Chistmas Time

It's New Year's Eve day and I'm trying to muster up the energy to write a Christmas post.  Tag caught something nasty over the last week and none of us has had a good night's sleep for the last 3 nights.  Last Sunday, Joann took him to visit the nursery at our church and he either caught his sickness there, or at our Spence family Christmas party later that night, as 10 kids under the age of 7 were all staying at the house for 48 hours.  I plan on hitting their parents straight in the face with a snowball if I can find out who the disease-spreading culprit is!

At the Spence Christmas party I was too busy being Tag's wingman to think about asking if anyone's kid was sick, and now I am regretting it.  You would think it sounds fun to be in a house with so many little ones, given the spirit of Christmas and all, but in this case I was extremely frustrated because I spent the entire time protecting Tag, who can barely walk, from being run over by his 9 older boy cousins, who were running like wild animals around the house.  Of course I wanted Tag to be around his cousins and to interact, but if I wasn't close by he was simply a speed bump to the older boys.

This desire for my son's safety found me often the only parent downstairs with all the kids while all the other Spence adults enjoyed themselves upstairs, seemingly oblivious to their own children's activities.  I hope my in-laws are appreciative of the hundreds of dollars of damage I saved them by being the only guard on duty during much of the 2 days!  By the end, I was ready for some peace and quiet.

Tag, playing hide-and-seek with his cousins.

We spent Christmas Eve at my Dad's house in Draper so that he and Babs could enjoy some Tag time.  Joann and I chuckled as it didn't feel much like Christmas over there, since there wasn't an ornament in sight.  Gotta love empty nesters. Grandpa gave Tag some fun gifts and we played some good games of Hearts, a Brinton family favorite.

Joann and I attended several white elephant parties during the season and we had some good laughs.  There were pictures taken, but I haven't seen them yet. Speaking of pictures, there were a few on my camera that were pretty fun.

Tag's older brother, Michael Roberts, who is a 9th grader.

Tag checking out the goods.

Joann teaching Tag the reaction he is supposed to have, even when it's a shirt.

Tag's favorite find.  A bendy straw. Can you blame him?

Teaching Tag the fine art of present opening.

The anticipation of the 2010 Spence gift exchange.

More anticipation...

Great shot of Tag's size compared to his cousins.

Aunt Liz with baby Anson, the newest Spence grandson.

Rare moment of Tag holding the light saber without a cousin ripping it from his grasp.

Teaching the young bucks a thing or two about poker.

Bad Timing

I always hated my birthday being on January 5th, so close to the holidays, but mine is a picnic compared to my sister Darcie's birthday, which falls on December 23rd (today).  She always got presents that were her birthday/Christmas present.  Well, today I want Tag to know how much I love my sister.

Darcie and her three daughters, Adele, Tennie & Ceci

Darcie and I have always been close even though we have never lived close to each other.  She now is the CEO of a home full of three beautiful girls and let me tell you, it is a well run organization!  I jotted down a few reasons I love Darcie on this, her 40th birthday:

1. She's finally joined me in the Over 40 Club.  It's only downhill from here, baby!
2. The amazing way she recovered from all the relentless teasing heaped upon her by her two older brothers in her youth.
3. Her sense of humor.  She always thought I was funny (which may mean she has a terrible sense of humor in reality, but I choose to think otherwise).
4. Her ability to organize and lead.  I've seen this skill grow and improve over time and it's gotten so refined, that anyone standing close better get out of the way!
5. Her character.  She has principles and she strives to live them each day.  It always makes me proud to call her my sister.
6. Her maternal skills.  Her daughters are amazing, creative, loving, and unique.  This is in large part from their mother.  (yeah, yeah, Geoff, too.  But this is Darcie's day!)
7. Her genuine interest in my life and happenings.  Whenever we talk, I just know Darcie is present and listening.  She also gives good, insightful feedback and encouragement.
8. Her ability to roll with the punches.  Life is hard.  It's a test of our resolve and faith in trials.  Darcie approaches these with bravado and a smile.
9. Her faith in God.  There's not a question in anyone's mind who meets Darcie, that she is a daughter of God with a noble kinship to the Almighty.

