Sunday, May 20, 2012    

Logan’s Broken Arm

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

Two days ago Logan came home with two decent sized scrapes after falling on his bike…one on his right arm and one on his right leg. We bandaged him up and not another complaint. Yesterday he was a normal 9 year old boy…playing, riding his bike, working on and then riding his go-kart, swimming, etc. Not a single complaint.

Until 2:00 this morning. He woke up complaining that his arm hurt. Two Advil later…no affect. So this morning I took him to the ER and sure enough…a small fracture on his right elbow. He couldn’t have been more excited! He got a temporary cast and his first “war wound” (he’ll figure out just how much “fun” it ends up being). He gets the permanent cast later this week (and I get to deal with the effects while mom is in China for 11 days).

Here’s the pic…

Logan's Temp Cast

12.07.2009 Family 1 Comment

Como 2009

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

Our annual trek to Como, CO was a huge success this year (as usual). However, when we started out I wasn’t so sure that was going to be the case. At the end of fall last year it was obvious our pop-up trailer needed new tires. So we got new tires from Wal-Mart (a move that will prove to be our ruin) and figured we were all set. We headed out with three other couples bright and early on Friday morning.

We didn’t make it to Santa Fe and C-470 before one of the new tires on the trailer blew. I’ll save you all the nitty-gritty details, but turns out that Wal-Mart had given us the wrong weigh-class tire so we spent 4 hours driving around and waiting for Discount to set us up. We finally made it to camp 4 hours later than we had hoped )thanks in part to some traffic issues on 285)…but we did make it…and we had a blast!

Five families…10 adults…14 kids. Camping in God’s country and having a blast. No big fights (adults or kids) and the weather couldn’t have been any better. This is truly one of the greatest places on earth to spend a weekend with family and friends. Here are some pics to prove it…

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Roasting S’mores the First Night

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You have to play poker…right? (And yes, Anita won)

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The kids wanted in on the action too

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The crew fixing one of the Beaver dams on the property

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Logan “chillaxing” in the shade

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Lindsay eating a little snack of Antelope and Potatoes

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I think Kyle needs a shorter BB Gun?

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The ATV was a highlight for the kids (no, he didn’t drive it)

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Warming up in the morning

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Corrina and Raquel

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Greg, Paul, and Trent

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Shawn (aka “The Great Fisherman)…yes, there are fish in that pond (that’s the pind we fixed last year!)

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The moon was incredibly bright all weekend

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Showing off the camera skills…oh yeah!

09.07.2009 Family, Recreation, Vacation No Comments

Magness Adventure Camp 2009

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

This past week, Logan and I spent two and half days at Magness Adventure Camp for Cub Scouts. We had an absolute blast! Logan is now a Webelo…so we even got to sleep up on the Mesa in a tent with the other Webelos. The night hike they had planned was called on account of rain and wind but it was still fun.

Every day was full of activities perfect for keeping a young boy from getting bored (and keeping his Dad sore). o fewer than either times, Logan declared: “This is the best day of my life!” We had fun…and we did it together. I am looking forward to next year’s camp.

Here are all the pics…

We're Ready
We’re Ready to Roll!

Magness Camp Sign
The Entrance to the Camp

Catching a Few ZZZZZ
Catching Some Sleep Before We Get Started

Flag Ceremony
The Morning Flag Ceremony

Ice Cream
The Ice Cream Social

The Tent
Our Tent for the First Night

Campfire Skits
Campfire Skits at the end of the first day

Compass Course
The Compass Course on Day 2

Fierce!
Looks fierce…doesn’t he?

Testing the Catapult
Testing The Catapult…it works great!

Dad & Logan
My Favorite Pic!

He's Out!
He’s Out for the Count

Mesa Camp
The Mesa Camp Ground (Day 3)

The Hiker
He Looks Official

Archery
Archery…stay behind that line!

BB Guns
He loves shooting BB Guns

Swimming
Swimming at the Lake. We also took the boats out earlier in the day.

Dunking
A Chance to Cool Off from the Hot Weather

The View from the Mesa
The view from the Mesa of Magness Adventure Camp

27.06.2009 Family, Hobbies, Recreation 2 Comments

Happy Birthday Baby!

Friday, May 29th, 2009

My precious wife (see Proverbs 31) is 29 years old again today!! And we are off to spend a quiet weekend together (sans children) to celebrate and just get away. She has earned it more than anyone…putting up with me, three kids, and school over the past 18+ months.

19 years ago she actually said “yes” to a crazy kids who got up the nerve to ask her to marry him. Sometimes you just get lucky!!

I love you Anita…I couldn’t imagine a better wife or mother! Happy Birthday!

My Love!
My Favorite Picture!

29.05.2009 Family 2 Comments

Twelve Years Ago Today…

Monday, April 6th, 2009

Twelve years ago today…it happened. Anita told me our baby girls was on her way. I was about to officially become a father.

Twelve years ago today…Lindsay Kay Baumgartner was born.

And life has never been the same! I can hardly believe my little baby girl has grown up so fast! And it has been so fun watching her grow and develop and become the young woman she is today…full of great humor, biting sarcasm (where did she get that?), intelligence, and a love for God. She stole my heart 12 years ago and never gave it back.

Happy Birthday Lindsay!!

Look how much she’s grown…

  
Her Baby Picture

 
One of My Favorite Pics of Us Together

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Lindsay Today

My Two Favorite Lindsay Moments…

Sand Dunes Crash

Sky Coaster

06.04.2009 Family, Video 2 Comments

Hazel the Guinea Pig

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

Lindsay had a tough night last night. One of those “life lesson nights” your kids need, but that you hate to see them go through. She has had a guinea pig, Hazel, for about two years.  And the guinea pig loves her…anytime she walks in the room would go crazy squeaking and run around the cage.

