Four Generations

It snowed and snowed and snowed some more today. So we spent some time reading...on my second book this week.

Lots of snow shoveling occurred and we were pretty much housebound. In fact, Seth did a little shoveling for me, further cementing his standing with me. This gave us time to get some photos put together. Here is a four generation photo from the 91 year old to the 4 month old.

Below is a good photo I got right after Scott Wenig held him. Scott came over for dinner last night and is our pastor and a Denver Seminary Prof.

Biblical Evolution

My father has recently published The Grand Canyon, Evolution, and Intelligent Design (available on Amazon).

He’s written a brief synopsis of the book here, at his new blog Biblical Evolution.

For those of you who have struggled with this issue or worse, compartmentalized your thinking and your faith, perhaps this will offer some help. The book is very readable, interesting, and gives far more solutions than problems. I think you'll find it a good read and I know he would appreciate your comments and response.

Getting ready for Christmas

Getting ready for Christmas is probably just as much fun as the day itself, except for shopping of course. Here is Seth holding up Seth Jr. in his Broncos uniform. However, we discovered the little guy really likes basketball. He goes nuts when he's watching a Nuggets game on TV. It's probably all the movement he sees...and the Nugs could do so much better in the movement category.

My Dad met Seth for the first time yesterday. It was really quite remarkable. Dad held his Great Grandson in his lap and then whispered something in his ear. We couldn't hear what it was but...

The next thing you know, Seth is laughing pretty hard. What a great way to please a 91 year old. Laugh at his jokes.

Weekend getaway

I dropped Seth and Noelle off at the light rail station for their weekend getaway. It was snowing pretty hard but I'm sure they were going to have a good time. That left me with Grandma and the baby!


This means we're baby sitters tonight! The last baby sitter we had was fifteen year old Marsha who was rushed to the hospital from our house for immediate surgery. They had to remove a phone from her ear. And then there was Shannon. I asked her for references and she sent me a note saying she was a good sleeper and had a terrific appetite!

Nuggets win but not pretty

Seth and I watched a "poor" winning performance by the Nuggets last night at the Pepsi Center. A win that made most people gag I think. There was way too much standing around. The best highlight was K-Mart's drive to rebound and slam it home. TNT televised the 8:30p start which didn't happen until almost 9:00p. Add to that 2OT's and we're pretty tired today.


Yao Ming is an imposing force for the Rockets. But the player who made a difference in the game and almost single-handedly won it was my friend Shane Battier. Anthony Carter made all three of his baskets count. Especially that last one. His floater in the lane with 0.8 seconds left in double overtime gave the Denver Nuggets a 112-111 win over the shorthanded Houston Rockets on Thursday. Carmelo Anthony scored 37 points and had a career-high 16 rebounds, and Allen Iverson had 36 points and nine assists for Denver.

FINAL IN 2OT	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	T
Rockets	23	19	27	25	8	9	111
Nuggets	18	26	29	21	8	10	112

Just a walk in the park

Seth was writing a paper, Nancy was at work, so Noelle and I went for a walk. As you can see there is lots of snow, but the temperature was a nice 50 degrees. We're expecting more snow tomorrow and Christmas Day.

A baby really brightens up a home. Since this little one came, the lights have been on all night! Actually it hasn't been too bad. Only one night has been a little rough so far. As far as Seth and Noelle are concerned my observation is, one of the tricks of being a happy parent is to fall asleep when the baby isn't looking. My other observation is, mother's milk is the best thing for babies. It's nutritious, cheap, satisfying, and doesn't make crumbs!


Tomorrow Nancy and I will baby-sit for Noelle and Seth while they leave for a short weekend trip. I think you'll be able to call me Mary Poopins. The slightest thing will be too much for me!

Ice Climbing

Leon and I went ice climbing today. We drove up to Clear Creek Canyon and climbed at the upper falls. The lower ones were pretty wet and soft. The upper falls were wet on the sides and chopped up in the middle. At least the weather was nice and warm. It's supposed to be snowing by Friday, so we'll see if conditions improve.

We met a couple of other people at the climb (old guys like us). They seemed pleased that two older guys like them, were up climbing. I think they admired my antique gear. One of the guys thought I should send it to a museum. We all laughed. I'm just glad the rope was new.


I tried to get my son-in-law Seth to go along. We had some extra gear for him to use, but he's had a bad cold and just wasn't up for it. He's never been ice climbing. Maybe next week Seth.

They arrived

Noelle and Seth arrived here safely on Sunday. They brought that little package with them. When he smiled we all smiled. And wow can he ever eat. This kid is the human vacuum cleaner. We've eaten too. Monday night we went out for Italian and tonight we're going to enjoy some Elk steak on the grill.


Nancy was in her element. She's been a doting grandmother. We've had to share little Seth and it's become increasingly hard for her to give him up. A grandmother is a woman who's thrilled because her grandchild can recite the Gettysburg Address at eight when Lincoln didn't do it until he was much older.


I'm sure that when we go to Church this Sunday, someone will say "My what a gorgeous child." And grandma will say, "Wait till you see the pictures."

Brrrrr

Baby it's cold outside. It's 3 degrees! According to the chart below it feels like -10. We had about 3 or 4 inches yesterday at our house. There were mostly light flurries all day (great powder). I understand the skiing is great right now. We've had several feet in the last few days at the ski areas.

Current Conditions (as of 5:55 AM)	Today's forecast		°F | °C
Clear 3°F Feels like: -10°F Barometer: 30.4 in Dewpoint: 1° Humidity: 91% Visibility: Unlimited Wind: 8 mph SSW Sunrise: 7:13 AM Sunset: 4:35 PM UV Index: 0 Low Observed at Aurora, Buckley Air Force Base Airport. All times shown are local to Aurora.	Today		Hi: 28° Lo: 15°
	Clear
	9 AM		11°
	Clear
	Noon		23°
	Clear
	6 PM		23°
	Clear

Climbing gym

Leon and I went climbing the other day (indoor of course, it was snowing) at Rock 'n Jam 'n gym. Leon is doing really well except for some back pain from time to time. I am amazed how well he does with all the physical damage he's endured. The gym is a very nice place, with high walls and well designed routes. My arms and hands are still sore.

Train Wreck in Denver

Here's a little more on the train wreck. Leon and I were driving back from the rock gym this afternoon and I took these photos. The accident happened almost directly across the street from the Seminary. It's hard to tell from this photo but the RTD light rail came off tracks here. At least 24 or 25 of the coal train cars were overturned in front of it. It was still dark and early in the morning when it happened.


Here is a view we got from the gas station right next to where it happened. No damage was sustained there. Obviously the cleanup was underway, however they have a lot of work to do. I would imagine getting all the goal out of there in the snowstorm is daunting task.

Robert Vialpando, RTD's light rail driver, told News 4 there were about 30 people on board. He said he was going northbound when Union Pacific's coal train derailed in front of him and he couldn't slow down in time. The light rail train hit a pile of coal and came off the tracks.

We also noticed an empty Northbound train waiting to get by (going back to Wyoming for more coal I suppose). There is no word on when the train will be functional from the Mineral station. I think it will be quite some time. Evidently it's working from the Oxford station going into downtown.

Train derailment in Denver

It's snowing again. They call it up slope conditions and when that happens we usually get dumped on. Here is the weather forecast for the remainder of the week here in Denver.

Current Conditions (as of 7:03 AM)	Today's forecast		°F | °C
Weather Warnings Flurries 19°F Feels like: 10°F Barometer: 30.3 in Dewpoint: 18° Humidity: 92% Visibility: 1 miles Wind: 7 mph N Sunrise: 7:10 AM Sunset: 4:34 PM UV Index: 0 Low Observed at Aurora, Buckley Air Force Base Airport. All times shown are local to Aurora.	Today		Hi: 24° Lo: 9°
	Flurries
	9 AM		19°
	Flurries
	Noon		23°
	Flurries
	6 PM		18°
	Flurries

On TV this morning they reported that a coal train derailed right near Denver Seminary on South Santa Fe and a light rail train filled with people ran into it. Fortunately, no one was injured. Nancy was leaving early this morning to go downtown to visit a client and had to re-rout her trip because Santa Fe was closed due to the accident.


And of course the snow plows are out today. I think we need them, it's coming down pretty hard. Maybe we'll have a white Christmas again this year.

Anticipation

I was thinking today about how much I enjoyed Thanksgiving at Dee's place in Dallas. Football and kids, what a combination! Now as Christmas approaches I'm really happy. That little baby you see in the photo along with Seth and Noelle of course, will be at my house for two weeks! And, I'm off for three weeks! Whopeeee! I'm going to read The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. I'll let you know how it is.

Hunting

Today I went hunting with some friends at the Bluffs. If you look to the left you'll see one of the Chukkars I shot flying right towards me. We shot 3 pheasant and 7 Chukkar. The weather was great, but it's snowing hard in the mountains. The Bluffs are about 50 minutes East of Denver near some clay bluffs by East Bijou Creek. Here are some more photos.


Here is my friend Matt with a really nice Pheasant he shot near one of the ponds in the area. As the temperature rose to nearly 50 degrees or so, the birds seemed to find their way to the water. We cruised by and sure enough, there they were.


Scott gets his Chukkar in the open field. Scott is one of those people you just like to be around. He is generous to a fault, enjoys everyone's company, and is a great friend.


Below is a photo of Callie, Scott's assistant. She's sniffing out our haul for the day. She does really well and she's a great pointer. The recent snow we've had made it a little easier for her to smell the birds. But I think she is getting better and better every time we go out. I just wish my shooting would improve a little!


Later, Callie was "dog tired." She must have run 100 dog miles, which is probably equivalent to a marathon for people. When we left she could hardly jump into the back of the truck.


Below is the rooster of the day. Many thanks to Scott for taking us and sharing his terrific dog with us. Scott could go alone and have all the birds but he takes us and then gives us the meat.


For more photos click here.

The latest baby pictures and videos

Here is the latest from my family. Click here to see Noelle, Seth, and little Seth Andrew. There are photos and videos.

Boondoggles and Freebies

Since all the changes at work, I've noticed a number of things. The first thing of course is that I have a job. That's good. In addition, my position is better and I can work out of my home if I want. The second thing I noticed is boondoggles and freebies seem to be winding down, at least according to some of the first hand stories I've heard. It reminded me of the stories I heard about Fred Thompson when we were in Memphis.

Fred Thompson?? Yes, the Senator from Tennessee arrived in Washington in 1994 shortly after I arrived in Memphis. He brought with him a background of acting in a number of movies and a rapier wit. Early in his Senate term, he said, "I've still got a lot to learn about Washington. Why, yesterday I accidentally spent some of my own money."

Fairplay

A few weeks ago Nancy and I visited the little town of Fairplay. The family joke (going back close to 80 years) was let's go to Fairplay for a vacation. They could only imagine driving up into the mountains in a Model T for 110+ miles to an old abandoned mining town. The only part left now is a place called South Park (sound familiar?). South Park is pictured below and is a very interesting place. I recommend a tour of each little building, much of it left as it was over 100 years ago.

What binds us to God?

Everyone deserted Christ, even Peter the Apostle ran off and denied him three times. Only the thief on the cross stayed with Christ. Only he really remained faithful to the end in the final moment. Of course he was bound by his own immanent death and the utter consciousness of his own sin. Does sin bind us to God? No, but something nearby does.

The difference I think between a non-Christian and a Christian isn't that the Christian isn't a sinner. He is a sinner and maybe a greater one at times. The difference is in how he regards his sin. The non-Christian sinks deeper and deeper and lets it get power over him. The Christian has a savior who rescues him from sin and Christ is the source of "grace." With grace the believer can then be transformed as with a father who gently helps him go forward. SK writes, "That a person wants to sit and brood and stare at his sin and is unwilling to have faith that it is forgiven: is this also guilt in that it is a minimizing of what Christ has done?"

How we regard what Christ has done for us and and that he's forgiven us is what should bind us to him.

Thanksgiving in Dallas Cont.

Along with overeating and falling asleep during the boring football games (although Colorado beating Nebraska was NOT boring, just very satisfying) we had a great time in Dallas. Below is a photo of everyone taken at Dee's house right before we ate, and ate, and ate. We had to use the house next door to cook some of the food. Dee's neighbor's we're out of town.

Of course Seth Andrew was horrified at all the eating. It was his first Thanksgiving. Although he evidently does his fair share of eating, so don't look so surprised pal.

Below is David and Maralie laughing at something funny. She has a great sense of humor, she laughs at all my lame jokes.

It was really nice to see Aunt June "June Bug" at Thanksgiving. Here she is pictured with Noelle and Maralie.

Thanksgiving in Dallas

A trip to Dallas for Thanksgiving and we're with the kids and "you know who!" Our new grand baby Seth Andrew. We got to spend lots of time with the Noelle and Seth and their new addition.

It's hard to get a good photo of the boy because he squirms quite a bit. I had to take nearly 100 photos to just get a few average ones.

And of course Noelle is a great mother and sees to every detail including lots of love and attention.

Another day of hiking

Nancy and I went hiking up at Roxborough Park the other day. The weather was great and we enjoyed hiking up and around the red rocks in the area.

On the way back to our house we spotted a few deer lounging around in some farmer's field. We are very fortunate to live so close to so much wildlife and beautiful hiking areas. The entrance to the Park is in the canyon behind the deer in the photo.