Apartment 408

What is Christmas??

2007-12-30T18:39:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time, but here's a little Q&A by Daytona. You might remember it as "Daytona's World", where I ask him random questions about a particular subject and post his answers. So without any delay, here it is...Daytona's World Part (I can't remember).

Daytona's Answers in Red...

What is Christmas?
The day Santa comes to town.

Why do we celebrate Christmas?
That's the day Jesus was born.

What's your favorite thing about Christmas?
Opening presents, playing in the snow, opening toys. All kinds of things cool.

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Christmas?
(After a long, long pause)
Santa Claus is coming to town to give all the kids presents.

If you could get mamma anything for Christmas, what would it be?
A marring ring, so you can marry her.

If you could get me anything for Christmas, what would it be?
A 4-wheeler. It's so awsome.

Name one thing you'd like to have that you didn't get for Christmas?
(After a long pause)
An i-Pod.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-27T09:22:00.000-08:00

It seems like I should change the name of our blog. After all, we're no longer residence of "Apt. 408. We're more like "the Kingsbury Kings", or "the Kings of Kingsbury". No matter, here are some pics that were taken over the Christmas Holiday. These are the ones I took with my digital camera. Kristy took some with her camera that isn't digital, but still takes wonderful pictures.

Click here and look for the folder marked Christmas 2007.

Hope you enjoy!!

Funny Joke

2007-12-20T13:59:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have heard this through emails, etc. I just wanted to share it with everyone. It's to funny not to...

This is 'COOL'

I took my dad to the mall the other day to buy some new shoes. We decided to grab a bite at the food court. I noticed he was watching a teenager sitting next to him. The teenager had spiked hair in all different colors: green, red, orange, and blue. My dad kept staring at him. The teenager would look and find him staring every time. When the teenager had enough, he sarcastically asked, 'What's the matter old man, never done anything wild in your life?'

Knowing my Dad, I quickly swallowed my food so that I would not choke on his response; knowing he would have a good one. And in classic style he did not bat an eye in his response, 'Got drunk once and had sex with a peacock. I was just wondering if you were my son.'

Daytona Doing Great In School

2007-12-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

Updating previous blogs, Daytona has improved in school and now his teacher is sending home "good notes". You can tell a little difference in him in only 3 or 4 days. I'm really excited about what the next few weeks have in store for us.

On another note, soccer is now over. Some of you had the chance to see the Hammerheads in person. I coached this year and I believe I did a good job. They say if the children want to play again next season, then you've done your job as a coach. At least at this level of soccer. I was, in turn, very happy when all 6 kids wanted to play for me in the Spring of 2008.

Every season you end up playing some teams twice. It was so exciting to see the kids beat teams they lost to earlier in the season. They ended the year with a win over a team that beat them by 4 or 5 goals. The Hammerheads STOMPED them by 4 or 5 goals themselves. It was so exciting that I actually hurt my back jumping up and down.

After our last game of the season, we had a little soccer party at the house. The parents and players all came to the house for awards, something to eat, and they all got to make their own sundaes. They really enjoyed that last one. Frankly I enjoyed my sundae too. I even had a parent bring me a small gift. The others expressed how they enjoyed watching them progress as the season went forward. The parents of the kids who played last year we're the most appreciative. I think they really appreciated the effort I put into coaching.

All and all it's been a good couple of months. We're all doing fine and looking forward the Christmas. I hope everyone else is doing good too.

Merry Christmas to everyone!!

Hope Everyone Can View This

2007-11-30T13:18:00.000-08:00

I got this in an email. It was supposedly made by a 15 year old girl. At the end it tells her name and the name of another person who did the art work. Take a minute to watch this. It's about 4 minutes long, but it's worth it.

I get a lot of emails with jokes, war things, religious quotes, etc. If your in my address book, you know I only forward the good ones.

WARNING: This may bring a tear to your eye...

Click Play Twice and here's the address in case you want to forward or you can't view below.

Home Alone...

2007-11-15T19:56:00.000-08:00

No it's not the movie, just me. My fam has taken off... Just for one night mind you. Kristy has a seminar in OKC she was chosen to attend. It's a management course. I'm proud that she's been pursuing this. She'll do well.

Daytona's gone too so I've got the whole house to myself. I rented a movie and brought the computer in the front room to have all my toys in one room. It's really just a little Too quite. Guess I shouldn't have rent this "horror" flick tonight. LOL

I have no idea why I'm really writing other than because I'm here alone with nothing much else to do. Every body's doing just fine. Daytona is, in our opinion, getting better at school. His teacher is still using the Green, Yellow, and Red system. With Green meaning the child has been good all day. Yellow; a warning had to be given. Red; Warning was given and child disobeyed for a second time. Trouble is, a child in her classroom could get warned about playing in the bathroom for instance. Then get put up to red for talking when he/she was supposed to be quite. Hell I don't think I would make it more often than not.

Daytona is now staying in Green or going only to Yellow more often than he goes up to Red. That's a good thing and as long as there's improvement we're happy. I think the system expects more and more out of these kids. These days they don't spank, or at least not in most schools. Yet they load these kids down with more and more rules, work, etc. Is that really better? Who knows.

Other than that, I really don't have any drama. I'm still working on that whole identity theft thing. The guy at Road Loans has helped by answering my questions and doing everything he's supposed to do. I made my police report and have everything ready to mail to the credit reporting agency. I should have gotten that off a few days ago, but they should have it next week and as of now I haven't seen anything suspicious. In the mail or at my bank. Knock on wood. God willing, this might just be over... I hope.

Fighting Back Against the Identity Theft Saga

2007-11-08T17:09:00.000-08:00

This has been the only thing I've written about in the last few days, but it's really the only drama in our life. Today I started my "fighting back" campaign. I've read the majority of what the government has to offer on the subject. They have a lot of useful information on what to do to prevent, protect, and defend against identity theft. Click here to visit.

I spoke to a man in the fraud department for Road Loans. He helped me a bunch. I've tracked down the IP address and the exact time it came to Road Loans. Don't ask me to explain. Road Loans directed me to Modern Consumer. Modern Consumer directed me to theplanet.com. So far that's where the trail ends.

The Planet doesn't talk over the phone about fraud. Why? Heck, I don't know. I was, however, given an email to their fraud department and I'm waiting for a reply. I'm just trying to track down where this all originated from. A person doesn't Have to do these things, but the guy at Road Loans said I could. What ever I find out helps to authorities that much more.

According to FTC (think I got that right) I'm to send Road Loans a copy of the report I filed with the police (doing that tomorrow). Then I'm to send One of the three credit reporting bureaus proof that I filed with the FTC, copies of any material I received, and (I think) a copy of the police report. That should get things on the right track and issuer that nothing else comes through. Hopefully.

There have been quite a few laws passed over this subject. I printed out some of these laws from the website I listed in the first paragraph (FTC?). Laws that outline what the police department HAS to do. Laws that outline what Road Loans HAVE to do. Also, laws that outline what the credit bureau HAS to do to protect me from further attacks.

All and all, I'm on the right track. Luckily for us, the government has certain things in place to help when identity is breached. I think the most common mistake made is not reaching fast enough. I just hope I'm reaching fast enough. The application was submitted to Road Loans on the 23rd of October. Which is the same day that all the debit transactions started. I'm just trying to get "ahead" of the bad guys, but right now I'm still trying to catch up.

Identity Theft Gets Worse

2007-11-07T19:04:00.000-08:00

If you haven't read any of my previous posts about my identity theft, you need to read them in order to catch up on what I'm saying. Today I received a notice in the mail. The notice was from a Road Loans and referred to an Equifax Report. If you don't know what Equifax is, I'll explain.

Equifax is a credit reporting company. It's one of the 3 credit bureaus that companies use to see if you qualify for a particular lone, etc.

The letter was informing me that I was unfortunately denied a loan. The loan was for a place called Road Loans. Apparently they give loans to people for cars, and they do all this through the Internet.

After receiving the letter I proceeded to try and call Equifax, but the recording was for getting your credit report. To do that or anything else with Equifax, you have to do so through mail. After attempting that I Googled Road Loans. Luckily I found their website and matched the letter head to that of the letter I received. I then called Road Loans myself.

It's funny trying to explain that someone by the name of "yourself" tried to get a loan for "yourself". LOL. That's the last joke I'll make about this. I'm really freaked out, but I've done some research and acting fast is the most important course of action. Or at least I hope. I have no idea what to do to make sure this doesn't go any further. It's really scary to have someone out their trying to buy things in your name (and sometimes succeeding).

Researching identity theft online I found this website. It's a government type site that has lots of good advice on identity theft and what to do. I wrote some numbers and addresses down to contact. They include places that are supposed to notify credit bureaus like Equifax. I'll keep everyone posted on what happens next. Thank God the loan for Road Loans was denied because and I quote, "Social Security Number - Unable to verify". I'm just afraid the bad guys may be trying to get my Social Security Number and take this identity theft thing to a whole new level.

