Some Girls Covet Diamonds, Janna Covets Chicken Carcases

There are some people out there who believe Mrs. Birn and I spend tons of money and hours every day preparing our dinner. I'm here to tell you that this is not the case. Tonight I made a wonderful garlic-lemon shrimp linguine that took less than 15 minutes to make and cost well under $3.00. It's big on flavor and short on time. Janna and Iove to go all out when we have company but our dirty little secret is that all of the things we make are incredibly simple. Simple ingredients and simple preparation are the key to making a great meal. Why, any of you lesser cooks could make our food at home. Naw, you guys always are missing out on the most important ingredient and the one Janna and I have in the most abundance: Love.

Janna's Wifely Duties

There comes a time in every woman's day when she must do those duties that are required of women. As I came home this evening I discovered my wife performing such duties. Do enjoy:

Janna has gotten quite good at ironing my shirts. We see her in this picture attempting to iron one of my boring white shirts.
Seamus keeps eye on mommy while she irons. Our beloved Seamus understands the importance of keeping mommy safe, especially considering her current condition.
Aren't these flowers lovely. I don't want to embarrass anyone but Seamus bought these for his new mommy. He's so happy to have someone to play with all day.
Janna continues on with her ironing.
Janna enjoys watching the Food Network. It appears Giatta is on making something Italian I suspect.
Protecting mommy can be tiring for Seamus.
When Seamus can't protect the home we can always count on Mr. Peanut.
Aren't these fall flowers just lovely?

DeVos For Governor!

An interesting evening at the compound.

Janna spends most of the evening reading Ashleigh Banfield's blog, apparently she has many posts on her "hot arab" and their activities at a local Duncan Doughnuts.
Seamus protects Mommy while she's on the computer. Isn't he sweet, he loves his mommy. Mommy might tell people that Seamus isn't nice to her but it simply isn't true. My boy sits and waits by the bedroom door every morning for mommy.
Spongebob pays a visit to the compound, he enjoyed watching Seamus guard Janna while she was reading blogs about arabs and doughnuts.
Protecting mommy can be very tiring for a Seamus.

An Addition

Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. -----Psalm 127

We're having a baby My baby and me
You'll read it in Winchell
That we're adding a limb to our family tree
While pushing that carriage How proud I will be
There's nothing like marriage
Ask your father and mother and they'll agree
He'll have toys, baby clothes
He'll know he's come to the right house
By and by when he grows Maybe he'll live in the White House
Our future looks brighter But definitely
We're having a baby
We're having a baby
We're having a baby
My baby and me.

Football With Daddy

Today was Michigan State's first road football game of the season and that gave Seamus and I the opportunity to watch the game together. Janna abandoned us to go shopping with Agnus, she missed out on all the fun as our beloved Spartans came out on top, beating Pittsburgh 38-23. I'll give the boys credit, they looked terrible for the first quarter and a half but once they woke up they put a whoopin down on Pitt. State scored 38 straight points and with the exception of two Pitt TD's in the last 5 minutes of the game MSU looked terrific from the second quarter on. Nedless to say, Seamus was pleased with the outcome.

Seamus enters our study to watch the game. He's very excited about getting to watch football with daddy but he's a little worried about how our Spartans will play against a good Pitt team.

Seamus is disgusted with the beginning of the game, he turns his back on the television, he can't bare to watch as MSU goes down 10-0 and looks like total trash.

Seamus isn't very happy with a halftime score of 10-10 but he is pleased that MSU isn't getting blown out. He hopes they can carry momentum into the second half.

Here comes Drew Stanton to lead us to victory.

MSU is about to score a touchdown to go up 31-10 in the 4th quarter, effectively putting the game away.

Seamus is well pleased with the outcome and looks forward to visiting Grandma, Grandpa and sister Zoe next week before the MSU-Notre Dame game. Seamus especially enjoyed watching the game with Daddy, it reminds him of his first days after his adoption into the Birn family.

