I want to know why some people think the world or strangers owe them something. I was up playing Mafia Wars - I know it's past 3am - and since Sonya and the boys are asleep I am out on the second floor of the lobby at the hotel we're staying at. A woman walks in and wants to try and get a room for $30. Of course all she has is cash and a sob story. When the guy behind the counter tells her the lowest they can go is $49.99 - she starts in on her story and her tears. Somehow hoping that he will be able to change their policy. I've never seen a more patient man. He has been incredible for the past 30 min. He tried to help her online find something, he dialed numbers to try and get her Credit Card info. He called another hotel in area.
I know this story and forgive me for sounding so cold but after working Night Audit for so many years I have been in his shoes and this is not the front desk person's issue. He is just trying to do his job. She appears to expect him to somehow take care of her.
My reason for writing this blog though is not against her, well I guess part of it is. But it's more a question of do I sometimes act the same way? Do I walk around expecting things of people. I know that sometimes I feel that way about my parents. I feel that I expect things of them that maybe I shouldn't. I know that they like watching my boys but do I ask them to do it too much. Do they really feel that they can say no. Do I at work ask people to cover my phones and then take advantage of it by taking too long a break? Do I take advantage of my wife or expect her to do more than her share around the house?
I'm sure I could go on, but it is late.
My question is do all of us do this to some extent? If you sometimes feel the same please post a comment, please let me know I'm not entirely alone in this. Or if you'd rather, let me know how you really feel.
As a total side note and to show what a heartless person I can be I had to laugh when the lady was talking to the front desk clerk and saying she didn't know how to log into credit card info online. She said, "I'm not just with the 90's."
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Day Two of the Buchanan Family Reunion.
Today was a great day at the reunion. I didn't participate in all the activities and so since it's my blog I'm just going to have down what I did.
We slept in till past 9am. How often do we get our two kids to sleep in past 7? Like never - so this was great, even though it made us miss breakfast.
We got there to watch the end of The Price is Right. They even had a Plinko board - I love that game.
We then had a class while the kids did their own activity. Our class was based on the book, "The Five Love Languages." Sonya and I have read that book as a couple before but it was great to have a class about it as a family and learn from other couples. As I mentioned yesterday a lot of our family have kids the same or close to the same age as our kids so It was meaningful to us to hear others our same age and situation having issues and working through them.
I played in the Ping-Pong tournament. I won my first two matches and then got smoked by the eventual champ Mark.
The evening program got moved into the garage since a storm was coming. It was a great time and in typical Buchanan Family Tradition - it was more of a testimony meeting than anything. These meetings are always so good because you can feel the spirit and the love in the room. Tonight Britt asked us to tell What it meant to be a Buchanan?
It means a lot to me to be a Buchanan. I was not born a Buchanan but I am one. I am so proud to have that name and to be passing that on to my children. I love that when we come that we feel that we never left. We haven't been here for three years and yet as soon as we got there people came up to us and were happy to see us. It felt great. I love being a Buchanan and I love the family that means I'm a part of.
Tomorrow is the last day. It'll be sad to have it over just because it'll probably be a couple years before we make it back again. But it was well worth the trip.
We slept in till past 9am. How often do we get our two kids to sleep in past 7? Like never - so this was great, even though it made us miss breakfast.
We got there to watch the end of The Price is Right. They even had a Plinko board - I love that game.
We then had a class while the kids did their own activity. Our class was based on the book, "The Five Love Languages." Sonya and I have read that book as a couple before but it was great to have a class about it as a family and learn from other couples. As I mentioned yesterday a lot of our family have kids the same or close to the same age as our kids so It was meaningful to us to hear others our same age and situation having issues and working through them.
I played in the Ping-Pong tournament. I won my first two matches and then got smoked by the eventual champ Mark.
The evening program got moved into the garage since a storm was coming. It was a great time and in typical Buchanan Family Tradition - it was more of a testimony meeting than anything. These meetings are always so good because you can feel the spirit and the love in the room. Tonight Britt asked us to tell What it meant to be a Buchanan?
