Happy Birthday Eli and Ethan a few days late

I’ve been without internet, tv and lots of other things I may go into later, but since I’m a few days late wanted to say Happy Birthday to my nephews, Eli turned 6 on Friday, and Ethan turned 4 yesterday.

 

Six years old, and four years old well – that’s amazing!

Six and four years ago you two happened, and we happened.
Two little golden haired boys
Six and four and such great guys, such great brothers
Full of smiles and laughter
And I have to wonder why
Why are we so blessed?

I love you two so, little Eli and Ethan
You two are so, so cool
And so easy too love – so smart, so into your own world and ready to share it
Maybe I havn’t been there enough for that. I sure wish I was

But I was so blessed to spend vacation with you this year,
I wish I had been there for your birthdays.

Wonderful, fantasticAnd Splendid
You two are quite different – and noticeably so
But you guys are brothers and take care of each other I know

Well, now you are six – and four – So on this day I give you this poem

a few days late, I’ve been through a storm.  (Tropical Storm Fay) 

I think your great
You two are tops in my book! So I will not hesitate
You’ve both grown so, Eli you don’t sit in my lap like you used too,
but I still see how much you love me.
I want you to know that I love you all of the time.
Years ago you played with your Teddy, now your a big boy, reading and starting first grade.

Ethan, little hoss, you have embarked
On a little adventure
To learn… too grow, can’t believe your in pre-K
Its rainy here today, stormy, and I’m getting sleepy for bed, and I wonder is your mommie getting the two of you all tucked in your beds. Knowing you will wake and be ready for your hot chocolate.

I wonder each year will your mommy and daddy miss this age – each have been special ones
Full of giggles and fun for their son’s.
And as I get prepared for a night of good sleep
And sweet dreams – though it seems
Your so far from me! But always in my dreams you will be

I read, and I tickle, and you’ll talk for awhile
And I understand a bit of what you are thinking
just when you smile
And I think – if I can ever find a prayer to adequately thank God
for you two, I’d better be praying it!

I love you Eli and Ethan– I love to watch you grow
To see you becoming boys – great little guys
swimming in the pool, diving with your diving mask, running to and fro
Laughing loudly, Giving mommy and daddy a hug and a kiss
Or getting rough and rowdy with each other
Playing and singing or playing the drums
and just being the wonderful You’s the two of you that God has made!
I may not see you each day but yes,
I am so proud of you two,
for all of your ways

And my prayer is that through all your fun-filled days
God will keep you both and protect you,
And hold you close to His side
And with His strong hand to be ya’lls Guide
That you will learn to know Him and love HimAnd in Him abide!
Your mommie and daddy,and all of us – are trusting our Lord to show us the way
To be good to our Eli and Ethan day after dayWe love you so much, little guys – you two are the best!You guys in our life we are happy and blessed
Happy birthday, little friend, my nephews
Happy Birthday dear Eli dear Ethan

We sure do love you!
We use the word wonderful
so much, but sometimes,
it does not mean what itshould.
Wonderful Eli,Wonderful Ethan
You light up my life,just being part of it.
You are very Wonderful nephews!

I love you guys
Uncle Derek

Fine Friday a little early: John

As the storm winds and rain surge outside of me, I’ve been stuck inside most of the day.  Today I pulled out some of the old photo albumns, of my first gay trip, to the ole so gay Key West at a gay bed and breakfast called Big Ruby’s where I met my fine Friday man.  He actually has been a Fine Friday guy once before here at this post http://deveil.wordpress.com/2008/01/18/fine-friday-john-and-just-thinking-of-them/

I’m leaving next Friday for New Orleans with Cox and Gavin, and John and I are staying at the Omni together. I look at pictures of us in our early 20’s, and smile big.  We’ve come a long way baby as the old ad went.  I’m really looking forward to seeing him again and can’t wait.  Been thinking about it a lot.   So for the second time here’s my Fine Friday, just in case the electricity goes off tonight and I’m without it tomorrow.   John, look forward to seeing you next Friday buddy in person again.  Been way too long!  Let’s not keep waiting so long in between.  Man these winds  are loud, I’ve been lazy today, reading most of the day, and washing clothes.   I call the emergency hotline tomorrow morning at 6:00 am would be nice to have another sleepy day.

Tropical Storm Fay’s Waves

Well Hurricane Fay turned into Tropical Storm Fay, but I was lucky enough to get off early this morning, so my stupid ass went to see what the waves looked like even though all the news channels said not to go, but I had to see for myself, at least I didn’t go kite surfing or anything like that, the winds are getting strong, I just made it home to download my pictures.  It’s not that bad yet, but I’m sure it will get a little wilder they say by 5:00, lots of rain and winds, which have just started.  I’m home cooking some potato and bacon soup.  Think I’ll take a nap or wash some clothes. I’m definately going to read “Mississippi Sissy”, by Kevin Sessums

And look how the twins have grown

Hard to believe the twins were so little not so long ago.  They were so fun to see and swim with, little Ryan was really enjoying the pool with me.  Caitlyn let me hold her a good bit but Ryan wanted me to hold him most of the time.  They are really growing fast too.   Funny watching all these children grow.  I wonder if I’ll ever have children, oh that’s right I can’t, but I do have child bearing hips.

