the Kingdom

Awana Grand Prix '09

2009-04-08T22:22:00.003-05:00

The D-Man and I have been sanding, painting, polishing, rubbing, aligning, cambering, polishing, sanding, polishing and just hanging out together every free moment for the last week. We have been working on his Grand Prix car. This year he did it all except for the things that involve power cutting tools. I cut out the block as best I could in the shape of a '69 Vette. That's the matchbox he picked out to model the car after. He sanded, painted, polished and pretty much put this car together with his own little hands. I gave him lots of pointers. He prepared himself for the possibility of not winning this year's race. He did everything right so I knew he would be in the running. It came down to the Vette and one of the slickest cars I have ever seen. The Vette put this car in the loser's bracket in the second round. In the final the other car beat the Vette by less than an inch. This set up the winner-take-all final race for first place. The video below is of that final race.

Fishin' in the Afternoon

2009-04-08T22:09:00.007-05:00

On Saturday we took the kids on a little trip. We hiked through the woods and across a field to a lake in our neighborhood. We all caught a fish or few. They were all mud cats and channel cats. We didn't keep any of them even though the channel cats are the preferred cat for eating around the world. The princess caught a couple of fish and this was the first one we actually got out of the water. D-Man caught a mess on his own. We had a great time. It was one of those days you never want to forget, not because of catching some fish but slowing down and being together...

A Winter Wonderland at Last

2009-03-01T22:38:00.002-06:00

As I write it is snowing as hard as I can remember seeing in quite some time. We have had a few dustings this winter but this is our first and probably last snow for the winter. In six days it is forecast to be near 70 degrees. Hopefully, we will find some good sledding on the morrow. We will follow that up with some hot cocoa and a bowl of soup. This kind of snow reminds me of a song I love. Indescribable by Chris Tomlin, it talks about how awesome my God is and how He has heavenly storehouses laden with snow. It looks like He is sweeping a few flakes off the porch here. Here is a link to a video/slideshow with the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF9aY49oQTs&feature=related All is well here in the kingdom. The kids are having a great year in Upward Basketball and Cheerleading. It has been a huge success in our community. As a prayer request: it seems we are approaching a crossroad on our journey of faith. We have several options before us. We know God will show us His plan, we just want it to be sooner than later. I will try to get some new photos and maybe a video up in the next few days.

UPWARD BASKETBALL & CHEER

2009-02-03T10:13:00.002-06:00

Here is a video of last week's action. Hope you enjoy!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-17T13:39:00.003-06:00

During the Christmas program at church there was a small mishap. At the end of the Happy Birthday Jesus part, the cakes were exiting the stage right. One of the cakes took a great spill down the stairs. The princess was very concerned about her fellow cake player as you can see by the expression on her face. I think she must have slipped in the icing. In other news, seminary starts back next week. Upward basketball and cheerleading games start next Saturday. The princess cheers at 9 AM and the prince has a game at 10:15 AM. Mother is busy homeschooling and working a couple of shifts a week. We are still anxious about jobs and stuff, but we know God is in control.

BCS - C=BS

2009-01-08T23:39:00.002-06:00

In the above equation C = Champion. Without a knowable C you are left with BS. BS = ?? Florida's D played well. How is it "the" Ohio State Pen was not even in the game but was still embarrassed you may ask? Eddie George as a commentator. "Percy Harvings" "field goaled" and "Tim Tebowed". It is better to cram your head into a football helmet and slam it into walls than to open your mouth and display your lack of whatever that was or maybe he was intoxicated. I think Florida is the best team in college football. Forget the undefeated Mormons. Maybe they could find a big gold trophy in a cave with their names on it claiming to be champs. But then they would lose it and we would never see it. But I hope the Office of the President Elect rolls out a playoff executive order during the inauguration ceremonies. I may even vote for him for a second term if he gets it done. (Note to all: I will be removing this blog very soon.)

Anticipation...

2008-12-03T15:06:00.004-06:00

Before my random musings, I would like to say that I can't believe my baby girl will be five years old next week. In other news, we have been doing some leaf pile jumping and football banquets. We have been doing some ballet and tap dancing. We have been watching Christmas movies and listening to Christmas songs. We have been watching football games and eating turkey leftovers. We have been spending time with family and friends. This really is the most wonderful time of the year, is it the warmth of momma's cooking or the warmth of momma's love? It is wonderful for many reasons but most wonderful because of the anticipation of the return of the Christ Child. But this time will be much different. He will not be confined by a human body and swaddling cloths. He will be clothed in majesty and His glory will unmistakable to those who have bowed the knee. I read something the other day that made me think how grateful I should be and how praiseworthy He is. It went something like this; "It was easier for Him to bear the cross, than to bear the thought of spending eternity without me." The fury of His love took Him to Calvary. Praise Jesus!

Tap Dancing Our Way Through Life

2008-10-27T16:28:00.005-05:00

The Princess is now taking ballet and tap instruction. We have included a short video of her weekly class. My baby loves to dance, she loves to spin around, she's only three feet tall... she loves her teachers and lives for the next class. Her first recital is scheduled for June '09. Make plans now to attend the dance event of the year! We are trying to take it all in, before long she will be all grown up.

Last Move for a While.... I Hope...

