I Taht I Saw A Tweety Bird…

Growing up in the sixties, thanks to popular culture, there were two ominous dates looming in our future. 2001 and Nineteen Eighty-Four. While Dave, Hal and 2001 seemed so far away, 1984 felt like it was right around the corner. Would the world truly give way to the “Thought Police” and “Big Brother”? If only George Orwell could see the world today.

Well, 1984 was here and Orwell’s world hadn’t taken a foothold, yet. Gone was the Malaise of the late Seventies and the economy was in a strong recovery. We were in the midst of a Presidential election that looked like an actor, with little political experience, was going to win re-election in one of the biggest landslides in US history. The economy was booming. Mostly because of the introduction of the personal computer a couple of years earlier.

At the beginning of 1984, Apple introduced the MacIntosh; soon to be known simply as the Mac. In the tech world, I was working in the beginning of an outright war between upstart Apple and stalwart, IBM. Funny fact… HAL from 2001 was named after IBM. The letters right before the famous “Big Blue” acronym letters spell HAL. Ha! My bride, Kayleen and I were still in Iowa. Proud parents of a beautiful Son and Daughter with another baby on the way.

It was June in Iowa. Probably my favorite month of the year in the Hawkeye state. While I always loved the rebirth of spring in Iowa, especially after what was usually a drab, dark winter. I also loved the unrivaled beauty of fall, with the fiery turning of the leaves, the smell of Football in the air and the glorious gold’s of Harvest time. Both wonderful, but June was always Green, lush and full of God’s promise for the year ahead. This June was particularly welcomed, we were being blessed with another child.

Financially, we were beginning to recover along with the economy, after some very lean years. We had rented a house in Cedar Rapids. With a couple of kids, and one on the way, we could no longer find the Apartment Manager jobs that provided “No Rent” roofs over our heads for so many years.

This Friday in June was beautiful; 65˚, sunny, blue skies. Not sure what I did at work that day, but I had not graduated to travel by air yet, so, most Friday’s saw me coming home late in the afternoon. I remember walking in the house and wondering where everyone was. No kids playing, no noise from the kitchen. Investigating further I found our year and a half old daughter, Jennifer, taking a nap. Assuming Jason was playing in the neighborhood; I began the search for Kayleen. Calling out for her, I found her deep in cleaning mode. Or, what I would come to know as nesting.

Nothing too eventful that day until early evening when Kayleen said, “we should go to the Hospital. It’s time.” My brother and his girlfriend came over to watch the kids, while Kay and I headed out to have a baby. Cedar Rapids is a small city and it didn’t take us long to get to the Hospital. We were so excited to meet this new addition to our growing family. This was the first time we had ever seen an Ultrasound of our baby in the womb. While we didn’t find out if we were having a boy or girl; we clearly saw that we had a thumb sucker on the way.

Arriving at the Hospital around 8:30 to 9:00 that night, everything moved fast. At 11:01 pm, our new baby was born. With all our kids, I was blessed to be part of the deliveries, helping Kayleen cope where I could. Breathing, ice chips, back rubs. All the important stuff. When this baby arrived, before I knew if it was a boy or girl, I told Kayleen that we got our Red Head. Then the nurse said, “A Red Head, Girl!”. Weighing in at a little over 8 lbs., this little Girl was beautiful.

With our first two, Kayleen and I had a pretty good idea for names. This time we weren’t as sure. We knew it should start with a “J” like Jennifer and Jason. I was leaning towards Jacqueline but all we could think of was our little girl, at the blackboard in school, spelling her ten letter, multi-syllable name. With the success of TV’s Charlies Angels, Jaclyn Smith’s name was everywhere. I’m not sure who saw it first, but 6 letters instead of 10, that was it. So, with that we welcomed Jaclyn Marie to the McCuen clan.

