New Business

There will be more to come on this, but to get a head start, you can check out the link at the top for our new family business, CrossCutt, LLC.  We are a company founded on Christian ideals and values and hope to spread generosity and much more.

www.CrossCutt.com

Check it out!!!

Gabriel pictures & video; birds & squirrels

Here are some pictures and video of Gabriel for your enjoyment :)

He really liked that one

Gabriel learning to drink from a sippy cup

Gabriel was in a laughing mood at dinner with Uncle Chris & Aunt Jenay

We have a wonderful bird feeder hanging in the backyard that the squirrels have come to notice.  They played on this thing while I was at work and knocked all of the feed on the ground.  This is just a small representation of what was going on when I got home from work.

Letter to Matt Coles / stories for the eulogy

As many of you know (from reading Erin's blog), our dear friend, my best friend and leader for me, passed away a week ago today.  He was a rock for me and so many others and now gets to bless Heaven with his presence.  I wanted to write him a letter so I did.  They also asked for stories for part of his eulogy, which was amazing.  Here is my letter and some wonderful stories about the man who inspired me and gave me so many reasons to be a better person:

Matt,

I miss you, brother.  That’s what you feel like to me.  Even though I have about 8 months on you, you feel like an older brother to me.  I look up to you, Matt, for guidance, how to raise a family, prayer life, serving others, and more.

I have only known you for 2 years, yet you still managed to draw me in as if I have been a member of your family forever.  That’s what you do—you bring people together.  You create a sense of community among what would have been strangers.  Your hosting of family dinner week after week is a perfect example.

Your daily sacrifice is part of what makes you a true man of God.  Ranging from your diet to your physical strength to your nausea to your pain…you never let anything stop you.  Thursday night, when Lucy walked out and said you were asking for me to be with you, I didn’t expect what happened.  You asked me to say something encouraging, anything that might help you get through the pain.  I felt so unworthy and intimidated! The only story about getting through pain I could get out of my mouth was the one about my cross country days.

The story I really should have told you and the one that fits your situation the best is different than that.  It’s the one where Jesus sacrifices himself for the good of others.  The one where He takes the beatings, the scarring, the pain, and then carries his own cross, uphill, knowing the end was in sight.  He did it all.  He never gave up. He accepted help when it was offered, and even fell a few times, but he never gave up. He sacrificed so much for his community and family.  Matt, that is what you have done.  You got out of bed every day, spent hours a day preparing meals and medicines most of us could not even choke down if we tried, worked a full time job, and spent time with your family and friends.  You did all of this while feeling nauseous, full of pain, and tired.

Living your life the way you did is what has caused you to leave the legacy you have left.  You resemble Jesus to me, Matt, and you reminded us that the point of life is to continually resemble Jesus more and more. You looked at the end of the road and decided you were going to do whatever it took to stay on your feet until the end, whenever and whatever that was.  You never asked for pity, but you asked for and accepted help humbly when needed.  Most people wouldn’t know you had anything wrong until someone brought it up or saw your stylish fabric squares on your head for the clay treatments!  This brings back a few memories.

I will never forget the time we were standing in your kitchen while you were putting the clay on your head.  You turned to me and said it was edible.  I didn’t believe you, so what did you do?  You scooped out a chunk of clay, put it in your mouth and swallowed!  That is definitely something I would have done.  I am not sure if you threw that up after we left your house, but that is the type of thing that made you, you.  Your sense of humor was right in line with mine…some people get it and some people just look at you like you dropped down from another planet.

Family dinner was the source of several random acts of good-natured brotherhood stupidity over the past year and a half.  I won’t ever forget Matt daring Gerry Emig and me to shoot back a tablespoon of cinnamon.  The thing I didn’t know at the time was that cinnamon cannot be taken in doses that size at one time.  I tried to swallow it and realized very quickly that wasn’t going to work!  Instead of blowing it out of my mouth, I actually ended up inhaling most of the cinnamon. The resulting powerful gag reflexes, as you might remember, resulted in the release of my own family dinner.  Gerry, on the other hand, prevented all of that by blowing out the cinnamon.  He, however, didn’t have the pleasure of cinnamon being stuck in his nose for the next day!

