Jedi Whiffleball XIX – The 2021 Draft Kit

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Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address

Fellow-Countrymen:

AT this second appearing to take the oath of the Presidential office there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then a statement somewhat in detail of a course to be pursued seemed fitting and proper. Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention and engrosses the energies of the nation, little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself, and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.

On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it, all sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war—seeking to dissolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the war came.

One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union even by war, while the Government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. “Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation

The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans. mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this 3d day of October, A. D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

By the President:

WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.

On the Third Day there was a Skillet

You know, when a good friend comes over and says, “what are you doing next weekend?” you just aren’t sure what to expect. Will I be helping him move? Does he need to pick up a couch? Do I have to…er…get to watch Missouri play basketball? Well, I have to give my boy John credit… saying “because I have VIP seats to Skillet & Third Day and I want you to go” is about best case scenario! So here is a photo recap of one of the coolest nights I’ve had…

It begins by…well, freezing our tails off outside, but I don’t have pictures of that, so let’s jump forward to meeting the headliners! (Yes, I did make sure to wear the Tech hat for the Georgia-boys)

 

Then it was time to let the boys from We as Human to get things cranked up. In case you need to know…they bring it!

Next Brandon Heath and Mandisa took the stage to keep things going.

And finally the main events! The boys from the ATL continue to deliver year after year (and I would know…this was my 11th time seeing them including a prom fund raiser my senior year, my first date with my now wife, and my kids’ first concert).

And then Skillet came out and closed out the night with flair!

It was awesome. Thanks again to John Davis (& Jeniffer!) for the experience!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is always a wonderful time of the year. It’s a time with family. The only things you must buy are the ingredients for something tasty and enough gas to take you home. It’s also a time where people focus on what they are thankful for and they share it freely. Inevitably someone will ask the question, “Why aren’t we more thankful year-round? Why can’t we keep this up?” and you see people start to try but it tends to drop off. I have a theory… to borrow from Grantland’s Bill Simmons… it’s really a half-baked theory that I have just started working on, but I think there may be something there (and I am definitely open to additional thoughts).

Why aren’t we more Thankful?

My theory is that true thankfulness requires one thing that most of us would rather shy away from. It requires us to constantly take inventory of who and what we ourselves really are. And when I say that I mean, an unfiltered look. We all are willing to pick out certain flaws that we have that we’re ok with. They are pet flaws that if people ask we can highlight and appear to have a humble attitude. But what I’m talking about is an inventory that includes all of the things that plenty of people are aware of, but we would rather deny or project onto others. It needs to include the good as well, but most of us don’t struggle as much with that side of things.

Now why do we need that inventory? Good question! Thanks. You’re Welcome.

The inventory is necessary because you really can’t realize everything you have to be thankful for until you really understand the willingness that others have to put up with or ignore all of the garbage, or how blessed we are to have been given people/things in our life that fall in line with what we like most. The constant need for the inventory is necessary to keep it in the forefront of your mind which will help you be quick to be thankful. Now that may seem a bit convoluted, so let’s take a short, shallow case study to try to give a handful of examples:

Our volunteer is a mid-30’s, slightly overweight bald man we will call JC:

• JC has a temper
• JC is not as good looking as he thinks he is
• JC is not as patient with his kids as he should be
• JC is driven and can step on others
• JC isn’t good at initiating communication
• JC isn’t as loving or caring as he likes to think he is
• JC isn’t as good of an example of how to be a husband and father as he likes to think he is
• JC is a decent athlete, but not as good as he thinks
• JC can be quite charismatic
• JC likes to be the center of attention
• JC works his tail off
• JC is slightly above average on the “funny” scale
• JC cares a lot about the people he cares about
• JC is willing to make tough decisions and take responsibility if it is wrong
• JC loves his family very deeply
• JC is fairly intelligent

Ok, this is only a subset of a true inventory (like 4% of what it could be), but you get the picture. Now how does that produce thanksgiving? If you are willing to do it, you can find plenty of things related to each one of those real attributes of your character to be thankful for. Again, short examples just as food for thought:

