No pain here, but...

On Monday, I had two of my wisdom teeth pulled. After hearing many stories from people who knew I was going "under the knife," I was prepared for the worst. Since I am groggy this morning, I'll give you the short version.

The dentist gave me lots of novacaine, so I couldn't feel anything sharp. He didn't "put me out" or whatever, which would have been fun. But I did get to hear and see him pounding away at my upper wisdom teeth. I heard teeth cracking, and felt so much pressure at one point that I thought he was trying to pull an eyeball out of my mouth. Nice picture, eh?

Anyhow, as I was leaving, he gave me a list of instructions, and a prescription for vicatin. As master of the obvious, I said, "So, Doc, after this novacaine wears off, I should expect some pain?"

Dude grimaced and said, "uh, yeah..." It was actually at that point that he gave me the prescription.

So I raced over to Kroger and got the prescription. The pharmacist tells me about some of the effects of vicatin, and other things I can do for this impending onslaught of dental doom. He suggests Aleve, and says I can go ahead and take the Vicatin BEFORE I feel the pain, as a preemptive strike.

So, I follow all of his instructions, and race home before taking the vicatin.

Three days later, I have felt hardly any pain in my mouth. I have only taken four vicatin pills in three days, so maybe I've had it easy. Probably the most painful moment has been looking at all the blood, or holding my two former teeth and being amazed at how big they are!

Well, I do feel blessed (by God, my dentist, and apparently vicatin) that I am not another wisdom tooth horror story.

In other news, I have spent several of the last 24 hours watching CNN. By now, you all know about Hurricane Katrina, and it sure seems like even the worst of this is yet to come.

It's absolutely heartbreaking to sit there and watch what's going on - the destruction, the rescue efforts, the commentary - but I feel like I really must watch it. No (directed at the mayor Biloxi or whoever made that comment), this is not as bad as the Tsunami - not even close! But it is extremely bad, and it is getting worse, and it is right here in a large American city.

While I am personally grateful for my friends and family that we have NOT been affected by this... I am sick to my stomach just thinking about it. Even now, the rescue and relief efforts seem so helpless without communication, electricity, or basic coordination around what is going on.

Apologies...

The other night, I wrote a long, long update to this blog, and then somehow, my time online "timed out." Have you ever had that happen? It was discouraging, cause I had all of these great things to tell you about....

- More news about our new baby
- Gary's riveting trip to the Browns' game
- Adventures with Apple repair
- Headed to Lakeside (Lake Erie) soon
- Random Jennie updates
- Allie's newest favorite toy
- Allie encounters Pet Store
- et cetera

Well, I found a new program that will help me update my blog more often - it's called "Dashboard," and it's a part of Apple's new operating system ("Tiger"). Not that you care, but at least it should give me more chances to update my blog without fear that it will be deleted too quickly.

It's a...

Jennie and I are having a baby.

Today, we had an ultrasound, and found out the gender of said baby.

We are very excited and grateful to God for a healthy baby. We got to see the baby up close and in great detail today.

The due date for this baby's birth is still December 25th.

We will have a Christmas baby.

Sleigh bells ring, and we won't be listening.

We will be at the hospital.

19 weeks and 5 days from now.

I can't wait to tell you more!

We celebrated our trip to the doctor by going to Wal-Mart and buying a brand new CD to listen to. Can you guess which CD we bought? (Hint: the CD has nothing to do with the gender of our child.)

Book Review: Ghost Soldiers

I can't believe that I am just now posting this review. It was probably two years ago when, I believe, both Mike Arnold and Doug Clark at The Chapel highly recommended the book Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides. At the time, I wasn't very interested in reading books about war.

For whatever reason, over the past year, I have developed an interest in reading books about war. So I picked up a copy of Ghost Soldiers and started there. I like to go with books that someone I respect has recommended, so here's the respect for Mike and Doug. Ghost Soldiers is about a rescue mission that took place during World War II in the Philippines. Hampton Sides takes you into the life and experiences of what it's like to be a prisoner of war in the worst kind of circumstances. There were times while reading that I found myself crying or catching my breath. Much of the book surrounded the famous "death march" that the Japanese captors led these prisoners on from camp to camp.

The background, characterization, and historical information leading up to the attempted rescue by the 6th Ranger Battalion under the direction of General Henry Mucci was incredible. The strategy, testimonies, and intensity of the attack on the Japanese was a thrill to read.

Today, I saw the commercial for a new movie called The Great Raid. The movie is BASED on the book by Hampton Sides, and yes, I cannot wait to see it. It opens this Friday.

I thought the book was terrific, inspiring, and engaging - and I appreciated the fact that this was well-researched history, not conjecture or opinion.

If you are interested in being inspired, encouraged, and frankly "grossed out" - it is a book about War, mind you - then I'd highly encourage picking up a copy of Ghost Soldiers. It's one of the few books that I've read before seeing the movie. I suppose I can do a movie review in a couple of weeks after I've seen the movie... but, as I was reading the book, I thought several times how there's literally no way to get all of this stuff - especially the important history, thoughts, and personalities of some of the key characters (uh, I mean - actual people) - into a movie. So, even a fully-stocked DVD with lots of interviews has a lot to live up to with this book.

Since reading this book, I have picked up a couple of other war-recommended books like Band of Brothers and D-Day but have yet to start them. I'm not ready to dive head-first into this genre, nor do I have the time. Maybe one good war book a year. Ghost Soldiers was an excellent one to start with.

Back to the Future...

This week, Jennie and I are spending the week in Winona Lake, Indiana. Sure, it's a little sentimental for us. It's where we met, fell in love, and also got married just five years ago.

It's also where we both went to college - at Grace College. So we're staying in Winona Lake, and we'll enjoy the beautiful scenery, sunsets, and time with Allie. Allie is starting to run around and play with other kids. It's all so... surreal.

We're here this week for the conference for the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. I guess I'm officially a Grace Brethren pastor now. Blame Ken Bickel, who finally talked me into it. Seriously, though, we are excited about this week where we not only get to see some old friends in college (like Dave Jones, Jason Knavel, and hopefully Dave Pacheco), but also get to meet lots of new friends and connect with other pastors here.

I should also mention Jennie's friends, right? She's looking forward to seeing Tricia (Wood) Holabeck, Cathy Laker, Trish Stevens, and quite possibly Sarah (Peppo) Lavy.

Jennie and I have both experienced a variety of "worlds" in our lives. For me, there's the worlds of Lake (Uniontown/Hartville), The Chapel, Grace, SW Michigan, Grace again, Green (Ohio), and now Delaware. For Jennie, the worlds of Campbellsport (WI), Grace, Milwaukee, Grace, Milwaukee, Green (Ohio), and now... Delaware. It's pretty wild to see all of these worlds converge in one week, here in Winona Lake.

You have Kary Oberbrunner, who Jennie knew in the Milwaukee world, but then became a part of my Grace-world as my roommate in 1999. Kary is part of our Delaware world and the Grace Brethren world here this week too.

I guess I am the only guy from "The Chapel" world to be Grace Brethren now. Usually, guys have gone from Grace to The Chapel (Knute Larson, Tom Bennardo, Eloy Pacheco, Bob Messner, Steve Adriansen, and I'm sure the list goes on).

I suppose the best part is that we have fond memories of all of our worlds. And, silly us, we still think we can keep in touch with all of them. If I sound like I'm getting sentimental or reflective - I am. Life is - and has been - a great journey... with lots of interesting stops, people, and events along the way.

Just occurred to me that you might be from one of these worlds too?

If you're Jeremy Bear, we've connected in the worlds of The Chapel, Lake (kinda), Grace, and um... Grace. We can kinda count Columbus too, right? Since I visited so much and now live so close to there. We also share the Mosaic world. You with your presence at that great church, and me getting so much from Erwin's spirit through his writings and speaking.

