Our little model :)

We have a sweet friend from our home group (Silla) who makes the cutest accessories for kids and moms! You can wear them in your hair, on your shoes, on your shirt even on your purse! She needed a little girl model for some of her hair bands for little girls, so, she kindly asked me if Mickaela could be a model for her website. She had a little photoshoot at our house with our other awesome photographer friend (Paul www.paulgoimages.com)

You can see her sweet face and cute accessories at www.sillasoup.com! I have been wearing my new purchases as well and get stopped all of the time. I told Silla I need to keep her business card with me because everyone wants to know where I got the cute flowers and accessories!

So now you know! :)

15 Months old already...

Little miss turned 15 months old yesterday! She is so smart, sweet and she is such a joy to be around!

We went to the Dr. today for her check up here are her stats:

Height 90%
Weight 25%
Head 97%

She is rating at 18-20 months for Speech and social development (none of us were surprised...she loves to chat!)

She is right on track with walking and motor skills.

She did great at the Dr. got 3 shots and fell asleep in the car. She had the beginning of a sinus infection so we started antibiotics again today. She has been such a trooper!





She recently was able to spend a week with Grammy, Grandpa, Aunt Mary, Uncle MD, Mackenzie and Molly in Houston while I went to visit Bug and Freddie in Miami and got to spend some time with our newest family member Fredrick Charles Gibson IV aka "Charlie"!





Mickaela and Tristan were playing well last Sunday and since we didn't take Easter photos we have these sweet brother sister pics :)...





Playing so sweet!



I think the hat looks nice :).

Our week in pictures...

Monday:


Tuesday:




Everyone was ok! Praise the Lord!!!

Wednesday:


Thursday:
Happy Birthday Mommy!


Friday:

Birthday dinner...wish I would have taken a picture of the brisket tacos I had...they were YUUMMMY!

2 Milestones

Our house is full of excitement with our little ones running around! This last week has been even more exciting, we have had two major milestones one for each!

Let's start with Tristan!



We have a routine for bath time in our house after everyone is bathed Tristan gets to play in the tub while I get Mickaela dressed and ready for bed. He usually starts squealing Mommyyyy!! When he is finished playing. Tonight's routine was the same except when I went in to get him from the tub he was standing up peeing and looked at me like "make it stop!" I pointed to the toilet and said "pee pee in the potty!" he quickly moved to the toilet and proceeded to PEE PEE IN THE POTTY!!!! I can't even begin to describe the joy and elation I had to hold in until he finished, as soon as he did I let out the loudest scream and jump for joy I think he's ever seen! There was a huge celebration dance and of course CHOCOLATE!!!

Now for Mickaela!



Our little miss has been crawling since she was 6 months old and we have expected her to start walking for months now she has had the balance she has been "cruising" the furniture for months. We have been trying to bribe her, show her, and encourage her for the whole time. Last Sunday Mick took Mickaela into our bedroom while I was getting ready for church and started the routine of standing her up and holding out his hands and saying "come to daddy Mickaela". All of a sudden I hear "Millie MILLIE...You missed IT!!!" As I turn the corner into the bedroom I see Mickaela in Mick's arms "SHE TOOK 2 STEPS!!" So of course, we sat her down and it was my turn, "come to Mommy!" and SHE DID!!! Later on that day she took steps for our friends Brandon and Katy. Such a big girl! I can't wait to watch her run I know she will be soon.

I have to say that God is good. I know that these may seem like simple things that all kids learn to do. But for me they are examples of God's grace in my life and a reminder that He is in control even when I wish things would happen in my time. But I must say the wait was worth it and in this case made the outcomes even sweeter!

Never to late...

When I was pregnant there was a night where I had to have popcorn not just any popcorn Cape Cod Popcorn...well my sweet husband a year later found some at our new fabulous Kroger (right by our house) and bought be 3 bags...its never to late to be great! WAY TO GO Honey!!

Proof:



Don't worry they are already gone :/...YUM!

Cleaning up quick...

I am pretty sure Clorox wipes were made by a mom...This is the thought I had as I was cleaning up after Mickaela's lunch today.

