Going to Disney World Soon? Read This

If you are one of the lucky parents blessed to take your family do Disney World in the future...below are some quick thoughts on what we learned regarding going with young kids.

- Prepare yourself to walk more than you can imagine carrying your kids alot of the time! Buy GOOD tennis shoes...I bought cheap ones and paid for it!

- Go in January or April. We've been both times and it's a totally different experience when there are NO LINES to speak of! Time is valuable and spending them in long hot lines is not fun...

- Use strollers with small kids! You will NOT regret the $20 a day you might spend!

- Buy PARK HOPPER tickets! This is a must!

- Get the parades you wanna see done the first few days and then ride rides during the parade times...

- Animal Kingdom is basically a zoo so spend your time at the others and maybe half day at AK. Bugs Life show is fun and try to have some adult fun on the amazing roller coaster "Expidition". It's fun!

- Plan to spend more time at Epcot than you think. Tons the kids will like but you can skip the countries...

- Disney parades, light show and fireworks at Magic Kingdom are a MUST! DO NOT MISS this!

- Find a way to ride Mt. Everest Expedition at Animal Kinkdom without the kids! Amazing roller coaster - same with Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios.

- Use Fast Passes for the long line rides for sure.

- Buy giftcards before you leave - it will help you budget right. (Disney, Visa, etc)

- Do a character meal for sure! We did Chef Mickey one morning at Contemporary Resort and kids freaked. You have to call ahead of time and get reservation!

- Eat breakfast and dinners OFF SITE.

- IceCream shop right in front of the Castle is A MUST!

Disney Dream Comes True

Julie and I both were blessed to have parents that shared the magic of Disney World with us as children and since we started our own family in 2005 it has been our dream to continue that tradition.

In January that dream came true as we flew to Orlando with her parents for a week of fun at Disney World.

For years our 5 year old twin girls and 3 year old boy have enjoyed the music and sounds of Mickey and his gang, including Donald, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale, the Muppets, Handy Manny, and all of his movie star friends - I think we have seen everything from the Aristocats to Toy Story 3. Knowing they all “live” at Disney World, our kiddos freaked when they learned for Christmas we were headed to go see them.

The countdown began and we all couldn’t wait.

We were not disappointed. Between the incredible weather, the amazing rides, the fun interactions with the characters, the nice people that work there and great shows, the week was just a total blast. Though we were all so tired we could barely function once we got home, every minute spent together as a family is a minute no one can ever take away.

Giving our kids experiences and memories that last a lifetime is one of our biggest passions. Our parents did it for us and we long to do the same for ours. Both of us still recall vivid details of those times with our families in the Magic Kingdom decades ago. Add to it our honeymoon in 2003 and Disney World takes up some serious space in our memory banks. Seeing the smiles on our kids faces, watching them interact with their Disney heroes and giving them 5 solid days of absolute fun will just be hard to top.

I guess it will take another trip back to Florida later in life, God willing.

We started missing Mickey and his pals as soon as we left.

See our photo slideshow here:
http://www.photodex.com/share/speers/79769mg4

Niece Headed to Mission Field, Support Needed

Prayer, Encouragement, Support. This is what my 15 year old niece, Maci, needs now that she has made the courageous commitment to join the iGo mission team this summer in an effort to reach out to the lost farming communities of France.

We all could not be more proud.

Feeling a strong call to take this step of faith, Maci will join a group of other students from around the country and head to Europe in an effort to minister to people that rarely hear the modern Gospel. She is nervously excited about what lays ahead - lots of work, little rest but many new friends and the experience of seeing God in action in another land.

Pray for her trip today and consider helping support her financially. iGo strongly urges students raise their own funds and discourages parents from providing big financial support, so it is all on the rest of her family and friends.

Maci needs our help! Will you please consider supporting her in prayer and in giving?

Send Donations to:

Walnut Ridge Baptist Church
Attn: Wayneen Cassidy c/o Maci Jensen
1201 South SH 360
Mansfield, TX 76063

You will be helping her learn more about God's work while she shares God's love to those in France!

For more visit: http://www.igoglobal.org/

Thanks everyone!

Quinn Fund Helps Families Adopt Children in 2009 & 2010

We recently learned that the adoption fund we set up in our son's name helped three kids in 2009 and two more in 2010 find forever families!

Thanks to each of you that have made a special effort to donate what you can to this fund named after Quinn. Every dollar helps a kid like him bless a family like ours!

Dillon International (our adoption agency) handles the fund and because of the economy funds are needed more now than ever before. Please click the link below to donate today! Just choose "Quinn Fund" from the list.

http://www.dillonadopt.org/

I promise fewer things make God smile bigger than helping an orphan!

Thanks everyone!

Disney World Is Magic

Every family should have the Disney World experience.

Two of my greatest memories in life center around visits to the world of Disney in the heart of Florida. Mom and dad sacrificed their time and money to take my sister and me twice during the 80s. Those two trips were some of the greatest times we ever had together.

Nothing compare to seeing Mickey and the gang and watching the Disney World come to life around you. I can recall those times like they were yesterday and I am so thankful mom and dad created that memory for us.

Eight years ago Julie and I made our own Disney World memories during our honeymoon stay. She too had gone with her family as a kid. It was so exciting to re-live the childhood memories as newlyweds and see sites we hadn't seen in 20+ years. Even in our 30s we still got as excited as kids when we ran across Mickey, Goofy or one of the others. We had our images engraved in stone at Epcot for us to come back and see later. We had no idea one day soon we would do just that, with three kids in tow.

In just a few days, our kids are going to get the experiene of lifetime and so will we as we take our turn in passing down the Disney World visit tradition. The kids are freaking out about seeing Elmo, Cinderella, SnowWhite, Mickey, Donald, Kermit, Woody, Buzz Light Year, and so many others I cannot even remember.

Years later I hope Chloe, Sidney and Quinn have those moments of thinking about this trip. The fun times with mom and dad and each other all while hanging with the Disney gang.

