It has been a good month that is for sure. It hard for me to imagine a better time in my life than the present. While this may seem somewhat contradictory considering the sluggish economy, the wars being fought over seas, and political acrimony and negative partisanship of our current political climate, on the whole my life has never been better. I apologize in advance if this comes off as being particularly braggadocios but I believe if you read this to the end you will find it's more about a perspective on living life on life's terms and not being controlled by things you can't control.
About a month ago I was lucky enough to spend almost a week in Colorado with my best friends in life. These are my four best guy friends in the world, one best chick friend, my wife and their significant others. For full disclosure one guy, who shall remain nameless, let's just say he always has someone significant in his life just never significant to come along, is one of the four best dudes. In total 11 people who, if I had to pick, I would live with on a deserted island and eat them if I had to. That's love. All of us with kids left them with the Grandparents (thanks Dad) and managed to work it out that we could all make it there. Only two of us live in the same town so our logistics were challenged but easily overcome. For nearly a week, we were able to eat, tell the same stories again, golf, ski, hike, run, play Frisbee, shoot pool, sit in the hot tub, play games, and just chill. I am old enough now to appreciate how lucky I am to be blessed with such stand up people in my life and how regardless of other perceptions of you early in life, if you do the right thing, life usually works out. We are going to do this again next year and are already planning.
The day after we got home my wife and my two beautiful, young daughters were seated outside the 18 yard box in LiveStrong Park (home of Sporting Kansas City) to watch the United States Men's National team play Guadaloupe in the pool play portion of the Gold Cup. Electric is the only way to describe it. 20,000 USA fans packed to the gills signing songs, wailing on the horns and drums, dancing and supporting the team like no other. It was one of those moments where you feel so much pride to be an American and being blessed with the opportunity to share this with my girls and plant the seed for their love of this game was awesome. Five years ago, if you would have told me I would be a season ticket holder to a professional soccer team in Kansas City, I probalby would have asked if you were ill. Now, not only do I get to sit front row for the opening season of the best soccer specific stadium in the United States but so do my girls. For a month now, it's been soccer, goals, signing, dancing, and sharing one of my passions with the loves of my life.
Every Wednesday this summer I have been doing a continued soccer practice session for the Yellow Bugs. The girls from the rec team join Ruby and I at a school by my house to kick the ball around and learn some new skills. They bring their friends and siblings, we keep it informal and fun, while the parents sit in lawn chairs and laugh at me while I run around. They get hot, the fall down, they don't feel like running sometimes, and they every once in a while cry (that is breaking rule number three) but they keep coming back. I don't get paid, nor do I want to. Again, it's about doing something I love and sharing it with someone.
Last week, we made our annual trip down the street to Parkville for the July Fourth weekend Carnival. Ruby is now tall enough to ride some big kid rides and thinks she is the bomb! Little Alice even gets in on the act riding the scrambler with just Ruby and her cousin. It's pretty amazing to see how independent they are becoming and how much sassier they can be. Dear God they act like they know everything. I have no idea where that got that from.... Anyway, the carnival was moved to the high school due to Missouri River flooding but no homes in Parkville have been affected and the sandbags are holding to protect the businesses so not all is tragic. Our family river park is underwater and explaining a flood is more challenging than I thought but it is a good lesson on helping others and how we must be respectful of mother nature.
Last night, we got back in town from a fantastic trip to Iowa to see my Mom, step Dad, my sister, my niece, nephew, and Uncle John. Great bonding time, very relaxing, and great conversation. Not to get to personal but my family has undergone some serious changes in the last ten years and it finally seems to be getting normal again. Time does heal all wounds, even the deep ones, they just take longer and you have to keep them clean. After a weekend of good food, water gun fights, parades, fireworks, a live band, dancing, a bounce house, and a day at the lake we enjoyed a great ride home. I highly recommend driving from Des Moines to Kansas City from 8pm to 11pm on July 4th. It's like a giant fireworks extravaganza.. In every direction you look you see bright bursting flowers on the horizon while smoke pours across the road like a stage at a Phish concert. Eerily magical.
Finally, today my oldest nephew turned 14 and yesterday my old man turned 65. My dad is currently set to ride across Iowa with his older brother in Ragbrai. Two old men riding over 300 miles in their 60's for fun. I pray that I live my life that way and make it to that day as well. I have learned many lessons from my Dad and my nephew, each entirely different but meaningful in their own way. I used to think no one could teach me anything and that I could do it all on my own. Each day I allow myself to listen to others, not judge, and try to just be myself, things have a tendency to work out okay.
You know my car needs four new tires, my house is worth almost 10% less now than when I bought it, we don't have a whole lot in savings, and sometimes my kids make me lose my cool but you know what, life is certainly been good to me. I guess what I am trying to say is we all have a lot of things we can stress out on and there are times when the pressures of work, home, school, relationships, and change seem overwhelming. What I am finding is that if I honestly look at my life on balance I shouldn't complain about anything.
