2012 Year in Review

This year went so fast I almost feel like it’s supposed to be 2011 all over again. I am sue most others feel the same. Truly amazing that another year is gone though I believe I say this ever year these days.


Life for us was great in 2012 – way better than 2011 when I made the decision to shut down a 10 year old health insurance business I had seen grow from the ground up. It was just time to give 100% of my efforts to our retirement income planning firm. We really didn’t know what to expect in 2012 but it was probably one of my favorite years in business of all time. Met so many great new clients all over Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas and truly enjoy spending 100% of my time and efforts helping other people. No more big employee headaches like before. Just a nice, simple operation - though we do now have offices in Dallas area and Houston with San Antonio likely next year and maybe Oklahoma City too. Needless to say, stress level has decreased big time and having more fun than ever.

Julie’s involved in two different ventures – Crown Jewels gold parties and Julie’s cakepops. (see facebook for more) She helped us big time financially this year and was very proud to play a part. She did all of this while watching a friend’s baby during the week too – little Baylor. Cutest little girl on the planet! Not sure what all Julie is gonna do in 2013 but one thing is for sure, those cakepops better not be going anywhere.

We began the house remodeling process too since the place is 10 years old and in need of some big updates. First in store was some landscape work followed by Julie’s dream kitchen. If you haven’t seen it, all I can say is “wow”. She designed it with some input of course but it looks amazing. Took me 10 years, but we finally got it done. Next in line is the flooring, some paint, some more landscape work and little nicknacks and maybe the house will be good for another decade. The kids and dogs have taken their toll over the years and with this economy we aren’t likely going anywhere for a “lonnnnnnggggg” time so this is it.

Life itself was good in 2012 as we enjoyed our annual trip to Galveston and visited the new Pleasure Pier (awesome), had a quick getaway to Vegas, attended our fist “Korea Camp” for Quinn in Tulsa, OK, made a trip up to Denver to see some friends and meet Quinn’s foster sister, hit the State Fair just before Big Tex flamed out, and Julie and I wrapped up the year with a journey to Atlantis down in Bermuda for our 10th anniversary. (It’s not until April, but I won the trip from a provider so we made it work. Amazing place too!) We also got to take in some Rangers games again this year, made it to Howard Payne University homecoming for the first time in years and even took the kids to their first Baylor football game with some SHSU friends.

It’s hard to believe Chloe and Sidney are half way done with first grade, but they are. They are growing like mad and are even more inseparable than ever. Identical twin thing is hard to explain. But they have friends too and their personalities are hilarious. It’s fun to watch them. Quinn is a superstar. That’s the only way to put it. Everyone knows and loves Quinn. When he hits the elementary next year for kindergarten it’s gonna be a treat to watch. He is such a good kid and that little dude has the memory of a computer! Unreal. He loved soccer and loves to sing. The girls hated soccer but they love singing too. But all three hate most toys, love stuffed animals and playing in their craft room. It’s a weird thing. The three of them do get along great for the most part. We talked for awhile about a 4th but I think we are settling into this being “our family”. I’m happy with it. Then again…

The dogs survived. Poor Max is 14 this year and blind as all get out. He’s happy though and for the most part you wouldn’t know. Charlie is a mess. Funniest dog ever. Talks to us all the time and is so playful. Tons of personality. Big time. We just love boxers and are thankful he has been a big part of helping us get over our loss of Sam in 2011.

Though the election was a complete deja vu Obummer and America will now forever be changed…who gives rip. (that was tongue in cheek of course) But seriously, liberals have taken over and when their system of socialism completely comes full circle and demoralizes the very ones that think it's the greatest-idea-never-tried-before and when the GOP decides to modernize and stop propping up old rich guys as their candidate, maybe just maybe conservative ways will once again rule. For now I’m gonna bury my head in the sand to a degree and get back to sports being my drug – though I need real drugs to help me deal with most of my sorry sports teams…poor Astros. No one can deny the Jerry Jones curse against my Cowboys isn't alive and well...

In all, we are both blessed beyond words to have had the year we did. It wasn’t really expected but so many great things occurred and it was such a turnaround from all I have been dealing with since 2009. You just can’t imagine how happy I am and how much better it is. God is always good. If you’re in a valley, pray to get out and trust He will get you out because He will.

Oh yea, one huge thing I forgot. "Revenge of the Forks" came out this fall. Amazing horror movie the fellas and I put together starting back in 2007. Yea took us 5 years to finish this 8 minute adventure. Love my fellas. Go check it out. You won't forget it.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBtwEPJJUws&list=PL41E4D98B58FA682E&index=12

One thing to watch for: there will be another Speers music video hitting the scene sometime in early 2013. You have already been given a big hint. It’s gonna rock and be very funny. Kids are practicing now…

Merry Christmas everyone. Yea, I said CHRISTmas. Imagine that.

Love you all!

