The Day

Days are important. So important in fact, that God told us to count them. So much of what we do and celebrate in the world revolves around a day. And you know, we're possessive of them, at times waste them, hate some, love some, and then hold on to them for dear life. Life changing events have happened to me in this winter month of January....first...the birthDAYS...Ian, Reed, Karen, Dawn, Jacob, Steve, Cole, Emily, Ellis (or as we call her Mei-Mei), Caroline, and Ethan. Insane! Eleven family birthDAYS in one month! My parent's "Get Married DAY" was in January. Equally powerful to the births in this month are two (as Tod used to call it when he was wee little) Happy Heaven Days. The first came twelve years ago today. Emily, my niece, joined the angels in heaven while nestled inside mommy....and although this day was her physical arrival to us (and not the actual day she passed away) I will forever count this day as her Heaven day. The second came just four short years ago...and depending on when I finish this post...tomorrow (which is M-n-M's birthday! ). It still consumes me at times, and I imagine that will never change. To honor her, we spread mom's ashes in her favorite beach spot two years ago, and flew kites which mom had never done in her life. Today, Brad, Dawn, Alex, Dylan, Colin, Ethan, and Karen will return to her beach spot to fly kites again....it's now a tradition on her DAY.

We lift our kites to you...and know...
that even though the winds of time blew hard enough to take you from our arms, you can rest assured they have never, ever taken you from our hearts.

Practically perfect in every way.
I love you. I miss you.

Flying is the coolest thing in the world...next to shaving.

Like most guys, I shave every day before I go to work. Since our master sink is still out of commission, I shave in the boys’ bathroom. This means I have a steady flow of kids coming through to brush teeth or use the toilet while I shave, no problem…

A few weeks ago we were all getting ready for the day. I see Reed in the laundry room, facing the wall. I tell him to keep moving, we need to go soon. Next thing I know he’s laying on our bed kind of curled up, back to me. I tell him to get up and finish getting ready, dang it! Well, he stands up and I immediately notice a big wet spot in the front of his pants. Ummm, Reed? What happened here? He is not one to share an embarrassing moment easily, so I prod and push until I determine what happened. I had noticed him watching me shave that morning. He was standing at the toilet and intently watching me shave. As he explained the wet spot on his pants, it all came clear. He wandered into the bathroom, went to the toilet and took care of business. The only problem was that he was so enraptured by my shaving that he forgot to pull down his pants before he took care of business! Now that is focus, my friends.

Kim had a great idea and bought Reed a Cars shaving kit for Christmas. I am happy to report that Reed’s face is as smooth as a baby’s bottom and his pants are as dry as the desert!