Fall Already

Gosh, Has it been that long since my last posting? I don't even have time to add a picture with this as I normally would. It is getting cold outside. I even had to start a fire. Michelle and the girls have been out of town this weekend and so Bradley and I have had some good quality Father/Son time. It has really been great. With it being Sunday though, I have only one problem. Michelle and the girls are coming home this evening and I have some picking up and cleaning to do. Like the dishes and take out the trash. I still need to take Bradley to the "play Place" at the mall though. He really loves that and it is warmer there than outside. It is just the wind here I guess. Well, God bless you all and will blog again later.

Back Again

Hey Everyone,
Sorry that it has been so long since I have posted anything. I guess I have been busy. Doing what I can't remember though. I am back to Dayton for training again. This time though, I am only here for a few more days. I have been busy at work too though. I hope everyone is doing fine and has had a wonderful Summer. It is pretty much Fall now though. Keep me posted and I will try and do the same with more pictures and stuff. God Bless you all.

You can't tell me they ain't Beatiful

Here is Allison and Lexi. They sure are growing up fast. Lexi is the strong one who acts like nothing bothers her. These girls can't seem to be apart from each other but they love to fight. I guess it's a sibling thing. Lexi is going into the 3rd grade now and Allison is startng the big K. Looks like shcool will be starting soon and Michelle and Bradley will rule during the day. Bradley sure does love his Sisters. He can't seem to be apart from them. All in all, We make a great family. We need to get a family picture made.

That's My Boy

I have to admit that this guy is so Awesome. For those of you who do not know me, I am a family man. I love my wife and kids. I have two daughters, age 8 and 5 and then Bradley who is 2. I grew up in Bay, Arkansas and went to school there until I graduated. I went into the Navy for 7 years and then moved back home when I got out. Long story short, I moved to Russellville Arkansas and lived there for a while before just moving back home again. I now live back on the "farm". I grew up with wonderful parents who taught me well. Grandparents who lived down the road who I have very fond memories of. I grew up in Church and still go to Church. Not as often as I wish though due to work at times. Now it's my and my wife's turn. Time to bring up our children. Take them to Church and teach them as we were. I saw Ryan Vaughan's blog where he was reading a book with his son. Spending time with your family like that is awesome. That is a family man right there.
I haven't really messed with Blogs much but mine. I have read a few others here and there but since the other day, I have run across some interesting blogs and some nice folks out there. Some just so happens to be in my home town. I grew up in this small town where we all new each other. I moved back in the house I grew up with out in the country. I wouldn't change a thing. I look at my wife and Children and thank the Lord and wouldn't change a thing.

Home Stretch

I am almost done with the training for now. I am stuck here at the hotel for the last weekend for this trip. But then I get reminded that I will be coming back here again for more Training in the fall. You know, after 3 weeks of being gone, I sure miss my family. I look around and wonder how these other folks handle it. They seem to handle it well but again, we don't always display our emotions and feelings openly. I am really looking forward to this next week being over just so that I can run home again and get all of that loving from the kids. There is just nothing like it. That unconditional love that you get from your own kids. Michelle has told me that the last time I was gone, that my youngest daughter, Allison, was getting physically sick because I was gone and she was missing me terribly. She got over it real quick when I got home too. She just wanted to sit in my lap the whole time and when I got home, I would catch her just starring at me. Like she couldn't believe that I was finally home. (hold on a minute while I wipe the tears from my eyes.) It's like Diane said before though, it will all be worth it in the long run. I am starting to look forward to the end of the long run. I thank the Good Lord everyday for what he has done for me and my family. I am truly blessed. I have a wonderful wife and beautiful kids. There are things that we go through in our lives that we wonder why but as long as we put our trust in the Lord and let him guide us in our everyday lives, then we don't have to worry about it. We just need to worry about it if WE are the ones that made the decisions and not letting God help direct us. It reminds me of a time when I was younger though. I went through Church split. It was sad. I was too young to really know what was going on though but I do remember. I got older and was going to a small country Church a few years ago. There was another Church split. I was so deeply hurt spiritually. I was devastated. I just couldn't believe that Christian people would tell lies like that. (Another story and might not even tell you about it) But God still brought me through it and I look back and see where God picked me up out of all of that and gently set me on a pedestal. God is so Good. Thank you Lord for watching over us. Thank you Lord for reminding us of the important things in life. Not the "stuff" but the Love and caring of each other because we are all part of the same family and we should all care for each other no matter what. God Bless you all.

