Eli Came Early

He's here! Four weeks early, but what a present! His presence not only means that I'm now officially a daddy, but also we can claim him on our 2009 tax return. He was born at 3:16p today, is 17 inches long and weighs 6 lbs 1oz. Momma is doing really well and momma did a terrific job.

Baby Registry

I've been told we need to put a link to our baby registry on here. For anyone looking to get our baby a gift you can visit our registry below. Gift cards are always welcome. Thanks to everyone who has given us a gift so far.

Babies"R"Us - Baby Registry

32 Weeks and Counting

Merry Christmas! Well, almost. Thanks to Picnik for assisting in the creation of our Christmas picture (on the right). The picture was taken at the wedding of Allison's cousin, Ben, over Thanksgiving break. We were able to spend four days with family and it was great considering we don't think we'll be able to go home for Christmas. So, that means Allison and I will be spending Christmas morning alone for the first time ever. We've made plans to make it fun, so don't feel too bad for us.

On a different note.

I've never liked it when a couple devotes their entire blog to updating everyone on their new baby, so I will try hard not to do the same. Don't get me wrong, I'll post updates on Eli, but I don't want this to turn into a baby blog. So, he is healthy (as far as we know), moving around a lot (keeping Mom awake at night), and will be with us shortly. I'll add pictures of Allison and I as babies below just to give you an idea of what he may look like.













And here's our most recent funny story: While in Paris, Allison and I stopped at Sonic for a burger during lunch - the fact that we ordered a burger is irrelevant - and I also ordered a cup of water. I sat the cup in the console of our vehicle. That night, Allison placed her tissue (filled with snot) inside the cup - I did not see her do this. When we got out of the car, I grab the cup and began drinking from it. I did notice it tasted a little different, but didn't stop drinking until Allison said, "Gary, I put my snot tissue in there!". Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Eli James Malone

We finally settled on a name for our baby boy. We spent months trying to decide between, Knox and Jaxon, and actually decided to go with Knox. However, we both never felt completely satisfied with it. So, two weeks ago (30 minutes after deciding on Knox) we were driving home and I had the thought, "What if he gets older and hates his name? Is there any other name out there?" Out of nowhere the name, Eli, pops into my head. In all of our time deciding on a name never did we mention that one. It just never occurred to us. So, after having the thought I look over at Allison and said, "What do you think about the name, Eli?" She smiled and said she really liked it. From that moment on his name was, Eli (and Eli was his name-o). For all of you who were thrown for a loop when you found out the name was Eli, be comforted to know that we were just as surprised.

Wisdom Teeth Blues

At 9am this morning I (Gary) had my wisdom teeth removed. I don't feel as smart now. It didn't hurt as much as I thought, I just couldn't feel my face for a while. The doc put me under a heavy sedation and the last thing I remember saying was, "are you talking to me so that I don't think about going to sleep...", and I was out! The funny thing is I don't remember much until after I came home and woke up from a nap. But, prior to taking a nap I thought I would record a video on facebook - I don't record videos on facebook. I vaguely remember doing this, very vaguely. I hadn't taken any drugs, I was just still out of it from the IV. I thought it was funny enough to post on here. Enjoy.

Marriage Retreat

Saying "marriage is easy" would be the equivalent of saying "this booger tastes good" - neither hold much truth. If you're reading this and not married then I'm sorry to burst your bubble. It's not that we are terrible people (I have a wonderful wife) it's just that we're human beings. Let me be honest, there have been times when I'd rather have a flaming hot dog shoved up my nose than resolve a conflict. However, in my one year and nine month experience it has been nothing short of incredible - good, bad, and ugly.

This past weekend Allison and I had the privilege of attending a marriage retreat - put on by Young Life - at a Young Life camp property in Colorado (Trail West). We been to marriage conferences where you sit down and they tell you how to make everything right, but this was different. The speakers, music leader, and program team did an amazing job making sure this retreat wasn't just a fluffy three days in the mountains. Rather, they made it a time where a husband and wife could take an honest look at their marriage and take the steps necessary in creating/maintaining a marriage honoring God and each other. Walls were broken, feelings were expressed, and grace abounded. How grateful we are for the folks at Young Life for their effort in helping us in our journey.