Oh boy, it's gonna be fun!

Letter from the NFL

With one of the most exciting regular seasons now completed and the playoffs about to begin, let me first thank you and all NFL fans for your incredible support. Many fans have been asking me where we stand on signing a new collective bargaining agreement with the players union. Let me update you and be clear at the outset:

I know we can and will reach an agreement.

My goal as Commissioner now is to help our teams and players find a solution that is fair to everyone and ensures that football becomes more popular, accessible, and fun. We want the next decade to be the best yet for our fans, and I'm ready to work day and night to make that happen.

We've come a long way. Compare where we are today with 10 years ago. From player accountability to player safety, more and better television coverage, upgrading the in-stadium experience, innovations like the RedZone channel, the Draft in prime time and playing the Pro Bowl before the Super Bowl, we are focused on doing what's best for the players, teams, and fans. My priority is and always will be the game and the fans who love our game.

The NFL is great because fans care deeply about it. Economic conditions, however, have changed dramatically inside and outside the NFL since 2006 when we negotiated the last CBA. A 10 percent unemployment rate hurts us all. Fans have limited budgets and rightly want the most for their money. I get it.

Yes, NFL players deserve to be paid well. Unfortunately, economic realities are forcing everyone to make tough choices and the NFL is no different.

These are not easy negotiations, but the outcome can be positive. If both sides give a little, everyone, including fans, will get a lot and the game will improve through innovation.

Even in difficult economic times, a new CBA presents us with the opportunity to secure the future of our game. You may ask how will the NFL look under this vision?

A significant change would be to resolve fan complaints about preseason by modifying our 20-game format. Fans tell us they don't like the quality of the preseason games, and we're listening. An enhanced season of 18 regular season and two preseason games would not add a single game for the players collectively, but would give fans more meaningful, high-quality football.

Our emphasis on player health and safety is absolutely essential to the future of our game. We are strictly enforcing rules that protect players from unnecessarily dangerous play, especially involving hits to the head. We are changing the "play through it" culture to a "player-first" culture to ensure that if a player has a head injury, he doesn't play again until his health is certain. We are also addressing the potential wear-and-tear on players in the way they train in-season and off-season.

It's not just the health of players that concerns us. We must ensure the health of the league. That includes a new system that properly compensates proven veterans and retired players by shifting some of the outrageous sums paid to many unproven rookies. Earlier this year, Sports Illustrated published a list of the 50 highest-paid American athletes that included five 2009 NFL rookies. Every other athlete on the list was a proven veteran. In 2009, NFL clubs contracted $1.2 billion to 256 drafted rookies with $585 million guaranteed before they had stepped on an NFL field.

Don't get me wrong: top draft choices will continue to be highly paid. All we're asking for is a return to common sense in paying our rookies. Other leagues have done this and we can too.

These improvements and more will lead to better football, plain and simple. A forward looking CBA that is fair to players and clubs will lead to a great future for the NFL and our fans.

My job is to represent the game - the fans, teams, players, coaches and business partners. Protecting the integrity of the game and ensuring it thrives is a responsibility I take very seriously.

This is about more than a labor agreement. It's about the future of the NFL. We have to improve and will be relentless in our quest. The commitment to our fans is to make the NFL experience even better in the years ahead. With a responsible CBA, we will fulfill that vision.

Happy New Year and enjoy the playoffs.

- Roger Goodell

New Opportunities, Not New Resolutions

Sure I've done the New Year's Resolutions thing too and like most of us failed at keeping most of them. But now I look at things differently as I ponder the new year in front of me.

It's about seizing opportunities. Opportunities to pay off some debts, spend more time with friends and family, serve and give more, build a business, save more money, lose some weight, get closer to God or enjoy the journey more.

I am excited about 2011 like no year in a very long time. In front of Julie and me are opportunities like those above. We intend to pay off more debts like we did in 2010, travel a little more, give and serve even more and of course we both have full intentions to get healthier...yes even me! I even plan to finally publish my first real book sometime this spring. Just in the process of editing it now...

We start the year off with a bang later this month by taking the family to Disney World (that was our big Christmas present) and then we get focused on all of those "opportunities" mentioned rounding it off with a fun trip to Galveston once again this summer.

Mostly, I am excited about what God is doing with my comany, Equal Health, and watching Him rebuild it has been amazing. We are well on the way to rebuilding our residual income base thanks to some new health plans we now offer. It's going to be an exciting year. The more we can earn the more we can give!

Take some time to consider the opportunites in front of you during the next 365 days. God will put them in front of you, that I can promise!

A Year in Review 2010

Enjoy our Christmas card this year? LOL. Hope so! That picture wasn't staged either. Julie took it one day when she heard the kids banging on the piano and looked around the corner to see them buttnaked! That's pretty much a snapshot of our year with preschoolers.

This year was full and busy as always. Julie stays busier than ever taking the kids to their preschool classes and various other activities. Plus she is involved in the PTA and a BSF group too. Between that and everything else she does there isn't much time for anything else.

The kids are doing great. Quinn continues to blow our minds with his personality and joy. He is potty trained (no more diapers!) and has his moments since he is three, but for the most part he is great. Chloe is our family comedian and keeps us all laughing all the time. She truly is FUNNY! Sidney is sweeter than candy and so motherly. Just fun times around here with them being 5 and Quinn acting like he is too. The things they all say....Next year the girls will start real school. Just 9 months away. Sad but exciting.

The boys are doing great too! Sadly, they are getting older. Max is basically blind and Sam has really gotten some grey hair. Doctor says they are both healthy as oxes and they have the kids around to keep them active.

My business made it through another year praise God. Last year was terrible and 2010 started out without a lot of direction. But God has led and blessed us beyond belief and 2011 will start our 10th year as an agency. The future looks brighter than ever too. The industry is in chaos right now because of Obamacare but that means agencies like Equal Health can take advantage of the market too. Hopefully we will be able to do so in 2011. We still have a ways to go to fully recover from what happened to us in 2009 but we are well on the way to a full recovery! God is good!