I love you, Doo!

Happy Birthday Tagman!

Joann and I have been a little melancholy today as we consider the first birthday of Charles Taggart Brinton.  I must admit that a year ago when I first met Tag, after more than 20 hours of difficult labor, and two weeks in the newborn intensive care unit, I wasn't sure if he would live a month, let alone the crazy adventures of this first year.

A part of me only sees the Tag of today and the potential of tomorrow.  He has quickly moved from his first steps only a few weeks ago to taking confident walks of 8 or so steps from chair to chair today on his birthday.  I can already tell this new found mobility is going to require a significant increase in defense from Joann and I!

As I reflect back over the last year, in early posts on this blog, I am filled with gratitude and shock at the events we've been through with this little boy. I mean, how did he survive the birth? How is it that he's the only newborn ever to have a Triton tumor?  (the next youngest ever recorded was 9 years old).. How were we lucky enough to have health insurance to cover the expense? How did I get so lucky to have a son with such a positive attitude and happy demeanor?

I still feel such a sense of gratitude for the professionals at Primary Children's Hospital.  That is an amazing group of people up there.

A lot of parents have big parties for their 1 year old and I always thought this was silly, since the baby has no clue what is even going on.  So, after Joann and I attended a nice church service with Grandma,

Jo and Tag heading to church with Grandma

I took Tag on a walk to find some horse's (Tag's favorite animal) and we hit the jackpot!  Tag got to pet a 13 year old pony. He stuck his fingers up the pony's nose in his typical curious way, and the pony snorted and made Tag jump in my arms.  It was classic.

Then, I convinced Joann to make a cake and allow Tag to dive in with his hands and eat to his heart's content.  Here's a happy little video of a happy little boy on his 1st birthday:

click here ----> Tag's First Birthday

Tag and his older brother, Jordan celebrate #1

 Happy Birthday, little buddy!

Stuffy Noses

The last three weeks, Tag and I have rotated two different miserable colds.  He has had a nasty ear infection that laughed in the face of the first antibiotic and 3 weeks later he still pulls at his ears.  He has been stuffy and not sleeping well.  I also have been extremely tired, stuffy, and coughing like an old smoker.

I'm not sure who gave it to whom, but that's not important.  What I am trying to figure out is how to stop the madness!  Joann hasn't been feeling her best either, and the lack of sleep with her husband stuffy and sleeping rather loudly at night, and her son waking every time he coughs has left us all quite tired and miserable.

Other than that, we're great! We are visiting St. George and grandma Brinton for a few weeks and I took some fun photos but left the camera cord in Woodland Hills, so you'll have to wait.

Here's a photo of Tag enjoying a swing a few weeks ago.  He cried when Joann took him out he was having so much fun.

Adventures Continue

It's been a beautiful fall in Utah and it seems all we have wanted to do is be outside.  Tag is getting more fun to be around each day, as his interactive skills and unique personality has really started to blossom.  So much so, that I find myself turning on the video camera more than the camera these days, making it challenging to find photos for this Blog.

While Joann and I have dreamed of our own home again, we have enjoyed our time in Woodland Hills.  Tag absolutely adores his Momsie and Papaw (Marina and Charles, his grandparents), as have we.  We have made some good friends in the neighborhood and despite the arduous drive it is to get to Salt Lake, it is really a nice place down here.

Tag is getting super close to walking.  His favorite things to do are:

1. Ascend and descend the stairs.  Minus a few falls, he has this mastered.
2. Push a five gallon bucket across the wood floors.  He is happy doing this as long as I will follow him around and get him unstuck from rugs, walls, and anything else that stops his movement.
3. Look at pictures of animals.  Especially when I make the sounds of the animals.  He will look up at me and laugh each time I make a sound.  His favorite sound is the sigh of a horse.
4. Getting thrown into a pile of pillows.  I will countdown from 5 to "blastoff" and throw him (albeit gently) into a pile of pillows.  After catching his breath, he laughs and immediately turns onto his stomach and backs up towards me for another round.  I can already tell there's going to be hours and hours of fun pillow fights in our future and my nieces and nephews will attest that this is one of my favorite things to do with little kids.
5. Throw a ball.  When he was only a few months old, he would kick the ball.  Now he's much more interested in picking it up and throwing it.  He does it more frequently and comfortably with his right hand, but when he uses his left he is stronger and gets more distance.  I'm still hoping he's a lefty.
6. Electronics.  He loves to push buttons on anything expensive.  I'm not sure what it is about boys and electronics, but Tag is a lover of these "toys".

