Point of View (Part 1)--100 Words

Point of view (POV).

Everyone has one.

A designer has a point of view, whether contemporary, traditional, classical.

A chef has one. It may be baking, vegetarian, southern, gluten free, whole food, ethnic.

What’s your POV?

About life.

About your job.

About your family.

About your future.

You have one.

Have you taken time to understand it. Explain it. Accept it.

Later this month, I have a birthday. As it approaches, I think it’s important to evaluate my point of view—about several things.

Take the journey with me if you will.

If not, that’s okay too.

First up—God.

Birthdays--100 Words

Birthdays.

As children, they seem to come about every decade or two.

As adults, they come almost monthly.

While birthdays may be celebrated, ignored, or even forgotten, they are still important.

Birthdays are great days to celebrate life. The life given to us by our parents, and Father.

Today, I celebrate my wife’s birthday. It’s a special birthday. Then again, all birthdays with Tonya are special.

She fills life with joy and fun, excitement and love.

She is the joy of my heart. And life.

Today, we celebrate. However, because of you, every day is a celebration.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

Son--100 Words

3:43 PM.

At that exact moment, you entered our life.

Wrinkled. More than a little bloody. Unhappy to be here. Naked.

And, nine days early.

That’s how Evan William Heartsill came into the world.

Two years ago today.

Life hasn’t been the same for his mother and me since then.

A lot less sleep. Money spent on baby food and diapers. More time thinking about the future. Preparing for you to grow into the man God wants you to be.

Trying to be the parents we are called to be.

Happy Birthday Son! Your Mommy and Daddy love you!

Happy Birthday Tonya

Today is a special day! My lovely bride celebrates her birthday today! I think it's her 29th birthday, at least that's my story and I am going to stick with it!

Now, some guys would say, "You are very lucky! Valentine's Day and birthday in the same weekend! That makes it easy for you!" Oh no! Don't be fooled. That really makes the weekend extra difficult for me. I want to make both days extra special for her.

You see, Tonya really deserves a special day! She deserves the best I can give! After all, she does have to put up with me 365! That's a special calling in itself!

I'm hoping today will be special for Tonya. Just so you know, I picked Tonya up from work on Friday afternoon and we headed off for the weekend--the three of us. I took Tonya to a place that she enjoys very much. There are several things to do, or you can do nothing at all. There's shopping and window shopping to do. And, of course, there are several good places to eat.

All of these things are just things. I realize that. And, by themselves, those things mean nothing. But, what I hope Tonya sees is the love behind each part of our little trip. We didn't spend much money this year for our little getaway. But, in truth, that's okay and doesn't matter. It's not about the money. It's about the joy of our relationship that we share. And, maybe an extra special meal that we enjoyed, that neither of us had to prepare.

So, sweetheart, I hope you enjoyed the weekend. I hope you liked the little things we did. Most importantly, I hope you know the love behind all that was done.

Happy Birthday!

A Birthday Party Feast or Is That Mess?

Saturday was Evan's 1st birthday party. We had a bigger cake made for us. The grocery store where we bought the cake (Publix) gives a smaller individual cake for a child's 1st birthday! What a great idea! Evan had never had cake before, so we didn't know what to expect.

Here's what Evan's smaller cake looked like.



Now, let's follow the progression. Above, is the beautiful, untouched cake, before being placed in front of our child.

Now, below, is Evan sitting in his high chair, with the cake in front of him. At first, he was hesitant to touch the cake. He acted as if it were wrong to touch it, or to taste it.

But, he sure didn't disappoint us with his smile!



After about 10 minutes, well, the cake was no more. Evan had the best time enjoying his cake. He did eat some, I'm not sure how much. He also fed our dog, Peanut, who loves to sit under his chair and eat anything that "drops."

And, this was the photo I took as he was finishing up! Let's just say that most of him was covered in cake, as was his high chair, and the floor, and even Peanut's tail had some cake crumbs on it.

I'm hoping this tradition only happens on the 1st birthday!