2008-10-27T15:45:00.005-05:00

Here is the front facade of the new castle. This house was vacated by some friends of ours so we "lucked" into it. We prefer to refer to luck as the providence of God. If you look closely you can see the Princess on the stairs. As a note of interest we just got back from Boone. We visited one of our "teenage children" and took in an ASU football game. They won and we had a great time on the mountain. Thanks to all those who helped us move. No thanks to my former "piano mover". Maybe next time.

First Football Game of 2008

2008-09-09T16:49:00.004-05:00

Well, the first game of the season has finally arrived. D-man is number 11 for the Raiders (black pants/white shirts). He is playing wing-back or 3-back on offense and corner or outside linebacker on defense. He is doing well. He loves football. He didn't get much blocking in this video which was his first carrier carry in a full-contact game. He gained a couple of yards and did well throughout the game. They won 36-30. In ballerina/princess news this week... our princess had her first dance class today. She loved it. Mom said she giggled for the entire hour. Dad is looking forward to her first recital.

Happy Anniversary

2008-08-24T07:22:00.002-05:00

On August 21st we celebrated 15 years of marriage. We went to the mountains for a few days. The weather was ideal. Every meal we had was just perfect. We had lunch at the Daniel Boone Inn, some good barbeque at Bandana's, another lunch at a sidewalk cafe in Blowing Rock, and a great italian meal at Casa Rustica. We started each morning with a gourmet breakfast at the Lazy Bear Lodge. It was the best B&B we have ever stayed in. The view was sensational, baby deer just a few feet off the porch of our bedroom, flying squirrels every night, and hummingbirds by day. We shopped in Blowing Rock and in Valle Crucis at the Mast General Store. Somehow we did all that and at the same time spent a lot of time at the lodge being lazy. We also reflected on years past. We have been so blessed. People we have known, friends we have had, children God has blessed us with (ours and others), we talked about all the exciting things we have done and places we have been, we have been and are extremely blessed.

Summer is Almost Over

2008-08-16T17:18:00.004-05:00

There a couple of things that always signal the end of summer for me. One is smelling a little football in the air of a cool morning. D-man has been practicing this week for football. They have had all light practices with just helmets and cleats until today. Today was the first contact with full pads. I have been a little concerned that he would be a little timid about hitting. He is one of the youngest and smallest on the team. The video you are about to see is of his first hit ever. I was proud of him. Of course he draws an older, much bigger boy. D-man is the defender #3 in the video. He did great and had some good hits and great runs throughout the day. Hopefully we can get some edited clips up for you all in the near future. Everyone else is great. Next round of classes start for me on Monday. Wendy is still trying to decide some things about her career. But all is good. Thanks for your prayers.

Summertime Bloggin' Blues

2008-08-06T07:59:00.003-05:00

It is very hard to blog in the summertime. At least 3-4 weeks of my summer have been spent in the absence of internet access. 98% of my internet time is spent in a seminary chat room or taking a quiz/exam. And then there is the hectic pace of summer. Someone has to mow the grass around here twice a week (used to have a friend who would do that for me). Working a "part-time" ministry job is always full-time. Playing outside with my bambinos... but enough excuses! The family update is as follows: the Wenge is busy canning tomatoes, green beans and freezing corn. She is also in the last preparatory steps of the next homeschool year. We have no idea what lies ahead for her on the career front. Just waiting on God to show us. I am about to finish a summer online session this week. I am starting to look for fall employment opportunities as my summer gig will be up next week. We are moving again. This time will be the third time in six months. D-Man is done with his second football camp of the summer. Practice starts next Monday. We picked up his equipment and uniform Saturday. The Princess is looking forward to being a mascot cheerleader. She wants her mom to make her a pink "Raiders" cheer outfit. She is starting to read pretty well now. Amazing how their little minds soak things up. I will try to put up another post in less than a month. Sorry again for the delay!

Independence Day

2008-07-02T20:49:00.002-05:00

Many people have loved this country. Many men and women have risked their lives for these United States. Many not even knowing why they were willing to fight for her, they just sensed it was the right thing to do. Many have made high sacrifices, their own lives for this land. A few like George Washington, helped make it a place worth fighting for. Ronald Reagan once said, "Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged." This country is worth loving and fighting for because it was founded as an acknowledgment that it was under God. As I heard recently, we elect a president, not a god. No matter the circumstances here on this chunk of dirt hurdling through space, Jesus Christ is still on His throne. Only by acknowledging Him as King of your life can you experience pure independence. You can not celebrate Independence Day without knowing Jesus. I pray that the euphoric feeling you feel this year as you watch the fireworks causes you to think of the true and only real freedom available. "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." -- Jesus Christ, John 8:36

Very Funny Friends

2008-06-24T07:43:00.003-05:00

It seems that you can't take a vacation from blogging. So much criticism if you just take a little break. Well, for general updating purposes... we spent a lovely vacation at the Outer Banks of NC. We played on the beach, fished, rode bicycles, played tennis and grubbed out on seafood. It was a very sublime time, it was great. D-man is done with baseball for the summer. He is going to football camp next month. Our little princess is trying to adjust to glasses. We found out she has a lazy optic nerve. The doctor feels it will mostly correct itself with proper use through the glasses since we caught it before age 7. Otherwise, she is great. Both kids just finished VBS, I taught 19 kindergarteners. We are all having fun at summer day camp. Wenge is doing well also. We are still working on housing options. If we move we will let some of you know, haha.

