Has it been that long?

Well, I know that it's been nearly a year since I posted here, and so much has happened. I decided that I would take our "Christmas Letter" that we send to many of our family members and friends and post it here. (We didn't send to everyone this year, due to our income situation, which is explained in the Christmas letter.) So, here it is:

Well, another year has passed, and what a crazy one it has been! We almost didn’t write a letter this year, but changed our minds at the last minute. It just wouldn’t feel right not sharing what’s going on with all of our family and friends.

First, for those of you who don’t know, last year, Curt started working only four days per week. He has continued working only four days through 2010, unless he had a big project to complete. In addition, Erica lost her job in February. She really never thought that it could happen, but it did...after 13 years of working with the same people. Anyway, as they always say, every cloud has a silver lining. Since Erica lost her job, she was able to spend nearly two weeks in Myrtle Beach and was there for the birth of our granddaughter, Gracelynne Elizabeth, on February 28. What a blessing to be able to share such a special time with Scott, Jessica, and the boys! We don’t know that they’ll ever know how much Erica appreciated their putting up with her during such a tough time in her life and such a hectic time in theirs!!!

In April, we had the chance to visit Myrtle Beach together. It was the first time Curt got to meet Gracelynne (aka Gracie). We had a wonderful long weekend visiting with everyone. At home in Youngstown, we also celebrated Matthew’s third birthday, and Cari was home to visit for a few days.

In May, Erica had a rather exciting experience. Elton John (one of Erica’s favorites) actually played a concert right here in Youngstown! Although we were not thrilled with our seats, it was such a fun day...especially since we didn’t have to travel to Cleveland or Pittsburgh to see him.

June brought along Regionals, as usual. Although Curt’s skaters skated well, none of them went to Nationals, which is the first time since Curt became a coach that he did not have to travel to Nationals. It was a nice change of pace.

In August, Erica had her first overnight stay in the hospital (since she was a toddler). She went to the doctor with a pain in her side and a fever. When the doc saw her temp of 103, he sent her straight to St. Elizabeth's Hospital. Although they never figured out the problem, the fever was down, so she went home the next afternoon. On a brighter note, Cari and her boyfriend, Jeff, came to visit later in the month. We got to spend a great weekend with Bill, Amy, and Matthew at “camp,” while Cari and Jeff were here. We also went with Cari and Jeff to Cedar Point, where Erica realized that she’s really too old for that stuff! We also spent a day at the Canfield Fair with Cari, Jeff, Bill, and Matthew.

Then, in September, we took our annual week-long trip to Myrtle Beach for Ethan’s and Logan’s birthdays. We had a great condo, and the weather was perfect! Our September trip is always so much fun, whether we’re just sitting around, playing with the grandkids, or sight-seeing. It’s always so difficult to leave!

October and November were filled with the normal Autumn fun. We got to take a trip to Pittsburgh to see Jake play in a shoot-out tournament at the new Consol Energy Center. He did great, and we even got a behind-the-scenes tour of the Center. What fun! We went all-out for the Halloween decorations, as we usually do, and we had our annual Three-Dinner Thanksgiving. (For those of you who don’t know, we have our own turkey dinner for breakfast. Then we go to Curt’s family’s for another meal at 1:00 PM, and then we go to Erica’s family’s for another dinner at 4:00 PM.)

We’ve had so many fun and exciting things happen this year, that we almost forgot one important “little” piece of info. We forgot to mention that little Gracie is going to be a big sister sometime in the beginning for 2011. That’s right! Scott and Jessica are expecting another baby—a boy—on April 2, 2011. This will make baby #4 for them and grandchild #5 for us. (It seems like we are announcing a new addition to the family every year, doesn’t it?)

As of right now, we are preparing to have a great Christmas. Although Erica is still looking for a job, she has a possible opportunity that we hope to confirm over the next couple of weeks. Cari is coming for another visit during the week of Christmas, which is going to really brighten things around here. We are just so blessed! We wish we could share more, but we’re quickly running out of room again. So, we’ll close and wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year. God Bless!

Much Love,
Curt and Erica

When the Police Knock on Your Door...

