Monthly Archives: May 2011

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A party for Mona…..

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Tonight as many girls as were available came together for a surprise party for our teammate Mona, (she is in the white top and in the center of the picture) who will be heading back to her native Germany before our lacrosse awards banquet in June. It was a great time, and it really did surprise her. And considering the end of the world tomorrow is becoming all the rage, I suppose it is good we got this party in on time.

Mona has been here all year, and she is the second exchange student we have had play lacrosse. She is just finishing up her Junior year hear, and thanks to things like the Internet and Facebook, we will be able to stay in touch throughout life…..or at least for as long as I live! I am happy about that too. Miles separate people, but thanks be to God we can now all still stay connected. I am happy, as we all are, to be able to stay in touch with Mona.
She has been a real joy, and we are going to miss her!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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The end of an era…..

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Tonight I watched Scotty’s final game as a high school player, and since he does not intend to play in college, it most probably will be his final game overall. Their team lost to the Heritage Christian Eagles 11-6 in the first round of the playoffs.

But it has been a great run. Scotty has consistently placed in the top goalies in the state, and at last check was ranked #4. It is really not too bad for a kid who does not intend to play in college. He graduates a week from tomorrow, and what I just wonder is how it all has happened so fast.
The great part is that I was able to see quite a few of his games…..including this final one. He is a fine young man who I love very much and of whom I am very proud. I am blessed to have such a fine son.
College awaits…….may he continue to be a blessing (and an affordable one too) over these next four years as well!
Goodnight and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Kokomo!!!

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Yep, we are in the process of letting another church we have planted become an independent entity…..last night, Christ the King Kokomo. It was a marvelous meeting and one in which we saw a lot of wonderful things happen.

Of course this kind of thing is a process, which is what guys like me often say to make an early excuse for the fact that this still make take a lot of time. But the big thing is that we are on our way.
Please pray for the new Board of Christ the King, for their people, and their priest Fr. Michael Henry. They are a dedicated and good-looking (just see their picture) bunch. And we are proud of them as they move ahead on the road of ministry.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Trampoline……

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I really do wish the video would have turned out but it did not. The picture however is of Ben on a trampoline. It was pretty cool to watch, but the video would have allowed everyone to see it. Sadly, it did not make it to my phone.

But tonight I was able to see Ben not just on a trampoline, but a slide as well. I would love to buy him a slide for our yard, but we live right next to a park, so he will have to just live with an expensive spiral slide provided by the Town of Edgewood.
But the cool part was that I was able to enjoy the evening with him. The time watching him on the trampoline was hilarious. Clearly at 3 years-old he has not a clue what he is doing.
Of course better him than me…..
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Changing times…..

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Yep, this is the car Amanda drives, and it is our nicest car. We however are selling it and getting her a used hybrid on Friday. It is not that it is not a great car, nor is it that we cannot afford it, but the new car will get close to 50 miles per gallon, and with TWO kids in college it will allow us to do some different things.

So Amanda’s car is for sale and it is a lot of car. A fully loaded sports car driven only by a little old lady to church on Sundays. It will make someone a great car because it is very well maintained and we also paid Stephanie to detail it yesterday.
But it brings me to my main point today, and that is how very disappointed I have been in the elected officials in charge of our economy. Everything has lost value, and in addition to that everything costs more now. Please do not misunderstand, Amanda and I are not hoarders of wealth or greedy, in fact we are quite generous. But what has happened to our economy has had an impact on not just our churches, but more importantly, the people they serve. Gasoline is now estimated to be 8% of a families budget, and when oil companies make BILLIONS and RECORD profits, something is wrong. And no, I am no socialist, I am a Capitalist. But I do object to massive subsidies and taxes that make this all so bizarre.
Anyway, come buy a car and enjoy. It is VERY FAST, just ask her……she gets pulled over all the time.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Zombie Tales…..

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I wish I was able to take a better picture, but tonight’s picture is of Ben and his sister after he tricked her into watching “Toy Story” with him. If they both look like zombies in the picture (taken from my phone) please know that it has nothing to do with the phone or photographer……watching “Toy Story” is actually the number one cause of Zombism in the USA.

But the blessing in all of it is that they had fun. Steph was a good sport, and she enjoys being around Ben. They clearly have missed each other, and although as a parent I would like to believe that this had something to do with me, in fact it does not. Their relationships only find their genesis in us…beyond that it is all them.
I am sure not too many 19 year-olds would find watching a movie with a 3 year old something desirable…..but all our kids are tight with each other and don’t act out of obligation, but love. It is pretty cool to see and a real blessing upon my soul. And fortunately for me I have the entire summer to witness it firsthand!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Of Angels of the coolest kind…….

