Excerpts from the Journal of a Father and Son Trip of a Lifetime

During June and July of 2008, my uncle took his son, my cousin, Joshua on a a very special father and son trip of a lifetime. From the Sierra Nevada mountains and Yellowstone National Park to a family farm in Indiana and Arizona's Meteor Crater, they explored God's creation while purposefully spending quality and a quantity of man time together. In a time when many boys would prefer to spend time with peers and many fathers are preoccupied with their own life, their example of filial devotion and care was inspiring to many.


They also had incredible assets: a very capable and sweet wife/mother and two dear sisters, who encouraged, cheered, and had a very welcoming home for them. Before they left home my uncle wrote this to his dear bride, "I wanted to take a few moments and thank you, Tresa, for having the vision and wisdom in making this trip a reality. You have been instrumental in helping me with the big and small details."

The purposes were many for this trip, but the over arching reason was for father and son to spend time together, learning, talking and exploring. As Joshua matures into a young man, times like this are very special in binding hearts and casting a vision for life. By the end of the trip, Joshua planned to do something similar with his sons one day, should the Lord will. Recently, my uncle wrote to me commenting, "Do you remember the hats that we wore on our trip? Joshua said he wants to save his for his son(s) when he goes traveling with them one day. "

Even while they were travelling they ministered to people in many ways. The Lord granted them opportunities to pray for people they met, people who called, and people that needed encouragement. They also did something really special. They took time to record the events, conversations and adventures through both words and pictures almost daily. I am so excited to be able to share just small glimpses of their lengthy entries and several pictures from the journey this duo took. Thank you Uncle and Joshua!

June 27, 2008 ~ Indescribable Beauty

"We are here at Grand Teton National Park and we are having the time of our lives! It is incredibly beautiful here. We arrived yesterday around 5:00 pm. We set up camp, made some dinner, and then headed to Jackson Lake which is about 300 yards from our site. The opposite side of the lake has a breathtaking view of the Tetons. Words cannot describe it. The Tetons are quite majestic. It does not get dark here until 10:00 pm, so it takes a little bit of adjustment. We had the chance to watch the sunset over the Tetons. This morning we took another walk to the lake and saw the early morning sun over the mountains. Again, a site that was quite spectacular! We jumped in the truck and went sightseeing throughout the park. At the Colter Bay visitor center, there was an extensive display of Native American Art which included clothing, jewelry, and other items native to the area. Afterwards, we went to the main visitor center for the park and learned about its rich history. The weather was crystal clear in the mid 70's.We had the chance to see buffalo and a moose with its calf."

~ Dad

June 28, 2008 ~ Yellowstone's Surprises

"Dad and I are in Yellowstone today and we are so glad to be here. As we drove in we passed some previous fire damage and it was horrible to look at. To my surprise we saw the goodness of the fire growing at the base of the trees - little pine saplings no taller than four feet."

~ Joshua

June 30, 2008 ~ Old Faithful Being Faithful

"We ate lunch at Fishing Bridge Lodge and then went to see Old Faithful. We arrived in time to see it erupt with steam and water. What a site! I never imagined I would ever be at Old Faithful in person... We toured the rest of the geysers and pools that are within walking distance of Old Faithful. One in particular was Doublet Pool. At the pool, there is a bench. When you sit on the bench, you can feel the ground and bench pulsate like an irregular heart beat. It is from the water and gases moving through the ground and making its way to the top. "

~ Dad

July 5, 2008 ~ Independence Day at Mount Rushmore

"Yesterday we went to Mount Rushmore to see fireworks and it was the best display of my life ever.

It was indescribable. I wish that everyone could have been here with us."

~ Joshua

July 7, 2008 ~ Almost a Tornado Touch Down

"On our way out here, Joshua and I had the chance to see a tornado form. We got caught in a severe thunderstorm with heavy rain and hail."
~ Dad

July 14, 2008 ~ Searching for Diamonds

"Our destination was the diamond mine at Crater of the Diamonds State Park. Boy did we dig! We were at the mine from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. We were hot and tired. The heat index was over 100 degrees. "
~ Joshua

July 14, 2008 ~ Texas Bound
"We decided to go to the Jones's house (Uncle Dana and Aunt Veronica). No one knew we were coming; they weren't expecting us until Tuesday. Change of plans. We were about 45 miles away before anyone answered the telephone. "
~ Joshua

Brother and sister



My uncle, who finds great delight in playing the piano, begins Timothy's piano training.





Important life details - teaching bird calls

"You can take two traveling guys out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of their hearts! "
~ Dad

~ ~ ~

Upon arriving home, my uncle took the time to thank all those that were involved in this trip. Read the precious words that this father wrote to his son.

July 21, 2008

"Lastly, I wanted to thank Joshua. Joshua, when we left Clovis a month ago, there was this young boy who had no clue what he was about do for the next month. You thought this was going to a be a drive with dad out of town and we would be back soon. As I look back at the past month, I began to see the Joshua who has been there since he was born, but needed some time and opportunities to come out. At first, you bumbled with the routine of being on the road, especially when we went head first into the camping part at Grand Tetons, but the conversation on the shore of Jackson Lake that night(remember the part about having greater understanding) told me he was ready to come out. Now, all we needed were some opportunities. And they came and you pulled through in some tough situations like when I banged up the truck or when I was really sick. But the time where I saw you focus the most was the night we arrived at Crater of the Diamonds late at night. I needed that Joshua I knew existed deep down inside, and I mean deep, and you came through more than I could have ever imagined.


Joshua, I left Clovis with a young boy right out of sixth grade. I came home with a holy young man. Joshua, I hope you remember this trip. I know I will. And what I will remember the most will not be the places we went, but the conversations we had at Jackson Lake, Canyon Village Cafeteria, and the Taco Bell in Rapid City, SD. You blessed with me with your words and actions more than you will ever know. They changed my life forever! Thank you for the trip of a lifetime!"
~ Dad