Yes, these are the three same people.  In the middle is a great family friend, Marsha Dragoo, who also happened to be Steph and Scott’s (also pictured in both) piano teacher.  Steph was a delightful piano student, learning my favorite song “Canon in D” in order to earn a trip for us to Disneyworld which I promised if she’d learn it (we went).  And Scotty was a total pain in the tail as a piano student, for although he seems happy in the picture, delivered a very reluctant and angry 8 second rendition of “Penguin Blues,” and then went back to his seat.  He HATED lessons, but he LOVED (and still loves) Marsha.  Ironically, Steph rarely ever plays, while Scotty (who dropped out of lessons shortly after the picture was taken) plays often and well…..including for the very church Marsha and her husband Dave attend.  Go figure.

But as you can see, both of the kids have grown a bit.  Marsha is the same nice, kind and wonderful person she always has been.  Scotty, although smiling and goofing off, is a US Marine and could probably kill you many different ways with a piano (or anything else for all that matters).  And Steph is a top NCAA lacrosse player, a defender who you would probably not like seeing come at you (she often plays in what looks like war paint).  But I will mention again……at least Marsha is still nice!!

But it was a fun thing to take the picture.  I think Marsha is the same height, so I am making an educated guess in saying the kids have grown just a wee bit.  Yet, it was cool to take, and perhaps we can trick Marsha out of retirement someday to deal with Mr. Ben…..after all it is tradition for her to deal with hopeless causes like our children.

Yes, Steph as an exclusive Tirman student

Steph is now back in Missouri and we will see her in a few months.  Ben goes back to school tomorrow.  Scotty, I think is still working for the recruiter in Noblesville for two more weeks before heading back to California.  And Amanda and I are just hanging out trying to stay ahead of it all.

But I did want to share the pictures.  Times are a-changin, and they make us smile. We have great kids and great friends…..and today was yet another reminder of the many blessings we have in our lives.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

No, this is not a ghost-post, but it is one that gives me a bit of anxiety.  Scotty is here for two more weeks (and he has my new truck for two more weeks as well) BUT Steph is heading back to Missouri tomorrow.  AND we do not have any idea as to when we will all be together again!  This is to say, LIFE, real life, has started….and as a parent it kind of sucks!!

But it has been a lot of fun.  Steph was home for about a week before we headed to California to see Scotty graduate, and now Scotty will be home a bit before heading back to California and parts unknown.  Ben has enjoyed it ALL, and in all honesty, so have we.  We have GREAT KIDS, and it has been a blast to be with them.  I think we are beginning to understand why God blesses you with grandchildren sometime after this, as the feelings that you have as they leave are proud, but not fun (or ultimately what you want!)

But we had a great time with them all today.  Steph, Amanda, and I had a great chat this afternoon, and we are so very proud of her.  She has 1.5 years left of school (maybe 2 if lacrosse slows her down and maybe 7 if heredity does) but Lord knows what she will become or who she will become.  But we are firmly behind her.

Scotty is back to California in two weeks and then to North Carolina for I do not know how long.  Ben, who is clearly the most bizarre of the bunch seems the one with the most answers.  If we do not sell him to the gypsies (many of whom are just family) we will have under our wings until at least 2025 when he graduates (hopefully) from high school.  And that is roughly 7 years past when I had PLANNED to retire.  (But do not worry…I have messed that up anyhow)

So tonight it is a big BOOOOOO.  Steph is leaving and my life is changing.  Let’s just pray that it all turns out okay!!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

The “Original” Stephanie Tirman

Yep, had she not died in 2001, my sister Stephanie (for whom my daughter is named and who had a very close relationship with her before she died) would have been 50!  And although she was truly the toughest and bravest soul I have ever known, she DIED in 2001, most probably to escape my 50th birthday WRATH that I would have dished out TODAY.  And I must share with YOU tonight as she is no doubt cowering (and perhaps laughing) drinking margaritas with my sister Sarah and my mom in heaven (the “home office” as we priests call it).

But in all honesty, I do not just miss my opportunity to harass her or Sarah on their birthdays, I miss the opportunities I had to harass them everyday!  Sure, we were typical siblings, always at each other’s throats, but when it came down to the bottom line, we always had the other’s back.  I would never admit it when I was young, but I loved them both fiercely.

So Happy 50th Birthday Steph! (you old hag!)  I am a bit let down I cannot say it to your face, but I know you would take it in stride.  I miss you, and Sarah, and mom, and our grandparents, but I suppose in time I will see you all soon enough.

Sarah, Mom (Kay), and Steph

As a bit of blog-ending advice…….take the time to pay attention to those you love in your lives and let them know how you feel.  This life is temporal, and there are no guarantees about tomorrow……I know because I live it.  And if I had even an hour more with either sister, I would gladly make the most of it.