Funny For All Males...Females Need Not Read

2007-11-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

Update on Identity Theft

2007-11-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

In a previous blog I told everyone about being subject to identity theft. I thought I'd take the time to let everyone know what has happened since then.

It was a weight off my shoulders when I spoke to the Bank Branch Manager. He informed me that I was to contact all of the businesses that debited my Visa and try to resolve the issue. He was kind enough to go over every detail including showing me where to find the phone numbers to these companies. Turns out their all on your bank statements. At least all the ones in question were. Some of the numbers where cut off, but he looked them up on the full report and filled in any missing numbers.

The Bank Manager also informed me that "TransAmerica" (Visa) wouldn't hold me liable for anything over $50. So if I were to turn in all of the transactions and say I couldn't get anything from them, Visa would give me back all my money minus the $50. Apparently that is the agreement I signed when I got the debit card.

My first action was to call the $86.97 charge. It was the deeds4dollars.com one. I spoke to a lady and within, I'd say, 5 minutes she issued me a full refund. And yes, she gave me her name and ID number/Extension. I was very happy. The ones after that didn't go so smoothly. I was able to get back charges for $6.95 and $3.69. Unfortunately that left charges of .99, $1.00, $4.95, $14.95, $1.00, and $12.70. Some where helpful, but said they just couldn't find any record of taking the money, or of my card being used. Weird...cause you guys didn't have any trouble Taking money from my account...I thought.

The charge of $14.95 from a Grant Consultant USA, was by far the most irritating. In fact, GOD more than likely frowned at the words I chose for one particular lady. This place told me there would be NO refund and that I must have entered my CC number in somewhere. Apparently it was my fault they got the money. She had the nerve to ask me if I got the CD. I said "NO!". She replied, "Then I'll have another one sent out today."

You can imagine that, that is when things got a little heated. So I won't be seeing any of that $14.95 back. Feel free to visit their website at by clicking here. Nice website, but I bet you wouldn't have guessed it to be crooked before, would you?

As for the others, one wanted my CC number and I refused. That one was for $1.00. The others had disconnected phone numbers or I had to leave a message for someone who will never call me back.

All and all I'm just thankful that I got most of the money back that was taken. It could have been worse. Just make sure and check the validity of any place that you visit on the web or in person. I swear, you would never guess the places bad guys lye.

Identity Theft

2007-11-05T18:21:00.000-08:00

"I thought it would never happen to me. After all, I'm very careful with my credit/debit cards."

That's a quote that has probably been made by a number of people. Then BAM!! Their hit with transactions they Didn't make. Up to this point I would've considered myself very safe when it comes to keeping my identity my own. Not anymore.

Today (November 5th) I received my statement from the Credit Union. Not the account Kristy and I share mind you. It's an account I use for business and gifts for Kristy. It didn't take me long, while looking over my statement, to notice something really, really wrong. Starting on the 24th of October, someone started using my debit card on various websites. There were charges from places like emusic.com, deeds4dollars.com, gmoney.com, spanishlangcds.com, and a few others I couldn't quite make out on the statement. The Deeds 4 Dollars one charges me one transaction of $86.97. After looking further, I noticed charges totalling over $130.

I quickly got on the phone to call my bank. Turns out the bank had already cut off my debit card after an independent company affiliated with M.F.C.U alerted them to. These charges were made on October the 23rd and 24th. The bank gave me the number to the place that looks for these things. Turns out they tried to contact me on the 24th, but had an old phone number.

Now remember, I got the statement on the 5th. Lucky for me, the company noticed there was a problem and cut the card off quickly. I could have had my entire checking account wiped out. That's a scary thought. I'm really happy with my bank for checking these things out. They told me the transactions were all made early in the morning, between the hours of 2am and 4am for example. I'm going to my bank in the morning to fill out the appropriate paper work. I'm almost sure I won't see a dime of the money back. The lady at the bank basically broke that to me on the phone.

I use my debit card for online purchases, business type transactions, and gifts. I thought I checked the validity of these companies thoroughly. I was wrong, and you could be too. All I can say is keep a record of when and where you use your debit card, especially when it comes to online purchases. Apparently I wasn't being as careful as I thought. I thank God I was only hit for around $130, versus being totally wiped out of my personal cash savings.

New Picks Online NOW!

2007-11-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

I know it's been awhile since I've written in our blog. Heck, our title should no longer be Apartment 408. Maybe Kings of Kingsbury. I don't know...give me a title...

Things are good and we're settled in just fine in the new house. Daytona loves it and he told his daddy, "Daddy, we have a Big one now!".
I have to say, that made our day just a little better. There's so much to tell that I don't want to even start. Soccer, new home, Kindergarten, Halloween, and a whole lot extra. For now I wanted to share some of the new pics I took for Kindergarten and Halloween.

The pics of the worms was a spur of the moment kinda thing, but if you can really see 'em you'd be freaked out. I swear there were hundreds of skinny little worms all over my driveway!

Love you guys and follow this link to see picks of Flickr...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brian-n-kristy/

Scary Photo

2007-07-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

I got this from an email that was entitles "Things that make you say DAMN!" This was one photo apparently taken by a man or woman from the window seat of a airplane heading for an emergency landing. Talk about something that would first make you say Damn, and then start praying...

Just a Quick Note

2007-07-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've last written in our blog. I hope everyone has taken advantage of the "subscribe to this blog" on the left side of the page. It keeps you from logging in to check and see if there's anything new in our blog. I know of a few people who sign up to get an email with our latest blog insert, and they love it.

As many of you know, Kristy and I purchased a home. I know, I know...we're doing everything backwards. No matter, we'll get to the same place as everyone else; just a little backwards. We've gotten "most" of our stuff inside the house. It's amazing how much crap you end up with. We're going to get rid of most of the 'crap' this weekend in a garage sale. If you know of anyone who wants some fairly priced 'crap', just send them our way. Our 'crap' in non-refundable and non-negotiable. Any 'crap' that doesn't work, is at the expense of the 'crap' purchaser. So come on down for a good look at all the 'crap' we don't want, but are sure YOU'LL want! I'm excited to get all the 'crap' out of the garage and into YOUR house!!

I'm in the process of trying to download a video of me and Daytona showing everyone the house. But for some reason it's not downloading properly. Speaking of Daytona, he's been on his yearly trip with his dad. Well, really he's at his dad's...dad's home. As far as I know he's doing fine. We're both ready for him to come back home. Kristy's running around driving me up the wall. She needs her baby boy back.

Daytona loves the new house. He told his daddy that he's got a BIG one (home) now. I loved it. He asked me if I messed around with stocks and I replied "A little bit." He told me I should invest in corn. Guess he doesn't much care for me retiring, etc. LOL

Hope every one's doing well and when things slow down, if ever, I'll spend some time uploading some new pics. But for now I've got to go. I've got a guy coming over to look at some of my 'crap' I have for-sale and I'm hoping he'll give me the full $250 for a big, heavy, ugly piece of 'crap' I have for-sale. See you guys!!!!!!!!

A New Chapter in Our Life

2007-06-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

We are getting SOOO excited. The closing date for our new home is set for June the 29th. I can't wait. Kristy and I know we're very blessed to be able to get into such a nice (first) home. I, for one, am filled with pride. We thank God every time we sit to pray for dinner time. For those of you who haven't seen the house up-close. Here are some pictures. Sorry I didn't get any of the inside...

Daytona Popping Ballons

2007-05-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a video that I took of Daytona trying to pop ballons by jumping on them.

We had spent Mother's Day at Kristy's Grandmother Whitefield. I left before they (Kristy and Daytona) did. I came home to set up a Happy Mother's day gift for Kristy. Along with cake, I hung ballons everywhere. When they got home Daytona asked if he could pop them. He had already popped about 4 or 5 before I started taping. But watch the videos to see what occured...

This next video is after the first one. He was never Really hurt. I'm sure it didn't feel good, but there was not blood and no bruse. Listen to him "sucking" on the wet rag in the bathroom and notice how "gun shy" he is trying to pop some more ballons...

Daytona's Day at the Park

2007-04-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a slide show of Daytona and his class. They got to take a field trip to the park. Unfortunately it rained, so they spent what time they had under cover. He had fun and thanks to his mom we have some pictures...

cRaZy DaY at ScHooL

2007-04-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

I assume everyone remembers school days such as "red-white and blue day?" Well Daytona had one of those days, along with a "crazy day!"

I got the opportunity to dress him up, so I took full advantage. Here are some pics of that day...

When he got home from school, he spoke about how everyone thought he did a good job. Most of all he liked his spiked hair. Daytona said everyone was feeling of it all day. In fact, he wanted his hair the same way the next day. But lil D doesn't always get what he wants, so he had to settle for a more clean look.

