I used to love to hear Archie Campbell tell his stories on Hee Haw as a kid. I can't tell you elated I was when I found it on YouTube.
I would especially like to dedicate this to my youngest nieces and nephews or as Archie would say it: my neautiful bieces and nandsome hephews - Landison, Meah, Nameson and Joah!
Love you all!
K
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Totally TERRIFIC time with the Tots!
Okay, sorry...but I couldn't resist the alliteration. It might sound cheesy but we really did have the best time with our nieces & nephews earlier this week. REWIND.......
Friday, March 20th the wife and I piled into the F150 after work and headed toward Duncan, OK with planned stop over in Winfield, KS. We planned on taking our Toyota Corolla but Friday morning the check engine light came on and we took it to the local mechanic's garage for repairs. We arrived at Tamala's Dad's house that evening and visited a bit and then retired for the night. We took him and his "lady friend" to breakfast Saturday morning at a little Bistro place there in Winfield. They have decent food and quaint atmosphere for Winfield and what it has to offer otherwise. Then we piled back into the truck and headed for the Palmer Kingdom in Duncan, OK, US of A to visit the "Royals".
You see the eldest lassie in their clan was having a birthday! Her Royal Highness the Drama Princess, Princess Madison, was turning six years old! She has grown so very tall over the last few years. There was a birthday party being held at the local bowling alley and many of her little friends came and had themselves quite a time. Of course her younger sister, the Prosecutor - Princess Leah, brothers Prince Jameson and baby Prince Noah were all in attendance as well. For those readers not familiar with these titles, they are borrowed from their father's blogsite - The Extended Table - who consistently writes about current events that happen within his "kingdom". Her Dad, had made her a Barbie cake to take to the bowling party along with some ice cream cones with cake baked inside. I helped him finish frosting the ice cream cone cakes with the cream cheese icing. I had never seen this done before but they were perfect for all the little ones to hold and get to enjoy birthday cake. Once the icing was on, they looked like real ice cream cones. So after the party we all go back to their house and Madison received a few gifts. Since she was the birthday girl she got to choose where we went to eat that evening. Well, wouldn't you know, she chose The Olive Garden! Duncan doesn't have an Olive Garden so we all piled in the family van and went to Lawton, OK and had a great time and delicious meal.
We enjoyed our time so much with the family! Little Noah will be turning one in mid-June just a couple of days before his older brother Jameson turns three! So I imagine we will be planning another trip down the Royals palatial estate to party down again! We enjoy them now while they're small because they grow up way too fast. Our eldest nieces have been married almost four years now and they've been having babies of their own. They grown up just too fast.
Blessings!
Friday, March 20th the wife and I piled into the F150 after work and headed toward Duncan, OK with planned stop over in Winfield, KS. We planned on taking our Toyota Corolla but Friday morning the check engine light came on and we took it to the local mechanic's garage for repairs. We arrived at Tamala's Dad's house that evening and visited a bit and then retired for the night. We took him and his "lady friend" to breakfast Saturday morning at a little Bistro place there in Winfield. They have decent food and quaint atmosphere for Winfield and what it has to offer otherwise. Then we piled back into the truck and headed for the Palmer Kingdom in Duncan, OK, US of A to visit the "Royals".
You see the eldest lassie in their clan was having a birthday! Her Royal Highness the Drama Princess, Princess Madison, was turning six years old! She has grown so very tall over the last few years. There was a birthday party being held at the local bowling alley and many of her little friends came and had themselves quite a time. Of course her younger sister, the Prosecutor - Princess Leah, brothers Prince Jameson and baby Prince Noah were all in attendance as well. For those readers not familiar with these titles, they are borrowed from their father's blogsite - The Extended Table - who consistently writes about current events that happen within his "kingdom". Her Dad, had made her a Barbie cake to take to the bowling party along with some ice cream cones with cake baked inside. I helped him finish frosting the ice cream cone cakes with the cream cheese icing. I had never seen this done before but they were perfect for all the little ones to hold and get to enjoy birthday cake. Once the icing was on, they looked like real ice cream cones. So after the party we all go back to their house and Madison received a few gifts. Since she was the birthday girl she got to choose where we went to eat that evening. Well, wouldn't you know, she chose The Olive Garden! Duncan doesn't have an Olive Garden so we all piled in the family van and went to Lawton, OK and had a great time and delicious meal.
