Sam's wholesale

sorry about the bad lighting

2009-01-12T07:33:00.002-08:00

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T04:25:00.000-08:00

This made me laugh hard. Hope you enjoy it.

INSIDE THE HAT WINS!!!!

2008-12-08T14:49:00.000-08:00

It certainly got more "aaws" than everybody else's pics

The Finalists

2008-12-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

Every quarter our church has a blessing Sunday in which the babies born in that quarter are blessed by the elders. This is a very neat tradition and we have very much enjoyed having words of blessing spoken over Bailey and Brylee in the past and look forward to this Sunday, when they will be spoken over Caleb. Part of this process is selecting a picture which will be shown to the entire congregation, no small decision in our house. I thought it would be appropriate to share the four finalists on the blog for your enjoyment.

Happy 60th Dad (you too Prince Charles)

2008-11-14T19:45:00.001-08:00

I was sitting here trying to think of a single story that would serve as a wonderful analogy to my relationship with my father. A story when he passed on some profound truth about our Heavenly Father. There are no shortage of stories. There is canoeing down the Guadalupe River and injuring my foot only to have him tell me that I should not have hung my foot out of the canoe. There is him telling me that I cannot have dinner until I have hit the punching bag 200 times. There is boxing matches that we had at the house on Riverview. There is climbing onto the roof at Riverview with the fisher price telescope to look at the moon. There are family trips in the travel trailer and riding through the mountains outside Red River. There is going to the shop as it was being built. There is him swinging the ball on a rope in the front yard. There are little league games, basketball games, ski trips, mission trips, the trip to Colorado in junior high, the trip to Mozambique, hunting, fishing, wrestling, preaching, teaching, him giving away my baseball cards as prizes to kids at Sunday school who had the right answer. There are solemn moments like after I was injured in Junior high and hysterical moments where there were no deer anywhere near us because we were laughing too hard in the stand. There is him yelling his approval over all the other parents at my elementary play. He is there consoling me after our loss in the playoffs my senior year in high school. He is there preaching my wedding. There when I graduated from College and Graduate school. He is there to give me my first job outside of grad school. He is there telling me how neat my tiny cubicle at SAIC was. He is there holding my firstborn daughter and proclaiming her to be 100% Jeffrey, and doing the same nineteen months later with Brylee. He is there for my job changes. He is there on the phone to talk me through car problems or life problems. He is there holding my son, the next generation of Jeffrey. I started to realize that there is not a moment in my life where he is not there. There has never been a moment where I doubted his love for me. I have never considered a doubt that he would always be there for me. He has always been slow to anger and quick to bless. He readily reminds me that this world is not my home and to remember that all things worldly will pass away. I slowly came to the understanding that while I am sure there were those profound moments filled with wise sayings spoken as the sun set, that is not how my father taught. He was always there. He sought a relationship with the eternal God of unending love, and just happened to model to me what that love is like.

As I raise my own children, I know that there are struggles that will inevitably come. There will no doubt be questions to which I do not have the answers. One thing I will never struggle with is knowing whom to turn to in those moments. Countless memories of my father show him turning to the Lord and putting his trust in Him alone. That is who I will turn to and who I will seek. That is the legacy of my father.

Rough Men Stand Ready

2008-11-07T16:49:00.000-08:00

A while back I told myself and a few others that I was done blogging and I still have every intention to stick with that, but there are certain issues that seem to call me out of retirement. I have recently repeatedly run into one that simply boggles my mind: pacifism. Obviously I have known about pacifism for many years, but only as a universally recognized antecedent to war (World War II), but I have recently come into contact not only with people who believe that this is a viable foreign policy, but much more dangerously, believe it should be preached from the pulpit of the churches of Christ. I could not disagree with either more. What I would like to do is discuss my views on the subject. I recognize the limited size of both my intellect and my audience but nonetheless feel the need to speak out. I will be honest in saying that I hesitate to say this because to espouse a political philosophy or take on a doctrinal topic is to take on an Ivory Tower issue. These are issues that are largely regulated and spoken of by people who have nothing better to do than sit in their office and think up witty comebacks, do research, or listen to others tell them how great they are. I have a day job and therefore will speak my piece and fade back into oblivion.

In the military, another word for Ivory Tower is "Snipers Nest" a relatively safe place from which the enemy can take shots at you. There are only a few ways to deal with a snipers nest:

1.) The Counter sniper

2.)Call in artillery or air support and level the whole place.

I choose option two. My plan is to take on the two movements individually. First I will speak to the political philosophy of pacifism and then speak about the dangers of speaking it from the pulpits.

The political philosophy of Pacifism

Pacifism, which comes from the French pacifisme (that should be your first clue), saw its greatest heyday in post World War I and pre World War II Europe, as excellently chronicled by Winston Churchill in his book, The Gathering Storm. Following the incredible carnage of trench warfare and heavier than air chemical agents that the world had witnessed during the war to end all wars, entire countries were scared to allow themselves too many weapons in the thought that someday they might have to employ them. There was constant talk of dreaded arms races and the general feeling was that if the victors of WWI quit while they were ahead, the losers would quit once they achieved arms parity with the victors and all would be at peace in the world. During this time of peace between wars, or as Marshall Foch called it at the signing of the Treaty of Versailles that concluded WWI, "a 20 year armistice," new leaders arose around Europe. Among these leaders was a man that saw nothing wrong with pacifism and sought to establish an order under which it could flourish. At a time when Europe was in turmoil this man sought to establish order and was jailed for his efforts, from his dank jail cell he wrote a book about his struggle, in fact he titled the book, "My Struggle," or in German Mien Kampf. On page 288 of this pathetic book, Hitler wrote that:

"In actual fact the pacifistic-humane idea is perfectly all right perhaps when the highest type of man has previously conquered and subjected the world to an extent that makes him the sole ruler of this earth… Therefore, first struggle and then perhaps pacifism."

Now obviously Hitler was no champion of pacifism, but he is the perfect example of why this is a failed political philosophy. While well intentioned men Like Neville Chamberlain fought to limit both the British and French military, Hitler and Mussolini threatened war. In an effort to make peace with these men, pacifist governments around Europe ceded entire countries to them and yet nothing could stop the gathering storm. While noble men in pretty suits argued about how best to limit their own capabilities, Germans in military dress that showed their allegiance to a military 6 times larger that those allowed by the Treaty of Versailles, circumvented treaties and openly sought superiority. Once this superiority was gained they would eventually use it to bring the whole world into war once again, at the cost of millions of lives. Now perhaps this all seems like a foregone conclusion to the uninitiated, but consider this, in March 1936, Hitler made his first military move by sending German troops to reoccupy the the French controlled Rhineland. We now know that every German soldier was under orders to retreat at the first sign of resistance. Pacifist governments in Paris and London offered no resistance and Hitler would later say he knew at this point his dreams of the Thousand Year Reich would come true.

There are those, I suppose who would argue that this is a poor use of historical reference in that this time and that one are so dissimilar, and I suppose there are others still who would listen to them. Perhaps they would be partly right, back then America had spent much of its military resources fighting unpopular wars and battles in Europe and the Middle East. Back then there were rogues as well as rogue nations that sought to do harm to the US. Back then a resurgent Russia, under the flag of the USSR, was looking menacing and dangerous. Back then the American economy was in the worst downturn since...well...it was the Great Depression. Yeah, good call guys, none of that applies today.

So, as we have established, this is a bankrupt philosophy that is mostly espoused by people who will never go near a front line if war ever breaks out. To a smaller extent it is a high ideal set out by equal but more practical men in between wars and abandoned at the first sign of war. As has been said, "Being a pacifist between wars is like being vegetarian between meals." But yet there are those still who do not care about this as a political philosophy, but see it as a moral one, a biblical one that cannot be compromised. Let us now deal with this lunacy.

Pacifism in the Church

Again we must lay the groundwork, delineate who we are talking to and who we are not. There is a line of thinking that preaches non violence to a ridiculous level. These are the people that say under no circumstances would they ever use any kind of violence to solve anything. The first and most obvious question to these people is, "Would you defend your wife or your child, should someone try to harm them?" Watch the news and hear some of the horrible things that people do to one another and to children and if you would stand by and watch or just gently tap someone on the shoulder who is harming your child and ask them to stop, then my only feeling is one of immense sadness for your family. This is not a post that is meant for you. To engage in a debate with someone of this crazed mindset is to add legitimacy to it. It would be akin to debating a schizophrenic about the accuracy of what the voices are telling them. To do so you must ignore the larger problem, namely that they are crazy!

I am also not talking to the host of people that do not care to take part in military or law enforcement actions personally, but do not feel that those who do are wrong. This is a perfectly legitimate feeling.

The people that I take issue with are those that believe that it is wrong to engage in any sort of violence (military or law enforcement actions) or to participate in groups that do. I disagree with these people for a host of reasons. I will attempt to convey the most obvious ones.

It is not biblical

The first and most serious of deficits in this line of thought is that I can see no sound scriptural basis for it. I have listened and have never heard a competent argument for this line of thinking. Images of warriors and commands for battle are found throughout scripture.

In Exodus 17:16 we read that "The LORD has sworn; the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.
In Judges 3:10 we hear about what happened to Othniel when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him : The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him
In 2Chronicles 6:34-35 Solomon is praying at the dedication of the temple and prays-
"When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to you toward this city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name,then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.
In Psalm 144:1 David, a man after God's own heart says "Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle."
In the ever popular chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes we learn that indeed there is a time even for war.

Now no doubt, there are those who would read this and give the tired argument that the scriptures I have listed are in the Old Testament and that we are now under the New Covenant and so none of this applies to us. At the risk of sounding technical, this is such a lame argument. Nothing is more risky than cherry picking the parts of the Old Testament that you like and claiming that the rest is outdated. Obviously this kind of trash doctrine is more than a little subjective. Thanks to Christ, the way in which we approach God has dramatically changed, God HAS NOT! But lets go along with the argument for a while

Even a brief Recon of the New Testament reveals many scenarios that are hard to move past for the pacifist.

The first of these is found in John 2 when Jesus, in his righteous anger, makes a whip out of cords and drives men and animals out of the temple. There are many sermons that could be taught on this scripture, but having one on pacifism would certainly be a stretch.
In Acts 10, we rejoice as we see the Holy Spirit given to the first gentile, the Centurion Cornelius. In modern times he would be referred to as a Company Commander in the military. He was a respected, God fearing man whom the Lord revealed himself to. Certainly the Lord had Cornelius' attention but at no point do we see Cornelius instructed to leave his job.
In Ephesian 6 the apostle Paul uses the analogy of weaponry to explain how we prepare ourselves as Christians. No doubt there are those that would say that this is an analogy and therefore does not count. I challenge you to show me where the Lord instructs us to do something using the analogy of the commission of a sin.
In Revelation 19:11 we hear John's description of Christ when he says "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war." Again, it is an analogy. Again, show me an analogy where Christ is described as doing something sinful.

