Spring Fever

(The following is my TWIRP for the weeks of March 4-30, 2007. Enjoy...)

Spring has sprung in our area at last. The mercury is rising, the grass is growing, and allergens and pollutants are once again wafting in the air. I think Eldan is going to suffer from allergy problems. The poor kid's nose has been rather productive over the last few days. On a brighter (and less disgusting) note, his legs have also been producing something recently--steps. Lots of them. Up to four or five at a time! He really enjoys trying to walk from the coffee table to our outstretched arms. The last step or two usually degenerates into a forward fall, but we are excited nonetheless. His first birthday is a mere two weeks away and we are planning a party to celebrate. You can be sure that I will be manning the video camera, so plan on checking back to the website in a few weeks to see video of the party! We suctioned a small basketball hoop to the door of our dishwasher and bought a small ball so that Eldan can start shooting baskets. He seems to be grasping the concept quite well. (Although he should be given a technical foul for hanging on the rim!)

Danielle has been staying busy lately with Eldan and that inevitable rite of spring--reorganizing the furniture. Our apartment is small so her options are somewhat limited. She was, however, able to spruce up the kitchen a bit and it looks very nice. She is still teaching 6th grade science thrice a week, and I am amazed at her ability to think of creative ways to help her students learn. She definitely has a gift--one that will benefit our children greatly over the years. She is very excited (as am I) to have her sister and brother-in-law and their kids visiting in a couple of weeks. Our little domicile will be nice and cozy with 4 adults and 3 kids as occupants. We don't mind the squeeze--we love having visitors. (If you want to take that as a hint, then you are free to do so...)

Me? I am very glad for the arrival of spring. I love winter, but I am ready for warmer weather. I am occupying my time these days with play rehearsals, home videos, school work, and online banking. I purchased the soundtrack to "Hoosiers" from I-tunes yesterday. I think it is some of Jerry Goldsmith's finest work. I am in the hunt to win our school's NCAA Tournament Bracket Challenge. Right now I am in 11th place out of 78. I still have a chance to win it all, however. All I need is for Georgetown and UCLA to win on Saturday and for UCLA to beat Georgetown in the championship by 67 points and the trophy is mine! (Or something like that.) If Florida and OSU end up in the big game, I'm not sure I can watch--what would be the point? Either way I would be unhappy. By the way, I entered a national bracket challenge through CBSportsline.com. At last check, I am in 152,761st place! We'll just have to sit back and see what happens.

Our church has been holding evangelistic meetings all week. Several students in our school have been saved. It is exciting to me to see some progress in our kids and in my own walk as well. All by the grace of God!

It's Friday afternoon, the halls of our school are silent once again, April is approaching, and the weekend awaits...so enjoy it!

(Videos and Pictures are coming soon!)

Sports, Snowdays, and Sovereignty

(The following is my TWIRP for the weeks of a long time ago to March 2, 2007. Enjoy...)

Well, well, well...(Have you ever wondered why we say things in groups of three like that?) it has been a long time. I must say, when I gave my last post the title of "One Final Word," I didn't really mean it literally. What, you might ask, has prevented me from updating my blog in nearly 2 months? Well, the title of this post is intended to answer the question in part. Let me fill in some of the blanks from the last few weeks...

I have been very busy in recent weeks with sports. One sport in particular has captured my attention and time--basketball. I finished up my inaugural season as the Junior High Boys basketball coach with a 2nd place finish and a season record of 6-14. In case you are wondering how we could finish 2nd with a record like 6-14, let me an an addendum--our conference record was 5-3. We ended the season in just about the best way we could as a young team. We lost by 12 points in the state championship game, but it was one of our best games of the year. I have never been a part of a basketball game where there was so much energy and momentum on our side. It is something I will not soon forget. I have also been busy with the Varsity Boys Basketball team. I am the team's designated videographer, and I have tried to burn as many of the games onto DVD as possible. Basketball season officially ended last weekend, but we had two final roundball activities this week. On Tuesday, our school went to Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland and played an exhibition game with another Christian school on the same floor where the Cavs and their overexposed leader LeBron James play. I really had a blast getting to prowl around the Cavs Arena, but I was further entrenched in my dislike for professional basketball that night when we watched the Cavs beat the Hornets. I think the letters NBA should stand for "Narcisistic Big-Headed Athletes." Give me a college game over a pro game any day! The final chapter in our school's basketball season is the All-Star game which will be played tonight. I am going to announce the game and have some fun while I'm doing it.

