Fourth of July: Brasfield Style

He was overheard saying, "no, it's like this every night."

 

To celebrate Independence Day, Jilly cooked one of her famous meals, fit for a king and is court. All of our kids were here, plus Daniel's fiance, Kelli.  Ashliegh was here.  Diana brought her dogs for a swim, too. Later Deedee joined the fun. And Ryker.

One of the neighborhood kids was here and called his mom to ask her if he could eat with us. I guess his mom heard the party in the background.  He was overheard saying, "no, it's like this every night."  Really, he's not far from right. We like it like that.

We watched Twilight.  I napped.

As dusk approached, the excitement grew.  And at dark we began the fireworks.

It was a good day.

Be sure to click on the video clip.  It's short and very characteristic of what we were doing.

God Bless,
Dadofmykids

Brasfield Nation TNG

The first time Daniel has been home in a while, I had him up on a ladder installing a new light. He's so happy and proud to be expecting his first baby, our first grandchild, The Next Generation of The Brasfield Nation.

Jill is excited too. A few minutes ago, she looked up from the Touch and exclaimed "can't wait till February!"

I look around here and see my kids at various ages and corresponding stages and remember what it's all about. It's about them. It's not about making them happy or giving them everything they want. It's about being here with them and for them. Letting them see how they will act when they grow up. Loving each other.

Sometimes I just plain screw up in front of them. I hope they learn how to get passed the junk by seeing me do it.

There's nothing sweeter than a little baby.

God bless.

Sent from my iPhone

I love it when people react this way.

"Are you Catholic?"

"No"

"Mormon?"

"No"

"Do you know what causes that?" she asked speaking of our children.

"Yes" I said, "Do you?"

"Yes" she said. "And you need to stop."

This happened today when I mentioned one of my kids in front of a client. She then asked about my family.

It makes me happy to show off pictures of my beautiful wife and kids. Telling the amazing story of how we were blessed with such an awesome family makes my day.

God bless,
Dadofmykids

Sent from my iPhone

Happy Fathers Day! I have something to say to my fellow Dads out there.

If you do these three things consistently, you'll be a great Dad:

1. Love God.
2. Love the mother of your children.
3. Love your kids like they are you.

This is simple but not always easy. Sometimes things come up that will get in the way of love or will interfere with love. But don't panic. It happens to all dads. If you come back to these three steps, you will be OK.

Step one: Love God
This step is not for sissies. Be a man in front of your kids. Show them what it looks like when a man follows Christ. He gave us the whole Bible to figure out how to do this Love Thing. So read it. Or listen to it. Study it. It's about a relationship with God that will be obvious in your life. Your kids should he able to see this without hearing it from you.

Step two: Love their mother.
A good relationship between both parents makes all the difference in the world for a kid. I know how easy it is to screw up, but hang in there. I always think of you guys who are divorced when I talk about this step. It is important for you also to show your kids how to love and respect their mother. All of us should remember the kids are always watching how we treat our wives. Let them see some affection. Hug her in the kitchen until some one yells "Get a room". It's good for the kids to see that.

Step three: Love your kids.
This one comes in handy on those days when one of my kids breaks something or loses one of my important tools or does something that really aggravates me. That's when I remind myself of all the stuff I broke or lost when I was a kid. Try to think like one of your kids.  Do you feel like your dad made some big mistakes here?  Then try to be different from him with your own kids.  Guys, be there with your kids. Spend time with them. Lots of time. Nothing can replace time. And nothing is more valuable to your kids than time.

These three basic things should be the foundation of your fathering. If you keep these principles alive in your life, then you will be a great dad with awesome kids.

God bless,
Dadofmykids

Friday night at the baseball park.

Here's a short video of Asher getting a base hit. He's hitting the
ball so well lately.

We've already had one ball game. Kk and Levi played. They did great.
Kk got run over in the baseline. But she came back like the tough gal
she is.

Tucker had a game yesterday. He always plays with a good attitude.

I am proud of our kids, including those who don't play ball.

God bless.

Sent from my iPhone

Bob said, "I guess you won't need me any more."

