SHATNER MOCKS PALIN, BUT...

This clip is hil...arious! Sauce for the goose...

THANKSGIVING

I know it's a little late to be talking about Thanksgiving, but it's still important! :)

We spent Thanksgiving this year in Stockton, Todd's hometown where his parents still live. Todd's brother and family also were in Stockton, and it was nice to be with everyone. The dinner was wonderful, and so was the company!

We had planned on returning home the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but Todd wanted to see his elderly grandmother who is in a nursing home in Turlock with a bad virus. Not long after Todd returned to his parents' house Saturday afternoon, he came down with the stomach flu. Amazingly, Emily also came down with it in the exact same hour! Susan was going to try to pack early Sunday morning and drive us all home herself (Todd and Emily had recovered in the middle of the night), but then both she and Matthew came down with it Sunday morning! It was a nightmare. Susan and Matthew remained sick all day Sunday, so we had to take Monday off and travel then. Thankfully, neither Todd's grandmother nor his parents contracted the flu after our departure. In hindsight, we think we brought it with us from SoCal and we think Christopher got it first, because Friday night he threw up once but never exhibited any other symptoms and otherwise seemed OK.

Todd is most thankful for his job this year.

NEW FAMILY PORTRAITS

STRYPER CONCERT!!

I took my family to see their first Stryper concert at the Club Nokia in downtown L.A. last night (well, Susan, Emily, and Matthew that is--Christopher spent the night with Nana & Papa). They were blown away at how good Stryper sounded live. Since Susan is a Music teacher, she tends to be critical of live rock shows, but she was duly impressed with Stryper!

While in line to enter the venue, we saw Les and Joyce Carlsen. I had run into Les, the lead singer of Christian rockers Bloodgood, by chance a few years earlier with Emily and Matthew at a Ralph's grocery store near our house, of all places, and we struck up a conversation back then and realized we both lived in Fontana. I reminded him of that encounter and he remembered it! Then I introduced myself to Joyce, his wife, who is also my Facebook friend. I said, "I'm Todd Barnes, nice to meet you." She said, "Oh, you're 'C. Todd Barnes'," and smiled. I was flattered that she knew me from Facebook.

We had Meet & Greet passes, which in and of itself is a blessing and we are thrilled to have had the experience. Having said that, that part was a bit of a disappointment to my family, only because their expectations were higher based on reports I had given them (based on what I had read about other fans' M&G experiences so far on the tour). The band/venue was "behind schedule" that night, according to venue staff, and when we were finally let in, we were told the band would only be signing ONE item per fan, and we would not be allowed to take pictures WITH the band during the M&G. My family was so looking forward to this, especially given the special relationship we have had with Oz in the past (when he visited the school I am Principal at in early 2008 and then came to our house & out to Carl's Jr wit us a couple months later). My kids were really looking forward to talking with him again and meeting the other members. Inside, while I kept my attitude in check and understood there was nothing anyone--including the band--could have done about it, I still felt a little sting of disappointment.

The soundcheck experience was neat, though, and they sounded really good! They played a little "Reach Out" and an instrumental version of "4 Leaf Clover." I saw Annie Lobert and had intended to introduce myself, but didn't get the chance. We did see and talk to both Irene Kelly (wife of bassist Tim Gaines) and Starri Sweet (wife of drummer Robert Sweet), who was there with her kids. Irene was very sweet and gracious with her time, and after meeting my daughter Emily, told her that she had named her guitar "Emily." She said she & Tim were doing well in Nashville. I asked Starri how the show in Vegas was, and she said it was really great. She commented that it was a 21 & over venue, so she and the kids had to sit behind the drums ("Best seat in the house," she laughed).

After soundcheck, the band got behind a table and we lined up for autographs. I had brought my To Hell With The Devil original cover LP, and my kids brought 5X7's of the pictures of them with Oz back in 2008. My wife had our free Murder By Pride CDs and was going to get those autographed if they would allow it.