A couple of days in the hospital for Kayleen and Jaclyn enjoying some much-needed rest, then home to meet the family. While Jason and Jennifer had the usual “baby-fat”, I remember Jaclyn to be a long and lean baby. From the first day, she had a beautiful sparkle in her eyes, when she smiled, she melted hearts. Born two days before Father’s Day that year, they sent her home with a pink ribbon in her hair to mark the special day. Without a doubt, my favorite Father’s Day present ever!

From the first day, Jaclyn and Jennifer were not only sisters; they became inseparable best friends. At only eighteen months apart; sometimes they seemed more like twins. Jennifer was like a mini-mom for that first year. Doing whatever she could to help Kayleen. It wasn’t unusual to hear Jennifer do her imitation of Jaclyn crying, right along with the baby, to make sure Kayleen knew she was needed. Jaclyn was clearly more vocal than the first two. A trait that we always credited to her Red hair.

By this time Jason was in school, with all the interests and responsibilities that come with it. While it seemed, Jennifer was always with Jaclyn, Jason was a wonderful “Big Brother” to his new sister as well. Like he did with Jennifer, Jason was always teaching, when and where he could. Including the day when an exuberant Jason ran into the kitchen exclaiming to his mom, “I taught Jackie how to get out of her crib!” Mom was so pleased. 😊

As the years went by, Jennifer and Jaclyn continued to be BFF’s. Dolls, clothes, dancing; whatever the activity, it was done together. As Jaclyn grew, her eyes turned the most beautiful shade of blue. The red hair gave way to a brilliant platinum blonde. Those big blue eyes, that blond hair and her cute little chin, always reminded me of “Tweety Bird”. No wonder that she became my little “Tweety”. While it always made shopping for her a little easier. When she got older, as only Jaclyn can, she let us know that she’d had enough Tweety!

Like the Jax we know and love today, she never missed a thing. Always watching and observing everything around her. Jaclyn became our family “go to person” if we had lost something. She usually knew right where to look. She was curious about everything. One day when feeding ducks at the pond, Kayleen gave the kids some old moldy bread to give to the ducks. Jaclyn, with an honest concern asked… “Mom, do Ducks like mold?”. Or the time Jaclyn saw a lady at the store with a neck brace on. After a long stare, Jaclyn asked with obvious worry, “Mom, did that ladies head fall off?”

We were a family that always enjoyed music. While Jason loved a variety of music from ballads to rockers, as he grew his interests moved to sports and then computers. Jennifer loved ballads and softer, more lyrical songs. Eventually leading her to becoming a huge *NSYNC fan. Jaclyn was our “rocker”. Early on, while our kids enjoyed the Beatles and some of Kayleen and my favorite gentler bands. Jaclyn always wanted to hear the Doors, REO Speedwagon and my favorite band, The Kinks. One of my favorite memories is Jaclyn, armed with one of my Racquetball Racquets, playing air guitar and singing with me to The Kinks Victoria.

It’s really no wonder that as an adult, when Jaclyn heard that Kayleen and I had taken Jennifer to see Ray Davies; The Kinks lead singer, composer and founder, at a concert in San Francisco. She was not happy. I felt horrible and kept thinking about “air guitars” and how much she did love The Kinks. I began looking for somewhere that Ray was playing that Jaclyn, Kayleen and I could go. Well it didn’t take long and I found the perfect show. In Nashville. Yup, British rocker in Music City! We began planning the trip.

The three of us spent a few days in Nashville starting with a great show featuring Ray and a band from Wisconsin, called Locklesly that could have been a British invasion band in the 60’s. They even did a couple of rockers with Ray in lieu of having The Kinks there for a reunion.

After Ray, we over “Countrified” Jaclyn with shows on Broadway and even a trip to the Ryman to see the Opry. I’m sure Jaclyn will always cherish seeing “Little Jimmy Dickens” and others. When we asked Jaclyn what else she wanted to do while we were there, she said she always wanted to go to Graceland. So, did I. However, Memphis was on the other side of the very wide Tennessee. Road Trip!