Gerry and I seemed to be the targets for Matt’s joy-filled pranks.  Matt had some extremely hot habanero peppers he cut in half and gave us to taste.  Gerry and I then turned it into a contest to see who could let it sit on their tongue the longest.  Needless to say, after we began sweating, crying, and hopping around like little kids, we then tried everything in the kitchen to stop the burning.  

Matt was a true example of how a husband should treat his wife.  I remember Erin’s first Mother’s Day in 2009, when she was just a couple of months pregnant for Gabriel.  Matt came up with a game plan on what we were going to do that day.  We decided that we would let Lucy and Erin watch a movie while we babysat.  While spending time outside, we cut some flowers from his garden to bring our wives.  We then cooked them lunch and spent a wonderful day with the women of our dreams.

Matt loved serving others.  A few months ago, he approached me about joining the Knights of Columbus.  After some thinking and praying, we both became inducted several weeks ago.  Gentlemen were asked to remove their hats for a certain part of the induction.  I immediately remembered him putting all of his clay patches on his head before we left the house.  He looked at me, smiled, and gave me a wink.  Those two simple expressions meant so much.  It wasn’t that he was embarrassed of what people would see or think.  It was that he didn’t want to be treated any differently because of those patches.  He took that hat off and stood there with dignity, strength, and the willingness to serve others.

A true example of Matt's thoughtfulness, strength, determination, selflessness, and willingness to serve others was shown to me in the beginning of our short relationship.

Erin and I talked briefly to Matt and Lucy about starting a summer class for Theology of the Body for teens.  We set a date of Ash Wednesday.  The Monday, a week before that date, he was out of town for brain surgery.  It was supposed to be straighforward and a trip back home that week.  He had a stroke (I am pretty sure) during the surgery and needed to spend more time at the hospital. 

After spending a week out of town, Matt and Lucy arrived to Houston a day or two before Ash Wednesday.  Knowing how exhausted and difficult a week they had, Erin and I asked to reschedule the meeting to give them time to recover.  They were so excited to meet with us, they asked that we keep our meeting for Ash Wednesday. 

Upon arriving to the Coles' house, I went to give Matt a hug.  He had a tight grip, as usual.  He said he would shake my hand, but couldn't because he didn't have much control of it at all.  In fact, in telling me this, I could barely understand him because he was still regaining control of his speech.  I was in shock!  Why would he not just rest and let us meet another time?

We walked into the back yard and sat out by the table where we would have the meeting.  Being the hospitalable guests Matt and Lucy always are, they asked us if we wanted anything to drink.  I wasn't thirsty so I rejected along with Erin.  Matt refused to let us sit there empty handed so he decided to get all four of us water.

Because he only had the operational capability of one hand, he couldn't bring multiple cups out at one time.  He also refused to let me help him, telling me to sit down and enjoy the afternoon.  Matt instantly won my heart as a brother in Christ and a true best friend when I watched him for the next several minutes.  He walked very slowly spilling a little water here and there from the kitchen to the back door.  He then put the cup down to open the door, picked up the cup, and walked outside to hand it to one of us.  He did it as any noble and true man of God would.  He served the women first, Erin being his guest, then Lucy, then me.  What a true warrior and selfless person!  He walked out four times to make sure everyone was satisfied.

I was not thirsty, but you can bet your life savings that I drank that water until there was nothing left in the glass.

Matt is a true example of the kind of man I want to be for my wife, family, friends, and guests.

One example of Matt’s natural way of leading others prayerfully was when we decided to go to a mixed martial arts competition.  A friend of ours was competing and we wanted to show our support.  Matt and I arrived to find we were definitely in a completely different environment from our normal lives.  I just remember it being something I would have never wanted to take my wife or children to, yet we stayed to support our friend.  Before the competition started, I remember Matt stopping the conversation we were having, to lead a prayer for all of those present.  I could tell he was concerned for everyone there.

At a newly formed men’s group, we recently discussed praying from the heart versus praying from the mind.  Matt, you definitely knew how to pray from the heart.  You were genuine and everything you said was no doubt from the heart.  I could go on with more stories but need to end it somewhere.

