I'm back!

  To All,

It has been a long time! My wife thought I should update my xanga once again. Things here in Miami are going well. The kids are doing well, and we are looking forward to what is to come in the Corps. Our first real schedule changes go into affect this week. We hope it will bring good things to the corps, and that God will be glorified.

We recently returned from officer's councils which was held aboard the Navigator of the Seas cruise ship. It was the first cruise for Tavia and I. We really enjoyed it! The ports of call at Cozumel, Mexico and Belize City, Belize were both great. Included here are some pictures from our tour of Cozumel as well as other things. I hope you enjoy them.

Our Ship                                                                  Tavia at a little Catholic Church by Mayan Ruins

Me Climbing on an Ancient Mayan Buriel Mound    I chose to endorse these two guys instead of Hillary

Tavia and I at the Tequila Factory..Don't worry we   The Mayans invented Wheel of Fortune!

did not try any samples!

I also wanted to include some pictures of the boys. They are doing really well. We switched Ian from a Private School to a Public Elementary School a block from our house. The funny thing is that his class in public school has less children in it than the one at the private school did. His classroom is also larger in size as well. Tanner is also doing well. He tells us that when he grows up he wants to be a penguin! He says penguins go "tweet tweet". Included in the pictures you will see below are pictures of Tanner and Ian where they took a washable black marker, and decided to give themselves body hair and tattoos. It's amazing the creativity spawned by a long wait in line at the drive through.

The boys watching TV Together                            Check out their cool body hair!

A Pirate Pose!                                                      Pillow Case Fun

I also wanted to personally recamend a movie we recently watched.

It was an animated Disney Movie called Meet the Robinsons.

The main character is an orphan named Louis, who by means of time travel, is able to find his true calling as a great inventor.

When the boy arrives in the future, he finds that his future self has an ingenious method for creating and refining inventions. His motto is "Keep Moving Forward!" The young boy comes to realize that failure is not terminal, and that mistakes are valuable because we learn so much from them. This fact frees the young orphan to return to the past, and make the most of his abilities.

The film's final scene ends with a quote from Walt Disney. I will relay it to you in a future e-mail, but the gist is....Keep Moving Forward!

I think I will adopt this as my own motto. We can get so buried in the past that we forfeit the dreams we should be dreaming. The plans we should be making.

In the future, I will use some of the clips from this movie in my sermons on the subject of grace.

Currently Listening Toddler Action Songs By Cedarmont Kids see related

And now a word from Tavia...

Thought I'd help Bruce out a bit and update for him.  It's only fair, seeing as he's currently cleaning the kitchen and finishing the laundry for the night. (Everyone should have a Broose. He comes in very handy.) We had a very long day today, but it was good!  Having lunch after church every Sunday is a great thing for our Corps, but combine that with after lunch activities (Corps Cadets, people wanting to "talk", birthday parties) all make for a very long day, two sleepy parents, and two wired kids.  I thought they'd be exhausted tonight after playing for three hours on the bounce house water slide this afternoon, but I think the two birthday cakes (one at lunch, one at party), as well as the countless sodas, goody bag treats, and Holiness meeting gummi bear bribes may have won out. 

Aside from the occasional bout of sugar induced crazes, the boys are doing well.  Ian finally lost one of his top front teeth.  It's been literally hanging out of his mouth for three weeks, but he has refused to let us pull it. He finally got so tired of it, he pulled it himself last night! He won the marbles on Friday at school, which I think means his row won the good behavior award. All we know is that he has prayed for his team to win every week since school started, and this is the first week they have.  He got to pick a prize out of the treasure box, and was so proud of himself.  When I picked him up from school, he danced all the way to the car with his teacher, and then said to me, "See, Mom, God answered my prayer. Even though it took him long enough." He's such a smart boy, and he's doing really well in school. He's struggling with cursive and spelling, but we're just happy that he's adjusted so well! Next adventure for Ian? Getting into the subculture of youth sports. Baseball is serious business here, and we've had offers from a couple of guys at church who coach to help get Ian up to speed and into a good league. And I thought it was all fun and games!

