were back home, finally

No body has ever accused me of being patient. After waiting impatiently for 40 weeks, the wait is over and we are back home after about 8 hours of sleep in the last 2 nights combined. Jaxon arrived an hour after we got to the hospital. 12:41 AM on November 29th. 8 lbs 5 oz. 20 and 1/2 inches long. We waited longer on the dr to dismiss them from the hospital than Rach was in labor. thank you to everyone who prayed for her. "It was as smooth as it could have been" Rachel said.
The hospital visit was unpleasant at the best points for me. Jaxon is great, looks just like Payton when he was born. Time to get some sleep.... in my own bed.

thankful for.....

I am thankful for.
1. the Kingdom of God
2. a job that is easy and am thankful that I don't have to roof, pour concrete, dig ditches, or pick cotton.
3. a Kingdom family.
4. a beautiful home.
5. Cars that run, so I don't have to fix them.
6. Dominion over the earth.
7. Stuff that doesn't break, so I don't have to fix it.
8. Good shoes that are comfortable.
9. Money/Provision
10. Firearms.

happy Thanksgiving!

19%

the Laughlin house is about to experience some great welcomed changes. #1 A new life. Along with this we have been discussing the possibility of me taking over evening meal preparation. I enjoy cooking/grilling, but don't very often because I don't do the shopping and don't know what is in the pantry, and my kids are always ready to play when I get home. Rachel is getting.... bored, frustrated, tired of cooking for 10 years now. She is a great cook and I am the easiest guy in the world to cook for, but I have a desire to relieve her in this area. At least until she isn't preparing meals for Jaxon if you know what I mean. :) It's time for a change, and I think I am up for the challenge.

This discussion has led to me researching and I have found that our household spends 19% of our budget on food and gas! I drive to Abilene everyday ($6.00 per trip) and forget my lunch 99% of the time. So I either don't eat lunch or eat a fast nasty something. Since we live in clyde it would cost me $6.00 to drive home and back for lunch. We used to live about 5 blocks from work. I have also found that HEB has an amazing web site. They pick the meal for you each day and give you the ingredients. Just what I need. Eating out is the biggest scam going. the ONLY way it is worth it is if you are spending it with someone special. According to www.stretcher.com, the average a family of 4 should spend per month on groceries is $484. We are right on that number.

A family of 4 eats 360 meals each month, so that is a mere $1.34 per meal per person. so when you eat out and spend $6.00 on a combo meal you just ate for more than your whole family for one day. We eat cereal and toast for breakfast so that isn't a $1.34 ea. More like 20 to 40 cents each. Milk alone is around 10% of our food budget.

Just wanted to share my small revelation about eating out, and the changes coming. I have never been a fan of eating out.

"the hunt of a lifetime" by D.C. Reid

This weekend was jam packed, while the church was being the church helping a family in need. I was off taking friends on "the hunt of a lifetime". I felt bad about not being at the super life group, but then I realized that I was being the church too by providing the hunt of a lifetime to some guys that have dreamed about that for a long time. Friday was Cody's turn. We left clyde with 2 boys in tact at 5:15 rolled into Wheeler at 9. After checking all the feeders and getting a horrible nights sleep, dealing with buck fever... we went to the deer blind only to sit in Fog with visibility about 100 yards. To make long story short... after 6 shots fired a deer was dead, an 8 point. Hunting in the fog makes it difficult to see ones intended target clearly. What was meant for one ended up in another.

So after another evening hunt that was a bust we headed back to Abilene to arrive home at 12 midnight and up for church. After church it was Doug and BC turn. We hussled to wheeler in time to set up for the evening hunt that ended up being a bust. Then the fog returned for the morning hunt. We could hear the buck fighting right in front of us, but could only see about 20 yards. We roamed the area for 15 minutes trying to find the blind in the fog. Once the fog lifted we didn't see any deer.

At the evening hunt I am hunkered down in the blind with Evan and Payton. We had to sneak into the blind without spooking the 3 deer already out in front. We did it! The boys got seated and began to ask questions and make lots of noise. We were down wind so the deer didn't hear as well. I was getting nervous at about 15 minutes to dark that no one had shot yet. Then I heard the beautiful sound of a rifle. I knew Doug had hit one. Turns out it was an 11 point. biggest dear he has ever taken. I laughed more than I knew possible on this trip, my eyes hurt from crying. Doug is the funniest story teller in the world! Thanks for the laughs. We arrived back in clyde at 1:15 AM this morning and needlesss to say I am sleepy.

WWJD

I don't wear the bracelet, but I do ask the question often. Especially recently. Jesus would love the unlovable, reach out to the ones who betrayed him, Heal the very ones who were to take him away to his death. Who am I to cast a stone at someone who I believe to be living in a manner I don't agree with? I find myself wanting to be Jesus to them. Loving them no matter what. Unconditional love. If you are a friend of mine, I love you unconditionally. I believe in it that is what Jesus did and does, so why shouldn't I. I want to see the Kingdom come every day, and Since I am the Kingdom then I can't afford to let a day go by and not love, even when someone is lovable one day and then unlovable the next because I have new knowledge of events in their life. People are hurting, scared and lonely, even Christian brothers and sisters. If people can't turn to us, who will they turn to in times of trouble? I want to be someone anyone at any time can turn to and see Jesus. I challenge you to be Jesus to the unlovable today. I think it will be worth whatever it might cost you. I have had plenty of people in my life screw up big, and everyone turned against them, it grieves my heart when this happens. There are opportunities to screw up every day. Some days are good and some are bad.