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I know I have said this before, but three year-olds are weird, especially ours.

Ben is a BIG fan of Transformers, not that he has ever seen the recent movies….just the cartoons, but he is a big fan. In fact, to Ben just about everything can be a Transformer, including him. So it was no surprise for us when I bought him a Blue Angel replica toy when we were on vacation, that he immediately thought is was “Starscream,” yep that’s right, the Transformer.
In time however, Ben began to understand that this plane was a toy of the real thing, and that the real Blue Angels were a group of really cool planes that he actually has watched a couple of times on the TV. SOOOO….., when I saw that the real Blue Angels were coming to Indiana this weekend, I made it a point to sneak him out into the country this afternoon where we parked the car, opened the hatchback, and sat to watch the most amazing group of fliers I have ever seen.
Well, at least I watched it. Despite them flying RIGHT OVER US numerous times, and despite all the tricks and turns and precision, Ben was about as interested as you see him in the picture holding up his model. Apparently most of his excitement and adventure is found within his own brain (sort of like my sport’s career). And we left there with me feeling incredibly let down…..I really thought he would be “out of his mind excited,” but he was not. I thought it was going to be a real special dad and son thing.
But at least I got to enjoy the show. These are some of the most elite pilots in the world, and their appearance at these shows is a big recruiting tool, as well as a really great way to make people proud of their country. There were many older planes too from every era. It brought to mind the many brave pilots serving now and who have served…..and many who gave their lives for us.
We live in the greatest country on earth, and although today it was lost on the boy, it was not lost on me. I will post another important story about this tomorrow, but for now let me say I am so proud to be an American.
And I loved this afternoon…..even though I had no toy. I just watched some of the greatest pilots on earth.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Friday the 13th…..

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Although I am not superstitious, and although I not only frequently wore the number 13 and it is my favorite number, and although Stephanie’s jersey number is 13, Friday the 13th didn’t go all that well for us today. Scotty’s team was CLOCKED by the Carmel Greyhounds, and it was as if not a thing was going right at all.

But it really had nothing to do with the date, and I mean it really didn’t. Superstitions, horoscopes, full moons, reality TV, Legos, and Methodists, as well all the other nonsense that comes with them have no bearing on real life. Teams win games, not by what shoe we tie first, but by playing well, and tonight our team just did not have it. Sadly, that is often the case when I come to watch, but I do not believe that it has anything to do with it (see above).
So anyway, today was a day we just survived and we are all happy about it too. Tomorrow is another day, filled with new adventure and new opportunities.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+
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The pitter-patter of familiar feet……

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No, there is no picture for tonight…..not that I didn’t try. At about 11pm Steph returned home for the summer, and along with her Cassie, who will be living here as well. Cassie is from Missouri and is a Theatre Major. So we had two college girls arrive at 11…….and within seconds three more!

The funny part is that this had been our lives for years. The other girls (Celeste, Alyssa, and Molly) are really family to us, and they spent much of high school traveling between all their houses where the parents there felt and feel the same way we do too. It is always so great to see them, although at 11:30 I was more than willing to confess what an old fogey I was and went to bed. I think some of them spent the night, but I did not check. If I would happen to run into one in the middle of the night when “checking to make sure the house is secure” (what us middle-aged guys say instead of “going to the bathroom” because it sounds more masculine) I would think nothing of it. Our home is there home and it would be like running into Steph or Scott to either of us.
But the best part is how it feels, because it feels like home.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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B B A……..

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Yep, it’s an expression where I come from, and probably quite fitting when you look at this picture. But tonight was Senior Night for the men’s team, and Amanda and I were privileged to be able to walk Scotty out on the field as the Seniors were honored.

It is amazing to think about getting to this point with him, not that we ever doubted he would grow up…..it’s just gone so fast. He then played a tremendous game against a high level team and it was a great night.
Scotty has turned out to be a tremendous athlete and it has been great to watch. He has a gentle heart off the field, but on it he is HIGHLY competitive. It has been a real gift from God that my team’s schedule and his schedule were not all that conflicted this season. I was able to see A LOT of games, and I was very blessed by that.
Scotty will be graduating in a few weeks and hopefully getting a great job to be able to save more for college. He will start in August at St. Louis Christian, just 10 minutes from where Stephanie attends school. They didn’t plan it that way, it’s just the way it worked out. He will study music there, seeing as he is a phenomenal musician.
It’s part of that gentle and creative spirit of his……..just don’t try and take away his piano….
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+