Another look at SWS & the camp model

ok. More thoughts on SWS & critique of how camp (& camps) operate.

CAMPER AGES:
Some weeks stick with a specific, more narrow camper age group, SWS has stayed with the more open bracket of 8-18. Let's examine these choices.

Note: For those who may consider that I'm trashing SWS or heavily criticizing it... 1. that couldn't be further from the truth. 2. My way of critiquing comes from an Art School mentality: shoot it with everything you've got... those items that didn't sink, are worthy of repair (as needed) & continued use... anything that sank... retrieve it... put it on the shore and repair it later. Example: I thought I had a good argument for totally dumping the video... I was wrong. It is highly useful... I just believe that it should be changed/repurposed. That said... on with tonights discussion. BTW... i'm going to remove the moderation thing soon... your comments should show more quickly.

Broad Age Range (8 – 18):
Cons - each of the section coordinators (education, activities, program, etc...) have to broaden their scope a bit. There has to be specific attention to age-appropriate presentation. There will likely be a wide variety of age appropriate activities and a vast array of attention-spans. Mix in the fact that roughly half of the kids have an earlier bed time many nights thus apportioning part of the staff to in-cabin duties (thus not available for additional camp wide activities). Because there is a segment of the counselors that are in cabins later in the evening, there is the need (nay, even responsibility) of giving each counselor their due "night off." The couselors do sort this out, but it is an added item to be considered.

Pros - Here you can actually divide the care, observation & leadership of the youngest in the crowd with some of the older campers. If you have a good group of older campers, it's often a great way to facilitate leadership skills in the older group by having them lead & influence the younger group. The broader age range often requires each activity to be creatively built to accommodate both older and younger campers even to the point that the older campers are encouraged to assist & guide the younger campers.

NeutralBroader age ranges of campers have a much more diverse dynamic that can be used to both positive & negative ends. It takes a creative, inventive group to manage this well.

Conclusions - The broad age range model (for good or bad) offers it's own unique brand of challenges. The staff must have a diverse range of gifts tolerances for the challenges that you'll find in this environment. As you approach the broader group, you must aim your message toward the middle and allow it to shotgun & spread.

Narrow Age Range:
Cons - Some weeks opt for a model where a specific age range is targeted. Whether by restricted registration or by attraction model... or simply demographic that arrive, this creates a more narrow view of the topic. Thus less facets are examined and potentially more people could miss the point. As a more homogenous crowd tends to have a less volatile nature, the education program takes on a homogeneous flavor that results in less creative spontaneity. Topic discussions may only vary in degrees and less accommodations call for less "flare for the creative" to solve. You may find yourself in a "one size fits all" mentality, and thus we realize that one size does not fit all. Take that how you like it.

You may see more dynamics that create some hot bed activities. Among older campers this can be a relational (emotional cesspool or hormonal blindness among teens) and among the younger you can simply have the task of herding cats... trying to get the group all focused on one item at one time.

Pros - The homogenous approach may allow for a more focused approach to some topics. This allows the message to be driven home and massaged in more thoroughly. The theme may maintain a more consistent feel and thus be less sporadic. As the staff faces less challenge in the disseminating the message, they are able to focus more on the content of the message. Now each of the components begin to take on a more mechanical approach which has it's own drawbacks, but is more predictable.

You also find yourself staffed & prepared for a specific age range of issues. Though these can be wildly varied, they still tend to have the same temperature of immediacy when they arise. The staff can operate as ONE CAMP all the time rather than having times of a divided staff having the entire camper population having the same bed time.

Neutral - With a narrow age range, the campers come to certain expectations of the material, activities and time allotments. These expectations can give you an a view of how the week's flow might play out.

Conclusions - Whether good or bad, the narrow age range will allow you to see more continuity... but possibly monotony. Narrowing the age range may control certain program factors, however you still have the cost of having a much larger crowd that can move in one direction much faster... Sometimes that is desired, other times it can become a challenge to control.