Matt, before I finish this letter, I want you to know how special your family is to me.  I love Lucy, John-Matthew, Pio, and Andrew as if they were my own family.  I know many men in our community are going to step up and help them. Please, please rest in peace knowing that I will be there every step of the way to help your sons become the men of God you yearn for them to be.  The reason this will be possible is because you taught me and everyone around you how to truly live that out.  Because of this, your children will learn and live the legacy you have left behind.

I love you so much, Matt!  You will forever be in my heart.  I plan to see you in Heaven one day (with God’s grace and Erin’s help) J

Your friend, brother in Christ, and family protector,

Michael W. Franco, Jr.

Matt Coles leaves a legacy

Erin, wrote a great post about my best friend, Matt, who passed away on Sunday.  Please take a few minutes to read.  I will post something of my own in the near future....

http://humblehandmaid.blogspot.com/2010/12/saints-and-angels.html#links

Houston 2010 Camp Chosatonga/Kahdalea Showing...

It's here!! The Houston 2010 Camp Chosatonga/Kahdalea Showing will be starting at 6 pm with some music by Adam Trufant, of Brother Brother, and Mark Labelle. Come over and get some good home cooking and find out what you can do next summer. Bring the whole family!!! Contact me with any questions.


Working at those camps in 2006 and 2007 were the two best summers of my life as well as Erin's.  It just cannot be described enough with words. You have to be there to experience the nature and peace that God brings to such an awesome wilderness camp.


Call or email me with any questions:  mikenerin08@gmail.com

Gabriel was in a laughing mood

Today I took Gabriel on some errands to Sams, Walmart, and Home Depot.  By the time we got home he was ready to be out of the car and any basket.

After placing him in his high chair to eat dinner, he just started laughing.  Erin and I continued to make him laugh. Here is video of a small portion of this laughter!

The BP MS 150 bike ride, April 16-17, 2011

Hello everyone,

I am signing up to do something I have not done in many years.  I am pledging myself to raise money and bike ride in the name of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.  I have done this ride many times from Hammond, LA to Percy Quinn State Park, MS and back.  This time I will be leaving Houston and heading to Austin.

Too many people are affected by this horrible disease.  My mom's good friend from college and a former coworker are just two out of the thousands who don't have a choice when it comes to breaking their bodies down piece by piece.

I am dedicating the next 6 months to raising at least $400 in support of this mission. Every dollar counts.  Every dollar takes those doctors and researchers one step closer to being able to slow and stop the effects of this disease as well as help those in need.

If you find it in your heart to give to an organization such as the MS Society, please visit my personal page and donate(the link is at the top of my blog).  All it takes is $10, 25, 50, 100, or whatever you can donate to help the lives of so many affected.

Thank you for taking the time to read and I vow to document my training and stories about the ride so you can get a feel for the work being done here.

God bless you and with sincerity, I thank you in advance.

--Michael Franco

German themed company picnic

Booz Allen Hamilton had their company picnic this past Saturday.  It was German themed with great food, beer, and a German band!!  This is the picnic where the Payback Machine made it's debut.

Here are two videos of the band.

This is some type of horn that was like 8 feet long--looked expensive too

This "instrument" he is playing sounds like a woman in pain--ouch!

Gabriel crawling, bouncing, & spinning...

Gabriel had quite a good time roaming around the house this weekend as well as playing in his bouncer.  Here are some videos of him crawling, trying to climb, and bouncing around....

The Payback Machine

What is a Payback Machine.  Well, you are about to see what it can do....

We had a company picnic and were going to raise money for a local charity.  Instead of throwing pies in the managers faces, I built this with the help of a friend, Nick.  We were able to raise over $600!!  And we had a blast doing it!!

Gabriel talks & a new wallpaper I made

Gabriel had a good day today.  Here are a couple of videos taken today of him saying "dadda."  [For the record: I am pushing him to say momma too :)]

I am trying to learn photoshop and am doing some tutorials.  I made the following wallpaper earlier this evening...

On another note, I have full body soreness from yesterday.  I guess that's to be expected when I have not been able to exercise a lot lately.

