My wife had been in the service with the US Navy for about 5 years before we ever met and she has wanted to re-join for some time now. Well, she's been gathering information and talking about it for months and finally seized the opportunity to join the Naval reserves. That's right! Last Tuesday, Wendy re-joined the Navy and that makes me a proud husband to a member of our nation's military. Although I am certainly against violence as a means to an end, I definately understand the need to protect the things we feel need protecting (family, country, beliefs/values, etc.) You tell me... what's the alternative when a person has a gun pointed at you? Are you the type that shoots first and asks later? What if a person simply has a gun on them? Do you feel the need to also have a gun? What if they look a certain way or behave a certain way that offends you or makes you wary? Security... a basic need and desire of all living things.
I can think of no greater tribute to a mom than to let her know with complete certainty that you love her, appreciate everything she's done for you, and will be there for her when she needs you; and then to publicize that love to the world! So, this one goes out to Debora Swanson! I absolutely love you mom, I appreciate all those years of telling me I was your favorite while having to hide that secret from the rest of the family, and I will certainly be there for you when you need to be tossed into an old folks home. Heh... Thanks for putting up with me and my odd sense of humor. Thank you for teaching me the best things you knew to teach me and trying your best to always do what's right and in the best interests of my future. Besides me, thanks for being such a great mother to my sisters! Don't worry, I never told them all of your stress was from them and them alone. Thank you so much for being such an angelic example of giving and personal sacrifice. Your attitude toward service of others has and always will be a source of inspiration to myself and the many lives you have touched in your life. Rumors are circling in heaven that God has you listed as the official chef and caterer of the annual "Heaven's Gala for the Arts". I'd wait tables for you anyday. Thank you and happy Mother's Day!
![]() | Care to buy a farm in Illinois? Well, we're selling the proverbial family farm. If you're interested... REALLY interested, contact my dad through the website. |
I thought I'd give you all an update that my wife Wendy and I met with a boy Andrew (age 11) that we are considering adopting yesterday afternoon for the first time. The meeting went very well and he unexpectedly requested some additional time (beyond the meeting with his adoption team) to get to know us better, so we ended up having him for a total of 2.5 hours yesterday before Wendy returned him to his group home. We decided it would be best to drive him up to Anthem to show him where we lived and explain what our community, neighborhood, and home have to offer his possible future with us. The trip was a lot of fun and now the difficulty of communicating this important decision in his life to him is upon everyone involved. Wendy and I explained to him that we all are just getting to know each other and that he needs to think about his school, friends, etc. before jumping into any decisions.