SNCO Induction Ceremony

These are pictures from the Senior Non-commissioned Officer Induction ceremony. Thank you again to everyone that prayed for me before my promotion testing. I wouldn't have made it without Candi's support while studying.

And thank you, Emily, for watching the young Sickels' so that we could have this date.

Happiest Place on Earth!!!

I suppose I could be accused of selling out (again?), and this time to the megacorp' Disney, but clearly it was like the happiest place on earth. Observe.

And everywhere is better with monkeys:

Jedi Training Video #3

Here's part 2... you'll have to listen closely to hear what the Jedi Master says. It's hilarious!

Jedi Training #2

This is part one of the funniest video. It was too big to upload all at once so I split the video in half.

Jedi Trainig #1

Jedi Master's Noria, Chris'tian Ess, and Wy Att

Behold, the hope of the Rebellion's next generation:

Vacation pics - Day 2

This was Disney Day 1. We met Travis and Kristi +4 and Don and Patty +1 at the gate and on we went to fun! It was a great time for sure. I was thankful for the crash course that Wendy had given four years prior. It really helped know how to navigate.

I'm so close!

I have just a little under 3300 days until I retire. Oooh, it's so close!

But, what does that mean?

I keep hearing that people can't wait to retire and stop working. They plan their finances so they can afford to stop working and maintain their current lifestyle (or have it improve, even). I can't say that I've ever seen the words "play" or "entertainment" used any positive way in the Bible. I've heard it said that fun is Satan's counterfeit for the joy that God wants for us. Makes sense to me.

Is that realistic? Does God ask us to work diligently for a time and then coast until the day we find out how He thinks we did?

I guess I don't think so, but then I'm not really experienced in "retirement life." I could very easily be wrong. I guess I just see retirement as a close to one part of the job that God has given me and an opening to the next. What say you?

Vacation Pics - Day 1

So, these are some of the pictures from the first day in California. Travis and Kristi, our friends, had been staying at Huntington beach for the whole week. We met them there at 0-7-early on Sunday and hung at the beach from almost 12 hours. Whew.

The last one of Wyatt is his Jedi mind trick. Be careful even with the picture or you'll be under his control.

Coming Soon...

We've been back from California for three days now and we're caught to the rest of the real world. I'll have some pictures up of what we did soon.

Total Sell Out

My dad partnered a new company last month. You can see the web site here. The blue and white shirts are limited edition 1st issue shirts.

So check it out. I'm hoping to get my shirt soon - before they run out. I talked to him today and new products will be online soon!