2013 Was One of the Best, But Ready for 2014

This year was full of hospital visits, a 10 year anniversary, lots of good business, fun trips (Atlanta, Vegas, Galveston, Disney World), and numerous family events. Kids are good - Quinn started elementary this year, business is good and life itself has marched on with some ups and downs. Dad had a stroke but is doing very well and all three kids got saved this fall, so those are more important than anything!

I am excited about 2014. My two main goals are to lose 40lbs and to get my series 65 license. Other than that we hope to stay healthy, serve God as best we can, enjoy more time with friends, have a few trips again this year, pay off a few more smaller debts and save for the future.

God is good! Bring on 2014!!!

Trip to Disney Was..Well, What Else?...Magical

God willing this won't be the last time we go as a family to Disney, but it might certainly be our best. I love nothing more than traveling with my wife and kiddos. Creating memories which other in neat places is the greatest of investments in their lives in my view. My parents did it for me so I am honored to be able to pass that tradition on.

We spent the week before Thanksgiving in the magical world of Disney. Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM). It was unreal.

We walked into the Contemporary Resort on property and won the Family of the Day upgrade and ended up spending the week in the Penthouse on the top floor. That about says it all. It was insane. So much to write, I just can't get it all in.

But in summary, here is how we spent our days.

Day One:
Arrived around 12 and took Disney Magic Bus to Resort
Won Contemporary "family of day" upgrade - ended up in 14th floor penthouse for the week (worth about $5,000!)
Magic Kingdom for the afternoon:
Barnstormer,  Stitch's Great Escape, Dumbo, Mermaid Under the Sea (new Fantasyland),  dance party in Futurama,  tons of character signatures,  took boat over to Hoop Dee Doo review dinner in Wilderness Resort

Day Two:
Breakfast at Contemporary Cafe
Disney Bus to Hollywood Studios for day:
Star Tours 3D ride (twice), Muppet 3D show,  Honey Shrunk Kids amazing playground,  Julie rode Rocking Roller Coaster,  finally found Mickey for signature, Toy Story Mania ride (wow!), characters, Disney Jr. (Doc McStuffins) stage show, dinner at Giordano's in town
Back to Magic Kingdom for Light parade, Wishes light show and fireworks
Travel fiasco getting back to resort (we learned that taxi is way to go if staying late or rent a car)

Day Three:
Breakfast at Floridian - saw Tigger, Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins
Magic Kingdom all day:
Aladdin carpet ride, Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain (twice), Bell's Castle show, Haunted Mansion, Buzz Light Year ride, It's a Small World, Astro Orbiter, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Tea Cups, met Talking Mickey
Taxi to Downtown Disney: saw Santa, ate at Wolfgang, shopped World of Disney

Day Four:
Disney bus to Animal Kingdom: rode Primeval Whirl, Dinosaur ride, Kilimanjaro Safari (unreal cool), Flying Dino, Tusker House lunch with Donald, Goofy, Daisy, and Mickey, It's a Bug Life show
Then to Magic Kingdom again:
Disney train, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain again
Taxi back to Hollywood Studios for Christmas light show
Taxi to Epcot: Nemo ride,  Turtle Talk show,  Illuminations light show
Taxi back to resort, watched Wishes from Lounge then Water Show Parade from our balcony
*** all four parks in one day (did this because we had matching shirts and wanted photos from each entrance to each park)

Day Five:
packed up to leave, breakfast at Wave restaurant in hotel
Disney Monorail to Epcot for the day:
found our Legacy stone etchings from 2003, Test Track ride (way cool), Soarin' (OMG), Nemo one more time, took boat over to Germany and Italy, had lunch at Tutto Italia, more character signatures, rode Gran Fiesta boat ride, Figment ride, monorial back to hotel.
Taxi to Airport, then home. :(
Our favorite things this time:
- Star Tours
- Test Track
- Talking Mickey visit
- Fireworks from lounge at hotel
- Safari Tour
- Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster
- Soarin' ride
- Splash Mountain log ride
- Toy Story Mania
- Barnstormer kids coaster
- Character meals (Grand Floridian, Tusker House at Animal Kingdom)
- Hoop Dee Do Revue dinner show
- Downtown Disney (saw Santa)
- Lounge at our Resort
- Primeval Whirl
- Dinosaur
- Winnie the Pooh ride
- Turtle Talk with Crush
- Astro Orbitor ride
- Dinner at Giordanos
- "Dreams" Castle light show
- Christmas light show at Hollywood
- Christmas décor everywhere
- Our amazing penthouse hotel room @ the Contemporary Resort

Vacations in general are important to us. I gotta have them. We gotta have them. We have been fortunate to have been to many places but many more must be visited as far as I am concerned. But in light of all the places and trips we have taken this one tops them all. Disney is just over the top perfect.

