Here we are finally in the stadium. It s funny how badly thy boo cutler! I am so glad we decided to come and not try to sell the tickets. Totally the highpoint of our vacation. This makes the dive
down all withorth it!
Well we just got here to the game, but with nobody to tailgate with. :( Just us hanging out in the yukon. We are stoked to be here and I know it will be a CRAZY game! More later!
At home Maggie never wants to have anything to do with dressup stuff, but as soon as we get to Target, she wants to try on everything! She wanted to try on one of the value hats, and wanted to be a
cowgirl. One of these days that kind imagination will be gone, so I need to have fun with it while we still can! I knew I wanted to be a Dad, but I didn't know it would be so much fun!!
Well Maggie upgraded to a big girl booster seat, and on the way to Arin's ultrasound Maggie fell asleep. This doesn't look as comfortable as her old car seat looked to nap in!! Oh well, when you are
that tired anything is comfortable. We are on our way to the appointment, so news will come soon!!
Last time Maggie and I went to Costco, we had to get our usual lunch, but this time she wanted a big hotdog and a big bun. I guess the days of cutting it into little pieces are over. My little girl
is growing up so fast.
Last time that Arin and I went to Seattle to visit Matt and Tara, Matt and I took the kids to the mall. I don't know what it is about those cheesy little rocking car toys, but Maggie and Camden love
them. Even when they just stay still because you didn't put any money in them.
All of the Small Group Leaders at church received a new Study Bible to help us with our Small group Leading and personal bible study. It seems like it is a resource that I will be using for years to come. I Have a New American Standard Bible that I have had since 1986, and I have underlined it and written in the margins for years. I really hate to use the information and insights that I have recorded in there for all those years. But this is an AWESOME BIBLE!! I found a little video about it and thought that the two people who actually read this blog may like to see.
Here is a video... (If it works)
I really hope that this study bible will help to get me interested in the LEARNING part of bible study again. I remember I used to do my own "expositorial study" if that is the right phrase, if it is even a phrase at all. I used to love to learn about the words, meanings, why they used it, background about the passage and all of that cool stuff. I really hope that this will stir that back up and get me into bible STUDY again, not only for the Small group I am leading, but for my personal growth and knowledge.
If any of you out there would like to pray for me to make this a point of my life where I can really begin to have the discipline to study more and be more of a spiritual leader for my family, I would not turn that down. I know that it is kinda weird to put a prayer request out there on a public blog, but I think that we need to be praying for each other like this anyway. So there it is. take it how you want to.
On Friday Maggie and her cousin Camden had their first opportunity to be part of a little kids favorite past time.
Trick or Treating! We try and teach our kids not to take candy from strangers, then dress them up and send them door to door to do JUST THAT! Just look at how cute they are, who wouldn't give them candy... We had so much fun taking Little Dorothy and Buzz Light Year our for a night on the town. When they went to he first house, they were both a little nervous. But as soon as they got candy put in their baskets, they thought that was pretty cool. Maggie couldn't wait to "Do that next house!" They walked up together and gave variations of "Trick or Treat" and "Happy Halloween". But luckily they both were able to say thank you at all the houses.
I was very glad that I took my camera with the external flash so that I could take pictures on almost complete darkness. (Arin and I didn't bring flashlights. We thought we would be out earlier and for not as long as we were.) Both of them had a great time, and then as we got home Arin and I had our first chance of the privilege of being parents by putting the kids down and then raiding the candy.
It was so much fun to take the kids out for the Halloween experience, and hope to be able to get together ands do this every year.
Mile club
Originally uploaded by markandarin
Maggie and I went to Arin's school at lunch today and helped her class earn tickets for their school "Mileage club". The class that does the most laps gets the banner for the next week. It was nice to get out and see Mommy at school and meet some of her kids. they all made sure they said goodbye to Maggie, but I must have been invisible. It was fun. I hope we win!!
Friday date.