We love our church, Walnut Ridge Baptist, and our pastor is so real and down to earth it's amazing. We have finally found a great group of friends there and are having lots of fun. We are truly blessed to have so many great friends in our lives all over the place.

Our best trip of 2010 was by far our journey back down to Galveston. We discovered The Galvestonian resort and loved it! Julie and I celebrated our 7th anniversary by going down to the Hyatt Hill Country Resort in San Antonio. What an amazing place! Go there if you can. Great weekend getaway. We went to Vegas this summer with some friends and stayed at the Rio. It was a total blast! Discovered the Voodoo Lounge on the top of the Rio and wow, that was cool!

Overall this was a very good year though it went way too fast.

Only downer for the year was the Cowboys....but the Texas Rangers made up for it and we got to go to the World Series and cheer them on! The kids love going to baseball games too. Let's Go Rangers!

Here's to next year being another great one to enjoy. See you all on Facebook!

Transfering Large Iphone Video Files to PC - A Solution

Have an iphone? Wondering how to get large video files onto your PC? Tried to drag it to Windows Explorer only to find it doesn't work?

I have your easy solution.

The Iphone rocks, but a big flaw is that for large video files (over 3-4 minutes) it does not work well with Windows in terms of copying the file to your PC.

Here's the solution.

1. Connect phone to PC
2. Open Itunes and sync phone
3. After sync is go to Windows Explorer and then to your C drive
4. Then documents and settings folder
5. Then owner folder
6. Then application data folder
7. Then Apple folder
8. Then mobile sync folder
9. Then backup folder
10. Then open last backup folder
11. Sort files in the folder by size - large files are your video files
12. Right click, copy and then paste into another folder
13. Rename each file by adding ".mov" to end and it will turn it into MOV movie format
14. Play file with Quicktimes and you are done!

Just Another Time to Say Thanks

Once a year we slow down just enough to think about all we have and how much worse it could be.

All of us should be thankful. I know we are.

I am thankful for....

our salvation and God's grace
my health
my wife's health
our kid's health
my wife (I am sure she is thankful for me....most days)
our amazing kids
our incredible families
the amazing group of friends we have
my business making it through another year
our wonderful church right down the street
the trips we've been able to take
the fun times we have had
God giving us strength in our worries
God providing week after week
our freedom in this country
what looks like a fun, amazing future!

Oh there is alot more for sure but time is after all, of the essence and we have a pizza in the oven - homemade too.

One thing I have learned in my 41 short years is to always remain in a state of humility and gratefulness before God. It covers a multitude of shortfalls with Him when we are thankful each and ever day no matter our circumstances. It is always worse off for someone somewhere else.

Take time to thank God today for all He has done and given you. Write and list - you will likely be shocked.

Our Kids Now

It’s neat watching kids grow up in front of your eyes. When they are toddlers or pre-schoolers it almost seems like they change daily. As a parent it’s a sad reality that these days won’t last long.

I’ve been thinking about my three kiddos a lot lately. They truly are all Julie and I live for, outside of Christ. They are our joy, our focus and our drive to be the best we can be.
One of the things we have learned is to pay attention to who they are as individuals. Knowing their characteristics, traits and tendencies helps us manage, guide and oversee them. I can’t wait to see who each of them become, but for now this is a short essay of who we see them as right now.

Sidney “Louise” Nichole Speers (age 5) – One word that describes her best is sweet. She is motherly, loving, sensitive and caring. She watches over her sister and brother as if she was the first born. In fact, she was 2nd by a mere 18 seconds behind Chloe. She is also very funny. Though I would not say she is whity. Just funny in her own way. She can even be a little naïve too – and I think that is a Wroten family trait! She has a great laugh and when she gets rolling along with her sister we are all usually cracking up. Sidney doesn’t need much in terms of discipline though she tends to be a follower sometimes. All you really have to do is express your disappointment or tell her how upset you are and that will do the trick. She has a big heart and learns very quickly and is also a great helper. In that regard she is a leader and I can see her being a classroom leader as well. A teacher’s pet maybe. She is good, just like her momma is!

Chloe “Gracifer” Grace Speers (age 5) – One word that describes her best is hilarious. Just about the funniest 5 year old I have ever been around. She is super whitty, sarcastic and a total jokester. Her little chipmunk laugh gets her sister rolling and anyone around her laughing as well. She is always up to something to try and get a laugh out of people. She is very active and brave too. She isn’t afraid to take off and do something except for being in front of a crowd! She puts on a front that she has it all together but deep inside she is sensitve too. She is more like her daddy than the others for sure and seems to have a deep sense of connection to daddy. I see myself in her every single day. Class clown appears to be a title she might win one day. She is also very independent and never stops. Since the day we first felt her in Julie’s belly she has been a squirmy worm. She has a fighter’s spirit which I like a lot!

Side note - Neither of our girls are very girly-like and neither play with baby dolls. But they love their makeup and stuffed animals for sure. Though the girls are identical twins, they are completely different in personalities.

Quinny “Quinny” Seong Wook Speers (age 3) – One word that describes him is joy. Since the first day we held him he has had a smile on his face. His nickname was “Mr. Smiley” in Korea and he certainly lives up to that now. He lights the place up wherever we go and everyone loves little Quinn. He is a people magnet. Though he has temper tantrums from time to time, he truly is happy most of the time. Considering all that he has gone through in his short 3 years you would think he would be the least happy. He loves people, is very caring and loving and is certainly a momma’s boy! A second word to describe him is smart. He was speaking complete sentences at 18 months and walking before a year. He figures lots of things out and hangs with his 5 year old sisters like he was their age. But overall he brings everyone around him a sense of joy. His cute little smile, the Santa Clause crinkle in his eyes and his soft skin just make him a total bundle of fun! As they say, we could eat him all up!

I’m eager to see what I will write about these kiddos in another 5 or 10 years. I’m sure some things will change, but I can also see how many things will stay the same. We have three very unique children and God has blessed us like no other!

