Alternate Ending For Harry Potter

And so Harry died by the hand of Voldemort.

Chubba Bubba

I took Jacob in for his 4 month checkup last Tuesday. He's almost 20 lbs and 27 inches long! The 20 lbs didn't surprise me because I carry him around everyday and have noticed that I'm acquiring biceps now. : ) But the 27 inches long part did surprise me. Nice to see him growing so well though. Jacob is turning into such a funny baby. He loves to look right at people's faces and "talk" back to you. Joe can really make him laugh. It's a goofy Ernie-sounding laugh.

We've been enjoying our summer. I've been doing a lot of re-evaluating the last few weeks. MOPS is over and that's been a wonderful thing! I've decided to quit working Tuesdays at the library, at least for the summer. Then I can decide again in the fall if I'm ready to work a weekday again. I still work Saturday mornings, but that's not nearly so stressful as Joe is usually home and I don't have to worry about cleaning my house for a babysitter to come over! ; )

We are doing the summer reading program at our library and that's been lots of fun. I didn't realize how many books Josiah and I read together until we started charting them for prizes! Makes me feel good as a mom. : )

Our neighbor Jamie put up a decent sized inflatable pool for her 5 year old son Nathan. They don't mind us using it during the day when they're gone. That's been lots of fun on these hot afternoons.

Oh and I've done some garage-saling too. Though I don't seem to hit the jackpot like Rachel does (nerd!) but I've found a few cute things here and there. And Josiah really gets into it too. I didn't think he'd like hopping in and out of the car/stroller, but he considers it an adventure.

Well, that's our little update for now. Take care everyone!

A Special Day

The low hum of a box fan was all that could be heard in the modest, two-story home. Somewhere on the first floor a gray, fluffy cat was prowling about searching for a sun-lit patch of carpeting. The early morning sun was indeed just beginning to creep through the partially drawn curtains. Today was a special day.

On the second floor, a black on gray cat could be seen perched near the edge of a dresser. With a quick twitch and a soft thu-thump, the cat jumped to the floor and made its way to the edge of a bed. The cat boldly announced the beginning of the day with sharp, trilling "rowr." From the pillows, a muffled voice clumsily responded, "Copy, go downstairs." However, Copy was far too determined to wake the would-be sleeper... Soon, a steady stream of "rowrs" could be heard in the bedroom. As if in answer, a quiet voice from the adjacent room began to quietly sing. The man pulled his head from the pillows and listened groggily as the words "a wee little man was he" could be dimly heard coming through the walls. With a quick smile and shake of the head the man swung out of bed.

As he stumbled out the door towards the adjacent room, the singing abruptly stopped, then began again. The sweet singer had switched songs. Now the words "I am one of them and so are you" could be heard. The man quietly opened the door; however, the door would not be quietly opened and announced its opening with a shrill squeek.

The singing stopped once again. The singer was standing in the middle of his bed with a "friend," a blue, stuffed puppy. The singer gave the man a huge smile and said, "Is today this morning, Daddy?"

The man couldn't help but smile... and then affirm, "Yes, today is this morning, Josiah."

"THEN TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY! IT'S YOUR SPECIAL DAY, DADDY!"

The Daddy couldn't help but to agree. This day, like every other day, truly was... special.

Joe Gets Another New Job

Yes, I move through my jobs rather quickly... Actually, I am still employed at UBC in Platteville. However, I have recently been added to the pastoral staff at our Free Methodist Church in Pville. This is a paid, part-time position. I am very excited about working directly w/ youth again...

One of my duties is to develop the curriculum for grades 7 - 12, both Sunday School and Youth Group. I have looked and looked at various publishers but have yet to find anything worth purchasing.... Does anyone know of (or have) any publisher they would recommend. I was a bit surprised to find that Regular Baptist Press (despite being Babdist, heh, heh) had the most variety. However, quantity does not mean quality (except, of course, regarding Super Bowls and Joe's dominance in that regard).

As of right now, I am planning to write the curriculum myself... but why reinvent the wheel? (Unless I guess, you come up with a better wheel. I mean, I'm all for the Amish, but rubber is superior to steel in the wheel business. Or something. Whatever. This is actually how my thoughts progress, which should give everyone some insight on why I struggle at stopping things from spewing from my brain through my mouth. Spew is a fun word. Try it sometime. Spew. Spew. Spewing. To spew. Spewed. Spew, spew, spew... )

I plan to start with a Sunday School unit on the parables. I'm thinking that Youth Group nights I may start with People of _____. (Power, Passion, Prayer, Problems, Things that Don't Start with P, etc.)

For those not familiar with the Free Methodist Church, read our shorter discipline. If you are strapped with time, just check out the official FMC website. I don't know what it is but Google or Yahoo should help.

Gone Fishin'

Recently, Josiah and I went out fishing. It was Josiah's first time! There is a beautiful little river near Benton, the Fever River. (Don't let the name scare you, though. After all, there IS an antidote!) This is "one of Wisconsin's premier smallmouth bass fishing streams." (From the WI DNR site). Josiah and I caught one 11" smallmouth bass our first time out... And that was with a Twister and a bobber. (I was teaching him how to cast...) The Fever is also home to trout, walleye, and "chubs".

Josiah found it quite funny that another name for cow poop is "cow pie". He was quick to note that "cowpies are not for eating, though."

We've now gone out a few times; however, the rain has made for some poor fishing... The Fever is starting to go down and clear out, so we may try again this weekend...

I'll bring the camera this time and post a few pics later on!

P.S. We also got the hammock back out... Excellent for taking naps after a rigorous fishing expedition!

Easter Pictures

Guess which of these photos was not from Easter Sunday!

Joe Gets A New Job

I have recently been hired at the local UBC (United Builder Corporation). Though I did take a bit of a paycut, the hours are much better and there is great opportunity for growth in the company. UBC hires 90% of sales people and 99% of managers from w/i its own company. Further, most of these hires started from the ground up, being a delivery driver.

I spend the majority of my day taking breaks. I try to squeeze in a delivery or two between breaks, if possible... Obviously, it is a much different pace than my previous job with Pepsi. Pepsi itself was a great job, and I left on great terms w/ the owner... However, my only certain future with Pepsi was going to be rotator surgery!

I actually already have 2 "promotions" due to my experience at Pepsi and working w/ Dad. I am officially a "experienced" driver. My next promotion will be salesman... Anybody wanna buy some lumber?

I mainly drive around our big International dump-bed delivery truck. I am being sent for training for a monster boom truck that we just acquired. This truck will be used mainly for shingle, OSB, drywall, and trusses. It is remote controlled/ joystick controlled. I am the only one from our location that is being sent! I am quite excited! I've already been driving it around the yard and practicing... Shifting through 12 gears takes a lot of practice...

I really enjoy my job and so far it has also been a great family decision too! Josiah got to sit in my semi the other day... He thought the air horn was quite neat... He also enjoyed the dump bed!

BWAAH-BWAAH (sound of air horn)