Top Reasons To Let You Know You're Too Old To Party On New Years!

• Trying to have a "party" with kids around isn't the same as it use to be...now its baloons and cake...it use to be kegs and shots!



• Instead of figuring out who is having the best countdown party to go to you try not to leave the house because it's "too crowded"...that use to be the point.



• Instead of counting down the seconds at Midnight your trying to stay awake at 10!



• Now if you try and dance for more than 15 minutes your legs are sore the next day.



• If you try and make a request for a song they refer to it as an "oldie"



• Now you not only can't understand the songs you can't figure out the artist names...Timbaland feturing Low T w/ remix by bakdadjknfkd...uhh ok



• Instead of getting to kiss a girl at 12 their all kissing each other..hmmm...not necessarily a bad thing...never mind not going there .



• Instead of the biggest baddest fireworks you have to spend all your time and money on sparklers..


• More to follow as they become apparent...

Glad It's Over...Well Almost

Had a great Christmas...boys woke us up at 5AM!!...Santa came and left some great gifts. I also love what he does to the tree....he leaves candy canes all over the tree and fills up our stockings with candy and fruit. Adam was so excited I thought he was going to bounce off the walls.
They got plenty of things to get banged up with. Jake got a skateboard, a scooter, BB Gun (you'll shoot your eye out Red Ryder version!), and Adam got a stand up punching bag (since he's always hitting ppl), a bike, a small skateboard, and plenty of other stuff. Heather got plenty of nice clothes and a CD/Radio (under cabinet) for the kitchen..(because she spends SOOO much time in there! Just kidding babe...
I was good this year too (I know, I know...no smart comments) and got a couple of DVD's (even though I got tires a few weeks ago).
All in all it was tiring but fun...more to follow

The Big Letdown!!

So I tell Heather I wanted to surprise the boys with one of our Christmas traditions (that we didnt really do last year) since Adam is older it should be more fun. I picked up Jake and Heather gets Adam and when we are all home I tell them we are going out and we have a BIG SURPRISE. Jake says "are we going to the movies?!...no..."are we going bowling?!...no..."where are we going?!....We're going to see CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!....."oh"..SO they aren't as enthusiastic as we hoped...Anyway we get in the van and start driving (the back way through Whites CHapel) to Trussville, and start pointing out lights and decoration..15 minutes later Jake is snoring ....we start riding through some neighborhoods and showing Adam...he's humoring me "that's pretty...look at Santa...nothing special. About 20 minutes later we start to leave a subdivision and Adam asks if we are leaving we tell him yes...The kid CLAPS!...Heather and I look at each other like, what? Then he says "yeah, that wasn't very much fun"....Heather and I start laughing, because is was just so nonchalant the way he said it.................what is wrong with my children? This is one of my (and Heather's) favorite things to do as kids...So now Dad is lame...I've got to come up with something MUCH better to get over the downhill slide I'm on...

Favorite Movies or Things About Christmas....

After talking to Heather last night about my post regarding getting sick of all the family get togethors I've decided to get a little more into the Christmas Spirit....so here are my favorite things and movies to watch during the holidays...

• Watch A Christmas Story..."you'll shoot your eye out" & "it's a major award" are synonomous (spelling?)with Christmas to me...good stuff..funny
• Look at Christmas lights with the family
• Watch It's A Wonderful Life ...love me some Jimmy Stewart.."when a bell rings an Angel get's it's wings".....wiping a tear...sniff
• GO HUNTING!!.. WOO HOO..let's kill us somthin...unfortunately all I've killed is time so far, so much for the great white hunter.... I build fire bring meat and cook...urgh urgh urgh...
• Watch White Christmas ...get tired of it after the 3rd or 4th time, but still a classic. Sounds kind of girlie but I like Bing Crosby singing "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas"....my Grandfather (PawPaw) loved to listen to Bing over and over and over....I'm named after him and still hate my boys didn't get to know him...
• Watch "A Miracle on 34th Street...I think it's one of Heather's favorites..I bought her a collection of old Christmas movies a couple of years ago...
• Not one of my favorites, but usually have to watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" with the boys...wah wah wahh wah wahh wahh...Charlie's teacher...never got that
• Christmas cookies!! Heather usually gets togethor with her Mom and sisters and bake....mmmmmmmmmm....
• Weather change...I like it when it starts to get cold and the wind is blowing...
• My boys getting excited...I'm gonna miss it when they grow up and aren't into it anymore...writing Santa letters, seeing the decorations, all of it.
• My 2nd all time favorite next to A Christmas Story is ....National Lampoons Christmas Vacation....Uncle Eddie emptying the crapper in the gutter!...priceless...
• FOOTBALL...bowl games...best part of it...WAR EAGLE!!