To believe in pacifism and not preach it is disingenuous

Perhaps the most startling aspect that I have witnessed in ministers that espouse this view, is that it is not talked about from the pulpit, but rather in hushed circles of close friends. This is patently disingenuous. If you believe that war is murder, that would make people that engage in it murderers. If this is your deeply held conviction, you should be screaming it from the rooftops and making sure that everyone knows this. I would think that as a leader of a congregation or students at a Christian college, keeping the flock away from murderers would be a top priority. Yet what I see is people celebrating Memorial Day, Veteran's Day and Fourth of July. You simply cannot have your cake and eat it too. It is like those people that feel that abortion is wrong but it is not a big issue for them. IT IS EITHER BABY MURDER OR IT IS NOT! PICK A SIDE!!! If you believe in pacifism and are a minister or a college professor, I encourage you to preach it to the fullest!!! Make every July fourth, Memorial Day and Veteran's Day a day of mourning. Don't you dare eat apple pie! Weep for the useless violence committed to end the Holocaust, Slavery, and Tyranny. Preach it from the mountaintops, see how many people come to join you. Anything less would be cowardly.

Another astonishing thought among those that I have talked to, is that they hold up as wise and honorable, Christians who when drafted served only in non combatant roles. This is ridiculous on its face. I ask you, "what difference does it make if you are the one shooting the enemy or the one passing ammo to the one shooting the enemy?" If you serve as a non combatant medic because of your pacifist belief, how do you justify patching men up so that they can go back out onto the battlefield and get back in the fight? Even as a non combatant chaplain, how do you live with praying for good weather so that the Army can fight better (As Patton instructed the 3rd Army Chaplain to do in WWII)? A man of his convictions could have nothing to do with the military. A pacifist should flee from it and speak of its supposed evils to whomever will listen. I suggest trying San Francisco, lots of listeners there.

Sadly, we also have to understand how preaching this viewpoint looks to the average Joe Visitor off the street. Many of them will undoubtedly look at the men preaching this belief and see them as men who probably cut their own underwear in the back to keep the wedgie from hurting too bad. Regardless of whether or not this is true, men do not come to church to be domesticated. We know that most women do not want to be married or date someone that would sit back and watch them get beat up or worse. Men want to be called to action. Men want to get into a fight for something that they are willing to die for. Don't believe me? Why do you think that Islam is male heavy in its population and it is the fastest growing religion on the planet. Men who pay attention to the world do not feel comfortable taking cover behind Swiss cheese philosophies. They want to rise and fight. They are not looking to have emotional experiences, they are looking to make a difference. We know that the battle belongs to the Lord, but so do we and we want to fight that battle with Him.

I know that there are those who will read this text and think that I sound like some war monger. Nothing could be further from the truth. I know the nature of the subject and how terrible it is. I have been motivated to write this because I know too many good Christian men and women who put their life on the lines for us day in and day out and I will not have them disparaged by ignorant men and women ensconced in the sniper's nest. I also care too much for the body of Christ to let another (yes, there are more) scripturally unfounded tradition cause some to turn away and still others to never come in. I will not peaceably stand by, I choose to fight.

So what do you think? Mission accomplished? For me it has been. I have spoken my piece into the ether and feel better for it. I know that there are some out there that when they read this will lose sleep over it, but do not worry. To paraphrase Orwell, you should sleep peaceably in your beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on your behalf. They stand ready. They stand able. The blanket of cover that they provide you gives you peace and solace so that you can quietly sip your Starbucks and judge if what they are doing is right.

Tilling the Soil

2008-11-07T02:33:00.000-08:00

Below are a few quotes that I will use to soften the ground for my upcoming blog post on a topic that I have run into more than I care to:

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

“Do you know what a soldier is, young man? He's the chap who makes it possible for civilized folk to despise war.”- Allan Massie

A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living. --John F. Kennedy

Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier. --Samuel Johnson—

My chief concern is to try to be an humble, earnest Christian. --Robert E. Lee

“The pacifist is as surely a traitor to his country and to humanity as is the most brutal wrongdoer”
-Theodore Roosevelt

Why can't I just eat my waffle?
-Pres-elect Barrack Obama

I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it. - Jack Handey

The Story Part 1

2008-11-05T03:57:00.000-08:00

The Story Part 2

2008-11-05T03:39:00.000-08:00

The Story Part 3

2008-11-05T03:26:00.000-08:00

Same Girl, years apart, still a mother

2008-10-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

Since we have the new baby in the house, Bailey has once again making sure that all her babies are well hydrated (a word that she uses when explaining what she is doing). Just thought this was a cute comparison back to when Bry was born and Bailey just thought that occasionally you just needed to stick baby under your shirt every now and then.

Monticello

2008-10-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

Our final stop was at the home of Thomas Jefferson, Monticello. Below are a picture of the house from the back as well as a picture of the vegetable garden just below the house. This was very impressive as well.

The Trip

2008-10-18T05:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took our first road trip as a family and went to Charlottesville, VA. We had never been down to this area of Virginia and we loved it. We made stops at James Madison's home at Montpelier outside of Orange, VA. This was a impressive tour and a beautiful setting. Below is the view from his front porch.

Below is a example of one of the pics Brylee took after she swiped the camera.

This is the girls standing in the middle of James Madison's garden
Our next stop was at Ash Lawn, the home of James Monroe. It was beautiful as well. Why are the girls pointing at? Only my Dad knows, he has had all of us pointing in pictures since childhood. I just thought I would pass it down to the next generation.

The Answer

2008-10-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

Bailey is on the left and Caleb is on the right. This is in no way a reflection of their political affiliations. In that respect Bailey is a right wing hockey doll's mom. Caleb has created a 527 group called Diapers for Democrats and he is working around the clock filling diapers to throw at democrats.

Who is Who

2008-10-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

Here are two pics. One is Bailey, one is Caleb. We report, You decide.

Some new pics

2008-10-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

The girls have breakfast inside the new playhouse that Doc made for them and brought up from AR.

All decked out in their smocks, the girls work on painting their pumpkins. This was a neat craft that was given to them by the McBrides, some friends from church who also brought us dinner. The girls had so much fun.
He is fillling out a little, getting plenty of food and plenty of sleep. Being this cute is hard work.

The Cowboys

2008-09-28T17:43:00.000-07:00

Caleb sat quietly through his 3rd Dallas Cowboy game(he was born when the Cowboys played on Monday night) and witnessed the devestating loss to the much hated Redskins. Up here we always watch the Cowboys but the game against the Redskins is a huge deal because we are pilgrims in a foriegn land. Caleb was quick to offer moral support to his father, note the clenched fist in the air. But his father observed that there were many similarities between how both Caleb and the Cowboys spent the game. They both just laid there, no emotion, no passion, and at the end of the game, all they had to show for it was poop that only a mother could appreciate.

For Dad

2008-09-28T05:50:00.000-07:00

Word has it that he is pretty proud of this little man's big feet.

More pics

2008-09-27T07:01:00.001-07:00

We have always been amazed at Brylee's situational awareness. She is almost always aware of everything that is going on around her. if you click on this picture and look at her eyes you can see that despite being ushered down the aisle by the wedding coordinator, she spotted the cameraman.

Too good not to share

2008-09-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

Bailey and Brylee were in a wedding in late August. Brylee was being a little too distracting to everyone and so I took her outside the tent where she could hear the music.

2008-09-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

Bry getting to hold her brother for the first time at home.

I love this picture not only for the pose that Bailey is making, but becasue Bry swiped the camera while none of were looking and took this picture. They are such a team.

You forget how tiny they are. Em and I have been taking pride in the snugness of our swaddles. There were even a few occasions that the nurses commented on how good they were.

Here he is! This is little Caleb and this is what he does most of the time. just hang out. He has the best temperment.

Here are the generations. It is such an honor to carry my father's name and to pass it on to Caleb.

Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.

You, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.

One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.

some pics

2008-09-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

SEA RCY We so Hot Baby, We So Fly

2007-10-13T06:34:00.000-07:00

Posted this as a nod to my wife and her Searcy Roots. Thanks to the Turks for letting us know about it.

Ballet is back as well

2007-04-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

Bailey just started her new class. Here she sits and listens to instructions.

Here she puts them into action, and yes, those are tap shoes!

Bry started her first class today. Obviously she did not have a leotard. Rest assured Precious, who is visiting, saw this for about 3 seconds before getting her the cutest one money could buy. Even in leopard tights she is far and away the cutest.

Toe in the water

2007-04-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

Despite the long leave of absence. I have made the decision to try and blog once again. Though I will never get to do it as often as I used to, it is truly difficult to be around all this cuteness and not be able to share it with everyone. I hope to post fairly often, and lookk forward to reconnecting with people who I have missed. I will simply ignore those of you who I did not miss. I hope everyone is well. Enjoy the pics.

Pics

2007-04-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is fairly old pics from Feb. 07, the last big snow we had

Around here, everyone, with the notable esception of daddy, needs to have a tool skirt on.

Lunch out on the deck today

Cowgirls getting ready to head out

Anything that rises more than an inch above the carpet automatically becomes a stage.

Notice that Cinderella is allowing her younger sister to wear the glass slippers

This was a impromptu breakfast meeting I had a while back, took place around 0530

One or both of these girls dress up like Cinderella at least once a day

Around here we even get dressed up to feed our babies

Getting ready for bed in their camo 'jamis

Late evening on the Bear Chair and the Monkey Chair

Still the world's best ballerina

Stayed up till midnight reading my own blog

2006-06-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

I just stayed up till midnight reading the posts from my own blog... Good Times, (tear)Good Times.

Sam

End of the Line

2006-05-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

Well... This is it. My last post. I had hoped that I would get to a point where I had time to post again. It is clear to me that that will not happen anytime soon. That being the case, I thought that I should let any one who stops by know that this blog is innactive.

We've Had a Good Run

I do have to say that I have had a lot of fun blogging and truly miss the daily interaction with so many great people. In my short time blogging I have enjoyed conversing back and forth with Blair, Catching up with the Mayos, consistantly getting an encouraging word from Kelly Speck, having an outlet to laugh about my experiences at work, showing off how precious my family is, and occasionally discussing things that I find interesting. I will certainly miss it all.

Lessons Learned

During my time blogging I have learned a few things and have wondered about several others.

It is a rare person who can rant about something and keep people interested, I am not one of them.
Few things stir people like talking about the sacrifices made on their behalf by the men and women of the military.
I have learned that it is difficult to tell a friend that you have been blogging with his wife and not sound like you should be punched in the face.
My mother will read anything I write.
It is impossible to outdo Blair.
I wonder if Kelly Speck has ever said "You're an idiot" to anyone.
My rough times do stack up against the Vaughn's (I woke up this morning with a sore throat from having the thermostat set at 60 and the fan on high).
My kids truly are the cutest girls in the world.
There Christian Chronicle does not read through your entire blog before they publish a link to it (I called someone a "Toolbag" on the post just prior to the Military Funeral Post).
When you are speaking from the heart about things that matter, there is no end to the people that you can reach out to.

I wish you all well and pray that the Lord blesses each and every one of you.

Take Care.

