"My dad is awesome!"

Sunday afternoon I had the boys to myself while Allie was leading our high school youth group.  What to do? I decided to take them to Karakung Drive in Havertown, which is closed off from traffic on Sundays, and we walked along next to the creek.  I knew there was a park with a playground just across the creek, so I kept my eye out for a bridge where we could cross.  After about a half-mile or so we got to the park, but alas, no bridge in sight.  What to do?  The boys really wanted to play, so I looked for some rocks in the creek that were close enough for me to step across without getting wet.  I had the boys hold onto the guardrail, descended the steep, rocky slope (about 10 feet) to the creek, and tested the crossing point I spotted.  I came back to the boys, picked D up and carried him down the slope and across the creek.  I went back for Z and did the same.  The whole process took about 5 minutes and then then the boys bolted off to play on the swings, jungle gym, and spinner.

While I was pushing the spinner for the boys, a girl hopped on with them.  D started up a conversation with her and asked her where her dad was.  She told him that he was over on the court playing basketball, which I think impressed D a little bit.  He responded, "My dad is awesome!  He carried me across the creek!"  Well, my love tank in that single moment filled up to overflowing.  I was ready to conquer the world!  I confess that I sometimes have doubts about how good a father I am.  Too often I run out of patience and lose my temper, too often I do not give my boys the time and attention they deserve.  But at least on this Sunday I got it right, and I am going to savor and treasure this moment as long as I can.

We continued playing at the park for a little bit, but it was past dinner time and I needed to get the boys some food.  The departure from the park did not go as swiftly as the arrival, and it was very apparent that Z in particular was out of gas.  I not only had to carry him across the creek, but most of the half-mile back to the car.  We ate some greasy burgers and fries at Elevation Burger in Wynnewood (Allie doesn't eat beef, so I take every opportunity to do so when we are not eating with her).  Though I know fast food is not a healthy choice for my children (and we don't do it very often), I have found they go to sleep much quicker after having some chicken nuggets or a burger, so it was a selfish decision all around for me. (Sidebar: Elevation Burger almost makes you feel like you're eating a healthy dinner and saving the planet: "100% USDA-certified organic, 100% grass-fed, 100% free-range, 100% ground-on-premises beef...fresh-cut fries cooked in 100% heart-healthy a olive oil."  So as far as fast food goes, I was doing my kids and the world a favor, right?)

I was sure that between the hike, the playground, and the grease that the boys would crash when we got home.  But to my surprise, they recovered their energy - which made for a lively bedtime routine.  But in the end they fell asleep much faster than normal.  I, on the other hand, have been on an emotional high since Sunday.  I will be treasuring my son's comment in my heart for years to come, and I hope to think back on this experience in the days when he is less than enamored with me.  It meant so much to me that I felt compelled to resurrect this blog after 5 years of neglect.  Will it be another 5 years before I blog again?  Maybe.  But I hope and pray that even in another 5 years D's words will have the same revitalizing power that they do today.

May Update

In my previous post did I say I would update the blog two times a week? I'm crazy. It will probably be closer to two times a month...

Anyway, until I post some pictures, here's an update on what's been going on in our lives lately:

We're pregnant! Hopefully you already know - if not please knock Clay upside the head for not telling you sooner. Baby Briz is due October 20; we will wait until then to find out if it is a boy or a girl. Clay thinks it will be a girl.

Friday, April 18, 2008
[Map removed April 30, 2013]
We closed on a house! On the map above, it's not the one on the corner but the one to the left of it. That was the biggest check I have ever written, and I hope I won't have to write another one like that for a long time to come. The house is in pretty good shape, but we are working on painting the walls and refinishing some of the floors that were carpeted. The pink bathroom will have to wait for now.

Saturday, April 19, 2008
We went to the funeral of Mae Jane Sun, the mother of one of the youth at our church, who passed away after a long fight with breast cancer. Allie and I sang "In Christ Alone" with the youth choir during the service. The whole day was one we will never forget, a testimony to a person who fought the fight, ran the race, and now is at peace with her Savior. This funeral was solemn, yet joyful because as the song says, in Christ we have "no fear in death." I was inspired to live every day for Jesus as though it were my last.

Saturday, April 26, 2008
Our dear friends Kristy Andrews and Carl Shenk got married today! We flew down to Atlanta late Thursday, visited Clay's grandmother on Friday and told her the news about Baby Briz. We had dinner with Clay's parents and the Forsyths. Clay visited with Kristy and Carl and members of the wedding party that night while Allie stayed home sick :(

Saturday Clay put the finishing touches on his preparations to marry Kristy and Carl. (Please note: the state of Georgia allows 1st cousins to marry, but you must be either ordained clergy or a justice of the peace to make a marriage official - go figure) Clay is not ordained so Kristy's brother-in-law who is had to make it official, but Clay officiated the wedding ceremony. More on that later...

The wedding itself was intimate, beautiful, fun, and muddy. It rained buckets all afternoon and finally cleared around 8pm, but it was a backyard wedding so everyone was cool with waiting - and it was worth the wait. With wise foresight Carl had rented a tent; however, even though it kept drops from the trees off us, the yard was consuming shoes left and right. Carl was dapper and Kristy was amazingly beautiful. Though it was his first wedding ceremony ever, Clay seemed to do a good job (or else the alcohol consumed during the rain delay improved people's perceptions). A dance floor was set up, but it quickly became slippery and met the rump of more than one dancer.

May 8-12, 2008
Allie's mom came to visit us, see the belly, and help us with the house. I am blessed to have such a wonderful mother-in-law.

Today
Pretty much all the rest of our time has been spent working on the house. However, yesterday we had to radically alter our plans for moving in. We have been planning to make the move on the 31st, but our landlord is selling the row-home we live in now and set up the closing date for the 30th. The buyer is unwilling to budge on the date - even to let us sub-let the place for 2 days - and our landlord is a member of our church who has been very kind to rent out her home to us on short notice and for cost, so we have to figure out how to have time to let the refinished floors dry and move 2 days early. It looks like we will be able to get some help to load a truck on that Thursday and we'll park it in our driveway until the floors dry and do the final move-in on Saturday.

Please pray that there are no more hiccups with the move and that we have the energy to get everything done in time.

Blessings,
Clay