But for now I will settle for the memories of two sisters in heaven, and one on this day who has escaped my wrath…..the big chicken!

Happy 50th Birthday Steph.  I love you!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Wow, as the great Bugs Bunny would say, “What a Mar-roon!”  (translated = MORON)  For on just the SECOND day of the new year, I did not SKIP my post for the day, I instead completely forgot to do it!  Don’t get me wrong, I am excited to live into 2013, but in all honesty I am pretty worried about how it will be turning out…..after all, blogging was not one of my New Year’s Resolutions.  So let me try for today, January 3rd instead.

Today was actually sailing right along and going well as I saw it.  I was able to eat lunch with Ben and Steph at Chick-fil-A and then take Ben to his follow up appointment for his tonsils and tubes.  He did fine, and he nailed his hearing test (which he failed last time).

But the doc and I have talked quite a bit over these past few visits about how I failed my hearing test there a few years ago with his former partner, who has since retired.  As regular readers may remember, I passed a test this summer, which both surprised and elated me, but it was here in my house and not in the “booth” like at the doctors.

But I went into the booth, which is soundproof, with Ben and I noticed something I didn’t like.  I had LOUD ringing in BOTH ears the entire time.  Out with the noise, I do not notice it, but in there it was very irritating…..so I nonchalantly asked him about it. 

So in a little over a week I will nonchalantly meander back in and see about figuring things out.  My hearing really does not bother me (other than in that booth) because you cannot be bothered by things you cannot hear unless she hits you.  But it was a real surprise, because I am obviously having that go on ALL the time and in noise I do not hear it.  It doesn’t hurt and it doesn’t mean I need to wear hearing aids, but it did awaken my curiosity.  We will see what he says.

But the upside of the day was clearly the lunch.  And I like to go to Chick-fil-A, whether I can hear them or not.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+   

Yes, this picture was taken LAST YEAR, although just only about 24 hours ago at the Mexican restaurant we were eating at.  Steph and Scott were out being YOUNG, and Amanda and I were out with Ben for dinner being PARENTS. Apparently in Indiana you cannot abandon a 5 year old child to fend for himself and go out for dinner with your wife…..so we took him along!!

But it was a great way to end 2012 and to enter into 2013.  We had just left Kohls where we purchased his new SUIT, and tonight as I type this, he, Stephanie and Scott are out for dinner with Ben FINALLY getting to wear it.  I will be honest…..HE DROVE US NUTS about wearing it ALL last night and ALL DAY today!!  So there is really no better solution than to send him out with his brother and sister so that they ALL have the opportunity to complain about what rotten parents we are…..of course not one of them complained when they asked for my credit card or the keys to my truck.

But at least New Year’s Day is almost done and we have all survived the drama…..Ben in his suit, all of them at some restaurant, and Amanda and I at home.

Life doesn’t get any better than this!  Happy New Year!!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Yes, he is 5, and he wants something ANYTIME you go anywhere, but tonight it was hard to deny him, as clothes, particularly a suit for a 5 year old does not seem that selfish.  And a suit was exactly what he wanted, and more than that, it was on SALE for 50% off.  He got it, and the only real problem we had was all the crying we encountered when he discovered he could not wear it home.

And of course during his prayers tonight before bed, he brought it up again, asking God to have his mommy and daddy let him wear his suit tomorrow.  With nothing open, I am afraid that God may let him down, as we generally do not do “formal” at home.  But both his brother and sister were sent this picture and who knows where they may decide to take him.

But he certainly has finished the year well…..and with a new suit.  Yet it has been a much harder finish for me.  Scotty, although currently here, no longer lives here.  He is a US Marine and will live where they tell him.  I am proud of him, but I will miss him.  I know this because this is Steph’s 3rd year away and I miss her terribly…..and although she too is here right now, her coming home for summers and breaks are never a guarantee.  And I have personally struggled with much this year as well……yet I am hoping and praying to put ALL of this behind me.

Like Ben, I just want to finish tonight well.  Yes, he is in bed and none of us will make it to midnight.  (Steph and Scotty are out and probably will though).  2012 is just one I will be thankful to get behind me.  2013 I pray will be different.  I do not believe in luck, but 13 is my favorite number, a number I often wore in sports, and my daughter’s number as an NCAA lacrosse player.  I like that because it feels right….but as I said, there is no such thing as luck.

But for now I will just end this well…..willing to put it behind me, and filled with the hope of a good year and an optimistic attitude.

