philthecarl

pics of the kiddos

2010-10-20T08:06:00.005-05:00

Separating the Jeeps from the goats, then taking a rest.

Smooch!

Green Bean

Matching hats with a side of cheese

Bundled up cheeks.

Cliffs

2010-09-25T18:59:00.001-05:00

Spent some time reading out of Isaiah 2 after climbing today. I welled up in thankfulness that when the Lord comes, I won't run to the caves and cliffs to hide from the Lord, but will be welcomed by him into glory.

Then my heart broke for the fellow who was with us who doesn't know the Lord and I prayed for him, that he would enter the kingdom before the Lord comes and would be there with us on that day. Pray for him also...his name is Andrew.

Scents

2010-09-24T23:31:00.000-05:00

If you're anything like me, you're very aware of smells, and certain smells can bring you back to certain memories and experiences.

Recently, I was reflecting on the "smell of home". When I walk in my parents door I smell either home cooked meals or my moms home made soaps.

In Grand Marais, especially in autumn, when I enter Garry and Renee's house, I smell the pleasing aroma of birch from their wood burning fireplace.

These smells comfort me and "welcome me home" in a sense.

I find that the fall is the time of year when this happens most often.

What are smells that remind you of home or bring you back to a time and place?

The busyness of life

2010-09-23T20:15:00.001-05:00

There was a time when if you asked me, "what keeps you busy these days?" I could spout off about twenty different activities and the like. Now if you asked me I would simply answer, "running the business and being a dad/husband"

I'm probably the busiest I've ever been, which you could probably tell by my lag in blog posts.

thought

2010-08-07T15:31:00.002-05:00

If you thought we weren't in Grand Marais right now, you're terribly mistaken...and now you're probably jealous.

I love my family

2010-07-26T22:10:00.002-05:00

In our family it very quickly goes from this...

to this...

motocross

2010-07-26T09:37:00.005-05:00

Corban and I had our first motocross outing yesterday. I think he really enjoyed it, though, they are so loud that I think he was a little scared of them yet. My sisters and Chris came along which was a huge blessing. I love hanging out with my family!

I think I'm addicted to taking Corban to do things, which I hope is a good problem. On Saturday we took a road trip to Lake City to watch my sisters compete in the Highlander Games. Later we drove south to Reads Landing to visit my cousin Kim who just bought a new house. That area is so beautiful, and Lake Pepin is amazing!

summer dresses

2010-07-26T09:30:00.004-05:00

It would be nothing less than mean if I didn't share pictures like this one. Our little girl is 5 months old already, can you believe it!?

one of my favorite things...

2010-07-25T19:38:00.003-05:00

...is enjoying World's Best Doughnuts with my family in the most perfect spot to enjoy them.

thick skin

2010-07-03T08:41:00.001-05:00

If anyone has advice on how to grow thicker skin I would be happy to hear your thoughts.

Happy Father's Day (a message from a hacker/wife)

2010-06-20T15:14:00.005-05:00

Thank you for being a father who...

delights in evening story-time and bedtime prayers
talks about Jesus and His love for us
after a long, strenuous day at work, still musters up energy to play with your children
knows when to hold and when to discipline
makes our children squeal with delight
gives lots of hugs and kisses
lets his son help him with projects
is quick to show mercy
is someone I'd like our son grow up to be like

God is good to give us you. We love you!

some family pics from Jadon's dedication day

2010-05-22T11:26:00.005-05:00

behold the cuteness

2010-05-22T11:21:00.003-05:00

summit of Carlton Peak

2010-04-25T14:29:00.001-05:00

When you come into Schroeder there's a holiday gas station on your left, and Bluefin Bay resort on the right. After you go down and back up the hill, there's county road that heads inland off Hwy 61. Follow that road about a mile and you find the trail-head marked with the SHT sign. The hike is a little over a mile to the summit, but well worth it.

superior water colors and self portrait

2010-04-24T14:20:00.000-05:00

Corban's new past-time

2010-04-23T08:26:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately for him, he won't be doing it that often, at least for the next 13 years.

first climb of the year

2010-04-22T15:28:00.007-05:00

We set off down a minimum maintenance trail up the hill off the lake. When we hiked the summit the day prior we noticed there were some picnic tables and road down below, thus telling us there was another way to this gem hidden behind the trees on Hwy 61.

It wasn't long before gratefulness was welling up in my heart that I owned a Jeep, the road would have been impassable in something less than a 4x4. We suddenly realized what the road was, it was a trail used to haul rocks down the mountain. We passed numerous quartz mines until we finally reached the top, where we began our hike to the south face of Carlton Peak.

When we arrived, it wasn't a question of whether we would climb, but where. There we numerous routes which looked awesome. We chose one that looked like it had the most versatility for rope placement:routes. Terry and I scurried up a crack to set the top rope. After locating and placing some solid protection, we lowered the rope and repelled down the face, and so we climbed.

The day was already late, so we didn't have much time. We each got about three climbs in before we decided to head back. It will be a goal of ours to make it back here sometime this summer.

shed hunting

2010-04-15T14:27:00.000-05:00

Just got back from moose shed hunting with Garry on the Border Trail. This was the second time I have been shed hunting with Garry in the north wilderness. Garry was telling me that moose typically shed their antlers in January, but due to the amount of snow it makes them both hard to find, and hard to travel the land during this time.

We are currently in shed hunting season. It's still pretty early, but all the snow is gone.

We went up the Arrowhead Trail and set in on the South Fowl Lake Drive. Typically these trails are nothing short of an abandoned logging road, nigh impassible via vehicle most of the year.

It wasn't long before we hiked across the Pigeon River and on into Canada. We were traversing the landscape in hopes of finding a treasure of the fasting growing bone in all creation, the moose antler.

We knew full well before starting our expedition that the weather could be a nuisance, but that didn't stop us. The temperature was moderate enough that even a little rain couldn't stop our longing hearts to explore God's creation, even if we found nothing.

It has been my experience with shed hunting that heading in is the easy part, it's finding your way out that can be difficult. When you make your way in you're dry, feeling good, and full of expectation. When you're heading out you're soaked, soar, and wanting nothing but warmth and food.

