funny face

the 3rd birthday

Ethan & Addison turned 3 on Saturday. We celebrated with a visit to their favorite place for lunch: McD’s PlayPlace. Exciting, huh?! Then we celebrated the next day with a family thing at Grandma B’s.

It’s hard to believe they’re already 3. Of course, in our experience, the 3s have always been way worse than the 2s. Not sure we’re ready!

Perfect Ending to a Snow Day

The kids had the day off from school because of the snow. So this is how we ended the day!Watch for my 40 year old man jump… I think I hurt my back!

more about "Perfect Ending to a Snow Day", posted with vodpod

Making Poppee

With Ethan’s ‘poppee’ making skills, I think he may have a future at Starbucks. Especially if they open one with a GeoTrax theme!

more about “Making Poppee“, posted with vodpod

outside in the snow

We had a few inches of snow fall on Sunday. The kids were so excited. They really missed our New England snows last year as we only had about two inches of snow all winter.

Lynda caught a few pics of them playing in the snow today…

my reading list in 2009

So I undertook an ambitious reading plan this past summer. I can make all the excuses I want but I have to honestly admit that I didn’t succeed. However, I did manage to read through 10 books this past year.

Killing Cockroaches – Tony Morgan
Simple Church – Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger
Church Marketing 101- Richard Reising
Looking for God – Nancy Ortberg
Tribes – Seth Godin
The Hole in the Gospel – Richard Stearns
The Unlikely Disciple – Kevin Roose
Scouting the Divine – Margaret Feinberg
Deadly Viper Character Assassins – Mike Foster, Jud Wilhite
The Furious Long of God - Brennan Manning

What’s missing is any fiction. I’ve started reading Shutter Island as the movie is coming out in February. Hopefully I’ll have it finished by then!

What was the best book you read in 2009?

a new year’s goal

I’m not big on making New Year’s resolutions. Mainly because they usually don’t last.

What I am going to do in 2010 is make it a goal to read through the entire Bible. I’ve attempted this in the past…usually get tired during the long Old Testament books. But this year, I’m going to use The Daily Message ,with its conversational approach, to read through the Bible in one year.

Do you have any goals for 2010? Share them in a comment.

And if you’re looking for one, join me in reading through the Bible this next year.

Purchase your copy here: The Daily Message Hardback: Through the Bible in One Year

what a year…2009

The end of another year of my life brings me to look back and reflect on all that has taken place this past year. Here is a look at the highlights of 2009, my last year in my 30s…

• Started the new year with a father/son weekend in Chicago with Colin. Highlights were Shedd Aquarium and the indoor pool at the hotel!
• Both Colin & Ethan had ENT surguries
• Participated in LCC’s mission chapel service with good friends, both old and new
• Lego Discovery Centre in Chicago with the kids
• Our wonderful and talented friend Amy Petty stopped in to play at RCC worship services in June. What a treat!
• NYC trip to visit and encourage our friends at Church of the Incarnation
• Spent a few days in Louisville at the NACC and got to hang with great friends
• Got to meet some of the amazing guys from Visioneering and Plain Joe Studios… love what they do.
• Headed up to the Orchard Community Church for a day of Killing Cockroaches…great church and great speaker.
• Spent an evening catching up with old friends from my EIU days. Such fun…
• Finally got my iPhone!
• Family vacation to Massachusetts via Pennsylvania to visit family and NYC on way back to visit the Storms clan
• Lobster rolls and clam chowder in York ME!
• Lots of beach time…something we don’t get in IL.
• A new school year…for the kids and for me as I continued working on my master’s program
• H1N1 — a week in bed. Thankfully no one else in our house got it!
• Then several days of bronchitis as I mended from the flu.
• Attended Catalyst in Atlanta…first time. Amazing.
• Had to have Sadie, our Mini-Schnauzer, put to sleep…she was a great dog and we miss her.
• Lynda and I got away to Harbor of Hope’s 10th birthday. So great to see our good friends and celebrate the first 10 years.
• Learned our sweet Aubrey has type 1 diabetes. It has been a learning experience for us, to say the least.
• Finished my most challenging and time consuming class so far in my grad program. And I ended it proudly with a B.
• Learned I was chosen to be a part of Ben Arment’s Dream Year in 2010. Super excited about this!
• Christmas with both sides of our family here in Rochester.

Looking forward to a new year…and not so much to turning 40. Happy New Year!

Christmas Bortmess style

It’s Sunday night after a wonderful Christmas weekend. Lynda’s family came up for the weekend, so we were able to spend Christmas with both of our families. I’m so thankful for our family…

The kids had a great time opening their gifts on Christmas day…we caught a few pics in the midst of the craziness! Here are a few of my favorite pics…

Merry Christmas from the Bortmess Family!