Canoing.

My family and I got a chance to go canoing today. What an adventure. It didn't quite turn out as we expected. In the end we all had fun though.

My wife suggested we try canoing at the local park. It looked fun and we actually had a day when all of my family was together. To start the day we got some much needed rain. We were kinda worried that we would not be able to go because of the rain. The rain cleared up just after church and I checked the NWS and told my wife that we would not get wet. Big mistake.

We arrived at the livery and rented two canoes. My wife, 14yr old and 4yr old daughters took one canoe and I took the other with my 6yr old and 3yr old sons. Things started out pretty hectic right away. The girls nosed their canoe right into the bank of the creek right away just a few feet downstream. My wife and 14yr old were not communicating very well and they were already getting frustrated. My 3yr old was pretty scared too. He is a special needs child and was really not cool with the boat rolling side to side. He kept close to me the whole trip. My 6yr old was great the whole trip. We had to wait quite a few times in the first 10 min of the trip for the girls so as not to run over them.

We eventually got a little sideways and the girls were getting a little distance ahead of us. We lost sight of their canoe as it rounded on of the curves. I still do not know exactly what happened, but just minutes later we turned around a corner of the creek and all of the girls were standing in the creek crying and screaming. Their canoe had capsized! They were all OK, but it looked like they went in head first. They were drenched from head to toe. I caught up with them and tried to get out and help get the water out of the canoe. I though I had gotten most of the water out of the other canoe so that my wife could get it to the landing by herself. I loaded up all of the kids into my canoe and we headed out. My wife said she would be OK.

The kids and I soon lost sight of the other boat and continued downstream. There were quite a few technical parts of the creek left ahead and was quietly glad I had the kids instead of my wife. We got stuck a couple of times because the river was very low from the lack of rain this year. My 14yr old was quite helpful though. The kids wanted to know if we should wait for mommy and see if she would catch up with us. I told them not to worry and that mommy would be OK. When we finally saw a sign showing the landing was just ahead, we got a call from my wife. She said she could not even use the canoe because it was too full of water. She just dragged it to shore and had a park ranger take her to the other end of the creek to meet us. Every one was safe in the end and we have quite a story to remember about our first family canoe trip. My wife want to try again without the kids this time. We will see. Maybe next year.

I think we accomplished what we wanted to though. Regardless of how crazy a trip it was. We had a family day. I would not have changed a thing.

EDIT: I almost forgot about the main tragedy of the day. My daughters new Kodak Digital camera got fried. I know she should not have brought it. I should have told her not to. Even though she is 14 she still needs her dad to tell her to do or not to do things.

Reactionary Society

Why do we live in such a reactionary society?

Why does a bridge have to collapse, a child get kidnapped and murdered or a building get hit by an airplane before people will pay attention?

I know we live in a free and open society and we have to accept some level of danger that goes along with that. I think that far too many people rely on their government to provide for them. Wake up people! Look about you. Open your eyes!

After 9-11-2001 so many people wanted to know how this could happen. The idea that a group of terrorists could hijack 4 planes and use them as weapons shocked so many of us. There were calls for tighter security at airports and in transit in general. Many people wanted to know how our great law enforcement and military could let this happen.

Every time a helpless child is abducted and harmed the local and state governments are blamed for not doing enough.

This latest tragedy in Minnesota will have all of the media in an uproar. They will be asking all of the whys. Why did the failure occur? Who knew the bridge was deficient? Why wasn't it fixed? On and on will the debate rage.

We cannot and must not place all of the responsibility with our governments when it comes to our safety and well being. We must carry the bulk of that burden. One of the primary duties of our government i s to provide for the common defense. That is common defense. Stay vigilant! Assume no one else is seeing what you are seeing. Assume no one else will do anything about it. Stand UP and be heard!

One only needs to look to those heroic passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 back on 9-11. They saw a situation that they new no one else knew about, and that no one else could help with. They saved possibly thousands of lives that day by sacrificing their own. They defended this great nation as well as any armed and trained soldier could have.