• JC has a temper – He is thankful that it has never REALLY gotten him in as much trouble as it could have. He is thankful that his wife is willing to stick with him through it all.
• JC is not as good looking as he thinks he is – He is REALLY thankful that his wife finds him attractive. 
• JC is not as patient with his kids as he should be – He is really thankful that he has such good kids who love him.
• JC is driven and can step on others – He is thankful for the forgiveness of others and for having opportunities to apply his driven nature in a positive way.
• JC isn’t good at initiating communication – He is thankful to have friends and family that don’t take offense, but are willing to pick up communication right where it was left off previously.
• JC isn’t as loving or caring as he likes to think he is – He is thankful to have people in his life that are more loving and caring in his direction than he could possibly deserve.
• JC isn’t as good of an example of how to be a husband and father as he likes to think he is – He is thankful for wonderful children that he gets to enjoy and a wife who is very good at cherishing the good parts of him.
• JC is a decent athlete, but not as good as he thinks – He is thankful for opportunities to get to play sports and exercise those competitive urges.
• JC can be quite charismatic – He is thankful for having a job where interacting with people is a key responsibility.
• JC likes to be the center of attention – He is thankful that he has family that doesn’t mind it. 
• JC works his tail off – He is thankful for bosses that acknowledge that and appreciate it.
• JC is slightly above average on the “funny” scale – He is very thankful that his wife puts up with the cheesy side and still likes the rest.
• JC cares a lot about the people he cares about – He is thankful for each of those relationships that he gets to be a part of.
• JC is willing to make tough decisions and take responsibility if it is wrong – He is thankful that it is appreciated at work.
• JC loves his family very deeply – He is so thankful that they reciprocate
• JC is fairly intelligent – He is very thankful for environments in life where he can use that ability.

There are a lot more characteristics and there are a lot more things that he is thankful for even on these topics that he could go into, but a case study is just to give you an example. I’m willing to bet that if you do a real inventory and keep it at the front of your mind, it will do amazing things to your thankfulness and your willingness to share that with others all year round.

To everyone in my life… I am thankful for you and thankful for all that you add to my life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Turning 35 – Pros and Cons

On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon he has a recurring feature where they list the Pros and Cons of a news story. So in that vein… I thought I would take up the theme of me turning 35. So let’s weigh the good with the bad…it’s time for…

Pros & Cons of Jamie Turning 35

Pro: Started the day eating a cereal his kids love
Con: It was chosen specifically for its fiber content

Pro: Everyone thinks he looks younger than his age when he shaves his beard
Con: Everyone thinks he looks like a wookie if he doesn’t shave his back

Pro: Is playing softball like when he was 25
Con: His team didn’t win any games when he was 25

Pro: All of the college kids think he’s really cool
Con: For an old guy

Pro: Gets to snuggle up with his new baby girl
Con: His baby girl has more hair than he does

Pro: Picked up diapers at the store
Con: They weren’t for the baby

And there we have the Pros & Cons of Jamie Turning 35!!

 

Born on the 4th of July

Tonight I sat down with my two oldest kids and looked through pictures of when the two of them were just born and some pictures of them through the years. It’s pretty amazing to see how long ago all of that took place and yet looking at the pictures brought it flooding back like it was yesterday. It was an absolute blast to listen to their reactions at seeing themselves as babies. We did this because now that they have their new baby sister, their curiosity regarding their own “beginnings” is piqued. Ah, yes, their baby sister… the surprise that I didn’t see coming! This post is very simply (and selfishly) a feeble attempt to capture what this ride was like as we welcomed our little firecracker, born on the 4th of July.

With each of our other two kids there were events that dictated when they would be born. With Allison, it was the doctor deciding that we needed to induce. With James, it was a watershed event… pun completely intended. But this time was different. We already had permission from our doctor to come in if the contractions were fairly regular even if Becky knew that she wasn’t really in labor, simply because she was progressing well already. So after waking up and not being able to go back to sleep, Becky decided to take the kids for a walk while I continued to snooze. When they arrived back home, I asked her if she was having any contractions and she said she was probably having enough. And in an almost surreal scene, I simply asked her if she wanted to have a baby today and she said yes. So we called up our friend who would watch the others just to make sure she wasn’t busy, and what time might be a good time to drop them off. We swung by a store on the way over there to look for a baby 4th of July outfit and then dropped the kids off. We decided that it would be good to amp up the contractions a little more again before getting to the hospital, so we grabbed lunch and walked around an outdoor shopping area here in town looking in kids boutiques and well… hat stores because that’s how I roll. After we walked sufficiently we decided that it was time to head on in and have a baby. It still sounds funny when I type it, but that’s really how this played out.

