Awesome Saturday!!!

Today was a great day. In the morning I was spending time with my kids while my wife went to school. When she came back, we took our daughter, Juliana, to ballet. This was my first opportunity to see her in class. It was an experience, to see her happily jumping around (and also not necessary pay attention to the instructor) and working on a choreographed dance. She also recieved her tap dancing shoes and loved to hear the clacking sounds they made with every step. I am so grateful she can go to these classes. Once the classes were over, we went home and began prepping for a BBQ with Travis and Kelly. Once they arrived, I fired up the grill and cooked some NY Strip for everyone. While the grill was cooking, we played some Wii Tennis and this time I didn't hit somebody in the back with the controller during a swing. Afterwards, the guys (Travis, Matt (Travis' visiting friend), Tyler and myself) played Halo 3. We had a good time (even though Tyler cheated) shooting everything in sight and kicking butt!!! The ladies and kids all went outside and enjoyed the nice weather. We are truly blessed to be a part of this community. 

Weekend Recap

Another weekend is over, and man do I miss football!!!!! There was nothing of interest on TV today, so I ended up spending the day out with the kids, and bbq us lunch. This morning my we went to the 9 AM service and listened to another great message from Travis. My wife (and the kids) stayed for the 10:3o service and she began working for Kids Life again. She really does enjoy it and she feels good working and being a part of the church. Once everyone was home, the kids were in and out of the house for most of the day and just enjoying the nice weather. 

Homestead Parade

Today was the first time I ever really witnessed a parade live. I never had an interest in them prior to today but the main difference was that my son, James Jr., was a part of this event. My family has lived in this area for almost four years now and I never heard of this parade before. Junior participated with his school, Christian Preparatory Academy, and sat in their float. He was so excited and really enjoyed riding with his classmates, fellow students and teachers. I found a spot on Campbell Dr, in front of the Winn Dixie and waited for him to pass by. I was shocked that there were so many people watching and I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout. Since this was my first parade, I enjoyed some of it but I think there were too many floats that were nothing more than advertisements for businesses and lacked creativity. I was happy when Jr's float came b by and I took as many pictures as I could. The only downer was that Luciana and Juliana couldn't attend as Luciana was in school until 11 AM and the took Juliana was in her new ballet class (post to come soon) at noon. I hope that next year we will all be in attendance to enjoy this great local custom.

The End of an Era

It's always sad to see professional athletes retire. They work non stop and work under tremendous pressure to perform well in the public eye. Yesterday, Alonzo Mourning announced his retirement from basketball. I remember watching him play as a kid in Georgetown University, leading his team and dominating the competition. He was the greatest Miami Heat player to date. He poured his heart and soul to the team and gave everything he had to win. I was very happy to see him play an integral part of the 2006 championship season. I felt the same way when Dan Marino retired from the Dolphins. These are athletes I grew up watching and it feels like a part of me leaves with them as they exit the stage and move on to a different phase of their life. 

Classical Music with a touch of Rock

I can't get these songs out of my head. I first heard Canon Rock on YouTube and now I am hooked. I love the electric guitar approach to classical music and I spend my time practicing this song and The Turkish March version. It will take months for me to get it to sound right but I know in the end I will love it. 

Canon Rock

Turkish March

2008 Guitar Idol

A seemingly little known online competition took place where guitarists from around the world submitted videos of themselves playing and were voted on. The winner, Gustavo Guerra (Brazil) is an amazing musician. I have been watching his videos and his style is very impressive. He does some amazing covers of songs I have been wanting to learn to play myself. He is very inspiring and I know that as long as I keep practicing I will be able to play at his level.  

Weekend Highlights

Another weekend has come and gone as we begin a new year. I was VERY disappointed in Oklahoma's performance against the Gators (ugh!!). What a nightmare, another National Championship for them (excuse me while I vomit). I hate that school and I hope that we don't see a repeat. The NFL playoffs brought some mind boggling experiences. It seems like all of the "favorites" decided to play their worst games of the season. I thought the Giants would lose but I would never have thought Arizona could just destory Carolina, on the road no less. The AFC turned out as I expected, a rematch between the Ravens and Steelers. Now the final four is set and I believe we will see Arizona vs Baltimore in the Superbowl this year. 

My family and I spent another quiet weekend here at home. Saturday was electric ride-on time during the morning. My kids, the neighbors kids and Travis' kids were all outside wreaking havoc and having a good time driving around (at least until the battery ran out). Then the kids decided to decorate our sidewalk and walkway with some chalk. Kids can be so creative and they just went crazy with a variety of drawings. Sunday, we went to the late service and listened to a great message from Travis. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and letting the kids have fun outside. 

The Next Karate Kid!!!

My son went to his first Karate class today. He was hyped up since yesterday to go in there and kick butt, literally. He struggled at first, trying to understand the rules and guidelines he has to follow. This class will definitely help my son's focus and give him a great resource to shape his life. I am very thankful that my wife and I can provide these activites to help shape our children into great citizens and productive members of society. Next up, ballet for my princess Juliana. 

End of the season for the Fins...

What a bad time for the team so play its worst game of the year. It was a rough game to watch as the Fins could hardly muster any offense and defensively struggle to stop the Raven's running attack. I had a bad feeling about this game, judging from the previous game earlier in the season. It was deja vu, almost the same type of game where Miami could do nothing to solve the mystery of the Ravens. It was disappointing but hopefully this team can build on this season and fill the gaps they need to make a stronger push next year.