternoon, June 2nd, a cloud formation on the east side of Longmont developed into this massive display. I raced home to get my camera just in time to capture the striking colors of the sunset bouncing off these monster thunderheads.

There were people all over the place standing outside watching this unfold and the photos can't really depict the moment. Standing there watching God paint this picture in the sky is something you won't quickly forget. And to think . . . the one who painted this knows my name and calls me friend. It's times like these when you can feel really, really small.


(The posted photo is actually two separate shots I put together. I needed to shoot one exposure for the clouds and another for the house.)

the boys are back in town!

together . . .

32 years ago today we embarked on a journey "together" that we never could have imagined. two young kids facing odds that most people would have walked away from. the twists and turns of life have challenged us all along the way. we have loved "together", suffered loss "together" and learned "together". but through every situation, "together" has been the constant. we were never meant to be anything other than "together". i'm so glad that you believe in me and have stood with me when others would have said goodbye. now, we reach another milestone on our journey and we will celebrate "together".

i love you . . . happy anniversary sweetheart!

if ever you worshiped

it wasn’t that long ago
you were a girl all alone
there was no way to know
how soon you’d have kids of your own

now you’re the first one awake
the last one asleep
cleaning and making your plans
and there are days when it feels
like there’s no time to pray
you wonder if God understands

but if ever you worshiped, it’s now
if ever you kept your vow
you may not understand how
but if ever you worshiped, it’s now

the memory of leaves in the fall
walking through canyons so tall
God was so close in it all
now your chance to worship seems small

you’re the first one to taste
but the last one to eat
when everyone goes their own way
and it’s your name that’s called
in the deep of the night
one more hour of sleep floats away

every shirt that you fold
every nose that you blow
is a gift to the Father above
every lunch that is made
every game that is played
is an offering of love

but if ever you worshiped, it’s now
if ever you kept your vow
you may not understand how
but if ever you worshiped, it’s now

Danny Oertli - Breathe It In
Watch the Video here: "

my favorite song

What can I say, what can I do
What can I bring to offer You
There is no gold, no precious pearl
Nothing on earth that compares to You
Lord, here I stand with empty hands

I will exalt the One who lifted me
Out of the miry clay to heights of eagle's wings
Words cannot express, all I know is this
You changed me!
I can remember how I used to be
I was so bound, but now I am free
I will exalt the One who lifted me!

I've never known a Father like You
A love that is strong, gentle and true
You draw me close, just like a child
Safe in Your arms there is no doubt
This is my place, this is the way!

CFNI: upsidedown

daves basic laws of travel

i have observed certain laws which come into play more often than not when i travel. here you go:

• the biggest person on the plane always sits next to dave.
• either the tray table or seat back (recline) will malfunction.
• the baby that cries and screams the entire flight must sit within one to two rows of dave.
• inexperienced travelers with way too much carry-on baggage must stop at daves row and press their bags into his face while attempting to figure out how to stuff that dead yak into the overhead.
• those who intend to talk in a booming or high-pitched annoying tone the entire trip must sit right behind, right in front or right next to dave.
• baggage claim is always the furthest carousel away.
• daves bag will be last or next to last off the carousel.

i will add more later. i know there's more, i'm just too tired to think of them.

oh wait . . . when dave goes to the "lavatory" on the plane, he is always preceeded by that biggest traveler who by the way, must have had a wonderful mexican food lunch right before boarding. great . . .

been a long week . . .

i'm so glad it's friday. in about an hour a plane will land in denver which is bringing my baby home! this is the first time in a long time that the shoe has been on the other foot. usually i'm the one that's gone. i don't like this. i don't like this at all. i've read, stroked poppy, cleaned house and have the place shining. 'cmon home precious.

say what you need to say . . .

take all of your wasted honor.
every little past frustration.
take all of your so called problems,
better put 'em in quotations.

say what you need to say . . .

walkin' like a one man army,
fightin' with the shadows in your head.
livin' up the same old moment
knowin' you'd be better off instead

if you could only. . . say what you need to say . . .

have no fear for givin' in.
have no fear for giving over.
you better know that in the end
it's better to say too much, than never to say what you need to say again.

even if your hands are shaking,
and your faith is broken.
even as the eyes are closin',
do it with a heart wide open.

say what you need to say . . .

john mayer - the bucket list

something old, something new . . .

"I will give you a new heart (corazón nuevo) and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26

i'm not sure why it took so long. perhaps it really doesn't matter that much. i've always heard "it's not how you start, but how you finish."

sometimes i think about all that could have been, and very quickly have to refocus to think about all that still can be.

all i know is that old things have passed away and all is becoming new. . .