So it's only been 6 months since I last blogged...no big deal...right? Man...

So much has been happening in my life that blogging has taken a back seat. It's weird because for so long blogging on here was not only really important to me but had became very meaningful. Not to mention the many new friends I've made.

So in the past 6 months, not only have we had another child, but I've started a new job too. Little Elijah was born on August 10, weighing in at 7 lbs and a handful of ounces. He is a perfect little man and amazing addition to our family.

His two older brothers could not be more proud or more involved in his life - they love him to death.

And the new job...o' it is awesome. So after 4 years of working in boring corporate America, I am now the full time director of small groups in my community at 2|42! My 60 mile commute became 3 miles and I get to work with a great bunch of friends. I feel like I'm doing the job I was literally created to do - it is surreal.

I have a blessed life.

I've posted a number of times about how life is going too fast for me. Faster than I've wanted it to go my boys are growing, my wife is pregnant with our third child and I'm approaching 30.

And while I'm enjoying my life and content with where I am and who I've become, it is simply just flying by.

Do you remember how weird it is to have your name/title change in the various stages of life. For me, it was so strange to get used to being called husband. That is a significant change - boyfriend I had grown used to, but husband was different and a weird change for a while. I remember thinking the same thing when I worked on staff at a church - people called me pastor - that was just as weird.

But the biggest change, the one that weighs most on me is being called daddy. I love it, but it is a lot of responsibility. I want to be the best daddy I can for my boys and over the past 4 years have grown used to being called that. But this weekend my name changed again - and this time I wasn't even ready for it and hadn't previously given any thought to it. My 4 year old Micah started calling me dad. Just dad. Seems like it's the same thing, but for me it totally wasn't - all of a sudden I could hear him saying, "Goodbye dad," as he left for college or his honeymoon or some other far-off event. All of a sudden he wasn't my little boy anymore who affectionately calls for daddy, he was my boy, my son and inviting me into his world by changing my name to 'dad.'

I can already see myself watching him graduate from high school and wondering how we got there so fast. It is a profound little lesson in life. You can't slow life down, you can't halt time, so you are forced to live in the moment or risk missing it all.

So over the weekend Kaiden found these little cowboy boots that someone gave us a few years ago. I would not normally allow my children to wear cowboy boots, except for Halloween or something - no offense to the cowboys of the world, I just don't want my kids growing up thinking that sort of thing is acceptable.

But seriously he looks really cute in them and refuses to take them off - even napping with them on Saturday. So, naturally between the cowboy hat from the dress up box, the little guitar Micah got 2 Christmas' ago and the creepy guy from Time Square - it made for a good picture.

Things have been crazy busy with the regular Holiday season kinda stuff and then life and church stuff. But these two little guys are a beautiful constant in Julie and I's life.

The real blessing of kids is that whether I succeed or fail - they don't care. Micah and Kaiden aren't concerned with the economy, they innocently trust. They don't know what my passions and dreams are, they just want me to play legos with them. They are a beautiful reminder of what is important in life - they keep me grounded and I can't wait to get home tonight to play with them.

Thanks to our friend Kirstynn for the photo's.

This photo was taken by my buddy Jason Harper and captures the personality of my Micah. It was actually just published in a local parenting journal.

But I've been thinking about my buddy all day today, because today he started preschool. In the grand scheme of things it really isn't that big of an event, but it hit me how fast this whole thing is moving. He really was just born the other day, three and three quarters of year ago. And now, all of the sudden he is going to class for a few hours, two days a week. And now, he has opinions and his own thoughts and plans. I never thought I'd be the one to complain about feeling old, and I'm not trying to be - but he is growing up too fast, or life is moving too fast or I'm not paying close enough attention.

It is weird to think about as a parent, knowing tomorrow all-of-the-sudden your kids are out of the house and having kids of their own. Life just moves too fast. Before I know it, that knight in the picture will just be a memory and the majority of these fleeting moments will be forgotten.

Kinda makes me sad to think about, but it also motivates me to soak up every minute I have with him today - because tomorrow comes too fast.