Christmas Ballerinas

The final dress rehearsal was tonight, although half the China Dolls weren't actually dressed up.  The other team got to wear the costuming, but that was largely because they had to stay later.  Given the choice of an earlier bedtime, I think this was the wise choice.  Look at Madison in that end pose up there.  This is how the China Dolls close out their dance - they did really well tonight, and should be ready to go for tomorrow.  Madison is really have a great time with all of this!

Here's an interesting view from backstage.  Daddy was here tonight, and not at church.  One of us needed to be here with Madison, of course, while Mommy was scrambling to get costuming and props ready for the upcoming church play.  It's been a busy week, and it is going to get more busy before the weekend is over with.  There'll be lots of driving to and fro, and "plans within plans…"

Nana went to the doctor for an update today, and the good news is that she can come off her blood thinner.  That's fantastic news, really.  Daddy was planning a message for tonight, one centered around Woody, the cowboy from "Toy Story."  He made this big floor puzzle for all the kids to put together, and we brought along the doll to use as a prop.  The class turned out just fine, although again Daddy wasn't there - he was at Brenau.

It's just been a busy day, really.  Madison woke up later this morning due to the late night before.  Daddy dropped her off, and that's the last he saw of her until it was time to go to Brenau.  She had her enrichment class today, still working on her Christmas project another week.  She's loving that, and school in general.  Again, she had a choice to miss much more school than just an hour or so, but she couldn't bear to be away that long.  Tomorrow, she'll miss entirely.  There's no choice, as she's performing for kids of other schools, and really looking forward to it.  It's an unexcused absence, that is unless we come up with some medical reasoning behind it.  Yes, the doctor said that her unusual cough of late can be cured in only one way, with excessive practices for the Nutcracker.  Prescription:  two performances of the Nutcracker, twice a day until persistent cough goes away.

She does have a little cough.  It is persistent.  We've been giving her children's medication, and it hasn't been with a high fever or any other symptoms.  But she's coughing at night, that is until we get her more medication.  Hopefully things will settle down soon.  And hopefully Mommy and Daddy will get better too - it's just a change of seasons thing, I suspect.  

RAIN

Just look at our China dolls.  This is the Green group, the ones performing on Thursday and Saturday.  Madison is at the bottom there, of course, the only authentic China doll in the mix.  Today we had a practice again, another run through of certain scenes.  We also had an official photography session.  Here's Madison posing on stage below:

The actual picture will come later - we'll have to pick it up from the photographer a bit closer to Christmas.  You'll see it then.  It's an amazingly busy week this week.  Today was one of those days where we had ballet practice at Brenau, and meanwhile there was Christmas play practice at the church.  Of course, ballet practice wrapped up first, so Madison and Mommy headed over to the the church afterwards to meet up with Daddy.  We left there after 10:00.  The kids are going to be tired tomorrow!

That's why we left it up to Madison as to how much school she wants to go to tomorrow.  She decided that sleeping to 7:30 am should be fine.  Good grief, it were me, I'd be like… how does 1:00 pm sound?  But Madison enjoys school so much, she doesn't want to wake up too late.

The big story of the day, however was this:  rain.  Praise the Lord for rain.  It's a good, soaking rain, and there is so much to be grateful for here.  The last time it rained was early October, and our ground was just nothing but kindling.  Speaking of which, the same system of rain helped the firemen up in Gatlinburg last night.  There were casualties, and homes and businesses lost.  But it could have been a lot worse.

And speaking of a lot worse, tonight on the way home, we literally came face to face with an oncoming pick-up truck in our lane.  There was no where to go.  Headlights in our face, the truck swerved erratically and went back to the other lane.  This truck spent what seemed like a long time in our lane, not just some casual swerve.  It almost looked intentional.  We were still shaking when we got home.  We're definitely ready for some sleep!

Tech Week

More Nutcracker practice tonight.  This is tech week for the Nutcracker, and tech week for the children's production at Free Chapel too.  With Mommy doing props and costumes for the church production (which is on Sunday), and Madison dressed with make-up and hair up for ballet all week, you can just imagine the scrambling we're doing this week.  Needless to say, one week from today, we will be sleeping in heavenly peace.

Daddy's working on the new series booklets today, proofing finals.  But we did spend a lot of time this morning decking the halls.  We have all the wreaths up outside on each window, which is a considerable project.  Also, the nutcrackers are up on the shelves - we have 18 up there right now, by last count.  This time next year, we'll have at least two more.  Our new addition from last year is a drummer that was on the fake fireplace of our "Tribes Christmas" set last year.

Speaking of which, we finished that devotional story tonight.  We forgot how fun that story was, a mix between Jurassic Park and Santa World.  Last year, Madison was all into the LEGO Jurassic World game, so that sort of made its way into the devotional for a fun story.

Everyone is still somewhat under the weather today, although things are improving.  And speaking of improving, tomorrow's forecast is calling for an inch of rain!  This is the first significant rain we've had since October.  Coincidentally, that was the last time Nana and Ba-ba were here.  They arrived tonight after a long drive, and are just in time for the rain again.

Our house looks so nice for Christmas, and it isn't even December yet.  We put out the framed pictures of Madison with Santa over the years - they're on the shelves in the great room.  There are so many pictures with Santa now!  The other decorations are out, including Daddy's "major award" from PNC Bank, and a few other items like our Santa nesting dolls and the angel we got from Hawaii, the one that's made from a flower.  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

On a somber note, as this is being typed, one of our frequent fall destinations, Gatlinburg, is on fire.

The drought has made the entire Southeast nothing but kindling, an easy target for malevolent fools.  This is Chimney Mountain, according to the captions we've been reading.  Daddy has climbed this trail to the top of this mountain a few times.  This view is part of a beautiful drive we've made each fall (except this past year), one where we look at all the trees and marvel at the colors of fall.

If this is indeed Chimney Mountain, the next time it is climbed, things will certainly look very different.  Wildfires have spread across the beautiful Smoky Mountain National Park, and descended into the valley.  So many familiar places along that little strip there in Gatlinburg have a looming wall of fire behind them.  By this time tomorrow, we're not sure what structures will still be there.  The Aquarium, they believe, is safe.  Several hotels are on fire, according to some reports.  People are in danger tonight, and of course people are losing everything:  homes, businesses, property.  Beyond that, an entire region is losing a thing of such grandeur and wondrous beauty.