Before:


After:


Don't worry I didn't actually use them on Mickaela...good ol' target brand baby wash did the trick on that. :)

Left Turns

About a month ago my brother made the remark, "I hate this. Everything is going to be different after this." It would be cathartic to explain the situation in detail, but there are other people involved, so it would not be fair to them. My hope is you don't have to have the details to know the kind of situation he was talking about, and maybe your own experience will be enough to allow the rest of this to make some sense.

Alex was talking about one of those situations with which everyone is familiar, where the brokenness of the world becomes evident, and the only choices remaining are bad ones. One of those human tragedies that sometimes come about as a direct result of our own decisions, and other times, they just happen. Out of nowhere life just takes a left turn. 

It seems like since the start of 2010, our family has had one of those moments every few days. There have been constant reminders of the consequences of sin, and we seem to have been right in the middle of all of them.

In times like this my instinct is to embrace self pity, and confusion; it is to wonder at the goodness of God in the face of the vileness of life. In short, my inclination is to react in pride, and sin, as though my desires and my happiness, and my version of "right" are the defining measure of the world. When I hurt, it is so easy to shrink God. It is a reflex to belittle Him, to regard Him as my servant and to consider the daily graces I take for granted as simply His duty.

In those moments the truth I become blind to is that behind, around, and in every hurt that has come my way, there are gracious gifts I have taken for granted. With family, the image of God in the people I love is the source of my affection for them, if I never loved them, their circumstances would not cause me pain. The simple reality of being able to wake up on a day where I receive bad news is a blessing. Being able to hear and understand the words that communicate the burden is a blessing. On a larger scale, being born a man consecrated to war against and minister to the pain and suffering in this world through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus, AND to be an active agent in Christ's reconciliation of the world through the lives of those most dear to me, is a blessing. 

I wouldn't wish to suffocate rather than suffer this time, nor would I wish to be blind, deaf, or dumb rather than shoulder my cross. I don't wish to forsake my salvation because of this pain, and I don't wish to be helpless in the face of the hurt brought on those I love. I don't wish to lose the rich complicated blessing of that love, to spare myself the pain inherent in the relationship. God is telling a story. Our lives are part of it. They aren't the purpose of it.

He is the Alpha, and Omega. All things find their beginning and end in God. His love and mercy blot out our transgressions, we find our joy in singing the praises of His grace. He is the purpose. I AM, He Is.

As for me, I am simply alive now and gone tomorrow. Mine is a shallow reality, and it would be a shallow life that found its purpose in me.

The capstone in all of this is, if you take enough left turns you can actually go from being lost to being right where you want to be. It is not lost on me that I remain His and continue to receive daily blessings despite my sinful bent, nor is it forgotten that others may come to know Him or love Him more through their own tribulation. This omnipresent kinetic redemption is the greatest victory of the cross, and most evident proof of God's mercy in this life. It is the true Ministry of Reconciliation constantly renewing all things to the righteousness of Christ, and sparing us from the repercussions of our rebellion.

It brings me great encouragement to confess, and remember this in writing.

2010 off to a wild start...HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mickaela!

There are many reasons for my lack of posts these days however, no need to go into them for now.

We have been busy to say the least but one thing that everyone I am sure wants to see are pictures of our ONE year old!! Mickaela Abigail Lesko born on January 15, 2009...



...she was able to have a grand celebration of her 1st birthday with our family and some cupcakes... :)





We were able to take an unexpected trip to my family farm recently and it just so happens Mickaela turned one while we were there...So the morning of her first birthday was another first for her...she got to feed the cows and donkeys with Uncle Lonny...

Here she is trying to figure out just what the heck is going on with this big "do" (dog)





Also known as Norman one of our cows...in fact the reason Norman is still with us (according to Uncle Lonny) is because of me :/...he was our pet cow that we liked to feed with a bottle and would get to "play" with at the farm...my how he has grown :).

More updates to come...

Four Christmases...cont.

Christmas #3

Christmas morning after our adventures at home we piled in the car and headed down to Houston. Our morning was already great and we got to see this winter wonderland...a snowy Christmas who would of thought.



We arrived in Houston to an empty house and didn't have a key...so we decided to give Mickaela her first driving lesson...she did great (except for the looking at the road part ;0))



On Saturday we were able to spend the day with all of my family opening gifts and eating...lots of food :). Mickaela was tuckered out and took a nap on her Aunt Mary (who was pretty tired too)...



