The Horizon

Nothing to really blog about, especially since I've lost almost all interest in writing about the mundane and banal. Don't worry - amazing things are on the way, just nothing at the moment.

It's about time to get into serious new-baby-mode. Walls need painting, furniture needs moving, Blair needs running. The first several weeks of having a newborn are like a boot camp - and you can't survive boot camp if you're not in shape. No name yet for this little boy, but not for a lack of effort. We consider, discuss, evaluate, and dismiss. But don't get me wrong, it's a lot of fun. A ton of fun, as they say.

In other baby news: my cousin, Adam, and his wife welcomed twins into the world on Tuesday. I'm telling you - they are incredibly cute. I'm talking about the twins. A boy and a girl: Braden and Delani. Delani is doing great and is enjoying all of the affection she deserves. Braden isn't doing as well. He's in the NICU, fighting to breathe with a collapsed lung. We are all confident he'll be fine after a couple of weeks, but it's hard to see a baby with tubes in his mouth.

In other news, starting in a day or two, you can hear me on a new podcast. I was asked to join a couple of guys to be a part of a podcast about social mores, etiquette, manners, etc. It's a light-hearted look at things people do that are not always in the best interest of others. From talking on a cell phone in the elevator to how far a person is from the door before it's okay to not hold it open for them. It has moments that are similar to some of my past "Common Sense" posts. It's, at times, pretty funny. I only knew one of the guys and was just invited to hopefully add to the 'chemistry', so don't expect to hear "The Blair Show" or anything. I think it's interesting, though. We have two episodes in the can and about four more left. The first will be available, like I said, in a day or two. I'll let you know. You can subscribe to the podcast from the website or from i-Tunes. Yep - bigtime.

If you're among the dozen or so people in America who don't know what a podcast is, it's basically an episodic talk radio show. There are tons of different ones out there, each one about a topic.

Fake

Yes, it was a wig. Surprisingly accurate, though.

My Big Day

I was just promoted to a new job in online management. I am so pumped. Here are some pics from earlier today.

Some show how happy I am about the new job - some show how serious I am about the new job...

In The Dojo

This is one of the coolest things to ever happen to my brother and me. Well, it didn't really happen to me, but I share in experiencing the coolness of it.

As many of you know, there were some movies that my brother and I were really into when we were kids. Most obvious is Rocky, but equal to that is The Karate Kid. We integrated lines from The Karate Kid into our everyday lives - and I guess we still do, from time to time. My brother was even more into this movie than I was. The Karate Kid to him is what Die Hard has always been to me. Hardcore.

I'm proud to announce that, over 20 years later, my brother is officially acquaintances with Billy Zabka (aka Johhny Lawrence). They are both in the Christian film/video industry and a mutual connection introduced them. They've emailed back and forth! Of course, my brother made it clear what a fan he was, and Billy was really cool about it. We grew up watching Zabka in The Karate Kid movies, European Vacation, Just One Of The Guys, and others. He was like a member of the family.

Anyway, I just thought you should know. And here's how he ended an email he sent to my brother...

"Peace.....& "No Mercy"
Billy

Awesome. Destiny, you're a wily gal!

Easter Weekend

We had a great weekend in Tyler. Lots of fun, lots of food, lots of time with family, and lots of food. Here are some pics for your enjoyment. I'll be getting pics of Sam in his Easter attire soon and I'll post them.

Click on pics to enlarge them

Here are pics from our trip to the Tyler Zoo...



































Here's the bakery/restaurant in Edom, where we ate on Saturday. Home of the best cheeseburger I've ever had.








Here is my tribute to Sam's sensitive eyes. These are my pics of Easter morning.

And the baby is a...

Boy!

We found out yesterday that Sam has a little brother! We're so excited to meet this kid. He's very healthy and very big. His profile is identical to his brother's, at least as far as we can tell.


Nicole - who two little boys love more than anything else. Three, if you count the dog.

Sam is pretty excited, too.

Realism - Best Fight Scene

The Stud

Here are some pictures of Sam taken while he was in Tyler with his grandparents, and some here in town with his glasses on. Note: his glasses have that auto-tint, so when he goes outside, they darken. It's a great feature - especially for a kid with such sensitive, light eyes, but the downside is that it takes a while for the tint to go away, once he's back inside. So, in some of these pictures, it looks like we make our kid wear sunglasses inside the house.

Foregone Conclusion

It's simple: If you like Ace, you're an idiot.

Spectacular

Sam has had his glasses for over a week now and he's really come to love them. From the very first day, he was great about keeping them on. It's such a relief for us.

Now, when we're out in public, it seems like every parent comes up to us and asks how we knew to get his eyes checked. I think we're going to start a foundation to raise awareness for poor vision in kids. Our slogan: 4 Eyes. 1 Heart. 1 World. Or maybe: 2 Help + 2 Day = 4 Eyes.

The other day, I looked at Sam: combed hair, nice shirt, sweater vest, and glasses and couldn't believe how old he looked. Or how preppy. I'm thinking about giving him a tattoo, just to add some edge. Right now, his only edge is the sometimes-scary constant drool. I guess that's always been my edge, too.

I'm really proud of my son for being such a good sport and for smiling so generously to so many people he doesn't know, and who haven't done anything to warrant a smile. He's a sweet, happy kid.

Also included is a pic of Sam getting his hair cut. I just like this picture. He was a little sad to be there, but he remembered the #1 rule: keep both hands on the wheel at all times. And Nicole looks cute trying to cheer him up, as they watch Barney.

A Great Day

Yesterday was a very sad, sweet, comforting, and great day. I'm so proud of my family, my heritage, and how much we all love each other. We'll miss our cute little Grandmommy.

Her First Day

My grandmother passed away this morning. It's been a really tough time for her, her sweet daughters, and the rest of us. Now, after 93 years, she's finally home.

My dad called to tell me at about 5:45 this morning and I went over there. Such a perfect morning and I couldn't help but think about the way CS Lewis described Heaven as always being dawn, the sun just about to rise. The dawn she's been waiting for all of her life.

Her first day to be in Heaven and no longer be homesick.
Her first day to be free from the 93 year old body she's been in for so long.
Her first day to see my grandfather, her loving husband, in 20 years.
Her first day to be reunited with her mom and dad, and hug them.
Her first day to be surrounded by love, peace, and joy.
Her first day to talk with her heroes from the Bible.
Her first day without worry or fear or loneliness.
Her first day to be welcomed by angels, loved ones, old friends, and all of Heaven.
Most importantly and incredibly, her first day to see God face to face and fully be wrapped in His love and care.

She's a shy little lady and I hope all the attention she's getting right now isn't too much for her. I know she's blushing. And I know she's smiling.

I really wish that this was like all of the first days I've had, where at the end of the day we all hook up at Back Country BBQ and talk about it. I want to hear all about it, again and again.

Three daughters, ten grandchildren, twenty-one great-grandchildren and counting. We all could have come from anyone, but God looked at Peggy Wooldridge and said, "Her." I'm so grateful.

I don't know much about Heaven. I know its home, where we all long and ache to be, more than we realize. I know it's nothing but love and warmth and joy. And I can't help but imagine that, now, it smells like Angel Food Cake.