The Boles Family Blog

Time Warp... Again... Again... ???

2008-01-19T15:48:00.000-05:00

Okay. We admit it. We're slackers.

Since our last post (Dec. 6, 2007), we have...

Taken a trip to Town Center Mall, to see Santa Claus, a new family tradition which also included making Biscuits and Chocolate Gravy for breakfast, courtesy of Chef's Drew and Daddy
Taken a trip to downtown Kennesaw, to see the Christmas Parade - and enjoyed some yummy biscuits from the Whistlestop Cafe
Taken a trip (with Celtic Cross) to Life University to see "Lights of Life 2007"
Made some special cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve
Enjoyed Christmas morning... (Santa came!) at home.
Enjoyed Terrell Family Christmas at the Kemper's home in Calhoun
Enjoyed Boles Family Christmas at home, with Dan's family
Rang in 2008 with a few close friends
...and so much more!

To see pictures from all of this, and more - just take a look at our Pictures Gallery online.

Blessings to you in this new year!
~ The Boles Family

Snow-Tease! (Rated G)

2008-01-19T15:36:00.000-05:00

Snow-Tease: (adj.) the sad occasion in which a snow-bird (someone who likes snow) is given false hope by Mother Nature and/or "weather experts" (people on t.v. that claim to know what the weather is going to do in the future) that it might actually snow. This is often accompanied by either no snow at all, or worse in the eyes of a snow-bird... a "dusting" of snow, that melts as fast as it appears. Such an occasion happened on the 19th day of January in the year of our Lord, 2008.

Cheers.
~ The Boles Family

Let's do the time warp... again!

2007-12-06T20:53:00.000-05:00

Where did the last 6 weeks go? We're very busy preparing for Christmas; hope everyone is enjoying the wonder and mystery of this wonderful Advent season.

Below you'll find several different slideshows from the last six weeks, and a video of Drew singing "Hello Mr. Turkey" at his Preschool Thanksgiving Feast. :-)

~ The Boles Family

Grandma Terrell's 60th Birthday Party :: October 27, 2007

Preschool Party & Family Field Trip to Henry's Louisiana Grill

Trick or Treat! 2007

Boles Family Photo Shoot :: November 5, 2007

Kennesaw Mountain Hiking Trip :: November 10, 2007

Other Pictures from November...

Video: "Hello Mr. Turkey, How R U?"

That Drew, He Grew and He Grew and He Grew!

2007-10-21T23:53:00.000-04:00

Drew came to the hospital today to visit his Mama, Daddy, and little brother Charlie. Now that Amanda and I have had a couple of days to get to know Charlie, seeing Drew again for the first time in two days just made us both all the more aware of how much Drew has grown recently.

One of our favorite bed time stories to read with Drew is "Love You Forever." The book for those of you that aren't familiar, is about a little boy whose mother "held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth..." Throughout the story, we get a glimpse of the different stages and ages of this little boy's life from the time he's a baby all the way up until he's a grown man with a baby of his own. Every other page or so the book transitions from each stage and age as the little boy grows. Its this part of the book that is one of Drew's favorite parts to read along to - "Well that little boy grew. He grew and he grew and he grew."

Indeed. That little boy grew. I dug back through some pictures to see what Drew looked like a year ago. One year ago, we were in Destin, Florida on vacation with Amanda's family.

<--------- Then.

<---------- Now.

We've had lots of visitor's the last couple days, and countless people to thank for all the love, support and warmth they've shown us. Here's a few more pictures. Enjoy!

Introducing Charles David Boles

2007-10-19T18:40:00.000-04:00

He's here!

Born on 10/19/2007 @ 12:39 p.m.
6 lbs 15 oz.
18 inches long
brown/blond hair

Everyone is healthy and doing great! And so far, Drew is doing well with Charlie's arrival.

Some pictures from today...

Good night!
Dan & Amanda.

3 to 4, the night before...

2007-10-18T22:26:00.000-04:00

The last few days have been wonderful. Amanda and I have spent a lot of quality time with Drew. Brunch with the Browns, a great time at Monkey Joe's, and we even went to Build-A-Bear where Drew built "Puppy" (a puppy! go figure?) as a "welcome home present" for Charlie.

Drew has been all smiles these last few days. At least until today. He knows something is up. He knows somehow, instinctively that his life is about to change dramatically. He knows. Grandma and Grandpa came to pick him up this afternoon to keep him while we're in the hospital. As they drove away, the look in Drew's eyes, the giant tears rolling down his cheeks, and the big fat bottom lip said it all.

Tomorrow will go down as a day the Boles Family will never forget. The day Charles David Boles moves us from a family of "3" to a family of "4." As I look around the house, I look at all the pictures of Drew hanging on the wall. I look at how happy he is in all the pictures. And I can't help but wonder - especially given all the upsets in college football this year - if this change is about to upset our household. How will Drew react? How will Amanda and I react? What will Charlie think of us? Will he cry all the time? Or will he be Mr. Cool?