My Little Thanksgiving Secret

One thing I learned years ago that seems to be a little secret in my relationship with God, is being thankful. Like many others, I spend time in prayer form time to time. But as I have gotten older (not sure wiser but older yes), I have learned to spend more and more of that time thanking Him for all things under the sun. I don't get why He is good to me. I don't understand why He forgives me and let's me do and have the things I do. I don't get that when things are tough He is still there to make a bad thing turn out to have good things come from it down the road. I don't. But I sure thank Him for it. All the time.

God is good all the time and all the time God is good.

See, the way I see it He knows my prayer needs and the needs of others already, right? He doesn't need me telling Him about it all over and over again as if He needs daily reminders. I mean, we pray more for our peace of mind and tranquilty than we do to keep God informed of all things earthly. I think He is good in that department. I am sure He's got FoxNews on all day. So, I thank him for knowing those prayers ahead of time, leave them at His feet and try to spend more of my time asking Him to help me live a life of thankfulness, in the way I live, and yes, behave.

Think about it. Don't you just LOVE when your kids or others close to you shower you with praises and thanks? Doesn't it make you all proud and edified in that moment?

God wants our thanks and praises more than anything else. So I do my best to give it to Him.

In the Old Testaments days they celebrated "Sukkot" or the Feast of Tabernacles. It was a time in which the people "celebrated the abundance of God’s blessings in connection with the ingathering of the fall harvest". It was much like our Thanksgiving now. (Well, in some ways...just without Cowboys football - which lately is more of a curse anyway.)

This Thanksgiving I take the time to list out all of those things I am thankful to Him for: big and small. Of course the obvious ones are salvation, Christ and God's grace. But even the little things He needs to know we appreciate.

You should do the same and share it like I have. I helps us all keep things in perspective. Here's mine:

my mom, dad and sister
my amazing, hot wife
my incredible kids
for having twins - identicals to boot
for allowing us to adopt a child
my grandmother
my cousins and all of my extended family, and our holiday gatherings!
my fun sister in law and both of my brothers in law
my great in-laws
my amazing friends (way too many to name! I am blessed beyond words in this dept)
my business partner who is like the only brother I have ever had
my days and experiences in Houston, DeSoto, Fort Worth, Arlington, Brownwood and now Mansfield
my wonderful church and the friends we have there
my loving, funny, down to earth pastor Randy
HPU and Baylor Universities
Delta Pi and all the fellas (you know who you are)
Club J and Outbreak Ministries
closing in on 20 years of working for myself
my new business that is booming after having to shut down a 10 year old business in 2011
my dog Sam that I miss very much
our 14 year old Terrier, Max for still being alive and kickin!
our newbie boxer Charlie who truly makes us laugh daily
sports! Cowboys, Rangers, Astros, Mavs, and Stars
sports talk and political talk radio!
pizza
quinns precious prayers at night
chaning the colors on the girls clock which drives them crazy, nearly every night
my iphone and all things Apple
movie nights with the kids
watching favorite shows with Julie
Hyatt Hill Country Resort in San Antonio
BBQ
Mi Tierra in San Antonio
steak and baked potatoe
Disney
for having Join.me and gotomeetings for online client sessions
Vacations and all of the amazing places I have gotten to see
my health despite my bad habits
technology that makes life fun and simplier
music - especially rock & roll, techno and jazz
my talents and skills
my wife's cake pops
Chocolate Cream Pies
ice cream
mexican food
for living in America
for living in Texas
Christmas (yes, even Santa)
South Korea
good movies
Minivans
TVO
satellite radio in my car!
our dependable and nice vehicles
my office being close to home
our wonderful house
our amazing planet to see and explore
corvettes
sex
the city of Mansfield
Chick FiLay and new one 1 mile away!
all of the business and professional connections He has given me
for "taking care of" those that purposefully hurt my business partner and I in 2009 and giving us the ability to forgive them when it was never asked for
for family nights at the Rangers Ballpark
downtown Fort Worth
canned cinnamon rolls
Galveston
my sisters fun kids!
LIFE cereal
milk
Dr Pepper and sweat tea
wine
Ted Dekker
cameras
my business clients now all over Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma
my senior business advisors in NC and AZ

I'll add more to the list as this weekend rolls along. It helps me realize just how good I have it.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Alfred Time at School

Since the girls were born Alfred has been a part of our lives. Alfred lives in our coat closet. On the top shelf. He does sleep allot but when he comes out he is usually quite comical in his old age.

Over the last few weeks the girls asked me to bring Alfred to school for a little story time. He obliged and I agreed to drive so it was a deal. Both Sidney and Chloe were ecstatic. I couldn't believe Alfred went for it either. What was he going to talk about or say?

Well, in both classes the kids were all giddy with excitement. The girls had told most of them about their little Alfred and how all of these years he had been a part of their life. The kids freaked out about his funny eyes, the story about him riding his motorcycle and bike and they all lost it when his glasses flew off.

Alfred's probably down for a long winters nap at this point after those two visits. Next up will be a visit to Quinn's class which will be interesting. He'll have to prepare himself for that one.

One day I know Alfred won't come out of his closet much and the kids will probably just laugh at the idea and say "oh dad....that's silly."