Maxxed Out Camp
Cons - Unfortunately, the more campers there are, the less room for staff. There's an optimum point where the number of staff on campus at all times is a viable control component to the number of campers. The unfortunate part requires that some staff members commute in and out on a regular basis or are only there part time. Though all hands are welcomed, the time of travel to accommodate additional staff needs may cause restrictions to activities and program related functions.

Additionally, as the number of campers goes up, the camper/staff ratio is stretched. This also has it's optimum point and maximum stress points.

Pros -
Everyone can attest to the energy felt at camp when it's packed to the gills! For those who've been to lower-attended weeks... the facility just feels plain empty. Add to that a lower level of energy from the staff of those weeks... you get the picture. I think the camp being full to capacity with campers offers a great deal of energy and a dynamic that leads to a very impactive program.

Conclusion -
Of course, considering safety... the numbers should be monitored... but i don't think lowering the number of campers would be necessary. There's always the thought of adding facilities that would permit a slightly higher capacity (both campers and staff)

Staff Continuity - [mostly same staff yearly]
Cons:
As someone stated in the previous post, having fresh meat... blood... uh... new folks offers a great revitalization of the week. Having the same folks each year tends to see the same things get re-hashed each year in a slightly different flavor. People exiting for periods of time can often allow activities to gain new life by others taking them on or allow new activities to emerge. That said, some activities, programs & attitudes may be revitalized upon the return of an old feature that once again becomes relevant.

Pros:
As you bring in a consistent staff core, you alleviate the need to "re-train" the thought process. Needless to say, this keeps things moving and the mechanics to a minimum as people are able to ignore some of the structure and simply fall into their place without thinking. The same staff returning brings some old tricks back and keeps us from "reinventing the wheel."

Conclusions:
Another tie... y'gotta admit... if everyone returned, you'd see a stagnation.. however, having a strong core brings back a familiarity that allows the week to progress and the system to work.

Engineer... oh, wait... i mean the CREW Trailer -
Cons:
LOL!!! Besides the memories founded in this mighty structure... what can be said... could it actually be moved? or would you have to burn it to the ground where it sits?

Pros:
It has been passed down like a baton at a track meet.... but, there comes a time when you've got to retire one baton...

Conclusions:
Maybe Thig could come back and do one last fireworks show.

Ownership -
Cons:
As a person takes on a job function, the person might mistakenly believe themselves to be irreplaceable. This transforms the positive of "ownership" into an attitude of entitlement. If a person keeps too firm of a grasp on their role, they may not elicit the continuous creativity to keep their part vital. It is also a great skill (yet difficult to accept) to know when one's role needs change or even an overhaul. It may also dissolve into an attitude of pridefulness that creates an abrasive environment in which to work. Sometimes the pride may keep a person from training their replacement as a fear that their talent would be forgotten.

Pros:
As a person owns their job, they internalize the position and bring their entire skill set to the table to make the most effective effort. The owner of a job is able to cast a vision of how a project can be birthed and completed. As the person internalizes their project and role, they are able to move seamlessly in and out of their function and better affect the way their role relates to other functions within the Camp environment. If ownership can be passed on like the olympic torch, it has a better chance of burning brighter.

Conclusions:
Yet another tie. Ownership must take place and a personal awareness of how replaceable each person is. There is only one irreplaceable component to the Camp environment... and Christ can still be replaced... but i don't think anyone would want to be at camp if that happened.

WARNING: if you're old-school C-of-C (no, i don't mean College of Charleston)... you may not want to read any further... heres where I explore some ideas for the future iterations of SWS

Changing Worship
How: well, as some of you may know... i'm a little less C/C than I used to be... that said, each day I see that I become a little less denominational and more just plain old Christ Follower. If the camp retreat model is valid (as I believe it is) then the incorporation of a worship "service" is highly necessary as a corporate gathering. My first iteration here would be a more open, expressive worship gathering that might incorporate (collective gasp) a few plucked instruments... even a cymbal and a drum. Yes. Instrumental worship (please refer to my rant on Eph. 5 and the word Psalms).

