Special Pheatures:
Recent Trips:
Daddy and Sierra Go Camping at Knoebels:
Summer: 2009 --
 Sierra and I had so much fun this year on our camping trip at Knoebels Family Fun Park. We went on just about every ride they had there and of course the very first ride we had to go on was Sierra's most favorite ride there, The Cosmotron! Its a fun ride enclosed in an indoor shelter and they turn out the lights, play music, and have colored lights and strobe lights too! First they send you speeding round and round going forward for about a minute and a half, then they reverse the action for another minute and a half. The ride is so exhilarating for Sierra, she always asks if we can ride it twice in a row. That she only asks to go twice is just fine for me because I'm not too sure my tummy can take that motion more than twice... :)
See the story here
Daddy and Sierra at Poole Forge:
On the weekend of September 9th, 2006 Sierra and I went to the new park in Churchtown, Pa "Poole Forge" a historic 18th-century iron forge complex along the Conestoga River which winds through Churchtown and many others along it's way through the "Twin Valley" area in Lancaster County. Sierra loves that park because it not only has a rock climbing wall but it has a nice child swing with a safety harness and its huge (the swing that is) there is also access to the river which was her favorite feature most of all. Once she discovered she could get to the water's edge, we spent the  remainder of our time there. She had a blast digging up rocks out of the river and tossing them in to see them splash and ripple the water. Sierra is very much an outdoors enthusiast, she just loves spending time in the great outdoors. I'm glad she does because that means we will have tons of fun going camping and hiking as she gets older. That not only means we will have fun  together as Father and Daughter but it will also make for some of the best quality time for us to get closer and bond. I really want to be well bonded with my Baby-Girl becuase I love her so much. I shot an entire reel of film on her while she played in the river, you can see the pictures here. I got some pretty awesome shots too. Some still posing and smiling and some action shots as well. Sierra just does not take a bad picture and she loves to smile for the camera. She is so much fun to be with.
Daddy goes camping:
I went camping at the Delaware National Recreation Area for the Labor Day weekend of September 1st - September 4th, 2006. It was raining for the first two days but I still had a blast! I litterally trekked up the East shore all the way to Barrysville New York and back down the West shore down into Pennsylvania. I was looking for the beach we used to go to when I was about 5 years old. I finally found it and took some pictures. I also took some pictures of the  campgrounds and the surrounding areas as I traveled. I got some pretty good shots (not great but pretty good) You can see them here They are not narrated, sorry.
I think the next camping trip I will try to find a place that has a lot of things for kids to do because I will be taking Sierra with me and I know we're going to have a blast! She even told me we were going to have smores, in a matter-of-fact tone, heh heh. I just love my precious little Baby-Girl.  I can't wait to take her camping this summer! Just me and my Baby-Girl, God and his creation. It's gonna be awesome!
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Sierra's First School Play. Enjoy!!!:
Christian Spotlight In Entertaiment:
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Current Events:
Today 10/17/2009, Sierra and Daddy made a ScareCrow!
Phanara News:
House Bill 463 public hearing - Subject: Child Custody:
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania:
The House Subcommittee on Family Law has rescheduled the public hearing on the subject of Child Custody for December 10, 2009 in Room 140, Main Capitol Building. The hearing will begin at 9:45 a.m. and will conclude around 3:15 p.m.
The purpose of this hearing is to discuss House Bills 418, 463 and 1639 and other ways to improve child custody in Pennsylvania.
Please see HB463.com for more details
Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you; never forget what you learned at your mother's knee. Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair, like rings on your fingers. Proverbs 1:8-9 (The Message)
We are working to save children! With House Bill 463, "Presumptive Joint Custody". In the "Best Interest of Children", their parents will start out in court as two equal parents!
The Bible teaches us a very important lesson about the impact our parents will have on us as we grow up in our family. I believe HB 463 leans in strong support of that very lesson...
Basil Phanara...
