Today, it is Mom’s 47th birthday and David’s fourth. What a special day. My mom amazes me.
I feel like I have so much to write, but it’s pretty late so I’m going to attempt to take care of it sometime during the day. But, just to sum up my thoughts — I love my mom! 
:-)
Oh, and I’m pretty fond of Chub, too. It’s so strange to have the youngest Arndt be four years old. Wow!
The past few days, I have been trying to make myself focus extra on work. For the last month or so, with the holidays and the preparations for the debut of the TLC documentary, things have been a lot different around here, and I haven’t been nearly as effective as I would like to be. So I’m trying to make an extra effort to buckle down, focus, and work like crazy, stopping short of being a workaholic.
I managed to scope roughly 260 pages yesterday, which is by far a personal record of mine. It sure is satisfying to manage to get that much accomplished in a day, and it’s very, very encouraging. It’s funny how something like work can almost be addicting. When you get in a groove, you really don’t want to stop.
So aside from spending time with God, with the family, working out, and working, I haven’t had much time for that many peripheral things lately. Personally, I don’t really mind too much. Sometimes it really helps to only have a few things on my plate, because then I know that I can pour everything that I have into those specific areas. If I tried to divide my attention across 10 or 20 tasks, it would be really hard to be really effective in any one area, and as a result all 10 or 20 would probably suffer.
Anyway, it’s just a good feeling to be productive. I want to make sure that I keep this mindset, so I can be carrying my weight in the family.
Speaking of weight, I went to the Y this evening with Paul. We had another good workout. It’s only my second this week (I aim for three workouts a week), but both visits this week were pretty intense and thorough, so I think I’ve done pretty well all in all.
A few entries ago, I mentioned how I finally managed to pretty much bench-press my weight. The exact numbers on that day were me bench-pressing 190 pounds when I had weighed 191 that morning. So technically, that day, I was still a pound short.
Anyway, this morning I checked in at 189.5 pounds, and tonight at the YMCA I managed to press 195 pounds. I only manage to do it one time, and I’m sure there are a lot of people who could easily do that 10 or 12 times, but it’s still meaningful for me, personally. In a few short months, I have come a long way, as when I began I could barely lift 145 pounds.
What excites me the most is it’s more progress. As long as the weights are going up, it doesn’t really matter to me whether it’s 100 pounds or 300 pounds. It’s just really gratifying to be able to improve, even if it’s ever so slowly.
And again, it’s all relative. For some people, to bench-press 195 pounds would be a letdown. Not for me, though, and I’m just thankful that I’ve managed to make this progress. It’s really encouraging, and it makes me want to keep at it.
It’s been interesting living the past couple of days “post-TLC.” We had spent months and months preparing for any after-effects of the airing. We spent countless hours forming the website, adding features, moving things, tweaking sections. We had no idea if we were going to get a drizzle or a downpour, but we wanted to be ready.
Again, I thought the feature was outstanding. And, honestly, I think it was kind of merciful of God that we didn’t have an explosion of e-mails like we had in the past. It probably would have distracted us from work and other duties had we had a bunch of e-mails or just a lot of other attention. It’s kind of neat to have it just be a small blip.
So it’s kind of strange to finally have this over and done with. There was so much anticipation, so much uncertainty, just so much excitement over what will be contained in the show, what the response would be — just things like that. All of a sudden, on January 15th, that was… it. No more uncertainty! It’s really going to take a little bit of time, I think, to have it sink in that the premiere has passed.
No longer do we wonder what the show will contain or what kind of response we’ll get. I think it will just take some getting used to, and now life should be much simpler.
In other news, last night I joined Paul and John at the downtown Belleville YMCA for a a workout. I really did not want to go, and several times I almost talked myself out of it. I’m very glad that I ended up going. I got a great workout in, and I hopefully trained myself just a little bit that I don’t always get my way.
What a day. What a day.
Today was such an incredible day. To kick it off, Paul and I drove over to St. Louis to take part in the last day of the Cardinals Care Winter Warm-Up at the Millennium Hotel. We took part in press conferences with Tyler Johnson, Anthony Reyes, Tony LaRussa, Chris Duncan, Adam Wainwright, John Rodriguez, Brad Thompson, and Braden Looper.
We also had the chance to talk with J-Rod and Tyler Johnson personally on camera, as Paul interviewed both of them. The two of us also chatted with Adam Wainwright for a little bit off camera.
All in all, we were in St. Louis for a good five hours or so. It was such a fruitful day, and we had such a great time there. We also got some terrific footage for “Cardinal Country” and for “Safe At Home.”
Well, we got home around 4:30 this afternoon, just three-and-a-half hours before our “Kids By The Dozen” show was scheduled to premiere on TLC. At 8:00, the entire family gathered in our living room in order to watch the hour-long show.
To be completely candid, we were so impressed with the job that Powderhouse Productions did in putting together the documentary. We were just awestruck at what a tremendous job they did with it — it looked so professional, so extremely well-done.
