Braden's Dedication

Back on October 26 we did Parental Dedication for Braden.  We dedicated ourselves and Braden to the Lord.  Today, we were given a DVD of the dedication.  So, the following video is courtesy of the McGregor Baptist Church A/V team...

Parental Dedication - Braden from Rob Thompson on Vimeo.

It's been a rough day...

Becky just doesn't have a clue of what I have to go through...

4 am this morning Braden starting crying.  Of course, I woke up.  He's been sleeping through the nights, but recently he has had a head cold, so his sleep isn't quite as deep.  So, once he was crying for a bit, and we realized that he was not going to go to sleep, I woke up again when Becky got out of bed.  You know, she could have gotten out a little more gentler to make sure I didn't wake up even more.  Then, Becky changed his diaper.  Have you ever heard the Velcro of those diaper tabs at 4 in the morning?  Then, the sounds of the microwave warming up the bottle was enough to keep me from getting back to my sweet dreams.

As I lay there, struggling to sleep, as I was just about ready to doze off, I happen to notice Becky putting Braden back to bed.  Yes, patting his back to lull him to sleep was like a drum.  I mean really, a light patting would have been more considerate.  Then, yep, you guessed it, her re-entry into bed was as if she thought it was a trampoline.  Bounce, Bounce, Bounce.  She then of course had to take the covers from me that I had so perfectly formed around my cold body.

Becky is working today from 2-10.  Can you believe I have had to watch all 3 kids by myself this whole time.  All 3 crying at the same time, Drew teasing Tessa like crazy, Braden crying for no reason (aka a dirty diaper).  Again, Becky just doesn't have a clue.

But, after such a hard day, Drew made it all better.  After I reheated our Thanksgiving left overs, Drew proclaimed "Daddy, you are a good cook!"  That made it all better, because I know that his proclamation had nothing to do with the original cook.

Becky, some day you will come to appreciate me like Drew does!

Rob

Who weighs more?

Rob

I am really missing hunting today...

...and therefore I am missing my Father and Brothers as well.  I hate being so far away.  Far away from hunting, and far away from family.  Some of my favorite memories of growing up are in the woods with my Dad and Brothers.  But I have not hunted since leaving NJ (9 Years).  Well, I guess I did go Turkey hunting one day and Snipe hunting another day.  But, I am really in withdrawal. 

Why haven't I gone?

I guess I just don't know the right people with land to hunt.  Most people I know that hunt here in FL lease land, and I can't really afford that.  Having 3 kids too young to hunt doesn't help either.  Maybe it is also because I haven't done the "homework" that is necessary to find land?

I am especially missing hunting right now because of a trip that my Dad took out to Nebraska to hunt with my brother who lives out there.  Apparently, they had an awesome time and proved that buck fever is alive and well.  After the trip, my nephews have gone crazy getting their deer (filling the freezer).  Here are the pics...

 

Welcome to my world of insanity...

Apparently, Becky doesn't ponder things like I do.  I look at things and ponder them until there is no pondering left to do.  If I am frustrated or trying to figure something out, or simply notice something that makes me curious (just about anything), I turn it over in my head a thousand times, only to start all over again.  Rehashing rehashing rehashing for sometimes days at a time.   My feelings/emotion keep the thought spinning around and around...

Sometimes, the thought is totally brainless and useless.  At other times, it is life altering.  I have several of these going on right now.  Only some of them will I tell you about.  Am I unique?

Maybe this is why Becky can multitask, and I can't?  Becky can't believe I think/feel about things so much.  But, even today, a day later, I had to Google something to figure it out.  My curiosity was killing me. 

Yesterday, on the way to the airport, I made a comment about the lines in the sky left by planes.  I had been thinking about them for days, but hadn't said anything.  Drew noticed them and asked about them.  Maybe I should have known what they were, but I really had no idea....

Maybe I should have known what they are, but I always thought they were a pilot in a specialized plane that intended on leaving a trail for fun.  Is that dumb?

Want to bet Becky hasn't thought about plane contrails today?

So, here is the answer found here.

"They are created by airplanes flying at high altitudes, where the air is below –38 degrees Fahrenheit. Exhaust from airplane engines contains water vapor as well as other gases and particles of soot and metal. When the exhaust is expelled into and mixes with the cold air, the water vapor condenses into droplets, which instantly freeze into tiny ice crystals. What you see from the ground is a dense white stream of ice crystals behind an airplane."

Interesting!  Now my mind is at rest...  yeah right....

Rob

We are on the ground!

We are on the plane. I am sweating.

Drew and I needed a break...

 

It Snowed!!!

Lou Malnati's Deep Dish Pizza!

Yum!!!

Chicago...

I just can't help myself.  I look out the window, and just want to take pictures.  So, today, I did just that.  I had a little down time, so I decided to play a little.  Here is the fruit of my labor...

Rob

 

Kids are a chore, I am cheap, amazing chili, brussels sprouts, fellowship...

I am sitting here reflecting upon the day.  What an eventful day!

Traveling with 3 kids 3 is a chore.  Getting on the plane and off the plane is sort of comical and stressful all at the same time.  Apparently, we needed help.  The pilot carried Braden to his seat!  I actually think we did well, but there is just so much to keep track of.  Once the kids were tied down, I mean buckled in to their seats, it wasn't too bad.  The kids did great on the plane.

I am cheap.  I am normally proud of my desire to pinch pennies and save a buck.  But, today I paid for my frugality.  I went with a no name car rental agency.  Let's just say they didn't really have their act together.  I guess the old adage is true, you get what you pay for.

We had a great fellowship night with some supporters at the home of Peter and Rachel Lehner.  There were equal the number of kids as their were adults (maybe 12 Adults and 12 kids).  We all had a blast!  We had opportunity to get caught up, share about RMI and our ministry, and each some amazing Chili.  I also had some Brussells Sprouts, that were actually pretty good.  The warm apple cider was a nice treat on a 40 degree rainy day here in Chicago.  Warm apple cider doesn't really have the same appeal in FL.

We look forward to resting a little tomorrow morning to catch our breath after this day.

Rob

This is us landing.

We're on the plane, but it wasn't exactly easy.

We're off to Chicago...

Does anyone know what this is?

So, I was looking at the forecast for Chicago, and I saw this...

Any ideas what this might be?

It looks like 40's and rain showers every day until then (fun), but on Saturday...SNOW SHOWERS!

I am like a little kid hoping for some snow, even a few flakes to fall so my kids (uh, me too) can see snow...

We'll see!

Rob

Google Mashup Election Map

If you haven't seen this, check it out.  I have been looking for this sort of election coverage online for a long time.  Looks like the Internet has finally caught up with TV....  Very cool...

More maps are available if you click on the link.

2008 Election Results from Google
	Gadgets powered by Google

6 Broken Laptops...

Ugh. Maybe I should say 6 very useful door stops!

Halloween Fun!

Every year our church has a great Halloween outreach called Family Fest.  Tons of candy, games, bounce houses and food-- they really do it well.  This year Both Drew and Tessa had a blast.  Drew was a firefighter (he'll tell you that's what he wants to be when he grows up) and Tessa was a fairy princess.  They were both thrilled with their costumes.  Braden had fun taking it all in!

Here they are ready to go to church:

  Couldn't get Tessa out of the ballpit!

 

Braden's all smiles!

  

 

 

 

 

 

Rob's camo makeup made for some very realistic soot

 

 

 

 

Tessa hammin' it up!