We enjoyed our time so much with the family! Little Noah will be turning one in mid-June just a couple of days before his older brother Jameson turns three! So I imagine we will be planning another trip down the Royals palatial estate to party down again! We enjoy them now while they're small because they grow up way too fast. Our eldest nieces have been married almost four years now and they've been having babies of their own. They grown up just too fast.
Blessings!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
I'm going out on a limb here
I've been contemplating this for some time and recently when a speaker at function I was attending alluded to it, I figured I might as well go on record.
I have been probably considering this since before the last Presidential election, the tax exemption status of the "church" here in the the good ole USA. I've heard it said that Pastors, Priests, Rabbi's or whatever you call your local spiritual leader, cannot make certain kinds of statements to those that attend their services. I.e, they cannot endorse a political candidate and if they do they can have their tax exempt status revoked. I think there may be some other topics they cannot touch on either. If the gay & lesbian machine keeps pushing their agenda of being designated as a recognized minority group, and they will, I could see the day come requiring churches to employ openly GLBT people. If a church took stand against this they would have their tax exempt status pulled. Well, I say.......
GIVE IT BACK NOW! I really don't think its too far down the road anyhow. I also think that we as tax paying citizens will lose our tax credit for contributions to our places of worship. There, I've said it! It's on paper (figuratively), it's on purpose.
How do I feel about that? I will continue to pay my tithe because the Word of God tells me that He will supply all of my needs, according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus. I was reading a commentary a few days ago and the author made a remark that the concept of the "tithe" was in practice even before the Law (Mosaic Law). The Old Testatment will tell you that Abraham practiced the tithe well before Moses took pen & parchment and wrote the Law. This is something on which I am still contemplating, meditating, mulling over, etc. I think I should go back even further in "time" to Adam & Eve's sons. Of course I will need to go back & read it again but if my memory serves me I think Cain & Abel fell into their diversity over their sacrificial offerings to Lord God Jehovah. Was this not their tithe? Yep, I need to go back and study up on this. I guarantee you neither Cain & Abel, Abraham, Moses or any of the rest of them got a "tax deduction" on their monies given to the Lord. The Lord took care of them and blessed them abundantly!
Blessings!
I have been probably considering this since before the last Presidential election, the tax exemption status of the "church" here in the the good ole USA. I've heard it said that Pastors, Priests, Rabbi's or whatever you call your local spiritual leader, cannot make certain kinds of statements to those that attend their services. I.e, they cannot endorse a political candidate and if they do they can have their tax exempt status revoked. I think there may be some other topics they cannot touch on either. If the gay & lesbian machine keeps pushing their agenda of being designated as a recognized minority group, and they will, I could see the day come requiring churches to employ openly GLBT people. If a church took stand against this they would have their tax exempt status pulled. Well, I say.......
GIVE IT BACK NOW! I really don't think its too far down the road anyhow. I also think that we as tax paying citizens will lose our tax credit for contributions to our places of worship. There, I've said it! It's on paper (figuratively), it's on purpose.
How do I feel about that? I will continue to pay my tithe because the Word of God tells me that He will supply all of my needs, according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus. I was reading a commentary a few days ago and the author made a remark that the concept of the "tithe" was in practice even before the Law (Mosaic Law). The Old Testatment will tell you that Abraham practiced the tithe well before Moses took pen & parchment and wrote the Law. This is something on which I am still contemplating, meditating, mulling over, etc. I think I should go back even further in "time" to Adam & Eve's sons. Of course I will need to go back & read it again but if my memory serves me I think Cain & Abel fell into their diversity over their sacrificial offerings to Lord God Jehovah. Was this not their tithe? Yep, I need to go back and study up on this. I guarantee you neither Cain & Abel, Abraham, Moses or any of the rest of them got a "tax deduction" on their monies given to the Lord. The Lord took care of them and blessed them abundantly!
