Yes today was “baking day,” and Amanda and Cindy have been at it ALL DAY.  It is an annual tradition, although this was a first for Amanda and Cindy.  They are naturals at just about anything together though and seem to be having a blast.  It is not really a guy thing though, so I am staying clear!!

But EVERYTHING they are making is not on my list of food to eat.  I HAVE sampled, but I will do better to stay away from it tomorrow.  Ben has already been cut off, and Steph has also sampled, but is very disciplined.  It is a smorgasbord however of tasty goodness.

It used to be that Steph and all of her peeps would join Amanda for this bake-fest, but with them now all over the country it seems that my wife needs to do something new.  I will confess, it is kind of cool to see her here doing this with Cindy.  They are pretty great friends (Cindy is who Ben formerly labeled as his “babysitter,” but she is really his other mom) and being close in age, they could do this all the time and keep me and Jamie her husband (okay and the kids too) in treats long past when I die.  It really puts a lot of stability into the model, and what the hey….they will be friends the rest of their lives anyway.  It seems a good fit.

But in all honesty, I have been just getting a lot of work done and have been kind of lonely if you want to know the truth.  NO….I do NOT want to bake.  But they are just laughing and carrying on and I am WORKING.  (Thank God for Oreo Balls or I would be hostile)

But tonight I am just thankful for good friends and for the ability for us to have them in our lives.  My wife needed this day, and I would be no help at all.  And baking day seems a lot less hectic with all the girls in their mid 20’s like Amanda and Cindy (yep, earning brownie points).  I am just happy they are having fun and look forward to hearing all about it tonight before we go to bed!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless.

Tommy+

On a day of such tragedy in Connecticut  I must confess that I couldn’t get to Ben’s school fast enough to pick him up.  I eyed everyone as I thought something like this could happen anywhere.  All those parents just dropped their children off at school this morning thinking it all would be okay, and now their lives are changed forever…..they all deserve our prayers.

Yet the blessing for me was not only to get Ben in my car and get out of there, but to come home to greet our daughter Stephanie who has come home for Christmas break.  Yes, I worry about her too.  As for Scotty, who we will see next week, I am sure a guy like this shooter wouldn’t even get through the gate of the base dressed like he was, but if he did make it in all those Marines, my son included, would have shown him a time.  This is to say, I am not too worried about the US Marine Corps.

But tonight we went out for the drink I could not have 10 days ago with Steph in Missouri, as I was on medication.  So I bought her a drink and we toasted her….AND it was awesome.

Yet we were together and they were safe, but my mind drifted off often to those who are not.  And as prayed for them, I was also thankful for my children and their safety here at home.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Pretty cool huh?  This is the view of our flags taken from behind my DESK in my OFFICE.  AND, it is absolutely PERFECT.  I cannot wait for Scotty to see it, and he won’t see this as he will not be able to access a computer or phone till next Friday evening.  But I will have him sit in my chair and I will turn out the lights in my office for him before opening the door…..pray for some wind then, because it is a spectacular sight!  I just cannot get a good picture in the dark.

But I love sitting there and looking out at it.  It reminds me of the blessings of living in such a great country, and also of the blessing of having a son who is willing to serve that country proudly.  It brings me to the edge of tears every time I look at it.  And I know it will mean just as much to Scotty when he pulls in the driveway on the 22nd as he arrives home.  He will love it!

Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of who I am personally and who I have become in life, but my pride for my children leaves my own accomplishments and achievements in the dust.  They are a pretty great crew, and I will confess that Amanda and I have decided to keep all of them.  I cannot be more blessed by them than I am.

And that’s going to be all for tonight.  I am going to just spend a bit of time looking at the flags before bed!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Although we have not heard, I am posting early today to say that by this time Scott has returned from the Crucible and has received his Eagle Globe and Anchor and is now a US Marine!  We will not see him till next Thursday in California for his graduation, but the big part is done.  Now he and his platoon  are members of the most elite fighting force in the world…..the US Marines!

I cannot even begin to express how very proud Amanda and I are him.  He has worked unbelievably hard and has earned every bit of it…..including the right to be called Marine.  He was able to do what I did not, as I got mad and walked out of the USMC recruiters office at 17 (I posted about that before), and my only regret at this point right now is that I will not have the right to salute him……I wish I did.

Scott will be home on the 22nd with us for a little over a week.  He will see his family, his friends, his new flags, and his dog.  It should be a great time.  We know he has changed quite a bit, and we know he will soon leave for parts yet unknown to us, but we are honored that he has chosen this life and are deeply blessed by his sacrifice.

So today is a pretty awesome day!  Way to go Scott!  We love you and we will see you soon.  AND YES, I know he will not see this, nor can he call, or anything else!  I am just one proud dad, and it was good to say it to the world!!

GOD BLESS YOU ALL, GOD BLESS THE USMC, and GOD BLESS THE USA!!

