In all seriousness though it is funny how that resembles our prayer lives often times. I wonder if God feels the same way I do when I answer Brayden and he asks the same question again, thinking I might change my answer this time? Like Mr. Driscoll referenced, I find myself answering Brayden with either yes, no or maybe later. Although Brayden doesn't seem to care what answer I give him, he will usually ask the question again. In my own life when I pray for something and I get the no or maybe later answer I find myself asking soon thereafter, how about now? It is a funny struggle, often not abetted by our culture, being able to get anything we want when we want and trying to constantly manipulate the environment to get what I think it is that I need. I guess that is a big part of growing up and maturing, being able to accept no as an answer and focus on other things.
The parallel understanding of being a parent to my children and more deeply understanding how God loves me as his child is so refreshing and continually being revealed in new ways as my kids grow. I have to admit that many aspects of my walk with God took on a completely different meaning when we had Brayden and Peyton as I am sure only someone who has had their own children can truly understand.
I think being away from Brayden for a couple of days and really being able to bond with Peyton has afforded me the opportunity to love them a little more. We came back and Brayden just seemed all that much bigger and it was as if he learned a whole bunch of new words. Listening to him tell Crystal and I about his adventures while we were away, Crystal and I just looked at each other and smiled in one of those moments that you wish you could just freeze for an eternity. This was followed the next morning by him coming into our room after waking up and looking at Crystal and I with a huge grin on his face, clapping vigorously and proclaiming "YAY" in his excitement that momma and dada really were home and him coming home late with us the previous night wasn't just a dream.
Peyton is getting into one of my favorite stages where she is not quite mobile yet but becoming very interactive and everything she sees is new and exciting. She will grab anything and everything within reach (and even the occasional thing that you are certain she can't reach but somehow is able to use that super human baby reach to grab on to) and her personality is being more clearly defined everyday. She did absolutely amazing on the trip and she just continually melts my heart. Crystal would tell you that I have been madly in love with this little girl since I first laid eyes on her but I have to admit that we really haven't too much just daddy-Peyton time. With a lack of available distractions Crystal and I didn't have too many places for Peyton to go besides to each other and Brayden wasn't there to distract us from her. It was fun and I look forward to daddy dates in coming years when she is a little older.
Brayden and Peyton are similar in some ways and very different in many others. To that end, I love them both in different ways and really enjoy seeing the beautiful little people they are becoming. Everyday I find myself falling in love with these kids all over again like the first day we met and it is beautiful to think that is how God feels about me as his child.
It was fun to go on our trip to DC and Crystal and I had a great time getting away. It was fun to see Angie and we wish Andy could have been there too. Angie and Crystal only ganged up on me a couple of times but I was able to retreat to my iPhone for solace and restitution. In seriousness I have to admit the iPhone is amazing and it was a big help on the trip in multiple ways. Of which I might add, Crystal received as much benefit as I did (at least that is the story I will stick to). In any case Angie and Crystal's goading resulted in dubbing the iPhone my second wife and naming the iPhone Jessica (or maybe that was me that named the phone Jessica? My memory seems a little fuzzy on the issue, but we shall leave it at that). I know Crystal has a better blog about our trip but I had to add a couple more images and anecdotes from our trip:
I like how Crystal mentioned in her blog that we went to the Library of Congress because what she didn't tell you about was about the journey to get there. She didn't want to go that way and it was hot outside (trust me not an ideal combination). However, I had the map and baby stroller and wanted to see the Library of Congress so I offered to carry Crystal's purse (several times) in an attempt to make the journey a little more bearable (she turned me down). It turned out to be one of our favorite fountains that we saw and got a picture of the three of us together.
My two beautiful girls in front of the fountain in the Art Sculpture Garden (another image from the garden follows at the end of my post because I don't really know where to put it, or even what it is supposed to be (even after looking it up on Jessica, wikipedia explained it to me and I still don't have a place for it)) (and insert Crystal rolling her eyes as I took the picture)...
Checking out the WWII Memorial...
Jessica captured the following photo of us cruising around Baltimore harbor...
And lastly, from the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History we captured a couple of our own images of natural history in the making...
Like I mentioned previously, it was a wonderful trip and I can't wait for the kids to take some US History in high school so we can come back and they can be our tour guides. I had a pretty intense Advanced Placement US History class in high school and I recall getting an A but it was over ten years ago now (as I have recently been reminded) and in all honesty it was public school. Next time we will have to spend some more time, seeing more things and it would be fun to come back during the Cherry Blossom time in the Spring.
Thanks for reading,
T~
PS Happy Birthday to my little man today!