All because of fire, started by one person.  As we said yesterday, it's a terrible, terrible thing.

China Doll Practice

"Trailblazers" wrapped up this morning with a goofy skit about the Lone Ranger and Tonto.  It was a stand-alone skit, as we knew the weekend of Thanksgiving would have a lot of folks off to visit relatives and so forth.  Still, we had a good crowd, and we had a great message planned as well.  As always, Madison enjoyed the two services immensely.

Daddy and Mommy were quite tired though - we're enduring the tail end of this sickness, with sore throats and coughing.  Thankfully, there's no drainage problem.  There was a sleep problem for both of us last night.  The end result is Daddy's got this deep voice thing going on during the skit, and things are really raw right now.  It was fun though.

Such a busy day.  We got home and had less than a half hour to eat, and then get Madison into her ballet clothes, and then race over to Brenau.  This time we met at Pearce Auditorium, where Madison will be dancing her part in less than a week now.  Actually Thursday is the start of her performances.

Here she is with the other China Dolls, sort of mapping out where they'll be on stage.  The girls did well with their choreography, and only needed to make one adjustment towards the end, where they all stop to pose for the audience.  It's such a short number, the Chinese Dance.  But it's a start of something that Madison seems to be really enjoying.

We got home later, and there was a bit of time to play piano, and eat some dinner.  But after that it was pretty much time to settle down.  We got into our pajamas, and sat in the great room to watch "The Santa Clause 2" by our tree.  We actually bought this tree the same year that "The Santa Clause 2" came out.  We haven't seen a tree that looks better, and we've been looking here and there.  We've been really blessed with this tree.  It cost a lot at the time - we got it from a specialty shop down in Atlanta.  But it's lasted a long time, and we've gotten a lot of value out of it ever since.

We knew the Gävle Goat was going to be set up this weekend, and were sort of looking forward to it as a Christmas tradition.  Last year, the goat made it the whole season without incident.  Tonight, when Daddy was going to check on the live cam of the goat... it was literally on fire.  Already.  It doesn't take long to burn, so I must have timed it just right. 

So it's already gone.  And I mean right away.  I don't think the thing lasted 24 hours, and it was already up in flames.  For those of you in the dark about what this is all about, every year this community in Sweden for the past 50 years has put up this really big straw goat as a centerpiece in the middle of town.  It's a Yule Goat or something like that.  And for about half of those years, some arsonist lights it on fire, and it's gone.  It's a really strange back-and-forth struggle between community organizers and the vandals so obsessed with being the one to burn the thing down.  We follow it each year, and usually we make it a few weeks before the first attempt to light it on fire.  Last year was relatively peaceful, as nearly every morning in December we'd check the live cam and see the goat still standing proudly.  We didn't even make it to December this year.  That's still four days away!

Recently, the town of Gävle has pledged not to replace the goat once it burns.  So once the goat's gone, that's it for the year.  If that holds true, the vandals have ruined it for everyone this season.  All because of fire, started by one person.  It's a terrible, terrible thing.

We'll set up our Gävle Goat on the mantle here as we always do, but this year as a memorial to the one that was set up for the 2016 Christmas season. 

Anyway, it was a long day today, so after the movie it was time for bed.  Madison has this routine of hiding before bedtime.  Daddy has to find her, looking around all over the top floor here.  Lately, she's been hiding in all kinds of different places with her big Paul Revere poster board.  I turn the corner, and there's this big picture of Paul Revere jumping out at me.  Madison yells out, "I'm Paul Revere!"  Which is her equivalent of "Boo!"

We read from the Tribes Christmas devotional tonight, and prayed for health for the family.  We'll all be better in the morning.  Just a little tired now, but tomorrow will be a great day.

What's up with Mrs. Ginger?

Madison was sick first, coughing a bit before Thanksgiving, and sure enough, now Mommy and Daddy are sitting here with stuffy heads and sore throats.  We're not the only ones though - it's apparently going around.  Of course it is - that's how we got it in the first place.

Madison was working on piano a little today.  We've been recording her with the camera, taking videos of her playing and sending these to Mrs. Pam.  She said Madison is doing a great job!  We sent a video of Madison playing at Goodwill the other day on an old piano, and then one of her just playing here on the regular working keyboard.  Both turned out well - with two weeks to go, we feel like she's going to do well at the recital.

She spent a good deal of time playing video games today.  I think this was okay - we were watching some Christmas movies too, but the best plan today was to stay at home and work.  That we did, getting lots done.

Anyway, Daddy did a lot of writing today.  Mommy did a lot of work on costumes.  That pretty much sums up the day.  The great news is that the devotional for next month is actually done.  This would be record timing.  Daddy basically followed the story of the Nutcracker, but with a cowboy instead of Clara.

The interesting thing about the Nutcracker is the story itself.  The music and productions are extraordinary, but have you ever stopped to consider the story of "The Nutcracker?"  Basically, a girl is at a Christmas party where they're decorating a tree and she gets a Nutcracker from a guy named Uncle  Drosselmeyer.  Her brother breaks it, then Drosselmeyer mends it.  Then the party's over and she goes to sleep.  She dreams she's small, and there are rats under the tree.  The Nutcracker comes in to fight the rats.  She helps out and they win.  Then they go to a land where they meet the Sugar Plum Fairy, and a whole lot of people dance for them, and then she goes home.  I think she wakes up after this and it's Christmas?

It's not a terribly complicated plot.  One thing we learned from studying the story is that each nationality that comes dancing in is a representation of some sort of item from the land of sweets.  Arabia is coffee, which is apparently what Arabia did before there was oil there.  Today, the Arabian dance would have something to do with oil strikes.  Or, we could stick with coffee and get someone from Colombia to dance for us.  And since when does coffee belong in the land of sweets?

Moving on, Spain is chocolate in the original story.  Now hold on a moment:  I thought Germany or Switzerland was the home of the best chocolates.  Evidently Tchaikovsky was a big fan of Spanish chocolate, or at the time, the best chocolates came from Spain.  Who knew?  We'll have to try Spanish chocolate.  Next there's China, which brings in the tea.  This makes sense.  No problem.  And finally there is the exciting Russia dance, which bring the candy canes.  I can deal with that too, because we like candy canes.