Sam

Good Night and Good Luck

2006-03-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

I first want to apologize that there hasn't been much blogging. The new job is keeping me fairly busy and I am wanting to spend as much time with the girls as possible. I would like to hope that I am on a temporary hiatus but am not sure when I will be able to pick up blogging again in earnest. I am currently unable to post pics and since this blog was never meant to be for my writing I am afraid I am going to be off the air for a while (at least 6 weeks). Rest assured that I am still checking my blog for comments and other blogs as possible and will resume regular usage ASAP.

Good Night and Good Luck

Home, Sweet Home

2006-03-02T16:59:00.000-08:00

Being at home over the last week has been GREAT! No matter what job I have, the best part of my day will always be coming home. My three girls are the best in the entire world. I love every minute that I have to spend with them. Bailey, let me know on Monday that the feeling is not always mutual. Last weekend was the Fairfax Women’s Retreat. By all accounts everything went great. Emille was on the Steering Committee and My sister Becky was the speaker, so how could it have been anything but great?! But all this meant that the girls and I got to spend a lot of time together this weekend. This, in turn, meant that “Dora the Explorer” and I got to spend a lot of time together as well. By Sunday night I was having a tough time getting all of the Dora songs out of my head and I started realizing that Bailey was addicted. Right then and there I decided that the next two weeks would be a detox period for Bailey. She got up around 0700 Monday morning and as I sat her down on the couch to get her a bottle she said in a groggy voice, “Daddy, watch Dora?” Firm in my resolve I replied “No, we are not going to watch Dora this morning.” This immediately perked Bailey up. Not getting her morning fix was not going to do! I think she decided that I had not heard her properly and repeated in a gentle voice “Daddy, I watch Dora now?” Again, “No, we are not going to watch Dora this morning.” On being rebuffed a second time she decided to change strategies. Da-Da, (the more innocent version of Daddy that she knows I love) I watch Diego (Diego is Dora’s cousin who is a character on the show)?” I laughed and said “No, We are not going to watch Diego either.” She then proceeded to ask if she could watch every character on the show and with each “No”` her voice got a little louder and a little more serious.

Bailey: “Daddy, I watch Tico?”

Daddy: “No”

Bailey: “Daddy, I watch Issa?”

Daddy: “No”

Bailey: “Daddy, I watch Benny?”

Daddy: “No”

Bailey: “Daddy, I watch Swiper”

Daddy: “No, we are not going to watch any movies this morning”

She sat stunned and angered for a few seconds and as I walked into the kitchen to get her bottle I heard her say in an agitated voice “Daddy, go to work!”

I suppose my life would be much easier as an enabler, but I have chosen the tougher path.

I have had several experiences like that over the past week. I have tickled, smiled, laughed, been slobbered and drooled on, spat up on and gotten more kisses than at any time in my life.

Today Bailey and I took off this morning to hit every indoor slide in our immediate area. We got to Chuck E. Cheese at 0930 and had the place to ourselves. She had a blast and I did not spend a dime. I may have to write about that later.

I have also learned several things about my girls during this time off:
Bailey calls everything hers- my ball, my bed, my car, my jeep, my baby Bry
Brylee stares at food like a homeless kid outside the bakery window on a snowy night
Bailey and I would both rather throw the exercise ball at each other than actually use it to exercise
When we pulled into the Chik-Fil-A parking lot Bailey said “Oh Wow, whee (whee=Slide) , Sweet tea! I like it!”
Brylee has learned to wave
Bailey loves to dance. Even when she is sooo tired she will get up and dance like Bernie at weekend at Bernie’s

I am living the sweet life and I still have over a week left before works starts.

I am back!

2006-02-28T19:47:00.000-08:00

I wanted to write a brief post to let everyone know that I am back in the ether. Emille and I have our computer up at the house and are able to check our new e-mail account. My first priority will be to get Tori's tour of the Lincoln Memorial up and running. I apologize to her for the delay.

Having two weeks off is great. Emille and I are getting so much done. I already have gone through my drawers and gathered up a bunch of clothes to give away and am continuing to do various household chores to prepare for our family's upcoming transition. Rest assured I am busy.

I hope that everyone is doing well. Especially the 1-9 people who have checked this blog in Finland! I still love the ClusterMap.

Signing Off

2006-02-24T05:18:00.000-08:00

The new computer is in and we are getting internet access installed at home, but I might be off the air for a little while. I apologize for depriving you of your intellectual nourishment. To replace it, try making fart sounds with your mouth and blaming it on a co-worker.

As a red blooded American I truly enjoy every chance I get to mock Europeans. There is a great opportunity to do just that at We are sinking . When you get to the website just click the play button and enjoy.Signing off (although I am trying to finish Tori’s tour of the Lincoln memorial and may post that this afternoon if possible).

From the Fairfax Church Website

2006-02-23T05:46:00.000-08:00

One last pic from the Father/Daughter banquet

You are not alone

2006-02-23T04:23:00.000-08:00

Looking at my cluster map this morning, which I think is the coolest (thank you Leslie), it appears someone checked my blog when their submarine surfaced in the middle of the Mediterranean. I suppose it could be Sicily, but I am going with the Submarine idea.

Tori's Tour

2006-02-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

Washington DC at sunrise

As many of you know, my sister Kelly and her family live in Benin, West Africa. Kelly and her family are doing great things for the Lord among the Aja people and at the same time they are raising two studly boys and two beautiful girls. Their oldest daughter Tori is going through home school right now and since Emille and I live in Washington DC, We decided to give Tori a tour of the Capital of the United States. So last Saturday we took pictures all around Washington DC and are ready to give our tour. Our question to Tori is…What do you want to see first? Our question to everyone else is, could you please tell Tori what your favorite thing about America is(anything from freedom to favorite food)? Thanks.

Tori- You have the choice of visiting the Jefferson Memorial (Uncle Sam’s Favorite), the Lincoln Memorial, The Washington Monument, the World War Two Memorial, The Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the White House, The Capitol Building, Arlington National Cemetery, the Iwo Jima Memorial or the Pentagon. The tour will come with a brief History lesson of whatever we are looking at and the events surrounding it. We are excited to get started, so just let us know where you want to go first and we will get started on the lesson right away!

The picture above is of the National Headquarters for the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) This is a group of women who can trace their family history back to the people who fought in the American Revolution. Your Aunt Emille is one of them

This plain looking field on the National Mall doesn't look like much but it has sure had a lot of histoy take place on it. In the Civil War soldiers camped her to protect Washington, During the Depression a group of WWI Veterans camped out here in protest, in the late 1940's and early 1950's the offices of the Central Intelligence Agency were here in old wooden buildings, on April 28,1963 Dr. Martin Luther King gave his "I have a dream" speech to a crowd that had gathered here and in 1997 Promise Keepers held its Stand in the Gap on this land (Below)

The Bonus Army

Martin Luther King and the "March on Washington"

Stand in the Gap

We are so excited to talk to you about Washington DC. We love you so much!

Uncle Sam, Aunt Emille, Bailey and Brylee

Bedtime Stories

2006-02-21T06:15:00.000-08:00

Look at Bailey's hand around Brylee's shoulder

Brylee's First Cereal

2006-02-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

As I have said previously, the girls are out of town. This means that I have all the time to myself with nothing to do but post pictures of my sweet, beautiful family. Here are some pics of Brylee's new High Chair and of Brylee's first official try at cereal. She had no trouble and literally slurps it down.

The Father Daughter Banquet

2006-02-19T12:06:00.000-08:00

The night of the snow day our church held a Father/Daughter Banquet. It was 50's themed and was set up like a Diner. Brylee was too young for it and stayed home with Emille. Bailey and I loaded up in the UCAV and headed for the church. About a mile into ourt journey Bailey yelled "Da Da Oh No! Where My Baby Bry go!? Her tone of voice would have made you think that we had accidently left Brylee in a snow bank near the house. She is so sweet, she is always thinking of her sister, "My Baby Bry." Here are some pics from the banquet.

Emille had us take some pictures before we took off for the Diner.

Bailey in her "Jackie O" Coat

Sweet Kid knows how to pucker up to give a kiss.

They held a hula hoop contest for the daughter and for the fathers. Bailey and I did not participate in these, we did not want it to turn into a night centered around us. It was nice of Bailey to give the other girls a chance.

Bailey really did spend a good amount of time trying to get her baby to hula hoop. We finally decided that she was just too shy.

We had a great time and were so thankful to the church for putting this on. We had hot dogs and chips and Bailey got a little notebook as a souvenier.

Snow Day

2006-02-19T11:45:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday the DC area got almost a foot of snow, which meant that we were staying inside for the day. Here are a few pics of our day

Brylee is a little social butterfly and loves company.

Bailey (in the Afro)giving Brylee all the attention she can handle

Bailey reading the Farm Animals book to Brylee.

Content Brylee

The snow took a little getting used to for Bailey

We built her first snow man, which she named "Mommy"

And then she was terrified of it. This is me trying to get her to get near it for a picture. This was as good as it got. She is holding its hand.

For me, Emille is the LAW!

2006-02-16T13:56:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the typos and the lack of cohesion, I am in a hurry, but wanted to put a thought down.

Its not what you think.

"What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."
Romans 7:7

Emille and the girls have gone out of town for about six days and I am all alone. Upon hearing this, almost every guy said something along the lines of “Oh, so this is like a vacation for you,” or “Sweet (yes, I work with Napoleon Dynamite), so you have a bachelor weekend.” But I see things differently

A Bachelor's life for...anyone but me!

This is a tough line of thinking, so follow carefully. Just as, according to the apostle Paul, the law exposed the lie that we were living, life with Emille and the girls has exposed the gross lack of fulfillment in my life when they are not around. Had I never been married to my best friend or been a Daddy to the two most precious girls in the world, going home to eat Ramen noodles and watch war movies might have sounded like the height of existence. But instead it just sounds like passing the time till the girls return. I am sure this is because I have, as they say, “Seen Paris” and now the farm just doesn’t hold the glamour that it apparently still does for so many men in situations strikingly similar to my own. That is sad, both for them and their families.

It feels good to hurt this bad

While it was certainly sad to see the girls off at the airport, I turned and walked the green mile back to the UCAV and drove back to work (Admittedly, I was thirty minutes into the drive when I realized I didn’t have to listen to the Dora DVD playing in the back) and while I was sad, I could not help but be thankful for times like this that remind me of how good I have it. If it all ended today for me, I would have loved more and loved more deeply than the vast majority of people in this world. Even though it is sad to be alone, in a strange way it feels good to be so intertwined with people that even a minor separation causes such an obvious emptiness. So here is my challenge to myself: Tonight, when the microwave “ding” tells me the Ramen noodles are ready, I will say a prayer of thanksgiving to a God who constantly watches over me and has seen fit to continually bless me beyond all measure at every turn. Come to think of it, maybe that is why God allowed me to marry Emille and have Bailey and Brylee, so I could understand His love for me.