Busy busy busy

Wow, what a weekend so far!

Yesterday after getting off of work, Erin, Gabriel, and I went to a party at our friend's house (Dan and Maria).  We had such a good time.

This morning started with a men's group that we have started.  We said a rosary, had some discussion and then challenged each other to be better men.  After that, I went and played football with some friends from work and others.  I know I will be sore tomorrow for sure!

Then Gabriel and I dropped Erin off for a haircut and came back to the house to eat some lunch.  After picking Erin up, I went to a friend's house (Nick) to make something for a company picnic next weekend.

Finally, it's home to rest and watch some football.  Oh yeah--my friend, Matt, and I decided today that we are going to join the Knights of Columbus at our church here in Houston.

That's what has been going on in my life for the past 24 hours  :)

A few pictures from our NC trip

Here are some pictures of our trip to North Carolina (Click on them to see them bigger)

Gabriel likes to take baths in the sink

On our way back to Houston from North Carolina, we stopped in New Orleans to visit my family.  While there, Gabriel received another bath in a sink.

Here are a couple of videos you will find amusing.  Pictures from our vacation will be coming shortly.

Trip up to camp

Erin, Gabriel, and I had quite a trip up to camp.  I am one of those people who would rather drive straight through only stopping to fill up the car so I can get there as fast as possible.  If you have to go to the restroom, go while I am filling the car up :)

Well, after getting married and having Gabriel, there are some sacrifices I have to make...like adding a lot of time to travel when going from Texas to North Carolina!

Here are some pictures of our journey up here.  I will have more pictures of North Carolina in the next few days.

Gabriel had a blast getting out of the car at Subway!!

This is a McDonald's immediately north of Atlanta--quaint!

Erin feeding Gabriel right after exiting the interstate--he was sick of being in the car.

The weather is great, the mountains are relaxing, and Gabriel is having a blast!!  So far this has been a great vacation and it's only the beginning.

Camp and updates soon...

All,  I know I have been lacking on the new posts lately, but I want you to know that my blog is getting an overhaul and some new updates soon!!!  We are visiting the wonderful Camps Chosatonga and Kahdalea and will have pictures and video soon.

Wedding, messy dinner, dancing, bouncing, & mass....

As Erin has state in her blog, we went to Louisiana for my brother's wedding recently.  How awesome an experience that was!!!!  She posted pictures of our sweet child being bathed in the kitchen sink and other pictures as well.

One thing I have to post is a very short clip of my father, breakin' it down on the dance floor.  Unfortunately, I only have the last 5 or so seconds cause I didn't take my iPhone out in time.  But, for your viewing pleasure, here is my crazy father dancing!!  Keep in mind, he is completely blind and can't see a thing....

So we made it back to Houston and apparently had a fun filled week hanging out.  I absolutely love these photos of Gabriel eating some home-made baby food.  He is such a happy child!!!

How cute is he?!?!?! :)

It's so easy to make you laugh!!

This is my background on my phone at the moment

We are borrowing this toy from Matt and Lucy Coles and he finally got the hang of bouncing in it the other day.  Here are 2 videos of him doing that.  As you can tell on the videos, I got a huge kick out of him doing it!!!

Gabriel bouncing

Some more bouncing action!!!

We have a great group of friends at church.  This is a picture of some of them.  The two on the left are Betsy and Blaise Perryman.  Blaise is my Godson and I ask for your continued prayers for him as he has surgery on his stomach in August.  The two on the right are Kristin and Audrey Fontana.  Audrey is one of Gabriel's many girlfriends.  Erin and I have to keep a close watch on him with all of these girls around!

The church trio

In about a year, we will be chasing these 3 around :)

So, I downloaded a song recently that is very fun to dance to..."Drive it like you stole it." I know it doesn't send a good message (the title), but it's an instrumental done on a synthesizer. Anyway, Gabriel asked to dance to it so we did....

Dancing video 1

Dancing video 2

Dancing video 3

AAhhhhhhh, a week in the life of the Franco's.  We are just loving life and parenthood!!!!!!!!

Snuggling and walks in the rain!!!

