What we do...

Maris and I love to sit in Kate's room, one of us holding Kate, Jambo curled up on the others' legs, while listening to Jason Upton. I was checking him out on YouTube and I heard him say, "You know, sometimes compromise means no compensation." I commend his music to you.

Kate Corinn!

We're home and having a great time together...

Welcome to Kate Corinn Deaver!

Raking the Atchisons' leaves is great fun, especially when Maris calls to go in for a labor check at 2:45 pm. Last night the decision was to break Maris' water at 5:30 pm. She took a long dip in the hot tub and then they started a bit of pitocin to get the contractions moving along. They got an epidural going after a bit and at 2:30 am it was time to push. When Maris was told to push, she pushed. Kate came out not long after that at 3:08 am. We all took a nap from 5:30 to 7:30. Now begins the rest of Kate's precious life. That's all for now friends!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well everyone, Turkey Day has come again but we can continue thanksgiving all year round. We had a great time with my family on Wednesday and Maris' family yesterday and today all in Manhattan. There's so much to be thankful for, including sushi and cowboy hats. The following picture demonstrates my gratitude for such things (picture compliments of Jennifer Regier).

Wardrobe Change

The KSU Saudi Club had a function in the Union Courtyard so I took the opportunity to enjoy a 5 minute wardrobe change.

3rd Annual New Hope Hayride!

Hayride 2008!

This was great fun!

KSU Collegian Article

Well, the KSU Collegian seems to love all the activity with the international community here in li'l ol' Manhattan, KS. Here's the latest article. Enjoy!

The Journey of Jitsuya & the Gar

I know a guy, actually a good friend of mine, who read about the alligator gar as a young lad. When he had the opportunity to catch a plane to Texas and hire a guide for the day to catch the subject of his childhood studies he took it. And here's the picture to prove it. I like Jitsuya's style. He ain't scared to seize the day!

Kitchen Transformation!

This is by far the biggest project I've tackled. It is finished. One of my favorite speakers these days talks about how all of life is gardening. We are called to subdue the earth and rule over it. Well, I just did that to my kitchen. It was very devotional for me to consider how I can glorify my Creator even while working on my kitchen. I hope many of you will be able to be recipients of our hospitality made possible by our newly fashioned kitchen. Call before you come over though as in American culture we tend to get overwhelmed with unexpected visits for some reason.

Many thanks to all who have been part of this process to varying degrees. Thanks to Paxton, my remodeling sensei, Ken, my cabinet connection, Frey Designer Countertops for the corian construction, Joe for destruction, tool-usage, and cabinet-hanging, Zach for drywall expertise and installation help, Andy for some electric work and cabinet hanging, Majed for cabinet hanging, Stu for hardibacker screwing in, my supporters for their support, everyone who said they like the kitchen as I need encouragement every step of the way, Jambo for moral support, Maris for patience with a huge mess, the texture idea, outlet cover covering and being my beautiful wife, and God for granting me strength, wisdom, patience, finances, food to fix in the kitchen and breath for another day!

Anonymous People

I just heard this quote and I can't get it out of my mind: "Christianity marches on the shoulders of anonymous people."

New Music Monday

Check out my friends' music here.

Eid ul-Fitr 2008!

We were honored to be able to eat this meal with some friends both new and old.

Our Baby Girl in 3-D!

Here she is. Isn't she cute already?


These pictures were taken with a new 3-D ultrasound machine. We were honored to have the opportunity to utilize this technology. The miracle of life is awesome! God is bestowing on us a great joy and responsibility.

Economic Excitement

Here's a couple articles on the current economic crisis.
Here's one by Dave Ramsey.
Here's another by Al Mohler.
These are exciting times we live in. How then should we live? Maris and I are considering putting some energy into a community coop. Who's with us?

The Avett Brothers

I went to this show last night (Tue., Sept. 16). These guys are great. I commend them to you. I was receiving inspiration from the beard. Mine has yet to reach such great heights. As you watch this video take note of the nice use of percussion.

To watch more of the videos I took search on youtube for "The Avett Brothers in Lawrence, KS at Liberty Hall".

Sushi Party Part VIII

Greek Lesson

I have the privilege of beginning my study of Greek this semester under the tutelage of Liam Atchison. After getting schooled the first class I had to dig a bit deeper to hasten my learning. Here's what I discovered and listened to multiple times as I tiled our kitchen floor (multi-tasking can be a beautiful thing):

(The teacher in this video is not Liam I assure you.)

It's a Girl!

