Looking Back

This weekend we headed down to Houston in order to attend the 30th anniversary of my home church Heritage Park Baptist Church just a few miles from NASA between Houston and Galveston.

Words can hardly be penned to express how much this church meant and still means to me, my sister and my mom and dad. What a wonderful time it was to see old friends, old girlfriends with their kids and all of my "other" parents! Not to mention our former Pastor, Brother Jud, and music director John Turner.

My spiritual life was set in stone by these friends, families and this church. I miss them dearly and have never experienced a church like this since.

Read my upcoming story about this church soon!

Pumpkin Fun!

Happy Pumkpin Season everyone! Today we carved our first pumpkins with the girls and took photos at the pumpkin patch. Not sure what it is about pumpkins. They are nasty inside, yet fun to play with all at the same time. The girls were not too found of them however and spent most of the time a safe distance away as Julie, the girls friend Jada and I did the real work of carving them up.

During the photoshoot earlier, not one time would the girls look at daddy...the funny man with the big camera.

For photos click our family website!

Last Night Stunk!

Last night was insane. Let me share the details.

4-6pm - Spent the afternoon preparing for a big Monday Night Football Cowboys game and getting ready for a party at a buddies.

6:30pm - Left for the party and left Julie with the girls - excited about Boys going 5-0 for first time since 1983!

6:45pm - Pregame discussion at buddies home was about our pet dogs dying and how sad it is. We were all nearly in tears - 6 of us.

7:30pm - Game starts and 1st pass later QB Tony Romo has Cowboys down 7-0 to worthless Buffalo Bills thanks to his first of FIVE interceptions! Not happy.

7:45pm - Wife is franticly calling me - something wrong with our boxer Sam. She says he came running into doggie door, having hard time breathing, laid down in bed and nearly lifeless. Says he is foaming at mouth and smells like propane.

7:55pm - Arrive home. Park in driveway and smell very strong fowl smell as soon as I step out of truck. Walk in and Sam is running around being normal but eyes and gums are blood red. Wife tells me he suddenly is better but house smells like you would not believe. Sister arrives to help with whatever she can. Everyone was in a panic over possible dying dog. Now focus shifts to the horrible smell. Animal shelter is called as I recall next door neighbor telling me about his skunk problem! Bath instructions are given as we realize he was sprayed in face by skunk! Everyone nearly vomiting due to smell. I am worried about game and decide to go back to party. Dog can go in garage until I get home. Julie decides to bathe dog anyway. Sister goes to store to get supplies.

8:10pm - Romo throws 2nd and 3rd interceptions - Cowboys are getting beat on national TV to a team that should not be in the game past the first quarter.

9pm - Back at party - I stink - Cowboys are stinking it up too and trail 17-10 at half.

10:30pm - Cowboys pull off miracle win in last 40seconds with a touchdown, recovered onside kickoff and two 52yard field goals by rookie kicker with no time on clock. Cowboys go to 5-0, 6 men screaming like school girls - I still stink.

11pm - Home from party - Sam is clean, his buttnub wag is back and he will live. House smells like skunk moved in and decided to sleep in our bed for the night. I take big time shower.

3am - Smell from skunk wakes me up with major sinus issues. Remember Cowboys winning, go back to sleep with Kleenex crammed up nose. Cowboys are undefeated, amazing wife let me go back to fun party and Sam will live after all.

3:15am - Fall asleep with stinking smile on face.

A stinky night is over!

HUGE WEBSITE UPDATE!!!!!!

For new videos and photos, and if you are REALLY BORED and need something fun to do, check out our family website!

http://www.thefamilypost.com/Speersfamily/home.php

The Speers....the Romosapiens Family

For years I have been claiming that the Cowboys needed to give Tony Romo a shot. Parcells just would not listen! I saw him back in 2005 and new he had something then.....well, today, I am being proved correct! I otta be an NFL scout.....

Anyway, now the entire gang has become Romo-maniacs each and every Sunday!

The Girls, JiJi and Dave...

Recently, our friends the Curlees needed Julie to watch their cute-as-a-bug 2nd daughter, Jillian, as they dealt with some issues regarding their oldest.

JiJi is the life of the party for sure....funny all of the tricks of the trade she passed on to our girls in just ONE day! After seeing these pictures of Dave you can imagine where she gets her personality....

Full of Hot Air

It's become somewhat of a tradition for us to tromp up to Plano each year for the Plano HotAir Balloon Festival. About 70,000 others have made it their tradition too, which makes for a fun, but long day. We missed the last few years but a few weeks ago we picked it back up and the girls LOVED it. Here are some photos.

What's This?