Originally uploaded by markandarin
I got the idea from one of our friends at church, that on my day off to take Maggie out for a morning 'date'. We had some errands to do this morning, and hey... We were by the starbucks on
summitview. So we needed to take a little break from the day and got some chocolate milk and pumpkin bread. I love the days that we get to spend together. I really hope that i never get too busy or
she never gets too old for dates like this.
With enough searching and trying I knew I could do it. I found out that I can send a picture to flickr, then they have an "auto-blog address" that will automatically send that picture and text to blogger.
You need to sign up with flickr (it's free) and then click this link
http://www.flickr.com/help/blogging/
It will walk you through setting up an email address so you can send straight to flickr. Then you can also set up an auto blogging feature that you choose your blog and it will give you a second address that will let you send it to flickr and then it posts it in the right format to Blogger. It SOUNDS kind of complicated, but theflickr site walks you through it really easily.
Once you set it up right, you will get TWO addresses. One that is for posting straight to flickr words##words@photos.flickr.com, and one that will post the picture to flickr AND auto post it to your blog words##words2blog@photos.flickr.com. (you will receive your personalized address. They will both be the same except that the blogging one will have 2blog included in it.) I added the second one to my phone contacts with just the second email address. That way I don't need to remember the address, I just pick dadspov in my contacts, hit send and it is done!!
It creates a link to the picture on flickr, so as long as you don't delete it from flickr you will be fine.
Now when I take a picture the subject becomes the title and then the body is the text. I KNEW I COULD DO IT!! It should work with any phone and any service. you will just need to pay for sending a picture if your plan doesn't include it.
Biker chick
Originally uploaded by markandarin
Maggie was very excited to have a chilly day to go out and ride her bike.
Arin and I were able to upgrade our phones this weekend, and Arin decided to go with the LG Rumor. When I went in to replace her phone that was stolen I was told that they would honor the buy one get one free offer that they are offering to new customers. so now Arin and I are both playing with our semi-matching blue and green Rumors. Well it has a slide out full keyboard with a camera and camcorder. so I thought "SWEET!!" i can take a picture out somewhere that i don't have a regular camera and then add it to my blog. Maybe be a little bit more updated and random with my postings. well I found out that i can text message a post just fine, but if I try to send a "Picture Mail" from sprint, it gets hosed. I don't even get a response. so now I am like a man possessed trying to find a work around, or able to add my picture mail address so I can post from my phone. I will spend the next few weeks scouring the Internet to find a definitive answer and then never use it. it is the principle. I know the technology is out there, and I want to be able to use it the way I want to use it. once I figure it out, I will lose interest, and never visit it again.
But hey, everyone needs to have a vision right? I guess mine could be worse, and there are probably SO MANY better ways to try and focus this energy, but for now I will be all consumed with it until I get to the bottom of it. then I will be done with it. until then... GAME ON BLOGGER AND SPRINT!!
On Monday We went down to see the Sea Lions. They were VERY LOUD... We walked all the way down to the edge of the pier, and looked for them all the way out. Grandpa had a good time pointing them out and they barked back to them even. I think she had a very good time.
I finally got a chance to compress the video of Maggie in the moter home on the way back from Avila Beach. She told us that she was not tired, and as she started leaning over the first time I tried to lay her down. But she still told me that she was not tired. THIS is what happened next.
Its' a little long, but I couldn't find a way to get it much shorter.
I am trying to do this again at the Library with Maggie behaving in the kids section with another little girl. This seems to be taking a long time, so I don't know it it is actually working for me. well it says it is now processing, (don't you love the play by play after it is all posted?)
Today, Wednesday, the guys are coming to the house to clean the carpets and Dad and I will finish getting the boxes out of the storage shed, then pack the trailer for Yakima, then I will leave ion Friday to drive 1000 miles just me an Maggie. I am REALLY looking forward to that one.It will certainly be an experience we will both not forget very soon...
On Monday we went over the Grandma and Grandpa's Other House to do some work and let Maggie feed the fish for the first time. She loved being able to throw the fish food out and watch the BIIIIGG FIIISH (if you have heard Maggie say something is big like that you can hear it in your mind) and laughed when they splashed around. So every morning, well, Tuesday, she has to go over and feed the fish. It is a VERY important job she takes very seriously...