But she's not arrived yet. It is amazing to see her moving around in there. Her little heart is beating consistently waiting to meet us in person. My pro-life views are strengthened as I watch her little arms above her head waving to us. My hatred for evil in this world and in me deepens as does my love for all that is good from our Father. There's no way you will enjoy this video as much as Maris and I...but you can try!

42,336 Saturn Missiles!

This is how we spent the 4th of July with a bunch of folks from all around the world and from just down the street. You can expect nothing but pure missile mayhem for seven minutes straight with the following video.

I pray this is the last bat entry...

We're up to 6 bats. The first two I had tested for rabies and the test came up negative. I just confirmed the negative result on rabies for the third bat I had tested. I think we found the entry point for these little guys because I haven't seen or heard from them since the 4th of July. Either that or I killed all of them. By the way, if you want to have them tested for rabies you have to keep the skull intact as they test the brain. So aim carefully with your bb gun. We really hope this is the last you'll hear from us on this issue.

killed a third bat

Hopefully this is close to the last blog on this issue. Otherwise folks are gonna think all I do is blog about things that farm boys deal with daily and city boys get all excited about. I hired myself to venture into the attic this morning to do some extermination if necessary. Sure enough, there was a third bat friend waiting for the stake to go through his heart. My small philips head screwdriver went through the two wire mesh coverings and into the poor guy. I hope that's the last of them. You don't want to see any pictures of this guy, trust me.

Belaboring the Bat Incident

Sorry to belabor this bat incident but this evening Maris and I were napping in the living room when Maris noticed another bat. This li'l guy was just hanging around waiting to meet with his buddy from this morning. I had Paxton from down the street come over to make sure we didn't lose him. The following is a picture of both of our bat friends. The big one was from this morning (read below for that story) and the small one was from this morning. We need to get this problem fixed. By the way, we can't wait to see the new Batman feature.

bat in the bedroom

We have a faithful dog, two parakeets and we're gecko-sitting for a friend for the summer. We don't want a pet bat and I made that clear to our visitor last night. About a week and a half ago we were first visited by our bat friend in our bedroom. He made circle upon circle as I stumbled out of bed to put on clothes and glasses. Jambo was jumping up and down chomping her teeth together and Maris was nestled safely under the blanket. Our bat friend seemed to disappear that night. I reckon he made his temporary housing in our soon-to-be baby room as we opened that door last night to air out some staining I had done. About 5:00 am Maris wakes me as something is in our room. She also thought she heard someone playing the didgeridoo. That sound was our little bat friend circling over head once again. I stumbled out of bed again but this time I would prove to be a bit more hospitable to our little friend. Jambo and I were like Batman and Robin (of course I was Batman and she was Robin).

We invited our bat friend into the baby room and I assembled an assortment of tools for the task. I had a Maglite, broom, shop-vac extension, glove, small trash can, air soft gun and trash bag. After a few shots with the air soft gun to get our friend flying I smacked him with the frisbee and captured him with the trash can. Tomorrow he'll take a trip to the local health department to be tested for rabies. I won't even go into the fatality rate of rabies and the fact that you can't even tell if you've been bitten. At any rate, our adventures continue. Check out the picture above and the following video. The video is brief and to the point but you definitely get the picture. As a side note, "I am Legend" is a great movie...

Take a stroll through our neighborhood.

View Larger Map
Ours is the yellow house. If you turn left and head east down the street for three blocks you can find our dear friends, the LeMoines, on the left hand side. Theirs is the blue house east of the white house on the corner. The addresses don't quite match up but it gives you a great visual. No one should get lost trying to find our place anymore.

The Bathroom Project

You are welcome to come use our restroom anytime...almost.
But you have to call first!

Miss Kansas Continued

from the 6/9 Pratt Tribune:

When Miss Augusta Emily Deaver woke up Saturday morning, she “had this feeling.”
The feeling might have come from figuring the odds. She had won three preliminay competitions — talent, swimsuit and evening gown. But no. The feeling was more than probabilities.

An excitement.

“I felt I really showed myself (to the judges),” she said later. “I think that’s what they were looking for.”

And when the judges agreed Saturday night at PCC’s Dennis Lesh Sports Arena, Emily Deaver, a 19-year-old jazz major at Wichita State University, became the first contestant since Angelea Busby in 2003 to be crowned Miss Kansas at her first appearance in the state pageant.

The judges threw her a curve early in the final competition, however. Deaver watched as contestant after contestant was called forward for the top 12.

“Everyone up there was amazing, just amazing,” she said. “And then they waited to the very end to call me and I just about died.”

