Everyday's Adventure

Following Up

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I posted about my fitness challenge I have given myself. I want to follow up with some of what we have changed and the results that are in so far.

We haven't really changed anything drastically, but we've definitely changed some things. One of the main things we have changed is our eating habits. Several months ago Allison wanted to change the amount of sweets we consumed. She felt that 3 days a week were enough, so we (I use this loosely) started limiting ourselves to sweets three times per week. While that was a good idea, I wasn't really motivated but still complied for the most part. As I before, at the end of the year I got on the scale and did not like what I saw, so the first thing I did was talk to a friend from work about nutrition. We talked about what he does and Allison and I have modified it to work for us and it has really made a significant difference in the first three weeks of the year.

We are now eating smoothies, made at home, for breakfast. We have 3 different versions that we make from chocolate banana, to berry, to coconut. They all have the same basic ingredients, but some changes in order to mix it up a little. The other main thing we've implemented is that we limit the amount of cheat meals to 4 per week. This includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner so we have to be pretty strategic about it. This, however, gives us a chance to make better choices, but still have some meals where we feel that we can have what we want. I am also happy to report that I am gladly complying with the 3 days of sweets per week.

The other thing we've done is changed our training for race we are running in a few weeks. We have changed from pounding out mileage to high intensity training. I think this has sort of shocked my metabolism into a frenzy, along with my body getting food that it can burn efficiently.

Overall I am very pleased with my results so far. As of this morning I have lost 13 pounds and weigh 184, down from 197. I haven't had my body fat tested, but plan to in the next week or so. I am in the range that I feel I need to be in, weight-wise. I could stand to lose a few more pounds, but as of now I don't plan to make any more significant changes.

One of my goals for 2012 is to maintain a healthy weight throughout the year. This is a good start and something I intend to diligently keep up with.

Do you have any goals for 2012? How are you doing so far in keeping them?

We're Gonna Do What?

2012-01-05T22:00:00.000-06:00

Well, it's official. Me, Allison, a co-worker of Allison's, a law school classmate of Allison's, a spouse of a co-worker of Allison's, and one yet to be determined member have signed up for the Rouge Orleans, a 126.2 mile ultra marathon. We talked about it last year, but didn't act on it. As of yesterday we are registered. Now comes the hard part, training and racing. This is unlike any race we've ever done before. In this race each of the 6 team members will run 5 legs of 3-5 miles. While Allison and I have ran 3-5 miles many times, we've never done it 5 times in a 20 hour period. We are really excited about this though. It will be a great experience, the team is full of great people, and we get to see of great friends the Becks. As crazy as it may sound, I can't wait!

Fitness/Nutrition Adventure

2012-01-03T21:00:00.000-06:00

I am thinking of doing a little experiment. Well, hopefully it won't be an experiment. I am hoping it will be a life changing decision followed by a few life changes. If you know me or read this blog much you probably know that I, for the most part, enjoy exercise. I try to exercise several times per week. I enjoy running, biking, swimming, as well as working out in the gym. While much of this takes discipline, I don't really claim to have much in that category.

What I don't really enjoy is disciplined nutrition. I will admit, I am horrible on this end of fitness. In fact, you can just call me the cookie monster. I like them in all types--chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia, sugar, frosted...you get the point. While I am fairly fit, I know that if I can get my eating and nutrition under control I can be much more so.

The main reason I want this is for Allison and Cooper. Now I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I won't enjoy looking and feeling better, because I will. But there are some startling facts about the men in my relatively immediate family. The most glaring is they don't live very long. And by not very long, I mean, most of them haven't reached age 65.

When I am 65 Allison and I will have been married for 43 years. That's hard to believe even as I type it. If the first 10 1/2 are any indication, however, I want much more than 43. I mean, seriously. I love being married to her. And I can't imagine cutting our marriage short simply because I wasn't disciplined in what I ate and didn't control things that I had complete control over.

When I am 65 Cooper will be 37. At the current trend of when people have kids he will probably have a child that is 7ish. Now that's not a very long time to spend with a grandchild. And from what I understand, having grandchildren around is awesome! I mean what's not to love about taking a kid fun places, giving them treats, and the sending them home to their parents!

So here is my plan. I am changing the way I eat. I will continue to exercise the way I have been for a few years, but the nutrition side is getting a make over. I am not completely sure what this makeover will look like, but I know it will look a lot less sugary. Below are two figures (no pun intended) that I am going to monitor. I know these aren't the only things that determine healthiness, but these are the most visible and probably the easiest to measure at any given moment. As time progresses I will post about how this is going as well as any progress (one way or the other) that I make.

weight - 197 lbs (my scales at home)
body fat - 21.2% (as of 10/20/11; I assume it is a little higher right now, but I don't know for sure)

This, by coincidence, happens to be the first of a new year. It is not a resolution, but one of my goals for 2012 is to maintain a healthier weight. I am hoping that it is a start to a healthier me.

Are there fitness/nutritional changes you need to make? Did you make any in 2011 that made a difference in your life?

Hiatus

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

I've been on a blogging hiatus for the last, I don't know, 6 weeks or so. When I committed to two posts a week I had every intention of keeping up with that. For a while I was able to, but I haven't posted at all since Cooper's birthday. I am not sure there is a reason. Sort of like the snowball effect that I wrote about regarding exercise, not posting just sort of snowballed on me. I didn't set out to take a hiatus, it just sort of happened.

As I have said on here many times, being creative is hard for me. Even when I am just writing about everyday life, most of the time it's hard for me. Words rarely flow out with ease. Then add on top of that my desire to not just blog to be blogging, it makes is that much more difficult. I am thinking through what I want my blog to look like. I may start over somewhere else, I may continue right here (sort of a grand re-opening), or I may just give it up and try to write/be creative some other way. I don't know. We'll see what comes of it. But for now I am not making any promises.

Do you ever have trouble writing? What do you do to get back on track?

Five. Years. Old.

2011-11-17T05:00:00.001-06:00

It seems like just yesterday he was born. Just yesterday he said "Papa" for the first time. Just yesterday he took his first steps. Just yesterday he told me and his mama he loved us for the first time. Just yesterday he told us he didn't like dinner. Okay, maybe that was yesterday, but man, I can't believe our boy is 5 years old today.

Cooper,

I can't believe you are five years old. This time next year you will be almost half way through kindergarten. The old cliche says "time flies when you're having fun," and that's exactly what you mom and I do as your parents.

You are a joy to be around. You have a big, loving personality. For the most part, you know what you want and when you want it. You love school, so much so that you get upset many days when I come to pick you up. You are starting to take an interest in sports. Many days this summer and fall you and I played outside kicking the soccer ball until mom was finished making dinner. You love to build things. You love Legos and Lincoln Logs.

You love to read books. Every night before you go to bed you ask how many books we can read. On nights that we are out late or have other things to do, you are bummed if we don't get to read. You are a good boy. You have your moments for sure, but I think that is just you trying to find your way. You have a kind, caring, loving spirit. I hope that never changes. I am so glad God chose me and your mom to be your parents. I love you and look forward to seeing what the future holds for you.

Dad

Day one

Around your first b'day. You loved the Leapfrog Farm

Just after your second b'day. You have always loved to "help."

You got this from Big Daddy for your third b'day. You have always loved Spiderman!

Celebrating being four with mom. You love your mommy!

Your last day as a four year old. I can't believe it!

The Snowball Effect

2011-11-15T05:00:00.000-06:00

Many of you reading this know that I enjoy exercise. As a young person, I always thought that running was something you did as punishment or if someone was chasing you. When Allison was in law school, and I was about 60 pounds overweight, I started running. At first it was hard. I didn't enjoy it, but I kept at it. I started by running a 5k. Over the next several years I continued to run several days a week and ran several more 5k races. As I lost weight and got faster I noticed something: I felt terrible on the days that I didn't run or do some other type of exercise.

As I continued my running journey, I began to run longer distances. I started with 4 miles, then 5, etc. At some point I decided to train for a half marathon and now I have completed 4. As I look back on training I can see a definite pattern: the more I ran, the more I wanted to run. I have recently see the opposite hold true in general exercise for me.

Two weeks ago I went to lunch with friends several times. I didn't work out regularly that week and made many poor food choices. At the end of the week I told Allison, "I had a terrible week eating and exercising, but next week is a new weeks." As that week started I felt myself wanting to skip the gym and go out to eat. Each time I went to the gym or ran outside it was like torture.

I truly believe that the "snowball effect" has a big impact on my exercising, good or bad. If I go to the gym often, I am excited, or at least, look forward to going. If, however, I don't go several days in a row I find myself not wanting to go. I think the obvious thing here is to continue going to the gym. What I want to figure out is how to keep the negative snowball effect from taking over if I miss a few days.

Does the snowball effect get you? How do you overcome this in your life or workout routine?

Conversations with Cooper - Part 8

2011-11-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

Last week we were driving home from dinner. We were listening to a CD that we got for Cooper that has songs that the preschoolers will be singing during their preschool choir presentation. As part of the CD the story of Jesus is told and at one point it talks about Mary and Jesus being at the inn when Jesus was born. If you remember last week, at this point things can go in any direction with Cooper.

Cooper: Mom, do girls have to be married to have a baby?

Me: Mom? (I mean, he asked her so I thought she should handle this one.)

Allison: Well, it's best if girls are married before they have a baby.

Me: God says he wants us to be married before we decide to have a baby.

Cooper: Yep, and not everyone should have a baby!

That, my boy, is very true. And more insightful than you even know! These questions are something else. I am often amazed and the questions he asks. While they are many times tough to answer on a 5 year old level, I appreciate that he is very inquisitive and honestly wouldn't want it any other way.

Sick to My Stomach

2011-11-08T05:00:00.000-06:00

Friday night, Allison and I attended a Secret Church simulcast at church. The title was Family, Marriage, Sex, and the Gospel. For those that don't know, Secret Church is a 6 hour, intense Bible study taught by David Platt, pastor at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. This is my third time to attend Secret Church. It is a lot like drinking out of a fire hose, but the thing I love about it is I generally can't stop thinking about it for days. This time was no different.

During the first teaching segment many statistics were discussed. Many, if not most, of the statistics were astounding. I can't tell you the number of times I shook my head, my mouth fell open, or I simply closed my eyes because of what I was hearing. Many of the statistics were directed toward men. Platt also talked a lot about men and how we refuse to grow up and be what God designed us to be. For example:

1 out of every 10 men have purchased a prostitute;
$13.3 billion was spent on pornography in the U.S. in 2006;
today there are 40 million prostitutes at work;
130,000 abortions occur everyday;

Of 1,000 pastors surveyed:

38% said they were divorced or currently in the process;
30% said they had a one time or an ongoing affair;
50% of pastors say they have visited a pornography site in the last year;
30% have done so in the past month.

These are some scary, scary statistics!

I am not sure what, but I have to do something. As I listened to these statistics I couldn't help but think, "Between me and my friends, statistically there are several of us that struggle with this or are in a situation they shouldn't be in." I am currently thinking through how my friends and I can hold each other more accountable.

What would you do to hold friends accountable to guard against these issues?

Conversations with Cooper - Part 7

2011-11-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

Recently Cooper has really asked good questions. Not just your run of the mill "why?" He typically asks thought provoking questions that often require me to think about or even search out the answer. One day recently we were reading a book about the birth of Jesus. On a few occasions he's asked us how babies get out of their mom. We've been able to successfully avoid or answer the question without too much discussion. When we got to the part of the story where Mary and Joseph are in the stable, the picture of them was Joseph standing and Mary sitting next to Jesus laying down. The conversation that followed was really funny:

Cooper: How did Jesus get out of Mary's tummy if there was no doctor at the inn?

Me: (while Allison was doing all she could to keep from laughing) I don't know. Maybe Joseph helped.

Cooper: Do you think Joseph had a knife to get Jesus out of her tummy?

At this point it was all Allison could do to keep from laughing. It was really funny to us, but you could tell he was really trying to figure out how Jesus got out and he didn't understand how that could've happened without a doctor present. Thankfully he just moved on and we didn't have to try to explain how babies are born when the mom's tummy is not cut open.

Proud of Her

2011-11-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

I don't do it enough, but today's post is to tell you how proud I am of my wife. In 31 days she will get on a plane with 5 other women and head out for Africa on her first ever mission trip. While I am proud of her for the fact that she is going, I am even more proud of her for her decision/commitment to go.

When our pastor help a meeting almost 2 years ago outlining the initial trip, Allison and I decided that I would be a part of that first trip that our church took. As part of that trip, the five of us that went with Mark agreed to return as the leader of another group. I don't think that either Allison or I knew that she would feel led to go one day as well.

Matthew 28:19-20 says, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This is a command Jesus gave to us all. We are all to make disciples of all nations.

Recently I overheard Allison tell someone, "I don't want to go, but I have to go." This isn't an easy trip. There are a lot of things about this trip that are uncomfortable. Allison, however, is acting on God's command to us and she's going "to make disciples." And this is why I am so proud of her.

They leave on December 2. Will you join me in praying for their group?

Conversations with Cooper - Part 6

2011-10-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday was my mom's birthday. To celebrate, many of us went out to dinner. While there Cooper was talking to my cousin and her boyfriend. This was the beginning of their conversation:

Amy: Hey Coop, what's up?

Cooper: Nothing.

Amy: Whatca doing?

Cooper: Just chillin'.

He never fails to amaze me with the things he says, picks up, and repeats.

Lessons from a Half Marathon

2011-10-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

On Saturday Allison and I ran the Middle Half half marathon. This was our third year to run this race and my fourth half marathon over all to run. Of the four I've completed, this was my second slowest time and about 6 minutes slower than last year's race. Allison, on the other hand, ran a personal best 1:55. Over 2 minutes faster than last year. She is such a rockstar!

The interesting thing about this year's race was that the course, for many of the runners, was 0.509 miles longer than a true half marathon. This was the same course as previous years, however, at about the 1.5 mile point in the race a police officer blocked the correct turn creating the longer course. The race director sent an e-mail and posted it on the race's Facebook page, but there wasn't really anything that could be done officially because some people ran the correct route and some did not. Unfortunately, Allison and I did not.

As I have done in previous races this summer, I tried to think about some lessons I could learn from this race. I have come up with a few:

Training is essential - This year I suggested we try a different training method. I thought it would save our legs and allow us to recover easier from long runs. In hindsight, I think we had too much recovery time. While we did just as many, if not more, miles than in previous years, we didn't do enough long runs in consecutive weeks to allow our bodies to get accustomed to running for along time.

Your mindset can help or hurt you - Leading up to the race Allison and I talked a lot about how we didn't think we were as prepared and couldn't imagine that we would be able to eclipse out times from 2010. In the days leading up to the race, however, I tried my best to get us both in a good frame of mind. I even set a goal, that I thought would be tough to achieve, especially for me. Starting the race I was in a good frame of mind, other than I couldn't find Allison. I did, however, lose a lot of that when I learned we got off track on the course.

Run your own race - In the two previous years Allison and I have started together. We typically run about 10 miles together and then she speeds up and I try my best to keep up. This year was different because we lost each other just before the race started. This was great for her because it allowed her to run at her own pace and listen to her body and not my watch. Because of this she was able to run a personal best time on a course that was almost a half mile longer than she had ever ran before.

