Boys Night

For the past little while we, the boys and I, have started a tradition of having "boys night" whenever Connie leaves for the night. Last night Connie was able to go to women's conference. The boys have been getting money for their birthdays and finally saved up enough to buy some Beyblades (Little toys that have a rip-pull hand held spinning fighting guys).

After we drove 30 minuets to Wal-mart, and getting over the rush of OWNING their own Beyblades, I went and found a dirt road and let them all drive. Tobyn and Tanner drove from my lap and keep asking to go faster. TC, Titus and Tate all drove by themselves. Tate went first and did awesome, TC went next and tried to run us in to some 8" log post that were blocking a closed road, Titus just wanted to drive it like a four-wheeler. We all had a blast, and they made me promise to take them again soon.

I can't believe how fast they are all growing up. TC is passing the sacrament, and had to lead the hymn his first time going to priesthood. He was a little nervous and was waving his had around about 50 mph. He did a good job. Titus wanted to run for student council but we missed the date to enter. He is looking forward to going to 5th grade camp with all his buddies. Tate is having fun exploring the back yard with his friends, and has found all sorts of cool things. Tobyn loves school. He comes home exhausted and loves to ride the bus with his brothers. Tanner gets bored durning the day being the only one home. He is growing up and starting to act, and talk, like a big boy (Connie is a little sad about that).

I love spending time with the boys. I love watching them grow and learn. I love helping them with problems in life and at school. I love working on scouts with them and seeing them having fun with it. I love hearing the stories they tell me about school, or the adventures they have in the field behind our house. All-in-all, I love being a dad and wouldn't change it one bit!

My Dad

The earliest memory of my dad is riding around on his motorcycle, going to some guys house that lived up the street, and sitting there while they talked. The reason I remember this guy specifically, is that he was missing fingers so all he had were stubs. I though it was the coolest thing I had ever seen.

My dad is not a go-out-of-the-way social person, but he will meet random people and just talk for hours. It used to drive me crazy when I was young. I can't remember the first time that my dad got mad at me, but him being mad will always be burned in my minds eye. He bites his tung, and whips his belt off so fast its a blur.

My dad is turning into a big softy the older he gets. As a kid I could count on one hand the times that I saw my dad cry. Now that all the kids are getting older I can count on two hands and two feet all the times I've seen him cry.

My dad worked a lot when I was young. He worked long and hard to make sure that we had food to eat and a roof over our heads. Because of this we didn't really get a chance to bond. We didn't go out and play catch, or go hunting, or camping, or watch sports and have our team that we cheered for.

On rare chances that we (the family/kids) did spend time together, my dad taught me how to drive when I was around 10-12 years old on the back country roads of Flowell. He taught me how to drive stick. He saved enough money to buy us a used four-wheeler and we used and abused the heck out of it and every time we broke it he didn't get mad, he just fixed it.

My dad was the "coolest dad ever" when I was a teenager, according to my friends ( I thought so too). He would let us borrow his truck and trailer to go camping. He could build anything in the shop. He reinforced our beater-car with a roll-cage so we'd be "safer." He didn't care if we swore around him (not the real bad stuff ). He tell us funny jokes and beat the crap out of my friends (mostly Brandon and Kyle).

He taught me how to work hard and take responsibility. He gave me permission to get in a fight to stand up for myself or to protect the weak. When I got expelled for for my first fight in 8th grade, the first thing he asked was: "Were you sticking up for someone?" The next Question was: "Did you win?" When I was 10, my dad was the leader of my scout troop. One of the boys was being picked on and my dad gave me the charge of protecting that boy and being his friend. I worked hard all the way through YM to help him when I could and be his friend.

I didn't really gain a "father/son" relationship with my dad till I started driving truck for him. Being around him all the time, getting to know him, to learn about him was the best thing that ever happened to us. I learned from him the type of man I wanted to be. How to work hard, how to be honest, how to take care of my family, how to build stuff with my hands, how to think and solve problems, how to do things for myself. I love my dad, and I'm thankful that he loved me the best he knew how. Because of him, I am the man I am today.

