Wisdom Teeth Removal

On Thursday, December 29th, Samantha had all 4 of her wisdom teeth removed.  The surgery was in the afternoon, so the fasting she had to do during the day was hard.  We started off early that morning making her a big breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and eggs.  So from 8am on....no food!
Her surgery was a success.  The doctor said that he would even refund part of the cost due to the fact that her surgery went much better than expected.  Kinda Cool!!
And yes, her sister took many videos of her during her loopiness.  Asked many funny questions and received many funny answers!
Sam woke up the next morning with very little swelling and pain. Also, very hungry.
Next up...Baylee will get a baby tooth extracted that just never chose to leave.  Ya know, between braces, extractions, sealants, and just routine visits, one of my daughters needs to go into the dental profession....just saying.

Sam is smiling for the camera, an hour after surgery.

Christmas 2011

This year's Christmas was such a blessing.  We adopted a family of three this year.  It was so much fun to shop for little ones and in turn share the blessings God has given us.  Morning service at church and a great meal with Betts and Joe made the beginning of Christmas great!  To top off the day, PoPo (Wayne) flew in from San Antonio to spend a few days with us during the holidays. Yes, it was a great Christmas!!

Warming up by the fire....

Kerry's Stocking!!

My Three Ladies!!

1st Day of Christmas Vacation 2011

Woke up this morning to snow and it continued all day. Enjoying the snow with the family. Definately a fire, soup, and grilled cheese kinda night!

Finals Week!!!!!!

Sam and Baylee are both chin high in finals for the next three days. I am in awe at the amount of material they are studying for each course. And the amount they truly know. From my perspective, it seems more like an easy review than studying.
Sam's first final last week was in her online Edu class. She nailed it...100%!
Baylee had her first yesterday, Math. She felt confident in how she did.
I will say this, Sam and Baylee are amazing and gifted students. Makes mine and Kerry's job as parents so much easier.
Both ladies are looking forward to the weekend/Christmas Break!

Many "Firsts" in this 1st Semester

This has been an amazing first semester for all of us.
Samantha: She is ending her first semester in college with a bang!  Her first final will be this Thursday and she will wrap up her remaining classes by next Thursday.  She has had many "ups & downs" this first semester; however, I think if you ask her, she would not trade it for anything!  She has grown into such an amazing and mature young lady these past months. Next semester will be a full load for her, 15 hours, including her babysitting gigs and Youth Leadership/Praise Band at EHBC.
Baylee: Baylee is finishing up her reviews in all her classes this week getting ready for all 7 finals next week. She has done a tremendous job of balancing her first semester as a Freshman at Hope along with Varsity Cheer and Youth Leadership here at Eastern Hills Baptist Church.  Baylee will more than likely end up with straight A's this semester.  Next semester will only get busier...many more competitions as well as her National and World Championships in Orlando, Florida the weekend of February 9th!
Kerry: This is her first semester in 10 years that she has not had one or both of her daughters sharing the school day with her.  Kerry is in her 19th year of teaching and 10 of those years have been here at Eastern Hills Christian Academy.  Kerry's love for teaching, her students, and especially Christ, overflows everyday in her classroom. I love to hear her students and parents praise her for all she does.
Me: This is the first time in 7 years that I have not led the Athletics at Eastern Hills Christian Academy.  Do I miss my athletes and sports, ya betcha; however, it has allowed me to focus on the Children's Ministry here at EHBC and has freed up more time with my family.  Kerry and I also were called to lead/facilitate a parenting class this semester here at EHBC through our Awana Club.  The time together, preparing and sharing with our class has made me appreciate the blessings God has passed down to my family.

So I will state again: many firsts in this 1st Semester!

Winter Has Arrived!!!

So the last 4 days of December 2011 have been interesting...
Last Thursday, the 1st, Albuquerque experienced winds like no other.  It began with sustained winds of 20-30mph around 11am.  By 4pm, winds were sustained at 55mph and gusting to 70+mph!  The winds continued to roar all night and began to subside by Friday morning.  Now that the front was through, here came the second  punch of a 4 punch storm system.  Snow fell most of the afternoon around the state throughout the night. We woke up to wet roads but 2 inches of snow on the grass.  Great morning of fog and snow flurries.  The day stayed cold and overcast with another half inch of snow falling Saturday night.  So here we are Sunday morning. We woke up to lows of 19deg and freezing fog and light snow showers.  The forecast for tonight is strong winds with heavy snow continuing throughout all day Monday.  Highs for Mon and Tues are 27 and 23 degrees...those are are highs!!  Lows will be below 0 with wind chill.  the estimated snow fall thru Tuesday morning, beginning tonight, is to be between 6-8 inches.  I'll believe it when I see it....however; it would be nice!
So how is the weather in your neck of the woods?

Thanksgiving Weekend 2011

My Youngest Is Growing Up!!