Now, I’m sure everyone is really hoping I won’t give a blow-by-blow breakdown of labor and delivery, and hopefully, it brings you great joy when I tell you that I won’t. What I will do is deliver two critical points: 1) Birth is an amazing miracle every single time it happens and 2) My wife is amazing. Now, to the first point… I have been on the easy side (i.e. the Father-not-feeling-pain side) of just three births, but I feel like it’s enough to give me some perspective on birth in general. There is truly nothing like it. Watching a life that you helped conceive appear for the first time, see light for the first time, take a breath for the first time, and cry for the first time is absolutely awe-inspiring. It is an absolute miracle. It’s so amazing to be madly in love with someone from the second they arrive on this planet. It’s also amazing what you feel for the love of your life as you share that moment with them. 

We had completely different delivery experiences with each of our kids and Becky showed amazing grace and perseverance through each. With Allison, she went through labor and a significant gallstone attack simultaneously. We will both attest to the fact that a conversation did take place regarding never doing this again… though I was pretty sure that tune would change. And yet, she was absolutely amazing as she pushed through all of that and we were greeted by our beautiful first-born baby girl. The second time around she showed strength and poise in the face of a very impatient on-call doctor and a sleep-deprived husband who had to call on the good folks from AMP Energy drinks to ensure he was awake for the final stretch of the birth of his son. Now going into the third delivery, Becky was certain that could and wanted to deliver this baby girl naturally. And if you listen to her, she will tell you that she didn’t handle it as well as she hoped. And if you listen to her, you will hear a lie. Take it from the guy who was there and remembers all three (well, most of all three… still never going to live down that section of #2). She was as tough as can be and though the final hour was tough, she really handled it virtually as well as the previous two only this time without any assistance. It was amazing. I was in awe of her strength and ability to do it. And as Lauren was born I really got caught between two waves of emotion like never before. Love, pride, and amazement toward my wife, and love, joy, and awe for my baby girl. It was something else.

So now I sit here and write this, 8 days after her birth. What is it like this time? It’s truly a special blessing. By the time Allison was 8 days old, we were already dealing with how we would handle her having major surgery in the first few months of her life. By the time James was 8 days old, we were very focused on how to juggle a toddler and a newborn. This time feels very different. For one, watching the older two being lovingly effusive toward their baby sister is absolutely precious. The fact that they are old enough to really appreciate her, and all of this is neater than I had anticipated. As with each of them, watching Becky gaze adoringly at her precious baby is an absolute portrait of love. And, as Becky has pointed out to me, something is just a little different this time with me as well. I cut in for my own snuggle-time with Lauren more than ever and I just feel more caught up in it all. Additionally, getting the extra time with Allison and James as part of this has been even better than expected. It’s truly awesome. I could soak in this for a very long time and never tire of it.

I have struggled to come up with an ending to this, so in lieu of something amazing, all I will say is that I will never look at the 4th of July the same and it is now, unequivocally, my favorite national holiday.

 

 

Father’s Day

I would be remiss if I wrote a Father’s Day article without mentioning the Fathers in my life so I will lead off with that:

• Dad – I would need far too many words to express what he means to me. All I can do is point out that I look like him, I went into a similar profession, I have similar interests, and I inherited his disdain for cucumbers. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Dad should probably feel pretty flattered. I am forever grateful for him.
• Grandpa Little – My grandpa was a man that always carried himself with dignity, was looked up to as a leader no matter the context, and cared for others much more than himself. He loved his family dearly and did whatever it took to take care of them and provide the best for them. He was a great example for all of his grandsons to look up to and he is missed.
• Mike Luethge – I am truly blessed to have the In-Laws that I have. My father-in-law did a fantastic job helping to raise his 4 children into truly fantastic men and one truly wonderful woman. He has been a wonderful grandfather to my kids. He has always been a fantastic listener whenever I have needed and he has displayed amazing patience when golfing with me. Most importantly, he didn’t end up shooting me (though I’m sure it crossed his mind) when I asked him to marry his teenage daughter.

I could fill many more pages about all three of these men, but I will sum it up with “I am truly blessed”.