If you've ever been in the wilderness of the extreme north of Minnesota you know what we just ventured into. It is beautiful, but it's not exactly a Sunday stroll through the park. I consider myself coordinated and I fell twice. In some places it's so thick that the only way to get through is to stick your hands out in front of your face, duck you head, and plunge your way forward. This is not for the faint of heart.

It's amazing how "far off" a not so far off looking ridge can be. We never made it to our destination. Due to the unpredictability of the winding Pigeon River, and the thickness of the Red Alder Bush, the ridge remains untrespassed. Next time...

opportunity

2010-04-15T10:39:00.000-05:00

If you have the kind of job that allows you to commute to work in a mode other than a vehicle, take advantage of your rich opportunity (ie - you live close enough to your place of employment and have the physical ability to walk, run, bike, ski, skateboard, inline-skate, etc to work).

I'm doing office work from a coffee shop today, and I biked here, and it was wonderful! I would do it everyday if I could.

PS - Nick S. email me your phone number or email address so we can go climbing!!! You can find my email address here: www.philcarlsoncwc.com

fun with photo booth

2010-04-04T21:55:00.001-05:00

he is his father's son :-)

2010-04-03T21:27:00.000-05:00

Every other Saturday Corban and I go to the Home Depot for the Kids Workshop. This past week we built a butterfly house.

After the Depot we go to get hot chocolate.

I look forward to Saturdays with Corban more than most things.

spicy

2010-03-27T21:14:00.000-05:00

It is quite often Corban puts the label "spicy" on something. I about fell out of my chair yesterday when he said the grapefruit juice was spicy. I tried some and it was definitely something, don't know if I would call it spicy though.

Other things Corban calls spicy, but really likes:

toothpaste
lemonade
banana peppers
soup
anything that he doesn't want to eat, but ends up eating anyways because we play hardball around the Carlson home, and we really like spicy food/oral hygiene products.

loving children

2010-03-27T09:51:00.000-05:00

I find myself holding Jadon saying, "Daddy loves you. Daddy loves you. Daddy loves you."

Jadon has done nothing but eat, sleep, and poop. Why do I love her so much and tell her I love her so much? She's mine! What can I say?

Perhaps I need to see myself like this before the Lord and take heart. I am his and he is mine. He's my Daddy and he loves* me!

*I did nothing to earn his love. He loves ME because he love Jesus.

spring

2010-03-22T07:52:00.000-05:00

I love the spring. I love all the seasons, but I love each season individually for specific reasons.

The spring is bursting with life and smells fill the air. There are many scents of spring, and most of them take me back to a time and place when I was doing this or that.

Just the other day I was in my home town and the scent combined with way the sun hit my face reminded of the day I got my first car running. It was a 1976 Chrysler Cordoba. For 7 years prior the owner had let it sit where he parked it because the battery died. He bought a new car and never dealt with the old one. I asked him if I could buy it from him (16 year-olds will do anything for any set of wheels) and he said he would pay me $1 dollar if I could get it running. Needless to say I was a dollar richer at the end of the day.

I was also reminded of events that happened in my life many springs ago when I was in school, and what life was like then...and I was thankful to God for where and how he has brought me here.

With spring in full bloom I look forward to backpacking trips, fishing, photography, biking, biking, biking, climbing, and just being outdoors in general. I especially excited to do outdoor things with Corban!

How about you?

her mother's daughter (or father's daughter)

2010-03-20T21:50:00.000-05:00

Jadon is four weeks old and already has 18 pairs of shoes. At this rate by the time she is one she will have 216 pairs of shoes.

***Disclaimer - she has received all of these shoes as hand-me-downs or gifts, though, we are both suckers for cute shoes.

out of the mouths of babes you have ordained praise

2010-03-20T20:32:00.001-05:00

*a post from Emily

Wednesday evening, as I lifted Corban, I felt a pop in my lower back. I knew it was going to be trouble. I asked Corban to pray for me. This is what he prayed, "Jesus, help mommy, back feel better [followed by words I couldn't understand], Amen." It was precious to have my 2yr old son pray for me. And today, my back doesn't hurt. In fact, it hasn't hurt since Corban prayed. The Lord hears, the Lord answers. Even the prayers of a little boy for his mommy. I am grateful.

quote of the day

2010-03-15T12:39:00.000-05:00

I heard this on the radio this morning, and man is it true.

"There's nothing a Monday can throw at you that a little disco can't cure."

And oh yes, I was dancing in all my tool-belt glory to Night Fever.

condiments

2010-03-14T18:55:00.000-05:00

It seems to me, that for the two year old boy, food is a means to consuming as much condiments as possible.

Example:

Corn-dogs are a means to ketchup

Quesadillas are a means to sour cream.

Crackers are means to hummus.

Carrots are means to veggie dip.

Lets be honest men, do we ever really outgrow this?

thank you

2010-03-10T19:08:00.001-06:00

Thank you to those of you who have been praying for us as Jadon has joined our family. Things are going really well. We are starting to adjust to life with two children, it's different, it's the same, it's good.

Thank you also for all the wonderful food! I have loved eating all the various food that has been brought to our house. You serve us and love us well!

Thank you!

something you don't see everyday on Matilda Street

2010-03-06T06:53:00.000-06:00

So this morning I was standing at the sink making coffee and saw something coming down the street, needless to say I was a bit surprised!

They were heading east down Cook Street...
Then like a couple Jr. High boys cut the corner through my front lawn, which actually is more like a glacier right now.
And then they were headed south down Matilda Street.

I have to be honest, I contemplated getting my gun, the country boy I am. That would put a lot of food on the table. I counted 14 of them turkeys!

I think he likes her

2010-03-05T20:58:00.000-06:00

Before Jadon, the first thing he would ask for in the morning was food, milk, or a Jeep - something normal right. Now the first thing on his mind when he gets up is his sister. He can hardly wait to say good morning to her and give her a tender kiss on the forehead.

Corban is very sweet to Jadon, and for this we are grateful to God! We are excited for Jadon that she gets to have such a wonderful big brother. We pray that they will be sweet to each other as they grow up.

Corban likes skiing

2010-03-02T21:07:00.000-06:00

This was the day before Jadon was born. Emily wanted to do some walking to prompt Jadon to come out. She pulled Corban in the sled most of the time while I skied a couple loops. Corban especially liked being pulled by daddy.

Phil Carlson Custom Woodcraft

2010-03-01T17:23:00.000-06:00

Check out my new company website!

