Adria Warren Benefit

Sunday was the culmination of weeks of organizing for Susan as she put together a benefit for a friend's 15 year old daughter whose going through radiation treatments for a tumor.

Susan called in volunteers from as far away as San Antonio to help out.

We raised a ton of money, and maybe some hope too.

If you want to donate to the fund Susan set up, holler at me and I can get you the bank info.

Thaddeus plays T-ball

My nephew is very serrious about sports in general and is very into baseball.

Luckily enough, the local YMCA has a summer T-ball program.

So twice a week (or more) the Coles come up to Kingwood after work and we all catch a game. 

Gwendolyn's First Parade

Gwendolyn rode her bike in the local Independence day parade and won second place.
On getting the trophey, Gwen turned to her mom and told her that Susan should have it, "Since you did all the work."

The parade was fun and even though there was a light rain we went to Town Center to be part of the celebration. The band was pretty good and played mucic that the kids (and Susan and I) could dance to.

The fireworks were uninspiring but you can't ask for too much I guess. 

And I will call him Woody

After the rain the past week we noticed a HUGE woodpecker outside in the back yard.

The kids thought it was pretty cool and so did Susan and I.

This morning was the first chance to go outside and look at the yard.

Imagine Susan's surprise when she sees the new mulch around a dead tree we had.

Soon after she's got me out there looking.

I take the kids out when they wake from naps.
We look. We gape. I envision the work involved in cutting it down before it falls on the play house.

I love being a home-owner.

Miriam's Birthday party

I was emailing with a friend who mentioned that she liked the family bent of this wee bit of space on the web.

It was interesting that I hadn't expected it to be so familial. But the truth is that the family is the center of my life. My work schedule works around it. It's what I do with my free time. It's pretty dang cool!

So Miriam turned three Tuesday. She's not a baby anymore, she's a immature teen-ager.

We had a big party for her friends last Saturday between storms but Tuesday had a little something for the family. Pictures in the album on clicky.

The Astros Lose . . but we all win

About two weeks ago we all went to the Astros game. They lost but we all had a great time.

Today I got an invite to Picassa Web Album by Google. It allows me to upload 250MB of photos to a gallery frome Picassa.

Seems like nice enough app. We'll see. 

At the Brazilian Festival

 

Festival Movie time!!

The day started off with a water fight:



And then the dancing began:

It's Festival time!

It's been a busy-ish weekend. Today was the church festival. Here, Michelle and Gwen get in a splashing match near the booth Susan and I were working.

Proof that I was there. I might not be working, but I was there.

One of the little girls' highlights; smaching confetti eggs on me.

It's not a festival without a moon-walk.

Miriam gets a tattoo. Grandma and Grandpa would be so proud.

Miri - healed and goofy looking.

Michelle and Giselle. G is in a YMCA exchange program and is staying with us for two weeks.

The whole gang.

Miriam and Gwen go for a spin.

More spinning.

The End

'Sup with Miriam?

I've had a few people ask how Miriam is doing. It's been a while since I last took any pictures and when I do it's often times a blur because she's almost three and never stops moving. Here's a shot I took a whiel back.

You can see she still has some redness and it gets worse if she gets hot or cries.

Still, she's good. We're good. It's all good. Today is a good day.

It takes an immigrant

Michelle called me up from her boyfriend's house to ask me what I thought of the current immigration confabulation. I told her what I thought and let her go. I need to ask her later why she asked. I may or may not be flattered that she cared about my opinion.

I told her that this country was made of immigrants. People crossed the land bridge over the Bering sea. They came in canoes over the Pacific and longboat from Iceland. Immigrants came in schooners and steamships and airplanes. This country would not be without them.

The difference is that those people came to be a part of America. They wanted the part of the dream that is freedom. They sacrificed to be part of the dream though. They gave up property and history and family and language. They waited in lines. They took the worst jobs for the worst pay.

They assimilated into America at a trade. And it seems that they were happy with that trade.

The new immigrants don't strike me as having the same mind-set. The new immigrants want America to be less America and more like where they came from (mostly Mexico these days). America is a country of rules first and foremost. It's what gives us our freedom. And these immigrants are breaking a rule to even get in this country. It's a crappy way to start a relationship.

I think INS should put a fence around each rally and check for green cards and ship out everyone that's illegal. I think there should be fines and jail time for business that hire illegals. If they need the worker so badly, sponsor them and bring them in through the legal channels.

I think that if the Iraqis were to our south then we wouldn't have this issue. We'd have Americans screaming to enforce the border laws. But there is no difference. It's a law.
How is it different if every illegal was able to commit any crime, break any law with impunity?

At the arboretum

Yesterday, Sunday, was a great day. The weather was cool and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Susan and I took the kids to the Mercer Arboretum. There's lots of flowers, and birds, and bugs, and fish. There's also a really nice playground for the kids and myself.

Miriam wanted a picture of this lily.

My beautiful wife. I couldn't count the ways I love her, numbers don't go high enough.

A flutter-by

Gwendolyn at the playground.

Susan took this picture . . . such a serious little girl sometimes.

Miriam moved too fast most of the time to get a good picture, but she found this turtle and we'll let that represent her today.

Michelle goes to Prom

Last week (I think it was last week. It might have the week before. The more kids I have and the older they get the more I lose track of time) Michelle went to Senior Prom with her graduating boyfriend. She looked extra-beautiful.

The nice thing about Michelle is that she is just as beautiful on the inside. Everyone likes her and appreciates her being around. I am very lucky to have her in my life. She's a great daughter.

Pre-prom. Michelle and Gwendolyn

Michelle and Trey, the first of many photo shoots that evening

The Girls that Michelle went to prom with (I don't have a "Guys" version)

A close-up of some of the couples

Miriam's favorite hat

Miriam has to wear a hat for the next year while her skin heals. This is her favorite right now. Props go to the Kyme family for the gift.

 

Testing Google Calendar

I am trying the beta of Google Calendar.
In theory, clicking the button below will open the event on my Calendar and allow you to add it to yours.

I'm using a bookmarklet in Firefox to compile the URL.

We shall see.

Give it a try and report your results back here.
Things that might happen:

1. Prompts you to login to your Google calendar (or create a new account) and add my event
   
2. Prompts you to login to my Google calendar and see the event
3. Does squat
   

An overdue update of Miriam.

Miriam Update

Last Friday we went to see the plastic surgeon again (he of the "Wow" comment).

He didn't recognize Miriam since the swelling had gone down so much.

After examining her for a few minutes he deemed her fine and healthy.

Would care now is as follows:

• Hat when outside for the next year
• Crazy careful to make sure she has sunscreen on for the next 4-6 months
• Reasonable care for the rest of the year to have sunblock
• Avoid high sun exposure for a s long as we can after that.

The goal is to make sure that the new skin doesn't tan differently than the old skin and not match.

So all is well . . .

Define exercise

Every time my wife walks into a room that I am in I suck in my gut.

It's not a big gut. On a grand scale it's pretty average.

It IS two inches wider than it was when we were married. That was almost ten years ago though. Compare that to any of the kids and I look pretty good. I look great!

I would rather it was smaller when my wife looked at it. So I suck it in. I keep it in. I keep it in for hours at a time.

It hasn't gotten any smaller. It doesn't seem fair. As much effort as I put into it I should be getting some benefit.

On an unrelated note, I'm doing more reps of heavier beer and not getting any upper body joy.
What's up with that?

Check out the ears on Ron. He's a Desktop pet by Stardock. Built with DesktopX technology.

More Miri wound care

Here she is twelve days after the burn.
Looking goof, eh?