Happy belated 4th!!!

This 4th of July proved to be a really nice one... pictures posted (videos...well, they exist, but I'll leave the video editing to PC). My break has been a pleasant one, but I couldn't resist to blog since I heard from my daughter. I wasn't expecting the call, which made the whole experience even better.

My son and Junior PC, going through the motions with sparklers... even though they probably think they are too old for them. (One never outgrows sparklers!!!) LOL!!!

Yours truly, feeling like a kid again...!

PC and Jr. PC having a father son moment...

The clean up...

During this week, we (my kids and I) received bad news. News that made me appreciate my life, my children's lives and how we need to live our lives, but mostly how I hope my children are not living theirs or how they are choosing to live theirs. There is not a whole lot I can do but pray that I have raised them in the best way possible and that they can make the right choices or the best choices in life.

We received news that a friend of the family had passed away, this friend, although we didn't see him on a daily basis, we had various contact with him on several occasions with him and his wife and two small children and the immediate family. He passed away Sunday night, no one knows of what or how as of yet... we are still trying to gather information, but the word was that there was drugs involved. I can only hope that this is not the case, even if it were, he had a long life ahead of him as he was only 24 years old with two small children. Such a young life... my kids are within that age range and I don't know what I would do if that would have been my son or daughter for that matter. Rumors are all around, but the main thing here is that a young life is gone.


With all this happening, I did happen to get ahold of my daughter and we were able to speak for a short time in a long time. The news was shocking to her, but hopefully for all my children, this tells them a bit more on how to savor life and live it right. I'm glad that my daughter and I were able to connect again, the thing that brought us to speaking again, is definitely heartbreaking and my prayers are with this young mans family and friends, but I hope that my daughter can see that life is too short to hold resentment or stubborness or grudges, anything that would keep family from speaking. We are all human, even us as parents, there was no instructional book when we gave birth to these precious lives. This week-end I had the opportunity to spend the majority of the morning and afternoon with one of my sons, we enjoyed popping fireworks, Zimbabwee style... we all had a good time to say the least, the day was dampened by some rain, but it didn't stop us from enjoying the company!! Here is a picture of my son and I.



I was able to speak to my oldest son in Austin and it was raining out there. He didn't sound too happy as the weather probably dampered his spirits and not having family (ok, am I dreaming)? lol... I might be putting too much in to this but I do miss him. I love you Joey... with all my heart, tremendously.


I miss having all three of my kids on special holidays. I know that children grow up and take on lives of their own, I pray that my children live happy, fullfilling and prosperous lives.


In going through my email and trying to clean it up, I found the following email that was sent to me by my daughter back in May of 2004, (yes people, I do hold on to certain things, especially if it's something so dear, especially from my kids, kind of like the drawings we tend to hang on the refridgerator). I can only hope and pray that our communication stays open as it used to be and that as the poem states, that I have made a positive impact to some degree in her life.

My Dear Mother

Together...

We have climbed that mountain;

Crossed that river, traversed that valley,

And traveled that long and narrow road.

Together...

We have experienced;

The good and the bad, the right and the wrong,

The beautiful and the not so beautiful.

Time and time again... each of us in our own way

Through the bad times as well as the good

Have been there for the other.

Time and time again... each of us in our own way

Have worked through what needed to be.

Time and time again... each of us in our own special way

Have brought out the best in the other.

Because of you...

My life has been a better one...

And I would like to take this moment,

A heartfelt moment... to thank you.

And more importantly, to say - I love you.

Timothy E. Stevenson