Take motivation where ever you can get it - At mile 11 a guy came up from behind me and said, "We've ran this whole race together. I'm not letting you slow down now." After about a minute I started to fall behind. He then said, "I'm not kidding. Speed up and let's finish this thing together." I don't know if he slowed down or I actually kept up with his pace, but in my mind I was totally motivated by his kindness to me in pushing me past what I thought were my limits. I am trying to figure out his name because I want to contact him and tell him thanks again for helping me.

Between miles 10 and 11 I told myself, "I'm never doing this again." Then about an hour after the race was over I started thinking about when I can run another race in order to get myself back under the 2 hour time. I'm a glutton I guess.

This is a great race. Even with the course error it was still a great day to run. The weather was awesome and the atmosphere at this race is always great. I am sure Allison and I will be signing up next year when they open up registration.

What are some lessons you have learned from an activity or hobby you do?

Conversations with Cooper

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

I know this usually comes on Thursdays, but this week "Conversations with Cooper" is brought to you on Tuesday, sponsored by the letter C and the number 4.

I've written recently about Cooper's new found love of Jeeps. This ~~obsession~~ love for jeeps hasn't waned, as evidenced by our recent conversation.

Lately Cooper is not so much of a morning person. We typically wake him up with just enough time to get ready and get out the door at or about the time Allison and I like to leave. We don't mind letting him sleep (we actually wish he could sleep until he woke up on his own), but if we want to get to work on time we don't have this option. After he got out of bed and got his clothes on he met me in the bathroom to brush his teeth and hair. As I was brushing his hair we had this conversation:

Me: Did you ask your mom if she would cut your hair into a mohawk? (Side note: while washing his hair at bath time recently I have been putting his hair in a mohawk. One night he asked if we could cut his hair into a mohawk and I suggested he ask his mom. I am sure you all know how that turned out.)

Cooper: (in a very low whisper-y voice) No. I don't want a mohawk any more.

Me: You don't? Why not?

Cooper: I just don't. But I still want to get a jeep.

I don't really know why he thought of that or what it had to do with a mohawk. Maybe he was just wanting to make sure I didn't forget that he wants us to get a jeep.

Slow Week at the Bussell House

2011-10-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

Although it doesn't ever feel like a "slow week," there really hasn't been much going on at our house this week. A few things that pop out 1) I'm glad to have Allison home all week, 2) we're trying to figure out why Cooper won't go to sleep at night, and 3) I'm looking forward to celebrating Allison's b'day this weekend.

What about you? What are you looking forward to the rest of the week/weekend?

More Observations from Acts

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am not sure if it's because I don't read carefully enough, if I've just missed these parts, or someting else, but I have made several observations that I've never thought of before. If you missed my most recent observations you can find them here.

This time it's Paul and Silas in jail. They have been put there, essentially, because they drove a demon out of a girl that was making money for her owners by being a fortune teller. After they drove the demon out the brought them in front of the chief magistrates who, in turn, had them beaten and thrown into jail.

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out in a loud voice, 'Don’t harm yourself, because all of us are here!' Then the jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he escorted them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'" Acts 16:25-30 (HCSB)

My first observation is of Paul and Silas's faithfulness. It says "they were praying and singing hyms to God." What it doesn't say is "they were whining and complaining about God letting them be put in jail for nothing and they were plotting their escape." I'm not sure about you, but when I am wrongfully accused or am paying for something I didn't do I tend to get angry. It's at these times that I also start trying to figure out how I am going to get out of the situation. Notice I said "how I'm going to get out." These are the times that I am horrible about not leaning into God and putting all my eggs in His basket, so to speak. Because of their faithfulness God took care of them and allowed their situation to be resolved.

Second, they didn't try to leave whenever the jail door was flung open and their chains were removed. I've never been in jail, but I imagine that most people who are in there, whether or not they are guilty, would make a bee line for the door if it were open and they thought they could get away with it. Not these guys. And it's because of they faithfulness and the fact that they didn't take advantage of the situation that they were able to minster to this jailer and lead him to a relationship with Christ.

I wonder how often I miss opportunities to minister to someone simply because I am irritated, upset, or consumed with my own circumstances? How much better would I be at reaching people for Christ if I would quit worrying about how I am going to get out of our current circumstance and make the best of the situation God has placed me in?

Would I Be Willing?

2011-09-29T06:30:00.000-05:00

"So the called them in and ordered them not to preach or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, 'Whether it's right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.' After threatening them further, the released them." Acts 4:18-21a (HCSB)

"After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the Name." Acts 5:40-41 (HCSB)

These passages were part of what I read the other night. Since I read these I can't seem to get out of my head the question, "How would I react in the same situation?"

In the first passage Peter and John are teaching and the government tells them to stop. Not only do they not plan to stop, they actually tell them "we don't really care what you say, we can't stop teaching about what we've seen." (Bussell paraphrase) I just can't help but think that even if I planned to keep doing what I was doing, I probably would blatantly tell the government that I wasn't going to stop doing what they told me to stop doing.

That brings us to the second passage. So, we have Peter and John doing what they told the Sadducees they were going to do: they kept teaching about Jesus. After being arrested they were flogged. Now, this would be tough to swallow. I've never been flogged, but I am sure I wouldn't be a fan if it happened to me. Then, not only were they flogged, they were excited about the fact that they were able to be flogged in the name of Jesus. What an awesome attitude! Probably one that I should keep in mind more often. Not necessarily about being flogged, but about teaching about Jesus in every situation. Even if it's tough, an uncomfortable situation, or any other excuse I can come up with. Because these guys did it in direct opposition to what they were told to do. And were flogged for it. And were excited. Wow!

Guys Weekend

2011-09-27T06:30:00.000-05:00

This weekend, Allison and several of her friends went to Birmingham to attend the (dot)Mom conference. She said it was a great conference and she and her friends plan to attend again next year. She was gone from early Friday morning until Sunday afternoon, so Cooper and I had the weekend to hang out, eat, watch football, and play.

Friday night we went to the Ensworth High School football game. This was Cooper's first high school football game and he had a great time. We ate dinner and ice cream from a food truck. Saturday after we went for a run I was making lunch. Cooper came into the kitchen and said, "Dad, is the football game from last night on TV?" I told him no and asked why. He said "Well, is there any football game on TV that we can watch?" Yes son, yes there is. So we watch Oklahoma State play Texas A&M on TV while we played with Playdough. After watching part of the game we left and went ot the playground to play for a while and then on to the grocery store.

Sunday morning we got up and had doughnuts for breakfast. On Saturday night while we were getting ready for bed I told Cooper, "Tomorrow we are going to get up, go to church, and then come home to eat lunch." Before I could continue to lay out the day's plan he stopped me and said, "You mean we are going to get up, eat doughnuts, and then go to church. Right?"

Overall we had a great weekend together. He really seems to enjoy when he gets to spend time alone with both me and Allison. I hope that continues to be that way for a long time.

One more thing he said to me on Sunday as we were driving home from church. "Dad, do you think we can go watch another football game next weekend while mommy's out of town." I think he may be catching the fever!

Mission (Almost) Accomplished

2011-09-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

I know I don't say it enough (especially not on here), but I am so proud of my wife. Three hundred and fifty-one days ago she started a goal that many of us start at the beginning of any given (or every) year. And for a lot of us we get stumped or stuck some where along the way. Usually, for me, it's somewhere in Deuteronomy. That's right. Many people have a goal to read the Bible through in one year. We start and we get through Genesis. We get through Exodus. We make it into Leviticus and something starts to happen. Other things start creeping in and encroaching on our time. And by the time we get to Numbers we're behind. And if we make it to Deuteronomy we've found our self so far behind we call it quits.

This post is not to talk about getting stumped. It's to talk about how proud I am of Allison for forging ahead. With nine days to go, she has six days of reading left. There have been times that she got behind, but she has made sure she caught back up and she will complete her goal of reading the Bible through in a year sometime in the next week or so. I am so proud of her. Not that I ever had any doubt that she would complete a goal that she set for herself. I'm proud of you, Smalls. Great job!

The Big Monkey

2011-09-20T21:30:00.000-05:00

As a CPA, I am required to get 40 hours of continuing professional education. I feel this is sort of excessive, but I still must have the hours. Today I had CPE for the entire afternoon. I have heard this particular speaker on several occasions. He's the Director for Municipal Audit for the State of Tennessee and fairly entertaining so it wasn't as bad as it could've been. In a lot of these sessions I don't feel that there is much that pertains to my specific job. Today was different and I took away something I will not only use in my job at LifeWay. but at home as a husband and a dad.

The interesting thing is, it pertained as much (maybe more) to my job as a parent, husband, and overall leader of our family as it does to my job as a financial analyst. He called it his Big Monkey Theory. He said he could explain it in four words: Monkey See, Monkey Do. As it pertains to business, including my job, he was referring to "tone at the top." I loved this. I truly believe in this concept and have seen this modeled at my job from my boss on a daily basis. I think, however, this is very important for me as a parent. We guys,as parents and husbands, have to set the tone for our family. Frankly, I don't think guys do a very good job at this, generally. Men, God has given the opportunity to lead our families so we have to do a better job of doing this. It is time for us to step up and lead our families as God intended for us to lead them.

I can tell you that I will remember the Big Monkey Theory. I just hope that I can be the best "Big Monkey" for my family that I can be.

Thursday is for Cooperisms

2011-09-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

For sometime now Cooper has been a big fan of convertibles and jeeps. Our friend Derrick has a jeep he's working on and Cooper thinks it's great. A few weeks ago Cooper said "hey dad, you think someday we can get a jeep." My response was "I don't know. Why don't you ask mom when we get home!" As you can imagine, Cooper asked his mom if we could get a jeep as soon as we got home. Since then, evertime we see a jeep he points it out. Lately even Allison has gotten in the act and points out jeeps to Cooper if he doesn't see it first.

Tonight on our way to church a white jeep with the top off was in front of us on Franklin Rd. This was our conversation:

Allison: Coop, look at what's in front of us.

Cooper: Jeep! And it's a Predators Jeep (it had a Predators cover on the spare tire). Dad, can we get a Predators jeep when we get one?

Me: Nah, I don't think we should get a Predators Jeep.

Cooper: Okay. I love that we're getting a jeep.

Allison and I cracked up! We gone from "can we get a jeep," to "I love that we're getting a jeep." Maybe if he keeps this up his mom will give in and let us get one!

When Mom's Away

2011-09-13T22:30:00.000-05:00

There are very few days when both Allison and I aren't home in the evening for dinner and Cooper's bed time routine. Our evenings usually consist of Allison cooking while Cooper and I play outside or find something to do inside. Some days we ask Cooper to play by himself as she prepares dinner and I try to get things going for the next day. There are, however, some occasions where one of us has to be away during this time. Tonight was one of those occasions.

As we were sitting at the kitchen table playing with Playdough, Cooper asked if we could go to the place that has Mango sorbet. He was either referring to Jeni's Spendid Ice Creams or Glazee. When I asked was he talking about Jeni's he said "yeah, can we go to Jeni's?" I told him no that it was too far away for a week night trip, so he asked if we could go to Menchie's instead. As a compromise we went to a new place near our house. It is the newest middle Tennessee location (I think) of Sweet CeCe's. The ice cream was good and Cooper was happy.

Whenever one of us are gone for the evening, or even and extended period of time, we try to do fun things with Cooper one-on-one. Just recently we were talking about each of us taking a trip with him individually. Hopefully these are the times and memories that he will cherish and keep with him. And hopefully Allison and I will do a good job at creating an abundance of those memories.

Latest Installment

2011-09-08T18:00:00.000-05:00

As has become regular here on Thursdays, here is the latest installment of "Cooperisms."

Last week we went to Lexington to visit friends. Just as you get into Lexignton there is a castle that sits on the left side of the road. Apparently it has burned several times, but it has been restored since we moved back to Tennessee and now is used for parties, weddings, etc. As we drove past it Cooper saw it and asked who lived there. We told him we didn't know, but someone may live there since the lights were on. His response:

"Why would a person like us live in a castle on earth?"

Allison and I cracked up. I think what he was asking was "why on earth would people like us (read: non-kings or queens) live in a castle." He cracks us up almost every day.

Two New Lessons from Triathlons (And One Repeat)

2011-08-30T22:00:00.002-05:00

As of Saturday I could not longer be considered a beginner triathlete. In most triathlons there are several categories. There is age group, in which the vast majority of people fall in. There's Clydesdale for men over 200 lbs. There's Athena for women over 150 lbs. And there's beginner for those that have participate in less than 3 triathlons. I participated in my fourth triathlon Saturday, the Cedars of Lebanon Triathlon.

It was a great race. This was easily my best time in each of the three disciplines. Although I fell in terms of my place inside my age group, I finished 9 minutes faster than I finished the same race a year ago. As I have thought about what made me faster this time, I think there are three main things that really helped me along the way.

Familiarity is a great help - the more familiar we are with our surroundings and our situation the better off we'll be. I had been on this course before. I knew what to expect in each of the three areas.

Timing is crucial - In a race in which you are competing for an extended period of time many people need some type of nutritional supplement or energy boost. I have tried several different types, but I have found that more than what you take, when you take it makes a huge difference. I didn't wait until I was hungry or feeling as though I was hitting a wall, but I also didn't take it before I needed to. This allowed my energy to stay up the entire race.

Encouragement along the way - I know I said this in my last post about lessons from my triathlon, but I really think this is the biggest factor for me. First of all, Allison does a great job of maneuvering herself around the course in order to get pictures as well as cheer me on at different stages. She is the biggest help of all. I fully believe that I finish races faster because she is there cheering me on. In this race, however, I had multiple participants give me encouragement as well. With about 1/2 mile to go I stumbled and twisted my ankle. There was at least one person that called me by my number and said something like, "less than 1/2 mile to go. You got it." That was a great help.

What "lessons" have you been learning lately?

The Story Teller

2011-08-25T22:00:00.002-05:00

Many days when I get to school to pick up Cooper either Mr. Ramone or Mrs. Sandra is reading a story to the kids that are still in the class. Today was no different, but when I came in the room Cooper said, "I wanted to read my book to my friends." I didn't really know what he was talking about, but I told him that was okay and watched what was going on. He went to his cubby and got out a folded sheet of paper with several letters on it, a ghost, and a purple piece of paper cut into the shape of a hook. He took all of these items over to Mrs. Sandra and began to tell his story. It was really funny to watch.

Over the last several months we have really started to see Cooper use his imagination a lot more. He plays and makes up stories to go along with his playing much more than he used to. I love to see this and try my best to foster it as much as I can. As I posted last week, I am not the most creative person in the world, but I hope to keep Cooper creative or at least creating. I took this short video of Cooper telling his story.

Cooper Telling His Story from Jeremy Bussell on Vimeo.

A Break From the Busyness

2011-08-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Last week was a stressful week at the Bussell house. Allison had a trial so things tend to get a little out of sort. Not that things don't get taken care of, but we just are out of our normal routine. She often has to work late during trial and sometimes work at home until it's time for bed. Weekends are also often busy for us. Between hanging out with friends, visiting with family, and other activities we often find ourselves saying "We are doing way too much. We have to stop scheduling so many things to do."

