Chicago in July

I realized that I had posted a story here before we made our trip to Chicago in July, but I never posted a follow up with pictures from our trip. So here goes. I made my pilgrimage to the Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha Wisconsin to get the delectable cheese curds and other assorted goodies, like sausages and preserves.

Made sure I had some of the Italian perfection from Giordano's, left Keeley in good hands with Grandma Lou, and headed downtown to show the boys a few sites before heading out to US Cellular Field to watch my beloved White Sox put a beat down on the Indians. It was a great night with Liesl and the boys and glad they got to experience a great Major League Baseball game. Paul Konerko, the Whitesox first baseman, went off and had 3 homers, one of which was a grand slam, all of them prompting the score board at "The Cell" to explode with fireworks along with the deafening cheers of the crowd. The Whitesox won 10-6.

Overall it was a successful trip.

Fall Soccer Season

We are half-way through fall soccer season and both the boys are doing well. Bryce is playing a lot of offense and scoring in just about every game. He is still on the smaller side compared to a lot of the kids, but he is really starting to use his stride and speed as an advantage. He's made some fairly good friends on the team, which is always nice. Compared to last year, this year's coach is much better, we actually have practice and he calls us when games have been cancelled. You'd think that would be pretty standard, but apparently not with last year's coach.

Rece is with the same coach and most of the same teammates that he's been with for several seasons. Most of his team is now on the upper side of their age group so his team is pretty much taking care of every team by a lot. Rece has developed some really good ball handling skills and is passing better than ever. He scores a lot, but gets put on defense when he scores too much. He's also been playing goalie a lot. I love it when he plays goalie, so much that I told him if he plays voluntarily, I'd buy him some goalkeeper gloves. He's very proud of the gloves.

Next fall we have the opportunity to put both of them on the same team, which will be nice schedule-wise, but we'll see how the boys handle their own competitiveness.

Land of My Sojourn

It's fall. Makes me think of leaves falling, and dark mornings and getting cold. I also think of Rich Mullins, and how Autumn came early the year he died. So i had a great idea for a blog post. Pick my favorite Rich Mullins song and write based upon that and that will also be about things that counteract the dreariness of this season. The song is "Land Of My Sojourn" off the "A Liturgy, A Legacy And A Ragamuffin Band" album. It talks about how much he loves this earth and the story God has written here at the same time longing for heaven and all it's majesty. Here's the chorus:

Nobody tells you when you get born here

How much you'll come to love it

And how you'll never belong here

So I call you my country

And I'll be lonely for my home

And I wish that I could take you there with me

So here's a few things where I see God's unmistakable activity here in this Land of My Sojourn.

Great Smoky Mountain National Park is a place that Liesl and I have visited many times since moving here to Tennessee. It doesn't have the biggest mountains or the best views or deepest canyons. It's beauty is in it's subtlety. It's beautiful rolling hills and changing colors, no matter what the season, and abundant, visible life. It's also so accessible for us, and I so much want to experience and partake of it frequently.

The Color Green (stealing another song title) I love green. It means life and abundance and vitality to me. To see the leaves start to grow on trees, to see grass available to play soccer on, growth all around. It makes me feel alive and vibrant. Like this big world is all growing and thriving. maybe that's why I don't like Autumn very much, it means the death of all that green. Hopefully I can remember that that death always brings new life.

I often discuss with my wife why I like sports so much and maybe this is a longer discussion than I can pose here, but I've gotta say something about how awesome sports are. Between the redemption of a winning touchdown when someone fumbled early in the game to being part of something larger than myself and something people of totally opposite religious, political and financial stances can come together and cheer and celebrate and also agonize together in a way like no other... What an amazing experience.

When I hear stories about military service I marvel and feel slightly jealous of the brotherhood that is gained by these men. After going through sometimes traumatic event together and realizing they were a team and each person had something to contribute. What a great picture. Something I long to exist in my life.

I am so glad to know that this is not a complete list or even a complete experience of any of these examples. I do hope for more of these here on earth and know just a little that they will be fully available in heaven.

Keeley Words

Over the past several weeks Keeley's vocabulary has greatly increased. She's finally understanding the value of verbal communication. Although at this point most of her words are still "repeat words" meaning we tell her to say something and she repeats it. She does understand a lot of them. So here's a brief list of the most popular ones.