I love you dad!

My girl, My girl...

My girl is the girl that asked me to dance with her friend the first time we ever saw each other.

My girl is the one that called to try and hook me up with said friend.

My girl cried the first time we kissed.

My girl became more that just a girlfriend.

My girl lost her dad in the middle of the night, had to leave her home and was forced to grow up faster than any girl should have too.

My girl gave birth to my first son at home with no drugs.

My girl and I almost didn’t make it.

My girl gave birth to my second son, in the hall with no drugs.

My girl decided to go back to school in cosmetology.

My girl and I start to fall in love.

My girl gave birth to my third son, had many sleepy nights with the whiniest baby in the world, while going to school and raising two others.

My girl was taken to Las Vegas where she was turned into a single mom while her husband worked 18 hours a day.

My girl and I decided that Vegas life was not for our family.

My girl decided it was time for her husband to go back to school and do something more than drive trucks.

My girl had to get a job to make ends meet while her husband was off at school.

My girl and I decided that working wasn’t working out for our boys.

My girl, from that time forth took on her the permanent role of stay-at-home-mom (aka Super Woman).

My girl and I are falling more deeply in love.

My girl and I struggle to make ends meet and find out that we are expecting.

My girl gives birth to my fourth and what I thought was the last one.

My girl helps me get through school papers, projects and flight rating after expensive flight rating without complaining (Much ;-D).

My girl is once again taken from her family and home and dragged to Montana to become a single mom, while I do that pesky flight stuff.

My girl goes to Disneyland and doesn’t get to see any princes girly stuff.

My girl gave birth to my fifth and final son on the way to the hospital in the middle of winter on the side of the road with no drugs.

My girl sees all her hard work pay off when her husband graduates.

My girl is happy being a mother, helping with homework, taking boys to practice, piano lessons and everything else motherhood entails.

My girl stands by her husband while he finds a job, moves her once again from her family and friends to a place where she has to be a single mother, I know, again.

My girl is trying to raise my boys the best she can, and is doing an awesome job.

My girl hates bugs and pretty much any creepy crawly things there is.

My girl has braved storms and not just the kind educed by the weather.

My girl takes care of my boys physically and spiritually.

My girl is a beautiful strong willed woman that keeps me on the straight and narrow.

My girl is the love of my life.

Love you babe!

My Mom

The earliest memory I have of my mom is when we lived in Flowell, UT and I was probably 3, we had this record that had a bunch of kids songs on it. She would put it on for me and we would sit in the front room and sing and dance along with it. The first time I remember getting in trouble, we still lived in Flowell, I got some scissors and gave Nic a haircut and boy she was not happy!

The coolest thing I can remember that she did, I was probably closer to 5 and it was wintertime, my uncles from her side came down and she took them and my cousins that lived there out and pulled them behind the car on tubes. I was so happy when she said I could ride with one of uncles, coolest thing ever!

My mom taught me how to never give up. When I was 8, I started playing flag football. I played that flag till 8^th grade and that’s when I decided that I wanted to play with the big boys and play tackle. I came home from the first practice beat broken and crying. I told my mom that I was going to quit it was too hard. After a long fight she won and I was stuck play football. That was the best fight I ever lost.

I so thankful she didn’t let me quit; I went on to become, in my humble opinion, a pretty decent player. That lesson was one of the best I learned and it has come in handy many times over the last 12 years or so.

When I turned 13 I turned into a brat. Mom and I started fighting all the time. It was pretty bad all the fighting we did. We eventually started to get along and formed a very good relationship. The hardest thing that I remember having to do was telling my mom that Connie was pregnant.

It broke her heart. My dad was out of town working at the time and I dropped that bomb on her. I just held my mom and we both cried. I broke my moms heart that day and it was one of the worst experiences of my life.

One of the best things my mom ever did for me was that she never gave up on me. She tried her best to teach me the gospel and shared her testimony with me as often as I would listen. She dragged me kicking and screaming to church, tried to raise her wayward son as best she could.