Well, after a long week we didn't have very much scheduled this past weekend. We hung out and watched a movie with Cooper Friday night. Saturday was pretty much a "do what we want" sort of day. We went for a run in the morning, hung around the house during the day, and had some friends over Saturday night for dinner. Sunday we went to church, took a nap, and had dinner at my mom's. As I type this it seems to be a lot, but trust me, it wasn't and it was a perfect weekend to end and otherwise stressful week.

Sunday at church the message was from Luke 10:38-42. This is the story of Mary and Martha in which Martha is irritated that Mary is sitting listening to Jesus while she is up working. One of the things I wrote down was "Martha allowed service to take away from her worship." If you don't go to ClearView or you missed the service on Sunday, I recommend you listen to the podcast. It was a very good and very challenging message.

How often do we do this? Whether it's in our walk with Christ or in other things in our lives, how often are we more worried about doing than we are about just being? This weekend was a good example of us having some much needed down time from the busyness of life and having time to relax and hang out as a family. It was great! Hopefully that will become more the norm than the exception.

Where Does It Go?

2011-08-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Many of you probably saw my post on Facebook and Twitter over the weekend, Cooper got light-up shoes. And let me just say, I don't know if he's ever been more excited about anything we've ever bought him. We were at the park on Sunday after church and he told a boy on the playground, that wasn't with our group and he had never met, about his shoes (and he didn't even have them on). Hilarious!

The other day, while I was making pizza, Cooper took his new shoes off and we had the following conversation:

C: "I really like my shoes."
Me: (Smiling) "I know buddy, I really like them too." (Which really isn't true because I think they're horrible. I do, however, love them for him because he is so proud and excited to have them.)
C: "You really like them?"
Me:"Yes, I like them for you, but I wouldn't like them for me to wear."
C: "Why not?"
Me: "Because grown-ups don't really like to wear light-up shoes."
C: "Why not?"
Me: "That's a good question, buddy."

I have started some version of this post several times. Generally I think about this and start writing about it just after Cooper and I have played army men, pirates, sword fight, or some other creative game that takes a lot of imagination and the willingness and/or ability to think like a kid. It always makes me wonder, "Where does all of our creativity go as we get older?"

Now I realize that not everyone loses their creativity. There are tons of creatives out there. I would be willing to bet, however, their ability to play and pretend like a kid diminishes as they get older just like us non-creative types. Don't get me wrong. I still play with Cooper and try my best to pretend. It is often a struggle for me though. I have a hard time sustaining it. I often want to try to get him to play something else. Something that doesn't force me to use my imagination. Why is that? Why are we taught, as we become adults, to stifle our imagination? To become stuffy and serious all the time.

So far it hasn't gotten easier for me. Almost every time Cooper wants to play something that is pretend I struggle. But I'm still going to try. I'm still going to play pretend games with Cooper and hope that it gets easier before he doesn't want to pretend with me any more. I hope that I don't rub my stuffy adultness off on him so that he thinks it's not fun or cool to pretend. In the meantime, I'm hoping that some of his ability to make a game or something fun out of two sticks and some dirt rubs off on me. Hopefully, as he and I get older I will become more like Rufio and less like Peter. "Bangarang, Peter!"

What was the last pretend game that you played with a child?

Another Cooperism

2011-08-16T20:30:00.000-05:00

So it seems that I may have a series of Cooperisms to post. I've posted several of these in the past, but I may have to make them a regular here on the blog. This was something he said one day last week while my mother-in-law was here visiting.

Cooper: See Ninny, this is the rocking chair.

Ninny: Yeah, but it's not beside the window.

Cooper: That's not what I said. I said the one that's not a rocking chair is by the window. (Looks at me) Ninny was confused.

He says some of the funniest things.

Conversation With Cooper

2011-08-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am often amazed at some if the things Cooper comes up with. Then I remember what I often tell people when they are surprised at the things kids say or do. "They are people too, just smaller with fewer life experiences."

Sunday we stopped by our favorite I've cream place on the way home from church. Unfortunately, the place doesn't open until 2pm on Sunday and it was only noon. As we discussed our options Cooper didn't really give much input, but later it was obvious he was listening. As we were trying to figure out what to do I jokingly (not totally) complained that I had hoped to get ice cream twice that day because our original plan was to get Menchie's after dinner instead of trip to Glazee after lunch.

After we got home I was sitting in the reading room while Cooper was playing in his room. He came out and stood next to me.

Me: What's up Coop?

Cooper: Nothing. Well, I was thinking maybe we could play in the sprinkler and then go to Sonic for ice cream.

Me: But we're going to Menchie's after dinner.

Cooper: We aren't getting both?

He is so funny. First "I was thinking that..." totally cracked me up. But he was totally listening to Allison and I earlier in the day when I mentioned that I thought we were going to get ice cream twice. I tell you what, nothing gets by that one!

Do you have any funny "isms" that your kids have said recently?

A Visit From Friends

2011-08-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

We met Jeff and Ashley Beck during Allison's first year of law school. It's hard to believe we've know each other for almost 10 years. We met lots of people while Allison was at UT, but I don't think I can say we met any that mean as much to us as Jeff and Ashley do.

Ashley and her youngest daughter, Camille, flew in on Friday afternoon and left Tuesday afternoon. It was a relatively quick trip, but one that Allison really enjoyed. Because the Becks live in Baton Rouge, we only get to see them once, maybe twice a year. They've made the trip to Tennessee several times and we've made the trip to Louisiana several times.

This visit was similar to most of our visits with the Becks. It was filled with lots of coffee, conversation, and relaxing. I think since Allison and Ashley got out of law school about seven years ago, there has been at least one child that was under one year old at each visit, with the exception of when Ashley and Jeff visited us in Lexington. During that trip Ashley was pregnant with Caroline, their oldest daughter. We visited some of our favorite restaurants, enjoyed a new ice cream shop, and otherwise spent time catching up with Ashley. Unfortunately, Jeff, Caroline, and Charlotte were not able to make it on this trip.

Every time we go to Baton Rouge or they come here we leave the visit wishing they lived closer. We miss hanging out regularly with them as we did while the girls were in law school. We miss mountain bike riding, trips to Starbucks, and visits to P.F. Changs. While we are disappointed to see them go, these trips make us cherish our friendship with the Becks even more and, therefore, really appreciate each time we get to visit.

Thanks for coming Ashley and bringing Miss Camille for Allison to meet her. And thanks Jeff for hanging at the house with the two oldest girls so that Allison and Ashley could have a chance to catch up. You guys are the best!

It's Not Just About the Cash

2011-08-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

I have been reading a blog written by my Twitter friend, Dustin, for a while. He writes at Abraham Chronicles and I definitely recommend you go over and check his blog out if you have a chance. On Monday he guest posted on The Compelling Parade. It was a great post on following through and it spurred me to make a visit to my homeless friend that sells The Contributor near the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in downtown Nashville.

Our post office box is in the post office located in the same building as the Frist. Almost every day there is someone standing outside on the corner selling The Contributor, Nashville's homeless paper. I needed to check our box and this would give me an opportunity to check on my friend, Mike, whom I haven't seen selling papers for several weeks. When I reached the corner I noticed Mike wasn't there, but another person was selling papers. As I walked by I said hello and asked if he'd sold many papers. He said no and told me that it was probably because of the heat.

As I have become accustomed to doing, on my way out of the post office I stopped and started a conversation with him. I asked him some of the usual questions I ask and just generally tried to engage him a little. I learned that he was from Grand Rapids, MI and he came to Nashville because the economy is so bad there he couldn't find work. He's lived here for 7 months and has been living on the street the entire time. I also learned that some vendors can make upwards of $1,000 per month selling the paper. He told me that he could probably get a job at a hotel doing maintenance, but after taxes are taken out he doesn't bring home as much as he can selling the paper. He also asked me if I had seen Mike. This bothers me because the last time I saw Mike he was very down and seemed ready to give up. I hope that isn't the case.

As I was starting to leave I told my new homeless friend that I didn't have any cash or I would buy a paper from him. In response he said, "No problem, it's not just about the cash anyway." Of the 15 minutes or so that I stood and talked to him, this is what keeps coming back to me over and over. "It's not just about the cash." It's about contact and relationships. It's about conversation and community. Sure, they want, and need money, but they also want someone to talk to. Someone to care. Someone to inquire. I don't know if he had talked to anyone at all the other day. I do know that if I would have stayed I probably could've talk to him all afternoon. "It's not just about the cash."

If you see a homeless person and stop to talk to them, what are some of the things you ask them? What are some of the things you avoid saying or asking?

They're Always Watching

2011-08-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

"I've been watching you, dad ain't that cool? I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you." This verse really caught my attention yesterday on the way home.

Yesterday Cooper stayed home with Allison, Ashley, and Camille. They spent the day together hanging out and went to the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro. When I met them for dinner, as soon as Cooper got out of the car he came over and gave me a big hug. On the way home I heard the song "Watching You" by Rodney Atkins. If you've never heard it, it's about a dad, his son, and the fact that his son is always watching and wants to be just like his dad.

Since then, I have been thinking about that song and how it pertains to me. I have been thinking about the things that Cooper sees me do, or not do, and the impact that those things have on him. I am thankful for the opportunity God has given Allison and I to raise Cooper. At the same time it can sometimes be frightening to know that every decision you make impacts and molds a little life. Am I being the role model that I should be? Am I doing the things God would have me do? Am I spending my time with, and without, Cooper that I need to be doing in order to be the best dad I can be and to ensure Cooper is the best man he can be?

These are just some of the thoughts that have been going through my mind. I think Allison and I are very intentional with Cooper. We try our best to influence him in the best way we know how. My hope is to always be intentional in the way I parent and the things I do with Cooper. From my thoughts to my actions, I want to keep in mind how each of those things affect him and our family as a whole.

What are some of the things you do in order to be intentional with your kids?

Good Customer Service Keeps Customers

2011-07-28T06:00:00.003-05:00

I have worked a few jobs in which my pay was dependent upon good customer service. Mainly as a server, if I didn't produce good customer service then my tip was reflective of that. That doesn't mean that every time I gave good service I got a good tip, but if I gave bad service you can bet that my tip was almost always reflective of that.

Recently a new bike shop opened on Franklin Road near our church. With a few triathlons coming up I knew that I needed to get my bike tuned up and ready for the upcoming races. It's not the closest shop to my house, but when I called they told me that they could get my bike in and out in less than 24 hours. This was win #1 since the shop that closer to my house told me it would be 10 days before I could get my bike back.

I took my bike in and, as promised, I was called less than 24 hours later and told my bike was ready to be picked up. When I got my bike home I noticed that I couldn't get into the top chain ring. No big deal, I made the adjustment and planned to go for a ride the next day. I rode my bike a few times and noticed that the chain was starting to rub the front derailleur. Again, I made an adjustment, only this time after making the adjustment I couldn't get into the top chain ring once again. After this I took the bike in to have the mechanic look at it. After a few minutes, several adjustments to the derailleur and cleaning the shifter all appeared to be good to go. Because I had just been in for a tune up he didn't charge me anything for the time it took to get me going again. During the Music City triathlon, however, I was not able to get back in the gear after getting in and back out one time.

The day after the race I took my bike in again and left it for the mechanic to take a look at. I was told that I may need a new shifter, but they would definitely try to fix the one I currently have. The next day, again less than 24 hours, I got a call that my bike was fixed and there was no need for a new shifter. On top of that, he only charged me for the parts it took to fix my bike. I took the bike out yesterday and everything works great!

Because of a few small things, R.B.'s Cyclery in Franklin has not only earned my business, but I will tell everyone I know that rides or is in the market for a bicycle about them. First, they gave my an expectation and they met that expectation. Jason, the mechanic, told me that my bike would be ready the following day twice and both times it was ready. Second, they managed my expectations well. I was prepared for the fact that it may be an expensive fix. I wasn't told one thing and then sold something else.

In my opinion, customer service is not hard. If you manage your customer's expectations and show them that you are willing to work hard to get their need taken care of you will earn their trust and their business. I can tell this first hand. And I will continue to give my business to R.B.'s.

Lessons from My Triathlon

2011-07-26T10:00:00.004-05:00

This weekend I participated in The Music City Triathlon. This was my second time to complete this race, and my third triathlon overall. I have at least one more that I and racing this year and possibly a second. Last year's Music City triathlon was my first and so I went into it not really knowing what to expect. I knew the events and the distances, but I didn't really know how I would react, how my body would react, or even how well I would do. This year, however, I had a plan going in as well as a goal. I accomplished my goal and completed the race 10 minutes faster than I did last year! As I have thought back through the race several things have come to mind that I think I can apply, not only to triathlons and other races that I compete in, but in life in general.

It all begins with preparation - I trained a lot for this race. I don't know that I trained more this year than I did last year, but I think I was more consistent over the previous 12 months. The results are that I am in better overall fitness, therefore faster on race day.

Have a strategy going in - I had a goal that I wanted to accomplish in the race and a plan on how I was going to attempt to get it done. I thought about the things I believed it would take to accomplish my goal and worked to implement the strategy.

Don't be afraid to make adjustments on the fly - My plan going into the race was to use the run/walk method for the run portion: running 4 minutes and walking 1 minute. As I started the run I felt strong but immediately came to a steep hill. After a few cycles of the run/walk, however, I felt pretty good and knew that if I was going to keep up my time I would have to run more. I was able to run more than I planned and this helped me achieve my goal.

Encouragement along the way is HUGE - This may be the biggest part for me. I am pretty sure Allison has either competed in or been a spectator at every race I've done with the exception of one when she was pregnant. She and Cooper get up early and fight traffic only to see a few glimpses of me along the way and to see me at the finish line. This, however, is great motivation for me. To see them smiling on the side of the road, cheering, and yelling my name is such a great feeling. Every time I see them I get a burst of energy that keeps my feet moving.

I have completed several races other than the three triathlons. I don't think, however, that I've ever really come away with things that I learned from the race or at least I never took the time to think about it. From now on, after a race I will definitely try to sit down and think through some of the things that I learned and can possibly use going forward in other races or in life generally.

Have you ever competed in a triathlon or other endurance race of some type? If so, what did you learn in the process?

The Need to Unplug?

2011-07-21T18:00:00.002-05:00

I have recently read several articles about unplugging and how most people either don't or at least hide the fact that they don't unplug on vacation. I have been on two trips in the past 3 months. One trip I didn't even open my work e-mail from the day I left work until the day I returned. On the other I deleted unwanted e-mails every 2-3 days, but left all others to be taken care of when I returned. That has never really been a problem for me. When I leave work I am typically able to leave it at work.

In my mind, social media is a whole other animal. Allison and I took a hiatus from social media during Lent. We didn't check or post to Facebook or Twitter during this time and I will tell you, both of us are glad we did this. It showed us how much time we spent looking at these and I don't think either one of us have gone back to the level that we were at before Lent.