Okay, so here’s the deal. I got tickets (through work) to go to a Lake Erie Monsters’ hockey game in Cleveland on Tuesday night. So, we invited our friends, Tom and Crystal, to join us. The plan was to meet at our house, grab a quick bite to eat, and head to Cleveland.

So, I get home from work Tuesday to find Curt and Tom chatting in the kitchen. Crystal was expected to meet us about 15 minutes later. Curt explained that he had backed his car into the driveway and had Tom help him unload a large box and put it on the back porch. (Curt and I had picked up a rather large Christmas gift the day before, and we had left it in Curt's car.)

I went back to the bedroom to change clothes, and as I was coming back out, I saw Crystal pulling up, parking on the street with Tom’s vehicle. I let Crystal in, and we met the guys in the kitchen. After a few minutes of chatting, we decided to get on the road.

Crystal and I headed into the living room, only to find a police officer standing at the door, getting ready to knock! Before he could knock, I opened the door. He asked if I was the “homeowner,” so I said, “Yes.” (The first thing I thought was that, for some odd reason, he was going to tell us to move the cars that Tom and Crystal had parked on the street.) However, he said, “Your neighbor called and said that someone was breaking into your house. Can I come in and have a look around?” As I stepped back to let him in, I looked outside and saw 2 or 3 other officers in the front yard and 3 police cars on the street in front of the house.

As this was going on in the living room, Curt and Tom were still in the kitchen. Tom went to lock our back door and said to Curt, “Hey, there’s someone walking across your back yard.” When they went to look, there was a strong knock at the back door, which is when Crystal, the officer, and I walked into the kitchen. There was another officer (hand on his weapon) knocking at the back door. Tom unlocked the door to let him in...so, now we have two officers (not counting the ones still outside). Freaky!

We weren’t sure what was going on at this point. We headed back to the living room, and the first officer explained that a female neighbor “directly across the street” had called in that she saw someone trying to break into our house. He also said, “Although, we have reason to believe that she’s losing her mind.” We explained to him that our neighbor across the street wasn’t even home, so it couldn’t have been her calling. We thought that it must have been the elderly lady in the house diagonally across the street from us. He checked the address, and said, “Yep. That’s the house.”

By that time, the neighbors from two doors down were walking over to see if everything was okay, and I was nervous about leaving the house. Remember - We were about to leave for Cleveland and probably wouldn’t get home until after 11:00 PM. Did she simply mistake Curt and Tom for two people trying to break in or did she really see someone trying to break in? Who knows how long it was between the time she called and the time the police arrived? Maybe Curt and Tom has scared away whoever it was - if there was someone. It was nice to know, however, that the members of the neighborhood are watching out for each other! With this in mind, we went on our way, with our other neighbor promising to keep an eye on things.

Despite the rough start to our evening, we had a good time, and the Lake Erie Monsters won the game, beating the Grand Rapids Griffins (the Detroit Red Wings affiliate team) by a score of 6 to 2. What an evening!

To Go or Not To Go

I know that it’s been a while since I’ve written anything. I have been very busy, and it seems that every time I want to write something, I sit down, but nothing seems to sound right...until today.

There has been a lot of talk on Facebook lately about my high school reunion that’s coming up later this year. I have bounced back and forth about whether or not I should go. I’ve caught up with many classmates on Facebook, and there are some that I look forward to seeing again. However, there are a few that I’m not as excited about seeing...one in particular who I think could make the whole evening very emotional for me.

I don’t know if Eric will be there or not, but after all of my attempts to contact him (see my previous blogs on the subject here and here), it may be very difficult for me if he is there. I’m not going to worry about it too much, since I don’t even know if he’ll be there. In addition, I think that getting together with the few friends I really want to see outweighs seeing Eric.

So, I still sit here debating - to go or not to go to my 20th high school reunion.

June 2009 Update

It’s been nearly a month since my last blog (other than the poem, which doesn’t count since I didn’t write it), and I thought it was about time to tell everyone what’s been going on with us.

It has been crazy around the Baun residence lately!