Phil Carlson Custom Woodcraft

great resource for all you BBC people

2010-03-01T15:09:00.000-06:00

This morning Jamsco posted a list of people (that he knows of) that blog from BBC. Check it out. I read many of these blogs and am really benefited by them.

Responsible Puppet

More Jadon pics coming soon...

Corban holds Jadon/first family pics

2010-02-21T16:27:00.000-06:00

I hope this makes you chuckle

2010-02-21T16:25:00.001-06:00

sharing birthdays

2010-02-20T19:58:00.000-06:00

It just so happens that Jadon shares a birthday with her grandpa Bob his auntie Glory. Here's a picture of Bob with pretty awesome birthday gift. Jadon and Glory haven't met yet, but I'm sure they're both looking forward to it.

new family member arrives

2010-02-20T14:49:00.000-06:00

On Friday, February 19th at 7:50 the LORD brought into the world Jadon Anaiah Carlson (Jay-den Ah-nigh-ah). Her name is Hebrew for "God hears" and "Yahweh answers". She is a petite 7.2 lbs and is cute as can be!

Thank you all so much for your prayers. We have definitely felt God's hand upon us as we went through labor and now this first day with our daughter. Jadon is doing great, doing all that little ones are supposed to, and Emily is already on the mend. We plan to go home tonight after 8:00 if everything stays good.

Please continue to pray for us as we "meld" as a family. Ask God that Corban would welcome his sister with a happy, helpful heart.

Thank you all so much!

thoughts

2010-02-19T08:13:00.000-06:00

There really is nothing like a good shave.

BTW, Emily is having consistent contractions, so...here we go boys!

I will keep you posted!

some Corban pics

2010-02-12T22:24:00.000-06:00

He's going to be a big brother soon, and let's face it, he's going to be out of the limelight for a month or so once baby comes. Therefore I thought I should give him some blog time.

These are some of Corban's best friends, Elijah and Graydon.
Corban is always special!
Looks like he still has some remnant of grazing on his face.

my wife is hilarious, and very pregnant

2010-02-12T22:08:00.000-06:00

So today I had the privilege of insulating a house. Needless to say I was very uncomfortable toward the end of the day. I thought I would send my wife a text message to sort of complain about it and attempt to be funny.

Me: I'm itchy. I need to deitchify.

Emily: I'm large. I need to delargeify.

The official due date for the birth of our 2nd child is this Sunday. Please keep us in your prayers, we'll keep you posted!

manliness

2010-02-11T18:23:00.000-06:00

Manliness you say? What is he going to write about? Vacuums! That's right vacuums.

I don't know, there's just something manly about vacuuming. It is a power-tool after all. Weather I'm tenderly cleaning our nursery floor or violently blasting through 100 year old dust on the job site, I love to vacuum. The gentle hum of the motor, and the satisfaction of hearing debris bouncing off the sides of the vacuum tube, there's no down side. It's always satisfying to change the filter and see all that stuff that abides where you do!

Seriously, if our family was at your house for dinner and you said, "Hey Phil, wanna go downstairs and checkout the vacuum?" I'd say, "heck yes!"

I've gotten to know my vacuums. I have two. One is a Ridgid job site vacuum, wet or dry. The other is a household Kenmore, dark blue, with a powerful 12 amp motor and a light!

What do you wield? Men, are you with me?

a quick physics lesson

2010-02-10T17:22:00.000-06:00

Alright people, static friction will give you greater traction than sliding friction. Translation, when you're stuck, try to keep your tires from spinning. Spinning your tires in the snow will only increase your likelihood of staying stuck.

I was at the computer a lot today and my window looks out to an intersection with a stop sign on a slight hill. Every so often I will hear and engine rev and tires pealing out only to look out my window to see a car at the stop sign, not moving. I just witnessed a school bus doing this for at least five minutes. He was smokin' those tires! No, literally, there was black smoke everywhere!

This goes for braking as well. Anti-lock brakes were created for this very purpose. When you're breaking on slippery surfaces, you want to apply brake pressure just to the point before your tires start sliding.

There, I hope this helps.

beautiful snowfall

2010-02-08T07:51:00.000-06:00

The last time our street was plowed was the night of that soggy, rainy snow that fell on Christmas. Prior to that our street had only been plowed once. You may be asking, "Where does he live? In northern, rural MN?" No, we live in St. Paul. I wonder if this snowfall will be enough to break out the plows?!

It sure is beautiful though, and I'm glad we drive Jeeps. I was talking in jest with Emily how instead of requiring taxes for snow plowing, they should just give everybody a "vehicle credit" to buy a winter Jeep and never plow the roads.

support for Mahare

2010-02-07T13:17:00.001-06:00

You remember back in August when I did that 24 hour bike race? Well, what I didn't tell you is that I sent out a letter to my family asking for support. My goal was to get monetary pledges per lap I completed. We ended up raising $150 which we divided two ways and gave to each of our sponsored children from World Vision. Katrina in SE Asia and Mahare from Africa.

Here is a portion from the letter we received from Mahare:

Thank you so much for your money aid. We are so happy to get your special gift. May the LORD bless you with many blessings. The project worker have bought a heifer according to our need and plan. Really you are playing a great role in our food security. I enclosed a picture of me, my father and the new heifer. I hope you will get it soon and enjoy it much.

Here is picture of Mahare and his dad with their new cow!

Thanks for helping me be used of the LORD to put those smiles on their faces!

worship

2010-01-24T21:44:00.000-06:00

I had a good time worshiping with the believers at Saint Paul Fellowship, where my brother and sister-in-law worship corporately. It was good for me to get out of BBC for a Sunday and see how others worship the LORD. I love that we have one God, and one LORD Jesus Christ the Son. At every moment from almost everywhere* on the plant people are worshiping and treasuring the Faithful God. I love being exposed to other view points/vantage points within an orthodox service of worship, it keeps me from becoming closed minded and judgmental, refreshing my faith.

I think many people get stuck in a rut, and therefore aren't moving...I never want to be that, ever! May the LORD ever be gracious unto me and give me the capacities to serve him whole-heatedly while I'm on this earthly pilgrimage. Without this I'm toast!

