Where is Jon’s wonderful, insightful posts…
Go ask my beautiful wife.
My god! What have I done!?
Author Archives: jstueve
updates
I guess I should write something, hmmm.
Sorry blog, I’ve been unfaithful, been too busy facebooking to blog. Please forgive me.
This past week has been a blur, so many plan, so little done, but I got the important stuff done.
I spent the majority part teaching VBS (vacation bible school for you peeps not in the belt), part feeding my brood, part swimming and part sleeping. Which leaves a lot un-done. But there is always tomorrow.
The softball team continues to do well, don’t want to jinx it with specifics, so I may post again in 8 weeks. I’ve been more active, and I’m eating less, but I haven’t found another scale to check out progress. I’ll update if I ever find one.
I found an old friends from high school on facebook. Kinda strange, to be more years away from high school than it took to get there. I remember thinking how strange it was for my mother to go to her 20 year high school reunion, and what do you know I’m past that marker. Where does the time go.
My kids rock my world everyday. Lauren is doing an art summer school thing and loving it. Brenna had a great time at VBS and is at a Camp Rock sleep over party. Danny has a humongous speaking part for next weeks music camp, and had a lot of fun being a beach monkey this past week. And Mikey Jon had fun being a REAL VBSer… he ever got to bring home his classes outrigger canoe (sans outrigger).
I’m about tapped out, this morning in Music, I had a ‘moment’, we were singing the slower song, The Word:
In the beginning was the Word
and it was with God and was God
Before an eye had seen or
ear had heard
there was the WordI know the Bible is God’s Word
His written promises to earthIt is a lamp unto the feet of those
who believe in its worthThe Word is
Perfect Truth
The Word is
what I cling toUnbreakable
Unshakeable
Word of GodI love the Word
of God
The slow pace, and the symbolic signs (using mostly real signs) just brought it home to me. The preamble of the song quotes the beginning of John 1, and is John’s creation story, and he projects Jesus as God’s word. We also see a parallel in God’s word as his holy scriptures. We were signing the chorus that starts … The Word is what I cling too… unbreakable…
I was overcome, tears flowed down my cheeks, and I had to sit down… hands in my face, sobbing. Its so easy, yet so hard sometimes to cling to Jesus, but its all I need to do. The Word totally has my back, everytime. He is faithful, to the end. I’ll chalk up my emotionalism to just being wiped… but I also know that I’m blessed to have a savior that rocks my world, with such simple words.
Peace.
Graduation Day
Last night was another right of passage for the Stueve household. Angie previously documented the pre-school graduation for youngest son Michael, tonight was younger daughter Brenna’s turn in the spotlight.
No cap and gown, just a well orchestrated hour long program celebrating the end of elementary school. The beginning of the program had the Principal announce the recipients of the President’s Academic Achievement award (Angie will correct me if I got the title wrong). Brenna and all her close friends (with one exception) all were awarded the certificate (with a signature from President Bush — or a reasonable facsimile thereof) and a lapel pin.
Then each 5th grade teacher (we team teach here in Texas, so even in 5th grade there is a ‘homeroom’ teacher — and they all share teaching duties for different subjects) introduced their homeroom class. Brenna’s homeroom class was last, so her teacher rightfully trumped all other claims to ‘the best class’, simply by virtue of having the last word. Brenna is on the right stage right left, top row — standing next to her teacher. Rightfully proud of a year well done.
Next year her political career starts off, on her quest to be the first woman President of the United States, with a stint as 6th grade representative at the Middle School her older sister will command as an eighth-grader. I’m not sure that school knows what’s in store for them with two Stueve girls in attendance.
Congratulations on all your achievements this year, Brenna. Your hard work paid off!
Bonus Video: 10 second clip of the graduates singing
Groovy
| You Are Greg Brady |
 You’re friendly with most people and a huge flirt (sometimes even with family members!). |
because all the cool kids are doing it.
Lost Finale – prepare yourself.. this may take a while
I’ve been a bit too nonchalant with my LOST recapping/theorizing. Partly because I’ve been busy, and partly because I don’t know where to start. Each episode this year has been excellent, a step above the off-focus season three. Season three did move the story, but we’ve come along way since the first bonfires on the beach with the huge fuselage. The finale did tie some strings together, and also unwound a bunch more knots in the Gordian bundle of Lost mythos. The rest is long and distinguished, but may be spoilerish, so read under the fold only if you’ve seen the finale.
The sweet sweet taste of victory
alternate title: I need a nap
Last night was my first night back on our church’s men’s softball team. I’d taken a long extended vacation to heal and spend more time with wife and children, work on person growth, etc.
