Good Times....Good Times....

Official Weigh-In Day: 213. Down a pound...could be better but I'm not disappointed.

This has been one crazy week. 6 out of the 7 kids have some sort of sickness. Uno has stayed home from school with a fever and sore throat. Cinco has lots of nose congestion (polite way of saying, he has a ton of snots). Quatro and Seis...ditto. Tres has this cough that sounds like she is trying to bust through a brick wall, using sheer cough force. And then there is Siete...mister I don't want to (more like he can't) sleep for more than 30-60 minutes at a time at night. He's congested in his nose, which gets in his chest, which causes him to cough, which wakes him up. He's also running a fever and I think he also has caught a nice case of whine-engitous. That's the medical term for, I don't want anyone to do anything accept serve me or I'll whine...but not to close or I'll whine. He has that something serious. He also only wants Wife at night, which normally a person would say "hey...better her than me...I'm going to back to sleep". Unfortunately, I end up staying up too, cuz I just want to help her out and feel guilty in bed while she stays up all night.

So, any help here would be great. How do you know when enough is enough with situations that arise in life. I can't get too specific, as people from all parts of my life read this. But as I've mentioned before, things at work were pretty frustrating and that situation has been fixed. That being said, there is still some lingering frustration and pride issues going on. I've been praying and asking for prayers, but I still am pretty full of pride I guess, because I can't shake that "I've been wronged" feeling.

On that same note, I've started to meet once a week with 2 close friends of mine, Chuck and Ryan. We are meeting once a week and hopefully keeping each other accountable for certain things that we feel are issues in our lives. We've met twice so far and its great to get together and talk. Ryan is younger than me and Chuck is older. It's amazing how you think your problems are all your own, but you hear people in different stages of their lives struggling with similar issues. God's so good to me to have put these guys in my life.

All for now.
God is Good!

The Wickinator...

So I need to thank Mr. Petree for his great idea for a white elephant gift. We had a Christmas White Elephant exchange here at work the week before Christmas. Per John's story of his gift, I stole it like it was my own. I gave an 8x11 framed and autographed photo of...well of me! In the words of Cousin Eddy...That there is the gift that keeps on giving....all year long. It got lots of laughs, which I hope is a testament to the funny pose in the picture and not because I'm just a funny looking guy. The picture has been dubbed the "Wick-in-ator". It's been put on a few peoples desks...brought to very important meetings, you know, for inspiration...I think it's even been on the Presidents desk at one point. (I did make some of that up for comedic value...but not all of it)

Oh and at the end of the White Elephant exchange, I let the poor soul who "won" this piece of art know, there was a Chili's gift card taped to the back of the picture! Thanks again John!!

So Good Times....work let me swap out my training to a different week, so I'll be home to see The Oldest Boy's school program. Now I need to remember to click record on the video camera. Last year we all went to his program, I held the cam corder up for the whole 30 minute deal, only didn't realize when you click the still photo option on the camera, while video taping, it stops recording the video to take the still shot, but doesn't go back to recording. I sat there video taping nothing for almost the entire 30 minutes. *BE thankful kids...Doofusness runs in our veins...yep even if you are adopted!

God is Good!

Not so bad...

There is really no reason for this picture...I just love Napoleon Dynamite!!

So I thought this house was going to be crazy and hectic with all the girls at Uno's birthday party...but as usual I was wrong. They were all so quiet...almost awkwardly quiet. They all had fun...I think. Once the older kids and Wife left for the movies, I was able to feed the T.o.T.s and Siete and get them off to bed in time to watch the Patriots game :)...(Patriots and Chargers next week...for the right to go to the Super Bowl...Pats are 17-0 this year!)

I'm thinking I should have taken that time with them to play and have some great daddy/kids bonding time...but it's the playoffs...and I played with them this weekend...so stop judging me.

From the "How Do These Things Always Happen Department": I got a new position at work...finally doing something I want to do (Thank You Lord for that answered prayer). For my new job I need to go to training, which last week I scheduled to go in the next few weeks. Found out yesterday that Dos has a school program the week I'll be away. Dos promptly got all teary and upset when I told him. I'd understand it if I missed somethings because I traveled every other week or multiple times a month. But it seems like if I travel 3 or 4 times a year, I'm missing something for someone at least 2 of those times. So now I'll attempt to reschedule the training. I'm guessing with more kids and the older they get, I'm bound to miss somethings from time to time...just sucks having to tell them I can't be there.

Random Web Site:

Found this really addictive and fun world knowledge game...my first score was 113.

http://www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq?de68=f428

God is Good!

Official Weigh In

Fridays will be my official weigh in day. This morning I am at 214, down 4 pounds from when I started last week. Not bad...mostly water weight. And FYI: This is why I want to lose weight...I don't want to be thrust into civil duty like this lady!!

Slow day here today, not too much going on. Tomorrow should be interesting. Uno is having her birthday party with friends, which means we will have a bunch of chatty girls in the house...oh pass the aspirin now! Not only will the older kids be loud and talking and being in the "zone"...we'll have 3 pre-schoolers acting as if they are 10 or 11 years old as well. Should be interesting.

Found a couple of really good websites recently and one really off the wall news story:

Woot.com - Cool site that has 1 great deal a day on random things.

GiveAwayoftheDay - Site that offers a free, licensed software each day

Dove.org - Breaks down all movies, lets you know what movies are really family friendly.

