Reflection

Sometimes I like to drift off into a deep thought and just forget about life for a little while and as we wrapped up the end of the year, I spent a lot of time in quietness. I needed some time to reflect on life, step away and gain focus.

We’ve gone through many changes in the past year, some good, some not as good as we had hoped.

  1. We for the most part as a family remained healthy, minus the typical colds, etc.
  2. We did have our first ER trip though for Boy B & Boy A did have to get stitches, but considering that they are over 4 and these were our first visits, that isn’t too bad.
  3. My wife and I both continued towards our goals of losing more weight. I believe that we are both around 20 – 25 pounds from our Phase I goals.
  4. Financially was 1 step forward and 3 back. We got hit with a lot of unexpected bills this year for cars. So, that has been a constant struggle these last few months, BUT we increased our giving to charity by close to $2,000.
  5. We found and have gotten involved in a new church and have really felt that this was a much needed change for us.

I’m sure that I’ve missed a lot, but those were just a few of the things that coming to mind last week as I was reflecting on the year. But it was also during this time of being in deep thought, that I realized how big of a difference the boys have made this past year. We had to change their daycare and put them in a daycare center, as opposed to the in home daycare that they were use to and they did great. We’ve asked them to trust us more and let them do more, i.e. they are always outside with me at the grill and they are both learning how to cook.

And it is through this time that I’ve also realized that my boys are growing up more and more and that I’ve got to change and adapt more. I have to be ok and allow them to try new things and take some leaps of faith. These little guys just never seem to stop amazing me and learning new things.

To say that I’m a proud father, might be an underestimate of the day. To say that I am sad that they are growing up really fast, is also an underestimate of the day as well. So as I reflect and sit in silence and enjoying my time in deep thought, I hope that all of those that are reading this, have a safe and happy 2016.

And one day, when my sons learn about this blog, I hope that they understand how much I love them and how proud of them that I am. And I hope that they read these words and gain an insight into my life with them and pick up a few little things along the way about being a father of twins.

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The older that I get, the more that I realize that I need to devote time for self reflection and time to just unwind and clear my head. Today is one of those days and I thought that I would share a few thoughts/ideas/concerns/etc.

  • This past week, in a small town outside of Roanoke, VA there was yet another senseless shooting.  Please understand, I am 100% in favor of the 2nd Amendment and law abiding citizens being able to legally own and carry fire arms. BUT, I also believe that our society has a serious mental health issue as well and until politicians are able to figure out a legal solution that prevents those that have mental health issues from legally purchasing a gun, then please stay off the tv and keep your political rhetoric to a minimum. Literally within 2 hours of the shootings, the VA Governor held a press conference about gun laws. Mind you, the person that shot the innocent individuals purchased his weapon legally and lawmakers forget that criminals don’t exactly go and register and purchase their handguns legally, as that requires background checks, etc.
  • The stock market took an interesting turn this past week. I only lost $5,000.00, which is a lot, but in the long term, that shouldn’t be too bad. I also upped my contributions to offset future growth and obtain more shares with future purchases.
  • As for the little monkeys, I see more and more growth and maturity in those little guys everyday. They have started to speak a little Spanish, both can count to 10 with no problems and can say a few conversational words. The boys are helping out more at the house and helping clean more. And their personalities just keep growing.
  • Vacation is quickly coming up, but that is something that I”m not necessarily looking forward to again this year. Long story and not a public story. But I will get to spend time with the boys and I’m currently looking at day trips while we are at the beach, i.e. there is an Aquarium nearby, as well as a Naval museum with airplanes.

The last few weeks have been an up and down time for me personally and professionally. I’m fortunate to have the job that I do, as there are so many that are unemployed, though, I often time questions my current career path.  In talking with one of my best friends, who is in a similar situation, I know where my passion lies, though I don’t think that it is my career, as I would hate to lose that passion and turn it into a job that I hate. But at the same time, I wonder if the culture here at work, is contributing to my uncertainty?

Reflection is important for interpersonal perspective. The more that you can self identify, the more that you can stay on top of the things that are bothering you and keep you focused on the important things. So this morning, as I was driving into the office and thinking about the kids and how quickly they are growing and as my work week winds down, I can’t wait to spend the weekend with them. We have a few things already planned to grill and cook and I’m going to teach them how to make chicken and mushroom risotto this weekend and hopefully get some much needed downtime in as well.

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December 26th or as most refer to it, the Day After Christmas is here. Kids are playing with their new toys, many parents, like myself are back at work and Santa is resting and relaxing after a busy Christmas night.

As I sit at the office and reflect on Christmas morning, I had a few things that have continued to pop into my head that really stood out.

  1. The boys really did a great job of sharing yesterday morning. They each got completely different sets of toys, which I am asked a lot if we have a duplicates. We have really tried to avoid that, but it does happen occasionally.
  2. The boys really asked Santa for only 1 toy each and the reactions when they got those were priceless.
  3. I got to witness Baby A and his cousin last night have a conversation about Santa and the toys that they received. I just wished that I had caught the whole conversation on video, because it was priceless.
  4. Christmas day for adults is and should really only be about the kids. Nothing else matters.
  5. Seeing Christmas through the eyes of your children, there is no greater gift.

As I sit at work this morning, the day after Christmas, it is quiet. A much different than yesterday morning, to say the least. The boys had an amazing day. They are blessed more than they will ever know.

I’m going to take a few days off from blogging and enjoy some time with my kids.

So from my family to yours, have a safe and happy holidays!

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As January 2012 is quickly coming to an end, I sit back today and reflect the last year, there were both highs and lows, but mostly highs:

Highlights:
– The boys were born and are healthy and growing
– My wife and I are closing in on our 4th wedding anniversary
– Family and Friends are doing well and healthy
– My sister welcomed her daughter into the world, so we are aunts and uncles again
– Our careers are doing really well, even in a down economy

Lows:
– There were some trying times after the boys were born for us.
– Financially. You know how they say with twins, it is two of everything. They aren’t kidding. It has been hard financially on us, but we have gotten by and have been able to start learning to live on less.

All in all, 2011 will go down for my wife and I as a great year. We were able to welcome our sons to the world and they have been able to bring us so much joy and laughter, that I can’t imagine a day without them. And spending time reflecting on the past, is helping me plan for the future.

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