Traditions

Christmas time is a time of traditions. Every year there is something that you have to do or it just doesn't seem like Christmas. My idea of Christmas has been changed quite a bit over the years but it is still fun to look back and see what used to be Christmas to me. Here are a few of my favorite Christmas traditions.

1.) The Christmas Eve Candlelight service. This still is one of my favorite traditions.

2.) Every year my sister and I got to open one gift on Christmas Eve.

3.) When we (my sister and I) were little and were still avid believers in Santa, my parents had a heck of a time getting us to go to bed on Christmas Eve. After we had opened our gifts my mom snuck out of the room with a Santa hat. She snuck outside and shook the hat by the window that we were sitting next to. My dad told us that it was one of Santa's elves and if we didn't hurry off to bed, Santa would skip over our house. I don't think we ever went to bed that quickly ever again.

4.) When the movie Home Alone came out on video it became a tradition to watch it on Christmas Eve.

We kept that going for a few years and then Home Alone 2 came out. We ended up watching that one for a few more years. This is one tradition I was glad to see die.

5.) Breakfast Burritos for breakfast on Christmas day.

6.) Steak, Baked Potato, and Caesar Salad for Christmas Dinner.

7.) Christmas Parties with friends and family.

Rachael and I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. From our family to yours a Happy New Year as well!

I is a kollege stoodent

This will be a short post...

I feel like my friend John here. Taking class after class and final after final can really fry your brain. The good news is that Rachael and I are finally done with this semester. We are looking forward to taking a break for a couple of weeks and enjoy the holiday season.

If you are in classes...congrats for making it though yet another semester. If you are out of college...congrats on finishing and getting your degree.

I'm going to play Nintendo...and turn my brain off for a little while. It was beginning to overheat anyway...who's in?

Frosted Muffins for Everyone!

It is true. Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus. Or in my case, I am from a small family and she is from a large family. Or even better, I am from New Mexico/Utah and she is from Idaho. All that to say that our conversations at times are quite funny as we try to understand what we mean.

For example...

I have always understood the word "frumpy" to describe someone who is in a bad mood or is irritable. My mom would use it like "Why are you so frumpy today?" or "You're sure in a frump today." On the other hand Rachael had always understood the word "frumpy" to mean a very old/overweight/moo-moo wearing/sad looking person. Imagine my surprise when, while we were dating or engaged (I can't remember), Rachael was in a bad mood and I asked...."Why are you so frumpy today?" (insert gasp here.)

I'll let those words soak in a bit...

The reaction you are thinking about is the reaction I received. She shot me a look that would cause the strongest of men to curl into the fetal position and cry for their mama. Needless to say she was hurt that I would ask her why she was frumpy. What she thought and what I meant were two different things and it took a few minutes for me to explain what I meant by frumpy. I have since removed frumpy out of my vocabulary and Rachael has taken to pointing out what frumpy is when we come across it in public.

Fast-forward to last night. We were in the store buying some things for dinner when Rachael remembered that she needed to buy some items for her class-mates as she was going to bake a tasty treat for them. She told me that she needed to make muffins so I started to look for blueberry, poppy seed, or cinnamon muffin mix. She then told me that those wouldn't work because they needed to be "Frosted Muffins." When I explained that I have never had a frosted muffin she shot me another look (not as intense as the first one). She couldn't believe it. I told her that I had eaten a cup-cake but never a frosted muffin. To which she replied "That's what I meant! Cup-cakes!"

I have found that in marriage I am bound to be an idiot but as long as I can avoid becoming frumpy by eating my frosted muffins, we might just be able to communicate!

Until next time....Frosted Muffins for Everybody!

another random photo

In need of a piano? I wonder why this store was going out of business...

November Update...

I must say that I am extremely disappointed in our two faithful readers. The Mulletwatch 06 title goes to me by default as there were no other entries. Jake gave a concession speech similar to many Republican Senate candidates. I guess everyone is so busy that they can't stop and view the mullet. Rachael and I will continue our game. If you want to submit a mullet score...bring it on. We're pretty good at spotting them. So without further ado...here is the Patrick November update.