Blessings!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
a little update
It doesn't seem possible that a month has elapsed since my last post. Things have been moving along here at the Palmerosa of Kansas City. We have been taking a very long time to prepare a bedroom upstairs for the impending adoption. It all started maybe three years ago when Tamala and my mother began peeling off the wallpaper in this particular bedroom. There wasn't a "plan" for the room we just knew that we hated the wallpaper. When you don't have a "plan" it is really hard to "work the plan" so it hasn't been a high priority. Well, sometime last summer I think it was I went ahead and tore the drywall out. I'm glad I did because it settled a question I have had since we bought this house. It seemed the utility bills were pretty high. The reason is that there isn't any insulation in the walls! We insulated the attic last May because there wasn't any insulation in the attic either. So after we hauled out the 18 large bags of busted up drywall, I bought some insulation rolls and finished the insulation job in the bedroom.
Now we have new drywall, carpet padding with new carpet and new paint. The only thing left to do is finish the trim work. So, it's very close to being finished.
The funny thing about this whole process is that we don't even know if the child or children we end up adopting will be placed in this room. We don't know if we'll end up with an infant(s) or toddlers, or pre-teens or just exactly what or how many. We don't know if we should paint pink or blue, buy stuff for a girl or boy's room. So, we'll just wait. We have money saved up and it won't be a problem to go on a massive shopping spree!
Since Spring represents the season of new beginnings, growth and propogation; I would like to think this Spring will hold special significance for us.
If you read this before Thursday, March 5th you might find it interesting that we will once again be considered in a Best Interest Staffing for a 10 year old little girl. We just want God's perfect will in this whole ordeal and pray that little Elisabeth will get the parents that God intends for her to have.
Blessings!
Now we have new drywall, carpet padding with new carpet and new paint. The only thing left to do is finish the trim work. So, it's very close to being finished.
The funny thing about this whole process is that we don't even know if the child or children we end up adopting will be placed in this room. We don't know if we'll end up with an infant(s) or toddlers, or pre-teens or just exactly what or how many. We don't know if we should paint pink or blue, buy stuff for a girl or boy's room. So, we'll just wait. We have money saved up and it won't be a problem to go on a massive shopping spree!
Since Spring represents the season of new beginnings, growth and propogation; I would like to think this Spring will hold special significance for us.
If you read this before Thursday, March 5th you might find it interesting that we will once again be considered in a Best Interest Staffing for a 10 year old little girl. We just want God's perfect will in this whole ordeal and pray that little Elisabeth will get the parents that God intends for her to have.
Blessings!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Chosen! - but not selected
the Word of God tells me that he knew me even before I was born. I was "chosen" to be an heir in the kingdom God established untold millenia ago. There is a people who "chose" to covenant with Jehovah and by doing so became His "chosen people". They hold a special place in His heart. I do not come from the Jewish lineage and had no hope of inclusion in this special relationship. Ahhh, but Lord God Jehovah in His infinite wisdom devised another plan borne out of His immeasurable love for humanity. He "chose" to cut a new covenant and open up to all of humanity the opportunity to obtain "special" relationship status.
A part of "cutting a covenant" with God is that an exchange has to take place - one life force for another life force. In ancient Jewish tradition, a sacrificial lamb had to be slain and offered upon an alter to atone for the sins or shortcomings of the people. The life force of the lamb, the blood, was drained from its body; and exchanged for a restored right relationship with Lord God Jehovah. He chose to send His one and only Son to earth to accomplish this plan. His Son, Jesus, was born, lived and walked among us. He performed more miracles than can be chronicled. He was the "chosen One" destined to become the sacrifcial lamb that would shed His blood to cover our sins and restore us to right relationship with God.
I became "chosen" when I made the choice to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. As Tamala & I have been walking through this adoption experience we have had our names included with many other families to be considered as the adoptive family for several different children. We have always been and will always be "chosen" however we haven't been selected as "the adoptive parents" for any children. I see these as two very different processes. I believe that when we are selected and we establish a family, we will be able to teach our children how valuable and precious they are and what it means to be "chosen". They will come to know and understand how God orchestrated the entire process of creating our family. We recently had our name in to be considered for three little brothers, we were not selected. We are fully trusting that God is going to bring into our lives the children He wants us to parent. What a day of rejoicing that will be when we have been selected. We ARE "chosen", we just haven't been selected......yet!