I will admit, I love social media. I love community and I am a natural extrovert. I have an account on many of the social media outlets and check many of them daily. I also realize that sometimes we should be unplugged. Allison and I have certain rules that we try to go by with regard to our phones and computers. I haven't done this, but I wonder if from time to time we should just unplug completely? Turn off all forms of communication or at least don't answer them unless it appears to be an emergency. I can't guarantee this will happen, but I think I may try to do this on a regular basis.

What about you? Do you go by any rules when it comes to social media, smart phones, e-mail, ect? Do you unplug on a regular basis?

Not Another Empty Promise...I Hope

2011-07-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm calling do over, or start over, or second chance. Maybe it's past my second chance, but that's not the point. The point is that I am starting over. I have considered a new blog and even created one, but I am not sure that will help my lack of writing or inspire me, in any way, to write more regularly. I am, however, committing to post on a regular basis. If I still have any readers left, I am committing to you that I will post more often then, say, every 114 days. I am not committing to posting every day. I am starting with twice per week, on Tuesday and Thursday. If I decide to post more than that, so be it. But for now I am only promising twice. Feel free to call me out if there is no post on any given Tuesday or Thursday, I may need encouragement and/or prompting.

Really? 114 Days?

2011-07-18T18:00:00.002-05:00

I am not sure if I'm lazy in writing, not interested, not creative, but I just noticed that I haven't posted here in almost 115 days. That's almost 4 months. It's not because I don't want to, because I do. I think I have just hit a block on what to say. I can tell you one thing though, it's not because nothing has been going on. Since the last time I posted I or we have: celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary, been to Africa, ran a 5k, trained a lot for a triathlon or two, gone on vacation, hosted 71 people at our house for a 4th of July party, and continued work on our house. We have done other things as well, but these are the major highlights. Things are well and hopefully I will get back to a normal routine of posting to the blog. We'll see about that...

Publix vs. Kroger - Week 4

2011-03-25T18:00:00.000-05:00

My experiment is over. I spent the last 4 weeks shopping at Kroger in order to compare grocery shopping at Publix. You can read week one here and week two here. I was out of town for the weekend of the third week, therefore Allison did the shopping and I didn't post on her experience.

Obviously, there are many contributing factors that may skew the results of my very non-scientific experiment. Allison and I did, however, keep our shopping consistent. We have recently tried to make an effort to cook more at home and eat out less, but overall the 2 four-week periods were consistent in the types of items we shopped for.

Most of my opinions were outlined in week one and didn't really change. The main non-monetary issue I have is that Kroger doesn't have as many generic items as Publix. The other big deterrent was that Kroger does not appear to carry grass-fed beef. Publix carries it, but we are probably going to start getting it at the Nashville Farmer's Market so this may be a moot point. In terms of dollars, both stores are essentially the same for the Bussell family. Through 4 weeks at Kroger we spent a total of $8 more than the 4 week period at Publix.

Based on this experiment, it appears that financially it may not matter where you get your groceries. It mainly depends on, at least for us, on items and the shopping experience. And if you're like Cooper, which store will give you get a cookie. He refused to go shopping with me once he learned we weren't able to get a cookie from the Kroger bakery.

Publix vs. Kroger - Week 2

2011-03-10T06:00:00.001-06:00

This past weekend capped the second of four weeks that I am shopping at Kroger in my comparison of Publix and Kroger. You can read my thoughts and observations from week one here.

Okay, I'll admit, my bias toward Publix came through a little strong in my last post. I decided that if I was going to be able to change grocery stores, should my experiment favor Kroger, I need to have a little more open mind about shopping at Kroger. That being said, I went into my weekly shopping trip with a much better attitude than last week. Disclaimer: last week Cooper went to the store with me, we were in a rush because we were going to the Vandy baseball game, and given the fact that I usually shop at Publix I couldn't find things at Kroger. None of those things are Kroger's fault, but it did affect my attitude.

This week was much better. I didn't have as much to get, but I was also able to find the things I needed. I still think that the store is not as well lit and the aisles are more narrow than Publix, which can become uncomfortable if the store is crowded, but things seemed much better yesterday. I am also still of the belief that Kroger has taken some tips from Publix. Everyone I encountered was super friendly and helpful. After 2 weeks the dollar comparison is starting to come into view. I am , however, reserving that opinion, especially on here, until all 4 weeks are complete.

There is definitely one advantage that shopping at Kroger has over Publix. By using your Kroger card you accumulate points. Once you reach 100 points you can redeem those points at participating Shell gas stations. I realize that 10 cents isn't a huge amount, but when gas is $3.49 per gallon, every little bit helps.

Lent

2011-03-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

When Allison was in law school we met Jeff and Ashley Beck. They became, and are still, some of our very best friends in the world. It was through this relationship that we were first introduced to Lent. Traditionally Lent is 40 days in length. This represents the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert, during which He was tempted by Satan. There are several practices that are associated with Lent. The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigor during Lent are prayer, fasting, and giving. Since learning about Lent, Allison and I have tried to give something up each year. I also think each year I get a better understanding of what Lent means or at least what it means for me.

One day in the last week or so Allison suggested that I give up Facebook and Twitter for Lent. My first thought was, "Nah, that would be no fun at all." If I'm honest, however, that thought had crossed my mind more than once prior to that conversation but I had just brushed it aside. By her mentioning it, it was sort of confirmed that maybe that is what I need to do. So, beginning today I am fasting from Twitter and Facebook. I don't necessarily think they have a grip on me or are a vice, but they definitely take up time that I can use to grow closer to God. I am also going to try to add another hour to my day. Typically we try to go to be around 10pm and I get up around 6am. I am going to extend those hours. Probably 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night. These will be times I use for prayer and studying God's Word.

My prayer is that I can use Lent as a time of reflection, learning, and growth toward God. Not just for the 40 days, but as a springboard for the future.

I would love to hear what others are doing. Do you give anything up for Lent? Do you add anything?

Kroger vs. Publix

2011-03-04T21:50:00.003-06:00

I've decided to do a little experiment. Allison and I started shopping at Publix when we lived in Smyrna. We have also shopped at Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Bi-Lo during periods of time in our marriage. At some point we just decided to give Publix a try. Because we follow the Dave Ramsey cash envelope system, we could easily tell if going to Publix affected our budget one way or the other. After several weeks we determined that it appeared as though Kroger and Publix were comparable when it came to price and because of the great customer service and friendly people, Publix was the place to go.

Fast forward a few years. We are still using the cash envelope system, however, we are using mint.com to track our budget and spending. This method compiles the information on a monthly basis, whereas before we essentially budgeted on two-week time frames. For the month of February we shopped at Publix for our groceries. And for the month of March we are shopping at Kroger in order to be able to compare the two to decide if it may be worth a switch.

Here are few of my thoughts and observations from week one of my experiment. Keep in mind we are BIG fans of Publix, so I definitely have a bias. Also, I don't really use coupons. We buy a lot of generic items and shop based on need and a list, therefore coupons and sales are really a bonus for us. My first observation was Kroger didn't seem to be as well lit and the aisles seemed to be more narrow. Keeping in mind my bias, I don't think this was because of pre-conceived thoughts I have. This, however, is not a reason to stop shopping somewhere. My second observation is that Kroger does not have a big of a selection of items/brands as Publix does. This could end up being a deal breaker. As I said before, we buy a lot of generic items. There were some things that I was not able to get generic at Kroger that I can at Publix. In this same vein, there was not much organic/grass fed meat and only 1/2 gallon in organic milk. After watching the movie Food, Inc., Allison and I try to eat organic/grass fed beef and drink organic milk. The third thing I noticed is that Kroger, at least the one I was in, has taken notice of the friendliness at Publix. I was engaged by several employees and everyone seemed very helpful. This was a big deal to us when we started shopping at Publix. It was just a better shopping experience.

As I'm typing this I realize that my bias toward Publix is shining through. I am definitely trying to be open minded and if there is a significant amount of savings by shopping at Kroger that is what I will do. As I've told people in the past, it's worth $5ish per week to me to shop at Publix. If the amount goes above that I'm not sure it's worth it. I plan to shop tomorrow and hopefully will have some additional thoughts and observations to share.

Do any of you have a preference? Is there a reason you grocery shop where you do?

Playing from Behind

2011-02-17T20:50:00.000-06:00

Over the past several weeks I have been playing racquetball with my buddy, Kyle. We seem to be pretty evenly matched, so he wins some and I win some. Today during our last game he got ahead early and stayed that way pretty much the entire time until he won. He won the first game as well after going up about 8-2 to start things off. Now, I'm sure there are certain circumstances and certain people who thrive when they are down. Apparently, I am not one of those people. It's not that I get discouraged when I'm down or that I just throw in the towel. I think that I just spend a lot of energy catching up so that once I get even, it's tough to get over the hump to finish off the victory.

As I was thinking about playing from behind, I started wondering about this in when it comes to our relationships with our spouse and children. As a society, are we constantly playing from behind or are we being proactive and staying ahead in the most important relationships in our life? It seems to me that if we intentionally parent our children early then maybe are children will lean toward making the right choices. Obviously, kids are going to make some bad choices, but aren't their chances of making a good choice better if we've intentionally invested time into teaching them what the correct choice is as well as (and maybe more importantly) how to make the right choice? I think the same goes for our marriages. If we work on our marriage we will be much better equipped to handle disagreements and situations that are stressful. We work hard to stay ahead at our jobs and other things we do in life. Shouldn't we work even harder to stay ahead in these two very important areas of our lives?

What are some of the things we can do to keep from playing from behind in our marriages and with our children?

Face Lift

2011-02-03T21:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, I've had this blog for a while and I've never really changed the look of it. I don't know much about the behind the scene stuff and I'm not really willing to pay to get a makeover. Therefore you may see various versions of it over the next few days/weeks. If you see something you like, something you don't like, something that you think suits me, or something that doesn't, I would love to see comments letting me know what any readers I have out there think.

How Long Will It Last?

2011-02-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

There were a few moments last week that Cooper really caught my attention.

Let me set the stage for you. My feet are almost always cold. And we have hardwood floors throughout our house, which doesn't help warm my feet. Since we moved into our new house I have almost always work flip flops around the house. Because I was tired of wearing them around the house, I mentioned wanting a pair of house shoes for my birthday and Allison got some for me.

One day last week I asked Cooper to put his pajamas on and then we were going to do something (I can't remember what we were doing, but that doesn't really matter). He apparently noticed that I had my house shoes on and he, excitedly, said "okay and I want to put my slippers on too!" The next night Cooper asked if we could play when we got home and I told him yes. When we got home he decided that he wanted to color and he went in his room and played on his own. After dinner we told him we had to get a bath. After his bath it was time for bed and sometimes that can be a point of contention. This time, however, it wasn't because he just didn't want to go to bed, although I think that was certainly part of it. Mainly he was upset because we hadn't had a chance to play. He also kept saying, "I just want to spend some time with daddy."

Guys, our kids look up to us. They want to be like us. And they want to be with us. Today we are pulled in a million different directions. Some of them in our control, some of them out of our control. If you work, work pulls you. If you are involved in your church, church pulls you. If you are married, your marriage pulls you. Then on top of that we have other things that we allow to pull us; Facebook, Twitter, blogs, ESPN, etc., etc., etc... These things aren't necessarily bad, in fact many of them are great and/or necessary. If I don't work on my marriage and spend valuable time with Allison how am I supposed to model how to treat your wife to Cooper. If I don't get up and go to work how am I supposed to instill a good work ethic in Cooper. If I don't... you get the point.

All this to say, as guys we have to do a better job of making time for our kids. Whether it's playing football outside, playing legos inside, or simply watching another episode of Dora the Explorer, we have to be available and fully plugged in with our kids. I am trying my best to be conscious of this because I know, one day, Cooper isn't going to want me to sit down and play or watch a show with him.

Some Thoughts on My Birthday

2011-01-25T23:00:00.002-06:00

This morning didn't start out much different that most...I woke up, got a shower, and headed back to our bedroom. As I was getting clothes on I heard Allison in Cooper's room talking to him quietly. I wasn't sure what they were up to, but when I turned around he was standing in the closet doorway with a HUGE smile on his face and his hand behind his back. He said "you know what I have?" I said no and he jumped as he swung his arm around. Unable to contain his excitement, he said "happy birthday!" and gave me with a card. He and Allison made it last night while I was at Bible study and he had written his name and, at least helped with, "Happy Birthday Daddy." It was awesome!

I am the luckiest guy in the world. I have an awesome family that, at least on my birthday, woke up with me on their mind. I have a great job and great friends. What else can a person ask for?

Almost Isn't Good Enough

2011-01-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

"World changers aren't looking for a way to feel better about themselves but a way to spread light and joy in places that are dark and dreary." - Wayne Elsey

Recently I saw a tweet about a book that was to be released around Christmas time. I didn't give it much thought and then saw another tweet about some of the work that Soles4Souls is doing in various parts of the world, specifically in Haiti. I read that they had recently given away their 12 millionth pair of shoes and they have a goal of giving away 11 million shoes in 2011. It was at that point that I decided to read the description of Wayne Elsey's book, "Almost Isn't Good Enough." I was told that it was a good road map for how to run a nonprofit, and since I have a friend that is starting a nonprofit soon, I thought it may be a good book to read. Wow, was that a good decision.

Don't get me wrong, this book isn't going to tell you how to run your business or nonprofit, but it does give a general idea of how Mr. Elsey started and runs this company. He doesn't believe that simply because they are a nonprofit that his employees should be willing to work for "the cause," and not get paid market value for the talent and work they bring to the table. He has great expectations of his employees and they are given the margin and latitude to make decisions in order to meet those expectations. Having audited many nonprofit organizations while working in public accounting, I can tell you this isn't the norm. Many of these organizations feel that either their hands are tied or they simply can't afford to pay employees what they could make in the same position at a for profit company. Souls4Soles simply refuses to operate this way.

The best thing, however, that I got out of the book is Mr. Elsey's love for people. His attitude toward making a difference in the world shines throughout the entire book. You really get the sense that he believes he is on this earth for one purpose, to give shoes to the shoeless. From the background of him leaving an executive position in corporate America to the stories of him going to as many shoe distributions as he can around the world, his care for this cause is evident.

If you run or work at a nonprofit this book is a must read. If you work for a company, run your own business, or have any interest in business leadership, this book is for you as well. It is a very well written easy to read book with a great message.

One Word for 2011

2011-01-12T16:00:00.000-06:00

As I was making my list of goals for 2011 I started to see a theme. It wasn't a theme of certain activities, but a theme of what I wanted out of many of the activities on my list. Because of this theme, I decided it would be my word for the year. Now I realize I'm a little late to this party, but my word for 2011 is consistent. That's what I want to be throughout 2011, more consistent. I don't mean in one area or another. I mean in everything I do. I want to be consistent in reading the Bible, consistent in prayer, consistent in improving my marriage, consistent in being a dad, consistent in fostering important relationships, consistent in learning, consistent in blogging, consistent in...you get the point. So that's it. My word for the year. Now I just need some of you to help me maintain my consistency.

What about you? Have you ever come up with a word for the year? If so, what is it?

Since We Last Met...