Mickaela and I stayed an extra day in Houston so Grammy, Mackenzie, and Molly (my nieces) got to drive us home on Monday because my sisters had caught a stomach bug. yuck. We were glad to have them even just for the night. The girls were thrilled to see a little snow left on the ground.

Christmas #4

We headed over to Mick's brother's house to meet up with his brother and sister everyone feeling better after having a stomach bug last week. I didn't take any pictures :/...But it was fun to have our first Christmas with the Chapmans (Mick's sister, her husband, and two girls). They just moved here from Wisconsin. It is nice to have all of his family so close.

Our house is full of stuff but our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for family, friends and most of all Jesus for coming to this world putting on skin and saving us. It is an amazing thing to me to see all that God has done this year in our lives and in the lives of those in our family.

As we begin 2010, my heart is full of hope and joy, I am so thankful that God has given me the opportunity to love a man of His and the responsibility to care for and love 2 of His children. What blessings He has brought us this year...

Wishing each of you a blessed New Year!

Four Christmases...part 1

So, mom fail...I can't find my camera. I know it is around here somewhere. The sad thing about this is that there are few pictures of Christmas. :( Thankfully I have an iPhone. So there were a couple at least. My sisters are sending me the ones they have from out Christmas #3 in Houston.

So for now here are the moments captured...

Christmas #1:
Christmas eve with some of Mick's family. Mickaela and I volunteered at the church on Christmas eve in the nursery since they were short on volunteers. It was a lot of fun. (I have a story about that but it is for another post).

Mick's Mom, Dad, Brother and Niece came over to celebrate Christmas with Mick, Tristan, Mickaela and me. We had a great time and some decent chili (if I do say so myself). The kids got some awesome toys thanks to Grandma and Grandpa; Mick and Alex got a lesson in big wheel construction :).



Christmas #2:
Christmas Day was a first for all of us. Tristan was able to wake up with us on Christmas Day which was a first, and Mickaela, of course, was celebrating her first Christmas as well! :) It was such a blessing to watch their excitement and get to celebrate with our family on Christmas morning. Tristan got some awesome "heavy work" toys (therapy speak for high energy...tiring toys). A trampoline, a bean bag, and this awesome bubble ball that I found that is a huge inflatable ball that he can get inside of. (It is now his happy place).



This is the mess that was left behind...



To be continued...

A Bi-Polar Day

Today has been the most manic depressive day I've had in quite a while.

This morning I received some great and unexpected news at work.

Our hearts sang, and praised God for His blessings, and my wife and I celebrated together.

Then, during work, we received this news about our pastor of 5 years, Matt Chandler: 

In the first chapter of Philippians, the Apostle Paul writes that whatever imprisonments, beatings and trials he may have suffered, they all "serve to advance the gospel" of Jesus Christ. We implore you to keep the gospel of Christ as the main focus as we walk with Matt and Lauren through this trial.

On Tuesday, Dr. Barnett informed Matt and Lauren that the findings of the pathology report revealed a malignant brain tumor that was not encapsulated. The surgery to remove the tumor, the doctor said, was an extremely positive first step; however, because of the nature of the tumor, he was not able to remove all of it. (full transcript available here.)


Our hearts are heavy now, and our prayers are with Matt and Lauren Chandler, and their three kids Audrey, Reid, and Nora.  May they live faithfully, and be given wisdom, and excellent care as they endure this trial.  Through all of this, their hope has been to struggle well, and to point continually to the cross as their fulfillment.  Matt and Lauren both, by seeking Jesus, have found joy in even this circumstance.  They do not despair, or delude themselves.  They understand God planned this for them, and they are prepared for any resolution which may come from it.  Their hope is, no matter how this unfolds, people may see it and hear them testify about the grace, redemption, and worthiness of Jesus Christ. 

Please join us in praying for them, and our church.

 

As my friend Josh Sims reminded me; God is just as good, and just as deserving of praise this afternoon, as He was this morning.  No matter how hard that may be to remember.  

A Greek Assurance

Emily and I go to The Village Church.  We've been in the news lately as most of Dallas has heard about the health problems of our pastor Matt Chandler.  What many people don't know is how blessed our church body is to be lead by such a gifted group of pastors.  In Matt's absence we have continued to be cared for, challenged, and instructed with an unwavering hand.