Let us please not use this bridge collapse in Minnesota as an excuse for politicians to grand stand and pass meaningless regulations and legislation because they just want to be seen as doing something. Billions of dollars will pour into projects just because they will make us feel better. The way Congress works it is very likely that the most money will never end up where it is actually needed. It will end up in the state or district or the Senator who has the most clout not the worst infrastructure. Let us act like those brave souls aboard Flight 93 and do something about our own world.

Prayer for our nation.

Just wanted to share a prayer for the nation today.

Lord,

Thank you for all the blessings you have so richly bestowed upon us. Are the most honored and blessed nation on this earth. We enjoy not only the widely available housing, food and clothing you provide for us, but also the diversions that we partake in.

Please help us to remember what is important in life. You have blessed us so that we may provide for our families an those who are not as fortunate as us. Help us to recognize our neighbor who is in need. Whether our neighbor needs money, help with his house or family or simply needs someone to talk to when he is having a bad day, help us to recognize this.

Also help us to stay connected with our own families. So many times we allow others to teach our children what is important in life. Help us to turn our children back to you and let them know that your kingdom is more important than the latest video game, tv show or web site. Also keep our eyes open to those that would filter the world for our children for their own means. Help us to make sure that the teachings about you come from us or the Church, not from the school who claims that God cannot exist anywhere but Sunday in church.

In your Son Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

It seems as though more and more we get what is important in life from a screen, whether that be a computer screen, tv screen, or video game console.

Split family

My family was kinda slip up over the weekend and the last few weeks. Nothing serious. My 14yr old has been traveling with church groups or over to friend's house. Then she traveled to Detroit to visit with her Aunt, Uncle and cousin for a few days. My wife then traveled on Sunday with my 6yr old son to spend the night and pick up my daughter. I was with my 4yr old and 3yr old. I tried to do things with them that they would remember and be special for just the three of us. I got a glimpse of what it would be like to be a single dad. I did not like it at all. It is not the extra work that comes with being a single parent. That I am sure I could eventually handle. It was the fact that I only had 2 out of the 5 other members of my family with me.

I know my wife and I work a lot. I know my kids have activities, school and sports. There are so many distractions too. Internet, TV, video games, etc. There is no substitute for good old fashion family time though. Too often many families try to schedule one on one time, but we get enough time away from our families nowadays. Make time for your family. Especially if you have kids of any age. These are the things they will carry forever onto their children and their grandchildren.

Teen car accidents

We have a a rash of teenagers getting killed in auto accidents recently in West Michigan. Since July 1st there have been at least 12 deaths. Some of the accidents have been drinking related some have not. There was a Jeep Wrangler that rolled over just a few days ago that had 6 teens riding in it, none wearing seat belts. I am not sure what the solution to this is, but I have a few thoughts.

• Where are the parents of these kids. Do they know what their kids are doing or even where they are and with whom?
• When drinking is involved where are these kids getting the alcohol at?
• Do we need to revise MI law again so that teens under 18 cannot have passengers and cannot be out after 10pm without parental supervision?

I feel so sorry for the friends and families of these young people. There is nothing more difficult for a parent than to bury a child. I morn with them and pray for them.

Facebook

Just got a Facebook page. It is really kinds neat. I mainly signed up so that I could help monitor my 14yr old daughter's page. I am very computer and internet savvy and worry about her sometimes. I know she is growing up and I need to trust her more, but a lot of the things she is exposed to my wife and I did not have to deal with. Many things are the same though. So far she is doing great and Facebook seems to be the best of both worlds for her and us.

I'm Back!!

Sorry I have been neglecting my blog. Just a lot of things going on with family, work and such.

I will try to keep things updated more.

Let's see...

Saw FF2. Not that impressed. It was OK.

Saw Transformers. Great movie. Very entertaining. Very, very good special effects. Too busy at times though. My 6 yr old son had trouble keeping up with the action sometimes.