As usual, this time of year, things have been really busy. First, there was all the time spent watching the Stanley Cup Finals at the beginning of the month. Then, Curt and I have season tickets to the Mahoning Valley Thunder (AF2 Football), and we had two games in two weeks. Usually they are spaced out a little more than that. On June 19, we took a friend and her son (who I think is now 7 years old) to see one of the games. It was actually the best game of the year! The game on the 27th was Fireworks Night, so we got home a little later than usual.

Then, between the two Thunder games, we had the Great Lakes Regional Roller Skating Championships in Romeoville, Illinois. Obviously, Curt and I were not skating, but Curt had students that were. Out of the three entries (four students skating - two solo and one team), one solo skater qualified for the National Championships in August. So, on August 7, we will be heading to Peoria, Illinois for the National Championships.

Then yesterday, Sunday, June 28, was a big day for me. I was baptized. It was such an amazing experience, and I don’t even know how to begin to describe it…so I won’t. (LOL) I’ll just say that it was so great to have Curt there, in the water with me (pictures on FB), and to have my parents there, as well as Bill, Amy, and Matthew. After church, we went to eat with my parents. We got to spend a little time with Matthew later in the afternoon, and we visited with long-time family friends at Curt’s parents’ house. It was such an awesome day that I didn’t want it to end!

However, here it is…Monday…and I’m back at work. I’m so glad to have a long weekend coming up. Of course, as usual, we have a full, busy weekend planned. I think we’ll have a free weekend in the middle of August! So, until I have some free time again…

I can feel the Lord working…

I can feel the Lord working in my life…Really, I can! I know that may sound crazy to some of you, while other know exactly what I am talking about. Some may say that it’s just a change in my attitude, while others would say that because of the Lord working in my life, my attitude has changed.

Now, I’m not saying that every day I wake up feeling good and ready to jump feet first into whatever I encounter. No…that’s not it at all. There are just things that I cannot explain away with “simple” logic. Let me give you a huge example, one that has really just hit home with me today.

Recently at New Hope, we were going through a series on recovery from our addictions, hang-ups, etc. I kept trying to figure out what my hang-up was. I conquered my smoking addiction a while ago, so that couldn’t be it. Could it? No, because when I say I conquered it is because I finally had no more temptation to pick up a cigarette. Could my hang-up be overeating or eating too much junk. Yeah, that could be it, but I like just as many healthy foods as I do junk foods, and I’ve really been doing well at controlling the junk-food cravings and eating healthier foods. Could it be laziness? I don’t do nearly enough physical activity, and it is causing me some health issues. Yeah, I suppose that could be it, too.

There were so many things that I thought could be a hang-up, but I felt that it was a hopeless situation to try to pinpoint just one on which to focus my efforts. I kept asking the question: Why is it so easy to get addicted to bad things, like smoking or drugs, yet it is so difficult to get addicted to things that are good for you, like eating right and exercising? What’s up with that?

How quickly things have changed for me! I prayed about these things during the recovery teaching series at New Hope, and I was getting frustrated that I couldn’t find my answer. Then, about a week after the series ended, it hit me! I finally pinpointed one thing that could really improve my life and the lives of those around me. I realized that my biggest hang-up (right now, anyway) is being lazy. Now, that may not sound like a major thing to most people, but it is a major thing with me. I don’t want to do anything. I go home, eat dinner, and sit around doing nothing. Sure, once in a while I clean a little, do dishes, work outside, but not nearly like I should…and my health is seriously paying the price. I have gained a lot of weight, which is causing problems with my breathing and my blood pressure, not to mention my sore feet from carrying all this extra weight. My doctor actually told me last year that if I don’t lose some weight and bring down my BP, it will kill me. It's also keeping me from skating with Curt, from getting more involved in teaching skating, and from playing with the kids in our lives.

Okay…so I found my hang-up. Now, what do I do about it? I still was not motivated. Instead of actually doing something, I would sit and think, “I should be…”

One morning, I said to Curt as he was leaving for work, “I found my hang-up, and it’s laziness. Have to stop being lazy, get off my butt, and do things. I’ll start by moving the Wii so I can do the Wii Fit more often.” He leaned over, kissed me, and said, “Well then, do it!”