If you're Tim Cooper, I guess you're wondering why I left out the other "new world" I'm in, called the Denver Seminary world (which also has many ties to The Chapel world, since Denver Seminary president Craig Williford was at The Chapel for a few good years.) Denver also has ties to Delaware and Grace. Amazing. Tied to Delaware because the pastor here before me, Jeff Gill, did the same degree program at Denver that I am doing. Tied to Grace, because my mentor and friend Ken Bickel also did his degree at Denver. But we all know I'm there just to hang with Coop and drink Jamba Juice.

If you're Josh Smith, you know me from the Chapel world and also the Chapel world.... and I suppose the other Chapel world. Seems like a whole different place there than it was when we first met in 1994 and barely knew each other. Then we had several pretty awesome years with BCM, and then a whole lotta change with two campuses, and we still keep in touch and have a great friendship.

(Here I go again, only focusing on my friends and not Jennie's. Maybe she needs to get a blog here.)

Back to my friends. Chadd Sommers can legitimately claim ties to the Lake world (high school, he attended most of our football games and even dated a few Lake girls!), The Chapel world (where he grew up), The Grace world (he moved out there for a year), the Chapel world (back again after we were both married), and of course the Green world.

If you're Dan Bahry, you know it only takes "one world" for people to really connect on a deep level. You rock, bro. Go Browns!

Yeah, this is a long blog. I'm done, and I'm grateful for all the "worlds" God's allowed me to live in and develop friendships. I'll try to blog more from Winona, but I just felt like getting some new stuff out there. Know what I mean?

What "worlds" have you traveled through in your lifetime? Post about them in the comments!

Blue... like jazz?

Did you ever have someone recommend a book to you? I get that often. In fact, usually, when someone says, "You gotta read (insert book title here)," I usually tune them out. I have enough books to read. My bookshelves are one big guilt trip for me. I buy books and then I do not read them. If someone looked at my shelf, they might think I am an avid reader. I guess I am becoming one of those. But a closer look at the truth would tell them that I am much more of an avid "book buyer" than I am a reader. So I have a stack of 10-15 books on my desk that I "want to get reading..." And then I have shelves of other books that I plan to read someday. Some of those books are books that I've started reading, get 50 pages in, and then put aside...

So, about a month ago, Dave Gannon recommended Blue Like Jazz. A few days later, I saw it reviewed on a friend's website. Two other people asked me if I'd read it, and I see a chapter from it inserted into my favorite magazine. Think it might be time to pick up a copy?

Well, I just finished reading Blue Like Jazz, and I really liked it. Donald Miller writes as if he's talking directly to you, sharing what the subtitle calls, "nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality." That's exactly what you'll get. It's like you're getting inside a real person's mind, hearing their doubts, fears, and questions about life.

He has some great chapters about life, faith, community, love, and the church. Here's a guy who attended one of the toughest universities in the country, and I think he did it simply to connect with people and make friends. One chapter talks about how he and his friends set up a confessional booth in the middle of campus for students to come and confess their sins.

The twist came, however, as each student came to the confessional. Instead of confessing their own sins, they listened to the author or one of his friends confessing the sins of the church. How Christianity has judged people instead of loving them. How Christianity has had people fighting themselves instead of loving the world. How Christianity has not done a good job of showing the love of Christ to our country.

Overall, this was a very honest, personal look at one man's struggle with the Christian faith, and how he came to know a deeper love for Jesus while rejecting the bad things he has seen in Christianity. Miller was witty, honest, real, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. His self-deprecating humor makes the book memorable and enjoyable.

I don't say this about too many books, but I think this one deserves a second read. I'm not saying it's the "best book ever" - as I tend to say after seeing movies I like. But I am saying it's well worth your time, it's a quick read, and I'm really glad I read it!

Jamba Responds!!

Hello Gary,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We are thrilled to learn that you want us to open in Delaware County. The recipe for opening new locations is really quite simple and our intention is to open Jamba in every city where there are enough customers to support a store. As you can imagine, picking the right real estate is also very important.

Over the years, customers have been the ones that have given us the permission to grow. Many of the towns/cities that we currently serve were once just recommendations and requests such as yours. I will share your email with our Real Estate department for review.

I hope you're having a terrific day! Hang in there...we look forward to blending in your hometown someday.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Hofeling
Customer Service
Jamba Juice Company
1700 17th Street
San Francisco, Ca 94103-5136
800.545.9972

"We aspire to deliver the perfect Jamba Experience to each and every Customer, each and every time!"

Rocky Mountain High...

Denver Mountains 1
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Here's the actual view from Lookout Mountain. Just one hour before heading to Panera, we got some great pictures here and some nice views of the city of Denver. Over 100 degrees that day, but if you go up the mountain, it gets colder. Interesting - closer to the sun, but colder.

Anyhow, the week went fast and I can't believe summer is pretty much gone already. Yesterday, Jennie and I were at a youth conference where we got to hear Francis Chan speak, and so can you if you click on that link!

Just six days ago...

Tim and Gary 7-05
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Time goes too fast. Here I am, awkwardly posing with Tim Cooper somewhere on lookout mountain. I think I am sitting strangely because I am afraid of heights. Or because I was wearing sandals with slippery tread while on the side of a massive mountain - yeah, that sounds better! Thanks for the memories, Coop!

Because I feel like it...

You now see a picture of Minnesota basketball player Kevin Garnett, from a mural in the Minneapolis airport. When people ask me, "How was your week in Denver?" I always reply, "Great - I got to see a big picture of Garnett!" (Okay, I actually don't say that, but I bet I had you going... Anyway... My friend, Jason Knavel, recently wrote on his blog about how he doesn't like the NBA (Pro Basketball) very much, and then listed his top 10 favorite sports to watch. I'm slightly jealous of a guy who thinks up a top-ten list before I do. So, in the spirit of "catching up," here are my top ten favorite sports and events to watch on television - though I actually don't watch as much TV anymore.... but for the sake of doing a list...

Oh, and while you go through this list, feel free to click to learn more about each specific sport or team...

#10 - Cleveland Indians baseball. Some of this stems from nostalgia - I will always love the Tribe. If we were to look at this poll back in 1995-1999, I would have ranked the Indians at #1 or #2. But, just as teams change, so do people. The Tribe at its best ranks right just below the Buckeyes at their best. Actually, I take that back. I think that the fact that major league baseball (not in capital letters for a reason) has NO salary cap has actually made me disdain that form of the sport. The fact that Steinbrenner can buy the Yankees into the playoffs every year is not only unfair, it's pretty much old news.

#9 - The NFL Draft. That's right... I'd rather watch the suspense and hear the banter surrounding the NFL draft than watch just about any baseball game, golf tournament, or poker tournament. I guess in a former life or an alternate universe, I was Mel Kiper. I love playing general manager, and Pull and I were doing pretend drafts back in 5th grade.

#8 - Unfortunately, there is no #8. As a consolation prize, click here.

#7 - March Madness (The NCAA Basketball Tournament). I've always loved the college basketball tournament. I remember when I saw Lorenzo Charles score the winning bucket in 1983 for Jim Valvano. I mean, I have history with the NCAA, and I do a bracket every year, usually not for money. Best moment was when Ohio State made the final four a few years ago with Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd. Too bad Redd didn't make it in the pros.

#6 - College Football games of any kind. I do love to follow College football as probably my most favorite sport regardless of team or location. I love the atmosphere, the feel of the season, the smell of fall, and yes - I like the fact that college players still seem teachable and not full of themselves like they are in the NFL. They still have something to play for - like a job one day.

#5 - Ohio State Basketball. I actually think this one will climb to #3 or #2 over the next couple of years. With such a great recruiting class, Ohio State looks like they'll return to the national picture and contend in the NCAA Tournament!

#4 - Ohio High School Football!. I still think it's great, and love following teams from Northeast Ohio like Lake, St. Ignatius, Massillon, Buchtel, and Canton McKinley. Over the last few years, I also like to follow players who have already committed to Ohio State, like Garfield's Chris Wells, one of the nation's top high school running backs.

#3 - NBA Basketball. Yes, I know it's no longer cool to claim that you watch pro basketball. I have heard probably a hundred people say how it's not the pure game anymore, or how big the egos are, or how the game is just different now and full of show-offs. I'd like to take this opportunity to let all of those people know that there are (shockingly) more teams in the NBA than just the Portland Trail Blazers. The CAVS and the rest of the NBA are actually very fun to watch. The league has more talent and character and personality than ever. Note: I am also from Akron, home of Lebron James. 'Nuff said.