It means a lot to me to be a Buchanan. I was not born a Buchanan but I am one. I am so proud to have that name and to be passing that on to my children. I love that when we come that we feel that we never left. We haven't been here for three years and yet as soon as we got there people came up to us and were happy to see us. It felt great. I love being a Buchanan and I love the family that means I'm a part of.
Tomorrow is the last day. It'll be sad to have it over just because it'll probably be a couple years before we make it back again. But it was well worth the trip.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Day One of the Family Reunion
Sonya, I and the boys are in Utah this weekend for our family reunion. We just had the first day of it - well it started at about 5 or so.
Before the reunion we were able to go to the Salt Lake Temple. It was the first time we had been there together. (I had gone once 8 years ago before my mission.) Once that was done we went down to Provo and saw one of Sonyas friends from her youth. When we got back we decided to take Isaac and Gary on TRAX. It's Utahs train system around Salt Lake. It's a pretty fast train. The boys especailly Isaac loved it. He kept talking to those people around us. and he wanted to sit all by himself. He loves his independence.
The family reunion though was the high light and the reason we're here. It was great to see the family that we don't see very much. What I love is that even though I'm adopted - they don't act that way. Even though we didn't grow up around any of them or even come to visit once a year, they treat us as though were, well... Family. It's fun to watch the boys play with so many kids that are his same age. I over heard that just out of the people that will be here this weekend there will be 21 kids under the age of 8.
We did have to leave early tonight because Isaac decided that he had enough and dumped water all over mommy. Poor mommy.
It was a long day for all of us. Tomorrow will be even longer - but at least we're done traveling in the car for one day. (Saturday it's back to Walla Walla - so I hope the boys enjoy it while it lasts.)
Before the reunion we were able to go to the Salt Lake Temple. It was the first time we had been there together. (I had gone once 8 years ago before my mission.) Once that was done we went down to Provo and saw one of Sonyas friends from her youth. When we got back we decided to take Isaac and Gary on TRAX. It's Utahs train system around Salt Lake. It's a pretty fast train. The boys especailly Isaac loved it. He kept talking to those people around us. and he wanted to sit all by himself. He loves his independence.
The family reunion though was the high light and the reason we're here. It was great to see the family that we don't see very much. What I love is that even though I'm adopted - they don't act that way. Even though we didn't grow up around any of them or even come to visit once a year, they treat us as though were, well... Family. It's fun to watch the boys play with so many kids that are his same age. I over heard that just out of the people that will be here this weekend there will be 21 kids under the age of 8.
We did have to leave early tonight because Isaac decided that he had enough and dumped water all over mommy. Poor mommy.
It was a long day for all of us. Tomorrow will be even longer - but at least we're done traveling in the car for one day. (Saturday it's back to Walla Walla - so I hope the boys enjoy it while it lasts.)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Image by Keith Allison via Flickr
When the Mariners signed Ken Griffey Jr to a contract in the off season I didn't know if it would be a great year but I knew I would go to see him and take my son with me. We went to the second home game of the year which just happened to be when Griffey Jr hit his first home run back at Safeco field, it was a treat to see.
He hasn't been the Griffey of old, but every blog I read before the season started said that even if he was just a shell of his old self it would be good for the team. That has been so true. He's brought back fun to the club house. He's getting on base even when he doesn't get a hit. He's brought fans, such as myself even before the team started winning.
I and my family will continue to watch and we'll be there long after these players have left, but it's not often you get to see one of the all-time greats come back to a team that you love. It's almost like we are reliving the past. Griffey Jr will someday be inducted into the Hall of Fame and when he is I'll be able to turn to my sons and let them know how great this comeback has been and how they were there to see it.
Go Griffey, Go M's your making us proud to be Mariner fans again.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Fathers Day
I know that this is the time and day of year to be posting such comments, but anyone who knows me will know that I believe that Fathers are incredibly important in obviously our children's lives but also in the lives of all of us as a community.
There are and can be a lot of influences in a persons life growing up, Mothers, other family members and Teachers being at the very top in my opinion.