So I took the family to the local softball megaplex, and our first game was in the grandstand. Wasn’t sure what position I would play, or if I’d even start. So I decided to stretch realllllllllllllll good anyways, as a precaution (being waaay over weight and un-stretched hammies don’t do well together). Threw the ball around (shoulder didn’t feel too bad) and waited for the start of the game. Looked at the line-up card, and I was batting 8th, and playing second base (WOO! fav pos!). I thought I’d be playing first, as my hiatus had led to another person playing that position, so I’d resigned myself to playing 1B or pine (aluminum).
The field was in great shape, I don’t think I’d ever played on an infield that smooth. It was also the first game of the night, so I got to scrape my cleat marks into the freshly raked field. I was a little worried about my stamina and speed, but softball is a bit lower key, and at the same time the field is so short — you know as the ball comes off the bat if you have a chance at getting it or not, and can adjust your exertion appropriately.
My performance at the plate was marginal, though that is a mixed blessing, do you really want a guy my size running bases. 😉
It was a back and forth battle, but the clock ran out while we were batting (home team) and up by 2 runs (9-7). So we start the 2008 season undefeated.
I look to the wisdom of Han Solo for the rest of our season – Great shot kid, don’t get cocky!
Let’s go to the movies
Its not even June and I think I’ve spent my summer budget on movies already. Having seen the big three blockbusters, and a pretty good chick-flick in the last few weeks. So I guess I should give you my ratings and mini-reviews:
In order of importance:
Made to Order – Saw it on a date with my bride, so that alone ranks it above the others. Not bad for a chick-flick, though I thought the early womanizing was a bit passe, but I’m old and not down with the culture, though putting Mr.-no-consecutive-nights in a Slick Willy mask at the beginning, and bookend that with the final line being ‘Oh Monica’, brought a cynical smile to my face. Go see it with your treasured companion, and enjoy. Three stars.
Ironman – Took my middle kids with me to see this one on opening night. I’m a sucker for the comic book movies, and this one did not disappoint (unlike Daredevil, and Ghost Rider). The origin storyline was a good plot, and the effects were superb. Robert Downey Jr. simply put on the Tony Stark suit and became the comic book character, and his simple humor was well done. The ending fight was sort of a letdown, but so many good quotable lines and references pump this one in as my favorite of the summer. Five Stars.
Prince Caspian – Took my younger three to this on on opening weekend, and we all enjoyed the movie. While I haven’t read the book, the movie seemed tightly woven (though with some embellishments to the Lewis plot I’m sure) and kept the interest of even my six year old (that’s saying something!) The battle scenes were awesome, the magic of Narnia palpable. Enjoyable evening with the kiddos. Four Stars.
Indiana Jones and the lack of good screen writers… – I took the boys to this one this past weekend, the Lucasfilms marketing to make Lego sets worked its magic on my 9 year old, and so it was a MUST SEE. It had some promise in the beginning, and had all the winks and nudges you’d expect for a resurrected 80s blockbuster genre. Implausible even beyond Narnia, but quite fun to watch, once you suspend belief. The payoff at the end was a disappointment, though I kept expecting Richard Dreyfuss in sunglasses and orange jumpsuit to come crawling out of one of the passages in the aftermath of the final destructive scenes. Mixed for me, and because of the Spielberg-induced mythos I have to downgrade it a bit as losing itself from the rich Indy lore. Fun afternoon, but only Two stars.
Love these…
We now know why Erik scoops ice cream
Because he’s dumb as a rock.
Last guy with four girls, and just destroys them in the immunity challenge, and he lets himself gets talked into giving up the immunity idol.
I haven’t been following Survivor much, but damn… he totally got schooled.
Cirie – Survivor Jedi Master
Finale should be fun, a total cat fight…
beware the cinco de mayo…
Also what do 3, 3 and 9 have in common.
Cinco de Mayo means birthday in the Stueve household. Danny turned 9 (9?!?!??!? yep, nine!) So we went to our increasingly traditional birthday dinner joint, Pei Wei, which given the traditional holiday atmosphere in the southwest on this day was surprisingly empty when we hit the joint shortly after 5PM.
Quick dinner, and back home to open presents, drum machine and lego blocks what else does a 9 year old need. So an hour or so of drum sounds and 30 minutes of putting together Indy Jones lego set, and then it was time for me to take 3 of our kids to the after dark pediatrician.
Yeah, you heard right, 3. The non-birthday Stueve’s staged a mini-revolt and wanted a medical review. After we stormed the waiting room, and then gave the nurses a chance to practice triage techniques, we holed up in an exam room to await the doc. In our case it was a nurse practitioner, and after two swabs and a positive ear infection, we grabbed our three scripts for antibiotics and headed for the pharmacy. Yep, we hit the bacterial trifecta: MJ – strep (win), Brenna – ear infection (place), and Lauren – uncategorized infection (show) (aka pre-strep).
So Jonny will take tomorrow off and sleep all day with three sick kids, and the birthday boy gets to go to school by hissef. I wonder if he’ll mind walking? 😉