#2 - Cleveland Browns football. That explains why I'm so frustrated on Sundays during pro football season, and why I actually like fantasy football. But the Browns are hopefully headed down the right track with new coach Romeo Crennel and many new players.

#1 - Ohio State Buckeyes college football games. I think that's obvious. If not, I'll have to blog a lot about OSU this coming year.

Note: As I type this, Jennie is craving a Hostess Cupcake, so I'm off to the store!

Come to Columbus?

(An actual letter I sent out today via the Web...)

Dear Owners of "Jamba Juice,"

Last week, I spent a few days in Denver, Colorado. Your company has a store located on Hampden Avenue in south Denver, as you may already know. "Jamba Juice" happened to be on the way from my friend's apartment to the school where I study. To make a long story short, after a friend introduced me to your quality smoothies, I stopped at your store five times last week.

I had your "Berry Lime Sublime,"' your "Jamba Powerboost," your "Strawberry Nirvana," and of course your "Orange Dreamsicle." Each time, I enjoyed adding a free protein boost, energy boost, or vita-boost to my smoothie. The service was friendly and the taste was friendlier.

When I returned home from Denver, I promptly went to the Jamba Juice website. Imagine my heart's dismay when I saw that you do not have any stores in Ohio, Michigan, or Indiana.

Did you know that Delaware (Ohio) County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States of America? I wonder if you would consider this fine business opportunity in our area, as our population and consumer base is growing rapidly. If there is anything I can personally do to help your cause, I would be more than honored to help out.

Sincerely,
Gary Underwood
GaryandJennie.com

When in Detroit...

Those who know me well... know that I don't like Michigan. I do love my relatives that live in Michigan. I really like former Ohio State quarterback Craig Krenzel, from the same state. I also had a great experience and made many friends in Bridgman at Woodland Shores Baptist Church back in '96-'97. Other than that, I thought I really had no reason to like that state up north.

Well, this picture is from the Detroit airport - a VERY cool hallway that changed colors and made futuristic, soft toned noises as you walk down the way. Sometimes I rode those "people-movers" (things like escalators without stairs - what are they called?)... Anyhow, the Detroit airport had some cool effects. The Nachos, however, were terrible (not a surprise).

Oh, and I guess I like one more thing about Michigan (besides the best bookstore in the world in Grand Rapids)... Mars Hill.

A World of Beauty...

Denver Mountains 1
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

This was the view all week in Denver. Even though it was 100 degrees outside for most of the week, the view and the sunsets were BREATHTAKING.

I guess I mean that literally, because the altitude and the heat made for some shortness of breath. But I had a great week, and I'm so glad to be home. Both Jennie and Allie are glad to have me back home.

Baby #2 is kicking...

Things to do in Denver when you're Alive...

This week, I'm in Denver having a great time hanging out with Tim and Suzanne Cooper and skiing the slopes at Vail. Uh, actually, I'm at Denver for a class at Denver Seminary. Just had my first half-day of classes, and the place is wonderful. A beautiful new campus that they just opened LAST WEEK, and are just really now moving into.

The class is on "How the Nature of the Church Affects Strategies for Ministry" and is taught by Dr. Craig Williford, formerly of The Chapel. We had a very interactive and fun afternoon. Pastors and ministry leaders (15 or so) from around the country are here to sharpen their leadership and think about the direction of our churches and ministries.

It is hard to be apart from Jennie and Allie this week. Right now, they are on a road trip to Winona Lake, Indiana to visit some friends from our days at Grace College. I think Jennie had lunch at Hacienda, probably downing a wet burrito and lots of chips.

Sunday morning at church, Allie was standing and walking by Jennie. Then, she saw Daddy (ME) across the room, and RAN to me. When she got to my feet, she threw up her arms as if to say, "Daddy, Hold me!!" One of the greatest moments of my life, actually. First time she's ever done that. My popularity was but a fleeting moment, as the next time I saw her, Jennie handed Allie to me and then my beautiful daughter started crying instantly and reaching for mommy. Maybe Allie was bummed that, for the first time in months, I did not mention her in some way during my message at church. Speaking of messages at church, check them out at this link right here.

So, this week, here's my schedule in Denver... if you're interested. Notice, no time hanging out with John Elway or Carmelo Anthony (sorry to disappoint.)

Tuesday = class all day (8am-4pm), enjoy a seminary orientation for new students (read: FREE DINNER), and then skip out early to attend the Tuesday night worship service where Tim Cooper is serving as Interim Pastor - a great young adult style church called TNL, or "The Next Level Church."

Wednesday = class all day (8am-4pm) with a lunch seminar about some computer programs called Moodle and EndNote 8 (Read: "Wish they had wireless internet so I could check e-mail and pretend to be learning about computer programs."). Wednesday night, I'll probably venture into the mountains or Colorado Springs to get some nice pics.

Thursday = class all day (8am-4pm) and I'll give a presentation on The Connecting Church by Randy Frazee. Thursday night, probably hang out with Tim & Suzanne and play ping-pong or find other things to do in Denver when we're alive. Not sure if anyone's getting that joke, but I'll keep going there and hope it's funny.

Friday = half day of class (8-Noon), do a seminary interview, and then hopefully meet with Mike Arnold and Tim Cooper for lunch. Really would love to see Mike! Haven't seen him since he moved to Vegas almost a year ago.

Saturday = get up wayyy early, fly out of Denver at 7:30am...

The week will go fast, and I do have "homework" every night. Great stuff, though. I love the challenge and the learning... I'm grateful to God, The Chapel, and Delaware Grace Brethren for helping me go after this great learning opportunity. And I'm grateful that you're still reading my blog!

That reminds me...

Getting all Spiritual on us?

That's right, Pastor Gary is starting a SECOND blog. This one addresses issues of faith, life, culture, and church. I hope that it becomes a great way to connect with our people here in Delaware.

I also want to invite you to check it out, as I plan to update it several times a week. Inspired by the fact that I am no longer doing my FUSION newsletter, and also inspired by Tim Cooper's e-mail devotional "The Word," I want the challenge and consistency of doing a devotional online. I hope to be more thought-provoking than uplifting, more relevant and forward thinking than the status quo, and more enlightening than not. =).

Uh, anyhow, here's the link:

Underwood Unplugged

Go there, read, respond, and enjoy! Also, don't forget to come here again to get exciting updates like these!

- Allie climbed up the stairs yesterday, pretty much by herself!
- Jennie starts her new Occupational Therapy job next week, doing one day a week or less!
- Tomorrow night, we're headed to Easton (great outdoor mall and hangout) for a date night before Gary heads to Colorado for a week.
- Gary and the elders of the church recently completed a study/process of establishing our CORE VALUES for ministry. It was a seven month process, but WELL worth it!
- While in Denver, I plan to go hiking in the mountains and beat Tim Cooper at Madden. (Note: I have not played any video games in the last seven months. Are you impressed? Are you depressed?)
- For those of you who really wish Gary would just talk about basketball on his blog, click here.

The Mutter...

Yeah, I need some sort of generic title that just says, "I have nothing real great to say, but I still feel like posting something on my blog," so I came up with "The Mutter..." Got any better ideas? Seriously - post a comment or suggestion below!

---- Nobody commented on my War of the Worlds review, so I'm guessing you all want to see the movie for yourselves and form your own opinions. I usually feel that way, even though I do check on Rotten Tomatoes for a general consensus of how a movie is being reviewed. They are usually right on with a percentage or "grade" of how ALL written movie reviewers are evaluating a movie.

---- I bet some of you don't care what I think about movies, or wonder where I get all this time to see a movie and then blog about it. Good question. I love to write.

---- I've decided to write about some more meaningful things in a journal called "Underwood Unplugged." Go there if you want more deep thoughts or challenges about faith, life, and how church should be.

---- Next week, I'll be in Denver all week for my first course at Denver Seminary. It's taught by current Denver Seminary President Craig Williford, who - ironically - used to be the Executive Pastor at The Chapel.