It was on that trip, and during that long car ride, that I came to know the woman that Jaclyn had become. We laughed, we cried a little, but mostly spent a wonderful time together; just getting to know each other. No doubt that now, I know her sincere disdain for most “Country” music.

A couple of months ago Kayleen and I went back to Minnesota to visit Jaclyn, Erik and their new son Sullivan for his one-year birthday. It was fantastic. Sullivan is already such a little man, and a charmer, like his Mom. The three of them are such a wonderful family, full of love. It was great to see all our family and friends. But my favorite part was to see my little “Tweety” as a Mom.

Kayleen and I are so proud of Jaclyn and the beautiful Person that she has become.

Happy Birthday Tweety!

All Our Love, All Ways! -Mom & Dad

Airplanes, Rental Cars and Hotel Rooms. That was my life back in 1986. Gone were the struggles of newlyweds with their first baby back in Iowa. Now, with a Gaggle of Kids and growing responsibilities at home and work. It seemed that there truly wasn’t enough day in the time.

With our first born, Jason, we were struggling to makes ends meet as the economy was in the tank. Iowa seemed to be ground zero with Corn Embargo’s, 20% inflation and 20% interest rates. I oft times recall those days as some of the happiest ever. Albeit, very, very broke. Fortunately, the next six years saw an economic explosion with the introduction of the personal computer, networks, and all that go with them. Very blessed to be deep into the technology sector of the printing industry, I was busier than I had ever been before. Kayleen was working just as hard, if not harder, as the mother of three beautiful children and the best wife a guy could ask for.

Shortly after our third child, Jaclyn, was born in 1984; we packed up the family and moved from the comfort of Family and Friends in Iowa, to Dallas, Texas. Little did we know this would be the beginning of a life that would see us move all over the country chasing my career.

Hard to believe that it’s been thirty-two years since our last baby, James Robert, was born. The only one of our four children not born in Iowa, James first saw the light of day in Dallas. Yup, you got it. He’s our very own JR from Dallas.

Thinking back to the day James was born. It’s difficult to recall details. Unlike that first child’s birth where the world seemed to move in “slow motion”. This Friday was a blur. Working for a software company that was disrupting the printing industry during the economic explosion. It seemed that I was always on the road. Off by plane on Monday or Tuesday, returning on Friday’s for the weekend. Leaving Kayleen to fend for herself with all the kids and the day-to-day stuff. All while she was nine months pregnant! What a trooper!

Together, we had grow in experience from that chilly day in Iowa when Jason was born. Now with our fourth. We were Pros. Gone were the days where everything was sanitized before getting anywhere near the baby. Now, the “Five Second Rule” was in full force. You know, “Go ahead and eat it, it hasn’t been on the floor more than 5 seconds.”

Spending the last day of my trip in Denver doing software demos, my ticket had me getting home around 7:00 to 8:00 pm Friday night. There were no cell phones yet, and keeping in contact with the very pregnant Kayleen was relegated to nighttime and morning calls. She always knew where I was. Just in case. Like the three times before, I’m confident Kayleen spent the day cleaning the house as part of her predictable “nesting” regimen.

Our routine was predictable as well. When I would come home on Fridays. Kayleen would pack the kids into the car and venture out to the enormous DFW airport to pick me up. One of my favorite things was seeing my beautiful bride and those three little faces when they pulled up to the curb. Now, I could go home, put all the pressure aside and relax with my family. Or so I thought.

Like most Fridays. We got home and began to settle in. Catching up with the Kids about their week and making plans for the weekend. Around this time Kayleen came in and said, “I think we should get to the Hospital.” “It’s time to have this baby.” Being three-time professionals of the “Baby is Here” process; this was no causal statement. Especially considering that the last two children were born only a few hours after Kayleen said it was time. Not the ten plus hours it had been with Jason.

