Birth Announcement

...for our newest grandson. Loves me some grandbabies!
Big brothers Aidan and Alexander are learning a new skill.

Blessings,
Ken

More Gus Pix

...can't get enough

Gus and big bro, Aidan

 Donna gets to go to Round Rock tomorrow for a visit but I can't go until next week. So she gets to hold him first! 

Blessings,
Ken

update 9/29/11 5pm. She called. he's adorable & cuddly.

Gus with big bro, Alexander, and mom, Heather

Gus in dreamland

Gus Arrives Early

...nothing like a dramatic entry

Augustus, Day 3

 Augustus Christopher Byrd arrived on Sunday, Sept 4, weighing in at 6 lbs 13 oz. That's a good weight considering that he was a month early. He came into the world by emergency c-section, and has been in the NICU at the Round Rock hospital. 



On the up side, the IV's have been taken out, the feeding tube removed and is breathing room air instead of the oxygen assist. It was really hard to look at all the wires and tubes he had hooked up to him; fortunately, those wonderful folks in the scrubs know how to operate all the electronic stuff being used.



Augustus, day 9





As of today, he's feeding well and is gaining weight. He still has to pass some benchmarks before they'll release him. We still haven't been able to hold him because of the monitors that are still hooked up to him.



May God richly bless the staff at St. David's/Round Rock Hospital.



blessings,

Ken

update: 9/16/11  Word is Gus may get to go home on Sunday 9/18. He's a fighter.



Circle of Life

...mine keeps getting bigger

Sometime back I had the joy of  officiating the ceremony for Emily and Peter, including their daughter, Kaylehn. Go here to see artwork she made for me: http://treasurethepromise.blogspot.com/2011/02/refrigerator-art.html

 Anyway, I recently heard from Emily in two different ways. Seems her cousin, Natalie, attended her wedding and now Natalie has given me the honor of doing her ceremony as well sometime in November. I also got an email from Emily that Kaylehn has a new little sister, Ava. Here are a couple of pix.

I so love it when my couples stay in touch and bless me with such pictures. It's a double blessing when they entrust a friend or relative to my care.


Next up--Emily has time off to be a new mom before going back to work; Peter is still training as a paramedic, Kaylehn is being a big sis, and Ava is...well, doing what babies do.

Emily, Peter, Kaylehn, and Ava: thanks for sharing your lives with me.

Blessings,
Ken

FORTY-TWO

...How Time Flies

August 23, 1969 Donna and I said our vows at Highland Park Baptist Church in Austin. The reception was held at her parents home. What were we thinking?!!  The house was good sized, but the air conditioner wasn't designed to handle 60 guests when the temp was 95 and the humidity at 64%.  But it was fun, even so.

Later she changed into her travel ensemble, I changed into my formal bell-bottoms and double breasted blazer. We hopped into our 1967 VW Beetle, no air conditioning, and headed off to our honeymoon.

Love conquers all, we always say. That day it conquered the heat, humidity and sweat.  

Happy anniversary, my love. It's been a great 42 years.

Blessings,
Ken

Watch Out, John Travolta

Alexander James Byrd, Age 6

...Alexander has some moves

This picture cracks me up. Alexander (age 6) doing a little dance move on a recent expedition with his other set of grandparents. They took a trip to the coast in their RV.  Not sure what inspired Nander to this pose, but it's pure Alexander attitude. That's a fun thing.

Blessings,
Ken

July 4, 2011

...with a German flavor



Heather (part German) and Adam (Eagle Scout-note the shirt)

 Heather, Adam, Aidan, Alexander, Donna and myself spent July 4 evening in Walburg, Texas. Augustus came, too, but he was safely floating around inside Heather awaiting his due date.  Walburg  is not much more than a wide spot on FM Road 1105 in rural Williamson County, about thirty miles north of Austin. Other than a Lutheran Church, not much there with the huge exception of the Walburg Restaurant and Bier Garten.  Restaurant (indoor dining) is open regularly, but the garten is open selected months and days. A huge tent covers long rows of rustic wood picnic tables. A raised stage and dancefloor at one end is a hint of what is to come.

