Thursday, December 30, 2010

Merry Christmas to the Missing Z's

A quick video that I sloppily edited this morning for your viewing pleasure...




Friday, December 24, 2010

It's CHRISTmas Inspired

This video was sent by link and Facebook posts to me through several people this last week and the week before. I finally was able to watch it this morning and was very moved. It's an excellent idea and really makes a person think again about the events of Christmas and how joyful we should be when we truly think about what occurred that we might continue to live life after death. Rejoice and Enjoy!




Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Who's Got Talent?

Most of my life I have been surrounded by family that seemed to have a natural talent for creative skills and crafting. My Mom has an obvious knack for it and growing up there was evidence of influence with one of my brothers and then shortly after that, I met my lovely wife. Kathleen has a very creative brain and it pops out in random places at random times occasionally. One of the places she has used to remind me that she and Avery love their Daddy/Hubby is the chalk board hanging just inside the door we use most often in our house. It's been a pleasant surprise of sorts when I come home from work and find a message on the chalk board from my girls. Makes a person smile!

However, today instead of showing you something that Kathleen's creative brain did...

I bring you the works and styling of Adam.



Not exactly mind blowing talent... but not horribly shabby if I say so myself.
The spongebob button in the top corner has nothing to do with my creation by the way.

If you can picture my wifey smiling when she saw this... then do something small and "smile inducing" for someone you love today also!

Seriously! Go do it!

It's the little things that go a long way, right?




Saturday, December 18, 2010

Just Another Of Many Blessings...

Two days ago I had my cellphone out and was taking pictures of the backroom at work. I was taking pictures because it was the best it had looked since mid October and sometimes there are just things you gotta put on record when you accomplish them again, ya know?

That's another story... anyhow...

a department manager had made a comment to me that I was holding my phone wrong. I proceeded to explain that my phone had a 5 MP camera and I was "collecting evidence". She made some remark to the effect of being amazed that a phone had a camera with that high of Mega Pixels. I reaffirmed that it was awesome and without even thinking about it mentioned that I loved it for the ease and awesome availability of being able to take pictures of things I love like my daughter, Avery! I mentioned that I enjoyed blogging those pictures and had captured many things with my camera.

That conversation had me thinking about our current technology and what a blessing it was ultimately from the Lord on high. The fact simply is that without my "smart phone" there would be a lot of video, pictures, and moments not captured that happen and are over so quickly that one simply wouldn't capture years ago unless you kept your camera near you at all times. That doesn't even include video camera! I think that my Mom did an awesome job of this and I marvel at the simple presence of mind and determination that it took years ago to make a point of capturing some of those moments. It's so easy now!

Although I don't respond enough in appreciation, my parents and parents-in-law will still capture moments on their camera phones as well of Avery and her goofiness. While I hope to someday convince them to upgrade away from camera phones that still only shoot about 2 clear pictures out of 5... I surely do appreciate the 2 clear pictures that do turn out! You know... old people. :-)

So here is a collection of some pics that I haven't posted and now have pulled from my phone. They were picture messages of just such moments... enjoy.


"Grandpa... it's not that i don't appreciate your consideration of keeping my hair out of my face... it's just... well... does it have to be the sleeve of your shirt for a headband?"

"I just woke up... and it's a beautiful day at Grandma's house!"



"Yeah. Sure. It's cute. I get it. Are you really pulling out your camera phone right now?"

"I love swinging! Just like smiling!"


Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Whether You Like It Or Not

There are a lot of things that I will allow my children to like or dislike as I will want them to grow and form opinions of their own under the right research and a foundation of guidance. Certain things are obviously going to be non-negotiables at certain ages and other things will be firm as long as I am Daddy. I am confident that with the Lord's help and guidance, I will be able to show my children the "whys" of what I believe and the why of what they should believe.

Then, there will be other less weighted issues and opinions that I could care less on what their preference is and hope they make those decisions on their own. Their favorite color, their favorite uncle, or their favorite favor of jelly beans are all things I know they will adopt on their own.

There is only one tiny little thing that I may need to influence a little bit...


That's right. Their favorite pass time sport and team! Go Packers!

Right now it appears Avery needs some convincing, don't you think?

