Photo Update (Plus, right off the press, Howie has a tooth!)

Dear Everyone,

Sorry it has taken us so long to post. We have been extremely busy recently. Here are some great pictures!!!

Update With Photos

As you can see, Howie proudly exercised his civic right and duty in Georgia's primary on Super Tuesday. Unfortunately, he voted for Hillary. We couldn't talk him out of it.
Does this look comfortable to you? I find him sleeping in the strangest positions. I guess having your face smashed against the crib is just a matter of preference.
Sharpies, the world's cheapest and most fascinating toy.
Howie getting updated on news following Super Tuesday. He's into current events.
Howie groovin' with Aunt Marnie.
Howie obviously inherited the "I-look-good-in-a-sweater-vest" gene from his papa.
Howie, serious about his playing

I Can't Believe I'm Writing This . . . But Maybe Tom Brady Isn't So Bad

This is going to be a shock to our regular blog readers, but in the last month or so my opinion of Tom Brady has begun to change. Now hold on, I'm not saying he is my favorite NFL player or anything like that, but I'm just finding it harder and harder to loath Tom like I do Bill Bilichick. Why? Well it started when I faced the fact that Tom always says the the right thing when he is interviewed before or after a game. He never allows himself to say something about the other team that would tick off fans. He is like Roger Federer. Have you ever seen Federer get interviewed before a match. He can the playing the number #798 player in the world, and the greatest tennis player in the world will smile and say, "I think its going to be a tough match, I need to stay focused." I bet anything he is thinking, "I'm the number one ranked player in the world. I'm going to kill this 18 year old who barely made it to the pro circuit." But he never lets onto that. Then I heard something that shocked me. Apparently Tom is good friends with Peyton Manning, who is me and Betsy's favorite player. I was like, "What?!" Now onto the real reason my opinion of Tom has changed. I watched an interview with him on 60 minutes and I was amazed at how down-to-earth he seems. He honestly doesn't seem full of himself, like so many athletes. He really seems grateful of where he is and aware of his past. When he was asked why he signed for less money to stay with the Patriots than sign with another team he chuckled and said, "I remember being in college and making baked potatoes for dinner in my dorm room. I'm making more money than I ever thought I would." You get a sense that Tom is almost as amazed as everyone else about his to-good-to-be-true life, which is refreshing. He doesn't act like "I always knew this was going to happen and I deserve it." Most importantly, he admitted that while he has everything in life (fame, money, good looks and a supermodel girlfriend) he wonders if there is a greater purpose in life. There is, Tom, its salvation in Jesus' name! When asked if he knew what this higher purpose was, he said, "I wish I knew." Tom is surprisingly introspective about life for a mega-superstar athlete. He is not a Christian, so of course I don't agree with how he is living his life, but I have to respect him a little for being willing to wonder if there is something more out there than all that he has. So there you have it. I now have a begrudging respect for Tom. I have never doubted that he is a great quarterback (not as good as Peyton, of course). I hope Tom Brady finds the truth, for the truth will set him free.

Howie, Dreams, and Sweet Vindication

We had a wonderful time this past week with my mom and sister Emily and little nephew John! Howie and John had a good time together- even held hands a couple of times! It was a hoot to see them interact just a little bit more than they did over Christmas. We REALLY enjoyed being together!







This picture says everything about Howie and butternut squash. No explanation needed.
As you can imagine, Josh and I had been pretty excited and/or disgusted about the Super Bowl over the past week. Once Peyton and company were out, the Super Bowl lost all of its joy for us. I only maintained a shred of hope that somehow the Patriots would meet their final downfall. Even though Peyton couldn't win, at least Tom Brady could lose. I truly dreading hearing about the 2007 Patriots for the rest of my life, hailed as the "team that succeeded in the pursuit of perfection." The Giants were our last hope. On Eli Manning's shoulders rested the weight of freeing us from this Tom Brady worship that has persisted all season. (Hey, at least he's Peyton's brother.)