Countdown To Christmas!

So far Heather and I have made to 2 parties for our pre-Christmas festivities. We have 1 more that we may or may not go to, depends(on whether I go hunting or not), and then the fun begins(family get togethors, UGH). Although, we did have fun at her Christmas party...Heather was a little tipsy...it was fun..then she sobered up. She was fun about 7PM then she was hurting about ohh 9:30...and then I was a little "happy". One day will get on the same page. She still wouldn't dance with me...I don't get it. I'm a dang good dancer too! Did a little break dancing a little worm, ya know the usual. But notta from Heather...she did bob around a little bit, still cute though. SO, I had to go find a dance partner somewhere else.
My office party was nice. They gave us all gifts including the wives and we had cajun and beer. Now, that's a Christmas party! Unfortunately, it was on a Thursday so we had to get home early.
I'm trying to talk Heather into a adult only party at our house...could be a Christmas Party could be a lets get toghetor and have fun party...doesn't matter to me. The time though, Christmas takes up all your time. And everyone has something to do...so you may be the only ones at your party. Unless, it's New Years! Light bulb...now to convince Heather.

Merry Christmas To All My Democrat Friends

MERRY CHRISTMAS!




To All My Democrat Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great . Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To My Republican Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

How Much Can Our Children Handle?

Last week I received an email from Heather about the "Golden Compass" movie, in regards to it's connection to aethism. I forwarded it to several people and it started a little conversation about what children should or shouldn't be exposed to.
Now, as a parent I feel like it's my job to protect them and raise them as believers. I will not take them to see the movie or let them watch it. Not because of the message (because I don't think they'd get it) but because I refuse to contribute to an aethist, and it looked like a knock off of Narnia. Which, is what it was written to do.
Here is the main question? What can children handle? I can protect them now somewhat due to their age, but what about when they are teenagers or 19 and in college. We can limit cable TV, limit exposure to outside influences such as friends, let them play with certain toys, only celebrate holidays that are "Christian"(and the way we want them to), but is that really going to change anything? My 3 brothers and I were all raised the same way. By the same parents. At the same church. I'm the only one saved. Does that mean my parents weren't good enough Christians? Or parents? Should they have kept us at home? Should we have not been able to play with other kids who's parents weren't believers? The answer is NO! God is sufficient. God is our answer for everything. We shouldn't try and completely insulate our children. Now do I mean let them watch anything they want, hear anything they want, and do anything they want? Obvioulsy, no. God did give us laws to live by. But we should learn to choose our battles. I think we have become too protective. My children go to public shool. Does it mean that they will be exposed to things they wouldn't if at private or homeschooled. No. There are bad influences everywhere. Believe it or not, not everyone at a private school or home school is a believer.....I know I know it's a shock, huh? Not just at school but with family, friends, and even at church. Why? Because we are all sinners. I think we don't give our children enough credit. I think they can handle more than we can! Am I still going to try and limit that exposure? You got that right? Why because I'm a sinner, I'm not worthy, and I don't put all my faith in God. I wish I could keep them young and innocent, but that's not God's plan. I have to try and let them learn, explore, and ask crazy questions. Point them to Christ and lean on the Bible for answers.

Okay, enough of the heavy stuff....
Matt