Bonchu Family Weblog

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2008-11-20T23:43:00.001-05:00

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Jamie and her Vacation

2007-08-09T10:06:00.001-04:00

Well, Jamie left out on her (mostly) annual pilgrimage to the motherland known as New England. She will be starting in Boston, where she will be staying with her friend Kim much of the weekend. Saturday is the big day, when she goes to her Grandfather's surprise 80th birthday party in Connecticut. She will be returning very early on Monday morning.

Of course, in true Jamie fashion she was up all night packing and shopping for food and supplies for her trip and for us at home (She took the two little ones, leaving the older girls with me). She actually left the house about 6:30, to catch a 7:00 AM train! She pulled in honking her horn and getting attention, as the train was already there! The station manager said she had seven minutes to get on the train, and helped her get her bags and kids on the train. She did manage to get one of the seats at the end of the car, where she can lay the baby down in the car seat and spread out her stuff. I'll keep y'all posted as to her arrivals and departures continue.

Testing Remote Controls

2007-07-20T22:34:00.001-04:00

Wow, even if you don't need to use this little trick to actually test your remote controls, it's still a pretty cool way to impress kids or your dumb friends (oops, did that come out right? Oh wait, yeah it did!").

How to Use Your Digital Camera to Test Remotes!

In God We Trust!!

2007-07-16T21:14:00.001-04:00

In God We Trust Movie

Please watch this little movie and consider what it means for our
nation. If you are Jewish or Christian, it should be inspiring to read
these words of our forefathers in light of what is going on in our
country today. I wonder how many of our Congressional Leaders and
Judges have seen this, I daresay not many. If you are not Jewish or
Christian and think there is no place for God in our government, you
NEED to see this movie and learn what our forefathers knew that you
obviously don't. God

Bless!

R.I.P. Recorded Music

2007-07-13T10:30:00.001-04:00

This is a great story about the rock music artist Prince releasing his new album, "Planet Earth" for free in  a British newspaper this weekend. The recording industry, and especially his own label, are furious, as they are being robbed of their chance to debut the album in retail stores.

While I understand the recording and retail industries' outrage over losing the opportunity to cash in on these sales (especially since this could be a blockbuster album, as it has new songs and old hits from a very popular artist) I still fail to understand their surprise. The world of Media distribution has been going through significant changes for more than ten years now. And the changes are not some sophisticated system that people can't understand, it is simple economics and sales practices that retailers put into place in the first place. While Prince is using the model of "covermounts," putting a CD or DVD in a newspaper or magazine, I'm going to use examples from the more popular model of online distribution.

The first (and perhaps most important) principle is price. When Napster debuted in 1999, the online service allowed people to acquire the same music, at the same or better quality sound level, that they could buy at a store for FREE.  One of the most widely used tools in the Retailer's and Marketer's toolboxes is free stuff. "Buy one, get one free," "free with purchase," "free with a test drive," "free just for stopping in." We have all heard these slogans. The catch is that the free stuff is usually either crap or surplus stock, and everybody knows it. But when you condition the consumer to covet this concept, you shouldn't be surprised when they jump at the chance to acquire something for free that they actually want.

If "free" is our economic concept, then our important sales concepts are "availability" and "impulse." With Napster, (and similar services that still operate) people could "shop" for digital music in the comfort of their jammies in their own home. No weather, no traffic, no rude salespeople. Just put in a search term, find what you want, and download it. Simple, fast, easy.

Now most people would probably not think about impulse in relation to getting something that is free, but I bring it up for two reasons. First, many people have an impulse to accept something that is freely handed out, such as a handbill on the street or a sample at the mall. So when we see free our reaction is to automatically go for the deal. The second reason I bring it up is because the ease and accessibility of Napster and other services did not give a lot of people time to consider the moral applications of their actions, getting hooked on the service before they ever really considered what they were doing. By the time people started labeling the service as piracy (which it was) people were already hooked.

Now of course Napster was sued, deemed an illegal distribution method, and was forced to go legit in order to stay active (basically ending it's life, as far as I am concerned). The problem is the industry didn't learn from this valuable lesson.They could have taken the opportunity to launch their own site, making songs available for a reasonable fee and sending out the CD's as a backup. The retail stores could have brought in coffee, couches and listening stations, gotten rid of the aisles of merchandise, and emailed the people their music once it was purchased.

Instead they buried their heads in the sand and stuck with the status quo. Now companies like Apple and Wal-Mart sell songs legally for $.99 or the whole album for $10.00. I don't if this hurts the record labels' profits but it obviously does the retailers, as people are getting the same music at home for $10.00 that they would pay $15-25 in the store.

If that is not bad enough for these industries, independent artists are now starting to sell and distribute their music on their own websites and online services. So far these musicians are small, independent artists who aren't even on the Billboard Chart's radar. But I believe there will come a day, probably in the next 5-10 years, when one of these artists will sell enough music to make the charts, which will spell the beginning of the end of the labels and the music retailers. Now don't misunderstand, these people still need promoters to get their music in the public eye. But they will not need labels and retailers to do it. Online promoters, marketing companies, and web designers will do the job instead.

In summary, IF the recording industry does not change their practices, and IF it is not too late they will cease to exist as a viable business venture. The only people dumb enough to pay the extra money for a CD will be the recording industry execs. who make them. I hope they get an employee discount, although I'm doubtful they would have the presence of mind to actually use it.

Story - Free Prince CD Enrages Music Industry - AOL News

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows

2007-07-07T23:11:00.001-04:00

If you are a Harry Potter fan (and really, who isn't? You know you are). Check out this site for The Blue Heron Bookstore in Peninsula, Ohio. Friday and Saturday July 20th and 21st (when the final book in the series comes out) they are having an all out Harry Potter Festival complete with Hogwart's Express ride, start of term ball, feast in the Great Hall, and a trip through Hogsmeade Village (they are turning part of Peninsula village into the village from the books!). I don't mean to advertise for them, I just think it is a great way to celebrate such a wonderful series of literature. Check it out!

Welcome to The Blue Heron Bookstore

Procrastination and Accomplishing Your Goals

2007-07-07T22:59:00.001-04:00

I don't know about you, but I have a lot of trouble with procrastination and getting things done on time or right away.So, ;here is a page from my favorite blog on how to keep from procrastinating and how to tackle big tasks by breaking them down into little bits. Even if you are good at getting things done, there is probably a good tip here for you, too.

Procrastination - Lifehacker

Let's go Drivin'!

2007-07-06T20:13:00.001-04:00

I know kids in the rural south often learn to drive tractors before they are old enough to drive, and professional racing had drivers as young as 13, but this is a bit ridiculous. I guess Cindy Lauper was right. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun! Maybe I should start teaching Wayde how to hold a beer bottle between her legs while steering?