A part of "cutting a covenant" with God is that an exchange has to take place - one life force for another life force. In ancient Jewish tradition, a sacrificial lamb had to be slain and offered upon an alter to atone for the sins or shortcomings of the people. The life force of the lamb, the blood, was drained from its body; and exchanged for a restored right relationship with Lord God Jehovah. He chose to send His one and only Son to earth to accomplish this plan. His Son, Jesus, was born, lived and walked among us. He performed more miracles than can be chronicled. He was the "chosen One" destined to become the sacrifcial lamb that would shed His blood to cover our sins and restore us to right relationship with God.
I became "chosen" when I made the choice to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. As Tamala & I have been walking through this adoption experience we have had our names included with many other families to be considered as the adoptive family for several different children. We have always been and will always be "chosen" however we haven't been selected as "the adoptive parents" for any children. I see these as two very different processes. I believe that when we are selected and we establish a family, we will be able to teach our children how valuable and precious they are and what it means to be "chosen". They will come to know and understand how God orchestrated the entire process of creating our family. We recently had our name in to be considered for three little brothers, we were not selected. We are fully trusting that God is going to bring into our lives the children He wants us to parent. What a day of rejoicing that will be when we have been selected. We ARE "chosen", we just haven't been selected......yet!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
The Gene pool
I've been thinking about this post for a few days, wondering exactly how do I write it. I am still not quite sure how so I'll just start writing and we'll see just how this turns out.
It was better than 20, no maybe 25 years ago, that I was working out in my Dad's barn at the Palmerosa in Owasso, OK which would put me in my early twenties. I was working on something I don't remember now what it was when all of the sudden I realized......that was listening to my Dad's radio station, and ................... (gulp) enjoying it!! It was really a bit of a 'revelatory moment' for me. I thought how could this be? He had the radio somehow wired to the light switch in the barn that when you flipped on the lights, the radio came on too. So I was listening to KBEZ, a Tulsa radio station that played light easy listening music. He always enjoyed talking about The Big Band era, listening to The Glen Miller Band, Benny Goodman, etc. To hear him tell it, he could really "cut a rug" too. He claims he was quite the "dancer" back in the day!
So anyway fast forward to present day. Now over the years, let me reassure you dear reader, that I have NOT missed many a meal. Since I have been working a desk job for the last 20 years, and eating just about anything I wanted, whenever I wanted; I really packed on the pounds. I developed a "belly" just like my Dad's! I've also noticed that my hairline has receded in the same manner his has too.
It was a short four years ago that my parents came up to visit me in Kansas City and help us celebrate a surprise 40th birthday party for Tamala (we were dating at the time). Well I was up in the choir loft with my Singles Pastor, Mark and trying to point my folks out in the crowd because he was going to get them immediately after service to take them back to the room where we were going to celebrate Tamala's birthday. Well, he finally "spied" them in the crowd and he said.. . "Oh, the guy that looks just like you, only a little bit older?!" I said "yeah, that's my Dad, his name is Gene and my mother, Pat, is standing right beside him."
Present Day-
one of the benefits of having 'high speed' internet at my work, I can 'stream' music over the internet through my speakers on my desk and enjoy music all day while I work. I don't play it loudly at all, just very softly, hopefully that only I can hear. I think everyone at the office knows I do it because they all stop by my desk from time to time. I've played jazz, contemporary Christian, light Opera, R & B, and worship music with a few other genres mixed in between at times. But you know what I've been listening to the last several weeks? Yep, you guessed it - Easy Listening. I've heard Glen Miller, Ella Fitzgerald, Louie Armstrong, Floyd Cramer, Henry Mancini, Frank Sinatra and a whole host of others.
It is like the music from the 40s and 50s take me to another time. It helps me 'escape' the ugliness of the current political and social/economic landscape. Music has always been escape and source of inspiration. Its been a coping mechanism for me. I remember back in the early 90's when I owned a Porsche 944, if I had a particularly stressful day in the office, all I had to do was take the sunroof out of the car, pop in my Cool Jazz cassette tapes and just .....drive.... for about 30 minutes; then all things were fine.