He took me fishing or hunting most Saturdays. The last time I saw him was the day I introduced him to my mom's fiancé. I've never forgotten him.

Bob was my Big. A Big is a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters. You've probably heard of them.

He included me in his normal activities. It was special for me, but probably not too much trouble for him. He was going fishing anyway.

I qualified for the program because I didn't have a dad in my life. My dad died when I was little.

You can learn about mentoring at the BBBSA website: http://www.bbbs.org

God bless,
Dadofmykids

All the way to school this morning, the kids were abuzz about St. Patrick's Day.

"Are leprechauns real?"

"How would you know if a leprechaun comes in the classroom?"

"Do they really have gold?"

"Is it okay to poke someone who isn't wearing green today?"  (Poke, not pinch).

I am trying to remember more of their questions.

At one point, Kk informed Asher that he was confusing leprechauns with elves.

Then, it occurred to me, he was describing the WWE character "Hornswoggle".  As you can see from the picture, Hornswoggle is a leprechaun.  

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

God Bless,

Dadofmykids
 

--
Andy Brasfield

"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me"  Mark 9:37  (NIV) 

Dates don't usually mean much to me.

I lasted most of the day without any fallout.  But during supper, I drifted off to the land where dreams happen while you're awake.  When Jill called me back from there, I realized I had been bitten by the memory bug.  It's been four years ago today.

I was remembering how my oldest brother drove to our house the night Georgia died.  He was simply there for me.  He said some cool stuff that night.  But what he said is not what I remember most.  I mostly remember him being there to hold me up emotionally.  And I needed to be held up.

You could say I am guilty of staying here in my own little world most of the time.  Not that my world is so little, but I try to stay here anyway, with my lovely wife (eye-candy-Jilly), our kids, my co-workers, clients and friends.  In other words, I don't talk to my "extended" family as much as I should.  That included my brothers.

Scott, you're my brother.  Thank you for being there for me that night.  I love you.  I hope to talk with you on the phone this week.

Dates don't usually mean much to me, but this day is hard to forget.

God Bless,
Dadofmykids

 

--
Andy Brasfield

"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me"  Mark 9:37  (NIV) 

A true American Hero

A little-known tribute some Navy SEALs gave to a fallen comrade is gaining notice.

Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor was killed in battle in Iraq in September 2006, and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in April.

His funeral in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego was attended by “nearly every SEAL on the West Coast,” President Bush said.

During the service, as Monsoor's coffin was taken from the hearse to the gravesite, Navy SEALs lined up in two columns. As the coffin passed, video shows each SEAL slapping down the gold Trident from his uniform and deeply embedding it in Monsoor's wooden coffin.

The slaps were reportedly heard across the cemetery.

The symbolic display moved many, included Bush, who during his speech in April's Medal of Honor ceremony spoke about the incident.

"The procession went on nearly half an hour," Bush said. "And when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten.”

Monsoor — described as an "outgoing guy" by his grandfather, George Monsoor, Sr. — was killed on Sept. 29, 2006. He had been assigned to protect fellow SEALs on a rooftop in Ramadi, Iraq, when a fierce firefight with insurgents broke out. During the battle, a grenade bounced off Monsoor’s chest and landed on the roof.

Faced with the choice to save his comrades or save himself, Monsoor threw himself on the grenade, absorbing the impact.

(Copied from Fox News)

Confirmed by Snopes and by TruthorFiction.

Click here for video on YouTube.

--
Andy Brasfield
Southeastern Laser

Phone 865-235-1DAD (1323)
Office 865-675-5900

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southeasternlaser.com
Matthew 10:40

Love letter to my Valentine

Jilly,

It drives me crazy when you do stuff like in the picture here. Crazy good. You are beautiful, and you keep getting better.

You have probably already thought about this being our 22nd V-Day together. That just amazes me. We've been so blessed. Love like ours is a life long journey, not a destination. Look at how much we have to look forward to.

I love you more than ever. Let the honeymoon continue.

Your Valentine,

Andy

XOXOXOXOXOXO (this is where Levi says "awww")

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO (and this is where Tilley says "Get a room!")

XOXOXXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO (and this is where I say "OK")