Tommy+
The Reverend Dr. Tom Tirman, FATHER OF A US MARINE!

No, he’s not wearing the same gear today as he was in this picture, but this was one of the first real times in his short 19 years that I could see great physical and athletic potential.  Sure, he is wearing his own glove in this, as the catcher’s mitt was too new, but Scotty made the most of it and became a darn good catcher for a variety of teams.  Of course this ultimately led to lacrosse where after thinking he could be an offensive star, switched to goalie.  And a JV MVP in his junior year and a Varsity MVP in his senior year later, he proved that potential true.

But tonight as I write this at 9pm EST, Scotty is wearing much different gear, the gear of a US Marine. BUT, he is not yet a Marine…..he is in the final testing of bootcamp, The Crucible, and has been at it with his platoon nonstop already for over 40 hours.  They have 14 more to go too.  But when they finish, tomorrow they will all become Marines!  It is a big thing!

But as I looked over some of his pictures tonight I remembered how I saw that potential.  In truth, this was not on my radar then, but it now makes perfect sense.  He made me proud then, and he makes me proud now.

Keep them in your prayers, but don’t worry.  They are a first class group of guys….with just 14 hours to go!

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

Well today I felt like I almost had a handle on things, so something must clearly be wrong.  I know that men my age suddenly become prone to confusion, so perhaps that is it, but I am committed to enjoy my delusions as long as I possibly can.

My wife Amanda has approximately 6000 boxes of decorations for every holiday and my job is to carry the totes up and down the stairs, as instructed, with the appropriate ones per the season.  And it is really quite the job.  (not mine, hers)  Everything has it’s place and she loves to make it look “just right.”

And of course that is exactly why I am posting tonight’s picture, which is of Ben’s idea of “shoe stockings.”  I do not believe that this is a “real” Christmas tradition anywhere per se, but when you are a kid who has spent all day walking around the house with a car charger wrapped around your chest telling everyone it is some sort of “heart device” from when your sister took you to the hospital, well then just about anything is possible.  After all, I have not seen Steph all day and I am pretty sure she is still in Missouri for FINALS WEEK.  But what do I know?  I am just the dad.

So the shoe stockings will stay up this week, partially because they are cute but mainly because he will throw a fit if she takes them down.

And it is important not to upset him…….he is wearing that Walmart car charger that is keeping him alive.  We do not want to take any chances.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

I got the idea at Staples.  I do not normally buy paper there as it is too expensive, but they were also selling “Easy” buttons, so I thought I would try.  You see Ben is now 5 and when you fly it doesn’t matter is you are 5 or 55, you have to pay for a full fare ticket……so I was fitting him for a box to ship him to California.

Yeah, he’s not happy with me all the time, but then again, who is?  This was one of the pictures taken just before surprising Stephanie on her birthday.  I do not remember what I said to get this look, but it probably had something to do with following the rules.  Unfortunately for him, I do not respond to his looks with anything other than laughter.  My wife’s on the other hand are quite another story……..

My look however is legendary to both Steph and Scott.  As a guy who never gets to sit in church with his kids, the look was always an effective way to get them both to straighten up, and do so immediately.  Ben still seems a bit immune to it, Steph always behaves now in front of me, and Scotty has mentioned in his letters from boot camp that he now both gets it and appreciates it.  (I am sure his Drill Instructors have their looks too!)

My wife however will not respond to the look at all.  Of course I am NEVER upset with her anyway, she is just absolutely perfect, (and I am sorry to not say more honey, but your handwriting is hard to read without my glasses).  I am not complaining though, because I know all married guys feel exactly the same as I do!

Anyway, I just wanted to share this awesome picture.  And I wanted to make sure it was just Ben.  Amanda and Steph’s “looks” would be too scary to share.  And I want to continue to be family-friendly in the things that I post.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+

No, he’s not dead, but he sure makes it hard to tell a lot of the time.  He still takes and picks Ben up from school with me everyday, so as long as the words “car” or “cookie” are mentioned, he is up and around.  But when he wants to call it a day, or an hour, or a minute, or anything, he just gives it up….regardless of where he is.  And tonight’s picture is of him in Ben’s room, where he has scooted his bed up right in front of the fan and where he and either his rabbit or his squirrel (here it is the rabbit) lounge their way through the night commandeering all the air.

But as I saw it, it reminded me of how every tired we all are from our “quick trip” to Missouri yesterday.  Amanda and Ben got to sleep in the car, Ben all the way, Amanda only part.  But then we were all up at 6am and starting the day……all of us, even me.  So getting through today was challenging at times, and getting to the end of the day couldn’t get here quick enough.

But now that we are here, I must cut this short because if I do not, tomorrow will be awful.  We however have no regrets.  Sometimes staying up a long time is well worth it.

That is, unless you are our dog.

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+