Proud Moments as a Parent

We had a big event this weekend...one that makes you sit back as a parent and realize that your kids are growing up right before your very eyes. My oldes son Ryan, had his first communion this weekend. I can't believe this little guy is growing up so fast. There he was in front of the entire church dressed up in a suit and tie and beaming from ear to ear. He looked great and was just as happy as a clam. We had a fantastic day with a large number of our family who attended the service and then came back to the house for a bar-b-que. We could not have asked for a nicer day for things and it ended up being great. I was proud to see how grown up my son is becoming. Proud, but a bit sad realizing that Ryan is not going to be a little kid for long.

One for the memory books

After I got home from playing softball tonight I sat down on the couch to visit with Tara, and she told me a story that is one we will be writing down to remember. Connor was in the shower and Tara was helping Ryan on the computer when she heard Connor say "Mommy". She told Connor to wait a minute but he was being persistant. So finally she walked into the bathroom and saw him sitting on the floor of the shower with his legs crossed and his hands folded in a prayer position. He looked up and said "I want Poppy to come back to me." Poppy Ray passed away on January 14, 2008 and he is never far from our thoughts. But to hear the boys talk about him really melts your heart. Of course Connor was not done....he went on to say that he wanted Poppy to bring lots of toys and happy meals. The mind of a 4 year old...oh to go back to that time and experience those thoughts again.

5K Finish

Well I ran my first 5K since I was about the same age as Austin (the boy that i ran with). I have to say that it actually was fun. A family friend, Sean Ahearn, was running the Olathe Marathon and his 11 year-old son Austin wanted to run the 5K. They asked if I would be willing to run with him and I jumped right in. I really enjoyed it. We finished in 36 minutes. Not too bad considering Austin is only 11. It gave me a chance to get out and run "early" in the morning. And believe it or not it felt good. I actually gave up the chance to play in a softball tournament to run the 5K. Who knows....maybe more will be in my future someday.

My Inner Geek

My inner geek is ready to come out on Friday night, April 4. Why you might ask...well it is the start of the last season for BSG -- Battlestar Galactica for the uninitiated. In my opinion it is one of the absolute best shows on television today. I know, I know, I hear it all the time -- "You like that sci-fi crap?" Well in a nutshell, yes I do, but BSG is the show that truly breaks away from the sci-fi mold. This show can stand on its own up against the big boys. This show tackles real issues and real life scenarios -- genocide, suicide bombings, cloning, bio-weapons and other heavy issues. At the same time it peels back the layers on the characters, none of which are without their flaws. There is a real human element to the show. I am convinced that had Tara given it a chance in the beginning it would be one of her favorites as well....I just could not get her past the fact that it was on the Sci-Fi channel. For anyone interested I encourage you to catch up on the last three seasons by watching the following clip "What the Frak is going on".

Hello World

I am just now catching up on things, but I wanted to give a big hello and welcome to the world to my new niece...Ava Bliss Yokley. Ava was born on March 4. She weighed into the world at 6 pounds, 10 ounces, and measured 18 inches. She has black hair, 10 fingers, 10 toes, and is all healthy baby girl. And as you can see she is a beautiful baby. The proud parents are my sister, Christy and my brother-in-law Brian.