My Dad, My Friend.

Christmas was great this year. As always it is fun to watch the kids open their gifts and get excited. What I have found as a father is that the excitement of the kids is far more enjoyable then opening a gift. When we grow up and become parents so much changes. When I have ah-ha parent moments I often think of my parents and in particular I think of my dad.

I was 23 years old when my father was killed in a wreck out in California, A defining moment in my life. I had never felt that kind of loss before and it was very difficult to deal with. The part that makes me the saddest is what I did not realize at the time I had lost. I lost my father and I saw him as such. What I did not realize was that I lost the opportunity to be his friend. To share my experience as a father with him. He was always my dad, the man who instructed me. We were just beginning a relationship that was not boy and man but man to man. I missed the opportunity to be his friend and companion. Yes a boy can have a friend and companion in his father but it is on a different level. When I was a boy we could not share common feelings. I had no concept of what it was like to be a dad and so there was a gap. Now I understand and wish with all my heart to go on a fishing trip and sit around a camp fire and talk with my best friend, but I can't.

I am not trying to make a sad post here just a realization what it means to have a friend in your dad. Now that I know what being a dad is all about I wish I could talk to him about being my dad. The stories he could probably tell me...! He was a great dad and I am grateful that I got him for 23 years, there are many who do not have a dad like him or as long as I had him. It makes me want to take care of myself so that I can be around with my boys as they become fathers.

How do you rate?

This is a test from the 1930's to see if you are a good Husband/Wife. Take it and see how you stack up. You might want to take it with your spouse, just to keep you honest. When I took it I got a 153. Maybe I should have Lisa take it with me.

153

As a 1930s husband, I am
Very Superior

Click here to take the test.

Next summer's high adventure.

Last year I went to the Uinta mountains and spent 3 days in heaven fishing and hiking. I intend to do it again next year and I wanted to invite anyone who wants, to come along. Mind you this is not a simple little hike. It is over a 2,000 foot gain in 8 miles. However there is so much up and down on the trail you are probably climbing closer to 3,000 feet total.

Without question you will need to be in shape. Once in the basin we will set up a base camp and then fish and hike for 2 days with little or no climbing or hard physical exersion. You can lay in a hamock all day if you would like.

We will be leaving early afternoon on June 24th and returning on the evening of June 27th. Those who come will split the cost of gas and depending on what everyone wants we will either all chip in on food or buy our own. The trip will be pretty laid back. So if you are seriouse about joining us then let me know. This is kind of an early notice but by the middle of January I always have my year planned out.

These pictures are from my trip last year. If you would like to read the details on my last trip click here.

Dad knows everything.

Yesterday Krislyn and Lisa had the following conversation.

Krislyn: Mom, who wrote jingle bells?

Lisa: I do not know. It has just been around for a long time.

Krislyn: But who wrote it?

Lisa: I do not know.

Krislyn: I will just ask dad, he's smart. I know because he told me he was.


So I get home and Lisa says, "Krislyn, ask dad your question." It took her a minute to remember it but she then said "Dad, who wrote jingle bells?" I immediately said "Santa Clause of course. About 200 years ago." See mom, dad does know everything. Does anyone else think I am setting myself up?

For the real story on jingle bells, which is actually kind of interesting click here.

Sugar Cookies

Yesterday we made some sugar cookies and took them around to different families that we know. I have to say Lisa did a great job on them. I would have to say they are probably the best sugar cookies she has ever made. Soft, moist, sweet and the frosting was to die for. Troy almost ate himself sick on the frosting. If you cookie makers want to get a really really good recipe give Lisa a call. For those of you married to a cookie maker find a way to convince your spouse to make Lisa's recipe. (It might just be worth the wrath of suggesting they call for someone elses recipe.)

Obama Crossing the isle.

Saw this picture and had to post it. It was a screen saver on a customers PC. I went out and googled it and had to laugh.

Just like her mother

Everyone knows that Lisa is a great homemaker. I brag about her all the time. The house is always clean, dinner is on the table at 5:30 every night, as well as the dusting and vacuuming. I never have to do house work because it is always done when I get home. I'm not saying she is perfect, just pretty darn close. Well last Sunday we realized that Krislyn is her mother's daughter.

A friend of ours, Janet Leth, was a substitute in her primary class. They were all together in opening exercises and they had one of the children come up to the front of the class and hold up a picture of Jesus. They were unable to find it in the church library so they just pulled it off the wall in the primary room. Janet said that as the little boy was up there holding the picture Krislyn turned to her and said, "Do you think they ever dust that thing?" With out question she is her mothers daughter.

Guns

There are all kinds of guns. I have several. I have my right gun and my left gun as well as my shotgun. This is an area that most people seem to have strong opinions on both for and against. I find it interesting. The guns them selves are harmless just lying on the table so the guns themselves are not the issue. It is the people who are the issue. I have heard the arguments over and over but I think, as with all issues that we see debated, it boils down to personal responsibility. All of my boys have pocket knives by the time they are 8 years old and in cub scouts, some sooner but at least by the time they are 8. I teach them to use them so when they do have them they do not hurt themselves. The question is not whether they will or will not handle a pocket knife when I am not around. The question is what are they going to do with one when I am not there. If they know nothing about them then they will have a much higher chance of getting hurt with them. The same holds true with a gun. By the time my boys are 8 years old they usually have a bb-gun. I believe it is like sex and


drugs. It will be offered to them sooner or later and there is nothing I can do to stop it, all I can do is teach them what to do with it when they are presented with it. If my child is in someones house and another child pulls out a gun to play around with, they will know what to do. So I think every boy and girl should be taught what guns are, how they are used, and the dangers and enjoyments of shooting them.

As far as adults go I think it is the same. I think every American has an obligation to own a gun. If every burgalar knew that he or she was going to possibly face a shotgun when breaking into a house you would see less people breaking into houses. If ther was a reported statistic that 75% of women in the US had a consealed wheapons permit and carried a pistol in their purse, I think you would see less rape. I think the answer to gun problems in the US is more responsible gun ownership, not more gun regulation.

I hate Christmas lights!

I do not mind looking at them as they are nice to look at but putting up Christmas lights, for me, on the same level as changing 2o leaky, poopy diapers all at the same time.

I pulled out the lights and tested them. I have learned to test so I do not get a bunch of lights up only to find that half of a string does not work. So I plugged them in and the icicle lights that I hang on the eves were not to bad. There was one burned out bulb that I was able to find and replace. I put those up and was doing ok. Next I turned to the colored lights. This is where it all went wrong. I have about 10 strands of lights and not one of them worked completley. Some did not work at all but most of them only had about half of the strand working. I spent almost 2 hours replacing bulbs and testing fuses and in the end, I still did not have a working string. I kept one short string for spare bulbs and threw the rest in the trash.

At this point I thought I was done with the frustration. Not so. I set up the tree that already has lights on it and lo and behold half a strand did not work. I pulled each bulb out that was not working and replaced it with one I knew was working, nothing worked. At this point I nearly threw the stupid tree out the front door but Krislyn was so excited about the whole thing I decided against it. I finaly found a short strand that worked and threaded them onto the part of the tree that was not working. In the end the lights went up and the muttering ended after a few hours.

Hence, I hate Christmas lights!