*not all have heard of Jesus, therefore not everywhere on the planet has worshipers, therefore we should pray and go to tell them of the ultimate Treasure.

cool mac trick

2010-01-24T07:53:00.000-06:00

If you own a Mac, there is a cool feature that I use quite often. I don't know what it's called but what it does is inverts all the colors on your screen - creates a negative image. I use it mostly in the early morning when my eyes are still adjusting or when I'm in a very sunny situation and I have a hard time reading a white screen. Here's how you activate and deactivate it.

Hold down "Control, Option (Alt), and Apple (command)" and hit the number "8". Do the same thing to deactivate the feature. I've never tried it on a PC, let me know if it does.

I tried taking a screen shot with the feature activated so you could see it but screen shots bypass the feature so it didn't work.

corban knows hoops

2010-01-23T22:42:00.001-06:00

My sister Kelsie and her roommate Sarah gave Corban this bigtime basketball hoop for his birthday, he LOVES it! Take a look!

sorry it's been a while

2010-01-23T16:44:00.000-06:00

A brief update:

The LORD as we all know, but have such a hard time believing, is faithful! The LORD has been gracious to us this new year in new ways and we have given him new praise! Psalm 34 was a haven for me in my overwhelmed state and is now a haven in my peaceful state.

Our time in Grand Marias was sweet. It is so good to be with family for extended periods of time. Garry and Renee were really sweet to us, and of course Corban loved all the time with his Papa Duck!

I have been working on a bathroom remodel for some friends of ours and it has been going really well! Thank you for the prayers. I sold the van!!! - praise the LORD this was such a big burden on me. We are making a lot of progress on the company, and really enjoying what the LORD has brought our way so far concerning work.

We are expecting our new baby mid February, for me the butterflys are starting to flutter - I don't feel ready!

I feel a fresh energy now that I'm back to work and have direction. We continue to seek the LORD in all things knowing that he is faithful to lead us.

Thankful for you all. I will post pictures soon. I feel like I have a lot of catch up to do with all that's been going on.

another evidence of God's grace

2010-01-23T16:35:00.001-06:00

a hymn that's been really sweet to me lately

2010-01-05T22:23:00.000-06:00

Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken

words: Henry Lyte

music: Bill Moore

1. Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition,
All I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition!
God and heaven are still my own.

2. Let the world despise and leave me,
They have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not, like them, untrue.
O while Thou dost smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me,
Show Thy face and all is bright.

3. Man may trouble and distress me,
’Twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me;
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me
While Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

4. Go, then, earthly fame and treasure,
Come disaster, scorn and pain
In Thy service, pain is pleasure,
With Thy favor, loss is gain
I have called Thee Abba Father,
I have stayed my heart on Thee
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather;
All must work for good to me.

5. Soul, then know thy full salvation
Rise o’er sin and fear and care
Joy to find in every station,
Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
Think what Father’s smiles are thine,
Think that Jesus died to win thee,
Child of heaven, canst thou repine.

6. Haste thee on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith, and winged by prayer.
Heaven’s eternal days before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide us there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

oh how sweet to trust in Jesus

2010-01-04T23:14:00.000-06:00

Today a major burden was lifted, all praise to Jesus! Thank you for your prayers, they are effective, and mean a lot. I don't want to rob you of your joy, therefore I'm telling you that the LORD hears and the LORD answers. Praise the LORD and rejoice with us!

If you have a burden, ask the LORD for grace and mercy. His ears are open to our cries. He is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. I thought it a sweet providence this Sunday that during our time of corporate worship, Nat proclaimed verses from Psalm 34 amidst my wrestling, and broke my heart to tears. Oh how kind the LORD is to us!

It IS so sweet to trust in Jesus, I don't know how dismal it must be for those who don't know Him.

the new Milky Way "Simply Carmel" is simply out of line

2009-12-31T14:20:00.000-06:00

On a lighter note...I had a new candy bar yesterday.

To me, there were always three candy bars that were the backbone to all other candy bars. They are as follows, in this order:

Three Musketeers

Milky Way

Snickers

The Three Musketeers bar was the most basic, aside from just chocolate, having a nice creamy nougat center surrounded in delicious milk chocolate. The Milky Way bar is basically a Three Musketeers upgrade with the addition of caramel. And finally, the Snickers Bar brings it to another level by throwing in some nutritious peanuts. So, as you can see, there is a lineage.

So where does this new Milky Way bar fit in? It has the simplicity of a Three Musketeers with the glorious caramel of the Milky Way. It surely doesn't fit into the traditional candy bar lineage. For now, I will put it on par with the Three Musketeers since there are only two elements.

What's next, a Snickers Bar called "Simply Peanuts"?

a prayer for today

2009-12-31T14:00:00.000-06:00

Lord Jesus, please take this burden from me. I know your ears are always open and you are attentive to my cries. Give me the joy that's mine as a sheep in your fold. Cause my face to turn to you and be radiant. Let my mourning be turned to rejoicing, for that is far better. Give me grace to not worry about tomorrow, but trust in you for today. Renew my soul, lift my countenance, save the soul of your servant. Help me to be a confident father who trusts in you, and inspires confidence in my family. Send your peace over me like a title wave and enrapture my soul with your benevolence. Only in you, Jesus, is there any consolation for sorrow, and all the reason in the world for rejoicing and satisfaction. Keep my mind fixed on you and rule in my heart. Take it Lord Jesus, you are entirely trustworthy and good. Amen.

encouagement from Scott

2009-12-30T11:37:00.000-06:00

I received this email yesterday, and it blessed me to tears.

I also know what it's like to have emotions function as the engine of your train. There are three cars to everybody's train: the mind, emotions, and will. When we take our eyes off of our heavenly Father and the truths of his word we often start to let our emotions become the engine of the train. Fight to keep you mind and intellect and the truths you know from Scripture as the driving force of your life. Keep your emotions in check as the second car.

But this analogy breaks down in that our emotions ALWAYS follow what we're thinking. It is NEVER the other way around. If we're depressed it's because we can't see beyond the hurdle and trial in front of us, and thus we think things are hopeless. If we're joyful, it's because we remember that God loves us (as you talked about loving Corban) and seeks to give us exactly what we need most at every given moment. (Or we are just stupid and choose not to see any hurdles or trials before us.)