Story - Girl, 11, Charged With DUI After Chase - AOL News

Michael Vick and Dog Fighting?

2007-07-06T16:53:00.001-04:00

Wow, if this story is true, it is truly a sad state of affairs for one of America's most popular athletes. I agree that we should not hold these people to high up, as they are just people. But on the other hand they are a representation of their team and sport and should be held accountable as such.

IF Michael Vick is involved in dog fighting, I would expect the league to use stern punishment, as well as the justice system. Such a cruel act to be perpetrated on another creature is simply egregious, and should not be tolerated in our society. If anybody sees more on this, please let me know.

NFL - Investigation Dogs One of NFL's Big Stars - AOL Sports

Hot Fuel

2007-07-05T13:09:00.001-04:00

 I just found this article about gasoline, and how it expands in warm weather, which means you get less of it when you pump on a hot day. The story is not very happy, for this chemical process costs all of us precious dollars out of our budget. But my feeling of frustration is tinged with giggles when I read the Petroleum Industry marketing executives comment about consumers gaining fuel in the winter:

"It's our view, generally speaking, that most Americans are made whole
in the course of a year," Gilligan says. "They lose BTUs in the summer,
but gain them back in the winter."

Come on pal, don't build me a snowman and tell me I'm in Hawaii, it's not going to fly. If you don't want to install the fuel coolers just tell us (which they did). But don't try to tell me we get that energy back. Think about it.

Drinking Water

2007-07-04T10:48:00.001-04:00

I've heard a lot said about drinking water. That's it's healthy for us, that we should drink lots of it, etc. But there have always been plenty of questions like how much should we drink? What reasons (other than thirst) are compelling enough to make us put down our pop or beer (I'm still not sure there is a good reason to put down our beer).

Well, this article gives some great reasons to drink water and how to form the water drinking habit. I'm thinking of trying this for a week to see how it makes me feel. I let you know later what I find.

[Jott from Russell Bonchu] This blog entry is being written with a service called Jott.com, which let's you...

2007-07-04T00:58:00.001-04:00

Jott From Russell Bonchu

This blog entry is being written with a service called Jott.com, which let's you call the service from your cell phone and it will send an E-mail to someone or a reminder message to yourself and it is currently free. Seems like a real time saver, especially for people who don't have e-mail or web access from their cell phone.

Set reminders, assign, and manage this jott on Jott.com

Brought to you by Jott Networks, Inc.

[Jott from Russell Bonchu] Hey, this is test of a new service called Jott, which is at jott.com and it lets...

2007-07-04T00:56:00.000-04:00

Jott From Russell Bonchu

Hey, this is test of a new service called Jott, which is at jott.com and it lets you call from your cell phone to send e-mail or personal reminder messages and send them to groups or people. All I wanted is check this out looks like it could be really handy.

Set reminders, assign, and manage this jott on Jott.com

Brought to you by Jott Networks, Inc.

Left Lane Drivers of America

2007-06-29T21:01:00.001-04:00

I saw a news story about this site, and just had to check it out for myself: Left Lane Drivers of America is a group that is advocating using the left lane of the highway only as a passing and high speed lane, and asks those who are going slower than the traffic behind them to move over to the right so that the cars moving faster than them can safely pass. I believe this is actually the law here in Ohio, but in a lot of places people tend to just get into this lane and hold up traffic by going whatever speed they want and forcing faster drivers to pass them on the right or stay behind them and block traffic.

In order to combat this problem, Left Lane Drivers have created this car windshield decal:

As you can see, the decal is not unlike the kind on the windshield of an ambulance, with the word written backwards so that when a person looks in their rear view mirror the word appears in the right direction. I sent this to my Dad, and anyone that knows him knows that he would appreciate this. Let me know what you think.

Our New Edition, Anca

2007-06-28T12:41:00.000-04:00

Well, It's been almost 2 months and I haven't recounted on here the birth of our beautiful new baby, Anca Joy. I've been thinking about doing this for sometime but have just let myself get busy and been doing other things.

Anywho, Jamie had been experiencing contractions for several weeks but they were all pre-labor, as they had obviously not produced a baby and Jamie was able to lay down for a nap or sleep and they would go away. She told me that you know the contractions are real when they wake you up and you can't sleep through them.

At about 4:00 AM on May first things started to change. Jamie was awakened by much stronger contractions than she had before. She woke me around 5:30 so I could call my boss and call off for the day. We had already set up the birthing pool in the kitchen but still had some things to get ready. At some point during the morning I think I took a nap, and when I awoke our friends Berta and Dana were there to help Jamie with whatever she needed. Dana brought a ton of food for us, so we wouldn't have t really have to cook over the next few days. She and Berta also did some house cleaning while they waited for things to "progress."

Our Midwife came in the late morning to check on Jamie. After examining her she said she was progressing slightly but was not yet ready. So she left, promising to come back later and check on her.

Fast forward to about 4:00 PM. Jamie was walking around the backyard with her friends, trying to deal with the contractions. I new they were getting serious when one of her friends called and Jamie waved me off when I brought her the phone! I couldn't believe it! Jamie, not taking a friend's call? This could only mean one thing: she was going through TRANSITION!!!!

Jamie finally got in the birthing tub about 7:00 PM. We had been filling it up the last couple of hours using the hot water line from the washer (Jamie's idea, and a pretty good one). The funny thing is when our midwives walked in a few minutes later they looked at my expression and privately thought to themselves that Jamie wasn't far enough along to deliver, because I was to calm. The reality is that I was calm because I had such great help from our friends. Berta and Dana had been putting cold compresses on Jamie's forehead and hot ones on her lower back and we were all singing praise and worship songs to comfort her and invite the Holy Spirit to be with us and help us all out (which He did, in spades).

Anyway, our midwives kind of took over and helped Jamie deliver Anca, which went very smoothly, her little body slipping right out into the water (wow, I almost made the mistake of saying it went pretty easy, which could be detrimental to my health if any women read this blog!). I cut the cord which was a little bit scary but no turned out to be no big deal. After she delivered the Placenta, Jamie got out of the tub and went to the bed, where she held and nursed Anca for the first time. The midwifes cleaned her up and examined Anca and Jamie, who were both doing fine. Anca weighed in at 8lbs. 5oz. and 21 inches. The only concern the midwives ever had was that it was really hard to get her to cry! She just kept making little noises like she was perturbed but she never really seems to get angry! Here are some of the pictures from that first night:

Father's Day, 2007

2007-06-17T18:21:00.000-04:00

I know Father's Day, just like Mother's Day, was invented by the card companies to sell cards and candy. but even something that was invented in the natural, secular world can be used for the Glory of God.