Basil Phanara Joins the Pennsylvania Families Association:
I have recently joined the non-profit organization "Pennsylvania Families Association". This group is working hard to change the way the courts rule on matters of child custody. Currently child custody is awarded by the Judges in these cases according to what is commonly referred to as "the best interest of the child" guideline. This "guideline" is widely accepted and adhered to by most of the Judges in the PA Family Courts today. This means that no matter what has happened or is happening between the parents involved in a custody dispute, barring criminal actions committed by a parent, the Court will almost ALWAYS award primary custody to one parent which leaves the other parent fighting for their right to spend time with their child because their time alotment is one that is drastically reduced compared to what used to be the "norm" for them. This outcome only serves to exacerbate the lives of both the parents and the children involved in the dispute. The Pennsylvania Families Association is currently working very hard to help pass new legislation House Bill 463 - "Presumtive Joint Custody" that will finally level the playing field in child custody and divorce cases in PA.  This means that no longer will one parent (statistically in most cases, it is the Father) be reduced to just a visitor to their children. The current system in place today only makes the non-custodial parent feel as if they are being bullied and the non-custodial parent suffers severe finacial burden while trying to regain their equality in their child's life again; In most cases to the end that the non-custodial parent is simply left to fight alone. Couple this with the fact most of these parents have no idea where to turn for help, the non-custodial parent is left feeling hopeless and frightened. All they can do is hire a Lawer at $150 to $300 per hour and now they have just boarded the express train to financial ruin in most cases. The other option, which increasingly more non-custodial parents are choosing these days, is to simply brave it and attach the "Pro Se" label to the end of their name. "Presumtive Joint Custody" can put an end to this nightmare by giving BOTH parents substantial access to their child so they can stay connected and spend more quality time with the child, which would otherwise be tied up in costly, financial and emotional, court battles. "Presumtive Joint Custody" frees up the courts time and lowers court costs overall. It also saves parent / child relationships from destruction. More time with both Mommy AND Daddy? Now that is definitely in the best interest of ALL children. House Bill 463 will give BOTH parents the RIGHT to ensure that the needs and best interests of thier children are best served by BOTH parents by  encouraging BOTH parents to be involved in the child's life. I wholeheartedly support House Bill 463 and so should you. Join PFA now and help other parents ensure the best for children everywhere. Lets do it for the kids!
Sierra is about to turn five years old in only -33 months. The big "K" is right around the corner for her and I want to try to help her get ready for the big day. I plan to talk with her as we play; about kindergarten and try to see what she thinks of it once she realizes what it means to be in kindergarten. Though going from an environmnet like pre-school, where they just play all day, to an actual structured learning environment might not be too hard for her if she is anything like I was when it came to going to school. I thought my first day in kindergarten was the best thing ever. I still remember my first day of kindergarten. I was ecstatic because I finally got to go to school! I did not attend pre-school, I stayed home with my Mother and played in the sandbox or sometimes even in the forest so going to school meant I got to leave the house like my older sisters did in the morning. I had always asked if I could go with them when I saw them leaving for school (at least I think that is what I remember). Back to my point. I want to help make the transition from pre-school to kindergarten as smooth as possible for Sierra. I want school to be fun for her so she will thrive and get great grades. I am not a perfectionist so I will not push her to get good grades or else, instead I plan to encourage her to do well with some kind of reward system. I am not sure what to use as a standard reward yet but it has to be something she will always look forward to recieving for a  job well done. I told her last week, that we can go camping together the next time I go and she seems to be very excited about that so perhaps I can use things like that as a reward. Whatever it is I just hope I can help my Baby-Girl shine bright and earn a good education so she can persue a great career. By career I mean a job that is rewarding and something she can be proud of doing and that even includes the choice to be a stay at home Mommy which I am posetive she will be the best at out of all the Mommies of her time.. :*)
Phun Phamily Games:
We have some kewl games here to occupy your mind. Most of them are written in java and I hand pick them from  all over the web as I surf. I only pick the ones I think are really fun and try to make sure they are age appropriate for children. If I would not let Sierra play the game then it does not make it into this game stash. I have created a page here with links to all of them.
