Two weeks ago when our family was on vacation in Sacramento, you and I shot a webisode of Jack-Man.
Right across the Sacramento River from Grandma’s house is a little village called Locke, which was populated by Chinese immigrants about a hundred years ago.
I decided it would make a fun locale for us, so I wrote the webisode around it, also tying it in to the 2015 Camry our family was given that week to review. (I’ll have plenty more pictures and videos of all the other cool stuff we did, too.)
In “Chinese Field Trip,” things are shaken up when Jack-Man and Green Meanie have to work together in order to find their way back from China to Sacramento; when they both mysteriously end up in a geographical loop hole, or portal, that transports them both, along with the 2015 Camry, to the other side of the globe.
Basically, I just wanted to explore the tiny Chinese village with you, but I figured it would cool if we captured it on camera while wearing our funny costumes.
I also custom wrote this little song for the Webisode 19:
“Keys to the Camry”
The keys to the Camry, I gotta find
This puts me in a bind, not gonna lie
China’s quite lovely this time of year
But I’m not supposed to be here
The only way back to Sacramento’s in that Toyota
If we don’t make it back to California I’d settle for a
Place just a little closer even if it’s Minnesota
I do appreciate this field trip
The culture and the ambience is so hip
Right about now I could really use a selfie stick
I’d impress my Facebook friends
And here it is!
Be on the look-out for several more fun videos and stories coming up, based on our family’s adventures in Sacramento; including a trip to the Monterey Aquarium and the Santa Cruz boardwalk.
Also, here’s the walk around video of the 2015 Toyota Camera that is referenced in “Chinese Field Trip.”
With us having just got back to Tennessee from our annual family vacation in Sacramento, where we reviewed a 2015 Toyota Camry, we decided to lay low this week.
Then on Sunday we decided to trek to Franklin to see the iconic Natchez Parkway Bridge. You nor Mommy had ever been there; whereas I had last summer when I reviewed the 2015 Lexus NX.
While I had the camera rolling as you used the parking lot curb as a balance beam, you stopped in your tracks as you discovered a butterfly that had breathed its final breath.
You were inspired to give it a proper (yet impromptu) funeral, so we did.
As we were getting ready to leave, after taking some family pictures, you were concerned:
“Where is the food? I thought there were nachos?”
I explained that the name of the place we were at was “Natchez”, not nachos.
We are a family who essentially never goes out to eat; not only because we are vegan/vegetarian and our options are extremely limited, but also because we are Dave Ramsey followers and it’s difficult to justify weekly restaurant money when it could be going to our “new car” fund.
However, you apparently caught Mommy and me at the perfect moment, because on the drive home Mommy discretely asked me, “Is there somewhere on the way home we might want to stop for lunch?”
Granted, I was happy to oblige; it would save me from dish duty.
We saw a Chili’s coming up on the right. Mommy told me that she recently went to a Chili’s with Grandma and your Aunt Jenny while we were on vacation, and she was surprised how accommodating they were to her vegetarian lifestyle.
So we turned into the Chili’s parking lot. They were so accommodating to my vegan and your and Mommy’s vegetarian requirements, that they actually had a whole page for “dietary restrictions” on their kiosk on the table.
I’ll keep that in mind the next time we’re on a road trip…
Of course, I made a fun video about all this so you could see it all; along with my super catch jingle I made up, “Come along, in an Avalon…”
You and I also made a walk around video for the Avalon…
And of course I made a video for your 1st day of Pre-K, which also featured the car as well…
So it looks like even on a “lay low” week, we still managed to have a lot of fun!
A few weeks ago, Cast Iron Productions reached out to our family about the possibility of us being in a brand-new show on NBC, called The Family Project.
I have to admit, I feel honored that they chose us because A) they found our family simply because of my blog, which makes me very happy about my SEO, and B) because they said we seem like a really fun family based on what they saw on my blog, Family Friendly Daddy Blog.
After an email exchange, a phone interview, then a 2 hour Skype interview with our family, we were told we were good material for the show.
They liked specifically that we are a Christian, vegan/vegetarian family who doesn’t believe in spanking and who lives by an extremely enforced “Dave Ramsey” budget and who keeps our home spotlessly clean and who doesn’t own smart phones.
As far as what the show is about, here’s my best understanding:
It sounds like the concept of Wife Swap and The Real World combined. Instead of 2 polar opposite families swapping the wives in each family, it sounds like The Family Project will combine all the family members of both households in the same house.
They were clear with me that we would still have to work jobs, but it would be whatever my wife and I consider our “dream jobs”. As for me, that would mean full time blogging and making videos for my YouTube channel.
We had a lot of fun during the Skype interview, but I do have good reason to believe that ultimately, NBC will not be officially choosing us:
I was very clear with the casting agency that we have a complete Libertarian approach when it comes to our lifestyle:
In other words, we have no desire to enforce our beliefs on others. Therefore, I seriously doubt a camera crew would be able to get a rise out of me, which typically makes for “good reality TV.”