2010-12-21T14:00:00.000-06:00

...we've moved all furniture in (except a chair at the Teller's and some odds and ends at the Hood's and Bryant's); we built and hung the top cabinets, laid tile in the laundry room; put up our Christmas tree; and moved ourselves in. As you can tell we've been sort of busy. Below are two pictures of what the cabinets looked like this morning before we left for work. Today the counter tops are being installed, so I am sure the kitchen will look a lot different when I update again. We are really nearing the end of the major remodel/renovation. There are a few other things we want/need to do, but nothing to the extent of what we've done already. Hopefully in the near future I will do a series of before and after posts.

All bottom cabinets have been finished and the tops have been primed. We'll begin doors and drawers soon

Making Good Progress

2010-11-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

It's been almost two weeks since my last update about the progress on the house. The last time I posted about the house Derrick and I had almost completed the bottom cabinets and the floor company had just finished the floors. Well we've now painted the entire upstairs except for Cooper's room (which will not be painted); put in new shoe mould; moved about 1/4 of our boxes and all furniture except for our TV, armoire, and what furniture we are using at the Hood's; Derrick and I have moved the bottom cabinets upstairs; and we put a new door in the laundry room. We've done other things here and there, but that's the majority of what we've completed over the last two weeks. There have been several LATE nights, but we've gotten a lot done. Allison went a few days ago and picked out our counter tops and sink. The company is coming on Tuesday to measure for the counter tops and they told her it would be one to two weeks after that when they will come to install them. This weekend we are planning to move the remaining boxes as well as the TV and armoire. I am also hoping to get my dad to help me tile the laundry room floor.

These rooms turned out better than I thought they would

There's still work to be done on them, but the cabinets are up and mounted in the kitchen

Four Whole Years!

2010-11-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

Has it really been four years? Four years since Allison called me that day while at lunch and said "well, your going to be a daddy today." I can't believe Cooper turns four years old today. For those that have older children four years probably doesn't seem like much. But for us, we really can't believe how big he is getting. Coop, we love you so much buddy. You light up our house and we love how much you love others. You are a great little boy who loves to explore and learn new things. You are a lot like your mommy from you looks to the fact that you don't like for things to be out of place. You like whoopy cushions, nut crackers, and Tennessee football (although you told me you were going to play football for Auburn). You are very curious about everything, and don't really like a general answer to any question. We love you buddy, and hope you have a great fourth birthday.

The Next Steps

2010-11-11T18:00:00.002-06:00

The next steps are under way. Derrick and I got started on the cabinets on Monday night and the floor company sanded and finished the floors on Tuesday and Wednesday. The floors look great and we made a lot of headway on the cabinets.

Let's be clear, Derrick is the one driving the cabinet ship. I like to call myself his apprentice. I am doing what he tells me and am trying to learn and soak in as much as I can. It was very cool to see the corner cabinet as an assembled product and I had a lot of fun helping and learning. As most of you know, I have not ever been accused of being handy, but hopefully through this project I will learn to be a little more handy than before. Now I just need some more tools...

We finished most of the bottom cabinets on my day off yesterday

We set up the cabinets as they will be arranged on the back wall of our kitchen

The Floors are In

2010-11-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

Tuesday morning I met the floor installation guys at the house at 8:30. There were 2 of them and they got the kitchen/dining room floor installed. From what I can tell they did a great job. When I met with the guys from the company at the house he said he wasn't sure if they would be able to get it woven into the hallway and den area or not. When we got there to check it out, however, they were able to get both doorways done. This coming Tuesday the finishers will be there to sand the entire upstairs and finish all the floors to look the same. This will take three days, since they are putting three coats of polyurethane down. We are going with a natural finish and are definitely excited to see how it looks when it's finished.

Tomorrow my dad is planning to finish up the drywall. Allison and I are going to measure for trim, baseboards, crown molding, as well as do other odds and ends that we can get done. We have a long list of to-dos, but I think we can make a small dent in it tomorrow. Hopefully the roof will be replaced early next week. He said the timing will depend on if the shingles we picked are in stock or not, but he will let me know when they will be there. Moving right along...

The Latest Home Update

2010-11-02T18:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, so we're now a few weeks into the home renovation/repair/remodel. Our chimney has been rebuilt, the hardwood is being installed today, and the drywall has been hung in the kitchen. My dad has put one coat of drywall mud on the walls with at least two more to go, I think. Also, Derrick replaced the valve in the garage to allow water into the house last night/this morning. After the guys finish installing the floors today, Derrick and I will start on the tile in the laundry room as well as other projects that need to be done before moving in. As you can see, there are lots of things going at once, hopefully culminating with getting finished and us moving in the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Beginning stages of the chimney repair. Completed pictures coming soon.

Walls up and floors out.

Here's the pile of flooring that's going in the kitchen. Maybe I'll have another picture tomorrow.

First Trip to Neyland

2010-10-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

This past Saturday Cooper and I went to watch Tennessee play Alabama at Neyland Stadium. This was Cooper's first regular season game. Earlier in the year we didn't think it was worth taking him to a game. But since we took him to the Orange and White game in 2009 and he cried when we left, we thought he may do okay. This time I am pretty sure he was more excited about seeing the cheerleaders than he was about watching the game. We had a lot of fun. He watched movies on the way to Knoxville and fell asleep about 10 minutes before we got to where we were going to park. We stayed through the first half and most of the 3rd quarter. When the game began to get out of hand I asked Cooper if he wanted to go home. He said yes and since it was already getting late and we had a long drive home we left. I usually don't advocate leaving a game early, but this was a special circumstance. He fell asleep about 45 minutes into our drive home and we got back around midnight. Overall it was a really fun trip and I think Cooper enjoyed it also. Hopefully it was just the first of many trips we will get to take to see games.

All dressed up and ready to go!

Not looking at the camera. The cheerleaders were right in front of us.

One Week In

2010-10-23T14:00:00.001-05:00

Okay, so we're a week into the home renovation/remodel. First I have to thank Derrick for all the hard work he's put in. He's labored, thought, and planned this out and Allison and I are so thankful. I also appreciate Cody, Daniel, and Jeff for coming over and helping with a lot of the labor as well. As of today, you can't really tell that the room is a kitchen, but it's all coming together (at least in our minds). Apparently the house has started "talking" to Allison and Derrick and what they have planned is going to look great. Things are moving right along. We have an electrician coming Monday morning; Derrick, my dad, and me are starting to hang the drywall tomorrow afternoon; and the floor company is coming to put down hardwood a week from Tuesday. Unfortunately, the floors have to be in a week before they can sand, but it won't put us too far behind.

This is what the kitchen looked like when we bought the house, without our stuff strewn about of course.

Here's the kitchen from another angle. You may or may not recognize this angle a few pictures below.

Moving right along...

This is what the kitchen currently looks like.

And So It Begins

2010-10-18T15:32:00.002-05:00

Well, for those of you that follow this blog (I understand there hasn't been much activity lately) it's about to take on a new theme for a little while. That theme is going to be home renovation! Allison and I closed on our new house Friday and have started on some of the renovation work we want to do. Hopefully I will be able to post pictures along the way, so stay tuned and see what we are able to accomplish in the next month or so.

Dungeon Living

2010-09-15T16:00:00.000-05:00

Monday morning I got a text from Derrick that said "How was the first night in the dungeon?" Until then, I had not really thought of our space at the Hoods as a "dungeon." It's actually very comfortable, mainly because Derrick has done a great job on the work down there and Allison did a great job setting things up so that it feel like "home." I will tell you one thing for sure though, it is extremely dark down there! On Tuesday morning Cooper woke up about 6am and in a very inquisitive voice he said "Daddy," as if to make sure I was there. When I answered him his next question was "Can I get up?" This probably this stems from the fact that we often tell him he can't get up until the sun comes up. Since there is no windows in in the basement, Cooper has no idea whether or not the sun is up. After feeling our way around the room the first two nights, we decided we needed a night light. Thankfully Heather had one we could use. It made a big difference and at least now we can see to get around when the lights are off downstairs.

We're Moved

2010-09-14T14:00:00.000-05:00

Well, we closed. Last Friday around 1:30pm Allison and I signed the documents selling our first house. This was the first home we owned. This is the first home that Cooper has known. Our neighbors were awesome, the neighborhood is great, and it is close to several members of our family and other friends. But, it was time to move. We have our reasons and we feel that it was the right thing to do, but that didn't make it any easier. I was actually surprised at how tough it was to leave. Especially when my neighbors come over just as I was walking through the house for the last time. The buyer is getting a good house, in a good neighborhood, with great neighbors. I hope he appreciates it as much as Allison and I did, and always will.

Triathlons

2010-09-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

Since Allison was in law school I have said I want to do a triathlon. We had a few friends that she was in school with that competed in them and that's what put the idea in my head. When we moved to Nashville and I went to work at FMC, one of the partners there competed in triathlons. By that time I was running quite a bit and the idea became a little stronger. Last year I put it on my goal list for the year, but put it off until it was too late to get one in before it got too cold.

Well, this year I did it. I competed in the Music City Triathlon in July and the Cedars of Lebanon Triathlon this past Saturday. I had two really good experiences, although they were both very different. I believe the main difference was the weather. Both days were sunny, however, the temperature at Music City was probably over 80 degrees before I even got in the water and the temperature at Cedars was probably only about 80 degrees when I finished the race. The other difference is probably the most evident: swimming in the river vs. swimming in a pool. I am glad for the experience that I got swimming in the river, but swimming in the pool was definitely easier and made the transition to the bike a little more palatable.

As it happened with running, I think I have caught the bug. I enjoyed the change of pace that you get with three separate events in one race. While I would love to think that one day I can complete an Iron Man distance, but I am not sure that will ever happen. The amount of time and effort that takes is unfathomable. What I can tell you is that I am already thinking about which triathlons I want to compete in next season. My goal for next year is to complete at least one intermediate or Olympic distance triathlon and based on that I will try to figure out if a longer distance is even worth considering. The next race I will be competing in is the Middle Half. This will be the second year that Allison and I have competed in this race. We also have several friends that will be there. That should make it even more fun. And as that race relates to triathlons, a half-marathon is the third leg of a half Iron Man. Maybe one day...

Stress Relief

2010-08-26T08:12:00.004-05:00

I started running for two reasons: 1)I was 60 pounds heavier than I was my Senior year in high school and 2)my firm was participating in a 5k as a team and I wanted to participate. Before this I had always thought of running as punishment. Having played baseball since I was six and football in high school, running was issued out for messing up either on or off the field. Because of this I had a very hard time running and definitely didn’t enjoy it.

Fast forward eight years. (Wow, I can’t believe I’ve been running that long.) I have now ran several 5k races, 1 10k, 2 half marathons (now training for my 3^rd), and earlier this summer I completed my first triathlon with a second to hopefully be completed on Saturday. If asked, I would definitely consider myself a runner.

Back in the days when I first started, I hated it! A guy I worked with would always talk about how he got stress relief from running. He even said that while studying for the CPA exam he would take a break and go for a run. I used to tell him “No thanks! I feel like I get more stressed out during and after a run. I have definitely come to understand what he was talking about. The longer I run, the more I want to run. During the house selling/buying process I have definitely found myself more stressed out than normal. In the times that I feel the most stressed I also find myself looking for the next opportunity to exercise. Whether it’s a 3 mile run, a 10 mile bike, swimming a few laps, or simply working out in the gym, I have come to use exercise as a stress reliever. Anytime I feel stressed and have a chance to exercise I feel an immediate sense of relief. It may not last too long, but it definitely gets me back on the right track.

I know this isn’t a scientific experiment, but exercising definitely reduces my stress level. What do you do to reduce or relieve stress?

House Hunting

2010-08-23T10:00:00.001-05:00

I guess this subject is as good as any to break my 3 month blogging hiatus.

Allison and I put our house on the market back in the middle of June. Exactly 8 weeks later we had a contract on our house, which in this market was definitely a blessing. As people learned that we had sold our house we started hearing things like, "you're in the driver's seat now," and "oh, now comes the fun part," and the one I have heard for months "this is a buyers market." Well let me say, this has not been fun at all for me. And because it hasn't been fun, and actually has been extremely stressful for me, it has caused extra stress on Allison.

Apparently what I consider a buyer's market and what others think is a buyer's market are not the same thing. My thought of a buyer's market is that people do not list their houses for more than they are worth, and if they do, they don't expect to sell them for more than they are worth. This also hasn't been our experience. We have made offers on three houses and have not gotten any of them. The first was listed far less that it was worth and we weren't the best offer. Fair enough. The other two offers we made, however, were fair offers. Apparently these sellers just weren't ready to sell their houses.

Oh well. A place for us to live is out there. It may just be in Heather and Derrick's garage for the time being.

They Really Are Perceptive

2010-05-13T20:39:00.003-05:00

While I understand he gets it honest, Cooper likes to talk. A lot. It is not uncommon for us to drive all the way home from church (30 minutes) with Cooper talking the entire way. No exaggeration. And most of the time we have fun conversations while we are in the car and I really don't mind all of the talking. As I said before, he got it honest. Sometimes, however, I don't fully engage and/or don't fully pay attention to what he saying or talking about. The other day we were waiting in the care for Allison to come down from her office. He was talking to me and I was listening to the radio. As he was talking I was halfway paying attention and responding generally. The conversation went something like this:

Cooper: Daddy, are we in the car?
Me: Yes.
Cooper: Daddy, are we going home.
Me: Yes. (at this time I started to check out because he was asking questions simply to have something to say)
Cooper: some question that I don't remember
Me: Yeah
Cooper: another question I don't remember
Me: Yeah
Cooper: Daddy, you're not really listening to me, you're just saying yeah. You're supposed supposed to say 'Oh, yeah that's right!'

He totally busted me. So many times we think they aren't comprehending or paying attention. They definitely are. I guess I need to pay more attention, huh?

A Tale of Two Disasters

2010-05-10T20:43:00.014-05:00

I can't imagine that anyone who is reading this blog is unaware of the events that took place in Nashville and the surrounding areas on May 1-2. If you aren't aware, there was what people are calling a 1000 year flood on that weekend. Hundreds of homes are destroyed and at least 10 people have been confirmed dead in Davidson County alone. I have been trying to process in my mind all that I have seen over the past 9 days or so. Every time I think about it my mind takes me back to Good Friday last year.

Cooper was out of school and I was off work. We had lunch with Allison at her office and when the news started calling for a tornado warning we left to head home. As Cooper and I got home the weather was really bad. We got in a closet and sat for several minutes as I listened to the TV from inside. When I was convinced that we were not in any danger we got out and I started watching the weather. As I watched they were switching back from the radar to a live feed from on top of the courthouse from the square in Downtown Murfreesboro. As I was watching the screen I saw what turned out to be a very large tornado pass by.

The next day I went out with LifePoint Church to help with the cleanup. We spent several hours cleaning trash and debris out of the yard of a friend. After that I spent the next few hours driving a gator around the neighborhood passing out cookies, water, and crackers to volunteers and victims of the tornado. I've never seen anything like that before. I literally stood on the foundation where, not 24 hours before, a house stood. I helped a lady try to salvage a tea set that her mother had brought her from England that was inside a kitchen of a house that only had one wall standing. The devastation was unbelievable.