But you're not stupid and you do see the trials in front of you. The difficulty you seem to be having is remembering the love God has for you and his promise to provide. (Matt 6:25-34) And don't forget Rom 8:32!!! "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" God already did the greater thing, how will he now not do the lesser for those he loves.

So brother, these days look often at Corban and Emily. Meditate on and FEEL the love you have for them, and then transpose that into the love that God has for his children and that Jesus has for the church. Let these truths lead your emotions. "Set your mind on things above, not on things that are on the earth."

glorious scripture truth

2009-12-30T11:30:00.000-06:00

"And you, who were once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven..." Colossians 1:21-23

my prayer that the LORD heard and answered

2009-12-29T10:43:00.000-06:00

Oh Lord Jesus, overwhelm my heart with peace today. Cause me to wait on you, and put on the courage you have for me. Give me a trust in you that surpasses human logic, and give me eyes to see beyond this momentary, light affliction. You are good and faithful, ever extending your constant care over me. Bring my countenance from fear and sorrow to that of joy and contentment. You own the cattle on a thousand hills. You clothe the lilies of the field. You feed the sparrows. You didn’t spare your own Son, but gave him up for me. How will you not give me all I need?! Oh God cause me to seek your kingdom and your righteousness. You are gracious, good, and always faithful. Thank you for loving me. You are the great Provider, and you care for my soul. I praise you Lord for the perfect peace found in you. Give my soul rest in you. I love you Lord. Amen

Christmas day 4-wheeler ride

2009-12-29T09:24:00.000-06:00

Corban absolutely loves riding the four wheeler...for about two minutes until he starts screaming.

giant Christmas snowman

2009-12-29T09:14:00.000-06:00

The snow was perfect on Christmas day, what else would a 30 year old and his 28 year old sisters do?

sweet truth for today

2009-12-29T09:02:00.000-06:00

"He has transfered us from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom there is redemption and forgiveness of sins."

From the book of Colossians

A prayer request

2009-12-28T10:09:00.000-06:00

Hello,

We are spending the week up in Grand Marais for a time of prayer and planning. Many of you know, mid October I was laid off. Unfortunately Piper Construction had only enough work to keep one person busy. I have been staying busy where I can, and the Lord has been faithful.

With much prayer and consultation, I decided to start a business! It's called "Phil Carlson Custom Wood Craft." I am registered with the state and have been working on logos and websites and all the other 100 things I have to think about during this time. In the next couple days here I will be hopefully be launching the website, I will send you a link when it's ready.

Please pray:

that I would be wise with my time up here. That I would devote much time to prayer and fasting, as well as getting on the computer and making things happen.

that I would get a clear vision and mission for the company, and that the Lord would use us to serve people. Pray that the Lord would lead us to the people who need our help.

that I would have peace. I have been very overwhelmed and worried lately, and that's not what the Lord wants for me. Pray I would trust the Lord, and lean on him in all things and that he would continue to be perfectly faithful in our lives.

that the van would be sold. I just listed a van on craigslist and I would very much like it to sell, its a big burden on me right now.

that our other vehicles would make it through the winter with out any major repairs.

that the bathroom remodel I'm starting on Jan 4th would go smooth and I would be prepared.

This scripture has been very sweet and prophet to me lately. Please also pray this text over me.

"Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!" Psalm 27:14

Thank you so much!

I love my son

2009-12-22T22:32:00.001-06:00

I do, I really do. I love everything about him. I love also that he loves me. We have such good times together. No, he's not perfect and neither am I, but we absolutely hanging out together. I love that he tells me to sit down on the couch and then proceeds to hand me a book, climb up on my lap and say, "daddy read". I love that he asks me everyday to watch "big trucks" on Youtube. I love that he loves his jammies and will stay in them all day. I love that he gives hugs and kisses, and says sorry when he does something hurtful. I love that he colors me pictures, and how proud he is of them. I love how excited he is to see me when I get home from work, and how he can't wait to do something together. I love that he holds our hands when we pray, and will often ask to pray multiple times during a meal. I love that he wants to do what I'm doing, especially projects around the house. I love how excited he gets when we do new things. I love the way he talks, and love hearing him sing. I love holding him when he's hurt and comforting him.

I love him!

I can't help but be reminded of the fact that I am God's son. If I love my son this much, and I'm a sinful, earthly father, how much more must my heavenly Father love me?! It is good to be in the fold of God. May I, by His good grace, teach my son through word, deed, spirit, and truth about the love of the heavenly Father.

He loves us!

the only way to have a salad

2009-12-14T23:04:00.000-06:00

great morning conversation

2009-12-12T09:04:00.000-06:00

So here's the backdrop. Phil and Corban are in the kitchen making French toast and Emily comes in after having just woke up.

Phil: Good Morning!

Emily: That was the worst night of sleep ever!

Phil: Do you see what I'm making?

Emily: This is the best morning of life!

We then hugged and laughed together before we enjoyed an epic French toast breakfast!

Gamble Family Christmas

2009-12-04T13:58:00.000-06:00

Check out this link, and seriously consider coming to the concert! We would love to have you.

http://www.gamblefamilychristmas.com/

thanksgiving

2009-11-27T14:26:00.000-06:00

I love thanksgiving!

Yesterday I said,"we should celebrate thanksgiving every month." Everyone in the family was excited about this idea. I'm excited to see what happens.

PS - I was almost at Walmart at 5 AM today. Thank goodness I had a bit of wits before I went to bed.

oh the perplexity

2009-11-25T13:00:00.001-06:00

Almost a week ago I went outside on my way to work and there sitting next to our house was very nice Schwinn mountain bike. I was confused at first, but then thought it was most likely Hunter's bike (the neighbor kid). I put the bike behind my three foot high fence that is literally six inches away from the side walk to give is some protection from passerbyers and stopped by neighbors on the way to work. It wasn't his bike.

How is it that the three times we have failed to receive packages through United States Post Office they say, "Well, blah blah blah, theft is and issue and blah blah blah", and that stinkin' nice mountain bike is still sitting in my back yard untouched!?!?!?

PS - the packages were all small enough to fit between the screen and main door.

PPS - concerning the third lost package: After talking with the post office numerous times and being told we were basically screwed, our carrier delivered the package late on a Friday night with a note stuck on it, "sorry, my fault."