That’s all it took! It seems like I actually had to tell someone about my hang-up before anything started working. I moved the Wii, and I’ve been doing some Wii Fit Yoga, aerobics, and balance games every day. I started about two weeks ago now, and I could only do two Yoga poses, one or two balance games, and about 10 minutes of aerobics (about 15 minutes total). I didn’t even think about the strength training exercises! Now, I’m up to 4 Yoga poses, 20 minutes of aerobics, and three balance games, about 30 minutes total. (I’m still not even thinking about the strength training. I’ll save that until next month since my muscles are sore enough as it is!)

I’m feeling motivated like I never have before. I no longer feel like I have to do this; I want to do this. I feel that the Lord has some plans for me, and this was another step…getting my body back into shape. (The first step was the conquering of the smoking habit…not the quitting part, the conquering part! Maybe sometime, I’ll explain that better, but this is already getting really long!)

I realize that I have other hang-ups, faults, addictions, etc., but I just keep thinking about the saying I’ve seen many times and in many places over the years, “Please be patient. God isn’t finished with me yet.” I truly feel Him working in my life right now, and I can’t wait to see where He leads me next!

FINAL Follow-Up to "I Did Something Crazy!"

Well, it's been a month since I sent the letter to my former best friend, Eric (aka Carlos). I was really hoping that I would hear something…anything…from him…even if it was just to say, “Leave me alone.” However, I have heard nothing…absolutely nothing.

I am quite disappointed. I have had three dear friends in this life…I have re-established relationships with two of them (Matt and Laura), but apparently, re-establishing a relationship with Eric is not meant to be.

Matt and I have known each other for nearly 20 years. We went through a few years of not talking to each other at all (long story), but we put all that behind us, and we’ve been friends now for many years. I’m confident that we will remain friends for many more years to come. As for Laura, it’s great to have her around again. We were never the best at keeping in touch, but we’ve now established the understanding that we may not always communicate, but we are always there if needed. She’s truly one of my dearest friends, and it really helps that she lives so close to me now!

I am hoping that these friendships will continue to change and grow. Nevertheless, I have to say that I am saddened by not hearing from Eric. I just have to resign myself to the fact that I have done my part. I have tried, but it just did not work out as I had hoped. I don’t know what mistakes I made with Eric, but I will try my best to never let anything like this happen with any of my other friends.

I was really hoping that I would hear something…anything…from him…

Follow-Up to "I did something crazy!"

It’s been a week since I mailed the letter to Eric. Since he only lives an hour from me, I’m assuming that he would have received it on Friday or Saturday (at the latest). I have not heard anything yet. Should I be disappointed? Should I just give it up? I’m not quite sure what to think. I provided him with everything he needed to contact me; I even gave him my schedule.

I think I’ll give it a few more days - maybe a week - before I give up completely.

I did something crazy!

I know, that may be hard to believe (not), but I did. To make a long story short, I wrote a letter to someone with whom I have not communicated in over a year. Now, let me explain a little bit more, and you may see why I think it’s crazy.

I wrote a letter to Eric (aka Carlos). Carlos was my best friend from sixth grade all the way through college and beyond. He stuck by me through some really tough stuff; we were always together. When we started college (at BC3), I used to give him a ride every day. Then, when he transferred to Slippery Rock, I would pick him up on Fridays to bring him home. When I started skating in 1993, he would go with me just so I didn’t have to go alone. He’d sit in the snack bar or a corner somewhere and read.

Now, I’m not really sure what happened, but as sometimes happens with friends, we grew apart. I moved to Boardman and eventually got married. He is still in Butler, and that’s about all I know anymore.

The last communication (email) I can find from him was in December 2007. I’ve tried emailing several times, but I haven’t had a response since that one in 2007. (In that last email, he mentioned that he was having trouble with his email, so he may have a new email address.) I tried sending a text message to his cell phone, but I never got a response either. (Just so you know, I hesitate to call since I do not know what kind of schedule he keeps.) I finally decided that, as my last attempt, I would write him a letter and mail it to the last known address that I have.