Lastly...did you see this story. It's a cheesy bad movie come to life...creepy yet kind of funny: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22590332/

God is Good!

1191 Words from Me to You

We here at WorldofRandall have come to an agreement with the Writers Guild so our almost 2 month layoff is officially over. No scabs were used in writing any of the material posted below. No writers were injured during the making of this post. I am Randy and I approve this ad. Friends don't let friends drive drunk. Only you can stop forest fires. ....

Whoa sorry about that...got off on a tangent there...as usual. Back to your (un) regularly scheduled post.

Catchup time....

- Christmas was one big chaotic mess of fun. We tried so hard to keep things in order, but our attempts were quickly abandoned and paper, tape and bows were flying off in every direction. The new kid's first Christmas seemed to be a hit. So much so that Cinco asked for days after, if Santa was coming again tonight :)

- We spent New Years Eve together at home, eating lots of snack foods (ie: unhealthy but stinking delicious) and we played lots of games. Lots of ping pong, Wii games and board games were played. Lots of Daddy kicking everyones butt happened as well! (but I'm not competitive or anything...)

- Just had 2 birthdays in the house: Tres turned 7 and Uno turned *gulp...10

- An Ode to Tres - How amazing it is to have been in my life for just under 4 months and how much I love that little girl. She is soft spoken, yet loud. Loves her dolls and babies as well as tackling me during climb the father and giggles at toots. I love her sense of humor and her billy-goat like laugh. She's definitely added a new element of funniness to our house. I can't even imagine picking up and moving across the world and having to learn a whole new culture, way of interacting with people, foods, and having more stuff than I ever could imagine. Yet this little 7 year old princess has done it nearly flawlessly. I'm amazed at how well she has adapted and accepted us as her family. Another testament to God knowing exactly what he's doing...cuz we don't ever question that...right? It's going to be so fun watching her grow up and become as she says "a working woman". I hope someday she will realize that she didn't come to live with us strictly to give her a hopeful better life, but that she is a blessing to each one of us.

- An Ode to Uno - Sweet cinnamon gravy, she's 10 years old. I look at my oldest daughter and I can't help but feel so stinking proud and happy. I'm scared to death of what the next 10 years will bring, but I'm confident in who she is and that all my fears will be just that: my own fears. She is so solid in her relationship with God. I wouldn't be living my life for Jesus had she not been everything God created her to be. It's hard for me to say what I want to say about my "bean", without sounding like a blubbering idiot. I think about almost losing her before she was born, I think about mistakes in my life that could have led to me not being an everyday dad to her, I think about her bald little head until she was 2, I think about her losing her tooth in an elevator in some hotel, I think about her non stop talking :), I think about her and I building the most gynormous snowman ever made, I think about her in her little dance tights and 2 little pig tails on the top of her head, I think about her having the same goofy sense of humor as me, I think about her love of a hot lunch, I think about how she gets all of her beauty and smarts from her mom, I think of how passionate she is about her family (both living and dead members)....I think about how my heart swells with love and pride at the thoughts of who she is and what she wants to do with her life.

Random (and not so random) thoughts:

- Isn't it funny how, no matter how many kids you have...they each hold a very special spot in your heart, and no matter what you do when you talk about them, you end up sounding like that child is your absolute favorite kid in the whole world?

- Lifelong dream has always been to be on Saturday Night Live and do comedy as a living. Somehow I don't think I could have ever realized that that dream pales in comparrison to the life I have now.

- It's not a new years resolution...but I'm working on the weight again. I'll post up weekly updates on the progress. Supposedly...if I keep myself at 1750 or less calories, by mid summer I should be at or near where I want to be...we'll see.

- Weight as of January 6th - 218 (READ: lard butt)

- 16 & 0 - That right there is the regular season record for your New England Patriots

- 2nd championship in 4 years for Your Boston Red Sox

- Have I mentioned this is a VERY good time to be a Boston sports fan?!?!?

- Have I also mentions I stinking miss being home, mainly because of the reason listed above.

- Randall. , we'd like to welcome you to the Christian Rock scene: Kutless is GOOD

- Through the belated sadness of losing my Grandmother, I have regained contact with one of the most important people in my life. Can't wait to catch up with him and his family and start to rebuild that foundation of family/friendship that has been out of my life for many years too many.

- Do any of you have that (or in some cases those) family member(s), that no matter how often you talk, be it every day/week or once every 6-12 months, you end up talking about the exact same things everytime? And I don't mean in the sense of, how are the kids and family type talk...literally the exact same conversations...maybe my family is the only family that is that bizare.

- Maybe I'm an email addict, but if you have an email account...why don't some people check it?

- Why would 2 men, early to mid 20's, have any need for about 30 ashtrays and 6 or 7 huge jars of mayonnaise, thats what I would like to know. (I happened to see this walking towards me at wal-mart a few weeks back). Sound like the beginning of a bad joke....ok, ok, ok...2 guys are walking through the store one with 30 ashtrays the other with 7 jars of mayo....you can finish this joke on your own.

- Do you ever talk to yourself...out loud...in various accents?...yea right, me neither.

- Do you ever answer yourself in a different accent?...again, me neither.

- I know coveting is a sin...but how stupidly cool is this: 153 inch Plasma TV

God is Good!