Election Night Fever - Literally

As most of my family deals with fevers and bronchitis (me included), an important night in our nation's history took place in the form of the 2010 mid-term elections.

I swear if I could do it again, I would be a talk show host.

I love election nights almost like I do a good Cowboys game (which is hard to come by these days!).

It is our DUTY to vote every two years. Our freedom demands we pay the price of giving 5 minutes of our time to the booth looking over names most know nothing about. It is the American way. It's why we are free.

Shame on you, if you don't vote.

Voting is an honor and a privilege. Soldiers give their lives every day so we can.

I love America and thank you America for speaking out tonight.

Thanks to John Boehner for being real and standing strong.

Now, back to tracking some results...a few more hours to go.

Quinn and the Lizard

I felt like a schmuck.

Here is what happened...

I came home to take over on kid duty. Getting ready to take the kids out for our favorite pizza run with good ol' Daddy.

"Everyone go get your shoes on," I said. The girls complied. As usual Quinn pretended to not hear and started wandering around.

A few minutes later...

"Quinn go get your flip flops on now!"

"But there is a lizard in there," he said with a very poor attempt at crying.

"Whatever!"

Knowing he pulls these kinds of stunts all the time, looking for any reason to not obey, I wasn't about to be fooled.

"Go get your flip flops now or we are not going!"

"Whaaa!" he started crying a little harder.

"Quinn!"

I began pushing him towards the small basket the kids kept their shoes in.

Still he refused, frustrating me more.

Finally, I gave in.

"Never mind...we don't have time for this."

I started digging around the basket for his flip flops. "See!" I proudly proclaimed, "There are no lizards in here."

Right about then he screamed and I looked down at my hand to see a large Gecko running around the outer edge of the basket!

"Holy crap!" I yelled. (I couldn't help it).

By then the girls had joined the commotion and like the squirrel scene in Christmas Vacation, everyone ran from the scene screaming, including myself with the basket in hand.

Quickly I opened the front door and the little dude jumped off on the porch.

"I'm so sorry buddy!" I said while hugging a sobbing Q-ster. "There WAS a lizard in there!"

Thank God Father of the Year awards are later in the winter!

What a scene.

We Have Forgotten - Islam Is Here

One of my favorite quotes by any President in history is this:

"We will not tire, we will not falter and we will not fail."

Sadly it appears most in America have tired, faltered and are failing when it comes to remembering 911 and just what took place nearly 10 years ago.

Look at these photos and remember where you were that morning. While you stood there in shock, think about those kids, parents, and friends who haven't seen their loved one since then. What if that had been you that decided to jump knowing you would never see your child or spouse again? What if that had been your child or spouse jumping to the cement at 120mph.

Islam is not a peaceful religion. It's built on hate and fear. It teaches to kill anyone opposed and does not tolerate another way of thinking. It's goal is to infiltrate America and it is winning in doing so.

Next year we will be talking about the 10th anniversary of this crime and more than likely an Islamic mosque will be in the process of being built just a few feet away from where Islamic terrorist gave us the finger and killed thousands of people. What's next? Mosques near the Pentagon and out in the middle of a field in Pennsylvania?

I wouldn't doubt it.

As for me and my family, we will serve the true Lord and yes, Mr. President, we refuse to tire, to falter and we will not fail in remembering what these people did to our country.

Jesus is Lord in America. Not Muhammad.

And if they mess with my family, they better prepare to meet their Maker.

Bring On Some FOOTBALL!

Julie's favorite time of the year is here. The Fall, which means FOOTBALL is back and I am one happy dude.

Not sure what my boys will do this year with the 3rd hardest schedule in the NFL and a weak offensive line, BUT if they can get to the SuperBowl it would be right down the street!

Survey time....see the new survey. Who will win in the end?

50 Years of Cowboys football!

THANK GOD FOR THE PIGSKIN!

The Story Few Know About Chloe & Sidney

Today we are celebrating the 5th birthday of our identical twin girls, Chloe and Sidney. But our celebration is a little more meaningful than the normal birthday bash and few really know how bad it could have been.

Chloe and Sidney might not have lived to see their first.

Most people don’t know this, but Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) silently claims the lives of hundreds of identical twin babies each year. In simple terms, the blood and nutrients from the mother are shared unevenly between the babies. One umbilical chord is larger than the other and one baby usually out-grows the other. Eventually, one will starve to death and the other will simply drown in excess. By the time the mother notices a lack of movement in her belly it is usually too late. We personally know some people who had this exact thing happen recently. Nothing is sadder.

On Thursday, the 18th of August 2005, (week 33 of the pregnancy) we had a sonogram done with our incredible doctor who was concerned that one baby had been getting larger than the other over the course of the last two weekly visits. After taking more time than usual looking at the results, Dr. Neill quickly dispatched us to a specialist who had the equipment to look deeper into things. The next day we arrived for our appointment. A few hours later the doctor didn’t like what he was seeing and told us the girls needed to join our world quickly. Signs of TTTS were taking place and we could take no chances. The girls needed to be monitored 24/7 and Julie needed to be at the hospital so that if something happened the babies could be taken within minutes. He told us to proceed directly to the hospital.

Hearts racing we rushed home, grabbed our things and anxiously headed to Arlington Memorial. After two nights of starring at the heart monitors making sure the beeps never stopped, Sunday morning arrived and our girls were born. Dr. Neill grabbed Chloe (above picture girl#1) first at 8:58am weighing just 3lbs, 5oz and 18 seconds later Sidney came out weighing 4lbs, 11oz. Sidney immediately started crying and looked red and large. Dr. Neill even said “she is much bigger than we thought she was”. Chloe on the other hand was not even breathing; looked lifeless and pale. Dr. Neill looked over his shoulder very concerned. I was standing there watching it all and caring for Julie. My head was spinning trying to take in all the activity. Nurses began slapping Chloe to wake her up and get her going, while giving her oxygen. Seconds went by and soon a few minutes with nothing. Finally a small cry came out.