---- While in Denver, I'll be staying with my good friend Tim Coooper, and hopefully we'll get to cruise into the mountains, do some hiking, and talk deep about life and ministry. Cooper is currently interning at a church called TNL, which stands for "The Next Level." It looks like a dynamite church, and I'm looking forward to their Tuesday night service.

---- Yep, I bought an iPod Shuffle. For $88 on eBay. I can't believe how much stuff (songs, sermons, data) can fit on this little thing, and I bought the small version (512MB)! I highly recommend it, especially since you can use it for so many things and in so many ways. Smaller than a pack of Big Red, but not as big as a pack of Juicy Fruit.

---- Jennie is now 16 weeks pregnant. This pregnancy is going fast, but she did feel sick on Sunday and Monday. Just needs more rest and TLC. On that note, while I'm in Denver, Jennie is headed to Winona Lake (Indiana) to visit friends and influence people. She's taking Allie, staying with her friend Cathy, and on the road with another friend Addie.

---- This summer is going fast and furious. Last week, Brian Hunt was here for July 5th. We had lunch with Tom Bennardo. I had lunch with Tom Burns the other day. I had "breakfast" with Kary Oberbrunner the other day. We were in Akron over the weekend to do a wedding.

---- Speaking of weddings, I must give a shout out to Brian and Amanda Dente. This is one high-quality couple with some very high quality friends. Both in their late 20's, Brian and Amanda are very much in love with each other, in love with Jesus, and have a magnetic and positive influence on those around them. The people we met and saw at their wedding and reception were great too. Kinda reminds me how big the world is, actually. Here's the kind of people I'm talking about... Jennie and I look at the "seating chart" for the reception, and are initially disappointed that nobody we know is at our table.
Reluctantly, we mosey on over to our "assigned" seats and spend about three hours talking to a couple we just met, didn't really get to talk to anyone else, and of course we "strangers" all hugged before leaving them.

Movie Review: War of the Worlds

War of the Worlds (June '05)
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

This Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg predicted blockbuster came out last Wednesday, just in time for a huge July 4th rush at the box office. Whenever I saw previews or heard about Spielberg's remake of the H.G. Wells classic by the same name, I felt the urge to see this movie right away.

One disclaimer you must know when it comes to me and movies... Whatever movie I've seen lately seems to get a higher bias or rating because it's fresh in my mind. In other words, if I really like the movie I just saw, I come out of the theatre thinking how it's one of the best movies I've ever seen, even if it's not. It's like the "afterglow" of a good movie, it skews my perceptions.

Before seeing this movie, I thought I'd have that feeling coming out of the theater. With star-power like Cruise, Spielberg, Tim Robbins and Dakota Fanning, how could this not be what it was billed to be - the biggest and best movie of the summer?

In fact, an hour into this movie, I already had that feeling - that I'd leave the theater wondering where this movie would rank in my top 10 or so of all time.

Many reviewers, including myself, found a lot to love about War of the Worlds. The way Spielberg begins the story makes you empathize with a regular broken family and their struggles to relate with each other. I thought Tom Cruise did fine as the deadbeat dad, but other reviewers thought Cruise failed.

We all know it's an alien attack, but the way it begins and the lightning storms are just breathtaking. I spent much of the first hour of the movie at the edge of my seat. The aliens and their machines were believable, evil, and as scary as Spielberg hoped they'd be.

The movie also says a lot about how people - especially people en masse - react in situations of panic or widespread fear. Some pretty violent and disturbing scenes involve rioting crowds of people who are past the brink of insanity. I guess the movie also was meant to draw our minds back to 9/11 in some ways... and it succeeded. Much of the movie's story and effects were chilling, depressing, disgusting, and yes - entertaining!

However, I must be honest and tell you I left the theater a disappointed. This movie failed to achieve greatness on several accounts...

Tim Robbins is a great actor, but the scenes involving him were either too dark, inconsistent with the movie and plot, or represented Spielberg's cheesy tribute to M.Night Shyamalan's own version of alien-invasions in Signs. Since we're talking about 20 minutes of film time for T-Rob, it's important enough to mention.

Like most Hollywood action films, none of the "good guys" ever dies. Or gets hurt. Or gets tired. Or gets hungry. Even an alien movie should be more realistic.

My next thought relates to War of the Worlds as well as most movies in general - We all wish for a happy ending, and most movies deliver that. If Spielberg succeeds in making you care only about Tom Cruise's (uh, I mean Ray Farrior) family, then you've got your happy ending and Morgan Freeman's voice to tell you about it. Otherwise, in the end, some alien tripods just obliterated 90% of the earth's population and the world is covered in blood.

I left the theater thinking that this movie was more like a hodge-podge medley of OTHER MOVIES all rolled into one - and that's NOT a good thing. It's as if Spielberg spent a day watching Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, Signs, I, Robot, Saving Private Ryan, and The Siege... and then decided to make a movie about them. That sounds harsh coming from a guy who wanted to see this movie and does have some good things to say about it.

If you like huge action, disturbing attacks and fight scenes, human drama, and Tom Cruise, then this is your kind of movie. It's really NOT a movie to take kids to, since there are some violent murders by aliens and people alike.

Sorry this review is so long. I'm not trying to take Ebert's job, I just like movies. Whenever I talk to people about movies, I realize we all have different opinions, and that's good! Instead of leaving the theater thinking "that's the best movie I've seen in 2005," I was left to wonder if it was as good as Batman Begins or Revenge of the Sith.

Overall rating: 3.1 stars (out of 4)

Other ratings:
Mr. and Mrs. Smith - 3.0 stars
Batman Begins - 3.4 stars
Revenge of the Sith - 3.1 stars
The Interpreter - 3.6 stars (Best of 2005 so far?)
Sahara - 1.0 stars
Hostage - 2.8 stars

Agony of Deteeth

Jennie & Allie
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

As our Allison adds teeth, she experiences pain and suffering. No pain, no gain, baby!

We had a great July 4th, taking in the Delaware 4th of July parade, going to an orchestra concert, and then catching the fireworks while driving around town. Jennie's parents were in town for the festivities, and we've had several cookoutst this weekend.

We're thankful for our country, our family, and our God!

Book Review: The Connecting Church

The Connecting Church by Randy Frazee
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Since my good friends Derrak and Danny recently shared about books they've read, I thought it was finally time for me to do the same.

I bought Randy Frazee's book, The Connecting Church a few years ago at a conference. I must have started reading it five times since then. Well, since I am starting a new degree program this summer through Denver Seminary, I found myself staring down a list of books that were suddenly labeled "required reading." I have enjoyed almost every book of the 2,000 pages I've been "required" to read.

Last night, I buckled down and blazed a trail through The Connecting Church. Frazee writes about how our society is full of lonely people, in a culture where individualism, isolation, and consumerism are all high priorities. Instead of pursuing quality friendships or connections, we pursue individual rights, freedoms, and achievements. Instead of being available to others and finding places of dialogue and fun with people, we isolate ourselves behind our backyard fences, iPod earphones, and online passwords. Instead of placing high values on friendship, family, and being a part of a team or mission, we think that consuming the next fad, the next income level, the next entertainment rush will make us feel better.

I expected Frazee to bring insight on today's culture, and even how that has all influenced the church. What I didn't expect was to be moved to tears by his detailed description of how Christian community and friendships can make such an incredible difference in lives, families, and neighborhoods.

Randy, you move me. Of all the books I've read for this class, yours is the one that got me thinking about times when I've experienced deep connection with other people - flashbacks of my experiences at Lake, The Chapel, Grace College, BCM, and Mosaic have powerful meaning and emotion as I think about them!

I was also moved to pursue that type of connection - and seek to provide that type of connection for others - here in Delaware! Frazee and I both know that's one reason Jennie and I took the plunge and headed south on I-71. We believed God wanted to use us to build a strong, healthy place of connection with others and with Him.

I thought his book was going to be mainly for pastors or church leaders in small group ministry, but really it's for anyone. I'll go ahead and give The Connecting Church a 9.0 (out of a possible 10.0) on the Gary's unnamed book-rating scale.