Football: The biggest news in the football world is about my bro-in-law's pee-wee team. They went 11-0 and won the championship game. It was awesome to see Zach play. He played as MLB on Defense and Running back on offense. WAY TO GO ZACH! (Black dot...PRIDE) In other football news...The Broncos are 7-2 but they barely squeaked out a win against the Raiders. The defense is hurting and with the way the offense is playing, it has been tough to watch the games as an avid fan.

Random stuff: Rachael and I are still busy with school. Arabic is becoming increasingly more difficult. Constructing a sentence in the language is very difficult if you are thinking in english grammar. Rachael got to spend two weeks in an internship in Occupational Therapy (OT). She said that she enjoyed the internship more than she has enjoyed her classes because it was more like going to a job. We are also getting ready for Mike and Crystal's wedding. I will get the chance to lead 4 worship songs at their wedding with Jordan and Holly (his girlfriend) joining the band. That should be fun. In other news...I got the chance to go with some church members to a Utah Jazz game. I have attached a scanned image of my ticket, note our seat location.

IT WAS AWESOME! I have been in the lower bowl for a game but never on the second row! The Jazz played great and have found a new, fast-paced, offensive attack. Their defense was pretty tough as well. As I type this the Jazz stand at 6-1 and are ranked 3rd in the ESPN power rankings. Call me a bandwagon fan but...Go Jazz!

MOVIES: Rachael and I recently hooked up our old-school VHS player and have been re-watching some old favorites. We hadn't been to the theater until last night when we saw a portion of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. I say only a portion because we walked out after the scene where two grown men were wrestling...naked. I thought that the movie would be funny as the clips that I have seen were hilarious. It just seemed like the producers and Sacha Cohen (Ali G) wanted to blur the line of what is acceptable. I was told before seeing the movie that if you stayed long enough you were guaranteed to be offended...so true. If you want my opinion. Don't EVER waste your money on this film. Save it for a trip to Coldstone or to rent something a bit tamer.

MUSIC: Currently listening to: Skillet, Pillar, RED, The Fray, Mutemath, David Crowder Band, Incubus, Mat Kearney, and Jack Johnson

BOOKS: Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die by David Crowder and Mike Hogan, Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, i am not but i know I AM by Louie Giglio, Marley and Me by John Grogan, Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller, and Collected Writings by Mike Yaconelli. (I welcome your thoughts on any of these books)

That is it for now. If I don't post before then...Happy Thanksgiving! Take down a turkey for me!

Mulletwatch '06 and the World Beard Championships

Rachael and I have noticed a strange phenomenon. It occurs everywhere we go from bookstores to the state fair. Everywhere you go you will notice young and old throwing their fashion sense into the wind when they declare "Business up front, party in the back!" The mullet is everywhere! We first noticed this phenomenon when we attended...no joke...a demolition derby. While we were getting our culture we observed 14 different occurrences of the once thought extinct mullet. Some 'loving' parents had even passed down the mullet tradition to their children as many a 'babymullet' were seen. This disease doesn't just affect men! Women can be attacked by the 'femmullet' and many of those have been documented.

So here is the challenge: On a specifc outing such as a trip to the grocery store, mall, or the movies, keep a eye out for the mullet. I doubt you will beat our experience at the demo derby, unless you live in Texas...the unofficial birthplace of the mullet. The current record is 14. Remember...we are on the honor system here.

In other hair related news...check out www.worldbeardchampionships.com. Trust me. You won't be sorry. Apparently there is a competition for growing and grooming facial hair that is held in England each year. Below is one example from our very own Team USA. They even have a documentary called what else? Splitting hairs.

Nature pics

The funny thing about where you find things. They usually are right where you left them. This was the case with our camera. I pulled off the pictures and noticed that I have been attempting to be a nature photographer. What do you think?

Sitting underneath Corona Arch in Moab, UT

A really cool dead tree in Glorieta, NMA picture of a "Wadi" in the Middle East.

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park

So it's not nature but this old fort entrance in the middle east is pretty cool.

September in a nutshell...

The month of September is nearing an end. Since I don't blog very often, this is my attempt at summing it up.