So, have I mentioned how much I love my son!!!  Gabriel just makes me so happy.  Last week, I got to snuggle with him on the recliner.  Then today, Erin and I decide to take a walk when the rain stops.  We didn't see the big nasty cloud until we turn the corner of the block.  That was when the sky decided to open and pour down some wonderful drops of water.  Erin and I began running.  She was pushing the stroller not made for running.  I raced home to open the garage door so she could just run right into some shelter.

After this experience, we decided to take some pictures to remember how fun this walk was.  All 3 of us were soaked.  Gabriel loved it!!!  Not once did he cry or whine--he is definitely a boy....a Franco boy!!!!

He actually laid down and snuggled

And I loved every minute of it!!

Mommy and Gabriel are soaked!

So is daddy!

In just a few months we will be covered in mud instead of rain!!

I don't think he knows what's going on--he just wanted to go back into the rain.

Gabriel driving and chompin down food

So, I forgot to post some things last week. Erin and I were very busy preparing for a schedule filled weekend. We spent all day at the beach on Saturday and then hosted a baby shower at our house on Sunday (2 weeks after moving into the house)!!!

Here are 2 pictures from when we drove into Louisiana a week ago and a video of Gabriel being fed by me a few weeks ago.

Gabriel taking over for mommy at the wheel!

Mommy showing him how to use the horn

Gabriel likes to eat (like most men)  :)

I paid $$ to do this?!?!....Happy Father's Day

What a Father's Day it was today.  Erin and I had a wonderful weekend!!  We started off by leaving on Friday for Baton Rouge.  We stayed there over night and visited with her family.  Erin went and saw her grandmother who has bone cancer and in lots of pain.  Please pray for her as she endures broken bones and the physical stress of aging.

Saturday around lunch, we left for Morgan City to pick up the registration packet for my first triathlon ever, The Snake Bite Triathlon. After doing that, we made it to Franklin, LA to visit a wonderful friend of ours, Lacey.  She is town for the summer before she heads back to the convent in preparation for becoming a Carmelite Sister of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles.  We went to a beautiful mass there and then headed off to dinner in New Iberia.  We ate with Neil, one of our seminarian friends who is only 3 years from becoming a very wonderful priest.  We had a blast at dinner!

After dinner, it was time to rest.  We went to bed with plans of waking up at 5:45 am.  Gabriel slept in the same room as us at Lacey's parents home.  He needed to eat at 4:30 ish in the morning....once I woke up to that I never went back to sleep :)

I met my Uncle John, cousin Zachary, and brother Nick for a ride back to Morgan City to set up for the triathlon.  Both Zachary and Nick did the triathlon as well.

Skip to 7:50 am, 10 minutes before the triathlon began.  We were to start in 3 groups....age 30-39 men, 3 minutes later it was the rest of the men, and 3 minutes after that it was all the women.  Morgan City is about an hour from New Orleans.  My mom, dad, brother Jeff, Nick's girlfriend Rachel, Aunt Shelley, and cousin Taylor were all there to watch the 3 of us compete.  No pressure...YEAH RIGHT!!!!

I will admit that buying a house, painting it for a straight month, and then moving in, cut into my training quite a bit.  Am I making excuses....nah....I am setting you up for one funny story!  About the only thing I was very proficient in was/is the bike.  My plans were to average at least 20 mph today.

10 minutes until the start of the first wave and I was beginning to get the nervous bug.  The race was a sprint distance.  400 meter swim, 13 mile bike, 2 mile run.  Not bad right?  Hah, maybe for someone who actually trained well.  Most swimmers warm up with a 400.  I AM NOT A SWIMMER!  I was looking this swim in the face and feeling about the size of an ant.  I didn't have butterflies in my stomach--I think there were a few hawks in there somewhere cause I about threw up at the thought of coming in dead last.

There are kayaks throughout the course for you to hold on to if you need a breath, as well as buoys.  I told myself I would swim on my back before I would grab a kayak.  Well not only did I swim on my back, I also got to know 2 of the guys on the kayaks pretty well :)  I was not anywhere close to prepared for a swim.  I know this for a fact when I saw just about every girl pass me up--they started 3 minutes after I did!!