(Editor's Note: At the time of this post, Gary Underwood has just one book to finish to complete all his reading - Sue Mallory's well-known blockbuster, The Equipping Church. Thanks to Jennie and to a great recumbent exercise bike for the time and focus to read.

Happy Birthday, Allie!

Birthday Girl
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

We love you, little sweet cheekies!!

(Allie turned 1 yesterday, and we took her to the zoo.)

He's Here!

Dan-Jill-Caden 62105
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Yesterday, Jennie and I got to see our good friends Dan & Jill Bahry in Akron - and welcome their new son - Caden Joseph Bahry - into the world!! He came 6 pounds, 8 ounces, 19 inches long, at 10:56am.

Jill was on bed-rest in the hospital for about a week, and Caden was "breech" - meaning he was positioned "feet down" instead of head down. While I plan to tell you more about how happy we are for them, and how incredibly cute and precious Caden is...

I thought I'd post some words that Jill wrote this past week, about how God has blessed and encouraged her and Dan over the past year... She wrote this, and Dan read it to their young marrieds group at The Chapel, and e-mailed it out to many family and friends. Even if you don't know them, I think you should hear this stuff!!

"The way that God has affected me this week is an incredible, unique answer to a pretty vague prayer. For about 37 weeks, Dan and I have been praying for God to help us be good parents to Caden when he arrives. We had no real specifics in mind, just knew that we really needed God to be a part in this big change in our lives. This week God has answered that prayer in lots of little and not so little ways. I think to explain it better, I'll use the chorus to one of my new favorite songs. (by Natalie Grant called HELD). "This is what it means to be loved, and to know that the promise was when everything fell, we'd be held."
Even though this last month of our pregnancy has not been at all what we expected, God has taught me so much. He didn't keep us from troubles, he simply (and lovingly) held us the whole way. He allowed me to feel a peace that passes understanding when I was told that I'd be admitted to the hospital. He told Caden to kick adn play while I was sitting on the side of the highway with a flat tire, just so I would know he was doing alright. He kept Dan safe as he traveled at warp speed to get to the hospital to be with us. And He has (most of all), kept us calm, close, and resting in Him the whole way.
Most people who have kids have already warned us how much having a baby will change our lives and to always expect the unexpecter. For me (being a "planner" by nature), this second part was going to be a bit tough. This week, God has reminded me that He is the Master Planner and that no matter how hare I try, I could never orchestrate a day as perfect as He can. What a great lesson for parenting. I would have never chosen for all of this to happen, but WOW- I'm so glad that the choice was not mine. This reminds me of a couple of verses that I'll leave you with...

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughs." Isaiah 55:9

Even though we don't understand why God does certain things, our comfort comes from... Psalm 103:11

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him;"

It's awesome to know that for as much as we don't understand his ways, that's how much He loves us. His love for us is exactly enough to fill the gap. God is good."

Beautiful Kids!

Cutest Sisters
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Over the weekend, Jennie had the chance to pick up some maternity clothes from her good friend, Jamie Fuller. I couldn't resist posting this picture of the two Fuller girls, Chloe and Claire. John and Jamie Fuller also have a son - who I think is 8 months old now - named Jack. He is also very cute!

Why, I ask you - WHY?

IMG_0234
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Some people use their blogs to confess their problems or their sins online. Well, I guess it's my turn.

One of the things I cannot resist is making stupid faces when people are trying to take a picture. Especially when I'm in a group of guys, and lots of cameras are flashing.

This picture is a perfect look at my imperfections. Here I am, with longtime friends David Ward, Jamie Kozick (and his new son Jayson), Chadd Sommers (and his new son Noah), and me - in what I thought was a cool shirt I got on our vacation.

Anyhow, if you enlarge this friendly photo, you'll see the worst side of Gary coming out. I want to publicly apologize to Aimee Kozick and anyone else who has to look at this picture.

Sometimes, I justify the faces as a method of stretching out my cheeks and preparing for the next actual smile. It gets tiresome posing and acting happy for the camera. Okay, I truly WAS happy, and it was great to see these guys.

Ward? I've known Dave since 2nd or 3rd grade, and he remains a good friend from Lake, lives in Copley, and works for Diebold. He's also a Penn State grad, probably waiting for Paterno to retire before he can be proud of his school again.

Kozick? I've known Koe since 2nd grade, and we have tons of memories and inside jokes together. We shared the rap music phase and the Ohio High School football phase (which is still going on), and also were involved in each other's weddings! We were in Akron to celebrate the arrival of he and Aimee's new son, Jayson. Koe lives near Washington D.C., and I'm not supposed to tell you who he works for.

Sommers? I've known Chadd since junior high at The Chapel. Chadd didn't go to Lake High, except on nights and weekends. It was a blast living close to Chadd for our four years in Akron again, and great to see his son Noah doing so well!

I think all of these people have boys just trying to impresss Allison. Get in line, gentlemen! And wait 25 years. =)

Take 2.

da guys 6-18-05
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Here's a successful photo with a group of friends, where I actually smile and don't ruin the memory. Notice the "new guys" Jayson Kozick and Noah Sommers, both just a few months old.

Getting a look at Allie.

As some of you know, our daughter Allison turns ONE in a week. In response to several requests (mostly from grandparents!), here is a link to Allie's latest video footage.

It may take you a minute or two to load that page, but it will be WELL worth the wait. It's the latest (as in, THIS MORNING) of Allie walking, talking, making cute noises, and falling on the ground. Enjoy, and post comments if you like.

Also, with my previous posts, did I go overboard on Mothman paraphernilia? Did I also misspell "parephernilia"?

Thanks for stopping by!!

Strike a Pose.

Allie @ Fudds
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Allie is the cutest baby in the world. She turns ONE YEAR OLD a week from tomorrow. June 22.

Can't believe it!

She's walking now, by the way. Very cute. Great balance. Doesn't mind falling on her behind every now and then. Tries to drink a bottle WHILE walking, and is actually pretty good at it.

She says "doggie" a lot, especially when a dog is around.

Farewell Feast!

Fudds Chicken Nachos
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

On our way out of South Carolina, we stopped at the Fuddruckers in Myrtle Beach. I love Fudds. Usually for the great burgers.

But in Myrtle Beach, they have a huge plate of Chicken Nachos Supreme, that you can add ANY toppings to from their veggie & sauces buffet. Of course I had to get a picture. Maybe I'll take this photo down to the Fudds in Worthington and "educate" their menu options.

Scenic Route?

Mothman PointP 1
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

On our way back from South Carolina a couple of weeks ago, Jennie and I stopped in the noteworthy yet forgotten town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia.

Noteworthy? Well, I guess it's noteworthy to us because we were hungry for lunch. But it is also famous because of Richard Gere, Laura Linney, and somebody named Indrid Cold.

Forgotten? Well, the town - and the legend - are not familiar to those of us who haven't heard of the Mothman legend or seen the movie - The Mothman Prophecies.

Let's admit that most scary movies are either too dumb, too gory, too poorly acted, or too "out there" to be worth watching. Gere, Linney, and company are guilty of none of these mistakes.

Let's admit that some people like to be scared, in suspense, and thrilled by a movie, and some don't.
If you like suspense and mystery without gore and stupidity, than you might like The Mothman Prophecies.

I did.

So, here is our video collage of our 42 minutes in Point Pleasant on Memorial Day.

Point Pleasant Bridge...

Mothman Bridge 2
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Looks like just your average beautiful day in West Virginia, doesn't it? Looks like just another well-constructed bridge over the Ohio River, doesn't it?

Well, it is.

Unless you've seen "The Mothman Prophecies."

Silver Memorial Bridge...

Mothman Bridge 1
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Here's the Memorial Bridge in Point Pleasant. I believe the bridge collapsed a couple of decades ago, and they rebuilt this fine bridge in its place. Jennie and I got chills driving over this bridge.

Actually, I got chills because I had seen the movie. Jennie got chills because she had the window down and was taking pictures.

Lost in Point Pleasant...