PPPS - I know things happen and stuff gets lost, but seriously!

your strengths weakness

2009-11-21T10:53:00.000-06:00

I have been pondering as of late how our strongest personality traits are often our weakest link, or, the things that we're good at often give us the most grief. Here's an example:

Someone who is an exceedingly good visionary will often start things, but never finish them because before they finish they're off to the next great idea.

Somebody whose a very hard worker can err on the side of being a workaholic and wear themselves out.

A person who is very giving, can over-give of themselves and wind up empty and wore out.

A fella who is tender of heart tends to get tread upon.

Granted, the scripture calls us to suffer in some regard by way of following Jesus (give in your poverty, turn the other cheek, etc.), but that's not really what I'm getting at.

It seems to me, if we don't temper our strengths with intentionality they can lead to weariness or shortcoming.

What are your strengths? And have they ever been a weak point for you?

thanks for letting me know

2009-11-18T19:08:00.000-06:00

Seriously, it's a blessing to us that you care about us! Thanks for reading and being interested in our family!

so who reads this blog anyways?

2009-11-15T20:17:00.000-06:00

Seriously, I have no idea who reads this blog. I just heard this week from a number of people who read it, and I was very surprised. If you read this blog, will you leave me a comment or shoot me an email? I'm curious to see who reads this stuff anyways!

Thanks

deer hunting

2009-11-15T19:41:00.000-06:00

Last weekend I was invited to the Harm's family annual hunting/Thanksgiving extravaganza. I tell you what, we had a great time. Not only did I get my first deer ever, we got to hang with the amazing Harms family all weekend. There are six brothers, one brother in law, one father, and one guest (that's me), and all of there respective families. So we had 9 hunters total, and when we were fortunate, some of the family members came out with us. Here's the story...

It was Sunday morning at 6:38, one minute after the legal shooting time. I was posted on the south edge of a field basically in a ditch with a gravel road and some wooded area behind me. The rest of my party was north of me posting the perimeter of the field. The night before we had a buck come down through this area and wounded him, but never found him even after and hour of searching. I was in the "clean-up" location, hoping to take a deer down if it made it though to me before it reached the woods. I was looking north when I heard some noise from the south. I got into the squat position and I could see the beast emerging from the woods behind me. He was about 20 yards away and it was still so dark I had a hard time telling if he was a buck. Once I could tell, I started praying he would cross the road. He did slowly. The ditch was pretty flat but had about a 6 foot embankment to get up into the field. I couldn't shoot him across the road nor could my bullet cross the road, so I waited. He walked the road and the ditch, but when he started for the embankment he took off! I stood and fired right as he leaped into the field and I got him through the neck. He fell on his side and never moved again. We are in a slug only zone so the he was pretty much done for.

Five minutes later after finding the blood trail from the wounded buck the night before, we shot and killed him also. He had been hiding out 30 feet into the woods behind me all night. Glad we got him and he didn't go to waste.

Thanks Harms for the memorable and fun weekend!

Corban kept saying "dead deer." He was pretty OK with it even though in this picture he looks a little skeptical.My young Jedi hunter.Ann and Grayden. Grayden was shooting his gun (the stick) and loving it!
Jesse, Julie, and Moses...our old neighbors. Praise God that they were able to sell their house, sad though we lost awesome neighbors.

Casey (Ann's husband, Grayden's dad, Jesse's brother) and Jesse
Sophie (Jason's daughter) with the two deer we got on Sunday morning. Jason is the one who had shot the deer on Saturday night.

my beautiful wife

2009-11-04T07:15:00.001-06:00

new favorite CD - Marijke Jane

2009-11-04T07:05:00.000-06:00

Hey! You should check out this new CD by our friend Marijke. We met Marijke at Bethel and she has become one of Emily's favorite people. She sings wonderful songs, and she has a really cool name. You should check out her brand new album!

latest corban pics

2009-11-03T22:33:00.001-06:00

gender restraint

2009-11-02T07:38:00.000-06:00

I heard an interesting statement the other day. A radio talk host was saying that at a young age boys are taught to control their aggression, but young girls aren't taught to restrain their emotions, which can be just as damaging as aggression.

I thought about it for a day or two and I see that here in America. We value being in touch with the emotional side of things, but aggression is seen as a bad character trait from men, especially toward women.

Thoughts?

a wintery fall grand marais morning

2009-10-10T16:58:00.000-05:00

just for you Jamsco

2009-10-10T16:49:00.000-05:00

Artist point was a bit dangerous for me to go walking around on it today. The swells were actually breaking over the breaker. I've never seen the waves do that before. It would actually be quite fun if the water was warmer than 40 degrees and it was summer. I have seen people jumping into the lake from this light house before, crazy people. They scream and yell and get out as fast as they can. I thought of you last night as we drove past Cascade and how you spent your anniversary there. This weekend Emily and I are celebrating our 6th anniversary as a married couple, and 10th anniversary as a couple.

I hope I'm not creating too much envy by being here :-)

a very windy north shore

2009-10-10T16:42:00.000-05:00

The waves are as big as I have ever seen them here. The swells are about 4-5 feet high and are pounding the earth as they crash against the rocks. I ventured outside and froze my fingers yet again today to bring you these pictures.

Glad to be inside...

winter bike ride

2009-10-10T13:27:00.001-05:00

Went for a bike ride this morning after breakfast. I set in at the Pincushion Mountain trailhead and stayed left on the Pincushion Overlook loop. There were many down poplars blocking the trail in a serious way. I decided to skip the single track loop near the overlook and continue on back toward the trailhead.

I thought I would try a different trail back since there were so many trees down. Just past the overlook there is a trail that follows the main tail a while. I was told once by a local that it ends up back at the trailhead so I thought I was safe. About two miles in I realized I wasn't going to come out at the trail head. There was way too much downhill and I seemed to be veering east.

I finally came to the bottom of a hill and I was in the back yard of a run down trailer house with a bunch of beater cars in the back yard. I quickly road down the drive way to avoid the attack dog. I came out on Hwy 61 about three miles east of town, which meant I was six miles from the trailhead, all uphill. So...

I pedaled toward the Gunflint into about a thirty mile/hr. headwind (oh, did I mention it was snowing?). I made it into town and rounded the corner onto the Gunflint, my hands, feet, and face were frozen. I knew I was going to be in pain when my feet thawed. About half a mile up the Gunflint a truck pulled over after passing me and I said, "YES!" I pedaled up to him only to realize he stopped to take a picture of the fall colours. I stopped and asked if I could hitch a ride to the top and he thankfully said yes!