ESPN: Baseball Tonight

2008-05-15T22:40:00.003-05:00

The Red Sox continue their amazing run leading up to the playoffs. After dropping their first two games of the season, the Sox have rallied to win eight in a row. D. King continues to improve in all areas of the game. Defensively, he has become a vacuum cleaner. Offensively, on the season King has a .737 batting average, 1.105 slugging percentage with 6 doubles and 4 triples, and 27 runs batted in. In other news, the queen and princess are doing well. They enjoy watching the boys at the ball field. The video here was provided by the queen on a cheap little still photography digital camera. I hope it gives those of you who missed the game or who miss our little baseball player an enjoyable moment in the Kingdom. Also, it is my pleasure to inform all of you that the king has completed one of his final exams. I think I did well but only the grade will tell. Thanks again for visiting our little page. Yert!

General Information

2008-04-28T14:14:00.003-05:00

Well, today I thought I would give you all a break from baseball and football stories. Today's post will only include some baseball stats. Friday DK went 4 for 5 with no extra base hits breaking his streak of games with a double. Saturday though he went 3 for 3 and had a double and a triple. He is loving baseball. The princess of the Kingdom is just happy go lucky. She is doing really well in home pre-schooling. She can read lots of words and some sentences. The Queen is now a worker bee and she likes the work, she knows it well. She is adjusting to the long days and hard physical labor. She is a real hard-worker. The kiddos and I are making our best attempts at laundry, cleaning, cooking, shopping, etc. We will never be able to run a home as well as the Queen but we are getting better at it. It has been good to be near family for a change, playing with cousins, meals with grandparents and aunts and uncles. We miss the Spartans but know we are where God wants us to be right now, for this season in lives. We are anxiously listening listening for God to tell us what is next on our grand adventure. We are willing to do anything He tells us, just waiting.

NFL Draft Update

2008-04-25T09:29:00.008-05:00

In our mock draft preceding tomorrows official NFL draft, we have Princess running back out of Tennessee moving up the draft board as the potential 1st pick overall. She performed well at the combine in North Carolina yesterday and should be an immediate impact player. She turned in one of the fastest times ever in the run from your brother race and scored well in the hula hoop high jump. She also ranked first in the hopscotch competition. The formerly projected number one pick, QB King, seen on the right, has dropped. Rumors have surfaced that he is considering being a two or three sport athlete and the football owners frown on this heavily.

Red Sox Pummel Pirates for First Win

2008-04-19T13:39:00.003-05:00

The Red Sox started and finished strong today. With flashes of leather on the defensive side and hot bats on the other, the Red Sox piled it on today. After two tough losses the Red Sox rebounded today to pick up their first win. D. King was 2 for 3 with a RBI. King continued his hit streak and his doubles streak. King has a .636 batting average and a slugging percentage of .357 on the season.

Red Sox Drop Second in a Row

2008-04-19T13:37:00.001-05:00

Red Sox came out on fire in the first two innings. They strung together two of the best defensive innings so far this season blanking the Orioles through the first two frames. However, the Red Sox could not stand prosperity and quickly let the Orioles back in the game eventually losing by a score of 21-18. D. King kept his hitting streak alive as well as his doubles streak. King has doubled in every game this season. In the loss to the Orioles he was 2 for 4, with a double and two RBIs. Defensively he made several outstanding plays. The Sox will be back in action Saturday vs. the Pirates.

Red Sox Lose Season Opener

2008-04-12T09:05:00.007-05:00

D. King prepares to take a cut in opening game for Red Sox.
Farmington (AP) --
Last night, the Red Sox lost their opener in inner league play to the Dodgers. The Dodgers are favored to be at the top of the league all season. The young Red Sox came out swinging to take an early lead. In the bottom of the first, with two runners on base, D. King ripped one down the third base line for a two-RBI double. The Red Sox and Dodgers continued to pile up the hits until the Dodgers prevailed in the last inning. After the game King said, "I was kinda nervous. I was hoping we would win. But win or lose, I will praise the Lord." Later last night King was seen at a popular local spot, the Golden Arches. The Red Sox will enjoy an off day today while they regroup and plan to turn this year's start around.

Trucks and Cars, Cars and Trucks

2008-03-22T06:46:00.003-05:00

Well, spring is really official now. I have an itch for a "new" car. We had planned for some time to sell our XTerra once Wendy's brother gave the original Red Van (RV) a thorough going over. That has been done. All she needs now is a set of shoes. So yesterday we had a family car cleaning day. We shined the Nissan and the van and some kid's bikes. We will try the one vehicle family thing for a bit. I don't see that working out too well. In an ideal world I would be buying a 911 twin turbo for the spring. I would settle for an old Jeep. As long as the top comes off of it I will be happy. But then there is practicality. Gas is going to be $0.25/oz soon and I need something to haul stuff around sometimes... so... I am hoping to find a little Mitsubishi Might Max, a Mazda B2000, an old Nissan Frontier or a 'Yota. I wish Honda made trucks back in the early 90's. So if you know anyone who wants a nice used XTerra let me know. If the sell goes through I will donate $100 to the charity of your choice.

