Love At Home

Our girls arrived home from Girl's camp and it was so nice to be at home as an entire family. When we sat around the table for dinner, my heart was overjoyed as I looked at each member of our family and wondered how the time has flown by and everyone has gotten so big. What a rich blessing it is to be a family. Neither Becky and I like that life is cruising by so quickly. It is neat to watch the various things unfold in the lives of each person in our family. It seems important to say that we all need to enjoy things in 'the moment'. You blink and everyone is grown and the memories are what you have to remember. The positive side is that there are always more memories to make. I am thankful to be a husband and a father. Those two titles bring me the greatest joy.

In His Image

I had a conversation with our son Brady.  We talked about how differently our bodies are built--the shape, size.  We talked at length about the way our Heavenly Father intended for us to be.  I told Brady how important it is to realize and better understand the uniqueness of every single person.  He meant for us to be the way we are. 
That leads me to my thought for the day.  If the idea is important enough to the One who created us then how much should it mean to us that we are okay with who and how we are.
We are created in His image.  We all have divine characteristics that come from a divine Maker.
There are things that each of us are dissatisfied with about our bodies but we ought to try hard to be happy and content with who we are!
Brady and I had a meaningful conversation and I hope that he remembers it his whole life.  I hope I will do better and remembering exactly who I am and the blessings that are so freely given to me.

I Hadn't Thought Of That

Today, I went to the admissions office at the University of Utah. I was stunned at how young some of the kids look that are currently enrolled. My mind raced at the reality that a year from now our oldest will be walking on campus at a university and some forty year old dude will go home and tell his wife how young the kids were walking around campus.
It brought a refreshing youthfulness to my heart. I feel proud that these kids are moving on to the next level of education so as to prepare and build a solid foundation for their future.
I am grateful for knowledge. It is exciting to learn new things and to be taught by those who have educated themselves and are then willing to teach those of us that could use a little bit.
Life is a great big school. Learning enriches the mind and is invigorating to the soul.

Heads Or Tails?

The other night, our oldest boy Brady was tossing a coin in the air. As he flipped it he watched it closely as it spun end over end. He would then catch it in his hand and ask me to guess whether it was heads or tails.
The odds of many things in our lives are just like that, heads or tails.  The choice is ours to make and its either going to be a good choice or a less than good choice.  The reason I say it like that is the difference between many choices in our lives doesn't always come down to good or bad--black or white.  There are oftentimes choices that are better than a particular one but both are good, nonetheless.  Common sense is the key in all of this.  I believe that many times we are on the right track but we get caught up in being so 'letter of the law' that we miss good opportunities to make correct and sound choices.
Sometimes its not as cut and dry as heads and tails but Brady tossing the coin allowed me to look closer, and from a different perspective.

One For The Money

When our kids were younger and much smaller, Becky and I would each grab an arm and a leg and we would recite while swinging the kid up and down: "One for the money. Two for the show. Three to get ready and four to go." We would then hoist them high into the air and catch them before their feet could hit the ground. We would watch as they laughed and giggled with pleasure. My parents did that to me and I'm sure it happened with them too.
I watched this exact thing happen with two young parents and a young child. My brain was flooded with those fond memories of a day long since passed. I could see the big smiles on our kid's faces. They really got a kick out of that. We enjoyed watching them.
Each day presents an opportunity to make good memories that will last a lifetime.
"One for the money. Two for the show. Three to get ready and four to go." Such a small memory brings back many others just like it. I love my life and I love the opportunities that lie ahead.

On A Night Like Tonight

We gathered as a family to conduct our Monday night Family Home Evening. This night was different from most. We gathered in our bedroom so that Becky could remain seated with her knee elevated. The four kids were all situated on our bed and I sat on the floor next to the chair that Becky was seated in. We talked about standing up for who you are and for what you believe. Becky taught about the reference to President Thomas S. Monson's 'Mormon Message" on standing alone.
We went around the room and each shared personal experiences when we had to have courage to stand for truth and right even when it wasn't the most popular thing to do. It was mentioned that sometimes you do it good and sometimes you fall short. It was apparent that each one of us needs to be strong and then prepared to stand for the right.
We sang together and we prayed together. On this night, our family was buoyed up and taught by the Holy Ghost the truths that change us, for the good, forever.
My heart was stirred (and my emotions, too) by the wonderful examples that our children are to me. I love them all so much and I want them to know that what they do is exactly what is expected. This was a night to remember.

Feeling Good

I love good stories.  May I share one with you. 

"Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur rules at life, basically.

We've written about the fun he's had with fans in Oakland and Kansas City, but this is an even more personal and touching story.

Houston's Tammy Blanchard Robertson posted this note (along with the photo above) on the Royals' Facebook page on Wednesday, and, well, I'll let her tell the story.

Dear Jeff Francoeur,
Just last night my husband, daughter and 7 year old son attended the Royals vs Astros game here in Houston. My husband was born and raised in KC and our family lived there for 5 years before we were transferred to Houston.
Last year my son was diagnosed with Autism. Going to large stadiums that are really loud are out of my sons comfort zone, we told him we were going to see the KC Royals and he was instantly excited.
We made sure to get to the game early so that we could find our seats before the stadium filled up. We were lucky enough to get to the stadium while the Royals were having their batting practice.
My husband told our son that he should call you over and that you may autograph his cap for him. As my son yelled with hope in his voice, you came jogging over to us. My son was so excited when he saw you coming over that he fell while trying to climb over the seats to the front row. It is rare that we see our son get excited over anything to do with sports as Autistic children tend to be more interested in books, and computers rather than sports.
Our son stared up at you with tears in his eyes, you took the time to coddle him, ask his name and make him feel special.
We just wanted to say thank you for not only taking the time to come over to see our son, but for signing his hat, and posing for a picture with him. It is truly a day that our son will never forget. You are a true role model, this was a day our family will always remember."

There are people all about who are doing the best that they can.  While reading in the various newspapers around the country, I come across articles that lift my spirits and remind me that the future is bright!  There are a lot of great things going on.