What are you talking about?

Have I ever told you how your Mother and I met? Since Sunday is your Mother's Birthday, I thought that it would be a perfect opportunity. Especially since she is getting on with her age and all. I won't tell you my age though I am 8 years older. It all started years after I first met her. I knew she was a wonderful person. She was beautiful. I knew she was the one for me. The perfect one, just as she is today. We started dating. Actually some mutual friends of ours tried to get us together by asking us separately to go to the bar. She called me and asked if I was going. I said that I wasn't because I don't do bars anymore. She said she didn't either. So I asked if she would come over to my place and I would cook dinner. (Son, if you ever ask a woman over so you can cook dinner, don't cook hamburger helper). I remember when we started getting serious. She got nervous. Me too. But I knew that if I didn't take my stand, that I could loose her. I did however have to let her go so she could come back to me. Even though it was just for a day. I was miserable waiting for her. I found out that she was miserable too. I think that my famous statement to her was something like "I will let you go. But by doing so, I am taking a chance of loosing you. ( I didn't want to do that) But by doing this, you are also taking a chance of loosing me. If you come back, I might not be here." Well, thank goodness she came back because I was climbing the walls waiting. When I asked her to marry me, I did so in front of her family. I got her approval first though. Ha. When I did ask her to marry me, it took her a while to answer. She was nervous and wasn't sure if she was ready for a commitment. I knew I was ready. I can't describe how much I Love your mother. When I look at her, I am so glad that she is my wife. That she is the one that I will grow old with. I look at my children and see her. I see how beautiful my children are and know that is how my relationship is with her.

Michelle, Happy Birthday Sweetheart. I Love you.

Blogging vs. Diary

You know, someone said the other day that blogging is just a diary of someone's life. News is not blogging. But did you ever think that news turns into being a diary of what is going on in the world?
Enough of that. Now let's move on. I just noticed that I have been doing this blog now since June of last year. I have only done this once or twice a month though. Sometimes I wonder if anyone even reads this anyway. You know there is a place to where you can make comments on each posting.
Here I am in Dayton again. Away from my home and family. I really do not like this. I have to do this 3 week trip and be home first part of August just to turn around and do it again in October.

tomorrow is my Wife's Birthday


Happy Birthday. I sure wish I was at home with her.

Summer Fun

July 4th Weekend and we are all having fun this summer. It has already been a hot one. We are all doing fine. The picture above is of Michelle. We were at her sisters with the kids swimming in the back yard. We still have the pigs and chickens. We don't have eggs yet though but should start having them by the end of August or First of September. I am enjoying my job. I have a company van now and get to work on Computers and stuff. Well, I gotta go for now but will try (TRY) to keep up to date on everything. 

And you thought that Microsoft would take over?

Well, since I have been out of town on bushiness I have had some time to just search the internet. For what? I didn't know, but just had time to browse a little. You hear about all kinds of things on the news and internet. I read the USA Today article about the gathering of phone calls and all of the big stink about that. I think to myself, "what's the big deal, it doesn't concern me because I have nothing to hide from the government." thank it hits me. That is what they all want you to think. What's the big deal? Then years down the road, you hear yourself talking about remembering some of the freedoms you used to have before the government took them away. I have always heard about " Big Brother" and just chuckled but my mind was still thinking about the concept. I remember when you first could go to google search and type your phone number and it would give your address and even a picture of your home based on satellite. So is Google "Big Brother"? Who knows. They own Picasa, which I found really nifty. They own blogger on which I publish here. Click on the link above. Watch the flash movie. Think for yourself. Do not let me or anyone else make decisions for you. But please stand up for yourself. "The things that make you go, hmmm."

Baby Pigs

Well, we have babies. Baby pigs. Born on May 9. It was just a shame that I missed being there when they were born though. It has been a while since my last post but I have a new job now and will get my first paycheck from there tomorrow. I am so excited. I have been working for NCR now for going on two weeks. My second week of employment, they sent me off to training for 3 weeks. After the 3 weeks of training, I get to work in the "field" for 7 weeks and then back to Dayton, OH again for 3 more weeks of training. I will be glad when the training is over so that I can be home every night. I have been here now for 3 days and am ready to come home to my wife and kids. I sure do miss Michelle. What a Woman. Taking care of our 3 kids. Not to mention helping out with raising the rabbits and pigs and chickens. I think she got more than she bargained for. Gosh!! What a blessing she is to me though. See what happens when you trust in the Lord. He provides your every need. I am sure Joe Ed has his hands full now that I am gone for a few weeks. All of the feedings for the animals 2 times a day. I think he will be glad when I get home. I Will be glad when I get home!!