Look how Aaron has grown

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seems like yesterday Aaron was crawling around everywhere!  I took this of him at Julie and Theresa’s pool party a few weeks ago, got some really good ones of the twins too I’ll post later, they are as big as Aaron is in the bottom two pictures now.  Time sure flies.

Ginger and Mary Ann

Ginger and Mary Ann, they are a hoot!  They keep me laughing and in stitches.  Lately they’ve been calling each other granma!   This is a picture I took of them at Gaypride a few weeks ago.  You should hear the two of them when they get going, it’s fun to watch.  They call me baby sister.   Yesterday I had told them my car was running bad and making a funny sound, when I got off work, they were parked out by my car.  They had already checked my oil and put in two quarts of oil.   That’s what friends are for.   Well not to change your oil, but it  actually was very nice of them, lucky to have all the friends I have, and I’m blessed to have these two in my life.  They do kind of look like them too don’t they.

Autumn

The picture above is Autumn’s tired look!  She stayed very busy the entire week of vacation.  She’s the boss, well if you ask any of the other kids who’s the boss, they will tell you Autumn, they all worship her, She’s my boss too, if you don’t believe her just ask her.  She think’s she’s everyone’s boss.   She’s quite a little girl.  She says she owns five houses.  Which she really believes because she has her own room in about five houses, her dad’s, her mom’s, her aunt’s, and her two grandmother’s.  I had a blast with her on vacation as I always do.  She’s the one that can usually almost make me cry when I leave because she always usually takes it the hardest.    Below I took a picture of her hermit crab Delilah in her hand, she also got a seaturtle as well as a pet, she named him chubby.  I sometimes can’t believe she’s only eight years old.  She acts much older at times.  She’s a pro when my camera comes around, I guess she has been conditioned for the last eight years and she really loves her pictures taken as well.   She’s a big help to them I’m sure.  Just like my sister Sherry was with my brother Lance when he was born.  I’ve been thinking about them all a lot lately it seems as you can probably tell from my posts.  Well hope all are having a great weekend.  I’m home cooking London Broil, my mema’s asparagus casserole, garlic cheese mashed potatoes, and I may even try and cook the Red lobster cheese biscuits, hope they turn out.   Cooking for Turk since we didn’t get to hang out on his birthday last week since I had company, and he had his boyfriend David in town on his birthday. Karl and Drew are coming to celebrate as well.  She’s really good with her new little brother Gavin too. 

Fine Friday: Brett

First off I am not the photographer for this picture unfortunately.  Being in a barn with Brett  with ropes would be fun.   I’m sure he’s probably been one of Fine Friday men the most!  Brett’s blog was the first gay blog I had ever read over at http://brettcajun.blogspot.com/ , shortly after reading his I started my first blog, that’s been quite a few years ago.  Anyway in two weeks I’m going to actually get to meet ole Brettcajun face to face and I’m pretty excited about that.  I’ve read many different sides of the fine man!  Look forward to giving him a big ole bear hug! 

Eli

Eli, Ethan’s big bro!  Such a good big brother!  Eli is much quieter than Ethan.  He doesn’t want a lot of attention like Ethan, and he doesn’t need a lot of hugs.  He’s an amazing kid though, very smart.  He is kind of very much to himself in many ways.  In the picture above, Eli was missing, and everyone was looking for him, I had happened to see him go to his hiding place, it was behind a big lounge chair and a two big doors of the main room, I crawled back behind there with him, and he looked at me and said it was his hiding place his secret house.  I told him I wouldn’t tell anyone, he had brought many of his toys back there and was just very content playing by himself.  He’s very inquisitive as well.  And has plenty of questions.   He’s really growing up I can’t belive he’s going to be turning six in a week.  He got a hermit crab on his last day on vacation, and really enjoyed playing with it, he’s also a little fish in the water.  He’s a daddy’s boy for sure, he reminds me very much of Andy, he looks just like his dad, but I can see a lot of my sister in both the boys as well.  

Ethan or as we call him Hoss

Ethan or as we call him Hoss, was stuck to me like my shadow the entire week when we were on vacation.  I got lots of great pictures of him.  You can look at pictures of me when I was a little boy and he looks very much like I did.   I know he reminds everyone of me when I was little.   It was almost like he was my little boy the whole week, he’s really crazy about me, and I’m crazy about him as well.   One day he got me to take him down to the beach and he had the best time.  He looked up at me after we had walked pretty far, and said I guess it’s just you and me, and I smiled at him and said I guess it is.   He doesn’t get too far away from his mama, but when he’s with Uncle Dig-It, he’s pretty happy, and so is Uncle Dig-It.  I probably spent more time with him than I did anyone on the vacation.  He’s a tough rough one too, he loves attention too, and getting his way.   He especially wants my attention, I don’t think he was too crazy about me holding Gavin so much, he was funny, he would lay beside us when I would hold him, and he would ask me when are you going to be through holding Gavin?  But he was really good with his little cousin.  Missing them all