One of those pastors called us to spend time dwelling on the person, and being of Jesus Christ this week.  His sermon, and the conversation the Holy Spirit inspired in our Home Group last Wednesday have rubbed against each other in my heart, and formed a devotional of sorts. 

In Revelations, God refers to himself as the Alpha and Omega three times. Most people know those as the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, symbolizing that God is the beginning and the end.  In recent days I have come to see them as an intimate, holy assurance of hope expressed in 2 Greek characters.  Hopefully I don't fail miserably in my attempt to share that with you. 

In Rev 1 God says:
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Webster defines Almighty as having an absolute power over all.  Absolute meaning there is no restriction, exception, or qualification on God's ability to affect.  It's as mind boggling as infinity, and as quantifiable as Pi.  He can stop a spinning atom with a thought, and all creation is under his authority.

Rev 21
6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

God is the beginning, and the end of all things.  Whatever you see in life, whether good or evil, living or dead, created or born, all things proceed completely from and return completely to God Almighty.  He is the source of Life and the Fire of judgment.  In Exodus this was Expressed in the name I AM.  I AM without boundary or beginning, without limitation or end.  I AM not encompassed or contained.  I AM defies description.

Rev 22
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

He is coming in power and terror.  A God, so great the mind cannot conceive His origin or the mechanism of his creation.  He will stand judgment over the multitude of humans he has created.  He will mete out Life and Death without restriction, exception, or qualification, and His Spirit will execute His will without failure.  Only God could stand before God to interceded.  Praise Jesus for our salvation.

Wednesday in Home Group we talked about anxieties; where they take root, and how we combat them.  In our conversation a common theme emerged.  Our anxieties often seem to be rooted in a proud place.  From the very beginning, the culture we live in has raised us to believe our value is in what we earn.  There is an assumption that if we "do the right things" everything will go well, and as people we are often judged solely on our results.  The rich are more respected than the poor, a stylish house is more honored than a bare one, and people are who buy designer clothing are more dependable than those who are threadbare.  Often, who we are isn't defined by what we do, but by how what we do turns out for us.  So we worry. 

We worry because part of us knows that even if we do everything right, the results of our actions are outside our control.  How much more is it the case when we only get almost everything right?  How much pressure does that put on every little thing to be perfect?  Regardless, the world still believes it is the results which define us, and the more we give ourselves over to the world, the more we believe the same thing.

So what should our response be? 

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

We who believe, look to Jesus Christ.  We find our worth in the assurance that while we were lost in darkness, with no hope of redemption, and no value in us, Christ demonstrated his love for us through his death, so we might live.  Our value is in the bounty that was paid on our behalf; which is the priceless blood of an Almighty God who became a man.  His blood buys us freedom from the standards of the world.  It leaves us unburdened to focus on conforming our hearts through our actions, and it allows us to trust in God Almighty to justify the work of our hands.  We are no longer defined by our money, our appearance, or even by our sins.  We are defined forever as children of God adopted by Jesus Christ, and God's nature assures we will live up to that pedigree.  His Almighty Will continues day by day to transform us from one degree of glory to the next, continually granting us greater freedom and joy, as He changes our nature into a reflection of Jesus. 

What a sweet heritage of freedom and redemption we have been given. 

Thanksgiving Feast #1

This past Sunday the Lesko family set out on an adventure to the house of the Henkle’s where a feast had been prepared to be enjoyed with the best home group ever. With 2 kids in tow the journey began… Tristan has not had the joy of being around this whole group on a regular basis; while a few faces would be familiar it was mostly uncharted waters for him, he tends to have behavior issues when in a new environment with lots of activity. He rarely if ever makes it through one of these events with out having an outburst or several outbursts. That day was exacerbated even more because he had not had a nap nor was he going to get one on time… so as you can imagine we were unsure of how this afternoon was going to play out.

Hoping to minimize damage and still enjoy the time we decided on a divide and conquer approach. One kid to one parent switch off if necessary. All hands in the middle and “GO LESKOS! on 3”.