What makes it Magical?

Location - 80s in late November, really?
Rides - for all ages each with a Disney story to make it special
Perfection - no one does it better than Disney
Characters - is anything cooler than Mickey?
Fun - if you can have more fun as a family somewhere else I need to know about it
Cleanliness - you can eat in the bathrooms there it's so clean
Shows - fireworks, parades, stage shows, music, dance clubs, lasers, you name it
Variety - four different parks make each day special

If you haven't been to Disney World....go. Save, steal, borrow, do what you must. You will thank me. As for me, I've been twice as a kid and three times as an adult; twice now as a family. I certainly plan and hope we go at least once more before the kids won't think it's cool anymore.

We already miss it.


 ,

Kids Are Saved and Baptised

For years now our kids have been learning about Christ and what it means to be saved from our sins. We all screw up every day and we all want to spend eternity heaven. However, unrighteousness cannot coexist in heaven with holiness. Therefore, we remain separated from a holy God because of our screw ups (sin). Our kids - all three of them - totally get this.

Monday, October 7th Quinn, Sidney and Chloe all decided they wanted Jesus in their hearts. They prayed the prayer of faith and all three got saved that night as we led them to Christ right in our own home.

We had talked about it intently for days and I made sure they all three understood what it would mean. Quinn as little as 6 years old almost seemed to get it more than the girls. "We are separated from God because of our sin, dad, and to get back to God we have to believe in Jesus" he told me one night. Chloe was adamant about getting it done right away. She wanted Jesus in her heart to help her not be scared about things, to save her and to be close to her. Since then she hasn't dealt with one nightmare either. Just a side note. :) Sidney wanted to make sure she got to go to heaven and wanted Jesus to live in her as well.

Sunday they joined their cousin Kelsey and got baptized by our amazing Pastor, Randy Weeaks. Our church has played a huge role in their lives and in their understanding of who God is and how He loves us all. What a glorious time for my family and the day before my birthday too!

I made my confession of faith in Jesus when I was just 11 in the town of Pearland, Texas. I don't know the exact day and frankly I don't recall my baptism much either. I struggled with it for years and ended up recommitting my walk to Christ when I was 14 at Super Summer in Denton, Texas. That I clearly remember. However, my original salvation experience is foggy not because it wasn't real, but mainly because there isn't much around to remind me of it or to recall it all by. Times were different. Few cameras, no video, no Facebook, etc. I have a Bible somewhere with the date. I knew then that I needed Jesus to save me.

Christ only asks us to have a child like faith. As we get older we tend to think we know it all, don't need God and have a handle on it all. How sad.

Jesus died for you as well as for me. My kids get it and now Julie and I can rest at night knowing we will spend eternity with those we love the most - Chloe, Sidney and Quinn.

Thank you God for keeping it simple enough for a 6 year old child to understand.

#salvationdayoctober07

Speers Financial Group

I Sold Health Insurance - I Know Why Obamacare Will Fail

In all of the debate going on about Obamacare, few are talking about the REAL reason it will fail. It's simple math actually.

For over a decade I owned a company that sold health plans to people without insurance. Our target audience were the self-employed and the small business employee without healthcare. The 30,000,000 uninsured we hear all about.

We spoke to thousands a week and out of those, we would sell only a handful a day. 

Here is what we learned from those millions of uninsured that simply wouldn't buy from us no matter what we offered:

- people don't want to pay for anything - they want free health insurance
- people feel like it should be given to them and it is a right to have
- people have no urgency to buy
- young people (under 40 without a family) didn't care about being insured
- many young families could careless too because they would simply visit their local ER
- if they did buy, they wanted the best health plan on the market for about $1 a day...for the family
- people would pay their cell phone bills way before ever thinking about spending it on health insurance
- lots of people didn't seem to care that their family was at risk of financial ruin or lack of care without it

These are the very people Obamacare MUST HAVE to work and I will sit back and laugh while this fails miserably. Why?

