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Now I lay me down to sleep……

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I am in bed, which is rare for posting, and feeling just like I have been hit by a train……of course with my memory, I certainly might of, but it is doubtful. Really what has happened is that the best laid plans have gone awry.

Our house is being appraised in the morning, and in preparation we thought we would get a few things done. We left enough time for them too….that is, as long as nothing else happened, which of course it did. So we added replacing the kitchen faucet to the already full day of projects. This would have been far easier had we a spare just waiting around to install AND had it decided to flood the cabinets before my two trips to Lowes instead of after.
PLUS, men are not allowed to pick out faucets apparently, so this task had to wait until after 5. And it would have been no big deal had I not been priming and painting. I decided to install the faucet in between coats, only to discover at 8:50 that the supply hoses I had on the broken faucet were about 2″ too short. Lowes was closed….but THANK GOD for Menards! I had the faucet in by 10!
Of course it is all not put together because apparently paint needs to DRY…..go figure. But I suppose that is far better than my body which feels like it is going to DIE! (I also went on a 5 mile conditioning outing with my lacrosse team today!) So I suppose if our house gets appraised tomorrow we will refinance it at a lower rate in in few weeks, but if I happen to not make it through the night she can just pay cash for it and forget the appraisal all together. Either way she has that new kitchen faucet she wanted.
So it’s off to sleep for me, but this is not my first rodeo. I am sure in minutes I will be dreaming……probably about some construction project I am doing here at the house!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Philosophy lessons of porch swings……

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Finally that porch swing is getting some use. It took Ben taking a liking to it before it happened, but thank God it is finally being used!

The picture is of Ben and Amanda reading on it. Ben has a little “Toddler Bible” he brought out there and asked her to read to him. This of course is far better than reading other toddler books that are heavy on rhymes and written by people who could never function in the adult world. Regardless though, it was their time together, but I WAS in earshot…..so content was important to me!
But now they are gone and Viper has taken his place on it for a nap. Most of Viper’s life is just short walks between naps, but he clearly wanted to take this one on the swing. He is often up on it anyway, being the ONLY family member who wants to use it regularly. He most often is on it with whoever lets him on with them, but right now as I type it is just him and his stuffed squirrel. Viper knows how to live. He likes to sleep and eat. All his toys are not ripped apart and they all still have their squeakers. He just likes to hang and ride in the car…..and did I mention sleep?
Anyway, this post is done and I may join him…..not for a nap, but out on the swing. Life is short, and we can learn a lot from my dog…….take the time to choose the best parts of God’s wonderful creation. And one of the best of those things is our porch swing!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Beginning anew……..

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As we do each and every year, we start the process of rebuilding the Lady Miller’s Lacrosse Team with new players. The seasoned veterans are gone, and the now “older players” gather to teach the new ones the most basic skills of the game. And it always strikes me as funny, particularly since I was there when those “older” players were the newbies.

Today we gathered for our first informal conditioning session and it was a real blessing to be joined by 2 of our 3 new Assistant Coaches. All three of our new coaches are former players, two of them played for me, and the other is a former men’s player. All of them however bring a perspective I do not have, that of a former lacrosse player. An it was cool to see the 2 of them work with the girls, who although today numbered very few, actually will be quite a large group when practices are mandatory.
We will gather again on Wednesday with a larger group than today, and it will be more running than anything. It takes a lot to build up the stamina it takes to play this game, but I was so impressed with the enthusiasm I see in all of them. It already looks to be a great year!
Ironically, Stephanie called from college tonight and needs a new stick. It is not an unusual request, but how we bought it was. Having to arrange for shipping rather than doing it all with her seemed odd, but things are changing for me (and her) and that’s just how it is.
I will walk onto the field this season for the first time without her as a player. It will be hard, but perhaps not as hard on her. My expectation is high for all my players, but I know she felt that pressure more. She is working hard on a nationally recognized team where she is no longer the top dog, and once again she has to work herself up the ladder. An All-State player worried about playing, go figure…… but then again I expected it. After all, each season causes us all to begin anew.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Football on a Sunday afternoon……

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I got a bit of the best of both worlds today. I got to watch the end of the Chicago Bears game with a three year old climbing on me and laughing. It sure made the game harder to see, but the end result was some play time and a Bears victory…..a great day.

Growing up, watching these games used to be the norm for me on Sunday afternoons. Times however, have changed. I used to be the young one, whereas now I am at the other end. This was a ritual for my grandpa and I to watch the games. I certainly do not remember each and every detail, but somehow I do remember less pressure on my chest (because no one was climbing on me) and a clearer view of the screen (because again, no one was climbing on me). At each stage of life however different, watching the Bears (and Notre Dame when I can) has been an important and meaningful thing to do with family. I just rejoice that Scotty sits in a chair of his own now. He USED to climb on me too at Ben’s age, but at 6’1″ or so now I am pretty sure it would impede my ability to see and probably lead to some sort of hospitalization for me.
So thank God for a Bears win and a fun afternoon (followed by a short nap). Tomorrow will be a busy day, I just am thankful to enjoy the afternoon with the boys.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Visiting Stephanie…….

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Yep, I really do not feel old enough to be doing this, but we indeed were in Missouri visiting Stephanie at college. I never really worry about being away, because living a very public life we always have people either staying at, or watching our house closely. The alarm and the dog are big deterrents too….and if you’d happen to make it past them the cat is the worst of all.

