Back to the Future

I graduated High School in 1985. For those of you who remember that far back you will recall that the big movie in 1985 was "Back to the Future" starring Michael J. Fox.

It was a really good movie (Huey Lewis, Christopher Lloyd, Calvin Kleins - what's not to like?). But the one thing that always bothered me about that movie was the whole time travel thing.

It was something that didn't bother you when you watched the movie, but later on when you were thinking about it. I mean, how does one go "back" to the "future"?

Well, as I look at this photo of our daughter, Megan, sitting with her Mom on Christmas night I find myself having a "back to the future" kind of moment. Megan is 12 years old, the same age Sandi was when I first met her back in 1982. Which means that Sandi and I are the same age our parents were when we first met (I think I need to go lie down...) Which also means that it's possible that one of the guys Megan is friends with right now - at church or at school - could one day become our son-in-law! (Now, if all of this doesn't put the fear of God into a person they should probably check their pulse!)

This photo takes me back over 20 years, but it also brings me to the launch pad of our daughter's future - our future. Megan, if you happen to read this post, I want you to remember something as you grow up so quickly into such a beautiful, intelligent woman. God has given you a great gift in your Mom. You can't really appreciate all of this right now, but trust me when I say that you have one of the greatest role models a young woman could hope for. Accept all of the good things your Mother has to offer you. And someday, when you look back at pictures of your own children, you will understand the legacy that Mom is leaving for you right now.

Christmas morning 2006

Here's one quick look back at Christmas 2006. As always, our kids were slathered with gifts. Although we did note a change this past year - smaller gifts and fewer gifts. DVDs, I-Pods, and the like made for easier wrapping, less midnight hair-pulling with "some assembly required...and oh, by the way, we hope you can read Spanish" madness.

Notice that I said the gifts were smaller and fewer, but not less expensive... This is a whole other discussion that I wont breach at the moment (rumor has it my wife actually reads this thing!).

Other than a few of us feeling sick on Christmas it was a very good day. There were lots of family, lots of good food (for those who could eat, I got to watch mostly) and some genuine Christmas cheer.

I think the best example of the spirit of Christmas was when a group of about 5 Middle-School students gathered in our kitchen to bake cookies for a few elderly folks in a nearby nursing home. We delivered these cookies and the students spent about 40 minutes talking with the residents, taking pictures, listening to their stories, and patiently answering the same questions over and over again. "No, we don't speak German...Yes, these cookies are for you." Many gifts exchanged hands in our family this past year, but that was probably the best one.