The other big story in our lives of late has been snow. For the first 16 months of our sojourn here in Ohio, Danielle and I had both been rather disappointed in the lack of winter weather. In the first two weeks of February, Ohio gave us her best shot at a winter storm. Locally, we got about 4 to 5 inches of snow and were rated at a level 2 snow emergency. (I'm not exactly sure what that means, but the reporters on the local news broadcast seemed to think it was a big deal.) The biggest impact this storm had in our lives was the fact that we missed 4 days of school as a result. I used this extra time to sleep in and to work on a home video project that some of you will be seeing in the near future. (I hope.) I might have enjoyed these days off more if we hadn't already lost 3 days of school the week before because it was cold. That's right--it was cold. The mercury dipped below the 0 mark for a few days, and all the local schools cancelled. Apparently this is a common practice around here, but it was new to both Danielle and I. I've never lived in a place where schools are closed because it's cold. The net result of all of this is that we exceeded our state-allotted number of inclement weather days for the school year, and we will probably have to make some days up later on.

The final portion of the title for this post is the word sovereignty. I included that, not because sovereignty has kept me busy lately, but because I have been thinking about sovereignty in relation to some of the other aspects of my life recently. I wonder, how does God's sovereignty relate to things such as a sporting event or a snowday? How does God decide if the free throw goes in or not? Does a hastily whispered prayer right before releasing the ball actually affect whether or not the shot is made? Does God take an interest in who wins the Super Bowl? What about all of those kids praying in their beds for a snowday? Does the fact that a winter storm blows through that night have any connection to those requests? I don't really know, but it gives you a brief glimpse into the mental processes of my mind.

Meanwhile, in other news--our beloved Chevy Cavalier is in the shop for repairs after a large red pickup backed into it on Monday; Eldan is on the verge of walking; Danielle had a run-in with shingles a few weeks back (and I'm not talking about the kind on your roof); and I am in the middle of making the hardest decision of my school year--who will get to play a role in this year's school play. We are doing a Sherlock Holmes mystery this year, The Hound of the Baskervilles. It should be an enjoyable production, and I will have more to say and show about it in coming weeks. For now, the snow is melting, spring (and daylight savings time) are coming, and the weekend awaits...

One Final Word

I know that the holiday season has now been over for several weeks. The decorations are securely stowed in the garage, the tree has been properly disposed of, and all of the unwanted presents have been returned or exchanged. The new year is here and we are all back to our normal, run-of-the-mill work schedules. However, if you will afford me the privilege, I would like to offer one final word from our family about our holiday vacation. By clicking here, you can view this final word or you can watch it on the player below. (Please Note - Because of the size of this video file, your browser may require several minutes to download the entire thing. Just click "Play", and wait for the download to complete.) By the way, the footage containing all of those complete strangers was taken at Denver International Airport several hours after it reopened from the first blizzard. Enjoy the flick and we hope your new year is off to a smashing start!

Back in the Saddle

(The following is my TWIRP for the week of January 1-6, 2007. Enjoy...)

All good things must come to an end. Or so the saying goes. And they usually come to an end much more quickly than one would want. Such was the case with our Christmas vacation. Once we finally arrived in Colorado, we were rather reluctant to leave. It's not that we don't enjoy Ohio, because we do. It just that...well, it's kind of nice staying in a big house with lots of people and lots of DVD's and lots of food and lots of hands to help with the diaper changing and lots of heat! (My parents keep their house quite a bit warmer than we do.) So it was with heavy hearts and heavy suitcases that we bid my parents farewell just outside the security checkpoint at Denver International Airport early in what proved to be a rather long day.

We were able to fly directly from Columbus to Denver at the beginning of vacation (albeit two days late). We were not so fortunate in returning to Columbus. The only flight that I could find on January 1st that was even remotely within our price range included not 1 but 2 stops. This meant that we got to visit 4 airports in 4 cities in 4 states spread across 3 time zones in approximately 7 hours! In the future, I will do anything short of donating a kidney in order to avoid repeating this process. Eldan behaved very well for most of the day, but he reached his limit during our last flight. We sat on the tarmac for over 30 minutes in a completely filled 737-300. Eldan started screaming. Not just crying, but screaming! I think that some people were getting irritated, but I couldn't really blame Eldan. If I didn't think I would be hauled away for doing so, I would probably have done the same thing.

Eldan did eventually fall asleep, and our plane did eventually leave the gate and the ground. Several hours later we pulled up to our modest abode in Heath only to discover that we could not get in. The front door was locked and chained. The only other way in is through the garage, but the garage door opener was in the car which was in the garage which was securely closed. Needless to say, my wife and my son were both thrilled at this unfortunate turn of events. I succeeded in gaining an entrance to our home only by sawing through the chain on the front door. Normally, I would be irritated at the thought of the added expense of buying a new chain, but at that point...I was just glad to be home.

School resumed on Wednesday, and I jumped back into the teaching saddle with both feet. (Which is a strange way to get in a saddle, let me tell you!) All three of us have been trying to fight off a pesky sinus infection, but have been unsuccessful thus far. As I type this, I am riding on a crowded school bus which is headed back home from Wood County, West Virginia. My basketball team and I suffered a pretty severe loss earlier tonight. At present, our record is 2-4. We're all a little disappointed, but the guys seem to have a really good attitude about the team. That is very encouraging to a rookie coach like myself. There's no time to sulk, however, because we have another game in approximately 12 hours!