Church - Our month of reconciliation has been amazing...but...we're not out of the woods yet. Please continue to pray for our church as we continue to heal and get back to where God wants us to be. Last week we participated in the Lord's Supper and had a time of celebration. We will continue to be in one service until at least Christmas.

Home - Rachael and I are immersed in school. I am learning more about the Arabic language, Math, and Communications while Rachael is learning all the facets of a great Occupational Therapist. She is working really hard and I know that she will be great at it.

Family - (multiple points)
1.) My dad got married in September. Because of this event I got to see Brandy in SLC. It was good to see her and we had a lot of fun while she was here. I have become something of a wedding singer as my dad asked me to sing a Garth Brooks song at the ceremony. After I sang, several people asked me if I wrote the song and how it was a really 'nice' song. I also got to see my Grandma, Uncle Phil and Aunt Mary Alice. It was good to see them for at least a few hours as they drove back to Grand Junction right after the reception.

2.) Speaking of weddings....Mike and Crystal got engaged! God had his hand on this one! They will be getting married in November. They have asked me to sing at their wedding. I'm going to start charging after this one!

3.) My mom is going a little crazy. Have you ever seen the 'festivus' episode of Seinfeld? My mom has created a new holiday called TexGiving. This 'holiday' will traditionally be held in July and will incorporate poem reading, decorating a tree, and traveling to Texas. It sounds weird huh? The funny thing is that I am behind the event because it gives Rachael and I a chance to visit my mom without the added stress of the actual holidays. If you would like to join us for the miracle of TexGiving...the more the merrier! This means you Jake and Erin! Something tells me that Jake would have a great poem or story to read in celebration of this new holiday. All I can say is keep July open!

Music - The Fray, Chris Tomlin, RED, Skillet, Project 86, Leeland, Charlie Hall, David Crowder, Mat Kearney, Underoath, and the RELEVANT podcast have all been in frequent rotation on my iPod.

Movies/TV - The last movie that we saw in theaters was Talledega Nights: The ballad of Ricky Bobby. Sportscenter, Mythbusters, CSI: Miami, Grey's Anatomy, and Miami Ink have been the most watched shows.

Football - The Broncos D has looked great in the first three weeks but the Offense has left something to be desired. Plummer has looked horrible until last week against the Patriots, and our running game isn't stellar. They have, in my opinion, all the tools to make it to and win the Super Bowl. They just need to figure it out. The loss against the Rams gives my bro-in-law Zach bragging rights as he is a big fan.

My camera has gone AWOL. We have been looking for it but haven't found it. It has been missing for quite some time now. If we find it we'll post some pictures...otherwise we'll just have to go buy a new camera.

Until next time...

simply amazing

This post may not make any sense to you. I just have to tell the story...

Have you ever been present when in the midst of something you were doing...God showed up? This is one thing that no matter how many times it happens it never ceases to amaze me. God has made an appearance at each of the last two services at our church. Don't get me wrong...every week the gospel is preached, we sing, praise, and teach. But something in the last two weeks was something so amazing that I am addicted to it. I want to feel the Spirit move in the hearts of those who don't know him. I want to feel the presence of our Savior in and through the people who have gathered corporately to seek His face. God is healing the wounded heart of his church...not just HBC but everywhere. This is something unlike anything I have ever seen or been a part of.

It all started a few years ago when our pastor asked the staff if we could be experiencing a famine similar to what King David experienced in 2 Samuel chapter 21. Was there some sin that our church had committed that caused there to be a famine in our land? The evidence seemed to support that there was. We started working with the deacons of our church through a study called peacemakers www.peacemaker.net. If you haven't read Ken Sande's book I highly suggest it if you want to handle conflict at home, church, or work in a biblical manner.

After the study we decided it was time to stop avoiding our problems and start standing up to them. Beginning in September started a month long process to identify, deal with, and bury the problems of the past so that our congregation could move forward in the name of Jesus. Last week we talked about the corporate heart. (read 2 Samuel chapter 21 and Joshua chapter 9) Yesterday we talked about the wounded heart. We were able to identify several issues that had been holding us back. At the end of Rodger's sermon...he asked for our [the church's]forgiveness. I have never been in a setting where the spirit of God was so thick. It was like a huge weight had been lifted at that moment. Rodger called for an invitation and for the next 20 minutes people came forward. Two people were so moved by it that they joined our church stating that they wanted to be a part of what God was doing at Holladay.