I first got the urge to contact him around the Holidays. In addition, some of the messages at New Hope over the past months have been about relationships and fixing broken ones. This is one relationship that I would really like to fix. Plus, as some of you may know, Carlos and I were both really into Star Trek, and with the new Trek movie coming out, I think about him even more often. I have never had another friend like him, and I don’t know that I ever will.

We’ll just wait and see what happens if/when he receives the letter. What a crazy move, huh?

General Life Update

Well, after that crazy post from yesterday (and the follow-up this morning), I thought that I should write about something a little more cheery! So, this is just a general life update as of the end of March.

Curt and I are still remodeling. We started with the bathroom (about 2 years ago). We have four bedrooms in our house, but only one of them had a bed in it! So, we started with the smallest room, which we made into an office (with the computers and digital piano). Then, we moved on to the guest bedroom, which we finished a few weeks ago. We then moved all of the stuff from the master bedroom into the guest bedroom, and we are now finishing the painting in the master bedroom. I am so tired of the smell of paint! I really hope to be done with the painting within the next 36-48 hours. I can’t take it any more! LOL

We found out last week that Scott, Jessica, Ethan, and Logan will be coming to visit in April, for Matthew’s second birthday! We are so excited, and we are counting down the days! They should be arriving sometime on Friday, April 17 and heading home on Monday, April 20. Matthew’s birthday party is on Saturday, April 18, so we’re planning to spend all day on Sunday with Scott, Jessica, and the boys. This will be the first time that most of the family will get to meet Logan. Bill, Amy, Matthew, Curt, and I are the only ones who have met Logan. I just can’t wait for Curt’s family and my family to meet him, too.

I had a friend who is experienced with eBay sell my old synthesizer for me. I never thought that I would part with my old Roland Juno-106, but I finally did it. It wasn’t easy, but my new digital piano is so cool, and my old Roland just sat in the closet. Out with the old…

I have decided that I’m sick of being fat and out of shape. However, with every evening being spent painting, it’s been tough to do much about it, other than watching what I eat. That doesn’t seem to be doing much, so I decided that I wanted to start walking again. I love walking! It gives me time to think, pray, and spend time outside. The problem is that no one wants me to walk by myself (for safety reasons). So, I found a partner to walk with me. Unfortunately, she was only able to go with me once last week – which I guess is better than nothing – and with our painting and remodeling going on, I don’t have much time to do it either. I’ll keep you posted on this whole situation as it progresses (or doesn't progress – lol)!

Finally, the Mahoning Valley Thunder games started again last Friday. (In case you didn’t know, that is the local Arena 2 Football team.) We got our season tickets again, although we changed from where we were last year. The first game was great, and I can’t wait to go to the next one!

I would really enjoy hearing what’s going on with all of you. Please drop me a note, even if it’s just to say, “HI.”

Until next time...Take care!

Changing my Thinking

Curt bought me a book for Christmas, one that I have wanted to read: The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Then, a friend bought me a companion book: Daily Inspiration for the Purpose Driven Life. (Do you think they’re trying to tell me something?)

Now, for those of you who know me, you know that I love to read. Those of you who don’t know me now know that I love to read. However, I’ve recently been having trouble finding the time to read as much as I would like. For example, a few weeks ago, some members of our church started daily lectionary readings. I started out doing well, but then soon fell behind in the readings.

Now, after receiving these two books for Christmas, I have more reading to do. The Purpose Driven Life is meant to be read over a period of 40 days - one chapter per day. Then I have the daily lectionary readings - approximately five separate but short reading per day.

I talked to Curt last night and told him that I have made up my mind that I am going to do this. I need to take time each day to read and then reflect on what I have read. Although Curt isn’t a reader, he agreed to discuss what I read each day, if I want to. It always helps me to have someone to discuss these things - a partner, so to speak. I started The Purpose Driven Life on Monday, and I gave Curt a bit of a run-down last night of what the first two chapters were about. I plan to re-start the lectionary readings on Sunday (since the church bulletin lists the readings for the week on the back, and I missed church last week since we were on our way home from Myrtle Beach).

