Home Archive by category "Family" (Page 28)

Category: Family

There’s No Place Like Family

Just returned from a week away with my family and wife’s parents in beautiful Galena, Illinois. While I was there I also became 38 years old! There was a time when I thought 40 was old… nah, 40 is still a punk!!! One of the benefits of being away was that I had very little Internet or iPhone coverage… though I did have to snag an unsecured network here or there a few times to check in and make sure my staff was still working. (just kidding!) Technically this was not a vacation (then I do disconnect completely) but this was a writing retreat, and it was wonderful to get some concentrated time writing the second Kidology Leadership Lab… something only hinted at so far on Kidology.org but soon to be released in October 2007! Whaddaya know, I’m actually starting to work AHEAD on projects! If you know me, you should be impressed that I am writing Unit 2 when Unit 1 is in the can but still unreleased! It’s all part of living a slower paced life now. But better than the focused time to write was the time with family in a beautiful natural setting away from the…

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18th Anniversary of our First Date!

In 1986 I was a junior in high school when I saw a picture of a missionary’s daughter in the Philippines in a missions slide-show on a Sunday night at church. (and thought she was cute) After getting her parents permission to write to her (she went back to the Philippines a few weeks ahead of her parents for the start of school), I sent her a letter. We were soon pen pals. Once I found out that she would be heading to the same college as me in a few years (MBI) I got out a calendar and figured out what the date would be of her first Friday evening as a Freshman in college… (before the days of computer calendars!) and asked her on a date for September 7th, 1990, four years in advance! Our first date included a limo ride to Navy Pier, but I could only afford one way, so I left my car at the planetarium and took a cab back to school in the afternoon. After the dinner cruise from Navy Pier (when Navy Pier was only a freight yard and the dinner cruise ship was ALL that was there!) we walked along the…

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A Weekend Without Labor

One of things God has been teaching me this past year is a new definition of “recreation” – something that once meant ‘fun’ or ‘play’ or ‘games’ has transformed into something much deeper and penetrating as I have discovered re-creation. Rather than something I do to “take a break” re-creation is now something I seek regularly, that refreshes and recharges me for the rest of “life.” This Labor Day weekend was a special opportunity for some extended re-creation spent with family. (reminder, click on any image for a larger view) The treats of the weekend began on the way to church. Now from this picture you might I assume I live out in the wilderness, but there are several forest preserves quite close. But as we drove down the road to church my tendency to be taking in everything around me I caught a glimpse of something through a break in the trees and through a fence! Sara was surprised as I quickly pulled over and put the car in reverse claiming to have seen something through the trees which appeared solid on the left… indeed, I had! My guess is an Elk? We have a lot of deer in…

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Luke’s First Rock Concert!

Saturday Luke got to go to his first live concert at Ravina. This concert venue includes a pavillion with ticketed seats like most concerts, but also includes a huge outdoor lawn area surrounded by restaurants. It is a favorite entertainment destination for Chicagoans. My last visit to Ravina was for the Music of Star Wars. Now it was Luke’s turn to join hundreds of other little tots for Ralph’s World live in concert! Daddy and Son Mommy and Son! Luke seemed a little overwhelmed at first. He kept looking around at allll the kids and people and lights, and finally noticed the band on the stage. It was so cute, there will little kids everywhere dancing in the aisles. The ushers quickly gave up trying to keep the aisles clear. Luke hesitantly joins the others jammin’ in the aisle. We had never heard of Ralph’s World, but the music was fun. It was all about lemonade, and sand boxes, and water, and chocolate cake. We were surprised to see all the adults sining along as well – one dad in front of me was singing along to a song about how his baseball dreams never came true because of his…

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We Found Heaven! In Mundelein!

NOTE: Click on any image to view full screen! As I have posted before, LUKE LOVES WATER! So we were delighted to just learn of a “Spray Park” only a few miles away this week! When we looked at it online, we knew Luke would be absolutely beside himself with delight when we got there! So when I woke Luke up in the morning and we did our usual talk about the plans of the day, I told him we discovered heaven, and it’s in Mundelein, and it only costs $2 to get in! It became our joke of the day that I repeated over and over and over, “we found heaven! and it’s in Mundelein! and it only costs $2 to get in!” And we were right! HE LOVED IT! (Dad loved it too) Since we don’t live in Mundelein, we pay double… but no complaints here! But we are a little envious of Mundeleinians who only have to pay $1 to get into heaven! We may just have to sell the house and move to save $1 every time we go here! We’ve already been there twice, and that’s $6 we could have saved if we sold our…

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