Her confidence was restored after competing in swimsuit and making the Top 10. Following evening gown in her simple, black dress with its high collar, the field was narrowed to eight, and her name was again called last.

Then came talent, the event where her “soulful, smooth, deep chest” voice came into play along with her fingers as she accompanied herself on the piano.

Her selection, “What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life” was a song that she thought was “cheesey” at first. But it grew on her and on the judges — and the crowd.
“People keep talking about my singing. I don’t consider myself a singer,” she said. Nor does she consider herself a pianist. “I consider myself an artist. Singing and playing the piano are just tools to let out what’s inside.”

She breezed through the onstage question, noting that college students — if they were female — could enter a scholarship pageant to help ease the cost of their education.
The Top 8 lined up again when master of ceremonies Matt Mauro opened the judges’ final ballot. For the third time, Deaver listened to Mauro other contestants first. Once the four runners-up were named, she was left standing with three other contestants anyone of whom could have been the new Miss Kansas.

“I think in my heart I might have known, but I was nervous,” she remembered. “I was trying to stay in the moment and not just let it run away.”

As Miss Kansas, Deaver receives a $7,500 scholarship from the Peoples Bank and Miss Kansas Scholarship Foundation. She will spend the next year taking her platform — promoting the arts — to schools and public appearances across the state. She will also, of course, compete for the Miss America title.

(Read more about Deaver in the Tribune’s special Miss Kansas Wrap Up section.)
Next year’s Miss Kansas Pageant will likely feature all of this year’s runners-up. In post-pageant interviews each of young women said they planned to pursue the title again.

First Runner-up Miss Sedgwick County Danielle Coffman has competed three times at the state pageant, each time improving her peformance from the year before. She attributed her strong finish to the support of family and friends, and the extra steps the Miss Kansas organization took this year to prepare the contestants for achieving the crown.

“I said this in my interview (with the judges),” she said. “Last year, I wanted to be Miss Kansas. This year, I worked to be Miss Kansas.”

A 21-year-old Topeka resident, Coffman is a student at Washburn University. Her critical issue is advocating reading for life.

“Absolutely,” says Second Runner-up Miss Cheney Lake Alex Miller. “I absolutely will be back. You’re addicted (to competing). You can’t really not come back. The 18-year-old from Derby finished in the same spot last year — her first time at the Miss Kansas Pageant, collecting swimsuit and evening gown awards then. This year, she again won the evening gown preliminary. She is a sophomore at the University of Kansas.

Miss Wheat Capital Becki Ronen was a first-timer this year but nevertheless is steeped in pageant tradition. Five relatives have competed in the Miss Kansas Pageant in recent decades. Only her aunt Marilee Southworth has done better, finishing in the first runner-up position compared with Ronen’s third runner-up.

“Of all of them (family members) now I’m in second place,” she said.

A former Greensburg resident, the 19-year-old now calls Hutchinson home and is a student at Kansas State University.

Fellow newcomer Lauren Werhan will also be returning. The 18-year-old Miss Sunflower just graduated from Trinity Academy in Wichita.

“I didn’t really know what to expect,” she said when asked if she were surprised by her finish. “I just tried to do my best. I’m very happy right now.”

Saturday night’s finale was punctuated by rousing peformances by Miss Kansas 2007 Alyssa George, Miss Mississippi Kimberly Morgan, Miss Kansas 2006 Michelle Walthers Loss who reprised her comedic character Patty Pageant and J.C. Fisher who earned a standing ovation when he sang the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody” to longtime pageant supporter Bobbe Stanion.

Miss Kansas 2008!

Maris and I drove over to Pratt, KS yesterday with Abe and Ashley to join Mom, Dad, both Grandma's, Gary, Aunt Marilyn, Zelka, Diane, and Kerry at the parade. Emily cruised confidently through Main Street in the new pink Mary Kay drop-top caddy. Li'l bro Daniel along with Casey and Tyler joined the expectant crew in the evening. We were quite the entourage as usual. The final festivities moved forward as the competition dwindled until one was left standing. The one left standing was none other than my sister, Emily Deaver, with the smooth jazz vocals and tasteful tinkling of the ivory. That's right, my sister, Emily Deaver, is the new Miss Kansas. Click here to verify. The Deaver clan feels like royalty. Now we're off to Vegas...no kidding!

Miss Kansas Pageant

We're off to Pratt, KS to watch my sister, Emily, claim the Miss Kansas crown. If she wins then we're headed to Vegas in January for the Miss America title race. Fun stuff!

When life throws you lemons...

