Life’s Little Moments

The week was a busy one to start with. Add a holiday to that and it get’s crazy!

This week, Ella only had to go to school two days.

They made turkeys out of paper plates. They also asked each child what they were thankful for. (“I’m thankful for when mommy tucks me in at night.”) They also colored and feathered a turkey. I love that she is spelling her full name now.

Andrew and I worked on a project on Sunday. He helped me install the new toilet seat. This one has a kid potty seat built right into it. I couldn’t have done it with out him.

Friday was absolutely insane. We rushed around so much! As crazy as it was, we spent the morning as a family. Quality time was much needed. First, we went to our amazing photographer, Beth, and did Christmas pictures. As always, she got some fantastic shots.

All smiles

The photo shoot is a “mini” session, so it is about 15 minutes long. That is perfect, because that’s about all that the kids can do without going nuts!

I see Ella every day. But it wasn’t until I saw last year’s pictures that I really see how much she has grown. The same with Andrew. They wind up looking like teenagers!

Look at that kid!

We got some great poses with the entire family, too. We’ll need to figure out which one goes on the Christmas card this year. I really like this one:

One thing I don’t feel like we get enough of is photos of Sam and me. So I had Beth snap a few for us.

Oh, how I love this woman!

After the photo session, we all went to breakfast. This is something that we rarely do, so it was a treat for all of us! We stopped by the local Cracker Barrel and enjoyed a delicious meal.

The kids were surprised that they could order whatever they wanted. Pancakes? Waffles? French Toast? Sausage? Bacon? Eggs? You name it, kid! You got it! Ella opted for blueberry pancakes with eggs and bacon. She’s a gal after my own heart.

Andrew ate his own meal (eggs, bacon, toast, and biscuits) and a bit of mom and dad’s, too! The thing he kept asking for was coffee! (That’s my boy!) He thought he was cool drinking from a big boy cup, too!

When I see this picture, I think of the future. I can see him sitting on the porch with me. We each have a coffee in our hands and we’re discussing how good life is…

Let’s slow down a bit, though, okay? Let’s not grow old too fast.

Happy National Friendship Day!

On the first Sunday in August, we celebrate National Friendship Day to encourage people across the world to connect with friends. It is a day to expand your view of the world by making a new friend or reconnecting with an old friend on National Friendship Day.

I have over 1400 friends on Facebook.  I’m not bragging about this.  I have met a lot of people as I have traveled through life and many of them, I chose to stay connected to.

On Friday’s post, part of my core group of friends was mentioned.  The guys who stood up in my first wedding.  Lifelong friends – Jeff, Joe, Steve, and Steve.  I would put Margaret, Chris, Stacey, Stephanie, Allyson, and Warren in that group, too.  Almost everyone of them will fit into another category – school friends.

My school friends consist of classmates from elementary school, junior high and high school.  There are just too many of them to list here.  This category of friends can be expanded, though.  I have many friends from school who were teachers, bus drivers, cooks, custodians, and staff members.  All great people.

My sleep friends are also plenty.  The classmates I had in college, coworkers and those who hold the same RPSGT credential are all connected to me.  There are plenty of college friends who were made that had other majors, but we shared prerequisite classes together.

During my radio career, I accumulated many additions to my friend list.  First, there are former coworkers that go all the way back to 1988 and my first radio job.  Then, there are the many listeners who became life long friends.

Also from my radio career, I met many wonderful people from the community.  I met business owners, politicians, members of law enforcement, local TV personalities, and celebrities. I can’t mention radio friends without mentioning the record label friends.  There are plenty of them, too.

Celebrity friends like singers (James Otto, Craig Morgan, Emily West), other DJs (Dr. Dementia, Joe Piscopo), comedians (Don Reese, Dobie Maxwell), famous relatives (Dean Martin’s daughter Deana, Curly Howard’s grandson Bradley, Lou Costello’s daughter Chirs), actors (Eddie Deezen, Clint Howard), cartoonists (Kevin Fagan, Drew Friedman), and authors (Brad Meltzer, Geoff Dale, Bill Cassara, Burt Kearns) are all folks I am glad to have interacted with.  Some of them I know better than others, and I have regular interactions with them.

Along those lines are the friends I have through shared interests.  My Dean Martin friends and Three Stooges knuckleheads are plenty.  Not to mention those friends I made through bowling and golf.

I also am blessed to have many neighbor friends.  They come from the various neighborhoods I have lived in throughout my life. Many go all the way back to 1977!

Friends who are true blessings are my church/faith friends.  Pastors and teachers from across the country are so helpful when I run across something I don’t grasp.  The brothers and sisters from my local church assembly are truly loved.  Of course, there are those friends that I have made at Bible conferences, and as students of Grace School of the Bible.

Last, but certainly not least, there is you.  My blogger friend.  Maybe we share a love of music, books, writing, poetry, movies or nostalgia.  This WordPress community has been just wonderful.  I have met some amazing friends here. 

Today, I thank you for your friendship.  Make sure to reach out to a friend today!

#NationalFriendshipDay