Although we are still in mourning over the end of the holidays, we are all doing well and enjoying all of our Christmas "stuff." Basketball season is here in full force, and the weekend awaits...

More Christmas Pictures

I especially like the fact that Danielle, Eldan, and I are all wearing at least one item of Duke sportswear in these pictures.

A Colorado Christmas, Part IV

As you can tell, our late arrival had little effect on our enjoyment of the holiday with our family. Most of these pictures were taken by my brother Jeremy. He is developing quite an eye for photography. As I type this, the news anchors are discussing another major winter storm that is headed our direction. It remains to be seen whether or not this will affect our journey home on Monday. I'll let you know as events transpire. In the meantime, it's snowing outside and I love Colorado!

A Colorado Christmas, Part III

The ordeal is over. After 2 days of waiting and standing in line at the airport and checking weather reports on the internet and praying and waiting and waiting and waiting...we have arrived in Colorado. Actually, we arrived on Friday night around 8 in the evening. By some miracle we were able to get standby seats on the first flight from Columbus to Denver after DIA reopened Friday afternoon. Incidentally, this was the only flight to Denver yesterday from Columbus. I still don't know quite how this happened. The numbers just don't add up. We were numbers 20 and 21 on the priority list. When the time came, the airline only gave away 15 standby seats on a flight which was oversold by 5 in the first place. Only one other seat was given away after our seats. I'm not sure how we moved up 7 spots, but we did.

We landed on the ground at 8pm, but we didn't actually get in my parent's car until over an hour later. The airport in Denver can only be described as a quagmire. The security line, I am told, was a 3 hour wait. The baggage claim area was completely clogged with bags and people. I took some video of this that I will have to share with you later. I forgot to mention that we had to sit on the plane for 10 minutes after taxiing for 10 minutes while the plows cleared out the area next to the jetway so we could pull in. It was a long day, but I wasn't complaining at all. Danielle and I were just grateful to be there.

After a good night's sleep, we are here at my parent's enjoying a four year old, a two year old, and 4 babies under one year old! It gets noisy at times, but it really is a special time for us Doans. I hope that everyone else is having just as special of a time with their loved ones.

I'm not sure if there are any more blizzards in the future, but now that we are here it can snow all it wants to! I wouldn't mind a few extra days of vacation :-)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A Colorado Christmas, Part II

To hear and see the latest about our ill-fated journey, click on the "play" button or click here. It may take several minutes for the entire video to download. Give it some time before you give up. Thanks!

A Colorado Christmas, Part I

Tuesday, December 19, 2006, 1:30 pm - I check Weather.com and discover that a large storm system is headed for Colorado. It is projected to hit the Denver area just a few hours before we are supposed to be landing there. I am mildly concerned.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006, 7:50 am - I am now fairly certain that we will have some difficulty in our travel plans. I make my first attempt to contact United Airlines via the phone. My attempts are unsuccessful.

10:15 am - I learn from a United informant who speaks in broken English that Flight 1181 will be cancelled very shortly. I try to convince this informant to provide me with another flight reservation. In response, the United worker sends me to a strange land known as an "Automated Phone System." I spend the next 30 minutes trying to maneuver my way out of this region and back into the land of human beings.

10:55 am - Led to believe that someone who speaks broken English within the superstructure of United Airlines is willing to help me, I spend nearly an hour and a half in a state of inactivity referred to by the locals as being "on hold." My patience is wearing thin.

1:15 pm - A United employee tells me in broken English that my flight is cancelled, but that I have been reconfirmed for a flight on Christmas Eve. He also tells me that I have been listed as a Standby passenger for a flight the next day.

2:45 pm - A different United employee tells me in unbroken English that my flight is indeed cancelled, that I am confirmed for Sunday, but that sadly I am not listed as a Standby passenger. I grow confused at the mixed messages I am receiving.

3:10 pm - I am told by yet another United employee in broken English that there I would have better luck finding a three-legged ballerina than getting into Denver before Sunday. (Well, at least that was the idea of what he said.) This was immediately after he told me that I could fly from Columbus to Philadelphia to Denver tonight if I wanted to. I was a little curious as to why the authorities would cancel every other flight to Denver except one from Philadelphia, but the man insisted that the flight had not been cancelled and that we could get on this plane. I reluctantly agree to his plan. "What time does that first flight leave?" I inquired as both Danielle and I begin to let our hopes rise. The man replies in broken English, "It departs at 3:30 pm." This leaves us with approximately 10 minutes to get to the airport as he is telling me this. For the first time in my life, I begin to have serious doubts about the intelligence level of those working in the customer relations realm of the airline industry. Okay, it wasn't the first time. I decline the man's generous offer, and decide to make other plans. All I need now is some superglue, a box of dynamite, some tinfoil, and a rubber chicken...

