Our Fun Family

I suppose it is normal for the days and weeks to pass more quickly as we get older.  There are so many more times now that I wish I could push the pause button and just enjoy the now.  It seems like when you are a kid, you are always anxiously awaiting the next major milestone or event.  You can't wait for Christmas, you can't wait for Spring Break, you can't wait for that first day that the neighborhood pool is open.  You can't wait to turn 16, then 18, then 21, then 25.  You can't wait to find that special person, to get to that special day.  You can't wait to hear that first heartbeat, the first breath and then the first words.  I suppose that I am still anxiously looking forward to plenty of things, but I am also realizing that I wish I could back things up just a bit.  I find myself looking back and longing for that relaxing Thanksgiving, for a bit longer to float down that river, for that guy's weekend when we did NOTHING.  You know what that means

If you have known me for very long, and if you read this blog then I assume you have, then you know that I have a strong connection to my late grandfather, Pa.  I am continually fascinated and inspired by the legacy and life left by John Elder Parker.  The fact that there are 3 generations of boys and men in our family named in his honor pays tribute to the strength of his legacy.  Earlier this month, my precious family packed up our camper and set out on what was to us, an epic adventure.  We have frequently camped for the weekend in the local state parks and campgrounds, but we had never ventured out of state in our camper.  For our 2013 Cornish Family Summer Vacation, we left home early on the morning of July 4th, arriving at Lake Tenkiller in Oklahoma in the late afternoon.  Lake Tenkiller is near Tahlequah, OK, and served as our basecamp while we visited Muskogee and Fort Gibson, Tahlequah, Proctor and Chewey, OK over the weekend.  I had urged my girls to be patient with me over

This past weekend, Brenda and I traveled to Houston to attend my 20 Year reunion. With a big, family vacation coming up, we took this opportunity to enjoy a kid-free weekend. It has been far too long since Brenda and I took such a trip. With our reunion planned as a single event on Saturday evening, we used the remainder of the weekend to reunite with other friends that we wouldn’t see at the high school reunion and some time to just enjoy each other’s company. I have to say, though it has been well stated before, without a doubt, I married up… way up. It is such a relief knowing that she gets along so well with, and enjoys the company of my closest, life-long friends. It is amazing to me how much growth occurs during the 4 year span of high school. You arrive for a freshman year, as a 14-15 year old kid, awkward in your own skin. And at graduation, you have likely made the first of many decisions that will shape who will be as a person. Whether it was going off to college, trade sch

Over the last 5 years or so, we have thoroughly enjoyed the use of an Outback travel trailer. For the first couple of years, we borrowed it from one of the founders of a company I used to work for. We actually used it more than the owners did and a few years ago purchased the trailer for our family. We have used it for tailgate parties, camping, and trips to Gramma and Grampa’s house. Our girls have quite literally grown up with the camper and neither has any memory us NOT having the camper. You should see the way their eyes light up when we get ready for a trip. If we are going camping for the weekend, typically, I would bring the camper home from storage on Thursday night so that we can pack up and be ready to hit the road on Friday. We don’t usually tell the girls when this is going to happen, so often their first indication that we are going camping is when they look out the window and see the camper hitched to my truck at our curb. This always causes jumping a

Last November, our church hosted a Father/Daughter camping weekend at Camp Penial.  When I was registering for that trip with the church I decided that it should be for Grace and I.  I wasn't sure that there would be much for Hailey to do, since she was only 3.  All in all, it was the right choice.  Grace and I had a blast, and it was a special weekend for just her and I.  We camped in a tent, we rode a zip line and shot a .22, and she also mastered the rock wall.  Truthfully, there really wasn't much that Hailey would have gotten to do.  But it was obvious that her feelings were hurt that she didn't get to go.  I finally appeased her by promising her that she and I would go on our own camping adventure on another weekend. As we got into the holiday season, and the weather got colder, we ran out of weekends to go camping.  Then we had some issues with our camper, and countless other reasons came up that kept me from keeping my promise.  Hailey cornered me

I am sure it comes as no surprise that I like to make fresh salsas.  I have several recipes that I make on a fairly regular basis.  One of my favorites is a tomatillo salsa, another is a smoked tomato salsa.  And summertime is a natural time to make salsas, I use them for tacos (breakfast and dinner), as a salad dressing, or as a sandwich spread.  The fresh produce I use to make my salsas usually comes from the store or occasionally from a farmers market nearby.  But even during the peak growing season, the best ingredients are often hard to find and can be expensive!    I am not characterized by my green thumbs.  I haven't been known for lush landscapes, but I am getting better.  So far, I haven't been able to kill my roses, and my grass is looking better with each passing week of our early spring.  We still have a house plant we received from a friend when Hailey was born, that qualifies as a minor miracle, I am sure.  Now, my mom has a green thumb, she inherited it from my

It seems quite natural to spend time during the holidays reflecting on the year, and of course the New Year brings new resolutions for our future.  I don't typically make a list of wishes or tasks that I am going to do (or give up) in the coming year,  I am one of those people who is more likely to start the clock to see how long it takes for me to cave in on my new resolutions.   But I did however come up with a goal for 2013 that I think will be helpful.  My goal is going to be far more intentional in 2013.  I have seen in so many areas of my life, spiritual, physical, and mental where I was swayed by the wind, or beat up by on out-of-control calendar.  So this year, my pledge isn't to lose a bunch of weight, though health will play a big factor in my year.  This year, I won't pledge to shred the credit cards, tackle my reading list, kick my bacon addiction or be a better Daddy, Husband, Brother, Uncle, Friend, etc..  In the Spring of 2012, I wrapped up a 27 week stud