But I love Alfred. And always will.

An Election Education

It's election time and last night was our first taste of teaching about the election to the girls. They came home asking about who to vote for. They were having their own little election at school and truly believed they were about to decide this thing. The stress and pressure on their faces was funny. They truly didn't know what to do.

Obama or Romney..

After a quick lesson on taking a stand for God's values, they seemed to both lean towards Romney. Sidney was distraught and Chloe just likes Obama she said. It was cute.

We had to couch the election in terms of spiritual issues since trying to explain political issues even confuses us adults at times. Can you imagine....girls let's talk about capital gains taxes and the Bush tax cuts. How about Obamacare...

So we explained that both are nice men, but that as Christians we have to vote for the person that will protect babies and loves God and goes to church all the time like we do. Well, as you can imagine that lead to "does Obama hurt babies?"

Not an easy discussion, but we had to be honest. We told them some people are allowed to hurt babies and we can't vote for them because God wants us to protect babies but that they could vote for whoever they felt like they should vote for. 

They came home from school today and told us they both voted for Romney.

Whew.

I Love Being a Part of the Process!

Sports get me excited. But few things get me wind up like the US Election cycle every 4 years. It is truly amazing to watch our country go through this incredible 250+ year old system. Yea, it has its flaws but still. Tell me where it is better.

After all the pundits, polls, talk shows, and ads, it comes down to the vote.

Last night God allowed me to be a part of the process in a very unique way. He called me to lead a prayer rally for America called 600seconds on election eve. We did so 100s of people all over America joined in the live conference call. I hosted the event and walked everyone through about 700 seconds of prayer for the country covering a few topics I knew were close to God’s heart. My kids even listened in which was neat too.

I just love America. I live in Texas where it is always conservative in voting so I wanted to do more and this is what He called me to do. It was easy since He laid it all out for me and all I had to do was follow.

Now we can sit and watch what He does.

I believe by the end of the day we will see Mitt Romney as our new President.

Fellas and Forks 2012 Style

Over 20 years ago we created Spoons and laughed our butts off at our stupidity. Tonight we did the same with Forks. Only acorss the country.

Myself, Scott, Clint, David, Dave, Greg, RJ, Michal and a few others participated in the world premier of Revenge of the Forks in techno style. Using Facebook chat, a free tele conference line and live video streaming we collectively brought the worlds of New Jersey, Denver, Dallas and San Antonio together for about 40 minutes of good old times and a viewing of another stupid, yet funny movie.

I love my fellas - more than most of them will ever know. God how grateful I am to have and know each of them. Thanks for giving us each other.

What a fun night.

Sliced by the Knives 2020????? Hmmm????

History of Killer Spoons and Revenge of the Forks

In 1992 Scott Rinehart and Brady Speers were bored as college students at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas. With dad's video camera in hand, Brady decided something video based had to be done.

Attack of the Killer Spoons was the result and you can view it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKZbsbRYvEk&feature=share&list=PL41E4D98B58FA682E

Starting around midmight, the two collaborated for the next 6 hours on what would become an 8 minute horror classic born out of boredom.

With no iphones, digital cameras or digital software in hand Spoons took honest creativty, some silly use of props and viewer imagination. Yet, 20 years later it's a YouTube sensation with nearly 200 views.

In 2007, during "Fellas Weekend", the likes of Brady, Scott, Clint Locks, Ralph Jensen, Dave Curlee, David Tercek, Matt Sherman, Michael Harris, Greg Hightower and a few other faces launched on a rendition of a new horror classic to pay homage to Spoons, called Revenge of the Forks. Using the same creative approach and limited technology, the gang created what will certainly become the next YouTube sensation.

The film was completed in the fall of 2012, just a tad behind schedule. It debuts next week.

A preview is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN7JD9bySh4&feature=share&list=PL41E4D98B58FA682E

A live simulcast will be held next Thursday night. Detals on facebook.
Be afraid. Very Afraid.

First Baylor/Football Game

Saturday night we headed out to Waco with some friends of the opposing team and watched Baylor take on Sam Houston State. Floyd Casey Stadium is very old and a place I saw some games myself back in the 80s and again at school there in the 90s. But this was the kids first real football game of significance.

They loved it, up until the 3rd quarter when it was getting late and the boredom factor kicked in. The bands, cheerleaders, and Bear could only do so much.

It was a close game and Baylor sneaked out a close one, but years from now I hope they will remember it like I did with my dad.

Fun times.

Chloe and Sidney Turn 7 - Head for 1st Grade

I think this year it is really hitting Julie and I that our girls are getting older. My babies are fading away as little girls now take over with little teenagers just around the corner. Freaking us out just a little.

They turned 7 this last week and what a week it was. It started with a fun family dinner at Chili's the night before, then they had a "girls party" with their friends, followed by a family fun time at Babe's Chicken. Presents and fun times were at hand for sure and they sure were happy.

They are growing right before our eyes. First grade starts tomorrow.

Sigh.

Vegas

Have to admit. I love me some Las Vegas.