This week as Father’s Day approached, and the birth of my third child drew nearer and nearer, I began reflecting on the amazing blessing of being a father. I remember finding out that, after years of trying, we were expecting our first child and all of the joy that came with that. I remember falling in love with Allison before I ever met her and just marveling that my love could even grow from that point. I remember coming home with my wife and child for the first time, and looking at Becky and saying, “What were they thinking letting us bring this baby home. We don’t know what we are doing!” I also remember an agonizing week in the hospital after Allison had major surgery to remove a choledochal cyst at 2 ½ months old and aching for any way to make her all better. (By the way… a really good way to not worry about little things in the life of your first child is to have a big thing happen early on. The rest of the stuff just falls into place).  At that point I really wasn’t even grasping what being a father really meant… I was just trying to keep from doing anything to screw up this precious little girl that I had been entrusted with.

I also remember Becky trying (but failing) to surprise me with the news that she was pregnant with our second.  We were surprised that it happened so quickly, but we were extremely happy. When we found out it was a boy I was thrilled beyond words. It was around that point I began to wonder how it works when you have more than one kid. Does loving a second child impact your love for the first? Is it possible to love the second one as much as I had grown to love Allison? All parents know the answer to that, and I found it out when James was born. One of the greatest blessings of being a father is that it is the most effective way to show you your own capacity for love and in turn make you understand everything your parents tried to convey to you through the years that you just didn’t get.

Most recently I remember Becky trying (and succeeding) to surprise me with the news that we are having a third child. As she showed me the new “wallpaper” she found for her phone over dinner (it was a picture of her positive pregnancy test) and I showed how brilliantly intelligent I am by uttering, “is this yours?!” I just sat stunned. And then the joy began to come over me. At that point I really thought we were probably done having children and then we received this surprise gift that is such an amazing thing and I have fallen in love all over again. In fairness, after finding out it is another girl, it also made me even more thankful that The Captain, in his infinite wisdom, saw fit to ensure that I received a 12 gauge shotgun as a present to prepare for the first time some kid comes over thinking he’s picking up one of my daughters in a “wife-beater” tank top with his underwear hanging out the top of his pants and he honks the horn in my driveway and he and I have to have a chat. But I digress. We are at the point where it is likely that this will be our last child, and it’s been a joy to just soak it up in my mind and really look forward to meeting her for the first time. Admittedly, I have a soft-spot for third born children…and my girls… so I’m pretty sure she already has me wrapped around her pinkie. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

All of these memories are barely the tip of the iceberg of how amazing it is to be a Father. So I thought I would try to avoid writing 3,000 words and just list a very few of my favorite things:

• Hearing “Daddy!!” when I walk in the door after work
• Getting a hug and an unsolicited “I love you Daddy”
• Getting that rare snuggle now that they are getting older
• Seeing the light bulb turn on when they learn something new
• Sitting with one of them on each leg reading them a story
• Celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday with them by making Green Eggs and Bacon
• Hearing them cheer me on when I am playing softball
• Their first parent-teacher conferences, when I found out, I haven’t messed up their academic career
• When they decide to cheer for something I like because their daddy likes it (now Georgia Tech did fall to 2^nd fiddle because Grandma loves Nebraska most, but I seem to be winning in other areas!)
• When something is hurting and they want to be in my arms for comfort
• Getting to teach them new things when their inquisitive minds are just yearning for it
• Father-son and Father-daughter outings
• Hearing them make up songs about everyday things like I do
• Hearing them singing my music instead of Radio Disney stuff
• The kids missing each other when the other one is gone
• The joy they get when giving us presents on special days
• And the list could go on for miles…

I’m so thankful that I have the honor and privilege to be entrusted to be the father of my children. It is the most rewarding and frightening honor I could ever receive. They make every day feel like Father’s Day.

Mother’s Day

I have a friend of mine that sends out a reality check each Mother’s Day. He admonishes us all by saying that, “if you have a wonderful mother in your life, be thankful and celebrate her. But not every mother is great, or even adequate. Don’t cheapen the meaning of motherhood by blindly praising all mothers today. Not all of them deserve it”. Some may say that it is a bit harsh or uncomfortable, but there are many who feel grateful that someone expresses what they are feeling. Each time I see his message it serves as a reminder for me to think of those in that position and not take blessings for granted. It also makes me marvel and be thankful for what an unusual blessing I have been given.

I am not unique in the fact that my family is a blended family. There are millions of people that fall into that category. I do believe that the number is MUCH smaller that can sincerely say how blessed they are to be able to say that is the case and I just wanted to share a little of my story.