You just can't imagine how long it took to clean him, the floor, and his high chair. Let's just say that I finally took the chair outside and hosed it off!



You know, I don't really think a child could have enjoyed his birthday party any more than Evan did! Hopefully, one day, he'll love watching the video of the cake event and seeing the pictures on his blog.

A Few Lessons Learned

Last Wednesday, Evan turned one year old. What a ride this last year has been! He is such a fun kid and brings so much joy into our life.

Over this last year, I've learned several lessons as I have watched Evan grow.

* If you turn your back for three seconds, Evan can be in the next room or halfway up the stairs.
* A box is just as good as a present. At Christmas, Evan spent more time playing with the wrapping paper and boxes that his presents came in than he did playing with the presents themselves.

* I don't know what it is about cords, but Evan loves electrical cords. Thick cords, thin cords, long cords, short cords. It really doesn't matter what type of cord it is, Evan loves to play with them. So, if you turn your back, if he's not in the next room or halfway up the stairs, he's found another cord to pull on. Or, to try to eat!

* Evan has decided that he totally loves the food we are eating! At first, Evan wasn't too sure about "real" food. Now, he's very taken with it! I don't think he has found a food that he doesn't really like! He eats fruit, veggies, and meat. He especially loves chicken! Which is good because we rarely eat red meat. So, it's a good thing for him to like chicken and fish and seafood.

* Evan rarely stops smiling! About the only time he isn't smiling is when he is laughing. And, he loves to laugh.

* It is so much fun to walk into a room and watch Evan's face light up! He really does enjoy being with his mom and dad.

* Evan rarely meets a stranger. He enjoys meeting people at church, at daycare, and the mall. Especially the mall. Evan really likes to go to the mall and just sit and watch people! Then again, I like doing that too!

* The first year has gone by fast! It's hard to believe it has been a year since he was born. While I want him to grow up, I sure enjoy the innocence he has.

* Evan is fearless. Absolutely. Totally. Completely. Fearless! He isn't afraid of climbing off the bed. He isn't afraid to try to go up or down the stairs. He isn't afraid of strangers. He isn't afraid of our dog. He's not afraid of experiencing new things. Evan just isn't afraid! What do you think? Good trait? To some degree, I sure hope this trait doesn't go away any time soon. I hope he remains fearless about life!

* Just about all of life is good for Evan. People take care of all of his needs, feeds him, changes him, baths him, puts him to bed at night, and showers him with love and affection. Not a bad life for any of us, is it? It might be a better world if we all had people caring for us like that.

* Even at one year old, Evan knows how to express himself well. If he is wet, dirty, hungry, or sleepy, you know it. If he is tired, you know it. If he doesn't like something, you know it. There is no pretense with Evan. He is who he is. You know, I hope that trait doesn't go away any time soon!

I'll try to show a few more pictures of Evan over the next few weeks, and include a few pictures of his birthday cake, etc. I'll try not to be that irritating parent who shows off hundreds of pictures at the drop of the hat. Then again, it's my blog and I can if I want to! :)

Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to your comments and words of wisdom.

Happy Birthday Evan!

Today is a special day around our house.

One year ago today, my wife and I were at the hospital, going through labor (ladies, please don't correct me here--while she went through physical labor and I am not downplaying that in ANY way, I too went through unbelievable labor pains just watching, waiting, supporting, not getting in the way, and not having my hand squeezed off!).

One year ago today, Evan William Heartsill made his grand entrance into the world--9 days early--at 3:43 PM.

What a beautiful baby he was! And, how full of life he was from the very first moment of life. He immediately looked around the room, as if to survey his new environment, to determine whether he liked it or not. While he was getting cleaned off by the nurse, he held onto my finger, as if to say, "Dad, as long as you are here, I'll be okay." I think in that moment, while his hand was wrapped around my little finger, what was really happening was that he was wrapping me around him.

Evan's birth was fairly uneventful, as far as births go. Everything went by the book. And, within three days, we were home. Introducing Evan to Peanut (our dog). And, we settling into our new life.

