sneaky church cam

This was a sneaky shot I took at church. I showed that man his picture, and he laughed about the "butt shot." That was good natured self-deprecation, but it was not why I took the shot. I was motivated to snap this pic because I saw something very different. I see a family that is so blessed, it moves me. I know this man personally, and that he takes his role as husband and father very seriously. He is not just a figurehead, but in a very practical way, he serves as the spiritual head of his family. He leads with wisdom and grace. I see how they love each other. The wife is a godly woman who serves unselfishly. That little girl sings at church with all her heart. I've taught their other kids in Sunday School, and these kids know their Bible. One can see that their parents instruct them at home.

.

A lot of people have a warped picture of what a Christian looks like. Crusades, inquisitions, picketing funerals and whatnot. For me, a Christian looks like this.

.

(f.y.i. -- I'll be running around and probably won't get much time on the computer for a few days. I hope to catch up with you in between errands.)

getting together

[Mom and Dad with a nephew and a niece.]

.

Surprisingly, I spent precious little time with my parents. Loose plans were made, and I assumed that they would camp out at my home, making day visits to other relatives and friends. I see now how that was presumptuous. They spent two days at my house, and have been staying with multiple hosts. I was blessed that they spent as much time as they did with me, my wife and kids.

.

There were two major highlights to the past few days. First, is that I got to spend more time with my wife and kids. And second: there were two get-togethers, where Mom and Dad were joined by my five siblings and me. It is rare that all eight will be together in one place. That was a treat! They're in town for a few more days, and then it might be a year or more before I can see them again face-to-face.

mangiare

Sunday afternoon at the Olive Garden. L to R: My wife and me, our two youngest, Mom & Dad.

due north

One man I used to know used to ask whether a decision was "due North." By that, he meant that in your heart of hearts, you knew that it was the right thing to do. Our time in Florida is finished, and we must pack up the van and head back to our home up North. It is an uncomfortable (for me) 80 degrees as I type this at night. Nights are supposed to be cool, right? But it's not about the weather; I need to get back to our home and my work; it's the right thing to do.

.

Again, if you would, please pray for journey mercies as we begin Monday's 22-hour trek.

.

I did not take as many photos as I originally expected, but there are a few, and I especially want you to see one of the shots I got of the moon from a few days ago. The photos took an appropriate back seat to the time with family. I got to see my beautiful red-head (daughter) and her husband. Usually I enjoy theological discussions with him, but this time, we just chilled, and I got to hold my brand new grandson, Rylan.

.

My wife and children had a good time overall, even though we each got sick at one point or another, and my younger daughter lost her camera. I still hope that turns up somewhere. It was cool to visit my friend's church and hang out with an uncle and aunt, and my sister and her family. One of the nieces especially has grown up from being a cute little girl who we barely knew to the most delightful conversationalist.

.

The time with my parents was a major highlight for me, and I think for my wife, too. Mom and Dad are amazing people. Who shall I compare them to? If you've seen the movie "Twister," there's an older lady the storm chasers visit, and she demonstrates hospitality to the uttermost. That's like my mom. Dad is a man of peace, wisdom and humor. He is an expert in diplomacy.

.

Every time I leave my parents, I wonder if this is going to be the last time I see them both again. Nobody lives forever, and when the day comes that I hear of one or both of them passing, it will tear my heart in two, but I will always remember them well. Their memories are completely associated with fondness, affection, delight, and the utmost respect.

look both ways

For this picture, I turned my head East to look at the sunset! I thought I would be taking more Floridian photos while down here, but yesterday, I hunkered down and copied a bazillion old family photos. I dug through a big footlocker full of pictures, but it brought back a lot of memories, and was worth all the work that went into it. They will probably not be worth trying to post, but I might change my mind after I get back and have a chance to sort through them.

.

One thing I won't be posting is pictures of my mom & dad from this week. They are having some kind of allergic reaction, and all kinds of doctor visits and creams and pills. I feel badly for them. As for you, you will just have to believe me when I tell you that I have parents. ;-)

.

I LOVE my parents!! They get along so well with my wife (& me, too). I laugh a little, when I see how my mom pinches pennies, doesn't care for brand names, and is always looking for a better price or coupons or whatever. But that is only a little funny. Our country would be in MUCH better shape if people would work like my dad and save like my mom. Government handouts? I'm sure there are a few people that could use a measure of compassion, but I feel better about the church doing that job (including me and my parents) rather than Uncle Sam.

.

How did I get from sunsets to subsidy? Sheesh, what a scatterbrain I am sometimes! Okay, I'll get off the soap box, but before I do, I need to say that criticizing the federal financial program is not the fix. People need to learn how to earn a living, live within their means, give back a little to their community, and plan for the future. We need to rethink words like "entitled to" and "deserve." Credit abuse is a crime! Okay, I'll stop now. Ciao.

