Happy Happy Birthday Birthday!!

Today is the birthday of two very special girls in my life -
Both of them brought to me because of one man's love.
My son's.

The first is his wife of 8 years.

She was Josh's dream for a wife.
And my dream for a daughter-in-law.
Neither of us have been disappointed!

I love you, Jodi.
I couldn't have done any better had I picked you myself.
I love how you love my son
and your children.

How respectful you are of other people.
And the goodness and sweetness that is your heart.

And then there is Lily!
The only girl in a sea of boys.
And every bit the princess.

I loved you from the moment I knew there was a you.
Enough gentleness to call you girlie
and yet enough toughness to hold your own
with four brothers.

One years old today.
You make my heart sing.

To two of my favorite girls

Happy Birthday!

My life wouldn't be the same without
either one of you.

Meeting our new Neighbors

Remember how your mother always warned you
(and maybe still does!)
to be careful what kind of underwear you wear
because you never know when you may
be in an accident?
As a freshman in high school that came to my mind one day
as I waited in the emergency room
following a car accident.
I hope they were presentable.
I can't remember anymore.
But I do remember thinking about it.

Well, yesterday, I added a new one:
Be careful what you wear to paint in
because you may end up on the nightly news!

Yep, that's what happened.
Both Warren and I.
In some of the worst clothes we own.
My hair was a mess and....
Well, that's not really what this story is about.

Last week, for Warren's birthday,
I bought him a house.
Okay, that's not really true.
It just happen to close on his birthday.
Anyway, we bought it to try our hand at the rental
market while at the same time, hopefully,
helping out our monthly income.

The house is in pretty good condition seeing that it was built in '77
so the list isn't that long of what we need to do to get it rent able.
First of all, wallpaper needed to be removed (my job)
and painting needed to begin. (Warren's job)

When Warren got to the Master bedroom he noticed a box
on the closet shelf
and soon I was summoned to take a look.
Two (2) grenades.
After deciding it probably wasn't a good idea to throw them in the garbage
(we don't have trash pick-up there anyway!)
we decided we would get the number for the police the next day
and call them then.
We didn't think it warranted a 911 call.

A bit later Warren informed me that the police were on their way.
He had remembered that there was a phone book out in the trash pile
and got the number for the police so he had called them.
Then we got a phone call.
We were to exit the house until they got there.

Man, that was going to slow down the work!

Soon, we saw two police cars pull up. (they always come in twos)
They took Warren back in to check things out
and came back with mixed opinions.
But joint in the opinion that
the bomb squad needed to be called.
Police continued to come.
(at one time I counted 10 police cars lining our street)
and then the chief (or so we think)
from the bomb squad.
All of a sudden we were told to get in our vehicle and drive down the road a ways.
Crime scene - do not enter tape was strung across our property line.
We were told they were smoke grenades.
They weren't as concerned about those.
BUT in the box (of which Warren hadn't taken out to examine)
were two metal canisters of ether.
We were also told it was enough to blow up our house
but not enough to evacuate the neighborhood.
(not sure how much that would have to be!)
They knew they were old because of the metal casing.
Ether is no longer packaged in metal because it is prone
to deteriorate and then leak.
Ours was doing just that.
It also crystallizes with age.
And there lies the danger.
More of the bomb squad was called along with the truck and
trailer that carries "the canister".
"The canister" has a hydraulic lift on it for the lid and also for the
tub that lies inside of it.
Here the hazardous material is laid and then
carefully (with the use of the hydraulic lift)
put into the protective canister.
We watched as two bomb squad, fully armored, guys went into our house
to retrieve the explosives.
One man simply used a flashlight to direct the other man's carefully
placed feet as he carried that
"which could blow up our house"!
Two trips were made to get it out.
After it was safely in the canister Warren was asked if we knew of anything
else that would give us concern in the house.
Warren mentioned a box that he had seen in the crawlspace under the house.
Sure enough!
Some type of flares and different firework type of things
that could definitely explode with the heat that we get in a
Tennessee summer.

About 3 hours from start to finish we were told we could once again
enter our house.

We, along with one of our new neighbors,
were interviewed for a piece on
Chattanooga's channel 3 news.
Thus the concern for what I was wearing.

