We surely do not want to go through it. It's our last resort. We feel we don't have other options available at this time.

It has been a long 10 months of negotiations. We are happy to finally reach a tentative agreement with the board and return our focus to the education of Elgin's students.

It's a big relief. We're looking forward to moving down the road and putting this behind us.

I'll often hear the expression around the track that MRO has become the glue that holds the family structure together out here. And we feel like that's part of our ministry.

Obviously I struck gold with 'Deadwood.' No pun intended.

While I was drying off Maddie after her bath tonight, she said, 'I love you' to me for the first time. It sounded like 'All lub boo,' but I didn't care. To reciprocate, I showed her what an ex-Marine looks like when he cries.