More to come...
The adventure is just beginning...

The Holidaze

(The following is my TWIRP for the weeks of...well, it basically applies to the whole month of November and the first two weeks of December! Enjoy!)

Okay, okay! I know that it's been used before, but it's the best way I know how to describe the last couple of weeks for us--Holidaze. I am absolutely in shock that, as of the typing of this sentence, Christmas is a mere 10 days away! Where did the holiday season go? This is my favorite time of year, and it's almost over! Let me give you a few brief details from the last couple of weeks:

We took an unexpected trip to New Hampshire for Thanksgiving. The week prior to the holiday, Danielle's parents called to tell us that they wanted to fly us up there for 5 days. We said that would be fine, and...away we went on the busiest travel day of the year! Eldan has flown over a dozen times in the first year of his life. It's too bad that he won't remember any of it! Our flights were relatively uneventful with the exception that I saw the Statue of Liberty out of my window when we flew over New York City!

Junior High Basketball season is now in full swing. Our current record is 2-3. Once we come back from Christmas vacation, it's games, games, and more games! We have at least 2 games a week for the entire month of January and half of February. I am looking forward to seeing how our team improves throughout the season.

Eldan had his first real bout of sickness about a week and a half ago. I think he had something called "Foot in Mouth" Disease...wait, I think that should read "Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease." I am not sure what that is, but I know that my little guy didn't feel very good at all. The only real positive part of the experience was getting to lay on the couch for over two hours with Eldan sleeping peacefully on my chest. The look on his face at that moment was priceless.

Aside from all of that, I am still teaching (when I find the time), working on details for the school play (which I now have officially chosen), and working some with a few video projects. Danielle and I have inaugurated a new Sunday afternoon tradition--falling asleep on the couch while watching the weekly NFL game on CBS. It's a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Of course, we have made it to several of the ubiquitous yet always entertaining Christmas parties that are inherent to this time of year. One of my favorite things about these gatherings is the cheese trays. I love those little cubes of cheese. Of course the socialization and mingling are nice, but there is just something about those cheese cubes...

We leave on Wednesday, December 20, for Colorado and a much anticipated time of relaxment (is that even a word?) with my side of the family.

Danielle, Eldan, and I hope that all who read this have a great holiday season. Despite our busyness, we are enjoying each other and God's blessings in our lives. He has provided for us in several unique ways over the last several months. He is always good, and Christmas break awaits...

Season Opener

Yesterday, I made my debut as the Junior High Boys Basketball Coach. We have been practicing for over a month and we finally had a chance to face a real opponent. We tipped-off against Horizon Science Academy at approximately 4:30 p.m. Here is a brief summary of the game:

I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it wouldn't have mattered if I did know what to expect because I am sure I would never have expected what coaching is really like. I realize that coaching the season opener of the Junior High basketball team of a very small Christian school in Central Ohio doesn't exactly rate in Sports Illustrated Top Ten Moments in Sports History, but...it was a big deal to me. I was very nervous as were my 14 players. Let me cut to the chase and give you the final score--Horizon Science Academy 30; Licking County Christian Academy 28. We lost by two points right at the buzzer. My point guard Brian had a really good look at a 3-pointer to win it, but it was just a hair off of the mark. The game was very tight throughout, and it was a roller coaster ride from start to finish.

Despite my initial disappointment when Brian's shot bounced off the back of the rim and fell to the floor, I was very pleased with the game as a whole. My guys played with a lot more poise and intelligence than they had ever done in practice. I think the one aspect of the game that caught me off guard was how quickly everything happens when you are coaching. There is a lot to keep track of. Things that I would normally find rather simple (like identifying what type of defense the opposing team was running) seemed to be quite a bit more difficult when the game is on. The on-the-spot-decision making ability that is required of a coach is an area where I need much improvement. It's a good thing that we have about 18 more games this season in which I can do that very thing!

All in all I really enjoy being a coach, and I am thankful to my team for making my inaugural game an exciting one!


(By the way, my TWIRPS have not been discontinued. I am finding it difficult to corral enough time to type these each weekend. Do not dismay, however, more of these beloved entries will be forthcoming...)

The Wevils of Politics: A Question on the Election

There's a scene in the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World in which Captain Jack poses a question to the ship's doctor. Two wevils were crawling on the doctor's plate, and Jack asks the doctor which one he would eat if he had to. The doctor is hesitant to reply, but is finally prodded into choosing the larger one. Captain Jack bursts into laughter when he tells the doc that he should have chosen the smaller one because it was "the lesser of two wevils."