Let's just say, I was very happy to reach the stairs and climb out of the water.  Here is a shot of that with my brother cheering me on.

Getting out of the water after I went through hell and back--satan says hi

My brother, Jeff, cheering me on as I head for my bike

So I manage to stumble through the transition area to my bike, completely obliterated by the swim.  I actually think my nearly 7 month old son could have done that faster :)  Anyway, I sit down to put my socks and bike shoes on to find that I just don't have time to wipe all of the sand off of my feet--BIG MISTAKE, mention later.  I eat an energy gel pack, hop on the bike, and start pedaling.  Remember that 20 mph average I wanted to maintain....turned into like 15 or so.  My body was completely overcome by exhaustion from the swim.  The 13 mile bike tok me about 12-15 minutes longer than I wanted.  

I make it back to the transition area, and hop off the bike...

The best part of dropping off my bike was that I was watching my brother finish the run....the run that I was about to start.  I drop off my bike put on my shoes and visor and head off for 2 miles of pain, I mean running. Remember how I mentioned I didn't get all of the sand off my feet before putting on socks.  Well, about 5 minutes into the run, I could feel the blister growing at an exponential rate.  Yes, after meeting satan in the swim, he came back to me in the run for a bonus visit.

I, however, decided to look at the glass half full.  I stopped to get water and Gatorade from a very young girl (about 10 or so) at the water station.  I talked to her for a brief second before heading out for more running.  All of the volunteers were so nice.  I admit that I walked and ran the 2 miles.  I needed some breaks in the water, rode slower on the bike than I wanted, and walked some of the run, but I came across that finish line without ever quitting.  To me, that was quite an accomplishment.  I know it's no Ironman, but I had to start somewhere.  Now I know what I need to do to train.

Leaving the transition area for the run

Coming in for the finish

Crossing the finish line!!!!

My brother, Nick, got 3rd in his age group

Erin & Gabriel cheered me on!!!

All in all, it was a wonderful day.  I will be doing more triathlons.  I will just be better prepared next time!

New posts to come soon...

Hello world....

The internet should be hooked up at the house in a few days.  We just moved in last weekend and are still getting situated.  I would start checking here next week for an update on the past month as well as pictures of the new house.

Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Father's Day to all those dads!!!

Your typical weekend :)

I love my son!!!!  He is so beautiful and playful and sweet to everyone!

I have been doing a lot of work at the new house since we closed on it and have not had a lot of time to just play with Gabriel.  All day Saturday, Gabriel and I got to hang out at the house.  While he napped, I painted.  When he was awake, we played.  It was so much fun--he loves the new house just as much as we do!!

Today after mass, we came back to the apartment and played for a little bit before he had to go to bed.  He loves to talk and make noises in response to me or Erin talking to him.  Here are two clips of him showing some love to his parents :)

This is me and Gabriel....

This is Gabriel and Erin...

Where have I been? I'll tell ya...

This past Friday (yesterday), we closed on our first house.  This past week was very hectic getting everything together for it.  After closing, we went to the house to make an initial to-do list.  Today we picked out the paint colors we wanted for THE ENTIRE HOUSE (yes, the entire interior is getting a face lift).  I also wiped down all the base boards and trim everywhere (except for 2 rooms which will be done tomorrow) and then did touch up on some things to prepare for paint.

We have some great friends coming over to help paint.  My brother-in-law, Ryan, is driving in this week from Baton Rouge for a few days to help!!!  How awesome!!

Well, I will post some pictures soon of the house (not sure when).  I will also do my best to update as often as possible.

Pray for Erin.  She has been sick for the last week and I just feel so bad she can't be 100% to be as energetic and excited as I am about our first home this initial weekend.  I know she is excited, but her newly developed sinus infection is allowing her to enjoy her days very much.  I love her and everything she has been able to do while being sick.

Gabriel chewing on one of his favorite toys

After swimming this afternoon, I came home to find Gabriel had just gotten up from a nap and eaten.  He was in a very good mood.  I decided to place him on the recliner and play with him a bit.  Here is a video of him being his cute and adorable self!!  He is starting to chew on everything.