After my first three days of The Purpose Drive Life, I am finding that I’m already starting to ask myself some serious questions. There is a “Question to Consider” for day one that asks, “In spite of all the advertising around me, how can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?” This question has been on my mind since I read it three days ago. I’m not even looking at it regarding “advertising.” This seems to be an “everything” deal. In everything…how do I remind myself that it’s about God and his plan, not me and mine? I’ve been told most of my life that I can do whatever I want to do, whatever I set my mind to…that kind of thing. Now I have to start retraining myself.

So, I’ve been thinking now for three days. How do I remind myself to put God first? What do I need to do to adjust my thinking? I am reminded of a line in a movie where the character talks about having to remind himself every day to get out of bed, breathe in and out, etc., but then he says that eventually, he will no longer have to remind himself to do these basic things.

Will it be the same way with this? After so much time spent trying to put God and His plan first, will it eventually become automatic? This is a whole new way of thinking for me!

I will probably be posting many questions like this as I go through these readings. Sometimes it helps me to type it all out and read through what I have written. Other times, it just makes me more confused. Feel free to add your input; I’m always open to suggestions!

Chaos Takes Over

"The Baun Boys"

(ha ha ha)

Wow. It seems like forever since I last posted. You know how it goes…our holidays got chaotic, and then, we decided to go to Myrtle Beach for New Year’s, to meet our new grandson, Logan, and to spend holiday with Curt’s kids…all three of them.

In all the years that Curt and I have been a couple, I don’t remember any holiday where he has had all three of his kids together – and we’ve been together nearly 14 years. In fact, the last time we had them all together was for Scott and Jessica’s wedding several years ago.

We arrived in Myrtle Beach around 1:30 on New Year’s Eve. Ethan was napping, but we finally met Logan. I was so happy to finally rub his little head full of wild, dark hair. (Most of you know that since I first saw Logan’s picture, all I’ve wanted to do was rub that little head!) Even though we were tired from our trip, we stayed awake and celebrated the arrival of 2009 with Scott and Jessica.

The next day, New Year’s Day 2009, Curt enjoyed a poker game with Bill, Scott, and Cari. (Cari’s boyfriend, Victor, joined in later.) I was so happy for Curt to have this time with them. I don’t know if they realize what it meant to Curt for them to spend this time with him, even if it was only a couple of hours.

We spent the next couple of days just hanging out with Scott, Jessica, Ethan, Logan, and Cari (whenever she wasn’t working or sleeping, since she works nights). We even made it down to the beach for a short walk. You know me: I couldn’t be that close to the beach and not go for a walk, and I had never been to the beach in the winter.

Ethan warmed up to us a little more quickly this time. We were only there for 3 1/2 days (as opposed to 7 days last time), and Ethan was talking to us and even giving us hugs and kisses. Logan seemed to think that Grandpa was really funny. Curt seemed to be able to make Logan smile more than anyone!

We left on Sunday morning, before anyone else was even out of bed. We got home and spent the evening relaxing and reflecting on the wonderful time we had (despite the nasty wind during the drive down and the yucky weather driving home). Between Monday and Tuesday, we finally got our Christmas decorations down and put away.

There’s just so much more I could add, but I just realized that this is getting to be a long post. So, I’ll sign off by wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2009.

Changing Lives

I read a blog post yesterday that really made me think. You can read it here. This post discussed how commenting on a child’s simple, homemade costume did so much to raise that child’s self-esteem, and how moved she and her mother were by this small gesture.

I often wonder what I (as one person) can do to change the world. I hear people talking all the time about making the world a better place, but after reading this blog post, I see how simple it really can be. It made me wonder how many lives I have changed, simply by smiling at someone at the right moment or by commenting on an outfit, a costume, a hairstyle, or something...something that was, in my mind, a simple act of common courtesy.

Amazing what a little courtesy can do!

Making Memories with Family

I just wanted to share this photo, because simply looking at it makes me feel good. It’s a photo of our grandson, Matthew, and his great-grandparents (Curt’s parents). We were lucky enough to spend a few hours yesterday at my in-laws’ house while Bill and Matthew visited, too.