We were very blessed to have two saints named “Birdie” and Brenda close by. While technically, Birdie was our Landlord, she was more like the kid’s Texas Grandmother. She loved them, and they loved her. Brenda was Kayleen’s good friend. Another Mother raising a Gaggle of her own. So off to Brenda’s and Birdie’s for the kids; and off to the Hospital for Kayleen and me. I believe we arrived sometime around 9 pm. Neither of us have clear memories of that night except that it was a whirlwind. True to the James we would come to know and Love. He didn’t wait to be born. Arriving promptly at 12:27 am, Saturday morning. Not much more than three hours after Kayleen’s alarm to head to the Hospital.

With our other three, Kayleen stayed with them a couple of days in the hospital and then the two of them would come home. However, with James, the folks at the hospital wanted to keep him for observation. Kayleen came home and James stayed there to be checked out. This went on for about a week with Kayleen heading back to the hospital everyday for feedings, bonding and Love. Then the big Day! Baby brother was coming home. Jason finally had a brother. Jennifer and Jaclyn had a “Lifesize” doll to hug and love.

Spending so much time at the hospital we got to know the staff and nurses well. Upon hearing that we were from Iowa, and would probably move back sometime. One of the nurses said, “Texans Always Come Home.” Little did we know that we would not return to Iowa in all our moves. She was right though. As an adult James has moved home to Texas. Not once, but twice. Ha! The Return of JR.

Growing up as the “baby” of the family had it’s challenges I’m sure. As the youngest of three, I well remember the world of hand-me-downs and being last-in-line. Almost seven years younger than Jason, James was the darling of his two sisters. Initially, as a cute bundle of baby, then as a live “Dress-up” doll.

James’s bright blue eyes have always lit up any room he was in. From the day he was born, anyone that met him, felt the joyful soul behind those smiling eyes. All our children were curious, and James was no exception. He always worked to understand the world around him. Methodically logging every element into his memories; with a unique ability to recall the most minute detail at will.

We knew his recall was special, when he landed the role of Hamlet in his elementary school presentation of Shakespeare’s classic play. I don’t believe James missed a word throughout the entire play.

As he grew out of the living doll phase with his sisters, around the age of three, James became interested in computers. One day I had loaded a Ninja Turtles Paint program for him. The software was a Coloring Book on the PC. Point at a spot in the picture, choose a color. That simple. After teaching three-year-old James a little about the mouse; I pointed him to the software. The rest is history.

Day and night, seven days a week, James was on the computer. With the help of his older brother, James was introduced to more interactive games starting with Flight Simulator. As he grew, I remember having to buy new keyboards every year. Not because he was hard on them, but that he typed so fast that he literally burned them up. We should have known that as an adult he would type at speeds of 120+ words per minute. With gusts up to 200 wpm!

Through his first years in school, James continued to absorb everything he could. For a while he was enamored with “Infomercials” on TV.  It wasn’t unusual for James to bound into the Family room emphatically professing the need to buy this or that product before time ran out. When we would question why we needed anything like that. James, with all the passion of a TV Spokesman, would detail every feature and benefit. Driving home the need to act, Now!

Thankfully, that phase didn’t last long. As James continued to grow, so did his curiosity. At a very young age, James became very focused on problem solving. Probably initially from the computer games and then in life. One day, presented with the challenge of raising money for a project at school. James applied all his informercial and problem-solving skills to selling candy bars in the neighborhood. Knocking on our door. There was James, standing next to him, our cute 4-5-year-old neighbor girl. When Kayleen asked James why she was with him? Without missing a step, James responded, “Mom, don’t you know, Cute Sells!”.

James has a “Golden Heart” and truly loves people. One day, after a very loud discussion involving Kayleen and one of the other kids. James took Kayleen aside and said, “Mom, I will be a Good Teenager, and not cause you any trouble”. He was, and he didn’t.