For starters, when I came home on Friday we had a nice time as a family with dinner and relaxation. Nothing fancy, but nobody (especially me) got angry or gave anybody any problems. After dinner Jamie and Berta went out to do a little shopping, while I sat on the porch with a drink and relaxed and called a friend. Peaceful, nice.

Saturday was about as mellow as you could get. The kids left Jamie and I alone to sleep in, watching cartoons and a movie. We finally got up and ate, then relaxed around the house. I even took a nap on the couch while Jamie was nursing the baby.

About 3:30 PM we got up and got dressed to go to church for a barbecue and movie night. There weren't a lot of people there, but the ones that were had a nice time of fellowship, good food, and a very cute movie (Night at the Museum). We had a great time with hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn and pop. It was a beautiful and relaxing night, just fun, and really nothing else.

Sunday was the perfect ending to this great weekend. We got up early so we could go to church for Doughnuts with Dad, which were Krispy Kremes!

We then went into church for a great time of praise and worship of the Lord, the Most Hight God. This is one of my favorite times of the week, as I get the privelage of gathering together with my brothers and sisters in Christ to lift up our praises and thanksgiving to He who paid the ultimate ransom for my soul! Pastor Ron then delivered a great teaching on being a Dad after the heart of God, quoting the many scriptures that teach this. I won't go into them here but I have them available if anyone is interested.

After church we went to the store and left the kids in the drop off center so Jamie and I could shop in peace. We shopped and had a nice talk, and I got to spend some time holding the baby and doting over her, then stopped for a snack before we picked up the kids and came home.

Once home we put the groceries away and watched the new Pink Panther, which was alright (I'm just glad I got it on Netflix rather than paying for it).

Now Jamie is making stuffed shells and bread, which should be a fabulous Dad's Day dinner with the family. It's times like these when you let the rest of the world fall away, and just concentrate on the serving of God and fellowship with your friends and family that you find out just how truly blessed you are. Praise God for this wonderful weekend and time with those I truly love.

S.B. 17-Protecting our state from drunk drivers

2007-04-21T11:46:00.001-04:00

Gentlemen, I am witting to you today to discuss S.B. 17, a bill which toughens the penalties for driving drunk in the state of Ohio. I realize this bill does not yet effect you Mr. Skindell, but once it gets to the House it will.

As I am sure you are aware, drunk driving is rapidly becoming an epidemic in this state. Unfortunately the victims aren't only the perpetrators but also innocent, law abiding citizens, getting maimed and killed in accidents all over the state. While I personally feel that the penalties should be even tougher than this bill, I believe this bill goes a long way to toughening up our laws and protect us from habitual drunk drivers.

I know it is possible for bills to be killed by adding amendments that change or having nothing to do with the original bill, but I can't honestly see anyone wanting to do this. Therefore, I expect nothing but total support for this bill, and will look forward to counting your vote in favor later this year.

Thank you for your time and your service,

Russell Bonchu, III

Lego Church

2007-03-29T19:19:00.001-04:00

This is perhaps the coolest Lego project I have ever seen. Ths pictures pretty much speak for themselves, but I have to say that it is a testament (no pun intended)to this person's ingenuity and imagination to creat a structure like this completely from scratch. Check it out!

Abston Church of Christ

Open Source Software

2007-01-21T23:08:00.000-05:00

In my travels around the Internet, I have discovered a wonderful part of computing that has been brought about by the Internet and is a great part of the ability to share that the Internet provides.It is called Open Source Software. Let me explain how it works.

Software that you buy in a store, or download for pay or as share ware is called Closed Source Software, because the code used to create it is locked up inside the program. It is like the secret formula for a product like Coca-Cola. The person who created the software does not want you to have it, because then you could change the code and therefore change their product.

The other type of software is Open Source Software. This type of software is not created by a for profit corporation, but by a person or group who simply wants to create good software that everyone can use; free of charge, and usually available for all platforms including Windows (old and new), Mac (OS X and sometimes older versions), and every major version of Linux. These products are not share ware, ad-ware, or trial versions. They do not expire, nor do they require a code to unlock their best features. Sometimes the creators of the software do offer opportunities to make donations to continue their work, but these are not required to use the product.

The other aspect of Open Source Software is the availability of the source files. In Open Source Software you can download a complete and compiled version of the program that you can simply install and use, or you can download the uncompiled source files. Now for most of us average users, these files would be completely useless because you cannot install them in their present state. But programmers can use them to make changes to the original program either for their own personal use or to redistribute as their own version of the program. Of course these programmers are not aloud to sell or profit from this software, just like the original people who created it.

The result of this process is great software that almost every computer user can use, and it's free! As someone who is still using a Windows 98 computer, I have greatly extended the use of this computer. Just this week I used the program Gnumeric to create a spreadsheet at home for work, saving precious time when I'm in the office. I could never have run MS Exel on this computer, nor any other major spreadsheet program available on the Closed Source market. I created this post with Abiword, and I now surf the Internet not with Internet Explorer, but with the wonderful browser called Foxfire.Because of the availability of the code most of these programs also have add-on programs you can install into them. So even if you are not a programmer, you can still customize the programs to fit your needs and the way you work.

If you are interested in trying some of these programs, I recommend checking out this post from another blog: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2006/12/01/30. You can also check out the blog download squad for more information and lots of great software.

Knights of St. Andrew

2007-01-20T15:53:00.001-05:00

Hmmm, The Knights of St. Andrew sounds like a really interesting to the Scottish Rite system, making "regular" 32* members feel special. I would join just so I could wear the cool hat, but being in a pipe drum corps would be fun, too.

Christmas Pics 2006, part 2

2006-12-25T12:30:00.000-05:00

Here is a few of the favorite things they got so far. The girls love the toys from the show The Winx Club, which is about teenage fairies. Each girl got a "sky dancer," which has lights and flies up in the air.

The boy got a Superman toy that includes a strap on breastplate, a cape, and a chain that he can rip apart. Pretty cool!

Christmas 2006 Pics

2006-12-25T12:08:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from this morning's present opennings. Don't they look happy?Each one of them got a zip cord racer from the movie "Cars." They are fun to pull the cord and watch go across the floor or carpet. Sully got Mater, which drives backwards!

They also got outfits from their Mammy in NH. The girls were especially happy as they love clothes!

That's all the pictures I can put in one post, so I'll have to put up more in other posts.

Baltimore Ravens beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-7

2006-12-24T18:47:00.000-05:00

Now just to be clear, as a Browns fan I really don't want either of these teams to win. They are both our arch rivals. The Ravens because the previous owner (whose name I don't even mention, it is not worth it) took his players to Baltimore to start a new team (no, they are not the Browns, check the record books, Bernie and Brian are in no way affiliated with that team or their records), and the Steelers because, well, they are the Steelers.