Here are a couple more...

Daytona's Concert

2007-02-21T15:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a video that Daytona and I made about 3 weeks ago. I'm just now getting around to transferring it so that everyone can watch it. Daytona calls this "Daytona's Concert". He made up the words to the song all by himself. Unfortunately I can only understand half of what he's saying. ENJOY!

Type in the following link if it doesn't play below...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5953967309524715126

Daytona's World

2007-02-20T17:42:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time (July 2006) since I first brought you Daytona's World. It's were I ask Daytona a bunch of random questions and write down his answers. They are always funny and sometimes take you off guard. Here are some questions and answers from Daytona himself. I found the questions in a flyer that the school gives us. They say it stimulates a child's mind and helps his (or her) vocabulary.

Why are clouds white?
Because God made them white.

Why do dogs bark?
Because of cars. They wanna chase cars. They don't like staying with their parents so they bark. We lost Jax. His left eye was bleeding and we gave him medicine on his left eye. Which one's your left eye?

How do you make friends?
You shake their hands. I shake Brian's hand. Remember when I shook your hand? And you shook my daddy's hand. I want lots of daddy's.

What would happen if fish could fly?
Crash. People would crash because they would see 'em.

What would happen if dog's could speak?
People would fall on the ground. They heard 'em talk so they would fall.

What would you do if you found a dollar in the refrigerator?
Cold. And you'd freeze to death.

What would you do with the dollar?
Buy a game.

That's it people. You heard it straight from the mouth of a 5 year old. He had me and his mama cracking up on the whole 'how do you make friends' thing. And not to mention the part about him wanting lots of daddy's. These questions are always loads of fun.

Snow Angel Photo

2007-02-18T18:19:00.000-08:00

This is a cool photo I found while browsing Yahoo! most viewed photos. It's people trying to set the world record for most snow angels. What's REALLY neat is, if you look real close it looks like some people near the middle decided to make a cross. Is it just me? Or do you see the same thing?

Funny Pics On a Saturday Afternoon

2007-02-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

Today was very productive for the household in apt 408. I started out the day loading and un-loading feed at my dad's house. Then I borrowed his truck and trailer and went out to my old home to do some final cleaning. After a trip to the landfill, I took the rest of the day off to hang with the family.

While Kristy was cleaning and organizing things; Daytona and I played some video games and took some funny pictures together. I thought everyone would get a kick out of these. All the photo's you see on this post where taken by Daytona (minus the one with only him in the pic). He still gets a lot of use out of his digital camera he got for Christmas. My mom hardly ever bought me the "kid's version" of something, but instead she bought me the real thing. They last so much longer!

Other than that we just hung around here for some quality time together. We finished the evening up with a game of "snakes". Daytona won one game and I won the other, if you wanted to know. Then it was a short bath and straight to bed for lil D. Now it's time for me and mama to relax with a movie and get ready for church in the morning. Hope everyone enjoyed the pics. Bye-Bye!

Tonsillitis Strikes Apt 408

2007-02-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

Here's another story for anyone just plain bored...

The title says it all. Tonsillitis strikes our home, yet again. Kristy was the first to introduce me to such a sicking thing; and now I have it. (Notice I don't write about Kristy's pain, only mine). That's because I can tell you first hand how bad it is.

Luckily I'm on an upward slant after 3 days of hardly being able to breath, sleep, or eat. It wasn't very fun. And I just found out that Kristy can get it sometimes 2 or 3 times a year! Good thing she was here or I might have thought I was dying. She also gave me many pointers.

Here are some clippings I found on the Internet while browsing the subject. And no, the pictures are not of my mouth. Be careful...It's not for the faint of heart (or stomach).

History: The patient's history determines the type of tonsillitis (ie, acute, recurrent, chronic) that is present.

Acute tonsillitis

Individuals with acute tonsillitis present with fever, sore throat, foul breath, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), odynophagia (painful swallowing), and tender cervical lymph nodes.
Airway obstruction may manifest as mouth breathing, snoring, nocturnal breathing pauses, or sleep apnea.
Lethargy and malaise are common.
Symptoms usually resolve in 3-4 days but may last up to 2 weeks despite adequate therapy.

Recurrent

Recurrent tonsillitis is diagnosed when an individual has 7 episodes in 1 year, 5 infections in 2 consecutive years, or 3 infections each year for 3 years consecutively.

Chronic

Individuals with chronic tonsillitis may present with chronic sore throat, halitosis, tonsillitis, and persistent tender cervical nodes.
Individuals with PTA present with severe throat pain, fever, drooling, foul breath, trismus (difficulty opening the mouth), and altered voice quality (the “hot potato” voice).

Physical examination reveals fever and enlarged inflamed tonsils that may have exudates (see below).

A gray membrane may cover tonsils that are inflamed from an EBV infection (see below). This membrane can be removed without bleeding.

Mine looked like picture #1. YUCK!!!!!!!

Carrie Underwood Takes Home Grammy

2007-02-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

Oklahoma's own, Carrie Underwood, won the female country vocal performace of the year with "Jesus, Take the Wheel." It's always nice to see Carrie win an award, but even more-so when she wins with a Christian song.

"Jesus, Take the Wheel" also brought home country song of the year. If you would like to read more about the Grammy Awards, please follow these links:

All the Grammy Winners

Dixie Chicks Take Home 5 Grammy Awards

Soakin in Seattle

2007-02-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

Kristy, Daytona, and I are back from our trip to Seattle, Washington. We had a blast with her mom, sister, and brother-in-law. All 6 of us visited as many sites as we possibly could in our 4 night stay. We enjoyed the fish market and the Seattle Space Needle very much. Daytona was excited to see everything, including his aunt and uncle.

One of my favorite places to see was the military base. We all got to see how our military lives and trains. It's amazing to see that these bases are like little towns of their own. Their restricted (of course), but once you're inside you have everything you need. Groceries, movies, shoppes, and places to live. It's possible for people to never leave the base. Most of the people who work on the base also LIVE on the base.

The Seattle Space Needle was a site to see. It rose high in the air and over looked Seattle. Luckily for us, it was a nice clear day. We took lots of pictures and enjoyed the nearby park/fair. Daytona rode almost every ride there.

Ross and Jamy are moving to San Deigo, CA within the next few months. We're going to plan a trip down there sometime next year (if all goes well). It's nice to see family and sneak in a cheap vacation at the same time. Be sure and check out the rest of our photos in Flickr. Just click here!!

Bible Codes

2007-01-25T15:13:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have heard of them. Their called the Bible Codes and they arguably give a glimpse into the future, as well as the past. Hidden messages in the Bible that some say took the invention of computers, etc for us to begin to revile these codes.

The Bible Codes supposedly read such phrases like "Terror Attack", "Twin Towers", "Pentagon", and "Plane Crash". Hidden messages that warn us of terrible things that came or have yet to happen. They call such searches the Matrix. Like the movie, I guess. Another message warned of the year 2012. A year in which a comet will come to destroy the Earth. One passage speaks of God's intervention that ultimately blows the comet up, while another warns of the Earth's destruction.

Just for fun, I watched a program called Bible Codes Revealed on the History Channel. It was interesting to hear both points of view. The sceptics say that they are just random bits of codes, like the code supposedly found in Mobie Dick. Others say that the codes are not random at all and that depending on the phrase, very unlikely to occur coincidentally.

Is it feasible that the Lord left us a clue as to what is to happen in the years to come? What about the possibility that the Lord left such a map in the bible itself? Are we reading such things and discovering hidden verses at the exact time in which he wants us to? After all, everything happens in God's time. Those are questions I can't answer.

I do, however, consider the possibility that these programs and Internet sites might help certain individuals to come to the Lord. Are they coming to him for the wrong reasons? Or is there any "right" way to come to God and ask to be saved? I believe this is the only certainty we can say, and that is some people may have been drawn closer to the word of God. That's a good thing no matter how you slice it.

I for one don't need a program on the Discovery Channel to get closer to God. I don't need the hope of codes hidden in the Bible to get more interested in reading it. I can find the answers to all of my questions in plain site. I'll leave all the arguments up to the people who found such codes.

Below is a few sites you can visit:

Informitive Site

The Digest (or something)

Wanna find out if YOUR names hidden in the Bible?? For only $50...YOU CAN! Please understand I am only joking and don't call me later this month to say it's a rip-off. I'll tell you that in advance...

We Make Time for the Things We Love

2007-01-23T07:49:00.000-08:00

That's an old saying and as some of you know I enjoy writing very much. Like you can't tell from the blog and all... I recently starting writing for MMA HQ. It's an new up-n-coming website devoted to MMA (mixed martial arts). I first emailed the creator and asked about submitting an article for his site. He accepted and liked what I had to say. I've now written two stories for MMA HQ and plan on writing a few more.