Cons:
These things do have a way of gaining a life of their own.... not in a good way either. When the "worship band" becomes an idolized rock group that everyone wants to take part in... or worse... a person feels their gift is invalid if it's a gift in the background. I can easily foresee the "band" image getting out of hand. Then there's the "rock concert" image where the worship takes on the image that you MUST have instruments... I cannot tell you how amazingly frustrating it can be when you try to start spontaneous worship moments and people feel they cannot join in because there IS no guitar.

Pros:
Having experienced soaring worship in an instrumental environment, I know that the presence of skilled musicians can heighten the experience of a worship moment. Worship that can breech the tradition may draw people to the face of the Father without necessarily becoming an "entertainment" ploy.

Conclusions:
I think having flexibility into both the traditional and the more contemporary worship would be the way to go here.

More than just a week - First off, let me say... the original SWS has impacted my life. Though I've not been a part of the SWS at PBC for quite some time, please remember SuperWeek can happen any time of the year. It would behoove us to know that our one week during the summer is not the ONLY nor the BEST SuperWeek. In fact, I've experienced much better superweeks. But isn't that what we're striving for? To influence & impact one person so that they might be able to take this week with them into their life and see the course of Christ flood their life?

Imagine SWS invading your daily efforts... what would that look like. When you walk into work tomorrow... instead of the frustration of "another day another dollar..." What if... and i do mean IFF... we walked in tomorrow with the idea that we do "What we do, when we do, how we do?" What if that attitude permeated our actions at work? What if we "engineers" especially those original few began doing a task without being asked at work... at home (ok, i just went too far.)

What if SuperWeek also became not just a christian retreat for teens, but we developed a similar retreat system for adults, professionals, married couples, singles, engaged couples (separate sleeping of course... don't want it to be TOO super), divorce prevention... What if some form of SuperWeek began to invade the culture we live in? What would that look like...

Sure, it may sound like I'm tearing SWS apart. It may sound like I have some conflict with the way "we do things at SWS." I do... I HATE what we do at camp if it can only exist there. I don't believe it is bound to Camp boundaries. So, I intend on breaking those boundaries down. SHATTERING them into dust. I think there are very few who believe in SWS to the extent that I do... But I don't need to show up one week a year to make SWS happen in my life.

So the point is: how can we put SWS to work the other 51 weeks of the year. What will it take... don't worry... i think i've got a notion.. you'll hear more.

( ...to be continued... )

Why I hate Windows Software

Ok stephen. Y'wanna know why I despise windows so much. It isn't that they make all horrible applications. It's that their applications are... how shall I say... "Semi-Colon." One cheek. A-fifty-five divided by 2. Demi-butt.

Media Player is a GREAT EXAMPLE:

I needed to open a DVD on the PC... Granted, normally I would do this on my Mac. 2 seconds... i'm watching the DVD. But, no... not this time. I have to use the friggen PC. (by the way, I'm furious right now... I HATE WINDOWS. The kind of hate I have for Hell... I have that for Windows... Windows isn't a person, I won't go to hell for hating an application or operating system.) Where was I? oh, I hate windows... ok

so, I have to open this DVD on the PC... no problem... i pop it into the DVD tray... up pops Media Center (I'm running XP Media Center SP2... i think... yes, i used the vista logo... cuz it's prettier.) No problem... that'll do EXACTLY what i want... but I need to go to one specific time signature on the video... 58:55... to see if there's something wrong with the DVD (which was written by a person doing video using a PC... they were sucky videographers... I DO WISH stephen mynhier had been doing the vids for these guys... it would have been SOOO MUCH nicer, and better framed... I digress.) So, the video is playing in media center... What do I do as a Mac user... the common sense thing... try to click on the play head and progress it forward to the location I want to see...

does that work.

HELL NO! .... that's ok... no problem. I'll just open the DVD in Windows Media Player... OK, FIRST to find the Windows Media Player application... let's see.. uh, what's that under. well, y'know....

if there wasn't so much crap that is USELESS preloaded on this PC of crap, I could find an application... Why load a computer with a million pieces of software that you then require the USER has to remove before the computer is useful... I mean really

TOMMY, have you ever used Windows Dancer? have you? Stephen... do you know what Windows Dancer is?

