Hey guys! It's been a long winter but at long last I've gotten the internet back. Man! It's good to be online again, and this time, with a computer that can actually handle WoW, if I were so inclined. I've missed posting on here, and I've thought about you all quite a bit. I think, from time to time, it's a good thing to go on a hiatus, but in the end, I feel inexorably compelled to return. Got a Xbox 360, and much to my delight, I had no reason to ever down the system, 55% total hardware failure rate notwithstanding. Got some games you just can't get on anything else. Beyond getting a new compter and so on, it's been more or less the same routine around here, which is not to say that nothing has happened, but it's just that when I write it out, it ends up reading really mundane-like, lots to do with the kids. So, I tend to spare those details.

Let me see, big and/or interesting stuff....
Come May, Jodi and I will have been together for seven years(married for 6 next August), and I love the number seven, so I think this year will end up being especially significant.

I ended up going into the ER about a week or two ago for chest pains and it would seem that aside from a propencity for anxiety-related stress, my heart is actually in pretty good shape. To be honest, I thought I might've been having a heart attack. At the worst it felt like a hand squezing my heart, a tugging feeling from my shoulder going down my arm, an inability to catch my breath, and I even got a little dizzy. Two things I learned from that experience, and I felt like it was God the parent saying to me, "Tommy, stop it with the energy drinks, and watch that temper!", to which I replied out loud, "Okay. Okay, you got it." I've since not touched NOS or Red Bull 1, and as for the temper issue, I've been practicing taking in a deep breath before responding to anything that has angered or irritated me in any way.

More to come.

Good to see you back Amion! I am also glad to see that all seems to be well with you. It's a shame you passed out on me because I have really been struggling with Mr. Verrigan in the Ksi thread. However, if Starnum will ever respond to my post, I might not need your help. I sure could have used it earlier! LOL

Enjoy the new internets and let me know if you, like Starnum, desire your own blog. You also might want to get hopping on FaceBook. Even Starnum is on there using his real world alias no less!

Thanks man. I'm not sure if I'm ready for the commitment of facebook just yet. I've got a myspace that I haven't updated in years. As for Ksi, well, I don't know, I'm thinking about it. I just don't want to be inconsistent this time.

I see you decided the facebook was a worthwhile undertaking!

As a brief update, Tiff and I have canvassed the entire Moore school district for houses that will suit the needs to grow our family beyond Madyson. We have made a few offers but nothing fell into place without us determining it was not the right place but we now have an offer in on a home that was built in 2007 and features 4 beds, two baths, and a study. It is on the smaller side (1800 sq ft as opposed to the 2300 we had looked at elsewhere) but it is in the perfect location (only a mile south of where we currently live and if we bought the house, we would not have to put ANY work into fixing it up for a few years and we aren't people who really live extravagantly. This just has lots of rooms for us to stick kiddos in without me losing my office.

We'll see if this one works out.

Considering this may be the only updates some of my friends will read, I will point out a few new updates... poor hktweet, it lost the war.

1.) Tiff and I have a buyer on our house and are moving forward to buy the other house. This entire thing could hit us in about 3-4 weeks. Maybe even sooner. For those of you who want to see the pics, please go to my facebook page and look for the photo album.

2.) I have completed my Systematic Theology I class and as such, have created a nice 15 page research paper that I wrote while suffering from an upper respiratory infection. All things considered, it turned out well . The paper is over the significance of the name of God as 'I AM'. If you are interested in reading it, it is on my ministry blog (http://davidshields.name). If you are not interested in the page and just want to go directly to the paper, that is here: The Significance of God as 'I AM'

3.) Despite being quite sick still, I had promised a month ago that I would preach for the church on Sunday morning in the absence of the pastor who is in Mexico for a mission trip. I was excited because Annette and my parents came to see me preach. If you want to watch that sermon, it is also on my ministry blog (http://davidshields.name) or you can bypass the page and go right to it by clicking this link: Follower or Disciple?

4.) I am getting better but still recovering from my upper respiratory infection. My system is clearning though so that's a good thing!

Is anyone still reading this? I hope so! Quick splatter of updates.