Strange Place for a Redwood

2008-03-17T13:10:00.003-05:00

Today I had to go apply for a replacement SS card. It seems I have lost mine. It actually had nothing to do with the move... I lost it a few years ago. Although I have a passport and can travel to most any country in this galaxy, I had to have one. So off I head to Salisbury, NC. Pastor Furches and I had a pleasant experience at the SS Administration office. We waited only about 7-8 minutes and the process took about 2 minutes. So off we head back home. Along the way we encountered this 150' tall Redwood tree you see in the picture. From a distance it rises majestically above the Carolina pines. Before you start thinking I am crazy or we got lost and drove to California... upon further inspection we realize the "tree" is a cellular phone tower! The cell phone tower was built next to a state historic site. The only way they could be awarded the building permit was to disguise the tower in a historic way. What could be more historic than a 400 year old tree? I am not for federal government regulation but I would not be opposed to this being required of all cell towers. Brilliant!

Just Keep Moving, Just Keep Moving...

2008-03-13T21:46:00.002-05:00

See Cooter is moving! Well, if you have ever moved then you know the perpetual state we are now living in. Many things are "missing". They aren't really missing just not found yet. Sounds a little Armenian, but everyone knows moving is completely Calvinistic. If you don't believe this it does not matter because God is definitely a Calvinist. We have collected a lot to stuff over the years. A good "collection" policy is much like the one rule to being successful at grade school P.E dodge ball. Just keep moving. I know some of you are cringing right now as you remember being hit in the face by a kid like me. Just remember, it didn't kill you so it must have made you stronger.

In other news... the Lion's Den Academy, which offers bible based pre-school and elementary education, nursing and psychology degrees, and seminary training, is up and running. While the learning curve for the administration is still very steep, the students seem to be doing well. Pre-school is our biggest need for prayers. Some of our pre-schoolers are very independent and stubborn. Our seminary students have been entrenched in preparation for mid-term exams. They are now complete and spring break is here!!! Yee-Hi. The funding income of the academy is still at $0 per month. We hope to have two part-time donors within the next month.

We went to get driver's licenses today. It seems the easiest way to get a driver's license in this state is to wade through the Rio Grande and present fake documentation. We are holding out hope that tomorrow will be more promising.

The Domain of the Kingdom

2008-03-08T22:25:00.002-06:00

Well, the bad news is that it is not the house some of you strained your backs to help us move to... but the good news it is not the house some of you strained your backs to help us move to! After much deliberation we have moved down the street about 1/2 block. The house is about the same size. It is very roomy and comfy for a royal family of 4. It has three bedrooms, two baths. It has a nice 12 x 20 den we have set up as a school room. In the mornings, Wendy is schooling our bambinos while I find a quiet spot in the house to read. Then in the afternoons I move to the Lion's Den for watching lectures and taking quizzes. Maybe we should have rented an old schoolhouse for our years of education. The kids are doing great, playing with cousins and aunts and uncles and of course grandparents. So far so good, but Wendy will be looking for a job next week. I will begin looking for a summer job soon as well. God has sent us down this path, He has never let me down. He never will. I am not saying times will always be this smooth, it may get rough during these next couple of years. But we know God is with us and trust Him to make us better for it on the other side.

What's Old has Become New Again

2008-03-03T17:18:00.002-06:00

I can't show you pictures yet because I am on dial-up right now. But as of Wednesday night I will be on 5 Mg DSL with no land line. Poo on you BLomand! We are living among boxes and stuff that is all wrapped up. But, we are together. Things have changed a lot here around my ole' stompin' grounds. But some things are the same. Daniel's Little League coach was my coach when I was 16. We will be going to our old/new church for now until God shows us where we need to be serving and maybe that will be there. I think Wendy and I both would like to just sit in a pew for at least a few weeks, see what that is like. We are trying to settle in the house. We have water, power and soon to have ISP. We will gladly send you our new address via email. If you do not get it soon, then email me at timothybking@gmail.com. Later this week we will be sending out our new phone numbers, we do not have them yet. Stay tuned for more stories...

It's All Coming Together... or Apart???

2008-02-14T20:52:00.002-06:00

Well, the contract on our house looks all but for certain. We are scheduled to close on the house on Friday, February 22. We will be packing it all up and convoying it east next week. We are still looking for an old black Trans Am to run interference for us to keep the fuzz off our tail. We have somewhere in the neighborhood of 62' of trailer space and one small UPS truck (owned by a local airline). Plus three pick-up trucks pulling the trailers. It is truly amazing how much stuff we collect. Next Wednesday after lunch we will be pulling into D.C. We can use all the help we can get to help unload. Free food and drinks will be provided. Anyone wishing to help out with online seminary classes during next weeks move... just call me for a reading assignment, quiz review or essay topic.

On a less serious note... I did get to do some muddin' this week. First time since I traded the Jeep in, little over a year ago. I was actually the navigator. Hooked up the tow strap and talked smack was really all I did but it was fun. Thanks to my ole Air Force buddy, Captain B.Fargin for providing the mud and the stuck vehicle.