We were again slightly disappointed when we got to the table only to find that lead singer Michael Sweet had already left the table. One of the venue staff said he wasn't feeling well. So, I got three out of four to sign our stuff, which is better than a kick in the pants, LOL! Oz did remember my kids and the fact that he still had not met Susan. I shared with him that my school had moved to a new location since we had last talked and he said he was aware of that and where we had relocated. He signed both 5X7's of the kids and their CDs. The other band members also signed the CDs, which was so nice of them. I had intended to make a point to tell Tim how great it was to have him back, but forgot by the time I got to him (we were all very rushed as the band had only a few minutes to meet everyone).

Last slight disappointment, and this is with the venue (but they more than made up for it): Because we had to arrive no later than 5:00 p.m. to receive our M&G passes, which meant leaving our house at 3:00, we hadn't eaten dinner. Our plan was to do the M&G, then go out and grab a quick bite, and come back in during one of the opening band's performances. But the venue would not allow re-entry. So I went to the bar and asked if they had any food items. The lady behind the counter said they normally do, but for some reason the caterer hadn't shown up for this particular show. My heart (and stomach) sank, imagining going through a concert until midnight with no food in my kids' tummies.

At this point, I want to interrupt myself to say that the Nokia staff were all top-notch! When I asked one of them for a possible exception to the "no re-entry" rule due to the circumstances of there not being any food in the venue (and others were complaining as well), one of the guys went over to find out more info and promptly returned (he didn't have to do that) to tell me that they had decided to make other arrangements with another caterer and that by the time doors opened, they would have some sandwiches. WOW! That was totally cool of them! THEN the same guy found me a little later and said, "There's food over there now, sir." I was really blown away. And all the staff were gracious and helpful! I had a happy family by the time the show started, which was a major relief for me!

Now, on to the show: The first opening band, Manic Drive, was entertaining and talented. Their guitar player was a real performer! I liked the visual touch they added with wearing ties. Musically, I liked the first couple of songs. The last couple were so-so. But they were very grateful and complimentary to Stryper, which the crowd loved. Flight Patterns, featuring Michael Sweet Jr, was "Green Day" in style--not my cup of tea, but they were obviously a group of guys getting started in their careers and I wish them the best. Mike Jr made a very brief comment about losing his Mom to Ovarian Cancer and noted that they had a donations jar for Ovarian Cancer Awareness at the Stryper merch table. I looked for Michael's daughter Lena at the table but never saw her there.

Stryper came out and rocked the house! I never cease in amazement at how TIGHT these guys are, particularly Michael and Oz in their guitar duets. And they also nailed it vocally as well. Like I said, Susan was really impressed, which made me happy! The band did TWO encores.

All-in-all, it was another amazing memory and I'm thrilled that on this tour, I get to see them twice (going to the Anaheim show on Monday night as well).

HALLOWEEN FUN!

The kids had a great time at our Halloween activity this year, which was at the church where my school is located. Emily was a ladybug-like cutie, Matthew was a police officer, and Christopher was...well, you could probably guess without seeing pictures, but I'll let you see them anyway.

The day before Halloween, one of my teachers took some pictures of Christopher in a Harvest wheel barrow.

We are doing well. Sickness has swept through our family since September and we're all over it, I hope! The only one who didn't get sick was Christopher, and we later discovered he had been given a flu shot in February. We're sure that helped!

SUMMER MOVIES WRAPUP

As many of my friends know, Susan and I love watching movies. We go to the theater when we can, but we also thoroughly enjoy just sitting in our family room and watching rented films, too. We subscribe to Netflix, and I put my Netflix-related e-mails in a special folder so it dawned on me the other day that I should open that folder and look back at the movies I saw this summer and maybe write a brief review of each one (including the few we saw at the theater if I can remember them). We are both teachers/educators, so in the summertime we up our subscription to "three-at-a-time" and then back down to "one-at-a-time" when school starts.

So here they are, in no particular order:

1. Slumdog Millionaire - This is a rental we got back in June when summer first started, but for whatever reason we never got to watch it until early August! But boy, was it worth the wait! I have to readily admit that we're usually not "impressed" with Oscar-hyped movies. They're just not usually our cup of tea. They are often haughty and full of themselves, in our opinion, and aren't usually very "entertaining." In this case, the Academy got it right! Slumdog is a wonderful film and I recommend it tremendously! Interesting story, heart-breaking scenes of living conditions in India, and inspirational. And most importantly, something that is lacking in many of the lauded films lately (disappointingly so), it has a GREAT ending! I wanted to use another adjective besides "great" (another one that starts with "g"), but I don't want to give the ending away since much of the movie's story is tragic. Loved it! Grade: A+

2. Marley & Me - Another feel-good movie. Not as "family-friendly" as it may look, though. I think we eventually sent our kids upstairs because there is a lot of sexual innuendo and references; but this is a good movie about how a family dog really is an important member of the family. This movie basically takes you through the life of a dog and how he is as much a part of his owners' family as their children are. It's one of those, "I can relate to this"-type films because many of us have experienced how important pets can be in a family. Thumbs up! Grade: A

3. The Tale of Despereaux - Good family film with a heart-warming story. Illustrates the importance of self-confidence and bravery. Grade: B

4. Frost/Nixon - We also really enjoyed this movie. I am a politics and history buff, but I can honestly say I had no knowledge of this event before seeing this movie. Excellent acting! It's the story of an Australian Entertainment/Gossip Talk Show host who was given the high privilege and responsibility of interviewing President Richard Nixon a couple years after he had resigned from office. In some ways, this film is much more about Mr. Frost than Nixon! It shows us the "journey" that Frost makes from being a "fluff" talk show host to a serious, challenging interviewer asking Nixon unexpectedly tough questions. Very interesting indeed, and history was made in this story. Again, I had no idea. You learn something new every...few months. :) Grade: A

5. The Boy In The Striped Pajamas - Oh boy. This is one of those "see it, but see it once" kind of movies like "Passion of the Christ" or "Legends of the Fall." We did not expect how heavy this film really was based on the trailer we had seen for it. Sure, the Holocaust is no "light-hearted" matter, but the trailer made this look like an inspirational film about an unlikely friendship. It was partially that, and I don't want to ruin the ending for anyone, but the film ends in complete tragedy. However, it effectively underscores the reality of what happened in Germany during WWII. I recommend it, but warn you in advance. We saw this on the evening of Susan's birthday, of all days. Don't see this on any festive occasion! Grade: A-

6. Swing Vote - Meh. It was OK. You pretty much get the gist of it from the trailer, and there's really nothing else to gain from seeing it, except maybe the importance of our civic duty to get out and vote. But again, you could learn that from the trailer alone. Grade: C-

7. Gran Torino - Here is another excellent film that was better than we expected. It wasn't very long into the movie that I said to Susan, "You don't get much better than Eastwood!" Someone told me this summer that Torino is Eastwood's swan song. I don't know about that, but if so, he ended his career on an extremely high note! Eastwood plays an old, crusty Korean War vet who refuses to move when his old neighborhood transforms around him into a neighborhood of poor minorities. Eventually, a Hmong family moves next door to him. Eastwood's character is extremely prejudiced and very anti-religious (I was glad to see they didn't make him a religious racist--that would have been too tempting for many other writers/directors, I'm sure). But Eastwood's character eventually makes an unlikely friendship and mentoring relationship, and ultimately takes on a major gang in his neighborhood to protect those he loves. While filled with expletives and violence, the inspirational theme of this film vastly outweighs the "uncomfortable" scenes. Grade: A++

8. Green Lantern: First Flight - I've been enjoying the recent string of DC Comics' "movie-length direct-to-DVD" animated films that are more adult in nature. The most recent that I recall which were all very good are: "Justice League: New Frontier," "Wonder Woman," and "Batman: Gotham Knight." I readily admit I've never been a big Green Lantern fan. I mean, a guy with unlimited power centered in a magical ring that can do whatever he imagines? I know it might seem hypocritical for a superhero/fantasy/sci-fi/Star Wars nut like me to say this, but that has always seemed a little hard to swallow for me with regard to this particular character. This movie only reinforced those doubts for me. For GL fans, I'm sure this was excellent. In fact, I have a good friend who's always loved GL and really enjoyed this movie. For me? It was OK. I hear they're working on a live-action GL movie which I'm sure I'll also see. But I'll go in with these same expectations, so hopefully I won't be too disappointed. Grade: C+

9. Race To Witch Mountain - Good, fun, family-friendly movie. It was sort of neat to see this movie, inspired by the films of the 70s that I grew up with. Duane Johnson is always enjoyable, and the kids were believable in their parts. Disney rarely disappoints. Grade: B+

10. Rachel Getting Married - We like Anne Hathaway, and of course there was Oscar buzz for this film. It was OK. You sort of feel like a fly on the wall in this dysfunctional family, the way it was filmed and directed. Hathaway plays a model who is just released from rehab to visit her family for her older sister's wedding. The family's dirty laundry is quickly aired for all the guests to see, and it's sad in that way. Many of us can relate, I'm sure, as all families have their "dark patches." In some ways, it very much has a "Prodigal Son" theme to it: older sibling who is stable, "perfect" in the eyes of the younger sibling, while the younger sibling has made so many poor decisions that it ultimately created a tragedy in the family's past, yet the older sibling is amazed and resents her father's affections on the younger sibling (Hathaway). Interesting. I'm sure I'll never see it again, but it wasn't a waste of time to watch. Just not the type of movie we usually see. If I could grade the acting separate from the story, I'd give the acting an A-. Overall Grade: C

11. Push - I really tried to get into this movie, but ultimately, the story is hard to follow and is never fully fleshed out. And boy, you sure learn that Dakota Fanning has grown up as an actress, even if she doesn't really look like it yet! Grade: D+

12. Watchmen - While I was disturbed by the graphic violence in this film, which I always maintain is completely unnecessary in any film and really is unhealthy to watch, I had to admit by the end that the story is compelling. I watched this by myself as Susan had no desire to see it. It did seem a little self-indulgent at times, particularly with the film's length. Grade: B+

13. The Secret Life of Bees - This is a movie that came out of nowhere for us! I don't recall seeing trailers for it when it was being shown in theaters, but we saw a DVD trailer for it on an earlier rental and it looked good. Well, golly...it was really good! Great cast, touching story, excellent acting. Again, not appropriate for the very young. Also starring Dakota Fanning (who is again acting more "grown up" than she should, but maybe in this case it was appropriate given the life her character has experienced). I definitely recommend this movie! Grade: A

14. Hannah Montana: The Movie - OK, so I put this on the list for my 11 year-old daughter. Then my wife really wants to see it. Then it was a lazy Saturday morning and I watched it with my family. Guess what? Good movie, and I'm not ashamed to admit it! It's a story about proper perspective and priorities. Acting? Well, what do you really expect? Not high-caliber. But the story is touching and fun. Grade: B+

15. G.I. Joe - I was disappointed in this movie. Maybe it was the whole "Green Lantern" thing again for me: I mean, I was never into the cartoon in the late-80s. But this movie just came across as cliche after cliche, down to the stereotypical arch-villain with weird gadgets and maniacal laugh. Meh. Grade: D

16. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - We've always enjoyed these movies, and this one does not disappoint. Dark in tone, it also has some more light-hearted fun moments for the characters. Grade: A

17. X-Men Origins: Wolverine - While a little on the long side, I don't agree with the many armchair critics of this film. It was a good thrill ride and it was interesting to see the backstory of this character. I liked the origin story they came up with. Of course the action and effects were excellent, as expected. Looking forward to the next Origins movie, "Magneto"! Grade: A

18. Star Trek - This is probably my favorite film of the summer. As a longtime fan of the franchise (since I was knee-high to a tribble), it was delightful to see a more detailed origin story of these beloved characters than we've known before. While I was nervous about whether or not this "reboot" would be palatable to old-timers like me (all the hype said the studio was more interested in starting the franchise over to win new fans), I was pleasantly surprised and entertained to the very end. While I wish they didn't do what they did to dramatically change the events as we knew them in the old franchise, I can accept it and move on. Terrific movie! Grade: A++

19. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - This was another film I was disappointed in this summer. I really liked the first TF film, even though it pushed the boundaries for a toy movie with sexual stuff and language. Well, this one amped both of those up tenfold, which is so unnecessary! I saw this in the theater with Susan (thankfully we made the right decision to resist the temptation to take our kids), but there were TONS of kids in the theater (not surprisingly so--it's a TOY film)! So that made me really uncomfortable throughout the movie, knowing that little kids were being exposed to this stuff. As a counselor, I can tell you that kids don't know how to process this stuff and they end up with a false impression of sexual matters when they're older. Why don't studios understand this?? Okay, tirade over. The action and effects in this film were actually better than the original. Too bad the other stuff ruined it for me. Grade: D+ (because I guess I liked it better than G.I. Joe)

Films I wanted to see but didn't, so you can add your comments about them:

1. Terminator: Salvation
2. Night At The Museum 2
3. Up (I heard this was really good!)
4. Land of the Lost
5. Year One
6. Public Enemies
7. Funny People
8. District 9 (might still be able to catch this one)

NEW KISS ALBUM COMING!

This will be their first new studio album since 1998's Psycho Circus. The hype for this one just gets better and better, though! Read on...

"KISS TO RELEASE 'SONIC BOOM,' FIRST NEW MUSIC IN 11 YEARS, EXCLUSIVELY AT WAL*MART AND SAM'S CLUB"

CHRISTOPHER'S BIG BIRTHDAY PARTY

We threw Christopher a big birthday party on July 11 since Todd's parents were still in town after our trip to the Grand Canyon. It was fun, but a lot of work! Christopher's actual birthday is on July 20. Can't believe a year has gone by!

THE CANYON THAT IS GRAND

We took a mini-vacation to the Grand Canyon July 6-8. We took Todd's parents who had never been, and it was also Christopher's first time. This was our third trip, but it's never "enough." It's only a six-hour drive from Fontana, and it is so awe-inspiring! God is definitely a creative Being!

DREAM THEATER DRUMMER DISCUSSES EACH SONG FROM NEW ALBUM

Interesting! I'm loving the new album...

NEW DREAM THEATER ALBUM - AVAILABLE NOW!

Dream Theater, one of my all-time favorite bands has just released their 10th studio album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings. Excellent musicianship, plus great, positive lyrics. Check it out!
(Link includes samples)

JUNE SPECIAL OCCASIONS

June is our big month for special occasions. We have our Anniversary on June 14, then Father's Day, then Susan's birthday on the 20th.

For our anniversary, I took Susan to see "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." She wanted to see it and we were happy that it was still playing in theaters.

For Susan's birthday, we went to our good friend Dave Epler's 40th Birthday party and then just our family went out to dinner at Tokyo Kitchen, a great Japanese "cook in front of you" restaurant.

For Father's Day, we hung out at my in-laws' house in Upland after church and swam & just relaxed.

Here are some photos from the 2009 celebrations.

MY BEAUTIFUL KIDS

So we were in Von's grocery store in Upland, minding our own business last April, when a stranger approached us and said that he was with a certain well-known portrait studio and that they were going to have an in-store portrait set-up the following week. Would we like to have pictures taken at a GREAT deal?

Well, here are the results of our answer. :)

STAR TREK

I went by myself to see it tonight. I sort of agree with Jason's review, that it wasn’t as “different” as maybe it was billed to be. In fact, call me crazy, but it actually reminded me a little of the most RECENT “Star Trek” movie, “Nemesis,” which everyone hated (but me).

