Sneaking out...

Intriguing title, but unfortunately not such a good topic. I found out my oldest son has been sneaking out at night to see his girlfriend. She lives about 5 miles away. He would sneak out, run all the way there... spend some time with her, and then run all the way home. If nothing else, the kid is in good shape. He is almost 17, and yes, I am sure of what he has been doing on these little adventures of his. I had to call his girlfriend's dad to let him know what has been going on between his daughter and my son. Although, he was appreciative of my call to let him know, trust me... that was not exactly a fun phone call to make. I knew having teen aged boys was going to bring some interesting times, but I was not expecting this!

Time

The wonderful thing about time is.... everyone is given the same amount in any given day, week, or even year. The difference is what we choose to do with that time. Some people choose to spend all of their time wrapped up in work (although many of these people say that it is not a choice, but something they HAVE to do). Others choose to spend their time doing things they enjoy doing, and yet another group choose to spend their time with the ones they love.

I am not sure that I fit cleanly into any one of these groups, as I'm sure many others don't either. Instead, I do my best to balance my time among these categories.

As far as work goes, I feel that I have already spent more than my fair share of time at work. There was a time in my life where I focussed on pretty much nothing but this, and I managed to work my way up the corporate latter to where everyone expected even more time from me. Since that time, I have changed positions a couple more times, and although my job still requires a significant portion of my time, I no longer feel the need to give them any more than what is required. I have other priorities in my life that I would like to spend my time on, and just don't feel the need to try to "get ahead" anymore when it comes to my job.

The second category I listed was doing things things you enjoy. I think this is an important category for ones own personal well being. It is often overlooked, and I will admit that I have overlooked it myself for many years. However, I have been doing pretty well in this category, and I am in much better shape and healthier than I have been for years because of it.

Lastly, and recently my favorite, is spending time with the ones we love. The key to this category is to have people in your life that you love and want to spend time with. Until recently, the only people that fit in this category were my kids. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love spending time with them, and I love being a part of their lives and sharing all of the little things that bring them joy and happiness. However, that kind of love can only fill a heart so much. There is another kind of love that is needed in order to truly fill a heart to its capacity. That kind of love can only be found in another adult, and I am happy to say that I have found that person. Finding that person (Lindsey) has made me to want to spend as much time as I possibly can in this third group, and absolutely love every minute of it.

I feel like there is not enough time in any given day to do all the things I want to do. However, as I stated before, we all have the same amount and it comes down to how we choose to balance things. Time is precious. Use it wisely. I know I will.

Happiness

Happiness is a funny thing. A single action or event that causes one person happiness for whatever reason can have the opposite effect on another party. Although I can understand why that can be true in certain circumstances, the thing that perplexes me is why people can't simply allow others to enjoy those things that make them happy. Is it really necessary for some people to attempt to share their unhappiness with everyone else? When did happiness become a competition? For some, it seems to be a childish game of... if I can't have it, neither can you.

Fortunately, I do not subscribe to that way of thinking. Whatever makes you happy, go for it. I like seeing others happy. The happier everyone else is, the less likely they are to be worried about me and the less likely they are to be a part of that childish game in competition for happiness.

Recently, I have been able to get back to focussing on many of the little things that make me happy and sharing those little things with someone special. I love the feeling these little pleasures can bring and it feels good share some of this joy with others via this blog, or simply talking with good friends. I'm sorry if for whatever reasons this happiness does not have a positive impact to anyone else. However, please remember... if there doesn't seem to be enough happiness in the world, just make some more. If we all make a little, there can be enough for everyone.

Letting Go...

Everyone has heard the saying if you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it was meant to be. However, it is never easy to let go. Sometimes you just want to hold onto the ones you care about and keep them in your arms and close to you forever. There are times though when even though you are crazy about the person and don’t want to spend a moment without them you know that letting go is ultimately right and is the best thing for everyone involved.

In case your not certain of what I am referring to, let me give you an example. Just this morning, I was holding someone close to me. However, I had to let go so we could both get to work. It was for the best, I mean... the bosses wouldn't like it if we were late... but I still hated to let go.

I hope you weren't thinking I was talking about something else!

Princess

This is my princess and I at our first father daughter dance. I hope this will become a tradition for many years to come.


I just had to throw this one in here... she is adorable, and loves her chocolate!


Don't you just love that little face?!? Sometimes, I think she must practice in a mirror or something!


She refused to let me help. She is little miss independent!

My Mini Man

This is Carter. He is my yougest son and my mini man. He is always so full of energy and we both love the weekends when we are able to spend time together and play. We are both looking forward to the warmer weather when he can get outside more and use a little more of that energy of his. He will be starting T-ball this summer, which will be a new thing for him. He is so excited about it! Actually, let me rephrase that... WE will be starting T-ball this summer. That's right. I will be starting also. I guess I am going to be an assistant coach. It is strictly weekends, so it should work out okay, and it will be fun getting to be a part of this with him. I will post more about it as the season starts and let you know how things go!

