Playing with Grandpa Dennis:

Helping Rake Leaves:

Having Fun with Brandi:

Focusing Intently:

There's more photos of the last few months at http://bensons.smugmug.com/.

Mandy was laughing the entire time at how small the tree was. I might have to tie an orange flag around it so I don't run it over with the lawn mower next summer.

It's only about 18 inches feet high right now (don't confuse the bamboo shoot with the actual tree in the photo above -- it only goes as high as the highest green twist-tie), but should grow to 60 feet just in time for me to retire in 2044.

There's more where this came from at Smugmug.

Thanks to everyone who helped me recently to make the decision on whether or not to continue in the PhD program. I deeply appreciate your input, advice, and willingness to be a sounding board.

From the most recent post:

This last week, I had a mid-academic-life crisis where I found myself thinking and praying as to whether I would continue with the PhD program or not.

Why? Postponing progress would let me focus on other areas of my life that are important to me: family, friends, reading, playing sports, being outside, and sleeping.

Not to mention the fact that we're having a baby in a couple of weeks (God-willing). It's admittedly tempting to quit a program that is hard to do and doesn't promise much in terms of career payoff to spend more of it with the people I care about. When I think of it this way, it seems obvious that I should quit.

However, I really want to do the PhD, and I enjoy research, and learning, and reading, and writing, and working on hard problems. I feel that God has given me a desire and an interest in working towards this, and so, why not? Also, I have 90% of my coursework requirements already completed. Why would I stop when I'm this close?

After seeking counsel from family and friends, I decided, in fact, to continue with the program, but to reduce my load for the next semester while we get used to having a new baby at home.

On June 21st, 2005, Brian was in a motorcycle accident, suffering broken bones, severed ligaments, nerves, and arteries in both legs. Thanks to a number of surgeries, a lot of rehab, and a lot of prayer, Brian was miraculously able to keep both legs.

Here is a link to all of the articles posted to Jayber about Brian's recovery.

Since the accident, Brian has gone through a roller coaster of physical therapy and recovery -- too many ups and downs to list here. However, due to one more surgery a few weeks ago, he's now able to put all of his weight on both legs, and walk without aids.

Although this is by no means the end of the healing process, it is a major testament to God's healing hand, and a significant milestone in Brian's recovery. Congratulations bro!

Here's a picture of Brian and I from Brian and Jill's wedding in 2004:

• 0:20 - "Loose Yourself", Eminem.
• 1:15 - "Ridin' Dirty", Chamillionaire.
• 1:45 - "Hey Ya", Outkast.
• 3:10 - "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me", Pussycat Dolls.
• 3:40 - "Can't Touch This", MC Hammer.
• 4:05 - "It's getting hot in here", Nelly.

Bonus: they're available for weddings, private parties, and bar mitzvahs! I only have one question: what church approves of their elders singing "It's getting hot in here, let's take off all our robes"? This is highly disturbing on multiple levels.

While Hyatt's marketing strategy appears to have yielded results, there remains the more troubling question of what this means for the blogosphere. Will Thomas Nelson stop sending books to those who write negative reviews? Will the publisher demand 400-word reviews a few months from now? Will other publishers begin setting more extraordinary terms for hotter titles? And, most importantly, will the blogosphere ever understand that surrendering to marketing forces simply isn't a substitute for journalistic integrity?

Personally, I'm confused about why this is a big deal. Hyatt doesn't require that reviews are positive. Instead, he says that reviews can be "positive, negative, or somewhere in between." Don't journalists get free books all the time for writing reviews? Why is this any different?

• 1st grade. I learned what it felt like to covet as I desperately desired my friend's remote-controlled A-Team van.
• 2nd grade. While trying to beat a girl to the water fountain, I chipped my front tooth on a set of concrete stairs. I got it fixed 20 years later.
• 3rd grade. I got my tongue stuck to a frosty pole at the top of a slide. My taste buds were subsequently ripped off as the person behind me impatiently forced me down the slide.
• 4th grade. I stole a spot on the swing set from a friend. Her punishment for me: severe whiplash and 6-weeks in a neck brace.
• 5th grade. I was transferred to advanced English. After failing to wrap my mind around the definition of a paragraph, I was transferred back the following day.
• 6th grade. I stopped wetting the bed.