In a way, that is bit how I felt about the election this year. This being my first election in the state of Ohio, I am not very familiar with the political background here. I do know that there have a number of political scandals in recent times. As I have been subjected to a constant barrage of political attack ads for the last 2 months, I have felt a little like the doctor in Master and Commander. All of the talking heads asking me to vote for them are the wevils and I must choose the ones who will represent me in local, state, and federal government. I don't really know if any of them truly take the stands I do. I don't really know if I can trust any of them--Democrat or Republican. It can be a bit discouraging.

With this in mind, I pose the following question to all of my readers and invite them to answer via the comment section. It is not a new question, to be sure, but one that can spark some lively conversation nonetheless. Here it is--Should we take a principled approach to our vote or a practical approach? In other words, do we vote only for those who truly agree with our values and positions, or do we choose those who come as close to our values as is possible because someone has to do the work and it might as well be a Republican (in my case)? I have known people who have cast their Presidential vote in favor of some publicly unknown person from some publicly unknown party who has no legitimate chance of winning. They voted this way because they could support every position their unknown candidate held. They couldn't in good conscience vote for a candidate who held even a few positions with which they could not agree. Is this just throwing your vote away, or is it doing the right thing by voicing your principles in the voting booth even though no one may be listening?

Post a comment, and let me know what you think.

See ya...

Indian Summer

(The following is my TWIRP for the weeks of October 15-November 4, 2006. Enjoy...)

It's cold in central Ohio today. Not as cold as it was yesterday, but..it's still cold. Every time we take Eldan out we bundle him up in his little "Eskimo"
outfit to keep him warm.

It hasn't been cold all week, however. Actually, we experienced a bit of "Indian Summer" earlier this week. It was significantly warmer than it is now. I guess when you get right down to it, it has been rather toasty for us all week. Let me explain...

It was about 11:30 on Thursday morning when I heard my name being called over the school public address system. I was wanted in the office. Okay, no big deal. I had no reason to think that there was any urgency about the matter, so...I took my time getting there. When I didn't come to the office right away, the secretary came into the gym to find me. She had a worried look on her face as she said, "You need to go home right away. Your wife called and she said that she just lit your kitchen stove on fire." I'm a pretty laid back kind of person most of the time so I said, "All right. I'll go get my jacket." The secretary looked at me and said bluntly, "The fire squad is already at your house." So, I decided to forego the jacket and just go straight home. Besides, the fire would probably keep me warm anyway.

I'll have to admit. As I drove the mile to my house, I did get a little worried. I wasn't sure what to expect when I got there. Visions of my wife and son crying hysterically as smoke billowed out of my house filled my mind as I rounded the curves at 50 miles per hour. When I arrived at the scene, there were two EMT Units and one large fire truck in front of my drive way. My wife wasn't crying, my son was nowhere to be seen (he was out of the cold wind with a neighbor), and there wasn't even a single billow of smoke. Apparently my wife had been baking a large pizza-sized cookie that morning when some of the dough oozed off of the cooking stone and onto the heating element below. This started a small blaze in our kitchen. My wife did the right thing and called 911. The fire department came as a precaution and both my family and my little home are okay (Although the oven needed a good cleaning when all was said and done.)

Once I knew that no real harm had been done I found the whole situation rather humorous. I even decided to snap some pictures in order to memorialize Eldan's first encounter with firemen. As you can see in the picture, he is quite fascinated with the men and my wife is just thrilled to be photographed in her pajamas with emergency workers! I have included a picture of the ill-fated cookie at the end of this post. By the way, it is still caked onto the cooking stone. If any of my readers have any suggestions about how to get the stone clean, please don't hesitate to offer them.

Other than that, our lives have been rather typical for the last two weeks. My mom was finally able to get back to Colorado with my dad after nearly 6 weeks of helping her kids with new and not so new babies. We really enjoyed her visit. These are some of the pictures we took with her camera several days before she left. School is busy, but not overly so. I started my inaugural year as the Junior High Basketball coach this past Monday. I have a team of 14 sixth through eighth graders. I am really excited about the season although coaching this group will definitely have its challenges. I am still on the lookout for a play to produce for our school next spring. I'm open to suggestions.

Eldan is on the verge of crawling. He has become quite mobile and it is amazing how quickly he can roll himself across the room. It seems as though we are having more fun with him with every passing week. He has a stubborn, sinful streak to be sure, but he seems to be a fairly easy going little kid.

We are just now coming into my favorite time of the year. The holidays are coming...including one of the year's most important--Danielle's birthday on November 11th. I love being married. I love being a father. And I love eating dinner--which is what I plan to go and do right now. That's all to report for now. The air is cold, our house is warm, and the weekend awaits...

The Glass is Half Full (Rainbows in the Clouds)

(The following is my much belated TWIRP for the weeks of October 1-14. Enjoy...)

