Yee Hew!

After picking up a weekends worth of extra shifts, having one day off, and heading back in for one more night, I was able to come home early this morning! (*Hence, the "Yee Hew!")

Luckily, I didn't get shot by my wife (even though I freaked her out by coming home early), and Grace, (hearing whatever she heard), came wandering downstairs with my flashlight and a pink kickball in hand.. "Oh, HI DADDY! GOOD MORNING!!". -It was a joyful greeting that I had to suppress early enough by saying that it's not yet morning, and we need to get back into bed..

Here's the kicker: After putting her to bed a first time, I went back upstairs to retrieve something from my office, and there she was; thumbing through books in the middle of her room. "GRACE!" I said in my quietest, most authoritative voice, "Get back into bed! Now!" -As she climbed back into bed with tears in her eyes, she exclaimed; "I want Jesus Daddy! ...I'm want my Jesus!"

Okay. Now, I'm without words....

Still insisting that she get back under the covers, I find myself squinting in the dark to thumb through the stack of books, to find her 'Jesus' book for her. What a kid. Where does she come up with the only reason that might cause hesitation on a parents part?

No sooner did I located and give Grace her Jesus book, she drifted off to sleep..

-C

Dad and Noah Hanging Out

(Tess gets the cell-phone photo credit..)

All Clear!

Congenativly speaking, Noah's Gastrointestinal tract seems good-to-go with no defects. The final radiologists report of the G.I. testing didn't show me anything alarming. -Normal G.I. tract with Gastroesophgeal reflux.. We can deal with that, with medication.

We'll get the final eval report from the peds office later; But for now, I'm put at ease.

: )

-C

G.I. Noah

3.5 hours later... "Can I go home now?"

Gold Medal in Olympic Hurling

Noah goes in to the hospital for an upper GI exam this morning. In a nutshell, he'll get a barium bottle for breakfast in about an hour, let it settle and disperse throughout his gastrointestinal tract, and then they put him on a rotating table that resembles a campfire rotating chicken roaster while they take xrays.. Sounds like fun, huh?

Although he's a happy puker, even after all of the reflux precautions, he's been throwing up. Alot. (and much to often to be regular toddler spit-up.)

So, we'll get him checked out and hopefully can uncover a simple issue with a simple solution.

We'll update later with how he did, and if we've learned anything.

-C&T

A little bit of yesterday

Childhood memory: I remember as a family we would be on our way home back to Wayland from "Up North" and we would see this sign near 100th street on the West side of US131. Our Parents said that it had been there for over twenty-years (and that was back in the 80's), and that someone privately paid for it to be there.. Seeing it on each return trip always meant that we were almost home. In a small vehicle (by the 70's standards) or in Dad's 'cleaned-out' workvan, it was always a good thing to see when you are a sibling in a family of seven.

I was disappointed to see it disappear sometime during the 90's when the commercial development began, and had always wondered what had happened to the 'old-faithful' sign that had always been an indicator of homecoming.

Last summer on an after work morning motorcycle ride, I found the salvaged sign proclaiming it's truth in presentable condition on Chicago Drive between Hudsonville and Zeeland. What a refreshing reminder of the faithful waiting. -I made the intentional detour this morning to take a photograph of the sign that greeted our return so many times, so many years ago.

Somethings still get more graceful with age.

I also took the photograph of the old Chicago Drive railway telegraph poles. -How crazy is it that after so many years they still sit there in decent condition bragging about the amazing technology they used to contain? Totally wild.

Okay. So those are my geeky thoughts for the morning. Cool childhood memories. We hope you all have a great Sunday, and day of rest. Take advantage of it.

S/F,

-C

Grace the Photographer

..Somebody got ahold of my camera. Mmm..

One day at a time

Some days I find that I've gotten myself into a funk. I get myopic, and end up making things that are 'less-than-important', more important and deserving of my attention, than they actually deserve.