We were not the only couple from the Houston area to attend. From left to right in the picture is Doug and Brooke Tigtig (my Area Director), Will and Tara Otto (staff in NW Houston), and Brian and Heather Reeder (staff in the Houston bay area). They've each been married much longer than Allison and are always a blast to hang around. One things YL does so well in is making sure staff do not feel like they're all alone in ministry. We have a terrific group of staff people in the Houston Region and I feel fortunate to be here.

I'll leave you with another picture taken at the retreat. Allison is currently 23 weeks prego and we're getting close on nailing down a name.

The Great Debate

Is it a boy or girl?

This past Wednesday Allison and I went to the doctor to find out the gender of the little human being inside her belly. For most parents-to-be this is a highly anticipated event. By knowing the gender we can eliminate calling the thing in her belly an "it", focus on gender specific names, and answer the always asked question "is it a boy or girl?". More importantly, as a father, it lets me know if I need to start buying footballs and fishing poles or ribbons and lace. So, without further ado, I present the pictures that were printed for us at the doctors office and decide yourself if it's a boy or girl.



This is just a profile shot of the face. You can't really tell too much of the gender, but for the next picture the baby turns bottom up and gives us a solid shot of his buttocks and what's between.



There's no arguing here! It's a boy! For the record, from the very first day we knew Allison was pregnant I thought it would be a boy. The reason: I trained my 'Y' chromosomes to swim faster than my 'X'. We're excited about HIM coming into the world and I know our family is as well. I was reminded by my uncle the other day that our baby will be the first boy born into my(Gary) side of the family in 14 years. We have six beautiful little girls and now they have a cousin who can protect them - or who they can dress up like a girl...

Allison is officially 20 weeks pregnant and pregnancy has been good to the both of us(directly her, indirectly me). She feels very fortunate to not have had any morning sickness, illness, or unpredictable hormonal swings - I'm most grateful for that. After watching the sonogram this past week we learned that he weighs approximately 12 ounces and seems to be a healthy, strapping young boy. Allison can feel him move around - which he does quite a bit - and I've been able to feel a kick here and there. I can already tell we'll have our hands full.

Our favorite name so far is a combination of my grandfather's and grandmother's:
Buford Clydine - what do you think?

just call me 'Pops'

It's a fetus! And it's ours...crazy, right? Allison is currently eight weeks prego and a few days ago we got to listen to the heartbeat. Crazy beautiful.

I know it's going to be a boy, because when the doc did a sonogram we saw him doing push-ups on the yolk sack (right above his head). He should come out of the womb as strong as an ox.

3,500 Miles

Back in the day a band called, The Proclaimers, wrote a song about walking 5,000 miles (titled, "I'm Gonna Be"). Last week we drove a little over 3,500 miles and there is no way I would walk that - Forest Gump, maybe, but not me. Just to clarify, I did not add an extra zero, I meant to write THREE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED miles in one week. The journey went like this:

Friday, 2p-4p Sugar Land to College Station (2 hours)

We went to visit some old Young Life guys of mine who were graduating high school. The graduation gift consisted of a box of Ramen noodles and Oatmeal Creme Pies wrapped in duck (or duct) tape. I called it "The College Survial Kit"

Friday, 6p-10:30p College Station to Paris, TX (4 1/2 hours)

We stayed the weekend with family. Went to Chloe's gymnastic recital and took some great videos.