Mrs. Ginger, however, is something altogether unusual.  Tchaikovsky must have had too many candy canes, chocolate bars, teas and coffees when he thought this up.  Mrs. Ginger is this lady who comes in wearing a two-story dress.  I don't know if this was Tchaikovsky's idea or not, but children come bounding out from beneath the dress to do their dance number.  Then when they're done, they go right back under the dress, and Mrs. Ginger rolls away, usually laughing.  This candy is of course ginger sticks, or ginger bread.  I have no idea what's up with the two-story dress.  We should get Mommy one though.  We can hook her up to the back of the car and ride through the neighborhood.

Then there are a few other dances with snowflakes and flowers, and just when you think we're done celebrating, there are a few more dances thrown in for good measure.  Then everyone waves and says goodbye, and the morale of the story is... watch what you eat on Christmas Eve or you'll have some crazy dreams?  Or maybe the morale is hire a decent exterminator before you have a rat problem that gets out of control.  Or it could be not to let your brother near any of your toys.  Whatever it is, millions of us watch this ballet production every year, and spend millions and millions on it.

So Daddy finished the devotional today, slipping a few references to the China dolls in there.  He had to do that, as if he were slipping Madison in there!  You'll see pictures of her as a China Doll soon enough.  We've got a lot of practices coming up, and Mommy's been busy, busy, busy.  I know what will cheer her up though:  I think I'm going to go out and make her a two-story dress...

Black Plague Friday

I don't think we've actually been out on Black Friday in some time.  The thought of going out there is kind of stressful.  Not to say we didn't do any shopping - we actually found a few really good deals online this morning, and got them right away.  We can't say what they are right now, but it's for Christmas, and it'll be a nice surprise.

Today everyone was sick.  So it was good to stay home anyway.  It's a fever/sore throat sort of thing, one we no doubt got from church on Sunday.  The good news was that Madison wasn't so bad yesterday, and she's even better today.  Daddy and Mommy are experiencing a lot of yuck at the moment, with stuffy heads and coughs and the sore throat thing.  We're all on medication today.

So yes, we stayed home.  Of course.  The fact is that Daddy had a LOT to write today, and is already at page seventeen of the new devotional.  He wrote a LOT today.  It is almost supernatural.  This fact alone is pretty amazing.  The idea for the devotional struck me a few days ago, and though I wasn't sure what to write, I just started anyway, and things have sort of just flowed out.  It's not the most precise, carefully planned devotional story I've written, but it's still a bit of surreal fun.  What if we replace Clara from "The Nutcracker" with a cowboy?

Madison meanwhile played games, and played piano.  She did practice her "Silent Night" today, which is sounding great.  She played a new downloaded content for "Costume Quest," which is a game she loves dearly.  We watched a few movies tonight too, the Phineas and Ferb Christmas special, and "Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas."  It was largely a day to rest and get well again, although Mommy has been working hard on Christmas props and costuming for the upcoming play.

We did finish the trees today too - the toppers are on, and all four trees are officially finished with their decorations.  They look very nice.  Tomorrow, we'll add a few more decorations to the house, lie the Nutcrackers and things like that.  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Thanksgiving 2016

Today was Thanksgiving.  It was a morning that Mommy got to watch the Thanksgiving Parade with us upstairs - we snuggled in bed and watched the whole thing.  Mommy is usually so busy preparing food that she misses out on this.  But this morning was special, and it was well deserved!  For three hours, we sat there under the blankets and watched all the different balloons, bands and floats go by.  It looked like a nice day in New York.  Right there at the end, there was Santa again, starting off officially the Christmas season.  Oh boy, and here we are off and running, right?

We had a little time after that to get ready.  Mommy got some cooking done, and within an hour, we were out the door and on our way to Aunt Shain's house.  Everything was just right there.  The house was decorated nicely, and the smells of Thanksgiving filled the house.  We came with hearty appetites, and there was so much food there that leftovers are inevitable.

This is the first Thanksgiving without Dave.  It wasn't really mentioned, of course.  He was very sick last Thanksgiving, so that meal may have been one he missed as well.  But we have pictures from two Thanksgivings ago, when he was with us at our place.  So much can change, and so fast.

This new house that Shain is in is very nice.  It is spacious and simply perfect for her family.  The three kids are growing up fast, and each one is smart and responsible.  They are blessed, and it was so nice to see things going so well for her.  Shain herself is finishing a semester of school now, and should be starting some new employment soon.  She's about to make great strides in life, and see things turn around dramatically.  We're so happy for her.

Madison's great grandmother was there once again too - and she seems to be doing well.  She has some sore muscles, and of course the election didn't quite go the way she wanted, but the dining area was a "not politics" zone (as posted by a sign on the wall).  So we talked about anything but that, which meant talk of travels out west, to Yellowstone and beyond.  Ye-Ye wants to go back with the whole family.  It could happen.  I wish we had an Airstream like Grandpa had!

Anyway, we had a lot of conversation, and a lot of time together.  At one point, the kids went downstairs and played video games like "Meat Boy," and board games like "Haunted Mansion LIFE."  Meanwhile, the grown-ups talked of the year that's gone by and the year that's upcoming.

The food was delicious.  The turkey was just right, as was the stuffing.  Mommy ate without worry, and didn't suffer any problems later due to hidden gluten or extra fat or whatever.  Daddy was having some trouble, but that's because his eyes were bigger than his stomach.  Of course, the gall bladder thing played a part in his trouble, but again, we're thankful because there's a solution to his health issues, and soon we'll be back to 100%.

We had to go home some time, so after desserts, we said our goodbyes and headed back home.  Aunt Shain did a very nice job hosting Thanksgiving in their new home this year.  We had a wonderful time.

We got home, and Madison got to try out our new magic wand that lights up the tree.  The thing makes this magical noise as you press the button on the wand.  The star lights up on the wand, and then the tree lights up as well.  It's pretty funny!

We watched the newer "Miracle on 34th Street" tonight, which Madison liked a little better.  This may be because this movie starred the girl that played "Matilda."  But it really is a good movie too.  We can't pick a favorite ourselves - we like both the oldest version, and this newer one too.  Daddy pointed out that Santa Claus is the same guy who funded Jurassic Park.  Spared no expense!

