Going to Guatemala...

I leave Friday morning for Guatemala with our college group for a week. The picture here is of the place we will be ministering, agua dulce in mayan country, Guatemala. Thank you ahead of time for remember ing our family during this time!!!

Both good and bad...

In a conversation relayed to me by Bradyn's awana leader:
Bradyn to awana leader: "Where's Eddie?" (the other awana leader.)
Awana leader: "He has finals. And then next week he goes to Guatemala."
Bradyn: "Oh, my daddy is going to Guatemala (at which point she makes a sad look, like she is going to cry and then she perks up and smiles) but whenever he goes away, we get lucky charms.

Logic...

Mommy: "Why did you wake up so many times last night?"
Julia: "Because I love you."

Spelling...

My kids are learning how to spell words and once in awhile we will give them an oral quiz at dinner time.

Kamryn spell except.... "except." e-x-c-e-p-t. Except.

Bradyn spell down.... "Down" D-o-w-n. Down

Julia yells, "I can spell jump. Jump. N-d-e-g-b-s-z-a-w-h-v-h-d-g. Jump.

I thought this was a pretty funny quote...

I don't own a cell phone or a pager. I just hang around everyone I know, all the time. If someone wants to get a hold of me, they just say 'Mitch,' and I say 'what?' and turn my head slightly.
- Mitch Hedberg

Listen Up!!!!

Just need you all to know that we have a new guest book thing and we wanted ya'll to sign up and let us know who ya'll are!!!
Thank you!!!
The Allen Family

life of a daddy

I worked until 3 today and then came home and watched the girls (I went for a run at the park while the girls rode their bikes. I came took a shower, made dinner, set the table, washed dishes, and rushed off to Perspectives... But right before I was off to Perspectives, as I was getting my stuff ready, I sighed, feeling a bit tired, and Bradyn saw me. She said, "It's tough being a daddy, isn't it?" She gave me a big hug, and then said, "It's because your wife went off and had babies. You had one baby and two babies and three babies. I was your baby. I still want to be your baby." She gave me a little pouty look, and then ran off... Cute.

Heading to Guatemala

I am co-leading a team of 13 college students to Guatemala to minister to the mayan people in the plantations of HueHue. We will be gone from March 23-April 1st. As for the picture, we just done doing a little team bonding, playing some mud ultimate frisbee...
We would love your prayers not only for out team, but also for my family left behind... Thanks!!!

The end justifies the mean...

Bradyn just came running out of my bedroom while I am working on a project. She said, "Daddy, look at this." It was a picture of the x-ray when she swallowed a nail. I asked her where she got it, and she said, "Remember those drawers that you told us not to get into, yeah, I got them out of there."

A picture is worth a thousand words...

So, this is our dryer. It is nice dryer, a front loader, big enough to dry a full load of clothes or for that matter, tumble a small child.

Yes, Bradyn has now experienced life in a moving dryer. The other day Stephanie asked Bradyn to move the wet clothes into the dryer. She instead moved herself to the dryer. She got in and Julia closed the door and turned it on. Stephanie, from the other room, heard a big thump, thump, thump, thump. She thought they had put a doll or something else in. By the time she got there, both were standing in the doorway. Stephanie asked, "What did you put in the dryer. And Bradyn with pink cheeks, ruffled hair and a disheveled look on her face, said, "Me." She then burst into tears, and Julia, always the empathatic one, also burst into tears. Stephanie asked Bradyn, "Did you get hurt?" Bradyn nodded and said, "Yes." Stephanie asked, "What got hurt?" To which Bradyn replied, "My feelings." She later said it also hurt her body as well. Needless to say, I don't think we need to worry about kids in the dryer any time soon...

Who are you?

We recently added a stat counter of people who visit our little website. It is cool because it tracks all of ya'll from all your states and countries... It feels little big brotherish, but still really cool! I know my girls would love to know who is stopping by to hear about their stories and funny tales. WOuld you mind leaving a little note for them and where you are from... Geography 101!!!

Thanks,
Steve

Deliberate simplicity...

As many of you know, we have another blog focused on our move to Zambia to train pastors and leaders in this hurting and hopeful country in Africa. We plan on leaving in September and everything about our trip, including videos and thoughts and prayer letters are on this website. The deliberate simplicity part was changing the www.alive-in-africa.blogspot.com website name to something a bit easier to remember and type: www.aliveinafrica.com. So, if you haven't been there, do the little click thing and check it out!!!

From the mouth of babes.

Tonight, Julia looked across the table at me and said, "I love you so much, Daddy." I looked back at her and said, "I don't love you." She said, "Yes, you do." I said, "No I don't!" We went back and forth for a bit, and then I said, "How do you know I love you?" She said, "Because you love me for God." That'll preach...

Brownie stealer...

Mom pulled the classic trick tonight, making Julia look away while stealing a brownie from her. When Julia finally caught on, she exclaimed, "You no take no brownie me without asking!"

The middle

Last night, Julia wanted to sleep in the middle. In case you don't know, we throw out three foam mats each night on the floor, and they sleep slumber party style on the floor. They love it! Anyway, they sleep from left to right, Kamryn, Bradyn and Julia. Well, last night, Julia wanted to sleep in the middle and thus break the order, the important order. So, last night with Julia in a less than stellar mood, I decided to accomdate Julia. When I told Bradyn, she flipped. I went with my decision, and Bradyn was in Julia's bed crying and upset. She said through tears, "I need to be in the middle bed, because I am the middle sister. I like the middle!" Thought it was cute, especially for all those middle childs who grew up feeling ignored and unappreciated. Our Bradyn likes, needs, wants to be in the middle!

I love what you say just not when you say it.

"Daddy, I love you so much!" - Julia, while laying in my bed, wide awake, coughing, at 2:30am.