Then we decided to take Maggie to one of the piers in Avila Beach to go and see the sea lions. It was a beautiful day and we took the Moter home over there so we would have a place to eat and get out of the sun if we needed to. I have a totally hilarious video of her when she said she wasn't tired, but it is too big like it is, so I will have to compress it and post it tomorrow. Maggie and I are having a great time down here in Pismo Beach, and the schedule has kind of been to work in the morning, and then play in the afternoon after Grandma and Maggie take a nap.
I need to get going, because my 60 minutes is almost up and I have an appointment to go and meet the guy that makes the smashed penny machines. (kind of a penny nerd mecca) you all WILL be hearing about it.
Some of the guys from work and I had our Fantasy Football Draft last Thursday. Now I see why leagues prefer to get together every year and put on a "Live Draft". (In case some of you don't know what Fantasy Football is, it is where you get a group of guys and you "draft" NFL players to put on a fake team. Then you watch all of those players every Sunday, who could be on like 10 different teams on TV, and according to how many touchdowns they score and other very important stats, your "Fantasy Team" earns points. All this takes place for bragging rights at work on Monday morning.) It's different than the "fake football" I play on the Playstation, because at least on a video game there at least a LITTLE bit of skill on my part. This is just watching other guys run around, and we have NOTHING to do with how well they do. I have heard it said that if guys were REALLY as good as we try to be with drafting players and filling weekly rosters, we would actually work for the NFL. But we aren't and we don't...
we had a really great time, and I think that is something I will look forward to every football preseason.
Just in case some of you are wondering how I did I feel pretty good about my team. There are only 6 teams, so we each have pretty good teams.
QB Tom Brady, NE QB
RB Steven Jackson, StL RB
RB Frank Gore, SF RB
RB/WR Nate Burleson, Sea WR
WR Andre Johnson, Hou WR
WR Chris Chambers, SD WR
WR/TE Marques Colston, NO WR
TE Antonio Gates, SD TE
D/ST Vikings D/ST , Min D/ST
K Stephen Gostkowski , NE K
Bench Philip Rivers, SD QB
Bench Michael Turner , Atl RB
Bench Braylon Edwards, Cle WR
Bench Todd Heap, Bal TE
Bench Nate Kaeding, SD K
Bench Giants D/ST, NYG D/ST
So now you know...
Saturday, we really had nothing planned, but to go to the beach again, but this time take swimming suits, and toys are really "go to the beach". We had a chance to just hang out in the morning, and head out with Grandma Julie and Granddad to one of the beaches in Carlsbad.
Bucket... check! Shovel... check! now unleash a toddler to the worlds largest sandbox, and let her go crazy!!
dig and fill... dig and fill...why is this so much fun for her?
One of the few things she talked about wanting to do in California, is have a beach party, and play in the ocean. well this was her chance...
Maggie really liked to walk in the water and feel the waves crash against her. I started to pick her up and splash her legs against the waves, and she thought that was pretty fun. it is really nice that we could keep her so close to the shore, and wade around in it. That was as close as I wanted her to get the the big waves. She had an absolute blast!!
We all had so much fun watching her experience the beach really for the first time here. I know that Dan and Julie loved being able to take her to the beach and be involved in such a fun experience like this. We think that we may have to make this a yearly event. We are all having a great time down here, and I already know we will have to go home way too soon...As if the firestation and beach weren't enough to fit into one day, we still had to get to Grandma Julie and Granddads house. Julie had gotten a blowup pool for the grand kids to play in, so Maggie went straight for it. I mean, what good is going to San Diego if you can't spend all day either poolside or at the beach?
We may have a pool in Yakima, but ours doesn't overlook a canyon of multimillion dollar homes and a golf course. How can we ever expect her to be happy again in Wiley City?!?
I think that she would fit right in here in San Diego. I think this is the look of a little girl who is really enjoying her vacation. (But, what a 2 1/2 year old needs a vacation from, I have no idea)
I think the San Diego Jr. Firefighter badge really completes the outfit.