1.) We have our new house and have been in the process of moving in. I have found that usually the events that occur within the first few days of the house's occupancy set the tone for how the life will be in the house. This house seems to be the ultimate house for relationship building. Tiff and Annette sat outside on the back porch, literally for hours, and caught up with each other. That same porch is the one where Gainer and I sat as I helped him air his pain and challenges in life which he claims was more helpful than I can imagine. THAT'S the way to start in this house!

2.) As of today or tomorrow, Tiff and I will be co-owners of a Nintendo Wii. She actually requested it! I like this because it is a system with lots of games for people of all ages. I will enjoy some heavier titles but there will still be fun games for my 5 year old Mady to play.

3.) I have five more weeks of my Intro to Preaching class and once this is over, I will be taking the summer off. So as of May 17, I will be off school for four glorious months. This will allow me to allocate ample time for youth activities since my students will be out on summer break most of that time, it will allow me to really make a best effort at working on the house, and will give me many opportunities to visit with my friends, something I have sorely missed!

Yay!

Dang Dave, it sounds like you have a pretty good plan and got it under control. I am glad to hear about the new house, that is something that my wife and I are contemplating as well. I dont really want to buy a house here in virginia especially if I might get orders to somewhere else, but we still might if I decide to extend here. But I would much rather get a house in Texas, that way it is alot cheaper for more house then it is here, and it would be closer to home. I might be getting orders to Texas eventually. Well, I will be making a trip up there to OKC after this trip to Iraq, that will be about the middle of Sept. I would love to see as many Council Members as possible, I have already talked to Starnum some about it, I hope you and the family can find time to fit me in some. Maybe we can start planning a council meeting.

Well, I will post a couple of new things about me on here since I have not done it in a while. Well, I have been working alot, I recently got a new qualification that will further me in my navy career, I got my Collateral Duty Inspector qualification, and I just last night finised my final 250 word essay on my Homeland Security Intelligence Operations course, now all I have to do is a 7 page essay explaining the intelligence cycle, and take my final exam, the mid term was pretty easy, so hopefully the final will be as well. I have been watching alot of new movies lately, I seen Persy Jackson and the olympians: the lightning theif, Sherlock Holmes, Class of the Titans, Ninja Assassin, Boondock Saints 2, and Avatar. Other than that, I am just working alot, I will be going to Nellis Airforce base in about a week 1/2 for about 3 weeks, we will be doing "RED FLAG" which is the biggest training excercise for all branches of the US military. I have to do my Physical Rediness Test on Friday, so I have been working out alot as well, I have been running about 3 miles a day, sometimes 3 days in a row amongst other things. I will be headed back to Iraq at the end of May, about 2 weeks after we come back from Nellis. Well, that is about it for me for now.

Starnum - You guys should totally come visit sometime. A weekend would probably be easiest. Most of the time I am up and around by 10AM on Saturdays and the only thing that really uses my Saturday is when Mady has a soccer game. Sundays are usually kind of crazy but the time between 2pm and 5pm is pretty open. Of course, there are also Friday nights if I know you are coming. Let me know when you wanna visit. We can do some SMB Wii or Sports if you would like.

Ronan - Glad to hear you are working at improving your skills, I am sure you will do great on any and all tests. Keep us posted on this, I will be pulling for you. As for houses, you are right, buying in Texas or Oklahoma is a much better bet than Virginia. Not only will it cost less to buy a house, but it will be less likely to lose value like Virginia places do. After all, $500,000 will barely buy you a decent condo on the Beltway in Virginia. In Oklahoma, $500,000 will buy you an amazing house on an acreage with all the updates you could please. And, it will be more likely to stay worth that much than it would otherwise. Good luck!

Well, I finished my physical readiness test, and pretty much kicked ass on that. I did 50 pushups, and 60 situps in under 2 min. each, and I ran my 1.5 mile in 11 min 28 sec. I am currently in Las Vegas, I got to hang out and play 3 man with one of my friends from the kitty hawk, and then I got to hang out with my cousin for about a day, I will do the same this weekend, only vice versa, I will see my cousin on friday, and then hang out with kitty hawk buddy on sat. I am still working on my final project for my homeland security course. When I return to Virginia, masako and I are taking a week of leave, seeing a Seattle and Baltimore baseball game in Baltimore, then up to Niagara Falls NY and Canada sides, and going to Hard Rock Cafe in all 3 places. Well, that is about it for now.