Yes, it's on my computer... and it's little pop-up description says: "Displays a Two-Dimensional, animated dancer or pair of dancers on your screen." Notice that it is denoted as a WINDOWS PRODUCT. Yes, Steve Balmer helped produce that one and thought it fitting of the Microsoft "Windows" monicker. CLASSIC! typical windows.

ok... well, now i finally found it after WADING THRU ABOUT 6 POUNDS OF CRAP...

did i mention that i'm a little heated about this... It doesn't help that I'm having to compress crappily shot video to a WMV file... (on a second note, I'm really for the Streaming WMV... I think it is much better than the QuickTime movie streaming servers... see, i'm not 100% anti windows....)

Well, I open the file in WMP... whaddya know... I can't progress the DVD to the 58.55 there either. I have to select the chapter... then wait 8 MINUTES for it to cue up.

So, what do I do? I do what I should have done n the first place... gently remove the DVD from the pc... slide it into the mac...

2 seconds later... i'm looking at marker 58:55 on the DVD.

(powerpc G4 1.5Ghz, 1.5G ram In May it will be a full 4 years old vs PC Pentium D... in Feb it will be a full 2 years old)

Dude, I don't want to have to have a computer science degree to make the computer FUNCTION correctly. I want it to work. period. I want intuitive. Hardware wise, it's a great machine... it's that stinking XP Media Center... If I can just sit it there and let it run by itself... you're right... it smokes the mac at burning a DVD or something... but when I have to actually USE the thing... all the crap on it and 400 processes that are unexplainably running get in the way of the USER and the RESULT. I can admit, part of it might be my lack of confidence in MSFT products... but I know that the mac works.

So SteMy... Why does mister-softy work so hard to emulate the Mac (ergo windows media player and the new glossy everything) but forego so many of the common sense functionalities and intuitive useful features. I don't give a rip on who OWNS the technology... the one who makes it WORK gets my purchase.

More people own PC's than Macs... ok... More people drive Hondas than drive a Maybach... so, that invariably means that the Honda is a better car?

Creating a new Super Week... (stronger, faster, better)

Download the Print version of this blog entry... might be easier to read.

Not that many of my superweek friends know (well, Mike P. may)... It has always been a secret desire of mine to recreate the Superweek model. Not at PBC. Not even C of C. But Superweek for those who follow Christ. In other words, those who are tied... inscrutably bound to the heart of Messiah.

Here are some pros/cons lists... each with their pros/cons enumerated... i'll end with the Pros as that's a positive note to leave with... If any of my SWS buddies read this, don't take it to heart as egotistical criticism. I've been on both sides of this fence now... I've been there, done that... and have a small wardrobe of tee shirts. Let me say, I understand that organizations evolve. But I've had the dual side view... We'll chalk up part as having been my glossy memory of the "Glory Days" but I believe that something has honestly dulled. I don't think it's just a Staff thing either. I'd love to stir a discussion (doubtful that it would happen). This will be a critical look at what things have changed for the better or worse and what changes should occur going forward. Granted, i'm not really "part" of the inner circle any more. Maybe that gives me an advantage of seeing other things that the group does not... possibly at a disadvantage since there may be items I don't see.

My list of things I don't like about the camp model in general (i'm not sure you can remove all of them... nor are all of them necessarily "bad"):