There may have been a break in the DNA chain however. You see my Dad, and my brothers too, love to sit and watch sports. If there is a football, basketball, or baseball game being broadcast over the air waves, you can just about bet that they'll be watching it. Don't even get me started on the subject of when they were manufacturing television sets with the "picture in a picture" tvs! Two an three games at one time.
Even as I have been writing this post, I have been listening to, yes - you're right again - the Easy Listening channel on Pandora Radio. I can't help it. It's all apart of.........
the Gene pool.
It was better than 20, no maybe 25 years ago, that I was working out in my Dad's barn at the Palmerosa in Owasso, OK which would put me in my early twenties. I was working on something I don't remember now what it was when all of the sudden I realized......that was listening to my Dad's radio station, and ................... (gulp) enjoying it!! It was really a bit of a 'revelatory moment' for me. I thought how could this be? He had the radio somehow wired to the light switch in the barn that when you flipped on the lights, the radio came on too. So I was listening to KBEZ, a Tulsa radio station that played light easy listening music. He always enjoyed talking about The Big Band era, listening to The Glen Miller Band, Benny Goodman, etc. To hear him tell it, he could really "cut a rug" too. He claims he was quite the "dancer" back in the day!
So anyway fast forward to present day. Now over the years, let me reassure you dear reader, that I have NOT missed many a meal. Since I have been working a desk job for the last 20 years, and eating just about anything I wanted, whenever I wanted; I really packed on the pounds. I developed a "belly" just like my Dad's! I've also noticed that my hairline has receded in the same manner his has too.
It was a short four years ago that my parents came up to visit me in Kansas City and help us celebrate a surprise 40th birthday party for Tamala (we were dating at the time). Well I was up in the choir loft with my Singles Pastor, Mark and trying to point my folks out in the crowd because he was going to get them immediately after service to take them back to the room where we were going to celebrate Tamala's birthday. Well, he finally "spied" them in the crowd and he said.. . "Oh, the guy that looks just like you, only a little bit older?!" I said "yeah, that's my Dad, his name is Gene and my mother, Pat, is standing right beside him."
Present Day-
one of the benefits of having 'high speed' internet at my work, I can 'stream' music over the internet through my speakers on my desk and enjoy music all day while I work. I don't play it loudly at all, just very softly, hopefully that only I can hear. I think everyone at the office knows I do it because they all stop by my desk from time to time. I've played jazz, contemporary Christian, light Opera, R & B, and worship music with a few other genres mixed in between at times. But you know what I've been listening to the last several weeks? Yep, you guessed it - Easy Listening. I've heard Glen Miller, Ella Fitzgerald, Louie Armstrong, Floyd Cramer, Henry Mancini, Frank Sinatra and a whole host of others.
It is like the music from the 40s and 50s take me to another time. It helps me 'escape' the ugliness of the current political and social/economic landscape. Music has always been escape and source of inspiration. Its been a coping mechanism for me. I remember back in the early 90's when I owned a Porsche 944, if I had a particularly stressful day in the office, all I had to do was take the sunroof out of the car, pop in my Cool Jazz cassette tapes and just .....drive.... for about 30 minutes; then all things were fine.
There may have been a break in the DNA chain however. You see my Dad, and my brothers too, love to sit and watch sports. If there is a football, basketball, or baseball game being broadcast over the air waves, you can just about bet that they'll be watching it. Don't even get me started on the subject of when they were manufacturing television sets with the "picture in a picture" tvs! Two an three games at one time.
Even as I have been writing this post, I have been listening to, yes - you're right again - the Easy Listening channel on Pandora Radio. I can't help it. It's all apart of.........
the Gene pool.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Three very special little visitors
Albeit this post is a bit "tardy", I still wanted to get it in. Mama T and I had the pleasure of welcoming three special little visitors (our nieces & nephew) to our home Tuesday, December 30th. They were brought to us by none other than the Grammie & Grampie Express Van. For those of you not "in the know" Grammie & Grampie are my parents. My younger brother allowed his three eldest children come up for a little visit with us.