Tomorrow is one of the first of many lasts for me over the next week. Tomorrow will be the last Pizza Hut lunch for our gang. This may seem trivial to some but pretty much every Friday of my life for the last several years was spent at the local Hut. We go there and catch up and share our hopes, dreams and fears. We eat pizza and drink diet drinks. We walk in to "our" table and sit down even if there are buses full of people waiting to get in. We eat from the buffet from our table not the bar. They make special pizzas for us. We get coupons and pay next to nothing for great pizza and even better fellowship. Tomorrow will be our last regular visit. I am sure that if I am ever in this town on a Friday in the future it will involve a Hut trip.

That's enough of that...

My Own Bucket List

2008-02-01T12:08:00.000-06:00

My friend Rhino recently posted a blog titled "The Bucket List". His is pertaining to a movie and one of the things on his checklist of things to do before he dies. My bucket list is very different. Here is my bucket list, best I can remember: ham, hashbrown casserole, green beans, role, diet pepsi, Krystal shake, fries, corn pup, and an apple. We were leaving Thursday morning to go scope out some places to live for the next few months. We have had our parents, my little sister, friends and anyone else looking desperately for options in NC. I woke up early Thursday morning to a rumbly tummy. For the next few hours I stayed very near the bathroom. I will spare you the details but I hope and pray that none of you get this virus. Apparently it is going around. It reminds me of the time me and Rhino helped Big Nate move to Colorado. We drove for two days with a big UHaul trailer. Hitting speeds of more than double the little speed limit sign in the rear view mirror (the one the paint backwards on the trailer). As soon as we pull into the apartment complex we head for the office to get Nate's keys to the third floor apartment he has secured. I spent the next several hours near a bathroom. Then I spent the next 12 hours in Nate's recliner with my pillow and a blanket staring out into the Rockies. They say it was very forlorn of my future days in a sanitorium. During all this my buddies were carrying things up three flights of stairs, then rewarded themselves with some Outback Steakhouse takeout. I recall that particular part as being a little cruel. But I guess the deserve it since the only thing I carried upstairs was my pillow. Why do I tell this story? I think I am allergic to moving stuff...

Do You Believe in Circumstance?

2008-01-26T22:41:00.000-06:00

Well, our house was on the market for about one week when we received three offers. We have accepted the best offer and have signed the contract to close on February 22. We have been praying all along that God would make this transition happen smoothly and in His timing. I guess we can't really complain if He has answered our prayers. It is definitely a bittersweet moment. We have made tons of memories in this old house. From fixer-up projects to all night XBOX parties we have had some good times. It has served as a home, church, playhouse, spookhouse and basecamp for many a special operation. We have made giant beams worthy of Build It Bigger. We have shoveled crap in the front yard, literally. We filmed a Ford truck commercial on our back porch, using an "As Seen on TV" gravel unloader. We scaled walls at death-defying heights to keep out the bugs. We have tossed flaming tennis balls on the back driveway in lieu of New Year's fireworks. We have taunted death by electrocution holding a 30' metal pole next to power lines while standing on a 20' stepladder strapped to the bed of same Ford truck, all in the name of "Happy Holidays". We have sacrificed burnt offerings of steak, chicken, ribs, hamburgers and the like. We have "installed" six "Fatheads" on the walls of this home. We filled our game room with 400 balloons which was only knee deep. We have won and lost SuperBowls and NCAA basketball games at all hours of the night. Good times that will never be forgotten...

Only Change Stays the Same

2008-01-19T22:22:00.000-06:00

Isn't it funny how most of us do not like change? But it is one of the constants in our lives. Sometimes it seems to evolve like a snowball. One thing changes and it's surroundings quickly begin to morph as well. Some big changes are in store for our family. Hoping to move back to NC in the near future is one big change. Another change for me is a drastic change in my time management priorities. Most of my free time over the next 17 weeks will be devoted to reading, writing (but no rithmatic). So far I have enjoyed knocking some cobwebs out of my old noggin.

Wenge is working like crazy trying to keep the house in "show" condition. She has done so much to make the house presentable to prospective buyers. It looks so great... it makes it sort of hard to think of selling it.

The D-Man is playing basketball. He isn't nearly as passionate about it as he is football. He is doing well though, he plays great defense. He is already dreading the post superbowl down time. I am not sure if arena football will satisfy him.

Princess is learning in leaps and bounds from her reading tutor. She is doing very well and really enjoys learning and dancing for anyone who will watch. Stay tuned.

The New Year

2008-01-03T20:49:00.000-06:00

We can not believe it is 2008. But we know it will be great. Hopefully, it will be relaxing and we can drown a little bait. God will open and close many a gate. If you are single you may get a date. Maybe with a girl named Kate. We pray your relationships involve no hate. Always remember to hug your mate. Especially if his name is Nate. Try to be on time and don't be late. The economy could get bad so mind your interest rate. Listen to more songs by a man named Tate. And always remember sometimes God says be still and wait...