Changes are being made to this blog as we write this.  No longer can our cell phone or main computer add entries or make changes.  This will limit our ability to add pictures, unfortunately.  Which is a shame, because Daddy took a few good ones of the Thanksgiving meal today.  At least we have this iPad mini upon which we can still make entries.  This blog has been up and going for quite a few years now.  It's been quite a run, and just something to be thankful for.

"Moana"

We went to see "Moana" today at about 1:50 pm, mainly because we figured we'd be too tired after Thanksgiving to see a movie this year.  We like to do that Thanksgiving night thing, but this was a whole lot simpler.  We arrived about a half-hour early, and we're glad we did:  the place filled up very fast.  This movie will make a lot of money this weekend.

Madison loved it, as did Mommy and Daddy.  Of course, it is located in Hawaii, or at least a Polynesian island.  The music and culture took us back to the time we spent on our honeymoon, across the ocean nearly 16 years ago.  Wow, it's been that long...  Anyway, it was a good movie.  Daddy's favorite character is the rooster.

Afterwards, we went over to Parson's to see if they had any Christmas items for our upcoming new Cowboy Christmas series.  Sadly, they did not have much.  We did enjoy the visit though, seeing the Christmas villages and other decorations throughout the store.  Yes, we did pick up one thing:  it's a magic wand that you'll read about tomorrow.

We visited a few other places for Mommy, but we're all getting a bit hungry by that time.  That's why we went to Cracker Barrel, which is another place all ready for Christmas.  How nice to sit closer to the fireplace when the weather is a bit chilly outside.  We ate our comfort food, and while Mommy looked around the shop, Madison and Daddy had a game of checkers in front of the fireplace.

We got home a little later, too late to see a movie really.  Daddy read from the Pilgrims book, finishing it off.  We also read "Off to Plymouth Rock," another seasonal favorite.  The Rush Revere book was great though:  it really teaches a lot about the voyage, and about the plight of the Pilgrims - all they went through, and some moments of protection from Divine Providence.  Madison has enjoyed the book once again, and so has Mommy, who has been here for each reading along the journey.   Tomorrow, we'll finally arrive at our destination:  Thanksgiving!

Sixth Annual KidPak Office Thanksgiving

Here's quite a group, nearly all the folks who showed up for this year's annual KidPak Office Thanksgiving.  What a wonderful occasion it was!

Here's Josh, preparing his turkey as always.  He made it especially for Mommy, who can't eat everything here because of gluten content.  Josh made gluten-free brownies, and a nice potato salad as well.  He was really thoughtful as always!

It's a pretty simple affair:  people show up with a dish, or maybe they just show up.  Either way, we all say a prayer of thanksgiving, and then dig in,enjoying each other's company!

Madison was with us this time around, and she of course had a great time.  There were so many family and friends this year, the largest group we've had for this occasion.  It was really nice.

The rest of the day was spent doing a bit of work, but we didn't have a service tonight at Free Chapel.  Everyone could go home and spend time with family, which is what we did, of course.  There are a few other things we're doing in preparation for the Christmas play and the new Christmas-themed series at KidPak.  Daddy is busy writing, writing, writing.  Meanwhile, Mommy is dealing with costuming and props.  Daddy had to go tonight to be there for the Christmas play practice, and while there he wrote a bit for the devotional upcoming.  The deadline looms, but we should barely make it in time.  There is a lot to do over the next two weeks, but the thing we keep telling ourselves is that after the Nutcracker and the Christmas play, we'll be able to enjoy the Christmas season a bit more, relaxing and savoring it.  Until then, we've got plenty to do.  Go, go, go!

Bathroom Planetarium

We started out the day with a trip to the chiropractor.  For Madison, it was her first trip here since probably late summer, as there's never really a day we can go during the school season, right?

We did a bit of shopping nearby - actually over at the Dawsonville Goodwill there.  Madison and Daddy watched Mommy do the shopping.  She was looking for props and clothing items for the upcoming Christmas play.  At one point, we were reading comics in the car, catching up on that.

We could have gone straight home after that, but instead we all thought to ourselves this common thought:  "Hey, I'm hungry."  Seriously, this whole series with cowboys we've been promising ourselves a trip to a steak house, so away we went on over to Gainesville - instead of stopping at home.  We drove right over to Texas Roadhouse, and it was there that Daddy had probably the third best steak he's ever had in his lifetime.  The first was at the Sundial, and the second best steak was at an Outback Steakhouse in Athens.  But this one was just right.  It's a simple system we use for scoring a steak at a restaurant, and as you're eating it, it almost becomes like a pitcher trying to pitch a perfect game.  By steak's end, will it have been the one?  In this case, yes.  It was a perfect steak.  

Okay, enough about the steak.  How about the jukebox there?  Madison and Daddy were picking all kinds of songs to play, and sure enough, they were playing Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire, Johnny Cash, Faith Hill and more.  We were having a good time there.  

When we got home, we did something fun and different.  We got open one of Madison's Tinkerbox sets, and we made ourselves a planetarium!

There she is with it in the bathroom.  The stars project upwards on the ceiling there, and all around.  This took a bit of effort to make, poking all those holes and putting all the pieces together like that.  But it came out really nice, and is currently sitting in the front room there, ready to use when we want to.

Tonight, we were watching a few more Christmas movies, as we'll be doing until Christmas.  One funny one was an "Avengers Christmas."  Madison and Daddy loved it, but Mommy used that time to go upstairs and take a little bath!

It was a nice day together.  We read from a devotional and prayed tonight before bed, very thankful for all that we have in this season of Thanksgiving.

A Lone Star Christmas

Whatcha think of our new series banner?  Daddy came up with this idea for a look, and it turned out pretty good.  Three cowboys, like Wise Men almost.  The Lone Star sort of suggests the Christmas star hanging over Bethlehem, but it also makes you think of Texas, of course.  The whole idea for this December series comes from the fact that we wanted to take our existing Western set, and simply decorate it for Christmas.  We'll be doing cowboys and Christmas together, and there's nothing wrong with that!  Here's sort of a description of one message during the series, one called, "Follow the Lone Star."

