becoming daddy

best Superbowl ad ever. “Hey, Janice”

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:58:50 -0500

best Superbowl ad ever.

“Hey, Janice”

Look at that swagger from my kids and my new nephew. (Taken...

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:37:52 -0500

Look at that swagger from my kids and my new nephew. (Taken with instagram)

I haz a sad. Honda has ruined one of the greatest movies of...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:23:27 -0500

I haz a sad.

Honda has ruined one of the greatest movies of all time.

Some kids sleep with stuffed animals. My son, however …...

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:16:53 -0500

Some kids sleep with stuffed animals. My son, however … (Taken with Instagram at The Nutt House)

“object in the rear view mirror are closer than they...

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:38:02 -0500

“object in the rear view mirror are closer than they appear” (Taken with instagram)

Snow days lead to the best train tracks (Taken with instagram)

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:45:24 -0500

Snow days lead to the best train tracks (Taken with instagram)

Snow Tree (Taken with Instagram at The Nutt House)

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:15:08 -0500

Snow Tree (Taken with Instagram at The Nutt House)

Dear Amos & Vera

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:33:00 -0500

Lately, I’ve become obsessed with getting a bag from Saddleback Leather (specifically, a Large Classic Briefcase, in Tobacco Brown. Here’s a handy link in case you are looking for birthday present ideas). They’re expensive, but come on … they last 100 years!

I was trying ~~to justify buying one~~ to figure out why I was so drawn to this specific idea and company, besides their simple awesomeness. I think it’s their motto that really struck me: They’ll fight over it when you’re dead. Now, I didn’t really take that verbatim; after all, I don’t want the two of you fighting over something so silly. (Plus, the apocalypse is coming, so we’re all going to be eaten by zombies at the same time anyway since Daddy is a silly pacifist). But, it did make me consider my legacy and what I *am* going to be leaving you with (in case I’m wrong about the zombie thing). And, it also reminded me how cool I used to think your Grampa’s stuff was when I was growing up and how great it would be when I had awesome stuff like his too. His wallet was all cool and beat up and his Bible was worn and his old Army boots were amazing and he had the coolest Stanley Thermos and WHEN WAS I GOING TO BE BIG ENOUGH TO STEAL HIS STUFF? Sadly, I never did grow big enough to borrow his clothes or fill his shoes (which is probably a metaphor for something, but you’re both to young for that). Of course, it wasn’t the things that I really wanted as much as it was to be the awesome man that had all this cool, manly stuff.

Which brings me back to the bag for a minute. I think deep down what I really want even more than the actual bag to be is the type of person that *needs* this type of thing. To be someone who will earn it and use it, and will get awesome scratches and stains on it and tell amazing stories because of them. Persons like your Grampa, who spends his week teaching and his weekends in his garage being the most incredible artist and who spent nearly every summer for 20 years doing missions work, or your Papa who goes to Africa every other year to work building a school or a church or a clinic or something, or your ~~Seattle Austin~~ Raleigh Uncle Chris and the work he does in Haiti and South Africa.

So, I’m choosing to take inspiration from a simple leather bag in the hopes that it turns me into someone that you can be proud of and want to be like, but most of all, I’m hoping that that both of you will grow into my shoes.

Love, Daddy

Eating my dino-wich (Taken with instagram)

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:44:23 -0500

Eating my dino-wich (Taken with instagram)

Watching Winnie the Pooh - with a friend (Taken with instagram)

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:55:01 -0500

Watching Winnie the Pooh - with a friend (Taken with instagram)

Cooking with Grammy (Taken with Instagram at The Parentals)

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:06:11 -0500

Cooking with Grammy (Taken with Instagram at The Parentals)

Using the Angry Birds slingshot to launch Buzz (Taken with...

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 12:36:28 -0500

Using the Angry Birds slingshot to launch Buzz (Taken with instagram)

Putting God’s perfect food - Jif peanut butter - on...

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 12:18:04 -0500

Putting God’s perfect food - Jif peanut butter - on blueberry oatmeal (Taken with instagram)

My impression of Michigan Grammy (Taken with instagram)

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:02:16 -0500

My impression of Michigan Grammy (Taken with instagram)

Apparently monsters enjoy a good bowl of popcorn (Taken with...

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:20:06 -0400

Apparently monsters enjoy a good bowl of popcorn (Taken with instagram)

Happy Skeleton (Taken with instagram)

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:30:28 -0400

Happy Skeleton (Taken with instagram)

“Daaaddddy! Itchy!” (Taken with Instagram at The...

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:39:28 -0400

“Daaaddddy! Itchy!” (Taken with Instagram at The Nutt House)

Sunday afternoon faces (Taken with Instagram at The Nutt House)

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:48:44 -0400

Sunday afternoon faces (Taken with Instagram at The Nutt House)

Saturday morning playtime (Taken with Instagram at The Nutt...

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:16:07 -0400

Saturday morning playtime (Taken with Instagram at The Nutt House)

Now that’s a sundae! (Taken with Instagram at Bluebird...

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:53:05 -0400

Now that’s a sundae! (Taken with Instagram at Bluebird Ice Cream)