Molly and a little bit of the everyday

Word comes that I have not been talking or writing about Molly much lately. She is growing and progressing well. She is pulling herself up on her haunches and moves around wherever she wants to go. She just needs a little more speed. She is eating baby cereal and baby food. Mostly you'll see her sporting her favorite pj's. Sometimes we get around to putting her in a little outfit, but mostly only on the weekends. She is a strong willed little person and only sleeps when she wants. Usually that is one nap in the morning and one in the afternoon, but not always. She sleeps pretty well at night and usually only gets up to feed once or twice and then goes back to sleep (at least that is what Amanda tells me.) She is very sweet and has a lot of smiles for everyone. The boys love her and love to pull on her arms.

I'll also include some random pictures from the past week that let you into our every day lives. Thanks for reading.---------------
Now playing: Billy Bragg & Wilco - California Stars
via FoxyTunes

Chaplain Dale Cooper

If you have spent any time at Calvin College over the past thirty years, you have run across a small man with a large smile and an even larger heart. This past year Dale Cooper completed his thirtieth year at Calvin and retired. The contact that I had with "Coop" was mostly formal. I sat under a number of his messages, devotionals and conversations. I especially appreciated his often emotion-filled devotionals that would start off our year. He would end each by asking us to stand and join him in singing a hymn that he had printed out, all of the verses, of course. As I read an article from the Calvin Spark about his retirement, I could hear him speaking the many words of gratitude. I am grateful for the time that I spent with Dale Cooper. I am also grateful of this reminder that God is continually bringing people into my life that he uses to shape me, both my heart and my thinking. Congratulations Coop, on your retirement and on a life of willing service.

----------------
Now playing: Mark Pickerel and His Praying Hands - Graffiti Girl
via FoxyTunes

Will Chuck Norris blend?

I came across these videos today and thought that I would pass them along. They are all advertisements for the Blendtec Total Blender. And for $400 you can have one of your very own. It is a very ingenious ad campaign though. It is all over the web. My favorite video is the Chuck Norris versus the bad guys video. Very funny! I like it even better because Chuck Norris is for Mike Huckabee. I have really enjoyed the way that NPR and has covered Chuck and Mike. Its been fun to listen to and follow.

Accident update

Thanks to all those who have called and written while I have been recovering from my injuries. Actually, all I had were a few scrapes from the "falling through the ceiling incident". We got the ceiling fixed and have decided that it wasn't the insulation that was making our microwave smoke. We just need a new microwave. So we're waiting for those huge checks from the Federal Government and then we're going to do our part to support the economy and buy a new microwave!

Accident

One Saturday when I was growing up, my dad was in the bathroom working on the bath faucet. All of a sudden, we heard the sound of water shooting out of a large hole. The faucet had come off and water was spraying everywhere. My dad rushed downstairs to find the water shutoff in the crawl space. Unable to find it, he called the previous owner. I can still see him on the phone, "Uh, Leon. This is Don Gammons . . .," his hand shaking and his voice wavering with frustration.

I was home today at lunch. We had insulation sprayed in our attic last week. This past weekend when we used the microwave, smoke started coming out and it smelled like burning plastic. We decided that I should go up into the attic and check out the vent. Instead of venting the microwave and to the outside, I think they just vented it up into the attic. The only I can figure out about the smell is that the insulation people covered the vent or blew insulation into the vent. When I went into the attic to check I couldn't really see anything. On my way back to the ladder I was walking and then . . . aaahh. I fell right through the ceiling into Matthew's room. My arms were outstretched and my legs were dangling. I finally just jumped down through the hole.

After I cleaned all the insulation and the drywall up, called a handyman to come and fix the hole, and called the insulation place to get out here and look at the problem, I felt a lot better. I am a bit bruised and scraped, but I'm all right. I think I swallowed about an R30 rating of insulation. Benjamin was very nervous and scared. He has a pretty tender heart. I think he needed a nap too. I sure wasn't earlier, but I'm ready to laugh about this if you'd like to call or make any disparaging comments. You can see all of the photos here.

----------------
Now playing: Feist - Past In Present
via FoxyTunes

Jacob update

Here are the latest pictures from Tricia and Alex of little Jacob Falder. He sure looks sweet. I don't know when we are going to get down to Indiana, but Amanda and I sure have the itch to get down there while he is still this sweet looking.

----------------
Now playing: Feist - My Moon My Man
via FoxyTunes

Jacob Alexander Falder

We welcome our newest nephew Jacob Alexander Falder. We celebrate with Tricia, Alex and Davy. It is a miracle each time God invites us into the creation process like this. Below is an e-mail that we just got from Alex.

Hello everyone! Jacob Alexander Falder arrived
Thursday at 5:59pm. He is 6lb 11oz and 20in long.
Tricia did an awesome job delivering Jacob. The
doctor said she should write a book about it. Dr.
Moore let me help with the delivery! Once the head
and 1st shoulder were out, he let me do the rest. It
was amazing! Davy loves her baby brother. I hope you
enjoy the pics.
Alex & Tricia