This is one of our two dogs.  We wanted to name him Harley but he is way too small to carry that name.  So we went with Scooter.  He is a Morkie, half Maltese and half Yorkie.  He is very smart and pretty stubborn, but wants to please so he trained easily.  I have harrassed him with the camera so much that he runs and hides when he sees it now.  He is now 4 and still has a lot of puppy left.

Day 2
This is the pie a wonderful lady in our church made for my birthday.  She said I was too hard to buy for.  So I told her that I am always easy to bake for.  And this sure hit the spot.  Thanks Jeanie!!

It occurred to me last week that on my birthday (July 20) I would be 49 years old.  That wasn't so bad.  Then I realized that meant I had been alive for 49 years and would be starting year number 50.  So I decided that for such a great year I need to do something to remember it.  That's when I decided to do what I am calling Project 365.  Every day this year I will take pictures and post one for everyday and then next year on my birthday (number 50) I can look back at all the memories.  I have seen others doing this and thought it would be fun.  So for my first day I took a picture of myself to remind me what I look like now.  Not all of them will be of me.  I think the pictures will be pretty random.  I don't have a plan to do a series where all the pics are of the same thing, like flowers or butterflies.  I would just rather make it random.  As I look back at the pictures I have taken in the past I realize that most of these will probably be of my family.  As fast as the kids are growing it will be cool to see them change.  Anyway, this is number 1.  I will also be posting them on my Flickr acct. under "dgakins2".  Of course that will be just the pics without the commentary.  So, here we go into the next adventure.  Thank you Lord Jesus for the life you have given me.

Something New

I can't believe it, but I finally did it. I finally joined the hoards of people who have jumped on the tablet wagon. That's right, I have a shiny new tablet computer. As a matter of fact I am writing this post on my new gadget. So far, I love it. It is easier to read and work on than my phone and faster than my netbook. But, I don't see myself getting rid of those things. I didn't go the conventional route though, because I am not a fan of anything apple. They just don't work for me. I have tried. Anyway, I went with the HP Touchpad. It is running webOS which I get. It works just like I want it to. And I can do some tweaking on this that the others won't allow. So my reasoning for joining this trend, I have used a pda for years. Both HP and palm, and I have seriously used them. So much so that they don't work anymore. They are great for outdoor services when I can't keep the pages of my bible from blowing and they keep my notes right where I need them. So, when the last pda outlived went south I was at a loss. You just can't find a good pda that is cost efficient. When the price of the touchpad bottomed out I knew it was time. And I am glad I did it. This will be with me for a very long time. Change can be good.

I can't believe it.

I can't believe it has been almost a year since I have posted anything. I have tried to think back on the last year to find why I was so negligent. I could blame it on being to busy, but who isn't these days, and I know that is an excuse. A lot has happened but I seem to find time to play Angry Birds and fill in crosswords. So being busy doesn't work. When I get down to the basic reason it has to be that I just don't write that much. It was fun when I started this blog and I know it can be again. I just have to find the motivation. There seems to be so many things to write about that are just flying through my mind but never make it out in the form of an understandable string of thought. The process of getting it from my mind to the paper has never been easy for me. My family has decided that it is because I am "ADD" and "OCD". They are just trying to blame me for their quirks. When I was young my parents and teachers blamed it on the lack of self discipline, there was no such things as "ADD" or "OCD". I'm not sure which one I would rather blame. I do know that the only way for me to overcome any of them is to stay focused on what is important. Not being focused is like trying to fix a stalled car by washing it, taking care of everything except what needs to be taken care of. I have always tried to prioritise things on the fly. Stacy is a list maker, it drives me nuts to have to make a list and actually write it down, then follow it. I drive her nuts because I just go with out a list. I tell her it"s all in my head, and I usually forget something. Anyway, I need to learn to journal and keep better written records of what is going on in life and in our church. If anyone else reads this then please keep me in your prayers about this and I will start again.

Color My World

Every one that crosses my path leaves a mark in some way. Some in a good way and others not so good. Some add color others just a footprint. I am so thankful for those who have poured into my life and added the colors and hues that make me who I am. I may not be anything special but I am glad to be me. I know so many who won't say that about themselves. They have been left with so many footprints and tire marks that they can't see the color anymore. We all get walked on and even ran over or thrown under the bus by those closest to us and the hurt is sometimes more than we can bear. Even Jesus was betrayed by one of his own. If Judas had been a stranger to Jesus it would have been another accuser not a betrayer. Because He was betrayed he knows how we feel when the scars go deep. Now here is the point. It's not about what other people do to you, for if they did it to Jesus how can we expect different, but what are you doing to others? Are you adding color or leaving skid marks? I hope in some way I can add a brighter hue to every one I meet. Sometimes we only see in black and white, while others only see shades of grey. I want to see in God's color palet, with lots of crimson.

From Super Baby to Superman

I can't believe it's already here. It seems like just last week I would pick up my little boy and hold him out like he was flying with his arms streched out and he would fly around the house saying "Super Baby". Written words can't mimic the sound of his laugh or excitement as we went around and around. And when I sat him down he would come back with his hands reaching out to me and say "Super Baby", and we would do it all again. He really was a super baby, the kind of baby that makes you think "hey, this raising kids stuff is pretty easy, let's have another one." So now we have four children, each one special, and each one super. Next month my little boy will graduate from high school and I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I seem to be doing both. I am so proud of the man that he has become. I wish for a second that I could pick him up and play super baby again and hold him in my arms so that nothing could get him, but now I have to let him go. If I have done my job as a father then he should be fine. He will leave our house this summer to attend college and I won't be there to make sure he gets up on time for class or gets his homework done or doesn't stay up to late. Maybe what makes me sad about him going is that I realize he doesn't need me so much anymore. After all He's not a super baby anymore, He is Superman!