Ian at the Timberwolves Game (Ian, Pictures, Video)

We had an incredible time this evening at the Timberwolves game. The pictures and video do it more justice than I can with words:

During the warm-up, Ian and his friend Aaron go to meet a few of the players. Here, the boys get to talk with Ryan Gomes

Before the game, we were able to have our picture taken with Ryan. In the front is Aaron and Ian. In the back row are Tom, Deb, Ryan Gomes, and Mr. & Mrs. Bassiere. Mr. Bassiere is Ian's physical education teacher, who wrote in a letter to a local radio station and made this possible.

This shows where our seats were. The two little blue caps are Ian and Aaron.

The Timberwolves gave Ian a prize bag. This included a pair of size 18 shoes. He's have to grow into them...

Al Jefferson making a free throw

During a time-out, Ian got to hold the game ball.

Ian and his buddy Aaron were allowed to give the starting T-Wolves high-fives as they were introduced:






We want to send out a huge "Thank You" to Laura Kellison and John O'Connell at the Minnesota Timberwolves for their hospitality and generosity. You gave us an evening that we will remember for the rest of our lives, and made a basketball fan out of Ian.

Ian Henderson Celebration at DisneyWorld (Ian, Video)

What a great way to start the new year...

Ian's Baptism (Ian, Pictures, Video, Temporal Echoes of the Eternal)

No two parents were ever prouder than Deb and I were on Sunday. Our little boy stood up in front of at least two hundred friends and family and declared in a strong, excited voice "I just love Jesus!" He took his first confident steps on the path that follows Christ, and did it with joy.

The service felt like it was thrown together, but looking back, it was orchestrated by God. On Saturday, Deb and I asked our pastor if it would be possible to have a baptismal service for Ian the next day, instead of waiting a week. By Saturday night, the arrangements were made.

First, a song of praise was lifted up; we sang Mighty to Save by Hillsong. Later, a couple of friends said they could feel the Holy Spirit resting on the gathering.

Ian was a little nervous, but not scared. When it came time to speak, he answered confidently and clearly. When he emerged from the water, he had one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen on his face. Afterward, he couldn't stop saying "I'm so glad I did that!"









A few friends had asked if they could bring some desserts for a small reception afterward. We expected a small, intimate gathering; what we got was a party!






During said party, I took a moment to pray a blessing over Ian, and to give him his values. In the last year, I led a group of men through a program called Heart of a Warrior. One part of HOAW is to determine what your primary values are. After identifying your primary values, the study leads you through identifying the values for your children. While giving him his blessing, I told Ian what his values are: Courage and Kindness. Anyone who knows Ian at all will see that those are definitely his. From now on, Deb and I will seek out opportunities to affirm courage and kindness in his life.





We want to say Thank You! to all who helped make this day unforgettable. The love we feel for our little boy was clearly echoed by everyone who brought food and party supplies, made calls, helped out and drove out of their way to attend. Thank you for showing your love for our son.

Can I Go Back...Please?...(Pictures, Make-a-Wish Trip, Ian, Fun Stuff, Video)

I came back from Florida for this?



And, as a follow-up to the last post, here is a video clip of Ian fighting Darth Vader:




We're still in the process of sifting through the pictures & videos, and I'm going to try flexing my video editing skills to come up with something that shows the scope of the whole trip.

Pictures, Video from Sir Ian the Brave (Pictures, Ian, Video, Fun Stuff)

As Deb wrote on our Caring Bridge site, we had a special day yesterday. We attended the Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, MN. Deb was able to arrange for Ian to go backstage and meet a couple of the knights in the jousting troupe New Riders of the Golden Age. Ian was a little too nervous to ride on a horse, but they were gracious enough to allow Ian to teach a scoundrel a lesson in manners:






The members of the troupe were very gracious and friendly. We want to give them a special "thank you" for giving us another great memory.

Here are a few pictures from the event:



The master of ceremonies, Kelly Baker, is also the director of the group.
He took time out of his schedule to show us how things are done, and made it a very special day.


A knight in the opening ceremonies



We had great seats for the tournament.
One of the ladies of the court, Lady Jane (the one on the right),
was kind enough to let Ian stand with her to get a better view of the action.



Sir Orrin performs a tight turn. Well done!



A salute from Sir William

In addition, we enjoyed the talents of Tuey Wilson, a longtime feature at the Renaissance Festival (28 years!). The man has an uncanny sense of balance:





By the way, the interruption in the video is me being hit with a Nerf dart. You'd think he would have the first couple of rows of the audience sign a waiver or something...

All in all, it was a wonderful day. We're making it a point to cram as much fun into the second half of our summer to make up for the first half.

As a quick aside, the boy is losing weight. The first half of the summer, we kept having to buy new clothes because he was outgrowing them. Now that his appetite is ranges from diminished to normal, his weight is going back down. Pong!