Here are a few recent photos of Tag's recent adventures:

Tag, checking out his new cousin, Baby Kaya Spence.

He was fascinated with baby Kaya.

Tag's first ride on a horse at Thanksgiving Pointe.  He LOVED it.

"Wait, Mom, I'm not so sure I'm ready for NO HANDS, yet!"

"Can anyone see this cow?  It's HUGE!"

James Spence teaches Tag the fine art of cow grabbing.

Tag cried when we left this goat. I think he could have spent the night touching it. 

Early morning stories with Momsie.

Momsie enjoys a little cheek for breakfast.

Story time with grandpa Howard.

"Grandpa, you can do a better horsey sound than THAT!"

James Brinton (whose Dad, Andy, was a collegiate wrestler) gets ready to show Tag "down dog".

"Wait, Tag, you don't wanna wrestle?  Okay I'll follow YOU!"

Tag gets his first marble.

"These look delicious!"

11 Months

Tomorrow Tag turns 11 months old.  Is it possible that he will have been in our lives one year already?  On the other hand it seems like a lifetime ago that I wasn't a father.  I won't spend time on this entry talking about the learning and time warp... I'll wait until he's got a digit under his belt.

I really need to write at least once a week, or so much happens that I feel overwhelmed at the prospect of catching up.  This has been my dilemma this last week.  Not to mention I caught a terrible cold (as did Tag) that has had us both laying pretty low.  When the little one gets sick it creates a ripple effect of sleep deprivation for all involved, which encourages sickness all around.  It has not been a fun week, physically.

My family knows that I am a Halloween purist and junkie.  This means that not only is it my favorite holiday, but I refuse to be one of those parents who take their kids trick-or-treating before they can say "Trick or Treat".  More importantly, I am strongly opposed to trick-or-treating in the afternoon as well as this new phenomenon in Utah called "Trunk-or Treat" where people line up their cars next to each other, open the trunks of their cars, and the little goblins walk 3 steps between cars to get candy out of the trunks of the cars.  Are we this spineless and lazy as a society to fall for such a ridiculous sellout?

My favorite memory as a kid was rushing from house to house, kind of scared, trying to avoid ghosts and frights, and knocking on strange doors hoping to strike it rich.  Taking kids around in the afternoon?  What is that?  Sure, there are some freaks out there, but this is just wrong.  And the car thing is the laziest sellout I have seen.  Come on parents, think back to when you were a kid, get off your couch, find a safe neighborhood, and suck it up for an hour!  They are only kids once!

Speaking of Halloween, we did have fun at a party dressing up with Tag.  Quite a few years ago, I created DARREL.  I used to say he went to Payson High School (but didn't graduate) and he's now on the bronc-riding circuit in Amarillo, TX but is visiting Utah because his sponsorship ended.  Well, since we now practically live in Payson, I thought the neighbors would enjoy meeting Darrel, the woman who loves him, and his out of wedlock son.  Here are some memories of Tag's first Halloween:

Lil' Darrel meets Darrel for the first time.

Lil' Darrel sportin' his skull n' crossbones do-rag.

Darrel and the woman he is currently with.

Joann also got a pretty funny elephant costume too and we had a little photo shoot.

Mighty hunter draws near to big game elephant.

Hunter is no match for mighty beast.

Impossible to shoot a smile like that.

Pops

Tag,

Your Grandpa Howard hasn't been feeling well.  His cancer is spreading and he is also struggling with pneumonia and bronchitis.  In true Howard form, he left me a message the other day, saying, "Other than those things, I'm on top of the world!"

Anyway, his wife Babs took him back up to Huntsman Cancer Inst. last night because he was short of breath.  They have put him on oxygen and did a scan this morning to see if he has a blood clot blocking his breathing.  This brings me to the point of this post.  Dad called me this morning and did his best "be positive" attempt to give me an update as to how he was feeling.  He sounded tired and frankly a little scared.  He commented that he wasn't sure how he was going to be able to go golfing with me with this oxygen tank and I joked and told him we'd strap it to his back and find a way.

He's been wanting to road trip out to California in a few weeks to watch your cousins Tennie, Adele, and Ceci perform in a play, and he commented that we'll have to play it by ear and see how he's feeling.  Then, he paused and said, "I want you to lean down and kiss the Tagman on the cheek for me and tell him that was from his grandpa."

This really touched me and I cried as I hung up the phone.  I can't wait for you to wake up from your nap so I can deliver on this request.  I want you to know how much your Grandpa loves you, son.  Every time he sees you his countenance changes and he can't seem to get enough of you.  It's important you know this.

Hopefully, Grandpa will be out of the hospital soon, and we'll have lots of time to play with him. In the meantime, we all pray for his comfort and safety and that the loving arms of the Savior will wrap around Grandpa as he goes through this trial. 

10/10

Tag, October 10th is a big day for both of us.  Three years ago on this very afternoon, I stepped into my car in Salt Lake City, Utah and drove one hour south to a place called Woodland Hills on a blind date. I remember quite a few times on that drive thinking to myself, "What am I doing driving this far for a blind date...?"

Let me tell you, I had completely different thoughts as I drove home later that night.

Here's a little background:  My divorce had just recently become final and I was in no mood to jump back in to a relationship with another female, as the freedom from the nightmare of the first marriage had not even begun to offer its savory aftertaste.  A friend of mine encouraged me to create a profile on several LDS singles websites and I had done so for a few months, mostly just for laughs.  I received quite a few inquiries from several females immediately after creating my profile and joked with my friends that it felt like the "Mormon DMV", as the cross-section of inquiries were less than desirable.

After a few months I started browsing the list to see if I might find anyone I could meet who didn't find me repulsive, and your Mom's profile was one of the first I stumbled upon.  She had a few photos posted, one showing her just after playing tennis.  Since my first wife accused me of misleading her about my faith in Christ because I had gone to see a Denver Broncos game on a Sunday (I hadn't been to a game for more than 25 years -- one of my favorite memories of childhood), I was determined to make certain any new female I met was a little more flexible.

I wrote a quick email message to your Mom (the site used confidential user names rather than actual names, so I wasn't sure of her real name) and she wrote back something that made me laugh, so I invited her to go have a golf lesson.  She accepted.

I showed up to Woodland Hills on a beautiful fall day, sun shining.  When your Mom got out of her car at the meeting place, I was stunned at how beautiful she was.  "She's prettier than even her pictures!  When does that ever happen?" -- I remember thinking to myself.  We said hello and and drove to nearby Gladstan Golf Course to hit some balls on the range.  We had a great time and I remember laughing and being completely at ease.

A key difference in my mental attitude, vs. other times in my life, was that I wasn't trying to impress her per se.  Instead, I was just being myself and having a good time meeting someone new. This shift in my attitude had come through the pain of my divorce and subsequent humble time on my knees, praying to God, and surrendering my personal life to him just a few weeks earlier.  During this extremely personal conversation with the Lord, I had a very special experience where the spirit called me by name and said that everything would be all right.  I remember all my pain, anger and anguish leaving my heart at that moment and I knew I had had an answer to my prayer and decided from that point to simply walk the path and see what might happen. 

Anway, Joann and I had a great time on the driving range and decided to drive into Payson for a little mexican food.  We really enjoyed talking and getting to know each other.  During that dinner I learned that she, too, had been divorced more than 10 years earlier and had two sons, Jordan and Michael.  Jordan was 15 and living with his father in Twin Falls, Idaho, and Michael, 12, was still living with her but was staying the night at a friend's house.  I sensed in her a strong inner strength and confidence and I was immediately attracted to these fine qualities.