Dad's phrase

There was one shining moment that occurred during the team's first soccer practice last night. That was when the last family showed up, and we had 100% attendance! I have all my forms signed and turned in. We are ready to roll... that's a beautiful thing!

.

That is, by the way, a phrase my dad is noted for. When something turns out well, it is just like him to say, "That's a beautiful thing."

.

That item in the photograph hangs in my cousin's tree. I do not know exactly what function it serves, but I'm pretty sure that it is either a whatchamacallit or a thingamajig. I liked the way it catches the light, and thought it would be a good object to capture with a large aperture. Of course, the reason I used it for today's post is because I was happy with how the picture turned out, and...that's a beautiful thing.

.

(For those who were following the saga, the Craver residence finally has a refrigerator!)

negative subjects

My wife and kids made Father's Day really special for me. This was the best one ever, and I hope to tell you more about that later. Mrs. Craver is so great! But it was not a perfect weekend; we suffered a couple of low points on Saturday.

.

You may know that I serve as assistant coach on my son's soccer team. Sadly, one grown up argued with a ref, and I have to give him the news this week that the board of directors banned him from the field. I wish I could go back to Saturday morning and give him the Vulcan nerve pinch just in time so he would refrain from speaking instead of letting the situation escalate out of control. He's a big boy though, and I'm not his daddy. The fact that he cannot attend any more of his niece's games is a consequence that he brought upon himself. I must fully support the board here, because if the young ref was my own son, I wouldn't want a grown up giving him grief, either.

.

Soapbox: We have offered several training classes for the families, and this uncle never went. People, if you're given the opportunity to go to one of these Positive Coaching Alliance trainings... GO! Be a part of it. Learn what youth sports is really about, and let's keep the environment fun for everyone.

.

Then we went home, and one of the dogs killed two hamsters. My daughter cried so hard that day, and there's not really a whole lot we could do to console her, so we just held her and let her cry. I'm sure she will be just fine.

.

Things got busy, as they do EVERY Saturday. The pain did not disappear, but it became less noticeable as we engaged ourselves in the rest of life. Father's Day came, and we all had a great time together from sunrise to sunset.

.

Do you think you can identify any the flowers in the negative collage?

Leftovers!

• Don't we have nice water towers?
• "Facing" Rt. 53 (a.k.a. Bolingbrook Drive)... Do you see the face?
• Forsythia!
• a good dad making family memories

.

Leftovers! is a new feature. Feel free to group recent miscellaneous remainder shots to share YOUR leftovers and please insert my link in your post. It is intended to enable more of us to enjoy some of your photos that might not otherwise be posted.

paternal units

Gosh, I love these two! They are not famous, but they should be. They sat at the head of a big table a couple weeks ago, and endured the silliness of their children. Everyone laughed until their cheeks hurt.

.

Mom is one of the two best living cooks in the WORLD, but never drew a paycheck for it. She loves to laugh out loud. If you can help it, don't ever play dominos with her... you will certainly lose.

.

Short people sometimes overcompensate to try to gain respect, but you wouldn't guess that about my dad. Dad is smooth and mellow. He has a gift for diplomacy. His sense of humor is dry and stealthy, flying in under the radar. He is the one who makes other people laugh. Although I am seven inches taller than him, I will always look up to him.

.

One afternoon, when they lived close to us, Mrs. Craver and I drove over to visit them. The two ladies stayed chatting in the kitchen. I'm so glad they get along so well. I went on back to the living room, where Dad was watching baseball. We engaged briefly in the obligatory small talk. I was taking up the whole couch, and he was comfortable in his recliner. The ballgame became the perfect background noise... for sleeping. My wife woke me up, saying that I should keep talking to him, but we were both exactly where we wanted to be. Ah, sweet fellowship! There ain't much better than a Sunday afternoon nap at Mom & Dad's house.

indoor camping

(As with most of my pictures, this one is a stunt double. You can easily tell, because the books are too orderly on the shelves and there is a television in the living room. We don't keep a TV on the main floor.)

There is an author who writes for Dads and Homeschoolers. His name is Todd Wilson. Great guy. He is always sending practical tips on being a better husband and dad. He is also outrageously funny.

Let’s see, it was last year around Christmas. One of the ideas I got from his notes of encouragement was to have my kids “camp out” overnight with me in the living room. I thought it would be fun, so I did it. Man, was it ever uncomfortable! The Christmas lights may as well have been flood lamps. I barely slept at all! If I remember correctly, I had to work the next day, too. Big mistake.

So I did it again this year. Yup! ‘Cept this time, we slept inside a tent and I didn’t have work the next day (January 1). It worked out fine.

What do I hope to gain from this? I hope my kids can carry good memories of Dad with them. I hope to be a dad who makes his kids smile, even when he’s not there. Lord knows I make plenty of mistakes. I just want to make sure I’m not always too busy or critical. And if it takes goofy things like indoor camping, well that’s a small price to pay.

Right in the middle of the next cold snap, I’ll get a fire going out back and make s’mores.