As we sat in our living room two Saturdays ago, I again saw images that I will never forget. I saw a portable classroom float down I-24. The same stretch of I-24 that I had driven on about 24 hours before. I saw boats moving down that same stretch of interstate rescuing people on live TV. I heard stories of people being stranded on the top of a jeep for an hour before they decided it was safer to try to ride the current to keep from drowning (they were correct and they survived). I also, however, hear stories of a dad that saved one child and went to save the other only to be swept away as well as an elderly couple that were swept away by flood waters on their way to church.

This past Saturday I spent a few hours tearing down dry wall in a house that had about 4 1/2 feet of water inside during the flood. We literally removed everything in the house except the studs. Even 7 days after the flooding occurred, there was still water inside the walls of the home. Up and down the street we were working on there were houses with the same story. All of the insides were being removed due to flood waters. Just a few streets behind an elderly couple were killed during the flood. Just as I did last April, I stood in the middle of devastation. Among that devastation, however, I witnessed something truly encouraging...friends, neighbors, and strangers helping each other in times of need.

I am still not sure I will ever fully grasp or process what I witnessed while trying to help people clean up what was left of their homes. What I do know, however, is that the people of Middle Tennessee are great people. There has been an out pouring of support for the flood victims. Hands on Nashville has had over 8,500 people sign up to volunteer. Churches all over the area have stepped up and spent countless hours trying to help people pick up the pieces. I have, essentially, lived in the Nashville area my entire life. Never before have I witnessed people helping people as I have during these two times of difficulty. Never before have a I been as glad as I am now to call Nashville my home.

The Country of My

2010-03-11T20:30:00.000-06:00

One of the most telling conversations we had in Africa was with one of our interpreters. He was asking a few of us about how long we had been married, how many kids we had, how old they are, and things like that. At some point in the conversation he told us he "needed" to get married. We asked him why and he didn't really have an answer. I think it was here that he asked Mark what the perfect wife was. I am sure I am not going to get Mark's answer perfectly correct, but I believe this is generally what he told him. (Honestly, Mark's answer isn't the point. The point is how he responded to Mark's answer that told me all I needed to know about how Americans are viewed.) Mark told him that first, she should love God more than anything else, including her husband. Next he generalized husbands and wives and said, "after loving God, we should love our spouses more than ourselves. We should put their needs above our own" Upon hearing this, he sort of had a puzzled look on his face. Then he said, "But America is the country of my. My house, my car, my wife." Basically he was saying, "Americans don't put others first, they only think about themselves." Mark told him that we often think about our self first, however, God would have us put our spouse and their needs above any need that we may have.

This was one of several things in Africa that put a things in perspective for me. So often we get wrapped up in our wants and put other people's wants and needs on the back burner. My prayer is that, because of my new friend from Africa, I will be more mindful of others' needs and not be so focused on me.

Not Just a Suggestion

2010-03-04T20:35:00.006-06:00

Before I went, as well as since I've returned, people say things like "I am sure this changed your life," or "I am sure this trip has given you a different outlook on things." Because this was my first mission trip, I don't know what I expected in terms of "life change" or "outlook." I can tell you one thing for certain, my outlook on things is very different and I certainly am looking at things and pondering how I can change the approach that I take to some things.

Last night the six of us that went to Africa had the opportunity to share with the church about our trip. Mark gave a general overview of the trip and the David went through a slide show of pictures that he took while we were there. After that, Mark went through a series of questions that led the discussion. One of the questions was "What made the greatest impact in your life spiritually from this experience?" I felt that this question got at the heart of the statements that various people have made.

We spent a lot of time, while in the village, talking to the person that stood up and became the first follower of Christ during Mark's first visit into the village. He is a teacher and he is very eager to learn more about Christ and what it means to be a Christ follower. Beyond that, he is doing exactly what the stories say Christ followers do...tell people about Jesus. When we got to the village we learned that he was not in the village. We were told he was visiting another village that his mother is from, but he would be back the following day. When he returned we learned that he had been telling the people of this village about Jesus. He asked us if we would be able to go into that village because he wanted the people there to meet us and hear some of the stories that we were telling. We definitely felt that we needed to go to this village. If for no other reason, I felt this would validate what he had been telling the people of this other village. I don't know why, but I was amazed at the fact that the story says followers of Jesus tell others about Jesus, and that's exactly what he did despite the fact that he's only be a follower of Christ for a few months.

I think the reason that I was amazed is because of my own lacking in this area. As we were going through the story he definitely knew what the story was about, but he couldn't tell the story back to us. This struck me because this is the excuse that I tell myself when I think about witnessing to someone. "I know the story, but what if they ask me a question that I don't know." This question plagues me, but not the villager. He just tells those around him about Jesus, just like Jesus told all of His followers. One of the main things I have taken away from this trip is Jesus didn't suggest that we tell others. He commanded us to. And that's what I'm going to work on. Doing what followers of Jesus do...tell others about Jesus.

To The Ends of the Earth

2010-02-28T06:47:00.010-06:00

A few weeks ago I asked you to pray for our group as we prepared for and went on our trip to Africa. I want to thank each of you that prayed for us. We had a great trip in which we were able to witness a worship service in the original village we visited and we saw 5 people accept Christ in a second village we were able to visit. I have just began to process all that I saw, so I am sure there are going to be multiple posts stemming from this trip. One thing I know for sure, I was glad to serve alongside the 5 guys I went with. I was able to get to know them much better than I otherwise would. I also got to see the heart that each one of them have to reach people for Jesus, no matter how far away from home or how long and tough the travel is. I am especially thankful for Mark. He has a great heart for unreached people and was a great leader for the five of us that were going into countries that we had never been to. I look forward to seeing what God is going to do through the people of our church and those partnering with us to help reach these people in West Africa.

Will You Pray for Us?

2010-02-04T21:00:00.002-06:00

In just over 2 weeks I will be leaving with a group of 5 other guys to go to Africa. We are going on a trip to engage an unreached people group. Our pastor took a trip to the village we will be visiting back in October and saw 19 people accept Christ. Not too long ago a journey girl was back in the village and returned with great news. She said that they meet together every week to sing, dance, pray, and tell stories together. There is also a possibility that we will attempt to find another village of the same people group during one of the days we are there.

For those of you that know me well know that I don't spend a lot of time camping and that I am not well traveled. This trip will definitely have its fair share of these activities. That being said, Allison and I have both felt for sometime that God was calling us to spend time in Africa. We had no idea when or how, but when Mark told the church about this people group we were both excited about the opportunity to be involved.

So, I am looking for people that will commit to pray for us. Please pray for our group as we travel. Please pray for safe travel, for good health during the trip, and that we will be able to make a great impact on the people we will be engaging. Also, pray for each guy on the trip and the impact that it will have on us. I know for me, this will be unlike any trip I have ever taken.

Will you commit to pray for us?

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

2010-02-01T21:02:00.005-06:00

"People love to have lived a great story, but few people like the work it takes to make it happen." The quote from the book, in my opinion, sums up this book. This book takes the you into the author's life and a point in his life when he made a decision to start living his life on purpose.

This was a great book. It was a very easy read, very funny, but at the same time it has a great message. I love that he was able to convey a lesson about making stories with your life while sharing some of the stories he has made in his own life. I write in most non-fiction books that I read. When I started this one I didn't get a highlighter or pen. After about twenty pages, however, I quickly realized that I needed to have something that I could mark pages with. I started this review with the quote that I believe gives the premise of the book. Because of this, it has really made me think about the stories that I am making and the memories that we, as a family, are making.

I definitely recommend this book. Especially if you are looking for something light, funny, but has a great message. To read more about this book you can read more here and you can buy it here.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as a part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to give a positive review of this book and all of the opinions are mine.

Snow Day!

2010-01-29T18:32:00.007-06:00

Today it began snowing downtown around 8ish. At 9:30 Allison and I decided to head home. We went and picked up Cooper at daycare (which was closing at 11:00) and headed toward Smyrna. At the time, the roads were much worse in Nashville than in Smyrna. The traffic was terrible, but as the roads got better the farther south we went, the traffic got better as well.

After getting home and eating lunch, I called our neighbor to see if he and his daughter wanted to go sledding. He did and we met at a middle school near our neighborhood with a pretty good hill in front. We spent 2 hours sledding and there were about 10 people there when we got there, but about 20 when we left. Cooper absolutely loved it! He was a little apprehensive at first, but by the end he was sliding down, head first, by himself. We had a lot of fun and will definitely go back tomorrow. Hopefully we can get 2-4 more inches tonight, which will make for a great time.

Encouragement

2010-01-17T22:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, while getting ready to go for a run I thought about running five miles. After I got started I quickly decided that today was going to be a 3 mile kind of day. I often fall into this trap. As I am getting ready, I think to myself, "I am going to run somewhere between three and five miles today. I will decide when I get out there." Bad idea. Almost inevitably I am going to start getting tired after about a mile and decide, "three miles it is!" Many times, however, I can push myself on through and "practice not quitting."

I don't think yesterday was going to be one of those days. I started off and felt really strong after about one mile. The difference was, I started thinking about all of the things that we needed to do. Take a shower, birthday party, grocery store, Target. Thinking about these things, I quickly decided that I was only running 3 miles. As I finished about 1.5 miles I could see a guy running toward me up ahead. When we crossed paths, he held out his arm, gave me a high five, and said "have a great day." I don't know if I appeared to be struggling, but that's what I needed to get going, a little encouragement. It wasn't anything huge, just a quick high five that, to me, said "keep going, you don't need to stop at 3 miles," so I continued on and finished a 4 mile run.

A little bit of encouragement goes a long way. Whether it's at our job, toward a friend, toward our spouse, or just another runner on the street. As I finished my run I began thinking about some of the ways that I can do a better job of encouraging people. Hopefully I can offer a little to someone.

What are some of the ways that you encourage others or like to be encouraged?

Disaster in Haiti

2010-01-14T19:46:00.007-06:00

As all of you know by now there was an earthquake that registered 7.0 that stuck Haiti a few days ago. From what I have read, there are probably tens of thousands of deaths. There is widespread destruction in what is one of the poorest countries on earth. One of the descriptions I read today was "take all of the destruction from the tsunami a few years ago and put that all in an area the size of Dallas/Ft. Worth. Unfortunately, there are many scams going around. I have not heard of any specifically, just that if you are able to give, you should only do so to organizations that you know are legit. One organization that I know is legit is Compassion International.

Compassion sponsors and donors serve more than 65,000 children in Haiti. At least a third of them live in the areas that were hardest hit. You can click here to give to Compassion's Haiti Earthquake Disaster Relief. For more information on how you can help those affected by the Haiti Earthquake you can check out this blog. And for bloggers, there is a lot of information there that you can use to post to your site in order to try to help Compassion raise as much money and awareness as possible for the people of Haiti.

Goals for 2010 - part 2

2010-01-07T16:25:00.010-06:00

In my last post, I mentioned that I would be posting my goals for 2010. What I didn't mention was that Allison and I are continuing a tradition that we started doing last year, creating goals for the upcoming year. We have been friends with the Tidwells for a long time. For the past several years at dinner around the first of the year Nick would ask us, "So, what are your goals for this year?" Each year I would say something to the effect of, "I don't know, what are yours?" Well, last year Allison and I decided to come up with some goals of our own. We are doing that again this year, and maybe, by posting them here, I will be more accountable to stay on top of them.

I was planning to post my goals on my blog, but after reading a blog post from Michael Smith, the worship past at our church, and Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson, I am even more convinced that it will help me be motivated to achieve these goals throughout the year. One thing that both of these posts made clear is that it is good to get your goals out there. Whether it's telling those you lead or your peers, or posting them on your blog for all to see, getting your goals out there gives you another layer of accountability.

I have a list of several goals. As I said in my earlier post, some of these were on the list last year but didn't get completed.

So, here they are - my goals for 2010.

More meaingful and consistent prayer time
More meaingful and consistent quiet time
Read through the Bible by 12/31/10
Memorize at least one verse every week
Consistent posting to my blog (at least 2 times per week)
Become a better writer
Become more organized
Complete a triathlon
Finish a 5k in fewer than 24 minutes

Goals for 2010

2010-01-02T15:30:00.005-06:00

I have never really been a resolution guy. I don't know if it was just laziness or realizing that I probably wouldn't stick to some unrealistic thing to do. Well, last year I decided that I would make a list of goals for 2009. I think I listed about 10 goals and actually achieved about half of them. I am doing the same thing for 2010. Part of my issue with not reaching all of my 2009 goals was that I didn't go back to my list often enough. A few of my goals were to be completed throughout the year, and once I got away from them, I got too far behind and couldn't get back on track. This year, however, I am going to keep the list somewhere that I will be able review it often. I have not totally settled on my list, but I know of several that are going on there. Some of the goals that will go on the 2010 list are the unreached goals of 2009, but most of them are new goals. I am breaking my list down into three categories: physical, mental, & spiritual. I think I will have 3-4 goals in each category and hopefully this time next year I will have a blog post that reports that I have completed all goals for 2010.

What about you, do you set goals for each year? Do you have a hard time reaching your goals each year?

Christmas - Week in Review

2009-12-31T07:16:00.006-06:00

Last week Allison and I were off work all week. It was a great week spending time with family as well as just hanging out at home, just the three of us. The first few days of the week we finished up our Christmas shopping. I had done about half of what I wanted to do, so I finished that up. Allison had some to finish as well and we did some shopping as a family. On Wednesday we had lunch with our niece and her mom. We don't see them very often, so we were excited to see them both. I am amazed at how big Natalie is getting. Christmas Eve we gather with my mom's family as well as Allison's dad's family. We had a good time at both places and Cooper really enjoyed opening presents (his and other people's). Christmas Day we do not usually leave our house. We spend Christmas morning together as a family and in the afternoon Allison's mom's family. That was a lot of fun. There were some of her family there that we had not seen in a long time. There are now many kids running around with one more on the way. I loved watching the kids run around playing! The day after Christmas the three of us got out and did a little shopping. Allison always likes to get out of the house the day after Christmas and other than the traffic at Opry Mills, it was fun to get out. Sunday we took down all Christmas decorations and tried to get ready to go back to work. We had another short week and our friends, the Omohundros, are coming in from Lexington today. We are excited to see them and spend some time with them.

Handgun Safety

2009-12-19T21:37:00.004-06:00

Today Allison and I did something that I would never have thought we would do in a million years--we took a handgun safety class together. It was so much fun. Allison was co-counsel the guy who is an instructor at Personal Responsibility, Inc. He told Allison that if she was going to defend police officers then she needed to at least know how to handle a pistol. We left early this morning and made the drive to Nunnely, TN for the class that started at 7:30. After about 4 hours in the "classroom" and a test that allows us to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon, we went to the shooting range for about 4 hours. This was when I thought Allison may get nervous. Each time the instructors would take their pistol out for demonstration in the classroom I could tell her tension level rose a little. When we got to the range, however, it did not appear that she was nervous at all. She did great.

Now I have to admit, I am a total city boy. Most of this know that already. I thought that once we started using live rounds I may get a little nervous. I actually never got nervous and loved every minute of it. I still don't think Allison will let me get a gun, but I think I would really enjoy learning more about handling a pistol and going to the gun range to shoot. We probably shot about 130 rounds each and qualified to get a handgun carry permit. I don't know that either of us will ever get the permit, but it was a ton of fun. Thanks again to John for inviting us out and providing so much for us. And thanks to all of the instructors at PRI, you guys were great.

