Diverse Entry

I know...strange title, It is because I have not blogged in a while and there are a lot of areas I would like to cover. Then again, it is pretty late, so we will have to wait and see how far I get. To any and all moms who may read my ramblings, it is my sincere hope that you all enjoyed your Mother's Day. Now, Memorial Day is upon us, an I would ask that my readers take the time this weekend to remember those who have fallen in defense of our country and those that defend her today. Especially today with as busy as our military is. I cannot speak for the other services (although I know they are just as committed and busy). For us in the Marines we are pretty busy. To give an idea, I returned from Afghanistan this past November after being there for eight months and I will be returning again in the not too distant future. To all my fellow service members, I pray that your family will be safe in your absence and that you will return to them safely. I thank you for your sacrifices and those of your family...I know it is not easy...but you are never alone. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend. Let's move on... other than that life is been the pretty much the same. I was actually able to help my wife out with homeschooling the other day ( and the last couple of days). I was pretty excited as I do not get to help very often. My oldest son is studying vitamins and minerals and what effect they have on the body. My wife found this neat resource that made it really interesting, it is making the different items into superheros and giving a brief description about their specifics. I was tasked with creating super heroes that match the item. I will try and post a few of my favorites further on. The images may get distorted, mostly the lettering that is black with a green colored glow. I do not remember the resource for the work sheet, but if anyone is interested, just let me know and I will get it. Well that is about it for tonight,and it is getting late. I will continue with part II tomorrow (hopefully). Until then, may the Lord guide you and keep you!

And 1 More.....

I hope you enjoy them... I made more but those are my three favorites.

Greetings to All

My user name is a mix of a Toby Mac song and a reflection on a lot of different life experiences that have helped me grow and help others through similar situations. I can be pretty hyper sometimes and my wife often accuses me of being ADD. Other than that I see myself as a pretty normal dad who is trying to raise children with Godly Christian character in a world that seems to scream otherwise. Being in the military makes it a little more challenging as it demands as much as of time (probably more) as my family deserves. So that fine balancing act does get a little crazy! With that brief introduction, let's move on to the real reason we are all here! The Kids! I have two boys (both of whom are autistic) and both are wonderful. The strange thing is they have probably already taught me more than I could have ever hoped to instruct them. They have taught me so much about patience, forgiveness and unconditional love it is almost unfathomable. It is amazing what God will use to shape us as He desires. My wife actually does the homeschooling work while I get the easy way out and get to go to work! My oldest son is high fuctioning and my youngest is low functioning autistic. The eldest is quite the intelligent person although he does struggle with social skills and some other things. The youngest one is more challenging to teach as he is non verbal and needs to take things really steady and consistent. I am thankful I have a wife with the patience of Job, because I do not think I could ever do it as well as she does and with as much patience. I do not help very much as far as hands on, but I do believe in fully supporting the curriculm needs. I hear of many stories of dads who try to spend bare minimum on curriculm needs. If this applies to my reader please reconsider. You only have one opportunity to teach and instruct your child. There are tons of money saving solutions without having to buy all the high dollar items. I have also learned that if we spend quality (not so much quantity, but the time we give is from our heart), our children will easily surrender their material needs for that quality time. Well I have rambled enough. Maybe I really am ADD! I just wanted to give a brief introduction. I think it is important for dads to really be there for their children(or somebody else will) and we need to support our wives who do the real heavy lifting around the household. And after a hard day at work it can be difficult to come home and listen to the excitement of the kids and simultaneously the concerns of our wives. I think this is an excellent venue for us to encourage one another that have walked the same trail and understand the obstacles along the way.