Where in the World is Daddy

Mom feels this is more fact than fiction and I think she has good reason. Two weeks ago, sales calls in Raleigh North Carolina. Last week, Pharma conference in Philadelphia and this week a Pharma event in Osaka. Yes, Osaka. Last week I presented to an audience of roughly 300 and this week an audience of 200. Difference, this week was all Japanese and I was the only non-Japanese person in the conference, let alone presenter and I was the only one who presented in English.

Yes, I was a bit intimidated but the evening reception was comforting as numerous individuals came up to me and complimented me on my excellent English delivery to a Japanese audience. I am not sure it was the gift of tongues but I can tell you it was an answer to fervent prayer. Yes, it is real. I never cease to be impressed with the blessings I receive in my job and in how many places in the world I am privileged to received those blessings. Above is a shot of the auditorium in Osaka that I presented in.

Now, here is a picture of my lovely bride overlooking the Shenandoah Valley, yes, that is where we live. This is taken from the Skyline Drive.

For your entertainment

So this week I decided to teach Daniel about stranger awareness, emergencies, etc for preschool. We had a good time and I was feeling pretty good about it all. Until this morning...can you imagine where this is is going? I of course was being lazy in bed, Bryce is working and the kids were left to find there own entertainment. They were supposed to be cleaning...yeah right. Anyway, I got a funny call, didn't recognize the number and so didn't answer. Daniel shortly came into my room and told me (luckily) that he "called that number, 911." It all clicked and I quickly checked the message left by the caller. It was of course the 911 dispatch center. I called them back quickly while I was getting dressed as to not appear the white trash mother I was looking like in my pj's if per chance the police got to our house. Luckily we called back in time for them to call off the officer...of course that may have been a good thing for Daniel to experience. He's still afraid the police are going to show up and be mad at him. I asked him why he called (I believe it was mostly curiosity about the mysterious number...in my defense we did go over when and when you should not call) and he said "well somebody somewhere couldn't wake up and talk." This was of course similar to one of the examples I had talked to him about. Maybe I should have stressed that you only call if you can see an emergency. I would like to think this is the last time this will happen. I keep talking to him about it but I'm not sure he's getting it. Funny but ahhhhhhhh!

Update on Joe

I have just spent the last two days here very warm Orlando. I'm sure that most of you have spoken to Heather about it, but I thought that I might also fill you in. I am looking for a job. We feel that the Lord has been directing us to Florida. So I am attending the Florida Landscape Tradeshow. There is a very promising opportunity that will most likely be presented to me tomorrow evening. I am very excitied. If I accept the position, we'll blog it and let you know what it is. Sorry no other details at the moment. Although, please enjoy some of these pictures.







I didn't know that pineapple grew that way. If I move down here, I will have fresh pineapple in my garden.

- Posted from my iPhone

Star Wars Party Night

Heather kept saying that this movie is sooooo old. Hmmmmm. 1977. That was the year that I was born. I wonder...Am I really "sooooo old"? A nerd...maybe, but old? Oh well. Well to start us of right. Watch this first.

You Tube Video


This evening we watched Star Wars Episode 4 with the kids. They loved it. We even had a feast worthy of a Wookie.


Let's see the bagels and cream cheese were Princess Leia's hair cream and tightly wound hair buns, the grapes are thermal detonators, the tater tots are the asteroid remnants of the planet
Alderon, the fuzzy peaches are Wookies, the turkey cheese quesadillas are the "flying saucers", and the chips are the triangular star destroyers.

Over all it was an excellent night.

Home

I mentioned in my non-meat cooking blog that our dryer outlet wasn’t working, but is now fixed thanks to Bryce. You have no idea what a relief that is for me! We’ve been piling up laundry ever since we moved here, plus getting plenty of second-hand clothing items for Jaime that I needed to wash, plus going through clothes from storage and deciding to wash some of those too. Today was my first day with a functioning dryer and I put it to work. At day’s end, I had successfully completed 9 loads of laundry, folded and everything. Wondering what 9 loads of laundry looks like? Wonder no longer.

There’s only 3 of us and that got me thinking - Heather, is this the quantity you do everyday?

I finally got around to taking a picture of our place for you. It’s cute, old and timeless. We love it. Justin wants to take you on a video tour, but insists our house must be clean for that to happen. Don’t hold you breath.
Daniel and Ella have been telling us we should move back into our old house. They are so confused as to why we live somewhere else now. Daniel asked me yesterday, "when are you going to stop moving houses?" with a bit of confusion and frustration in his voice. Daniel, we don't know. Let you know when we do.

This picture is just for fun. Michelle nudged me to take a picture of Jaime's crazy nap hair, and I couldn't resist. Poor girl has so many pictures taken of her. She's starting to get fed-up. She'll thank me later, right?

Boys part 2

I enjoyed a good hardy laugh with Liz's story a while back of naked Jacob running around outside. I now add part 2. We had our friends over for dinner today. Luckily, friends with a good sense of humor. As they drive up, they see Ethan peeing into a bowl. Yep, in the front yard. I ask him about it and he just says "What?" Where are this kids parents? I told him in the forest he is welcome to it, but at home, I would prefer he use the toilet. Yes, I did laugh. I found the whole thing, including Joe's mortification, quite amusing.

The Newest Cougar

Think she is excited?

Home at last!

Yipee and hooray we are home. Good vacation, wonderful to be home. Good news, no clothes were left in the washer. Bad news, missed a banana on the counter. Holy fruit flies, nothing really left of the banana, Gross. Ahhh, the joys. It took us 10 hours to make an 8 hour trip today. We were driving through Iowa and Joe says, "Want to go to Winter Quarters?" Why not? Yep, we went and it was so fun. The kids loved it and didn't mind the extra time. It was a really fun way to end the vacation. Tomorrow, I attack the garden. My tomato plants are on the ground and I already picked 12 cucumbers. Yes, 12. Ethan was thrilled. I think tomorrow's meals will be very fresh. The broccoli looks wonderful.