After all, conflict and chaos serves as the fuel of reality TV. From there, the audience watching is subconsciously prompted to pass judgment, thinking to themselves, “At least I’m not as crazy as that person!”
If one of the parents of the other family in the house tried to get me to debate with them on why we are vegans/vegetarians or Christians or why we won’t spank our child or why we live by a super strict budget, I simply wouldn’t argue back.
I am a man who is completely confident and secure in my beliefs. I have no desire to seek confirmation from anyone else.
While I’m always happy to explain any parts of our lifestyle, I back off the moment the other person thinks I am defending myself.
I have nothing to defend.
And I especially have no reason to argue with a non-Christian. Jesus didn’t argue with or try to fiercely convert those who were close-minded to His teaching.
Instead, He said time and time again, “Whoever has ears, let him hear.”
In other words, His teachings were meant for those who were listening; not those who tried to heckle him or prove him wrong.
I am a man who is completely confident and secure in my beliefs. I have no desire to seek confirmation from anyone else.
Where would the drama be in a reality show episode like that? Where is the conflict and chaos?
The only thing I can think of is to “try to get the Christians to crack” after being so irritated by the other family’s opposing “annoying” habits.
I’m not saying that’s impossible, but as Christians, our role isn’t to judge, but to serve others.
So I’m thinking, if their dirty dishes in the sink got in the way of our family making our own vegan meals, then we should probably help them out with their dishes.
Why would NBC pick us at this point? Yes, we’re a fun (and interesting) family; and yes, we have a different lifestyle compared to the American mainstream, I would assume.
But we have nothing to prove… or to defend… or to be offended by.
I have a feeling that just like with Steve Harvey and Katie Couric, when they approached me a couple of years ago about being on their shows, only to never call me back after they realized I wouldn’t argue with other guests on the show about my beliefs, that The Family Project will air without the Shell family.
Even still, I’m very curious to check the show out when it premieres in a few months!
Last week while our family was on vacation in California, your preschool Rainbow Child Care Center opened its new Pre-K classroom.
So this Tuesday was your first day of Pre-K. I put together this little 90 second video from that morning as I dropped you off.
As you can see from the video, we have a 2015 Toyota Avalon this week which I am reviewing, so I decided to include it in the video. After all, the fancy car ride there was a big part of your 1st day of Pre-K.
It makes sense it my head that you’re nearly 5 years old and are just a year away from staring Kindergarten. And I think you feel the same way. You seem proud to be big boy.
Speaking of your new Pre-K classroom, here’s the video you and I made together a few weeks about it:
When we came back from California this week and checked the mail, you had received your prize money from winning 2nd place in the Williamson County Fair Lego Competition.
Mommy took you to go spend your $20 earnings. You purchased a $15 toy: the Hot Wheels Snap Rides Truck and Trailer.
It’s something you’ve been talking about for weeks. You love getting to build your own vehicles.
This whole time I thought you would end up spending your prize money on more Legos, but it also makes sense that you’d buy cars you can build as well.
As we get settled back in from vacation this week, I’ll be working on several more videos and pictures from California.
Last Sunday morning, while on family vacation in Sacramento, I decided to get up “early” and go to the little old Presbyterian church there in my mother-in-law’s neighborhood.
For the 8 years I’ve been coming here each summer, I was always curious about that place. So I showed up in shorts, loafers, and a checkered button down shirt.
I appreciate how I can just arrive at a church filled with strangers, yet we all have an understanding of what we have in common; even though they’ve never seen me before.
Something I’ve gained a better understanding of over the years is that my current place in life typically illustrates the words of the Bible and the pastor’s sermon.
While he spoke about Jesus’s parable of the Prodigal Son, the main theme I took away was this:
We are all sinners in need of God’s grace. We are not good enough on our own.
This is actually a boldly countercultural statement. I’ve learned that most people who are not Christians will typically and quickly summarize why they don’t need to believe in Jesus as the Son of God:
“I’m a pretty good person. I’m not an ax murderer or anything.”
But Christianity teaches the opposite:
I am not a pretty good person. My pride and selfish thoughts alone are enough to keep me from being a “good person”, as they serve as evidence I was born with a sinful nature. Therefore, I need God’s salvation from myself, if nothing else; because my nature creates spiritual distance between God and myself.
But “the church of mainstream secular America”, by default, believes that if you’re a “pretty good person” then you don’t really need God.
So for a person to quickly and openly admit they’re not a “pretty good person,” it’s definitely countercultural.
The irony is that a stereotype of Christians is that they are “holier than though”; in other words, self-righteous and judgmental.
For the record, let me be clear. I am completely aware that I am not perfect. I am corrupted.
How can I judge anyone else when I am too distracted with the plank in my own eye?
I am not better than anyone; and if I ever think I am, then I am living in open rebellion against everything Jesus taught His followers.
Christianity is definitely offensive, though. If for no other reason, because it casts all of us in the same boat:
None of us are “pretty good people”. It’s only by setting aside our prideful thoughts of “I’m a pretty good person” that we can begin to learn what Jesus came to teach us.
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