Some of you might know I am a VERY amateur photographer in all of my many hours of spare, do-nothing time around here. Anyway, I do like to find creative, different photos to shoot and am actually working on compiling them into a book of sorts. This one was taken at the Grapefest.


It is a close up of a carved block of ice an artist was working on. For more photos check our website -




http://www.thefamilypost.com/Speersfamily/

This is Our House

Who Could Ever Forget?

Who will ever forget September 11, 2001.

Who will ever forget just where they were the moment they heard two planes had been flown into the World Trade Center towers that sunny morning in New Work City?

Who will ever forget hearing Peter Jennings and the many other news anchors stumble as they tried to put words to what they were witnessing?

Who will every forget seeing the people waving flags for help from the huge, smoky gash in the top of the towers?

Who will ever forget seeing people throw themselves out of the building as the pain of the heat behind them out weighed the fear of such a horrific death in front of them?

Who will ever forget later hearing the sounds captured on video of those bodies hitting the ground with huge thuds documented on various cameras?

Who will ever forget seeing the pale, fear stricken faces covered in soot running through the streets of New York City moments after the buildings collapsed?

Who will ever forget the fear the country was in at the moment or the shocked, angry look on the face of President Bush as he was told by an aide?

Who will ever forget seeing the many different home videos of the planes being flown into the buildings?

Who will ever forget the crumbling collapse of the two largest buildings in the world?

Who will ever forget seeing the hundreds of NYPD, FDNY and Port Authority Agents running into the building prepared to save lives with most of them giving their own?

Who will ever forget hearing rumors that another plane was headed to the White House, hearing another had hit the Pentagon and hearing another had just gone down in a field in Pennsylvania?

Who will ever forget later hearing the heroic stories of those on Flight 93 and those who helped rescue those at the Pentagon?

Who will ever forget all airplanes being grounded for the first time in American history?

Who will ever forget watching the news for hours every night, for weeks as rescuers searched the rubble for survivors or bodies?

Who will ever forget knowing the over 3000 had their lives taken that day?Who will ever forget knowing terrorist, Bin Laden, and his evil, weak, coward group was behind these attacks on America?

Who will ever forget the patriotic resolve America had those few weeks following this tragic event?

Who will ever forget the sadness and anger we all felt? The thinking the “end” might be near?

Who will ever forget hearing the horrible, sad 911 phones calls released to us just weeks ago from people in the towers who moments later died?

Who will ever forget all of this?

Many Americans will. That’s who. According to Neilson ratings, 21 million Americans chose to watch the "Manning Bowl" Sunday night between the NFL's New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts rather than the other 9/11 options being shown on ABC or CBS.

Just like that, just five years later, the country has returned to what it new before that terrible day - patriotic divide, anti-war protests, corporate sandals, a general “who needs God” mentality, immoral activities, Hollywood drama, and sports fanaticism.

America is a great land. It’s a country that offers various pleasures and exciting adventures to help us deal with things like 9/11. Sports are great. Movies are fun. Politics are the American way.

But more importantly, being an American offers each of us with the freedom to seek God in times such as this. A chance to seek the One who can set us free from ourselves and the evil acts of people like those who made this such a terrible day five years ago.

Six years ago, people were seeking Him like never before. Churches were packed, prayers were said and people were begging for help. We were all seemingly frozen in time and space. The panic and fear people were experiencing was driving them to God. His arms open wide waiting to embrace them. He has been waiting along time. God gave us our freedom in Christ 2000 years ago and for some it wasn’t until this terrible day that many began seeking Him like never before.

But freedom has a price. And now that many have moved on and would rather forget this day happened, it seems many have also forgotten just how big the price paid was on 9/11/2001. And, they have forgotten God right along with it.

Have you?

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them." Deuteronomy 4:8-10

© 2006, J. Brady

"I say it how I see it and I make no bones about it."

Finally, a Real Leader Steps Up for the GOP

http://www.fred08.com/

Fred Thompson announced his bid for President last night on Jay Leno. The GOP needs a man of the people and a shot in the arm and he can do it.

Read his "Reaganism" beliefs on his new site. Finally, a real man that actually sounds, acts and looks like a President is on the scene. Let's be honest, a President has to be a good actor. Reagan surely was and Clinton, well, he had to. Poor President Bush, love the man, but he just needs to stick to business when he is done.

Freddie T is the one for we. He already has my vote. (by the way, I came up with that slogan, like it?)

Just ask yourself this, the next time there is a terror attack on U.S .soil (and don't be fooled cause one is likely to happen), who do you want standing in front of us saying, "My fellow Americans...." Hillary? Obama? McCain? Romney?

Not me.

