For The Love Of The Game

Okay, I guess I'll be dropping a name or two in this post. (please excuse me.) Some friends of mine have just released an album that you can get in iTunes (here) or at any place you can buy music. Rob Beckley and Noah Henson go to the Tulsa campus of Lifechurch.tv and are active in lifegroups. Their band Pillar is a well established Christian rock band and are worth a listen if you've never tried em out.

Here are some points if you need convincing:

• Great music for working out / running / Nascar racing / shootfighting
  
• The guitars produce a WALL OF SOUND that might make pieces of your face melt off
  
• Arguably one of the best drummers in their industry...watch out Carter!
• Noah has cool hair....a white dude with Marley-esque dreds
• Who doesn't love a bass player named after Superman?
• Rob is the real deal. Inspiring guy who truly loves to serve his friends and church
• Because I said so....sorry that's the new parent in me trying it out on you!

So, go check out their new album. Good stuff...

Ages and Ages

Hello blogging world! My name is Derrick. Yes, I am back. It has been a while since we last shared a moment together. We've been sick a lot here at the Henslee Home. Ezra has a nasty cough and Rachel just got over her cold from last week. It seems like at any given time, one of us has something making us sick!

I've been spending time fixing up the green room at the church. I'm making a second office in a corner of it for myself. I'm doing this as a result of catching myself in too many open-office discussions about things that really aren't that critical and wondering where all my time went. So, I'm trying to distance myself from the "crowd" at work so that I can focus. I've never been tested, but my wife is sure I have some form of A.D.D. They've actually got a website about A.D.D here which is remarkable considering that people with ADD usually have a difficult time getting anything accomplished...hmm, maybe there's not much to the website past the initial page.

Anyway, there's lots of exciting things coming up. See you soon!

A Whole Year? Really?

Today is Ezra's first birthday. Man, a lot has changed this year! Ezra has entertained us, marveled us, and at times even annoyed us (I know..right?) The most significant thing that he has done though has made me realize just how much God loves us. Every night Rachel and I put Ezra to bed at 8pm. We put him in his crib, put his favorite blanket over him, place a hand on him, and one of us prays for him. It is usually in this moment that I realize just how much responsibility God has given us. That He trusts us to raise this person as HE sees fit.

The fact that Ezra is God's child and that we've been given the responsibility to raise him hits like a freight train. That thought alone gives us such pleasure when we see him develop. Some of the things that he has done this year are...well, it'd be better in picture form. Enjoy!

Medicine Head!

I think it's the moisture change / temperature change that's been going on that has given me the funk. At any rate...this picture sums up how I feel. Normally I steer away from medicine because it makes me feel all disconnected and jittery. But today my boss Chris convinced me that MucinexD would do the trick. But, I'm still blowing the nose with Puffs Plus w/ Vicks Vapor Rub (thanks Aaron.) Oh, and I feel all disconnected and jittery. *cue camera and trombone and call me Debbie Downer.

First Word Ever!

Ezra has been babbling since he was about 6 months or so...maybe sooner. So, we weren't sure as to what his first word would be. I often wondered about parents (before I had a kid) who didn't really know what their kid's first word was. I was like, "how can you not know when your kid says a word?" Yeah, now I'm eating those words! But Ezra, his first word is officially...DAD! Now, he's been saying, "momamamomaomamaomaommaoo" for a while...don't know if that's an official "mom" or not, but he most certainly will say, "dad!" Just thought you'd want to know....cool huh!