• Emotional Cesspool
  Cons: You tend to see a ton of people walk in with baggage and we're all strangers enough that it is difficult to effectively minister to that baggage
  Pros: Sometimes the unfamiliarity is just what the doctor ordered to crack through a particularly tough shell.
  Conclusion: It would be interesting to see how effective the camp/event model has been and studies to see how it could/should/is changed to meet a new, post-modern culture... are we post modern?
• Hit & Run
  Cons: There is very little time to build and strengthen relationships. In this, I've found that the people I thought I knew from camp(s), many turned out to be "Garlic" friends... i.e. Small Doses (I'm probably one of those.) However, you realize much later that there are also some people of great quality... sometimes it's not those you thought it would be
  Pros: Once again, the hit & run model opens the door for some unexpected moments. But does the lack of real relationship accommodate the continuation of growth during the recovery process?
  Conclusion: Again, i'd love to see the camp model torn apart and deconstructed... Think of SWS as the $6 billion Man... could it be rebuilt? Stronger, faster, better?
• In-cohesive [ok, this is from a look back into the pre-engineer days... TAT & Crew days...]
  Cons: Seemingly a scattered message that doesn't pinpoint, focus and penetrate.
  Pros: You can cover more topics and use a spiderweb of items to catch more attention of the campers
  Conclusion I think things have become a bit too ADHD. With the vision being built from too large of a base, you get a shotgun effect of the idea... lots of little points, but they may not penetrate as deeply. The other side of the argument is that you cover a lot more area. The benefit of having a small, even minute team that builds and executes the week is that everything has the same flavor. It's the idea of an Apple computer where everything in it has a very apple feel vs. a PC where each piece of software can have a totally different interface.
  
• Online & Video Game culture: again, not something that camp staff can control...
  Cons: you have to adapt and compete with today's entertainment... Video Games can look real... and we're trying to make due with Plywood & Spray paint.
  Pros: Well, look at it this way... if they are a video game culture.... look at where you can find your next years inspiration... internet & video games...
  Conclusion: I think we're seeing the gap widen between generations. Each consecutive staff will have to be that much more on the ball to look 2 years ahead each time they come to the drawing board.
• Competing with other summer activities - Not something we control
  Cons: You have the beach, vacations, & college visitations that are pulling kids (particularly the oldest group) away (and away for good)...
  Pros: ok... this is a stretch... have you thought about using the SWS as a recruiting model... i.e. build it by recruiting people from other areas... the pro is... you can draw crowds from further who might not be as interested in the vacations
  Conclusion: You've got stiff competition against a week of BIBLE camp... but i think if you spin it right... kinda like Aikido... you may be able to use it for you.
• Inconsistent staff: (here's a pot/kettle scenario):
  Cons: You don't have a consistent approach and you're having to re-teach staff the methods. This leads to people coming in without having "drank the koolaid."
  Pros: you get a new, fresh approach.
  Conclusions: Well, you need a little of both.. and you can't complain about this when you're one of the ones not being there on a regular basis. Touché.
• The Video:
  Cons: Don't these kids remember what they did all week already? Is the video available for purchase? Can part be shot before camp? Wastes camp resources & personel
  Pros: it allows for another activity to gather the campers and have them contained
  Conclusion: drop it for a year or two... see if anyone misses it... that means find something to replace it too... if you leave a vacuum, then it WILL be missed. Or, make the video purchasable. i.e. have a purpose to the video!
• The board - i know... some of the potential readers are ON the board. Also, needless to say that I've seen how this board can break down, but we'll lay those memories aside for a moment... none of my friends on the board are responsible for that:
  Cons: The gap widens with each consecutive year... Each year, more and more teens and pre-teens lose touch with the older generations. I think it's because the older generations want to be LISTENED TO rather than LISTEN TO a teen.
  Pros: The board is needed! The camp needs older, wiser guidance. The board is needed to give a few people a great way to shape the future.
  Conclusion: Term limits? or forced 2 year Sabbaticals... We're not talking about high priests here... maybe fresh eyes?
  