My prayers for 2013 will indeed be the same for you!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Here is a picture of three young women I coached as high school lacrosse players.  Steph, on the right, is my daughter, and the other two Katie and Alyssa, have been extra daughters to me as well as players for years.  And if this blog were written from THEIR real homes, their parents would say the same about Steph.  They have run in a “pack” (not the proper term, the proper term is gaggle) for years.  AND these three are still exceptional lacrosse players.  The one in the middle however, has retired.

And yes, Alyssa is Canadian, thus the Canada Dry over what I am sure is the Coke or Sprite she was drinking as she is about a week from 21.   In Canada however, where she is a citizen, they are allowed to drink Canada Dry as soon as they are old enough to skate, which is at approximately 3 months.  BUT the big thing for me was at the Open House I got to spend some time chatting with them and laughing about their lives now and the old times.  They were a big presence in our lives for years.

But now they are “over the hump” and finishing up college.  Soon there will be weddings and families and bills and lawns to mow and snow to blow and all the other joys of life for them.  But to me, they will always be the blessings they always have.  And like my friends, they will probably be around all through life.

And it was great to see them…….  They are fine young women and I love them all.  Look out world, these girls are going to make a big impact, I promise!!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

At the Open House yesterday I had the opportunity to photograph three young men who have all grown up together in the same church and who all happen to have served or are serving our country as well.  And the funny thing is that they come from a parish that seems to just produce guys like this….St. Patrick’s.

So anyway, this picture and another like it, will grace the walls of St. Patrick’s Church to remind those who enter it of those who have knelt there before them, yet who have chose to leave them to serve.  We have had Marines, Army, Air Force, and National Guard in just our short six year history.  Two of these men have deployed, one to Afghanistan (USMC Lance Corporal David Crowmer on the right) and another not pictured in the National Guard to Iraq).  It has been an honor being their priest, and I believe their witness will allow St. Patrick’s to continue to produce some fine young servicemen and women.

But for now I will just post and call it a night.  It has been an unbelievably busy few weeks and I am up early tomorrow to help finish them out.  But I am thankful for all these fine young men and women who choose to serve.  Keep them, and our country, in your prayers…..I know I will.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

It seems as we had just done this, but in fact it has been over three months.  But tonight we had an Open House for PFC Scotty Tirman, and a lot of people came to join in, including quite a few Marines and another PFC from the US Army as well.  It was a great time!!

I do have pictures of it, and I suppose I will post them sometime soon, as being able to see all of them was a great treat for us all.  But what was really funny was Ben, who was holding court all through the night with whoever will listen.  I made a “joke” about him going to the hotel and spending the night with his grandma, and not only did that little snake hop right on it, but his grandma did too!  And tonight’s picture is of them both getting ready to head out for their slumber party.

But besides that, it was a high honor to host so many of our nation’s heroes in one place.  I KNOW we do not do enough for our men and women in uniform, yet they do so very much for us.  Our home will always be open to them and our hearts as well.

On Monday, two of them will return to their duty stations.  It is doubtful that this group will all be home together again at the same time.  But tonight I thank God for each and every one of them.  It was a blessing to have them here with us.  And they will remain in our prayers as they head off faithfully to defend our freedom.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

I was kind of wondering why I wasn’t all that busy today.  Apparently I have lost my phone, which generally means I have put it on silent, and cannot hear it ring.  But I am not too worried about it and will find it tomorrow.  Tonight I am just relaxing.

Tonight’s picture(s) are of Scotty and Viper in my (new to me) truck.  After years of driving around that little Matrix and hating it, we finally decided to trade it in on a truck.  The truck is still a Toyota and 3 years older than the car, but did I mention it was a truck?  Scotty and Viper LOVE it, which means a lot to me AND it has a “temporary” Marine Dad plate now on the front until the one that matches Amanda’s Marine Mom plate arrives next week.  (you can make it out if you strain)

But somehow I think the subject of tonight’s post was really not this, but in the photos of my phone.  Not that I can remember what is on it….I don’t.  So this will have to suffice, but heck, it is a post with it all…..trucks, dogs, Marines…it really couldn’t get too much better.

Today however was busy.  The snow gave our snow blower a lot of overtime.  TWO times on our drive (one for me and one for Scott) and then Scotty also did the drive next door.  They have five kids and the husband is deployed in Afghanistan.  He was more than happy to do it.

But it is now late and at least I AM tired.  That California Marine hasn’t seen much snow, but this will make a dent.  It was a pretty great time to see him out there doing what we remember him doing all the time….after all, this is Indiana.

So it is off to bed now for me.  Scotty and I are now sharing a vehicle (it’s a truck) and I hope he needs it tomorrow.

After all, I need some time to find my phone.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+