See, for health insurance to work, it must be based on a pool of people - both healthy and unhealthy, young and old. The young healthy people pay premiums for care they never use. This revenue is then used to pay the claims turned in by the older, unhealthy policy holders.

Without them the entire system collapses and that is exactly what is about to happen here. 

They are foolish to think that young people are suddenly going to run to the exchanges, plunk down their credit cards and pay even as a little as $100 a month for any type of health care, when they have no fear of a small tax fine, are healthy and see no need for it, and assumed that it was going to be free anyway. Heck, I know people (some friends even) who are in the 40s who don't have health insurance and don't seem too worried about it.

Only some of those (and I do mean some) that qualify for government subsidies, that result in ALMOST FREE health care, will sign up. But again, why? Even a $50 a month plan is $50 that takes away from movie night, dinner or dates.

It simply isn't going to work people.

Think I am wrong? You just wait. Now the government will lie to us about how many people are signed up (and they already are) and they will merely bury the costs to us tax payers. But the reality is, we talked to these people everyday and I remember one specifically telling me back in 2009 - "I'm just gonna wait for my free Obamacare".

Yep, that's the nature of a majority of these uninsured.

My Kids Are Saved

For months now our three kids have been asking lots of questions about faith, God, and the realities of sin. They get it.

After church on Sunday all three of them made it clear to me that they understood the need for Jesus and wanted to ask him to save them.

In one of my favorite passages in the Bible Jesus said this: "And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:2-4 ESV)

Jesus doesn't ask that we have it all figured out. He simply demands that we believe. Plain and simple. Either you need Jesus because you are not perfect and have sinned, or you don't need him because you are perfect and never have sinned.

My kids at 6, 8 and 8 completely get this...at their level.

They said the prayer of salvation last night with Julie and I.

"Jesus, I believe in you. Please live in my heart and forgive me of my sins."

Can it be any easier?

Romans 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

My kids have started their journey of faith. Praise God my kids are saved!

IPhone4 vs. Galaxy4

Ok, so you know by now I made the leap after YEARS of being an iPhone addict, of crossing the picket line and changing to the Galaxy4. This is my honest attempt at sharing my thoughts on the G4 coming from someone as a true Apple iPhone lover. My love for Apple remains strong, though this certainly has diminished it some, along with Apple's continued failure to give us what we want, which is MORE.

Before I get started: Now, I know the iPhone 5 is about to come out, but knowing Apple, it won't be the big jump up all of us Apple people hope for - as we do each and every time they tease us with the next one.

So let me keep it simple and break it down. Some of you after reading this will likely want to jump over as I did, others should probably stay where you are.