There are a lot of things she kicks and screams about these days...

so a little kicking and screaming on the way to Packer Fandom isn't a problem!


Besides, if I can't seem to handle it myself...


I'll just bring in the reinforcements!

Go Pack!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Trip to the "Pum!" Farm (pt2)

I figured I better get the pumpkin farm pictures posted before the snow really starts to fly! It's coming folks!

Besides, it was really just a fun day and I want to share it!

"Pums" are Avery's favorite this year and she was overcome with joy when she found herself surrounded by many!


Joy... and a monster like excitement...


Maybe the sour face is because she...


just can't...


quite...


catch any chickens!


Is that why you have a sour face, little girl?

Or does it have anything to do with your Dad dropping you in the middle of a bunch of pumpkins and...


there seems to be no visible...


way out!


Could that cause a sour face?


I think it might.

Wait! What's this? Noooooo....

Mommy to save the day again...


Mommy seems to be sympathetic and some body's hero once again...



She's great that way isn't she?


So, Avery... how was your trip to the "pum" farm?


"Ummm..."


"It had it's ups and downs..."


"There was that part where you stranded me in pums, Dad."


"Overall, a pretty fun day though!"


Monday, November 29, 2010

A lot to be Thankful for...

Greeting Everyone! I hope the holiday was good to everyone and there was much time for reflecting, praying, and enjoying the time with friends and relatives!

My absence from the blog was due to several different reasons that include but weren't limited to our absence of internet and my first "Black Friday" as a store manager. Some things have to be sacrificed in the name of priorities and this blog (I'm sorry) and even deer hunting took the fall this year. I am hoping that both will return for the next Thanksgiving week!

I was able to spend some time with the family on Thanksgiving and also did get to enjoy the traditional holiday "fixings". Yum!

Speaking of which...

Who wants some pie?


I thought so...

...anyone else?



I'm thinking Sam and Kathleen might be interested...


Is that it? Anyone else?



Ok, we have a piece for you as well Steph... Kathleen... there's no limit.

Make sure you feed our boy!

That's right Avery! Not to far away!

"Seriously?"

Yes, Avery...
Next year you might have to share your pie!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Feel the Love?

Below is a Facebook post I made after being reminded what day it was. Turns out it was National Unfriend Day. So, I made a very threatening post to let my friends know that they might want to think about stepping up their game little. (Friends... I am just kidding. Maybe.    ...No, really I am kidding. Probably.) Below is the interaction I received instead.

Adam Zastrow (Status Update) :Today is national unfriend day... nothing personal... actually that's not accurate. Maybe we can be friends again next year.

Wednesday at 9:00pm via Android Friends Only ·LikeUnlike · Comment · View Feedback
Samantha Zastrow likes this.


Bradley Zastrow (Status Update) : I celebrated by knocking off 100 of my friends. Since I received this update, you must have slipped through the cracks again...
Wednesday at 10:15pm · LikeUnlike · 1 person-Kathleen Zastrow likes this.

Pick up on all that?
The only facebook family participants missing are the ones smart enough not to leave evidence.


Yeh. Hilarious. What a loving family. I cried many a night since this happened.

Now is the part where you comment something lame below about how you are sorry for the torment that you all put on me as we grew up and you've realized now that it has continued and is even present today. Try to stop smiling and hang your head in shame for the broken shell of a person you have made me to be today! Scared to speak, slave to my wife, and nervous around people... 

Go ahead. Let it all out. :o)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

How Many Birthdays?

How many birthdays does a person get with a little girl a little older than 1?

Not many. The experience and wisdom that a person who needs 10 hands to show their age has can and should be very valuable to someone who only needs one finger to show their age. This however is probably never realized by the person only needing to show one finger at request to share their age.

Yet, it seems that they still seek to mimic and replicate behaviors even though they don't truly get the value in a good example or wealth of knowledge and experience.

Like looking at a birthday card you helped make and have already seen... maybe because someone else is looking at their gifts as well?


Then again... where does the shadowing stop?

Should it stop at still sticking your new gifts in your mouth? 


Apparently not. Oh well. :-)

There are worse habits... right Grandpa Z?

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Bappy Hirthday!

Today is a certain someone's birthday! Someone special! A Grandma, Mom, and much more to many! This particular person is very careful and mindful of not disclosing too much information at times when on the internet... so in a somewhat poking fun manner... I will simply state that the birthday gal MAY or MAY NOT be the creator of a blog called Paper Delights at http://www.paperdelights.blogspot.com/. This person MAY or MAY NOT mind a few Happy Birthday! wishes in the comments section of her last blog post if you should feel so inclined.

Here's another hint... the person I am referring to MAY or MAY NOT be referred to as Zaren Kastrow. She MAY or MAY NOT be related to myself and MAY or MAY NOT be celebrating a "big" birthday of sorts.

After speaking to the before mentioned person this morning, I was amused to find out that one of the special things that she wanted to have accomplished on her birthday involved her second half and was somewhat related to the picture below. I guess we all hope for different things on our birthday at different times of our life, right?


I just can't help but to be a little amused. :-)

Happy Birthday
Mom!
(spelled backwards to disguise identity.) 

We love you more than you'll ever know!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

God Blesses America

Today is Veteran's Day and I find myself feeling appreciative to our veterans for many reasons...

but none compare to my favorite and most important reason I appreciate our veterans...



Thank You.

Thank you for sacrificing to allow myself, my family, and all our fellow countrymen the freedom to openly and outwardly praise the Lord! Our current persecution pales in comparison to the possibilities and depths that could have been had you not so willingly sacrificed for us and our freedom.

Praise veterans for their dedication...

and

Praise the Lord for Veterans!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Trip to the "Pum!" Farm (pt1)

What is a little girl to do when her parents stick her in her carseat and start driving?

Especially when she has already been driving a lot in the previous days and she is less than amused we are driving again?

Can't she just stay home and play with her calculator?



Ok... we're here. So what?

Wait a minute... this place looks interesting!


It IS interesting! Actually, it looks pretty cool! It's a "pum" farm!


It's got animals to feed! Pretty nosy animals!


With high standards of personal hygene???


Oh... never mind! Lol! They just want to eat!

I like eating as well!

High Five!


Oh... Dad says that these animals don't have five...

Whatever that means...

It looks like Mom found some furry creatures to feed...


Wow are they hungry! This is awesome!

I hope this never ends!


Ah, we got a problem...


No more food! Now what!?!

These animals expect food!

They seem like they might be a little hungry yet!?!

Should we be concerned?




Sunday, October 31, 2010

BOO! BOO!

A Halloween "Boo!" to you! Today, I simply must chronicle a different kind of boo, or boo boo as it were...

This is the mouth of our little girl after a rather rough month of slips, trips, and falls.


It was a time of getting to know her balance and figuring out what kind of speeds she can safely attain on those still fairly, newly discovered tools of transportation. This particular boo boo was created by tripping on someones own feet and falling straight into a wooden step at her boyfriends house after a late night of playtime. It truly just capped off the month of several scares and wailing bloody falls that all seemed to involve her mouth.

"Hey... are you talking about me?"

So, even with all the concern from Mommy, Daddy, Grandma's, and Grandpa's...

It appears her inner woman will still overcome the pain and uncomfortableness to spend some time on the phone... what... a... shock...



I'm sure all of my male readers are truly surprised. :o)


"What a second... I think I heard you picking on me, Dad."


"You were! You think you're funny!"
Oh, well. We might as well get used to it... I'm pretty sure it's not the end...




...and somehow she still manages to be adorable!

The Z's hope your day is filled with lots of BOO!'s and hopefully no boo boo's!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Does Jesus Use Facebook?

The answer is YES!
Hold on... wait a minute. You Facebook users... don't go looking to be "friends" with Jesus on Facebook. Of course He doesn't use it in the sense that you or I might spend time on Facebook, but His presence can certainly be felt and He does "keep in touch" with his many children.

There have been several situations that Facebook has been a tool of the Holy Spirit in my life and prompted conversation, thought, or pondering within myself and with friends and family from or on Facebook itself. Recently, a friend that I have not had much faith based conversation with mentioned to me that he sees my facebook posts and often wonders how he could find "what I have". I was excited to hear this from him and I quickly identified "what I have" as faith and peace in God! What a great opportunity to speak about the life giving Lord! 

I have heard much criticism and many comments about the "waste of time" and occasionally "awful things" that occurs on Facebook. Just like any other blessing the Lord has given us on this earth, Facebook can be abused and also be a tool of Satan to encourage be a facilitator of sin. However, when God's blessings are used with the good Lord in mind... wonderful and simply miraculous things can happen as well! We need not to be a pastor or teacher to inspire others through the work of the Lord and if living a life with Jesus in mind is exposed through Facebook, then who are we to do anything other than thank the Lord for another opportunity to share his life giving word!

Below is a "thread" from Facebook that occurred when a friend from my high school shared an experience she had with the Lord and one of her friends recently. Her shared story inspired me and many others as you can read below. This is just the beginning of some of the conversation that spread outside of this "post" on Facebook. Keep in mind that this copies rather poorly from Facebook to the blog, but the message and responses are accurate to what occurred that day on Facebook (minus last names).


Facebook status update...

Hannah: I brought a friend to church with me on Sunday, he showed up on my doorstep with tears in his eyes asking me if he could go with me to church because he needed some guidance. Whether he was motivated by the joy I receive from my faith or God opened his heart, all I know is that when the pastor started his sermon I star...ted to cry - God spoke thru my pastor directly to my friend, saying........
October 18 at 8:56am

12 people like this..

Diana: Praying for your friend!
October 18 at 8:58am

Hannah: ‎"Don't focus on the healing, focus on the Healer" Come to me so that I may bless you. I am here for you and all I ask is that you give me thanks and praise, and live your life for me. The sermon goes on and on and it was beautiful. My brot...her was an instrument of the Lord yesterday and it brings tears of joy to my eyes even now. God IS amazing and he loves us all. He spoke DIRECTLY to my friend and he was moved....and so was I. I pray that everyone is able to see the joy and love that God offers, that the veil of sin that covers our eyes...our ears...our hearts is lifted that we may hear and see and feel God's love. Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him.
October 18 at 9:01am

Terisa: That's an amazing experience Hannah! Thanks for sharing!
October 18 at 9:02am

Dawn: wow that is great praying for him see it's not just me you help a lot of people i bet!
October 18 at 9:02am

Hannah: I've heard God speak to me through sermons, friends, just life in general... but this day will never be forgotten. My faith grew yesterday. We left church and he said to me "how did God know I was going to be in church???" I said, "He kn...ows everything about you, He KNEW you would go even before you were going to go and he put the words he wanted you to hear in the heart of the Pastor for him to share on this very sunday." Tears streaming from his face - God got through to him. It was amazing. God is amazing. I will pray for him and anyone, and I will say a thanks to God for amazing friends like you guys that pray for those I pray for and encourage me to be strong.
October 18 at 9:08am

Jolynn: What an amazing experience and testimony! Thanks for sharing! Praying for your friend.
October 18 at 9:29am

Hannah: What better way to show God that you love him - just by simply "thanking him"!!! Thanks for all the feedback, it's so encouraging to me! ♥
October 18 at 10:19am

Adam Zastrow: Thanks for sharing! Awesome!
October 18 at 11:54am

Brian: Thank you, Hannah. One can not hear enough of these accounts. I deeply appreciate it.
October 18 at 12:14pm

Mark: Goes to show that even if we are not "preaching" the Gospel, all we do and say preaches it... a great experience for the BOTH of you.
October 18 at 12:31pm

Dana: absolutely wonderful that you were able to witness like that. I have seen so many opportunities to do so myself and from so many unexpected places. When we ask God to strengthen our faith often he does so in ways that use our strengths. You have so many strengths and even though we don't expected to be recognized for showing our faith...I just want to tell you that you are a wonderful light to many and you're not afraid to be one! Thank you.
October 18 at 12:42pm

Joseph: LOVE THIS. Praise Jesus. "In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears."
October 18 at 9:44pm

Amy: Love you Hannah! Thanks for sharing ♥
October 19 at 3:41pm

Renee: What a fantastic story of how wonderful God is and how he uses each of us to spread the joy. Thanks for sharing this story.
October 19 at 4:09pm

Traci: I love this story, Hannah! How uplifting! God is good!
October 19 at 8:39pm

Nathan: I posted this sermon message in my notes on my page.
October 21 at 9:23am

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