Ange and Helmut have a beautiful house all decorated for the occasion with their fine china out, their dogs Samson, a Rottweiler and Poco, a Chihuahua were running about and the backdoor was open with a great view of their pool in the backyard. Tristan immediately found his “safe place” outside near the pool and the two dogs.

About 20 minutes into the trip I realize I made a salad and didn’t bring dressing. Mick graciously offers to go to the store. We adjust our plan I hand Mickaela off and make my way outside to check on Tristan. This is where the dance begins... Tristan realizes Mick is no longer there to keep him from the pool, thinking I am the weaker of the two (let’s face it I am a sucker for that smile), he begins ever so slightly walking toward the pool pointing and saying “water” “water”. I have a feeling he was thinking “maybe she won’t notice if I just put a foot in if I am telling her the whole time that it is water…she loves it when I talk”! I respond “Yes, water. We don’t get in that water.” He gets where this is going and moves back closer to the dogs, where he begins “doggie” “doggie”. I respond, “Yes, Good Job! Doggie, (pointing), big doggie, little doggie we pet the doggies.” I believe that boundaries have been established and all is going well to this point. I begin a conversation, when I catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye…”Tristan, We don’t ride the doggie, we pet the doggie”. Ange comes over; she gives her permission for Tristan to “ride” Samson and calls for her husband to come see. The group begins congregating outside laughing as Tristan climbs up onto Samson’s back and is guided around for a couple of minutes. Isaac luckily grabs his camera and snaps a couple picture of the immense joy on Tristan’s face. I thought for a second Samson was going to buck Tristan right into the pool, but alas Samson is just a big puppy and loved playing with Tristan. That was so much fun Tristan decided he should try the same thing with Poco (the Chihuahua)…Poco was not near as accommodating.

The rest of the afternoon was full of fun, laughter, good people, great food and only a one near meltdown. All in all a successful adventure, it is great to see how Tristan is growing and developing. It was also nice to be able to see what God has done in all of our lives as we were able to give Thanks.

Fall Pictures of the Lesko Gang

Here are a couple of our fall pictures that our sweet friend Paul took...you can see more at www.paulgoimages.com / clients password is Lesko.

Dr. Horrible, and Other Random Thoughts

I guess I should have titled this, "Other Random Thoughts, and Dr. Horrible" so it suggested the right order.  It didn't have the same ring to it though.

Other Thought 1:

Babies make you dumber.

It's true.  You know it, I know it, everybody knows it, and it's so accepted it has become normative.  For example, Mickaela is 10 months old now .  Isn't she cute?  

Yes.  Yes she is.  But not always.  Mickaela doesn't like getting into the car to go places, which is pretty typical for a kid.  The car seat must be traumatic or something.  Anyway, since the daily ritual of getting Mickaela into the car usually wound up with her in tears, Millie, being the sweet hearted mother she is, decided to start distracting her when she puts Mika in the car seat.  How you might ask?  Good question.  She... wee di wee di wee's her.  If you don't know what that means, I'm not surprised, but don't worry it isn't obscene.  She just makes her voice really high pitched, and starts squealing wee di wee di wee di wee di wee at Mickaela.  

It isn't a phrase often used in daily conversation, except among monkeys, and perhaps among Tribbles, or when talking to babies.  Make no mistake, it is also only one of many ridiculous sounds both she and I make at, or because of our baby.  

It's almost as though in trying to get Mickaela to learn English the two of us are active regressing.  Future updates are planned as I attempt to chronicle our precipitous return to our Cro-Magnon roots.


Other Thought 2:  

Houses are a lot of work.

Before you buy your first one, you don't really understand just how much work they are.  It's all HGTV, and interior design, and a pathway to financial independence.  Then... you movie in.  We (The Lesko's) have been hanging out in Frisco for just over 2 years, which really isn't a long time in the life of a house.  And yet... the Max, the grass, the laundry, the dishes, the hot water heater, the fence, the dishwasher, the microwave, and the refrigerator all seem to be marshaling their forces on a weekly basis for an assault against my free time.  I envision my enemies as an organized Posse.  

Now you understand why yard work makes me insane... or maybe you understand how being insane makes me want to carry a firearm while doing yard work.  