While reading some of the comments people posted regarding my article "Kendall Grove Returns in April" I noticed something real flattering. I noticed that another MMA website picked up my story and posted it on their website. They left a comment to show that they had used it and to give recognition to the original piece.

Check out the link below. It will take you to MMA HQ. Once there, scroll down until you see the title of my article mentioned above. Click comments. Go down to number three (3) and you'll see what I'm talking about. You can click that link and it will take you to the website using my article. Look for the same title and click on it. IT'S MINE!!

That was pretty cool to find that out. It's kinda neat to see that other places notice the things I write and like them so much that they decide to use them on their website.

http://www.mmahq.com/
MMA HQ website

http://www.fightopinion.com/2007/01/22/monday-morning-round-up/
Website using my article. See #5 on "Monday Morning Round-Up"

Daytona Loves Spanish

2007-01-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

Little 'D' has recently taken an interest in Spanish. He is constantly asking Kristy and I how to say an (English) word in Spanish. We have embraced this current fling, and decided to run with it.

It all began when he started catching on to the words during the cartoon Handy Manny. Handy is a Hispanic "handy" man in a cartoon town filled with friendly characters that all need help fixing things. And lucky for them, Handy Manny and ALL his tools are more than willing to lend a helping hand. Teaching youngsters everything from relationships with others, appreciation for what everyone does, to working with different types of tools (7). Rather than tell you everything about the show, I've attached a link that will take you to an article about the cartoon.

As the cartoon goes on, Handy occasionally speaks in Spanish. He always says the English version of the word (or sentence) at the same time, as to make it easy for children to catch on. Before every job that Handy and his tools go on, Handy counts each tool using Spanish. So our little Daytona has no problem counting to eight in Spanish (7 tools + Handy). He also uses words like thank-you, quickly/hurry, etc. on a regular basis. These are words Daytona can recognize and use almost at will. Don't believe me?? Just ask him how to say one of them in Spanish.

The cartoon Handy Manny includes at least one new Spanish word in every episode, but seldom goes back to it later. That's where we come in. I ordered a Spanish tutorial for kids 3-8 ($10) just a couple of days ago. Kristy also thought it would be a great idea. There was a computer being sold that looks really good, but it's close to $50. No problem if he uses it. First I want to make sure he uses this computer program and likes it. If he does I'll order the mini-computer. So please don't flip out if it sounds like a Mexican kid answering our phone sometime. It's just Daytona learning to communicate with the largest growing minority in America...

Good Thing Bad Guys DON'T Have the Internet

2007-01-19T21:07:00.000-08:00

You know...if I wanted to be a theif I sure wouldn't have to look to far to learn. These are a couple of clips I happened upon. I also found one that showed how to use a fork to open any lock (like the one's you put on chains or newspaper boxes, etc). But I lost it and couldn't find my way back. Yes, I kinda got hooked once I started watching. Crazy stuff is out there so be careful!

Open Any Lock Easy With A Bump Key! - video powered by Metacafe

2007-01-19T20:54:00.000-08:00

You may need to "pause" or rewind these clips a little in order for it to not to pause-start-pause-start.

How To Crack A Combination Lock - video powered by Metacafe

Back in the Swing of Things

2007-01-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

Well I'm back writing in this thing. I haven't writen in our blog for over 2 months now. Guess the holidays, etc. had everyone including me very busy. I'll try to keep up with this a little better now that everything has calmed down.

Kristy and I have still been attending church on a regular basis. We go 3 out of 4 Sundays on average. This last Sunday we were snowed out. We go so much that the preacher called us (Kristy) personally to tell us that there would be no Sunday worship. Yep, I'm keeping this family in line...LOL.

Daytona's doing great. He's learning a lot at school and starting to learn how to spell words. He can write his name without any ones help now. He's a very smart child which means he took after Kristy versus his dad. Speaking of his father...He asked me to go hunting with him. Of course he asked Kristy to ask me. I declined the invitation. I don't feel like getting "accidentally" shot this year. Maybe next...JK.

Hope every one's doing well and staying warm during this terrible ICE storm. Kristy, Daytona, and I are going to Seattle next month to visit her sister and husband. It should be fun. Bye-bye...

Sunday Leasons

2006-11-12T12:07:00.000-08:00

Kristy and I have been going to church now for awhile. It's got to the point where we don't ask "do you wanna go to church"? We just go... We've probably went for 5 or 6 straight Sunday's. Of course Kristy taught me that it's not good to brag. Just go and worship. Even if you don't feel like it... Just go.

Today was a good sermon. We wrapped up part of our studies in the book of John. We studied John chapter 13:26-38. The following is a copy of the NIV chapter we studied:

Passage John 13:26-38:
26Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
"What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, 28but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. 30As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

What I highlighted for you, I feel, is very important. When Judas left the table and went outside, it was night. Meaning that he was no longer in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. But instead he had given into Satan and was now working for him. Our preacher spoke of how he believed that Judas could have "changed his mind" at any point. But since the Old Testament predicts such acts. God allows Satan to stay in control of Judas. So Judas was completely in the dark, sort-of-speak.

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial
31When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. 32If God is glorified in him,[a] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Once again, I've highlighted this passage because of it's importance. This was the final major commandment that Jesus gave to his disciples (us). We MUST love one another as Jesus loves us. Now that's a very hard thing to do. Just the other day, Kristy and I saw Sgt. Shannon Cairy at our church. Turns out, she's a member. We noticed her because she was that days singer. Kristy turned to me and said, "funny how God puts people right in front of us." And it was. At that point I (we) had a choice. Hate her in God's house, or love her as a sister. She had wronged me not 3 months before, yet I said a little prayer for her as she stumbled to find the courage to complete her song. Kristy sang along with her.

Maybe it was a little easier for us (Kristy and I) to accept her in the house of the Lord, than it would have been say at the local McDonald's. But everyday God puts those kinds of people in front of us and gives us a choice. Deny them your love or forgive them and love them. Every single day this happens to us. Weather is be our boss or someone else. We all have a choice...

36Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."
37Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
38Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

I like to write....As all of you can tell. So I thought I might implement a little of the gospel in our blog. I hope everyone enjoys... Kristy and I believe our journey is almost at an end. That doesn't mean we then turn our back on God and go back to sleeping in on Sunday's. But instead, we will take what we've learned during these few month and pass it on to those who need it. People watch you during hard times. People who are not Christian's, can sometimes be in amazement when you keep your head high during stormy days. That is when they see that being a Christian is something THEY TOO would like to be.

Those of You Looking for Entertainment

2006-11-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

LOOK NO FURTHER!!

I was watching a show on the Travel Channel. World's Creepiest Destinations... Check out this musiem that is in the US. It was first made only for medical research. But quickly became a place that people like us would travel to only to get a good scare, etc. Click here and see what I'm talking about.

One creepy place to visit is non-other than New Orleans. There your find many museums that are dedicated to Voodoo or other types of weird religions. This site shows all the museums in New Orleans. And man is there a lot of them. It reminds me of my current favorite movie "Skeleton Key".

That brings us to the Salem witchcraft trials in the 1600's. Over two dozen people were exacuted during this mass hysteria. Everyone has heard of the Salem witch trials. This site is pretty good. It goes into detail about the trials and the people who fell prey to people who where, I believe, had the devil in them. Click here to go to this site. And yes, it's worth another click of the mouse.

A drawing of one of the accused being sentenced to death. The time of the photograph is around 1692 when the Salem witch trials happened.

The following is a document written by an anonymous person describing the death of one wrongly accused man. His endurance through the execution is what gave him the name "The Man of Iron".

THE MAN OF IRON
Giles Corey was a wizard strong, a stubborn wretch was he;
And fit was he to hang on high upon the locust tree.
So, when before the Magistrates for trial he did come,
He would no true confession make, but was completely dumb.

"Giles Corey," said the Magistrate, "What hast thou here to plead
To those who now accuse thy sould of crime and horrid deed?"

Giles Corey he said not a word, no single word spoke he.
"Giles Corey," said the Magistrate, "We'll press it out of thee."

They got them then a heavy beam, then laid it on his breast;
They loaded it with heavy stones, and hard upon him pressed.

"More weight," now said this wretched man. "More weight!" again he cried;
And he did no confession make, but wickedly he died.

--Anonymous (early 18th century)

That takes us to the number one creepiest destinations. It's located in Fall River, Massachusetts. It's a small rural town were a murder took place in 1892. Here is a clipping from the website you can visit yourself.

The Fall River Historical Society has cleverly loaded most of the Lizzie Borden memorabilia at the end of a two hour tour of local history and period furniture. Of course, it may help you understand how people can be driven to kill...

The kitchen houses the hip bath, which originally contained all the good Lizzie artifacts donated to the Society: the Marseilles spread and pillow shams spotted with drops of blood, locks of the victims' hair, two paper tags neatly labeled "Mr. Borden's stomach" and "Mrs. Borden's stomach," and other stuff you'll get to see "later."