Side Story : Bailey at the Airport

I stood there and watched them go trough the security line. The security guard waved Bailey to walk through the metal detector by herself. She looked at him oddly and then Emille gave her a gentle push and she walked through. When she got to the other side the TSA worker held up his hand to say “Stop” and Bailey gave him a high five

On the Islamic Cartoon Riots

2006-02-14T08:01:00.000-08:00

Drafting Hitler
BROOKS Drafting Hitler
By DAVID BROOKS
Published: February 9, 2006 (NYT)

You want us to know how you feel. You in the Arab European League published a cartoon of Hitler in bed with Anne Frank so we in the West would understand how offended you were by those Danish cartoons. You at the Iranian newspaper Hamshahri are holding a Holocaust cartoon contest so we'll also know how you feel.

Well, I saw the Hitler-Anne Frank cartoon: the two have just had sex and Hitler says to her, "Write this one in your diary, Anne." But I still don't know how you feel. I still don't feel as if I should burn embassies or behead people or call on God or bin Laden to exterminate my foes. I still don't feel your rage. I don't feel threatened by a sophomoric cartoon, even one as tasteless as that one.

At first I sympathized with your anger at the Danish cartoons because it's impolite to trample on other people's religious symbols. But as the rage spread and the issue grew more cosmic, many of us in the West were reminded of how vast the chasm is between you and us. There was more talk than ever about a clash of civilizations. We don't just have different ideas; we have a different relationship to ideas.

We in the West were born into a world that reflects the legacy of Socrates and the agora. In our world, images, statistics and arguments swarm around from all directions. There are movies and blogs, books and sermons. There's the profound and the vulgar, the high and the low.

In our world we spend our time sifting and measuring, throwing away the dumb and offensive, e-mailing the smart and the incisive. We aim, in Michael Oakeshott's words, to live amid the conversation — "an endless unrehearsed intellectual adventure in which, in imagination, we enter a variety of modes of understanding the world and ourselves and are not disconcerted by the differences or dismayed by the inconclusiveness of it all."

We believe in progress and in personal growth. By swimming in this flurry of perspectives, by facing unpleasant facts, we try to come closer and closer to understanding.

But you have a different way. When I say you, I don't mean you Muslims. I don't mean you genuine Islamic scholars and learners. I mean you Islamists. I mean you young men who were well educated in the West, but who have retreated in disgust from the inconclusiveness and chaos of our conversation. You've retreated from the agora into an exaggerated version of Muslim purity.

You frame the contrast between your world and our world more bluntly than we outsiders would ever dare to. In London the protesters held signs reading "Freedom Go to Hell," "Exterminate Those Who Mock Islam," "Be Prepared for the Real Holocaust" and "Europe You Will Pay, Your 9/11 Is on the Way." In Copenhagen, an imam declared, "In the West, freedom of speech is sacred; to us, the prophet is sacred" — as if the two were necessarily opposed.

Our mind-set is progressive and rational. Your mind-set is pre-Enlightenment and mythological. In your worldview, history doesn't move forward through gradual understanding. In your worldview, history is resolved during the apocalyptic conflict between the supernaturally pure jihadist and the supernaturally evil Jew.

You seize on any shred — even a months-old cartoon from an obscure Danish paper — to prove to yourself that the Jew and the crusader are on the offensive, that the apocalyptic confrontation is at hand. You invent primitive stories — like the one about Jews who kill children for their blood — to reinforce your image of Jewish evil. You deny the Holocaust because if the Jews were as powerful as you say, they would never have allowed it to happen.

In my world, people search for truth in their own diverse ways. In your world, the faithful and the infidel battle for survival, and words and ideas and cartoons are nothing more than weapons in that war.

So, of course, what started in Denmark ended up for you with Hitler, the Holocaust and the Jew. But in your overreaction this past week, your defensiveness is showing. Democracy is coming to your region, and democracy brings the conversation. Mainstream leaders like Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani are embracing democracy and denouncing your riots as "misguided and oppressive."

You fundamentalists have turned yourselves into a superpower of dysfunction, demanding our attention week after week. But it is hard to intimidate people forever into silence, to bottle up the conversation, to lock the world into an epic war only you want. While I don't share
your rage, I do understand your panic.

The Power of a Praying Wife

2006-02-13T06:53:00.000-08:00

As of last Thursday I was told that I would spend the rest of my time with SAIC at the Pentagon. While “the Building,” as it is called by those in the know, is a fine place to work, I have not been looking forward to the many difficulties it would bring. Metro in to DC, the lack of flexibility, and filing an expense report that would not be processed until I had left the company are all frustration that I have not been looking forward to. That being said, I was prepared to go. SAIC has been great to me and if there was anything I could do to help the company, and more specifically my boss, then I was ready to do it. Since I first expressed these feelings to Emille she said “I am going to start praying that you don’t have to go.” I thought this was nice gesture, but I told her that it was already set in stone and I was just waiting to get the green light. Fast forward to this morning…I received a call from the Building informing me that they had tailored a project for me so that I could work it from the Towers. I was skipping around the office as soon as I got the news. I was just so amazed. I called Emille and when I told her I expected her to be so excited. Instead she flatly said “That’s great, but I am really not surprised, I told you I would pray for that.” I admit, this is not a big story or anything, but If you could have heard it yourself I am sure you would have been encouraged by my wife’s faith, just as I was.

Corporate Purgatory

2006-02-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

Well…this is just plain awkward. I am still in the cube at HQ, only now it is bare and lonely. All files have been deleted, all hardcopies destroyed and they canceled my e-mail account this morning (I got it back, although all e-mail form the last 2.5 years had been erased). So here I sit, alone, nothing to do but talk to you, the ether, as though we are good friends. I ate my lunch at 1030, just because I was bored.

Moving On

2006-02-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

The Vision

When I came to Science Applications International Corporation in the fall of 2003 I was so excited to make a difference. I had been out of grad school for about a year and a half and had yet to really apply the skills that I had learned there. I imagined someday, after changing the world, I would leave SAIC and head on to bigger and better things. I imagined myself standing in the doorway of my office, somewhat tired from a day of hectic, exciting work. Standing there with my trench coat in hand and looking somewhat more svelte than I was at the time, I would turn to look at the empty office. A flood of memories would cascade through my mind. The jokes, the laughing faces, the lives that were changed, all those times I saved the world from utter devastation, they would all run through my mind and with a sly grin I would turn out the lights, shut the door to my office and walk out.

The Reality

Reality however, was much different. Despite the fact that I have worked in a cube my entire time here and therefore have no lights and no door I was thinking that I at least had another to weeks to work in the whole “saving the world” part of it. But that was not to be either. While I may still save the world in the next two weeks, today is my last day in my cube at the Towers here in McLean. When I got to work this morning I was told to pack up and report to the Pentagon in the morning and that I would finish out my time with SAIC there. So I packed up all my belongings, it took half of a small box and tonight I will stand in the “no doorway” and think back across the years (both of them) and thank the Lord for this opportunity. I have learned so much in my time here. The Lord certainly called Emille and I to Northern Virginia and he used SAIC to confirm that call. I could not have had a better, more understanding boss. My co-workers have been awesome. I have nothing but good things to say about my time here and I wish the best for everyone I have worked with.

The Humbled

The other day I met a guy fresh from grad school who thought that he knew it all and the more he talked, the more it was apparent that he did not. I found it annoying. I was talking to him and all of the sudden was flush with embarrassment as I realized I was looking at myself from two years back. This guy was much smarter than I ever was after grad school. I hope that the Lord guides him as he guided me to a kind, but not necessarily gentle occupational refining fire. He will no doubt be a SecDef someday and my humiliation will be complete. I thank the Lord that he put me into contact with people who tolerate(d) me and lead me through the details. As I look forward to the career change I cannot help but be excited and humbled at the same time. I look forward to the change of pace but am humbled by again being the ignorant new guy. I am confident in my abilities and yet humbled by my inadequacies. It is only with the Lord that we succeed at anything and so I will be doing my best to cling to Him as I make this transition.

I would type more but my mom is the only one still reading, and there is a world that needs saving.

Nothing Sweeter Than a Quick Learner

2006-02-09T06:49:00.000-08:00

It worked for Ma Ma!

Last night as Emille and I were putting Bailey to bed she asked “Ma Ma night night in my bed peese?” How can anyone turn down a sweet offer like that, especially from a sweet girl that has not been feeling well? So we said our prayer and I left to play with Brylee in the living room. After several minutes I heard Emille call out for me and so I went in to find Emille on the floor stretching her back and Bailey leaning over the rails of her bed, reaching and crying for Emille to get back in the bed. Emille turned to me and said “I don’t know why but my back just started having spasms and it really hurt. “Could you stay in here with Bailey for a while?” I, of course agreed. Emille then turned to Bailey and said “I am sorry sweet girl but Mother’s back hurts and I need to go take some medicine.” She then slowly crawled out so that Bailey would not start crying loudly and wake up the already sleeping Brylee. So there we were, Bailey and I, in the dark of the girl’s room. She started asking to get out of bed and I repeatedly told her “No, it is time to sleep now, I love you.” After several minutes of this I stood up to leave because Bailey had calmed down and was almost asleep. As soon as I stood up she made another request to get up saying “Da Da, out peese?” “No Bailey, it is time to rest,” I said as I turned to leave. “Da Da!” I turned again to look at my sweet girl and to hear the question I already knew she was going to ask. In the dark room I could still make out her sweet face and tiny body in the white cotton, feeted pajamas with pink, green, and red polka dots. “Da Da, Out peese, my back hurt!”

Number 15

2006-02-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

Check out those Baby Blues

15 More, I'm a proud Dad (2)

2006-02-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

Which do you think is growing faster, Brylee or my receding hairline?

Sweet cuties

They love eachother so much

Da Da and the girls

I came home from work the other day and went into our bedroom and found this. Sweet kid was watching the History Channel, I almost cried.

Always ready with a smile

Last night we hit a sad milestone. Emille picked up on it first. Bailey started calling me “Daddy”, instead of the cherished “Da Da”. I told her I was proud of her for her excellent ability to communicate but that it would still be okay if she called me "Da Da" now and then.

15 More, I'm a proud Dad (1)

2006-02-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

Blogger is acting wierd (probably cuteness overload) but I will post the remaining 7 pics ASAP.

Helping Mother out

Brylee posing during bath time

Bailey's New favorite is to "Wass Diss"

From the other side

Bailey has a new found love for cleaning, Her name is Bailey, it is only appropriate.

Time for a new wagon (the Baileys will recognize this one from Topsail)

Bailey got out of the bath, we put a diaper on her and she ran off to her room. This was the sight when she came back. She loves those "Cowboots"

Bailey Alseep on the counch

You would post this many pics if you had girls this cute.

Tagged: Carter's One Favor

2006-02-08T09:41:00.000-08:00

I have the belief that you should do one favor for almost everyone at least once in your lifetime. You will have to ask Carter Davis why he chose to burn his favor by tagging me on this, but nevertheless, here it is.

