It's a ...

BOY!

For those of you who weren't aware, Stefanie and I are expecting our first child around November 30th. We are very excited and anxious about the way our life will change from now on. Hot summer days will quickly turn into brisk fall evenings, and before we know it, baby will make 3. Our new addition will be the first grandchild for my parents and the first one in several years for Stefanie's.

Ever since we first started talking seriously about kids, I have found myself observing parents much more as I have struggled with all the different challenges that are sure to come our way. I have no doubt that I have underestimated both the joy and difficulty that this child will bring, but I know that I have never met a parent that would give his child back.

Stefanie will not be going back to school this fall and is looking forward to staying at home with our little guy. Names are still being discussed, but the inner planner in us will soon take over and a decision will probably be made sooner rather than later. The last sonogram showed no signs that the baby was abnormal in any way, but we continue our prayers for a healthy baby and mommy.

We would love to hear your thoughts about what you wish you knew before having kids or any recommendations (diapers, toys, furniture, cameras ...) that you are willing to offer.

Thanks for checking in with our seldom updated blog!

Spring has Sprung, kind of

Spring is officially here. However, it doesn't exactly feel like it. The forecast is calling for a bit a snow today, just to remind us that we really have no idea what to expect. For those of you who don't know, we have purchased a house just south of Olathe and we will be closing at the end of April. We are eager, excited, and ready to have a little more space.



I have done pretty well so far keeping up with my reading goal this year. Now the real challenge is to not just read for the sake of reading, but to actually gain something through the process.

As warmer weather draws closer, Stefanie winds down her school year and construction season picks up for me. Stefanie is anxious to get standardized testing out of the way and I am looking forward to getting outside again and blocking traffic.

2011 & Beyond

As I look back on the recent blog posts, it appears that fall was completely skipped in what had become seasonal updates. I had originally intended to post more often than that, but it just hasn't been a priority. A lot has been going on the last few months, but I won't bore you with all of the details. It mostly involved the usual things, family, friends and travel.

Moving on to recent events, I finally found out today that I passed my PE exam. Sometimes I wish that was for physical education, but it is actually for my Professional Engineering License. I had a wonderful wife who supported me during my endless hours of studying that spanned the months of April - October.

Stefanie and I also spent time this fall teaching Financial Peace University at our church. It was beneficial for us to go through the program again and we had a great class join us.


Like you, we don't know what 2011 will bring, but we are ready for the ride. One of the things I want to do is to read more this year. I haven't read much in my adult life, but I think it will be good for me. The nerd in me is even considering purchasing an ereader. I have already started reading one book that I got for Christmas.

Summer Happenings

It seems like once a season is about as frequent as this blog gets updated these days. Stefanie and I have had a busy, but enjoyable summer, so far. At the beginning of the summer we sat down and started talking about all the things we wanted to do. Even though most of the items on the list were only weekend long excursions, dates filled up fast. We started out the summer by heading to Piedras Negras, Mexico with a group from Joplin. This was one of several times for me to go with the church I grew up in. However, this was Stefanie's first trip and we were very excited for her to get to experience it. Vida Nueva (New Life) Ministries is the organization we have always gone down to help. It is amazing to see how this area has changed since the first trip I made in high school. One of the special things about this trip was the decision that Stefanie and I made to sponsor a child so they can attend preschool. The cool thing was that we got to meet Maria, the child we are sponsoring before we left (Thanks for the picture, Bethany). If you are interested in sponsoring a child I would encourage you to get in contact with Lorena (lorenavidanueva AT hotmail.com) and see how you can make a difference in a child's life.

After Mexico, we've spent about every weekend traveling to see our family and friends across the midwest. We've purchased tickets from scalpers, danced in the car, and watched fireworks with captivated preschool boys.

For the most part things have been positive. However, there is always the good that comes with the bad. I lost my last living grandparent in May and Stefanie's dad has been in and out of the hospital a couple of times for surgery to repair some of the ailments that are a result of the cancer that recurred two years ago. He is home now and has started recovering, but we would still solicit your prayers.

In all things, we know that God is good and that we are Safe in His arms.

Bring on Spring

The time is finally here. It is officially spring and this week's forecast looks amazing. The Final Four and Opening Day are near and I am ready to spend some quality time in the great out of doors. This season should bring plenty of grilling, occasional camping, disc golfing, some geocaching, and maybe even a reemergence of the slackline. We will hopefully get a chance to go see some ball games, visit some parks we haven't been to yet, and discover new ways to enjoy this wonderful season. If this is your allergy season, I apologize, but otherwise I hope you find ways to savor and enjoy the next few weeks. So get off the internet and start making plans.

Stuff For Searching

There's no such thing as a free lunch, right? This is true, but there is such a thing as a good deal. I recently started using Swag Bucks. Swag Bucks is a way to earn points for purchasing things like gift cards or electronics just for using their search engine, which, by the way, is a conglomeration of Google and Ask.com. It's a pretty simple way to get a little bit back for what you already do. In case you were wondering, yes it is improves when you get referrals. However you don't need referrals to start earning bucks. Keep an eye on the swag bucks blog for ways to earn some extra swag bucks. This could be your method to earn Amazon.com gift cards to use as you please, if you are willing to adjust your searching habits a little bit. If you are interested, check out the web site and if you want to help me out, sign up under my account. Thanks.

Video about Swag Bucks on KMBC 9 KC