Happy Birthday, Dad!

My mom and dad

Sunday was my dad's 53rd birthday! When I talked to him on the phone, he was celebrating with his best buddies on their annual pheasant hunting trip. He said he was having a great time, as always.

As you all know, I am a major daddy's girl and proud of it! I love my dad and am very proud to be known as Kim's daughter for a number of reasons...here are just a few as it would take way too long to list them all!

1. My dad is an honest man. Used car dealers have a bad reputation but my dad built his business on honesty. So much that he had many returning customers and when he sold his dealership, the buyer purchased the name "Bradley Motor Company."

2. My dad would scratch my back every night when I was little. It didn't matter how tired he was, all I had to do was lay on the couch next to him and he would scratch until it was time for me to go to bed.

3. My dad left his successful business to become a missionary. Along with his hunting buddies, they began the non-profit organization Project H.O.P.E.. They have built countless homes, helped many with medical needs, trained pastors for communities, and provided preschools for the Nicaraguan children.

4. My dad showed me "tough love" during a very difficult time in my life. Although I did not understand his logic at the time, I am very thankful now.

5. People love my dad. I'm not just saying that because he is my dad. They truly love, admire and want to be around him.

6. My dad taught me that love is a choice, not a feeling.

7. My dad is very strong in his faith and has been a great example to me.

I could keep going, but I will save it for birthday number 54!

I love you, Dad!

A bushel and a peck,

And a hug around the neck.

- Pooh

Perfect Sunday

On Sunday, we went to the Rutledge Wilson Farm with the Bertholdi's. We had a terrific time!

Here are a few things we learned:
1. Eastan was a great big buddy to Finn.
2. Finn likes to poke horses in the eye.
3. The $3/person hayride probably wasn't worth our $9.
4. Pumpkins start out green.
5. Troy is better at milking a cow than Nick.
6. Goats poo looks a lot like black beans.
7. Finn's answer to everything is "no." It's not JUST his response to Ashley.
8. When other people aren't around, Finn really does like Ashley.
9. A corn maze would be better if you couldn't see over the corn stalks.
10. Rutledge Wilson Farm is a really cool place that we never knew about.

All in all, we had a GREAT time. We went to the Bertholdi's for an after "pumpkin patch" party that carried on into the evening. Perfect Sunday.

Winner, winner. Chicken dinner!

I won something! Earlier this year, I joined an online community http://buffbrides.ning.com/. It was started by Michelle Sherwood at KSPR to help others get fit, eat right, lose weight and live better. Anyone who joined the community was entered into a drawing for a calorie counter...and I won it! I was so excited because I rarely win drawings. Michelle dropped it off to me at work today and I can't wait to try it out.

Thanks, Michelle!

Passionate Republican

Over the past year, I have realized Eastan was born a republican. During the primary and going into the Presidential election, E has been very vocal about his dislike for the democrats. I'm not really sure where he gets it as Nick and I rarely discuss politics. Here are a few examples:

During the summer, I took the day off to spend time with E. We had to stop by my office for a second. I was sitting in a coworker's office and out of the blue, E says, "I hate Hillary Clinton. She is stupid!"

During the primary, anytime a Hillary ad was on, E would say, "Down with Hillary." When asked why he didn't like Hillary, his response would range from "her husband was a bad president" to "she isn't a nice person."

E was very happy when Hillary lost the primary.

This morning, E and I were watching the Today Show and they were talking about Barack Obama. E's response to the topic of discussion:
"Suck it, Obama."

Behavior Report

Nick and I requested a daily report from Eastan's teacher when we realized he was not turning in his homework and failed to bring a behavior report home. On this report, Eastan's teacher lists all the homework Eastan has for the day along with a "grade" of his daily behavior. We then sign off on the report after his homework is completed. The report goes back to his teacher each morning.

Nick and I love to open the report to a bright, shiny "S" (for satisfactory) glowing at us. Then there are the days when we have a "NI" for needs improvement...or worse are the days when a big, ugly "U" glares at us. I imagine this "U" laughing it's villain laugh as Nick and I decide how to handle the situation.

The second Nick sees the "U" he goes into depression. OK, maybe not that bad, but he is the one that wants to fix it immediately. He wants to correct E's behavior. Nick wants to know why E can't just have all satisfactory days.

I, on the other hand, tell Nick that we can't always have a satisfactory day. Some days are bad. Then I remind him of all the progress E has made over the past year. Nick will agree, but still the big, ugly "U" lingers in the back of his head and will usually cause tension through the evening.

Yesterday was a "U" day. Unsatisfactory. YUCK!

Nick went into his usual, "What do we do? How do we fix this problem? Why doesn't he get it?"

I went into my usual, "Let's wait to find out what he did. At least it isn't as bad as last year...blah, blah, blah..."

Since we were at Community Group last night, we weren't able to discuss the problem with E until this morning. Nick got up and began E's daily devo as usual. When they were done, Nick asked E why he got a "U."

This was his explanation:
E: I was just in class and we were discussing the Germans and I said that Nazi's suck balls.

N:(After taking a second and trying not to laugh)
How could you have rephrased that?

E:I could have said Nazi's aren't good.

N: Who did you learn that from anyway? Like how to talk like that?

E: My friends.

So, that is why E got the "U" on his behavior report yesterday. I really don't know what else to say...