Our little fighter was alive.

Dr. Neill relaxed and I nearly fainted.

The girls were whisked out to NICU and I left the room while they cleaned up Julie. Poor wife had no idea all that was going on but it was hitting me at full throttle. I hugged my mom and cried. It was gonna be touch and go with our little Chloe.

After a few weeks of NICU care, both girls were able to go home. Chloe would likely be smaller than Sidney for a while, if not forever, but TTTS had been outsmarted which was a miracle.

Thank God for doctors.

And know you know why we call them our little miracles.

http://www.photodex.com/share/speers/7a796mg4

http://www.tttsfoundation.org/

Five Years Has Flown By

Our girls are suddenly five. Really? That's impossible.

Yet it is true - Chloe and Sidney are now F-I-V-E.

Our little babies are now little girls. Yet they will always be our babies.

Happy Birthday girls. You mean more to mom and I than you could ever imagine. You have brought us much laughter and joy.

(I'm sure I will look back at this post in another 5 years and say NO WAY once again. Our little girls will soon be little ladies...)

Psalm 23 Without Faith

I am my own shepherd. I am always in need.
I stumble from mall to mall and shrink to shrink, seeking relief but never finding it.
I creep through the valley of the shadow of death and fall apart.
I fear everything from pesticides to power lines and I’m starting to act like my mother.
I go down to the weekly staff meeting and am surrounded by enemies.
I go home and even the goldfish scowls at me.
I anoint my headache with extra-strength Tylenol.
My Jack Daniel’s runneth over.
Surely misery and misfortune will follow me, and I will live in self-doubt for the rest of my lonely life.

Quinny Turns 3

Quinn Seong Wook turns three! Our little tyke is hitting true "boy stage" at this point - eating everything in sight, breaking tons of stuff and playing rough and tough....that is when he isn't playing "dress up" with his older sisters.

Happy birthday son! You are loved!

Life is good!

Galveston - Recovered from Ike, Spared from the Oil

Since I grew up just 20 minutes from the coast, I have to admit I am a little biased in my assessments. But considering the damage done by Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the fear of the BP oil disaster making its way to the Texas Coast, Galveston is alive and well!

All should take advantage and visit the Island soon!

This year we started a new tradition by staying at the Galvestonian Condominiums on the East Beach. For decades we have rented a beach house on the West Beach but it was time for a change. http://www.galvestonian.com/

The Galvestonian was incredible. We loved it and already have the same condos booked for our visit next summer. It's just 1 minute from Broadway, the Sewall, the Strand, the Ferry Landing and most importantly Marios Pizza. And with the new Pleasure Pier opening sometime in 2011 we will be just a few minutes away from even more fun.

Nothing is more enjoyable than fun time in the sand and surf surrounded by your kids and family. We ended each day with a clean swim in the huge pool and then rounded out the night with some movies, snacks and drinks.

If you haven't been to the Texas coast in while, get yourself down there and keep the Galvestonian in mind...just don't take our new spot!

What a Difference God Can Make In a Year

From our company blog:

One Year Later....a New Business with a New Plan

Last June began a trip to business hell we hope to never revisit. Actually, things started going south in the spring, but all hell broke lose in late May, early June, when we learned that key employees, friends and others were in the process of stealing our business ideas from under neath us in setting up a company called United Health & Life.

A year later UHL appears to be dead and out of busienss and EHL is in the process of a full recovery. All because of the grace of God and His favor and blessings. Period.

Twelve months ago we were wondering how to survive the next week. We were focused on trying to salvage what was left of a 9 year business that blew up in our faces. Today, our 10th year, we in a full recovery with a new exciting business plan that we believe can set us free.

God is good.

After our short stint trying to sell Google ads with AdzZoo, we decided to get back into healthcare sales and in February we connected with a huge brokerage firm out of Fort Worth. Our bond was almost instantaneous and since then we have become a powerful team with a big vision for the future.

Needless to say, summer of 2010 is already night and day from last year. Last year on my vacation these bad people did this to us ruining our family trip to the coast. Next week we go again this time with fun plans in hand! Though cash is still real tight, things are fun again, business is exciting and we can really see God's hand in it all. It has almost been too easy just letting Him lead us.

We have a future we would have never dreamed possible this time a year ago. We have a lot of work to do but with God's help all things are possible and we can't wait see what the next 12 months bring us.

Summer Time Brings Busy Fun

The reality is life is just ALWAYS busy. Any parent will tell you. Just when you think, "oh good. Summer is here!" life just keeps on trucking along at full speed.

Last summer my business was nearly taken out from under me by some former friends and close employees. It was NOT a good summer. Stress, worry, fear and lots of anger and confusion filled our minds.

But God has been beyond good the last 12 months as He has restored things, brought us new plans and visions and given us a total new focus on life, His work and His nature. The future could not look better! The return to a sense of normalcy being the biggest of all blessings for sure. So I welcome a packed calendar this go around!

This summer for us looks packed nearly each week from here until school starts back up too. VBS, family vacation (hopefully two), friends coming in town, trips to the zoo, church volunteering each Wed, soccer practice for Quinn, Hawaiian Falls trips, grandparent visits, gymnastics for the girls, various church events, 4th of July family fun, Tyler trips, home group meetings, our own summer party, business summer bash and other business activities.

At the same time, this is what makes life fun. In between all of those things there will be plenty of time for a few Rangers games, some small cookouts, swimming in the pool and spontaneous fun that should include some movies, Six Flags, shopping, time with friends, etc.

Summer is fun. But, it sure is busy. Hope yours is as good as ours looks to be!

The Floor Cracked Us Up

This will take some explaining, but it sure was funny.

Let me set the stage. In our home we have wood floors that run from the front door, down the hallway completely covering the kitchen and dining room ending at our bedroom. Over the last 8 years water from the dog bowl has basically ruined an area about the size of a door mat. It was only a natural move for us to cover this area with a rug in order to hide the ugliness until we redo the floors completely.

