Snow Day!

Well, the day started off with a phone call. As soon as the phone rang I knew exactly who it was. I didn't need the caller ID. I knew it was the warehouse. It was worse than I thought it was, though. They were in pretty bad shape because 75% of the associated didn't show up because of the weather. AND volume just so happened to be very high. So, a lot more work, and a lot less workforce meant a very long day for the crew. So all the management were called and asked to come in to help. Ashley and I talked about it and I told her I probably should go in a help out. I had the truck, it would do fine in the snow (and it did) and we didn't really have plans for the day anyway. So I figured this was a great way to make a little extra money. I think the hardest part about going in was just knowing that everyone was going to have so much fun playing outside and enjoying the snow while I was stuck in a big warehouse with no windows and no Abigail, Nate, and Micah to watch enjoying a big snow.

SO, while Daddy was at work, Ashley and the kids had an absolutely blast! It started out with Ashley trying to figure out how to enjoy the snow without spending too much time out in the cold. She had the ingenious idea of bringing the snow inside. She filled the kitchen sink up with snow for Nate, and the bathroom sink for Abigail. They absolutely loved it! She said they played with the snow for two hours!

Then, as a special treat, they all got to eat some snow with their lunch. You can tell from this picture that Nathaniel preferred the snow over his lunch.

After lunch, neighbor Debbie came over and everyone got bundled up for sledding. Nathaniel was a bit reluctant and didn't really loosen up. Abigail, on the other hand, was a really big girl on the sled. She wanted to go all by herself and was doing a great job flying solo! It all ended, though, when Abigail's sled veered a little too far to the right and ran over one of the neighbors solar accent lights. We'll definitely pay them for the repairs. That kind of spooked Abigail a little bit, so she was done sledding after that.

So everyone came inside after having a really good time and warmed up with some delicious hot cocoa. They loved that part, too!

I didn't get home from work till after 8:00. I got the call around 6:30 am. After getting ready and digging the truck out of the snow I didn't actually leave until a little after 7:00. I didn't pull in to work until 8:15. It took an hour for me to get there. The roads were just awful. I sure hope we aren't paying too many taxes on NCDOT's winter weather program. Because I don't know what they did all day, but it sure wasn't clearing roads like they should have been. I know that seems harsh, but honestly, where were they all day?? I saw some plows, but where was the salt?

When I got home the kids were already in bed. At one point, the plan was for me to remain in Henderson with second shift and give them a hand. Since the roads were so bad, work paid for some hotel rooms close to the warehouse for those who lived far out. So there was a point where I was on the list for a spot in one of the rooms because I felt like at one point it would have been smarter to do that than risk driving home and run off the road. Well, it didn't take long before I decided I really wanted to get home regardless of how long it took. I mean, I risked my neck to go to work, why not risk it to go home? Besides, I would much rather wake up next to my wife tomorrow morning than I would my good buddy Seth Pierce. I like you and all Seth, buuuut you know what I mean.

Our plans for tomorrow....we're not going anywhere!!! Except sledding, of course! And the phone may just mysteriously develop technical difficulties overnight. That would be a shame if work tried to call and our phones were out. ;o)

Happy Birthday, Micah!!!

Okay, so his birthday was yesterday, but the day was so full of activities that I couldn't jot anything down in the blog until now. Micah Allen Erdman. His name means, "who is like our God?" I can't believe he is one year old now. So for about 11 days our kids will be 3, 2, and 1 year old. God has a sense of humor, doesn't he!

While Micah isn't walking yet, he sure does get around the house. He is all over the place! He's shown some real progress with standing while not holding on to anything. He really wants to walk. He'll get it before too long.

For Micah's birthday we went to the park. We also had a cupcake - cake. How do you say that? A cake made of cupcakes. It was quite messy. We had a blast. It was good to recall all that was going on a year ago. Life just hasn't been the same with Micah around. It's better, in fact!

Happy Birthday, Micah! We love you very much!

