More Pictures of Layla

Growing Like a Weed

This little girl is too cute for words.

More photos...

Introducing the Prettiest Girl in the World

Layla Grace is here and I thought I would share a few pictures.

The Big Announcement

I am unsure how many folks actually still read this blog...I know I update it twice per year on the average. I just thought I would share the news about what we found out yesterday about the baby.

The gender is...

...a baby girl.

WE ARE PREGNANT!!!

Picture says it all...how true...how true.

The "Chops"

Hello again to all of you who actually read this blog, or at least have read this blog in the past. I know it has been three months since I posted anything, but it has been a very busy three months. I decided to dust off my blog in order to share some thoughts and some pictures with you all.

Yesterday (Thursday 4/20) I took the day off of work to get some yard work and some errands done. I finished in the yard about 11:00 or so when it began to rain, and came inside to get cleaned up. Between Amy coming home for lunch and my generally easy-going pace for the day, I found myself trimming my beard about 1:00. I accidentally cut a gap in my facial hair that I had been working on since the first of the month thus necessitating a complete shave. I started around the area that I had gapped so badly, and then paused after trimming that away. I chuckled at the image reflecting back at me in the mirror. I neatened the trim up and decided that my wife would appreciate this "new me". As often is the case when I have too much spare time on my hands, the mischievious devil that whispers most of my "brilliant" ideas into my ear won out again and I posed for the following picture in order to solicit the disconcerted head shaking of my wife that normally precedes the words "honey, what are you doing?"

My original plan had been to take the photo and then finish shaving. But as has been my experience, I can convince myself any idea is a good one if given enough time. I still had my errands to run at Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart, so I thought I would keep my look for the day, pride fall down and all of that. Once again this was primarily to add to the general shock factor when I revealed to my wife what I had done with my day off, and I thought that I would probably blend in to some degree considering the schedule of stops.


I went ahead and made my rounds, where, by the way, most people either tried rather unsuccessfully to divert their eyes or sheepishly managed a smile while deciding whether or not I was going to steal their jewelry. I had a ball.

My wife got home just after 5:00 that evening. Needless to say, I received the anticipated head shake followed by the plea for me to finish shaving. I told her that I would consider it. By the end of the evening, she had given me the pet name "porkchop". I think that it is growing on her.

I awoke this morning (Friday 4/21) and did some chores around the house and prepared to run some more errands. I had the shaving cream on my face ready to finish the job, but then I had a thought (I've got to stop thinking on my days off.) I was going to make the "chops" a social experiment. I wanted to see at what points in the day that I became self-conscious about my appearance. I wanted to weed out those vestiges of pride that harbour vanity and conceit. It worked too. I noticed myself becoming very self-conscious at different times of the day, and have found the "chops" to be a useful tool. I am debating on whether I will keep the look for church on Sunday, but who knows.