Little Things

Have you ever noticed how the little things in life are the things that truly bring happiness? I think it goes along with the saying that good things come in small packages. I guess for many, this is nothing new. However, the reason for this post is not necessarily about how one little thing can bring happiness; but rather, it is about how one person can be so full of so many of these wonderful little things. It has been a long time for me since I have enjoyed having any of those little things... soft touches, warm cuddles, light kisses, the list goes on but that is not the point. The point is, I have found someone that is simply overflowing with these little things.

I'm not sure how to describe the feeling of being around her accurately. Try to imagine one small thing that makes you feel good. Now try to imagine being completely submersed in a pool filled with hundreds or even thousands of other little things that all make you feel just as good. It creates a feeling of... euphoria. That is the feeling of being with her, and the funny thing is... I don't even have to be with her to get the feeling anymore. All I have to do is think about her. That is what I find myself doing most of the day lately... thinking of her... thinking of the little things.

The Black Knight

My oldest son recently played the part of "The Black Knight" in the school's childrens play.

Doesn't he make a great knight?

This is him with my yougest son Carter. He really looks up to his big brother. It's cute.

The play was a lot of fun, and the kids all loved it. It is one where the actors all get the audience involved and bring the kids into it, so it is always fun. Johnathan does this play each year, and seems to get a bigger role in it each time. I know he has fun doing it, and it is fun to watch him.

Charlie Bucket

I know... odd title for a post... but the school play this year is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and guess what?!? My son will be playing the part of Charlie! He had never even gone out for the school play before. He just decided that it sounded like fun and to try out and then ended up with the lead role. He is really coming out of his shell and I am so proud of him.

He was also invited to join the drama team this year. One of the things the team does is like a news broadcast. Andrew did a small thing where he was reading a childrens book to a younger class while volunteering, and someone saw him reading, and they recruited him to be on the drama team and do the news section for them. He is really having fun with it. Because he also landed the part of Charlie... he has come up with his new radio broadcast name of "Charlie Jazz".

Dreams of a simple life

My life is very full and far from simple. I have four wonderful kids, but they live back in Des Moines with their mom. I drive back on weekends to visit them, and I am always greeted with plenty of hugs and kisses. Generally, my weekends are full of the little ones fighting for my time, and me spending every available minute I have trying to squeeze in as many memories as I can before it is time for me to go again. I get up on Monday mornings and leave while they are still sleeping. I kiss them goodbye and tell them how much I love them. It is much easier when they are sleeping. I have accidentally woken them a couple times, and that always ends with everyone in tears as I walk out the door.

That is only a part of my life though, and I wish to share another portion... a part of my life that has filled me with emotions and happiness that I have not felt for many years. You might have guessed by that statement, but yes, I am referring to my girlfriend... Lindsey. She is the best thing that has happened to me for many years, and although we have not known each other very long, I am not sure what I would do without her. Her incredible smile, soft touch, and caring heart make everyday something new and I find myself always thinking about her and wanting to be with her and to hear her laugh.

These two sides to my life, and the fact that they are in different cities makes things difficult for me and far from simple. It is this that makes me dream of a simple life... a life where I could enjoy the best of my two worlds... a simple life I could enjoy and not have to be away from the ones I love, during the week, or on weekends. I am not certain yet how to make that simple life a reality for me, but it is what I dream of... and I have always been one to chase my dreams.

Tree House

We Started with a pretty... but dead... tree


The first step was to start cutting.


Then we were left with this...


Add a sandbox at the bottom and a floor.


Then we added some walls.


... and then some swings for the little ones.


The last part was a roof.


It was a fun project, but some wind storms kinda tore things up a bit. We have put the walls back up again, but still need to get a new roof on this summer.

Weekends

Most people love the weekends... and for good reason. It is a time to relax, get away from the office and spend it with people you care about. However, that is not true of my weekends. I do get to get away from the office and take a break from work. That part is nice, and I do get to spend time with my kids, and that is also nice. I only get to see them on weekends, so I do enjoy that part of my weekend. However, for me, weekends also mean that I will not be able to see a special someone. Maybe someday, I will get back to a normal life with normal weekends, and I can enjoy them with the rest of the world. Until then, I look forward to Mondays when I drive back to Omaha.

Not quite so lost

I have been in Omaha for a little over a year, and until now, I have felt like an outsider. However, I am happy to report that I think that is changing, and I am getting to where I think I am actually going to be happy to call Omaha my home. It's amazing how much one person can really make a difference.