These first weeks of October have been two of the most difficult weeks for Danielle and I since we have been married. I say that, not to overstate our situation, but to testify to the fact that God has allowed us to have relatively smooth sailing in our first two years as a family. Let me briefly summarize our storm...

On Tuesday, October 3, I came home from work, and Danielle informed me that her lower back was quite sore. She took some Ibuprofen, and we retired to bed later in the evening hoping that some rest would ease her pain. By 11:45 that night, we were calling some friends to come over and stay with Eldan while we took a trip to the emergency room. Danielle's pain was bringing her to tears, and I wanted to discover and eradicate its source as soon as possible. After several tense and painful hours in the ER, we learned that Danielle was the not-so-proud owner of a 3.5 mm kidney stone from her right kidney. We were told that she would probably lose the stone within a couple of days. If she didn't we were instructed to contact a urologist for further help. In the meantime, the doctor said, all we could do was keep her doped up on pain medicine until the problem passed--literally.

That's when things really started to go amiss. Pain meds are a wonderful concept, but their usefulness is contingent upon this--the person taking them needs to keep them in their system long enough for them to take effect. Danille was so sick in her stomach for two days that the meds did her little or no good at all. When she failed to pass the stone within the allotted 48 hour period, I tried to contact the urologist as instructed. Unfortunately, there is only one urologist in town, and apparently kidney stones are about as common as the common cold. The secretary told us that Dr. Lewis was booked for weeks. The situation was looking grim. 6 days after her initial hospital visit, I took Danielle to the urologist office (even though the urologist was not present at the time), and was told by his nurse that Danielle's stone was "obstructed." (Sounds uncomfortable and painful just to read it, doesn't it?) The nurse told us, "The only way that puppy is comin' out of there is for us to go in and blast it out!" Well, that was the general drift of her comment at least. The problem at that point was finding a time when Dr. Lewis could do the blasting. He was going to be out of town for 4 days, and the OR was booked solid until he left. It appeared at the time that Danielle would have to endure another week of kidney misery. In addition to all that, our family doctor was fairly sure that Danielle had a kidney infection; he told her to stop nursing Eldan because it was making her too weak; Eldan had a wicked diaper rash, a sinus infection, and was not sleeping very well; and I...I was handling all of this with dignity, grace, and maturity while still fulfilling my responsibilities at school. (And if you believe that, I have a three-legged ballerina I would like you to meet!)

Lest any of my faithful readers (either of them) think that I am complaining, let me tell you that the whole point of this TWIRP is not to enumerate all of the bad things that have happened, but rather to list several of the positive lessons and experiences we encountered along the way. I think of them as "rainbows in the clouds" of our little storm. Here are just a few:

1) The nurse who cared for Danielle at the ER was very compassionate and helpful.
2) Eldan adjusted rather quickly to being bottle fed, and I gained a better appreciation for the term "bonding" as I held the little guy in my arms and fed him. I never quite realized before how precious that time can be.
3) Nearly a dozen different people from our church and family helped us in some way during our time of need. These individuals assisted us with everything from meals to babysitting Eldan when I went to school to teach. Some even gave us money!
4) Dr. Lewis went the "extra mile" in trying to get Danielle into the OR before he left town. He was even calling other urologists in Columbus to see if one of them could do the procedure sooner than he.
5) Danielle had the kidney stone removed 5 days before we thought she would because of the kindness of an anesthesiologist we had never even met. She worked it out to get Danielle scheduled in the OR at 7:30am on Wednesday, October 11. The procedure lasted only 25 minutes, and Danielle was home resting comfortably by 11 that same morning!
6) My mom flew in last week to help with Eldan and to get us back to "normal"--whatever that is.
7) I learned a new lesson about the goodness of God. God's goodness is alot like the proverbial glass that contains 50% water. Is it half-full or half-empty? It's all in how you look at it. Your perspective is the key. I found this to be true about God's goodness. At times, it is as plain as the nose on your face. There are times, however, when it can be more difficult to see. Our cups aren't always running over. Yet, His goodness remains true nonetheless. To be honest, I felt my cup draining rapidly during this semi-serious ordeal. It took some simple reminders from the Spirit of God through the Word of God to remind me that my glass was half-full. Maybe not as full as at other times, but it certainly wasn't empty. In the midst of my discouragement and frustrations (like almost driving into a tornado zone while returning from the airport with Mom!), I could still rejoice in God's goodness--as long as my perspective was right. Bad things do happen to good people (good in the sense that they have been justified by God in Jesus Christ, that is!), but we can rest assured that our Great God can turn them into good things in His way and His time!