I have to say, thawing feet is one of my least favorite experiences. The whole ride back to Garry and Renee's I was in severe pain.

I love these types of experiences. I hope I have many more while I'm still able to so them.

making distinctions

2009-10-10T09:14:00.000-05:00

Our pastor in the very beginning of his book Desiring God eliminated a distinction by changing the word "and" to the word "by".

"The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever."

Just yesterday while we were traveling up to Grand Marais we listened to a sermon Piper gave at the pastors conference on the life of George Mueller. Therein pastor John was really driving home the point that Muller's chief reason for starting orphan houses was to "strengthen the faith of the children of God [the Church]." His secondary reasons were for the faith and well being of the children and their physical needs. Both Muller and pastor John were really trying to drive home the point that it wasn't about the children foremost.

My question is, why make the distinction? So, instead of saying "we first care about the faith of the Church, and then the needs of the kids," why not say, "we care about the faith of the Church by meeting the needs of the children."

I was actually turned off by the sermon because it seemed to be more about this distinction than the fact that Muller strengthened millions of peoples faith by taking care of the needs of orphans. These distinctions aren't helpful for me.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

song refrain

2009-10-08T18:43:00.001-05:00

Just heard a song where the refrain was, "The only thing that's good in me is Jesus."

Any thoughts?

fun with the hose

2009-08-30T21:42:00.000-05:00

ps - yes I did give him a hair cut. It was hard to see the long curly locks go, but he's still pretty cute :-)

need I say anything at all?

2009-08-30T21:32:00.000-05:00

Ry and Em's 10 year friendship

2009-08-30T21:26:00.000-05:00

This time of year 10 years ago, a young lady named Ryin and another young lady named Emily meet each other in Nelson Hall at Bethel College. They ended up being roommates all through college.

Today they celebrated their 10 year anniversary by going to back to Bethel and visiting their old rooms and seeing what was new at Bethel.

We praise God for bring Ryin into our life! We love you RyRy!

24 hours of afton

2009-08-30T20:44:00.000-05:00

At 5:00 pm on Friday I started a race that didn't end until 5:00 pm Saturday. It's an annual race held at Afton Alps called the Salsa 24 Fest. It's a 24 hour mountain bike race that zig-zags up and down the mountain.

I was on a four person team. You could only have one rider from your team on the trail at a time. The loop is about 8.5 miles, and takes the average rider about 1 hour to complete (the really fast guys do it in about 40-45 minutes!) I made a personal goal to get in 6 laps, and I did it!

Because I was the last person on my team to hit the trail, I didn't take my first lap until 9:30, so my first lap on a new trail was in the dark. I did have my high powered head light, but even still, it was a bit crazy at times whizzing past trees and over rocks and ledges.

I finished my first lap and then went out again at 2 am and rode a double lap (I was tired and hungry after that one). After some food and sleep, I took to the hills again at 10, 12, and 1:45. I contemplated doing a seventh, but my neck and back were really sore.

My friend Terry and I have already started talking about doing it solo next year, which means we would see how many laps we could each get in personally in 24 hours. I can see how people get into racing, it's a real rush!

This was the view of the start/finish from the chalet.

This was the start. The riders stage their bikes a ways away from the start line, then run to their bikes at the sound of the gun. This helps spread the riders out and avoids painful pile-ups on the trail.

This is my tent, and where I took some glorious, well-need sleep.

This was our "pit" and these were my teammates.

family wordle

2009-08-17T17:03:00.001-05:00

camping with Scott

2009-08-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Scott and I did some hiking on the Superior Hiking trail, always excellent! Here is the tail of our adventure.

We put in and the mouth of the Kadunce about midday on Friday. We started south toward Grand Marais, our eventual destination. The weather was as perfect as one could expect, bright, fresh, cool, and slight breeze. Having only reached where the trail leaves the Kadunce we were already satisfied and could have been done with the hike. It's amazing how fulfilling it is to be in the Lord's creation - it/He satisfies the soul!

After a brief pause to take it all in, we keep on. We were looking for a spot to camp for the night. Neither of us had hiked this section before so we didn't know what the terrain or campsites were like. Shortly after we left the Kadunce, we came to Crow Creek, simply amazing! This small powerful stream cut deep banks into the earth. At places the creek was only eight feet across, but eighty feet down with solid rock walls.

We hiked until we crossed Cook Co Rd 14 and found Kimball Creek campsite. It was very beautiful. We decided to stay there for the night since we didn't know if we would find another campsite this beautiful anywhere ahead. Later I read in my guide book that the bridge over Kimball Creek is considered one of the most picturesque parts of the SHT.

That night, it rained cats and dogs. I was very happy with my new tent from the REI scratch and dent sale. We didn't see a drop of water in the tent. The next morning after a nice egg omelet with sauteed onions, peppers, and mushrooms, piled high with cheese and garnished with a little of last nights peperoni, we left for GM at about 10:00. At this point we were still undecided if we were going to hike all the way to GM, or camp another night.

The weather was a little more bleak on Saturday. On and off a light rain kept us in constant fear. Scott was battling blisters. Twice we stopped to deal with bandages, and it wasn't until we stopped for lunch at the Woods Creek campsite on CO Rd 58 some 7 miles later he decided to finish the rest of the hike in his Crocks!

After a delicious lunch of maple-brown sugar oatmeal, hot chocolate, peanut butter bagels and apples we decided to keep heading to GM. We really wanted to spend the evening with the Gambles and Emily and Corban.

All in all that day we hiked 14 miles and traveled through various habitats. At one point, we saw VERY fresh bear tracks. It was obvious a bear was rummaging through the undergrowth for berries. We didn't know if we were going to run into smoky the bear around the next corner. We made a good deal of noise and prayed some prayers. Thankfully we never saw said bear.

The hike down and back up from the Devil Track river is glorious, but very strenuous. The Devil Track is a mighty river. It was the last placed we stopped to filter water and rest a bit before we made the assent out of the gorge toward Pincushion Mountain. Once we passed Pincushion we were nearly there.

