Christmas Eve 1938

I was always interested that my parents got married on Christmas Eve.
Today would have been my parent's 70th anniversary. But my dad passed away October 31, 2005, about 3 months after these pictures were taken.


I love this picture that my niece Elizabeth took. I'm pretty sure it was spontaneous. To see two people love each other all their lives is significant.

I am so glad God gave us this time so we all could be together.

Marital Problem Solution

I have found the solution to ALL marital problems and family relational issues!

You ask, what is that?

Simple, everyone goes on Wheel of Fortune.


We usually catch the Wheel right as we finish our evening meal (supper for those of you south of Interstate 80 in Illinois or the Mason-Dixon line - that is a joke. Take a breath and laugh).

I have noticed that EVERYONE says, when being interviewed by Pat Sajak..."my wonderful wife/husband, my beautiful wife, my terrific kids..."

I have never heard so many superlatives used in describing family members. Oops, I meant positive superlatives.

I am still waiting to hear someone describe a family member in a less than positive way. Now, wouldn't that be interesting.

So there is the solution..... get everyone onto Wheel of Fortune.

We will ALL be winners!!

FATHER'S DAY 2008

It was a wonderful Father's Day.
The only thing that would have made it any better would to have been able to have had the whole family here. But even though we may be several miles apart, we are TOGETHER!

Joy and Jill fixed a fabulous meal - prime rib, broccoli casserole, 3 bean salad, fruit salad, meringue dessert with fresh fruit compote.... YUMMY!!!!!

My apple tree that Emma and Sam love.

My family gave me this willow tree in 2000. It had about a 1 1/2" diameter trunk when I planted it. (I just remembered that when I dug the hole to plant it, the very first shovel full, I "NAILED" the cable TV line - out of about 300 feet across the back yard, what are the chances of that!?). Anyway, the tree has flourished. Willows are one of my favorites.



Joy was checking out a bird's nest up in the tree.
















We looked at some houses for sale in Naperville.


















One of our wonderful traditions is a trip to Caribou on these holidays.

Look at this beautiful lady holding her favorite Caribou drink!


And as I bring this post to a close, I want to remind you that the sun is setting over Joliet. The time is late and we must work.... oops, I slipped into a missionary mode there.

Great cloud formation. Look at those two holes in the cloud.

The ORIGINAL AX MAN

There is a new series on the History Channel that I am thoroughly enjoying watching.
It is about logging in Oregon.
As I watch and listen to these guys, I am transported back in time.



My father was the original AX MAN.
He started in logging back in Oklahoma, then logged in the Arizona White Mountains before moving to Oregon during World War II.

This is a picture of my dad and me (I'm the little one!) in May of 1948. When my mom sent me these pictures, I love that my dad had written on the back of each picture with a description and location.

This is one of my favorite pictures.
My dad is holding me and I am holding the loggers scale. It is a stick with markings that enables you to calculate how many board feet are in the log.


I now have that logger's scale in my garage. What a great keepsake.
If you are interested in more posts about my dad's logging, just let me know.
I've got a lot more pics!

DNA

I was looking for a couple of pictures (actually, Jill was looking for me - she is our picture expert)... anyway, some pictures I wanted to use in my last sermon I will be preaching at First A/G, Joliet.

Jill came across this picture of Erik (taken at the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii) and noted how it looks just like Sam.

Happy Birthday Glenda

Today is my daughter-in-law's birthday.
She is a great lady.
We are so proud of her and the great family she is influencing.

LOVE

I love my daughter. She is AWESOME!

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to Amy and Mark!

It Doesn't Get Better Than This!

There is nothing better than sharing your breakfast with your grandson!
Sam loves eggs.
Especially the "football beans" (kidney beans) that are part of the omelette.

A BIG DAY FOR JOY!

Today is a big day for Joy.

She starts the day with the Annual Piano Recital for all the students she teaches.
She is the most amazing piano teacher. Her patience and warm encouragement she gives each student is truly remarkable. She instructs 10 lucky piano students.





I have heard some of these students for almost 7 or 8 years and I am amazed at their progress.
Hooray for them and hooray for their great piano teacher, Joy.

ALSO.....

Today, Joy performs her first wedding.


A number of weeks ago, a lady in our congregation came to Joy and asked her "Do you do weddings?" Of course, Joy replied, "Yes." Joy assumed it was a request to play music for a wedding.
Joy asked about the day of the wedding and setting.
She discovered it was outdoors at the country club of a beautiful golf course.
She asked what kind of a keyboard it would be.
The lady quickly said, "No, we want you to perform the wedding!"

Joy became a certified minister a few years ago and is fully qualified to perform weddings.

(The rehearsal on Saturday)

Erik and Glenda told Emma that Grandma was marrying someone on Saturday.
Emma burst into tears.
She thought Grandma was leaving the family!

Isn't it amazing how young children understand some of the dynamics of our society today.
They quickly explained what was actually happening.

Over the years, I've tried to avoid that confusion by stating I am "performing a wedding ceremony."

A minister friend caused quite a stir in his congregation years ago when he announced from the pulpit, "I'm marrying the governor's daughter next weekend."

So, Joy is performing her first wedding today. Hooray Joy!




(Thank you Jill for letting me use your beautiful pictures!)

Happy Birthday to My Son

Happy birthday to Erik today!
As I was driving home, I was thinking of how proud I am of him.
He is a great husband.
He is a great father.
He is a great friend. And a great son.


I am proud of the man he has become.
He is his own man.
He is a clear thinker.


Here's a picture I treasure of Erik with Grandpa Thornton.

I have seen Erik grow and mature.

He has a great ability to build a team and he builds team loyalty.
He is very loyal. That is a trait that is in short supply in so many today.
He is self-motivated and that, coupled with the team esprit de corps he builds in his teams is incredible.

Erik is a clear thinker.
He has an ability to see a problem and the ways to resolve it.
He is superb at training & equipping people and then empowering them to do their task.
He shares the credit and points out and celebrates the success of others.

Dan Reiland wrote….

Great leaders possess a mix of an entrepreneurial spirit, the mind of a dreamer, and a compelling strategic vision that sets the overall tone and direction for the organization. They see a clear and preferred picture of the future without prompting from others. They have passion to see the vision come true even in the face of opposition.

Happy Birthday Erik.

I am proud to be know as your dad.

Good Things

What a pleasure today to be able to have an extended conversation with my son.
We were over 500 miles apart, but thanks to the amazing wonder of cellular technology, distance or location was no issue.
I am amazed at his insights and his ability to cut right through all the..... stuff and get to the heart of an issue.

God is honoring him and blessing him with some wonderful opportunities.
And I am very proud of him.