4 jobs I’ve had

Sears Sales Associate
State Auto Inspector
Uno’s Waitstaff
SAIC Policy Analyst

4 movies I like

Blackhawk Down
Napoleon Dynamite
Dumb and Dumber
The Hunt for Red October

4 good books (besides the Bible)

Ghost Wars
Wild at Heart
See No Evil
The Teeth of the Tiger

4 places I have lived

North Richland Hills, TX
Abilene, TX
Thousand Oaks, CA
Fairfax, VA

4 good TV shows

Lost
E-Ring
NCIS
Deep Sea Deteectives

4 good vacations

Banff, Canada
Topsail Island, NC
Red River, NM
Big Bear, CA

4 websites I check everyday

The Drudge Report
CNN
Military.com
CI Centre.com

4 favorite foods

Whatever Emille is fixing
Mom’s Broccoli Cornbread
Bette’s Fried Pies
Taco Bueno

4 places I’d rather be

Anywhere with Emille and the girls
The Shenandoah
The Ranch in Baird
Northern Afghanistan (just checking to see if anyone is still reading)

CAUTION: PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE NERDS

2006-02-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

I was putting on my shoes this morning while Bailey watched “Momma Deer” (Bambi) and the following conversation took place.

Bailey: “Da Da go work?”

Da Da: “Yes, I have to go to work.”

Bailey: “I go too!”

Da Da: “No, you wouldn’t like it and nobody would get any work done with a cute girl like you running around.”

Bailey: “Oh, okay.”

Emille walks in

Bailey: “Momma, I go bye-bye?”

Em: “Yes, we are going to go bye-bye later today” (Emille and the girls are coming to meet me for lunch today and running some other errands)

Bailey: “I go see Niegh, go see Baa?” (Horse and Sheep)

Em: “No, we aren’t going to the Farm today.”

Da Da: “Hey Bailey, If you come up to Daddy’s work for lunch today you will get to see nerds in their natural habitat.”

Bailey: “Oh Wow! Dantu Da Da.”

33 Pictures (5)

2006-02-06T13:05:00.000-08:00

The Girls

The Pig Tails

The girls love to play together
Brylee loves to laugh with her sister

Bailey is so sweet and gentle with Brylee

Blogger is freezing up, I will finish later

2006-02-06T12:53:00.000-08:00

Blogger is freezing up, I will finish later

33 Pictures (4)

2006-02-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

Don't drink and ride

Our Two Sweet Farmers

the Famous "Peeg" Cake

She is always smiling

So Sweet

So Perfect

She shares a bedroom with Bailey and can sleep through anything!

33 Pictures (3)

2006-02-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

Our Little Smiler

Sweet, Sweet, Sweet!

Opening Presents

Breakfast with friends

Ready to Party

The party

Birthday Lunch

Blogger is down

2006-02-06T11:09:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen curls this cute! (Not really a question, you haven't). BLogger ius taking forever to post pics and I DO have a job so I will finish up the 33 Pics later.

33 Pictures (2)

2006-02-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

These Pictures are in random order and were taken over the last few weeks.

Birthday Dinner (Bailey's Favorite)-Ham, Mac&Cheese,Peas, and Cake
In the Hat
Bailey snuck Emille's make-up out of the Bathroom while Emille Was changing Brylee's diaper, this is what Emille found. Note- there was no make-up anywhere besides bailey's face. She was not playing with it, she was getting ready.

Bailey, after a hard day's work at the park

More Birthday dinner

33 Pictures (1)

2006-02-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

All of these pictures are in random order and were taken over the last few weeks. Many of them around Bailey's Farm themed Birthday party

Out for an Early Morning Ride

Smiling with Baby Meg, one of her constant companions

back on the morning ride

At the Party with Gillian

Bailey, Gillian, Aidyn at the party

Thought for the day

2006-02-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

For no People will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when Knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own Weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders.

(Samuel Adams in a letter to James Warren, 4 November 1775)

Dustin Kendall

2006-02-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

There is a photo tribute to Dustin Kendall on the Christian Chronicle Website (http://www.christianchronicle.org/) and that the story will be in the March print version of the Chronicle.

Heads Up!

2006-02-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

I am not sure when it is coming out, but the Christian Chronicle is writing a story about the Kendall's, the family of Corporal Dustin Kendall (whose burial I attended a while back at ANC). I am not sure of the scope and details of the story but I am sure that people will be blessed by hearing their story.

Senate Intel Committees World-Wide Threat Hearing

2006-02-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

It is 1020 EST (2 Feb 2006), if you read this in the next few hours I would suggest that you click of the following link http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11144316/ . Then click the “Live Video” link. This will take you to the annual discussion of global threats to the United States. There are a lot of congressional blowhards but the information discussed by the Intelligence chiefs is interesting to nerds like myself.

Da Da needs some lessons

2006-01-31T09:59:00.000-08:00

Emille is currently working one 12-hour night shift per week. As a result, when Emille has to work on a night prior to one of my workdays we have a arrangement where one of our friends keeps Bailey for the morning so that Emille can rest. The truly tragic part of this is that it means I have to dress Bailey on those mornings. I am pretty confident in my ability to put together a cute outfit for her, although she looks cute in a paper sack, seriously, we put a paper sack on her and took a picture, it was really cute. But I am at a loss as to what to do with her beautiful curly hair (Her hair is halfway down her back when it is wet and not to her shoulders when it is dry). She is a daily victim of some amazing bed hair so leaving it as is is not an option. I have tried pulling it back into a ponytail, because that sounded simplest to me. Last week she looked like she was straight out of the “Last of the Mohicans” and this week she looked like a tiny Founding Father. There is obviously some trick that I am not picking up on. Bailey is clueless. I showed her herself in the mirror this morning and she said "Oh, dantu (thank you) da da!"

With a Baa and A Moo and a Cockadoodledoo, Come and Celebrate Bailey Turning Two!

2006-01-30T09:34:00.000-08:00

A Few pics from Bailey's farm themed Birthday party

The girls watching Elmo on the Farm

Hanging Out

Bailey and the Pig cake(pronounced "PEEG")

Bailey holding Brylee and the "Cockadooa (aka Rooster)"

A Hard Post to Write/Read

2006-01-27T09:53:00.000-08:00

OPRAH TEARS AUTHOR INTO ‘A MILLION LITTLE PIECES’ is the top story!

I have nothing against Oprah…well, who am I kidding, I have a lot against Oprah. But that is not the purpose of this post. I am constantly amazed by the national infatuation with the meaningless. As a follower of world events I have compiled my list of underreported and flat out ignored stories that I think people should be aware of. I warn you: This post may be long (I have not written it yet) and I will pull no punches. The topics will be hard and only underscore the meaninglessness of what happened on Oprah yesterday. So here they are, my top nine (feel free to add one if you want), in no particular order.

1. Africa- Africa has been called the “dark continent.” I would submit that the “forgotten continent” would be more appropriate. Without exception, every country on the continent has at least one major crisis that if left unchecked could end hundreds (the best case scenario) or even millions (worst case) of lives. I will not go into detail on each country (Although I would love to, feel free to ask about specific countries if you wish) but I will touch on a few of the worst cases. In all cases, remember that we are not talking about numbers these are fathers, mothers and children.
Sudan- In a fight between Arabs and Africans that dates back to the Ptolemy’s, Sudanese military and the Janjaweed militia have engaged in the systematic genocide of Africans. Lately their efforts have focused on the southwest province of Darfur.
Congo- 36,000 people die in this country every month according to the UN. This figure does not count those who are kidnapped, raped or sold into slavery.
Uganda- Despite making headway against the AIDS virus in the last few years, Uganda is fighting an insurgency in the north of the country against a group ironically calling itself the “Lords Resistance Army “(LRA). The LRA largely funds itself through robbery, kidnapping, and selling children into slavery. Thousands dead and missing
Cote d’Ivore- In the news this week because its warm civil war just went hot. Hundreds dead, thousands at stake.
Somalia-despite UN/US intervention in the early to mid 1990s. Somalia is still among the world’s most dangerous places. In many cases it is a kill or be killed type of existence. It is a base for both terrorists and piracy. There is a temporary government in place but it is largely viewed as a joke. Unknown amount of dead (estimated in the low millions since the 1990s)

2. The War in Afghanistan-Yes there is still a war going on there. Overshadowed by the larger conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan is a country in transition, albeit sometimes a violent transition. An increase in car bombings and suicide attacks in the south means that US and NATO forces are moving more heavily into that area. Headway is being made, no doubt, but the war here should not be forgotten.

3. North Korea- Almost all news about North Korea has been shut down by western governments. Despite the facts that the NK military would have to deliver it in a vintage WWI biplane, the fact that NK possesses nuclear weapons means that no one wants to talk bad about them. As a nation we are trying to keep them happy. This is in spite of the fact that Kim Jong Il, the despot leader of NK forced a famine on his country that is estimated to have killed 300,000 people, and that may be low balling it. Videos of public executions have been smuggled out of NK which show people being shot in the head for trying to leave the country, or for writing something bad about the “Dear Leader” of NK. Perhaps worst of all, NK runs several Nazi style concentration camps for those who disagree or were suspected of disagreeing with the government. It is unknown how many people have died in these camps or how many remain in them today. It is estimated in the hundreds of thousands. Can you imagine being silent about concentration camps. You don’t have to, we are already doing it. Satellite pictures of these camps can be found on globalsecurity.org

4. French Intelligence help-I love to mock the French as much as the next guy, probably more, but the help they are giving us in the War on Terror is awesome. Due to the fact that they have a large Muslim Immigrant populations as well as their history as a colonial power means that they have sources that we do not and they have been willing to share it. The Washington Post did a great article on this several weeks back. So, say "thank you" to Frenchy, even if he does smell.

5. International Slavery-despite the fact that slavery is almost universally denounced in the developed world, a blind eye is turned to the millions of mainly women and children sold into a lifetime of slavery. In many cases they are rounded up in rural areas where no one will notice and the shipped by boat to places where they can be sold for a good bit of money. Does that sound familiar? Also called by its more palatable name “human trafficking,” the slaves mostly come out of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Caucuses and are largely sold into the Middle East, Russia and to pedophiles all over the world, including in the United States.

6. The GOOD news from Iraq- Every once in a while you hear something about this but it is so underreported. Schools that Saddam used to hide weapons in have been rebuilt by the US, complete with books and supplies. The vast majority of the country is relatively safe. Tremendous progress has been made throughout the country and we are learning new ways to fight every day. Elections have gone off great and public participation from all major groups was heavy, yet this is glossed over.

7. AIDS Pandemic-Yet another crisis that focuses largely on Africa and Asia. Because it is hardest hit in terms of people infected, Africa is often singled out in Pandemic discussions, but Southeast Asia (Thailand especially) is so bad that it has developed its own strain of the virus. Entire countries will lose their working class, plunging them backwards in terms of economic and social development. Lack of AIDS education has hampered many efforts to get the plague under control. In Africa, for example, rumors that having intercourse with a virgin would cure the disease led to a major problem of child rape and the subsequent infection of children.

8. The Sex Trade- A more specific version of slavery, this is not limited to any particular region. Women and children are sold as sex slaves all over the world. Dateline NBC did a special on the sex trade in America just a few weeks ago. It happens everywhere there are children without parents, where children roam the streets freely in developing countries.

