Favorite movies we all watched in 2010

In order to make this list, all five Ebys must have seen this movie during the year it is nominated. Half the movies that were nominated by individual Ebys were disqualified because they were not viewed by all of us.


Here is the list for 2010:

1. Unstoppable ( One #1 vote )
2. Toy Story 3 ( One #1 vote )
3. Knight & Day
4. Bounty Hunter
5. The Tourist
6. Shutter Island
7. The Box
8. Eat, Pray, Love

There were five disqualified movies that were ranked higher than any of our qualified movies.

• ( Receiving #1 votes )
  The A-Team, The Book of Eli, Date Night
  We all know that Adam would have liked A-Team, but he didn't see it...
• ( Receiving #2 votes )
  The Social Network, Secretariat
  Adam thinks we all would have liked The Social Network, but none of us saw it..

The Tourist was the movie with the greatest spread of votes ranging for #4 to #14.

The worst movies tend to get seen by all of us since Red Box has made it so cheap to watch movies.   We are watching these movies at least 28 days later than all of our friends that are watching better movies sooner with Netflix, Cable or Satellite.

Christmas Letter: Take 2

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Christmas Card by Becca

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Some birthdays provide gifts for everyone

The kids are growing up so fast and this week I had to just step back again and admire how God has used trials to grow us all.  It was Carmen's birthday, but we all enjoyed the evening together more like a reunion than a dinner or a birthday.

I picked Carmen up from her dorm on my way home from work and we all enjoyed a great birthday dinner even though Adam was at work and not able to join us until later.

Carmen is a private person and not much into her birthday, but she allowed her mother and her sister to shower her with gifts, stories and pictures.  It was a fun night just to sit back and watch them interact.

I was also impressed with Becca's desire to make this a special evening for everyone else.  For many years, it has been a tradition for me to get the camera out and take pictures of the kids as they grow up.  At each birthday, I think the kids have grown up enough that they don't want a rigid picture by a cake, but we do it anyway.

This year was different, Becca already had the camera out and was excited about getting pictures of her sister's birthday.  She took a lot of great pictures and avoided the rigid picture by the cake.

Carmen got a lot of books and devotionals and a coat and some other stuff to keep her warm going to class, but we were all blessed with her presence.

Laxville Wins First Tournament

Adam tried out for a new Lacrosse team in Louisville that was attempting to collect players from many different schools. The team is called Laxville because of its mission to grow Lacrosse in Louisville.

Evan Wright and Matthew Parker heard about the team and Adam decided he wanted to play too. I was concerned about the time it would take to practice in Louisville, but after all three players made the team, sharing the driving duty has made that not as much of an issue for the parents. It's still a pretty big part of ten days of summer for the boys.

I knew at the tryouts that this would be a special team. The coaches all worked together very well to run excellent drills that kept the boys moving for two hours with virtually no down time. Adam was one of several boys that was leaning on his stick in the heat.

The Lax-n-nati tournament was the first time that I got to see the team play together and it was a beautiful thing to watch. Crisp passes and rapid ball movement change the game completely from what I am accustom to watching.

It was a great tournament. Six games in two days at Clear Creek Park on the East side of Cincinnati. The weather was gorgeous and the competition was great.

They played teams from Georgia, Ohio and Indiana on Saturday and went undefeated. They lost to a great team from Cincinnati on Sunday morning and had to beat a tough well matched team from Franklin, TN in a very close game to earn a rematch for the championship.

I really enjoyed getting to talk with parents from all the the other states and meeting all the parents from Lax-ville. It wasn't until dinner on Saturday that I knew the origin of the team was so recent.

For as much fun and as much development as the team has made in so short of a time, it was no surprise that people were talking about looking for additional tournaments.

Carmen graduates from Tates Creek High School

The ceremony at Rupp Arena was very professionally done and well executed. It seemed so short, much like High School. To watch Carmen parade through one of the lines that received a diploma and a handshake from superintendent Stu Silberman looked more like a synchronized choreography than the graduations that I have witnessed in the past. Did I mention it was short?

In the past few months and years and really my whole career, I have been obsessively focused on objectives that I have set for myself and I have always considered myself very blessed to have a family that is not dependent on my daily direction or re-direction. As this graduation ceremony was executed in a few fleeting moments, I couldn't help comparing it to the four years of high school that went by so quickly.

It seems like just yesterday that Carmen started her freshman year of volleyball and then wrestled with a decision to pursue an aggressive objective of an International Baccalaureate Diploma.

The arena was also roomy. We sat with a group of 11 family members. You can see us at the top of the photograph on the right. Second row: Shirley, Vickie, Buddy, Bud, Becca, Keith. First row: Adam, Peter, Stephanie, Jackie and I.