Things i LOVE about PBC and/or SWS or the camp model

• High impact
  Cons: May build in the assumption that we've accomplished something by seeing a big splash.
  Pros: It will likely be remembered years later.
  Conclusion: is there a way to judge the splash/effectiveness ratio?
• Planning:
  Cons: We've lost the "Plan B" model... i.e. a backup for EVERYTHING.
  Pros: Years of doing this has made building a superweek very systematic
  Conclusion: We've come to rely too heavily on our system, we need to re-invigorate the system [to come further on in the discussion]
• Uniqueness
  Cons: each year you're in uncharted territory a tad bit.
  Pros: It makes each year a bit different
  Conclusion: possibly revisit the old themes... learn how they were created... possibly bring back the crew for 1 year with the express PURPOSE of passing on some wisdom... Each crew member find 2 Engineers and teach them a job. Bring Tim back for one big hurrah! I'm dead serious. Everyone will admit the man was a machine and a genius. He's served his time (both literally and figuratively)
• Positive enforcement model
  Cons: there are times when you HAVE to say no, don't & shouldn't
  Pros: I know that in the past, you had a good way of finding the right times and ways to communicate the negatives in a positive light.
  Conclusion: aw, heck... keep it up.
• All Volunteer Staff/Speakers
  Cons: You're kind of reliant on who actually shows up, and you have to rely on credentials that you perceive to be adequate
  Pros: the volunteers are less polished and more real world... gives a great opportunity to involve the campers even in speaking... keeps the budget lower, and i think this is overall one of my FAVORITE parts of the week... sure things aren't as polished, but we get a vast array of Current Personal Revelations (CPR)... not just one CPR.

Ideas for improvement:

• Contest:
  Have a theme building contest. Introduce it to a few people at some Christian colleges that they have to build a basic 3 – 4 day themed camp for PBC. show them the videos, the model and have them do 3 – 5 presentations with the Program Staff to build it... the winner gets an all-expense vacation to PBC to help implement it to the descretion of the Program Staff & Core staff.
• Descipleship Training:
  Truly, I think that the crew/first generation Engineers (me being one of them) did a lackluster job of passing the torch. The Crew showed us how to do the stuff, but forgot to tell us to show someone else... We never picked that up until now, and now, we're having to try to pass the knowledge along with the passion. Have the crew... the FULL CREW (yes, even Jerry Don & Tim Senn & Thig... all of them) come back and get 2 - 3 people of their OWN staff to teach them the job that THEY did... that means someone will have to run as fast and as far as Thig... Someone will have to hold a note as long and loud as Mikey P. Someone will have to talk like a fog horn like Curt. Seriously... there are real components that have been lost... and i'm not talking about events... I'm talking about dynamics and function.
• Solidify:
  Each Team should have a core of 2 – 3 people at least if not more that are constant returners. I'm not sure how to accomplish this.
• Relational:
  find a way to build a more relational model? Try to incorporate more full YOUTH GROUPS and separate out time for those groups to work together with their pre-fabricated group dynamic... so that the event creates a stronger youth GROUP for the church to which it returns. By no means am i saying you should BAR that lone youth... but put him in touch with/along side a group closest to his/her geographic location... try to build in a pen pal...
• Staff Penpals: this is tough. But have some of the staff locate a youth of promise or trouble (of the same gender) and maintain email/blog contact throughout the year? that's a toughy!

so, any thoughts? What could be done... brainstorm... to make camp a better place and model?

People you know...

It has come to my attention that many people i know have blogs here... i'm having a tough time keeping up w/ who's here... so i'm bookmarking them. Well, I doubt you are all reading here. no to full of the deep thoughts at the moment. But check back later... I tend to do introspection once in a great while... then there's the occasional rip on tradition or wondering why we humans are such idiots at times.

In fact, it's amazing that a holy Father would look at us and think... what a screw up... but i love them anyway.

well, i better tone this down before i get deep and contemplative. Who knows where I'll go then.

The Xterra

We just purchased a new vehicle. Ny nephew, Jonathan (Josh's older brother), helped us look it over to see if it was a worthwhile purchase. He's a Nissan mechanic and knows what to look for in these cars. As you can see, he gave it a clean bill of health and suggested a few items of maintenance that should be done regardless (standard oil changes, transmission flush/filter, etc.) Now we have a great car for the baby transportation that will serve where a minivan would (I hate minivans).