Forgot to mention

Did I forget to Mention that we now have a Farm Truck? Ain't she a beauty?

Who would have thought

Who would have thought? First I have a great job ( in my opinion) with good pay and benifits. We have a big house that I thought I would have never been able to afford but we did. Then the company goes out of bussiness, we sell the house ( and yes it did sell), Unemployed and moving to the farm into the house I grew up in and my parents and Brother and his wife living just up the road. Then to top it off, my brother and I go into bussiness together growing pigs. We now have about 32 pigs and 16 chickens along with 2 rabbits (with more to come later I am sure). I had two job offers, I worked for one of them but decided to hold out and work for this other company with better benifits. Above is the latest picture of the Chicks that we first got. I will post the other pictures on my web site. Who would have thought that our lives would be turned upside down with all of the changes and still come back standing.

Bradley likes his Truck

 

Spring Fever

Well, it's Monday. I am anxiously awaiting my wife's return with Bradley. Lexi is on Spring Break this week and Michelle took the kids to her Parent's and Sister's. The girls will stay the rest of the week but Bradley will come home with Michelle. I don't know if it's just that he could not stand to be away from home that long or that we couldn't stand for him to be gone that long. So, I have been here on the farm for the past 3 nights working with the pigs. They are all doing well though. I am proud of our new addition of the 4 Hampshire though. We picked those up Saturday. We desperately need to finish the other pen though and then get the chicken house built. The chicks are supposed to be ready on the 11th of April. As far as the house goes, It is still not sold yet. We have gone through 2 offers on the house and they fell through. We have another offer that we have accepted and I think this one will work. We are supposed to close on the house if all goes well no later than the 17th of April. They say they expect to close sooner though. The house inspection is scheduled for today. If it goes well with that, then we should coast through on the rest farely quickly. I am sure going to miss that house. I will put a picture with this of the house when we bought it. I know we didn't stay but two years there but I guess because it was the first house we bought.

New addition to our pigs

AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!

I keep having to reflect back on my purpose. I have to keep looking at my wife and kids to stay focused sometimes. I am still unemployed and have been now since the end of September of last year. AAAHHH!!! I hate this. My benefits are about to run out now too. I have sent out numerous resumes now and nothing. I went to a job fair for a retail store and filled out the application today and took a test that was like a personality test. I have taken many of those before and have even administered some too because of my management experience. I had the interview with the store manager. After the interview, the store manager told me that I had a tremendous experience and an excellent resume but she could not hire me because I didn't pass the test. She said she didn't know what part I failed but that she had interviewed some that went really well and would have hired them on the spot but they didn't pass the test either. She apologized and stated that she wanted to hold onto my application and resume in case there was a glitch in the system. How disappointing. Well, to top it all off, I get home and it had been storming and I see the kids trampaline laying halfway in the field all destroyed. What a great day.

Just let the Son Shine Through

The Son always Shines through. Yes, I said Son and Not sun. God's Son. We have moved, our house has sold and we will close on it by the end of next week or first part of the week after. God has always met our needs and provided for us. We are living comfortably down the road from my Mother and Father. There is such a piece when you follow the path that the Lord has laid before you. But this is just the beginning. As one person told us as we were moving, she could not wait to hear from us again to see what the Lord is doing in our lives and how well blessed we are. I am still jobless but The Lord has his own timing. He knows I am ready but as my Wife put it, He knew that she needed me here to help unpack and get some things situated. Lexi is doing so much better in school now. It was such a change for her but she is pulling through with flying colors now. Allison is now being home schooled until kindergarten. Bradley is doing just fine and is growing fast. I can't wait to tell everyone when I start the Job the Lord has for me. To be honest, I can't wait to start it either. We haven't found a Church yet but the only way to do that is to visit around. We have only been here for about 3 to 4 weeks so it is a bit early. We just have to let the Lord lead us where he wants us. Michelle knows that there is a specific place for us where God is leading us to. How Exciting!! All of it is just Exciting how things fall into place. It only happens that way when you give God control. I will keep everyone posted. God Bless!!