tryin' somethin' new

I am going to try to do some video podcasting/blogging (aka vlogging) via the pseudobass.blogspot.com site that I have.  It is linked for you on the right side of the page under "family blogs."  I will be trying to get that RSS feed setup with iTunes so that you can subscribe to my podcast through iTunes and take me with you on your iPod, iPhone, or on your computer wherever you are.  I know...that's scary.

on a winter's night

She just has to be the cutest baby girl ever!

Ummmm...did I mention she's cute?

She was lookin' at her mama in this one. She gave her a nice smile.

Then she gave me one, too. Talk about "melt your heart"!

He's all ready to head out to Fry's Electronics on 31st Ave and T-Bird in Phx. And, yes, it is cold outside...at least to us desert rats!

You might think it, but cute is not his middle name: it's Aidan.

My good-lookin' goofball!

more recent pics of Katelyn Anaya

Those are some beautiful eyes looking up at you.

Too darn cute.

What a smile!

These pictures are more grainy because it was dark in her room at the time. I decided to take some pics because she had removed her feeding tube. She's incredibly gorgeous (like her mother)!

Time for bed, and she needed to have the feeding tube put back in. Not as much fun as it sounds. :-\

big dowdy

Ben Dowdy is 6'6" or 7" and he drives a tiny little 2-seater Honda. I couldn't believe that he could get in it, so I made him prove it when I was in El Paso for Annie Kitchen's memorial service...surprisingly enough, he fit (kinda...I think he left the door open in the picture because he can't get his knees fully in!).

christmas dessert pics

Here are a couple pictures that Amy took of my barbershop quartet Four Cryin' Out Loud.

We very much enjoy singing together.

word of the year

One of my favorite words is a word that was created by gamers online: w00t. That's spelled with the letter 'w' and then two zeros and then the letter 't.' It is normally used to express excitement and/or agreement with something that has recently occured. If you would like to read more about Webster's Word of the Year for 2007, go here. There is also www.woot.com (spelled with the letter 'o,' not zeros) that sells only one product per day, but it sells it cheap, whatever it is, because of the bulk. We got our Dyson vacuum cleaner from there. It is a great place to shop.

where's the camel?

Click on the image to enlarge it (in order to read the text).

Credit: Matthew du Mée found this one

my buddy and me

Gotta love reading!

What a couple of good lookin' gents.

Yeah, we're pretty much the coolest!

Aidan wasn't very happy here, but we still are two darn handsome men.

just laying around

Aidan thinks that it is really fun to lay on the floor next to Kate while she is playing.  Tonight he held her had while we was there and they just laughed while laying there.  It was really cute.

disneyland...finally

Finally some kind of post about Disneyland...and its only been a month.  Sarah, Cassi, (Susan) and I had alot of fun at Disneyland last month.  We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel while we were there.  There were the usual antics and joking and lots of walking around.  I was so looking forward to going to Disneyland and being able to do whatever I wanted because I was not going to be pregnant, but plans changed.  So therewere a few things I didn't get to go on, but only a few.  The Park was open till midnight on both Friday and Saturday while we were there so that was nice to stay late.  We had a very nice brunch buffet courtesy of the NCC student ministries.  We ate at Goofy's Kitchen, it was really good food.  But I have to say that the highlight of that meal was Goofy coming to our table and flirting with us.  He drew us a self portrait and everything.  I'll work on getting that scanned.

  It was Sarah's birthday on Monday, and even though we were not in CA on Monday Cassi and I still made Sarah wear a birthday pin the whole time we were there.  We thought maybe it would get us something extra but it didn't get anything but alot of random people telling her happy birthday.  My personal favorite was while were in line for Peter Pan at about 11:30PM.  This group of people a few people in front of us in line started singing happy birthday kind of quietly.  I was trying to figure out who they were singing to because no one in their group had a pin on, when they got to the name and said Sarah she freaked out because she was really tired and didn't know what was going on.  She gave them a really weird look.  I thought it was really funny.  We went on Splash Mountain kind of early in the AM.  There was no line (cause no one ever goes on it in the morning cause its too cold to be wet) so the girls said we should just go on it now.  SO we did.  We got to the first small drop, and we all got soaked... it was bad.  SO we decided that we at least better get a good picture out of all the wetness.

