Category: Family

  • Christmas Tree 2023

    It’s truly hard for us to believe that 15 years now we’ve been making Christmas tree videos, but here we are. Bethany and I have both been pretty sick with something lately, but we still found the energy to walk over to our local nursery and have the kids carry back the Christmas tree! So…

  • Thanks, Papa. And Happy Father’s Day.

    It’s Father’s Day–the first one without my (Shay) dad. I felt it more keenly this week because it was also my birthday a few days ago and I didn’t get his annual phone call. It’s always strange how the smallest things can hurt. But while playing with my kids this weekend I realized I had…

  • The Longest Shadow

    It’s almost poetic that my dad would die on the day of the winter solstice, or sometimes called “the longest night of the year.” Only he and I would likely find it so. Because for years he has called me, almost without fail, to remind me that the days are either getting longer or shorter.…

  • On Being Fragile and Calling 9-1-1

    “Call 9-1-1” Bethany had never told me that before so I knew this was serious. “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” “Yeah, hi… my wife is on the ground and she’s experiencing some kind of chest pain. I don’t know what to do.” After some basic questions about my location the operator asked: “How old is she?”…

  • Somewhere Between an Artist and an Engineer

    I’ve been thinking a lot about identity. Dad was a building engineer. I say “was” because he’s technically retired, but not because he’s stopped. To this day he continues to build. His 5 acres in the rolling hills of Kentucky are filled with barns and buildings of which he and my mom have designed and…