We had a youth Super Bowl party, and although there were a couple of Patriots fans, I don't think any of them really cared. They were there for the commercials and the halftime show (TOM PETTY- enough for a post in and of itself). I think everyone was surprised that it was only 7-3 at halftime. Not the offensive showdown that some people predicted. I had already thrown myself on the floor a half dozen times out of sheer exhilaration over the Giants' defense. (I think at this point most of the youth were disturbed- I guess they didn't know that I'm a real fan.) Let's just fast-forward to the 4th quarter, when everything went down. We were in the process of packing up to leave when the Giants scored the first touchdown, which was amazing. Then we heard the Patriots' march down the field in the car on the way home, and I admit that I thought it was all over. The Patriots have done this so many times- they give you a shred of hope that they're finally going to lose, and then they finally pull it together right when they need to to shatter your hopes and score that touchdown that makes you cringe. Right after the Patriots scored we got home and watched the Giants' drive back down the field!!!!! Pretty much at the time when Eli Manning somehow got out of that heap of Patriots trying to sack him to throw to that Giants guy who caught the ball on his head was when Josh and I lost it!!!! Wow, I couldn't believe it. The dominance of the Patriots was finally over. We had been waiting for so long for someone to finally beat them, and then it happened. I have to admit that I did feel a little sorry for Tom Brady as he walked off the field with his head down. But it passed.

Anyway, just to let you know how much Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have gotten in my head... a couple of pictures to illustrate... let me tell you about this crazy dream I had . . .


Here's my dream. I was back at Covenant College in the Great Hall, eating dinner or something. It turned out it was someone's birthday, and there were a lot of people lined up to sing a special song for the birthday person. One kid from our youth group came up to the birthday person and did this dorky little dance, and everyone booed. I felt bad for the kid. Then next was the strangest thing I've ever dreamed. Here comes Bill Belichick in Howie's infant swing, which had been attached to a zip line somehow. Bill came swinging down the zip line in Howie's swing, belting out a special song for the birthday person. I remember thinking it was bizarre because Bill rarely smiles, much less busts out in song. Next thing I know, I saw Tom Brady walking around the Great Hall in a warm-up suit. He was a student living in Maclellan Hall, and everyone was whispering about how he was Tom Brady. Those are probably two of the most unlikely people to ever visit Covenant College, but anything is possible in your dreams!! At least now my tortured head can lay itself to rest at night, knowing that the Patriots have been defeated.

Here is a football dream that Josh had, as told by Josh. Betsy and I were playing golf in this golf tournament and Peyton Manning was playing in it as well. Somehow, the golf course was right next to the Indy Colts football stadium, so Peyton could go right from football practice and play golf. In my dream Peyton and his wife were friends with me and Betsy. After we had played a little golf, Peyton told us he wanted to show us these caves that he owned right next to the golf course. We went exploring in these huge cavernous caves which Peyton somehow owned. He was very proud of his caves. The last thing I remember in my dream before I woke up was saying to Peyton, "Wow, you've got it all! You've got your stadium, your golf course and your caves all in one place, so that you never have to leave." The end.


Happy Monday!

HOWIE SPEAKS

We would like to make an announcement... Howie has begun speaking in the last few days! Starting on Sunday Howie has been making these really funny noises, like this: "ba ba ba ba." We've been having some deep conversations with him. This is how they go.

Betsy/Josh: "Howie, would you like some more sweet potatoes?"
Howie: "Da da da da da da." This is usually followed or proceeded by a large amount of bubble-blowing and raspberry-making, which results in some or all of the food in Howie's mouth exiting forcefully.

Just thought we'd make that announcement. If you would like to hear these things from Howie himself, please feel free to call and ask for him.

Have a great weekend!

PHOTO UPDATE

Mourning the Colts, Cheering on the Packers, and more pictures of Howie

Hey Folks,
We just want everyone to know that this week we have been mourning the Indy Colts shocking and fluke loss to the San Diego (New England is going to kill us) Chargers. The first picture you will see if us in our grieving attire. We are now cheering with all our hearts for Brett Favre. Go Packers! I cannot stand either the Giants or the Chargers. In other news, we recently have had the chance to see Church Bulletin Betsy and Bible Bill, as well as Chris and Marnie. Here are some pictures from those visits, as well as some others. Enjoy!