     Talk about a star search!  In the Christmas story, there were some compadres that came a long distance, just to see Jesus.  You probably know how it was they found him:  by chasing after a Lone Star hanging over the desert sky.
    When you stop to think about it, they must have been really Wise Men to mount up and follow that star.  They rode those dusty trails all the way to Bethlehem, where they had an encounter with Jesus that’s still talked about today.
     People have been chasing after that Morning Star ever since.  The shepherds and apostles had an encounter with Jesus, and so did folks all the way through history up to even the early circuit riders of the Old West.  And today, that badge has been passed to you.

    That’s right, partner.  Did you know that you represent the side of the right?  You’re kind of like a town sheriff wearing a star-shaped badge, one that has been passed to you.  Everyone wants to see the true grit you’re made of, so pin that badge on.  Swagger through town and show the world what you represent.
     The best way to do that is to do what that original star did:  lead others to Jesus.  Even if you’re just a lone star, you’ll shine brighter than ever – and show everyone the Way, the Truth and the Light.

    We wrapped up the storyline today for "Trailblazers," although we've got technically one more Sunday of this series after Thanksgiving.  The new series starts in December.  This storyline ended well though, with some surprises for even Madison.  See, she usually gets a glimpse of the scripts ahead of time as Daddy tries to work them out.  Not so much this time, as Daddy was racing to get the script done at the last minute.  Regardless of timing, the actors and actresses nailed their parts and delivered a wonderful series with bandits and marshals, and lots of laughs.  Today's message was about how we're all WANTED, which worked out really well.

     After church, we went to the car, across the cold parking lot - yes, we're talking about this walk because suddenly the temperature is starting to resemble the time of year that it should.  The weather is cold!  There wasn't anything gradual about this plunge in temperature either.  The winds were whipping up all around, which wasn't good for those forest fires up north.

    We got home just in time to turn around and go back to church.  We had some spaghetti first, but there was a Christmas play practice to attend, which we did.  Mommy was sizing up kids left and right, getting all kinds of costuming ready for new additions to the play.  Hopefully the list won't grow too much - there are a lot of kids wanting to be a part of the play, but only so many costumes!

    Anyway, after leaving church the second time, we got home and readied ourselves for another Christmas movie.  Popcorn in the bowl, Christmas tree lights on, we plugged in "Rise of the Guardians," and snuggled under the blankets for real this time.  The blankets were necessary because yes, it's a little chilly tonight.  In fact, just like we saw in this movie, I think Jack Frost may be on his way...

KP Live

KP Live was tonight, an event that Madison joined us for.  We'd been planning this one for a while now, and it was just great to have all the parents join us for a service created for the whole family.  Daddy was on stage and screen tonight - you can see him above for one skit.  The place was filled with parents and kids - we played games, videos, funny skits, and a few words from Pastor Lance.  It was a fun night for everyone.  We heard from so many parents afterwards who said they had a great time, and there was the usual "we didn't know you did all that down here!"  We do so much each week, preparing with all we can for each and every service, from videos to skits and messages.  As for the gingerbread houses, we'll just say the one that was 'built on the rock' survived.  The other one was 'scattered to the four winds.'  Storms of life will come, so you'd better be sure you're building your life on God's Word.

Before that, there was also the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner.  It was a long day, for sure.  We were busy serving volunteers for the children's ministry this afternoon too, with a really pleasant afternoon.  Lots of people showed up for food and our annual Christmas trivia game.  Josh and Daddy came up with a bunch of questions, and the tables vied for Christmas Knowledge Supremacy!  Mommy and Madison were at home for that one, getting some rest this afternoon.

The reason for that is that they were both at Nutcracker practice this morning, and a Parent Question and Answer session afterwards.  It was about two hours there with the Nutcracker, so we're definitely investing a lot of time in on that one.  And of course, it's only going to increase as we get closer.  The good news in all of this practice time is that the Nutcracker and the church's Christmas play are both the first weekend of December.  After that, we're a bit more relaxed with the practicing.

The Christmas play, however, is pretty taxing on Mommy.  Above is a vuvuzela that she converted into a trumpet with a royal flag.  She's been making costumes and props non-stop, sewing things together, ordering things, and just doing her best to keep up with the usual 'fluid' process of a church play.  Unlike at KidPak, we don't typically stick to the same script, costumes, or even a cast around here.  Things evolve over a 'process,' and up until the last minute, there are still things that could be adjusted.  Obviously, this is not how it works in the theater.  But this is what Mommy has been working with.  Hopefully we'll have it all nailed down soon.  But she's been very busy.  Again, after that first week of December, hopefully we'll see some rest.

We're still reading at night, although not as much tonight.  It was a late night. And we have an early morning tomorrow at KidPak.  Daddy wrote the final script for our "Trailblazers" series, and it has been so much fun.  We end it strong tomorrow.  But we all need a good rest tonight - tomorrow is another long day, with more measurements for Christmas plays and so forth.

Something to contend with:  Daddy's digestive system has been yuck.  It's weird to say this, but he's actually looking forward to surgery.

Gingerbread House on the Rock

Ahhh, breathable air.  What a difference in the atmosphere today!  We could breathe, and that's kind of important.  The smoke from the forest fires seems to be blowing elsewhere for the time being, and that's okay with us.  Still though, there's no rain.  Day after day:  no rain.  The last real day of consistent state-wide rain was on October 7th, I think.  We did have a morning drizzle about a week ago, and everyone got excited… but it didn't amount to much at all.  We're desperate for rain here.

Today was "Fun Friday" for Madison, which basically means it is the last day before Thanksgiving Break.  She has all of next week off of school.  So today, there was a bit of a party, dancing, movies and more.  She had a great day.

Daddy was working towards a few big events, one of them being "KP Live," which is tomorrow night.  It's a big event for the families and kids together.  Part of that involved me and Madison decorating gingerbread houses for props tonight, which turned out rather well!

These were done rather hurriedly, but they came out nice and sweet.  One of them is the house that is built on the Rock.  The other one is the house built on the sand.  I'll let you guess what happens to that house…

We made these, and then sat down to watch "The Grinch."  The weather is supposed to turn cooler tomorrow, so maybe it'll start feeling more like winter again.  But in the meantime, we've got the Christmas trees lit up, and it's nice to still snuggle on the couch watching Christmas movies.