Mother Birn Makes A Visit

My mother decided to make a visit last night. My mother, tired of eating out at local chain restaurants, came over for her first home cooked meal of the month. We made her a delightful dinner of spaghetti and meatballs in my lovely tomato sauce with a lovely arugla salad. For desert we served her Janna brownies with ice cream and a delightful chocolate sauce. A good time was had by all.

Mother Birn smiles at the thought of shopping with Janna or perhaps she's smiling at the thought of spending time with Seamus. Either way, she appears happy.
What remains of the spaghetti.
Don't our meatballs look lovely? They're so moist and wonderful.
Janna prepares desert.
Yummo, don't you wish you were at the Birn's last night? Well, you weren't and we weren't allowing uninvited individuals to partake in our desert. So all you uninvited masses stay away until such time as you receive an invitation.

More Uninvited Guests Invade Our Compound

Once again the Birn compound was under siege by dastardly uninvited guests. This time, the uninvited guests rampaged the compound on Sunday evening, waking Janna up, disrupting my shower and disturbing Seamus.

One Nate laughs at Janna as she falls asleep. The nerve of some people eh?
Instigator Mags poses with someone who should know better than to drop in on people without an invitation. I have a feeling the Birn's will be making a visit up the street one of these days at 7am. Breakfast anyone?
Seamus is appalled that the uninvited people have brought little monsters over to terrorize him.
Janna slowly falls asleep as Lyd prevents her uninvited child from tearing our entire house to the ground.
Seamus decides that the best way to make uninvited guests leave is to kiss them.

A Post from Janna, Who Is Spoiled by Her Husband

Life here on Union Avenue is certainly sweet.

Sunday Morning Rituals

Sometimes our Sunday mornings are filled with little battles. My son and I are both excited about the new day, the new member of the family however isn't usually as excited.

Janna often refuses to wake up in the morning, apparently she seeks to avoid the beautiful new day by putting the covers over her head.
What's that horrible noise Seamus hears?
Oh dear, it's Janna being forced to join the rest of us in the glorious new day God has given us.
Seamus is frightened at the sight of an angry Mommy coming out of the bedroom in the morning.
What a relief, a nice shower and a quick check of the e-mail and the Janna we all know and love returns.

Janna, having finally figured out the password, shares thoughts on contentment and draino

Fighting our given role in life is never a good idea. Consider that we were each made equipped for said role. Consider how resisting this affects not only ourselves, but others around us who count on our performing our appointed tasks. Great trouble may be caused by discontent.

Seems reasonable right? Well, if only inanimate objects could see reason and take up their tasks again. Take for instance, our bathroom. Firstly, the doorknob. This unruly member has seen fit to behave in a most beastly fashion, neither opening when opening is called for, nor closing when closing is called for. Most unseemly.



As is so often the case, one bad apple spoils the lot. The sink has also acquired a distinctly unpleasant attitude and is downright petulant when it comes to draining. It simply stamps it's feet and refuses to dry up, despite much cajoling in the form of drain cleaners. This sink, it seems, is refusing to accept it's role in society. Very sad.




What's next? Will the shower rebel? Will the toilet behave like a spoiled teenager? We shudder to think, yet brace ourselves for the worst.

Our Trip To The Beach

Last night we went to the beach out in Grand Haven. Interesting times were had by all.

Janna and Mags smile for the camera
Our first marital fight, how cute is that?
Linda and Captain von Trapp
Go west old man, go west.
Isn't Janna lovely with the sun shining upon her?
Agnus, Mags and Janna pose for a picture while a shirtless maniac lurks in the background.
We can see God's glory in all things but we can especially see it in a beautiful sunset.
Another view.
Osama bin Lanning decides to play "world trade center" with a graham cracker box.
Tower one ignites.
Ray and B get ready to set tower two on fire, complete with hated American icon Mickey Mouse
Ray tries hard to get tower two to light
B finally gets tower two to ignite
Mark is amused by the fire
Mags is not.