Gideon and the Coco Dynobites

Like father, like son. The kid gets physically excited when it comes to eating the Dynobites. The great thing is that I do the exact same thing with each bite myself!

Kathee Helps Gideon Put Away the Dishes

I thought this too cute to pass up. We just got back from the grocery store today and Kathee was putting away groceries. It took Gideon a mere nano-second to push his way in front of Momma to get into the mix. He's chirping like he's directing Momma where to put the new groceries. Absolutely priceless.
A few minutes before the groceries were being put away, I was putting the new oven thermometer in the oven (as our pre-heat ding no longer dings). Gideon literally walks between my legs to get the front-row view of things.
Add this to our on-the-way adventure TO the grocery store that Gideon takes ANOTHER header on the back sidewalk and cut his nose and upper lip a bit. All-in-all, a delightful day. So fun to be with family.
And to think that Grandpa and Grandma T are coming down from Dubuque this afternoon. It just doesn't get any better than this!

A Bit Outside the "Travel with the T's" Focus

Yesterday was the annual See You At the Pole. This is an event where teens gather at their school's flagpoles to pray. I serve on the board of The NET, a Quad City Area network of youth pastors. My friend Tony made this video from the pictures we as youth pastors took from the flagpoles yesterday morning. My pictures are from Moline High School. The three kids acting like goons are.... surprise... my kids! The schools represented in this video are from approximately 25 miles surrounding the QCA. And then last night (and each year I've been in Moline) the youth ministries get together for a post-pole rally. We had approximately 550 kids at last night's rally. Anyway, just wanted to share this video. And thanks Tony for building this video (as I know you check my blog). You did a great job! All because Christ is supreme and worthy of our praise and honor!

Together For Adoption Video

I got this video off The Gospel Coalition Blog today. This one brought tears. Pretty much the entire way through I'm saying to myself that I want ALL of those kids to come and have Kathee and I as their Momma and Poppa. This video is for a conference that is quickly approaching. It will be in Franklin, TN, within the next month. Check out the site for Together For Adoption.

Prayer Time at Supper

I don't have video of this yet, but it's an absolute must. Starting yesterday at breakfast, and then today at breakfast and tonight for supper, Gideon brought a tear. He grabbed a hand of both Kathee and me and then bowed his head. It was so cool. At 16 months, he knows that we pray before we eat. It was so cool. He's now reaching his hand out and waiting for us to grab his so we can bow and pray. This is SO COOL. I'll try to get video tomorrow!

Playpen Time

Each morning, Gideon gets to spend some quality time by himself playing in his Pack-n-Play (currently on the three-seasons porch). Today when I got home from Men's Bible Study, Kathee and I were sitting and chatting about our study in Hebrews. As we are chatting, Gideon is chatting up a storm by himself. He's animated to the nth degree. He's waving his arms and moving back and forth (along the side walls) of his crib. Kathee and I were quietly belly laughing just watching him. So I grabbed the camera to catch it, only to have him calm down as I pushed record. However, I think you'll enjoy this video a mere seconds AFTER his wild sermon. As you may note, it appears he's looking at the door to the rest of the house, as he apparently thinks he's done with playpen time!

Gideon's First Moline High School Homecoming Parade

Each year, the Moline High School parade is a big deal. It takes nearly an hour! And it's so fun. Today was Gideon's first homecoming parade. It seems like everyone from Moline is either in the parade or watching it. And since the main drag of Moline is right down the street from our house, we are able to walk to it. Aside from the loud sirens on the fire truck, Gideon loved it. And it was so fun to see kids in our ministry in the parade, or sit with them during the parade. God is good!

The Last Bubble Eater

The Walker

Fun with a Straw

Gideon is getting quite proficient in the use of a straw for drinking during meal times. Not only does it give him more independence, but it also gives Dad and Gideon many minutes of fun and laughter. For some reason, I think it's funny, and Gideon gets a good belly laugh, when I hold down the straw and let it pop back up, shooting the water into Gideon's nose, eyes, and face. Here's some video from this afternoon when he snarfed about half of my bottle of water. We have so much fun together.

Slider... You Stink

So goes one of the best lines from the movie Top Gun. This morning while eating breakfast I smelled something that smelled utterly disgusting (still not sure what it is. I think it may be Gideon's Cheerios). So I started sniffing, only to hear my son out-volume me with the sniffing. And so continues the great time of toddler-hood when the kid mimics just about everything Dad does. And so begins the time when Dad needs to be more aware of this fact. Certainly the belching and other sounds will continue. But other habits will now come under more direct scrutiny!

By Popular Demand

I have had MULTIPLE people ask me to blog Gideon's latest cardio regime of climbing the stairs before nap time. Well folks, we got him slowed down enough to actually video it.

Boomer Sooner

Brandon Young, a teenager in my ministry thought it would be a great idea to get Gideon an Oklahoma Sooners outfit for Christmas last year. Well, Gideon is now old enough to wear it, so I was put in a HUGE quandry. I absolutely abhor the Sooners. I guess it's repressed abhorance from the entire decade of the 80s when the Sooner rolled over the Huskers. Anyway, leave it to my wife to figure out how to honor Brandon by having Gideon wear the outfit, but not turn him in to a Sooners fan (as everyone knows that just wearing the clothes has the power to change one's allegiances). Anyway, on Saturday night, the Sooners LOST to BYU!!!! So Brandon, every game this season that Oklahoma loses, Gideon will wear the outfit you gave in honor of you and in honor of ANOTHER Sooner loss. Go Big Red!

A New Regimine

Gideon was (and is still) working his traps and his triceps this afternoon. We are starting with 3 sets of 10 and will work from there. I thought this was absolutely cute!

Diaper Loading

I saw a couple t-shirts in Walgreens that I just couldn't pass up purchasing. This may be a bit white-trash (I guess if I'm not sure that reveals something doesn't it) but I thought it funny. Enjoy the pictures.

It's Nebraska Cornhuskers Time!!!!!

Today is the first day of Nebraska's 2009-2010 football season. They play Florida Atlantic. Currently kickoff is 5 hours 30 minutes and 12 seconds away. The Nebraska flag is flying outside the house, and the family is wearing Cornhusker gear. It's a great day.

PVC Pipe Boy

Kathee was excited when I got home from work today to show me what Gideon "mastered" while I was at work. He had turned the PVC Pipe into a walking stick. This video leaves a bit to be desired in seeing his prowess, but you get the picture.