We're already starting to get snowed in, so I've been going a little crazy with the camera. Check out Clifford's first photo shoots in our gallery.

It's a boy! Clifford Rhodes Lofgren, 9 pounds 7.7 ounces, 23 inches, born 28 October 2008, 12:53 PM. All are healthy. More to follow. Thanks for your continuing prayers. -Eric and Charlotte

Edit: See first pictures in the gallery

My darling wife asked a year ago for shutters for the front of our house. Not being a big fan of fake-looking vinyl shutters, I priced wood shutters instead. Yikes! The link was to an "economy shutter." Custom wood shutters are more. The front of our house has five windows. So, I built some on the cheap. The rails and stiles are 2x4 studs ripped to size, and the panels are just 1x12 boards. Cost per shutter, around $8. I had to buy a few tools to make this happen, but I figure with all the money I "saved," I just about broke even.