...make lemonade; or so they tell me. I bought this lemon the other day at Dillons. Maris picked up this piece of ice the other day from our yard. The hail was much larger some parts of town. Kansas keeps you on your toes. As long as you enjoy making lemonade it's a great place to live.

On a Journey with Jurnee!

No, this is not our child. This precious one belongs to Paxton and Judy LeMoine. They are our good friends and neighbors just three blocks down Pierre Street. Jurnee is her name. Speaking of journeys, we are definitely on an exciting journey as we are expecting our first child! I practice holding Jurnee as much as possible so when December rolls around I'll be more than ready. We are excited for many of you to be a part of this journey with us.

saving people from the fire

As I made the usual right-hand turn into our alley way with Jambo riding in my lap I noticed a blazing fire next to the shed of one of our neighbors. The flames were rising up to 8 feet high. No one was in sight. It was time for me to go into hero mode. I dialed 911. As I talked to the operator I simultaneously knocked on the front door of the home in question and was only greeted by their rodent-looking dog. After locating the garden hose and facet I sprung into action. Weaseling my way through the fence, stepping on nail-studded loose boards I systematically drenched the fire, procuring safety for hundreds if not thousands in our metropolis. Finally the firetruck arrived and those inside jumped to action. There was no heroic effort needed on their part by this time. They thanked me for serving Manhattan, KS that day. Don't consider me a hero folks. I was only doing my duty. The only regret I have is not taking more pictures to document a day in the life of Ben Deaver.

The Spread of Coffee to the Christian World

Coffee had been a part of Arab culture for centuries but not so in the western European world. Venetian fleets sailed the known world trading spices, silks, and perfumes with the East. It is believed that coffee come to Venice from Constantinople as part of this trade. There was only one problem. When the drink reached Rome the priest attacked it and forbid it consumption.

The priests believed that the coffee was the drink of the devil. That Satan had invented the drink for the Moslem infidels as a substitute for the wine they were forbidden to drink. Since wine in the Western Christian world was sanctified by Christ and used in Holy communion, coffee must then be of the Anti-Christ. If a Christian drank this devil brew they would risk eternal damnation is how the argument went.

It wasn't until the late 1500's that Pope Clement VIII settled the dispute. He asked that the brew be brought before him. Intrigued by its powerful aroma, he sipped the coffee. It was delicious. The Pope blessed the coffee, and baptized it on the spot. He reasoned that banishing this drink from the Christian world would be a larger sin. With the Pope's blessing, imports of coffee to Italy and the Western world came flooding in paving the way for the first western coffee houses.

The English word "Coffee" comes from the Latin name of the genus Coffea. The genus Coffea is a member of the Rubiaceae family which has over 500 genera and 6,000 species that are largely tropical trees and shrubs. All species of Coffea are woody and range in size from small shrubs to trees over 30 feet tall. The species Coffea arabica gives us the arabica beans known the world over. Arabica beans are largely drunk on their own where as the Coffea robusta is usually a lower grade bean used primarily as a blend with arabica beans to make them go farther.

Palm Sunday

On the original Palm Sunday (although I'm not certain it was a Sunday) Jesus entered Jerusalem to claim His crown as King of the Universe. Of course for Him this meant suffering and death. He then conquered death and ascended to sit down at the right hand of God. Our hero had to suffer. This is a theme that resonates deep in our hearts. Every hero faces great suffering. Every movie you watch and book you read involves the suffering hero. No one would be stirred by Maximus in "Gladiator" if faced no opposition. No one would give a rip if William Wallace in "Braveheart" had an easy street to procure freedom. So why should it strike us as odd that the greatest hero of all time, God Himself, should face the worst suffering of all time in the crucifixion? That is the King we follow, the King who suffered and conquered death and will return someday to conquer all His enemies. This King didn't suffer so that we wouldn't suffer but that we would suffer for the right things. We will not suffer for our own shortcomings but because of the shortcomings of others. We will face suffering so that in some small way we can be heroes to others. We will face suffering so that people will see the hero we follow as He truly is, the King.

Yuko's Baptism!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We were gonna head to Della Voce tonight on Poyntz Ave. until I was informed that there is a $75 pre-course charge per person for drinks and appetizers or something. So instead we are staying home and I'm cooking jumbo shrimp with sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and basil over whole wheat pasta; no big deal. Valentine's Day offers a great chance to reflect on how awesome my wife is. Maris and I have been married for 2 years and almost 3 months. Marriage just gets better and better. Can I get an "Amen!" fellas? Della Voce, by the way, is an awesome dining establishment. Just save some money before you go...