However, after Julie removed the mat the other day she immediately realized that was a “bad idea jeans” move; the floor looks way worse. It was wet, moldy looking in some spots and boards were sticking up or pealing back. It was an ugly, scary looking sight. In a last ditch effort we placed a box fan in the area to dry up the wetness with hopes we could avoid having to do major repair work right now. We will see.

Now, for the other part of this story.

Both of our 5 year old twin daughters have started having these “night terror” dreams. Not fun for anyone. They awaken in the middle of the night screaming bloody murder causing the entire southern region of Mansfield to bolt up out of their beds with personal protection devices armed and ready for action. Seriously. When I say scream I don’t mean a little “ahhhh!” We are talking Nightmare on Elm Street levels of fear bursting out of their throats.

Hearts pounding we both usually leap out of bed (and I do mean leap!) and run to the stairs where they are usually standing at the top screaming and crying saying “I had a bad dream!” Honestly it is kind of sad because we all have had those “bad dreams” but it’s just such a violent way to wake the family at 3am nearly every night.

But last night topped them all.

About 3am our night of deep sleep came to a crashing halt. Screaming was taking place within our very room! Hearts in throats we scrambled out of bed thinking we had just been raided by 3 foot curly blond home-invasion criminals. I was reeling with thoughts of getting my gun, or a knife, whatever thinking I was about to have to go into my powerful, much practiced, terminate the enemy, defend-the-family mode.

I had been in the middle of my own amazing dream - running on the beach with rock hard abs while bikini babes chased me, yelling my name, wanting me bad – when my mind made the realization that the screaming I was hearing was coming from the mouths of babes, just not on the beach! Julie’s intense dream of cooking me the best homemade pizza ever was interrupted too as the screaming filled our ears from just a few feet away.

Within seconds our arms were around them both. Chloe was the most upset.

“What is wrong!” I asked.

“I had a bad dream,” Chloe said sobbing and shaking like a leaf.

"You did?" I said. (Julie was consoling Sidney)

"It's ok baby. Calm down." Her intense shaking and crying continued. "It's gonna be alright."

"We all have bad dreams honey," I said. "It's ok. Mommy and daddy are right here."

We carried them into the living room, making our way to the couches, both still sobbing. It was obvious it was a bad one. This was going to take some time to get the place back in order. My own dream was on hold for at least another hour.

Wondering what her dream was about, I pressed her for details. It surely had to include some scary scene from a show we had watched, or a monster from one of their Disney DVDs. It was bad whatever it was. Might even include some Bigfoot fears passed down via my DNA.

"Chloe, what was your bad dream about," I asked.

She mumbled something between a sob.

"What?" I asked again.

"I had dreamed about (mumble)," she said unintelligibly.

Not wanting to get her fear activated again I gave it a few minutes.

Then finally I asked again and her answer was more clear though I was confused as to what it sounded like. I thought I heard what she said but I just had to clarify that I heard her right.

"Did you say you had a bad dream about the floor!?"

Shaking and sobbing still, she replied as serious as her little self could.

"Yea."

Need I say more. I am still laughing now.

*sigh* Another Great Show Is Gone

Sadly another one of our favorite shows came to an end tonight as "24" closed out with a bang. Sure the show had it's quirks and such, but it was a great series based on a cool, creative concept.

Few characters rise to the occasion like Jack Bauer did and we will surely miss his grit and ability to withstand torture, stabbings, gun shot wounds, poison, bombs and the likes all in a days work.

Let's face it, TV shows bite these days. Few make you laugh and it is reality and drama show overload.

I wish we could get one more season at out of Jack and CTU.....*sigh*.

Finally - a GetAway

The last time Julie and I snuck off for a few days was in the fall of 2008 with our visit to the Ozarks in Arkansas.

Yesterday we finally started another one in the great city of San Antonio. It's a whole new world down here without the kids too. We enjoyed some Hard Rock Cafe burgers for lunch yesterday on the River Walk. Then we checked in at the amazing Hyatt HillCountry Resort, and spent the evening at the Alamo Quarry Market - dinner at Canyon Cafe, a 7pm flick ("Date Night" - VERY funny!) and then some dessert at Amy's Ice Cream and ending the night with some wine here at Charlie's Long Bar.

Today we will bask in the sun around the pool, get a massage and I will work on my Club J story. We don't really plan to leave until maybe tonight. Who knows. We have no agenda and THAT is what we need.

Jealous?

You should be.

Boy how we needed this...sorry kiddos, see you Sunday.

Six Flags Then & Now

Tonight we randomly decided to make a family run to Six Flags. Sitting right across the street from my office I see the place all day long. Yet something is still magical about entering the park mid-afternoon on a sunny day and enjoying the sights, sounds, smells and rides.

Of course this time I wasn't 15 chasing 15 year old girls around either.

Rather, I'm 40 with a wife and three kiddos.

Walking around the place it really was weird. In all the years since those pimple-faced days of old the park really hasn't changed that much. Last time Julie and I went was 2001 when we were DATING. Yet, back in the 80s this was THE place to be. Such fun times.

Tonight was a blast too. Quinny fell in love with speed and his little Loony Toons land coaster. The girls jumped right in with most of their rides too. Julie and I could do nothing more than just look at our "adult" rides in the distance of course.

Maybe one day we'll go back, just the two of us, and finally ride Superman.

If not, until then we're happy taking the kids. It's just a fun place to go.

Three Under the Age of Five

For those of you without kids and for those of you beyond these days, enjoy.