-It's easy to get caught up in the circle of the now. Part of it, I can attribute to the absolutely awkward sleeping and work schedule I carry. When I'm on the upswing, the family is on the downswing, and vice-versa. -I need to get off of nights. On the plus-side, I have to credit Tess, she shoulders alot with the kids. So, here, my dear; my hat goes off to you. Even though I wrote the beginning of this post a week ago and am only now posting it, thanks for dealing with me while I'm pulling in the extra hours... and even when I'm not.

After my three day stint at Fictionville E.R. I got home yesterday morning to realize that Grace had ballet class later in the afternoon. I wanted to see her in action, so I got up early, and the entire family went to the YMCA to see her magical abilities.. She seemed so excited. So happy. So passionate, about going to her "Bawaay" class, when she got there.. she totally freaked. Again. :/

A little separation anxiety Grace?

We see the same thing each Sunday as we bring her to Little Lambs at church, however, that only lasts about two minutes until she sees her friends..

Apparently ballet class is a little different.

First she was a little 'cling-on', and didn't want me to put her down. Thankfully we had gotten there early, so the show of drama was only partly during the regular class. -She marched to the tune of her own drummer for the first half of class. The second half, after she warmed up, she wanted to keep doing "bawaay", but class was then soon over...

Every time she saw mom or dad through the glass, she would stop and attempt to get our attention through some crazy behavior. Next class, we (as T says I am heartless) am cutting the umbilical cord.. We'll arrive to ballet class, have our little meltdown, and Mom, Dad, and Noah are going to disappear and see how Grace focuses with her teacher and class on her own.

Now don't get the wrong idea. We're not 'push, push, push, your kid parents'; actually, probably more on the opposite. We've been very protective of Grace.. probably overly-protective of her, especially as an infant, since it was so difficult getting her (and her brother) here in the first place.. She needs more interaction with other kiddos prior to preschool. -Has anyone seen the "How To Be A Perfect Parent Manual"??? I'm still looking for the publication.

As you can see by the Jekyll and Hyde photos, I'm sure the dominant personality is going to rise to the top. A three-year-old is definitely more challenging than a two-year-old.

SO the new thing..

..is FaceBook.

A friend of ours (Clay, in Traverse City) emailed Tess telling her about 'FaceBook'. -It's more the college age and above social networking type of site, and she should "encourage me," to make one as well. So we did!

It's pretty interesting; and more fun and effective than "Classmates dot com". (Not endorsing, just saying..) I can't believe the amount of people we go to church with, served in the Marine Corps with, went to school with, and generally know from 'out-and-about', that have a tidbit about themselves on 'FaceBook'.

If you are a regular reader, feel free to make a spot for yourself; and look me up. -All you have to do after you set up a page is; type my name in the 'search for friends' section, and 'add'. It's "Gruntproof", *(Hence, my ability to upload about sixty pictures for people whom we've (I) haven't seen in years.)

: )

Have a great day!

-C

Cleanliness is next to Godliness

Oh Change! Oh Change!

In the Valleys' around A-town, 'change-is-a-comin'.. Politically speaking.

After 20-sum-odd-years, the career politico Township leadership (Treasurer and Supervisor)was voted out of office. -Now, I certainly have nothing against them personally, and they have both done alot of good for the township over the years to keep the local governmental budget in check, and in the black; however, for a bit, it seemed (s) as if the insatiable appetite for local retail trappings and filling select pockets was aggressively outpacing the citizens will to achieve 'at all costs'.

What do I mean by that?

The issuance of numerous liquor licenses within a two square mile radius for starters.

-Now, I'm not against someone having a leisurely beer or two, or whatever, but watching Lake Michigan drive near A-town evolve toward what would resemble a college 'just-off-campus-bar-scene' in the coming years was not in our prospectus when we decided to move here and raise a family five years ago...

As a matter of fact, when we had moved here, we had an amazing view of a beautiful field filled with whitetail deer that we watched daily through our living room picture window -for the first two months..

Then, the view dissipated into a three story, rose red brick wall backside of business and apartment units that we now affectionately call "The Great Wall of China".