Richard Gere in The Mothman Prophecies
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

The actual movie "The Mothman Prophecies" is about a writer for the Washington Post who keeps getting lost in this small West Virginia hamlet known as Point Pleasant.

While I concede that I sometimes like movies that have to do with the supernatural and the unexplained, I also cannot explain why this movie didn't get more acclaim. Very unique and mysterious plot, great acting, and terrific, chilling effects. Sure, it's not Jennie's kind of movie - here's the plot summary:

When John Klein, a respected Washington Post journalist, and his wife Mary find the dream house they have been hunting for, life could hardly get better. Then on their joyful ride home the dream is shattered when Mary crashes the car and is killed. While removing Mary's possessions from the hospital, John discovers a sketchpad covered with odd drawings, variations of the same eerie apparition. John is haunted by the unsettling images. One night, while driving from Washington, John loses his way and ends up on a deserted country highway in Point Pleasant, West Virginia -- four hundred miles from where he thought he was. When John decides to stay in Point Pleasant to explore the reports of unexplained phenomena in the town, he soon realizes that they may all be related - not just to each other, but also to the strange sketches Mary had been obsessively drawing just hours before her death.

If you like suspense, with a little shock, a little romance, and a lot of human drama and the growth/emergence of a great lead character, then this is your kind of movie, even if Point Pleasant isn't your kind of town.

strange occurences...

arking
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Jennie and I stumbled upon the McDonald's in Point Pleasant. I was treated rudely by the cashier girl, and then in the parking lot, I caught a glimpse of a very disturbing sign.

Seems like the place is still haunted after all.

Movie Review: Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Friday night, Jennie and I had a friend offer to watch Allie as a favor. After some terrific eats at Ruby Tuesdays, we went out to see the new action-spy movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith, starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Incidentally, for a great blog discussion involving Brad Pitt's fight against poverty, click here. Add your comments too!

Anyway, since I have wanted to do a movie review sometime on this journal, I figured now would be a good time to tell you a few of my impressions of Mr. & Mrs. Smith...

John and Jane Smith are have been married for five years and experiencing some problems in their relationship. They keep a lot of secrets from each other, not the least of which is the fact that each one of them works for some sort of CIA/Spy/Secret Hit-man unit. Eventually, as you know if you've seen the previews, they discover the truth about each other, and are apparently "hired to kill" each other.

I don't want to give away what happens in the movie. I'll just give you my amateur review on some of the key components of the movie.

Since the movie is from the same director as The Bourne Supremacy, you can expect some action, some intrigue, and some nice spy weaponry. If you're out for action, suspense, and a fast-paced plot, I think you'll like this movie.

For acting, they probably could not have picked better actors to fit these roles. Originally, they tried to get Nicole Kidman to play Jane (Mrs. Smith), and that would have flopped. Angelina plays the tough girl with some serious attitude.

As a parent, I would say the violence and shootouts were too extreme, sometimes overdone. Not graphic violence, just relentless shooting. It gets old. I get tired of movies where the good guys seem to dodge a zillion bullets while their one shot hits the target every time. The "pastor in me" would just say watch out for some of the violence and sexual innuendo. It is PG-13.

But the movie fan in me got exactly what I expected. Two hours of great action, spy drama, and intelligent, witty dialogue. Everyone knows Brad Pitt (Oceans Eleven, 12 Monkeys, etc.) is capable of entertaining comments.

Let's just say it was an intelligent, well-acted, fun action movie. I've seen too many worthless action movies with bad dialogue and unintelligent plotlines (like Sahara and National Treasure) to even want to see another. This was definitely better.

The movie actually says some pretty profound things about marriage, which was an enjoyable surprise.

Overall rating: 3.0 stars.

Close Call...

Drivers Beware..
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Yesterday, I had lunch with a fellow "Gary" at Bob Evans here in Delaware. On my way back to the church, I grabbed the cell phone and started to call my wife.

Meanwhile, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a stray tire on the other side of the highway, a ways down.

Well, that stray tire bounced and rolled its way towards me, probably at 25-40 miles per hour. I was headed towards that tire at 45 miles per hour. Though I swerved to avoid the tire, the tire CRASHED into my Accord, striking the left front-quarter panel, and apparently bouncing back into the road.

Officer Steve tells me that stray tires often cause fatal accidents. Looking at that $2,700 damage done to the front and side of my car, I should be grateful to be alive. If I hadn't swerved to the right, that tire would have easily smashed my front windshield, and who knows what after that.

I was definitely shaken up for the rest of the morning. Still am, as I think about it. I can still picture the tire coming towards the car, and it felt like in a video game, trying to avoid oncoming obstacles.

I thank God for His protection, and that no other cars were involved.

Fortunately, a few minutes after I called the police, I saw a man slowly walking northbound on the side of the highway. He had come to claim his tire. The tire had fallen off a flatbed truck, apparently toting a modular home. Dude has insurance, but so far they are not much help. With a name like "Love Insurance," you'd think they'd have arranged a rental car by now. Might be time to ask my "Good Neighbor" for a little help in getting this guy's insurance to cooperate.

Meanwhile, I'll try to avoid oncoming objects while driving.

Expecting Something?

positive test
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Why yes, we are!

I guess the blog is one way to announce it, right? Here are the raw details:

Jennie is currently almost 11 weeks pregnant. The doctor says 10 weeks, 2 days. Jennie says 10 weeks, 5 days. Some of you know that both are right, or either could be. I guess both couldn't be right, cause they are actually different time lengths.

Baby's due date is December 25, 2005.

We don't mind it being close to Christmas, not one bit! Many of you know of our miscarriage and all that we learned, and we're really not picky about when our baby is born.

And now, trying to anticipate all your possible comments and questions...

Yes, we're going to find out what gender this child is. The doctor said yesterday at our ultrasound that it's too early to tell anything conclusive.

Yes, we're going to name him or her pretty much right away.

No, we aren't considering names like "Lebron," "Peja," "Wailer," "Gitgan," or "Commish."

No, this will not prevent us from doing our normal Underwood things, like blogs, drafts, or quicktime movies.

Yes, we are excited, Jennie is tired and hungry. Gary is also feeling all of these things along with his wife.

Yes, Allie looks very cute in her two "I'm a big sister" outfits.

No, we are not getting "fixed" after this child. We'd like to have at least one more kid, if God allows that.

Yes, we were hoping to get pregnant. While this was a pleasant surprise, it wasn't really a surprise if you know what I mean.

Yes, you know what I mean.

No, we are not ready to have two kids under the age of 1.5.

Yes, we've known for about six weeks.

No, that picture does not show all the pregnancy tests Jennie took. She actually took five, and - since 3 out of 5 is a majority, we figured she might actually have a baby on board.

Yes, this is a pretty exciting time for the Underwood clan, and the hits just keep on coming. Let's re-cap the last 12 months in Underwood land, shall we?

June 2004: New baby, Allison Joy Underwood

October 2004: New job, Gary = Senior Pastor

November 2004: New home = Delaware, OH

December 2004: New digital camera (not really a big deal, but this blogger benefits from it, so I thought I'd give the EasyShare Camera it's props).

February 2005: Gary and Jennie go out for a nice Valentine's Day dinner, and also celebrate Jennie's birthday before that!

February 2005: Will Smith releases new movie, "Hitch."

February 2005: Cleveland Browns get new coach, Romeo Crennel.

March 2005: Cavs fire head coach Paul Silas.

April 2005: New baby on the way!

April 2005: Gary gets new grill to cook out.

May 2005: Underwoods vacation in South Carolina.

June 3, 2005: This blog entry finally ends.

What an amazing year!

Thank you God, for this great news! Thank you, readers and friends, for your encouragement and comments.

A Single Thought...

Okay, so I'm preaching through a series on RELATIONSHIPS, and I get to the week (Sunday, June 5) where I'm preaching on singleness.

I remember being single. I had a love-hate relationshi with being single. I loved to hate it. Actually, it wasn't as bad as it seemed sometimes. Anyhow, straight to the point - as I try to be with all of my posts!

What do you think married people (75% of my audience) need to hear about singleness?

