Brent’s Thoughts

Julie has started saying “dadada” which of course sounds exactly like Daddy when you are a goofy parent who thinks that their kid is a genius. I know it isn’t her saying “Daddy”, but it is still pretty cool to hear her say it and for no logical reason at all it makes me happy.

No I have to work on getting her to say “Mamama” or I am going to get in trouble.

I think I have a video of it, but I don’t know if it has her saying it very good. I will try to get it posted soon.

I have been really lax in uploading various pictures that I have from different events. I finally got around to getting them uploaded thanks to the connection at work. It takes about 3 minutes a picture at home, but about 10 seconds at work.

There are some from the 2007 Bankson family reunion.

I uploaded some more of Julie from various points.

I also put some more up of Jim and Sabra’s daughter Amber.

So enjoy. I haven’t captioned any of them, so if you feel there are some that need it, just let me know and I will put them at the front of the list.

Well, I have been feeling alittle worrysome lately. I watched a house the other night that was about a father that was caring for his mentally challenged son. the son had been brain damaged following a bus accident and the father was now going to have to make a big medical decision for him. I also watched the movie “A knights tale” tonight, where the father was sending his son off to apprentice with a knight at a tender young age saying that was all he had to give to him (the man was poor) and that he wanted his son to live a better life than he himself had lived.
I have just been feeling alittle crazy I guess. I just stop and think about all the what ifs. Julie is still so small and will be for a long time. so helpless. So many things are uncertain. Money, health, accidents are all things you can’t control. She can’t make any decisions for herself (not to say that when she is capable of making her own decisions that they will be good ones). alot of movies and tv shows (and I watch way too much tv) have this underlying theme of parents and their kids and the heartbreaking circumstances that they meet.
I guess I will just have to stop watching tv.

Did anyone else hear someone prompt Romney during the last segment? He was being ask if he would do for Social Security what Ronald Regan did in the 80’s. You can clearly hear someone off camera whisper “Raise Taxes” and then after that Romney says, “Well I am not going to raise taxes.” His whole answer is about Raising Taxes after that and he doesn’t really reference anything specific to Regan or what he did. I would say it was obvious that he didn’t know what Regan had done and someone prompted him.

WTF was that all about? Does anyone know who it was that said that and how often does it happen that the mics don’t happen to pick it up.

**UPDATE**

Apparently the line that is coming out now, is that it was Brian Williams prompting Russert with the rest of the question. I can see how that might be it, but I stand with what I wrote above in the impression that it gave, even if it may have been something else.

Here is Julie’s first real result when she is trying to crawl.

 

 Julie Crawling: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I occationally receive messages from a former high school friend of mine that is currently serving in IRAQ. This last message, summing up 2007, really touched my heart. He said that of the 365 days of 2007, only 48 of them was spent with his wife and family. I have put his message here to share with the other people I know lucky enough not to be in IRAQ.

As you read this, you see that he is missing important time with his smallest son, he has a sick child that he has to worry about and can’t take care of and that his wife is having to look after 3 children, 1 toddler, 1 sick child and 1 other all by herself. I also find it somewhat humbling that he closes by hoping for better things for everyone else in the coming year.

Happy New Year everyone. The one thing that is always a challenge, exciting and disappointing, about the new year is when you reflect back to what you did and what happened during the past 365 days. I have to say it was a decent year for myself, some ups but sadly alot of downs as well. The biggest thing I am happy about is I am still alive, which can be more of a challenge in this place then normal. I made some great friends over here, something that I do not think I would have accomplished if I would have been in the states. But as I said above the bad things out weigh the good by a good portion. Of the 365 days this year has I spent only 48 with my wife and children, this is probably the worst part of the year 2007. I have missed a good protion of them growing up and many first in Andrews case. The little bugger is up and running now (much to the agravation of Kara) and has grown like a weed. When you look at the guy it is hard to believe that he was a 4.5 pound baby. Mikayla seems to be doing better with her seizures. She has not had a full blown seizure for several months now, so I hope that reflects the new medicines are working for her. Xavier is getting taller and lankier and still a little goof ball. Kara has probably gained some gray hair from this experience, poor girl I will have to buy her some dye when I get home :). In closing I would like to say Happy New Year, I hope 2007 treated you well and that 2008 treats you better