Ethan views the jet we're about to board when leaving Savannah 

Our boys

Remodel Update

The only thing left to do on the cabinets is to install some "filler" strips that fill in a 1" gap between the body of the cabinet and the drywall. 

Remodel update

The bathroom is mostly done except for the trim. I also need to finish the drwall in the hallway, as you can see from the area around the doorway in this picture.

Put a lid on it!

You take your eye off them for a minute, and... 

Asa loves riding in the baby carrier. 

Rosy cheeks after a long walk

Today I took a break from finishing up our bathroom renovation and we all went on a walk up a dirt road across from our house. When we reached the end we continued up through a couple adjacent blueberry fields. We saw several interesting things, including a half-eaten deer carcass, a very old fieldstone house foundation, an old well, and some incredible views of the surrounding areas (the road goes up the side of the small mountain we live on). 

By the way...

Speaking of creation, have you ever reflected on the magnificence of the creation around us? Of course. Who hasn't? A breathtaking western canyon vista, the roar of the sea along the Maine Coast...people experiencing similar sights are always impressed--regardless of whether or not they are willing to acknowledge where it all truly came from.

But there's a side to God's creation that sort of takes me by surprise. We were created by the same God that created the deep sea angler fish. Yikes. I suppose that one could argue that such creatures bear more obvious marks of the curse than men do. But somehow I'm dissatisfied with that explanation of the magnificently homely and ferocious creatures we find in every corner of the earth.

Have you ever uncovered a sand worm at the beach? It kinda gives me the willies just thinking about them. Ever look up close at a tarantula? How about a flea? Check out the huge, lizard-like Komodo Dragon that lives in Indonesia. How many of you have walked out of the water after a refreshing swim only to be horrified by a nasty leach stuck somewhere on your body. Hmmm. It seems that God is into more than snow-capped mountains and puffy clouds--as beautiful as they can be. Who is this One who can imagine such beautiful ugliness and then create it?

The only satisfactory answer I have found is that we have a Creator whose motivations cannot be guessed. His creativity, power, and desire to glorify Himself cannot be adequately defined by men. He amazes and humbles me.

The scrambling continues

The other day I came across an interesting article posted on the Answers in Genesis website: The scrambling continues. Apparently someone found a T-Rex bone in Montana about a year ago that doesn't fit current fossilization theories. It seems that the bone "still retained well-preserved soft tissue (which included blood vessels and cells)." But you gotta see the pix. Evolutionary theory will always be a shining example of how men will do anything to support their refusal to acknowledge their Maker. The blind religiosity of evolutionists reminds me of Romans 1:18, that men "suppress the truth by their wickedness."

Nice hat.

 

Snow tubing

Today some friends of ours invited us to go snow tubing at the ski area 10 minutes down the road. Although I've lived here all my life I had never been there. Wow! I didn't know what I was missing. The only bad part was walking back up to the top. :) 

Here's a frame from a video Emily took of me riding down the hill with Ethan's friend Joshua. 

Asa 

Remodel progress update

This isn't a very good picture, but you get the gist of what's going on. I installed the floor today. Some of the cabinets went up last week. 

The bathroom isn't done, but the tub is done and it's not too early to use it! 

Recommended blog

My brother Kris's wife Sarah recently started a blog to share family pics. Kris & another brother Jason own Burgess & Burgess Construction. The blog shows some pics of the house that Kris built, as well as some very cute pics of their daughter Emma. Visit www.theburgessfamily.blogspot.com to check it out.

Now Ethan has a closet for his stuff! 

Ethan's room is basically done now. Just one small section of baseboard trim to install (I ran out). He's been using it for a couple of weeks. It's still a small bedroom, but at least he's not sharing it with the laundry sink, washer, & dryer. 

We're going with a...um...kermit-ish green. It's pretty bold, but a lot of it will be covered up with white cabinetry & the washer & dryer. 

Remodel Update: The drywall in the bathroom is done & painted. Here's the new shower & fixtures. 

Asa having a bedtime snack 

Ethan reminds me a little of Clark Gable with his cream cheese mustache 

Asa trying dad's hat 

The timeless temptation: wet paint. 

I think I have the most forbearing wife in the world. I'm in the drywall taping phase of my bathroom / bedroom remodel project. My brother Jason put the drywall up for me. He's a pro so it went a lost faster and much neater than if I had done it.

Ethan gave Asa a ride in the sled this afternoon (I think it was Mom's idea) 

Asa shows off his new top teeth. I mentioned to Em the other day that he's got enough room between them for a third one. 

Em took a picture of this blueberry field just up the road from our house. For those of you who've never been here, Maine blueberries grow on low, shrubby vines and you can find huge fields full of them in various areas of the state. They're beautiful in fall too, as the leaves turn red before they fall off the vines.