Unfortunately, EJ was sleeping when this was taken, but it's a great picture of the other little ones.

I can't tell you how many people after hearing the ages of our kids have paused with a shocked look on their faces and said "Wow, y'all must be really busy". That's the understatement of the year! Yep, we're pretty busy but we're a big, happy family.

Keeping Others Safe from Themselves:

Ponder this in our current state of society...


Why is it that it is perfectly fine for young men to go out and celebrate the coming of the New Year in denim jeans, button-down shirts and jackets while the fairer gender finds it necessary to wear tight fitting, thigh-high and above, low-cut dresses with stilletto heels??? In 40 degree nighttime weather???"


Does going out on New Year's Eve mean one leaves their brain at the door?

Rhetorical question I guess, since the numbers of ladies wearing the above mentioned outfits way out-number their more sensibly dressed sisters.


Something I, your "socially-observant public servant" found while working downtown "A-town" here in Central TX on New Year's.


I tip my hat to those young ladies that dressed elegantly while having half a cranium in the cold nighttime temps....


Oh... this is a Christian-based blogsite so the only pictures you will get are of your fine "XO". Not the best picts, my Assistant Chief took them on his I-phone.


XO

Not Quite A "Rock of Gibralter":

All,

Well my beautiful wife is too kind with her praises since I feel I got off lucky to some extent.

I only had to worry about the three older ones (KJ, CJ and AJ) and fortunately got lucky since EJ had got the same sickness a couple of days before everyone. ZJ stayed healthy- Praise God!

My wife also did not have a chance to blog about our Christmas Day evening... Yup, you guessed it, the same malady that afflicted my dear wife, eldest son and eldest daughter hit me later that evening. Nasty GI "bug" coupled with a fever and chills- something I would not wish on anyone.

Two days later (and after some wonderful care from KJ) I was finally back in the world of the living.

Christmas 2008 will not go down as one for the old scrapbook, unless a sick and vomiting family is you idea of a scrapbook. Oh well, good bye to 2008, hello 2009.

Just another year for a family that believes in freely sharing our maladies.

Take Care and Welcome to 2009...

XO