If I were to describe James in one word, it would be curious. He has always had an insatiable appetite for knowledge. An appetite that as a teenager, would lead him into reading thousand-page book after thousand-page book. Always looking for that next challenge, early on, like his older brother, he was playing online computer games with friends all over the world. Young James learned Latin, played guitar and even took a stab at violin. As a problem solver he continues to excel daily. He applies all he has learned, methodically realizing a solution. In our family we all loved talking about Sherlock Holmes and his unique approach to solving problems. James is our own personal Sherlock.

Now, at thirty-two years old, James continues his quest for knowledge and applying his problem-solving skills daily. When James was born, I was 31 and had built a career in technology where I supported the sales process. Pre and Post sales. Now, James is doing a very similar job in IoT (Internet of Things). Spending most of his days in Airplanes, Rental Cars and Hotel Rooms. What is it they say about the Nut and the Tree?

His Mom and I couldn’t be prouder of the man he has become.

Happy Birthday James!!

All Our Love, All Ways!

Fickle. That’s the only word that comes to mind when I think of the weather, in Iowa in March. One day, you’re basking in a warm spring-like day. The next day, you’re digging out from under a blanket of wet snow.

That’s how I remember starting March 23, 1979. We were almost to April and the renewal of Spring. March Madness was behind us. So, the threat of another spring Blizzard was lessening every day. Still, it was warming up to the 40’s with about 2” of snow waiting to melt off.

My Bride, Kayleen and I were living in the house where I grew up, four years after being married in the Rose Garden at a local park. Kayleen was nine months into her first pregnancy. While everything around me seemed familiar; the house, the neighborhood, friends and neighbors. I’m sure for Kayleen, she wasn’t quite as comfortable. With all the unfamiliar surroundings, she was Huge. Carrying her first child, this beautiful, petite, girl must have felt like she tripled in size.

There we were. Not much more than two kids ourselves. Expecting our first born.

https://videopress.com/embed/NtRUkqGk?hd=0&autoPlay=0&permalink=0&loop=0Gone were the early days of fear, euphoria and anticipation when we first found out that we were expecting. Now, the feeling of “can we just get this over?” seemed to dominate every day.

In the 70’s, in Iowa, things were radically different than today. The medical community was still steeped in the traditions of early, modern medicine. Pregnancy and Labor were a “Women’s” thing. There were no Ultrasounds to herald whether it was a Boy or a Girl. Husbands were typically regulated to stand on the side-lines for nine months while their wives prepared the “Nest”. All Husbands had to do was wait outside of the labor room and pass out cigars when the cries of a newborn were heard. Fortunately, Kayleen and I were following my sister, Martha, and husband Gene, who had just had their first born a year earlier.

They had found a wonderful Hospital in the small city where we all grew up. For the 70’s, the Hospital was very progressive. And offered “Natural” child birth, not common for hospitals at the time. Especially in Iowa.

Soon after finding out Kayleen and I were expecting our first-born, we enrolled in the Lamaze program at the hospital. Lamaze was a radical change for the birthing process. Not just for Women, but for Men as well. Lamaze included a series of classes to help pregnant women understand how to cope with pain in ways that would ease labor, and promote comfort, including relaxation techniques, breathing, movement and massage. A vital part of the technique was enlisting the Men as coaches.

Going through the classes with Kayleen, I truly learned a lot. Most of the method was designed to help women manage the pain of birth. Throughout my life, I’ve called on those lessons frequently and know them to be very effective.

Here we were. Nine months into breathing exercises and belly rubs, still petrified. As frightened as I was at the prospect of being a Father, I can only imagine what Kayleen was going through; not only with becoming a Mother, but the expected pain that had been so articulately defined in those classes. There was no turning back.

Two weeks earlier, on a frigid, 12° night, complete with a new sheet of thin Ice on the roads. We had the legendary “False Alarm”. Kayleen was sure that this was it! So, we piled into the car and headed for the hospital. The trip that would normally take 30-40 minutes, seemed to last forever on this night. Both us full of anxiety and anticipation, sliding to the hospital as fast and as slow as possible. After a few hours of tests, prodding and consoling we were sent home. The good thing about “false alarms” is the preparation they provide for the real thing.