Nothing can shape a child or community more than active fathers. We spend so much money on reforming adults once they do bad things. We have programs in prisons that sound good but are really just trowing money in the wrong direction. We need to be using that money on programs that will get people when changes will have a greater impact, a child. There are great programs out there such as Big Brothers/Sisters that do such great work, but nothing can compare to our own flesh and blood. Fathers that are around need to work as hard a possible for their families but also those that never forget who their working for. President Obama recently said, "We need to step out of our own heads and tune in. We need to turn off the television and start talking with our kids, and listening to them, and understanding what's going on in their lives."
My little boys are the center of my world. Since the birth of our first son I had worked two jobs to try and support them and allow my wife to stay at home with them. I really felt that I was doing exactly what I should be doing for them. Earlier this year though my wife gratefully pointed out my shortsightedness in this assumption. I was missing out on spending enough time with them. The time I had spent was quality but it wasn't enough. I quit my second job and although that means that we don't eat out as much or buy as many things as we had, I am spending so much time with my boys now and it's really paying off. We're getting to go to the park, birthday parties, wedding receptions and next week we're headed to our family reunion for the first time all of us together.
There are many great examples of Fathers doing exactly what they should be doing. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has recently put out this YouTube Video.
In mine own life the man that I call my Father has shown me a great example of how to be a father. By his own admission he made a lot of mistakes in raising his own boys and my sister and I who he adopted when I was 15. I think he taught me a lot though about a couple very important things. One was that My Mother was the most important person in his life and I for one better treat her that way. The other was the value of work and having a job. He taught me that there were no free rides. When I dropped out of high school and didn't get a job and thought that I was just going to live off my parents he let me know that wasn't going to be the case. He kicked me out and I learned very quickly how to manage my money and work for what I needed.
Now I have my own boys to teach. I love them more than anything else in the world except their mother of course. I remember as each of them were born thinking how lucky I was to have been given such a gift and such a charge to teach these children of our Father in Heaven. How much he must love us to let us participate in this great responsibility.
There are and can be a lot of influences in a persons life growing up, Mothers, other family members and Teachers being at the very top in my opinion.
Nothing can shape a child or community more than active fathers. We spend so much money on reforming adults once they do bad things. We have programs in prisons that sound good but are really just trowing money in the wrong direction. We need to be using that money on programs that will get people when changes will have a greater impact, a child. There are great programs out there such as Big Brothers/Sisters that do such great work, but nothing can compare to our own flesh and blood. Fathers that are around need to work as hard a possible for their families but also those that never forget who their working for. President Obama recently said, "We need to step out of our own heads and tune in. We need to turn off the television and start talking with our kids, and listening to them, and understanding what's going on in their lives."
My little boys are the center of my world. Since the birth of our first son I had worked two jobs to try and support them and allow my wife to stay at home with them. I really felt that I was doing exactly what I should be doing for them. Earlier this year though my wife gratefully pointed out my shortsightedness in this assumption. I was missing out on spending enough time with them. The time I had spent was quality but it wasn't enough. I quit my second job and although that means that we don't eat out as much or buy as many things as we had, I am spending so much time with my boys now and it's really paying off. We're getting to go to the park, birthday parties, wedding receptions and next week we're headed to our family reunion for the first time all of us together.
There are many great examples of Fathers doing exactly what they should be doing. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has recently put out this YouTube Video.
In mine own life the man that I call my Father has shown me a great example of how to be a father. By his own admission he made a lot of mistakes in raising his own boys and my sister and I who he adopted when I was 15. I think he taught me a lot though about a couple very important things. One was that My Mother was the most important person in his life and I for one better treat her that way. The other was the value of work and having a job. He taught me that there were no free rides. When I dropped out of high school and didn't get a job and thought that I was just going to live off my parents he let me know that wasn't going to be the case. He kicked me out and I learned very quickly how to manage my money and work for what I needed.
Now I have my own boys to teach. I love them more than anything else in the world except their mother of course. I remember as each of them were born thinking how lucky I was to have been given such a gift and such a charge to teach these children of our Father in Heaven. How much he must love us to let us participate in this great responsibility.