Grandma King's Sugar Cookies

2007-12-13T21:29:00.000-06:00

Well, as Christmas steam rolls it's way toward us, we are trying hard to catch every moment we can to slow down and enjoy it. We had one of those opportunities tonight. We finished our handmade Christmas cards tonight. While the cards were being finished, MommaWenge was baking cookies. The reason this seemingly simple event caused me to reflect was because of the specific cookie. Wendy used Grandma King's sugar cookie recipe. We have come to love it here at our home. It has also become a Christmas favorite around town and the U.S. because of it's inclusion in the latest FBC cookbook. If you have never had the privilege... the difference in the cookies is that they are light and fluffy. They are not the typical, run of the mill, flat, hard or mushy sugar cookie. Make sure you slow down this Christmas season and smell the sugar cookies.

Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer, GO!

2007-12-07T20:43:00.000-06:00

One of the greatest memories of my childhood was coming home from school and watching cartoons while mom made me a snack. I would try to finish my homework on the bus so I could watch my favorite cartoon. That cartoon was Speed Racer. Speed vs. Racer X! I now have the cartoons on DVD, my brother in law gave me a t-shirt a couple of years ago for Christmas. Wendy gave me a 1/16 diecast model of the Mach 5 with a Chim Chim action figure. Chim Chim was the pet monkey if you don't know. I just found out there is a live action movie coming out on May 9, 2008. It is being produced and directed by the guys that did the Matrix trilogy. You can watch the first trailer at http://movies.aol.com/movie/speed-racer-2008/28066/main

Another movie note: Wendy, Dan and I watched The Nativity tonight. Possibly the best made bible movie of all time. I highly recommend it for the Christmas season. Very biblically accurate film with some literary license that does nothing to change the story.

Happy Holidays? I think not...

2007-12-06T20:52:00.000-06:00

Well, we have given official thanks. We have shot inanimate objects in the name of fun. We have decorated our homes with "ever"greens we have killed. We have made lists of things we would like to get for someone else's birthday. We will soon be completely enthralled in the materialism of the holidays. College football is over. No the bowl games do not count! All these things make the holidays not so great. The only thing good is that Jesus came to save us. Not from the lack of football or even materialism or the killing of trees but from ourselves. We thank our Lord and Savior that it is not just happy holidays... it's Merry Christmas with a capital C!!!

Movie Night

2007-11-11T15:17:00.000-06:00

Well it was a great weekend for the King family. After a delicious home cooked meal by MommaWenge, we all watched "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." We had all seen it before but we just love a good story of redemption. Then Wenge and I decided to watch "Transformers". We both used to watch the cartoon and Wenge's brother, Jay had all the action figures. We were a little leery of having this new movie ruin our childhood memories. However, we were not disappointed. Wendy doesn't even like sci-fi movies but she enjoyed this one. Thanks to all my friends who pressured me into watching it.

Late Summer/Early Fall '07 Posting

2007-11-05T16:18:00.000-06:00

As you can tell... I post on a more seasonal basis. We are in the process of changing our blog and web page. We hope to do a much better job in the future of keeping everyone up to date on our crazy lives... the latest adventure in our lives involved Tim and Dan going to the Titans game. It was Dan's first NFL game and he was overwhelmed. The Panthers lost but he had a great time...from the mass of people, the four F-16s flying over to the prayer meeting of the players after the game. Daniel's obsession with football is even stronger now.

Wow... long time no post.

2007-01-13T17:55:00.000-06:00

I would like to apologize to anyone who has been on this page over the last half year or so. I have not posted or even looked at this page lately. I have made a new year's resolution to keep this web log and our little web page up to date. Don't give up on me just yet... check back soon to see some new pictures.

Let there be snow!

2006-02-13T13:24:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe that it has basically snowed all weekend!! Friday night it snowed a couple of inches. So Saturday morning we built a snowman and Dad and Daniel had a snowball fight! It melted a little during the afternoon. Then Sunday morning we woke up to another beautiful winter wonderland. It snowed off and on all day long.
Monday morning we had a couple of inches on the ground and since school was closed we decided to try sledding again. Thanks to our Heady friends we were able to find a nice hill to sled down for a while until the sun started melting the snow away. It has been an enjoyable weekend. I have truly enjoyed watching it snow. Snow makes things quieter and peaceful. It's fun to play in with your children and your friends!! That's my snow girl report for the weekend.....Wendy

We got a snow day!

2006-02-09T16:03:00.000-06:00

Last night it snowed and we ended up with about 2 inches. So Daniel, along with the rest of the students of White Co., got a day out of school! This morning we got in our snow clothes and headed outside to play before it melted away. We threw a few snowballs and Daniel and Emma sledded down the hill in our backyard. It's amazing what playing in the snow can do for you. It's fun for people of all ages. I believe this was Emma's first time playing in the fluffy white stuff. She was a little apprehensive about walking in it at first, but then took off running. Well maybe tomorrow night will bring some more snow for a snow play day Saturday!!! Love, Momma Wenge

Big Dan & Little Em

2006-02-02T21:04:00.000-06:00

I thought it may be helpful to let some of you know what is new in the lives of our little ones. Daniel is doing well in kindergarten. He has made the "Highest Honors" roll each six weeks this year. He is reading very well. He can read... that amazes me! I am glad I was not directly responsible for teaching him to read. He had to go to the principal's office last week. A little boy in his class has been struggling with reading and had completed a task that had stumped him for a while. Daniel was so excited and encouraged the little boy so much that his teacher sent both of them to the principal's office. Daniel is also doing very well in AWANA. He is learning a lot about the Bible and who God is and is not. He is memorizing scripture and sharing about Jesus with his friends. Daniel is also playing his first organized sport. He is playing basketball. He is doing very well, learning a lot about basketball. He has scored in most of his games and can dribble very well. Pretty good considering about 8 weeks ago he couldn't really dribble at all. Daniel is a great little dude, he makes me laugh. Daniel still says he will be a preacher when he grows up. Please join with us in praying for God to make this become reality.

