Wow Guys Thanks for Hanging in There!

Hi everyone, I'll start out the same way I always do, with an apology that it has been such a long time. I'd use the excuse that I have been busy parenting or with work or some other lame reason, but the reality is, it's not as hard as I think it is to crank out a blog post at least on a weekly basis, especially if I just right a couple paragraphs a day and send out the final copy on Friday or something... So, that being said, it is going to be my best effort to write one of these on a weekly basis.


There is going to be some changes to my formatting in relation to this blog, in past posts you saw a lot of pictures and just random quips about random going-ons in my life. Now I want to focus on my favorite pictures and expand on what makes them some of my favorite, and, I'd like to cover specific topics, not just random stuff that comes to my mind. All that being said, I'd like some feedback from you, the reader, so please feel free to hit me up on social media (I will have links to my various social media at the end of this post) or via email if there is a topic you would like me to cover in one of my later blogs, whether it be something specific about parenting or just a question you had about the boys, let me know!


Since I don't have a specific topic for this post, I will still keep it semi-random, but there are a couple things I wanted to say first since I haven't covered them in a prior post before.


First, as some of you may know I lost both of my Grandfathers this year, my dad's dad, Earl Keeler, passed away on 8/28/15, and more recently my mom's dad, Arne Simengaard, passed away on 11/28/15. Both men were brilliant men of God and daily strived to be closer to being like Jesus in everything that they said and did. It's awesome to think that both of them are in heaven based on their faith. What I appreciated at both of their memorial services is the fact that the Gospel was preached to the many people that came. It's such a good reminder to know that the only real way to heaven is by believing in what Christ did on the cross for our sins and knowing that He was raised from the dead to prove the glory of God. There is so much grace that He provides, if we would all only accept it and follow in Christ's likeness, it's so critical if we want to see all of our loved ones in heaven, SO CRITICAL. My encouragement to my readers, if you have never truly thought about whether or not you would go to heaven if you died today, please do so, and if you have questions about the Gospel or Christianity in general, please don't hesitate to ask, I'd be glad to answer questions the best I can!

I loved both my Pop Pop and my Grandpa very much, I can't wait to celebrate with them in heaven when my time comes!


Now, on to Benson, Wyatt and Ryder!


Benson is almost three years old, he will be three on 2/18/16, which is definitely crazy to me, I don't have any idea how the three years blew by so quickly. There is so much personality with this little guy, he loves his little brothers, but doesn't always like them, as he will now tell us. He repeats nearly everything that you might say, so it is best to be careful with your words. Luckily there has been a somewhat slow transition from utter disobedience to a less disobedient more helpful young man. I can only pray that our disciplining methods mold him to be an even more obedient little helper as time progresses. I don't have any helpful tips on that, but I hope to eventually.

Some more about Benson, it is sooooooooooo nice to not have to change his diapers anymore, and we are so thankful with Pauline's parents helping him become fully potty trained! Yay! He loves to play on the iPad, but more or less it's him watching the kid YouTube app, which used to be mostly a show called Tayo: the Little Bus, but more recently has been random videos with computer animated toy trains that talk and random monster trucks racing through shapes. One of the more fun things about Benson is how much of a dork he can be, because he knows we love it and he loves to make us smile and laugh.


Wyatt just turned 13 months on 12/7/15, already over a year old... wow. Not as quick as his brother with walking around, but he is still pretty quick on his feet. This kid loves to climb, everything, whether it be the oven, our wine rack, the ottoman in the living room, the fireplace, the fence guarding the Christmas tree, etc. Once he gets up on some of those places, he likes to stand and smile, such a little daredevil. He has also been developing quite the personality, he'll look back with an evil grin right before he does something he is not supposed to, like turn the TV on and off or try to touch the Christmas tree. Most of the time he doesn't talk too much, but he loves to growl or yell really loudly, most of the time for no apparent reason.

Ryder turned 13 months on 12/7/15, one minute after Wyatt. He was the first to start walking around between the two twins and has been cruising ever since. This is still quite funny to me considering our doctor originally wanted him in physical therapy because she feared that he might have hip issues based on the way he was in the womb. Turns out he was just a little behind at first, but now he is cruising around as fast as his little feet will carry him. He is such a little talker as well, he loves to say gibberish or will sometimes sing, at least from what it sounds like. His hair is also a lot longer than Wyatt's and has already had one haircut and actually may be due for another very soon.

I love to play music for the boys, all three of them will dance if they like the beat enough. There's more than a few videos with them jamming out, I will have to try to post those to my YouTube at some point in time.


