Kids DO give you grey hair. They DO!!

My little buster gave us a big scare (along with the doctors) for the last few days. He was admitted for 3 days at Childrens Hospital in Denver. (transferred by ambulance from Longmont ER) He had a really bad infection in his stomach under his belly button...he was pumped full of antibiotics to keep it from spreading into his blood stream and after a few back and forth conversations about surgery he stabilized and got much better fairly quickly so no surgery was needed, as of yet. He has a couple appointments over the next week and a half to make sure he's 100%. 

Things can change so fast. So fast. 

Weekend Getaway

Our weekend getaway was amazing. We stayed in town but got two full days and one night free from our little Olive and Boston. I feel so relaxed right now as I type these words. It's amazing what some good sleep and time lounging can do for you. 

Saturday and Sunday was filled with:

/a few sit down coffee breaks broken up between Starbucks and Peets Coffee

 

/a pair of Levis bought at Levis

/lunch at a great Italian restaurant called Pasta Jays on Pearl Street in Boulder

/some trading at Goldmine Vintage of vintage Tees for a fuschia colored Wayne Newton Tee with an awesome sparkling 

eagle, a great 80's ski vest, and an amazing red

80's jacket that will take your breath away and rad 80's dress for Tess. (i'll post some shots of these great

finds.

/caught a flick called "Quantum of Solace"- which was awesome. Been waiting

for it since Casino Royale.

/had dinner at Cantina Laredo...great Mexican food!

/actually went to church together as husband and wife for the first

time since Boston was born 9 weeks ago! So refreshing! Can't wait

until next Sunday.

/gave Tess a first round of highlights in her hair.

/chilled, chilled and more chilled.

I am thankful for these two days more than I ever thought I'd be.

My little Boston Tea Party

***Boston on the left. Picture of Olive when she was the same age on the right. ***

Jarrod Needs ______.

Inspired by Elisa Beeson I googled "Jarrod needs."  Heres what I need according to google. TOP 10.

1. Jarrod needs a lip ring. 

2. Jarrod needs a new cell phone. 

3. Jarrod needs all your prayers.

4. Jarrod needs a room. 

5. Jarrod needs none of those explanations. 

6. Jarrod needs to be given more detailed and challenging assignments. 

7. Jarrod needs to regularly dominate VFL games this year. 

8. Jarrod needs female vocals and screaming guitar licks. 

9. Jarrod needs a ride to his hometown to fight his high-school nemesis. 

10. Jarrod needs a home in Cape Town. 

This is awesome. Google " (your name) needs."

Boston Elliot Renaud

September 17th 2008

8:44am

6 lbs. 11 oz.

The DNC is in Denver...

5:45am, Saturday August 23rd. Throwing on a pair of jeans that I had worn the previous two days and a T-shirt that has seen better days I skip the Wheaties and head straight for a Starbucks breakfast. Picking up a chocholate biscotti and a double shot I point my Volvo towards Denver. The ride was nice, not many cars out that early so I was relaxed and in no hurry.

Pulling onto 20th I find a parking spot a block from Coors Field. There was a pre-autumn chill in the air. It felt as if I was heading to classes at the beginning of a school year, but I wasn't. I grabbed my satchel with my cameras hidden inside and start walking. I didn't have a plan. Just walked through the ghost town of a city with most everyone still warm and in bed. *Click* I broke the ice with shooting a wide photo straight down a city street while standing in the middle of an intersection. Walking and clicking. Placing the camera close to the ground, holding it above my head, holding it crooked close to a brick wall. I had 4 rolls of film I had to get through.

Since I wasn't too familiar with downtown Denver I slowly headed towards 16th Street, I've been there a few times and I didn't paticularly want to get lost. I get insanely frustrated when I get lost. Anyways, walking up 16th St. I encountered some homeless people selling old newspapers. I don't carry cash so I passed by with a hello and clicked off a hip shot of them. Working my way up towards the capital building I stopped in the World Trade Center courtyard. *Click* *Click*

"Whatcha taken pictures of?" I turn around to find two men in black suits. "Lines." I answer turning back towards the buildings and shooting off another photo. "Looks like your taking photos of these Banks. You have time for a few questions?" I didn't want to buy anything from these guys or take some survey or register to vote or whatever it was they wanted to ask me about, for some reason I said, "Sure."