This is our life:

"stop it...put that down...don't do that...what's in your mouth...where did you get that?!...what are you doing!?...stop running with that...wipe your own butt!....are you poopy or did you just tootoot?...get down...sit down...turn around...move...be quiet... please just...obey me now...really?!?!...oh my gosh!...tell me...put that away...let it go... give it to me... NO.... NOW!... one! two!.... I said yes... don't ask me again... get back in bed... what now!?...shut that door...yes I will put cream on it in a second!... get out of that...spit that out, don't eat that...eat another bite....where did you get that gum?... why are you crying...you don't need a bandaid...you don't need medicine... stop whining... can you whine a little more please...Quinn get your hand out of your pants!...stop fighting...we don't talk about our butts/poop/boobies or bobo...don't hit...say excuse me...can you whine a litle more?...apologize now...what do you say?... get in time out now...lay down!... stop singing Christmas songs... there's no need to yell... you already asked me that... where did he/she go?...where is he/she?...put down my phone...no, more Dora/Mickey/Handy Manny/etc..in a minute...where did you learn that?!"

(to ourselves and between us) "no more kids...kill me now...why did we want kids again?...it's gonna cost HOW MUCH?!...yes one day we will get to go on a trip alone again....you're lucky so-and-so is still alive...shoot me now...where's the wine?...go get more wine...we are out of wine...call your parents...who's crying?...when did he/she start doing that!?!?!"

End of the day:

"The kids are so funny!" I say smiling.

"Yes, they are...." Julie replies.

"What do you think about four?" I ask.

"Good night."

"Good night."

UPDATED REGULARLY

Sports Duldrum Begins

Thanks to my lame Mavs and Stars, the 2010 sports summer started early and is going to be ONE LONG BORING PHASE.

Let's face it...between NASCAR, golf and baseball, it's really a dead time for exciting sports activity. To top that off what shows during the summer really get your juices flowing? Yea, exactly,...nada.

I've been fortunate that usually I have someone to cheer on well into May and even early June shortening the time between then and August when football gets cranking. This year....oh man is it gonna be a bore.

Too bad I can't depend on my Astros or Rangers to do much for me.

Guess I'll just have to enjoy the sun, work my butt off and make some money and spend more time with the kiddos and wifey.

Seven Year Itch

Never have understood this "7 year itch" myth. I've had an itch since I was 3. Just ask my wife as I lay in bed scratching and driving her to new levels of insanity few have experienced.

Seven years ago had she known this realty, she just might have gotten an itch to say "c ya". But lucky for me, I got her locked in, haze-grey and under-way.

Hard to believe this weekend we will have been married for 7 years and known each other for close to a decade. Without getting t0o graphic, those early days sure were fun in the sun - if you get my drift - wink, wink. After all, we did produce identical twins...

This weekend we planned a little excursion of sorts to the W Hotel in Dallas. Been FOUR-EV-ER since we have had a real adult, party night out on the town. I was pumped. Even had a sexy new lingerie outfit picked out that I felt confident and sexy in. It was gonna be one fun evening....

Then Sidney vomited.

"Hello, W Hotel in Dallas? Hi....I need to cancel our reservations for tomorrow. My child just barfed and it looks like we are going to have yet another planned hot night at home. Yes....right...yes she will likely be wearing her baby blue M&M long t-shirt and I will be in boxers. The dogs? Yea, correct....they will either be in the bed or by it....one snoring louder than me."

Married with Children continues...

Drive-Thru Terror - Village Idiots Are On the Lose

Apparently even more villages than is usual have lost their idiots this week in the DFW area. And for me, they apparently find drive-thru lines a good place to accentuate their ignorance.

Case in point 1- we have a Chick Fi Lay right on the way from my home to my office. They know me by name. I visit nearly daily for tea or breakfast and sometimes lunch. They, like all fast food establishments, have a drive-thru line for autos.

They, like most fast food places we all frequent, have a parking lot with CLEARLY defined parking spaces at a obvious angle the place of business intends for cars to travel through said parking lot. In many cases they have separate entrance and exit points that also coincide with the direction of the parking space stripes I just mentioned. Usually these places also have at least one very visible NO ENTRANCE/EXIT ONLY sign sometimes accompanied with "guidance cones" helping out those that just can't figure it out. Anyone with a brain can easily see that entering the parking lot going the wrong way in a feeble attempt to circumvent the drive-thru line ahead of others or for the sake of being a lazy butt is simply not going to work with cars coming head on trying to leave through the EXIT!

So here I am pulling into the parking lot heading towards the drive thru while listening to "Fake Jerry" (Jerry Jones) on my favorite AM morning show. Coming at me is a lady GOING THE WRONG WAY via the EXIT ONLY entrance. On top of that guess what.....you guessed it....our little Missy is playing Chatty Katty on the flippin' phone.

I am forced to stop in my tracks and a quick game of chicken ensues. I just sit there and stare here down with my hands lifted off the steering wheel as if to say, "Really!? I mean seriously? Are we that stupid as a society now?"

Feeling four of my five of my fingers desperately wanting to curl up leaving one standing rigid for her view I fought back the flesh and just held my ground feeling my look of exasperation was enough for her this bright, glorious Monday morning.

Her response?

She stopped her car, looked at me angrily, raised her hands at me and mouthed a few choice words that I am sure included the likes of "Lord I pray this man is truly blessed today...may his children succeed in all they do and may his business flourish like no other in the future...Amen."

I refused to budge as I waited in line. So she spent the next 60 seconds slowly maneuvering her car between mine and the rest with just inches to spare. I have to admit I laughed out loud watching her respond to the other two cars that honked at her behind me and further relished her hilarious attempt at having to make an eight-point u-turn that took her forever and backed up the line even more.

Oh yea, she did all of this without ever putting down her phone.

Guess she was letting her village know just exactly where she was.

(case in point 2 coming soon)

Old Friend Is About to Be Blown to Shreds

Of course, most Texans all agree Texas Stadium is an icon most of us are likely to never forget. But the sad truth is she has been in a state of death and decay since the late 90's and throughout the first decade of the new millennium she degraded beyond salvation.

Small, cramped, dirty, stinky, cold and damp. It's over.

Bring on the dynamite. It's time she blows.

For me personally I am going to take it hard.

Growing up a huge Cowboys fan I got my first personal Texas Stadium experience in 1983 when dad took me to a Thanksgiving Day game against the St. Louis Cardinals. I was 14 and loved every second of the Cowboys victory that day. To see the Boys for real in that loud, fan crazed place was incredible. Not to mention how awestruck I was at seeing the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in person too!