Terrific Tuesdays

It's so nice to have a three day weekend every week. Tuesday is a sort of Monday for me, except it isn't Monday. I don't know too many people that really like Mondays. It's so nice to just avoid them all together.

Tuesday is trash night. It's also bread ministry night. I graduated from Seminary with the guy who oversees the Manna Ministry, a free bread pantry to seminary students. He told us we were welcome to keep coming to the ministry as long as we were in Wake Forest. We haven't paid for bread in years. That has been such a blessing!

Work is going very well. Because I have been trained in several different functions and in several different departments, I'm able to jump from one job to another in a single shift. I've been overseeing a special project over the last two or three weeks and it has been going very well. There have been rumors of promotions coming in the future, but WalMart is so unpredictable, and the warehouse is no exception. A promotion would be nice. Then we wouldn't be affected so much financially by low-volume and short hours. The days have been pretty short since the holiday rush. But we are so very grateful that we still have a paycheck to count on. Do you like this picture? Can you guess what it is? Give it a shot...it may not be that big of a challenge. Drop me a comment and let me know what your guess is.

Today was beautiful, the sky was so blue. A bit chilly, but enough sunshine to make up for it! Time to call it a day.

Colts vs. Saints

I hate to say I said so, but, uh, the Colts did make it to the Super Bowl. I thought they would be facing the Vikings, though. The big question - is this it for Brett Favre? And if he says it is, will anyone believe him?

Who will win the Super Bowl? I know it will be a very close game. I say Colts win by a field goal. It's sure to be quite a game!

Second Saturday

Mondays are like another Saturday for us. Ashley has been signed up for work every Monday but that haven't called her to work for more than two or three months. So, Mondays have become another Saturday for us. Today was no exception. We made huge strides on the to-do list. I am getting closer to being done with the project I started last weekend. I also installed some insulation in the utility closet. Last year I made a hole in the wall next to the laundry room and turned it into a pantry for Ashley. The only thing I didn't do is insulate the "floor" of the pantry. So it gets quite cold in there. It keeps the cans of soda cold, that's for sure! But it isn't very good for the rest of the house. It only took about half an hour to do. I don't like working with insulation. I was covered from head to toe to keep the insulation from coming into contact with my skin.

Ashley is making progress on her big project. She may complete a major phase of the project this evening. If so, expect some pictures soon. I don't want to spoil it just yet, though.

Almost completed my study on Faith and Repentance that was supposed to be taught in LifeChange yesterday morning. I'll send it out via email as soon as it is done. If anyone out there is interested in learning more about faith and repentance, shoot me an email and I'll put a copy in your inbox!

Today was such a beautiful day! It felt more like Spring than Winter. I'm loving it!

What A Day! (part 2)

Well, we decided that we needed to get out of the house. We were all not feeling well and needed some good medicine. I'd goofed up big time with skipping out on church the day I was supposed to teach. The kids were going nuts because church is like the one day they get to hang out with their friends and do fun things outside of the home. So, we decided that after lunch we would go downtown Raleigh to the Natural Science Museum. The plan was to eat lunch, get doped up on some good meds, drive down to the museum and hang out. And so that's just what we did. Even though we were sick, we didn't feel as though we were going threaten the city of Raleigh, and the family really needed this sort of medicine.

Nate and Abigail had a really great time. Micah did, too. Nathaniel was a little reluctant about the dinosaurs, but when we told them there would only be the bones, he eased up a little bit. But only a little bit. By the time we reached the fourth floor, we were all tired, but the kids had really loosened up and were having a great time.

I think our favorite part was the living conservatory. The butterflies were beautiful, but the coolest part was the sloth that lived in the conservatory. He was actually very active for a sloth.

After we left the museum we decided to stop at Taco Bell for some much needed refreshment. Then we hopped over to Burger King for dessert and the indoor playground. By the end of the day everyone was so tired, but very happy. And you know what...I think we all feel better, too.