I generally dislike these teams equally. But since the Steelers won the Super Bowl last year it gives them an edge on who I would like to see lose. I enjoy the fact that the Ravens beat the Steelers both times this year, but the fact that this second loss will keep the Steelers out of the playoffs makes it even sweeter.

I would also like to point out that I still believe that Ben Rothelsberger has not recovered and may never fully recover from his motor cycle injuries. I would NEVER wish any player (or person for that matter) harm on any player on or off the field, but I hope this serves as a lesson to guard against arrogance among players and abide by the terms of their contract for the good of the team.

At any rate, all Browns fans can count this as an early Christmas present if they so chose. Merry Christmas!

Article

Prayer Request for Gabriel

2006-12-24T17:47:00.000-05:00

Well somebody prayed! Gabriel has been released and on his way to Jamie's parent's house. Just another glorious example of how good He is!

Prayer Request for Gabriel

2006-12-24T16:40:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Jamie just got off the phone with her older Sister from NYC. They had stopped in Boston for the night on their way to her parents and found that her baby Gabriel was wheezing. They took him to the hospital and he was admitted for Pneumonia. This is the second time he has had it. If they can get him released tonight, they can go on to NH and the rest of the family. If not, her parents will come down to Boston tomorrow. If everyone who checks their email tonight can pray for God's hand to touch this little boy and heal him so they can celebrate Christmas together at the family home, I would appreciate it. Thanks!

Digital Photo tips for Christmas

2006-12-22T18:39:00.001-05:00

Here's a great tutorial for taking pics over the holidays. It's part of a Blog I just found on learning digital photography in general which a lot of people might find very helpful, as the digital photo trend has really taken off.

» 16 Tips Digital Photography Tips for Christmas

YouTube helps Police

2006-12-21T18:52:00.001-05:00

Some people wonder if the internet is a positive, useful tool, good for things other than downloading porn or trolling for victims by pedophiles. I think this proves that it is.

YouTube helps police find murder suspect - Yahoo! News

Cleveland Lodge Party Pics

2006-12-21T17:52:00.000-05:00

Here are some great pictures of the kids at the Lodge Christmas party. We had about 100 people, 1/3 of which were kids and grandkids. After some good food we had a magician and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Clause. He talked to each child and then gave them a very nice present, along with a goody bag with candy, coloring books and other little toys. Apparently we may have missed getting pictures of Wayde with Santa, or maybe they are still on the camera. Merry Christmas!

Google's Hidden Features

2006-12-21T12:31:00.001-05:00

I found this article about some of the amazing things Google can do, most of which we already use other web sites for like package tracking or flight info. I could not get the phone number features to work, but the rest is really cool.

Exploring Google's Hidden Features > Google Is a Calculator

Christmas details often overlooked

2006-12-21T00:01:00.001-05:00

So, obviously I have been blogging quite a bit today. Since I have been off I needed to have something to fill my time. And I have had a number of ideas and things I have wanted to share. So the work has not been for nothing. I thought I would pass along the notes from our Bible study last night on some of the details of the nativity story and why they are so important. We went over a number of implications for both Mary and Joseph's families that I had not even thought of. If some of the notes don't seem to make sense or you want to know more than what is covered here let me know and I will provide you with whatever you need. I also encourage you to check out the various scripture references as they are quite thought provoking. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!

Christmas 12/19/06

Why Mary? Lk 3.21-8 her Dad ln house of David.

Arranged mar. Lk 1.21, also 13-15

people of day saw her as least likely to bear Messiah

Could have been stoned or shunned into prost.

When ded. Jesus, gave poorest sacrifice (2 birds)

Why Joseph?

Strong valued, blue collar

When found out pregnant, tried to do right thing, knew her character

Joe had to acept that Jesus is God's child.

*Joseph gave legal right to be king, Mary gave blood right.*

Jer 22.23-end

Joseph man of social position (carpenter) belief (celebrated passover)

Mk 6.3-siblings

Why stable? 2Cor 8.9-became lowly poor

Why Manger? Peter asked 3x to feed sheep, born Manger which is feeder of sheep.

Star? Birth announcement

Shephard-He is Shephard, sheep big sacrifice, He is lamb of God.

Wisemen-wealthy, diff lands,prob. caravans. Wisemen found after about 2 when found.

Gold gift for king, prob. Used to flee. Frankinsense used to make perfume for temple as sacrifice, myrh used for annointing dead.

PS3 vs. Wii

2006-12-20T23:35:00.001-05:00


Check out this hysterical video about the Playsation 3 vs. the Wii and remember, the Wii is currently out selling the PS3 4 to 1!

Baby on board?

2006-12-20T17:09:00.001-05:00

Oh man! I just hate it when I leave my baby in my checked luggage, rather than taking it out to be inspected!

Eau Du Play Doh?

2006-12-20T16:58:00.001-05:00

Hey last minute shoppers! Want to know what to get that pedophile on your list? Check out the new Play Doh fragrance! That's right. For a limited time Hasbro is selling a 50th play doh birthday cologne that smells just like the famous toy concoction. Now you can smell just like kids and make them think you have them at home. When all you really have is a video camera and GHB!

John Lennon was not a Leftist Subversive

2006-12-20T16:50:00.001-05:00

Wow, so John Lennon wasn't a subversive Leftist after all. I can finally sleep at night. Woo hoo. I understand holding documents for long periods in some cases like Watergate, where protected sources had to be, well, protected. But holding the docs on a dead singer for 25 years? Just because he had an opinion? No wait! It's because it was an ANTI-WAR opinion! That bastard! (I hope everyone can detect the sarcasm in this article. If you can't, here's a clue, which you probably also won't get).

Article

Mormons wanted to baptize Simon Wiesenthal

2006-12-20T15:01:00.001-05:00

I try to be tolerant of other groups and respect their opinions, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with them or like them. That being said, this article points to one of the reasons why I believe that The Church of Latter Day Saints is not true Christianity. Baptizing a Jewish person so they can get into heaven? Folks, what were you thinking?

Article

Pictures of Gracie Lou

2006-12-20T14:20:00.001-05:00

Here are some pics of the newest addition to our family, Gracie Lou! She is a very nice Whippet/Lab mix that we got from the APL. She almost never barks, loves to go for walks and can be quite playful and mischievous when she wants to be (especially after walks). Enjoy!

'Twas the Night Before Jesus

2006-12-20T13:13:00.000-05:00

Here is a new version of the classic poem 'twas the night before Christmas told from the prospective of the Second Coming of Christ:

‘Twas The Night Jesus Returned

'Twas the

night Jesus came and all through the house,

not a person was praying, not

one in the house..