Maggie loves to sing and dance, especially with a guitar. She is having a great time with it even with dead batteries. Imagine how much fun it will be for everyone when we replace the batteries and it starts to make noise!!After spending the night at Uncle Neil and Aunt Liz's house, we wanted to take Maggie to the fire station. following in the footsteps of every one of Uncle Neil's nieces and nephews. We took a trip to the Pacific Beach Fire Station, that is about 100 yards from the beach. Maggie was very excited to get in the BIIGG Firetruck!
She had to make sure that Gary was able to experience it with her.
oh and Dad too...
Uncle Neil even let her get up front and "drive". I think she thought it was pretty cool.
While we were there, there was a call, so the other truck had to leave. so she got to see them leave,
I don't know just how necessary it was, but the turned on the siren as they were leaving. it was really loud! (even for a seasoned firefighter like Uncle Neil)
I think she had a really fun time there, and we are so happy that she had a chance to go and see the station. I think the only thing that she will probably remember about it is that she got to sit in a firetruck.
The ONE thing that she wanted to do in California, was to go to the beach. So since we were already there, we decided to take a little impromptu walk on the boardwalk. She was so excited to see the ocean. I don't know where she learned about it, but wanted a beach party, at the beach, and walk in the ocean. I don't think that is a dream of many 2 1/2 year olds. Somebody must have mentioned it to her.
As we were walking back, the sand was kind of hot, so I carried her back to Arin and Neil, and we headed off for Grandma Julie's and Granddads house. it was a VERY full morning, and this was just the first few hours. (if we don't pace ourselves, we may overload this little girl, and how will Yakima ever be cool again?) After a night in the hotel in Seattle , we all got up Thursday morning to head to San Diego. We spent the night at the Days in literally at the end of a runway, but Maggie was excited to see the planes take off and land (very up close and personal). We went to pick up Uncle Matt at 6:30 am so he could take us to the airport, after we found out that the shuttle the hotel advertised needed to be booked 24 hours in advance, and would cost as much as a taxi.
Maggie was very excited to ride in an airplane, and we thought it would be best to let her stretch her legs a bit before being stuck in an airplane all morning.
She was very excited to see the Airplane we were going on. she wanted to fly in the BIIIGGG blue 747 that was at the next gate, but we didn't have tickets to Paris, so we took this one instead.
When we got in the plane we were very happy we took this one. Mood lighting, MP3 selection, TV, Music videos, all available on a personal touch screen in front of every seat. Maggie was so excited to be able to listen to the Wiggles on her trip.
Here is a very tired girl at the San Fransisco airport waiting for lunch and to finish our trip. We were delayed a couple of times because of the wildfires and low visibility at the airport.
I was very stressed thinking about how this day could disintegrate and how quickly that may happen, but she was AWESOME. other than the two descents, where her ears started to hurt, and we couldn't really do much to comfort her, but try to make her drink milk to make her swallow. All in all, I was very grateful for the safe trip that God blessed us with, and I know that it could have been much worse emotionally on all of us.
It's funny, for almost 2 1/2 years, everyone who sees Maggie knows her by her curly hair. I am convinced that every person that comments on her curls, is just one more reason why she will end up HATING her hair growing up. I think she is adorable, (but I'm her Dad and I MAY be a bit biased.) But what if this little girl didn't have those curly Cindy Brady ringlets?
what if it was straight? would it change who she is? Would she still be "Our Same Little Maggie"? Well, enter one of the daughters of the lady that watches Maggie. Unleash her with a flat Iron, and what I am told was a WHOLE LOT OF PRODUCT... I can't believe that Maggie would sit still for something like that, but she LOVES to be right in the middle of whatever the big kids are doing. (which I'm sure won't be an issue growing) but when all was said and done, THIS is what I came home from work to find...
That's my little angel...
isn't she adorable? 
She looks like such a big kid... it was really fun to see her totally different, and I told Arin that if her curls didn't come back Jordanna would be in BIG TROUBLE. But after one bath every curl returned in all of their glory. I just thought that I would share these. (even though I showed just about everyone last Sunday at church.) Now it's the worlds turn...
