Happiness is being a Grandpa

I don't know how to start this blog other than saying that happiness is being a grandpa. I could give you a travel log of my trip but that would be rather mundane. I could wax rather profound but ... well, I might just do that anyway. I know that the folks at home would rather I just get on with it and post pictures. After all, pictures is what they want. The picture to the left is Milo dress up in his blessing outfit. His mom sewed the vest, Grandpa Sappington found the tie and couldn't resist getting it, and the pants were from the white tux that Grandpa Allred and Milo's rockin' Aunt Deborah found in a bridal shop. He looked absolutely handsome and extremely smart if you ask me.

He was such a good boy when he was being blessed. He was very quiet and just looked at everyone in the circle. I'm afraid that I was so focused on Milo that I barely heard a work his father said. I will just have to read the notes that Grandma Shipman wrote down.

My brother, Richard, and his wife, Barbara, came up from Draper. It was very much appreciated that they came up to share a wonderful time in our lives. They have always come through and I can always count on them.

Poor Milo had to put up with picture taking all day long. In the morning before church, we took pictures of him in the outfit that he was blessed in as well as pictures of the white tux that Grandma Allred and Aunt Deborah sent out with me. In the afternoon after church, there was another round of pictures. This time he had to put up with the group photos in all possible combinations. I guess this is great training for when he gets married and has to endure the wedding photos. I'm sure if Milo knew about the paparazzi he would have felt like he were a celebrity.

Milo didn't care too much for having change from one outfit to the next just so we could get a photo but I promised Grandma Allred some good photos of him in the white tux. I guess it is a guy thing. We don't like to be messed with and we don't like to change from one outfit to the other for no reason.

He ended up happy after all even though he was changed once again into the outfit that he went to church in.


And so we end the day with photos of Shipman Family with Grandma Shipman











And another photo with Grandpa Allred.

Believe it or not, the room was filled with family. We just didn't get any photos of the whole group. I'm sure Milo was happy that we didn't take more photos.




So one last thought. I don't know that I understand what it is to be a grandfather or what they do. Check back with me in a few. I can tell you what the differences and similarities of being a father vs a grandfather. A grandfather can look back and remember. Like a father a grandfather looks forward with dreams for the future.

A Time to Reflect on Terrorism and Life

Today is a day to reflect on terrorism, our war on terrorism and our respect for life. Last night when I heard that Osama Bin Laden was killed, I was grateful that at last our country had accomplished a key security objective. We had finally got the man responsible for the thousands of American deaths within the boundaries of our country's borders.

In contrast, I was a little distressed in the jubilation shown in the news reports of people celebrating Bin Laden's death. Don't get me wrong; Bin Laden was an evil man and deserved to be captured, tried, and punished for the crimes he committed. Unfortunately he did not allow himself to be captured but chose to be killed instead.

This experience made me remember the summer of 1987. Pierre Dale Selby was executed for the HiFi Murders in Ogden, Utah. I remember feeling that the execution not only was necessary but that it was also our darkest obligation to society. There is nothing to be joyful of or to celebrate. We owed it to the concepts of justice that we punished those who committed unspeakable crimes against society. How can we find joy in the loss of any life who has not lived it well.

Life is too sacred. We are to reverence it. To celebrate an execution or the death of a murderer such as Bin Laden is to offend the inherent divinity that each human possesses. It is to move us closer to the evil of those like Bin Laden, those who deny the divinity of the community of mankind.

So let us continue to pursue the evil extremists who have fought against us. Let us capture or kill those who merit justice. I hope that we are able to gather more evidence to identify them. I hope we find and punish all who deserve it. I also hope we show them respect so that we maintain that which makes us more like the people we are destined to be.