Click here to read the rest of this story...

The Discovery Channel put this program on. Click here to see when it might come on again.

That's it. Just thought I'd give everyone something to read about other than "The Kristy-Brian-Daytona Show".

Love ya'll!!

2006-11-05T14:22:00.000-08:00

Here's some slide show of Daytona's 5th birthday party. He got 2 or 3 parties. These are the pics from B-Day parties #1 and #2. Enjoy!!

Create Your Own!

God is ALWAYS in Control

2006-10-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

At our church (Southeast Babtist Church) we are studying the book of John. I went home and continued to study the book of John and found a passage that really hits home for Kristy and I.

During the course of this DHS ordeal, Kristy and I have both questioned God's purpose for what he has LET happen to us. In JOHN 14:30 Jesus speaks of how he will be leaving his disciples soon. But in the same aspect, he speaks of how the devil has NO absolute control over the situation. In the NIV bible, I read the following side note:

Christ knew his time was limited because Satan was working in Judas to betray him. Yet, Satan was not in contol of the situation, God was. He allowed Satan's plot to continue because it fit into his own larger plan to redeem the world. God uses even the schemes of the devil to ultimately glorify his name an accomplish his will.

Later in John 15:1-2, Jesus says the following:

1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.

Sometimes Kristy and I both wondered if God was trying to split us up because that was what was supposed to happen. After reading these passages, I know that is not the case. In John 15:1-2, Jesus speaks of "pruning the branches of his life, so that they may bear even more fruit". I like to think that this is the case with Kristy and I.

I don't understand the whole bible, but then again...We don't HAVE to. We must learn to trust. That's a very hard thing to do. To just trust that it is in God's hands and we will bear even more fruit when our journey is to an end...

Kristy's B-Day

2006-10-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

This is a little slide show of my birthday present to Kristy. I took her to a resort and rented a suite for us. It was ok (as far as the room goes). I just mainly wanted her to get some R&R. She did and that was the point. It was nice for us to just forget about all the drama going on around us. Even if just for a weekend. There is also a pic of the present I got for her. It's a pearl ring. She said she's always wanted one, so like the good boyfriend I am, I got it for her. Enjoy the slide show...

Create Your Own!

GOLF

2006-09-26T17:24:00.001-07:00

| View | Add Favorite

GOLF

2006-09-26T17:22:00.001-07:00

http://apps.rockyou.com/rockyou.swf?instanceid=39915202&ver=060913" quality="high" salign="lt" width="426" height="320" wmode="transparent" name="rockyou" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"/>
%20target="_BLANK"%20href="http://www.rockyou.com?type=slideshow&refid=39915202"> alt="RockYou slideshow" src="http://apps.rockyou.com/images/logo-mini.gif" border="0"> View Add'>http://www.rockyou.com/addfavorite.php?instanceid=39915202">Add Favorite

Day at the Course

2006-09-23T23:20:00.000-07:00

Kristy and I had a exciting day at the golf course today. The weather was just perfect and towards the end I actually started to shoot well. Kristy didn't do to bad herself. The course was on the lake, so we snapped a lot of good pictures with my new camera. So for anyone who wants to take a quick look at our pictures you can follow the link below...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brian-n-kristy/

Pawn Shops; Over Looked Bargin Basins

2006-09-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

Everyone gets that fever to buy an item that they desperately want. It takes everything you have to keep from rushing out and buying an expensive item before you research your options for the best deal possible. Everyone's heard the story of a great deal found on the Internet. Particularly items on ebay. But how many times do you hear of a great buy that came out of a pawn shop? Well it's your lucky day, because you're about to hear all about a story just like that.

I recently purchased a camera at a pawn shop for an incredible price. The camera is top of the line and it came with a docking station used for printing pictures straight from your camera or computer. I never thought of pawn shops as places to purchase electronics, but from now on I will. I was really surprised at the quality of the items located inside the store. Lots of people regard pawn shops as I once did. That their only their for scum that need an extra buck for drugs or to pay rent. I used to think of them as fast cash places. Not as places to purchase electronics, DVD's, or recreational items. Well let me tell you...Try it!!

One thing to keep in mind is that pawn shops are a lot like Mexico. You can bargain for a better price. Never think you HAVE to pay sticker price. My camera and docking station had a sticker price of $229.99. When I asked if they could take a little off of that, he said he'd let it go for $150. Keep in mind it's not Mexico, so they do charge tax. So after tax, I took the camera and docking station home for a meir $163.65. The docking station itself retails for $129.99 at any local Target store. The camera retails somewhere around $200. On ebay you can get the same camera, but a different (less expensive) docking station for $229.99 + $19.99 for shipping and handling. The camera I purchased is a Kodak EasyShare C643. The docking station is an EasyShare printer dock plus series 3.

I was fortunate enough to have an on duty manager close by when the clerk was trying to make sale. I had done my research and knew what the camera came with if a person was to buy it new. So when he asked me if I liked the camera, I immediately went into the spill about the accessories that would normally come with it. Like for example; A CD for the dock and a carrying case for the camera. These were things I could of course live without, but I wanted him to say the word's, "No sir. We don't have those." And right after that conversation came to an end, he knew (as every good salesman does) that he was loosing the sale. So he tried to close the sale quickly by quoting me a great price.

Now I'm no bargainer, but when it comes to pawnshops you don't have to be. They like a quick turnover on their merchandise. The quicker they get items off the shelf, the quicker they see a return on their investment. So the next time your looking to purchase something new, ask yourself a question. Could I live with that if it were used? If the answer is yes, try your local pawn shops.

Second Sunday in a Row

2006-09-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Well I have to say, I'm quite proud of Kristy and I. Yes, it's a small accomplishment, but it means so much. We attended church (one Kristy picked) for a second consecutive Sunday. It was a good church with a GREAT preacher. He was funny and insightful. Their building a new church to replace the current one in order to accommodate all the new members. That tells us they must be doing something right. So we'll put it on our list of potential churches to become members.

Like I said, the preacher kept your attention rather well. He spoke of how people who are lost are consequently walking with the devil. There have been many times during this whole ordeal that Kristy and I have found ourselves lost. Luckily we both got out of the devil's grasp and got back on the path that leads to heaven. We had each other to thank for that. Because God can't MAKE you follow him. He can only put things in your way, that he hopes will make you closer to him. You first have to TRUST in him, then you can learn to follow in his son's footsteps. Footsteps that lead to heaven's gate and an eternity with God himself.

I really like going to church with Kristy. I hate to bring up other girlfriends, but in the past I've had to almost drag my other girlfriends to church. Kristy always WANTS to go. And everyone needs church and we're no different. By the time this chapter in our lives is finished , I hope we'll have found a church that fulfills everything we need in a congregation. One that's close yet large in members. One that Daytona likes and gives him knowledge of the Lord. And one Kristy and I both enjoy. I think finding a church is a lot like finding a home. You don't want one that's too big or too small. You want good neighbors who have similar family values. And you want it to be a place you feel comfortable staying at for awhile. With God's help, I'm sure we'll find one that fits just right.

Advice

2006-08-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

During hard times in our life we often come across people who like to give advise. These people can come in the form of parents, friends, co-workers, or to often than not, strangers. The automatic thought is that all of these people truly want to give us good advice to help us during these times. We commonly think that older individuals give advice we should adhere to. We can foolishly think that they want nothing more than to comfort us.

The ones I always go to with questions are my parents. They are the ones I've grown to trust and have faith in. My particular parents have always been strong and supportive during my life. I can always confide and trust within them. Not everyone has such parents. Kristy and I are lucky we have such smart and caring parents. The trouble doesn't come when asking for advice. It comes when you hear two or maybe even three different opinions.

How do you know who knows better? That's just it. You don't. During mine and Kristy's rather big problem, we have came upon many different opinions. It's up to us as young adults to listen carefully and make our own decisions. So far, I think we have done a really good job. Point is, no one really knows what your going through but YOU! You know what the worst thing is you can say to someone who has went through something tragic in their life? "I know exactly what your going through." No you don't! Even if you've gone through the same type thing in your life, you don't know the particulars revolving around MY problem. Your financial situation couldn't have been the same. You weren't dealing with the exact same people during your rough time. And most of all...Your not them. The proper thing to say is, "I don't know exactly what your going through, but I've been through something similar and I'm here for you if you ever need me."

Sometimes people act as though they know more than they really do. You have to remember that most of the time this is new to them also. They might be the same age as you, so their life experiences are no greater than yours. They want to help, but haven't learned to keep their mouth shut if they don't really know what to say. Their was a story I once heard of a young man in his 20's that lost his father without warning. At the funeral he was surrounded by family and friends. After the funeral was over, everyone formed a line to give their condolences to the young man as they left. Person after person came to shake his hand and say a few encouraging words. As the people came and came, they all had different words of advice or encouragement. Most kept it short, but some went on and on struggling to find the words. People that didn't know what to say, still spoke. During this he couldn't help but notice an aged man in a cowboy hat sitting in the back quietly by himself. Thirty minutes passed before the end of the line finally came and there was no one left. The man in the cowboy hat slowly got up and made his way to the young man. He walked up to him and shook his hand saying only one sentence. "Your father was a good man."

Times can be hard on people and knowing the right thing to say is a very tricky thing, to say the least. But saying the wrong thing can be painful to that person. Saying nothing at all is OK. We're not all physiologists and there's no need to try to be. Listening can be the best thing a person can do to comfort a friend or family member. I've gone through enough to know most people don't mean any harm. They just try to do (say) to much and don't know any better. Our family have fulfilled every need we've wanted from them. I just wish everyone could be as lucky as we are.

Sunday Morning Church

2006-08-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

Kristy and I went to church this Sunday. The preacher spoke about problems we endure and how others watch us during these times. You can always tell Christians from non-believers. Christians lean on God. How we handle adversity reflects our soul. It reflects our spirit and our hearts.

The preacher at this church spoke of a couple that lost their child in a car wreck. We've all been told that dealing with the loss of a child is the worst thing a person can go through. He went into some detail about how Christians and non-Christians came to give their condolences to the couple for their loss. He said that he witnessed individuals who didn't come to church and didn't know what it meant to know Jesus Christ; decide after watching the couple in brace God and trust in him, that they too wanted to know and understand God's word. During their excruciating pain, they served as God's disciples. Showing others how Christians could trust in the Lord. Their trust in God brought people to God's door.

We all have that duty as Christians. Others watch us to see how we handle hardships. They can see the Christian side come out. Do you get mad and curse at everyone and everything when bad things happen? Or do you feel confident that it is just a test and God will protect you? For me, I seem to do both. I can't help but get upset and resentful for terrible things that happen out of my control. After I calm down and take sometime to think about things, I realize that I'm using my energy in a negative way. I then turn to the rock in Jesus Christ to take the burden off of my shoulders. His shoulders are wide and strong. Where as mine can only handle so much.

After the sermon, Kristy and I felt a relief in our hearts that only God could do. I for one knew what I had to do. I have to give this heavy problem over to God. I have to pray and trust in him. We've tried everything in our power to defeat this, but have fell short in the area that we didn't go to the one thing that will help the most. Don't get me wrong. We've never forgotten God in our hearts. However, we never completely handed it over to him. We'll still make our phone calls, but we'll pray just as much. Because when this is all over, I want people to say we handled it better than anyone. We fought, we loved, but first and for most; we had trust in the Lord. We're examples to all who face turmoil. Not by choice, but by the grace of God we're chosen to lead by example. He works through us all.

Two Car Wrecks, Over $3000 Spent,

2006-08-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

Countless hours in motel rooms, a few arguments, many unreturned phone calls, one write-up, tears, few smiles, prayers prayed, and one screwed up system. Yea that seems to be our life right now. Not much we can do but wait. Kristy's on the phone almost everyday and I've given up hope that my attorney really gives a damn. Daytona still asks when I'm coming back from "vacation". And Kristy still says soon, not knowing for sure when. By the time I get back I'll need about 10 presents to justify this long time away from home!

We're hanging in there and looking forward to a happy home again. We love Daytona so much. He is first and foremost on our mind every minute. I wanna play power rangers with him so bad. I wanna keep him out of his mamma's hair while she cleans the house. I wanna tell him how much I love him. He's a little Kristy walking around. When I look at him I see Kristy. I see a part of her. I'll always cherish them both.

Kristy and I both have been talking about the importance of having God in your life. We have both been relating life to God's plan for us. I've been praying a lot here lately. God's up there and he just wants us to come to him to fix this problem. So I've been turning to him and putting it in his hands. I can't handle this on my own. Sure I have Kristy and my family, but I have to acknowledge God as being an angel in my corner who can get my life back to order. I'm putting it in his hands as of today. He's got wider shoulders than I do. He can bare this turmoil and make it go away. I need his help.

I remember when my wife passed away and I tried to do it all on my own. There came a day when I just couldn't take it anymore and I hit my knees to ask God to take everything in his hands. It wasn't a week later before everything started looking up. I denied him and tried to do it on my own. You can't handle tragedy on your own. You have to ask the Lord for his help. He helped and watched over me. I'm officially handing all this over to him. Kristy and I are going to church Sunday morning. It will be our first time to go to church together. I'm looking forward to that. So God! I've done all I can. Take this mess over and make it right. I trust in you and always will.

One Another...

2006-08-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

My love for Kristy, and her love for me is larger and stronger than ever. They can't take what love built. Honesty, trust, compassion, and faith. Honesty in one another. Trust in one another. Compassion for one another. And Faith in one another. God doesn't just watch you during hard times. He carries you. And he's carried Kristy, Daytona, and I to a whole new respect for one another.

I've had a lot of people, who know the story, tell me that if Kristy and I can make it through this then we can make it through ANYTHING. You know what? I think their right.

Clever Sheep

2006-08-13T00:22:00.000-07:00


This will have you cracking up. Just click the play button.

Well Deserved Time Alone

2006-08-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

Well here we sit. Kristy and I that is. It's been a long couple of weeks. In fact, we haven't spent any alone time since last week. We're both so happy to finally be together for a full 24 hours. I can't express how happy I am to be with Kristy. I know I talk about Kristy and Daytona like they hung the moon, but in my eyes they have. I miss Daytona so much. It's really hit me these last few days not being around him. I mean it's been close to two weeks since I got to hang out with him. I've got to see Kristy from time to time, but no Daytona. That's just how it's got to be. If anything, I've learned that when it comes to children you have to make sacrifices.

We don't have any major plans for today. All we want to do is be attached to one another's hips and never leave each others sight. I don't even think we're going to go out to eat. One because we don't have the money. This little dilemma has drained our savings a little. That and we don't wanna be around anyone but each other. I think we'll go rent a movie or two and just hold on for dear life. Are you sick yet?? Ha ha. We love each other more than life its self. I know I'm the second most important person in her life. Next to Daytona of course.

Well that's about it. I'm going to get back to snuggling with my baby and soaking up as much as I can until it's time to find another motel room. Time seems to be creeping by. For us anyway. My minds on Daytona and Kristy and my hearts in the same place. We'll all make it, and we'll be better off in the long run. I don't know how, but I do know God works in mysterious ways and he knows what he's doing.

Getting Closer...

2006-08-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

Well here I sit. At the zone office waiting for my turn with the boss man. I haven't wrote anything in our blog in quit awhile. And like I said earlier...Everyone who know's us, knows why. Things are looking up. I think we'll be at the end of this by early next week. Of course I don't want to go into details over the internet, but Kristy and I are both pretty tired. I've been going from motel to motel and she's been just as stressed as me.

One thing we have realized, that we really already knew, is that we both have wonderful parents. I thought mine where the best out there, but Kristy's family gives mine a run for their money. We can't stress how much you guys have ment to us. I just wanna get back home so I can relax. I wanna post on this thing everyday like I was. I wanna hear all the gossip about our friends and not be THE gossip.

Well that's about it. Just another day in paradise. Ha ha. Can't wait to get BACK TO paradise.

Leave of Absence

2006-08-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

I won't be writing in this for awhile. Those of you that know me, know why.

Thanks for all the support...

No Daytona...But Plenty of Dogs!

2006-07-29T15:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to a short post with lots of pictures of my dog Mac.

This is my poor dog Mac. In these pics he's locked up at the kennel on my dad's property.

The above pics show how HAPPY the good old dog is when he's finally released from prison. I know he hates being locked up at dad's, but I really have not choice at this time. With Daytona in the house, having an American Pitbull Terrior running around is not an option. I'm going to have to sell him soon. Anyone want a registered pit?? Beautiful dog!! Well mannered too!

LOOK!! He even knows how to drive!! Ha Ha! He always goes to the opposite side I'm trying to get in on. These are pretty good pics.

The dogs are getting along fine and Kristy doing great. The pic on the right is her resting from cleaning. I'll be honest...I haven't helped much. But I do a lot around here most of the time. I mean, someone had to take the pictures. Right? Hope you enjoyed the pictures of my dog Mac. We're getting ready to eat some dinner. Bye Bye!!

Daytona: Red Power Ranger!!