Emma Sue... I don't know what to say about her. She is one crazy kid. She will not eat anything but pizza and bananas. She is very demanding. She makes really funny faces and has very shifty eyes. She seeks out mischief and knows we know it. She is going to be trouble. She is talking more and more everyday. She can communicate anything she wants to now. She is even saying her name now. She refused to say anything other than "me" up until now. I once told Wendy we couldn't have more children because I would not be able to love them as much as I love Daniel. I was wrong (again). She is so very special. I love her with every ounce of my heart, just as much as I love Dan.

Eat Fresh

2006-01-25T22:56:00.000-06:00

Today was a strange day in the continued saga of my life. I was going to have lunch with my friend Ryan at Captain D's around the lunching hour. As I was standing in line my phone rang and displayed an unknown number. I almost didn't answer it but better judgement prevailed. The familiar voice on the other end said, "Hi, this is Jared Fogle from Subway." I thought great, another pre-recorded message from Subway, which I had been receiving until I cancelled them a few days ago. Then Jared said, "So, Tim.... where is Sparta, TN anyway?" I was really talking to Jerrod, the dude who ate Subway and walked 14 miles a day and lost a whole person of weight. We talked for several minutes. I put him on speaker phone at one HI point to make sure Ryan heard his voice to confirm this wacky story. We talked about food and staying with a food plan. We also talked about Tennessee and the weather, what a cliche. Erin Anyway, it was a strange little event in my life. If anyone needs to talk to ole Jared I now have his phone number... let me know.

Up On the Roof

2006-01-23T22:59:00.000-06:00

I thought I had better get this info on here since I put out a teaser on someone else's blog. Over the weekend we had torrential rains here. Our church sprang a few leaks. The handyman extraordinaire was up on the roof checking for leaks and made a startling discovery. There is a flat section of roof where you can see a lot of the surrounding area. There is where he found four folding, metal chairs. Along with the chairs there were empty beer cans and Butterfinger candybar wrappers. This is the weirdest little town on the planet... Our first guess as to the culprit is the Simpson family (Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa - not Randy). But as some of you have discovered - they are not real. So we will put our best detectives on the case. Inspector Daniel has two suspects. The first is Ryan, based on the butterfinger/simpson like MO. His second suspect is handyman Jim. The reasoning here is opportunity. "He spends a lot of time on the roof." I will try to keep you updated on the case. If you have any information on this case please call Tennessee Crimestoppers.

USERNAMES and PASSWORDS

2006-01-23T22:06:00.000-06:00

Well, it took some work but I have finally logged back in to the King Web Log. I am not going to try to catch up here but I will try to update anyone who may be monitoring this blog. Including W, which I have no problem with at all. I am going to include some photos in our blog as well. This will be a first for the King blog. We shall see if it works at all. If it does... then MommaWenge may get more excited about blogging. If it works you will see a pic of some Christmas monkeys to the right... Stay tuned!

A word from Wendy

2005-06-11T21:43:00.000-05:00

Hey! It's good to be back home! Tim and I have been away with the youth this week in Hardin Kentucky at Jonathan's Creek camp. We had a great week. God answered many requests we made to Him and He is working in our youth group. Pray for our youth. This past week at camp was a "pep rally" for us. It has revived us spiritually, even though we are physically tired! God also has reminded us all the great importance of spending time with Him every day. A lot of us have been "starving" as Christians and have realized we cannot live like that anymore. You have to daily draw close to Jesus to gain His power and strength to live obediently. This week we have been with Jesus up on the mountain. We are back home in the valley now where the real growing occurs. Daily obedience and time alone with Jesus every day is key. By reading and meditating on His Word we are changed.
Daniel and Emma spent last week at their "summer camp", as Daniel called it. They spent the week in North Carolina with the grandparents. They both did wonderful and did not get homesick. God provided for them, protected them, and comforted them while we were away. I am thankful for the time we each had this week.

A note from Wendy...