This day started like most. The wondering if this was it. Trying to keep busy and focused, with the metaphoric elephant in the room. It was Friday though. On the news they’d mentioned that the record high was 86°. Fickle!

Today, the forecast was for light rain. No Snow until later in the night. Typical cloudy grey Iowa morning. Little did I know; our world was about change forever, in a wondrous way.

Not sure if I went to work that day, nevertheless I’m certain Kay was busy picking stuff up in the house. A habit that I would come to recognize as “Nesting” over the years. Sometime around eight that night, Kay exclaimed “This is really it”. Thanks to the “false alarm” a few weeks prior, there was little anxiety or chaos. Just a methodical march to the car and then the hospital.

Arriving at the hospital, we felt like pros and even recognized some faces from our earlier trip. The staff quickly confirmed that this was indeed it!

Off to the delivery room. Because of the new Lamaze practice, the room was designed to start as a regular patient room and when needed, convert to the birthing room for delivery, then back to normal. Cool. Everything was hectic for the first couple of hours. I could see the fear and uncertainty in Kay’s eyes and couldn’t seem to calm her down.

You know that feeling you get sometimes when a big change is coming. Not sure if it will be good or bad? A storm brewing kind of feeling. That’s how I was feeling when I heard it. All the chatter and noisy chaos had stopped instantly. Then I heard it through the stark silence. Thud, thud, thud. Thinking about it now makes me think of the T. Rex in Jurassic Park. Thud, thud, thud. Getting louder and quicker each time.

The door to our room bursts open with a shout of “Is this where we’re having a Baby!” There in the doorway was our Night Nurse. An almost 6-foot-tall, rotund, 50’ish nurse in an impeccably detailed uniform. She was shouting orders to everyone in the room, including Kay and me. “Move This!”, “Sit Here!”, “that Can’t Be In Here!”

I took one look at Kay and saw the fear in her eyes and could only imagine how I looked to her. Calm was not the mood that night.

Together, Kay and I spent the night in anxious anticipation. Utilizing all my new skills from Lamaze, I worked to make Kay as comfortable as possible. Belly rubs, Ice chips and the monotonous breathing sessions. Our systematic practice of Lamaze was oft interrupted by a loud “What’s Going On In Here!?” Or, “Is That Baby Here Yet!?” from our bellicose night nurse. We have since nicknamed her the “Army Nurse”, or “Nurse Ratchet”. In looking back, I’m sure she was a sweetheart. Anyone that devotes their life in the service of others, usually has a heart of Gold.

For us two Doe-Eyed, soon to be parents, our nurse was both an extreme disciplinarian and our comic relief. Kay never did relax, and more importantly, never dilated. The hours and minutes ticked by sluggishly. What was only a few hours, seemed like an eternity with us both huddled in a dark, cold hospital room. Whispering to each other as if anyone could hear of us over the droning sounds of beeps and PA announcements of a Hospital. Like clockwork, every Hour on the Hour, the “Army Nurse” would burst in with some exclamation, ensuring Kay would stay sufficiently anxious.

Around 7 that morning, the door opened… flooding the room with warm sunshine. It seemed that I could hear a choir and I’m sure I even saw a few white doves. Through it all, an angel appeared in the form of our morning nurse. Immersed in a golden glow, dressed in white from head to toe, and not saying a word. Instantly, Kay and I knew everything was going to be fine. Almost whispering, our Angel floated around the room checking everything out while accessing Kay’s condition in-depth.

Holding Kay’s hand to calm her down, the Angel looked at me and with a calm, loving voice said, “You need to leave now”. Without question, I gave Kay a kiss and left.