So, things are pretty much back to normal by now. Eldan has cut his first two teeth and is weighing in at a whopping 17lbs 10 oz! Danielle has regained most of her strength and is enjoying her visit with my Mom. (As am I.) I am getting back on schedule at school and am eagerly anticipating the start of my rookie year as head coach of the Junior High Basketball team. Danielle and I are blessed, and we realize this more with every week that passes. It's getting colder around here. I'm hoping that a big winter is forthcoming. God is good, and the weekend awaits...well, in 3 days it does...

Cute Lad with a Kooky Dad

Here are some of the recent antics of father and son. When you are silly as a baby, people say you are cute. When you are silly as an adult man, people say you need professional help. By the way, the Celtic getup was my costume for our recent school carnival. The "kilt" I am wearing is actually my wife's Christmas tablecloth and the shoulder strap is a pillow case! The hat, however, is genuine.

Man of the House

(The following is my TWIRP for the week of Sept. 24-30. Enjoy...)

On Tuesday morning, I had a very strange experience. I know that millions of people all over the world have gone through this numerous times, but...it was a first for me. I was walking through the Columbus, Ohio Airport with my wife and son. When we got to the security checkpoint I could go no further. Danielle and Eldan got in line to be screened by the TSA officials and I stood by the wall watching them. Several weeks ago, my mother-in-law had purchased a ticket for Danielle and Eldan to fly to New Hampshire and visit for 5 days, and now they were leaving. As I mentioned, this was a first for me. In the 2 and a half years that Danielle and I have been married we have been apart only for a day at most. It's nice how that works out--When you're married you get to be together everyday. As I stood there, watching her walk through the metal detector, I wasn't too sure I was going to like this whole idea. I was suddenly overcome by a very powerful thought--The two most important earthly parts of my life were walking away from me so they could board a bus with wings and fly thousands of feet in the air to a destination hundreds of miles away! No, I wasn't too sure about the whole concept, but what could I do? I thought about jumping over the ropes of the security line and trying to catch up to them, but I figured the TSA folks would find very little humor in that, so...I waved goodbye and walked to my car--alone.

Now, before anyone leaves a comment chiding me for being so silly and sentimental or telling me that thousands of couples are apart from each other for much longer than 5 days, let me tell you--I know. I know that military families face a separation and a loneliness that is lightyears away from ours. I know that being apart at times is an inevitable occurrence in a marriage. I know, I know, I know. But...that doesn't mean I have to like it! Don't misunderstand. I am very glad that Danielle was able to visit her family. I know that she has enjoyed herself greatly. But I guess this week has reminded me of how much I love being married and how much I love being at home with my family. That's all I'm trying to say. I have been reminded of those immortal words, "It is not good that the man should be alone." And to that sentiment I give my wholehearted agreement.

So...I have been the man of the house this week...just like I am every week except that no one else is in the house with the man of the house. One of the first things that I did was drag my old dingy recliner out of the garage and into the living room so that I could watch my Civil War DVD's and play XBOX in comfort and ease. I haven't cooked, but I did do a small load of laundry. I was in Finley, Ohio for two nights with our school staff for an educator's convention, so I guess I really haven't been alone all that much. All in all, the week has been okay. One highlight was the arrival of my newest nephew, Liam Edwin Sealy, on Thursday afternoon. This is the fourth and final newborn in our family for the year. We'll see what happens in 2007! It's too bad that Liam couldn't have come a little bit later in October. He might have been the 300 millionth American! Oh well, I guess he will have to settle for being 299,987,348.

Danielle and Eldan return on Sunday (Lord-willing). Until then, I will forge ahead in solitude...until 5 o'clock when I am going to some friends' house for dinner. What can I say? People know I can't cook and they feel sorry for me! Anyway, October is here; fall is coming, and the weekend awaits...

Sincerest Apologies

This post is for anyone who has tried to post a comment on this blog over the last 2 months. I am truly sorry. Not that you tried to post a comment but that you were unsuccessful. I did not realize that I had turned on comment moderation. I assure you that the situation has been remedied, your comments have been published, and you are now free to comment in any fashion you should choose. I will also see to it personally that your comments for my wife are passed on to her. Please afford me the privilege of your forgiveness, and I trust that you will continue to enjoy the wonderful land of Eldansdad.

Thank You,
Andrew D. Doan

Noises in the Night

(This is my TWIRP for the week of Sept. 17-23. Enjoy...)

It has not been a very good week for sleeping in our home. The primary cause of this is Eldan. Please don't misunderstand me. I am not begrudging my son anything. I am simply stating a fact--When Eldan doesn't sleep well, nobody in our house sleeps well. He has developed a habit of waking up in the night and screaming with all the force his little lungs will produce. He works himself into such a frenzy that it takes anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes for him to settle down. We had episodes like this during several nights this week, but the episodes were limited to just one per night...until Friday night. He went through the sleep, scream, settle cycle at least 4 times. He finally knocked off for the last time just after 2 in the morning. Danielle and I were both exhausted. We aren't too overly frustrated by this recent behavior because we know that babies are going to cry at times. I think the biggest frustration is not knowing exactly what is prompting these screaming fits and, consequently, not knowing how to respond to them. We don't want to develop a habit of picking him up every time he wakes up, but we also don't particularly want to hear him scream for half an hour. We think he may wake up suddenly and startle himself, but we really don't know. We are open to any ideas our readers might have. In the meantime, we just take things in stride and know that he won't be screaming like this when he's 13 years old--we sincerely hope.