We were once told that we wouldn't ever be able to buy a "nice" car with cash. Well, this is definitely nicer than what we had. Besides, I've never wanted to drive a Maserati anyway. I don't get the idea of deriving one's self esteem from the vehicle you drive. I like the fact that we paid cash for it. We got a reasonable deal on it and we don't feel that it was detrimental to the people we bought it from... i.e. we didn't screw them.

The sellers were a young couple from S. Charlotte. They have only been married for a few months. They (she) kept the vehicle very clean and it seems that the vehicle was well maintained. The only thing we could say is that we haven't received the title yet and haven't been able to get tags & insurance on it yet... so it sits in our garage. We'll go out and back it out into the neighborhood and drive it a circle or 2 just to keep it's juices flowing.

We consider ourselves: Used Vehicle Prone Shoppers. So, here's the question... have you ever received or know someone who has received a good deal on a BRAND NEW car? i.e. someone who has actually NOT lost money on a brand new car... The only people I could honestly think that to be the case: collectors. People who bought a 1957 Chevy brand new and have it in mint condition... but if you consider their gains vs. investment... they're still losing money.

We have a couple of acquaintances who BELIEVE they received a better deal for buying brand new. I simply chalk that up to a salesman doing his job well. That said.. about a year ago, we also purchased a 3 year old Maytag Washer. When I went to drop off our old washer, I had the newer one on the truck also. I asked the appliance repairman what his thoughts were on the purchase: $75 for a used Maytag... he said that it would likely last 15 – 20 years and we could expect to replace the bottom belt 2 – 4 times over that span of time which I could easily do myself. Those belts are approximately $15 each. Thus, an initial investment of $75 + $60 possible repairs... Sounds like we beat H.H Gregg! Any thoughts on finances, buying used, new purchases, cars & salesmen?

Oh... i forgot to mention: we're still DEBT FREE!

Charlize Marianela "Charli" Goode

We found out we're having a girl!
The facts:

• Expected due date: April 2, 2008
• Gender: Girl
• Gender (if born April 1, 2008) Twin Boys
• Name: Charlize Marianela "Charli" Goode
• Spelling: with an "i"... and a heart over the "i"
• Expected first words: WAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Needless to say, I'm really excited to be a dad. I've got the screen shot above on almost everything. If I haven't got your address, please email me so we can send you an invite to the baby shower.

Why the name Charlize?
No, it's not because of Charlize Theron. Though that is a pretty name... maybe where we came up w/ the idea... But Charlize is the best way we could find to pass down Rebekah's Dad's name (Charles Luther) and us like it. She'll be a 5th generation Charli.

Why the name Marianela?
Well, here we passed on the middle names of both grandmothers: Belva Marie Luther & Carolyn Ann Goode. Thus: Mari An Ela... The Ela is the hispanic flair my wife wanted in a name.

What about the Goode granddad?
Well, we accomplish this by giving her My last name. How un-American to ask that question!

Take a look at the announcement slide show on the Goode Design site. I'll also be posting an edited version of the baby shower invite. We'll send invites to those who want one (simply contact me via email goodedesign@gmail.com or use the contact us form on the site). The edited version will keep the location private... i wouldn't want someone posting my address online in their blog. There are wierdos out there. And they're probably reading my blog!

Well, i'm about to hit the sack!

iPhone

I finally got one. I waited until the 2008 MacWorld Expo before I purchased it as i was hoping they would release the latest version or make some major improvements.

Well, they've added the one thing i thought that all iPhones should come with: GPS.

well, not REAL gps... but it does locate you based on the signals from wireless networks and cell towers. Not to mention, i can use the map feature to get directions or navigate myself to parts unknown.

I also like the camera feature and the ability to check the email anytime i need. Not to mention the ability to bookmark briefing and edit client sites when needed. It also comes in handy when i need to 411 someone... but i'm tired of dialing 411. now i can just use 411.com to find their number or address.

I'm really satisfied with the purchase. Steve did a great job making this new little apple addition. This phone has everything a phone SHOULD have. Not to mention, anything it doesn't have is just one software update away!