9. Only People in the US and Britain (Western Governments) care if Bin Laden is alive or dead.-The media loves to harp on the fact that OBL has not been caught yet and that he was the one who attacked us, and while it is an exaggeration to say that nobody else would care about his death, it is also an exaggeration that we would be in any different of a situation if we had caught him yesterday. The terrorismwe are fighting is not something that is based on a loyalty to a particular figure or leader. It is based on something that the terrorists believe transcends each on eof them. The feel that they are just fighting the latest battle in a war that began hundreds of years ago That is not to say that catching him is not a priority, I am sure it is. By the way, he offered us a truce last week! Didn’t hear much about that. “Please don’t hurt me” doesn’t sound like someone who is winning the war.

The Experience

2006-01-25T16:23:00.000-08:00

If you think this is too long then it wasn't written for you

I was asked to write about an experience that I had this afternoon and honestly, my only fear is that in doing so I will not be able to do it justice. A few days ago an e-mail found its way into my inbox that told of the death of a Corporal in Iraq. In my work I have several, what I call “Reference Sites” that I check out each day. One of these gives me a notice every time a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine is killed anywhere in the world. What made this e-mail different is that it was not from that site, it was from my mom. It informed me that the soldier who was killed was the son of missionaries in Estonia and that his brother is on a mission team in the Ukraine. It happened to mention that he would be interred at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) on 25 January 2006. I immediately decided that if there was any way I could do it, that I would go. So today at 1230 I called ANC from the road and asked where I needed to go in order to attend the internment. Not wanting to invade on anything I pictured myself standing off next to some tree watching the funeral and silently praying for the family. This was not how it went down. I was told that I should pull into the line of cars outside the “Memorial Gate” and wait for the procession to start. I was to follow the hearse until it stopped and then follow the directions given by the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Regiment, US Army, the Old Guard. At 1250 I pulled into the back of the line of cars and in a few minutes entered ANC.

For those of you who have never been to ANC, it is a sobering experience on the happiest of days. The rows upon rows and fields upon fields of white marble tombstones are the first thing that overwhelms you. From the right angle it can look like snow covered plain even in the middle of summer. The wind was blowing hard. The weatherman said it was going to be gusting up to 40 mph today and I remember feeling the wind blowing against the Jeep pretty hard as we drove up the hill. The temp was in the low 40s but with the wind it felt like it was in the 30s. The directions given by the SGT from the 3rd IR did not allow for my viewing from a distance. After coming to a stop I got out of the car and slowly walked forward to the gathering group. The SGT ushered us all to the rear of the hearse. Being tall and insecure of my being there I stood at the back and was able to watch everything. The 6 honor guard troopers marched up to the hearse and removed the flag draped coffin and carried it up the grassy hill to the waiting bier. Once it was set, the family and everyone was ushered to the gravesite. Intentionally staying to the back I was caught of guard by the number of fresh graves in the area, and then I realized that we were in the Global War on Terrorism section (Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom). These were the graves of the men and women who had died since the attacks of 9/11. The wall of the Pentagon that had been hit in the attacks was clearly in view.

When we got to the gravesite I stayed at the back of the group. I could clearly see the backs of the Corporal’s mother, father, brother, sisters, and niece (she looked about 3 months old). Of course he was not a Corporal to them. He was their brother, son, and uncle. He was Dustin, the guy they had grown up with, shared so much with and loved dearly. The Kendalls are a good looking family by any definition but they were obviously heart-broken. I can only imagine that they were jet-lagged as well, having flown in from all over the world to say “good-bye.” Almost all of them were noticeably crying as the Army Chaplain began his short speech. Of course I do not remember all the words he spoke but I remember noticing how each of the family straightened up as the word of God was read. It was as if they were drawing strength directly from it and could not allow themselves to miss a word.

“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Even as the words were being read the father began nodding slowly in affirming what he had just heard, as if he was remembering that he was on the winning team. About this time the baby niece started crying and was passed off to what I would assume to be an extended family member. This break in the silence made me think of my own children and for a moment I thought about how difficult it would be to explain to one of my precious girls how wonderful their Uncle Andy was. When I realized what an impossible task that was I was thankful that I remembered my sunglasses, because I was starting to tear up.

The chaplain continued for a short while and gave a really encouraging speech. He spoke of the family’s biblically acknowledged right to mourning but how Christian death and Christian burial is unique among all faiths of the world. It is wrapped in hope and bound up in the knowledge that it is not the end, but the true beginning.

The chaplain concluded by saying, “God sent his son Jesus Christ to earth to save us, Christ led the perfect life but was sacrificed in our stead. But He was raised to life and now sits enthroned at the right hand of God. For us here today, this is a matter of faith. Today, for Corporal Dustin Kendall, it is a matter of FACT, a matter of REALITY." With this the Chaplain led the Lords Prayer and stepped aside. Up stepped a Brigadier General that had been standing off to the side. The honor guard folded the flag that was draped on the coffin and handed it to the General who slowly saluted the flag before taking it. Upon taking it the honor guard saluted the flag as well. The General then moved to the mother, handed her the flag and said “On behalf of a very grateful nation, we thank you for your son’s honorable service and as he honored his country in life, we will honor him in his death." The General then presented a flag to the brothers and sisters as well. The General then turned and took two small boxes and handed the first to the father. “Your son, Corporal Dustin Kendall is hereby awarded the bronze star for faithful…” the General really started choking up here “…service to his country and courageous actions in the field of battle.” The General then presented the same to the brother and sisters and stepped aside. An ANC official then stepped up and pointed out the honor guard firing team about 50 yards away up the hill. They fired three shots and then a lone bugler at the top of the hill played “Taps.” I was really thankful for my sunglasses.

At the conclusion of “Taps” we were all dismissed back to our cars so that we could drive to a separate part of ANC to talk with the family. The family stayed alone with the casket for some time. As I watched them from the Jeep with the heater blowing full blast I couldn’t help but think, when are you able to say “Okay, I am ready to leave the casket?”

After a few minutes the family got in their limousines and the procession drove to a distant part of ANC and everyone got out. I thought about leaving but really wanted to say something to the parents. I walked up to the father and shook his hand. I had been trying to think of something encouraging to say but could not think of anything. I said “Sir, my name is Sam and I work with the Department of Defense.” I could tell he thought I was about to ask him to move his car or something so I said, “My mom is good friends with Dottie Schulz with the Missions Resource Network and she sent me an e-mail regarding the internment today. “I just wanted to let you know that you, your son and your family have my respect and gratitude. “It is obvious that you have raised a family dedicated to setting the captives free.” He nodded and said “I keep telling people that this is all part of the gift. “I know where my son is, I know where I can find him. God will see us through all of this and we will see Dustin again someday.” "You guys are doing great work down there at MRN!", He went on. I told him that I was not with MRN but that I agreed with him. With that we shook hands and he turned to talk to a LT from Dustin’s Unit. I shared a similar conversation with Dustin’s mother and then got in the Jeep and headed back to work, amazed that I could be so moved by the internment of someone I didn’t even know. That I would shed tears over a family’s loss that has no connection to me. As I drove back to Fort Belvoir I tried to sort it all out, why had it been so moving?

The Symbolism

I admit that I am a sucker for symbolism, but the whole day seemed draped in it. It was as if the Lord had laid things out so plainly today and did not want a lesson to be missed. We had stood there on the hill in the cold huddled together because that is what people do when times are hard, they draw together, yet there was no warmth in this group. It was only when the bright afternoon sun would shine down on us through some brief break in the clouds that there was warmth. I could almost hear the Lord reminding us, “No matter what you see, what you feel, I am Here with you.” To watch a mother cradle a flag as she had once cradled a baby boy. To hear the sweet innocent cry of a baby in the midst of so many innocents. As we drove off from the gravesite I cried as I looked up the hill and saw only the mahogany casket, facing eternity alone, as we all must.

The Faith

The faith that was so obvious in the family could not help but be moving. As someone who works with the military I was reminded of the old strategic concept of 2-2-1. The concept dictated that the US military should maintain the capability to simultaneously fight 2 enemies on 2 separate fronts with the guarantee of one decisive victory. I could not help but think that the Kendall family had been working under the same concept. They have been fighting both the spiritual and physical forces of tyranny, enslavement and death on two separate fronts and today I was able to witness their confidence in the ONE decisive victory!

The Gratitude

Even on a sightseeing trip you cannot go to ANC without a profound sense of gratitude. Thousands and thousands of men and women who served their country in order to let us do whatever we did today (Is what you did today worth that sacrifice?) But standing alongside the warriors of the Lord today I could not help but be overwhelmed by their sacrifice. Their daily decision to get out of bed and fight! Their determination that they would not lose anymore! Their resolve that they would stand, they would walk, and come what may, they would finish the race, knowing that they will be greeted at the finish line by the One who is now holding their son.

Exactly What We Need

2006-01-25T14:03:00.000-08:00

I stand corrected.

Several days ago I engaged in a blog conversation with a friend regarding the responsibilities of international oil conglomerates have to make the third world countries they do business with better (Sound Exciting!? see Syriana post-http://carterdintx.blogspot.com) . While I stand behind the main thrust of my arguments I made the following statement, which I no longer agree with:

“I have yet to see “Syriana” because I think George Clooney is a moron and the ex-CIA agent (Robert Baer) that wrote the book that “Syriana” is based on (See No Evil) is a Class A Tool Bag.”

I still have not seen Syriana and I still think Clooney is a moron, but I have read the book and now have tremendous respect for Baer. His is off base on a few points, but on the whole is exactly what this country needs: someone who is ready to go into dangerous places and do dangerous things with dangerous people.

To Quote Baer (See No Evil, p. 271):

“We are at war in America and throughout the Western world, at war with an enemy with no infrastructure to attack, with no planes to shoot out of the sky, with no boats to sink to the bottom of the sea and precious few tanks to blow up for the amusement of the viewers of CNN. The only way to defeat such an enemy is by intelligence, by knowing what they plan to do next, and by being ready for them when they arrive. And the only way to gather such intelligence is by having the political will to let those who know how to learn those secrets perform their jobs, no matter how murky the swamp is. I wish I had the confidence that we were willing to walk down that path and stay on it.”

Kadi Lael Vaughn-Le Petit bon bon

2006-01-20T07:28:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of my precious niece Lael taken from my sister’s blog. Kelly and Randy Vaughn (my oldest sister and her husband) are going through the adoption process and we are praying that it goes quickly and smoothly. No one in my family has gotten to meet Lael in person yet, although my parents are going over there pretty soon, but we are all dying to hold her and kiss on her. She is the latest edition to a family of beautiful girls and studly men, she fits in perfect. As a proud Uncle Sam I wanted to share this great picture.

I have made a few mentions on this blog regarding my sister Kelly and her family living in Benin, West Africa. Without exception, every time they are mentioned I get a comment or e-mail from someone saying that they were not aware of what was going on with them. I strongly encourage everyone to click the “Vaughn’s” link to the right and check things out for yourself.

Singing Turtle

2006-01-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

Life on Post: A guy in the cube next to me got a turtle doll that starts singing and dancing when you push a red button on it back (similar to the “Singing Santa”). The first time I saw it I laughed. Not because it was funny but because I had finally found the people who actually buy that junk. Anyway, that turtle is officially the hardest working person here, excluding me of course. It boggles my mind that people will honestly push the button and stand there giggling, swaying back and forth through the whole “Slow down, your moving too fast…” song (not Simon and Garfunkel, that would at least be a decent song).