These months have passed quickly. Well, the first two months are still a blur of little sleep, going to work, and trying not to fall asleep in meetings. Feedings every few hours, dirty diapers, regular crying, and total dependance on us was all expected, but certainly exhausting. But now, oh what a joy! Evan is now beginning to eat table food, he is laughing all the time, and the only thing he does more than eat and laugh is smile! There's hardly a moment when a huge smile isn't on his face! He loves people, going to day care, going to church, and he especially loves to go to the mall and just sit and watch people go by! He flirts with all women, smiles at the men, and gets excited when anyone talks to him.

Now, the biggest new adventure for Evan is that he is now walking (see the video below for one of his first attempts at solo walking)! Well, stumbling is probably closer to the truth. But, he's trying. And, he is so proud of his accomplishment! He loves to walk between Tonya and I and then plop down on his rear end. Then, he's back up and ready to go again.

You know, at my age, babies generally don't come along--unless we are talking about grandchildren. Evan doesn't seem to care about my age. All he seems concerned about is playing with his mom and dad and puppy. And, seeing what new adventure he can discover today.

Happy Birthday Son! I hope you never lose that sense of adventure! And, I hope you never lose that smile you have when you see your old dad across the room.

I love you!

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

Sometimes, I just don’t understand people. Even more so, there are times that I just don’t understand parents! Here’s a case in point why.

The father of 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell, who was denied a birthday cake with the child’s full name on it by one New Jersey supermarket, is asking for a little tolerance.

Heath Campbell and his wife, Deborah, are upset not only with the decision made by the nearby ShopRite, but also with an outpouring of angry Internet postings in response to a local newspaper article about the cake.

Heath Campbell, who is 35, said in an interview Tuesday that people should look forward, not back, and accept change. “They need to accept a name. A name’s a name. The kid isn’t going to grow up and do what [Hitler] did,” he said.

After ShopRite refused the request for the cake as inappropriate, the Campbells got a cake decorated at a Wal-Mart in Pennsylvania, Deborah Campbell said.

About 12 people attended the birthday party on Sunday, according to Heath Campbell.
The Campbells’ other two children also have unusual names: JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell turns 2 in a few months and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell will be 1 in April.

Heath Campbell said he named his son after Adolf Hitler because he liked the name and because “no one else in the world would have that name.”

Campbell said his ancestors are German and that he has lived all his life in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, which is across the Delaware River from Easton.

You know, I’m all in favor of freedom of speech and freedom to make your own decisions.

But, there are just some parents who don’t need to have children!

Heath and Deborah Campbell fall into that category!

Adolf Hitler, Aryan Nation, and Honszlynn Hinler—poor children.

While I hope they don’t grow up to do the things Hitler did, I do know a few kids that are going to suffer on the playground, in school, and in life. Why? Because of a stupid decision by stupid parents to name their children this way.

Sick. Sick. Sick.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mother's birthday.

She probably wouldn't want me to tell you how many birthdays she has had.

I don't know why I don't tell you, because my mother and father don't blog. They've never read my blog. Others in my family and associated with the family do read it, but never comment on it. I guess they are like little sponges--they just soak in the good stuff--when the good stuff is here!

Well, my parents never will read my blog. They just aren't into that.

Now, they love to look at Evan's photos online! And, they've gone through dozens of containers of ink and reams of paper printing out those photos from his blog.

Blogging is another matter. I don't think they see the purpose in it. Sometimes, I don't know that I see the point of it either, but my blogging family sure is fun to keep up with!

Even though they don't read my blog, that's not going to stop me from wishing her a happy birthday!

I've already sent a card. And, at some point today, I'll call her and wish her a happy birthday personally. We'll see them around Thanksgiving, so they won't have to go too long without seeing Evan (and you know they'd rather seem him or me and the Mrs.

Oh well, happy birthday Mom! Hope you have a wonderful day. And, for any family members reading this, be sure to tell her I remembered! And, it's on my blog, in case they are interested!