Dr. Horrible: 

Dr. Horrible and his Sing-Along Blog is Neil Patrick Harris' second foray into the realm of TV doctors, and let me say, this one is considerably more awesome than Doogie Howser.  He has an ambition, a nemesis, an unrequited love, a freeze ray, a Bad Horse, an Evil League of Evil, Wonderflonium, a strange side kick, and many more glorious moments.  It's the story of the true American Dream all wrapped up in harmonic amazing, and glorious hilarity.  I highly recommend it.  If you're interested, just set aside 45 minutes and enjoy.  I've linked to it... as part 1 of my nefarious plot to conquer the world.  Watch and be thrilled. PG-13.


This video expired on Hulu.  Sadly.  I tell you this though.  It was amazing, and you should google it if you can.

This concludes our post for today.

A first for me...

Last weekend Mick, the kids, and I went to a wedding. We are at the stage in our life where we have a lot of friends getting married we average at least 10 a year right now. I know. Well this was a first for us...
Yes that is a baseball field. My first thought was well this girl must be the right girl because somehow John convinced her to get married on a baseball field. My second was...What should I wear?!? The wedding was really cool. Our friend Rachael sang which was probably my favorite part because I have been wanting to hear her sing for some time now. There were many unique things about the wedding. I thought it was great that they made it their own. Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Hampton.

A picture of Mr. Tristan being his adorable self trying to patiently wait for cupcakes and running on the baseball field. :)

Mickaela taking a bath...I love it when her hair does that! :)

Mickaela and I after a craft show eating a little lunch outside a couple weeks ago. I just like how her pink stroller makes her eyes stand out. :)

This weekend will be Miss Mickaela's first Halloween so hold your breath I might just get some pictures up here of that. :)

Operation Assimilate Max: Round 2

Yesterday I left Max in his kennel all day because it was raining and cold outside and who wants to be out in that. Feeling like a good dog mom I went to work.

When I got home I let Max outside and gave him some food and was getting ready to go to Mick's brother's house to see his sister who is in the process of moving to Dallas.

So...I decided to let Max stay in the house but not in his kennel because it was still raining and I felt bad putting him back in his kennel after being in it all day. Again feeling like such a nice dog mom I left to see the family.

2 hours later this is what I return home to:

Operation Assimilate Max: FAIL!

Mom!

Tristan thrives on routine.  It's really the only thing that brings him, and us, peace.

One of the sweeter byproducts of having so much routine for him, is when things start to happen outside the norm we notice. After so long, it's become his routine that really makes his growth stand out. 

Right now a typical weeknight looks like this:

1. Walk in the door
2. Go to your seat Tristan
3. Eat dinner
4. Sneak half of dinner to Max while mommy and daddy aren't looking
5. Play for a bit
   
6. Bathtime with the sister
7. (and this is the new part) "Mom!...  Mooom!...  MOm!", "Emmy's coming Tristan.", "Mom!  Mooom!  MOm! Mom-mie!"

I can't tell you how welcome his chatter is to my ears, and all the while Mickaela babbles away in the background.

My wife is a blessing to our kids, and all of them make our house a happy home... it's musical.

The Twitter Conundrum

There's a pizzeria near our house named Durkin's Pizza.  It's the kind of place that makes you want to support it.  Privately owned and operated, and run by one of the more interesting people you'll find anywhere, you can count on 3 things every time you go there:

• A great atmosphere intentionally constructed to encourage conversation
• Outstanding food at a good price
  
• A warm welcome
  

The place is run by Michael Durkin, and the guy must spend 100+ hours a week working because he's been there every time I've been there, day or night.

My buddy Dave and I went to Durkin's last night for a late dinner around 9, and as usual Durkin was the lone employee on duty.  The happening restaurant was mostly empty, and the lull in business allowed for a great conversation between Durkin, Dave and Myself.

With U2 coming to town, the conversation eventually turned to the concert and how Bono is one of the only showmen who is worth $200.  Durkin's position... experiences are what make life valuable, and of all the things you can spend $200 on, an experience you will have for a lifetime ranks near the top.

So, what does this have to do with Twitter?

I completely agree with him.  One of my favorite things in the world is losing myself in a moment.  Allowing everything else to fade away and being consumed by the simple blessing of whatever I find myself doing.  In fact, that's my favorite thing about our newest social media phenomenon.  The small everyday experiences that make life enjoyable for us can now have a shadow of themselves conveyed through a blurb, and a photo.  We can share the breakfast with our kids, or the drinks with our friends, and let people into the joy God allows us to find in those moments.