As Kay tells the story, our Angel helped her out of bed and into a warm shower. Kay often says she was glad that no one else saw the sight of a nine month, very pregnant, naked lady in the shower. Disconcerting or not, the shower did the trick. What seemed almost instantly, the room was a buzz with nurses, technicians and Doctors. The room was quickly converted to a birthing room and at 9:01 a.m. our wonderful Son, Jason Alan made his entrance.

They had brought me back into the room and were very attentive to make sure I was by Kay’s side during the delivery. For a twenty-four-year-old, soon to be Dad, I was in awe. Never did I think something as clinical as childbirth, could be such a miraculous experience. They coached me and held my hands while I nervously cut the umbilical cord, formally making Jason an individual. An experience that will always be one of my best memories.

Well, there we were, New Parents. Now what?

Kay and I spent the next few years in what I can only describe as euphoria. The three Musketeers, Kayleen, Jason and me. Inseparable. Jason was always a happy and inquisitive baby. Everyone he met loved him and fawned over him insatiably.

While we were really struggling financially in a very tough economy, I always remember those days as a very joyous time filled with love and the new adventure of becoming a family.

Today, Jason celebrates his 39^th birthday. Yesterday in his adopted Australia. A Husband and Father of two remarkable boys. Kayleen and I are so proud of the Man he has become. Watching him grow as a husband and father over the years has brought back so many wonderful memories of those first days as Parents.

Jason will always have that special place as our “first born”. For a while, an only child. I will always cherish my early times with Jason. We did so many firsts together.

An early Soccer star that we nicknamed “Thunder Thighs”, a talented, dependable baseball player that hit the ball every time he stepped up to the plate. Fortunately, I had the pleasure of coaching him in both, and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. Like I always tell all our kids. “I learned more from you, than I ever taught you”.

We also share a strong love for Music. Albeit, Jason would eventually venture into the uncharted waters of Guns & Roses and Metallica, he truly, always loved “good music”. As did all our family. Some of our best times together were going to concerts. While most families were off to Disneyland, we would stand in the rain all day to see Ringo. Or, climb to the top of the Metro Dome, sitting in “nose bleed” seats watching McCartney through binoculars.

As the “first-born”, Jason and I shared a lot of special memories, just the two of us. With music, it always centered around concerts with phenomenal guitarist. The two of us were fortunate to see artists like Stephen Stills in small intimate venues. Probably, my favorite was the night Jason and I went to see Eric Clapton. Prior to his resurgence with “Tears in Heaven” and the “Un-Plugged” album, Clapton was touring in relatively small venues, instead of the arenas he would soon be filling nightly.

It was around this time that I first heard Clapton’s song “My Father’s Eyes”. One of my all-time favorites. A new father, Clapton wrote about the uncertainty of the road ahead as a father. Sadly, this was his lyrical introduction to his son Conor, who’s tragic death was immortalized by Eric in the song “Tears In Heaven”.

My Father’s Eyes…

“Where do I find the words to say?

How do I teach him?

What do we play?

Bit by bit, I´ve realized

That´s when I need them,

That´s when I need my father´s eyes.”

Every time I hear this song, I think of Jason. Remembering the anxious anticipation of being a first-time father. Like Clapton, I turned it all over to our Heavenly Father and He continues to watch over and Bless us all.

Happy Birthday Jason! All Our Love, All Ways! Mom & Dad

Thinking about my Brother Mike today. It’s been three years since he passed.

Mike led a full life in his short time here on Earth; Some parts really good, others not so. Mike was the epitome of an individual. He always did things his way, and in his time.

As a brother, my Sister and I had our ups and downs with Mike; he loved us and I was always comforted in knowing that he always had my back.

Mike was a great dad and loved his kids with everything he had.

Our brother in-law, Gene, said it best when he heard of Mike’s passing, saying; “Mike led the life that he wanted to live.”

Yes he did.

Love you and miss you brother!

Happy Birthday to our sweet, blue-eyed Tweety Bird!