Needless to say she did a good job. After Connie and I were married we started going back to church and made the goal to be sealed in the temple. That decision was based on what my mother got to sink into my thick teenage skull.

Thank you mom for all that you’ve done for me. Thank you for being there for me in my times of need. Thank you for not giving up on your pain in the neck teenager. Thank you for your testimony and trying your best to raise me in the gospel. Thank you for the lessons learned. Thank you for life. Thank you for being a great grandma to my boys and a wonderful mother-in-law to Connie. I love you so much!

MIL

This post is for Carol Biesinger, my mother-in-law. She is one of the most important women in my life. She has helped our family so much over the years and I’m so thankful for her. Carol and I didn’t really see eye-to-eye when Connie and I got married. I don’t blame her either, I blame myself.

Carol came into my life when I started dating her daughter at the ripe old age of 15. The first time I meet Carol was in the summer of 96. Connie and I had just met and hadn’t started dating. Connie and her friend invited myself and another buddy over. We got the address and were supposed to meet them somewhere on the way to her house. Long story short, they never found us so I ended up knocking on the door to her house. Carol answered, and I asked for Joe. She saw right through my lie. I could tell by the look she gave me (your-looking-for-my-daughter, kind of look).

Needless to say, as we were heading home we found the girls and no later than five minutes of hanging out, Carol showed up, she was out driving around looking for Connie J. Shortly after Connie and I started dating. While Carol and her husband Don didn’t approve, they reluctantly let me come around (that way they could keep an eye on us).

About a year and a half passed and Carol and Connie lost their husband and father. A month later we dropped the bomb that Connie was pregnant. Here I am this stupid immature teenage boy coming into her life and ripping her daughter away in this dark period of her life. There were a lot of misunderstandings and growing pains that both of us had to go through (mostly me).

12 years later here we are. Carol has been a second mother to me. She is a great example to me. Has taught me how to have great faith and how to make it through tuff times in life. She has a great relationship with the boys and is always looking for ways to help us out. Carol supported my career choice. You helped out a ton during the 5 years of school, watching the boys, helping to critic papers and doing whatever needed to be done.

Carol you have helped me grow into the man that I have become. I’m thankful for all the help, love, sweat, blood and tears that have come on your behalf. Thank you for raising your daughter with the values that you did, she is my rock and keeps on track. I love you, and thanks again for everything. Happy mothers day!

TCs Missionary Work

On the first day of school here in Texas, TC got assigned a "friend" to show him around school, give him the rundown, where all the classrooms are, all that good first-day-need-to-know kind of stuff. The friend that volunteered was a girl named Abby.

TC and Abby hit it off from the start and became very good friends. I had the pleasure of meeting Abby when I got to eat lunch with TC and one friend of his choosing. I was a little shocked, happy and proud of my son that day. Shocked, because he invited a (cute) girl to sit with us (boys don't like girls yet). Happy, because he trusted me enough that he knew I wasn't going to freak out or tease him about it (I could tell he was nervous when they walked up). Proud, because, well I just was. Its a father/son thing... I can't explain it... guy code stuff.

About a week ago, Abby asked TC if he reads the Bible. TC was caught off guard, and kind of stumbled through a "I-wasn't-sure-what-to-say" answer and was a little embarrassed. Connie had asked what he told her, and he said that he told her "Yes, we read the Bible" but he did know how to explain the Book of Mormon. After feeling a little like we totally dropped the ball as parents, we had a good discussion about the gospel.

Tonight we had the ward missionaries over to visit and before they left they challenged us as a family to find someone to share the gospel with. We all took turns, one by one, accepting the challenge. I noticed TC had a little to much enthusiasm, I thought he was just being a dork so I didn't think much of it.

After they left I was walking past the boys backpacks and picked up a Book of Mormon that was lying on them and going to put it away when TC stopped me and said it was for Abby. I was a little shocked, he'd thought this up on his own. I told him to write his testimony in the cover before he gave it to her. He thought that was a good idea, and asked if I would help him. Again, I'm so proud of TC (all my boys for that matter).