"Hey Dad. Yes Baylee. We have to cheer Basketball tomorrow night at 6:30.  May I go out to an early dinner with my friends and then we can report to the gym before the game and cheer?"
That was the question posed to me yesterday.  Wow, my youngest is growing up and becoming her own.  Kinda hard for me to initially swallow; however, I am so proud of the woman she is becoming.  I always describe her personality as one who listens and is a student of human behavior.  She is very aware of her surroundings and astute to every word she speaks and every action she performs.
She has such a big heart and is extremely loyal to those she calls friends.  She will go to the ends of the earth for a friend and not even think twice about doing so.
Baylee is also like her sister with her grades and study habits.  She has maintained straight A's for the last 5 years, including her first year of High School.  Her cheer schedule is not easy.  Three practices a week from 3:30-5:30.  Cheering maybe 2-3 time a week at events as well as staying involved in her church Youth Group in leadership.  All this while still maintaining her grades.
Kerry and I have been so blessed and excited about both of our young ladies.  They have become independent in their actions and yet have shown love and respect to our family as a whole.
Here is a video link to Baylee's last cheer competition.  Baylee's Cheer Video
 I can tell you this, she starts off in the front, left section, from then on.....good luck following her.
In closing, I can not think of the right words to describe the emotions I feel for my family.  This I can say, I am humbled and in awe at the love and grace Jesus Christ has given me by blessing me with my Kerry, Samantha, and Baylee!

Prayer Stones

Here is an article I wrote for the Baptist New Mexican last month:

If you are ever in my office you will find a small clear container holding polished, iridescent, glass stones.  My wife, Kerry, began leaving me these small stones daily, in different locations. They were to be a simple way to tell me that she was praying for me and loving on me.  I in turn began praying for her and our daughters each time I would discover a ‘prayer stone.’

This time of prayer has begun a wonderful journey between me and God.  As I began to pray for Kerry, Sam and Baylee, the Lord then began to lay other individuals on my heart to pray for. I sought God on a very intimate level. I realized that this prayer time was more than supplication and worship; it was an opportunity for developing a repentant and regenerative heart toward Him. 

I need to be right with God before I pray. I have to ask for His forgiveness and ask that He would create in me a new heart, a new attitude.  May I say that this is a very humbling experience for me.

Not that I am all there, come on, you all know me and know that I am a work in progress; however, I am progressing toward Him.

During this journey, I meditated on the 51^st Psalm.  What a beautiful and direct way God has us look at our sinful heart. “The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.” verse 17   David is a broken man, seeking forgiveness and taking ownership of his sinful actions.  It again revealed to me that that is the first step we should all take before coming before the throne of God with our supplications and requests.  We must worship Him with a pure heart and clean hands.

Kerry’s ‘prayer stones’ became so much more than precious reminders of our love for each other. They became a way for me to see the power, strength, and humility that prayer and communication with my God can be!

Let us shed that proud exterior and be truly transparent to Him.  By asking for forgiveness from our sins and repenting, we will then be that much closer in our relationship with the King.

Samantha's 1st Semester of College

"I have the highest grade out of the whole class in my english class! I have a 96!"
That is the text message I received from Samantha this past Wednesday. Pretty awesome job from Sam in her first semester of college. She is taking 12 hours right now and has registered for 15 next semester.
In her other 3 classes she is holding A's also. Both Kerry and I are blessed by their intelligence. Both show a desire to learn and set that bar high. We have never said that they must have straight A's; however, we have always told them to give their best, their first fruits, in all they do. We know what they are capable of and at that point, all of us agree that settling for less is not an option.
Samantha has shown such amazing maturity and growth these past couple of months. Again, we are so proud of her! To think, she is almost 17 and in 5 months will have her "Frosh" year of college completed.
Yes, the Lord has blessed our family!

A New Beginning...We Hope....

It's a shame that I do not write in this blog more often.  Samantha is already finishing up her first semester as a college student and Baylee is into full swing her freshman year at Hope Christian.  Kerry is truly enjoying her 20th year of teaching as she continues to teach Science at EHCA Middle School.  I am in my 4th year at Eastern Hills Baptist Church as the Children's Pastor.  Where has the time gone. Our weeks are busy and crazy; however, we still maintain our time for each other and time for the Lord.  It's been an amazing life He has blessed all of us with.

So here is my commitment to my friends and family....I will do my best to be better at updating what's the haps in our lives because life is moving sooooo quickly.
God Bless Ya'll!

Coach Baylee

We are in week 6 of Upward Games. I am sitting here watching Baylee run the cheer squad. The head coach is out of town so Baylee is in charge. Her enthusiasm and confidence is a reflction of Christ to the young ladies on her squad! She is such an amazing young woman of God.  Kerry and I are blessed with two beautiful ladies.

Houston Summer 2011

What a fantastic vacation this has been with my ladies. Willie's, sushi, Galveston Beach, 4th of July neighborhood parade, 21st Anniversary with My Beloved, swimming whenever, smoked ribs and steak, and especially spending time with John, KK, and Averie!
Can't believe we are leaving tomorrow. So many great memories.....
"Power to the Averie!"