I really think they captured what it feels like to be in this family. That really surprised me, because that’s got to be really hard to do, to somehow, through 44 minutes of footage, convey what it is really like in a family of 16.
There were just a few minor inaccuracies or things that were implied that weren’t quite true, but those were such a small, small percentage of the show. By and large, I thought they nailed it. The editing job was done so well, and you can just tell they took a lot of care in putting the feature together.
So anyway, we were all thrilled with how it turned out. I honestly don’t think any of us expected them to put together such a wonderful package. But they did an awesome job with the cuts, the effects, the music — all of that.
It was so much fun to watch, and we all gathered to watch the second airing at 11:00. We laughed so hard during it, as we got such a kick out of some of those old family video clips that they mixed in.
The response on the website has been interesting. So far, we haven’t been deluged with hits, even though our traffic has increased significantly. And, in a sharp contrast to our appearance on the “Montel Williams Show” two years ago, we haven’t had many e-mails to sort through so far.
While e-mails can be neat to get, I’m actually pretty relieved that none of us have the problem of being swamped with e-mails! They can be fun to read through, but it’s also kind of neat to be free of having to feel like there is “fan mail” to go through. We kind of got a taste of that back in 2003 and 2005 with the airings of the “Montel Show,” and quite frankly I’m content with retaining a quiet inbox.
Of course, if God wills it, I would be more than happy to be in contact with people. So far, it seems like He hasn’t sent a whole lot of people our way this time around, but if He does, then we’d be happy to take care of those. But if it were up to me, I’m perfectly happy with having a light response via e-mail.
So it has been such an exciting day, such a full day. Thank You, God!!! Honestly, it just could not have gone much better. Again, save for a few minor details, I just thought it was such a wonderful production. Those guys at Powderhouse did a wonderful job. And the time spent with the Cardinals players was pretty special, too.
Wow. Thanks, God! What an awesome experience this was. I want to savor this, because it is a special time. Gosh — I’m so blessed. What a wonderful family that I’m privileged to be a part of!!
Psalm 115:1
Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.
Not to us. God, let Your will be done with this! Please keep us humble, dependent on You, never forgetting just how much we are in desperate need of Your mercy.
I would never, ever want to get to the point where I would ever think I am accomplishing something on my own steam. That would be a huge mistake, as the truth is I need God to simply keep my heart beating.
Proverbs 3:4
He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.
I really want to be humble. If I don’t humble myself, then somebody else is going to have to.
It’s been a pretty interesting day! This afternoon, after a few of us older guys and Dad had a lunch meeting, I went to Kohl’s in Fairview Heights in order to pick up a few stuffed toys. No joke! They have some stuffed Dr. Seuss characters on sale there for $2.50 apiece, and the other day Mom and Mark picked up a stuffed star-bellied Sneetch for David, whose fourth birthday is just days away.
Well, I’m a big Sneetch fan. I saw that Sneetch and became really interested in buying one of my own, so I went to Kohl’s, bought another Sneetch, and also bought two stuffed Sam-I-Ams (or would that be Sams-I-Am?) — one for me, one for Chub’s birthday. They’re really neat! I’ve always really liked the Dr. Seuss stories, and I’m especially happy to have found a Sneetch.
This evening, Paul, John, and I went to the YMCA in Belleville. We had a really good workout there, and I actually reached a new high on bench-pressing. I can now pretty much bench-press my weight. It’s really satisfying to reach a new maximum, even if it’s only a five-pound jump. Progress is progress.
Later on in the evening, the three of us drove over to St. Charles in order to pick up a few collared shirts that have the Cardinal Country embroidered on them. They look terrific, and we have them just in time for the Cardinals Care Winter Warm-Up, which is starting tomorrow at the Millennium Hotel in downtown St. Louis.
It may seem silly, but it was just a really neat feeling to see those shirts with the logo embroidered on the front. They look so real, so official, so professional. To think that not too long ago, that design was just one of many that I whipped up in Illustrator. But now, a year later, we are all so accustomed to it being the official logo of the show. It’s definitely nothing fancy, but it is just kind of neat to see something like that and think “Hey, I had a part in coming up with that!”
Also, to make this day even more interesting, we have had a cold front move in and have had rain/freezing rain falling all evening. So far, it doesn’t look like anything has frozen too much, and we’re sure hoping that the ice holds off. That can cause some really dangerous driving conditions, and tomorrow morning — weather permitting — Paul and I are planning to drive over to St. Louis in order to cover the beginning of the three-day Winter Warm-Up. I sure hope the ice holds off! Snow would be more than welcome, but a freezing rain isn’t all too appealing.
Wow, I have really gotten out of the habit of making entries the past couple of weeks. I’ve been keeping pretty busy with all sorts of things lately, and I think updating this area has just kind of been pushed into the background while I’ve been trying to take care of other things.
Anyway, yesterday Jude and I went to the YMCA. We met up with some friends of ours and played a few games of five-on-five basketball. It was the first time I had played in probably eight or 10 months, and I was really winded by the end of the games. I also had a workout with the weights while we were there.