Just seven years later in 1990 I became an actual employee of the Dallas Cowboys as I landed a part time gig working Cowboys games as a stands attendant. (bet you didn't know that!). Yep, I had to help people find their seats and keep them out of the isles, but at halftime I got to sit wherever I wanted and watch the rest of the game. I made $25 a game and was allowed to bring my 35mm camera to the game too. It was fun watching Emmitt, Troy and Michael just getting their grove on. The playoff game against the Eagles that year was a highlight for sure!

In the 2000s, being much older and little more financially sound, I was fortunate enough to start attending more games. I was there when Troy Aikman played his last game in 1999 against the Redskins. He was pulled because of a huge hit to the head. I even told my girlfriend at the time he would never play again. I was right.

With the likes of Ebay and StubHub I found myself at many games from 2000 to 2003, many times alone, until 2004 when my business partner and I decided to buy season tickets and rent a suite to entertain our sales staff. What an experience! Friends, family, and business contacts alike shared in the fun too! Tailgating became the craze and we literally would hang out for hours before the game. Certainly more fun than watching the likes of Joey Galloway, Ryan Leaf, or Quincy Carter. Geez.

Our lease ended in 2006 and I returned to my personal season tickets for most home games. The company continued to buy seats for most home games too and the fun continued for the most part, though, until 2007, the team was terrible.

My last memory of Texas Stadium ended just like my first. With my dad at my side. The game was a cold one and the Cowboys finished the season with a terrible loss to the Baltimore Ravens, ending what should have been a promising year. It was an ironic twist of fate seeing the death of a season run along side the death of our beloved Texas Stadium.

Dad and I stood in the frozen wind and rain that night as we watched a parade of Cowboys stars take the field one last time. Dandy Don then sang "turn out the lights" and the Texas Stadium era came to an end.

The lights turned off and we headed home.

Thanks for all the memories Texas Stadium.

Boom goes the dynamite.

Breast Bombs

It's really no secret that this world would simply not be the same if not for breasts. Come on. Be real. Admit it. God knew what he was doing when he added that special feature to the woman's body. Large or small, they are special. Even David in Song of Solomon spoke of their precious beauty...

But now a new twist on these attributes is down right scary and appaling all in one.

Apparently terrorists are now training women to use explosive breast implants in order to avoid detection and blow up planes and the like.

Jesus please return soon.

I know the line of men will likely be out the door for the new security jobs certainly to become available to check for such explosive devises, but in all seriousness, is there any end to these maniacs?

I just wish they would leave our breasts and our planes alone.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=123758

Hope & Change is Just Turning Into Change

It is no secret after more than a year in office that President Obama is no different than all of those before him when it comes to breaking campaign promises and pursing his own agenda. He is a liar like most before him and he could careless what the majority think.

The problem is he makes Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter look like the founders of the conservative movement. Barack Obama is spending us into oblivion and it appears he will stop at nothing until every drop of ink is spent at the mints.

Yea, I know. We are the morons that fell for his "Hope & Change" campaign spin when in reality all he had in mind was "change". And boy, do we have change.

I fear for the society, values and debt Quinn, Chloe and Sidney will face when they are sitting here reading this entry in 25-30 years. Will America remain? Will "conservatism" be dead and gone? Will this be the time in which they will look back on as the date America turned into all the rest?

We have to work and pray to save our land between now and November. We can't stop him, but we can slow him down.

He now runs the banks, he runs student loans, he runs the auto industry, he runs the housing market, he controls the insurance companies, and he wants to run immigration and Wall Street next. Anyone out there think of some countries that run everything? You laugh, but are we any different now?

Let's just hope we can return the change.

Quinn Tries out Big Boy Bed

It's a sad yet exciting moment for the family. Our little Quinny has graduated (we think) from his crib to a "big boy" Tommy the Train bed.

After Julie put it together (yea, I was a slacker), he proudly took his first nap in it yesterday. Then that night he excitedly laid down and slept without a peep until 8am!

It's weird that all three of our kids are already no longer "babies". We are excited about it, yet somewhat scared about how fast it all is going.

Now, all we need to do is figure out how to get him to pee and poop in the "big boy potty".

Once in a Lifetime DFW Snow Storm

I am not sure how many times the word "unreal" was spoken either by me or Julie on Thursday and Friday when over 12inches of snow fell in the Dallas area, a record for the most snow to fall in one day in the entire state of Texas!

For just a few days it felt like we were transported to the mountains of Colorado or the fields of Wyoming as a soft, gentle snow storm wrapped its arms around the DFW area and covered us with a peaceful blanket of the good white stuff. It started snowing around midnight and did not let up or finish for over 24 hours. In the end we were left feeling somewhat like our national leaders in the DC area who have been snowed in for weeks now.

So much for "global warming" Al Gore. I think God himself had tired of your "science" and scheme. Apparently another record was set last week when snow was recorded on the ground in all 50 states at the same time.

The kids and the dogs loved playing out front with our neighbors, though most of us were fighting off colds and ear infections. I never thought I would have to get a ladder out and brush the snow off our satellite TV dish - much less three times in a day! Not to mention getting out the big shovel to clear off the 8 inches that had built up on the driveway. Truth be told, my neighbors and I did that mostly just to say we did and to empathize with our northern American comrades!

It was truly a once in a lifetime Valentine's weekend event. Not in my 40 years had I seen this kind of snow in Texas. It was a sight to behold; so soothing, beautiful and white.

Watch slideshow here:

Q-ster Peeing in Potty - Working on the Poopin'

Quinny is so proud of his new Buzz LightYear underwear. He won't even poop in them he is so excited.

Potty training a 2 year old boy is surely WAY different than the girls was. "Hold it down!" is often something heard broadcast throughout the house these days.

He is a peeing machine.

Now all we have to do is get him unafraid to poop!

Diapers, you are on the final count down! PRAISE GOD!