While asking me what kind of camera I am using and if I develop my own film the older gent pulled out an FBI badge. "Damn, should of shaved my beard off this morning." I thought to myself while smiling and answering. "Its a vintage camera from Germany and I don't develop my own film yet." I felt like I was part of story line in a movie. They stood uncomfortably close to me. I didn't like that.

Questions kept pouring and I kept answering. One of them asked for my I.D. and stepped to the side to run my information while his partner conversed with me about photos, groups and work. He asked about what type of film my camera used and where I get it developed. He told me that a lot of people are part of groups and that it's okay if I am part of a group. "Nope, not part of a group." I told him. "I work at DPA Microphones." I said in a relaxed kind of way. "Microphones..." He went on to tell me he has his own recording studio and collects vintage tube microphones. In a couple of minutes we became friends in a "I'm sure I'll never see you again sort of way."

So, I got my license back and was sent off with an explained apology giving me a heads up about all the security that is being implimented over the course of the weekend and upcoming week because of the Democratic National Convention. Whoops.

Ha. A dude with a beard and a black hat, a ratty t-shirt and jeans that are too tight for him, taking pictures of the WTC in Denver was interogated by the FBI. I feel a little cooler.

Wow, I found this in my email drafts from 2004

---This has just broadsided me. I had distinct direction, passion, energy, hope.....can't wait to be back there again, I AM ON MY  WAY:)

Im going to be getting a ring in the few weeks. ...right now me and Tess are deciding whether or not we're gonna get married in January or wait till next june. As of right now I think its gonna be in june('05) so it'll be an outdoor wedding in Colorado. Shes moving back there in a couple weeks and Im pretty sure she'll either comback for ten weeks in September so we can go through a Pre-marital-program-small-group-counseling thing or I'll move there and we'll find a church there that we'll be going to.

Its been all crazy how this has all worked out. it was all little steps of obedience and then God just runs with it and we're on for a ride. Its really been amazing. But right now we're trying to figure out what the best thing as far as timing.

My music is really getting awesome. Gods set a fire inside of me to play. I know He's gonna use it in awesome ways. So for this summer Im gonna be totally focused on writing music. He's brought some awesome people into my life that have inspired me and are willing to help me out with stuff.

Also Stupid Apple is turning out to be amazing. The visions that we thought were big are turning out so small compared to where I know God will bring it. Prayers are being answered in the craziest most amazing ways. So far this is the vision now:
-we're gonna have short films that will be available to youth groups and churches around the country.
-we're gonna have a web site that will pretty much be a place where kids (15-30) can read about anything relevant to life and faith.
-hopefully we will have a circulating bi-monthly magazine someday.
-we're going to carry on the skate ministry
-we're going to bring "Bite The Curb" ministries and also "Overflow Outreach" ministry to conferences around the U.S.
-Overflow Outreach is going to be an Orphanage type outreach that we will start in Africa and God willingly spread.

And the way things are happening is so crazy. the encouragment from people around us and the people who are willing to help. Crazy. People who have no clue about this are brought by God to help us with stuff. We've been praying recently about the legal stuff behind having a production company and also non-profit organizations. So this one random day at Starbucks, Im just working and this dude who is prbably late twenties maybe thirty who Ive talked to about my car comes up and asks me if I do the art work in the store, and I told him I did. Then he told me he just graduated and he's an attourney that specializes in businesses and copyrighting and hes willing to help us out with everything from my artwork, logos, my songs, our name...anything...all for free!! Its crazy. Came out of nowhere!! It started with my art work, then I told him I write music, then I told him about stupid apple!! And thats just one thing!! I met this other crazy awesome guy who just came out of film school in London, we've talked for weeks at work, (hes a customer) then I find out he's a Christian.