Sarah's least favorite ride was the elevator ride in the hotel.  She kind of had a hard time with it every time we got on it, it was kind of funny too... especially because she really liked the Tower of Terror, and thats just one big elevator.  WHen they were waiting for it (I couldn't go on that one) Cassi tried to explain it to Sarah and she said it was kind of like an elevator, that was a mistake but she liked it alot anyway.  Well I think thats all for this post on Disneyland, I'll say more later I guess.  

pizza

Aidan has now decided that he really likes pizza. Eery tuesday we get pizza for Adam's CCC group and we eat it too so I don't have to make anything else.  This arrangement works out well in Aidan's eyes because he gets to eat pizza once a week.  He started saying pizza well tonight.  Its pretty funny, he gets all excited when he sees the box and wants to eat right when he sees it.  We aren't talking one piece either, he eats three.  Yes three pieces of pizza in one sitting.  Tonight he tried to just eat the cheese off the top before eating the rest, he was pretty much putting the whole slice in his face, I had to turn away so he wouldn't see me laughing.  It must be good...

more barbershop practice

headed to El Paso

Now, it has been quite a while since I've been back to my old summer stomping grounds in El Paso, Texas. I went there for 7 summers, working with the children's missions organization GMTC: Gospel Ministries To Children. Ben Dowdy, director of SWGMTC El Paso, shot me an email and a phone call to let me know that my dear friends, Chad and Cody Kitchens, had just lost their mom, Annie Kitchens. I still don't know what happened to bring about her physical departure from us, but I know that she was a believer and that she was an incredible woman, a woman that I used to call mom. I had stayed with the Kitchens numerous times during my times in El Paso. One of my most found memories of Annie was when she, Chad, and I were listening to some dc Talk and they said that they liked their old rap stuff better than their newer rock phase (this was a while back); they both then introduced me to The Pirates of Penzance. I love my brothers, Chad and Cody, and I want to be there for them if I can be. So, with that said, I contacted Ben Dowdy, asked if he knew anyone's place I might be able to crash at for Friday night (the memorial service is Friday at 6pm), and he offered his place to me (even though it is 30 minutes from where the Kitchens live). I gratefully accepted, so I took tomorrow off from teaching at DVHS, and I am headed to El Paso in the morning. I am going by myself, with our only vehicle, but Amy has her parents in town, at least, and they have car seats for our kids if they need to go anywhere over the day that I will be gone. I am thankful that the LORD let me have this time where I can go and be with my brothers in El Paso, even though it is going to be a time of mourning while there. I love these guys. Pray for their family, please, and for my safety, as well as for Amy's sanity in dealing with the kids while I'm gone (Aidan's been quite a pain these past few days, "bless his heart").

being santa

Tonight, I dressed as Santa Claus. The christmas choir concert was tonight at DVHS in the performing arts building where I spent a lot of my time as a high school student. This time I got to play the big man in red. I think this first picture should be more of a plug for the Apple iPhone than simply a picture of how I looked in the suit.

You even get to have a picture of my girth (with added pillow in the mix).

Gotta love a close-up.

I got to go out on stage, answer a question about how long it took to get down here, and then pass out candy to the crowd. It was a lot of fun. I answered how long it took me to get down here with, "Well, the reindeer are on strike right now." Scott Sims (the DVHS choir director, husband of my first choir teacher back at NCCS, and father of a friend of mine - whom I've not seen since early high school) asked me why that was, and I responded, "This time of year they always want more hay!" I got plenty of groans for that one. Woo doggie! The elf pictured above is actually one of my math students at DVHS. We nicknamed him "Elmer the Elf," and he said he had to have been sniffing glue to think this was a good idea. While funny, it just wasn't as "school-appropriate" as would have been allowable. Good thing he only said it to me backstage. Heh heh.