Do they need to be reminded that being single is OKAY, sometimes even preferable? Do they need to be reminded of how often the church culture treats singles as "less than" married people? Or the stupid things people say, like, "when are you going to settle down?" Or "My cousin's niece would be great for you. She's got a great personality."

Since I have such a discerning group of readers on my blog, I'd like your thoughts on what thoughts, scriptures, ideas to share to married people - and to singles - this weekend.

That means you, Josh, Coop, Danny, Knavel, JEAOURE, Lee, Melanie, Derrak, and of course you, Rob Hardy! Let me hear your thoughts! And if Eric Robertson or Steve Chapman drop by, we'd be more than blessed. Everyone's invited!

A Proud Cousin!

finale54
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

I'd like to personally give a shout-out to my cousin, Carrie Underwood, for making our family so proud last week. She's just the latest Underwood to reach world fame and fortune, as she won the 2005 American Idol competition!!

Carrie Underwood started singing in public when she was a small child and made her first studio recording at age 13. Carrie has peformed many festivals in a few states, trying to get her record career started.

Carrie has performed at numerous festivals and various other shows in Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, & Tennessee and has been the opening act for "Diamond Rio", "The Wilkinson's", "Exile", " "Gene Watson," Billy Hoffman" and "Earl Thomas Conley". She is a member of First Freewill Baptist Church and yes she sings in the choir. She was aHonor Student at Checotah High School in Checotah, Oklahoma .She is also a member of The National Honor Society. She spent a summer as a page for Oklahoma State Representative Bobby Frame.

Oh, and one more thing - she's not really my cousin. At least, as far as I know. We could be related in some way, but I wouldn't know it.

Since my friend, Josh Smith posted a list of all the Smiths he could find online, I thought it was time to acknowledge the most famous Underwood in 2005.

Super Fly

dad-allie-ocean52905
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

We did take Allie out into the ocean, and she loved it for the most part. Here I am, lifting Allie up high so she can see the big picture. And you can see the farmer's tan. I tried to lose it while we were down there...

Luau down South?

Allie-ooh-52805
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Here's Allie in her new outfit from Hawaii. She's also shown holding her favorite Doggie (don't try getting her to sleep without him!), and attempting to whistle. She's pretty good, actually.

Beach Baby...

allie-beachball-52105
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Allie's first beach ball. Her first time in the sand. She loves to dig into the sand, and fling the sand in clumps behind her. That's all fun and cute, except it's usually Mommy who's sitting right behind her, feeling the wrath of Allie's flying dirt.

Still pretty cute, though, eh?

Not too fast...

familyvacation526-5
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

That's me, Jennie, and Allison a couple of days ago, on the beach in Litchfield, South Carolina. Usually, I have thought that our vacations are too short. Not this time. We spent ten days in SC, and it was a great time for us as a family and as a couple.

It may surprise some of you, but I went without e-mail and internet for almost all of our vacation. Not as tough as I thought. Props to Holiday Inn Express, a hotel we did NOT stay at, but in their parking lot, I could pick up their wireless internet signal and download and send my emails a couple of times during our vacation.

We took lots of pics, but most of them of Allie. So, on the last day or two, we made a strong effort to take more pics of the places and things we experienced.

Gary's Highlights? Relaxing with my wife and daughter, renting a Jet-Ski on Wednesday, getting to eat a lot of shrimp, reading another great book by John Grisham (The Broker), going to the BEACH EVERY DAY and walking or diving into it, and attending Myrtle Beach Community Church a couple of times.

Jennie's Highlights? I guess I'll ask her and then post them later. =). Same with Allie's. I'll give you a visual tour of Allie's highlights. She had fun playing on the beach, kicking in the water, laughing at the many "doggies" that we saw on the beach, and crawling around the summer house (not ours) that we stayed at.

She's Back!

allie-leans-52605
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

After a long, relaxing trip to South Carolina, Allie Underwood is back in Ohio and ready to party. Here she is in a new summer dress - what a beauty! We had a great time in North Myrtle Beach and in Litchfield/Pawley's Island, SC, and have lots to blog about. Of course we also have pics to share, updates, and news that will hopefully make you glad you logged on.

Our Show, Part 2.

lost_photo12
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

It seems like, while most people I talk to don't watch TV all that much, a lot of people have "their show."

One friend recently told me that Tuesday was the one night he and his wife watch TV - "We're all about Amazing Race and American Idol," he quippped. Another couple invited us over for the Survivor finale the other night. I know another dude who is "addicted" to the show "24."

Well, count Jennie and me in. For the first few years of our marriage, we pretty much had one show that we loved watching together. While commercials can make it sound like every show is "must-see TV," nobody should waste much time viewing the brainwasher.

For the first four years of our marriage, NBC's "Ed" was our favorite show. We've been taping reruns of it on TBS, and eagerly awaiting the release of Ed on DVD. Ironically, Ed was often the lead-off on Wednesday nights right before shows like The West Wing and Law & Order - two more shows I've had people say is "their show."

For us, there will never be another show like Ed. Ed is to Gary and Jennie as "Perfect Strangers" was to Jack and Rita. Yes, the show with Balki.

Anyhow, after mourning the loss of Ed (and his friends Carol, Mike, Nancy, Phil, Shirley, Eli, Warren, Mark, and others)... we finally have found a current show worth watching.

LOST (ABC) has it's 2-hour season finale next Wednesday, and it's kept us watching just about every time on the edge of our seats. At least the show is consistent, well-acted, well-scripted, and suspenseful. It's the story of a group of plane-crash-survivors and their plight on a mysterious island. Each week, we get flashbacks into one person's past, which plays an important role in the island plot going on in the fictional present.

I mentioned that Lost is "consistent." Well, a lot of shows are inconsistent. For example, one week, watching Alias is as thrilling as watching the Bourne Identity, Spy Game, or even a good episode of X-Files (which, of course, I've never seen, but it sounds cool to say). Other times, Alias is predictable with bad dialogue and absurd plotlines that don't connect to each other. Probably the only reason we watch Alias in the first place is that it's on right after Lost, and it takes a while to recover from whatever happened on that island...

Anyhow, what's "your show?"

Blogging, in honor of Moms!

Becks & Lee for Mother's Day
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Jeff & Leanne Becksfort of Portland, Oregon, have just updated their blog! Go ahead and check out the new pics of their Mother's Day dinner out, and their huge, playful dog Koi, having a great time on the beach!

It is interesting how blogging can develop a virtual community, even a virtual young marrieds club. It's all about catching up with the Ostovics, the Smiths, the Sifferts, and the Coopers! I do really enjoy keeping up with people here, and it's not as impersonal as we once thought, especially since you can post comments on someone else's blog. What about you? Do you think blogging is impersonal? I guess it is if you don't check it that often. But it's fun to do, and I can do it during commercials on Lost.

My first Basketball!

allie-hoopster5-18-05
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

This was a big week for Allie. On Sunday, Daddy came home with a new basketball for her - and she LOVED it! She rolled it, chased it, kissed it, bounced it, and - of course - laughed at it.

Allie laughs at almost anything she is playing with. Probably a trait she got from mom. Jennie still laughs at stuff. Even if it's not funny. Then again, Jennie laughing at something usually makes it funny. Who am I to judge what is funny and what isn't?

Sounds pretty arrogant if you ask me. Then again, you didn't. You're just sitting there, reading my blog and wondering why I have all this time to post website articles while everyone else is going to the midnight opening show of Star Wars Episode III.

Then again, I think I went to the opening night of Episode I, and was not only disappointed, but exhausted for the next three days. I'll see it eventually, and I am looking forward to seeing if it's any good. But I think we're all pretty sure it's no Lord of the Rings, right?

Reunion Time, Baby!

Coops & Allie 51805
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Today, Jennie, Allie, and I had the privilege of seeing the Coopers again. Tim and Suzanne Cooper, currently of Denver, Colorado, made their second trip to lovely Delaware, Ohio this week.

