Zachary's first baseball game.

With a new child there are many "firsts". The first step and the first word are but a couple of examples. As a parent it is a joy to get to share these "firsts" with your child. This past weekend I got to enjoy a "first" that I have waited a long time to experience. We took Zachary to his first baseball game. Jessica and I took him to Stillwater to see an OSU play. His Grandma, Granddad and uncle joined us for the game as well.

During the game, Zachary watched the crowd, ran up and down the benches, played with his toys and generally did everything but watch the game. He danced whenever music was played over the loud speakers, entertained the crowd and cheered whenever he heard someone else cheering, including fans of the other team. He rarely sat still but the experience was thoroughly enjoyed by all of us.

Over the years I intend to take Zachary to many baseball games and other sporting events but there will only be one "first" I didn't get to watch all of the game as I was busy helping entertain him but I don't care. I had an incredible time. He won't likely remember the game but I soon won't forget it.

Not every harvest is bountiful.

I have been visiting with dad about the upcoming wheat harvest. It is but a few weeks away and it doesn't look very good. The lingering drought in parts of Oklahoma has taken its toll. The area around Enid has received little moisture for the past six months. All of the wheat crop has suffered, some of it has been virtually destroyed. Dad expects yields to be well below normal. If there isn't decent rain in the next couple of weeks the entire crop could be lost.

As bad as it is near Enid, the conditions further south are much worse. In Southern Oklahoma and much of Texas they have received virtually no rain in the last eight or nine months. In these parts the wheat crop has already been ruled a total loss.

Nothing will teach patience and endurance like farming. Drought, hail, wind and calamity can happen at any time. You can do everything right and the crop still may not come in. It is a reality that every farmer faces.

No matter how bad the harvest is this year it won't be the end of the farm. It will be difficult, but the farm will continue. This isn't the first storm that the Millers have had to weather. This in no way detours my desire to return to the farm. If anything it hardens my resolve to return and continue the family legacy...feast or famine.

Mother's Day

For first time parents the term "expecting" doesn't make much sense as you really don't know what to expect. On Mother's Day two years ago we didn't know what to expect. Jessica was pregnant but we had not yet met our son Zachary. We didn't know what he would look like or what his personality would be. What color would his hair or his eyes be?  As he got older would he be shy, precocious, independent, head-strong or something else entirely?

Also we didn't know what kind of parents that we would be. Would we be patient, demanding, compassionate, difficult or all of the above? Would we instantly love this little life or would it take time to fall in love with him? How would it affect our lives? Would it be stressful, fulfilling, and/or rewarding? A myriad of thoughts filled our heads as we approached the due date.

I remember's my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.

Abraham Lincoln 

Mother's Day two years later, Zachary is now over a year and half old. Many of those questions have been answered. He has blond hair and blue eyes. He is head-strong but very loving. He is independent, very curious, and full of life. We are discovering his budding personality. Each day is a new experience.

As for our parenting, well I just do my best but Jessica has more than risen to the challenge. Nights with little sleep are the norm. There is a never ending supply of dirty diapers to change. Food flying across the kitchen floor at dinner time tries anyones patience but she takes it all in stride. Zachary has taken an early start on the "terrible twos" but she continues to love and adore him. She rocks him to sleep each night and encourages him to eat when he refuses. As Mother's Day approaches again Jessica may not be a "perfect" mother but she gives it her all. As far as I am concerned she is close enough to perfect for me and I think Zachary agrees!