Speaking of which, Madison has been practicing her piano song lately.  She's getting better and better with "Silent Night."  It's not the easy arrangement you might suspect.  If you're a piano player, it might be.  But to me, it's hard to imagine playing.  Madison, however, is really good at it.  She's been practicing each day, as she will for the next few weeks.  The recital is in December, and hopefully she'll be all ready for that one.

We're still reading our Pilgrim story at night.  At this rate, we should finish the book right at or around Thanksgiving, which is perfect.  There are so many things we're learning together, about Somoset, about Francis Billington, or about that abusive sailor on the Mayflower, or the Speedwell, or the fact that they were supposed to be landing near the Hudson River.  There are so many details to this story that are amazing to relive in this book, and in the other one we've read before.  The Pilgrims went through so much just to be able to be free to worship the way they felt led.  We said our prayers tonight, our hearts filled with thanks for the freedoms we have.  It's that time of year again, time to give thanks.  This year, there's plenty to be thankful for!

Throw the Book at Him!

Tonight before bedtime, Madison threw a book at Daddy.  Now, to be fair, it was completely an accident.  She usually hides the book we read before bedtime, and in this case she hid it under a pillow. It was a hard cover book, and when she brought it out quickly, the corner of the thing got Daddy right in the forehead.  That corner made such an impact, he actually started bleeding.  As you can imagine, she was pretty distraught about this - and yeah, it left a mark.  Daddy was quick to let her know it was okay - that is, after he grabbed his forehead and said, "Ouch!"  Still, we'll probably be referencing this moment for a while, milking it for all its worth!

Anyway, we had a long, long day.  We found out surgery times and so forth - it's all in the morning and it's pretty quick.  This is amazing.  They literally take out an organ, and you go home the same morning.  It's outpatient surgery, of course.  I get there like 5:30, surgery starts at 7:30, and then by 8:30 it's done.  And within two hours from then, I'm ready to go home.  There'll be sore spots for a bit, but the great thing is an ability to eat food again.  Or, at least eat it without any immediate regrets!

Madison had a long ballet practice today, in preparation for the Nutcracker.  They didn't tell us the right time to come back though, so Madison was sitting there waiting on us for a while.  They've done this same thing to us twice now.  I promise we're not bad parents!

Anyway, Mommy and Daddy checked out a new pizza joint, one that had gluten-free pizza.  And… it was good.  Yes, that's right!  We have a new pizza joint to go to.  It's called Uncle Maddio's Pizza, and it recently opened here in Gainesville.  Hopefully it'll be around for a lot longer, because we love being able to eat without worry so much.

We got home pretty late.  Daddy read from that book, despite the injury sustained, and we said our prayers after that.  We're still praying for rain, praying for the firefighters in the mountains, and praying for peace with our government.  There are a lot more things being thrown this month, and they aren't just books.  The last two elections did not have this sort of protesting, but this election does.  There have been riots.  There have been all kinds of protests.  Ironically, many of the protesters did not even vote.  And yeah, some of these protesters are actually paid to protest.

Now there's a job for you!  From what I understand, it's $18.00 an hour, and there are benefits too.  I wonder what kind of resume you have to present when applying for a job to protest.  Here's some possible questions that applicants face, I'm guessing.

1.  "What's your previous protesting experience?"  
2.  "Can you come up with catchy things to chant over and over again?"
3.  "How good are you at destruction of public property, and can you block interstates so that ambulances can't even get through?"

If you find yourself good at any of things, you might want to consider being a professional protester.  And soon, based on the way our colleges seem to be behaving lately, there might even be an advanced degree for protesting.  Along the path to your chosen profession, you can attend classes such as:

1.  Community Organizing
2.  Protest Poster Decorating
3.  Taunting Police Officers 101

As these protesters have been doing this pretty consistently for the last few weeks, it's my guess that it's a pretty healthy profession.  The hours may be long, but they seem to be enjoying it at least.  Except for the ones that got arrested, of course.  Take it from me, it's no fun getting the book thrown at you.

A Dinosaur Western

Madison had enrichment today after school, where she was creating her reindeer - a Christmas project I assume we'll be seeing before the holidays.  She is loving this class, and loving doing things artistically.  She's such a creative child.

Oh, and she got a 104 on her math test.  Again.  She keeps getting these sorts of scores in math, and that's without studying too much.  She just does her math and keeps on going without any troubles.  She's a natural with math.  But she enjoys other subjects too.  Lately, she's been telling us about the Spanish explorers like Balboa and de Leon.  Daddy keeps telling her that Jack Sparrow discovered Ponce de Leon and the Fountain of Youth, but she keeps reminding him that this is fiction.

Anyway, school is going well for her.  She really enjoys it, from the Book Club to the enrichment classes to everything in between.  She loves her teachers, and has been doing so well in class.  It's such a wonderful blessing.  How blessed we are!

Daddy was creating too - we didn't get to see each other too much today.  The two of them came by after enrichment, and we spent some time together.  Daddy got his message together for tonight, and it should be pretty good.  Here it is, an outline of sorts for "The Good Dinosaur."

KidPak Adventures: Trailblazers

The Good Dinosaur

CUE SLIDE:  “TRAILBLAZERS”

CUE TRACK: The Good Dinosaur

HOST:  “When you think of western movies, you think of all kinds of things.  But when we went to see ‘The Good Dinosaur’ last year, that’s the last thing I expected to see.”

CUE SLIDE: “ THE GOOD DINOSAUR”

HOST: “ Did anyone else see this movie?  I was expecting your standard dinosaur movie.  Some crazy event happens and everyone has to flee and go some place new where they’re safe.  Until the next big disaster happens.”

HOST:  “But that didn’t happen here.  This movie is modeled after a western movie, complete with cowboys and farmers too.  And it’s on one farm that a special little dinosaur is born.”

CUE CLIP 1:  ARLO'S BIRTH

HOST: “As you can see, Arlo is loved by his parents.  But you can see something else right away.  Arlo is a little scared of new things.  And before you start laughing too hard at this little guy, I want you to think of something you’ve been frightened of before.  It’s a part of life, really.  And it’s something we all have to face.  Let’s see how little Arlo deals with it in this next clip.”

CUE CLIP 2: FEEDING CHICKENS/MAKING YOUR MARK

HOST:  “Somehow Arlo wants to make his mark.  And that’s where I want to stop for a moment.  You see, we are all here to make our mark in life.  God has us each marked for greatness, and we’re all designed by Him to do something big with our lives.  In every case, it’s something different.  But that doesn’t mean it isn’t going to change the world.”

