Yes, we are your in-store entertainment.  Reminds me of a video this time two years ago.

We’ve been down this road with middle sister Libs.  And because of that we were extra sensitive to getting thorough exams.  Ash passed an eye exam last year, but this year complained things were fuzzy.  We left the house to visit the optometrist, and returned with glasses.

Can you tell she’s so proud?

Ok, it’s that time for obligatory pictures of kids and teachers!  Much has changed since The First Day of School last year.  Here are side-by-side comparisons!

Ed Brock and I had a running joke.  We could guarantee rain by scheduling a time for outdoor pictures.  Our first scheduled date, 6/11/09, was the date of the Flower Mound tornado.  The second time was rained out, too.

As Jamie reported in her facebook status, on July 16 we overcame tears over ants, 100 degree temps, Ashton’s sick tummy, and in-coming storms (again!)

A few items of trivia:

• Official high temperature for Highland Village on 7/16/09 was 102°
• Our photographer, Ed Brock, once won the coveted Golden Egg by the DSVC for his work in commercial design.  Stan Richards writes about Ed in his book (find an excerpt here)
• He used a Canham field camera and a Horizon panoramic camera (read: not digital)
• We were a stone’s throw from Super Walmart
• Our photographer is legally blind

some more pictures from Liberty choir presentations and taekwondo belt test:

It’s that time of year again…when kids’ activities culminate in a show-off of what they have learned!  This is just the beginning for the Michael family…the end of our week included:

stay tuned for some gymnastics & cheerleading thrown in as well!

As I drove down the road to worship, I was watching a YouTube clip that was embedded on a friend’s social networking page which notified me by SMS so I could open the Facebook app on my iPhone.  Isn’t it great to keep in touch?  The problem is, I can’t tell you what the video was about or who the friend was.

That morning our Pastor shared two individual thoughts:  a reflection on a time when he avoided all advertising for a few days, and a call to devotion as we approach the traditional Lent period leading up to Easter.  My mind combined the two and I began to contemplate what 40 days without media would look like.

There is an expectation that my employer can still get a hold of me, so I can’t get off the grid completely.  That aside, beginning tonight I am “unplugging” whatever e-media I can.  On the chopping block are internet, TV, and the iPhone.  I will put my AT&T simcard into a no-frills phone.  I will check work email, but leave forwards and any entertainment-related emails unopened.

I understand the irony that I did a Google Search to find an image to put into this post on our family blog, which will be pulled into my Facebook profile (some extensive use of technology to announce I am cutting it all out).   In the meantime, I’m unplugged and will be rediscovering reading and maybe some new hobbies too.  At the prompting of a friend I will keep a journal of the good, bad, and ugly (using real paper!)  See you on Facebook after Easter Sunday…maybe…

If you need me, let’s talk…in real life.

-alan

One of these is a friend in typical errand-running attire, and the other is a gag gift from SkyMall. Can you spot the fake?

When you have made your pick, follow the link and you too can amuse your friends with your very own “flair hair”!

http://www.urlesque.com/2008/12/16/the-best-worst-of-skymall-2008/

Just to play a quick catch up, Ashton (our youngest who is 5) has felt pretty crummy for the past 3 months.  She daily complains that her throat feels like throw up and that her head hurts.  She is constantly exhausted…falling asleep even before bedtime…complains that her body hurts and looks just wiped out.  In October, she had strep, but continued to feel poorly after she was over that.  We thought it might be mono…tests came back negative.  Started her on an agressive antibiotic which seemed to help her feel better, until the medicine was finished.

By the working of the Lord, we got in to see a wonderful doctor in Denton, Dr. Goff.  He is proactive and aggressive…but his office wasn’t accepting new patients.  For reasons beyond us, he agreed to see Ashton this morning!

Today Ashton had a Head CT, chest x-ray, and complete blood workup to see if we can figure out why she feels so yucky all the time.  Tonight the Dr. called us – himself – to say that he was looking at her scans from today.  The chest xray came back normal…nothing to cause alarm.  Her CT came back showing a major sinus infection.  This explains why she felt better when on antibiotics but quickly felt bad again when the medicine was finished.  He’s starting us on 3-6 week treatment for the sinus infection, and he said he would be calling us as her labs came in to keep us updated on what he finds.  LOVE THIS MAN!!!  I did not have to call his office a hundred times for results…I didn’t have to talk to a nurse as a go-between…Hallelujah!

So it seems we are on the way to finding answers.  I can’t imagine how she must feel if she’s had a 3 month-long sinus infection.  We’re just waiting to hear back about the blood results to see if there’s anything else that is causing her to feel so yucky.

Liberty begins offering girls basketball at 3rd grade.  Mac decided to give it a try!  Here are a few pics from the first half of the season.