Louisville

I have been asked if I like Kentucky or not a lot lately.  People here are nervous that I don't.  Some people back home are hoping that we don't.  A few others are hoping that we do really like it here and aren't coming back (you know who you are!)  Today I have decided that I do like it for one specific reason: Louisvillites (or whatever we are called down here) make me feel manly.

School is closed today because there is ice on the road covered by about two inches of snow.  I actually read yesterday about the "drifts" that will happen because of the snow.  Meanwhile, back home people have actually lost their car under the snow that has fallen.  The snow at the end of the driveways in Eau Claire are probably taller than me and they still managed to go to school today.

I remember growing up and hearing my dad had walked up hill both ways to school and left early to bring the cows back into the pasture.  I never believed him, yet everyone currently living in the blistery Eau Claire can tell of these stories and I will be their evidence.  You survived it and it made you stronger.  Meanwhile, we are preparing for the end of the world, talking existentially, and kissing our loved ones.

I have to be honest.  I always complained about the cold, but I found people worse than me.  Though this would be a dangerous spiritual pattern, I'm going to feel awesome about it today.  In a few hours I will go run errands with my family while we rock our boy's hip hop music in our man van.  As I do this, I will feel like the most manly being in Louisville.  Sure, it takes me an afternoon to change the headlight, but I can handle the cold.  I didn't even grow a beard to do it!

Louisville, you and me are all good.  You make me feel manly!

December's Business- Infinitea Teahouse

When I lived in Eau Claire I met the guys who started Infinitea Teahouse.  They are great guys who are very entertaining to talk with.  They worked with Valleybrook to host a charity event this coming Sunday.  If you go to Infinitea between 12-5 this Sunday, 20% of your purchases will go to Eyes That See.  This is an awesome opportunity to enjoy great tea, support a great local business, and support Eyes that See at the same time.  To the guys at Infinitea-thanks so much.  You'll have to pick me out a tea to try when I come to visit this month.

Newsflash: Friends make snow fun

I dislike snow.  I would rather have 365 100 degree days with mosquitoes biting me than have snow and cold.  I think snow should be banned outside of the Winter Olympics.  A friend in Louisville mentioned how Adam and Eve didn't have clothes so snow must not have been a part of God's plan.  I'm sure that, like shirt biting goats, snow is a result of the fall. Imagine Eden without snow or goats.  Beautiful!

This weekend my good friend Andy came and visited.  He called Thursday and said he would be here Friday.  He and Alazar spent the weekend driving around with us and going wherever we needed to go. The funny thing is I played in the snow more this weekend than I have in probably three years.  Typically I shovel, scrape my car and grunt a lot.  This weekend I actually had a snowball fight, threw our kids in the snow and even got whitewashed a little.  I was cold, but it was fun.

All this to say that in the battle for emotions between snow and friends, the joy of a friend defeats the slight depression of snow...at least last weekend.  We'll see when I go back up to Eau Claire and Minnesota.  I'm wearing twelve shirts everyday plus a nose warmer.

My morning

This morning I sent an email to my wife, my sister, my brother-in-law and my best friend that Jeter got traded to the Twins for Joe Mauer.  It wasn't my idea, I saw it on Yahoo.

After I sent the email it started snowing...I'm sorry Jesus.  I was trying to be funny...Can I have my weather back now?

Update on Ana

Many of you have been so faithful in praying for and asking about little Ana.  As you know, she is a pretty amazing little girl who has been through a lot already in her life.  When we were getting ready to move, we were a little nervous about what the move would mean for her.  Stress isn't good for her seizures and change isn't her favorite.  Sometimes this isn't an easy family for her!

When we moved we didn't have insurance for her.  We didn't have doctors or even a school.  Now, only a few months out, we have blessed with all of these things.  Ana was picked up by insurance just about a week before her meds ran out.  She has not only one neurologist, but two!  One is in Cincinnati and one in downtown Louisville. She also has the most amazing school for her.  It is on the other side of town, but we gladly bring her so that she can reach her full potential.  She has even napped by herself at school.  This is life changing!

Ana being in school and doing so well has allowed Nikk to be working on Eyes That See at normal people hours instead of 3am.  This has been a gift as there has been so much to do.  We are dreaming of what Ana's potential might be and thanking God for what he has done in the last few years.  She even said "plate" the other day!  Pretty awesome.

Thanks for all the prayers for her and our family.  We are very blessed and thankful as we prepare for Christmas.  God is good!

Ana is ready for school!

Should have seen it coming.

The Longhorns are missing a bowl game for the first time since I was a freshman in college.  This is a sad day, but I should have seen the fall coming.  No McCoy, no Shipley, no bowl game.  I should have learned from watching the Yankees fall from their lofty perch.  For you anti-sports people, don't check out. This made me think of other tragic falls I should have seen coming.

• Hootie and the Blowfish-The first album moved me.  Actually, I just really liked it.  The simplicity of four chords and a voice lower than Barry White's. Now that is awesome!  I wanted to hold his hand after listening a few times! I knew that you had to let her cry, I knew everything, except that their would be no Beatles-like run by Hootie.  Sure, he went country.  But he went country.  I should have seen it coming.

• Rome-I wasn't there, but I should have seen the fall coming.  Gibbon clearly did with his 5,000,000 pages.

• The Economy- I don't know a thing about the economy except that my house won't sell and a lot of people are grumpy.  Still, a few years ago everyone was happy and everything sold.  I should have seen it coming.

• My awesomeness-  I have five kids who think I am awesome to different degrees.  Ana, who is young, can't talk, and always gets the last sip of my coffee thinks I'm the greatest.  Carter and Ezra who are getting older, becoming more athletic than me, and cannot learn from my dance moves anymore are less convinced.  When I began to have more kids than guitars I should have seen the fall from my self proclaimed awesomeness coming.