Monday, 9a-10p Paris, TX to Kingsport, TN (13 hours)

Our destination is Lynchburg, but we stopped and stayed with Emily's (Allison's best friend from high school) mom. This was the second time we've stayed there and both visits have been a great break from the road. We woke up to fresh ground coffee and a home-made breakfast (aka. southern hospitality)

Tuesday, 11a-3:30p, Kingsport, TN to Lynchburg, VA (4 1/2 hours)

Our first day in Lynchburg. We wanted to stop at an antique/furniture/junk store on our way in town, but for whatever reason it doesn't open on Tuesdays. Seriously, what store doesn't open on Tuesdays? We met up with a friend of mine that I worked with/for while we live in Lynchburg and had a great visit with his family. That night we drove to Amherst (about 18 miles outside lynchburg) to stay with the Pelfrey's - a family from the church I worked at that we became very fond of.

Wednesday, In Lynchburg

After spending the day with old friends we were given the opportunity to stay in a cabin settled in the mountains. It was a much needed retreat and you couldn't beat the solitude we were able to experience. For dinner that night we met up with some of the kids from the youth group at CiCis. Afterwards we went to one of their houses and played basketball (I played basketball, Allison talked with one of their moms).

Thursday, still in Lynchburg

We spent the morning cooking breakfast and hiking a little over a mile on the mountain trails. This was not a relaxing hike, it was uphill and at times Allison had to carry me on her back. Ok, she didn't have to carry me on her back, but we did sweat. We had planned on staying in the cabin another night, but a storm blew in and we didn't want to get stuck in the mountains (although, it wouldn't have been a bad place to get stuck). We ended up staying with the same people we stayed with the first night and once again it was a good visit. Our two nights staying with the Pelfrey's made our trip much better. Friends we had originally seen the first day invited us back over to their house for dinner and cooked burgers.

Friday, 9:30a - 3:30a, Lynchburg, VA to Paris, TX (18 hours)

You read it right. We drove 18 hours without stopping except for food and gas and at one point got 40 mpg. Each time I've driven that amount I've felt exhausted, but for some reason if I needed to I could've driven another 10 hours.

Saturday, In Paris

Hung out with family

Sunday, 1p-6p, Paris, TX to Sugar Land, TX (5 hours)

It was really nice to be home, unpack, and rest. We actually drove a little over 3,600 miles, but before I could get the actual number off the dash Allison reset it. There was a lot of driving done while in College Station, Paris, and Lynchburg that isn't accounted for in this blog.

Highlights of the trip:

seeing old YL kids(and their family) before they graduate high school (C.S.)
visiting with family (Paris)
time with with Chloe (niece)
talking with my grandma
great surprise moments with the camera ("everyone say..."
staying with Emily's mom (TN)
dinner with kids at CiCis (VA)
dinner with the Fosters (VA)
visiting with Ryan and Ginny (VA)
staying with the Pelfreys (VA)
chuck and his cabin (VA)
basketball at the Conrads (VA)
getting our vacuum (VA)
driving 18 hours
40 mpg
the mountains (you know this isn't in TX)
getting a free cup of pickles at Subway (TX)
hiking (VA)
staying with the Johnsons (TX)
finding three boxes in my grandma's shed I though I had lost
my wife being there beside me

The Snake Wrangler

Here's the story: As I was driving to Stuart and Dev's place I passed a large snake in the middle of the road. It was coiled up and looked like a rattler, so I decided to turn around and run over it - please don't call PETA. I wouldn't normally do that, but there was a path for joggers right beside the road. Can you imagine the reaction from a woman who might be pushing a stroller??? Not good. So, I ran over it. I figured I flattened it, but when me and Stu went back to look it was still alive in the road. By this time cars were stopping to look and we decided the best thing to do was get it off the road...but, we didn't know how.

This is where my incredible van comes into play. About a week ago I picked up some lumber out of a dumpster and thankfully it was still in my van (I was going to try to use a tennis racket, but Stu talked me out of it). As you can see in the video I wasn't man enough to pick the snake up by the head, instead, I opted to throw it with the piece of wood. After getting the snake out of the road it made its way back to the brush. Problem solved.

I put the video on here because there aren't many times a person gets to play with a snake like that. I must admit that I felt a little less manly for not picking it up with my hands. The guy from 'Man vs. Wild' would probably laugh at this...in disgust, not because it's funny.