2005-05-30T11:32:00.000-05:00

Well, we have been out of commission again this week. Emma had a yucky stomach virus and shared it with me and Daniel. I cannot understand why Emma has been such a sick little girl this spring. I hope and pray we can stay well for the next few weeks!
We have been busy with an extreme makeover of Erin's room this week while she was out of town. So many people helped with it and it turned out beautiful! I hope she enjoys it as much as we enjoyed working on it.
What is new with Daniel? Well he finally pulled his loose tooth Saturday! I am so proud of him!! He wiggled it for about 30 minutes while he was watching his cartoons and out it came. He is still quite proud of himself, too. I had to bribe him with a Star Wars toy of his choosing, but whatever works!
Emma is still in control around the house. She is such a character with all her funny faces and talking "her sentences". (No one knows what she is talking about.) She is a sweetie, but such a different child than her brother. She eats nothing that is green or really good for her. I am not use to a picky eater, but she is! We love our Em.
Dad is out of town this weekend. He left here Saturday AM with Ryan and Big Nate headed to Colorado. Big Nate and Kara are getting married this Friday and they had to get a UHaul full of their stuff out there to their apartment before they tight the knot. So the 3 Amigos took off on a sprint to get out there and get back ASAP. Hopefully they will return tommorrow! Plus Tim has come down with our stomach virus. Pray that God will especially protect Big Nate from getting that stomach bug this week!!!!
And we leave for summer camp this Sunday, too. I can't believe it is already here! I have to get packing! I am looking forward to it because I didn't get to go last year. Daniel and Emma will be going to NC to visit the grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc. Daniel is excited. Emma doesn't know, of course, that Mom is going to be leaving her for 7 days! I hope she makes it ok. She has been "clingy" lately. I hope that isn't a bad sign!!
Have a Happy Memorial Day! God, Bless each soldier today!!

Wendy's first blog

2005-05-15T21:08:00.000-05:00

I have finally found a little bit of time to sit down and blog a bit! Emma and Daniel keep me so busy and so tired!
I want to tell you about our recent road trip. We took a mini vacation to Cincinnati, Ohio last Monday. Why Ohio you may be asking? Well, we decided to go see the Reds play a couple of baseball games! We left that morning and arrived in Cincinnati around 4:00pm. The children did well riding. Emma napped a little, but Daniel did not. We checked into our hotel room and rested about an hour before we headed out the door again. The Reds vs. Padres game started at 7:35pm. We decided to walk to the game since we hade been sitting most of the day in the car. The Great American Ballpark was 8 blocks away from our hotel. So here we go! We put Emma Sue in the stroller and strolled down the streets of Cincinnati. It was a nice walk. We got to the ballpark, checked out the gift shop, and headed to our great seats. Our seats were 4 rows up from the third base line. In other words we were in foul ball territory! We had to keep our eyes on the ball. It was fun being there and seeing the beautiful stadium. We stayed for 8 innings and decided to head back. The Reds were ahead by 4 runs anyway. But later after we got back to the hotel we found out that the game continued into 13 innings and the Reds lost. On Tuesday we got up and went to the zoo. It was very fun! Daniel and Emma loved all the different animals. We enjoyed it, but we all were tired and ready for a nap by the end. We left the zoo and headed back to the room. For supper Tuesday night we feasted on Cincinnati chili. On Wednesday we got up, ate a free brunch at the Muffin Basket downstairs and headed back to the ballpark for a 12:30pm game. We arrived early to take in the scenery and ambiance of the place once again. Our seats this time were in the shade in the lower level behind home plate in the shade. Thank God for the shady seats because it was hot! The game ended again in a loss but it was still enjoyable to be there. We then headed for Spartaland after stopping in Lexington, KY to eat and shop a little.

UPDATE

2005-05-14T22:40:00.000-05:00

Sorry we have not "blogged" in a while. I have yet to show Wendy how to login and post.... I do want to let you know there will be several new pictures on the King webpage very soon. As soon as I can remember how to use the "EZ" thumbnail builder program. I need to take notes in Rhino's classes. We just got back from Cincinnati. We had a great time. I will let Wendy tell you all about our trip. Today was the annual spring church golf tourney. We played not so good and still placed. Some people cheated (which is common in church tournies).

Daniel's Big Day

2005-05-02T11:28:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a big day for Daniel. Mom fixed his favorite lunch... pork chops and turnip greens. He is a unique little boy. After that we headed to his preschool graduation. It was a nice ceremony with a video presentation of the past school year and the awarding of diplomas. There was a party afterwards with lots of food; like cookies, brownies and cake. Daniel ate celery and strawberries. Then we helped Commander Kurt get set up for the Awana Grand Prix. Daniel and I (wendy too) had a great time building this year's entry. He wanted to build a Jeep. I cut it out, Daniel sanded on it all day one day. He painted it and we bought stickers to make it into a "Duke/JJ Redick" Jeep. Wendy wanted it to be a beach buggy so she made a little umbrella, beach towel, flip flops and a beach ball for the back. She wanted to put rod holders on the front with fishing poles but she was getting out of control so we had to stop her. She also threatened me to NOT win the speed category this year. She felt Daniel was a little spoiled by winning all the trophies last year. So we set the onboard computer to shut her down at a safe 110 mph. Daniel still had one of the top ten cars out of all classes. But our goal this year was to win a trophy for best design. Daniel's Duke/JJ Jeep placed first in the design category. He was happy with that after I explained to him how we had met our goal and completed our plan. Next year we will be going for all the trophies again. I figure every other year of total domination is okay, right? Anyway, we had a great day. We will put lots of pictures of the day on our web page so you can share in the fun.

Welcome.

2005-05-02T11:08:00.000-05:00

Wendy and I have finally given in to the web log craze. We have fought it for sometime now but the ease of technology has once again defeated our resolve. And it should make the distant grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins and friends happier, since we email very seldom. We will try our best to keep you all updated on the happenings of the Kings of Tennessee.