Matt and Kim were there as well, but we didn't even know it until we saw them afterward. For the 360 or so Tates Creek Graduates and those there to witness it, there was plenty of room and plenty of comfort in an arena built to place 22,000 fans around a game of basketball.

On the right, Carmen's family looks down as her principal approaches the stage and podium. At the bottom, the NCAA Championship banners hang over her, waiting to witness the next four years of her life. I hope those banners know how much they have to look forward to with Carmen. I know that Tates Creek has prepared her well for the next set of four very short years.

Spring Break in Clearwater

We are not usually a family that likes to go back to the same vacation spot twice, but we did this year.

The first few days were cold and windy, but we shopped for sweatshirts and did things inside instead of laying on the beach and burning.

It was a very relaxing weekend because we had seen most of the things on Jackie's lists and we didn't have to be certain places at certain times.

The only scheduled event was para-sailing on a calm and sunny Wednesday afternoon. In the photo to the left, Carmen and Adam are riding in the Superman chute at 600 feet.

The Hilton did a great job of hosting our vacation again and we love the variety of restaurants that are available in Clearwater within walking distance from the hotel.

Dave Pletcher recommended the Thirsty Marlin in Palm Harbor. Jackie and I drove to Tarpon Springs on Monday, but didn't see the restaurant. We were glad we took the icy (ask Becca) drive to Palm Harbor on Wednesday night with the whole family.

We also enjoyed a Thursday evening walk to Jimmy's Fish House for a sunset dinner.

However, being a morning person, I love breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed every one of them in Clearwater.

Whether it was the Hilton continental breakfast with fresh fish, cheese, meats, muffins and fruit or the cafe across the street for a hearty midwestern two egg breakfast, the morning meal is always my favorite to share with family.

Favorite Movies we all watched in 2009

In order to make this list, all five Eby's must have seen this movie during the year it is nominated. There are a few movies that have been nominated by individual Eby's that were disqualified because they were not viewed by all of us.


Here is the list for 2009:

1. Blindside ( Four out of Five Eby's chose this as #1 )
2. Transformers II
   
3. Eagle Eye

As this list gets shorter each year, it is becoming apparent that our tastes are diverging. The kids have seen all the "cool" teen movies and don't want to nominate them to the Eby Favorites.

Examples of divergent tastes:

• Adam and I both saw Star Trek on DVD and we know that it was a great movie with a great story line, but the girls didn't even want to watch it. Braveheart, Gran Torino, Amazing Grace and Sherlock Holmes all fall in this category as well, just not as highly rated as Star Trek
• Carmen liked Hangover, the rest of us have not seen it yet. Carmen has seen many other movies with her friends that she did not nominate
• Jackie and I thought Julie/Julia was in the top 3 but none of the kids were interested in watching it. I let Jackie twist my arm into seeing Have You Heard about the Morgans and I enjoyed listening to her laugh through it.

Coming up with a favorite movie used to be a lot easier when we all went to the movies together. Life was simpler way back then.

New Year, New Colors for Becca

Becca selected three colors from her "Pillowcase of many colors" for the four walls. Jackie and I thought they were a little intense. Adam offered advice on which color to put on which wall and Carmen cleaned Becca's room while the paint was drying.

Later that night, Becca went through all of her stuff and purged whatever was not necessary. When I say purge, I mean the same thing as what Carmen does on a regular basis. When stuff is not actively used, it moves to Mom's bedroom so Mom can deal with it.

My job is simply to paint and tell. It is an enjoyable job. The first color was Celestial Blue and it covered two adjacent walls. The second color was Pink Frenzy which would drive me crazy.

The third color was "Can't Miss Lime" and I would prefer to call it "Three Coat Lime" since it goes on in streaks and spots as if the pigments they used repelled each other.

I also took pictures of the harsh working environment and tight spaces where I had to manuever behind furniture and pre-purged stuff to reach no less than thirty corners of walls, windows and doors.

I decided not to post those since people would accuse me of whining.

Out with Lavender, Horses and Teddy Bears

Becca finally convinced her mother to remove the Teddy Bear wall paper from her room this summer. Jackie wouldn't let me paint the room until she was satisfied with the color in the master bathroom, so Becca has been living with her furniture in the middle of a small room for a while.

After returning from Indiana, Becca picked out three colors for her walls and we went to work from there. Over the last two days of 2009, we covered three walls with two colors and it looks like we will finish the last wall with the last color tomorrow so I decided to take a few pictures of the room that has reminded me that our youngest daughter is growing up.

After we finish the new room, I will name the three new colors. For now, it is safe to assume that they are not close to the baby soft lavender color on the walls in these photographs.

It is also safe to say that this sketch from Disney World in a clean white frame will not make it into the teen age room. The subject of the sketch will never be lost in her parents' memory. The tiny little girl with glasses just screams "I'm happy".