Bogey and Me

Allison and I watched the movie, "Marley and Me" not too long ago and it was lame..err I mean, really good. Ok, ok, it was sad, but seriously, who in their right mind treats an animal like a human being??? Billions of dollars are spent on vet care, purchasing an animal, and animal accessories every year while millions of people go hungry at night. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I confess, I spend money on my dog. A brotha has to eat, right? We buy him dog food. We bought a collar. We bought a leash. We bought pee-pads (occasionally, he will still poop by the backdoor). This isn't supposed to be a 'bash on people for spending too much money on their pets while the world goes hungry' post, so I'll move on. This is about my dog.

We finally got a dog and I think he's the best dog in the world. I'm a proud dad. If not the best dog, then definitely in the top 10. His name is Bogey and we got him from my grandma when he was a little over a year old. He knows how to sit and how to go to bed when you tell him to. He can also sing a mean karaoke version of 'Single Ladies'. Just kidding, everyone knows dogs can't sing karaoke - but only because they have a difficult time reading the words. Maybe if the words were written in 'dog' then they could. That was a joke too. (insert laugh here)

Allison and I enjoy bike riding. Allison had the idea of bringing Bogey on our bike ride the other day. I thought we would just hold a leash while he ran, but no, Allison had a brilliant idea. Instead of Bogey having to do all that running she wanted to strap a blue crate to the back of my bike and let him ride in it. See the pictures below.





Cute, right? We rode around for about twenty minutes and he did great. We had the bottom of the crate padded with a blanket and he sat and enjoyed the ride probably more than we did. However, on our way back home, as we passed two kids and their dog, Bogey decides that it would be a good idea to jump out of the crate after the dog. It wasn't the worst idea, but we had a leash tied very short (I thought too short for him to jump out) to the inside of the crate. When he jumped out he didn't go far, because the leash stopped him. I don't have a picture of Bogey being hung by the leash but it wasn't a good sight. I saw the shadow of his little body dangling beside the bike, then I heard Allison behind my telling me to stop, so I reached back and threw him back in the crate. The funniest thing was the faces of the kids! I can only imagine the story they went home with.

After having a dog that I really enjoy I can understand why a person would pay a lot of money to keep a pet around. That doesn't mean that I will, I'm just a little more understanding.

The gypsies never stop!

So it's been a while, and for that I apologize. I'm feeling uninspired at the moment but thought I would take advantage of this free moment to share a little of our life right now.
We had an amazing holiday season full of traveling, family, friends, new experiences, and lots of goodies of course!
As many of you know we just hit the 1 year mark! Whoop for marriage! We decided since life has been mostly insane the past year we needed to get away, so we took advantage of our good buddy Bryan and stayed at his families ranch house in Hearne, TX. We were there just for a weekend, but it was a good time of just relaxing, 4wheeler riding, fishing, roasting smores, classic movies, and enjoying each others presence - uninterrupted.
On from there we drove to Paris for Christmas festivities. We had a blast and drove back to Sugar Land on Christmas night in order to leave the following morning for our YL ski trip. As the gypsies we are, we set off with around 50 people total, including the San Antonio YL crew, on a near 30 hour bus ride up to Crooked Creek Ranch in Winter Park, CO. We skied for 3 days, of which I only skied 2, and for my first time skiing I have to say I am proud of myself for only falling once - thank you very much!
When we got back home, we spent most of the week cleaning house, visiting people, and packing again to leave for yet another trip to CO where we currently are residing for the next 2 weeks. Gary is attending YL's 1st year staff training, and I am just soakin up the sun on the glorious snow-laden mountains at Frontier Ranch in Buena Vista, CO.
Needless to say its been a pretty eventful, fun, and somewhat tiring holiday season. I'll leave you with some pictures of all of these events...
These are our beautiful nieces Cydnie, and her new baby sister, Criss

This is my mom's side of the family... there's never a crowd when its the one's you love

And the rest are from Winter Park, CO... Young Life Ski Trip 2008!