Miscellaneous

Why do I feel so wiped out at the end of my day off? With five children eight and under, including one newborn, life is hectic. I'm not complaining; we are blessed to have a large family. But the energy output of five little ones over the course of a day is both incredibly high, and incredibly draining.

Thankfully, we were able to get the kids outside for a while to play. The whole family went to a local park where we walked on trails, and I played soccer with the munchkins while Robyn nursed Monica. It was an afternoon of 60 degrees and brilliant sunshine. Is this really Alaska on October 12th? I see that in Missoula, Montana, where my parents live, the low yesterday was 12 degrees. I guess sometimes you have to go far north to get the balmy weather.

As for a large family, as we shopped at Target today I found myself conscious in a way that I hadn't really been before of how many children we have. People probably assume we are Catholic, Mormon, or simply ignorant of the wide variety of available birth control options! Oh well, let people think what they want. While I don't happen to believe that having many children is in itself a sign of true virtue and godliness, or that being a large family somehow puts us a cut above others, we are deeply grateful that God has blessed us with five little ones.

On a completely different subject, I see that the four teams for the two League Championship Series' are now set. I'm mostly disappointed that the Cardinals are not one of them, but I also wish at least one non-West Coast or East Coast team could have a shot at the World Series. It's special when a small-market team can defy the odds, and the payroll handicap, to slay the giants. Each one of the four teams left in the playoffs rank in the top nine of total payroll among all major league clubs. The Yankees, of course, are first in that category. Too bad the Twins (24th overall in payroll) couldn't play David to New York's Goliath.

If you're internet savvy, this probably won't be news to you at all. But I recently discovered a great internet radio station, Pandora. You tell them a favorite artist, and they play a station that features both music by that artist and similar music by other artists. It's a lot of fun, and free.

Robyn and I often read a book together on Monday nights (I read, and she listens). We are now making our way through Roland Bainton's Here I Stand, a biography of Martin Luther. It's a fascinating read, full of interesting details about Luther's life. Also, the author does a very good job covering the ideas and events of the early Reformation. It's hard to fathom now, given the age in which we live that is so indifferent to theological questions, that an idea like justification by faith alone could stir up such passions.

Well, Robyn just walked in and said - "Why are we wasting our lives in front of a computer!?" Good point. We're going to read about Luther now, and enjoy a little peace and quiet.