He asked if we could go in the den were it was nice and quite. When we got in there I asked what he wanted to testify to her about. He said he didn't know what he should write to inspire her to read it, so I suggested we pray first. I could totally feel the spirt come into the room, I could see how much sincerity he has in his heart for what he is about to write. He tells me, "Dad, I feel good about this. I know this is the right thing to do." I'll be honest, I was using all the emotional power I have to hold the damn of tears back.

This is his testimony that he put of the first page of her book:

"This book is really special because it is another testament of Jesus Christ. This book teaches the same principals of the Bible. I have read this book and I believe it is true. I believe in Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost. I testify to you that I know this book is true. Read this book and pray about its truthfulness and the Lord will tell you it is. Before you start, read Moroni 10:4-5 (pg 529) Todd Christensen"

He asked Connie to make a book mark for her and we put the scripture, James 1:5-6 on it. He said, "Tonight when I say my personal prayers I'm going to ask for the spirt to be with me so I'm not afraid to give it to her tomorrow." I don't know when he started to plan all this, but he came up with it on his own.

Connie and love our boys so much! We are scared to death for them to grow up, we're not ready for it. They are growing so fast, some times we feel like we can't keep up. Then we get a awesome parenting experience like this and it brings into perspective the big picture and that its all worth it.

Men vs Women!

This morning while cooking breakfast Connie asked me what I was thinking about. I answered with “nothing,” and she went off about how she doesn’t understand how I cannot be thinking about anything. We have had this conversation, men’s minds vs women’s, many times. After she asked me that, I started thinking about all the differences in men and women we’ve learned over our almost 12 years of marriage.

I am going to share some information that may be useful to those who read our blog (mostly women) about the differences of the two sexes. Connie and I watched a DVD that my parents had called, Laugh Your Way To a Better Marriage. I can’t remember the name of the Pastor who made it, but he is good.

Some of the Ideas that I share come form this Pastor and some are things that we have discovered on our own. First, you need to understand how our brains differ. Women have millions of wires that run throughout their entire though process. These wires touch, cross, and intersect all over the place. What does this mean? You women can have a million different thoughts at once, and can never be thinking about “nothing.” It does not compute with the way you think.

Men, on the other hand do not have wires, we have boxes. We have one box for every though we have. These boxes never touch, and we can only be in one box at a time. Men also have what is called the “nothing” box. That’s right, we have a box that is filled with absolutely nothing. It’s very easy for us to get into our nothing box, it’s HUGE! Probably the biggest box we have (next to the “intimate” box, just keeping it PG). I know it’s hard to understand, but we can think about “nothing”.

Another way to look at it is women have several mind tracks, I tell Connie she has at least 8, while men (myself included) only have one. The final insight I have is about intimacy. When it comes to being intimate with your spouse (share this with them because they may not have figured it out yet) women are like crock-pots and men are like microwaves. I won’t elaborate on this topic, just think about it.

I hope this helps shed some light on the ways we differ from each other. If it didn’t, I hope you had a good laugh. I’m sure after this is posted, Connie will post with her view on things.

My family

I love my little family! I'm so thankful for the support they give me. As you know I recently got a job at American Eagle Airline, and dragged my family to Texas. Its been rough for me being away while at training being gone all the time, but its been worse, I think, on the family.

Connie is a trooper! She has stuck behind me through thick and thin, cool flights to awesome places that she couldn't go on, full time work and school, helping write papers, being a single parent, and putting up with ME (love you babe). She is now doing basically the same thing, minus the schooling on my part, by herself, in a new place, in a new state, and no family help. She is my better half, and keeps me on the straight and narrow. Thank you for all the hard work and support!

