It's About Being Together

Last night, our family spent the evning enjoying the beautiful Christmas lights at Temple Square, in Salt Lake City, Utah.  It was a nice night.  I am always amazed at the love I feel for Becky and our children.  They bring me so much joy and I often wonder what life would be like without them and I offer a prayer of thanks that I have them in my life.
One of the highlights for me was to watch the way that they interact with one another and the outward love and affection that our children show for each other.
I realize that there are many who don't enjoy this blessing that I am talking about but I hope that love with become more prevalent within the homes of everyone and that we will all come to understand that when all is said and done, the family is all that really matters!

Dads And Donuts

Today I had the opportunity to spend some time with both of our sons, Danny and Brady, at their school Pleasant Green Elementary for 'Dads and Donuts'.  This occasion is where dads take their kids over to the school thirty minutes before the beginning of school and the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) serves donuts and hands out water bottles.  The objective is to give some time where parents and children can enjoy a donut while they are reading.  
We got there a little later than we had hoped and the gymnasium was packed with people.  We got a donut and a water bottle and found some standing room and visited with each other.  It was a great way to spend time with our sons and to be in their regular environment at a time when I would normally be at work.
I do love our children and the enjoyment that I experience when I am with them.
It's a rich blessing to be a parent and to enjoy the relationships that I have with our children.  I love them so much!  They are important to me.

Are You There?

Our family spent some time in Orem, Utah, as my parents were in town from Sacramento, California and staying with my grandparents.  We decided to gather together at a nearby park and enjoy one another's company.
We stayed for quite awhile and as our boys and I set sail towards home, I watched as Danny began to quickly fall asleep in the back seat of our truck.  I watched him in the rear view mirror and thought about how blessed I am to be a father to four very nice children.  Several minutes passed by and I looked again in the mirror to see Danny's face.  He wasn't visible at all.  I quickly turned around to get a peak in the back seat.  He was sound asleep and sprawled across the entire back seat of our small Toyota pick-up truck.
Knowing that he was resting, my thoughts turned to my gratitude for these two nice sons.  They try so hard to do the right things.  They want to make correct choices in their lives.
We had a wonderful time being together.  We played several different games and got to run around a little bit, too.
I want to have our family around me.  They bring me a great deal of peace and comfort.  It is easy to keep good track of them, when they're young.  I don't want to look in 'life's back seat' and wonder if they are really there.  I want good choice making to be something I desire each and every day.  I hope that our children will carry that same desire.