Growing up we were a typical family in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. We had a father, mother, and since we found it difficult to have 2.4 children, we opted to round up to three. (As the third-born, I am grateful that my parents were fans of rounding up). As we grew up we had plenty of friends in the neighborhood, at school, and at church. It was fairly Waltons-esque. My mom was smart, loving, and kind. And as is often the case, as the baby of the family, I gravitated heavily toward her and always sought for her approval. It was great. But, in the mid-1980’s she was diagnosed with breast cancer. As I have thought about it over time, I can’t ever think of a time where everything she was dealing with ever took away from the love or joy that I found at home in those formative years. Through it all, she always persevered to give us all she could. As is the story for many though, my mom (after beating it back twice) was unable to fully beat the cancer and passed away. She was a wonderful mom and I am thankful for every day I had with her.

As a middle-schooler who lost his mom, my emotions often vacillated greatly as you might expect. There were times where I just wanted a taste of what we had before, and I was truly blessed to get those tastes when I really needed it from my best friend’s mom. I don’t remember being more calm and comfortable in the year following my mom’s passing than when I would stay over at the Davis’ house. The love that I felt there was comparable to the love I felt at home. What’s fun is that the feeling still exists in that house even now. A couple of years ago I was able to spend a few days with my wife and kids at the Davis home in Peachtree City and it was as warm and inviting as ever. Just as I always felt like a son there, my kids immediately felt like grand-kids there. And if that were the end of the story, I would still consider myself to have been given quite a lot, but that was far from the end. 

After being blessed with one wonderful mom, it would seem greedy to hope to end up with two, but that’s exactly what I have been given. I never anticipated that the loss of a parent would end up resulting in getting to be a whole family again and ending up with two more brothers to boot! And let me tell you, joining a family that had the 14 year old version of me (whom, if I ever had the Star Trek moment with young Spock meeting old Spock, I would likely DiNozzo-slap for just being a punk at times) was FAR from an easy task, but she took it on with all she had and gave me unconditional love as though I had always been in her life. Those that know me best can tell you that I definitely inherited aspects of my personality from both of my mothers and I believe that fact has helped me immensely become who I am today. She guided me through difficult times as a teenager and as I was just starting to figure things out in my twenties, all the way to now where she still is always willing to listen and be a sounding board for me and also my wife and is a fantastic, loving Grandma. I am amazingly blessed.

Of course, that’s still not the end. When I was still at an age where most people are barely figuring out if they wanted to get that tattoo their dad never would let them get when they lived at home, I decided that I should marry a teenager before she knew any better! As is often the case, I’m sure we would both say that we didn’t know what all we were getting ourselves into, but I knew that she was who I wanted to go through the craziness of life with. One thing that I knew about her without a doubt was that she really had a deep desire to be a mom and to work hard to be a really good mom. I loved (and still love) that about her. Of course, things don’t always come easy and despite a strong desire to be that mother, we struggled to conceive for a few years. Once we finally did, the joy that it brought to her was visible to anyone who looked at her.  And then shortly after the birth of our first child we found ourselves going through what you wouldn’t ever wish on any parent. At 2 1/2 months old our daughter had to have a very significant surgery and spent a week in the hospital afterward. The faith, the strength, and the love that I saw in my wife that week was spectacular. I was truly blown away.  And now, after over 12 years of marriage, with two children who are thriving as they begin their school years, and a third, wonderful blessing due to join us in July, I sit back and can confidently say that I could not ask for anyone better to be the mother of my children or a better partner to go through life with. The blessings are hard to comprehend.

And I would be remiss if I also didn’t mention (as if having the four wonderful women I’ve already talked about weren’t enough) that while I comprehend the less than wonderful experiences many guys have with their mother-in-law, I can say that I have no first-hand knowledge of it at all. My Mother-in-Law is everything you could hope for in a mother-in-law. The love that I have always felt, the love that she has for her grandchildren, the warmth with which I have always been welcomed, the fun times, her absolute passion for family… well, I couldn’t come up with a good sentence structure to tie that all together, so I will just say that all of those things are just a small glimpse into why she’s as wonderful of a mother-in-law as there is.

So as I sit here at home in my chair, watching another Royals loss (stupid Yankees) while my wife and children are napping, I simply want to thank God for the blessings of all of the amazing women who are, or have been a part of my life. Great mothers are a truly wonderful treasure and I want to heed an astrophysicist’s advice and celebrate them.

Happy Mother’s Day!

What’s in a Name?

We always spend too much time on Fantasy Team names, but it’s fun none the less… This year the winner is: