Silly Boys

My boys have very wild imaginations. They love to dress up in costumes. I have a big bucket full of old Halloween costumes that they enjoy getting into to make believe they are a super hero or a jedi knight or a fireman or cowboy. Or they just like to stick underwear on their head, socks on their hands, and turn anything into a gun.

This cracked me up after I pulled the underwear off of his head. Brigham had made him an eye patch.

They also love Transformers. These are very cool helmets. Optimus Prime can change his voice. Bumblebee has several songs that he can play.

Isaac wanted a picture with his fish after I was done cleaning the tank. He does love his fish. We have had this beta fish for over a year now. Shocker I know. And this is the type of family pet that even I can love.

Brigham loves to take my phone and make little videos of himself. Usually it involves something he has created with his Legos. He gets that from watching videos on YouTube of Lego Batman or Lego Star Wars. But lately he has really been into Diary of a Wimpy Kid. He wanted to rent the movie for his birthday. He has been reading one of the books. So he thought that he should write a diary. He cracks me up with the videos that he makes. They definitely don't get their wild imagination from me. But I am glad that they do have one. They make me laugh every day, sometimes in spite of myself.

Happy 7th Birthday Brigham



Brigham had his good friends Logan and Brooklyn come over to spend the night. We had pizza and root beer floats. We watched "Diary of a Wimpy Kid". They stayed up late. They got up early. We played Wii and hide and go seek. The kids had a lot of fun and did really good. Even dad survived.



Logan and Brooklyn gave Brigham a Nerf dart gun. Brigham has enjoyed shooting dad repeatedly. I was having a hard time getting up this morning. Nothing says "Get out of bed and feed me dad" like getting shot in the butt.

He got birthday money from Grandma and Grandpa, and Great Grandpa.

We of course had to go to Target. He picked out a Lego Harry Potter set.

It was then off to visit Chucky.

We always have to go to the Chuck E Cheese in Canton because it has the Star Wars game. Brigham will play this game for a very long time each visit. I have to tell him to let others have a turn.

They liked shooting baskets. They did a very good job.

Had to ride the the carousel.

Passing on my love of air hockey. I totally could have beat both of them. But this was their game.

They love riding in the monster truck.

They won lots of tickets.

Which they exchanged for useless prizes and candy which they didn't need.

It was then off to the splash park. Brigham loves the water. Isaac hates it. I have to drag him through the sprinklers.

This is Brigham's favorite thing here. He loves getting the bucket dumped on him. Well so do I. Or jumping up and tipping it over on him and whoever else happens to be standing there unsuspectedly.

Tired. Dried off. Ready to go home.

I made a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. Then I had different color icing tubes for them to decorate the cake.

I forgot the candles. So we used twizzlers as birthday candles. Isaac wanted me to light them.

This kid is a little bit obsessed with Star Wars. And Legos. So naturally he loves Lego Star Wars.

His new toy craze is Beyblades. He needed the stadium so that they could battle.

Brothers battling it out in the Beyblade arena.

We had a wonderful, full, tiring birthday weekend. I love you Brigham. You changed my life 7 years ago. I am so happy and blessed to be your father. Isaac is lucky to have you as a big brother. I am so proud of the young man you are becoming.

A Starry Night

They say everything is bigger in Texas. The other night I had the distinct feeling that saying is quite true. The night sky certainly felt that way to me. After dinner with some friends I went with a friend to look at the stars. We drove to a park with a big field. We ventured far from the lights and people. We laid on a blanket and held hands. And we enjoyed the sky fill with stars. Some stars shined big and brightly. Some were just barely noticeable.



Despite the fact that it was over 100 degrees (at 10:30 at night no less) and humid it was the perfect setting. It was a wonderful night. The night was calm and peaceful. And so was my heart.

At first as I looked into the vastness of the Heavens I thought of how I am such a small, insignificant peon in this universe. I could hear myself think, "What am I amongst all of this?"

But in an instant my thoughts changed. I knew. I knew that I am not small. I am not insignificant. I am not a peon. I am a son of my Heavenly Father. I knew that the Most High God who can see all saw me in that instant. I knew that I mattered to Him. And I knew that He was pleased with me, with my choice, with my actions, with my desires. I knew He cares for me. Tiny little me mattered to Him.

I also had the distinct impression that my grandparents and my grandma were looking down on me hoping that all will work out. They want me to be happy. They want me to have what they had. What they had lived for during their mortality. And what they do now enjoy and will yet enjoy in the eternities.

Being there made me think of this painting by Vincent Van Gogh.



It is a night I will not forget. For me it was a sacred moment. Thank you God for a starry night.