The Bible was left on the shelf without care,

for

no one thought Jesus would come there..

The children were dressing to

crawl into bed,

not once ever kneeling or bowing their head..

And

Mom in the rocking chair with babe on her lap,

was watching the Late Show as

I took a nap..

When out of the east there rose such a clatter,

I

sprang to my feet to see what was the matter..

Away to the window I flew

like a flash,

tore open the shutters and lifted the sash..

When what

to my wondering eyes should appear,

but Angels proclaiming that Jesus was

here..

The light of His face made me cover my head...

was Jesus

returning ! just like He'd said..

And though I possessed worldly wisdom

and wealth,

I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself..

In the Book

of Life which he held in his hand,

was written the name of every saved man..

He spoke not a word as he searched for my name,

when He said "it's

not here" My head hung in shame..

The people whose names had been

written with love,

He gathered to take to his Father above..

With

those who were ready He rose without sound,

while all of the others were

left standing around...

/>

I fell to my knees but it was too late,

I'd waited too long and thus

sealed my fate.

I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight,

Oh,

if only I'd known that this was the night....

In the words of this poem

the meaning is clear

the coming of Jesus is now drawing near...

There's only one life and when comes the last call,

We'll find out

that the Bible was true after all...

B Basic

I Instruction

B

Before

L Leaving

E Earth

We have a Dog

2006-11-12T23:14:00.000-05:00

We have a Dog! I don't have time for details now, but I can tell you that we adopted a black whippet/lab mix from the APL. She is a real sweetheart. In fact, she hasn't even barked once. L8r!

Kids and School

2006-08-25T18:57:00.000-04:00

The school year has officially started, and this will be the first year that all 3 kids will (eventually) be in school! Wayde started 2nd grade yesterday and Chayce started Kindergarten today. Both are attending Clark Elementary School, which is about 1 1/2 blocks from our house. So far it seems like a nice school and I think they will enjoy it.

Sully has his pre-school home visit on Tuesday and then starts school September 12th. The home visit is a requirement of Head Start here. The teacher comes out and interviews the student, makes sure they are ready for school, and gives them some special time. Last year when Chayce started she loved her home visit, because they came out to talk to her and brought her a teddy bear. Sully will be doing 1/2 days (mornings, I think) and will be going to the same school that Chayce went to (they saved her place for him).

Here are some pics of the girls on their first days:

We're in the house!

2006-08-25T18:44:00.000-04:00

We've moved in! We're in! We finally got the keys Monday night, and met over at the new house to have a celebratory bucket of chicken on the kitchen floor. I took off the last 2 days of this week to start moving. We got a big truck Wednesday afternoon and started loading stuff up. We had some friends help us Thursday and did some more Friday. Most of our big stuff is moved, we just need to go through some smaller and old stuff, pitching what we don't want and bringing over what we do. We also have to go to Home Depot and Bed Bath & Beyond to pick up stuff we don't have or for a few home projects (Jamie already has a "honey do" list for me). We are so excited and so happy! We have worked so hard all year to get to this point, and have met with so many problems that we have had to solve along the way. But GOD is Good! His mercy and love for us has shone through, and we are reaping the rewards of both faith and praise! Woo Hoo!

mentos + diet coke/pepsi explosion

2006-08-13T21:15:00.000-04:00


Warning! Be very careful when eating Mentos that you do not accidently gring them up and put them in your pop, for this is what will happen! warning: don't try this at home. rather, try it outside. Founders 309 Productions. affiliated with http://www.remmeh.co.uk/

New Music Video From David "The Hoff" Hasselhoff - "Jump In My Car"

2006-08-06T23:43:00.000-04:00

Dudes, this is pretty funny:
That's right, it's Hofficial... your favourite cult icon wants to take you home! The one and only David Hasselhoff of "Bay Watch" and "Knight Rider" fame returns with a cover of the
1975 classic 'Jump In My Car' and its a doozy. Recorded in Sydney last year with the legendary Harry Vanda (AC/DC, The Angels), the Ted Mulry Gang tune has been re-vamped with full Hoff gusto and this music video promises to rock the socks off all his Hofficial fans. Watch it, enjoy it, share it on Google Video, courtesy of Sony BMG Australia.

Want more? Buy the buy the track on iTunes Australia by clicking here:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=155871591&s=143460

House Pics

2006-08-04T21:29:00.000-04:00

Well, we still don't have an appointment to close on our new house. Our lender was supposed to have the paperwork to the title co. today so that we could close on Monday, but as of 3:00 PM today it had not been done. Now I'm afraid it might get postponed again. I'm pretty frustrated at the speed (or rather complete lack thereof) of our lender in getting their part of the job completed. I feel like we have answered all their questions and met all their conditions in a timely manner, and our realtor has certainly worked quickly for us, but the bank seems to not even understand the nature of a deadline and a closing date. Are all banks like this?

Anyway, here are some pics of our new house. I think the place is really nice, and it is going to be a wonderful home for us.

Lessons learned @ VBS

2006-07-31T21:28:00.000-04:00

Here is a report from Jamie about what VBS meant to our kids. Praise
God for sending the Holy Spirit to work in their lives!

I just wanted to share what Sully has been doing. It is quite funny :)
He uses Wayde's new pom poms and shouts out "L-O-G-O-S Camp LOGOS is
the best! YES! Leaning on God's only son!!!!!" It is really really
cute.

Then last night they were practicing prayer at the table. Chayce
started so beautifully and just had the sweetest prayers for all of
us, and finally remmebered to say "Amen". Then it was Sully's turn: "L-
O-G-O-S Camp LOGOS is the best! YES! Leaning on God's only son!!!!!
AMEN" It was so cute :)
I am so grateful for the teaching they received at VBS. I have seen
such a change in them!!!
Anyway thanks for reading :)

Jamie Bonchu

Me Church

2006-07-29T21:34:00.000-04:00


Check out this satirical video about church in our culture and worshipping yourself!

VBS, part III

2006-07-29T20:19:00.000-04:00

At the end of the night we all got back together to sing camp songs, take a collection, recite our memory verse (Provers 3:5-6), and dismiss for the night. At the end of the week we had a "parents night" with food, games, fellowship, and a campfire. The kids also got to turn in the tickets they earned all week for doing good things for prizes in the trading post. This was a phenomneal week for all of us. The kids learned about Jesus and a number of important Bible characters who leaned on God, made friends, and got out with others. For Jamie and myself, well, we pretty much enjoyed the same thing! God Bless!

VBS, part II

2006-07-29T20:10:00.000-04:00

Then we created a Craft Cabin, waterfront, "mess hall" where the kids could buy candy, and a post office, where the kids got tree mail every day(these were letters the staff or other kids wrote telling them how special they are and how much God loves them)!

Each night started with a prayer, camp cheers, and a skit. Followed by a "nature walk" where the 4 groups went in turn to each of the 4 areas: crafts, snack, bible lesson, and games.

Vacation Bible School @ Vertical View Church

2006-07-29T19:32:00.000-04:00

Well, this was a great week in the life of our family. Not only was I on vacation, and not only did we get our confirmation of a loan for our new house, but we got do participate in Vacation Bible School at our church. I have never seen a VBS put on this way before. The people in this church have such a heart for the lord that they went all out to create the wonderland that was Camp L.O.G.O.S. (Leaning on God's Only Son). Here are some of the pictures of things we did. First, we transformed the sanctuary into a camp, complete with campfire, cabins, and trees:

Another Sully-ism!

2006-07-15T12:22:00.000-04:00

Poor Sully said he was having an itch in his posterior. He became somewhat angry and said
"If I feel another itch, I'm gonna PUNCH my butt!"
He is such a great kid, just like the girls. As soon as I get batteries in the digital camera later this weekend, I'll get more pics up, including Girl Scouts.

A Sully-ism

2006-06-06T22:46:00.000-04:00

Sully is playing with some stretchy loom loopers (the ones you make
oven pads with) and he put one over his whole head and said "It's
like a rubbered ban"

Sully's "baby oak"

2006-06-05T21:24:00.000-04:00

Check out this report from Jamie about Sully's breakfast: Sully is
very concerned about his hardboiled egg and the "baby oak" inside
because "it doesn't have legs and it doesn't have arms and it doesn't
have a mouth and I don't want it to crack open" His concern ended
with a grumble and I can hear him cracking and opening the egg now.
He is intensely indecisive but it's too funny not to report!

Jamie's infection

2006-05-29T23:32:00.000-04:00

Please agree with us in prayer for the total healing of Jamie's inner
ear infection. She is currently on antibiotics and propulous which is
healing but is still in pain and experiencing ringing and wooshing
noises. We ask God to bring total and immediate healing and praise
Him since what it is asked in His name it is already done. Amen.

WI Predator laws

2006-05-24T19:50:00.000-04:00

WI just passed 2 interesting laws concerning sexual predators. First,
a 1st degree offense against a child earns a min. 25 year sentence.
Once these sick bastards do get out, they will have to wear a GPS
tracker which will alert police if they get near a school, park etc.
They can ask a judge to take it off after 20 YEARS! What do you think
about that?

Loan Update

2006-05-24T19:49:00.000-04:00

Our loan has been approved! We have several conditions to meet,& we
could still use prayer, but we got our approval & we are so excited!
Praise God for all He has done for us!

We have a Car!ll

2006-05-22T20:27:00.000-04:00

We have a car! We have been praying for this for a long time & praise
God it has finally happened! We got an old Cavalier from a friend at
church who took excellent care of it. He also put a bunch of work
into it before he gave it to us. Now we can drive to church, school,
the store, etc. We are just so blessed, & so happy with our new
church. Praise God, & please say a prayer of thanks giving! Woo Hoo!

G.S. Court of Awards

2006-05-18T22:38:00.000-04:00

Wayde & Chayce's Girl Scout Court of Awards will be Monday, June 12th
@ 7:00 PM. Wayde will be getting several Brownie "tri-its" badges,and
Chayce will be recieving several Daisy Petals. It should be a very
exciting night.

Words from my kids

2006-05-17T22:39:00.000-04:00

Here is a post from Jamie about some cute things the kids have said recently:

Sully says "When I drink pop, my breath feels hot. I feel my breath
hot when I drink pop." He then commenced trying to feel his breath
with his mouth closed. LOL

Chayce says "I wish a superhero would pick up our house with all of
us in, and put us right on a cloud and God is there!"

Sully's Bedtime

2006-05-09T23:22:00.000-04:00

We have been letting Sully fall asleep on his own and then put him to
bed, which means that many times he turns in at the same time we do!

Well, Saturday night I took him up to his bed, tucked him in, and
layed with him until he fell asleep. The last two nights, I simply
tucked him in, said good night, and went back downstairs! He just put
himself to sleep! With the girls I had to lay with them, sing them to
sleep, and risk falling asleep myself. Isn't my boy amazing.

By the way, Saturday I am taking the girls to the troop roller
skating party. Neither of them have skated before, so I'm a little
worried. I could use prayers for protection for me and them!

"sape"

2006-05-07T16:19:00.000-04:00

Sully got off the bus & told Jamie that he had tied his glove to the
bus so he would be "sape."

Sully's drawings

2006-04-30T20:42:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, the kids were all playing with sidewalk chalk. Sully
brought Jamie over to his drawing & said "look, I drew my penis!" But
then he decided itwas a crayon & changed it.

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Just a few more Christmas Pics

2006-04-28T21:28:00.000-04:00

Here are some final Christmas pics for right now:
This is the three of them (and me) watching one of the three new DVD's they got (Madagascar, I think).
This ofcourse is yet another picture of them playing with their kitchen set,

And this is Wayde showing off two of her favorite presents. In her right hand is her Mega Man (see previous post) and in her left is Bloom, one of the Winx Club girls, which is another cartoon they love to watch. Enjoy!

More Christmas Pics

2006-04-28T21:17:00.000-04:00

Here are some more Christmas Pics:
Here are some pics of all three kids playing with the "new" kitchen set we got them. They really get a kick out of putting stuff in the various compartments and pretending to cook or even using it for other things. It's really cute to watch them all playing together (that is, when they aren't arguing).

This pictures shows the kids showing off one of their favorite types of toys: Mega Man. Mega Man is a Saturday cartoon based on a series of video games about a "digital warrior" you can be "upgraded" with new weapons and armor for battling other mega man in the digital world. The kids like them because they are very colorful and they can interchange parts to suit their imaginations at that moment. They also have a couple of friends that like Mega Man that they play with altogether.

Wayde's 3/4 Awards

2006-04-27T22:33:00.000-04:00

This morning the family attended Wayde's 3/4 Awards ceremony @
school. She not only received her Citizenship Award for behavior, but
for the first time she also received Principal's Honor Roll for
straignt A's! We are so proud of her! Afterwords we signed her out &
took the whole family out to lunch. What a special morning!

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Christmas '05 Pics

2006-04-26T23:34:00.000-04:00

Hey, here are some pics of the kids that Will took at Christmas last year. Thanks Will, for getting us a CD so I caould more easily get them up! The first couple are just poses at their little table and in front of our tree in the clothes they chose to dress themselves in.

These two are Sully holding up the Batman toy got for Christmas. As you can see, he is pretty psyched.