Typical:

“Hey! We think we have found bin Laden! We have to move fast, he is hiding in a…hey! Is that one of those singing turtles! Those are hysterical! Do I just push this button?” “SLOW DOWN…”

20 Fun Facts

2006-01-12T12:14:00.000-08:00

Be Sure To Check Out The Three Posts Below This One!

20 Fun Facts:

Brylee’s hair is coming back in. Sadly, she is losing “the Terry Bradshaw”
Bailey can sing the ABC’s. It always ends with: “Next time won’t you L-O-P”
Brylee is ticklish
Bailey will walk up to Emille and me, put our hand on her belly and say “Da-Da more tickle!”
Brylee loves to laugh
Bailey’s new phrase is “WOW, Cool mama!”
Brylee loves to watch TV
Bailey Love’s Elmo
Brylee will sleep for hours if you let her sleep in the queen size bed
Bailey loves and is constantly concerned about her “Neigh” (her toy horse. “Neigh” is what a horse says, pronounced “knee”)
Brylee has to be fed in a quiet, dark room. If there is a chance to watch TV or socialize she will take it.
Bailey loves her bath and brushing her teeth
Brylee just moved up to a size 3 diaper yesterday
When Bailey’s hair is dry, it is above her shoulders. When it is wet, it is to the middle of her back (Lots of beautiful curls)
After almost three weeks of not having to take a bottle (Emille did not work and was able to nurse her throughout the holidays) Brylee now cries whenever I try to give her one (She wants her mother)
On an average night Bailey takes 2 dogs, 2 Elmos, 2 babies, a Neigh (see #10) and at least one book to bed with her.
Brylee loves to have her older sister play with her
Bailey loves to take care of Brylee. Last night at 0230 in the morning Brylee started crying. I got up and made a quick pit stop on my way to get her. By the time I got to their room Bailey was standing on her bed yelling “Da-Da, Da-Da, Da-Da” I opened the door, picked up Brylee and said “What, sweet girl?” to Bailey. She pointed at Brylee and said “Bry Okay?” I said “yes, she’s fine, she is just hungry (See #15, Emille worked last night).” Bailey said “Oh, Okay, night, night Da-Da” and laid back down and went to sleep.
Brylee loves to smile at anyone who looks at her, she is so ready to bring joy to people.
This morning I woke Bailey up at 0550. I gave her a bottle and as she drank it and started to wake up her first words were “Da-Da, I love Mama” I said “me too Bailey!” her response, “Cool Da-Da!”

Be Sure To Check Out The Three Posts Below This One!

At Long Last (3)

2006-01-12T08:41:00.000-08:00

Dressed and ready to hit the town.

Watching a "Baby Me" (A baby movie) in the morning

Bailey learned how to handle a 4-Wheeler from her cousin Payton. He is a highly trained expert.

Hanging out with Andy and "Presh"

Praying-Bailey loves to grab anyone's hand and ask them to "pay" with her. Brylee does not shut her eyes during the prayers, we think she is Pentecostal.

Still working with Brylee on posing for pictures, Bailey has it down

Bailey is constantly bringing new toys to "Bry"

At Long Last (2)

2006-01-12T08:26:00.000-08:00

When Emille's grandmother passed away a few years ago they were sorting through her things and foound a box that said "For Emille." It contained this sweet outfit that Brylee is wearing in these next two pics.

Brylee in her chair in Baird

Brylee Opening Christmas Gifts in Baird

My three sweet girls

At Long Last

2006-01-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

Bailey and her good friend Gracie
Bailey riding the motorcycle in Baird

Bailey loves to show Brylee how to get the most out of her toys

Just after bath time

Taking Care

2006-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

As you can imagine, a good deal of our time is spent taking care of our precious little girls, as it should be. Here is a picture of Bailey taking care of her baby while visiting some friends last week. I will do my best to get some pictures up tomorrow. I apologize for the long wait.

Blind leading the Blind

2005-12-29T08:10:00.000-08:00

Unique experience of the day:

The guy who works the snack shop here on post is blind. I went to buy a snack and handed him my credit/debit card. He immediately told me that they did not accept credit cards. I told him, “There is a sign over there on the coke refrigerator that says you do.” His reply, “no, there is not.” Not wanting to be rude or insensitive I set my items on the counter and walked over and read the sign. Sure enough, it says they accept MasterCard, Visa and AMEX. I return to the counter and say “yeah, it says that you guys accept MasterCard, Visa and AMEX.” “Where is the sign?” he asks. “It is over on the refrigerator,” “No, it isn’t, there is no sign.” Not really knowing how to handle myself I say, “if you do not accept them that is fine, but you DO have a sign that says you do.” “There is no sign for credit cards,” he replies, somewhat agitated. Trying to behave properly in this extreme PC environment I am starting to think I am going to have to “pull rank” on him, if you know what I mean. Luckily, his co-worker, who can see, came out of the back and cleared everything up. I was right! She tore down the sign and said “Sorry.” With this I left the snack shop, still hungry.

Long, but it is important

2005-12-21T12:40:00.000-08:00

First, I recognize two facts, I am a nerd and I live in Washington. These two facts alone mean that 98% of Americans don’t care about the following. But if blogs are supposed to be about things that the writer is thinking about than it is okay for me to have this here.

In my line of work one of the constant frustrations is the need to remind people that we are at WAR. Regardless of what you think about this administration, there are reasons that we have not been attacked since 9/11 and it is not because Al Qaeda is resting. Whether it is this story or the one about the CIA Air fleet being exposed or countless stories about military techniques in Iraq or the most famous, the revelation that the NSA could eavesdrop of Bin Laden’s Sat phone (which he immediately stopped using as soon as the story was published, that was a great intel source that the media took away from us) I get infuriated when I see these weasily reporters write a story because they want the scoop. Do they never consider that the story that they are using to make a name for themselves is endangering lives and National Security? This is not about politics. Anyone who knows me knows that I have quite a few problems with the President’s policies. This is about making sure that my two sweet girls can sleep in peace at night. It is about making sure that their husbands and sons don’t have to leave them to fight this same enemy.

The following story establishes firmly that the President HAD the authority to order the wiretaps. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, the very court that so many are saying he should have gone to has issued an opinion giving him the authority. So, How on EARTH is the New York Times story ANYTHING but the revelation of intelligence gathering techniques to the public, and therefore, the enemy!?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0512210142dec21,0,3553632.story?coll=chi-newsopinioncommentary-hed

Help me out

2005-12-20T08:46:00.000-08:00

Someone please explain to me how the leaking of Valerie Plame’s name was a threat to national security requiring all of the hubbub of the last year and yet the leaking of intelligence gathering techniques as published by the NYT is an act of patriotism? They both seem equally illegal to me?

The Feliz-ing of America

2005-12-16T06:20:00.000-08:00

My day started very early today. So early, in fact, that Mc Donald’s was still serving dinner when I stopped by on my way in. Suffice to say that I am a little tired. So I am sitting here at my desk writing a very important document (somewhere in the DOD, someone needs to hold down a shelf, so they have me write a massive document) and I since my brain is a little foggy (I had coffee and McD’s Chicken Selects for breakfast) I am thinking my way through the wording and all of the sudden an elf appears next to my desk. At this point you are thinking that I am either hallucinating or I am making something up. I assure that neither is true. This elf, a full grown man (easily mid 50s) in a green sleeping cap with bells on it, a green felt shirt with gold buttons on it, really tight green tights, green pointy shoes with bells on them pushes a candy filled cart into view and hands me a candy cane and says in a loud voice, “Merry Christmas!” My first thought was, his boss knows he is doing this! Followed by, a government employee just said “merry CHRISTMAS,” how unusual, followed by, that is perhaps not the most unusual thing about this man. How secure does one have to be in their masculinity, or total lack thereof to prance around a military base dressed like that!? I was, honestly, caught so off guard that he had probably left the building by the time I had a reaction. How do you put that on a resume? What do you put down as your quals for a job like that? Maybe, “I got some green tights in Jr. high, Yes sir, I am pretty sure they still fit.” What is that guy's salary? Who pays it? This joint is amazing!

Who loved Baird the most?

2005-12-14T13:47:00.000-08:00

Judging by this picture, Who do you think loved visiting Baird the most?

Trickling in

2005-12-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

I should have many more pictures to come in the next few days, here are two from the Brook's camera that Becky sent to me.

Bailey and Payton did this all weekend

Pictures coming soon

2005-12-13T08:35:00.000-08:00

A Great Weekend

We are all still recovering form the great four day weekend that we had in Baird, TX. We had so much fun hanging out with my family. I am not sure that Bailey will even talk to Emille and I when she wakes up this morning to find that we have taken her back to Virginia. Perhaps the most fun thing was watching my family love on her and watching her love on them in return. It really made Emille and I long to be back in Texas. The weather was perfect and Bailey played outside all weekend long. She loved riding four-wheelers with her cousins and constantly sliding down the “wheee.” While on the plane from Abilene to DFW, Emille asked Bailey what she was going to name her new baby doll she got for Christmas she quickly replied, “Beck.” She loves her aunt Becky. On the second leg of our trip we watched as Bailey tried to get comfortable to sleep and would hug her doll and say “oh, baby Beck, night night.”

One Shot, One Kill

When Emille and I stopped at the Chili’s in DFW airport on the way back I asked her, “Bailey, what was your favorite thing about being at the ranch?” She quickly replied. “Deer” and then held up her hands (attempting to make a gun) and made a “pow” sound. I have rarely been more proud. This weekend was a weekend of firsts for my wife. It was her first time she went hunting, her first time to shoot a rifle and the first time to kill a deer. Saturday evening Emille and I were in the stand and she made the perfect (could not have been a better shot) shot on a buck at about 100 yards. At first we thought it was a spike, but upon greater inspection found that if you counted the brow tines and kickers it was a 5-point (honestly, it was the ugliest set of horns I have ever seen). She definitely did her part to clean up the deer gene pool at my parent’s ranch.

A Great Christmas

We had a great Family Christmas time as well. It was so much fun to see the kids open up their gifts. They were all so excited to open the gifts. I really could write pages and pages about this weekend. We had so much fun. It could have only been better if the Vaughns had been there.

In short, Emille and I both killed a deer (5 and 9 point respectively), Bailey got to feed the cows, ride four-wheelers, We all got to go to the Christmas lights in Clyde, ate some incredible food, hang out with family, talk to and about the Vaughns, share communion together at the ranch and Emille and I had it reinforced in our minds how much we long to move back to Texas.

Oh yeah, did I mention my little brother Andy graduated from ACU Friday night. We are all so proud of him and can’t wait to see what the Lord has planned for him.

First Snow

2005-12-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

Not that it is really any big deal, but it just started snowing really hard here. It is supposed to keep snowing through early tommorow morning. My diligent goverment co-workers have already started heading home to avoid everyone else on the highways. The ineveitable "working from home" line is being thrown about quite a bit. I can't wait to see Bailey's reaction to the snow! It is so great to have a family that I would love to be with 24/7.