If anyone is looking for a firearms training I would definitely recommend these guys. They were awesome and provided so much help to Allison and I. Allison had not ever shot a gun before and I had not shot one in many, many years. They offer classes from the basic handgun class we took on up to much more advanced handgun and shoulder fired firearms. If you are interested go to their website, http://www.prifirearmstraining.com, for more information.

This is a picture of Alli at the range. I never imagined I would see her with a pistol on her side.

Here are our targets. I will let you decide which one belongs to me and to Alli.

Hello Mr. Blue, Good to See You Again!

2009-12-09T20:00:00.000-06:00

Because our weekend was so busy, my brother met me to pick up a Christmas tree and Allison stayed home while Cooper took a nap. We go the tree up and put the lights on, but decided to wait until Monday night to decorate it. Cooper was so excited. He asked Allison to let him put a few ornaments on while I was at family group. Monday morning, when I woke Cooper up, the first thing he said was, "Can we put the ornaments on?" Then Monday evening when I picked him up that was the first thing he asked me again. When we finished dinner Monday night we decorated the tree. It was so much fun. Cooper was so excited to bring the ornaments in the living room and to start putting them on the tree. The tree is probably about 9 feet tall, so needless to say, Cooper needed a step stool to put most of the ornaments on. We had to ensure that we moved it often because at one time I looked over and he had 4 or 5 ornaments on the same branch.

Also, Ole Mr. Blue Ornament made his way back on the tree this year. For those that have read this blog for more than a year know that Allison has a "red" Christmas tree. I did, however, manage to get a blue ornament on the tree last year and the year before. I think now she just accepts it and doesn't even acknowledge my quest.

What a Fun Weekend

2009-12-08T20:03:00.000-06:00

We had a busy, but fun weekend. Friday night was the annual Rudolph Red Nose 5k and Nashville Christmas parade. We were both signed up, but because Cooper had been coughing for a few days and the forecast was for the temperatures to be in the 30s, we thought 30 minutes of cold wind in Cooper's face wasn't the best idea. We decided that I would hang out with Cooper and Allison would run the race. She ran a great race and finished 4th in her age group. We were also excited to get to see our friend, Heather, finish her first 5k. Congratulations Heather!

Saturday morning Allison, Cooper, Heather, Hannah, and I all went to Sesame Street Live. It was much better that I anticipated, and Cooper had a great time. At first I couldn't really tell what he thought, but I think he was just amazed by the show. He and Hannah both were very good during the show and seemed to have a great time.

After that we went to have Cooper's 3 year old pictures taken. Typically our neighbor, Shannon, takes Cooper's pictures. Since she is due to have their newest addition in about 10 days, she wasn't able to take them and we asked another friend and photographer, Alison to do it for us. We had fun taking pictures with him and can't wait to see them.

Never Take a Moment for Granted

2009-12-02T20:40:00.004-06:00

Over the past few days I have been reminded why we so often hear, "Don't take anything for granted." On Sunday I learned that the wife of a friend of mine that I played ball with in college had passed away. She was 30 years old and they have 3 children ages 1, 3, and 5. Just a few days prior to learning this news I told Allison "If anything ever happens to you, we will have the worst kid on the block. It will be sleeping in my room and brownies for breakfast everyday." I said this jokingly, but I can't even begin to think about what my friend is going through tonight. When we saw him at the visitation the first thing he said to us was "Guys, go home and hug your wives." At the time Allison was on a plane from Cincinnati to Nashville. You can bet, however, that as soon as she walked through that door she got a big hug from me. It's now been 24 hours since I talked to my friend, but what he said to me is still resonating through my head. Hug your spouse tonight as if you won't get to tomorrow. Unfortunately for my friend, he doesn't have that opportunity.

Move More, Eat Less

2009-11-25T20:30:00.002-06:00

I began training for the Music City Half Marathon around the second week of January of this year. That race was in late April, but I continued to run every Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday after that. I would run about 3 miles on Tuesday and Thursday and anywhere from 3 to 6 miles on Saturday. We began training for the Middle Half around the first week of July. My number of runs didn't change, but the mileage per week began to move up and I added a midweek swim or bike ride. That race was about almost 8 weeks ago, which brings us to today. November 25 and 8 pounds heavier.

I know, 8 pounds, who cares, right? I care. About 6 years ago I was 50 pounds heavier than I am right now. I felt bad all of the time and each time I ate I would feel sick to my stomach. I was miserably overweight and didn't do much about it. During the holidays, 5 years ago, someone said to me, "Wow, you've really gained some weight since you moved to Knoxville." I sort of shrugged it off, thinking "Yeah, I gained a little bit, but it's no big deal." A few months later I stepped on the scale and realized that I weighed 60 pounds more than I did my senior year in high school. On that day I decided to make a change. Over the following 2 months I dropped 40 pounds and I have never looked back.

During training for the half marathon I was eating more, but I was burning a lot of calories. Since the race my training has waned, but my calories have not. The last few weeks have been busy; Allison's been busy at work, I've been busy with Cooper, we were busy with celebrating his birthday, so I sort acted as though I didn't care about getting out to run or going to the gym. I didn't go to the gym as much, but I certainly ate as much. The scale told me this morning that I haven't moved as much recently, but I have continued to eat the same amount.

I am still leaner right now than I have been in years. Probably as lean as I was as sophomore in high school. People that have known me that long, but don't often see me have said asked what I did to lose weight. Most of the time use the phrase my good friend Jeff told me once when I asked him what I needed to do. I tell them "Move more and eat less." I think it's time that I started living that out again.

Party Time!

2009-11-23T08:38:00.012-06:00

After two years of having family and friends over at once for Cooper's birthday, this year we decided to have a party with just his friends and to celebrate with our families separately. Over the past 10 days we have had 3 birthday celebrations for Cooper. Last Saturday we celebrated with Allison's dad and Terri, her aunt, her cousin, and her grandparents. This past Saturday we had his birthday party with his friends and yesterday we celebrated with my mom and dad, my brother and sister-in-law, and my aunt Neecie and her girls, Emily and Amy. Cooper has had a blast and now he probably thinks that his birthday lasts for two weeks.

Some of the kids playing with the "Band in a Box"

I think Cooper really liked his cake

This was actually the second time he blew out the candles

Even the little guys seemed to have a good time

Cheese!

Isn't that just the sweetest face?

Cupcakes at Mammy's

Cooper having fun with his Cars set from Uncle Jared and Aunt BeBe

My Conversation with Cooper

2009-11-19T10:56:00.000-06:00

Sometimes Cooper and I have the best conversations in the car. Many times when it is over I am just cracking up at the things he says or amazed at the way his little mind works. Yesterday while on the way to school/work I got some more insight into how the mind of a three year old works.

Cooper: Turn it to the color song, please.
Me: The color song?
Cooper: Yeah, the color song.
Me: Okay, (turn it to the next song) this one?
Cooper: No.
Me: (turn it to the next song) this one?
Cooper: No.
Me: (turn it to the next song) this one?
Cooper: (waits to hear the opening music, no words yet) Yes, that's it.
Song: Jesus loves the little children, all the little children of the world. Red & yellow, black & white, they are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.
Me: (in my head) Of course, the color song!

At 9:09 Tonight...

2009-11-17T17:22:00.013-06:00

...Cooper will technically be 3 years old. I know everyone says this, but it is amazing how quickly they grow. It seems like it was just the other day when I got the phone call, while sitting at lunch at McDougal's, that I will never forget. The one in which Allison said, "You're going to be a daddy today." Typing those words and thinking back on the feeling that I had when she told me she was pregnant as well as when she said he was going to be born that day gives me a lump in my throat and almost brings tears to my eyes.

Recently I heard someone say, "Being a parent is the hardest thing in the world, but it's also the best thing in the world." I would definitely agree with that, especially over the last few months. As I shared in a previous post, Cooper has really started to try our patience. But, as I also shared in another previous post, it is so much fun to be around him and to watch him grow, learn, and experience new things.

Cooper, the past three years have been great. It has been so fun to see the world through your eyes. You are a sweet little boy and I can't imagine our lives without you. I thank God for each moment that we have to spend with you. I look forward to sharing many more years, experiences, adventures, and birthdays with you. Happy birthday buddy, I love you so much.

Three years old

Two years old

One year old

Day one

Guy Time and the First B'day Celebration

2009-11-16T20:33:00.006-06:00

On Saturday morning, Allison had to meet with a witness so it was just me and Cooper for the morning through lunch time. After we got up, ate breakfast and she left, Cooper and I went outside to play. The weather was perfect so we stayed outside for over 2 hours. We did several things. First he rode his tractor around the block, which is about 1/3 of a mile. After that he decided he wanted to play with the remote control car. Until now, he has not showed any interest in that car. Saturday, however, we played with it for about 45 minutes. He would run in the driveway as I would chase him with the car. Then he would want to drive so we spent a good amount of time with him driving the car into the grass and me fetching it (he hasn’t mastered the art of turning the wheel while pulling the trigger). After that he wanted to ride his bike, so we went back around the block on the bicycle. That is always a lot of fun because he loves to go fast on his bike. The hill can be a challenge, but he made it up and back down without a crash. After we got back he wanted to play on his Winnie the Pooh “truck.” He loves that thing and played on it in the driveway while I sat there and took pictures of him. After that we left and met our friend Brad for lunch and then we went to the Publix, before going home to hang out with his mommy for a little while.

This year we decided to celebrate Cooper’s birthday with family and friends separately. So, Saturday night we celebrated Cooper’s birthday with my father-in-law, Allison’s aunt, cousin, and grandparents. We ate dinner at the Catfish House and then came back to our house for cake and ice cream. Cooper loved the cake that Terri made for him, his Spiderman “costune,” as he calls it, from Big Daddy and Terri, as well as the tent that Munna and Ninny gave him. He also got a great CD and book from his Aunt Kathy that we have already listened to several times. As you can see in the pictures, he LOVES his tent and costume. He slept in the tent Saturday night and for his nap on Sunday and he wore the Spiderman outfit Saturday night, to my mom’s on Sunday evening, and to bed again Sunday night. It will definitely have to be washed soon.

It was a busy Saturday, but one that was very fun. I love spending time just me and him, but I really enjoy seeing the love he has for everyone. He really had a great time at dinner and hanging out with the family. One celebration down and 3 more to go. Thankfully only one of the three is going to be at our house.

Getting Back to the Basics

2009-11-16T05:30:00.000-06:00

I haven't updated my blog in about a month. Part of the reason is because Allison has had to use the computer for work at night, so I didn't have a chance. At least that's what I've been telling myself. The main reason is that I have felt like I didn't have anything worth saying. I felt that because I didn't have a "great blog post" that it wasn't worth posting anything. Over the weekend I remembered what the name of this blog is as well as the web address--Everday's Adventure/insidemydays.blogspot.com. Not "Everyday's Adventure that tons of people will want to read" or "insidemydays that are filled with great meaning."So, with that said, I am getting back to what this blog was started for, to give anyone who is interested a peak into the adventure that I am on everyday. Sometimes that will be what Cooper and I did outside and sometimes it will be what I read that particular day. Who knows, sometimes it may be about what we ate for supper and what I saw on TV. I don't know exactly what it will look like going forward, because hey I don't know what's going to happen inside my days.

What's a Dad to Do?

2009-10-15T20:40:00.011-05:00

Yesterday was one of those rare days. A day where Cooper really frustrated me, to the point that I didn't want to talk to him anymore. I knew that if I did talk to him I was probably going to use a tone that he wouldn't understand and therefore I could hurt his feelings badly or damage his heart in a way that would be tough to repair. So I let him talk and I simply didn't respond.

As is the case with most days, I got to Cooper's day care while they were in the rainy day room. This is a large, open room that the kids play in when it is raining or too wet to play outside. As is also the case with most days, when Cooper saw me at the door he started crying because he was having so much fun he didn't want to leave to go home. (I don't really understand because when his mommy is there he doesn't do this) So by coaxing him to leave with pizza and the prospect of picking up mommy, he sort of acted like he wanted to go with me...sort of. Finally I picked him up which began the all-out wailing and crying "mommy." By the time we made it to his classroom to go to the potty and sign out he had stopped crying, but had a REALLY bad attitude. While in the bathroom he was very growly and even decided he was going to raise his voice at me. I told him that he wasn't to use that tone with me again, and if he did, we weren't stopping at the water fountain (another one of his favorite things to do one the way out). He raised his voice again so I picked him up, walked past the water fountain and through the door.

As we made our way through the center he began to really cry, loudly. I put him down to walk and he tried to refuse to hold my hand. Because we were in a parking lot I refused to let go. We made it to the car all the while he's crying and really starting to throw a fit. As I picked him up to get in the car he started yelling. I can't remember what he said, but it was the loudest he had gotten. I told him if he did that again that he would not get any gum when we picked up his mommy (gum is typically his treat for no accidents throughout the day). He yelled again and therefore I told him, "No gum, I am going to tell you mommy that you aren't to get any."

By this time I was very frustrated with him. I can't really understand why he hates it when I pick him up, but when his mommy is there he jumping for joy to go home. I wish he didn't act up in front of people of school. I wish he didn't think raising his voice will get him what he wants. However, this time was different. I don't know if it was just the combination of all events or what, but I was very frustrated. All the way to get Allison he said over and over, "I want gum daddy." However, I chose not to respond in hopes that he would simply quit asking. He finally did, however that gave way to total sobbing.

When Allison got in the car, obviously she didn't know what was going on so I gave her the quick version. She told him that he wasn't getting gum because he was mean to his daddy and that he needed to apologize. He sat in silence for about 5 minutes and then I hear him say to Allison,"I want to say I'm sorry." She told him okay and then he said, in the sweetest little voice, "I'm sorry daddy." I said that's okay and then he asked for gum. Allison again told him "no, that he didn't get gum just because he apologized." He started crying again, saying "but I said I'm sorry." This was definitely when my irritation began to wear off. Soon after that he quit crying, but I could tell he was still upset. I leaned over and put my hand on his leg. He quickly grabbed my hand and I thought he was going to push it away. However, he grabbed it very tightly and looked at his mommy saying, "I just want to hold his hand."

To this I say, what's a dad supposed to do? There's no way a person could stay frustrated at that. He obviously was sorry and obviously was glad that I made the decision to try to console him. His response of grabbing my hand so tightly was one that I will not forget for a long time, maybe never. I love that little boy with all my heart.

Being Intentional

2009-09-20T15:48:00.011-05:00

Yesterday I was in Publix and saw a man with his son. The little boy was probably 4, maybe 5 years old. As they were walking in, the boy pointed to the two race car shaped shopping carts that were sitting unused along with all the other carts, and asked to ride in one of them. The dad, with no hesitation, said "No, it has a flat tire, we are going to use this one," grabbed a regular cart and put his son in it.