What A Day! (part 1)

To steal the famous quote from Dickens' Tale of Two Cities, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

So, we have all been sick all week long. Ashley and the kids have been sick for a while now. They didn't go to church last Sunday because of not being well. When the kids are sick we don't put them in the nursery. So if they are all sick, we don't even attempt to take them all to church. Micah was diaognosed with a minor ear infection this week. Everyone has mucus coming out of their noses. Everyone has upset stomachs. Nate just got over Fifths Disease. Yeah, our house has been a regular breeding ground for mucus and germs. So we try to keep it all to ourselves.

Which brings me to this morning. We decided that I would stay home with the kids this morning, then Ashley would get a chance to go to church. Well, she woke up feeling pretty yucky again so we decided we would all just lay low. Well, she napped most of the morning while I played with the chi'rren. Then I put Micah down for a nap mid-morning. So I was sitting downstairs on the couch looking up church pastor jobs for Dad, Abigail and Nate were playing independently at this point, and the phone rang. I thought it was odd that someone would be calling us during a time we were typically at church. So I though for sure it was a wrong number.

It turned out to be my good friend Ronnie from small group. He was calling from church. He called right about the time our LifeChange class would be starting. It was real encouraging to hear his voice. I thought how nice it was that he would call from church to tell us he missed us and was thinking about us and hoped we go to feeling better. As it turned out, he wasn't the only one who missed us...the whole LifeChange class missed us! In fact, they were also missing their teacher! That's right! I was slated to teach the class this morning. For the past two weeks or so I had planned on teaching not this Sunday, but next Sunday. Sure enough, after rechecking the calendar, today was the day. I could not believe it. I was so upset with myself. How in the world did I miss this? Dropping the ball when no one else knows it still hurts, but dropping the ball when it affects others hurts even more. It's just embarrassing.

What makes this really bad is that I had been looking forward to teaching this for so long! I've told Ashley so many times how excited I had been in preparing for this lesson. The passages and verses I studied were getting me real excited.

So needless to say, our day started out a bit depressing. We had to do something to make up for it.

Supervisor Dinner

I have worked for WalMart DC 6091 for almost 5 years now. And never have I been so proud as I was this evening. To show their appreciation to all the supervisors, the warehouse General Manager and other management gave all the supervisors an awesome dinner at the Texas Roadhouse (one of my new favorite restaurants). We had an awesome time hanging out with the other supervisors and their spouses. It was so neat to get together outside of work. I have spent a lot of hours with a good portion of these people, and it was great to be together at such a nice occasion. The food was great - I had ribeye and ribs with a loaded baked potato.

At the dinner they recognized the spouses for all they did to support us and our crazy schedules. This gesture was so well-received, because our spouses go through some difficult times with our schedules. I know Ashley is so understanding and very supportive. They were all presented with a new WalMart umbrella. All the supervisors also received a snazzy polo shirt with the new WalMart logo - love the spark!

To add to the joy of the occasion, several of the supervisors I work with, as well as the upper management team, are believers. So, our camaraderie is stronger because of the bond we share in Christ. To gather together like that for the first time was very exciting.

People often ask me, and to be perfectly honest I have even asked myself, "If you graduated from Seminary, why are you still at WalMart?" My answer, as simple as it sounds, is that God wants me there right now. I am able to minister and serve in a very important way. People spend a large portion of their week in their respective job environments. That makes it a very important place for the light of Christ to be aglow on a continual basis. Am I always a faithful ambassador of Christ at work? No, I'm not. But I'm still an ambassador nonetheless. And because of that I rely on Christ's faithfulness to display his grace in me, and for that grace to be a light to those with whom I work. Ashley and I are very content right where we are.

If the Lord wants us to move, he will make it happen and the direction will be clear. At this point, though, he simply hasn't done that. So, we are living our lives in light of the gospel and awaiting expectantly for his return. Which means that I have been called to be a supervisor at WalMart until the Lord changes that.