Prayers for a friend

Our friend, Sarah, has been in the hospital for a blood clot in her brain.  She had surgery to take care of it and has been recovering.  She is currently 10 or so weeks pregnant.

We just received a call from her mother that said she may possibly be having a miscarriage and is in the ER.  At this time, they are not sure.  She has a fever and severe cramping.

We are asking for prayers!!  Lots of them!!  She really needs us right now and we want to be there for her.

God, in your mercy and grace, please protect and heal Sarah from any pain.  Protect the baby and send your peace to Sarah and her family.  St. Gianna, watch over this baby and be with him/her through this difficult time.

God's grace

This is something to think about...

God's grace:

There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.

Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak....

"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.

I stopped the lad and asked, "What do you have there, son?"
"Just some old birds," came the reply.
"What are you going to do with them?" I asked.
"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time.."
"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?"
"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?"
"Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!"
"How much?" the pastor asked again. The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.

Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting.

"Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"
"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other.  I'm really gonna have fun!"

"And what will you do when you are done with them?" Jesus asked.
"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly.
"How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked.
"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!"

"How much? He asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears, and your life."

Jesus said, "DONE!" Then He paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.

Have you taken a moment out of your day today to thank Jesus for everything you have and everything He did for you?  If not, I really encourage you to do so.  I thank him daily for the gift of Erin and Gabriel and all of my friends and family.

Peace be with all of you and God bless your days!!

And...take a breath--here is what we have been doing

Where have I been? Well, here is what I have been doing for a few weeks....

Buying a house!!! That has been taking up most of my time. I have been riding my bike a lot more--deciding to get involved with triathlons. I fell off my bike a few weeks ago and am almost healed up from that. I have been getting off of work and coming straight home to play with Gabriel for a few hours each day. I went to a crawfish bowl. I gave 3 talks, 3 weekends in a row at St. Clare's with Erin. I cleaned out my car.  I took Gabriel to the bike shop to get mine checked out since I wrecked on it and he was drooling like crazy...of course it could be a result of him pre-teething.  I would like to think it's because he wants to start biking really soon!!  I got an iphone.  I took Erin on a really nice date.  We hung out with our friends for his birthday.  Thinking about starting a business of some sort just to get experience with running one.  I have been cuddling with Erin and kissing all over Gabriel.  Here are a few videos of our lovely son....

Today Gabriel rolled from his back to his front for the first time!!!

We also finally got him laughing on camera.  I think this is my favorite out of any video we have taken!!!  Makes you just want to bite his cheek :)  I know I know, it's an Italian thing.

Things are crazy busy right now....

I have not been this busy since college!!!  I promise you all that I will write a post this coming weekend.  The last few weeks have been full of crawfish, charity bike rides, charity bike ride crashes :) , getting things ready for closing on a house, lots of work stuff, and much more!!!

I will update everyone this weekend, so look for a post then!!!

ISS, Moon, Mars, & Beyond

What many people don't know about NASA....how much it really costs.

Also, I truly believe what this man is saying in response to the question.  It is a very short video.  I encourage you to watch it--it is very interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQhNZENMG1o

Mayonnaise Jar

My mother sent this to me and I thought it was worth posting on the blog.  I really like the message it gives....

A professor stood before his philosophy
class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
He picked up a very large and empty
mayonnaise jar and start to fill it with golf
balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was
full.They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of  pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box
of  sand and poured it into the jar. Of course,
the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced  two cups of coffee from
under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The  golf balls are the important things - God, Family,
Children, Health, Friends, and favorite passions.Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The  pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The  sand is everything else -- The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued,
'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,You will never have room for the things that are
Important to you. 
So...
Pay
attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.
'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.
'I'm glad You asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.

Tiger Stadium will never be the same again!

Wow, we had a wonderful weekend in Baton Rouge visiting with friends and family!!  Too bad we didn't get a chance to see this....

LSU will be changing their field in Tiger Stadium from green to purple turf.  Check out this article:

http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=204919830

AWESOME!!!

