This summer has been one of the toughest of both my personal and professional lives. It has been composed of being away from my wife and kids for a month, the death of a good friend from camp, and a couple of other things that I’d rather not mention here yet. Add a heaping of self-doubt and I’ve got myself a…difficult summer.

But that’s not to say that the season didn’t have its good points. As always, the time I got to spend with campers and staff was awesome. It was also one of the best summers I’ve had as far as quality and dedication of staff.

I compare this summer to a really good movie. Like the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is a great series filled with joy, heartache, laughter, sadness, action, and rest. And while it seems that, at times, that you never want it to end there are times that you wish it could be over. Inevitably, however, no matter what you wish for — it will end. It is a sad thing for the end to come but you find solace in the fact that it was a happy ending.

That is where I am now. The season is coming to an end and there is nothing I can do to change that. As with a couple of other things connected to that — I am a conflicted man (and probably will be for the near future). I am watching the ship sail out and wondering what adventures await me as I stand on shore. I know they shall be grand adventures, but I sometimes wonder what the people on that ship will experience.

So the current adventure is over. After watching the ship sail into the west and the sunset, I find myself wiping away the tears of sadness, turning around and walking to the new sunrise that I know will be approaching after a while. It just means a bit of traveling and wandering through the nighttime.

ad astra per aspera — “a rough road leads to the stars”
“not all who wander are lost” — J.R.R Tolkien

Baby Abbie – Flower!

I think that kids don’t quite understand what is going on around them — but I firmly believe that they *absorb* the emotion from around them. So, for example, if there is the feeling of anger around them — even unspoken — the child can take that anger on. They’re not equipped to deal with it in any way other than crying or becoming “angry” or something similar themselves. Not to say this always happens, but I really think it can. I also happen to believe that my children got my sense of empathy. (Believe it or not, I do get emotional…just stays inside until I feel it is okay to let go of it. But I do cry pretty easily for a “guy”…but there’s nothing wrong with it!

So…when you combine the absorption of emotions with a lot of travelling, late hours, short/no naps, and simply not being at home, that can make for a fun evening.

But then you sit back and watch them sleep afterwards (if you’re not already deep asleep yourself) and smile because you love them.

But…wow.  It’s a great feeling.  I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to be there for the birth — me being really sick for two days before, but all was well by the time the birth actually came.  Mother and daughter (and mother-in-law!) are at the hospital during the nights, while Josiah and I have some bonding time at home.  Don’t want him to feel left out!

This little kid is just like her big brother Josiah in that she was waving her hands the entire time we were looking at her!  And then we got to see her alien little face (I say that lovingly, if you couldn’t tell)…

So there you go — enjoy!

 If you didn’t already know, Sarah and I found out last week that we’re expecting baby #2!  And wouldn’t you know it, it’s due July 3rd.  Yep…another summer camp baby!  I promise we didn’t aim for that date!

I’ll try to do either the same or better job in posting updates on how Sarah and the New Little One are doing!

Some people might think that after four years of marraige, and almost eleven months of fatherhood would make a man want some solitude — even for a few minutes. I thought so, too…until now.

Sarah, Josiah, and I flew down to Alabama last week for one of our friend’s weddings over the weekend. Sarah and Josiah are staying there to visit some family (instead of flying down there again this summer) for another week and a half — and I flew back late Sunday night.

Did I mention that the house is empty?

I went upstairs yesterday to look at Josiah’s room. It just didn’t seem right to see the bed empty, to see the toys not played with — and not to hear him crawling and sort-of-walking around the room exploring.

I continue to be astounded at how blessed I am — every second of every day — to have a wonderful wife and son who make me smile, and glad to be where I am. Sometimes only when those things are temporarily missed does one realize exactly what joys they bring. I have always thanked God for these two special ones that He has brought into my life, and now pray for their safe return.

So, in addition to the “countdown to camp,” I have a countdown to my family’s return — 9 days!

And just to give everyone a treat, here are a couple of pictures of Josiah at his fake 1st birthday party (we had it since all the extended family won’t be up in Massachusetts for his real 1st birthday!)

Well, it’s when someone licks their finger and puts it straight in your ear…and my son did this tonight to me.

Yes, you heard right. Josiah, who will be seven months old on Tuesday, licked his pointer finger and put it straight in my ear.

I have this feeling that his childhood will be full of these kinds of things — bring it on!