I am proud to be a member of Holladay Baptist Church. I want to be a part of what God is doing and I am honored to be able to serve as their youth pastor.

I asked you to pray for our church in my last post. Please continue to do so as we continue to seek out God's will for our church body. We're not there yet but with God's grace and guidance we, as a church, will start walking the path He has set out for us.

Sean

Tired

Sorry there hasn't been a post in a while. Things have been pretty crazy in the Patrick house as of late. Here is what has been going on.

1.) Rachael and I started school again. I really want to choke that 19 year old me who thought that college was not for him. No matter. Classes are going good. I am learning Arabic and should, by the end of the semester, be able to speak, read, and write in a new language. I think this will help me in Seminary when I am taking Greek and Hebrew. I could also be horribly wrong.

2.) Rachael and I got to see DMB last week. If you know me at all you know that I am a huge Dave fan. I have seen DMB 8 times now live and they get better every time. Here is the set list...cause I'm a geek.
Pantala Naga Pampa
Rapunzel
Proudest Monkey
Satellite
Big Eyed Fish
Bartender
Everyday
The Idea Of You (a new song)
Louisiana Bayou
Shotgun (another new one)
Crash Into Me
Hunger For The Great Light
Loving Wings
You Might Die Trying (Robert Randolph on steel guitar)
Two Step (Robert Randolph on steel guitar...the best version I've ever heard!)

3.)My Dad and Teresa have decided to get married...on Saturday! This means that I will get to see Brandy here in Utah tomorrow as we get ready. If I can find my camera I will post pictures of our adventures this weekend.

4.) Our church is going through a "revival/reconciliation" month. Please be in prayer for this as it will shape where we head in the future. I'll go into more detail as it comes available. Last Sunday Pastor Rodger called us to suit up for war, because it is going to be a battle.

5.) I have signed on as the "coach" of our Men's softball team for the fall league. I am currently 0-2 as a coach. Hopefully we'll get our first win on this upcoming Monday.

6.) World Changers www.worldchangers.studentz.com has approved a project in SLC for 2007. I have been appointed as the Association Coordinator for the event. I will be working with our local churches to make sure that the 300+ volunteers have lunch everyday and training to be a project coordinator for 2008. As I learn more of what this means I'll keep you posted.

Currently listening to:
The Fray
Project 86 - And the rest will follow... (this one rocks hard!)
Ben Harper - Both Sides Of The Gun
Dave Matthews Band
Charlie Hall - Flying Into Daybreak
Leeland

next post: The crazy wedding weekend

hey kids...stay in school!

So I recently got some unfortunate news about my continuing education...
I went to the college yesterday to make sure that everything was in line for me to receive my associates degree from SLCC. I found out that everything was great but...since I am not currently majoring in communications at SLCC there are quite a few classes that I would need to take in order to catch up.

So I changed my major and added on two more semesters at SLCC in order to obtain an Associates in Organizational Communications. This way when I go to the U, I will be able to only work on the major and not any other junk.

I used one of those programs that allow you see what you will look like in the years to come to see what I will look like on the day that I graduate with a bachelors.

Things aren't all that bad. I will have at least two to three good years in my career before I retire. All this to say...stay in school kids, stay in school.

We then took our dogs Timber and Scooter to the vet to get caught up on some shots. Scoot needed rabies, distemper, and bordatella shots, Timber needed distemper and bordatella shots. As the vet took a look at the dogs she made note to say that Timber is overweight and needed to go on a diet. She looked at Scooter and told us that he has a yeast infection in his ear and that is the reason that he has been scratching. So Timber is now in doggie boot camp, and Scooter gets to have his ear flushed and medicated twice daily.

It was a rough day yesterday. I am just laughing about it now. Hopefully you can laugh too.

Another picture

Here is another picture of our group at camp. I work with a bunch of crazy kids and even crazier volunteers. If you are the company you keep...I must be crazy too!