This is a picture of all 3 kids holding up the DVD they got. Sully got "Dennis the Menace," Chayce got "Wallace and Grommit," and Wayde got "Madagascar." Man they love watching those DVD's!

The "A" Word

2006-04-24T00:08:00.000-04:00

This morning, Sully picked up on something Jamie said and exclaimed:
"that's an "A" word!" Jamie said "very good, can you say another "A"
word?" Well, Sully must have thought she meant "the" A word, as he
looked up at her, in a very sweet voice and said: "ass?"

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Sully's Zipper

2006-04-12T20:46:00.000-04:00

Here's another message from Jamie, this time about Sully:
LOL this is the best! Sully named his zipper "Jack" (we were watching 24 and the main character is Jack). I was getting him ready for bed and since he goes commando under his jammies I was worried about his penis getting zipped. I told him to keep his penis safe and he replied "We got to keep Jack away from dose weiners"ROFLJ

That's my boy!

Miss Chayce and Cereal

2006-04-12T19:58:00.000-04:00

Here's a little post from Jamie about Chayce and Cereal:

LOLWell miss Chayce is thoroughly convincing me that we NEED Life cereal TODAY lol
Mom: I thought you liked Kix.
Chayce: I only eat Kix because we don't have Life
Mom: Well just eat Kix
Chayce: I'll only be happy if you give me Life.

Didn't I already do that? I seem to remember some pushing...

His Highness, Russell, IV

2006-04-12T19:55:00.000-04:00

Here is a little conversation between Jamie and Sully today. Who's in charge?

"I'm counting on you!" (he wants me to get the jelly)and when I didn't get up he said"I'm warning you!"He's a bit of a tyrant...

New Sully Pics!

2006-04-10T23:09:00.000-04:00

Hey folks, sorry it has been so long since I have posted here, I have been waitting for pics from Jamie and have been very busy. This weekend we took the kids to an Easter Egg hunt in North Olmstead like we did last year. It was fun, but it was pretty cold and blustery. Besides getting lots of candy, the kids got to play games and win tickets for prizes. Sully won a pink Care Bear which he proceded to give to Chayce because it was pink. Lucky Miss Wayde won a portable CD player! She loves being able to pick out her own music and listen to it as she wants. Jamie got a headphone jack splitter so two kids could listen at once, and Will is bringing over adapters so they can listen to it on the stereo in their room! We also went to church with our best friends the Webers and went to a wonderful Easter concert.

In closing, here are 2 new pics of Sully which show off his new "doo," as well as his cuteness. BTW, he is not actually upset in the one picture, he is totally faking for the camera! Enjoy!

Such Good Kids

2006-03-18T21:41:00.000-05:00

Today after Girl Scouts I met Jamie and Sully in Ohio City for some shopping and a nice lunch. We decided to go to Great Lakes Brewing Company, a very nice brewery restaurant. It was the typical meals, talking, kids coloring on place mats etc. At the end of the meal when we stood up to leave, a gentlemen at the next table got up and came over to me and said: "I just wanted to let you know that your children are really well behaved." I thanked him and told him that it takes time but the beatings really work (). After we left and I was still basking in the proud glow, Jamie reminded me that she has heard this several times before. In fact, when she has traveled on trains or busses, when kids are often at their worst due to the strange situations, people have said things like: "wow, we didn't even know that any kids were on this bus/in this train car." I just wanted to let everybody know just how great are kids are and how lucky we are to have them. Have a great weekend!

Girl Scouts and Reading

2006-03-18T21:30:00.000-05:00

You should all know by now that Wayde reads really well, but this is still really impressive. This morning at Girl Scouts we were getting ready for the World Friendship Day which is tommorrow. One of the girls had trouble reading her part (it had a lot of big words and was really too difficult for a Brownie). The leader let several other girls older than Wayde try to read it but they had just as much trouble. When I suggested that she have Wayde give it a try the leader said: "but these words are bigger than she is!" referring to the fact that Wayde is one of the younger Brownies. When Wayde gave it a try, there was only ONE word she couldn't sound out! So she gets to do the hardest part tommorow!

Incidently, since Chayce is not reading yet, she gets to carry in the flag tommorow! What an honor for our family!

Sully is diaperless!

2006-03-11T20:54:00.000-05:00

Well, it has finally happened! We are almost entirely diaperless! Ofcourse Sully has been going without a diaper all day and using the potty for months. But what you didn't know, is that all this week, Sully has been going to bed without a diaper and waking up totally dry. Ofcourse, he also often likes to go "commando," but that might be a little too much information for you. Oh well. Way to go, Sully!

Chayce's Library Card

2006-03-09T19:51:00.000-05:00

Hey, Chayce just got her very own library card! Now she can check out books from the Cleveland Public Library under her own name! Woo hoo!

Black Flag

2006-03-08T23:15:00.000-05:00

This is a great pic my Dad sent me in an email. The caption reads:

Look at the black patch under the U.S. flag! You gotta love their humor.
This SHOULD be on the front cover of Time, Newsweek, etc. But it won't be.
Let's you and I "put it there" by forwarding this all around the world (so to speak)!
The flags are France, Germany, and Russia -- in case you don't know.

Monkey See, Monkey Want?

2006-03-08T09:06:00.000-05:00

Last week, Jamie went to the doctor for a routine blood test and took Sully. Well, being one who loves and looks up to his Momma so much, Sully actually told the nurse that he wanted a blood test too! Most kids are afraid of shots, needles, etc. Ofcourse he didn't get one, but how many two-year olds do you know who actually want a blood test?

Prayer on Series "24" on Fox

2006-03-05T19:41:00.000-05:00

While I do not like the character of President Logan on the series
"24," and I really do not like the choices he makes, I've got to give
credit to Fox for putting in a scene where the President kneels before
God with his chief of staff before making a major decission. I think
it is a good message to send that even though their are those out
there who would not have our public officials (or anyone else for
that matter) praying, it does indeed still happen and it should. Good
work Fox!

Prayers for Puckett

2006-03-05T18:27:00.000-05:00

Early this morning Kirby Puckett suffered a stroke at his home in Scottsdale Arizona. He is currently at the hospital undergoing surgery. Puckett was a great major leaguer w/ 10 all star appearences and 2 rings. Let's keep him and in family in our prayers.

Halloween '05

2006-03-04T11:20:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pics of the kids Halloween costumes and what they got in their care packages form Nanna and Pop-Pop. Sully is about ready to pass out standing up here, which is why we took the picture so I could take the girls a little farther and he could go inside and rest with Momma. Sully's T shirt is hard to read but it says "Monster in Trainning" w/ a Frankenstein on it (not appropriate AT ALL). He also got another t shirt that says "My sister is a witch."

Great Program for viewing & editing pics, movies, etc.