And if' you're like me, then you know what I mean. If not, well, you likely hate the place. It's usually one or the other.

For me Vegas is complete getaway. It's Disney World for 18+. So much to see. So much to do.

My first time was in 1999 with long time friend Greg...aka Grasshoppa. Since then, Vegas has been a near annual ritual and every single time the trip is different from the last. We already have our sites set on yet another casino hotel and things to do for next year.

If you have never been, put it on your bucket list. If you like fun, crowds, and action, you will be glad you did. Even peace and tranquility can be found at one of the amazing resorts. I know people that go, hit the pool and never even spend time on the rest of the Vegas. 

There's just so much to do. Magicians, concerts, impressionist, Freemont Street, amusement rides, incredible shopping, the Hoover Dam, amazing architecture, golf, mountains, comedians, the Strip, M&M World, beaches and pools, the animals at Monte Carlo, spas, freaks to watch, sounds, lights galore, clubs, games, and food you could not even begin to comprehend.

Is it sin city? Well, sure more is allowed to go on here than most places, but there are dance clubs, women in bikinis, strippers, escorts and drug parties all over Dallas each week too and yet we haven't packed up and moved. Vegas is just a city that's a little on the A.D.D. side.

I'm certainly not a big gambler, not a shark or a whale. I'm not a minnow either. I guess I could be considered a guppy. I love me a little craps and roulette, and every now and then some blackjack or a run at the slots. I've left more than a few bricks with my name on it over the years. Don't fool yourself, few come back "ahead". But that's not the reason to go there anyway.

For me it's all about the action and touching this crazy side of the world here and there. It gives me pause and helps me realize, I'm really not that weird. Then again, maybe I am which is why Vegas is so compelling.

Thankfully Julie likes to go too and we have friends that enjoy the grownup getaway. It's one place we can all go, let our hair down, and spend some of that money on us. We just got back from our 2012 trip in which we enjoyed 2.5 days of desert fun.

One thing to remember though. What happens in Vegas....gets tweeted and stays on Facebook.

First Family Road Trip – the Journey to Colorado

We always wondered just how this road trip thing would work for us. Three kids around the same age cooped up in a minivan for more than two days?

Well, surprise, surprise, we lived to tell the story.

My best friend and his family live in Denver, Colorado and it was time to get our butts up there to see them. After all, it was a week of 105+ temps in Dallas and summer was only going to get hotter, so why not?

Day one was Chick-Fi-La appreciation day 2012 (a story all unto itself that will truly make one gay reading it – by gay I of course mean, real happy). So we stopped at a location in Fort Worth around 1pm and a quick 1.5 hours later we were on the road to West Texas – sweet teas in hand. Julie was annoyed but we had to do our part – and, I wanted some nuggets.

Now, I have to say, the drive between Dallas and Amarillo is about as exciting as sitting near a grass growing plant. Actually, the grass factory might be a tad more exhilarating. It would be close. Anyway - holy cow. That is one long, boring stretch of highway. What made it even more exciting for me was my plan to listen to streaming audio files and the Michael Berry show out of Houston quickly vanished when I learned ATT doesn’t have data service along most of the entire drive in front of us. Very. Nice. Thanks ATT for the love you always find a way to show me. I had a big fat “E” (if I was lucky) instead of a “4G” most of the way to Colorado. I was not happy.

The only thing memorable was a small “wind farm” on 287, which was way cool by the way, and our dinner at the Big Texan in Amarillo. That is one neat place to eat and the kids loved it. It gave us a good break for sure. (Apparently we were in there at the same time long-time friends Bunky and Linda McMahon were there and somehow we did not see each other. They were on the way back from CO. Talk about small world. We literally passed each other in the night.)

Heading out from Amarillo we pushed our way late into the night and made it to Clayton, New Mexico, for our stay at a pretty nice Days Inn. I woke the kids up when we crossed over TexLine and made them stand in front of blinding headlights for a photo in front of the very low-budget “welcome to New Mexico” sign. Not sure they remember any of that and geez the sign did not feel welcoming at all. Spend a few bucks people. We finally crashed around midnight and were thankful our 8 hour journey for the day was over. The CFA ordeal and the dinner at BT cost us about 2.5 hours of unplanned travel time. We were tired mothers and the family was ready for some shuteye.

Day two the terrain got even more exciting (tongue firmly planted in cheek) as we pushed through eastern New Mexico. I have to say, outside of the very northern part of NM, that state ranks right up there with Kansas as far as appealing. Mars photos give it a run for its money. One interesting thing was this mountain looking apparition we drove past. I pointed it out to everyone and Chloe made the call saying “it looks like a volcano”. We quickly Googled it (yes it took 13 minutes but we finally got the returns loaded) and sure enough it was the Capulin Volcano. After that everyone quickly returned to their leapsters, drawing boards, or blank stares into the endless horizon of nothingness. Julie was drugged out of her mind with car sick meds (those long, straight roads can really get her going) and I was left counting cars coming the other direction, which I think totaled about…11 in four hours time. Some real fun.