Cowboys Charity Kickoff Event 2007

Every year for the last 4, my company has been fortunate to help support and attend the Dallas Cowboys annual kickoff luncheon. All proceeds support the Christian ministry in Grandbury called Happy Hill Farm. Check it out sometime. http://www.happyhillfarm.org/

This event is highly Christian in orientation, including praying IN JESUS NAME over the meal, the season and the kids of Happy Hill. It is one time throughout the football season that perspective is kept in order of real life issues vs. just men playing a game. It is very neat and the kids entire year is dependent on this event to support their home.

I got to chat with Stephen Jones afterwords this year (all of the Cowboys players are always there and most of the former players usually are). Regardless of what you might think about the Jones family, they are loyal, dedicated, hard working, family oriented people. Stephen runs the show (much more then Jerry these days) and he out-does many of us in terms of charity work, running his business and being a good father and husband.

From a business perspective he is an inspiration to me. He is currently running the Cowboys, the new Cowboys stadium, he serves as Board members for various charities, and he has a huge family!

Just a great time. Go Cowboys!

FORKS Movie Trailer Released....

In 1992 my college roommate and I had nothing to do one Saturday night in Brownwood so we filmed "Attack of the Killer Spoons" with a video camera. Special effects, music...a truly terrifying movie. (Remember, this was before the days of UTube and the homevideo rage going on today.)

The two of us started filming it around 6pm....the last thing we both remember was Scott yelling from his room into mine as we finally finished and headed to bed, "Brady! The sun is coming up!"

The movie turned out hilarious and has been a classic for 15 years.

In honor of it turning 15, the fellas decided it was time to film "Revenge of the Forks" a revised, much more refined film of the 21st century. So, during Fellas Weekend III this summer the project was on, again with little to no budget, but 3 video cameras. This time it took myself, Scott, RJ, Clint, David, Michael, Greg, Matt and Tercek and other "stand ins" like Vince, Jason, Ben, Chris, and Gordon to film. We started at 4pm and finished deep into the morning hours...

Forks will be ready this fall. Click here for a preview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qaJjg3MKFQ

(don't be fooled, the college kid who stole our idea and did the same thing this summer has nothing on ours. His is good. But we have 15 years of experience, Curlee, and a pitchfork my friend, and ours will stop your heart...)

A Dream Has Come Come True For Daddy

http://bradysgirls.blogspot.com/

CHECK IT

HAPPY 40th MOM AND DAD!!!!

CJ & Fern Speers celebrate 40 years of bliss today!

According to dad, it was one hot day when they got married in a church 40 years ago with no AC! I guess things started off HOT and just continued on for 4 more decades that way.

As a reward we are sending them away to a B&B of their own choosing!

We love you mom and dad!

Back Home, Just In Time...

What a great trip to the coast it was with mom, dad and my sister's family! We had such a blast! We left as the rain from Erin started falling on Wednesday. But we got our "beach days" in. We just love the place!

Can you find the "ghost crab" in this picture?

See more at the Speers website in a few days!

Summer of 1994 All Over Again

13 Years ago, my sister and I and some friends went to Galveston with our mom and dad. We rented a beach house and did the whole "Gulf Coast vacation" thing. Well things have changed in 13 years as we are older, fatter, and both now married with kids of our own! But tomorrow we leave once again for a 3 day stay on the beach!

This time it will include my brother-in-law, their two kids and my wife and our two kids!

It's gonna be real hot here in Dallas, but at least we can escape for some fun in the sun for a few days! So many great memories for me in the Houston/Galveston area. I cannot wait!

What makes it a little more special for me this year, is since late last year my company has been selling health insurance for Standard Life based in Galveston. They are owned by the Moody's who essentially founded the island and seem to own most of it today. I might have to drop by and see what kind of perks they can throw my way!

It's Official...Life is Not Over

Thankfully, football season starts tonight! My Cowboys are back in action! Can I get a "whoop, whoop!"?

Yea, it is preseason and it will be a boring affair after the 1st quarter, but AT LEAST we can move on from the world of baseball, golf on TV and beach volleyball!

Meet Our Friend - Yellow

I hate spiders. But, our little buddy "Yellow" builds his web every day between the bushes in our front yard and eats bugs. I just can't bring myself to kill him. But he IS one creepy dude...

What is up the WIDE WIDE WORLD of SPORTS?

It wasn't that long ago that our sports world was full of the likes of Tom Landry, Nolan Ryan, Don Shula, Cal Ripken, Vince Lombardi, Hank Aaron and others who played with character and for the love of the game. Man have things changed!

Now we have the Barry Bonds steroid issue in baseball, the NBA gambling ref, the dog abusing, dog fighting ring-leader Michael Vick in the NFL and it seems every biker in the Tour De France is on the juice too!

Drugs and scandals are running wild like grabgrass.

It's time those that have some character and still play for the love of the game take back the spotlight. This is getting out of hand...