Birthday hug from arch rivals. 
These two fight. Constantly.
But she was the one that missed him so much when he was gone.
And I think his eyes in this picture tell most of his true affection for her… although sometimes hidden…
From the monthly archives:
September 2009
it’s been a little while since I clicked away with the wonder twins.
and it turns out, they are still cute…
What I got when I said, “Zeke, a little smile.”
And guess who is 5 today??!!!
5? Seriously.
I would have to say this was my favorite birthday quiz to date. So funny. So Quincy.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
tackle football player
Favorite sport?
tackle football
Color?
red
What annoys you?
Gabe
Favorite food?
pizza
How tall will you be?
i don’t know
Favorite animal?
tigers
Favorite thing about our family?
playing with my guys.
What makes you laugh?
Dawson.
Best vacation?
going to Joanna and Taylor’s house
My friends are…
nice
Something you want to get better at?
basketball
Favorite candy?
cake
what do you have to say turning 5?
that’s a hard one. it makes me a little better at sports than I am because I’m bigger
favorite thing your mom makes?
i would have to say everything because your food rocks.
favorite song?
Dad’s
Oh, Quincy.
You are certainly one of a kind. I don’t even know how to describe you sometimes. There’s no reference point. No one we can relate you too.
You are Quincy. You are ours. And we are so, so glad.
Thanks for changing our world. For being the most profound blessing. And for keeping us on our toes.
Love you with all that we are.
Proud beyond words.
Happy Birthday, Quincy Boy.
He appears threatening…
But underneath, it’s this…
And my sweet girl…
And boy…
First of all, you are going to have to stop being so cute. It could be a problem.
Second, it would be nice if you would stop getting so old. Because you are nine. And that’s half-way to adulthood. And that makes my heart hurt.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
baseball player
Favorite sport?
don’t have one
Color?
red
What annoys you?
my brothers
Favorite food?
chicken
How tall will you be?
6 feet
Favorite animal?
dog
Favorite thing about our family?
caring.
What makes you laugh?
Dad’s jokes.
Best vacation?
Mall of America
My friends are…
cool
Saver or spender?
saver
Favorite candy?
Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
what do you have to say turning 7?
i get more privileges
favorite thing your mom makes?
tacos.
favorite song?
September Rain by Andrew Landers
But most of all you need to know…
We love you. We are oh so proud of you.
Happy 9th, buddy.
(Gabe asked only for money for his birthday. And being our very best “saver” by far he is on his way to purchasing the electric guitar that he has had his eye on. )
I’ve said it before.
But public speaking clearly should be my new diet plan.
I think it would work. Can’t eat for long periods of time, complete loss of appetite.
Went with a couple team members today to make a Water presentation at the Rotary.
They handed the microphone to two of the quietest people on the planet. Neither Pete or I usually have too much to say. You will find us singing and dancing on stage…in heaven.
But we were told we could talk about Water. And they ended up having a hard time getting us to shut up.
Pete was awesome. Brenda was there fielding questions and drumming up support for the race and Business Luncheon with Scott Harrison.
So, so thankful for them.
So, so thankful for all of them. They are working so hard. And they just get it…get that we have the opportunity to change a nation, to give life.
It’s exciting. And exhausting.
And there are so many of you who are using your voices, building your own Water For Christmas teams around the country.
They are my favorite emails to get as you guys share how Water is changing your corners of the world.
It’s people. Coming together. For something beyond ourselves.
And what a joy. What a privilege.
Some of our team:
Water For Christmas is proudly welcoming charity: water President, Scott Harrison, to Iowa!
November 21-23
We are thrilled about the opportunity to allow Scott to cast the vision for clean water himself at a number of events and services.
We (“we”, as in a core group of about 30 people) are in full force preparing for his visit.
He will be in Muscatine and the Quad Cities. And he is going to be busy.
It’s going to be crazy. And exciting.
And Lord-willing, Iowa and Liberia will never be the same.
Schedule of Events are here and will be updated with further details and events in the upcoming weeks. Keep watching water4christmas.com for all Water information.
Again, anyone anywhere near local should be very excited! And should be marking their calendars.
And the rest of you can walk, crawl, run, swim, drive, or fly to join us if you want.
I might be kind of busy, but we do have hotels in Iowa and we’d love to have you!
We will begin now by covering the week-end in prayer and getting back to work….
…if I did much better today.
We are “off”.
Just “off” around here.
Can’t quite put my finger on what it is…but things are not functioning as I wish they would.
We are in a new stage of activities.
Which comes with good and bad.
We haven’t quite mastered how to deal with it.
And really right now, just three of them are full force.
We need a plan before there is 6.
Because we are a tiny bit frazzled right now. (but see it slowing way down in the next couple weeks…)
We are looking at some hefty bills to the car repair shop, the dentist, and the urologists.
Which stresses me out a tiny, tiny bit.
And I’m not very good at hiding my stress.
Both Andy and I are super busy…seemingly taking more on by the day.
It is things we love. Stuff that generally breathes life into us.
But in combination, it is a tiny, tiny bit overwhelming.
And I’m not very good at hiding it when I am overwhelmed.
(Can I take this moment to say that Andy has been nothing but supportive of the extra time I have had to spend away…so, so supportive and so helpful.)
But in combination, it’s kind of yucky.
And just “off.”
We’ll get back.
We will.