After a brief pee stop in Raton, we headed north and about the time the landscape became something to look at, we had made it to the much nicer “Welcome to Beautiful Colorado” sign. We stopped, and of course ran into two Harley bikers from, where else but Tyler, and took photos and shared a moment with them. They even knew where Flint was…really?

After another quick pee stop in Trinidad, Colorado, (I think this time we made it 45 whole minutes), we started seeing some big mountains off to the west and realized our destination was coming into view. Our plan was to stop and visit the Royal Gorge then kick over to drive Pikes Peak. That was our plan anyway.

We made it into Pueblo and drove over to Canyon City, past the super max prison located there, and zigged our way over to the Gorge area. I had been there as a kid (thanks mom and dad!) and couldn’t wait to see it again and experience it with Julie and the kids. It’s just such a cool, high place. After doing the mini-train ride that takes you out along the gorge for a distant view, we headed to the bridge itself and wiped out a few more hours of fun at 1053 feet in the air (that’s over 100 stories). That bridge moves a little too. If you’re not careful and think about it too much, you might just kick up and run off screaming like a school girl. But I maintained my manhood and we walked the entire length, found the Texas flag and proceeded to discuss how there was no way in hell Julie was going to get me on the Skycoaster swing that swung over the gorge itself, which the proudly described as the scariest swing on Earth. One look at that up close and I was “I don’t even think so.” Of course this is my wife that rode the X-Scream coaster on the top of the Stratosphere at 1200 feet, in tears by the way. Quinn got a little queasy on the bridge too and the girls were half paying attention to what was even going on. They were in giggle mode most of the trip.

We took the incline tram down to the river bottom underneath the bridge and decided then and there that white water rafting was now on our family bucket list. What fun that looks like! Looking up at the bridge really brought back memories. I still have a photo I took when I was like 10 from down there. I took another at 42. It started thundering which made it even nicer. It even started raining which of course was a welcomed event for us. When we left TX it was 106. This 80 degree weather was a nice change to say the least.

I quickly realized as we were leaving that my Pikes Peak plan was toast. We still had a good two hour drive or more to Denver and it was already 5pm. I was a little bummed because I had told the kids all about us going up to the top of a very big mountain. Oh well. On the drive through Colorado Springs (that is one cool city!) and up I285 we ended up seeing 5 total rainbows and 2 double rainbows. (yes, I had the strong urge to post another YouTube “double rainbow” video, Brady style) but Julie insisted I keep driving for some reason. The sunset was amazing too. We were in love with Colorado.

We made it to southern Denver (technology sector) and ate at an eclectic Italian café and then headed to our La Quinta for the night. We caught up on the 2012 Summer Olympics and then went to bed. We had made it. A journey of over 800 miles that took us more than 20 hours. The kids were great and we were alive, plus we got our 4G back soon after entering the state. Go figure.

Day three was setup to be real special. We spent the morning driving through the Denver metro area and into downtown. Luck would have it we found ourselves at a red light with the Democratic Party on the corner beside me. What were the odds I asked Julie. I was so tempted….but I maintained control. Denver is such a nice city despite being more liberal than I like. Actually, living there might change things. I could do some real damage. Anyway, there are just so many cool things to do in the area and neat places to see. I love the sports complexes too. The Broncos stadium looks unreal. We have plenty on our list to do in our next trip there.

Our next step was to meet up with the Drew family for one special occasion. See, Peter and Amanda were strangers to us until earlier this year when we connected on Facebook regarding our adopted children. It turns out Quinn and their daughter Piper had the same foster mom (Mrs. Kim) in Korea…at the same exact time! We even had photos that had a girl in it that we had wondered about. Talk about a God thing! So, in essence Quinn has a “foster sister” and we got to meet her and her parents and older sister, Summer. We are now new friends for life that is certain! What a blessing to know them and have that history and connection!

After a nice visit with them, it was time to head out for lunch at Casa Bonita, a neat Mexican restaurant in Denver that is really geared towards kids. My parents took me as a kid and Julie and I visit back in 2004 when Clint and Alisa first got married and we were all still kidless. This place is over the top fun for the kids. Features shows, divers, fun caverns and walk ways, and more. The kids loved it too. Food was a tad better than Taco Bell, but that wasn’t the point.

Finally around 3pm we made it to the Locks house. Their town was so nice and their home was perfect. Most importantly we finally got to spend some much needed time together. The kids immediately bonded and picked right up where they had left off a year prior while us adults talked about the plans for the next few days. Soon we packed up the cars and drove up to El Dorado Canyon for some real rock climbing and outdoor fun. Clint and Alisa climb huge mountains all the time and Clint is a rock climbing instructor and former park ranger, so the kids were in good hands. Chloe, Quinn and Sidney, along with Bri and Addie of course, did about an 80 foot climb! The canyon itself was so peaceful it was almost surreal. We spent a few hours there just taking it all in and running around the canyon, the river and even some neat caves. I could have spent the night there…then again, Bigfoot certainly would have found me, so nevermind.

As dusk came upon us we headed from there into Idaho Springs for dinner at BeauJos – probably some of the best pizza I have ever put in my mouth, and most know that is A LOT of pizza. Seriously. I think it was reason number “9”, that by the end of the trip had grown to a reason list of “37”, for needing to move to the area. It was insane good. After sharing some toasts, we made the rest of the trip up I-70 to Silverthorn, where Alisa’s parents owned a neat condo. What a blessing they were to let us stay there at no cost. Their condo is like a slice of heaven nestled up against the Rockies. In…cred…di…ble.

Day four started out with amazing cool air to breath, humming birds in the windows, with a backdrop of the incredible Rockies off in the distance. A friend even commented on my facebook photo post “you’re killing me”. I smiled and muffled an evil clown laugh when I read it too. Poor fella.

The kids were already truly enjoying each other and were ready to have a big day. It sure was fun to see our little tikes enjoy each other. Generation to generation. Not sure there is anything more joyful to watch than seeing your kids enjoy your best friends’ kids. Way cool.

After breakfast, we prepped for a mountain hike near Buffalo Mountain up to Lily Pad Lake. It was about a 3 mile round trip journey at 10,000 feet. The day was just unreal weather wise and after an hour or so of some decent inclines and forest navigation, we made it. Things looked “squatchy” for sure. I was hoping to finally “find bigfoot” then yet again, I was certain he could have been watching us. At the lake we saw a beaver working on his home, some neat Jay birds and a family of ducks. Buffalo Mountain was in the background and it was just awesome. Colorado is just amazing this way, even if you find yourself out of breath all the time from just walking up 5 steps.

After recouping for a bit in the condo, we made our way down to the town of Frisco where we walked the streets, visited some historic log cabins and finally made it down to a local brewery for a good burger. We ended the day with a magic show put on by our little Chloe (yes, she is dead serious about this magician career she has going!) and watched Michael Phelps win his 22nd medal to end his career. History.

Seeing Clint and Alisa and their girls, Brianna and Addison, was certainly a highlight of summer 2012. It’s been over 20 years of friendship between him and me. To watch our kids play like best buddies and to get time to talk about parenting, life, God, and just be together made it worth it all. Standing on the roof of a parking cover that last night before we were to leave, Clint and I watched an amazing storm brew over the mountain tops that glistened with the colors of a Colorado sunset. It was just like us. It wasn’t Purina from the good old Howard Payne University days 20 years prior, but it was close. “You did good God”, Clint said. I agreed. He sure did.

Day five was our last day and I was excited to learn Clint had plans to lead us up to the top of Mt. Evans, via the Mt. Evans road – the highest mountain road in North America. My promise to the kids was gonna be kept! We were going up to the top of a BIG mountain after all. I just had no idea what was in store for my nerves and our little, paid-for Sienna. Oh my. The good thing was Clint prepared us by giving us a CD of "poop goes in the potty" to bang into our brains on the drive up. That was nice...

After stopping to see “Smokey the Bear” about half way up the mountain road, I became a little concerned when the road no longer had a middle stripe and one slip of the tire meant the family was going to see Jesus a tad earlier than expected. I think I cussed just a few times during some turns and wondered if I would need to change undies when we got to the top, but after 15+ miles of the most winding, scary road EVER, we made it. And wow, was it worth it! We were at 14,200 feet and words cannot even describe it. The mountain goats gave us some crazy looks but after a quick hike up another 300 feet, we were officially on top of one of the highest peaks in the continental U.S. I could have stayed there all day long too. Few families can say they have done that and in the words of “Judy Moody” it was certainly another 100 thrill points added to the summer totals.

The drive down was scarier than….well…. hell itself (that is really the best way to describe it – sorry) and despite nearly loosing it with the kids acting crazy behind me, we finally made it down - though I burned through a pair of lifetime brakes in the process – guess by lifetime they mean “Texas lifetime”. We made it back into the town of Idaho Springs and grabbed a last meal with the Locks at another quaint place called the Buffalo Bar. The sinking feeling of a 14+ hour road trip was giving me heart burn but the trip ended perfectly. The drive to the top of the world while cranking out some kids worship music just couldn’t be beat. What better way to enjoy a Sunday morning and end the summer vacation of 2012?

We said our goodbyes and made our way south around 4pm. Texas was home even with its flat, mountainless views and so I pushed everyone real hard and made it all the way to Amarillo around 1am. We tossed and turned all night until I finally had had enough and loaded everyone up into the van at 6:30am. By noon we were on the outskirts of Fort Worth and temps were giving us a big fat “welcome home”, hitting us in the face at about 102. Finally, at 1pm we pulled into the drive way knowing our two puppy dogs were desperate to welcome us back with kisses.

