Dancing in the Mine Fields--Andrew Peterson

I especially appreciate when art depicts both the good and the fallenness of our world, the beauty and the ugliness, the here and the not yet.  I saw this video today and I think he does a great job of that.



I am so thankful that God gave me Amanda with whom to dance, minefield or not.

The Quad

When we were up at my mom's house, Alex and I went to the sports store to pick up something fun for the kids to play with.  Alex is always wanting to make our time at my mom's special.  He's either bringing something fun from home  (This time he brought their Power Wheels John Deere Gator and another assortment of fireworks.) or trying to get us to buy or rent something.  I really appreciate that about him. We came back from the sports store with an electric quad.  The kids have all really enjoyed it.  Amanda sent me the above picture of Lucy's first ride on the quad.  Thanks Alex, for pushing us to do fun spontaneous things.

Little Brother

Photo by Gulf Coast Business Review

 I haven't always been a husband.  I haven't always been a father.  I haven't always been even an employee or a friend.  But I've always been a little brother.  If you're not a little brother there are some things about this relationship that you simply wouldn't understand.

My brother Joe's wife Carrie posted yesterday that Joe had been written up in his local paper as one of the top area business people under 40-years-old.  When I read the article, I felt like I was in third grade talking with Tiffany Billeau and telling her that I was Joey Gammons' brother or in high school leveraging my little brother currency with Joe's friends in the main commons or at a political rally in Grand Rapids getting to do security because I was with the boss.  I felt proud to be Joe Gammons' little brother.  I live a long way from my older brother.  I have for the past 6 or 7 years.  I miss him and his family.  I miss the day-to-day little brother quality of proximity.

This is a feeling with which Caleb and Matthew and both Sammy's will all be very familiar.  It's a good thing to be a little brother.  It's not always easy, but good.  If you're a little brother, you know what I mean.  Congrats, Joe on your continued success.  Even from a couple thousand miles away, I'm still proud to be your little brother.

Quotes: Paint

We're painting the girls' room upstairs.  It was originally blue and we're painting it pink.  After the first coat Caleb had his doubts.  He said to Amanda,

You can still see blue under the pink.  You should have painted one coat of white and the then two coats of pink.

It's so much fun to see how each of the kids different giftednesses show themselves.  I don't know many six-year-olds who notice things like that and then even have words to articulate it.  Caleb is definitely an artist on the inside.  

Molly

Some of my favorite pics of Molly from the last few months

Quotes: Amish

Amanda and the kids were picking Uncle Gregg up at the airport this afternoon. When Ben saw an Amish girl he said,

"For Heaven's sake, what's she doing on an airplane?"

Breakfast with Molly

Molly and I got to have our first birthday breakfast out this morning. It's pure joy. I look forward to many, many more.

Ben

(Insert 9000 words)

To Alpena and Back Again

My mom came to our house at the end of June and then took the boys back to her house for a few days by themselves.  They had a great time with just Gigi.  We followed the weekend of the Fourth.  We pulled the PUP (which added two hours to our already 11 hour trip).  We were glad though once we got there that we had it.  The boys slept in it by themselves every night.  Alpena is a great place for boy adventures.  We had lots of fun there playing with cousins, hanging with Tricia and Alex and my mom and just being together as a family.

From July

From July

From July

From July

On the way home, we hit Mackinac Island and stopped by Sault Ste. Marie to meet up with Amanda's dad, his wife and her grandma and grandpa.  It's been too long since we saw her grandparents.  They hadn't met Molly and Lucy.  It was great to see them, ride the Rhino and watch the big ships go through the river.  Our time was too brief.

From July

From July

It was a great vacation and other great celebration of the first ten years of our family.  You can see all of the pictures here.

Happy Birthday, Molly Pearl

Today, our little girl turns three-years-old. Amanda said last night that it was amazing how time has flown. Molly is an amazingly sweet little girl who everyone seems to love to be around. We love her as our first little girl and uniquely as our Molly Pearl. Happy Birthday, pearl girl.