**SPOILER-FILLED PARAGRAPH**

I liked it. My biggest complaint, though, is the big (and I mean HUGE) thing they wrote into the story that permanently changes everything in the “future” (meaning, PAST) episodes and films. I’m talking about the **SPOILER--highlight to read** destruction of Vulcan, and to a lesser degree, the death of Amanda. But I “get it” that this movie is a literal “reboot” which means the possible forthcoming adventures for THIS cast is whatever the writers want it to be. But as a longtime fan of the previous franchise, that bugged me a little. But only a little. Great movie, and I found myself “choking up” a tad during certain moments as the characters I’ve loved since childhood were developed more fully. I had several “Wow–that makes sense!” moments, and I also enjoyed the ironic moments, such as **SPOILER** when Bones says he likes Spock after their first encounter. Too funny!

NEW MUSIC TO CHECK OUT

OK, I hate to sound like a broken record lately with my post topics, but remember those entertainment items I'm really looking forward to?

Well, Dream Theater (one of my absolute, all-time favorite bands for the past 14 years) has released a video for their new single, "A Rite Of Passage." Check it out! Awesome! Their new album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings is due out on June 23.

Along the same lines, perhaps the most influential band in my life, Stryper, has released their second single from their forthcoming album Murder By Pride (due July 21), entitled "Eclipse of the Son." You can download it from iTunes. Their first single from this album was actually released months ago on iTunes, a cover of Boston's classic "Peace of Mind." The band will be releasing a new song each Tuesday from now until the release of Murder By Pride, but as each new song is released, the previous one is removed. So in other words, you only have one week to download each new song!

GUITAR HERO: VAN HALEN??

Doth mine ears deceive me? I am hearing of an official announcement by Activision that it is developing the oft-rumored Guitar Hero: Van Halen game.

Oh.
My.
Goshhhhhhhh!!!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

The first Saturday in May is traditionally "Free Comic Book Day." Thanks to Jason for teaching me that!

I took Matthew over to 4 Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga this Saturday for this cool event. We got the autograph of a comic book artist, had pictures taken with various Star Wars and comic book characters, and got 10 FREE comic books! We also ran into some friends including Jason and his family. The day was capped by a lunch at IHOP for Daddy and Spider-Matt!

"Wii WOULD LIKE TO PLAY..."

So I mentioned in an earlier post that we recently purchased a Nintendo Wii gaming system. It has really provided some fun evenings for our family! I've taken some pictures of the fun we're having.

ENTERTAINMENT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO...

So the summer's almost here, and I have some great entertainment to look forward to!

1. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (May 1). When I first heard they were making this, even though Wolverine is one of the coolest members of the X-Men, I thought, "Mmm...but can Wolverine carry an entire movie?" After seeing the trailers, it looks like the answer is 100% "YES," not to mention the fact that there are other mutants in the mix as well, so technically, he's not carrying it "alone." And also not to mention the fact that I've really grown to like Hugh Jackman as an actor and human being. By the way, did you see him host the Oscars? Brilliant! We have Australia waiting for us at home via Netflix. We're awaiting a 3-hour block of time for Susan and I to watch it!

2. Star Trek (May 8). You know, as much of a Trekker as I am, this one really snuck up on me! I mean, I knew they were making it, and I had high hopes for it despite all the "reboot/reimagining" talk going on, but I have been so preoccupied with everything going on at work that I almost completely lost track of the weeks and months going by, and all of a sudden, it's release is upon us! Seeing the trailers has made me even more excited for this movie, and I can already tell I'm going to love it--reimagination and all!

3. STRYPER Murder By Pride (July 21). Most of you know that I feel I owe so much spiritually to the men formerly in yellow-and-black. Back around 1986, this hard rock act helped bring me to my current relationship with Christ, and I am forever in their debt! They did break up around 1993 and reunited in 2005 with the release of their first full-length LP in 15 years, Reborn. Since then, they have toured all over the world and lead singer Michael Sweet even landed the position of lead singer of the newly-reformed classic rock band Boston! Stryper fans were slightly disappointed en masse by Reborn, not because it was a "bad" album (it's not even possible for Michael Sweet to write a "bad song"), but more because it didn't sound like the Stryper they remembered. People like me understood that, after 15 years, the music HAD to change or they'd be laughed at as irrelevant and as nothing more than a "nostalgia" act. But the band heard the concerns and Michael Sweet has come through with an album that is more reminiscent of the classic Stryper (harmonizing guitars, soaring vocals with occasional "screams,"etc). How do I know this? Two reasons: 1) Lead guitarist Oz Fox came to my school in February 2008 and let me hear it; 2) you can download the single "Peace of Mind" on iTunes, and hear samples of the rest of the songs at www.michaelsweet.com. I truly feel that Stryper is on the verge of a commercial comeback with this album, and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

4. DREAM THEATER Black Clouds & Silver Linings (June 23). I am such a huge fan of Dream Theater, it's almost a given that I'm going to enjoy their 10th studio album. I readily admit that Dream Theater is not for everyone. They are hard rock, but with VERY technical musicianship as they add Progressive elements to their brand of rock. But I also love classical music, and Dream Theater, to me, is like classical music cranked up to 11, with distortion! I'm not a Dream Theater Kool-Aid drinker, though. They have put out some albums that I enjoy less than others. But in general, it's rare for me to "not like" their work--at least I appreciate all that they put out as artists! Each member is a virtuoso in their own right, and it makes it hard for me to "come down" to listening to "regular rock bands" when I'm in a Dream Theater mood.

5. KISS Untitled (Fall 2009). If you know me at all, you also know what a KISS fan I am. Their 1976 classic album Destroyer was the first record ever bought for me (Thanks, Mom!). I know there are lots and lots of critics of this band, including former fans who are upset that original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are no longer with the "still-reunited," makeup-wearing foursome. But I've seen the current lineup perform and I have to say, they are technically a better band now than they were in their heyday. With this as-yet-titled album--their first in over ten years--KISS has promised a return to their classic rock roots. This is essential for this band, and I think it's going to create at least another hit song for them. I am really looking forward to this one!

6. ACE FREHLEY Anomaly (Fall 2009). Ace is back and he told us so! The original guitarist for KISS has had a long, long journey to recovery from dependency. He's been on-and-off the wagon for years now. But since leaving KISS (a second time) in 2001, Frehley has truly appeared to have cleaned himself up once and for all, and in the meantime has been working on this latest solo album which many fans feared would never see the light of day. He has given some "sneak previews" at his website, and it sounds like it will not disappoint. Ace was always my favorite original member of KISS, more because of his quirky playing and singing style and fun-loving personality than anything else. When you hear one of his songs, you know it's him! So while I realize that Ace may have some "hiccups" on this album, I am crossing my fingers that, since he's had so long to work on this, every song is a gem!

FAMILY UPDATE

Our family continues to be blessed. Christopher is--amazingly--now 9 months old! He is crawling up a storm, and is already beginning to show signs of cognition that he should be moving about on his feet only! He constantly pulls himself up on two feet. Right now, he is VERY sick (bad cold/flu). I (Todd) stayed home with him yesterday because he was supposed to be at the babysitter's house, and she has a baby just a couple months older than Christopher. He's with Susan's mom today. So if you read this in the next couple days, say a little prayer for him. He's very feverish and lathargic, not eating normally, etc. But no vomiting or diarrhea, thankfully.

Emily is 10, in Fourth Grade, and smart as a whip. She reminds me of myself as a student, though, which is not exactly a good thing. But we are so proud of her talents and her sweet spirit, and her love for the Lord! She sings and dances up a storm (and is actually VERY good--others have told us, so it's not just our bias coming out), and she's improving in her piano playing. She loves watching "American Idol" with us and making her own comments about the performances (and she's usually right-on)! We constantly find ourselves weighing the pros and cons of having her audition for bigger things, as she is such a talented little girl. So please pray that the Lord would guide us in those decisions, and that He would protect Emily in the process. Emily is also VERY helpful with the baby! One of our friends calls her "Mommy #2."

Matthew is a very energetic 7 year-old with a joyful smile that beams! He loves collecting bugs and studying things. We can almost see wheels turning inside his head as he examines things. That's very promising for a Science buff like me! Maybe he'll be our engineer or astronaut (or both)! He is very inquisitive and eager to learn. He plays the violin and is making strides in that area as well.

Susan is having a pretty good year in her position as high school Choir/Orchestra teacher. Her kids are very talented and they are getting great remarks from judges as they perform at festivals. On a personal note, Susan is exhausted. It is very difficult to juggle the demands on her as a teacher, mother, and wife. From my perspective, she's doing a great job. But she is tired--Christopher still does not sleep through the night, and if you know Susan, you know she loves her sleep! I help her as much as I can, but it's still tough. With Mother's Day coming up, it reminds me of what a terrific woman she is, and I am so thankful the Lord brought us together!

The kids and I just finished Easter Break last week. For the past several months, I've been saving up Best Buy gift cards for a video gaming system. Over the Break, I bought our family a Wii, and "wii" love it!! We especially enjoy the Wii Sports game and Mario Kart. We also love playing the Rock Band or Guitar Hero games! You should see Matthew on the drums! He tears it up (in a good way). I'll post some pictures of our Wii activities soon.

Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support--we've especially felt them this year and we know the Lord has responded! I'll post more details about my job situation in the coming weeks as I will be more free to divulge things then. Our love to you all!

WE'RE BACK!!

Hello, everyone! I'll bet you were surprised to see that there actually was an update to this blog, if you subscribe to an RSS for it!

I apologize for the lack of updates. I was reflecting on it, and I think the main reason is that I am also on Facebook, as are many of you. So you get to see much more frequent updates from me or Susan there. But the other reason I haven't blogged in a while is because of all that is still going on with regard to my work situation.

Suffice it to say, however, that, as far as my work situation goes, things are looking very good and very promising! I am not "spreading it around" my current campus just yet, but I am happy to let my friends and family know that I have been hired at a brand-new school as the Elementary Principal. This school is what our well-resourced group of zealous and passionate parents started, and God did the rest (as in, all the big things that were beyond the parents' reach). It boasts brand-new facilities at a mega-church; it will, however, be an INDEPENDENT school (in contrast to where I am now, which is affiliated with the Nazarene church). Check out the new school here!

So far, we've already enrolled over 300 students K-12, which is miraculous in and of itself. At this time, I ask you to continue to pray, specifically for some of my current teachers. Right now, I am only able to bring seven of them with me to the new school, plus two Specialists. I have ten teachers under my supervision at my present school. In this economy, I am very concerned about my remaining three finding jobs if enrollment at the new school does not increase sufficiently enough for me to re-hire them.

As far as what is happening at my current school's campus sale situation: It seems amazing to me, but escrow still hasn't closed for the other school to purchase it. I have heard rumors that the Nazarene District, which officially owns the campus, has repeatedly decreased the price to help the other school obtain funding, but still it eludes them. I really do feel sorry for the other school, despite my own disappointment with how they themselves have handled the situation. I do pray that their school survives this process and that they are able to flourish.

Next I'll post an update about our family, which is what you really are visiting this blog for, right?

MYSTERIOUS WAYS

Last night we received word that those who were deciding the fate of the school gave a verdict: The sale of the campus will go through and the local church will remain dissolved.

Obviously, everyone at the school is devastated and stunned by this news. Going in to work today will be very tough.

Matthew cried last night.

Susan and I are weighing our options for the future. Your prayers are coveted.

God, make Yourself known.

BACK INTO BLOGGING

I'm going to try to do more updates in 2009, I really, really promise!!

Today, I am praying for Truth; that honesty would guide our churches, and the leaders in our cities, states, and federal governments. And I pray for God's will to be done.

By the end of this week, a decision should be made that will affect the future of the school I work at and which my children attend. I hope my next post is good news...

In the meantime, Baby Christopher is now almost 6 months old. He is finally starting to sleep "better" at night (waking only once, on average). We still wait for the day he decides to stay asleep all night--we are confident that that morning is right around the corner!

Our family had a very nice Holiday season. Christmas was glorious, as always, and we brought in the New Year together. And (gasp!), Emily just turned 10!! Life is good...because God is good!