FIRST REAL POST
To explain - I intended to remove the two previous posts from yesterday. It was Sonya teaching me how to Blog. I've never done this before but I've always loved the way she keeps our family blog, Team Buchanan.
I want my blog to be all about me and it will be. What anyone who follows it will realize is that I am all about my family. My wife and my two boys are my entire world. Everything I do is for them. I have worked two jobs since my first son was born. I really didn't mind but it took a toll on my relationship with my family, the ones I thought I was doing it for. I quit that about 2-3 months ago now (except for this weekend-but this is different, I'll explain later).
With that job quit we had made all these plans for a great summer. Then we found a great way to ruin all of that. We started looking into buying a house - but the only things that we could find in our price range was not something we wanted to live in. I remembered about a program called Northwest Housing Development. It's a sweat equity program where you and a co-op build each others homes. Bottom line is we applied and got approved. We start building next month in Graham, WA. We are really excited but it will be a lot of work for about a year. We are required to put in 35 hours between the two of us. Most of that will fall on me since we need to have someone to watch the kids. My mom and Kelly have volunteered to help with that as well which will be really nice.
OK I got off on a side note but that's what we're doing right now.
I'm married to the lovely Sonya Rae Buchanan. We've been married almost 5 years now. We met online at LDSMingle.com. We got engaged in my Primary Class I was teaching at the time. We've had our ups and downs but I read a great quote the other day that sums up my feelings on marriage, 
That's me, that's my family and that's my first real post. You'll soon notice if haven't already I'm often long winded. What a great forum for that huh? I think so. Hope all of you enjoy it.
I want my blog to be all about me and it will be. What anyone who follows it will realize is that I am all about my family. My wife and my two boys are my entire world. Everything I do is for them. I have worked two jobs since my first son was born. I really didn't mind but it took a toll on my relationship with my family, the ones I thought I was doing it for. I quit that about 2-3 months ago now (except for this weekend-but this is different, I'll explain later).
With that job quit we had made all these plans for a great summer. Then we found a great way to ruin all of that. We started looking into buying a house - but the only things that we could find in our price range was not something we wanted to live in. I remembered about a program called Northwest Housing Development. It's a sweat equity program where you and a co-op build each others homes. Bottom line is we applied and got approved. We start building next month in Graham, WA. We are really excited but it will be a lot of work for about a year. We are required to put in 35 hours between the two of us. Most of that will fall on me since we need to have someone to watch the kids. My mom and Kelly have volunteered to help with that as well which will be really nice.
OK I got off on a side note but that's what we're doing right now.
I'm married to the lovely Sonya Rae Buchanan. We've been married almost 5 years now. We met online at LDSMingle.com. We got engaged in my Primary Class I was teaching at the time. We've had our ups and downs but I read a great quote the other day that sums up my feelings on marriage, "Almost no one is foolish enough to imagine that he automatically deserves great success in any field of activity; yet almost everyone believes that he automatically deserves success in Marriage." -Sydney J Harris
As I said before we have two boys, the first is Isaac, or Ace as we wanted to call him. He's our number one - our first - our Ace! He's now two and although like most two year olds who can't make up their minds if they are happy, sad, frustrated, mad, tired or hungry; he's a great child to have in our home. He's so loving to all of us - Gary's pushing down aside of course. He loves everything boy. He loves watching any sport with his daddy. He loves cars and airplanes and firetrucks. He loves the movie CARS (As do I, I cry at the end every time I watch it which is about once a week, he's closer to every day poor Sonya)
Gary is our second child and he has been such a blessing to have. Such a relief in that he still takes 3 naps or more most days. He just loves to be held, blessing and curse of course for a Mother who's trying to get things done during the day. He just took his first steps about a week ago. He's learning quickly from his big brother how to act and everything to do. His smile is just infectious. A Godsend for sure.
That's me, that's my family and that's my first real post. You'll soon notice if haven't already I'm often long winded. What a great forum for that huh? I think so. Hope all of you enjoy it.Friday, June 19, 2009
I am the Title Man
That's Isaac with a basket ball in his hands. I don't know why he's wearing a skirt but I'm sure his mother can explain.
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