The golden retriever in the corner of the picture was added later when she cut it out of a birthday card from Robin. These lighted horses were up year round in her room ever since she got them. They will now become a seasonal display at Christmas time.

Passing the Ping Pong Torch... not just yet.

Over the years, I have handed many torches to Adam. In 2008 is was the 40 yard dash. In 2009 it was Ultimate Frisbee. With Cousin Ben's assistance, I have nearly relinquished the Ping Pong torch over the Christmas holiday.

At Thanksgiving, I played over 100 games as Adam and Becca both challenged their father. Of all the matches, I only lost one to Adam. Until Thanksgiving, he pull off a game here and there, but never won a match.

Ben and Adam spent time together over Christmas working on spins and change-ups. By the end of Christmas, Adam was able to beat Ben in a game and beat me in more than one match. I won more matches against Adam than he did against me, but the writing is on the wall.

So Ping Pong and Pool are now in transition.

We challenge each other in chess, but that is one that I am hoping to hang on to for a while.

Christmas at home

The kids are all growing up. It seems like just a few years ago when they were all begging for Jackie and I to get up so they could open presents.

This year, I got up late and had some Wheaties and made some coffee before anybody made any noise.

I think Buster was the most excited of any of us about the presents. He got a chew bone and a new pillow and was really just thrilled to be in the house while we opened presents.

Becca got "Pictionary Man", so we all sat down to figure it out and played a game to 10.

After the game, we had our fourth family meeting where we discussed how conflict was a sign of communication and decided that we still need more communication. Jackie suggested that we go around the room and name something from 2009 that didn't go so well and set one goal in 2010 that would help make sure that same something didn't happen again in 2010.

Everyone shared interesting goals, but it will take some teamwork and accountability for some of them to be able to happen. More demand for communication and chatter.

Onward Christian Soldiers

As I have reflected on what has happened in the last two weeks, I have been encouraged by how the Christians in Indiana and Illinois formed a single line to minister to the Mattern and McMillan extended families in a time of need.

When I left Northern Indiana in the 80's, the Lengachers and the Andrews were inspiring the community to greatness on the gridiron. As I watched the single line and the people that worked behind the scenes to allow the viewing to occur, I was very thankful to witness those same families move from the gridiron to the kingdom. I am sure the community has appreciated that change for years without my knowledge.

In that line, I also saw Steve Hunsberger, who understands loss in the last few years perhaps as much as he understands how creativity, music and hard work can inspire a church and a community.

I watched Russ McMillan tell people in that line about his daughter's childhood. As the people listened to him, they also shared of how Heather had helped them medically, physically and spiritually. I don't know if I have seen anyone willingly take on anything more difficult than what Russ did that day. His brother-in-law told me that Tish's dad was a tough and powerful man. Russ picked up some of that and added some salt.

Jon Andrews challenged me at the funeral to keep writing. He later provoked me by quoting statistics about the inefficiency of the average Christian to reach a lost world. During this past week, he himself had thoughts of his mother in the hospital approaching the end of her life of service as a mother, wife, friend and pastor.

Jon, I offer you this hope. While the church of America may not be reaching our own nation in dire need of Christ, it does have a purpose. A purpose that you and your mother have carried well.

After seeing the mark that Heather and your mother both left on a community, I am even more convinced that the purpose of the American Christian is to pray, encourage and equip the saints and to send out and support soldiers to the furthermost parts of the earth. There are pockets of people in American cities and public schools, and public universities that are open to hearing what Jesus taught about the Kingdom today, but the evangelistic opportunities are in the battlefields where Christians are persecuted, discounted or misunderstood on a daily basis. It is there that people are most open to hearing about the peace and love that God has to offer.

War is tough and the losses are many and sudden. Those very losses transform civilians into soldiers in a battle that is not about sod, grain, grass, goallines, flesh or blood.

I am especially grateful to the families that have lost loved ones in this good fight, and I applaud our Lord and Savior as they press onward in prayer and service, adding to their number the Matterns, McMillans and the Andrews.

Simple Things of Value

When you step into Heather's house, you see an appreciation for simple things of value. She placed her value in a relationship with her heavenly father, her family on earth and her church family. She liked to try new things in the kitchen, set colorful china for dinner, and have a coffee bar set up for guests.

She was ambitious to help others through the healing process at a very young age. Part of this came from her expertise in the medical profession, part of this was just her God given helpful nature. I've only known about Heather's accident for a day, so my mind still has not accepted that she won't be there to help Charlie understand what happened.

She was a beautiful bride, a wonderful mother, and a supportive wife.

At Thanksgiving, I shared with Heather that Charlie and Brennan are posted all over our refrigerator door. Each picture was given to Jackie in love and stuck to the door with a magnet with a message that reminds us of the simple things of value that we appreciate.