But the nice part was to be able to see Steph. We went to a nice dinner on Friday and on Saturday we did quite a bit of shopping. Scott had to take the picture for this blog because Amanda and I were not savvy enough to, but I admit it would have been a nicer picture to have all the kids together in one….I need to learn how to use it better.
But back to my main theme…….it is a different experience going to see Steph though. She looks and acts older, and quite honestly she is. I guess in all those years having her live under our roof, I really never was able to see her for what she was. And although she will always be my little girl in my heart, I am learning that the young woman she has become is still my daughter too.
I love all my kids, but it was so nice to be able to see Steph because we all miss her. She and Scott just talked up a storm the whole time and it made me feel good.
Today was another learning and adjusting day for me, I was very emotional as we left and was glad to be wearing my sunglasses and not wailing. I was also glad no one asked me anything for a few minutes until I got myself together. But all and all, I am happy for her. Steph is having a ball at college and I am ever so thankful to have the opportunity to see her!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Remembering……

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Tomorrow we as a nation will remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

My hope and prayer for us all is that we remember not just the tragedy, but rather who we are as a people. We seem more divided now than at any other point in my life. But America was never meant to be all about who we are apart from each other, but instead what we become as country together….thus that great melting pot.
These are strange times for sure. But as we remember the tragic loss of all those lives just nine years ago, let us also remember that this life is a lot bigger than just us. And our hope as a country does not come from putting our trust in a man, but by stepping forward in faith and knowing that America was built on the the literal lives of souls that understood the concepts of sacrifice and freedom, not watering down or setting aside their principles, but by holding them up and standing for them.
I am proud to be an American, not just today, but everyday. I pray for those who gave their lives that day, for all of us as we continue to deal with it, and for the future of this great nation.
God Bless America! And of course God Bless you to my friends.
Tommy+
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Confessions of a Bull….formerly in a china shop…..

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Today was not what I had planned. Other than waking up and going to bed, and the premarital session I did tonight, everything was flipped on its head.

Some days of course are like that, and though I am well prepared to deal with them, today I would not have done as well as I did without the help of some my staff.
I used to be the kind of guy that would never ask for help, and looking back at those days I wonder how I ever survived. I screwed up more than I’d care to admit, and I am thankful for coming to grips with the reality that I needed to change…..or better yet, I am thankful that reality came to grips with me and changed me.
You see, what some would consider tragedy actually opened my eyes and heart to a whole new world. Sure, sometimes I still close them and attempt to bull my way right through, but often with your eyes closed, even with your head down, you run into something a lot harder than you. I cannot say that I have learned completely (I tell Amanda to be patient because I am a work in progress) bit I am still learning. And that, I believe, is a big key to growth in life.
SO…….I am going to bed while I feel at least a little bit relaxed with the satisfaction that nothing is on fire and to my knowledge the police are not looking for me. Tomorrow will be a new day and one I am looking forward to very much.
Thank God the day is done and thank Him again for this expanded vision. It feels much different, and much better, than it would with my old brain!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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The accidental callout…..

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Thank God for teenage girls!

I began the day with a lacrosse roster for 2011 of about 17 girls. I decided, since we have yet to be assigned a practice field, to have a gathering at a local ice cream place with these girls to talk about the upcoming season.
BUT….these are girls with a HEART for their team……so as I arrived at Culvers I was greeted by 10, count em, TEN new players! It was a great time, and we haven’t even had the callout yet.
So of course as I was entering the information on our website I got a call from our Board President who said they had a booth at the Freshman Fair this week and got a few girls (8) sign up. Of course I told her about tonight and how they were probably DOUBLES….so I read her MY LIST. Guess what??? That’s right, NO DOUBLES!
I am now convinced I just need to live at least FOUR more years! We begin conditioning on Monday and we will have a lot to teach and learn. I found out tonight that my Assistant Coach Corinne Gunter will not be returning next year, which saddens me a great deal, but we have picked up three new Assistants (in ALPHABETICAL order) Alexis Gadient, Bobbi Mills, and Jack Russell. It is going to be an exciting year.
So off to bed I go…with my mind utterly blown. It is going to be a great year!
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Happy 100th Grandpa Tirman!

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Well today, had he lived this long, would have been my Grandpa Tirman’s 100th birthday. And although I do have a picture of he and I when I was quite young, I do not have a memory of him in person. What I do have however are his genes.

A lot of people throughout my life have asked me where my sense of humor comes from, and quite honestly, the answer is genetics. Most family gatherings from my line of the family blame this, I prefer the word “trace” this, back to my grandfather. The stories I have heard about him are inspiring, and if there really is anything negative at all for me to say about his life, it was that he left it far too young…….at 54 in 1965. And in a family with incredible longevity, his death has long stood out as an anomaly.
But today I will give credit to where credit is due……he was the true master of humor and my life has been less than it should have been growing up without him around. I am thankful however for the genes. Happy Birthday grandpa! Had I been thinking I could have blamed all those times I was sent to the office for being a smart (censored) on you…….but somehow I think it would have only worked with my dad (or any of the other Tirmans who possess that same awesome sense of humor)
Goodnight my friends and God Bless!
Tommy+
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Come labor on…….

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Today, Amanda, Ben, and I spent a good portion of the day at St. Patrick’s doing some much needed work. There is still a lot to do, but we were able to get most of the things we wanted to get done today while we were there. Ben was a big help too! He spent a good portion of his time drinking my diet soda and running up and down the handicap ramp……obviously checking its structural integrity.

But I am posting early because we are now home. I do need to do a few things around here as well, but I can say I really wasn’t all that disappointed to find out I was missing a few things I needed to start the big project…..repainting the deck. It’s not that hard of a job, and one I do intend to finish today. It’s just that I am tired (probably due to not being able to have an entire diet soda to myself) and I think I just want to take a short nap.
But this early note is to say that I hope you are enjoying the holiday. There are so many blessings all around us, and I am thankful for them all. But most of all, I am thankful for the nap I am sneaking too right now!
Goodnight (in the afternoon!) and God Bless!
Tommy+