I don't know. I can't sleep. I'm excited. I'm scared. And Amanda and I can't wait to meet Charlie.

Things to remember about the week/year Charlie was born...

Tiger wins innaugural FedEx Cup; cashes in $10 million bonus.
Colorado Rockies come out of nowhere - clinch NLCS.
ALCS between the Boston Red Sox & Cleveland Indians.
Braves not in the picture; not even close.
Torre leaves Yankees
Appalachian State stuns Big Blue, in Ann Arbor!
Stanford beats USC.
Tennessee beats UGA 35-14 (Go Vols!)
#1's & #2's not safe in NCAAF/BCS... a year of upsets.
Kentucky and South Carolina dominate SEC East???
Rutgers destroys USF's Cinderella dreams with a Knightmare.
Weather: warm, rainy.

Anxious in Atlanta.
Dan

Drew's 1st Boat Ride

2007-08-31T22:42:00.000-04:00

Drew and Daddy joined Paw Paw on the lake today for Drew's 1st ever ride on the boat.

Adria & Rachael

2007-08-04T12:11:00.000-04:00

Amanda, Drew and I enjoyed our trip to Macon earlier this week. We spent the day with "Oma" (Dan's mother) and Adria (Dan's sister) and got to meet and hold the newest member of the family; Rachael! Of course, rushing out the door on Tuesday morning, we forgot the camera. But, we do have a couple pictures none-the-less.

Here's one of new mommy Adria, and baby Rachael.

Isn't she cute? :-)

Cheers.
The Boles Family

The Fat Boys Are Back...

2007-07-30T13:07:00.000-04:00

Okay, maybe not the actual "FAT BOYS" but - Beat Boxing is cool again! Word.

Cheers.
Dan

Family First

2007-07-30T12:26:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I had the privilege of preaching again at Covenant Presbyterian Church, where I've served as the Youth Minister for the last three years. It's hard to know if the presence of the Holy Spirit was alive in the pews as the congregation listened to my message, but it received a wonderful response as everyone was leaving the church.

The praise was bittersweet however. Shortly after my sermon, Ken (my father-in-law, and pastor of CPC) announced to the congregation that I would be resigning from my position effective August 15th. With our second child on the way in the next 2-3 months, and my already over-full schedule - something had to go. And, as difficult as the decision was, my position at Covenant made the most sense for my family. Amanda and I have thought about this, and prayed about this for a few months now. The family dynamic makes it that much harder on us. I'll miss the youth and congregation dearly because they've become my extended family over the last seven years.

I'll still continue serving in my capacity as Campus Minister for Celtic Cross (our presbytery supported PC(USA) campus ministry at KSU) part-time.

Please keep Covenant in your prayers as they seek God's direction for the Youth Ministry going forward, and seek my replacement. Pray that they find the minister God desires for their youth ministry, that the transition occurs smoothly, and that the wounds of my leaving heal quickly. I think God is doing wonderful things at Covenant. Please also keep Amanda and I in your prayers as we also go through this transition time, and welcome a new life into our home!

Cheers.
Dan

Hello Racheal.

2007-07-30T12:24:00.000-04:00

Yeah! My baby half-sister Adria delivered her own baby this morning at 8:57am. A healthy baby girl, Racheal. She weighed in at 6 lbs. and 4 oz. and has curly curly hair. :)

Amanda, Drew and I will travel down to Warner Robins tomorrow to spend some time with Adria & Rachael. We'll post pictures from the trip soon.

Congrats sis!

Dan

Field Trip: Lake Alatoona

2007-07-30T11:19:00.001-04:00

Drew and Daddy recently took a field trip to the lake.
While we were there, we learned about the lake, boats, shells, birds, and other things.
Here's a few pictures from the trip.

Drew, shortly after arriving at lakeshore. A bit timid and unsure.

Getting more confident... pondering the idea of getting closer.

Uh oh... he just realized that's water in there...
This could be bad.

Oooh. Pretty shells.

He discovered the water.
It only took about 1 hour to convince him to leave.

Cheers.
Dan, Amanda, & Drew

Next Generation Real Estate

2007-07-12T20:53:00.000-04:00

Saw this neighborhood this evening on the way home.
It's a new development off Bob Cox Rd. in Marietta.

They haven't even built the model home yet, but
I couldn't resist taking a couple pictures.

The adjacent lot is said to be under contract with a developer
planning a town-home community called "Friends."

I hear the developer is also considering building a new
condominium complex on Peachtree Road called "LOST."

A Hiking We Will Go...

2007-07-12T20:39:00.001-04:00

Drew, Millie and Daddy ventured out to Kennesaw Mountain Park, and Cheatham Hill for a little hike today. It was a gorgeous day for a hike. Mid-80's, and partly cloudy.

It was a little much to manage a two year old, and a dog by oneself, but never-the-less, Daddy managed. Here's a few pictures from the hike.

6 down, 3 to go...

2007-07-11T17:39:00.000-04:00

Amanda is gracefully moving along in her pregnancy.

