Blandford Church and Cemetery

This is a photo I took at the cemetery this week following a funeral. The snow allowed me to see the details of this 300 acre cemetery.


Here is a photo of the altar within the historic church. The stain glass windows were made by L.C. Tiffany. The detail of these windows can only be appreciated in person. There are over 30,000 confederate soldiers in the cemetery.


The church building dates back to 1735. The church offers a tangible look back into American history. The location is about thirty miles south of Richmond in the town of Petersburg. Very interesting visit.

Christmas Snow

Tommy and I were out in the snow this morning. Notice his tractor in the back ground, it seem to be a pretty good snow plow as well. Tommy was happy to find that Father Christmas brought him his tractor and a chalk board which he has made good use of; they are really teaching him well at the children's choice. We have been enjoying the snow and an occasional break for hot chocolate.


Tommy is explaining here the molecular composition of snow. While licking a beater with cake batter sticking to it.

The Conductor

Tommy, Patty and I went to see the polar express at the theater this past week. Tommy has fallen in love with this film. Because the film does make some load noises he was a little frightened at first. The local mall had a polar express snow globe display which he really enjoyed. However upon spotting the conductor character, who is played by Tom Hanks, in the snow globe shouts , "Look! The seductor!" in his loudest most excited voice. The whole mall seemed to snicker at his comment. I may have to sell this child on eBay.

Blessing the Ice cream

Saturday Patty took Tommy to go see Santa at the mall. Tommy was such a good boy that he was treated to an ice cream at Friendly’s. Being the fine lad that he is (on occasion); Tommy insisted that he say the blessing before having his treat. Patty snapped this shot as he folded his hands and devoutly began to pray. We asked him what he told Santa that he wanted for Christmas. Tommy reported that he wanted a tractor and some chalk. Looks like Tommy takes after Bishop Joseph in his love of tractors.

The Tiny Snow Man

Today Tommy and I went out to burn off some energy so I took him to a play ground just around the corner from our house. The Play ground belongs to the local elementary school. It still had a good covering of snow from our winter storm earlier this week. Tommy made a very tiny “frosty” the snow man and is seen here putting the hat on him. Seconds later he stands up and gives frosty a running kick much like a football player looking for a winning field goal. He is very excited about Santa coming, I sure hope he give Santa a little more respect than he did old Frosty.

The Great Pumpkin

Saturday Patty, Tommy and I went to a pumpkin patch in Ashland, Virginia in search of “The Great Pumpkin.” We took a hayride to the large field of pumpkins to find the perfect one. The ride was very bumpy and noisy; and to be quite honest this was Tommy’s favorite part. He loves tractors and excitement. When we got to the field we looked around walking the rows of pumpkins until we found the perfect one. Patty was smart enough to bring a grocery bag with us so that we had no problems transporting our prized produce. It was a mild day and Tommy even got a chance to play with the farmer’s goats and geese.

Cousins

Tommy is now reaching his third birthday, November 20th. All of his clothes have traveled down to his cousin Jack who lives in South Carolina and is half his age. Well the clothing has come full circle; after learning about the pending arrival of Danny these cloths are now making their way back up to Virginia for Danny to enjoy. It is fun to see Tommy and his cousin “Baby Jack” as they become closer to one another. Both have qualities in their personality that complements the other. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Psalm 127

It's A Boy!

Daniel "Danny" Patrick Ayres

Patty, Tommy and I are having a baby boy!
Baby is measuring right on time and weighs approximately 12 ounces. Heart rate was 150. Mom and Baby are both doing well.

Last day at Sea!!

This morning early our ship left Nassau steaming toward Cape Canaveral. The sea today was calm and the sun was bright on the deep blue water. The day was very restful and Patty and I both have enjoyed our trip but are very eager to get home to Tommy who has been staying with his cousin Jack. I love the fact that I will be seeing my boy tomorrow but dread the seven hour ride home with this urchin. Patty finally crashed this evening; she has been going full force this entire trip but she hit the wall around 7:45 pm this evening. We escaped the eastern Caribbean without any braids, beads or sun burns. We must be off the ship by 8:45. This afternoon I was resting on the deck and realized I could not recall the day of the week nor the date; some call this dementia I call it vacation.