At one point during the weekend Clint and I found ourselves driving up I-70 into the mountains while the wives were in his car all alone talking it up. The kids were singing “jingle bells” and Clint and I both chimed in with a great holiday classic of our own to equal things out. A little later the silence kicked in as summer Christmas tunes faded away to tiredness and I looked over at my buddy and said: “If someone would have told us…’one day you both will be married to some hot women – one of you will be a teacher/mountain climber and the other a financial advisor. And one evening you will both be together in a MINI-VAN, with 5 kids that belong to you in the backseats, driving through the mountains of Colorado in your early 40s, singing “Silent Night” in early August, headed to a condo in Silverthorn for the weekend calling each other “dad” all weekend,’ what would we have said?”

I would have never beleived it and that just about describes it all.

We had survived and boy did we have some fun. We sure miss “beautiful Colorado”!

Life is Good. God is even better.


posted by Brady Speers. www.bradyspeers.net

Korea Camp 2012

There is a special mansion in heaven set aside for those involved with Dillon International, the adoption agency we used to adopt Quinn. What amazing people.

One of the things they do that most agencies fail at, is they offer tremendous post-adoption services and events, such as Heritage Camps each year. This was our first year to attend Korea Camp and boy are we glad we did.

Not only did Quinn get to be around other adopted, Korean children, we all got to learn more about Korea, meet new friends and help out during the camp.  The kids learned Korean words and songs, learned some Tae Kwon Do, cooked some Korean dishes, and played their hearts out for 3 days in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

To all of you that have donated to the "quinn fund" via Dillons website, a big THANK YOU for helping so many other kids find homes in Quinn's honor. I think we are up to helping more than 6 children at this point! If you want to donate, visit www.dillonadopt.com and select Quinn Fund when donating online.

Korea Camp will be something we will do our best to attend each and every year. So much fun and so neat to see Quinn with others like him.

Quinn Turns the Big Five!

Quinn turned 5 today. Incredible. We celebrate by heading to Tulsa, OK for his first ever Korea Camp, hosted by Dillion International, his adoption agency.

He is very excited and so are we as his birthday extravaganza will be in full swing. Talk about a big partee!

He is truly an amazing kid and growing like a weed, and man can he talk! LOL. We love you Q-ster!

Travel Map 2012

1. Phoenix, AZ, USA
2. Dallas, TX, USA
3. Houston, TX, USA
4. Galveston, TX, USA
5. New York City, NY, USA
6. Seoul, South Korea
7. Las Vegas, NV, USA
8. Napa, CA, USA

• Create your own travel map or travel blog.
• Find the best vacation rentals at TripAdvisor

Heart of Texas Proves Great Getaway

We have officially had our first 2012 summer getaway in the Heart of Texas near Lake Buchanan.

To celebrate the end of schoool, we, along with my sister's family, and my mom and dad, made the quick 4 hour drive to this remote destintation Friday morning for some outdoor fun.

We fished, swam, boated, cooked out, watched a few movies, and even climbed to the top of Enchanted Rock and did some cave exploration of sorts. Such a blast.

For a cheap, relaxing weekend, no place beats the Burnet area, just west of Austin. It is so beautful and it proves my point - there really isn't any place better than Texas! We got it all!

For more details visit here: http://www.highlandlakes.com/resort/

My Papa Jack

Every Memorial Day weekend, I make it a point to take the kids over to the little cemetery in Midlothain, Texas, so we can place a few small flags on my Papa Jack's grave.

Problem is our family lineage has a bunch of Jack's. George Jack, Charles Jack, Brady Jack, Jack Wroten Sr and Jr. Jack, Jack, Jack. All jacked up.

They get confused each year so I have to explain the same story time after time. My papa Jack died before they were born in 2004. He was their great Papa Jack. Their Papa Jack (Julie's dad, is still alive). Their other great Papa Jack died before there were born too (that's Julie's grandfather). Poor kids. Jacks running all over the place in their family history.

Regardless, I miss my papa. I really don't think a week goes by he doesn't come across my mind. I wonder alot at what he would think of his three great grand kids. His Asian grandson. What he would think of me and how I've done. I'm grateful beyond words that God kept him with us long enough to see me finally get married and get to know my amazing bride. He was probably wondering back in 2003 just what in the heck was wrong with me...

Papa served our country too which makes this weekend a perfect time to remember and reflect on his life and the lives of so many others.

Papa was the cornerstone of our family for decades married to my amazing Grandma Kat. He provided me with amazing childhood memories on his Ennis farm, taught me how to fish, garden, drive and even mow the fields. Underneath all of that was Grandma keeping everything in check, as she still does to this day.

I know Grandma can't wait to see him again on the other side as does my dad and the rest of us. Between now and then, we will continue to honor how he served his family and his country with our own little Memorial Day Weekend tradition.

Love you papa.

End of School Update - Kindergarten

Well, the first year of "official" school is wrapping up with summer plans ready to explode the household. So, I figured I would start a new annual tradition in summarizing the year for the kiddos.

All parents know how fast time flies. I was just listening to the radio this morning when one of my favorite songs came on and I was promptly reminded it was from 1997. Geez.