Let me be the first to say, these things are terrible. They are like pushing around a bus. They are hard to turn and even harder to try to maneuver around the grocery store. However, Cooper loves to ride in them, so if there is one available when I go to Publix and he is with me I let him ride in it. Is it irritating to try to push the big 'ole cart around Publix? Yes. Is it a big deal for me to let Cooper ride in the cart and get over my selfishness? Absolutely not, because who knows, that may be the last time I get the chance to push Cooper in a shopping cart.

Now I am not, by any means, a perfect dad. Most of the time I am learning on the go, as I try to balance fun with discipline with general life lessons to a 2, almost 3 year old little boy. But you see, I am molding Cooper into the man he is going to be, whether I intentionally do it or not. I am also, hopefully, teaching Cooper how he should be a a husband to his wife and a dad to his children. He is going to be that man/husband/father sooner than I want to admit, so I have to act now. I have to be intentional with the things that I do with Cooper. That doesn't mean that everything has to be fun and games, but it does mean that when the opportunity presents itself, I must take full advantage of it. I must be intentional in how I treat Cooper and his mom. I must be intentional in taking advantage of opportunities that I have to mold Cooper, whether that's with fun or with discipline. And I must be intentional about creating opportunities to raise Cooper into the man and dad that God intends us to be.

What are some of the things your mom or dad did with you that have left a lasting impression?

Fearless by Max Lucado

2009-09-08T06:21:00.003-05:00

Fear is something that, at some point in our lives, we all deal with. Whether it is the fear of losing our job, the fear of what the economy may bring, or the fear of sickness, we all, at some point have it. In Max Lucado’s new book, Fearless, Lucado outlines why there’s hope and what we can rest in instead of our fear.

This is a very easy read and I definitely enjoyed reading it. I especially enjoyed how Mr. Lucado wove in Biblical examples to get his message across. I felt, however, that the message was covered early on in the book and then repeated. I also felt that the book did not challenge my thinking as I had hoped it would. If you are looking for something that is challenging, this may be the book you are looking for. If you are, however, looking for a book that is easy to read, with a very good message, I would definitely recommend it and you can find it here.

I reviewed this book as a part of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger program. To see other reviews of this and other books, or if you would like to join this program go to http://brb.thomasnelson.com.

Debt Free!!!

2009-08-24T20:03:00.000-05:00

Well, almost. As of 09/01/09 Allison and I will be completely debt free with the exception of our house. We started paying down the debt that we had 18 months ago with the intention of getting it completely paid off. In February of 2008 we had a car loan, my student loan from college, and Allison's student loans from Law school. Also, our house was on the market with the intention of getting another house that would have increased our home debt.

On night, were sitting in the living room talking and watching the Dave Ramsey show on the Fox Business channel. We were trying to determine how much we could spend on a house and it was almost like a light bulb went off at the same time in both or our heads. Our conversation immediately turned to taking our house off of the market and getting out of debt. We instantly put together a plan that would get us out of debt in 21 months, based on some of the changes we made to our spending and basically putting everything extra we had on our debt. We have essentially followed that plan, and with God's many blessings we are going to have the debt paid off about 3 months earlier that we planned.

Don't get me wrong, we didn't exactly start eating "beans and rice, rice and beans" as Dave Ramsey likes to say, but we did start doing a budget so that we knew exactly how much was going out and how much was coming in. Because of Dave's envelope system and our diligence to stay on the plan along with God's provision, we are almost debt free. I can't wait until that payment clears. I am even thinking about making a phone call to Dave's show on the Friday afterward. That is the day he lets people call in and scream "I'm debt free!!"

Another Great Visit

2009-08-17T15:10:00.016-05:00

This past weekend (Thursday through Monday) we went to Baton Rouge to visit our great friends Ashley, Jeff, Caroline, and Charlotte. We typically see them once a year, but this year we have seen them twice. Once at our house in April, and this time at their house. We ate at this great restaurant, Roberto's, Thursday night, swam at their neighborhood pool and visited Mike the Tiger Friday, ran along LSU's lakes Saturday morning, went to Caroline's 4th birthday party late Saturday morning, Jeff and I went out on his kayak Sunday afternoon, and in between we got to hang out, talk, laugh, and just have a great time together.

Our flight landed in New Orleans at about noon on Thursday. We went back to the house and let Cooper take a nap while we hung out and talked to Ashley and played with Caroline. That night we went to Roberto's and ate dinner. It was fantastic! Allison and I shared BBQ shrimp and grits appetizer and grilled catfish topped with crawfish etouffee. Did I mention it was awesome?!

Friday Jeff had to work a half day, so Allison, Ashley, and I took the kids to the pool for a while. It was really fun, especially because there was a diving board. I have loved to swim and dive since I was a kid, so this was a great treat for me. Caroline also loves to jump off the board so I would go to the deep end, catch her when she jumped in, and get her going toward the side. She can swim, so once I got her going she could make it to the side on her own. The best surprise of our visit to the pool was that Cooper jumped off of the diving board. Two or three times! He was a little nervous at first, but got more and more confidence as time went by.

Saturday morning Allison and I got up early and ran around the LSU lakes. We are training for the Middle Half and needed to run 8 miles. Jeff told me where to go and dropped us off. We had a great run and really loved the scenery around the lakes. After we got home and showered, we went to Caroline's birthday party at the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum. The kids had a blast and it was fun watching them. After they got up from their naps we went to the LSU campus. We saw Mike the Tiger and let Cooper and Caroline play on the Indian Mounds. They had a lot of fun and we got several great pictures.

Sunday we took it easy. We went for beignets and coffee at Coffee Call and then we spent time playing with the kids at the house. Caroline took us down "her path" the was behind their house and ran along a creek. After that the kids played in the sprinkler for a while. Later in the day Jeff and I took his kayak out on the LSU lakes. We paddled for a hour or so and then picked up shrimp/crawfish po' boys for dinner.

Overall it was a great trip. The travel was simple and most of all it was great to see our friends. The only bad part was leaving, knowing that we live far apart and probably won't see each other for a while. Thanks so much Ashley and Jeff for being great hosts. We love you guys, miss you already, and can't wait until the next time we get to see y'all.

A Book Review - The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns

2009-08-12T20:47:00.001-05:00

“Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” This was the prayer of World Vision founder, Bob Pierce, and I believe this is what Richard Stearns wants people to want out of his book ‘A Hole in Our Gospel.’ In this book Mr. Stearns uses his own personal experiences as well as staggering statistics to show where we, as Christians, often miss the mark when it comes to following Jesus’ commands.

This is a great book, but it took me a long time to read it. Mainly because there is so much heavy information, I could only digest it in small doses. There have only been a few books that I have read that I found myself coming back to in my mind, even if I had not picked it up in a few days. As I read the book, I found myself continually thinking “are you kidding me,” and I am sure Allison got tired of me saying “can you believe…?”

I would definitely recommend this book. This is a book that I believe can be a great challenge to anyone, especially those of us that call ourselves Christ-followers.

Everyone Loves a Good Funnel Cake

2009-08-09T14:38:00.009-05:00

Yesterday Allison and I took Cooper to the Williamson County Fair. Our friend Derrick and his little girl Hannah joined. This was the first time we had ever take Cooper to the fair and he really enjoyed it. When we go there, we went out into the main area where many of the rides were as well as the games. We put Cooper on his first ride and his first impression wasn't one of joy. We decided, however, that the best thing to do was leave him on the ride and let him push through. He told us he wanted to get on another ride and his reaction to that one was similar, but better than the first. After that ride he was sold though! After that, he would get off of one ride telling us which one he wanted to get on next. We also watched a BMX stunt show, ate pizza, played a water gun racing game, and at last ate funnel cake. To no surprise, mine and Alli's kids loved funnel cake. Overall it was a great time. Below are some of the pics and you can check out Alli's blog to see some more. If you live in Middle Tennessee and you've never been to the Williamson County Fair it is definitely worth the trip.

What a Difference the Heat Makes

2009-08-08T12:20:00.005-05:00

If you know me or if you have read this much, you know that I run quite a bit. I generally run Tuesday and Thursday mornings and then a long run on Saturday. I ran the Country Music 1/2 Marathon in April, and I am currently training for The Middle Half on October 3.

When I was training for the Country Music 1/2, the vast majority of my runs were in temperatures less than 60 degrees. On race day, however, the temperature at the start time was about 70 degrees. This made a huge difference. In fact, on my overall pace, the temperature cost me about 1:30 per mile. Recently we have been training for the race in October. Last week we ran 7 miles at about 10:30 am. I haven't compared my run times from the training in April and the last week, but I can guess what they look like. Last week I was able to keep about a 9:30 pace for the entire 7 miles. If I had to guess, my 7 mile run in later winter was probably about 9:10.

In the past I have ran several 5k's. I really enjoy the distance and this has always been something that Allison has enjoyed and I am able to push Cooper along the way. In May we ran the Tennessee Baptist Children's Home Run 4 Kids. The weather was perfect for that race. I don't remember the exact temperature, but it was cool and there was very little humidity. At that race Allison and I both set personal records for a 5 k. Today we ran in the Smyrna Parks and Recreation 5k. Today was much warmer and much more humidity. Because I have been running in preparation for The Middle Half, I felt that I had a chance to run faster than my previous best. Boy, was I wrong! I started out strong, but in the end the heat and humidity slowed me down again. I ran a pretty good time, fast enough for my third best time ever, but not what I had hoped for. Hopefully, come October, the temperature will be down and so will my time. We'll just have to wait and see.

Funny Stuff

2009-07-24T20:02:00.006-05:00

For whatever reason, Cooper has recently decided he doesn't want to smile for the camera. Last weekend I tried to take some pictures of him when we were out on the deck and he simply refused to smile. Tonight I got a few of him smiling. I think the main reason was because he loves pizza so much. I also got this video of him. He had been watching Veggie Tales and one of the episodes a gourd dances and he really likes it. I took two videos. One has the Veggie Tales singing in the background. It is the better video, but it is so long it won't upload. The other he said "Hey watch this. I can dance like the Veggie Tales and I got it on video. Enjoy!

Cooper and Buford, fast friends

He loves his pizza!

I guess he was too busy to smile for the camera.

What can I say, the boy's got moves!

Amazing Progress

2009-07-14T20:30:00.003-05:00

On Thursday afternoon when I picked Cooper up he was in a swimmer diaper. I told Allison when I picked her up and she asked Cooper if he went to the potty. He replied, "Yes, Ms. Neesha took me." Because Ms. Neesha is not his teacher, we didn't really believe him. On Friday we took Cooper to day-care in diapers. We asked Ms. Neesha about his diaper from the day before and she told us that she had, in fact, taken him several times and that he didn't pee in a diaper from about 10:30 through the rest of the day. Well, when I picked him up on Friday I asked his teacher if he went to the potty during the day. She shook her head no and gave this face like, "Are you kidding me?"

When he and I got up Saturday morning I decided to try him in a underwear. After about 30 minutes he ran into the kitchen where I was and said "I pee peed in the floor." I was a little discouraged, but notice that it was a very small amount. I took him in the bathroom and asked him to try and get the rest of the pee pees out. After about 15 seconds he squealed with delight as he pee peed in his little potty. So, of course, we handed out jelly beans, put on clean underwear, and started hoping for the best. After about 20 minutes, he said "I have to pee pee." He ran into the bathroom and did it all by himself. We were so excited. For the rest of the day, with the exception of a trip to Target and the grocery store, he went in the bathroom without any accidents. He did very well Sunday, and hasn't had any pee pee accidents at school yet either. We couldn't be more proud of the progress he has made. He definitely decided on his own, and most of the time now he doesn't even want me or Allison to come in the bathroom while he is in there. He is getting to be such a big boy.

Welcome Back to Omaha

2009-06-14T16:18:00.004-05:00

I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid I probably watched pro baseball games at least 5 days a week. I didn't generally watch complete games, but I was always watching. As I have gotten older I watch more football than baseball, but there is one event that I always try to watch as much as I can--The College World Series. I am always amazed at how good the players are. Similar to college football, there is almost always lots of excitement in college baseball. Maybe it's my connection to baseball in general, maybe it's the sound of the bat, or maybe it's a combination of everything that goes into each game, but I love it each June when the eight teams converge onto Rosenblatt Stadium.

What Do They Do the Rest of the Summer?

2009-06-13T23:29:00.005-05:00

Today Allison, Cooper, and I went to watch our niece, Natalie, play baseball. Earlier in the week Allison told me that we needed to go this week because it was her last regular season game. One June 13?!? When I played as a kid, we were only half way through the regular season at the beginning of June. Playing baseball was a major part of my summer. As a kid we didn't take vacations because there was a chance that we would have to go out of town for a baseball tournament--in August. Also, they only played 10 games. Now I think that playing 50 or 60 games in one summer is excessive, but 10? I just wonder why there are so few games and why they are finished before the end of June. I would have driven my mom crazy if 2 weeks after school let out for the summer baseball was over. Natalie's league isn't the only one that is this way. I have heard/read other people whose children are finished with baseball already too. Granted, she is not playing on an elite travel team, but neither did I. Does anyone know why many leagues are finished before the end of June and why the only play 10 games? Just curious.

Running for a Great Ministry

2009-05-28T21:02:00.010-05:00

On Saturday Allison, Cooper, and I will participate in our 3rd Run 4 Kids, benefiting The Tennessee Baptist Children's Home. This is an event that we look forward to each year, and a ministry that we are big supporters of. The home houses kids that, for various reasons beyond their control, have been removed from their own home. Just like many other not-for-profits, the Children's Home is having a tough year. Because of the economy, donations are down and that makes fundraisers such as this that more important. If you are interested in running or walking in a 5k, please come out and join us. There is a 5k, and 1 mile race for kids ages 4 to 9, and a 100 yard dash for kids under 4. There will also be food, a live band, and other activities the whole family can enjoy. You can sign up on-line here until 11:59 p.m. CST tonight or you can show up and register on race day starting at 6:30 a.m. If you aren't able to make it to the race, but you would like to donate to this ministry, you can do that here.

Please Pray

2009-05-27T19:36:00.004-05:00

Please pray for our friends Anna, Jason, and Ian Miller. They found out today that Ian has a brain tumor. The doctors will do an MRI on him in the morning at 8:00 am and he is to have surgery at 8:30 am on Friday. Ian is 17 months old. You can follow his dad on Twitter here and may be able to get updates and know specifically what to pray for. For now, please pray for healing, wisdom for the doctors, and peace & strength for Jason and Anna.

The Principle of the Path - A Book Review

2009-05-25T14:46:00.012-05:00

The quotes “Direction—not intention—determines our destination” and “We don’t drift in good directions. We discipline and prioritize ourselves there” are a short summary of Andy Stanley’s book, The Principle of the Path. In my opinion, Andy Stanley is trying to get his readers to realize that it does not matter what we want to happen unless we intentionally attempt to make it happen. We may have the best of intentions, but if we don’t act on those intentions we may never fulfill them.

This was a great book. This is the first book of his that I have read, but I will definitely pay attention as he writes more. This book was very inspiring. It made me consider whether or not I am acting on the things that I feel God is calling me to do or simply hoping those things will happen. I especially liked the way he backed up what he was trying to teach with Biblical stories and/or principles along the way. This book was a quick and easy read. I definitely recommend this book, whether you are seeking a path or not and you can get it here.