Official Notice of Resignation

Based on the recent discover that our children eat more when the Lourcey's cook dinner, Ashley and I hereby indefinitely resign from cooking meals for our children. Yes, that's right. Yesterday, Rob and Emily Lourcey brought us an absolutely fabulous dinner - a Turkey meatloaf, homemade mashed potatoes, and green beans. And we could not believe how much the kids ate of it. You have to understand, dinner at our house is not a very pleasant event. It usually consists of threats, bribes, and out right force-feeding to nourish the children. Well, you should have seen how many piles (yes, piles) of green beans Abigail ate yesterday. And Nate, he ate all of his meat and potatoes. He's always picky about what he eats, but last night he just gobbled it all up. So, we officially resign.

Thank you, Lourcey's for loving us like you did yesterday. And most of all for getting our kids to eat. That was quite a feat! And quite a feast! We love you guys!

Friday is here!

I love Fridays. In fact, I think it would be safe to say that everyone in my house loves Fridays. We love 'em for two main reasons 1. Every Friday is pizza night, & 2. Friday means Daddy doesn't go to work until Tuesday. Friday means goodbye work week, and hello weekend! While I do enjoy my job, I am very glad that for three days out of the week I do not have to wake up at 2:45 am. I personally look forward to spending the days hanging out with the fam, going to parks, knocking out some honey-do projects, staying up late with Ashley, and reuniting with my church family on Sunday morning. In fact, one of our weekend projects has just begun. Stay tuned for more!

Pray for Micah

Keep little Micah in your prayers. We just found out today that he has a mild ear infection. Mommy is at the pharmacy right now. Pray for Mommy, too, as she deals with caring for a sick family while she is sick herself. Don't quite know how she does it.

Super Bowl Picks

I pick the Indianapolis Colts facing the Minnesota Vikings. I'd love to see Brett Favre and Peyton Manning in a SuperBowl showdown.

First things first though, Colts have to get through the Jets. The Jets seem to be underrated. But in playing the game against the Colts there can be no mistakes on either team's part. Both teams could make mistakes, but from a quarterback perspective, who would be more likely to make a mistake, rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, or 10-year seasoned veteran Peyton Manning? It should be quite a game, but I think the Colts will end up with the win.

And in other news...

This will be quite a festive year for us, to say the least. This month we celebrate Micah's first birthday. February is Abigail's 4th birthday (that one is hard to believe!). March is Nate's 3rd birthday. April is not only tax month, but my little brother Andrew is getting married. May brings our 7 anniversary!!! (Oh yeah, we have big plans!) June is calm. My big brother Skip is getting married in July. August is uneventful at the moment except it marks my 5th year with WalMart DC 6091. September is my birthday. October is October. November is another trip to the beach for Thanksgiving. And December is Ashley's BIG 30!!! Wow. And somewhere in there we plan on getting some sleep.

Andrew just informed us that he has signed the lease on his new apartment where he and Sarah will call home. I'm so excited for both of them. I'm excited to see what God will teach them as they journey through life together.

Had the best talk with Skip the other day about the engagement. We haven't ever had a talk like that. It was one of those good talks. You know what I mean?

Well, in other news...we are all sick somehow right now. Everyone has snot. Me, my sinus' hurt, but that's about it. As long as I don't bend over I'm good. Or lay down. Which may be difficult here in a couple of hours. I have found one of the best things for sleeping with a cold, though. It's a vapor plug that plugs in just like an air freshener. Except this thing puts out Sudafed instead of Gardenia. Now that's some good stuff! It's better than Nyquil because I actually can hear my alarm clock when it goes off when I use the vapor plug. I think it's called Sudacare.

Ashley just has the mommies. You know, the heinz 57 variety of sickness that comes from getting what all the kids have. That on top of the normal aches, pains, and frustrations of keeping up with three toddlers and one big baby. Yet, amazingly enough, dinner was awesome, the house looks great, and she is as radiant as ever. How she does it will forever remain a mystery.

Poor little Micah has a fever. He just has random fits of fussiness, so we know he's hurting. I'm hoping his ears aren't infected. The girls are out grocery shopping while us boys are doing our favorite things: playing choo choos and playing on the computer. So I'll probably put Micah down for bed early. If I didn't think he'd wake up at 6 am, I'd put him in bed right now. He's ready.