2006-03-04T10:45:00.000-05:00

In case anybody is wondering, I have been posting all these great pics using a program called Irfanview, which can be found at http://www.irfanview.com/. This is a freeware program that lets you view almost any kind of picture, movie, or sound file regardless of what program it was created in or to what it was suposed to be displayed in. It's also great for viewing multiple pics or movies with it's slide show option, and it even has some basic editing tools. In order to get these pics in my blog, I used Irfanview to first change their size to 640x480, and then used the batch converter to convert them from bitmaps to jpegs. For those of you who don't know what this means, the program let me make the pictures much smaller and therefore sharper, and to translate them into a file type that the internet understands. Even if you don't need to do any image manipulation, it is a great little program for viewing almost anything. Check it out!

Sully is feeling much better!

2006-03-04T10:13:00.000-05:00

Sully just woke up and came downstairs. He seems to be in a good mood and is not real feverish like he was last night. Perhaps best of all, he has not really been eating since he has been sick and he just took a muffin from me and is eating it while he watches Pokemon! Now he just called me in the room to tell me that the medicine I gave him (Tylenol meltaways) is gone in his mouth. He was so excited, it was really cute!

Inca Meika McQueeney

2006-03-04T09:57:00.000-05:00

This is our kids "aunt" Inca Meica. She is actually Jamie's parents English Mastiff Puppy. I say puppy because as scary as it is she is only about 2 years old in this picture (Summer '05). As you can see, she was taller then Sully last summer and even though he has grown since then she probably has too and might still be taller than him! From what I have heard she is actually a really sweet dog. The only real problems Jamie had with her is that when she gets excited she is so big there is a risk of her knocking Sully down (and everytime Sully had a "soiled" diaper she got very excited, apparently fascinated by the smell).

Sully and the big rock

2006-03-04T09:50:00.000-05:00

These are some pics of Sully at the same state park, mostly showing Mommy how he can climb on the big rock by himself, but there is also one of him holding something really tiny. I just love the looks on his face in these.

Vacation 2005-State Park

2006-03-04T09:44:00.000-05:00

During Jamie's vacation last year she took the kids to visit her sister and boyfriend who were spending the summer at a state park (I'm not sure if it was in NH or MA but it was somewhere up there). While there, the kids played on some really big rocks. These are some of the pics of all of them together. Some of them are really nice poses, while some of them are really silly, like the one with Wayde blowing a huge kiss or sticking ot her tongue.

Vacation 2005

2006-03-04T09:37:00.000-05:00

As in most years since we have been together, Jamie went back home to New England last summer to see family and friends and to show off our beautiful children. These three pics were taken in Boston at the Public Garden Swan Boats, which have ferried people around on a peaceful little circle to nowhere for many years. they also got to go with Jamie's friend Kim and her kids, and they all had a great time.

Potty Pics!

2006-03-04T09:06:00.000-05:00

I know I know, these pics are embaressing and the kids will probably be very angry with me someday. But I just can't help it! The 2 of Sully were taken when we got him to sit on the potty (I think it was one of the first times he used it for #2). Jamie thought it would be hysterical to get him to look at a magazine while he was sitting there (reminds me of his old man). The other 2 I think Jamie took on her vacation last summer. I'm not sure why she took pics of the kids in a bathroom, but I must say they did turn out pretty well.

Kindergarten Graduation-little guys

2006-03-04T08:47:00.000-05:00

Ofcourse Chayce and Sully got to go to Wayde's Kindergarten Graduation and had a great time waitting for it to start on the playground (The playground is right outside the kindergarten rooms so we could hang out there while we were waitting for the classroom stuff to finish up and so we didn't have to take them in to early). These are adorable pictures of the two of them playing together, but I especially like the picture of Sully playing by himself. He's got this great smile on his face as he realises with satisfaction that he can climb up on the structure and that he is being photograhed at the same time. The picture of Chayce holding Sully's hand so he won't be scared (as if) and the one of her waving are really good likenesses of her and who she is. We had a really good time that day as we played, watched Wayde and her friends get their awards, and then went to McDonald's for lunch. This was a really special day.

Wayde Finishes Kindergarten!

2006-03-04T08:28:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics of Wayde's Kindergarten Awards in her class. The two in with her in the background are with her teacher Mrs. Schultz as she is being presented her awards. Wayde absolutely loved Mrs. Schultz who really enjoyed having her (in fact Mrs. Schultz wanted to teach Wayde this year since she moved up to 1st Grade, but Wayde got put into a different class). The third picture is after the ceremony, and is Wayde showing off her Citizenship Award, Honor Roll Certifficate, and Perfect Attendance Trophy. She was really proud of herself that day, and for good reaon!

Field Day, part II

2006-03-04T08:17:00.000-05:00

I think Sully is being helped to walk through a kiddie pool filled w/ Jell-O or grape jelly or something. It was an activity that was just supposed to feel wierd, and the girls said it really did!

Kindergarten '05 Field Day

2006-03-04T08:07:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics from Wayde's Kindergarten field day last year. Sully and Chayce got to go as well and had a great time.

World Baseball Cup

2006-03-04T08:01:00.000-05:00

I've been reading about this World Baseball Cup and was getting pretty excited about it, until I realised it was all on cable. Now maybe in other countries it will be broadcast on more accessible stations where the majority of people can see it. But if only a small few can even watch it, is it really going to matter? Now I understand that most Americans have cable and could therefore watch it, but I doubt the rest of the world gets ESPN2. I just think it's a shame that something this big wouldn't be broadcast on a major network. Oh well.

Sully is sick

2006-03-04T04:37:00.000-05:00

Our boy Sully is sick right now with a fever and ear infection. Daddy is not much beeter. Saturday the Russells are going to stay home while Momma takes the girls to Girl Scouts. He is being a real trooper about it but we could use some prayers to help speed along his recovery. Thanks!

More Kiddie Land '05

2006-03-04T04:34:00.000-05:00

Here are some more pics of one of our trips to Kiddie Land last year. Enjoy!

Kiddie Land '05

2006-03-04T04:07:00.000-05:00

For those of you who don't know, Kiddie Land (or the Memphis Kiddie Park as it is officially known) is one of my favorite places to take a small child. Situated on the outskirts of the West Side of Cleveland, it has about 2 dozen rides all sized perfectly for little kids. My grandfather used to take me there when I was a boy, and I am happy to say that very little has changed. Take a look at some of these pics to see how great a time a child can have!

Catching up on old pics

2006-03-04T04:00:00.000-05:00

For starters, I am going to be publishing older pictures of the kids, such as vacation '05, Halloween '05 and so forth until we are caught up. I will also be posting regular updates as to how and what the kids are doing.