* No doubt the G4 using the Android is VERY much like an iPhone in many ways.
* The galaxy does take some tweaking of screens, settings and apps to get it to mimic what you are used to with an iPhone but it can be done. Took me about 5 days and then I felt like I had a bigger, better iPhone in my hands.
* The iPhone remains the more simpler of the two - the G4 is like having a small computer in your hands.
* G4 is hard to get used to because it is so much bigger. But in this case bigger is WAY better once you adapt. It almost feels like a tablet with phone capacities.
* G4 uses a few "return" and "more options" type buttons on the bottom portion of the home screen, on either side of the home button and with big fingers it takes a while to adapt to hitting them correctly. This is my only decent gripe.
* G4 allows for an SD card! Need I say more????
* G4 allows for folders and files to be managed much like in Windows. Very cool.
* G4 is much faster in everything - from uploads, downloads, connecting, etc. Big time improvement.
* G4 is more complex, but it also offers more options and control. From emails, to files, to photos, you have options much like you do on a computer - file, print, edit, etc. Way more than the iPhone.
* If you LOVE iTunes, you will not like the Galaxy. I personally am sick of Apple and iTunes controlling my life and making things complicated like they have with the new version of iTunes.
* Android uses Google and Google will also try and take over your life (much like Cloud can) when you first set up the phone. My suggestion is when setting it up the first time to pay attention and disallow most of the Google options or you will spend hours undoing things you might not have wanted. If you are a ALL THINGS GOOGLE lover this will be perfect for you. Personally, I use Google to search and that's about it. I made my the G4 comply with that.
* G4has a weaker battery - BUT, it charges very fast and, most importantly, you can have a backup battery for about $30! Huge bonus for those on it all day like me. I already bought mine in it's own charging case. No more sitting by a wall with it plugged in.
* G4 camera is 10x the iPhone camera. I mean BIG TIME difference. And way more options built into the normal camera app.
* One thing I love is I now can be free of iTunes and buy my music however and wherever I want - including iTunes on my PC. I simply load the files up on the phone and use an app much like iTunes to organize it all. Love this.
* G4 has widgets that are pretty cool and make those phone more fun and more like a tablet.
* the keyboard screen is not very good, but downloading SwiftKey solves that problem and makes it about 95% like the iPhone keyboard, but with more options such as what I call "swipe typing" which is very fast!
* Android has very cool app feature - much simpler to me and lots of great options. At this point Android pretty much has 99% of all apps you would use on iPhone. Only missing one for me so far and it was no big deal.
* G4 is very thin and very light. Much lighter in fact.
* Clarify of screen is unreal.
* No more connecting to a computer to update or backup things. All done automatically all the time.

Draw backs -
- more complicated, takes a while to get used to
- larger, same as above
- screen is more sensitive than iPhone - you touch it something happens
- the phone app/screen (making calls) is more involved than IOS and that is something I am still not quite used to. You have more options with G4/Android but some of the way it handles calls are annoying. The iPhone is a little more intuitive for sure. But then again, Android allows you to BLOCK calls instantly which is another feature I love.

Overall, for business people, or those that use their phone all the time for a variety of apps and tasks, no doubt I am glad I made the leap. If you just use the phone to update Facebook and make calls, you might wanna hang tight.

If Apple ever gets with it I could come back. But for now, after a week of frustratingly getting used to it, I can say I love it.

Summer 2013 Ends, School Begins

Have to admit. It was a fun, crazy summer. Isn't that what all kids hope for?

Ours certainly fit the bill of Judy Moody. We got lots of points on this one. Ours included two trips, one to Galveston and another later to Atlanta. We missed Korea Camp (bummer of the summer for sure) but hit a Rangers game, Camp Thurman, VBS, two birthdays, a few movies (Monsters, Smurfs, Despicable Me2) Hawaiian Falls, visits to both sets of grandparents, a 5 day hospital stay, pool swimming, a mother random things like Cowboys open practice at ATT Stadium. Overall, it was incredibly busy and fun - minus the salmonella scare with Quinn of course.

Somehow in the midst of all of this I managed to work and had a great summer from that perspective and in the end Julie and I escaped for a relaxing weekend in Vegas. Aria Resort is holy cow, amazing FYI. Found our place at there for sure.

In some ways I am dreading the early mornings and school routine. Yet, in others I am excited because the fall is my favorite time of year. Bring on some football!

Next summer is less than 10 months away!

Identical Twins Are 8 - All That We Now Know

Happy birthday to the loves of my life; Chloe and Sidney.

I still get choked up when I think about that scary start to their lives 8 years ago. TTTS nearly took its toll, but God had His angels over them and here we are 8 years later enjoying so much together.

I wondered myself what being parents of twins, especially identical twins, would be like. We aren't experts yet by any imagination, but for those of you curious, here are some tidbits.

Yes, they are very much the same. They like to eat the same things, drink the same things and do the same things - but they do wear different out fits most of the time.

Yes, they finish each others sentences.

Yes, they have their own words and languages.

Yes, they CRACK each other up leaving us all wondering "what the heck?" (they laugh just like the chipmunks and that is no joke. We all end up dying laughing.)

Yes, they are crushed when they are away from each other and we have learned that this is our best form of punishment.

Yes, they have other friends but do struggle making more.

Yes, they are two different people and have many differences - Sidney has always been our little mommy and Chloe is our comedian (and magician).

Yes, they get annoyed with being asked "are you twins?".

Yes, they do fight, but very, very rarely.