HOST picks up an Arlo stuffed animal.

HOST:  “Here’s the problem.  Arlo is scared.  And we get scared of doing new things too.  Maybe it’s a new school.  A lot of people are scared right now of where our country could be heading to.  Whatever it is, we need to remember this:  fear is the opposite of faith.  When you fear anything but God, you’re saying you don’t trust in Him enough to handle it.  One of my favorite scriptures in the Bible is from Jeremiah, and it goes like this:”

CUE SLIDE:  “Jeremiah 29:11”

HOST:  “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

CUE SLIDE:  GOOD DINOSAUR

HOST: “He has a mark on us, a mark for something great.  And if God is on our side, what do we have to fear?  Fear just holds us back from all the promises of God.  Sometimes you just have to get through your fear to see the beauty on the other side.”

CUE CLIP 3:  SEEING THE BEAUTY ON THE OTHER SIDE

HOST:  “Arlo is just learning.  And over the course of events, he winds up meeting a human that he’s named Spot.  Oh, and three T-Rex!  These T-Rex are on a cattle drive, and they need Arlo’s help in getting them back.  And here’s where fear meets faith.”

CUE CLIP 4:  GETTING THE HERD BACK

HOST:  “I saw this again last night, and I saw myself in that little dinosaur standing out there.  And it’s you too.  I want you to picture yourself in that same situation.  You knew he was going to be okay – and why’s that?”

LET AUDIENCE ANSWER

HOST:  “Because there were three great big T-Rex there behind him, just out of sight!  And that’s the way it is with us too.  God is not a T-Rex, of course.  He’s something even greater.  Much, much greater!  And when we stand up for him, even if it appears we’re all on our own… we’re not.  He’s promised to never leave us or forsake us.”

CUE SLIDE:  “Hebrews 13:5”

HOST:  “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

CUE SLIDE:  GOOD DINOSAUR

HOST:  “When God makes a promise, you’d better believe He keeps it!”

HOST:  “Now I want you to see something else in that clip.  That first time Arlo did something brave, he was kind of reluctant.  But when he saw Butch in trouble, what did he do?”

LET AUDIENCE ANSWER

HOST:  “That’s right, he ran to protect his friend.  Normally, he’d never do that.  But this time?  He charged right out there into danger, and came to the rescue.”

HOST:  “And that’s where we’re at right now.  You’re destined to make your mark in life.  But there’s only one way you’ll do it right:  by helping others.  You see, there are many out there that are being dragged down by all kinds of problems.  And there you are, able to charge in and save the day.  Will you do it?”

HOST: “Christmas is coming soon.  Will you spend some time this season gathering toys and games you don’t use any more to donate to those who are poor?  Will you spend some of your time helping others at the church, or serving elsewhere?”

HOST: “ Don’t just sit back and let fear take over.  God has you marked for greatness.  Look at this last verse.”

CUE SLIDE:  “EPHESIANS 1:13”

HOST:  “When you believed, He stamped you with an official mark.  That official mark is the Holy Spirit that He promised.”

CUE SLIDE:  “THE GOOD DINOSAUR”

HOST: “Just want you to remember two things.  Number one:  God is right behind you.  Remember how strong that T-Rex was?  God is so much greater than even that.  Number two: He’s marked you for something greater.  You’ve got nothing to fear, because greater is He that is in you… than He that is in the world.  But here’s one more thing.  Take a look at this last clip.”

CUE CLIP 5:  CAMPFIRE

HOST: “That huge T-Rex admitted it.  Even he felt feared.  If you ain’t scared, you ain’t alive, kid.  Everyone feels fear.  Everyone hears that voice that tells them things might not turn out so well for you.  Before you do anything, what you need to do is listen to that other voice too, the one from God.  If He’s telling you it’s the right thing to do, then it’s time to move forward in faith.  Like Arlo’s dad said, you’re about to see the beauty on the other side.”

HOST: “Or as Butch said, ‘You’ll be alright, kid.’ Let us pray.”

We like this movie, and this message too.  Daddy had Madison's Arlo doll - the one inside the egg - and brought that along for the message.  The kids were really hooked from the beginning.  Of course, having movie clips like that really helped.

The fires continue, and so does the drought.  This is going to be the most epic drought that Madison will have experienced - hopefully in her lifetime.  There are now bans on certain types of water usage.  Things are serious.  Fireworks are going to be banned for New Year's Eve, unless things change - and that seems unlikely.  Fires that were thought to be contained… are reigniting because everything is so dry.  In one way, it's good to burn off in certain areas.  But obviously in many other ways not so much. We're still praying for rain, but in taking the message above to heart, we know it will be alright!

Surgery? Yikes!

We had a meeting with the surgeon today, me and Madison.  She was out in the waiting room, her homework and comic books spread out across the table there.  She was just fine.  Daddy got her those comic books, and that's all she really needed.  Nevertheless, she finished all the homework she had for the week.  The receptionist was watching over her out there, so all was well.  Meanwhile, Daddy was inside talking with the surgeon, who happens to be the same doctor that was helping Mommy through her cancer.  Apparently, Daddy's gall bladder is operating at 30%, which means it will probably be going out of business soon.  There is no recovery plan for a gall bladder, or at least I don't think there is one.  The surgeon's opinion was that we remove it completely.

This is not an uncommon procedure.  Daddy had an endoscopy a few years ago, but this is pretty much the first surgery he's ever had scheduled.  Yeah, he's a little nervous about things.  Did the gall bladder have to come out?  Is there any chance of it getting back on track?  Apparently not.  And as bad as Daddy's been feeling lately, it can and will get worse as the gall bladder degenerates into a small nausea bomb planted in his chest.  The selling point is, "How'd you like to be on vacation when this thing goes off?"  It's better to deal with surgery when you can plan it all out, versus dealing with it in an emergency vehicle on your way to an unknown hospital.  SO, December 12th it is.  That's a Monday.  Daddy picked that day because it is after the recital and after the Nutcracker.  Hopefully things will be okay until that point.