Each of the boys have made a lot of sacrifices as well. Being taken out of a school that they liked, ripped from the friends and family they love, time from they're dad, and moved to a new state. We have had a few break downs of home sickness. Its hard for them. We have tried to help them adjust the best we can. They have made some friends and its been hard to explain that most people here have different values here. We are doing the best we can to help them, and I'm thankful for their trust in Connie and I, even though they don't understand some times.

I love everyone of them so much and couldn't imagine life without them. Love you guys!

Jump-seat

Real quick before I tell my story about jump-seating, training is going well down in Dallas. I just got done with the first week that was indoc, basically the rules and regulation that the company follows. I would go to class for 8 hours and then go home and study for a couple of more. I have put in a bid for Dallas and hoping to find out soon if I get it, chances are good.

Okay now to my story about my first jump-seat experience. Jump-seating is something that airlines do for other pilots/flight attendants to help get them around. It's free for the flight crew to do and you can typically jump-seat on other airlines. I was scheduled to come home Monday after our first test to start a new computer based training program they are doing.

I got to the airport about an hour before my flight and discovered that they had changed the terminal on me. I had to run over to the other side of the airport to get there. I checked in for the standby list and the flight is over sold. I missed that flight and was hoping to get on the next one that left a couple hours later. There are two other guys in my class that are from SLC so we kind of have to fight over seats. One of them happened to get his name on the list first so he got on the first flight.

Our hope at this point is that we can get on the next flight but we're nervous because its over sold and there is 30 people on the standby list. We went and got some lunch and came back to find that the jump-seat was open. My friend was senior to me so he would technically get it. He was nice and let me have it because he had went home for the weekend. His plan was to try and jump on a Delta flight.

So I get the ticket and there is no group assignment to load so I waited for a little before I went and asked the clerk. She tells me that I can load any time I want. I get in line and go down and check in with the head flight attendant (FA) and tell her this is my first time jump-seating and I don't know what I'm doing. She tells me to put my luggage in the middle of the plane. I go put it down there and make my way back to the front (after standing and waiting for all the passengers).

After I make it back up to the front they tell me to go to the very back. I make my way to the back and introduce myself to the FA back there (he wasn't very nice). So I have now idea what I'm doing or where I'm supposed to sit. I proceed to just stand there in the back of the plane looking like a total idiot. I didn't know how to get the seat down. Finally one of the other FA came and got in the other seat and saw how he did it and figured out mine.

By this time we have been taxiing for a couple of minutes. I sit down and now I have to figure out how the stupid seatbelt worked. This other guy starts talking on the phone next to him and I can tell they are talking about me. He points to me and tell me to pick up the phone cause the captain wants to talk to me. I'm thinking that I'm in trouble because I have been standing around while we taxied.

I get on the phone and he asks me if I'm pilot or a FA. I tell him a pilot and he tells me that he is going to stop the plane and I need to come get in the cockpit with him. I was so flustered that I didn't comprehend what he said so I started to work on the seat belt. The mean FA comes back there and tells me I can't sit there because I'm a pilot not a FA. I get up and work my way back to the front while we are still taxiing. I could feel every eye in the plane burning a whole in my back. I start talking with the head FA and she felt bad because she didn't ask if I was a pilot or a FA.

The plane stops and they have to put a cart in the isle and one FA on each side of it while they open the cockpit door. I get in there and the captain proceeds to tell me that pilots and FA don't trade jump-seats all while sitting stopped in the middle of the runway. After the lecture I had to figure out how to work this stupid seat and seatbelt. Things went well after that. So that is my jump-seat story, most of you won't appreciate this story but my pilot friends will.

Hiking

The boys and I have been talking all sumer about hiking up to Timp. On monday we finally made it up there. We got up at 5:30 to get up there. That wasn't early enough to beat the holiday crowd. My plan was to hike the Timpanokee trail up to the glacier, and do the top another day. We had to park about a mile from where the trail head started, because of all the people.

This is from the rim of the bowl looking down toward AF canyon, which is how far we made it.

We got started from the car about 7:30 and got to this spot in the bowl to eat lunch about 11:45. It was about 7 miles to this point.