I never really knew my great-grandparents. In fact, I only ever met one of them, and she passed away when I was rather young. Even though I was young, I can still (slightly) remember her. I look at this picture and hope that our little ones will someday realize how blessed they are. I pray that the boys all have the chance to grow up knowing and remembering how many people love them.

Happy Birthday Logan...

Well, not exactly. Logan is one month old today, and what a month it has been! Unfortunately, we still have not made it down to South Carolina to meet the little guy, but we get regular reports from his parents and his aunt. We are hoping that sometime over the holidays, we will get to visit with them.

We talked to Scott on Saturday. Ethan wasn't really in the mood to talk, but we got at least a "Hi," a "bye," and a "love you" that were clearly audible (which is sometimes tough when you get a two-year-old on speakerphone). We even got to hear Logan for the first time, which made me all the more excited to get down there!

I was also excited to get a note from Jessica yesterday in the mail. It was a thank-you for the gift card we sent for Logan's "diaper shower" and a "PS" thank-you for the Halloween goodies we sent to the boys. (That sounds so cool..."the boys...") Anyway, I was so excited to learn that Ethan really likes the sticker/coloring books - they are "his favorite" according to Jessica.

That's all for now.

A Huge Thank-You to Everyone

I just wanted to thank all of you who kept our family in your prayers for the past week or so. In case you have not heard, Baby Logan’s test results came back, and he is perfectly healthy! It was a very strange time for us - up and down like a roller coaster…so glad to have a new baby in the family, and then 10 days later to be worried that he could have a terrible affliction, finally to find out on Friday (a little over a week later) that he is healthy. What a strange time for us all. I can only imagine what Scott and Jessica (Logan’s parents) were going through. And again, Curt and I were reminded how difficult it is living far away from family members. We were also reminded that God hears prayers…He hears us when we cry out (just like we have been learning at New Hope the last two weeks)!

Why is picking a costume so difficult?

Last Year's Haunted Castle Set-Up at the Baun Residence

I can’t understand why, every year, I seem to have the most difficult time coming up with a Halloween costume for myself. Curt and I have a reputation in our neighborhood of being one of the scariest houses on the street. We had a new neighbor move in two houses down last year, who gave us a run for our money, and now we even have the house in between getting into the game (although on a much smaller scale). So, because of the “scariest houses” reputation, I feel that I have to do this every year for fear of letting the neighborhood kids down.

This year, we have put up the haunted castle - shown in the photos above (although it’s in a different spot this year). I’d also like to get the cemetery set up on the other side of the castle, since we moved it this year. We’ll have the fog going, scary music playing, and caution tape everywhere the night of trick-or-treat…but I still have no clue what to do for my costume.

If anyone has any suggestions, I’ll take anything into consideration…time is really getting short.If you're in the neighborhood, feel free to drive by and check out the haunted castle. It wouldn't be the first time we had people just walking into our front yard to check it out! :) (Don't ask!!)

How Do You Save a Dying Sport?

Those of you reading this may or may not know that Curt and I are figure skating coaches, although it’s probably not the type of figure skating you are used to seeing. Our figure skaters are on roller skates, not ice skates. Yes, roller skates...and not inline skates, the “old fashioned” quad skates.
(In fact, we are former competitors, ourselves.) Curt and I mostly specialize in Dance and Figures, but Curt is also skilled in Freestyle.

It is probably one of the most frustrating sports in which we could participate, simply because no one really knows that it even exists! Did you know that roller figure skating (formerly called “artistic” skating) has regional and national championships every year? We even have world championships every year and have skaters that participates in the PanAm Games. (In case you didn't notice, the one major event missing is the Olympics, which I have given up on, personally.) Roller Skating is huge in many other countries. In fact, roller skaters in many South American countries are considered celebrities! They are actually mobbed for photos and autographs when entering arenas for competitions. (Can you believe it?)

Last season (earlier this year), I had my first competitive skater go to the Regional Championships in Michigan. Unfortunately, she has since given up skating (which happens quite often when kids reach their teenage years). So, I am currently down to one skater, who is an adult beginner. My husband is down to the fewest number of skaters he has ever coached, and he is considering dropping it altogether. We've tried blaming the economy for the declining numbers, but since roller skating is one of the least expensive sports to participate in, we can’t really use that as an excuse (except for those students who would drive hours - yes, hours - for lessons and practice).