Today I was able to get up, go to work, run at lunch, watch Ruby at Judo, eat some dinner, read a book to my Alice, and write this blog. I have one more thing to do and it involves saying thanks to someone much greater than me. Amen.
About a month ago I was lucky enough to spend almost a week in Colorado with my best friends in life. These are my four best guy friends in the world, one best chick friend, my wife and their significant others. For full disclosure one guy, who shall remain nameless, let's just say he always has someone significant in his life just never significant to come along, is one of the four best dudes. In total 11 people who, if I had to pick, I would live with on a deserted island and eat them if I had to. That's love. All of us with kids left them with the Grandparents (thanks Dad) and managed to work it out that we could all make it there. Only two of us live in the same town so our logistics were challenged but easily overcome. For nearly a week, we were able to eat, tell the same stories again, golf, ski, hike, run, play Frisbee, shoot pool, sit in the hot tub, play games, and just chill. I am old enough now to appreciate how lucky I am to be blessed with such stand up people in my life and how regardless of other perceptions of you early in life, if you do the right thing, life usually works out. We are going to do this again next year and are already planning.
The day after we got home my wife and my two beautiful, young daughters were seated outside the 18 yard box in LiveStrong Park (home of Sporting Kansas City) to watch the United States Men's National team play Guadaloupe in the pool play portion of the Gold Cup. Electric is the only way to describe it. 20,000 USA fans packed to the gills signing songs, wailing on the horns and drums, dancing and supporting the team like no other. It was one of those moments where you feel so much pride to be an American and being blessed with the opportunity to share this with my girls and plant the seed for their love of this game was awesome. Five years ago, if you would have told me I would be a season ticket holder to a professional soccer team in Kansas City, I probalby would have asked if you were ill. Now, not only do I get to sit front row for the opening season of the best soccer specific stadium in the United States but so do my girls. For a month now, it's been soccer, goals, signing, dancing, and sharing one of my passions with the loves of my life.
Every Wednesday this summer I have been doing a continued soccer practice session for the Yellow Bugs. The girls from the rec team join Ruby and I at a school by my house to kick the ball around and learn some new skills. They bring their friends and siblings, we keep it informal and fun, while the parents sit in lawn chairs and laugh at me while I run around. They get hot, the fall down, they don't feel like running sometimes, and they every once in a while cry (that is breaking rule number three) but they keep coming back. I don't get paid, nor do I want to. Again, it's about doing something I love and sharing it with someone.
Last week, we made our annual trip down the street to Parkville for the July Fourth weekend Carnival. Ruby is now tall enough to ride some big kid rides and thinks she is the bomb! Little Alice even gets in on the act riding the scrambler with just Ruby and her cousin. It's pretty amazing to see how independent they are becoming and how much sassier they can be. Dear God they act like they know everything. I have no idea where that got that from.... Anyway, the carnival was moved to the high school due to Missouri River flooding but no homes in Parkville have been affected and the sandbags are holding to protect the businesses so not all is tragic. Our family river park is underwater and explaining a flood is more challenging than I thought but it is a good lesson on helping others and how we must be respectful of mother nature.
Last night, we got back in town from a fantastic trip to Iowa to see my Mom, step Dad, my sister, my niece, nephew, and Uncle John. Great bonding time, very relaxing, and great conversation. Not to get to personal but my family has undergone some serious changes in the last ten years and it finally seems to be getting normal again. Time does heal all wounds, even the deep ones, they just take longer and you have to keep them clean. After a weekend of good food, water gun fights, parades, fireworks, a live band, dancing, a bounce house, and a day at the lake we enjoyed a great ride home. I highly recommend driving from Des Moines to Kansas City from 8pm to 11pm on July 4th. It's like a giant fireworks extravaganza.. In every direction you look you see bright bursting flowers on the horizon while smoke pours across the road like a stage at a Phish concert. Eerily magical.
Finally, today my oldest nephew turned 14 and yesterday my old man turned 65. My dad is currently set to ride across Iowa with his older brother in Ragbrai. Two old men riding over 300 miles in their 60's for fun. I pray that I live my life that way and make it to that day as well. I have learned many lessons from my Dad and my nephew, each entirely different but meaningful in their own way. I used to think no one could teach me anything and that I could do it all on my own. Each day I allow myself to listen to others, not judge, and try to just be myself, things have a tendency to work out okay.
You know my car needs four new tires, my house is worth almost 10% less now than when I bought it, we don't have a whole lot in savings, and sometimes my kids make me lose my cool but you know what, life is certainly been good to me. I guess what I am trying to say is we all have a lot of things we can stress out on and there are times when the pressures of work, home, school, relationships, and change seem overwhelming. What I am finding is that if I honestly look at my life on balance I shouldn't complain about anything.
Today I was able to get up, go to work, run at lunch, watch Ruby at Judo, eat some dinner, read a book to my Alice, and write this blog. I have one more thing to do and it involves saying thanks to someone much greater than me. Amen.
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