He is deeply empathetic and genuinely cares about people
He’s a super involved father
He understands science and math and the world on a conceptual level
He isn’t afraid to speak up for someone who needs it
He accepts everyone exactly as they are
He is married to his highschool sweetheart
He always says sweet things about her when she isn’t around
He is adventerous
There isn’t a food he won’t try
While visiting somewhere new, he refuses to eat at any restaurant he could go to at home
He’s an excellent cook
He reads to his daughters
He loves his grandparents and communicates with them regularly
He’s calm under pressure
He never went through a “my parents embarrass me” phase
On a group outing at the age of 10, he saved his sack lunch to give to the homeless man we’d passed on the way there
He’s always been my video game buddy
He is super creative
His skills as a D&D DM rival those of any fiction novelist
He is musical
He has a freaky good ear for sounds and tones and can hear things nobody else can hear
For example, if he hears loose change drop on the ground, he can tell you exactly how much it is
He can fix things
His sense of humor cracks me up
He is kind
He has the ability to look beyond the surface level of any given situation
He has a broad perspective of life in general
He loves his family with everything in him
He memorizes random and ridiculous things
He is the best kid ever (except for Jesus)
Kindness
Sense of humor
Willingness to laugh at themselves and at me
Food sharing
A little bit of craziness
Acceptance of everyone, no matter who they are
Enjoyment of games of one type or another
Down-to-earth realness
Loyalty
(At age 2) “Put down that crowbar”
“You’re the best kid ever. Except for Jesus.”
“Don’t be on fire.”
“Go chainsaw nine more people and see what happens.”
“Call your dad and tell him he has to come home because I’m stuck to the carpet with a fishing hook.”
“No, it’s not an umbrella. But it is a raincoat.”
“Good thing you’ll be filming it when you light your friend on fire. That way they can use it as evidence at the trial.”
Famous People Whose Name Starts With X, Y, or Z (2012)
Flowers With Difficult Names to Spell (2013)
Acronyms I Will Be Teaching in the Lifeguard Course That Begins Tonight (2012)
Animals That Start with the Letter I (2013)
19 Reasons to Celebrate My Son’s 19th Birthday Today (2012)
Favorite Orange Flavored Things (2012)
Best TV Shows of the 90s (2012)
Presidents With the Letter Y in Their Names, More or Less (2012)
Twenty One Reasons to Smile Today (2015)
Favorite Types of Village Inn Pie, in Order of Preference (2012)
A Picture List for My Son’s 24th Birthday
His sense of humor is unmatched.
He’s smart and conceptual and thinks deeply.
He never gets embarrassed. About anything.
He taught himself to play guitar.
A headbanger from the start, he now headbangs in his own heavy metal band.
He’s hilarious.
He is deeply compassionate and empathetic.
He desires to make the world a better place.
He works ridiculously hard.
He desires experiences more than things.
He sets goals and works to achieve them.
He’s been “adulting” since the age of 19, paying his own rent and bills and way.
He married his high school sweet heart and loves her with his entire being.
He has a global outlook and cares about the world outside of his own.
He laughs with his whole body.
He carries things for me, (which is to say that he helps me any time I need it.)
He programs electronics for his grandparents.
He still loves old school video games.
He has an inborn gift for music.
He hugs his mama and tells me he loves me.
He is never afraid to show affection to people he cares about.
He has been through some things that would cripple lesser men, but the fires have forged him into a resilient and capable man.
He is the best thing I have ever had a part in creating.
2-7 – Went to Cancun, Mexico
Moon Palace Resort, Cancun
Thursday night Matthew West concert at the Iowa State Fair
Friday spent with my son & soon-to-be daughter in law
Delicious Thai food for lunch
Bonfire with excellent friends
Lunch with the group
Lagomarcino’s caramels (2 of which are still in my freezer to enjoy)
Pool/Sun time
Good church service
Sunday afternoon nap
A visit from Kara
First full weekend off since July 4th. Got to see “my kids”
Tug Fest Fireworks with Dawetselbees
Tug Fest carnival — Caleb won us all prizes
Tug Fest competition — Iowa (my team) won!
Got to see RaRa and RonRon
RaRa looks sooo super cute with her little baby bump!
Lunch and deep conversation with KatieB
Saturday service at my QCA church
A free Sunday to look forward to
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