Topeka, Google, potato, potatoe--it's all the same

Erin and I have been very busy lately, which is why I have not written much on the blog.  However, this deserved a couple of sentences....

So I did not have time to dig into this and won't really, but wow....

Topeka, Kansas = Google, Kansas now and  Google = Topeka

Confused--check out Google today.  Anyway, thought that was interesting when I had to look something up earlier.

Have a backwards day today!!

Correction for the short loop post

Correction for the previous post!!

After actually doing the calculations, I burned roughly 3000 calories.  I was way off.  I think that's why I was so hungry by the end!  I haven't burned that much in a very very long time  :)

Wait! HOW far is the short loop?!?

Before reading this, know that I have only ridden my distance road bike about 3 times in the last 4 months--all 9-mile rides.  Also keep in mind that the farthest distance I have ridden in 9 years is 25 miles at one time.  I have just been out of shape on the bike.  However, I am on a road to getting in shape!!  Mentally first of course!

The day started off somewhat slowly.  My alarm went off and all I wanted to do was sleep in.  However, I got up and got ready for my bike ride.  I was supposed to meet at the Bike Barn on Bay Area Blvd for 7:30am.  I did.  I went not knowing what to expect and not knowing anyone there.  It turned out to be over 100 people out there getting ready for a great ride on a beautiful morning.

There are different groups for different average speeds.  First are the racers, then the 21-23 mph, the 18-19 mph, and lastly, the cruisers who go 15-16.  The cruisers usually stop for coffee halfway through and just take their time.  The racers and 21-23mph are too fast for me right now.  I decided to go with the 18-19mph group.  I heard there was a short loop and a long loop.  I felt pretty good going with them thinking I would do about 20-25 miles and be done in a little over an hour.  After all, we had a big day planned (looking at homes and visiting with friends).

I was wrong!!  Once we got riding, I asked someone next to me how far the different rides were and he told me the short one was 44 miles and the long was 65ish.  WHAT THE?!?!?!?!!?  What did I get myself into?

It wasn't so bad for the first hour.  After riding about 18 miles, we stopped at a gas station for bathroom breaks and drinks.  Once we got riding again, we were in the middle of this rural town I have never been in before (Alvin).  We were riding through back country and I was just following the man in front of me.  We were riding in two pace lines with about 12 people in each.  The two people leading "peel off" to the right and left once they have pulled the group for a while (the leaders help "carve" the way through the wind while others can draft off of them).  About 25 miles into the ride, I finally made my way to the front and started pulling the group.  Every now and then I looked down at my speedometer to see we were going 19-20 for a while.

Time to take a left turn and time for me to drink some water.  Where were we at this point??  I had no clue.  After the group turned and I dropped back to the end of the line, I put my water bottle back in the cage and--AAHHHH--it fell out!  Everything in me said to leave it and keep riding but I knew we had to have about 20 miles left and I would really need that water. I turned around, stopped my bike, and picked it up, only to look up and see the group was nearly half a mile away from me!!!  I knew I had to ride faster than them to catch them, mainly because if I didn't, I had no idea how to get home from where I was.

After doing about 21 mph by myself, into the wind, after already riding 25 miles at a pace I have not ridden in years, I was beginning to lose hope of catching them.  That hope was killed when they gradually got further and further away from me.  I was beginning to figure out where we were, when.....YES, GOD answered my prayers!!!!  A few of them had to use the rest room so they stopped at a gas station!!  I finally caught up after 4-5 miles of intense riding by myself.

I was able to ride with the group for the last 15 miles or so.  During those last miles, I didn't have normal mirages of water like people do in deserts.  Instead I could taste the succulent flavor of a juicy bacon cheddar burger in my mouth and see images of hot tubs and couches.  All I wanted to do was get off that bike, sit down and relax for a long, long time. All my 200+ lb self had had for breakfast was 2 small muffins and a banana.   By the time I got back to my car, I had ridden 44 miles with over 2 hours logged on the bike that day.  Needless to say, my legs were pretty dang sore.  Amazingly enough, today is not too bad for them.

Overall, it was a great ride.  I think I burned nearly 1800 calories in 2 hours!!!  At least that's what it felt like :)