This Was A First

Has there ever been anything you really wished you had taken a picture of only to think a little longer and realize no, it was for the best you didn't? Yesterday I tried and tried to talk my mom into going with me to get a pedicure. I like to go for the pedicure itself, but I really, really love the chairs. The vibration is cool, but that roll thing is awesome.

I called the parental cell phone on the way home from work to see if she wanted to go. Still a no, but my dad said he would go. His feet have been bothering him since he has been on chemo so I thought this was awesome.

It was so fun being there watching him enjoy it, but being a little self conscious. Those ladies pampered him the whole time and told him to bring his friends when he comes again. One even told him now that he had done it once, he should come back in every time he visits me. He would just laugh and say one time in 75 years would probably hold him the next 75 years.

It would be a great scrapbook page, but I guess he deserves his perception of dignity. Thanks for going with me, Daddy.

Yet Another Book

I've been on a roll. Ok, well, I haven't really read all of this one, yet, but I did attend a conference by the author. Incredible. I think it was one of the wisest, most insightful conferences I have ever attended. I also think it will forever change how I parent.

The book is Age of Opportunity. The author, Paul Tripp. You should read anything of his you ever have the chance to read. You should also go hear him speak if you ever have the opportunity, pardon the pun.

The quick gist is that your role as a parent is to shepherd your child's heart. (Yes, there is a book by that name, but I really didn't get it when I read the book - not totally.) You should take every opportunity to show your child the depth of his sin so that he will see his need for the grace of Jesus Christ. But the way you do it is simply amazing.

Just as Christ taught....without lectures and judgement.....you do it with love, pictures, stories. You don't bark orders and commands, but you engage your child's heart. So common sense. So amazing. I'm so thankful I heard this in a way that I could understand it before they were grown.

Have an amazing week resting in His grace.

Frazier Cycling Awards

Tonight was the Awards Dinner for Frazier Cycling for 2009 and it was a big night for James. I haven't been able to get him to smile for a picture in years, but did we get to see those pearly whites big-time.

Coach Ralph tracks more stats than you can imagine. He has posterboards covering all the walls with every record you could ever think of - coldest ride, longest ride, etc., etc. (He even gives crash points that count toward some awards.)

The first award was for the most miles ridden with the club for junior boys. He came in second with about 3, 200 miles. That doesn't count the miles ridden in races, warming up for races or at home on the trainer. Wears me out just thinking about it. (Just a slight smile for that one - he knew it was coming.)

The next one was for the most 50s ridden. (Yes, that is 50-mile rides.) For the 10-12 year-old-guys, he had the most rides with 18 ridden last year. (And, let me tell you some of those morning at daybreak, it was very, very cold and sometimes wet.) He deserved an award for that one. A little bit bigger smile.

One of the coveted awards is the age-group record. He got the 9-year-old record last year and really wanted to get the 10-year-old record this year. (He also wanted the 11-year-old record - Brody won it with 23 miles per hour. James had a 22.9 mile per hour ride. He'll get one more chance before he turns 12.) He did get the 10-year-old record....an even bigger smile. (And, a real trophy this time.)

The big wrap up is for Partner of the Year. There is one for the boys and one for the girls for both the senior Juniors and the junior Juniors. (Gets confusing, doesn't it?) The Partner of the Year is calculated using a point system that only Coach Ralph could think up. There are points for miles ridden, rides attended, speed, crash points and I don't know what all else. It is the most coveted award. This year's winner for the junior Juniors? James Todd. A huge smile and a mom who was glad that at least she had her pocket camera with her.

Happy riding!

Another Book

Ok, I am on a string of good books that I just think everyone should read. Everyone may be a stretch since this one really is for people with kids - any age kids.

This one is Ready for Responsibility How to Equip Your Children for Work and Marriage by Dr. Bob Barnes. Dr. Barnes talks about how we make sure our kids learn school stuff and sports stuff, but we don't focus on what they need to know to be independent, responsible, functioning kids. I highly recommend it - it covers everything from raising an employable child, teaching them how to make decisions, raising a marriageable child, handling money, etc.

I have to go back through and make a long "to do" list of suggestions in it, but I think it will make me a better parent.

Whew! This Year is Flying By!

I can't believe it's already the 10th. This year is flying by....2011 is just around the corner. Well, not really, but I do feel that way a bit.

Last week was a bit of a blur. Work started back and we were super busy. I guess that's good - it was busy doing kind of normal things and not just holding a thumb in the dike. Compounded with that busyness was sheer exhaustion from watching ballgames every night. All the teams that we even sort of follow played last week.

We started with Georgia Tech, which didn't turn out so well. Then, we turned to Troy University. My dad played there and my parents live about two blocks from the campus. The boys especially like to watch them. After double overtime (and long after I fell asleep), they lost. What a bummer. It was all riding on our last game...THE game.

Now, I had been waiting for this game for a long time as all good Alabama fans had. Two years ago, we purchased a large LCD TV that is on the wall above our fireplace. It's a beauty, especially for people who really don't watch a lot of TV. Ever since we bought it, I have been secretly waiting for an Alabama championship game so I could watch Alabama win and see the very blades of grass they were playing on.

Well, of course, I believe I was putting a little too much focus on that because a couple of nights before the game, it started acting up. Now, I'm not blaming God for intervening in my game-watching, but He certainly did allow it to happen. James was having a few friends over to watch so we all ended up in the guest bedroom on the bed, on the floor in chairs around the bed. An hysterical sight to be sure. (And, just to show you how into the game I was, I didn't get a single picture - not one.)

In the end, it was all ok. For those of you who don't know - don't tell me who you are - the Tide won. Keith, James and I stayed up until 2am watching every word of every interview. Did you know ESPN replayed the game at 2 am? (We didn't watch it again - it was just too exhausting.)

Back to the TV, I am wondering if He did have just a little to do with it....it seems to be working fine now.

Welcome 2010!

We're off to an auspicious start. Yesterday I kept smelling a very distinct smell. It was the smell at our house right after the tornado. It's a sweet smell - I think from wet wood. It's hard to explain and I have never smelled it after those first few days after our house was soaked inside and out.

So, yesterday I smelled it when I was in the dining room, but only thought about in passing a couple of times. Then, this morning I was in the kitchen and I heard a plop, plop, plop coming from the powder room. (For the guys in my family, that's a fancy name for the half bath.) There is nothing in the powder room that should be going plop, plop, plop. Of course, I go check on it. There is water on the floor around the potty. The potty leaked in there once before so it wasn't a total shock and there wasn't tons of water on the floor. I ran upstairs to get towels and tell Keith. We start getting it cleaned up and he decided he needed to go to the basement. I guess I wasn't home last time because I don't really remember the basement flooding before.

Ok, you know where this is going. You cannot imagine how much water can come from a toilet that is overflowing. One of my sons immediately fessed up that he noticed it was running yesterday, but thought it stopped. The thing had been overflowing since sometime yesterday afternoon. I'm guessing about 20 hours of water running.

Fortunately, the basement isn't finished yet and I do thank God for plastic bins. (FYI, never use storage bins with the split tops. They just hold water - those may go out with the damaged stuff.) Most of my Christmas decorations are in the good plastic bins and the preliminary assessment is that nothing priceless got wet.

Welcome 2010. I hope the rest of you is better that the beginning.