Last summer, The Coopers moved from Akron to Denver, knowing that God was calling Tim into full-time ministry, and thus, Denver Seminary. Fortunately, their famillies both live in Ohio. Tim's clan is in Westerville, and Suz's lives in Cincinnati. That means they're back for a little break before spending the summer as part of The Next Level, a young-adult oriented church in Denver.

For those who know this very photogenic couple, you know they're a lot of fun to be around, they really love God, and they're the kind of people that it always seems like time flies when you're with them. Since we don't know how often they'll be back to Delaware, we took them to Bun's (a local restaurant, actually the place where our church started as a small Bible study about 27 years ago) for lunch. The Coops are also faithful readers of this blog, so, in order to keep the audience happy, I thought I'd put today's picture of them right here with Allie.

Feeling Bloggy?

I just read through several friends' blogsites. I like them all. But it's interesting the different approaches people take to doing this.

For example, some sites are basically pictures and updates for family and friends (like mine, Tim Cooper's, and Bob & Lori Siffert's new blog). I think the Becksforts' blog was like that, I miss those guys. They were great at doing a blog at first, but I think they're trying to keep us all in suspense.

Other blogsites are more for sharing thoughts, wrestling with ideas, and even some interaction via the comments. Danny Wright, Kary Oberbrunner, and a couple others seem to be like that.

Yet other blogsites are just humorous musings from silly innovators like Jeremy Bear or Ben Roethlisberger. I'm sure you all know Big Ben, and he's doing a blog.

Anyhow, I'm not really sure what I want mine to be. Seems like it's more of an expression of how I feel or think at a given time. You can tell I'm most often motivated to blog when I have a picture of Allison to blog and post. But, as Jeremy poitned out in a recent comment, I have gone extreme on the baby-posting meter. Then again, when you have grandparents peeking in on the blog, you know they aren't logging on to hear about Ohio State's latest recruits. (Speaking of which, this past week was a dark day for Buckeye fans, as highly-touted offensive lineman Justin Boren from central Ohio committed to a team up north that we can't mention by name.)

I guess I'm having a blogdentity crisis. Sometimes I want to blog about movies. Other times, I want to blog about a friend I just saw or a memory of a great experience. Yet other times, I just want to rant about how great it is that, even though we're no longer in Akron, I get to read blogs of so many good friends like Josh, Derrak, Tim, Dave Craig, Becks, Siffert, and others. I wonder if some of those other peeps have a blog yet. Rob? Derr? Smokin Dan??? Chadd? Brad? Smokin Dan???

Alas, blogging isn't for everyone. And it's also something people do in spurts. I notice that Danny Wright has put in an entry just about every other day for the past week and a half. Some of us started out that way, but we get "civilized" as Apollo Creed would say. On that note, thanks for reading. Time for sleep. (See Jer, it's possible to do a whole blog entry without mentioning our cuter-than-anything daughter, Allison, who just started pointing to her favorite book and saying "Ducky!"

Just around the corner....

ohiostate_ted_ginn
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Most people know me as a sports fan. While I guess that's true, my "tastes" have narrowed - or gotten finer with age.

Some might say I've matured in my sports fandom.

Others would wonder if I've been burnt or brokenhearted too many times with my Cleveland roots. It's hard to be any kind of sports fan when your teams are either always in the cellar or always getting crushed by Michael Jordan, John Elway, or more commonly, themselves. Cleveland teams are the BEST at finidng ways to lose.

I even let myself get excited about the Browns new coach and general manager, only to see one of their "franchise" type players recklessly riding a motorcycle and thrown off it at 35mph. Nice going, "Soldier."

Anyhow, with the news this week that the NCAA found exactly NONE of Maurice Clarett's allegations against the football program to be true, I find myself again excited for the fall, and of course Ohio State football.

Pardon me if I don't care who wins the NBA Championship. Whoever wins, it will be more of the same story I've seen in the NBA for the last 20 years. Either a big-mouth star like Shaq wins the title, or a tough Detroit team repeats, or a non-Laker team from the West wins and still gets no real love from the national fans and media (re: Spurs and Rockets in recent memory).

Excuse me if I have zero interest in baseball. Whether steroids, lack of a salary cap, or the fact that you can waste three hours in front of a television watching guys STAND AROUND for 70% of that time... I just have no interest whatsoever. Giambi and Bonds make for great excuses to tune out.

Forgive me if I think much the same about golf, NASCAR, and pretty much everything else on TV right now. Can you tell I'm tired right now?

I guess I'm just glad that Jennie and I aren't watching much TV at all lately. She watches the Gilmore Girls (no relation to Artis), and we usually watch Lost and Alias on Wednesday nights.

Uh, I thought this was going to be a post about Ohio State football. It's nice to at least have ONE team worth rooting for. One home team that keeps winning, keeps attracting quality people and national attention. That September 10 game against Texas is going to be HUGE.

Kudos to Akron Garfield running back Chris Wells, the top RB in the state for 2006, who has already committed to the Buckeyes and may enroll early. Kudos to newcomers Fred Lenix and Jamario O'Neal, who are tearing up the state track meets along with fellow OSU freshman Brian Hartline from Canton GlenOak. (Sorry, the football scout in me is rearing its ugly head. Probably a good time to end this post.)

Post summary: All other teams and sports are boring. Ohio State rules! Got Tressel?

How big is Allie?

allie too close
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

The other day, I took some up close pics of Allie, and she kept trying to come after the camera. Who can blame her? She's very photogenic. She's almost 11 months old, and she stands a lot, sometimes on her own. Sometimes, she pulls herself up on other things, and stands and waves. She also raises her hands in the air when we say, "How big is Allie?"

Next up...

Jungle Logo
Originally uploaded by wailer2000.

Yesterday, I started a sermon series on Relationships. Similar in thought to a series we did at The Chapel last year. Dustyn Vanzant reworked the logo, and actually the whole front of the church is looking jungle-esque. I should nab some more pics of the scenery to show you.

The first talk was about marriage - God's great invention for human intimacy, love, and commitment. Of course I couldn't resist playing the "you complete me" scene from Jerry Maguire. "You had me at hello. You had me at hello."

Jennie and I have enjoyed our first six months in Delaware, and can't believe how much has happened and how fast life goes.

I would now like to launch into a new form of random blogging, sort of a stream of consciousness, writing about whatever hits me at the moment.

For my birthday recently, we got a brand new gas grill. I've only had this thing for eight days, but we've grilled out at least eight times. If you have any good recipes, I'll take 'em. Props to Zac & Hilary Derr for the shish-kabob seasoning and demonstrations, those came in real handy last week. Props to Lori Siffert (I think) for the idea to grill veggies and peppers with lots of seasonings at the Digman cookout like three years ago.... Speaking of Digman - I wonder how those Digs are doing. I miss seeing them around. I wonder if he's still The Chapel's version of Mark Price..... Yes, I made a quicktime video for our Relationships series, and I'm working on a second one about marriage. If you're interested, send me some pics of you and your loved one, and you might find yourself in one of my iMovies! (I say that fully expecting everyone to ignore it. That is, unless I give out prizes to the person with the most creative picture of their marriage. Maybe I'll do that! Yes - I will! The person who sends me the most creative picture wins a BRAND NEW, UNUSED copy of TURBOTAX for Windows!!! Send your entries NOW!)..... I guess I have run out of things to blog about. Well, not entirely. I recently saw the new movie "The Interpreter." VERY good. Sean Penn is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, even though I'm not sure I like him as a person. But that was an intense, well-thought-out movie with great acting, gut-wrenching suspense, and intelligent dialogue. This movie also benefits from the fact that I saw the movie "Sahara" just a couple days before. If you're looking to waste three hours of your life and kill hundreds of brain cells, feel free to watch Sahara. Make sure to bring a pillow..... Since we're on the topic of movies, I watched "Congo" to look for jungle clips and get in the safari mood for this series. While there were no really great jungle clips, it was still a pretty intense movie. Better than Sahara, more serious than National Treasure, and rentable for two bucks less. I think Congo would have been better with a stronger male lead actor. Some Kirk Cameron look alike isn't going to cut it.... Sorry, I think I was a movie critic in another life, even though I don't believe in "other lives."