Maddie Comes to Visit

Madison came to visit us tonight. I should have gotten a picture of Daniel checking her out. He was very interested, but she was pretty much unaware of him. Of course she is only 16 days old. So she moat likely isn't aware of much except if it is mom or dad. This is Lesa, of course. A wonderful and beautiful daughter-in-law and a beautiful grand daughter. You did good, Chad!!





Her eyes are open and she looks like she might be smirking at the camera.










The job is getting intense, but I expected that. I knew it would become a lot more mental work and administrative work. I am learning as fast as I can. I really want to be ready if a department manager position comes open. I don't know of any department I'd rather have than electrical, however. My department mgr wants to move up, and has told me she wants to prepare me to replace her. We will see. I figure a year.

I took a couple of evenings off from the study to build a shelf for the TV. We put it up in the corner at the stairs. Of course I turn everything into a project. But this one was pretty much done on the fly. No preplanning. And it worked out OK.

Check Jill's blog for the latest on the adoption process. It will be time to go get this second granddaughter soon. Nothing other than that. Stay tuned.

Father's Day

Father's Day. A holiday that I never did justice to. Living away from my Dad from my 19th birthday on, I missed more Father's Days than I made. I miss my Dad. So many times I want to pick up the phone and talk to him. So many things I would like to share with him. Like my granddaughter, Madison. Like my progress on my study. The work I'm doing reminds me so much of his. Dad was not an accomplished finish carpenter. It always ended up looking fine, but close examination revealed lots of imperfection. That's the way my work is. Looks OK until you look closely. But it's my work, and not someone else's. Tough to feel proud of something when all you do is pay for it. That's why I laugh at people and their cars they are so proud of. Now if they take a car off the showroom or car lot or junk yard and make it even better, that I understand, and even envy. But going to the showroom and buying a car and driving around like it is too precious to get hand prints much less a stone nick in it is crazy to me.

Father's day. I have been wished Happy Father's Day by all three of my children who are no longer children by a lot of years. I have been thinking about Dad today. Not unusual, but just thinking more about the things I miss.

Before I forget, I am sitting here listening to a Serena Ryder CD "If Your Memory Serves You Well." The best cut on it as far as I'm concerned is "This Wheel's On Fire." Sort of a throaty Janis Joplin sound. And some of you know how much I like Janis' music. I have some more CDs to listen to thanks to my sister Jamie. We share a love for some of the same music, although she knows so much more about it than me. I have a couple of books on my near horizon once I get through "Twelve Ordinary Men" by John MacArthur. McArthur has a way with words I wish I could emulate. I need to find out more about Lucy. Her remains are housed in Addis Ababa where we will be based while we are in Ethiopia getting Jill's little girl she is adopting. I also want to read "Judas and Jesus" by Denison. Another book that I am intrigued with is "Paul: Follower of Jesus or Founder of Christianity?" by David Wenham. I have read excerpts fro it and I think it has a lot of answers to questions that formed in my brain all the way back in a science class at Roosevelt Jr. High School on on the edge of Owen Park and Quanna Street in Tulsa about 1963.

The study has been coming along, slowly. I am not far from having the tile all down. Next will be the grout and baseboard, then work begins on the desk. Finally the lights go in. I have a new incentive to get as finished as I can in the next week and a half. My brother, Philip, is coming for a weekend visit with three of his children, two of which are no longer children, really, and two young men from his church. They are planning to be here June 29. So, I need to hustle. Probably won't get done because I won't be rushed at this point.

Dinner with Georgiann tonight for Father's Day. Cheers. Happy Father's Day to all of you dads out there. You have one of the most important roles known to man.

Monday June 11

Today is the Queen's Birthday Holiday in Australia. I will have to ask my friend Mike's wife if that is a big deal in Australia. Today was my second day in electrical, and the second day I closed in a row. I am beginning to not like closing very much. I am off tomorrow and hopefully I will get a lot more tile laid in the study. I'll take a picture if I do. Wednesday through Friday I work 5 am to 2 pm. We'll see how I like the other end of the day!!

It is past midnight and I need to sleep. My feet are really hurting tonight. May be my shoes. I just read Jill's blog and the Wheeler's blog. Kaili is growing up so fast. She is so cute. My granddaughter, Madison, is so beautiful as well. I'll try to post more of her soon. Jill is posting some, so her picture is out for everyone to see. She has managed to get named "Maddie" already. I haven't checked with mom or dad to see if they are OK with that.

I am also looking forward to seeing Jill's little one. It will be a tiring trip I am sure, but it will be pretty exciting, too. Be sure you check her blog as well and the Wheeler's blog.

More later.

Madison Has Arrived!

Madison Nicole showed up this morning at 7:25 am. I left work to go see the little one and the happy couple. She was 8 lbs, 6 oz, 22 inches in length. All of the numbers the women want to know that guys never get straight. 22 lbs, 8 inches long, or something like that. Yeah, baby looks just like a baby. No, not really, she really is pretty.


Lesa, Madison & Chad.










New paternal grandmother Georgiann and Madison. Madison is telling her grandmother,
"In just 4 more years I will be this old."










New paternal granddad Bruce and Madison. And she isn't talking to me yet.



Be sure to click on the pics to make them more viewable in detail. Check out Jill's blog for some more great pictures.





I am in lumber for the rest of this week, then I can make the move to electrical. That is per the store manager, zone manager, and lumber department manager. So, I am counting on it. More later. Isn't she precious???

I am about to give up on Blogger. Formatting pictures seems to be beyond me. Help!!!