A day in Nassau

This morning we arrived in Nassau at 7 am. There were several other ships docked with us and the markets were bustling with shoppers. I returned to the ship before noon and Patty braved the crowds to find deals and explore. The water is so blue it hardly distinguishable from the sky. I have rediscovered my enjoyment of the “long Island ice tea” this is an adult beverage that is totally devoid of tea to spite the name. This drink is a close relative of the “pan-galactic gargle blaster.” This was a relaxing day and I look forward to tomorrow which will be a day at sea.

Freeport Adventure

Today was yet another adventure. Patty woke up at 6:00 am to meet the majestic rising sun. I lay like a slug in the bed until 8:30. We arrived at Freeport and did the tourist thing; visiting shops and haggling prices. They packed 10 people into a taxi (minivan). The couple behind us was buff and beautiful wearing next to nothing to accentuate this state of being. Well Patty and I could hardly contain our laughter when the young lady looks at the man and said, “Oh no what if we have missed our ship to Nassau!” In which he responded confidently, “no problem, we’ll catch a cab, relax.” The young lady answer, “oh, ok.” Patty and I quickly glanced at each other and then our heads dropped quickly to the floor to avoid burst out laughing. We had a great time and Look forward to tomorrow.

On the Open Sea!

Well at we left Port Canaveral at 4:00 PM as scheduled. Patty is feeling very tired because we left the house at 5 am to get to the port. The cruise is underway and the makeup of this crowd is much different than that of those on the Canadian Cruise we took a few years ago. The median age is much lower, the alcohol consumption is much higher and the guests are engaging is behavior which is suitable for a frat house. It is funny how the “Electric Slide” can turn the most unassuming types into party animals! Great fun as an observer.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea!

Patty and I are taking a cruise to the Bahamas. We will be leaving on Sunday the h and returning on Thursday. Tommy will be staying with his aunt Bonnie, uncle Steve and cousin Jack. We are excited to get away from the rat race for a while and to just chill out. The ship we are going on has miniature golf and giant water slides. This is exciting for us and I will share pictures each day from our trip on this site. We both will miss Tommy very much but have the ability to call him each night before he goes to bed. Being the peak of the hurricane season is a bit worrisome but we survived Hugo! Keep us in your prayers… The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Psalm 93:4

My Favorite Deputy!

Tommy’s got a new set of pajamas, they are styled after his hero, “Woody the Cowboy” from the Toy Story movies. He enjoys saying things like, “there’s a snake in my boots” and “somebody poisoned the water hole!” in emulation of his hero. This weekend his Grandmother Ayres came to visit and he was excited all weekend to see her. Grandmother Ayres has inherited the name “Grammy” and he loves his Grammy. Grammy and I were able to paint my office this weekend and it looks really nice, light yellow. We had a good end to our weekend when Patty, Grammy, Tommy and I went to church Sunday morning and then took Grammy out for grandparent’s day to a Greek restaurant. We all enjoyed the tiropita. Tommy gave me two big hugs before bed that was the best! “…He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul…” Psalm 23

Out of the mouth of babes

This past Saturday Patty, Tommy and I were sitting at the kitchen table eating lunch. Tommy often comes up with random verbal explosions during dinner like, “you’re my favorite deputy” or “Alex bites and he is naughty” Well this past Saturday we had the sliding glass doors in the kitchen open to let in the sunlight. It was a beautiful day and Tommy chimes in with a random, “Jesus made this day for us.” Patty and I stunned looked at each other. While we have been training Tommy in, child sized bites, Christian doctrine, to hear him say this complete thought with such conviction was both a pleasant surprise and a joy to our hearts. “A wise son makes a glad father” Proverbs 10:1a

Goochland Drive-In

Last night Patty, Tommy and I went to the Goochland Drive-in Movie. It was truly an experience that needed to be shared. It was the one year anniversary of the Drive-in so they had a band playing, a bounce house, and replica automobiles from different movies. They had “Herbie the Love Bug” and The Bandits Trans AM. I could not resist having my picture taken. Tommy was there for the movie. It was Toy story 3. He enjoyed seeing Woody the cowboy and let out a hearty laugh every time he would say, “you’re my favorite deputy.” When the sun went down the temperature dipped down to the lower 70’s which made it a very nice evening. There were hundreds of children and families from the areas just west of Richmond. The Drive-In was the dream of a man and his family to provide affordable entertainment for those who lived in this rural area of Virginia. www.goochlanddriveintheater.com

Tommy and the Bullet.