The dog days of summer.

So Jake thinks I should update my blog...at least we have one faithful reader.

So what is going on with us?

1.) I am in the midst of studying for finals as the Summer semester ends on Wednesday of next week. I am immersed in all things Math and Argumentation. Luckily the final for Argumentation is a take home and we can collaborate with our fellow students. While I study Rachael has been enjoying the time off of school and is preparing to start up again on Aug 23rd.

2.) Rachael and I finally had a chance to attend a Real Salt Lake game which was awesome up until we lost with 30 seconds to go in stoppage time. As noted in a previous blog entry...Soccer/futbol is awesome! I have really enjoyed getting plugged into the game!

3.) Speaking of football...The Broncos (the only important NFL team) seem to have the pieces in place - in my mind - to get back to the playoffs this year. Is anybody interested in starting a fantasy football league? We could have a trophy and everything. If you aren't scared of losing step up! Comment on this post and we'll see who is interested.

4.) Here is one of our camp pictures! Our youth representing the H B C all up in Glorieta's grill.

It's Camptastic!

Rachael and I just got back from Glorieta NM. We took the youth group there for Centrifuge. It was a truly awesome experience. I promise I will have some pictures posted as soon as I can get them from the kids.

God did some amazing things at camp. We had four of our youth accept Christ and several more re-dedicate their lives to our Savior. When we returned home I had the great priveledge of baptizing 5 of our students including the four who accepted Christ for the first time. Our church could've exploded!

I'll share more about camp in another post but in the meantime I have a ton of work and homework to catch up on!

To the moon and back....

Kudos to those who know why I used the title for this blog. If you don't check out the children's book "Guess How Much I Love You" by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram

Rachael and I were married on June 26, 2004. Today we are celebrating our 2nd anniversary! I am so blessed to have Rachael and I can't imagine what my life would be like without her. She embodies Prov 31:10-31. She is so supportive of my ministry and is often times working with the youth right alongside me. We've laughed, cried, and dreamed together, and all I can do is simply thank God for her.

For Rachael,

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where
I love you straightforwardly without complexities or pride so I love you because I know no other way than this:
Where I does not exist, nor you
So close that your hand on my chest is my hand
So close that your eyes close as I fall asleep

gone to the dark side...

So I have to admit something...

I have never really liked soccer. I have heard Chad and Jake talk about it like it is the greatest thing in the world but I just couldn't get into it. All the low scoring and ties. It just seemed to slow moving for me to get into it.

until...

World Cup 2006 hit huge! Even though the U.S. got spanked in their opening match, it has been a blast watching the games that I have seen. I actually wanted/got to sit down and watch the first half of Brazil vs. Croatia and I was into it. Soccer has the great ability to get you involved because you don't know if each play is going to work or be stopped by some great feat of athleticism. So here it is....I'm hooked. No longer the ignorant american, my hat is off to you, soccer/futbol. I guess you are #1 sport in the world for a reason. Just call me darth. American Football is still my #1 sport but I think there could be room to start watching/playing another.

Denver Part 2 - The rest of the story

Mile freakin High...need I say more?

Party on Wayne...Party on Garth (Zach and I gettin' our mullet on)

Rachael, Zach and I at the Denver Aquarium

Riding a 4 person bicycle at the Denver Aquarium

A tiger, a creepy green eel, a diver with turtle above (for me to poop on), Zach with a horseshoe crab, another tiger, and the un-manned 4 person bike...all at the Denver Aquarium. That place rocks!

Some street performers on 16th street downtown....The statue lady really scared Zach! She moved right as he was right in front of her...he thought she was a real statue! The froed out robot was a riot to watch.

We went to Denver with the whole Robbins clan and Mike York for a seminar on finances. We took Saturday and Sunday and decided to hang out in Denver. We went to the aquarium and found out that they had changed it around quite a bit since I had been there last. We rode the bicycle built for four and quickly found that it is difficult to coordinate that many people with a pedaling rhythm. We then headed inside to check out all the wildlife. We came up on the big shark tank right as it was feeding time for the smaller fish in the tank. Divers emptied two nalgene bottles of grub and then started looking for shark teeth on the bottom of the tank.

After the aquarium we decided to drive by Invesco/Mile High to see if we could take a tour. We found out that they were holding a Fan Fair and that for $15 we could get into the stadium and meet players and coaches (see previous blog). We decided to do that on Sunday and headed downtown to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. Rachael and I had some awesome pasta and we split between the four of us...Godiva Chocolate cheesecake and fresh strawberry cheesecake. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

We walked up around the 16th street mall and I came to this observation...Denver has culture! Salt Lake has culture as well...boring! There were street performers playing music, dressed up in all sorts of crazy costumes, and people actually hanging out downtown. It was cool to see. A lady was dressed up to look exactly like a statue...she even held completley still. Zach walked right up to her to see the statue and she moved into a different pose. Zach turned into a Denver Broncos lineman as he pushed a man three times his size to the side as he ducked and ran away.

We then headed to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to see an exhibition called Body Worlds 2. (www.bodyworlds.com) here is an example of what you can expect to see at a Body Worlds exhibit:

I have edited the image...so if you are wondering what is under the black box...don't...trust me...you don't want to see it. I won't lie, I was a little creeped out looking at all the randomly placed humanity. It did, however, remind me that our bodies are awesome! God is truly amazing as evidenced by His creation. Wow!

We ate dinner at a mexican food restaurant and I had to console Jordan as Holly wasn't there with him (see picture above). If you are ever in Denver and are looking for some good Mexican food...go to Jack N' Grill on Federal and 25th ave. It was awesome! They use New Mexico chile! My lips were burning which is a good thing. We stuffed ourselves and resolved to never eat again....or at least hit the treadmill and do a few sit-ups...

On Sunday we checked out of our hotel and headed to Invesco. It was awesome to see the players up close and personal. You can see our blog below for some more info on the Fan Fair. Here is Zach getting an autograph from Willie Middlebrooks.

All in all our trip to Denver was great! I am jealous of Gino-Dean, whom I totally forgot was in Denver, who gets to experience this on an everyday basis. You are lucky bro! I'll be back to Denver soon enough for a Broncos game. Who's down for Indy vs. Denver on 10/29/06? Let's get tickets!

Denver Part 1 - Meeting Barrel Man

Hey everyone....

Rachael and I just got back from Denver! I'll have a ton more pictures soon but I wanted to share this with you guys. If you are a Denver Broncos fan you know how cool this picture really is.

We found out about a the Fan Fair at Invesco while we were there. There were a ton of players and coaches that were there including John Lynch, Willie Middlebrooks, Dwayne Carswell, and Rod Smith. We got to Invesco/Mile High Stadium right as it opened and quickly found ourselves with lines waiting to get autographs from the players. We didn't wait in the lines but instead played blackout bingo lead by two new Broncos. The prize was two tickets to a regular season game. I was so close (only two squares away) but so far away when someone called out bingo and won the tickets....but it was fun anyway.

That leads me to the picture. For those of you who don't know...Barrel Man is the most hardcore Broncos fan ever. The guy wears just a barrel to games (even in the cold) and has become a staple at Mile High. The Broncos give this guy free season tickets and have fashioned a bobble head in his likeness. How cool is that?

I will soon post part 2 of our Denver adventure. Including our experience at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science....pictures to come!

Geocaching adventure and pics

On Memorial Day we had an opportunity to hang out with our small group from HBC. We decided to go hiking/geocaching. I have never been geocaching before but it was a blast. With the help of Mike we had two GPS devices and coordinates that were along a trail that the kiddos could handle. As you can see from the pictures Mike was a little sad that he didn't get to keep anything from the three caches that we found. That was okay since he had been to each of them before.

We told the kids that we were on a treasure hunt and it was awesome to see how excited they got over finding each of the coordinates and the "treasure" that was in each of the hidden boxes. After our hike we ended up back at the Halley's home for some good ol' fashioned BBQ. We tossed the frisbee around and had a great time relaxing! Every now and then it is good to take a day and relax.

Here is hoping that everyone had a most relaxing Memorial Day. We should be thankful to our troops who have fought and are fighting to preserve our freedoms.