2006-07-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

I just thought the "fam" would like to see a few snap shots of "Lil D" all dressed up in his Power Ranger outfit. He loves this costume and parades around the apartment flexing his muscles and attacking everything in site. Of course Daytona calls it "pattacking" everything. I catch myself using the same phrase.
In this pic he's standing tall with pride. He likes to pose for pictures. He normally will last for about 2 or 3 pics then he's done. Frankly I think that's pretty good for a 4 year old. As you can tell he's standing on the counter top. Are these pictures not the cutest things you've ever seen? Now in the above pic, is off course...ME AND "D"!! He's getting a little tired of pictures by this time, so he's a little squirmy. We match though! The costume fits him pretty good and is relatively easy to put on and take off. Course he needs help, and me and momma are always willing to zip the little chap up so he can "Power Ranger UP"!!

The above pic is of him running full speed at the camera man...ME!The next picture is of him playing with his "Pirates of the Caribbean" toy from McDonald's. It's a little treasure chest with a little key to go with it. Needless to say, I believe the key is currently lost.

I have a funny story to add to this post relating to Daytona's love for the Power Rangers. One evening Kristy and I decided to take Daytona bowling. We got our shoes and took our place at a lane. Next to us was a family enjoying a night of bowling just like we were. They happened to be an African American family. They had a little boy maybe a year or two older than Daytona with them. Needless to say, the two little boys enjoyed playing together between frames.

Now if any of you reading this have ever played Power Rangers with Daytona, you know that Daytona almost always is the "red" ranger. He'll quickly tell you what ranger (color) you are. You've probably guessed where this story is going. I for one am always the "blue" ranger and Kristy is of course the "pink" ranger. If you watch the show, you know that there are numerous colors of Power Rangers. Can you guess what color Daytona told the little boy at the bowling alley he was going to be? Yup. You guessed it.

"Your going to be the BLACK ranger!"

They played and played. Thinking about it later. I bet that little boy always liked playing the "black" ranger. It's just a funny little story I thought went along with the pics.

Editor's Note: Daytona really likes his Power Ranger costume. He also has Batman costume. But what he really wants is a SUPERMAN costume. So if your a family member (or just someone wanting to buy this little cutie something) get him that Superman costume. There only $25 at Walmart. With in a month I'll break down and buy it. I'd love to see his face. Buy it today! Size "small" please...

Rottweiler for Kristy and Daytona?

2006-07-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

SEE MORE ABOUT PRISKA!!!!
Some of you left comments regarding my dad's new dog. My mom was one that disagreed with me looking into getting one for our home. I can understand her concern, considering that having a rottweiler running around the house with a little 4 year old can cause some concern. Just for the record, I wasn't thinking about even considering it until 1) We had a house and 2) The dog would have the proper training with kids. I have spoken to Kristy about it, and we're still going to look into it, but we will both be very careful when we research it.

On another note; I thought our reader's would like to see a few pics of dads dog Priska. I didn't mention the name of his dog in the post entitled "Ranch Life", because to tell you the truth...I forgot the name. These pictures were emailed to me by my cousin Jason. These were all taken the first time he went to Dallas to pick her up. As you can see, she is a very loving dog. She seems to be perfect for the old man.
Along with these pics of dad and his new dog. Jason emailed me the link to the website that these dogs come from. Just click the link under the pic of Priska to go directly to Priska. I thought some of you (mom) would like to look it over and add any input they have. In fact? Let's call it a vote. OK? Post your comment. What do you think about having a trained dog guarding the home? Would it help you sleep at night? Or not? Let me know and don't be shy about it.

One good site I found is linked here. This is one of those "FAQ" links. Were they give un-bias opinions about a particular topic. The website about the where Priska came from, doesn't have any information about how their dogs are trained with children. It says that it is still under construction. Maybe by the time some read this, it will be up and running. Click to check now.

I did, however, find where they write about how they go about training there dogs. They do go through exstisive exercises with their dogs to make sure they are trained in many different areas. You can go directly to that page by clicking this line. This page has some good pics of their dogs. Of course they are trying to sell a product to the consumers. Be sure and scroll to the bottom of that page to see their "guarantee". It's kinda neat. They'll allow you to "return" a dog.

Believe it or not, people tend to send dogs back that might not be "mean enough" for them. I believe that's how my cousin got the dog for my father. Now that's not to say that the dogs are "rejects", they just didn't fit the owner's specifications. As you can see I'm still learning how to properly fit pictures into the "html" format. And when the clock strikes 10pm, I get a little tired of concentrating and settle with "good enough". The above picture is of "Ace", Jason's rottweiler when he was just a pup. Notice the snow on the ground. One great website I found was at CBS News. It ranks dogs by order of most vicious. If you don't read any links I provided, read this one. It's at least interesting.

I think I've provided enough links and facts to get everyone including me BORED to death. Ha Ha. These can be great dogs for families, I have no doubt. But now that I've researched it and found all this information I've come to one logical conclusion...Why risk it?? I can can protect my family myself, without the help of a huge dog. Locking doors, being aware of your surroundings, and just being smart keeps families safe. A dog can help, sure. But I'll stick to a little fluffy dog that might "snip" my kids, versus one that might take their heads off. With that said, I think I've answered my own question. But before you leave, be sure to click the 'Priska Link'(at the top of this post) to get 'up close and personal' with Priska!

Every Man Needs the Perfect Woman

2006-07-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

Once in a lifetime a person comes along that changes you life completely. They can come to you as a stranger for which you know nothing about. Like a tornado they often pop-up out of no where and turn your life upside down. They make you change the way you think, act, and look at the world. These kinds of people are truly God's angels. Sent to us as gifts from above to hold, cherish, and respect.

My life was completely changed one weekend in March of 2006. It had been close to a year since my last long term relationship ended without warning. It left me somewhat scared and uncertain about what lye ahead for me. My best friends wife talked me into going on a double date with her and her husband. I was very apprehensive about the whole thing considering my last "blind date", was one of the worst dates I had ever been on. So after a little coaxing, I agreed to a date with a woman I knew little about.

That one day changed me. I met the love of my life in Kristy. No, it wasn't love at first site. But it was pretty dang close. She first took my eyes and then my heart followed closely behind. Her gentle heart and mesmerizing eyes won my heart. She didn't come alone when she entered my life. But instead she was followed closely behind by a little 4 year old boy named Daytona. A little blond haired blessing from above that is filled with his mother's energy and spice for life. They both grew to be two people I couldn't see spending the rest of my life without.

Love doesn't necessarily come in a blink of an eye, but it can blind side you before you know what hit. It can come when all hope seems to be lost. When you've given up the thought of true love. And most of all...When you least expect it. I'm living proof of that. And I could go on and on about the things I love about Kristy and Daytona, but this entire blog would be filled to the max. I just wanted everyone to know a little bit about the wonderful person Kristy is. A beautiful woman, a caring mom, and a once in a lifetime love.

Before you leave, click the picture of Kristy above. It will link you to the same picture at "Flickr". Move your cursor around her picture. Trust me! It's well worth another click of the mouse...

Sports Page Added

2006-07-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that I have added a sports page for our readers enjoyment. This blog will be written by me and have a link to our original "brian-n-kristy" blog. I have always enjoyed sports like any typical guy and now I have a way to my own inputs in the world of sports. I'm calling it Brian's Sports Page. Keeping up with two web pages can be a difficult task, but I find it enjoyable.

You'll notice to the left of this post is our "side bar." That's a place that I can put links and other pics not taken by Kristy and I. Under our profile (which hasn't been completed) is a list of links that you may find useful. They will change from time to time. Right now we only have a few. Ultimate Fighting Championship is a link to a site that I really enjoy looking at. I'm really into the UFC and rent them on pay-per-view every month. Yahoo! And the Tulsa World link are the other's. Tulsa World is of course my place of employment. Kristy will add some of her favorites as time goes on. But the first one listed is Brian's Sports Page.

Brian's Sports Page will be a page all about sports and my input on recent events in the sporting world. Now let me warn you. I don't like watching or for that matter writing about just any sport. My favorites include, football, basketball, golf, and of course the UFC. Some don't call mixed martial arts a sport, but I think it's one of the best ones around. So when you click Brian's Sports Page under the "my links" section you'll find articles written by me about the 4 sports I enjoy. Don't forget to leave comments, so that I can respond to them. Enjoy this new feature!

Blogging Experience

2006-07-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have to say that this whole blogging has opened up a new world for me. I really enjoy getting feed back from family members and friends. Today at work, Kristy said she showed off our web page to all of her friends and co-workers. A blog (web page) is a very, very difficult thing to master. Sometimes you'll hear me refer to this as a blog or a web page. To tell you the truth there is not a whole lot difference.

A blog is short for "weblog", which is nothing more complicated than a World Wide Web-based journal. One distinguishing detail about a blog is that you need no special skills to explore the world of blogging. A blog is ultimately your own space, and you may do with it as you please.

Unlike a "static" website, the format of a blog creates a framework upon which a community can be built. With a "static" website, what you see is what you get; there is no expectation of interactivity between the reader and the author or subject of the content. For example, if you visit a regular website and gather information you can not typically ask questions or make remarks about the content of the web page. With a blog, both the author and the viewers can comment and interact with one another.

