The Black Academy Awards

There are more videos at www.familyofblacks.com.

To see the latest on Asher click here!

To see the latest on Ezra click here!

Let's Play Ball!

(pictured from left to right - Willie, Willie, Willie)

There is much talk about baseball in the news these days. I thought I would contribute to the baseball conversation. There are many great things about the sport but nothing compares to the Willie triplets. Their names will go down in history as being the greatest men to ever run the bases. Hats off to the Willies!

News at the parental Blacks

This is the big news in Cape Girardeau on a Saturday afternoon. My parents cat stalked a mole, dug it out of a hole and had it for lunch. Mmm, mole breath.

News in the Black home

Someone got a haircut and she is hot!

Raisin Box Fortunes

Recently I have been eating raisins. I don't know why. It is a finger food that Ezra has been eating recently. One day I grabbed a handful of raisins from his snack bag and could not stop eating. It's a strange snack. Who thought of this? I imagine the conversation went something like this: "let's take a perfectly good fruit and let it sit in the sun for a long time until the life is sucked out of it - then let's eat it." It's a strange snack.

We have been working with Ezra to try to get him to understand that God is Creator. When we see something that God has made we ask "Ezra, who made this." His response is the obvious - "Dod!" Yesterday I asked Ezra who made the raisins. His answer was the obvious - "Dod!" Initially I praised Ezra for answering correctly and then I thought...I suppose that God made the grape and some underpaid worker probably did most of the work in the raisin process. Of course Ezra doesn't understand that logic so I said again - "that's right, God made the raisins."

Sun-maid Raisins is doing something interesting with their packaging. Each snack-sized box of raisins comes witht the added incentive of a fortune. On the flap that folds into the box there is a short fortune or proverb much like a fortune cookie. I would like to share the last few days of fortune with you. Please understand that I am not endorsing these fortunes. Some of them may sound biblical but they are not Scripture. Please do not file suit against me because I encouraged you to live out these fortunes. I am simply sharing the sayings and it is your responsibility if you are to act on the fortunes.

1. Make plans for tomorrow.
2. Your true beauty leaves a lasting impression.
3. Your sense of humor is priceless.
4. Celebrate: you're on a roll.
5. True friends don't care what's in your piggy bank.

The fortune on the snack-sized box of Sun-Maid raisins is an interesting marketing tool. It may be a good use of space on the box but we all know that the best use of a raisin box is the raisin box kazoo.

Nipped in the bud - February 24th, 2006

"Well, today's eight-year-olds are tomorrow's teenagers. I say this calls for action and now! Nip it in the bud! First sign of youngsters going wrong, you've got to nip it in the bud."

Happy Birthday Stephen

It's BACK

It is back by popular demand. We have added the bedhead page to our new web site. Click here to view your favorite participants.

Arctic Circle or Minot?

This morning I looked the weather reports in the Arctic Circle and Minot is several degrees colder than anywhere in the cirlc. For instance, one of the northern most points in Greenland is -9 degrees. On my way to work this morning I saw this:

My eyeballs froze to my lids.

The little things in life

This morning I awoke at 3:45 AM to calm Asher from his early morning hysteria. I walked into our kitchen where our indoor/outdoor thermometer hangs on the green wall. I looked at the outside temperature and had to look again just to make sure I wasn't reading it incorrectly. It was 1 degree above zero. I said to myself, "self, that is cold!" I then went downstairs to check my email. My home page is set to the personalized Google page. One of the options I have chosen to be on my personalized page is the local weather. Today looks warm - almost balmy - compared to Friday. My father said it was supposed to be in the 70's in Cape Girardeau today.



Even though the weather conditions are not that great today the small things in life cause me to rejoice. I drove to my local Starbucks (yes, Minot has a Starbucks) and purchased a tall coffee (oddly enough the tall size is the second to smallest of four sizes). I was pleasantly surprised to find that the coffee of the day was Guatemala Antigua. When I worked at Starbucks this was the coffee I drank most often. It is one of my favorites. It is the small things in life that make one happy. When it's as cold as the set of March of the Penguins and the forecast doesn't look much better, it is good to have simple pleasantries. I am thankful!

Oh, and it just started snowing.

Lessons from Ralphie

I choo choo choose Kirsten. I love that woman! She is nice. She loves me. She is a good mommy. She makes good cranberry walnut bread. She has great green eyes. She has a huge smile - even when I tell stupid jokes. She is hot hot hot! I love my wife!

1 + 1 = scary

Carrot Top _________ Carly Simon

=

Shaun White

Galatians 4:1-7

1. I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything,
2. but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.
3. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
4. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
5. to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
6. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
7. So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

My wife - young and beautiful!

Saturday, February 4th was Kirsten's anniversary of birth. I tried to post this on Saturday but the site was down so I will post it today.

Although some are not,
My wife is quite hot.
Not like the beetle's dung,
My wife is still young.
Her eyes are bright green,
and I think that's keen.
A mom and a wife of fun,
at the young age of 31.

Happy Day!

I don't understand. Every year in February we celebrate this day. Something about a shadow and more winter. I don't understand how this thing could even see its shadow. Especially now that it's wrapped in plastic. Well, for those who do celebrate! Here's to you.