Before our visit to the surgeon, we went to piano class today.  Madison performed for Mrs. Pam, and was a little rusty - but that was because she was trying to incorporate the use of the foot pedal with her song.  She's been doing well though, and she has plenty of time to practice, practice, practice.

We went to ballet after the doctor's visit, but this time only to make a payment for some photographs upcoming.  With Madison involved in "The Nutcracker," we thought it would be good to have some pictures of her made in her China Doll costuming.  Obviously, we'll share that picture here when we can.  Space was limited, so Daddy dropped by today.

It was Taco Tuesday today, and while that may have been a good thing for Madison, it was clearly not for Daddy.  No more tacos until the gall bladder takes a hike.

Tonight's movie was not a Christmas movie.  I know that's a shock.  But we did go with the western theme of this series we're in right now, and that may be the biggest reason of all.  You see, tomorrow night Daddy wanted to preach a movie message, so tonight we watched "The Good Dinosaur" to find clips that would work.  I found them very well.  Tomorrow, I'll post the message - it should be good.  But we enjoyed the movie, all of us before bedtime.

One thing we do not enjoy:

Ironically, this picture came via Glen Burns, our local meteorologist.  Fires are still burning in the mountains, and we're approaching record territory for a lack of rainfall.  There is no hope in sight.  You can see the smoke from these forest fires, and how choking it is for all of us.  No one is outside, and it's been that way for a week or so now.  Tonight, we prayed for rain - just as we continued to pray for our leaders.  Prayer works.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

So we used to listen to the Platters a lot.  I think it all started out with that movie "Always," which wasn't a bad movie now that I think of it.  I'm actually thinking of looking for it now, considering the theme of fire fighters battling forest fires.  That and "Planes:  Fire and Rescue."  Anyway, the Platters song is called "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," and that's easily - easily - the theme song for today.  The weather service said this was a red alert situation.  Kids stay indoors, as do folks with lung problems.  Heck, everyone should stay indoors today - the smoke is everywhere.  Just north of here are several forest fires, some intentionally set.  The weather has been so dry lately that there's not much that can be done.  Firefighters are hiking really long distances to get to the places where the fires are, and it's been an ongoing story that you usually only hear about in California or elsewhere in the west.  The smoke makes it impossible to think of anything else.  There's this super moon, so huge and full - and it should be perfectly clear out there.  It's just the smoke.  And the sunrise and sunset are so basic, without cloud cover at all.  Yet you can see the sun without any trouble as it sets, the haze diffusing all the harsh light and casting the landscape in a deep red color.  We all stay indoors, and treat the garage like an airlock.  We really pity everyone working outside on a day like today.

We did drive around a bit today:  Madison had ballet and jazz.  While she was dancing, we were out looking for a Christmas tree stand, probably a bit too early.  We stopped at two places before we found success at Lowe's.  We also found some of the biggest Christmas inflatables I've ever seen.  A few are easily bigger than our car - one's a Reindeer and Sleigh Craft Carrier, which is basically an air craft carrier with a ginormous Santa and his reindeer on it.  The jumbo jet is ridiculous.  It's even bigger.  I'm seriously not sure if that thing would even fit in our yard.  It's amazing.  It would eclipse many houses, making decorating those houses irrelevant.

We always like walking through Lowe's to see some of the decorations and ideas.  But they did have that tree stand, which we snagged.  We're using it for the last tree to go up, which we'll finish up with this week.  The trees are looking nice at night, and this new one will look nice from outside.  Mommy always wanted that tree you can see in the front window.

It was a long day for Madison, but we did manage to watch our Tribes Christmas before bed.  Daddy was working a lot, writing for the upcoming Cowboy Christmas series.  One idea was to take an old Johnny Cash song (Reba did it too).  The song is called "The Christmas Guest."  But rather than write the lyrics to that song, Daddy took the premise of the whole thing and rewrote it using a few of our cowboy characters.  As Christmas approaches, we'll leave you with this unusual poetry:

One Christmas Eve, a Cowboy stood,

inside his cabin made of wood

Though all alone, his heart had cheer:

a precious holiday was near!

When suddenly, a blinding light

shone brightly through the silent night.

It was an angel here to share: 

a Christmas guest would soon be there.

Yes, Jesus would be on his way. 

The Cowboy shouted, “Yippee-kay-ay!”

He did a boot-scoot, which looked silly. 

He also made some Christmas chili.

He decorated his whole place,

a look of joy all on his face.

Right there and then, Black Bart rode up. 

The Cowboy said, “Hey Bart.  What’s up?”

“I ain’t too good,” Black Bart replied. 

“If I don’t eat, I just might die.”

“This chili here, it’s for God,”

the Cowboy said.  It sounded odd.

“But you can have some, sure enough. 

‘Cause going hungry can be tough.”

Soon Black Bart left, upon his horse. 

He sure was grateful now, of course!

But the Cowboy had another visit. 

A knock upon on the door – who is it?

Not Jesus, no.  He’d have to wait. 

For the visitor was Calamity Kate.

She was riding through the country,

smelled that chili, and got real hungry!

“Sure, go on and eat you some,”

the Cowboy said.  Soon she was done!

“Merry Christmas,” she exclaimed,

as she rode out there on the range.

The Cowboy looked deep in his pot,

but the chili there was not a lot.

But just enough, he thought, for one. 

He could not wait to see God’s Son.

A then a knock came on the door. 

Let it be Him, he hoped once more.

Sadly not, for just outside

was a little kid who cried and cried.

This may be hard to believe:

‘twas a lost child on Christmas Eve!

The Cowboy had to help right then:

“Here take this chili, little friend!”

Then through the night, they both did roam,

until they found this poor child’s home.

The Cowboy went back to his cabin,

wondering at all that had happened

His Christmas chili was all gone. 

And where was Jesus?  What’s going on?

Suddenly a light appeared. 

The Cowboy said, “Now hey, that’s weird!”

The light shone like a fiery torch,

then Jesus showed up on his porch!

“Thank you very much Cowboy. 

For that chili I did enjoy!”

“But there ain’t no more,” the Cowboy said. 

He looked puzzled, and scratched his head.

Then Jesus grinned.  And the Cowboy knew. 

Jesus was there.  It all was true!

When the Cowboy helped that little child,

Jesus looked down and yes he smiled.

“For what’s been done for the least of these,

that very thing… you did it for me.”