After eating she invited me up to where she lived to have some homemade ice cream and peaches.  Who would turn down that offer!  There, I was introduced to her landlords, Ingrid and Michell, who lived upstairs as we borrowed a movie.  They gave me suspicious greetings and I felt how much they loved Joann.

As far as love goes, Joann and I had chemistry immediately.  In fact, as we turned on the movie she came out of the kitchen with her delicious home-made ice cream and fresh peaches and sat so close to me on my right, that I was barely able to move my elbow enough to hold my bowl.  Good thing I was left-handed, because I wasn't about to ask her to give me any room!

The rest of the evening I experienced the most chemistry I had ever had in my life and you'll have to ask your Mother about any other significant details.  I drove home well after midnight and remember thinking to myself, "This could be trouble." ...And I was right.

Within just a few short months, we fell in love and the rest is history.  So, you see, 10/10 (2007) is a very special day for you and me.  From this experience I learned the amazing power of prayer and that the Lord will bless us beyond our wildest dreams if we will be humble, surrender our righteous desires to Him, and ask Him for help, instead of thinking we've got it all figured out and can crank through life on our own.

If you'll remember this important lesson, son, you'll avoid making mistakes on the most important decisions in your life.  In fact, you may even meet the girl of your dreams when you least expect it!

Love, Mitch.

PS.  Here's a photo of us on our 2nd date, just after playing our own game of tennis.  Is she cute or what?

10 Months. 5 Minute Drill

Tag, you turned 10 months today.  Last night I was watching you and this is what I witnessed in 5 minutes, from your point of view:

What is that?
Climb to see.
Grab a ball.

That tastes good,
That tastes bad.
Stand and fall.

Hey, there's a duck!
What's that sound? Look around
Touch that light.

Sing a song
Tip that over
Turn to the right.

Kick the ball, stand by the wall
Bonk the head

What is that? Chase the cat
Pull the fur.

Think I'll cry
Wait.. no... laugh
Push one out

No alarm, just a toot
Eat that phone
Turn about

Grab remote, put down throat
Tear the page

Crawl to Dad
Give a smile
What an age!

The Staircase

Joann and I were in Twin Falls, Idaho all week last week, mostly to watch her 2nd son Michael play football.  We stayed at her friend Kaye Lathem's house and had a nice visit.  Anyway, one afternoon Joann was in the kitchen making a meal and I was on the computer at the nearby desk (surprise!).  Tag kept climbing into the computer wires at my feet and causing trouble, so in a bit of haste I picked him up and carried him into the adjacent room and stood him up at the couch in an attempt to put his focus on something other than all those computer wires.

Well, about 60 seconds after doing so, Joann and I heard a series of loud noises followed by a loud scream by Joann. The I saw her running in Tag's direction in a panic.  This sent chills down my spine and I quickly followed.  It turned out that within about a minute after me leaving him, Tag had seen one of Kaye's many cats (too many, as far as I'm concerned!) walk by him, grab his attention, and proceed down the stairs.  Tag absolutely loves animals and so he went into speedy scrawl-mode after the cat and he went rumblin', bumblin', tumblin' down the flight of stairs.. all the way to the bottom.

The stairs were carpeted, and after a few minutes in Jo's arms he totally settled down, didn't seem hurt, and was back at the computer wires, but it was a nasty reminder how fast he can get into trouble now that he has wheels.  I took a photo of him at the top of the stairs to give you an idea how far this fall was for a little man his size.

Tag's Wild Ride

I am now on full alert whenever Tag is in my vicinity and hope to head him off before any more of these adventures take place.  Did I mention I hate cats?

Baby to Boy

Last weekend, my cousin Logan Rich came to dinner and brought his camera.  Logan has been studying photography with his older brother, AJ, who is a seasoned professional.  Anyway, Logan got some good shots.  I was shocked to view these, as baby Tag is beginning to look more like little boy Tag.

Sometimes I think we have spent too much of his babyhood testing, poking, surgerying, and worrying, but Super Tagman continually reminds us to be in the moment and smile along the way.  Thanks for teaching me this principle, Tagman.

Enjoy!