Elsewhere, there are outside tables, a building for food and drink, a kids arcade, and places to just let the kids run around and be kids, in an enclosed, safe environment. In all the times I've been there, don't think I've ever heard any guest exchange a cross word with any other guest.
For the adults, the big draws are traditional German food (schnitzel, brats, kraut,, etc.), a huge selection of German and domestic beers, AND the Walburg Boys. This bunch of part German/part redneck musicians is the house band, but they also play German festivals all over the country, including Wurstfest in New Braunfels in October.  Led by Ronny Tippelt, lead singer/accordion player/chief yodeler, the 8 piece band can handle polka, yodel standards, and German takes on favorite pop & rock such as "Margaritaville" and "Sweet Home Alabama". Until you've heard Ronny and the rhythym guitarist do two part harmony yodels over the familiar guitar lick, you just haven't lived.  When the Walburg Boys took a break, down on the other end of the tent, the Brushy Creek Brass Band cranked up patriotic American tunes, peppered with some German standards.

The dance floor had at various times, couples in their 80's, all the way down to children under ten just enjoying the fun music and atmosphere.

The single most poignant moment occurred during the band's second set. A young girl, perhaps 12 or 13, had been standing at the edge of the dance floor. She was plainly dressed, a little awkward, taking furtive glances at the dancers. A few minutes later the band started a slow waltz number and a tall, cowboy looking guy in starched Wranglers & Justin Ropers walked over to the young girl and extended his hand. This was about to be their very first father-daughter dance. He showed her how the rhythym went, got her up on the balls of her feet, and showed her how to turn. Then, it was magic. The dad was clearly a bit awkward; the girl kept looking at her feet--he was so tall and she was short enough that her right arm only reached his belt level, so she grabbed a belt loop. They waltzed and twirled for the song's duration and when it was over, he stepped back and gave his daughter a stiff little bow. She looked up into his eyes and it was so plain that I had just witnessed a defining moment between father and daughter. She walked gracefully, like a young lady, to the edge of the dance floor, then jumped off onto the dirt with a hand clap, like a little girl, and ran off to tell her friends.

I did not see them again before we left. They'll never know that a complete stranger saw this moment that both will likely remember forever.  That's the magic of Walburg--it's like a month's vacation--the cares just dissolve away, you get lost in the music and camraderie, and if you watch very carefully, you might see a father and daughter making a memory to share in the future.

Alexander James & Aidan Kenneth  Byrd

Just go to Google and look for Walburg, Texas, Walburg Boys, etc.  The pictures here are of my son Adam, his wife, Heather (who is currently carrying Gus, due in October), and their two sons, Aidan and Alexander.

Got to enjoy these little moments in life.

Blessings,

Ken

Reason Number 7,777

...why I love living in the south


During a break in the game tonight (Go Mavs!), the wife and I went outside to sit on our garden bench and enjoy the evening. In the space of ten minutes numerous song birds were around, squirrels played in the trees, and our resident bunnies were hopping around tasting the vegetation. The skunks are only out when we're asleep, the coyotes stay along the creek, and the pair of red tale hawks soaring over the neighborhood only occasionally dives to capture their dinner.

But the reason I enjoyed it so much tonight? First time to hear the cicadas singing. I love that sound.

Blessings,
Ken

Beating Cancer

...ten years and counting

I'm grateful for every day that I have and every day I have I owe to a couple of very good doctors who caught a problem early enough to make it go away.  Nothing will bring you face to face with your mortality quite like the doctor calling to say "we've found some malignant cells. you need to come in to discuss the options. we've scheduled you for tomorrow morning". Not next week or next month. Tomorrow morning.

June 11 is the ten year anniversary of the surgery and happy to say all tests since then are good. Cancer is not always a death sentence. A big part of recovery was my faith in God. Also, the Bible says "laughter is good medicine". That is absolutely true. Scientific studies have shown that laughter has a profound and positive effect on the body. With that in mind, I hereby offer the seven things I learned during four days in the hospital:

1. Catheters are a tool of Satan
2. Hospitals do not recognize any difference between day and night
3. Catheters are a tool of Satan
4. Hospitals do not understand privacy and dignity
5. Catheters are a tool of Satan
6. Any hospital person in a lab coat who enters your room is going to pull back the sheet, lift up your lovely hospital gown and look at your manly parts;
AND
7. Catheters are a tool of Satan. 

Looking back on the hospital stay, I also remember that my buddy, Ken Savage, was the only visitor who was kicked out of the room by hospital staff. They were afraid all the laughter was going to cause me to pop stitches.

Seriously, God used Dr. Josephine Win and Dr. Scott Hassell to ensure that I am still around to enjoy all my grandchildren. God is good.

Blessings,
Ken