Well we were thrilled they were able to come. I had planned to take them to T-Rex, a well known children's restaurant in Kansas City, KS near the Kansas Speedway. We took the family there when they came to visit Christmas of 2007. The kids really enjoyed themselves seeing all the dinosaurs, ice caves, fish aquariums, etc. It really is a "magical" place for the wee-ones to get to visit. But alas, after they arrived the "cold bug" began working its own plan and we didn't make it out to see any of the places we wanted to take them. We had also planned to take them down to see the Christmas lights at The Plaza.
We had quite a time though. They found Auntie Tam's exercise ball behind one of the chairs i the living room and let me tell you they had a lot of fun with that ball. Of course the ball (almost 3 feet in diameter) was bigger than my 2 year old nephew but that didn't stop any of them from bouncing on it, laying on it or anything else they could dream up. Of course there were a few 'accidents' and a few tears but it always amazed me that after about 15 minutes they were up and at it again.
We played, let's see if we can hide from Uncle Kevin and then run when he sees us and see if he can then catch us as we run through the house 'screaming all the while'.
I told my brother Jay that hopefully they will be able to come up later this summer for a visit because the first phase of the Schlitterbaughn Vacation Resort and Water Theme Park will be opening up just about 15minutes from where we live. As the kids get a little older we will of course want to take them to Worlds of Fun over on the Missouri side of KC.
Everyone piled into the Grammie & Grampie Express Van soon after we ate lunch on New Years Day and headed back to Grammie & Grampie's home in Tulsa. It was reported back to us that the wee ones were soon fast asleep after they left and slept most of the way.
It wasn't five minutes after they left and I looked and Auntie Tam and said "it sure is quiet in here". I remember the night after they had arrived we were playing ball and doing other fun things and I thought to myself... this is like a mini-training session for Auntie Tam and I since we are planning to adopt. All the activity, commotion and busyness of having three little ones in your home; well there's nothing quite like that. We're ready....bring it on.....we're definitely ready.
We thoroughly enjoyed having everyone and are looking forward to having them again. It just can't happen soon enough though. We do love our family!
Blessings,
Kevin
Well we were thrilled they were able to come. I had planned to take them to T-Rex, a well known children's restaurant in Kansas City, KS near the Kansas Speedway. We took the family there when they came to visit Christmas of 2007. The kids really enjoyed themselves seeing all the dinosaurs, ice caves, fish aquariums, etc. It really is a "magical" place for the wee-ones to get to visit. But alas, after they arrived the "cold bug" began working its own plan and we didn't make it out to see any of the places we wanted to take them. We had also planned to take them down to see the Christmas lights at The Plaza.
We had quite a time though. They found Auntie Tam's exercise ball behind one of the chairs i the living room and let me tell you they had a lot of fun with that ball. Of course the ball (almost 3 feet in diameter) was bigger than my 2 year old nephew but that didn't stop any of them from bouncing on it, laying on it or anything else they could dream up. Of course there were a few 'accidents' and a few tears but it always amazed me that after about 15 minutes they were up and at it again.
We played, let's see if we can hide from Uncle Kevin and then run when he sees us and see if he can then catch us as we run through the house 'screaming all the while'.
I told my brother Jay that hopefully they will be able to come up later this summer for a visit because the first phase of the Schlitterbaughn Vacation Resort and Water Theme Park will be opening up just about 15minutes from where we live. As the kids get a little older we will of course want to take them to Worlds of Fun over on the Missouri side of KC.
Everyone piled into the Grammie & Grampie Express Van soon after we ate lunch on New Years Day and headed back to Grammie & Grampie's home in Tulsa. It was reported back to us that the wee ones were soon fast asleep after they left and slept most of the way.
It wasn't five minutes after they left and I looked and Auntie Tam and said "it sure is quiet in here". I remember the night after they had arrived we were playing ball and doing other fun things and I thought to myself... this is like a mini-training session for Auntie Tam and I since we are planning to adopt. All the activity, commotion and busyness of having three little ones in your home; well there's nothing quite like that. We're ready....bring it on.....we're definitely ready.
We thoroughly enjoyed having everyone and are looking forward to having them again. It just can't happen soon enough though. We do love our family!
Blessings,
Kevin
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