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Texans like their guns and their President to shoot one.

I haven't posted very often on Politics on this blog but with everything happening this year I thought I should. When we moved from California to Texas we knew we were in for a culture shock but I didn't realize how much of a political shock there would be also. Apparently the "South" and the "Bible Belt" has a pattern of voting that has made the term "Conservative Evangelical" synonymous with the Republican Party.

Read an article today that I thought would rattle some cages so I'm posting a link to it here. Basically it talks about how some 18-29 year old evangelicals are supporting Obama. As I read the article I thought a lot about that age group that I know here in Texas. I don't think many here will be making that shift.

Granted this article was written in the Seattle Times a state known for its left leanings but I think it significant that several of those quoted attended a conservative evangelical school.

These next couple of months will have an interesting impact on our country. I live about 1/2 mile from the site where they will be building the new President Bush library. The Bush daughter getting married here in Texas was a big deal yesterday. I wonder what will happen if our country votes in someone who is decidedly different.

Heading to Bolivia

Today I'm heading to Bolivia with 6 of my youth staff. Several months ago I was meeting with Scott who coordinates all our Youth Missions trips. We knew that we had a crazy summer coming up and we wanted to do something with the staff before it. We also had been talking about summer 2009 missions projects and the possibility of doing a 3 to 6 week trip in one location. After consulting with a number of people at our church we contacted one of our churches missionaries and set up a time to go visit.

For the first 3 days of this trip we'll be down at a jungle camp below Bolivia building houses. Because the airport in Bolivia is so high (14,000 ft) everyone gets altitude sickness so the best plan is to go down several thousand feet right away.

The last 4 days of the trip we're staying in La Paz and doing work in several different schools. This part of the trip is also aimed at providing opportunity for the staff to read, hike, pray, worship and connect with God before our busy summer.

Really looking forward to this trip although it comes at an awkward time. This month ended up getting a bit crazier than I had anticipated with my assistant leaving, Danielle going to London and just some general odds and ends.

I bought copies of Nouwen's book "The Return of the Prodigal Son" to read this week. If anyone has it feel free to read along with us.

Castle Rood Day #5 no Mama

Danielle has been gone for five days already and things are starting to look grim at Castle Rood. For dinner I ordered Pizza and wings and after dinner took the kids to the park to tire them out. :)

It hasn't been so bad though. I realized how much easier it is being a guy in the mornings. Today I threw on a Oklahoma t-shirt I had in my drawer and with uncombed hair and a smelly stench I got all the kids to school and then came home and showered.

Just bought a new domain name that I directed to this site. I wonder how much that might change things.

Danielle gone day #2

This week is going to seem that I am pretty focused on my wife. Danielle left for London yesterday afternoon and is gone until Friday. I miss her. I'm stoked that she gets to go on this trip though. She's such a great mom and wife and really deserves something like this. The last seven years as we've had 3 kids, moved to two different churches and ultimately left friends and family behind to move to Texas have not always been easy. Sending her on this trip for me was a way of saying that I get it and that I want her to be able to have some of the adventure back you lose when you have three kids to raise.

I think I may be a little different than other dads in that when Danielle is gone I really love being around the kids as much as I am. I enjoy getting to be a part of more of their everyday lives. I enjoy being forced out of bed in the morning by a demanding two year old princess who just wants juice, cereal and Dora the Explorer, I enjoy taking the boys to school (which I do everyday anyways) but it's different being the one who is getting everything ready in the am.

Today when I picked Kaije up from school he told me that I didn't give him any pudding in his lunch but that I gave him two spoons. He wasn't mad just informative.

One of my closest friends is coming into town tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to spending some time with him.

Swimming Lessons and a Crawfish Boil

Today our plans are pretty simple. The boys are starting swimming lessons at the YMCA (praying it goes well) and then our neighbors are having a crawfish boil. I've never been to a boil before but as Keith is from Louisiana he assures me that eating "Mudbugs" is sort of a right of passage that everyone should go through.

Danielle is heading to London tomorrow for 6 days. I surprised her with a ticket for mothers day to go visit her friend Dawn who's been working as a nanny. She's pretty stoked to go and after a long process of getting a train ticket to Sheffield she's all set now.

I had a great time in Princeton this last week. I'm going to put my thoughts down in a longer post in the next couple of days.

This is a particularly crazy month for our family. I'm heading to Bolivia in a week with some of my youth staff for a short missions project/pre-trip to see if this is going to be a good place for us to take students next summer. I'm looking forward to going but it's coming up quick.