Next year Chloe and Sidney will start first grade, but this year was truly their first year at Smith Elementary and yes it was emotional. It's truly crazy that they are now "little girls" and not babies anymore. Walking them in that day was somewhat surreal and yet they were so excited. Our big girls were starting the 13 year journey full steam ahead and our lives which once were routine-less, were now 100% routine based. That's the part I really hate...

Sidney was in Mrs. Aan's class. Her friends in class were: McKenzie, Payton, Kenny, Kyle, Brady, and Charolette. Her favorite thing about school was "choice time", recess, popping a balloon (which they do every day), doing the calendar, having surprise lunches with daddy, mommy, and others, PE, and art and music too. Her favorite subject was "reading group". She is a great reader and ahead of most others. (She is reading this as I write it now). What she doesn't like about school is computer lab (boring), when she has a substitute teacher, and workout world and when people get in trouble. One of her favorite moments was when she got to go to her book buddies class and read with her. She was also "Star of the Week" which was fun!

Chloe was in Mrs. Butler's class (Julie's best friend). Her friends in class were: Jaeylen, Olivia, Daniella, Kaylon and Brooke. Her favorite thing about school was "choice time", popping a balloon, art and music and of course recess and PE and "free day" in gym. Surprise lunches were a hit as well. Daddy driving her to school was a hit and the race to give dad a hug first was a morning ritual. She loved when I walked them in too. She did not like computer lab or having a sub. She only liked Mrs. Butler. She was "Star of the Week" first and was super proud of her poster! One of her favorite days was when she got to go to her book buddy's class and have snacks and her book buddy took her order.

Their combined best friend was no doubt - Lilan!

Both of the girls are somewhat reserved in class but have certainly come a long way in not being as shy. Chloe is a true comic and getting laughs out of everyone, and Sidney is like a little mother to those around her making sure every one is ok. Both of their teachers rave about them which makes Julie and I smile from ear to ear. We were blessed to have two of Julie's friends be their first year teachers!

It was a highlight of my week as their daddy to take them nearly every day to school and either walk them in or drop them off and wave bye. We either did it the "new fashioned" way or the "old fashioned" way depending on where they wanted me to drop them off.

They truly love school and it's a joy watching them grow and learn. They both told me they are going to miss their teachers this summer and that lunch time will no longer be at 10:30!! Next year is 1st grade and we are all excited about this new step. But this year was sure fun and a true "learning" experience.

Quinn finished up another year at Ridge Kids pre-k and he has one more before he enters kindergarten. We are holding him back a year since he was born 6 weeks early. He loves school too and is doing well, though he is one active, never-sits-still child! Smith Elementary better get themselves ready for this one...his charm, smile and activeness is gonna rule the day!

For now, we enjoy another summer and get ready for the next year...

Quinn's Forever Family Week...

Thought life was an adventure? Try having a family! Then adopt a child! Now THAT is truly an adventure and for us, our ride kicked into a new gear when we traveled to Korea to bring our son, Quinn, home in 2008.

This week we celebrate Quinn's "Forever Family Day" aka "Gotcha Day" to some though we don't like that term. It is the week in which we met him and he officially became a part of our family, forever. What an amazing journey and story it was and still is! From the first time we discussed the idea of adoption, to the day we landed back home with him in our arms, was one of the most amazing times in our lives.

Quinn was known by those who cared for him in Korea as "Mr. Smiley". He still is. He lights up a room with his Santa-like twinkle and his happiness is contageous. What an amazing example of the light of God in a dark, dark day.

Here in 2012, it is hard to believe how fast it is all going. He is now nearly 5 and his twin sisters are 6 and headed into first grade in just a few months. Life needs to slow down.

Adoption is one of the greatest gifts you can not only do for a child in need of a family, but it is one of the greatest events you can give yourself.

Quinn has a forever family and we have a forever Quinn.

Embrace, life is an adventure!

Thank you Lord for Quinny, our little pooh.

A Cowboys Ticket Holder Resigns

(sent to a Cowboys season ticket official from a ticket holder and fan)

I am greatly troubled at yet another poor season. As you know, I made it clear earlier this year that this was what I was afraid of and I predicted this was what we would get despite all of the hype Mr. Jones was giving us about the new Garrett regime but in the end I bought his spin as I have for years. I could send you a letter that was pages long, but knowing it would likely be a waste of my time, I will spare you my thoughts in detail.

However, I will say this, the Dallas Cowboys are a terrible 120-120 over the last 240 games. We have had just 5 seasons of 10 or more wins, only a handful of playoff appearances and only ONE playoff win since 1996. That’s 15 years of mediocre product. I no longer have any desire to pay for above priced tickets, outrageous parking and over priced concessions to get in return an average or below average product. Mr. Jones has made horrible business decisions these last 15 years as the GM and this is one fan that is tired of paying for it.

We have been a season ticket holder or suite renter since 2004, but 2011 will be our last year. I will not be paying for our seats in 2012. So before I am insulted with an invoice for 2012, just days after watching this terrible season come to an end, please make a note on my account that my tickets are available to someone else that wants to give Mr. Jones their money.

This is nothing personal of course, but I am not paying for Mr. Jones’ terrible product anymore.