So why is it a conundrum?

While I enjoy being let into other people's lives, for me, tweeting means I'm stepping out of the moment God has given me and reducing it to a glimpse to be consumed by a nameless group.  The gift of knowing that I'm currently living in a uniquely joyful experience is a slippery awareness for me.  As soon as I start thinking about sharing the moment, or as soon as I remove my thoughts from the experience so I can take a picture or type a tweet... the moment leaves me.  It's like the event loses it's uniqueness.  It's my own ADD version of a catch 22. 

All that to say, I think I've become a twitter voyeur.  I enjoy seeing how good God can be in the lives of my friends, and I enjoy living in the moment when I realize how good God is in my life. 

You may see me tweet interesting tid bits, or joke with my friends, or share an interesting quote, but for the most part... twitter feels like reduction of real life.  You'll have to talk to me in person for the good stuff, or if Em convinces me to write one, you might be able to read the blog post.

The Worst Question of All Time at 4 AM

Hi everyone,

Last night was, by turns, the most disgusting and hysterical night yet in the Lesko household. (For all you guys trying to swat that one out of the park, you can suck it.) To set the stage a little bit, I need to share with you the plight of Max our dog.

Max is 10 months old, and the boy thrives on the time he spends with the family. Unfortunately, he also spends a lot of time alone. During our time at work he's in the back yard, during the night he's locked in his kennel. So for most of his day he rocks it old school solo. Now we can see him get depressed each time we put him outside or in his kennel, and damnit if he isn't such a good dog that it just breaks our heart, so we decided we were going to try to do something about all of his alone time.

The first step in operation Assimilate Max was to get him a portable doggy bed. The plan was to put the bed in his kennel for a while, then move it bit by bit to where we wanted him to spend the night, but ultimately allowing him the freedom to walk the house. The first step in moving the bed is to keep the door to the kennel closed, but unlocked, to see how Max will do with his new boundaries. Well last night around 1 am I woke up to hear Max roaming around the bedroom, and as I'm sure most of you understand my commitment to operation Assimilate Max waned strongly after being woken up in the middle of the night. I went and put him back in his kennel and locked the door. As I went back to bed, I thought I smelled something awful, so I checked the floor as best I could in the dark, and eventually brushed it off to Max having gas.

Fast Forward

4 AM

Mickaela is crying in her bedroom, and Emily and I are participating in our nightly standoff to see who loves our child more than sleep. Since I had already gotten up once with Max I steeled myself to out wait mom, and eventually, just according to my plan, Emily leaves the bed to see to Mickaela. About halfway down the hall I hear Em cry out, and being half asleep I sat bolt upright and asked if she was ok. Her response, "Mickey come here!" Thinking I'm walking into some kind of catastrophic hallway injury I dash from my bed to Emily in the hallway, and find her framed by the bathroom light. As I survey the scene I begin to notice things in slow motion, first Emily is standing as expected on one leg, holding her other leg as if injured. Next, there is something on the floor which she clearly stepped on. Third, that thing on the floor is a pile of poop. Fourth, Emily is not injured. As the two of us stood there in the middle of the night starting at each other over a pile of poop the following exchange took place.

Emily in a whiney voice: Mickey, what is that?

Me very matter of factly: It's poop.

Emily in an even more whiney voice: Who's poop is it?!?!

At that moment I caught a clear glimpse into the world Emily lives in. Living with a dog, and two Lesko boys, when she comes across a pile of poop on the floor she just isn't sure who it belongs to. "Who's poop is it?" is clearly the worst question that can possibly be asked at 4 AM. There is no scenario where that question starts or ends well.

Only God can possibly redeem such a warped reality. Please pray for her.

To my darling wife, I know I've done many things but to this day I have not, nor do I ever plan to, poop on the floor of our house. If the time ever comes where I do poop on the floor, I promise to tell you where before you step in it. I could have written this into our wedding vows but in my wildest dreams I couldn't imagine the scenario where such a thing would need to be clarified.

I love you, I'm sorry you stepped in dog poop barefoot. Have a good day at work.