It's the end of the world as we know it...

...and I feel fine.

Actually, I don't feel any different at all.

The stock market is tanking, banks are failing, the presidential race has deteriorated into a game of who can suck the least, and hurricanes have devoured alot of the gulf coast region this summer.

And yet, the Angels have clinched their division, the Dodgers look like they are going to go to the playoffs, and my kids are in bed tonight at 7:30PM!!! I'd say all is well with the world.

And with that, there is alot to be thankful for. I got to see my sister for the first time since last October. My work environment has settled a little bit, and I can afford to relax a little bit believeing that my job is not going anywhere - at least for the time being. Plus, my wife is HOT!!!

I feel bad for my friend Barbara Albrecht. She has been given the death sentence of pancreatic cancer. 3 months, maybe. My aunt who was widowed last month is very sad lately - lonely. My parents are getting older and trying their best to take care of one another.

But with that, there is much to look forward to. We are going to Disneyland next month. Yay. and we may even take the boys to their first baseball game next week. Cool. And I am already looking forward to the anniversary trip to Catalina in January.

Life is kinda like the baseball season. Sometimes you get in a long winning streak. Sometimes you get in a long losing streak, and sometimes you just win one and lose one. But the key to life is to not get to high in the winning streaks and too low in the losing streaks. I do believe that life has a tendancy to even itself out.

Then there is faith. I believe God is going to provide for me and my family. Things may be rough now a little bit for everyone, but it's gonna get better, because it always does.

So for now, I am caught up on all of my stuff, and I have a few moments to blog and catch up on my facebook....

Today was interesting though. Led worship for the chick Bible study at the church. Outnumbered 80-2. Helped put the roof on the new overhang at the church. Came home and watched a nice little thunderstorm, and did I mention, we had the kids ASLEEP by 7:15PM!!!! Wierd day. Maybe tomorrow will be a little more normal....

Or maybe not.

Off to the schoolhouse and closed eyelids

My, how time flies.

I now have a two year old and a five year old and they started school this week. It's not that I feel old, but time goes too fast. If I blink too many more times they are going to be in high school.

Can you tell they love the camera? They love to have their picture taken.

Two quick stories...

I try to get the kids to sleep in their own beds, so we read them stories and usually they will be asleep by 7:30 or so. That gives mom and I a chance to have some quiet time to watch tv or just unwind from the day. Well a couple of nights ago, Olin woke up really early and he decided he would jump in our bed. We weren't even in bed yet, so I tried to discourage him from jumping in my bed and to go back to his bed. He refused. So, desperate, I said to him, "I will give you a dollar if you go back to your bed." I could tell that he was thinking and I could see his eyes moving around under his closed eyelids and after a few seconds his eyes opens and he says...

"20 dollars"

My 5 year old wants me to pay him 20 dollars to sleep in his own bed??? What is this world coming to. He may end up a rich man....

Then there is the 2 year old. He woke up this morning around 1:30 and would not go back to sleep. Finally about 2AM I decided that enough was enough and I was going to take him downstairs and get him a drink of milk and try to get him back to sleep. So we go down, he takes his drink and we sit down in my green lazyboy. He is already kinda tired so he lays his head on my shoulder. About 15 minutes later, he says, "daddy....upstairs." I always tell him that we will go back upstairs after he goes back to sleep, because we don't want to wake everybody up. So a minute later he says it again, "daddy....upstairs." I tell him that he is not asleep yet, so he lifts his head up and turns his face so I can see it and he closes his eyes as tightly as he can and says, "see...daddy...sleep!"

I don't believe him, but I take him upstairs anyway, lay him next to me and I wake up at 7:30. He must have went back to sleep. YAY!!

I love them, and sometimes, I want to put them on a forever time-out....

But for now, it is time for Kindergarten and all that book learnin'. Let the games begin!!!