Tanner's just as precocious as ever. Charming, verbal, handsome, and oh, so devilish. How does he do it? He really knows how to push my buttons, and we are constantly butting heads. Every time he screams to get what he wants, I hear my dad's voice in my head, explaining that I was the only one getting in trouble because I was the only one he could hear screaming.  At least my child comes by it naturally. He's doing a little better in school, adjusting more and more. He has a new teacher that he really enjoys, so that helps. And I guess he's decided that if he can't beat him, he's going to join them. In addition to all of the English phrases he's picking up everyday, he's now decided to be bilingual. If we can't figure out what he's saying, we ask our secretary, who's Cuban, and she interprets for us. So far, the bubbles in the bathtub are "Aye, que lindo!" (Oh,how cute!); his face and hands after spaghetti are "Aye, que susio!"(Oh, how dirty!); driving in the car is a constant stream of "Mira, mira!" (look, look); and sometimes, when we're just not moving fast enough for him, it's "Vamanos!" (Hurry, let's go!).  I probably spelled all of those wrong, which tells you just how much I've been immersing myself in the culture here! Even with his sweet little lisp, he puts us all to shame when it comes to Spanish.

We are preparing for a busy week.  We have Area Command Advisory Board tomorrow, then we'll be taking applications down in Homestead for Christmas. We don't actually do Angel Tree or Toy Shop on our own, but we'll be participating in the area wide effort through Area Command.  It should be an interesting experience. After applications this week, we're off to Officers Councils at Keystone.  Little nervous about that, but we'll get through it.  At least I get a visit from my Mom and Lee out of it! It will be so good to see a familiar face! It gets a little lonely down here.

Well, the football game is almost over, which means I can sleep in peace soon. I thought I'd leave you with a picture of the boys from a couple of weeks ago. A rare moment of brotherly love between many moments of rivalry, wrestling and downright rascality!

Currently Listening Go By Newsboys Everywhwere We Go.... see related

How We Are Doing & An Amazing Answer to Prayer!

 It has been a very long time since I have updated my xanga page so here goes. We are doing well here in Miami. The Corps is great, and the people are very loving. Things have kind of been in a "summer lull" since we arrived, but in many ways that is good. The house is very nice, but needs some work. We have been working diligently with Area Command to get some of the issues resolved. All in all we are blessed. We are looking forward to our fall programming schedule as we complete VBS this week. It has been a wild rootin' tootin' time as we have celebrated here at Avalanche Ranch. The corps has been awesome about helping out. It is truly a groups effort.

On other fronts.... Tanner is getting settled in to his day care. He has two new friends named Fernando and Nelson. He says Fernando in a perfect hispanic accent. It is the cutest thing I have ever seen. He is getting bigger every day, and picking up things like a sponge. Last night he told us; "I wuv Jesus!" He has also been repeating the Bible Point for each day at VBS. He is an amazing two-year-old.

With Ian on Fort Myers Beach in early August                Playing in the Water @ Cintenial Park in Atlanta in June

Posing with Dad at Cintenial Park while playing             Playing peekaboo in Dad's office

Getting ready to jump with Ian into the pool                  Digging for lost treasure on the beach

For an UPdate on a truly amazing answer to prayer please read below. I sent this out on my lotus notes, but also wanted to post it here.

Welcome to Miami - bien vinedo a miami

Miami Sunset!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Currently Listening Straight Outta Lynwood By Weird Al Yankovic Amish Paradise! see related

Ian-Such a Sweet kid!

 Another Valentines Day has come and gone! I am another year older today; all together 32. I had a good birthday which included a visit to the doctor as well as my practicum at Booth Towers here in Atlanta. It was not the strangest Valentines Day I have had though. When I was in college, and working for a Large national video chain as an assistant manager, I once had to attend a training on Sexual harassment, that just happened to fall on Valentines Day. (No- I didn't harass anyone! It was a mandatory training!)

Any ways, last night Ian was feverishly working on Valentines for his classmates. Tavia helped him as he designed , colored, and lettered each card. He took such great pains to make sure each one was as close to perfect as possible. He is such a little ruffian sometimes. Like when he is playing with his best bud Morgan Cundiff! Those two are like Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. Morgan has been so good for Ian. He is a little country boy who likes to play at the same things Ian does. In many ways he is an answer to prayer. He is the friend Ian needs right now.

Ian and Morgan on Halloween- The Pirate and The Jedi!

On the other hand, Ian is also a very sensitive young man. He wears his feelings on his sleeve, and cares deeply how the people around him feel. He reminds me of me so much. Sometimes we butt heads because we are so alike. He is a special boy. He is a great big brother for Tanner. Ian is as kind as Tanner is rough. I feel sorry for the kid that ever messes with either of them. I know Ian would fight for Tanner, and the way it looks now, it looks like Tanner is gonna be a little bully or general.

Tanner waking up his favorite guy! His bubba- Ian!

Tanner and Ian on the porch swing at Lake Junaluska in August.

Tanner is happy that he woke up his Bubba!

I love them both so much! They are my boys! They are not perfect, but they are what God has created in our lives, and I love it.

I am blessed!