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Christian news of the day:
Question Of The Month:
Will the World End in 2012?
Does anyone with any sense at all really believe that any man or woman can or will ever be able to predict the end of the world? Is December 21, 2012 really even a remotely plausible theory?
My answer to all these "End of the World" theories is simple. For most Christains it should be similarly as simple. For I suggest to you that there is not one man, woman, or child, alive today, in the past, or in the future, that has or will EVER know. Why do I believe this? Again, its very simple:
The Bible, which we all know to be the cannon of truth (even those who declare it is not), tells us the plain and simple truth and yet, many simply choose to ignore it. Let's see what the Bible says. - The King James Bible "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh". Need a more modern look at this verse? Let's check with The Message "So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive".
This is a part of the answer that Jesus gave to his Disciples when they said to Jesus; "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?"
This is part of that conversation as it was written in the bible, shown here from The Message translation:
{Mathew 24:1-36}
1. Jesus then left the Temple. As he walked away, his disciples pointed out how very impressive the Temple architecture was.
2. Jesus said, "You're not impressed by all this sheer size, are you? The truth of the matter is that there's not a stone in that building that is not going to end up in a pile of rubble."
3. Later as he was sitting on Mount Olives, his disciples approached and asked him, "Tell us, when are these things going to happen? What will be the sign of your coming, that the time's up?"
4. Jesus said, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers.
5. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, 'I am Christ, the Messiah.' They will deceive a lot of people.
6. When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end.
7. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places.
8. This is nothing compared to what is coming.
9. "They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone hating you because you carry my name.
10. And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other's throat, everyone hating each other.
11. "In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people.
12. For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in--nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes.
13. "Staying with it--that's what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry, and you'll be saved.
14. All during this time, the good news--the Message of the kingdom--will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come.
15. "But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up in the Temple sanctuary. The prophet Daniel described this. If you've read Daniel, you'll know what I'm talking about.
16. If you're living in Judea at the time, run for the hills;
17. if you're working in the yard, don't return to the house to get anything;
18. if you're out in the field, don't go back and get your coat.
19. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard.
20. Hope and pray this won't happen during the winter or on a Sabbath.
21. "This is going to be trouble on a scale beyond what the world has ever seen, or will see again.
22. If these days of trouble were left to run their course, nobody would make it. But on account of God's chosen people, the trouble will be cut short.
23. "If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, 'Here's the Messiah!' or points, 'There he is!' don't fall for it.
24. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better.
25. But I've given you fair warning.
26. "So if they say, 'Run to the country and see him arrive!' or, 'Quick, get downtown, see him come!' don't give them the time of day.
27. The Arrival of the Son of Man isn't something you go to see. He comes like swift lightning to you!
28. Whenever you see crowds gathering, think of carrion vultures circling, moving in, hovering over a rotting carcass. You can be quite sure that it's not the living Son of Man pulling in those crowds.
29. "Following those hard times, Sun will fade out, moon cloud over, Stars fall out of the sky, cosmic powers tremble.
30. "Then, the Arrival of the Son of Man! It will fill the skies--no one will miss it. Unready people all over the world, outsiders to the splendor and power, will raise a huge lament as they watch the Son of Man blazing out of heaven.
31. At that same moment, he'll dispatch his angels with a trumpet-blast summons, pulling in God's chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.
32. "Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer's just around the corner.
33. So it is with you: When you see all these things, you'll know he's at the door.
34. Don't take this lightly. I'm not just saying this for some future generation, but for all of you. This age continues until all these things take place.
35. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won't wear out.
36. "But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.
Notice Jesus did not mention any reference to a year, but only spoke of the knowledge of the day and the hour , which no man, nor Angel, not even the Son (Jesus) himslef knows. So then, does that leave us with the possibility that we might actually have a chance of at least guessing the year correctly? In that, I will leave it for you to decide for yourself. But if it were me, I would pray long and hard to God, through Jesus, before I would even think of trying to answer that one. For remember, only God knows this answer for sure...
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