Last night Lindsay went to check on her and she didn’t have that usual reaction–she just laid there. So Lindsay picked her up and still not much reaction, but she was breathing. She tried to give her some water…nothing. She brought her downstairs and she was moving a little but it didn’t look good.

Lindsay even asked me if Hazel was “mad at her”. Poor thing! She hadn’t put the pieces together yet. after some quick Internet searching it appeared hazel had an upper respiratory problem–which they simply do not recover from. So we broke the bad news to Lindsay that Hazel was dying and probably wouldn’t last long.

She stayed up with her for the next couple of hours until Hazel moved on at around 11:30 pm. It was a long night and a hard lesson, but she handled it very well. She stayed with Hazel through the end and was able to grieve. She was still in a haze this morning…but time heals all wounds. I am just glad we were there to help her through it. A small lesson now for bigger lessons coming…

02.04.2009 Family, Misc Ramblings 1 Comment

Family and Spiritual Heritage

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

It is Spring Break for my kids this week so we decided to hit the open road—to Kansas and Missouri. I know…I know…not very exciting. But we had a purpose. Last year my great-grandfather (Rev. C.F. Croy) turned 95. For some reason I can’t even remember now, we were not able to make it to his grand party. But it isn’t often your kids get a chance to meet their great-great-grandfather so we decided we would make the trip during their Spring Break. So here we are.

We spend the first part of the weekend in Topeka, KS with Grant and Amy English (and their kids of course). On Monday we took the 2.5 hour trip to Nevada and introduced the kids to my spiritual hero. We went back the next day and are now in Olathe, KS spending a few days with Anita’s sister, Lisa. Here are a couple of pics from the visit in Nevada:


Me and My Hero!


The Whole Gang

The visits where short, but brought back a lot of great memories. This man is truly a spiritual giant in my life…not to mention the patriarch of the family (my oldest living relative). He was a pastor for as long as I can remember and I grew up wanting to be this man. He was kind. He had integrity that I didn’t know anyone could actually have. He loved Jesus with his whole life…heart, soul, and mind. He walked the walk and talked the talk. He is my hero. Period. I want to be just like him when I grow up.

I must admit that while I wanted the boys to meet him (Lindsay got to go to the birthday celebration so she already met him), I was a little apprehensive for the visit. I had an image of this man that I selfishly did not want to be tarnished. The last time I saw him he was strong and healthy…the man I admire and look up to more than anyone else. But that was just selfish.

And it was hard. His health is good, but his mind is fading. His long-term memory is great (he can pick people out of a picture from 50+ years ago) but his short-term memory is another story. But he is still the man I admire. He still loves Jesus and he is as kind and gentle as ever. I am glad we made the trip. In the pictures above you are seeing 5 generations (although two of them aren’t in the picture). This man is my family heritage. He is also my spiritual heritage. I am who I am today in large measure because of him.

25.03.2009 Family, Vacation 2 Comments

Who Brought the Chips?

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

Last Saturday night Anita was taking the boys to my mom’s so that we could go on a date night. On the way there someone asks why we have church on Sunday (I assume because the next day was Sunday). Anita started to explain that we have church on Sunday because that’s the day Jesus rose from the grave on Easter.

She went on to explain that the women came to Jesus’ grave with spices on the Sunday after He had died on the cross and that’s when they found that the tomb was empty. And that’s when Kyle does what he often does—says something you never expect. It went something like this:

Anita: “The women went to the tomb with spices to put on Jesus.”

Kyle: “Spices? You mean, like salsa?!?”

That’s my boy!

11.03.2009 Family, Humor, Jesus No Comments

He’s All Boy!

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Last weekend Anita took Lindsay to the Revolve Tour—a Christian mother/daughter conference. They even spent the night downtown, which meant me and the boys were on our own for Friday night and all day Saturday. I was actually looking forward to it…two days to spend with just the guys.

So on Friday morning I got Logan and Kyle together and asked them what they wanted to do together for the weekend since it was “just the boys”. Kyle did not hesitate for one second in exclaiming: “I know! Let’s take your sword and destroy everything!!!” (And he said it while sweeping his arms in a wide arc to indicate the entire house).

He…is…such…a…boy! And I must admit that the thought does hold some appeal. :wink: 

Although it sounded like fun, we channeled his energy into something slightly less destructive. We ended up going out and getting some movies and a game for the Wii (Ghost Squad) that we played together for hours! A little eating out rounded out the two days together. We had a blast. And yes, Kyle is all boy..through and through…

 Doing what he does best!

 

26.02.2009 Family, Guy Stuff, Misc Ramblings 2 Comments

Good Question

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Over the past couple of weeks I have heard a few great questions that I wanted to share. I am not the author of these questions (I will give credit where it is due). Grant English asked me the first question. Nick Roberts shared the last two questions with me (he asked his daughter these questions).

I love to ask questions and I love having people ask me questions. These three questions are exceptional. I plan to use them often. Here they are:

  1. How is your soul?
         Quick and to the point. This question gets to the important stuff right away.
         Grant asked me this one two weeks ago and I am stealing it already.
         This is a good one to ask yourself too.
  2. How do you think I am treating your mother?
         Nick asked his daughter this question on a “date night”.
         Be ready for the answer because I suspect you’ll get some great answers!
         I plan on using this one very soon with all my kids.
  3. How am I doing at being a Dad?
         Nick’s follow-up question…also a dozy!
         Both of these questions fall into the “be careful what you ask for” category.

Good questions. OK…great questions!

Have any more you want to share? Have any answers? :cool:

25.02.2009 Faith, Family, Spiritual Musings No Comments

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