Anyways... All of this is years away...maybe 2 because of other priorities and also preperation that God has made evident. Its just going to snowball...if we're trustworthy with the small stuff, God will just keep adding!! One day we'll be getting youth skate ministries scattered around america evangelizing and decipling and sending these kids on mission trips to orphanages/schools/churches around the world all the while keeping Stupid Apple personal with our magazine and web site. Sounds nuts huh?!?! Its wierd though, I cant even imagine doing anything else with my life. Its so awesome!!

...in the desert prepare the way for the Lord, make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it... isaiah 40:3-5

Pretty crazy event just happened.

I wake up this morning and can't open my right eye. "What the hell" (Statement, not question). I rub my eye with my palm in a twisting fashion while making my way to the bathroom. 

"Wow, that is shocking." I think to my self. 

My eye is swollen and is covered in a yellow goo. Thinking straight at this moment I grab a nice white towel. Well, it's not a nice white towel any longer. I start inspecting at a comically close distance from the mirror. Blood shot and irritated, my seeing mechanism is presumably stressed out. 

"Crap dude." I say that out loud in a slightly whining voice, elongating the pronunciation of "dude." I start running my finger over the surface of my eye ball which doesn't really bother me since I wear contacts occasionally. My eyes are used to being handled. "Ah." I wore contacts last night. But I knew I had taken them out. 

"Ah, nice." Shaking my head as in agreement. I didn't actually see the one from my right eye pop out but only figured I had dropped it. It was midnight at the time and I held my hand up covering my left eye then switching to my right eye and everything was definitely blurry. "Boom. No contacts in my eyes. Lets go to bed." Thats what I say every time I take out my contacts. "Boom." Followed by "No contacts in my eyes. Lets go to bed."

Anyways, I start pulling my eyelids out and blink. I felt something. There is something there but I can't see it. I actually, no joke, jam my index finger underneath my eye. It's surprising how far you can go with this. 

"Freakin sick." Emerging was a folded contact (I wear soft dailies). A folded piece of rubber/plastic emerging like a worm from underneath my eye. I didn't think it was possible for this to happen. I've always been afraid of my contact working its way behind my eye and causing some massive brain infection. 

Life is short. It could be shorter because of soft dailies. 

(After doing a bit of internet research I pulled this quote from a optometrists website. "If you think you have a contact lens someplace in your eye, and you can't find it, call your eyecare practitioner." — Dr. Dubow

My FLICKR page.

Just a heads up. I posted a link on the right side of the page that will bring you to a bunch of cool stuff that I do in my spare time. Some family photos, some graphic design work, there'll be some pics of paintings posted soon. 

Check it out! >>>

First 20 minutes of my workday. 7/01/08

nothing special, really random 

Ha, weddings.

I had thought that I would enjoy filming and editing wedding videos to make some money, possibly make a good living off of it. I've got a friend who does. Well, found out it isn't my thing. Now I've got to figure out how to pay off all the crap I bought for my "wedding video" business. Hopefully something will come up, eh? 

Creatively lazy.

I am somewhat creative. I love art in all its forms. I really love to create art in as many forms as I can but lately I have been so overwhelmed by all these crazy ideas that I have. There are too many projects that I want to complete that I have not completed anything in months. (For the most part)

How can I focus? 

How can I prioritize? 

Hmm. Anyways. 

Chicago

The great city of Chicago. I experienced a bit of it on DPA's account. Me and Emily were sent out to the Willow Creek Convention in Schaumburg. The show was short and easy to say the least. This trip actually turned out pretty fun. We had a whole day to spend in the city. We were supposed to meet up with Bryce, but...his job at the 'Bucks got in the way.

We took the L downtown which was my first experience on public transportation besides a bus ride from Longmont to Boulder. The train was fairly clean, the stops were really dirty and I didn't really like being in an enclosed environment with so many people that I didn't know. But anyways...we misread the train map and exited a mile or so too soon. The comenced the walking. There was a lot of walking before we finally found what we were looking for. Some real Chicago pizza. Wow. I couldn't move after putting down two deep dish slices and a Sam Adams Seasonal. It was so great.

From there we went to Navy Pier which made me miss the ocean and cool but warm humid weather that is found on the coasts. Then we took a cool little trolly to millenium park. That place was awesome, I wish we could have spent more time there. Sipping on some coffee we had the chance to enjoy a free concert by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. That was awesome...

We walked our way to the Sears Tower and wasted $12 for a ride to the top. Not that cool. Should have went to the John Hancock tower which Bryce and Emily had mentioned, but we forgot. So...train ride back and that was that.

I'd really like to go back on Vacation with family and friends. It's a cool place that I would really like to see more of.

The First Encounter Service

It went really well. It was fun to serve, to be a part of building something for God and for other people. There was an awesome time of worship, the band we had put together was great. I ended up performing an acoustic solo, a song I wrote that was inspired by the events of my brother becoming deathly ill for a weekend. (He is recovering btw) Boy was I nervous though, didn't think I would be but as soon as I was walking up there I got really nervous...forgot some lyrics but played it out pretty well. It's been like 3 years since I sang and played in front of people. Anyways...I'll keep some updated info about the upcoming Encounter service that will be held on July 1st. 

IT's A BOY!

Olive is going to have a little brother!

Elliot Daniel Renaud

Finally got an IPOD

I could never bring myself to spending ~$300 for an Ipod so I took the plunge and got an new but old IPOD Nano off Ebay for $40. I'm pretty happy with it, 2 gigs is enough to hold a grip load of songs and the thing is freakin small and light so that's nice. 

The usual friday lunch.

An hour full of Chipotle and Starbucks, sunlight and blue skies. 

The answer to many of my problems

I realized that I want to save myself and use God to make me feel better all while acting out a Christian life to mask the emptiness in my heart. I'm not truly seeking God, I just wait for Him and throw up my hands when nothing happens. I'm so selfish and now confused on how to get back to the basics of what a relationship with God actually is. I've lost the realness of it. I've become numb and robot like in the fact that I always say to people and to myself that I want to "do this for God" or "use my gifts here for God." But I think in my heart I am trying to buy happiness from Him. My heart is in the wrong place. 

Vegas

Finally back from my trip to Vegas for the NAB convention. I am so glad to be back to the fresh air of Colorado.

I lived in Vegas for 14 years of my life. My family moved there from Charlton Massachusetts when I was 10 years old. I would consider Vegas my home town. I finished elementary school, worked my way through the confusing times of Jr. High and High School. I attended a community college for 3 years and transferred to the Art Institute of Las Vegas. I met life long friends and lifelong heartaches. I discovered what I loved and what I loathe. I owned and sold a Datsun 280zx that carried so many memories of freedom. Last but not least on this list of vagueness, I met my wife in Vegas.

All of these memories came rushing back as I stepped out of the airport and felt the warm city air. At that point and throughout the whole night, I missed my home town. I had wished that Tess was there with me, I wish that we were in my blue 280zx driving up the strip. I had wished that my brother was there with me planning another weekend trip to La Jolla.

By the end of the week these feelings faded fairly quickly. I realized that I just missed all these memories, not Vegas. It doesn't really matter where you live but how you live. It seems that I have forgotten how to make memories like these.

This fleeting moment is worth what?

Through a link here and a link there I read a blog that hit me hard today. I quote from here.

"Our life here on earth will be over in the blink of an eye, compared to eternity. Really, that is quite an incredible thought when you really sit down and think about it and all that it means. It is difficult to fully comprehend the magnitude of the importance of this extremely brief life in light of eternity.

The fears, worries, situations and pursuits of happiness that naturally come with this life can consume us but in the light of eternity all these things of the world are worthless. Useless. They are like a vapor- like we are- here one moment and gone the next. We give them far more importance than they are worth. 

Only one life to live, only what's done for Christ will last."