"Momma" is most popular, she loves her Momma

"football" is one of my favorites. When she sees the Tennessee Titans logo she will say "football". (although it's debatable at this point whether that's actual football with how bad they're playing)

"Bubba" is Bryce

"Ree" is Rece

"Kee Kee" is Keely, but also a nickname we call her sometimes, so that one is accurate.

"coke" yummmy

"kitty" "doggy" she loves animals

"broccoli" not quite clear yet, but Liesl loves the way she says it, it's really cute

"fishy" most of the time it's because she wants goldfish crackers

It seems she learns something new every day, especially with two crazy older brothers who teach her all kinds of boy stuff, yikes!

What a Gift

Since it's been raining so much the past few weeks, I haven't been able to mow my lawn. Well, I haven't wanted to either, so it was kind of a good excuse. But since it's been dry for a few days, I knew it was coming. Not only did I know that mowing was coming, but with all the rain, the grass was really long and thick. Since Sunday was wasted due to my Titans loss depression, I forced myself into a Monday night date with the mower. All day at work, I was dreading coming home to grass up to my knees (almost). Not that my job is physically demanding, but it takes something out of me that I just hate to have to come home and work some more. I wish I could look at mowing like the guy in this picture, but it just doesn't do it for me. We've got several trees, a hill on the side of our yard, and a stupid chain link fence that the mower always catches on. It usually takes me about an hour and a half when it's not super long.

So to my great surprise when I drive up the road on my way home from work, I see a freshly mowed lawn! Wow, what a gift. my awesome wife took her time when Keeley naps to mow the lawn to take the chore off of me. I know I didn't tell her or show her how much I appreciated her doing it for me, so I hope this blog post makes up for it a little. Thanks baby! I love you.

Yikes! It Has Teeth

After reading "North! Or Be Eaten" by Andrew Peterson, I was even more pleasantly surprised than after reading "On The Edge Of The Dark Sea Of Darkness", the first book in his Wingfeather Saga. If you read the first one, you'll know it is packed with adventure and mystery. Andrew bumps it up a notch this time in "NOBE" by adding even more suspense and emotionality. The story is every bit as good as the first one, but interconnects elements of deep personal stories of some of the characters. How several of the characters respond based upon what they've faced in the past and what that implies for their future is much more prominent this time around.

Some of the themes of facing fears and succeeding in the midst of complete chaos and apparent defeat really is what connected with my story and what really kept me attached to the book. Even though it seemed each chapter ended with yet another crisis, I could see the whole story was being written and woven together like there was a desperate need for redemption. While I don't ever think I'll be chased by lizard people or hounded by two-legged wolves, we all face sorrow and affliction. I believe this story is not only a reflection of my desires in my own life but a metaphorical picture of what our journey here on earth looks like.

I really loved this book. I am slightly hesitant to let my kids read it, (9 and 8) because of the creepiness factor. It really hit on some of my own fears, but I will probably let them decide for themselves. I can't wait for book 3!

"North! Or Be Eaten" review soon

I was given the opportunity to read Andrew Peterson's book and be part of the official "North Or Be Eaten" Blog tour. I am just about finished with the book and so I will be posting my review next week. Here's a little info on the book and author.

Summary:
Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby thought they were normal children with normal lives and a normal past. But now they know they’re really the Lost Jewels of Anniera, heirs to a legendary kingdom across the sea, and suddenly everyone wants to kill them.
Their escape brings readers to the very brink of Fingap Falls, over the Stony Mountains, and across the Ice Prairies, while villains galore try to stop the Igibys permanently. Fearsome toothy cows and horned hounds return, along with new dangers: a mad man running a fork factory, a den of rockroaches, and majestic talking sea dragons.
Andrew Peterson’s lovable characters create what FantasyBookCritic.com says made Book One “one of the best fantasy novels in a very long time,” and Book Two contains even more thrills, exploring “themes universal in nature, ranging from the classic good versus evil, to the importance of family, and burdens of responsibility.”

Author bio.:
Andrew Peterson is the author of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Book One in the Wingfeather Saga, and The Ballad of Matthew’s Begats. He’s also the critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter and recording artist of ten albums, including Resurrection Letters II. He and his wife, Jamie, live with their two sons and one daughter in a little house they call The Warren near Nashville, Tennessee. Visit his websites: http://www.andrew-peterson.com/ and http://www.rabbitroom.com/