Super Bowl Cake is a Winner, Even if the Bears Aren’t!

I know that all of ChicagoLand is depressed and that Jeff Bradley is going to give me a hard since my Bears let me down after all of our instant messaging “trash talk”… I don’t think I dare turn on iChat for a few days… we were really going at it the last few days, and now he gets to gloat and say “I told you so” instead of me. But if the Bears didn’t shine, my wife did! So rather than try to give any football commentary (and make a fool of myself) instead this blog’s purpose is simply to show off the AWESOME and AMAZING SUPER BOWL CAKE that my wife made for our Bears Party. And please, do leave her some comments… I know she’ll be checking! But is this an awesome cake or what?!?!?!? It should have been illegal to cut into it! Feast your eyes on this: (since only we got to actually feast on IT) PS: My sister will also instant message me a complaint if I don’t mention that SHE made the gummy team logos in the end zones. Pretty cool, eh?

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Happy First Birthday Luke!

YES! Luke had his very first Birthday! And after taking him into our home on April Fool’s Day we have been praying that his adoption would be final in time for his birthday…. well… we are excited to let you know that his adoption certificate and final adoption papers arrived just DAYS before his birthday, so God does answer prayer! “Mom” and “Dad” are no longer terms of hope… they are our new reality. Enjoy these birthday pics. Luke with his grandma, they are only 90 years apart in age!Here is Luke about to recieve his first Birthday Cake made lovingly by mom. (yes, he is dressed as as rodent again) First time having sugar! He seemed hesitant. What is this stuff? Checking his cute self out in the back of the Mikey balloon. Look at all those presents! Yes, spoiled already! Which one should I open first? Ah ha! I get this ribbon thing! Luke’s Micky Mouse Cake! (read his expression: “Get me OUT of this rodent outfit!”) Daddy did the blowing for Luke, but no need to make a wish, Luke IS the wish come true! This cake stuff isn’t bad! But he left plenty behind… we’re in…

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A Walk in the Garden of GOD

NOTE: All images in this post are clickable for wallpaper size. “Thou art the God of the early mornings, the God of the late at nights, the God of the mountain peaks… but my God, my soul has further horizons… higher than any mountain peak… Thou who art God of all these, be my God.” (Psalm 139) While I was in Colorado I got to take a day to do the one thing that “re-creates” me most deeply, spend time alone, with God, in nature, with only a camera and an iPod loaded with worship music….. ahhhhhhhh The place was “Garden of the Gods” but I prefer to call it the “Garden of God.” It’s a place I often visited as a young boy living in Colorado, so it was so nice to visit again decades later! There is just something powerfully refreshing to walk around a place that is so ageless, it somehow puts your life in perspective… God is not in a hurry. He takes his precious time to do His work, and it is always a master peice. The view from the highway heading in. I love to climb, but was not equipped to rope climb on…

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2006 – A Year of Dramatic Change

2006. Wow.   There is no way to summarize last year. 2006 contained more change than any year I’ve ever experienced. 2006 was a year that was filled with the happiest and yet the hardest times in my entire life. When we look back we tend to want to focus on the worst… and yet, even in the midst of extremely difficult times, it is good to remember that God never fails to bring joy in the midst of suffering… if we take the time to look.I started this blog, kidologist.com, in April of 2005 when I went on sabbatical in order to chronicle my adventures during those fantastic six weeks, but I’m so glad the habit stuck. Any time I am down and wondering where is (or where was) God, I can simply click through the archives of my blog and am flooded with memories of great times and great memories, super friends and special kids, especially when I miss most of what was once my daily life. Indeed, 2006 brought a lot of changes, and at times, more than I could handle, and I failed miserably in keeping on top of everything, and yet in that brokeness God…

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Snowed in Colorado Style

As if having a White Christmas wasn’t wonderful enough, we are now trapped in Colorado Springs due to what the media is now calling “The Holiday Blizzard of ’06… Part Two!” I know many of you feel our pain and suffering, especially our friends back home in wet Chicago. Please remember us in your prayers… our next flight is scheduled for Saturday when the “Part Three” of this blizzard is being predicted after a projected break tomorrow. Seems we may end up beginning the New Year still trapped in Colorado. Here are some of the pictures I took this morning. Enjoy the VIDEO at the end for even more. BONUS: All pictures in this post can be clicked on for much larger resolutions. You can see just how miserable I am. Poor me. As soon as the snow started falling, my dad got me out of bed and we headed out to take pictures. Our destination was a local park called Palmer Park, a surprising large park in the heart of Colorado Springs. It has three separate entrances, none of which intersec to prevent through traffic. In the picture above you can see across the valley that divides the two…

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