Yes, they will probably share the same room forever and nearly had a heart attack when I suggested otherwise.

Yes, we sometimes call them the wrong names 8 years later in a quick glance. 

Twins are unique for sure, but identical twins are even more rare. It is fun to watch, but certainly we will never understand them completely. I get how identicals many times live their entire lives by each other until the day they die. Identicals in many ways are like one person split into two. They didn't just share the womb, they were literally "one" from day one. Their bond is amazing and frankly, nearly scary. Their love is neat to watch and their conversations are entertaining to spy on.

I know it won't be long and my babies will be headed off to college - 8 got here way to fast and I know 18 will seem like a blink. But being parents of these little people remains an honor and joy.

Thank you God for giving us such a blessing.

Georgia, Sweet Georgia

Been home about 12 hours and can't sit still.

That was one fun vacation! Georgia rocks - literally.

No idea that a last minute trip, with little planning, could turn out so great. Indeed it was.

Our family likes to try and check out a new city each year. Of course we have already explored the likes of those close by over the years: Dallas, Houston and San Antonio and Orlando area was in 2011. But, now that the kids are a little older and flying is easier we plan to step it up. Originally it was going to be a road trip to St. Louis, but medical issues changed that and Atlanta was on the list so...

Here is a breakdown of our 6 day/5 night stay via Facebook:

Day One Vaca: travel to ATL, eat @ Truetts Grill (ahh yea), drive to Stone Mountain Park and chill poolside at Evergreen Marriott Resort, then movie in the room. — feeling blessed.

Day Two Vaca: breakfast by the "mountain", learn mountain activities are closed all week, feel like Chevy Chase, rearrange entire week, spend day at Six Flags GA instead, wrap up with meal @ Longhorn Steakhouse. — feeling proud.

Day Three Vaca: Hit Museum of Natrl Science, Varisty drive-in, then amazing World of Coke, walk through Olympic park, got drenched going to Target, took photos at Turner Field drove all over ATL area and then dinner @ local Buckhead fav Varasanos - all in the rain. — watching Disney Channel.

Day Four Vaca: CNN tour (worlds tallest escalator), very emotional lunch at the first ever CFA (DwarfHouse), GeorgiaDome drive-by, then nothing compares Georgia Aquarium!, drove all over ATL area again and dinner at "DinersNDives" hit Flip Burger Boutique! — feeling tired.

Day Five Vaca: amazing weather for Stone Mountain Day! What an incredible place: ride to the top was cool and on top you could see for-ev-er! Had photo session there too. Rope climbing with the kids was the highlight for sure. We are worn out and ready for home. Missing the dogs...

Day Six Vaca: leave freaking early as heck for 720 flight home - eat Whataburger on way to house - yummy - think about GA -- feeling satisfied

Summary:

* Original CFA (Dwarf House) - must for any CFA fan
* Truett's Grill - yum
* CNN Tour - way cool
* Georgia Aquarium (world's largest) - no words!!!
* Museum of Natural History - seen better honestly meh
* Stone Mountain and Stone Mountain amusement area - no doubt must do
* Flip Burger
* Varsity Drive In - oh yea
* Olympic Park - very cool
* Turner Field
* Georgia Dome
* World of Coke - cool as heck!
* Six Flags over GA - very clean, shaddy and tons of fun
* Buckhead area
* Amazing drives in trees and hills

Only sad thing was we did not get into the new CFA tour! Dislike! Apparently a 3 week waiting list. Yikes.

In short, no idea ATL area would be so fun and so kid friendly. Need a place to take kids for a long weekend or week long trip? Plenty to do and the area is nice, clean and friendly. Trees and hills galore too. GO!

It was a pleasant surprise and right now sits just below our trip to Disney!

Salmonella Won't Stop Us - Headed on Family Vaca!

Now that Quinn is over his hospital stay and illness, we are finally ready to head out for our family vacation next week. We had to change plans because he has an IV now so we are headed to another city on the list: Atlanta! And we will be staying at Stone Mountain and enjoying the ATL area: original CFA, Truetts, Olympic Park, Aquarium and the works.

Here we come!

Boy do we need it.

Summer Plans Make Left Turn

Well, so much for that.