Our view of Timp while we ate lunch. The far right side of the pic is the saddle that leads to the top. On the far left is where we would have to go for the glacier. I had only been up there one other time and didn't realize that this was a longer trail to where I wanted to go.

Crossing the "wiva." One of four times. (Tobyn)

This is when we first started, while thier still happy and don't know any better.

Titus was the pack leader, blazing the trail ahead of every one. TC was a pack-mule, carrying almost as much weight in his pack as me. Tate was the middle man making sure everyone was staying together. Tobyn was the mountain-mover, having to pick up every rock he passed.

We all had fun spending the day together. The boys were dead by the time we got done. On the way back we took a short-cut on a steep trail. TC and Titus made it down first and were waiting on the main trial, while I was helping the other two. Tobyn let go of my hand while I turned around to help Tate and started down the path. He was building speed fast, his legs had never moved so quick. There was no way he was going to stop before he ran off the other side of the main trail and down the rim of the bowl. I yelled to TC and Titus to catch him and they jumped into position just as Tobyn jumped down on his butt and stopped himself. He got up and ran back up to me crying that he almost ran off the mountain.

We didn't take anymore short cuts after that. Going at a 4 and 15/16 year old pace is not good for muscles that aren't used in baby steps. We vowed that next year we will come back and make it up to the top. Mom didn't come this time, she was having a fun time finishing her table.

Swimming

Last week Connie promised the boys that they would go swimming with some friends as the last sha-bang before school started again. The day the went the weather did cooperate and there were thunderstorms all over so the pool was closed. They were supposed to go with the Hessing family.

It got moved to last Saturday and I got roped into going. I like swimming, but I like to go swimming when there is a cliff to jump off, rope swing to swing off, old boat house to ride a bike off (ah...the good old days), bridges and trees to jump out of, and boats or other fun things to ride in the water.

Getting to the point, our boys are fish and love to go to the pool. I don't really like the pool. While we were there, TC and Titus and their friends were over at the diving board, so I went over to see what was going on. I got challenged to dive off because some other old guy had just done it. So I did.

They were all blown away that I could do a swan dive. Next I tried to talk the boys into doing a flip. they all backed down with embarrassed "No's," and "I can't, I'll land on my back." Needless to say, they all got shown up by the old man...yep...I still got it. ;-)

Tate came to me not to long after that and was pretty upset about not being able to swim yet. He was embarrassed because he didn't want people to make fun of him for the fact that Tobyn was better at swimming then he was. He really wanted to go of the diving board like his brothers.

We spent a good half hour practicing how to swim to the surface once he jumped of the side. By this time he was getting really good and Tobyn showed up and wanted to go off the diving board too. They both practiced some more and got to the point that they could jump in the water, swim to the top, then swim 4-5 feet to the side without help from dad.

Now the both though they were ready for the big, bad low-dive. I talked to the lifeguard and got permission to be in the water to help to the side after they jumped in. They were both ecstatic with the news that they would get to go off the diving board. Tobyn was up first (only because he couldn't hold back the excitement and butted about 5 people.)

He climbs up the steps bouncing with joy, yelling at the girl that just went off to hurry so he could go. He comes strutting out to were the rail ends and stops, fear stricken and panicked. I tell him that he has to jump off the end and I'll help him swim to the side when he come back up. He gives me the look of death and turns around and gets off. Tate is now not sure what to think, Tobyn, fearless little brother Tobyn just came running back. He walks out the were the rail ends, same look as Tobyn and asks if he can jump into my arms? I told him he couldn't, that he'd have to jump off the end.

Unfortunately the line was building up behind him, and he decided not to jump. If the line wasn't so big I could have talked him into going off. They didn't get to go off the diving board, I don't think they were to bummed, but I loved spending the time with both of them practicing and would go every time to the pool if it helped them build their confidence levels.

A few thoughts...

I want to just reminisce about the past couple of week and put in a couple of random thoughts. Two weeks ago we went camping with some of my family on my mom’s side. I like hanging out with that side of the family, they know how to have a good time.

My uncles took me and three of the boys fishing. I never really learned how to fish from my dad, what I do know, which is not a lot, I learned on my own. We never really did that kind of stuff growing up. My dad worked really hard to put food on our table and a roof over our head.

While in school I noticed that I was headed down the same path of always working, going to school, doing homework. I didn’t want to be like that, to be gone all the time, never spend dad and son time together. Don’t get me wrong; I love my dad so much. He taught me how to be a hard worker, how to fix things, how to pickup rocks that grew in our back yard ;-). I learned from him the kind of man and father I want to be.

Okay, back to the fishing. Titus, Tate, and Tobyn had a blast fishing, and I did too. I don’t really like to eat fish, but I would like to get into fishing and hiking and camping with the boys to build that father son relationship to be even stronger.

I love being a dad! On this same trip we went to some lake called “Joes Lake” and was proud of my brother Nic for jumping, cause he doesn’t like heights since he fell on the garage when he was little. TC went with us and I had to drag him off the first rock that was about 6-7’ high. Then I talked him to jump off the 10’ rock by himself. Then I had to bribe/drag him off the 20’ rock, and when he came out of the water he said, “That was awesome! But I let go of my lifejacket and it hit me in the face.” I tried to get him to do it again, but he was done.

This last weekend we went to the Biesinger reunion, we were at Heber Valley Camp that the church owns were we did some challenge courses. One of courses was a big net ladder, followed by a 2x4 horizontal ladder, ending with a zip line. I was so proud of Connie for over coming her fear of heights and go on this thing, she was even the first one! Titus went next and he was a little monkey. Tate was to short so he was kinda bummed. TC tried too, but his fear of heights got the better of him.

I had to talk him into letting go of the rope ladder to hold onto the harness rope. He was deathly afraid to do it. It took a little coxing to get him to do it, but in the end he finally trusted his dad and let go of the rope.

I have been thinking about that experience and how it is like the relationship I have with heavenly father. Ever since I started school I have been coxed to let go of the rope and trust that everything will be all right. Now that I’m done with school and looking for a job, I have the same coxing feeling to just trust and have faith and things will work out, so that is what I have trying to do even when I’m scared to death to let go.

Brothers

This past week Tate has had some bully trouble while walking home from school. I guess this kid is a big 2nd grader that thinks he can pick on everyone cause of his size. Some how he got his sight set on Tate. He would hide and wait off of school property trying to catch him without his brothers. This week he got his chance, Tate was ahead of TC and Titus and the bully struck. He rushed out from behind a bush and tackled Tate and started punching him. The way that he had Tate pinned, he couldn't defend himself. Titus (being not much bigger than Tate) saw what was happening and came to the rescue. He came running at full speed and flying tackled the kid and pinned him down and gave him a pice of his own medicine.

I have tried to teach my boys that fighting is the last answer to solve a problem. I have also tried to teach them to standup for themselves, their family and others that may be in need of help.

This whole thing got me thinking back to my childhood and all the good times that I had with my brothers. Specifically, this one time when I was in 3rd grade and Nic was in 1st, we used to ride the bus to school. There were a couple of bullies that would pick on everyone on our bus after the bus driver left. One day they crossed the line when they started teasing this kid that was a little handicapped. I stood up to them and they turned on me. I told Nic to run so he didn't hurt (he was small for his age like Titus, that's why i thought of this). I started to fight with these to guys and was do pretty good for a little bit. Then they got the upper hand and I started to loose. They got me pinned down and were wailing on me and out of the corner of my eye I see a flash and all of a sudden one of them was gone. I was able to wrestle the one off and looked over and Nic had come and flying tackled the other one and and was trying his hardest to inflict as much pain as possible. They left after that and we never had anymore problems with them again (I think the one was embarrassed that he got his butt kick by a little 1st grader).

I hope that my boys share the same love that I have for my brothers (and sisters), and that they can make lots of fun memories.