She's now 24 weeks, or 6 months pregnant. Here's the most recent picture of her at the neighborhood pool just before our 1st "Dive-In" movie.

6 down, 3 to go!

Meet Manfred: "The Man-Van"

2007-07-10T15:49:00.001-04:00

After living in complete denial for a few years, we decided to see if we could make pigs fly. We purchased the one thing we said we'd never own. A mini-van.

Turns out, they're quite comfy, and practical.

So, here's Manfred. Our new 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT.
Look out soccer moms. Daddy's grabbin' life by the horns.

Cheers.

Steve Jobs... on Dan's Job (D5 Conference)

2007-07-07T00:47:00.000-04:00

Okay, so we didn't really go see Steve Jobs at the D5 conference. And we didn't even author this video, but the author (hat tip to Tim Schmoyer) is dead on.

Here, we find Steve answering a question from a man in the audience who asked for advice about his company. The reply Steve Jobs gave is an exact description of youth/campus ministry.

tech it out. huh huh. narf.

We're slackin... oh, and you're not the boss of us!

2007-07-07T00:41:00.001-04:00

Yeah, we've been slacking off. Too busy enjoying the pool and life to post recently.
You're not the boss of us. ;-)

Hope everyone had a fantastic 4th!
~ The Boles Family

Introducing Baby Boy Boles #2

2007-06-19T21:38:00.000-04:00

This is a side view of the baby. He is sucking his thumb.

Real Men Love Kids, Part II

2007-06-08T12:55:00.001-04:00

Some people often wonder what I do all day... and thanks to my friend Kevin at "Hooray For Saturday!" I recently discovered an article in the washington post that sums it up an as few words as possible.

The context of the article is a return left-handed uppercut from the author to a whiny woman with no children. Her friend is now a stay at home mom with kids and the whiny woman thinks that her friend no longer has time for her... The duties described in the article are described as those of a stay at home mom, but they apply to us SAHDs too.

Read on.

Cheers,
Dan

Real Men Love Kids

2007-06-08T10:43:00.000-04:00

Many know that in addition to my part-time role as a campus minister, I'm a FULL TIME stay at home dad and that I'm extremely proud of it. As we approach Father's Day though, I can't help but grimace at the flurry of articles that will depict, destruct, and stereotype what it means to be a dad. Even worse, the articles that almost mockingly depict the 147,000 (according to the most recent US Census) of us that stay at home with the kids as uber-hybrid-heroes.

Don't get me wrong... I think any stay at home parent is a hero. I grimace because everyone seems so shocked that a Dad would stay home, as if we're these parallel universe type dads from another planet, and they put us up on some sort of pedestal, albeit only for a few days, like we have some sort of debilitating disease or handicap. Ugh. Sensationalist journalism at its worst. What's even worse is how most people treat our wives for working. But that's another topic for another day.

Then there's the ones that stereotype and belittle us. Like the recent Stephen Colbert "Problems Without Solutions" report on Stay At Home Dads. I have two words for Stephen Colbert, and the Dads in Austin TX who did us no favors, but can't say them here because this is a family blog. At least a few SAHDs who have brains agree with me.

Luckily, from time to time there is a relevant article, radio segment, or t.v. spot that makes me smile instead of grimace. One of which is a radio segment that I will appear on next Friday, June 15th in a taped radio interview with distinguished radio reporter Alice Stockton-Rossini (1010 WINS in NYC, and former co-host of "Live From Queens" on Lifetime TV).

The interview is about stay at home fathers, and how things have (and mostly have NOT) changed in the past 15 years since the trend of stay at home fathers really started making some traction. The segment will air on the 1010 WINS morning show.

Another is an article that appeared in the Washington Post by fellow stay at home dad "RebelDad" Brian Reid. Check out the article "Parenting Like a Man."

Hat tip to Brian for the great article!

Just a swingin...

2007-06-03T21:04:00.000-04:00

Swingin' with my cuz, Bradley

Love,

Drew

Video fixed

2007-06-03T20:39:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know the video from last week is running now. There was a slight glitch in the code that has been fixed.

See previous post here.

just how pregnant is Amanda?

2007-05-31T18:42:00.000-04:00

See for yourself!

This picture was taken Monday, May 28, 2007 - approx. 17.5 weeks

Cooking With Max

2007-05-31T16:32:00.001-04:00

Daddy (aka: Dan) & Drew ventured out to Borders today for Story Time. There, we enjoyed some "Georgia Lemonade" with Max Nania - an 8 year old author and chef. Max was the "story time" today - well, really it was a nifty book tour and cooking demo. Never-the-less, Drew had a blast! Check out Max's book "Cooking with Max" for yourself by clicking on the title of this post. We're proud new owners of the book ourselves!

Above: Max with his book.

Above: Drew enjoying Storytime & the cooking demonstration at Borders.

Above: Drew enjoying some sweet "Georgia Lemonade."

Above: Drew even got Max's autograph in the cover of his new book.

Cheers!

The Boles Family.