In the 1970’s Dad was a typewriter repairman and he drove a powder blue Ford pinto station wagon. He referred to this automobile as “The Bullet”. In the 1980’s the advent of the PC caused dad to find work as a computer repairman, they gave him a silver Ford Escort station wagon which he called, “The Bullet”. In the 1990’s he graduated to a burgundy Ford Taurus station wagon which he called… “The Bullet”. The funny thing about these cars was that they all had the same familiar smell of greasy tools and cardboard. It was often that you would see him pass by on the roads of Sumter, SC with his arm propped up in the open window going to the next service call. His attire was also predictable, a long sleeved shirt and tie, even in the heat of summer; dad goes by riding in “The Bullet”. I sure do miss him.

Theme Park Fun

This weekend Patty, Tommy and I had some friends up from South Carolina. On Saturday we all piled in the car and took a trip to Busch Gardens. We all had a grand time. Tommy ran into his Pals Burt and Ernie of Sesame Street as well as enjoyed riding the rides with his dad. We went on the tea cups twice, while this is a mild ride, I found myself a bit queasy after the second go; I must be getting old. The highlight of the day was having supper with the cast of Sesame Street. It was a dinner show geared to the children of course but provided fun for us all. It was a beautiful day the temperature never got too hot and there was a cool breeze all day long.

Blue Eyes

Through the eyes of this boy the world is all true,
and even through tears his eyes remain blue.

His dog is his pal and his dad does no wrong,
and after he cries he asks for a song.

His mother she holds him, and sings baby mine,
his eyes close in peace when he hears the first line.

He sleeps deep in love as he lies in her arms,
with dad and dog close he is safe from all harm.

Through the eyes of this boy the world is all right,
and when he awakes those blue eye are so bright

Tommy meets Willy Wonka

Tommy and I had a great day today; we started out the day at the library, then we accidentally crashed a child’s party at the local park; then this evening went to a historic theater to see The original, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” We got in for the cost of one dollar a piece and it was well worth it. Henrico Theatre, located in Highland Springs, originally opened as a movie palace on April 25, 1938. Tickets were $0.25 for adults and $0.10 for children. The theatre was designated as a bomb shelter during World War II. For us it was a fun night out and as we were leaving the theater Tommy says to me, “that was really cool.” I am not sure where he picked that phrase up but it was worth a million bucks to my heart.

A Perfect day for the Zoo

This morning Tommy and I woke up early to a beautiful morning in the upper 60’s. It was Sunny and a perfect day for the Zoo. Tommy was eager to get to the Zoo early so he could, “wake the monkeys up.” Much to his dismay it seems that monkeys are early risers. However early in the morning they are much more vocal and active this made us both laugh to hear the monkeys make such a racket. We both were able to ride on the zoo’s train and the chair lift rides. Fearless Tommy found his ultimate fear, bats! We went into the “Bat House” it was a smelly dark room lit with a single amber bulb. The room was crawling with large bats; it really upset Tommy, and I admit I was not to comfortable with the experience. Tommy ran out! Daddy followed closely behind and managed to maintained some composure. YUCK!

Fun with pancakes

When my sister Amy and I were very young our grandmother Davis would cook pancakes for us. She would make the shapes of animals and spell out our names in pancake batter. This evening I was trying to come up with a good plan for supper when I thought about pancakes and eggs. Well the result was, as you see in the pictures, spelling out Tommy’s name in batter. I am pleased to note that he ate almost every letter in his name not to mention an egg a sausage and apple juice. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6