Need discernment

For the most part, living where we live is good. I like it.

But sometimes living in the " 'hood" sucks. Nothing happened to me; it's just that sometimes you see and hear stuff that is pretty terrible...stuff that really makes you wonder if it's best to stay.

I need discernment to know whether this is where God wants us. Because if He doesn't, then I'm intent on leaving. But if He does, then I need the resolve to keep us here.

Gabe makes me laugh

Last night, I came home from work after stopping by the grocery store, and Sara and the boys were upstairs. Sara was putting Caleb to bed, and Gabe was playing by himself in his room. He heard me come in the front door and was pretty excited that I came home, which is always a nice boost. Now I remember just a few months ago, counting on my hands the number of words Gabe used in a sentence. I think what he said last night from the top of the stairs as I came in the front door must be some kind of new personal record:

"Hi Daddy. Look, I have Mommy's phone. Did you get a lot of stuff? I had a lollipop but I threw it away because it was all gone. I'm wearing three necklaces. I have Mommy's phone; it lights up."

This is probably one of those "you had to be there" things, but it made Sara and me laugh nonetheless.

30 Reasons why B-day #30 was the best!

My 30th birthday was a few days ago and was one of the most enjoyable birthdays I can remember having. Sara really went all out to make my birthday special, and all that she did really meant a lot to me. I thought I'd tell a little about it here:

1. First, I got to sleep in on the big day for the first time in I'm not sure how long. There's something really lovely about sleeping until 9:15.


2. Sara brought me some Starbucks after I woke up.


3. Sara and I got to go out for a lunch date. We each got our drivers' licenses renewed (mine expired on my birthday), and then we had some good Red Robin lunch (happened to bump into my mom there).


4. This was my first birthday with Caleb on the scene, and I got to spend some good time with him and Gabie.


5. Sara hosted a big, extended family birthday party for me at her parents' house, and like 30 people came. That really meant a lot to me, even if they did only show up for the pizza.


6. We bought 10 pizzas for the party for only 50 bucks. Gotta love Little Caesars.


7. My Grandma and Grandpa Hogan were at the party. This past Fall, we had a health scare with my grandpa that has caused me to be extremely grateful for every opportunity I get to build a relationship with him and my grandma.


8. I got presents at the party.


9. One of them was a Wii. Holy cow, I was totally surprised. I was like the kid from the Christmas Story movie, hoping for a Red Robin BB Gun, but convinced it wasn't going to happen. Sara had me pretty duped. The card she gave me for my birthday had a check in it with a note to buy myself one, but I didn't intend on cashing it. Then, she said "We have one more present for you." (It was from Sara, her sister, my mom, and mother-in-law.) The box was pretty small, so when I saw it, I didn't have the slightest hope of it being a Wii, but it was, and I was pretty thrilled. I'm not sure if it's okay for 30 year olds to get excited about toys, but I sure did. Thanks to Beck for being the hero to find a Wii where there was no Wii.


10. The next day, we went home and had a great family day together.


11. That night, I overheard Sara on the baby monitor, talking about me on the phone. It sounded sneaky, and in retrospect, I shouldn't have listened, but I couldn't not listen. Turns out Sara had another surprise lined up for me...She arranged for my best man, my best friend from childhood, Justin, to come out from Maine to spend the long weekend with us. I wasn't supposed to find out until her showed up at the door on Saturday morning, but it worked out well to know a couple days in advance.


12. On Friday, I finished a very daunting report I had been working on for the grant that has funded my work for the past 3 years. It felt pretty good to press that "submit" button and put it behind me. Ahhh.


13. On Saturday, Justin came into town. It made me really proud to get to introduce him to my boys and for them to get to meet and spend time with him. I loved getting to spend the 4 days with him, too. It's great to get to be around a friend who's known you since you were a punk kid. We have lots of good memories.


14. My mom came out for lunch and we got some good lunch from MacArthurs.


15. On Saturday night, Sara had another birthday party for me, to which friends were invited. Three other couples and 7 other kids showed up.


16. It was a lot of fun watching Gabe play with all the kids while they were here. He seemed to really enjoy it.


17. The fellas all played Wii. It was too fun. Boxing makes you tired.


18. We got 5 pizzas for 25 bucks. You gotta love Little Caesars.


19. For a final birthday surprise, Sara acquired some Blackhawks tickets for Justin and me to attend the game on Sunday night. They were skybox seats. Need I say more? It's honestly the second NHL game I've ever watched, but it was quite fun.


20. I was just really touched by Sara's love, generosity, and thoughtfulness this birthday. It truly encouraged and blessed me. I realize how fortunate I am to have a wife, family, and friends who care about me, and I don't take that for granted in the least.


21. For reasons 22-30, I'll post pics from the festivities below. (Each picture counts as 3 reasons.)