"Blogger", is a term that applies to Google's Blogger set up. There are many out there, but Google happens to be the one I stumbled upon. When you first sign up for "Blogger", you are only given the general format for making a website. Ever heard of "html?" "Html" stands for HyperText Markup Language. The only way I can break it down is by saying it's the rough draft. If you logged onto a website and only saw the "html" format, you would think it was written from outer space. It's the codes and symbols that make a website what it is.

During the last few days I've been trying to learn how these different sets of codes work with each other. Uploading pictures is rather easy. Typing new posts is easy. But when it comes to "hyperlinks", ect. Well that's another story. So every time you see a word like this. You know it took brains to make it work. Ha ha. Even underlining a word takes working in the "html" format. Text color, bold, font, and text sizes work just like Microsoft Word. That's because Google Blogger gives you the basic format. This has given me a new found respect for people like Bill Gates.

Me studying "html"

I hope you all are enjoying looking at our website. Some of you have left comments about a particular blog or the blog site in it's entirety. I appreciate these comments and enjoy reading them. It gives me real sense of self gratitude to know that some of you are reading these on a regular basis. As time goes on I will get better with the building of my website (blog). Everyone should explore the website to notice any changes they may like. PLEASE comment on them.

Ranch Life

2006-07-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

This morning I spent with my dad working on the ranch. We had to finish putting up a temporary fence around his bales of hay so the cows wouldn't eat it all up. I go out to my dad's place one or two times a week to help him keep the place up. He's getting older now, so the help I give him is greatly needed and appreciated. I personally like going going out to the ranch to help dad because it gives us some time together. He's 79 years old and he has lots of life experiences that I can learn from.

Recently dad lost his beloved friend "Rot." "Rot" was his rotwillier mix that he got from the pound. She died about a month ago. Luckily for him my cousin had some connections and put in a call to get him a pure German rotwiler. And let me tell you. Those dogs are awesome. I include some pictures of his new dog. She is trained in everything possible. Sitting, speaking, tracking, and of course attacking. We're still working on the commands, but with a little work she should be used to us. She's 7 years old and has all the training a dog can get. They come from Germany and from what I know, after training they are flown to California for additional training. From there they are sold for top dollar. And when I say top dollar I mean TOP dollar.

When Kristy and I find a stable place I'm going to check into getting one for myself. Sometimes I go out of town and I would feel safer knowing there's a trained dog protecting my family. I should be able to get one that's only 2 or 3 years old and good with kids. That last part is a must. I'm sure I'm not the only one needing a dog that's trained to deal with kids, so it shouldn't be hard to come by.

These are pictures of dad's cows. Can you spot the one in the creek??

Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh my!!

2006-07-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

Today Daytona got a little treat. See if you can guess where he went from the title above. Guessed it yet? Yep! Your right. THE ZOO!! Kids always have a grand old time at the zoo. Daytona is no exception. Unfortunately, for reasons I'd rather not get into, I couldn't make it. So Kristy, her friend Audrey, and Daytona skipped of to the Tulsa Zoo on a day that didn't top 90 degrees.

Like I said. I wasn't there so the stories will be brief. Kristy said going to the zoo with a 4 year old is an exhausting experience. You don't walk slowly from one part to another gazing at each animal and discussing them in detail. Instead you walk briskly from cage to cage barley taking the time to even snap a picture. Luckily for us, Kristy's fast with the camera. So along the way she got a few good snap shots. I uploaded them and picked a few out that I thought our readers might enjoy.

When Daytona got home, the one animal he was intrigued by was the rattlesnake. Personally they give me the creeps. But for a little curious boy, their loads of fun. They all three road the train around for a break from hitting the pavement. Kristy said along the way she caught Daytona making faces at the woman in the cart behind them. She said she was just about to give him a stern warning about being polite to people in general, and especially ones he doesn't know. Just as she was about to snatch him out of his seat the woman receiving the "ugly faces" jumped in.

"No, no honey! I was making faces at him first!"

And we wonder were kids pick up such behavior. Ha Ha...

They got home around 5:30pm, at which time Kristy took a load off on the couch. Being the good man I am. Laundry was "almost" finished and the apartment was clean. Not to mention there were a dozen roses on the coffee table and a couple of new toys in Daytona's bedroom. Someone felt guilty for missing the trip.

Now the day's at an end and Lil D's gotten up about 5 times for various reasons. I think he's finally asleep now. Kristy's reading her book while I'm typing this. She picked me up two books on web building and blog designs in Tulsa. So everyone can sleep well knowing our blog will have added features every week.

Thanks for tuning in and hope you enjoyed the pics!!

Back to Basics

2006-07-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

Today our little boy came back home from a week away with his daddy and grandparents. (Yea, I'm calling him mine now). We just got back from eating at the Golden Coral. Kristy's mom and step dad took us all out to eat there. Don and Joyce are their names and they are wonderful grandparents. That's the thing with Daytona. He's never short of people who love to spoil him with affection. And now that Kristy and I our serious, he has another group of people waiting to come in the picture and spoil him some more. My poor parents haven't had anytime what-so-ever with grandchildren. Their more than ready to take on that part of life and run with it. My step dad already took a large picture that Kristy gave to him and my mom, and copied it to the computer to make a wallet sized copy to carry around.

At Golden Coral I enjoyed mostly catfish while Kristy munched on some steak. Daytona, of course, had a hard time sitting long enough to eat much of anything. He did, however, end up eating some salad and a piece of pizza. I think the only reason he ate that was to get dessert afterwards. Kristy's good about making him eat most of the main course before he can indulge in his favorite dessert. After she made him eat his final bites all 5 of us went to the front for our choice desserts. The adults got a sample of just about everything, minus Don. He didn't eat dessert. Daytona, on the other hand, stuck with the basics...A chocolate ice cream cone. Most of which ended up on his face.

One funny thing that happened during dinner, where's there's no shortage with a 4 year old. Was that Daytona felt it necessary to stand up and show his mother and I the new underwear he got from his grandma. While standing on the chair in a restaurant full of hungry people, he proceeded to pull down his pants and show us. Luckily his mom was there to make sure the crowd didn't get more than they bargained for. We all laughed WITH Daytona.

Another quick note of interest was when some of the restaurant waitresses gathered to sing happy birthday to one of their patrons. Daytona once again stood on his seat to see what all the commotion was about. After he informed us about the party going on next to us, he ever so politely said after the song... "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" That got yet another chuckle from all of us.

Before I finish up, I'd like to share something cool I saw on another blog. A mom would ask her 5 or 6 year old little girl a series of random questions and post the answers for everyone to get a good laugh out of. So with out any further interruptions, I present DAYTONA's WORLD. All answers given by Daytona himself with no added input.

Why do we go out to eat?
because were hungry

What's your favorite thing to eat?
pizza

How often do you eat?
nine weeks

What's your favorite restaurant?
Pizza Hut

What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the mornings?
eat and drink and just stay at home and play

What's your favorite thing about school?
I don't like school and the teacher is mean to you

Who's your favorite superhero?
power ranger, batman, spiderman, hulk, superman

Why don't you like to go to bed?
cause it makes me poo-poo. In my pants

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
to mall

Waiting to inhale...

2006-07-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

Well Kristy and I have enjoyed the time alone for the last (almost week). Daytona is coming back from his dad's tomorrow. I have to say I miss him very much. He just puts things in perspective and livens up the place. When he's here everything in my life feels complete and I'm sure Kristy feels the same way. He'll only be with us for another week then he's back off to his dad's for his final week during the summer. He's stating school this August. Pre-K. Can't say I remember much about Pre-K, but I think I can handle any homework he drags home.

Kristy and I went to Hastings Book to try and find a Blogger book. Or I wanted to find one. She settled on the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" Part 3?? Something like that. Unfortunately for me I couldn't find the book I wanted. I know they have one on the internet, but I didn't want to wait. So here we sit; her reading, me typing, and the dogs fighting. Home sweet home. Ever heard the song "from my front porch looking in"? I really understand that song. We're both extremely happy with one another. I feel sorry for the friends of ours who are un-happy in their relationships or marriages. Time to look up some other things on the internet...

Welcome Note

2006-07-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

This is going to be mine and Kristy's little blog. Ment for all of you to view and enjoy. I hope everyone enjoys and comments everytime they read. Hopefully both our families will find it enjoyable to look at this site from time to time and see what all we've been up to. Like stated above, families largely live apart from one another and everything we do to keep in touch matters. I personaly can't wait to get this thing off the ground so my mom, dad, step-dad, and sisters can log on occasionaly to see a new picture or read of a new adventure. After all, everyday with a 4 year old named Daytona can be an adventure. Composed with lots of love for the family members we often wish were here... And made for all the other bloggers looking for a good laugh.