All in all
we never felt afraid.
We didn't realize that we had been in any danger until
we were already in a safe zone.
All in all
it's made for some pretty good
story telling.
I love stories.
That's what makes life interesting.

I did wear the same thing when we went back today.
We were painting after all.
And surely that was a once-in-a-lifetime thing!!!!!

These are not pictures of our house on fire
(it was still standing when we left today)
I just added them because Kellie said pictures make for
a more interesting post!

Feliz Aniversario, Warren

It has been my joy to share
life with you.

To be your wife.

To be able to laugh and cry with you.

To share adventures
as well as every day life.

To know you as a father, grandfather

and friend.

I am so glad that I choose you
to share this life with.

I did good.
Very, very good!

I love you, sweetie.
Happy Birthday
to my most favorite person
in the whole world.

(and thanks for choosing me, too!)

MR. DYKAST

It's almost hard to remember our family without Jason.
It's as though he always was.

And that's the way it should be with family.
Incomplete without each one.

We realize, Jason, that it really wasn't us that you thought you were
choosing when you married our daughter.
But you got us anyway.

We got the better end of the deal!
Love you so much.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

A Savior is Born!!!!

It's easy to forget that this day is not about you and me.

That it's not about the snow falling outside, as I write this,
or the cinnamon roll I just ate.

It's not about the music in the background or the good meal and family time ahead for us.

It's not even about the presents.

I forget that sometime.
And when all of the above doesn't fall into place you'll hear me say

"it just doesn't feel like Christmas".


It was a normal day for this world, as far as the people were concerned.
A day of work, of routine. Nothing special. Or so it seemed.

And yet God, in His infinite wisdom, chose that particular day to provide a way
of salvation for you and me.
And He chose it in a form of a baby.

And He didn't plan it to be "special" in the ways
that we would think it needed to be.
He had Our Saviour born to a very young, inexperienced couple.
He had the birth take place in the discomfort of a stable.
A smelly, dirty place intended for animals.
Certainly not built with the intention that a King would be born there.

He made a grand announcement,
not to the high society of the times,
but rather to a bunch of poor, dirty shepherds.

And then He put this young couple, with a small child,
on the run for their lives.
Having to trust fully in Him.
That what He had said would come to pass.

Yes, the wise men came to worship Him eventually
but I don't recall hearing of them at the foot of the cross
as He was dying.

And, now, you and I are asked to fully trust Him.
That what He said will come to pass.

No, the day doesn't always feel like what it is.
But it is what it was meant to be.

Let us not forget.

Our Family Christmas 2010 Tennessee

While our whole family was together earlier this month,
we were blessed that a good friend
of Jason and Kellie
(who just so happens to be a professional photographer)
volunteered
(by his wife's nudges!)
to take some family pictures for us.

What a gift!

This guy still gives me butterflies!

Our "crazy" grandchildren.
Our cup runneth over with joy!

You can get a little bit of a glimpse of their personalities
with these pictures!

Our family has a lot of fun together
and I think Rich captured our enjoyment of each other.

side note: Notice Jake on Brett's shoulders.
While taking these picture, at some point,
Brett spit on the ground.
(he said later that right after he did it
he knew it was a mistake)
Jake copied him.
Then Brett heard,
"oh, that was a mistake."
He continued to tell Brett that he had spit but it landed
in Brett's hair - thus the mistake.
He then proceeded to try and wipe it off.
Not so good for Brett's purposely messed up hair.
Oh well, like Brett said - he made the first mistake!

Josh and Jodi thought it was a great time to have a good
picture taken of their family together....

Actually, I think it's great.
Each person is so themselves in this picture.
It's a keeper!

Thank you so much Rich Smith!
They are the greatest and we are blessed that you would do this for us.
And Heather, thank you for the little arm twisting that you may have had to do!

You guys are the best!

One Amazing 3 Year Old!

Noah
Can it be that you are actually 3 years old already?
Where has the time gone?

It seems like only yesterday that we were dreaming of you.

You may not have been born into this family
but it has always been God's intention
for you to be a part of us.
You are.
And we couldn't be happier.

We love you so much.

Happy Birthday, sweet boy!