In all reality, you cannot find a substitute for family! I'm a family man...we raised our three children, LaShawn, LaDawn and Donovan, "on the road." We were always an arm's length from each other living in a motor home for the better part of 16-18 years while they were with us.

Some of my happiest memories were the toddler years: playing hide and seek, skipping down the sidewalk hand-in-hand, singing and giggling. I love the years of camping, exploring, swimming, and riding our red scooter. I love to remember the two or three day break while doing a ministry tour out East when we'd catch a subway train into New York, walk miles from Grand Central Station to Rockefeller Center, the Twin Towers and the water's edge to soak in the sight of that beautiful Statue of Liberty. We'd literally collapse at night of pure exhaustion, but it was an exhaustion of fun. It was great. I love the moments of snow skiing down the Colorado Mountains. We'd come flying down almost faster than the speed of light - ha! Of course, what my kids remember the most and still laugh about is when I wiped out and they literally sat in the snow and laughed until they cried, "Dad, when you wiped out, you shook the mountain!" I also have tons of happy memories of being home by the fireplace, warm and safe at Christmas. The memories live on today and they are joyous.

I am still the happiest when I have my family in arms length. But as life goes on, only too soon that all changes. They grew up, moved away, found jobs, relationships, and because of the distance, we are unable to be together as much as we'd love to be. As the old saying goes, "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go." I thank God that He's provided their jobs and that they are physically, emotionally and mentally able to hold down good jobs. But...I miss them deeply.

Allow me to give you my quick description of family:

- Family is a birthplace of creativity - you build your own unique family ideas, traditions, etc.

- Family is a shelter in a time of storms - we may not always agree as a family, but as a family, we are always there for each other when the storms of life hit.

- A family is a door that hinges and locks - we allow the freedom to come and go, and to be safe.

- A family is a museum of memories - how true, our photo books and pictures of family times are precious and a reminder of our family.

- A family...a maze of just plain ole nutty times creating hilarious laughter to dull the edge of life's razor sharp demands and intensity.

- A family...a unit leaning on God, and pulling together, whose goal is to spend all eternity as a family together in heaven.

That's the Larry version of family.

I love and cherish Psalm 127:3, "Behold, children...are a gift from the Lord."