04 Feb
I’d 
like to take a moment to thank everyone that supported my Polar Plunge. Through your donations, I was able to raise $1307.00 for Kansas Special Olympics. The team that I was on “The Cubmasters” raised a total of $3497, ranking us as the 4th highest fundraising team in KS, and we even won a prize for best team costume!Now for a little plunge recap:
The weather turned out great on Saturday (although we’ll swear up and down that we were hoping for single digits), but the water was still a cool 33 degrees, with a 7-10″ cap of ice that the firefighters had to chainsaw through prior to the plunge.
The picture above was snapped by a reporter a fraction of a second before the moment of impact, a second later we were all completely submerged and enjoying a nice little shock to the system. Everyone survived, and had a great time, and we are all looking forward to plunging again next year!
23 Dec
Sorry updates have been few and far between! Some times life just gets busy. A quick family update: Braeden is now in the Upwards Basketball program (his 2nd year) and Garrett has just started wrestling. Ryder is crawling on his hands and knees (instead of just army crawling) and has more personality every day!
Braeden starts having basketball games in January, and Garretts first wrestling tournament is January 3rd. I’ll try to post the info/results after its all happened.
Have a Merry Christmas!
10 Nov
The United States Marine Corps, 233 years of romping, stomping, hell, death, destruction. The finest fighting machine the world has ever seen.
I was born in a bomb crater. My mother was an M-16 and my Father is the Devil. Each moment that I live is an additional threat upon your life.
I am a rough looking, roving soldier from the sea. I am cocky, self centered, and overbearing. I do not know the meaning of fear for I am fear itself. I am a green amphibious monster made of blood and guts that arose from the ashes of my enemies, festering on anti-Americans throughout the globe. When ever it may arise and when my time comes, I will die a glorious death on the battlefield, giving this life for Mom, apple pie, and the American Flag.
THE EAGLE, GLOBE AND ANCHOR
I stole the Eagle from the Air Force, the Anchor from the Navy, and the rope from the Army.
Then on the 7th day, while God rested, I overran His perimeter and took over the Globe and I have been protecting it ever since!
07 Nov
On Wednesday morning, after Obamas Victory, MSN ran an article titled “Asian Stockmarkets rise on news of Obamas Victory”. Later that day, when the DOW lost almost 400 pts the article was titled “Markets plunge on news of Job loss”.
Interesting…when markets rise, it’s because of Obama. When markets fall…there’s got to be another explanation.
06 Nov
The USA would be playing all-time quarterback in a game of no-pads tackle football. The European Union would be on the sidelines waiting for either team to get into field goal position. South America would be in the trenches doing the dirty work, and Canada would be in the bleachers wearing Go USA hats and go everyone else jerseys.
14 Sep
If you haven’t seen the lecture or read the book, do both. Inspiring, amazing, and it may just change your life. Visit www.thelastlecture.com for more info.
14 Sep
For Braedens birthday dad let him invite over way too many of his friends (I think it was 13 kids) for a sleepover/campout. We rented a bouncehouse (moonwalk) and set it up in the backyard, when night fell we lit a fire in the backyard, roasted marshmallows, and told not too scary stories. Afterwards all the boys crashed in the basement (at about 3am, thank goodness our 8am soccer game rained out!). Here’s some photos
14 Sep
Things are really busy in the Burgard house lately.
Soccer: Braeden and Garrett are both playing soccer now. Dad coaches both their teams. Its so awesome to watch them play and develop. Braeden is very much a finesse player and has gotten really comfortable with his dribbling skills and often uses them in the games with success. Garrett on the other hand plays with the finesse of steam roller…a really fast steam roller. With their differing styles, they are still both among the best players on their team and Dad just loves to watch them play. Heres some photos from practice and one of Garretts games.
Cubscouts: Braeden is now in the Bear den in Cubscouts and Garrett has joined the Tiger Den. Dad is Braedens den leader as well as the Cubmaster for the pack. Our dens tend to meet about 2 times a month, and the pack meets once a month.
Yearbook: As if things weren’t super busy enough, Momma (as Garrett calls her) is the Yearbook editor for the boys elementary school. Momma works super hard on the yearbook and she and Ryder spend lots of time up at the school nowadays taking pictures for the yearbook.
30 Jul
Instead of driving or flying…we took the Train! 
Our friends Phil and Morgan went with us. When we got there we walked from the Train Station to our hotels…it was hot outside and about a 3/4 mile walk…but we’re tough…and well hydrated (Dad calls this character building). We then went to the St Louis Science Center and the St Louis Zoo (Phil had those pictures, Dad forgot his camera!).
The next day we saw the Gateway Arch! 
We rode the TINY 
ELEVATOR to the top
What a view we had! 
HEY!!! That looks familiar! 
Then we went to a Cardinals game!
And we even ran the bases! 
28 Jul
It’s the early morning of October 30th, the love of my life recovers at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, while the smallest baby I’ve every seen, my own son, is clinging to life at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Lying on the living room floor with a phone in my hand that I have long since hung up, I try desperately to concoct hope from grief. I trudge into our bedroom, close all the blinds and fall alone into our bed. In my lifetime, I’ve said “Amen” more times than I can remember, but I haven’t asked God for a favor since I joined the Marines. I clasp my hands and I beg God to keep my boy alive while I sleep, I don’t think I remembered to say “Amen”. In a cocoon of despair, sleep finally overtakes me, by midmorning I must emerge with the strength to face day two.
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