At the time, for some reason during construction it seemed that our voiced concerns fell on deaf township ears. (I couldn't figure that one out.) -Imagine my surprise when I learned that the new property being developed, was courtesy of our trusty township treasurer. (Who sold the land for the development, but retained a 50% vested interest.)

The "Future" downtown of A-town. (The DVD can be obtained at ACT hall.)

Well, these are all chapters of the past. Live and learn, right? It should be interesting to see what type of proverbial 'seas' arise once the new leadership assumes the helm. I hope they see the same value of community that had lured us here, and choose to charge forward accordingly.

-C

It's just too hot

..It's too hot to: Play in the corn;

..It's too hot to: Do yardwork;

..It's just too hot and humid to sit back even and blog..!

So today, we are spoiled, and hiding from the heat; and this is what we think about it:

Tomorrow we'll rejoin the American workforce and continue to build a strong (okay, it's an election year.. let's call it "a sustaining") USA ecomomy.

Until then, thanks to everyone who passed along birthday wishes yesterday.. Being 36 is alot more tiring than being 35. ; (

-C

HiltonLife Friday Philler. Chuck Norris is so tough..

*When Chuck Norris goes to donate blood, he declines the syringe, and instead requests a hand gun and a bucket.

*Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.

*When Chuck Norris falls in water, Chuck Norris doesn't get wet. Water gets Chuck Norris.

*Nothing can escape the gravity of a black hole, except for Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris eats black holes. They taste like chicken.

*Chuck Norris can play the violin with a piano.

*Crop circles are Chuck Norris' way of telling the world that sometimes corn needs to lie down.

*Chuck Norris uses a night light. Not because Chuck Norris is afraid of the dark, but because the dark is afraid of Chuck Norris.

*Superman owns a pair of Chuck Norris pajamas.

*Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table, because Chuck Norris only recognizes the Element of Surprise.

*Macgyver can build an airplane out of gum and paper clips, but Chuck Norris can kill him and take it.

*Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

*When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

*In a fight between Batman and Darth Vader, the winner would be Chuck Norris.

*When Bruce Banner gets mad, he turns into the Hulk. When the Hulk gets mad, he turns into Chuck Norris.

*Some kids pee their name in the snow. Chuck Norris can pee his name into concrete.

*Chuck Norris can blow bubbles with beef jerky.

*Chuck Norris doesn't play "hide-and-seek." He plays "hide-and-pray-I-don't-find-you."

*If you Google search "Chuck Norris getting his butt kicked" you will generate zero results. It just doesn't happen.

*If it looks like chicken, tastes like chicken, and feels like chicken but Chuck Norris says its beef, then it's beef.

*Pinatas were made in an attempt to get Chuck Norris to stop kicking in Mexico. Sadly this backfired, as all it has resulted in is Chuck Norris now looking for candy after he kicks his victims.

*Chuck Norris invented black. In fact, he invented the entire spectrum of visible light. Except pink. Tom Cruise invented pink.

*Chuck Norris doesn't go hunting... CHUCK NORRIS GOES KILLING

*Chuck Norris' roundhouse kick is so powerful, it can be seen from outer space by the naked eye.

*Chuck Norris once worked as a weatherman for the San Diego evening news. Every night he would make the same forecast: Partly cloudy with a 75% chance of Pain.

*If, by some incredible space-time paradox, Chuck Norris would ever fight himself, he'd win. Period.

*Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.

*Chuck Norris can divide by zero.

*There is no chin under Chuck Norris' Beard. There is only another fist.

*Chuck Norris eats steak for every single meal. Most times he forgets to kill the cow.

*Chuck Norris can win a game of Trivial Pursuit with one roll of the dice, and without answering a single question... just a nod of the head, and a stroke of the beard.

*Chuck Norris can do a roundhouse kick faster than the speed of light. This means that if you turn on a light switch, you will be dead before the lightbulb turns on.

*Chuck Norris doesn’t read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

*There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.

*When Chuck Norris was denied an Egg McMuffin at McDonald’s because it was 10:35, he roundhouse kicked the store so hard it became a Wendy’s.

...And Finally

*Chuck Norris once ate an entire bottle of sleeping pills. -They made him blink.