Many people have met an experience like this with lots of questions demanding answers. I know Heather's family will look for promises of hope as they experience the simple things of value that Heather so enjoyed.

Adam celebrates his 16th Birthday

Adam celebrated his birthday with cake and ice cream followed by the customary opening of presents... hey... that's not Adam.

Who opened Adam's presents while Matt expressed his disgust?

Senior Night for Carmen

It is really hard to believe that it was just a little over six years ago that Carmen started her first volleyball season for Southern Middle School as a sixth grader.

Over those years, she has played on eleven different teams and I have many memories as a spectator of each team. As I look at the group of people in the picture, I can't help but think of all the things these girls and their families experienced together. Here are some of my favorite volleyball memories:

• Watching Robyn's ability to serve and hit as a tiny little sixth grader.
• Observing a large diversity of skills and intensity in the tiny BAVA 13-1 team. I can still picture little Brianna, Carmen, Jessica and Robyn doing wall sits and jumping on bleachers at the YMCA practices.
  
• Watching Carmen, Allie, and Jessica play together on the BAVA 14-2 team
• Watching Carmen, Allie and Rachel do very well for Southern Middle in the city tournament as 8th graders. Lindi and Jackie were both active in organizing summer workouts before the season. Cassie played a large role as cheerleader from the bench to loosen up the serious 8th graders.
  
• Watching Robyn, Abi, Hannah [not pictured but not forgotten] and Laura advance as district champions.
• Watching Carmen, Rachel and Casey have the best record of any of the eleven different teams that Carmen played on. Janet and Jackie were involved in getting that team to the gym and warmed up before the games. ( Freshman TCHS 13 Wins -3 Losses )
  
• Watching Laura, Robyn, Abi, Allie and Rachel play together as a team at the beginning of a season to finish second in the Apollo Summer Slam.
  
• Spending time with the Sisks and Jones while Casey, Rachel and Carmen suffered through a long season for TEVA 16-3.
• Watching Carmen sit down on the Dunbar bleachers, take off her shoes, active ankles and knee pads then pack them into her bag as she had done a thousand times before.

Orchard is down to two trees

When Keith and I were eating lots of fruits and vegetables and growing very fast, I think that Dad had sixteen dwarf fruit trees including pears, cherries, and all sorts of apples.

This year, as Dad approaches his 84th birthday, he only has two trees in his orchard. While I was back in Indiana for my high school class reunion, Goshen's First Friday, and Mom and Dad's 51st wedding anniversary, I got the rare chance to take a photograph of the tree before Dad picked from the top of a 13 foot step ladder.

This one was loaded down with more apples than I've ever seen on such a small tree.

I talked with Dad a few weeks after the picture and he told me that he was able to pick 13 bushel from this tree.

I was able to take three monster onions, a bunch of green tomatoes for Jackie to fry, a box of fresh snappy potatoes, and a second box of ripe red tomatoes.

We ate well in Kentucky the following week, but we missed the chance for fresh apples.

Becca's 8th Grade Volleyball Night

I was just picking Becca and Anna up from volleyball practice at LTMS the other night when I came to the realization that I wouldn't be doing that much anymore.

This is Becca's last year of Middle School which means that it is the last year that I will be picking anyone up or going to games at any of the Middle Schools around town that I have been going to for the last seven years.

I was feeling old and forgetful or distracted with my workaholic nature until Becca shared that "8th Grade Night" for volleyball is what triggered the same realization for her.

The volleyball game went very long with both the A team and B team needing three games to beat a very tough Bryan Station Traditional Magnet School team. It was a good night to see the team play together well and leave the gym with a victory.

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Yoder

It was a weekend full of driving for all of us to be able to see Kevin Yoder marry Bethany Etsinger but it was well worth it. It was good to see all the nine Etsinger grandchildren together in one place celebrating life.

Their pastor tearfully charged them to remember the characteristics of a loving relationship listed in Colossians 3:12 by describing "radical" ways to recognize and develop each characteristic.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.

Later, at the reception, as I listened to some of the older grandchildren coach Ben, Adam and Carmen about college choices by sharing some hilarious stories, I couldn't help but think back to a time when none of the grandchildren were married.


As of August 15th, 2009, most of these grandchildren are now married. With great grandchildren, this 2001 photograph has expanded from nine to sixteen people.

Run. Run for your Life

I'm wondering if God is wanting me to start exercising after three separate messages to run in twenty four hours:

• A friend sent me a link to the Brave Hearted Gospel yesterday and suggested that the "Run" video was the most convicting to him. Watch it!
• Kent selected a set of worship songs this morning that featured "Run into the Marvelous Light"
• Mike spoke about religion being born the minute that Adam and Eve ran from God to hide.