We made it to the trail head were we found somebody with a cell phone. I was able to get a hold of Emily, and she was able to pick us up so we wouldn't have to hike three more miles down the Gunflint Trail to downtown.

After Emily and Corban picked us up we went out for ice cream (nice little treat) then made our way home for some glorious Gamble cooking. Garry and Renee made us burgers and sweet potatoe fries, a nice alternative to the Ramen noodles and potatoes we were planning on having on the trail.

We praise the Lord for such a sweet trip!

The friends...
The site...
The gear...
The beauty...

our adventerous son

2009-08-09T14:54:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we were in Grand Marais enjoying the Lord and his creation, not the least of which are Emily's wonderful parents.

Corban has really taken to the adventure sports like kayaking and rock climbing. Man, you leave the country for two weeks and your son goes and grows up on ya!

head knowledge alone is insufficient

2009-08-09T14:39:00.000-05:00

Just read this in a book I started reading and was really struck by it. The book is "the Return of the Prodigal Son" by Henri Nouwen.

"I had never before given much attention to people with a mental handicap. Much to the contrary, I had focused increasingly on university students and their problems. I learned how to give lectures and write books, how to explain things systematically, how to make titles and subtitles, how to argue and how to analyze. So I had little idea as to how to communicate with men and women who hardly speak and, if they do speak, are not interested in logical arguments or well-reasoned opinions. I knew even less about announcing the Gospel of Jesus to people who listened more with their hearts than with their minds and who were far more sensitive to what I lived that to what I said."

we're back!

2009-07-25T13:48:00.000-05:00

We arrived back in MN last Monday evening, what a ride!

Thank you for all your prayers. Oh how the Lord is faithful always! It was good to go, and now it is good to be here; I look forward to some day going home!

Our team was amazing! I consider it an honor to be called the leader of such a team. They were selfless, always looking to bless each other or someone else. There was no conflict! There was a constant awareness our need for grace and sustaining power from the Lord. We did face hardships, but the Lord's grace overcame all.

We visited two islands. Due to security issues I need to be vague. Our first island was one to which we have been twice before. We saw familiar faces and reconnected like old friends do. We had spiritual conversations, and tried to share truth about Jesus in all we did. I hope to reunite with these people in Heaven someday.

The night before our second island we encountered some spiritual warfare. Some had dreams, others felt sick, but mostly we all felt unrest in our souls. We had a very intentional time of prayer and arming. This may have been the highlight of the trip for me. It was a visible, practical example of the body of Christ defeating the enemy through Christ's victory! After our meeting, we felt well armed, secure in Jesus, and ready for battle - we didn't know what we were about to encounter.

When we got to our second island we realized that the unrest was an attempt to distract and deflate, not a sign of what was to come. The islanders were just as welcoming and gracious as has been our experience with others. It was an extreme honor to be the first Americans to set foot on that island and be the vessel by which "the Lord reigns" was proclaimed.

The host father we were staying with hurt his neck carrying some cement the day we arrived. The next morning he couldn't move his neck at all. We offered to pray for him and he accepted so Josh prayed for him in power in Jesus' name, and he was healed! The power of God was displayed that this man might believe.

Emily also had the privilege to pray for a little boy and witness a healing. The youngest son in the house in which they were staying had a fever. One of his uncles was called in to put a spell on some water then have the boy drink it. Emily hoped the boy didn't get well, and imagine this, he didn't. Emily then offered to pray for him that night in Jesus' name and the boys fever was cast out!

We are among the priviledged to have had this experience. Thank you. Please know we spent the time well, laboring hard with the few days we had.

We are settling back in well here state side. I went back to work on Wednesday then came home and went to bed at 4:30 and didn't wake up til 5:30...AM! I guess I was tired. I'm very thankful to come home to work.

Emily is having a bit harder time adjusting, you can pray for her. She is busy watching our little boy, who was a delight to come home to. We didn't know how he would react when he saw us, but when he did, he didn't want to loose sight of us. He just kept giving us kisses!

Thank you again for all your prayers and partnership. Again I will say, the Lord is faithful!

camera cable

2009-07-02T19:25:00.000-05:00

I can't seem to find the cable that connects our camera to the computer...

We leave for SE Asia Saturday and return on the 20th. Tomorrow we are taking the day to get ready. Please pray for us as we endeavor to make known the Truth about Jesus Christ!

a boy and his dad

2009-06-01T22:09:00.000-05:00

A few pics from our trip to Grand Marais last weekend.

lovely locks of love

2009-06-01T22:05:00.001-05:00

Emily has taken the sword to her hair, and is giving it away. I don't say this to highlight her gift, but just to show how cute she is, and just how much hair she had lopped off her head!

a very thankful carpenter

2009-06-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

Last month Piper Construction finished up a project at the Gammons household...what an awesome family! It was such a privilege to spend a month around these wonderful people. Here is a link from their blog where they were far to kind toward us.

Thank you Gammons for letting us serve you!

Gammons blog

Carlson Climbers

2009-05-05T23:02:00.000-05:00

the swollen banks of the Fall River

2009-05-04T18:33:00.001-05:00

our son the actor

2009-05-04T18:28:00.000-05:00

what a crazy little guy!

in Grand Marais

2009-05-01T12:49:00.001-05:00

Check out my post on our other blog to follow our fun this weekend!

Click here for other blog.

Ms Padelford

2009-04-11T14:20:00.000-05:00

I just got off the phone with a Ms Padelford. I had a piece of mail come to the house addressed to her, you could tell it was a letter or card from a friend. So, I looked her up on Dex to see if there was a Ms Padelford residing in the metro area, I was wondering if she used to live at our house. Turns out she did. She was the second owner of 1055 Matilda in 1991 to 1996. She said the origional oweners had the house built in 1941, a single mom and two daughters. They later added the three season porch which I know has blessed many people :-) In the 68 years of our house has been around, we are the 4th owners. This is probably why it is in such great shape. She was pleased to hear of the improvments we've made on the house, and was excited about my invitation to stop by for a visit...we'll see if that happens.

bike ride

2009-04-06T21:19:00.000-05:00

Went out for my second bike ride of the year today...holy out of shape Batman! It was an adventurous ride however. I took a pretty major spill, got lost whilst riding along the train tracks, got yelled at by some gang members under the train bridge, and seemed to be riding into the wind no matter which direction I was going!

Man I love to ride!