Thanks to an unexpected bought with Salmonella, our summer just came to a crashing stand still. Quinn came down with it this last week - 5 solid days of big time food poisoning. Sick beyond words. Finally ended up in the hospital where I am typing this.

No Korea Camp. No birthday party. No vacation...so far.

Right now our focus is getting him well. This is likely to take a week or longer too, And, even more money going to Cooks of course.

Once we get past it, hopefully we will still have time to get our trip in to St. Louis.

Bummed. But, it could always be worse.

God is good.

Korea Camp 2013, Quinn Turns 6, and then Saint Louis Vacation

Summer 2013 is in mid-stride and the next 10 days are gonna be some fun for the Speers clan.

First we head to Tulsa, OK, for our 2nd annual Korea Camp - a great time to celebrate Quinn's heritage with others that look just like him. The girls in this case get to be the minorities and they love it.

Quinn will also turn 6 during our time away. Yes, 6! Incredible to me. Mr. Smiley is running into a little man.

Finally, we head up to Saint Louis to wrap up the summer fun with a vacation in the heartland. Can't wait to see The Arch, the brewery, the zoo, the magic house and children's museum. Gonna be a blast. I am bummed that the world's largest McDonalds on Route 66 is closed for renovations. We planned to stop there until we heard that.

We head out soon!

My Latest in my Faith-Based Series

My latest in my Faith-Based-Nation series. http://faithbasednation.blogspot.com/2013/07/if-not-for-christians-we-wouldnt-be.html

Life as We Know It is About to Change

We no longer have a moral compass.

Essentially the SCOTUS ruled yesterday that the Federal Govt cannot pass laws that have their basis on the moral values of the day. Get ready....this will open the flood gates of issues being brought to them - polygamy, drug use, prostitution, pedophilia - it's all coming. Remember this post when your brain is about to explode in the future when you watch this happen...

Our nation was founded on the basis that the Bible was our moral guide: no murder, no lying, no stealing, no homosexuality, no cheating on your wife, etc - you know - basics. Well, those days are certainly long gone. Without a moral compass hell will now rule.

Growing up in Christian home I was taught all my life what the end times would like - and I am staring it in the face.

Regardless of whether you believe or not, it only makes common sense to protect us from each other that we would have some moral guide else chaos ensue. Ripping that foundation from the fabric of our nation is gonna bring on the freak show of the century. They are likely already lining up at attorney doorways all over the nation even as I write this.

God help us all and let me suggest this:

You don't have to believe in God to be wrong. Get yourself right with Him immediately.

 

1st Annual 80s Bash a Blast

We love to have parties at our home. We love our friends. Most of the time worlds collide because we have people from all walks of life that we are friends with all over the Metroplex and even farther. Friends from college, parents of our kids friends, business, and various churches including our own. Such a great group of people. Julie and I chose a house plan that would accommodate parties. We dreamed it would be a place of fun and fellowship and 10 years later it certainly has been. From the summer bashes, to Cowboys parties during the fall it is our way of giving back.

Friday night was another new tradition - the annual 80s karaoke costume party. Guests include MC Hammer, Madonna x2, Rob Smith of The Cure, George Michael, Professor from Back to the Future, Goonies, Mr T, a Ghostbuster, and many more. What a blast. The night was full of some horrible singing and dancing for sure, but it was a great time.

It's hard to believe now many great songs there were in the 80s. We didn't even touch 5% of the hits. I can't believe we are all old enough to consider them "classics". Wow.

Next year it should be even bigger and better. I already have my character figured out...

Friend's Death a Reminder of Life

Last Sunday, Father's Day, a college friend of mine was killed by a reckless, teen driver that may have been loaded up on alcohol. Brian Jennings was a dedicated Christian, youth pastor, husband and father of three. He is gone forever, but his legacy and spirit live on and God will use this event more and more each day.

At his funeral I was reminded of a few things:

1. Life is way to delicate to hide behind social media and email rather than actually taking the time to spend with dear friends. Sadly it took a tragedy for some of us to actually see other. This has to change - in honor of BJs death.

2. God calls us all to a purpose and we only get one life to live - so live it. Stop messing around and make each day count.

3. As Dr. Rainey said, on the freeway of faith there are exits we can take at any time. Too tired? Take the next exit and quit if you want. But BJ reminded us through hard times, we can't give up. We must seek to find God's plan for our lives and live every day like it is our last.

4. Our world is getting crazier by the day. How does a 16 year old have TWO PRIORS for DWI???!! Love those close to you and hug them daily.

BJ, we love you my friend and know you are doing some Hammer Time right now. Hold us a seat and enjoy the show. We all who believe will join you in the blink of an eye!

For more about the accident you can read here:

http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2013/06/tarrant-county-identifies-four-people-killed-12-others-involved-in-fatal-burleson-area-accident.html/

posted Brady Speers

Summer 2013 - Fun Times and PreK Over

Quinn finished PreK last week. We now have no kids in PreK. After 4 years of taking kids down to RidgeKids each week, this stage in life is over. The girls wrapped up 1st grade, which is always a milestone in my mind and now head to 2nd grade. They both got reading awards last week in their little ceremony. Sidney was #2 in the entire 1st grade and Chloe was #1 in her class. All three of our kids are smart as heck and love school.

It also means the end to the "Who's Gonna Win" game between Chloe and Sidney each morning in my car as I took them to school. I am sure we can create something else fun for the 30 second drive for all three of them as Quinn will join the gang at Smith Elementary.

We are looking forward to a fun-filled summer. Lot's of simple things planned along with a few family getaways. We plan to head to Galveston for our annual beach bash and make a trip out to San Diego later this summer. In between we have VBS, Korea Camp in Tulsa, Six Flags, Hawaiian Falls, grandparents visits, parties and big birthdays as Quinn will turn 6 and the girls will be 8.

Time is flying, but we are hanging on and enjoying every second of it.

Life is Good and so is God.

- Brady

10 Years and Counting

We've made it. 10 years.

Wow.

So much has transpired since we met in 2001 it is not even funny. Kids, dogs, houses, businesses, trips, churches, friends, careers, family, current events, politics, you name it. The last 12 has been crazy and being married for 10 of them has been wild.

What has been our secret? Don't make molehills into mountains. Fighting is pointless and justs wastes energy and time. We've had about 3 fights in 10 years. We simply don't do it. Sure we get mad from time to time, but we just move on. Too much to do and enjoy to mess with it.

Our faith is certainly the center point of who we are as invididuals and as a couple and boy have we needed it this last 10 years.

I could write on and on about it all, but I will simply say this. We love each other greatly and nothing is better than being with someone that accepts who you are. Some of you out there know exactly what I mean. Hopefully the rest of you one day will.

To all our family and friends who have been with us on this journey. Thanks. We love you each dearly.

Here's to another 10....cheer, cheer.

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

Forever Family Day Was Wild 5 Years Ago

It was a wild morning five years ago today in Seoul, South Korea - the day our son Quinn became a part of our family, forever.

We had spent that week in Korea and had already met him a few times just to get aquainted and warm things up for us all, but this was the morning we would take him from the arms of his amazing foster parents and life would change for us all.

Korean culture was such that walking around Korea with him in our arms would likely create some unwanted stares, comments and such so the orphanage there requested that we meet at the crack of dawn the morning of our flight home, pick him up and quickly head to the airport. It was so surreal. After days experiencing Korea, the time was finally here.

We met his foster mom and dad (the Kim family) as they brought him down to the street level of the building. Their eyes were bloodshot from tears. We had been prepared how hard this moment would be for everyone. His amazing foster mom had fostered more than 20 kids including a little girl at the same time she had Quinn (which we met last year in Denver, CO) but each time she got so attached. I could not imagine giving up a puppy after 7 months much less a child you had cared for to some strangers that were headed to the other side of the world! It was gut wrentching and soon our tears were flowing too.

Quinn kind of had a blank stare on his face. It was early in the morning and he really had no idea what was going on. Plus, he was only 7 months old.

Dr. Kim and the ESWS staff  said their good byes and prayed over us as well. We weren't ready to leave yet but time was at hand. Crying, we all hugged, bowed in respect and waived good bye as Julie, Quinn and I jumped into the back of the taxi and drove out into the Seoul morning traffic.

Quinn had a family - forever.

15 hours later we arrived home and became a family five.

God is good.