This week began like the last one--on a somber note. The tragedy in this instance was a little closer to home, however. My wife's aunt gave birth to a baby girl over the weekend--fifteen weeks early. The initial report from the doctors was positive and somewhat amazing. Little Cassidy (only 1 pound 6 ounces) was breathing on her own. By Monday night, however, things had gotten worse. We were very saddened to learn on Tuesday that she died during the night. Although I never got to see Cassidy, I struggled with this news. It is one of those events in life where God's ways seem so puzzling and mysterious. Without going into a lot of details, let it suffice to say that the loss of this baby was especially difficult for Danielle's aunt and uncle. It's hard not to wonder why God chose this particular path for them. In the end, I was reminded of two attributes of God that helped me to keep trusting Him--God's sovereignty and God's goodness. We hope to be a help and support to Danielle's family in anyway we can over the next couple of months.

School is in full swing and we've reached the end of the first three weeks. The changes I have made from last year in my organization and preparation seem to be working well so far. I am busy, but not nearly as busy as I was last year. Debate looks like it is going to be a lot of fun for my Speech II class. I am still searching for a play to use for next spring's production. I have discovered that most of what is coming out today is quite frivolous and crude. I guess I will stick with the classics.

I attended a Men's Retreat at our church this weekend and was reminded of an essential truth of the Christian life--"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." We live the Christian life the same way we received it--by faith.

As I type this--my son is crying. I think I'll go see if I can get him to laugh at me. Despite his tears, we are doing well, and the weekend awaits...

A Twirp--The First of Many

(This is a TWIRP--The Week In Review Post. Enjoy...)

The week started on a somber note. The fifth anniversary of 9/11 caught me unaware. I am ashamed to admit that the last several anniversaries of this tragedy had passed me by with nary a blip on my radar screen. As strange as it sounds--I had begun to forget. I hadn't forgotten that it happened, of course. Yet, the feelings of fear, sadness, helplessness, anger, patriotism, and dependence on God that had been so acute five years ago were gone. It's amazing how quickly one can sink back into a rut of complacency. On Sunday night Danielle and I watched the documentary "9/11" on CBS. This is a film about the attacks on the World Trade Center that was accidentally made by two French brothers. I say "accidentally" because the men never imagined that they would film the unthinkable--obviously. They were "embedded" so to speak with a FDNY unit throughout the summer of 2001 and intended to make a film about a rookie fireman. If you have not watched this show, I would recommend it. It is not easy to watch by any means. It will, however, help to reawaken the memory of 9/11, and I think that is important.

We have just finished our second full week of school. This is my fourth year of teaching and I find myself enjoying this profession more and more each year. (And not just because it comes with a three month vacation period in the summer!) I especially love teaching Bible. It is a challenge to draw the attention of teenagers to the truths of God's Word, but it is a challenge that I relish. History is a subject that I always enjoyed when I was a student, and that opinion hasn't changed now that I teach it. I am teaching Speech to the Juniors again this year, and I have the chance to teach a Speech II class to several who took Speech I last year. I am really excited about the class because we are going to get to do several things (like Debate) that I don't have time for in Speech I. I may even prepare a few speeches myself and perform them for my students. It gets kind of old always grading others' performances and never performing yourself.

I paid $2.08 for a gallon of gas yesterday. Well, technically I paid $13.00 for 6.221 gallons of gas yesterday, but you know what I mean. I have to remind myself that 18 months ago I would have complianed about paying $2.08. Funny how relavitve our perspective is at times. I would be very interested to know what the average profit margin is for a gallon of gas. I shudder to think... The good news is that we are logging significantly fewer miles each week now that we live a mere mile from school and I am riding my bike to work most of the time.

Danielle and Eldan are enjoying their days at home. I absolutely love coming home each day. There is just something theraputic about hearing the carefree laughter of a 5 month old. It does my heart good. Danielle and I both decided this week on the dream vacation we each want to take...together, of course. She wants to go to NYC to watch Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and rent a fancy car to get there. I want to spend three days at Gettysburg soaking in as much information as possible. Hopefully we will get to do both someday...In the meantime, it's fun to dream! God's goodness is evident everyday of our lives and we are overwhelmed at His protection and provision. All in all--LIFE IS GOOD and the weekend awaits...

5 Months and Counting

We are having so much fun watching Eldan grow. He is turning into quite the fun-loving guy...