I love my life.

Glimpse of the future?

Well, while I was at work, my kids were busy growing up. They had quite a treat today. Neighbor Debbie drives a school bus for Wake County and she brought her bus home today just so Nate and Abigail could see it and go for a little trip. They were absolutely excited about it! Ms. Debbie picked them up at the driveway. They had their bookbags on and they were ready to roll.

They cruised the neighborhood across the street and then she let them back off at the house. That is, not until after they had a chance to sit behind the controls and push a few buttons. They had a blast! It was definitely a memory they'll never forget. Ashley said today that she bets no other homeschool gets their own private bus service! (Since we don't have the kids in preschool at this time, Ashley has been working with them, and has done a fantastic job!)

Checking off the to-do list

What a beautiful Monday today was! It felt like Spring already. Certainly a great day for some good manual labor. We have formulated a Master To Do list with all the projects that need to get done around here. We do that so when we get a free day we pick a project and try to knock it out. I should be able to wrap up today's project tomorrow after work. I'll let you know what it is when it is finished. Maybe I'll even get crazy and post some pictures of it. Maybe.

One thing's for sure, I won't have any trouble going to bed early tonight. I still work weekday first shift which begins at 4 am - crazy, I know, but hey, it's work! And for that I'm thankful.

Ashley made the best pot roast tonight. Annnnd I ate way too much. Even though she didn't say it, I think she wanted more for leftovers. What was she thinking? Okay, so there's a little bit left.

Nathaniel was so excited about a gift neighbor Debbie gave him today. Ashley and the kids got to spend some good front porch time with her and the dogs Trixie and Chloe. Well, every time they are with Ms. Debbie she always has some kind of treat for the kids. Today was no exception. For Abigail it was a beautiful china doll. For the boys it was some clothes. BUT not just any clothes! Nathaniel was so excited when she gave him his new Lightning McQueen long sleeve shirt. When he got it he lit up and asked Mommy if he could put it on right there. Being that it was a little bit chilly she told him he would have to wait until he got home. So Nate being Nate, he said, "Ooo, can we go home right now!" While his statement may sound simple or minor to some, this really was a big deal. Nathaniel never wants to leave Ms. Debbie's house. So for him to want to run home right away he must have been really excited. It's okay, Ms. Debbie, Nate really does love you more than Lightning McQueen!

Well, typing is coming slowly now. Time to turn out the lights. The kids have a big adventure tomorrow. A first. Maybe we'll get some good pictures and share it with you all!

Hope Does Not Disappoint

Compare Romans 5:1-11 with Hebrews 10:19-25. Here you will find why apart from the gospel there is no lasting hope. But because of what Christ did on the cross we can have hope in all things!

Sunday Reflections

It doesn't get any better than this. My bride sitting next to me on the half-torn up free couch we got off craigslist, as she organizes a new batch of freshly clipped coupons. A nice warm cup of joe with hazelnut and an extra drop of sugar. Life is just not the same as it was just a year ago or so. The kids are all in bed after an exciting afternoon of watching CARS and playing with the big blue ball before heading off to bed. Poor Micah, he couldn't make it to bed without at least one big bump on the head. This time because big brother fell on him. Yeah, life just isn't the same.

It's nice to not have to worry about working tomorrow, or any Monday for that matter. We usually find something to fill up the Saturdays and Mondays with, though. Like a paycheck, the time is eagerly anticipated, but completely spoken for and alloted before you really even get to enjoy it.

(As Ashley gasps in frustration as she just discovered a coupon she wish she had with her earlier.)

I love my home. The couch I alluded to earlier is really not in bad shape. That is, if you can get past the chunks of fabric missing here and there. It is a new project. We are trying our hands in the reupholstering industry. Something everyone should attempt at least once in his life. The mental picture is beautiful, but getting from A to B might be quite challenging. Stay posted for the results. Maybe you'll get the results before my next birthday.

New Year's Resolution

Blog more often.