barbershop video

thirteen and four

The Suns (13-4) traveled to New York to take on the Knicks (5-11). The Suns scored another high thirty-point first quarter (37) and lead by 8 at the break. The Suns let the Knicks back in a but before the half and only lead by 4. The Knicks came back out, ready to play, and by the end of the third quarter, the Knicks had cut the Suns lead to 1 point. The Suns, lead by Grant Hill and Amaré Stoudemire's 28 points a piece, rallied in the fourth and earned 30 points in the quarter to win the game by 11, 115-104. Stat had a double-double by adding in 12 boards to his 28 points. Nash had another 15-assist game. The Knicks did have 6 players in double figures scoring, but the Suns still had 5 of their own (almost 6: Nash scored 9 points). The next game is tonight in Indiana to take on the .500 Pacers (9-9). GO SUNS!

twelve and four

The Orlando Magic (14-4) were in town to take on the Suns (12-4). Dwight Howard had a killer night with 30 points and 23 rebounds. He is considered the front runner for the MVP this year at this early stage in the game. Two other Magic players had 18 and 25 points, but the Suns kicked it up a notch and 6 players had at least 15. Bell had his biggest game of the season with 20 points as the Suns' high scorer. Nash had 15 points and 14 dimes; Stat had 19 points and 10 boards. The Suns had a 15 point lead after the first, a 10 point lead at the half, and again a 10 point lead after the third; then they lost it. The Magic came back and made the fourth quarter a hard fought battle for the Suns to sneak out a 110-106 victory. The Suns could have easily lost this one with their let up in the fourth quarter. I'm getting concerned again about that become consistent just like last year. The Suns still got the win, and that's truly all that will matter come playoff time. How great of a series would it be to have the Suns and the Magic in the Finals?

ncc christmas dessert

The NCC Christmas Dessert for the ladies of NCC and all those whom they invite is tonight at NCC (we're calling tonight "December Eve" since it's so early in the year for a "Christmas" program). Four Cryin' Out Loud, my barbershop quartet, is performing as the opening act of the program. As soon as I can, I will be posting a video I uploaded to YouTube of us singing our introduction song. I think we're hysterical, but you can make up your own mind. Check back soon!

eleven and four

The Suns (11-4) have now lost 2 games in a row, and they deserved this loss. The Suns were playing sloppy again. They looked like they didn't know how to shoot the basketball. They ran down the shot clock almost every trip down the court where they normally shoot within the first 7 seconds (and do much better doing it that way). The Suns weren't down by a lot: they were only behind four points at the half. The Suns just barely kept from matching the Rockets (9-7) each quarter, but they couldn't get Yao Ming contained. He had his way with scoring (Yao had the game's only double-double with 31 points and 13 rebounds). I thought by the end of the game he'd be too tired to score and we'd come back in and dominate, but he pushed hard all 40 minutes he played. Only three Suns scored in double figures, and no one earned a double-double. Nash had a Suns-high 29, while Stat and the Matrix had 25 and 18 respectively. Because the Suns couldn't get more of the team scoring, the Suns couldn't pull anything off to defeat this Rockets team that had McGrady, who scored 18 points, back in the line-up. The Suns take on the Orlando Magic (14-3), the hotest team in the entire league right now, tonight in Phoenix. Should be a great match-up. We're one of their only three losses. GO SUNS!

injustice

I meant to post this awhile back. I wrote this during a doctor's appointment for Kate after we'd been home for three days. They checked her weight and gave her the 6 month shots they didn't the last time we went in because of the weight issue. Her weight, according to the numbers the doctor gave us, was up a pound and a quarter from what it was when we left the hosiptal. I find that incredible. The LORD does answer prayers. By the way, she is now taking formula from a bottle by herself (allowing Amy to simply sit there and hold her as she feeds, instead of having to be more proactive). She still takes about 45 minutes to finish her feeding, but at least she's progressing. And her little body is starting to take on body fat again. Praise the LORD. Here's the post I meant to do on November 21st (last Wednesday):