Lately, aside from the usual flow of depo work, I’ve had a few other tasks that I’ve been taking care of. In the past week, I’ve made three sets of house calls around Belleville in order to solve computer problems for people.
I have also been doing a good amount of work on the website. We’re trying to get it all ready for Monday’s airing of the TLC documentary. We have made a great deal of progress in the last couple of months, and I think we’re all really happy with how things have turned out.
A lot of my work on the site recently has had to do with behind-the-scenes stuff on the site. For instance, we have the new FamTeam Resources section up, where people can get their hands on all sorts of materials. I’ve been busy building the “back end” to the system or the way to deliver the content to people.
It was a challenge and the whole idea kind of intimidated me, but thankfully I was able to come up with a system that not only works but also didn’t take extremely long to put together. We should be primed and ready to go now.
You know, I was just realizing recently how grateful I am that we have this website. For me, personally, it gives me a chance to have some fun with building these different scripts or systems and to have them actually be put to use! If I was just on my own, I could have developed the smartest way to do such-and-such, but it would be a shame if nobody ever got to benefit from that work!
Not that I want credit or anything; I’m just thankful that there is a “need” for this type of stuff on the website, and it just so happens that I love the challenge and the opportunity to solve a problem or meet a need. It’s really satisfying to be able to find a practical solution to an issue.
It’s funny how God works, how God will put a desire in you, yet you might not know why it’s there until much later. I kind of laugh at myself and how excited I get over words like “PHP scripts,” “databases,” and things like that. I know it’s certainly not for everybody, but I am really thankful that God planted this interest in me and that I have a place to kind of show my work.
This is the first time I’ve made a post that is really protected. My notebook began in May of 2004, and since then I’ve amassed over 940 entries. It’s hard to believe that I have nearly 1,000 entries in this thing, but I guess that’s what happens when you get into the habit of doing something. Things add up!
Anyway, this morning a bunch of us went to the YMCA in Belleville with Mom for a workout. Also accompanying us was 10-year-old Wizzy, who is now finally old enough to run the track at the Y. Since her birthday last Friday, she has gone to the Y a few times in order to run around with one of us while the rest of the group exercises.
It was really neat to be at the YMCA working out and have my little sister there, running the track. I have such a hard time believing she’s already 10. She’s starting to turn into a young lady, yet I so vividly remember her being a little baby.
There’s no question that Wizzy has changed the dynamic of our family. We have always loved the little chubs and have been very protective over them, but it has been different having a baby girl growing up in the family.
Dad described it pretty well several years ago when saying that Mary causes me to melt into a lump of brotherly mush. I’ve never minded taking her to gymnastics or being affectionate with her. I’m just so proud of our little Wizzy. It’s hard to believe that she’s maturing and is just three years away from being a teenager.
Mark joked that on Mary’s first date, she’s going to have 13 cars following her. That might be a little over the top, but she is the “best girl” of 13 guys. We’re very protective of her and so we’re obviously only going to be looking out for her best interests. We’re going to want her to marry; we’ll just want to make sure she has God’s best for her.
Come to think of it, that sounds an awful lot like a parent’s approach, doesn’t it? That’s probably the exact same way that Mom and Dad look at me, so why not listen to their advice? Just like I only want what is absolutely best for my little sister, Mom and Dad only want what’s absolutely best for me.
But at any rate, I love my little sister. She has developed such a wonderful attitude and personality over the past few years. She is just turning into a beautiful young lady, and the most important thing is that she also has this beauty on the inside.
Thank God for sisters.
Well, it’s been quite a while since I made an entry in this here notebook. I kind of got out of the habit with all of the holidays and get-togethers we’ve had over the past few weeks, and also I’ve been praying about what to do with the notebook.
We have been making a lot of different changes and improvements to the site in general, and I wasn’t sure where that left this notebook of mine. After lots of praying, lots of discerning, lots of talking with the family, I’ve decided to move this into the Family Room.
To be honest, it’s a little scary to think of just who might stumble upon the site in the next few weeks. Since I tend to like to kind of share my thoughts on certain things or even talk about a lot of what’s going on with the family, I’m thinking it might be wisest to set some sort of speed bump up so that the people who appreciate reading this can easily do so, but at the same time I’ll hopefully eliminate the risk that I’d run if I just left this completely open.
Anyway, this is the working plan. I’m very open to God’s direction, and I’ve even very seriously considered the idea of taking down the notebook altogether. Even though I really enjoy keeping up with it, if God ever tells me to drop it I don’t want to have to give it a second thought.
Would you please pray for me, that God would show me which way to take this thing? I don’t really mind what happens with it as long as God is behind it. Thanks so much, guys! The important thing — blog or no blog (or notebook or no notebook) — is that God’s will would be done here.
And just a brief note: For anybody who is reading this who is not a current Family Room member, within the next day or so this area will probably require you to be logged in in order to view any of the entries. Just a heads-up!