Back to the Main Purpose

2005-12-05T07:26:00.000-08:00

Sweet Brylee will smile at anyone who gives her the time of day

Bailey takes a little more convincing

I am sorry that there have not been any pictures posted on this site in a long time. Emille and I have a few rolls of film to be developed and they no doubt include more than a few shots of our precious girls (Iam particularly thinking of one I took yesterday morning of Bailey breastfeeding her stuffed cow). In the meantime, Here are two shot that our good friend Jesse Lee took of the girls the other day at church. I will post some more pics sometime soon.

Thanks Jesse

Truly, this stuff cannot be made up

2005-12-02T09:12:00.000-08:00

Location: On Post

My boss is currently working his way through the cubicle farm with a stack of cups and a jug of Sunny D offering everyone a glass. Truly an awkward attempt at morale boosting. 30 seconds of sipping from a tiny cup of Sunny D while the boss stares at you while sipping from his own cup. "Well, have a great weekend" and he is off to the next cube.

Bathroom Humor

2005-11-30T13:02:00.001-08:00

During my time here on Post I am constantly reminded that things are run a little different on a military installation. No story exemplifies this better that what just happened to me. I was in the Men's restroom standing at the sink washing my hands. As I was appraoching the sink a man followed me into the restroom and headed for a stall. Once the door was shut I heard many of the sounds that we men know as signs that someone is, shall we say, "settling in", namely the unfolding of the Sports Section. As I turn to dry my hands the bathroom door opens and a lady walks in and pulls in her mop bucket behind her. As she pulls the mop out of the bucket to start cleaning up I nod towards the stall and whisper, "Someone is still in there." Hearing this the lady does not bat an eye and says in a normal voice "that's fine." Somewhat alarmed at hearing a disctictly female voice (and no doubt peeking through the cracks at the hinge of the stall door) our now immobile sportsfan coughs and says "excuse me, someone is still in here (as though we were supposed to guess who it was)." To this the lady responds, "Honey, Don't worry, I don't want to be in that stall any more than you want me in there, I will just mop up out here and I'll clean up in there whenever you are finished. With this. I left the bathroom, assured that he did not make it to the second page.

Boring Post only a Nerd could love

2005-11-30T09:16:00.000-08:00

It is official, blogging may be our greatest weapon in the War on Terror. Thank you for doing your part.

From Today's (30 Nov 2005) Sydney Morning Herald

THE CIA now has its own bloggers. In a bow to the rise of internet-era secrets hidden in plain view, the agency has started hosting weblogs with the latest information on topics including North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il's public visit to a military installation (his 38th this year) and the Burmese media's silence on a ministry reshuffle. It even has a blog on blogs, dedicated to finding useful information in the rapidly expanding milieu of online journals and weird electronic memorabilia on the net.

The blogs are posted on an unclassified, government-wide website, part of a rechristened CIA office for monitoring, translating and analysing publicly available information, called the DNI Open Source Centre. The centre, which made its debut this month, marks the latest wave of reorganisation in response to the failures of intelligence collection before the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Analysis of those failures pointed to insufficient efforts to tap into the huge realm of information on the internet, as well as a climate of disdain for such information among spy agencies. "There are still people who believe if it's not top secret it's not worth reading," says an outside expert who works with government intelligence agencies.

By adding the new centre, "they've changed the strategic visibility", says the centre's director, Douglas Naquin, a CIA veteran. "All of a sudden open source is at the table." But he acknowledges that "managing the world's unclassified knowledge [is] much bigger than any one organisation can do".

The DNI Open Source Centre began life in 1941 as the Foreign Broadcast Information Service - FBIS to insiders - which was charged with monitoring publicly available media and translating their output. Its pastel-hued booklets became a familiar presence throughout government. At the height of the Cold War, it was FBIS translators who pored over Izvestia and Pravda from the Soviet Union, providing the little hints such as a word change that might signal something broader for the CIA's Kremlinologists.

By the 1990s, the office had fallen on hard times. Some advocated abolishing it, saying it was irrelevant in the age of 24-hour cable news. It survived, but had its staff slashed by 60 per cent, Naquin says. September 11 gave it new purpose, as "open source" became an intelligence buzzword. Across government, policymakers began to debate how to find the nuggets of genuine information hidden in the internet avalanche.

Even before the Open Source Centre officially opened it had added a video database that makes its archives available online, and rolled out an upgraded website with blogs and homepages on topics such as Osama bin Laden, Iraq insurgency leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, China and bird flu.

The centre sees itself as a repository of what Naquin calls "open-source tradecraft" in a self-conscious echo of his clandestine colleagues. It teaches courses such as Advanced Internet Exploitation to intelligence analysts.

Perhaps the toughest challenge for the new centre is proving its mettle inside the sceptical world of intelligence, where the stolen secret has long been prized above the publicly available gem. Although the centre's website is unclassified and available across the government, so far it has only 6500 users with active accounts, Naquin says.

"Rarely is there the 'aha!', the 'oh-you-solved-this or you-prevented-this"' moment, Naquin acknowledges.

"The reluctance to use it is astounding to me," says Michael Scheuer, the former head of the CIA's bin Laden unit. "Nobody wants to go back in response to an assignment and say, 'Oh, my Open Source Centre found this on a server in Belgium."'

The culture clash isn't likely to disappear soon - especially when intelligence services still classify material that can be found easily on the internet. Not long ago, says a former senior government terrorism analyst, he was teaching a class to future CIA intelligence analysts that included a PowerPoint presentation on the evolution of al-Qaeda since September 11, with images taken from the internet.

Two men at the back of the class came up to the instructor after the presentation. Where, they asked, had he got a particular image from Iraq? It's classified, they insisted. The former analyst laughed. He had taken it from a gruesome website that compiles terrorist atrocity videos along with pornography.

Not sure I fit in

2005-11-22T10:56:00.000-08:00

I am currently working at an Army Post (piece of trivia, no such thing as an Army base, only posts, forts and camps) where, understandably I am surrounded by people in the military. We are working of a wide variety of things that will enable US troops to fight safer, stronger and more efficiently. It was in this environment that I was walking around today gathering some information for my current tasking and found myself humming and singing to myself, "...and if you threw a party, and invited everyone you knew, you would see the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say, 'Thank you for being a friend'..."

Now I have no idea why the theme song from Golden Girls was in my head. I would like to say that I had just passed a room where a bunch of soldiers had set their guns down and were watching it (Don't ask, Don't tell) but that was not the case. I cannot remember the last time I watched an episode of that show, which means that that kind of stuff is just floating around in my head, almost more worrisome than if I woke up in a strange place wearing a "Bea Arthur is Hot" t-shirt (which, coincidentally, happened to my friend Blair).

All of this to say, I am fairly sure that I was the only one in the office today singing the "Golden Girls" theme song and because of that, I am not sure if I am the posterchild they are looking for to support the Global War on Terrorism. Posterchild for Super Poly-Grip maybe, GWOT, doubtful.

Tackling the tough issues

2005-11-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

The AIDs pandemic in Africa, Bird Flu, Terrorism, counterterrorism initiatives, global poverty, French Egomaniacal Idiocy, The hurricanes and the state vs. federal response debate. When I started this blog it was with the idea of tackling tough issues like these, in between the pictures of my sweet girls Bailey, Brylee and Emille. Recently a major issue such as those listed above has confronted me on a almost daily basis: Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper

I am not quite sure how I feel about it. Certainly it is better than lime or vanilla coke, but I am not sure how I feel about them messing with the recipe of the last truly classic beverage. It tastes pretty good, but I fear change.

Lael's Shower

2005-11-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

Above is a picture taken during the Shower our small group hosted for my sweet new niece, Kadi Lael Vaughn. For more details on Lael's story I suggest that you click on the "The Vaughns" link. The shower went great and the Vaughns were certainly blessed. We look forward to getting everything to them.

We (Emille and I) are so thankful and humbled by the outpouring of generosity by our church and small group for these poeple that we love so much, but whom our church does not even know.

Thanks Again.

End of October, Early November

2005-11-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

Mom came to visit during the last days of October. Here are some pics from her time here.

UCAV/National Zoo Pictures

2005-11-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

Bailey about to take the UCAV out for a spin

We gave Bailey a set of Elmo stickers and I turned away from Brylee for 2 seconds, that was all the time Bailey needed.

Emille and the girls at the National Zoo

Bailey backing the UCAV out to go meet "the girls"

One year Flashback

2005-11-04T11:57:00.000-08:00

In sifting through the picture files on my computer to do the previous 4 posts, I found a folder dated October 2004. I wanted to post them just because it was amazing to me to see that one year ago we were in the middle of the plagiocephaly/braciocephaly struggle. It seemed so traumatic at the time and now that it is over it just makes for some cute pictures. Serves as a reminder that when things seem sad, the Lord has plans to lift you up and care for you. As a christian, the worst thing is never the last thing.

Picture Overload 4

2005-11-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

Picture Overload 3

2005-11-04T11:50:00.000-08:00

Picture Overload 2

2005-11-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

Picture Overload 1

2005-11-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

Caveat

2005-11-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

In regards to the line about "must haves" in the post entitled "Under construction" I have one caveat, I have repeatedly tried to link to Kelly Speck's blog and for some reason It messes everything up again.

That being said, I think that I found what screwed everything up. I posted some hyperlink to some funny commercial and that sent it over the edge.

Take care.

Nice to be back

2005-11-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

I have had to be out of town all week attending a conference at JFCOM in Norfolk, VA. A pretty neat town. I got back in about 9 last night and was met by 3 girls who had all gotten more beautiful since I left. It was great to be back. It was obvious that Bailey had missed me and wanted to constantly play with me when I got back. It was as if she wanted to make up for all the lost time. I asked her if she had had fun while I was gone and she shook her head yes and said "Bird, teet teet". She had had a few great days of hanging out with her mother and Brylee, going to Chuck E. Cheese, playing with friends on several occasions but the highlight of it all... the bird she saw on the way in from the car. It says "teet teet." It is so great to be back.We are going to take the girls to the animal farm tomorrow. That means I get to use my "looks like the pigs are really running the place" joke. that will be nice. By the way, if you even get that joke, you are a nerd. If you thought it was funny you are a full fledge dork.

Under Construction

2005-11-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

It has been a extremely frustrating day in blog world for me. I made a new post this morning and when I published it my blog went haywire. The more I tried to fix it, the more it messed up. I have lost all the pictures and was only able to salvage a few text posts and I am working on the pics. I can't get the profile stuff back up to the top of the page and I lost all my links. At one point I had to sit back and remind myslef that if I had the technical skills to effectively manage this blog I would probably have a job that would keep me too busy to inaffectivley manage it. I am slowly working my way back to normal. I have reestablished all of my must have links (if you are not included as a "must have" you can either be funnier or marry my brother, at which point I would be obligated to act as though you are funny). PLease let me know if you are aware of how to get the profile stuff back to the top.

Thanks.

Sam

Test

2005-11-04T08:29:00.000-08:00

This thing working?