Aidan's first injustice was done to him today by one of his peers (that I've at least been witness to). When we were at the pediatrician's office today, a girl wouldn't let Aidan play on the same waiting room apparatus as her. She told him "no" and "go away" as she waved her arms at him. He handled it with poise, but he was not totally sure what to do about her. He stood at a distance, tried to give her space as he moved, and was faced with opposition when he tried to play near her. The girl's father would say things to her like "you can't dominate all of the toys" and "be nice" and "don't tell him no," but was sadly inept at controling his offspring. It was quite the lesson for me to watch, since I decided that I shouldn't interject on his behalf. Aidan did enjoy spinning the "picture body arrangements" and sitting in "Aidan-sized" chairs (which he needed help to sit in and get out of; still a bit too tall for his little legs, or, at least, his dexterity).

eleven and three

The Suns (11-3) were on their way to at least tie the best start in franchise history after 16 games, but they won't make that magic 14-2 record anymore after this loss to the Golden State Warriors (6-7). The Suns had 37 points after the first quarter, but that didn't stand up to the Warriors' 45 (remind you of any recent games but flip-flopped?). The Suns lost every quarter, never being able to shoot as well as the Warriors were shooting all night long. A lot of the reasons for losing are summed up in this: 20 turnovers. The Suns didn't even have most of these turnovers force on them by good defense; it was just sloppy play. Steve Nash had 23 points, 13 dimes, but an uncharacteristic 8 turnovers. Grant Hill had 17 points, 5 dimes, and 5 boards, but added in his own 5 turnovers. The Matrix had another solid game for him with 10 points and 14 rebounds, though we could have used more points from him, too. 6 Suns' players scored in double figures, but this time it wasn't enough. Stephen Jackson and Monta (pronounced mon-tay) Ellis, both of the Warriors, scored 32 and 31 points, respectively. Baron Davis added in his own 28 points and threw in 10 dimes just for fun. The Warriors cooled off the Suns with a 129-114 win. A 15 point loss after an 8-game winning streak kind of stings, but the Suns have to have control of the basketball, and it just wasn't there. The sad part is, the Suns even out-rebounded the Warriors 48-39, and even got 15 offensive rebounds. Sounds like the Warriors simply beat us at our own game. We will bounce back with better lessons learned, though. The next game is tonight at home against the Houston Rockets (8-7). Should be another good match-up (that we should win). GO SUNS!

(Now that's a cool pic!)

eleven and two

The Los Angeles Clippers (6-5) came out like they wanted to play. They made me think twice about them as a club as they came in and took an early lead, seemingly having match-ups that were in their favor. Chris Kaman (Kaveman), who has a much better haircut this year (it's funny if you knew what he looked like last year, hence "Kaveman"), was a force to be reconned with with his 7' of height and seeming dominance in the paint whenever he felt like it. The Suns (11-2) did manage to hold him to only 17 points, but he brought in 14 rebounds for the Clippers. Sam Cassell continues to be the punk of the NBA (and a whiner at that), but he still can play. He put in his own 26 points as he got an irregular starting role in this game, as he's been just coming in during the fourth quarter for the Clips. This time, though, he only played the first three quarters and didn't even get off the bench once during the fouth quarter as he watched the Suns run away with a dominating 19-point victory. The Suns are really starting to kick it up in the second half, unlike last year's norm of getting a nice lead in the first half and then letting go of it in the second. Stat got 29 points and 11 rebounds, while the Matrix got 21 points and an outstanding 17 rebounds. Nash put in 20 of his own points and dished out 10 dimes to boot. Grant Hill put in 19 points, too. The Suns won 113-94, making this an 8-game winning streak for the blazing Suns of Phoenix. We are just hot in the wins column right now.

ten and two

Who would've guessed that the Kings (4-8) would have scored 38 points in the first quarter against the Suns (10-2). That was quite a feat...the only problem for the Kings was that the Suns actually scored 47 points in the same quarter. The Suns scored 80 points in the first half alone. What an incredible shooting and non-defensive display by both teams, though the Suns still had a win they coasted to. Six Suns players scored in double figures. Marion had a Suns' high of 25 points, while both Nash and Barbosa had 18. Nash also had another 15 assists, giving him the only Phoenix double-double. We had 7 steals, 7 blocks, and only 7 turnovers. The bench got cleared and the starters became spectators for the last 9 minutes of the game. Alando Tucker, new to the Suns this year, made it to 10 points off the bench. The Suns won this shoot out 127-111, though it could have been a much larger hole for the Kings than that.