Instead of dropping it, I am wondering how we can get it to pick up a little again. I've tried the usual routes of advertising (posters/hand-outs in the rink, contacting newspapers and TV stations), but nothing seems to be helping at this point. I’m also trying to find a way to make the sport appeal to kids. We have coached all age groups - from age 8 to age 78 (and that’s not an exaggeration!) - but without bringing in some “new blood,” the sport will be non-existent in our area in 10 years. (I actually only give it 5 years.)

The worst part about it is that Ohio is one of the biggest states for roller skating. Our state has some of the largest skate clubs in the country. So, why can’t we find any skaters? Any ideas, suggestions, questions, etc. would be greatly appreciated!

(For more information on competitive, artistic/figure skating, check out http://rollersports.usoc.org/, and under "Disciplines," click on "Figure.")

Closed-Mindedness

I have been struggling with something over the past few days - I don’t understand how people can be completely closed-minded. I am currently reading and studying some books (thanks, Paul) that are…broadening my horizons, so to speak. My whole point in doing this is to make me more understanding of other people’s views. However, I have had comments made to me such as, “You’re being deceived.” I’ve even had offers from one who said that she would pray for me so that I’m not “led astray” by these views, which happen to differ from “the norm.”

Now, why would someone think that I’m being deceived or led astray just because I’m learning others’ points of view? Could it be because they are closed-minded? I don't really know.

Keep in mind that I never said that my reading/studying was changing my opinions and/or feelings on the particular subject. (Maybe when I’ve become more knowledgeable about the subject, I can feel confident to share it with you.)

I just feel that if I don’t understand where others are “coming from,” I cannot know where they are "going to." Does that make any sense?

Just a bit of Venting...

This is one of those times where blogging my be therapeutic for me, allowing me to get out one of my frustrations. So, here goes…

Why is it that there are so many charitable organizations to aid in the relief of world hunger, world poverty, and world disease? In addition, we see so much of our government’s money being sent overseas as “aid” to other countries. What’s wrong with keeping that money here – in the USA – and using it here – in the USA – to combat poverty, hunger, disease, or whatever here – in the USA? I know that may sound a little selfish to some, but I'm just a little confused.

The United States is supposed to be soooo powerful – a “superpower” – yet we can’t even take care of our own citizens. What is that all about?

Is there really anything that we, as individuals, can do to improve these situations? We could, obviously, start right here in our own town, in our own state. Just see some of the interesting things I’ve read about over the last few days.

Doesn’t anyone realize that Cleveland, Ohio is considered the poorest city in our country? Cleveland also tops the list for having the most children living in poverty in the United States. The “poverty threshold” as stated by our government is $10,590 for one person, $13,540 for two people, or $21,027 for two adults and two children. Have you ever lived on that amount of money? When I was single, I tried to live on approximately $19,000 a year, while having a decent home and decent transportation. There were times when I lived on mac and cheese or PB&J for 3 days before payday because I didn’t have the money for anything else, and I was at nearly double the poverty level.

Then there is crime. I don’t understand how our government can spend billions of dollars overseas to “make the world safer” when they can’t even make our own country safe. In the top 20 most dangerous cities in the US, Cleveland, Youngstown, Cincinnati, and Dayton, Ohio are ranked 10th, 15th, 16th, and 19th respectively. No other state in the country had more cities on the “dangerous” list than Ohio. (On the bright side, Parma, Ohio was ranked 23 as the safest cities in the country.)

I just don’t understand, I guess.

Photo Contest Follow-Up

Although my photo did not get a ribbon or award of any kind (and it was displayed in a really crappy spot), it was really cool to see it hanging there with other photos. I studied the winners and thought that mine could've been right up there - really. I did notice, specifically, that four of the five or six ribbons awarded were "beach-related" sunrise/sunset pictures. Although mine had water in the picture, it just wasn't "beachy" enough! ;)

Now I have something to "shoot" for...