All the boys seems to play together quite nicely, Benson gets annoyed sometimes, but is getting better and better about sharing his toys. None of them are really playing with each other directly yet, it is more so that they play next to each other and tolerate each other. If they are anything like my brothers and me, they will all end up being really good friends, it may just take a bit of time. Both Wyatt and Ryder have been into their blankets a lot, Ryder a little bit more than Wyatt, but they love to cuddle up with their blankies as much as possible.

Next week, I plan on delving a little bit on the Christmas spirit and some of the boys' mannerisms that they have already started developing! Stay Tuned!

As I normally do, I leave you with a God bless and a thank you, for being a part of my life!

Wait, You Blog?

I know what you are thinking... how hard is it for a guy with three kids under three to write a blog post on a monthly basis? To be honest, I have had opportunities to do so or could at least write a little every day and save it until I have a full post, but have just not been very motivated to write, writers block if you will.

I've come to the realization that my blogging is at least semi-impactful or has the potential to be. Though I am not an important or influential person by any means, people may be interested in my opinion or at least looking for some insight when faced with having their own kids. At the very least I can reference how my faith in Jesus Christ has molded me as a parent and guided me in the right directions towards showing my sons how to grow spiritually and seek God in all things.

Obviously right now they may not grasp the concept of a life rooted in Christ, but I have been planting the seeds of prayer, worship, respectfulness, faith, reading God's word, etc. To Benson, it probably just seems to be a pattern currently, he mimics what we look like when we pray, tries to sing a long to the worship songs I sing to him, and seems to intently listen to the daily children's devotional I read to him. My constant prayer is that I can guide all three boys to salvation through Christ, but I know ultimately it is a decision they have to make on their own.

Growing up I enjoyed Church and Sunday school, although I didn't always like getting up early to go to Church and on occasion would get mean to my parents and ultimately not go because I just wanted to stay in bed. Sorry mom and dad, I was rude at times and should have been obedient. My hope is that I can show my children the fun side of fellowship with others on a weekly basis and that they are not alone when it comes to being in a family that is Christ centered.

Those are my constant thoughts, that, and, am I being a good Godly leader for my family? It starts with me, I need to make sure my relationship with God is in order before I can even begin to think about leading my family. Am I reading my Bible on a daily basis, could I be reading it more? Am I not only praying to the Lord in my time of need, but also thanking him for all that he has already given me, but more importantly, am I taking the time to actually listen to God's response to my prayer? Am I guarding myself from the pleasures of this world that give only a temporary means of satisfaction, but really are sins that are spitting in the face of God?

OK, that is my, "in case you were wondering about my Faith" opening, honestly if you are curious about God, Christ as a Savior, Christianity in general, let me know, I don't have all the answers, but have wonderful Christian leaders in my life that may, so would be happy to guide or let you know what I know. Ask away!

Now, the boys, let's just get a quick status update out there.

Benson - 2 years and 4 months old now, using full sentences, mimicking constantly, running always, currently loves pickles.

Wyatt - 7 and 1/2 months old now (where did the time go??), recently said "da da," the day after father's day, probably by accident, scoots on his back or rolls, doesn't usually end up where he wants to go. Has two teeth, possibly a third and fourth coming in as well.

Ryder -  7 and 1/2 months (minus 1 minute from Wyatt), spits a lot, probably because it feels good on his gums, smiles constantly, no teeth yet, but has for sure been working on it. Can roll, but struggles with it at times. Sits up well!

Both twins are sitting up and are eating baby goop (random forms of pureed concoctions pre-packaged by Gerber®), so far they seem to like most things that we feed them, so that's good. They are slowly reducing the amount of bottles they need each day, which is also good. Sleep-wise they are hit or miss most nights, we put them down at around 9ish and generally they wake up searching for a pacifier at midnightish, on a really good night they will sleep all the way till I feed them at 5 AM, on a bad night they will wake up every hour from 9 to 5... not my favorite.

Overall, being a father of three boys has been such a blessing so far. There are tough moments, but those always pale in comparison to all of the wonderful times. It's been wonderful to watch them grow and watch the twins interact with each other as well as Benson interact with them. He is rough on occasion, but most of them time he genuinely wants to be around with them and play with them.

We are looking forward to a lot of fun times outdoors with the boys this summer, whether it be walking, going to the park, possibly going to the beach, or just hanging out on the deck. It's nice to be able to spend time altogether as a family and enjoy the boys.

Through everything in our lives, I've never been more in love with my wife than I am now and that love continues to grow on a daily basis, Pauline is such an amazing woman and I am blessed to have her in my life. Plus she's hot so that's a plus, I mean, she had twins, and she looks fantastic! I couldn't think of a better partner in raising our three boys, she does such a wonderful job with them at home while I am at work.

As I normally do, here is an overload of pictures, in no particular order, some are old because I haven't posted in 6 months..........: