To My Dearest Wife

"We've come a long way through the good and bad. And it's so much more than what it seems Sometimes i take it for granted. I take it for granted. Which way will the wind blow? I don't know if you will ever know how much this means to me. So let me take this opportunity to say thank you for what you've given to me. Thank you! There's no telling how long things will ever last. Let's not forget the memories, the memories of our past"


"Outside Looking In" by Stretch Arm Strong from the album "Rituals of Life"


To my dearest Wife,


This might be one of the shortest songs I have ever heard, but one of the most reflective of my feelings for you. How coincidental it is that the genre of the band would fit in where we first met. That was exactly 6 years ago, in a Yahoo! chat room of all places. "Punk N Ska N Thrash: 4" if memory serves me correctly. We talked on the phone 30 minutes after the first IM and that was when I heard the voice of love for the first time. That was it, I was hooked. Three months later I would leave my home of 22 years for a place I had never even heard of in my life. Nestled high in the mountains, hours away from the kind of bustle I was used to, we would start our journey together. People are always asking me what made me do it. I tell them "I would not have done it if I didn't know that I would be spending the rest of my life with this woman".

We have come a long way in the last six years. From no heat, no water, and the one time I fell through the floor! There is a lot more to this journey then what we can even see. There are times that I do take things for granted. There are times when I have been bitter, resentful, and mean. For those times, I apologize. "Through all the fights, the shouts, the crying and the screams" you have been right by my side. You have forgiven me (most of the time lol) and never lost your love for me. I thank you for being a great wife and a great mom. I thank you for the hard work you put in for school as it gives me hope that maybe I can to. Thank you for always knowing when bills are due, kids have to go to doctors, and I have to get something done. Thank you for the new life your love gives me, the strength your soul feeds me, and the passion behind every kiss. Thank you for those gifts that go too often unmentioned.

I don't know what the future holds. I don't know where life will take us in the next six years and the next six years after that. I don't know. The one thing I do know is that there are six years of history between us that will never go unforgotten. There are many smiles, years of laughter, our family, and our friends. There are memories old and dear that will always be on a repeat playback in my mind. God willing, many years from now, there will be thousands and thousands of great memories of our past that we will reflect upon. I love you with all of my heart and all of my soul. Thank you for being you, and being with me. How truly blessed and honored I really am.

In loving adoration,

Me

Thank God for Mommy

Obviously, I write mostly about being a dad. I mean, it's the only thing I know when it comes to parenting, right? But today, I just wanted to take some quick time to say: THANK GOD FOR MOMMY!!!

Having been sick the last two days with sinus problems and the worst headaches in my life, it is needless to say that I was quite useless around the house as I spent most of my time sleeping, or laying on the couch. It was quite pathetic really. But, there was a super force in the house that kept everything running as it should. MOMMY TO THE RESCUE!!!

My wife is great! I'll say it again: My wife is great! Always there to support me and help me when I am not feeling well. Taking care of the two kids, as well as the big baby on the couch. She kept the household running when I was unable to help out. I guess maybe she can do it all on her own. I have to admit I have not always been the biggest support for her, or praised her when she deserved it fully! So this post is for her!

Dear Wifey,

I am sorry for the times I have not given you the praise you deserve, and that I have not always shown the full extent of my love for you. I am sorry for the harsh words, and any words spoken out of anger without thinking. I praise you for the mommy that you are. For always being aware of all things related to our two kiddos. I thank you for always knowing how to take care of them, and to take care of me.

I thank you for being a great and faithful wife. Thank you fore sticking by me despite my many faults, and my many weaknesses. Thank you for taking care of me when I am sick (or just trying to be pitiful and cute) and for never leaving my side. Thank you for always being the light of my life.

Remembering The Beginning of it All

Me holding Marlee, and Caleb getting a good look

Holding Caleb for the first time

Just throwing this post up because we were talking about it at work tonight. Remember what it was like the day your kiddos were born? I remember both times like it was yesterday. I remember the smells, the sights, the sounds, and how NERVOUS I was.


Even the second time around, I was more composed than the first time, but when the day started setting in, those nerves were shot, and I was becoming a wreck. "Honey are you okay?" "Is the heart rate fine?" "Are you going to kill me if I go smoke, because I am really freaking out here!"



Both times were so full of emotion, so full of love, full of fear, full of life. The birth, the first cries, and the first time holding my kids and giving them their very first noseys, are memories that I will carry like they were still going on, until the day I die. I will never forget how proud I was to make the transition from guy to dad. It is something I will be proud of for the rest of my life, and a fact that nobody can ever take away from me. 


To my children: you are my world and my everything (next  to mommy of course), and I will always love you. I will always cherish you and be in awe of you. I am Dad, and nothing, or nobody, can take that away!

Let Me Tell You Something About:

Love - The truest form of which is found in the eyes of a newborn child. Totally dependent, already knowing the voices of those closest to it before leaving the womb. True love as an adult, not so easy to find, but when you do, you know it, and the feeling is like none other.

Time - There is never enough of it. It flies by fast, and for the most part, the clock, the watch, the analog and digital representations, mean absolutely nothing. Make the best of what is not guaranteed, and it shall not be wasted.

Standards ...... *chirp chirp*  (okay only my Apple buddies will get that joke) ... seriously, standards, without them the world would be chaos, yet at the same time, we all adhere to different standards. How does this work in harmony? I don't know, it just does. You live your life to certain standards. If you are a parent, live your life to the standards you would want your children to live by. Sure they will pick up things at school, on TV, out with their friends and so on, but they will pick the most up from you. Live your life to the standards they will turn to reflect the most. Be the example!

*This post is brought to you by: My Random Brain! Racking my parents nerves since 1983*

Letter From Caleb's Teacher to Parents

The picture below is a scanned copy of the letter that Caleb's preschool teacher gave to parents on the first day of school. It was very moving, and yes, I cried a little the second time I read it. Man enough to admit it! I just wanted to share this with everyone. I think it is great to have teachers who understand completely the emotions tied to leaving your kids at school for the first time, and to also have teachers who are willing to come out and say that they have love for their students in a way that makes them feel at home when they are there, and makes you feel better when leaving the kiddos behind. We are blessed to have gotten to know his teachers before he was enrolled. They are great people with big hearts and a passion for what they do. Here is the letter we received. Thanks to Caleb's teachers for making us feel comfortable, making Caleb feel welcomed, and wearing your hearts and passions on your sleeves for all parents to see.

The Music that Defines My Heart

"Don't you know you are my everything. And don't you know you make my heart sing. You've turned my world inside out. Now I know what life is all about. And it's you that I can't live without ..."
-Stretch Arm Strong "For Now" - from the album "Rituals of Life"

*Note* - The above lyrics are a little out of context of the rest of the song, but looking at the quotation above, those exact words, are my exact thoughts when it comes to my children and family, put to ROCKING music.

Today I am following (to a degree) a format of a series of posts seen recently on the blog of @JRReedradio ... Sex and the Single Dad, about music that defines his life. Stretch Arm Strong, as a band, the lyrics, the music, have always had a very profound impact on me. From the time I first listened to them, until right now as I listen to them while I write this. From the first time I saw them live, to the last, just before I moved to Virginia, they have had so much of an impact on my life, more than the members will ever know.

I was listening as I was thinking about topics for upcoming posts, and the above quote came out of my tiny laptop speakers, and just echoed through my mind as I sat and thought about my children. Those words, those exact words, that exact quote, is the written example of everything my children are to me, and the impact they have had on my life.