Today was all about soccer.  Sure, it started with church (a sermon about gratitude was a pretty cool surprise!), but after that it was all soccer until I sat down to type up my blog tonight.  There was a time when I would have defined an all soccer day as a part of my personal hell, but now I really appreciate it.

The weather was a perfect fall day, light breeze, sun was out and it was just warm enough.  We had a pretty awesome view of the bluffs and the changing leaves while we were watching the games…  all four of them.  

First we had Gavin’s game at 11:00, which I I had to miss the beginning of because I was driving Dominic back home to grab the jersey he forgot).  Dominic’s game started at 11:45 so Becky walked over and then Gavin and I followed after his game.  Prior to the end of Dominic’s game Becky walked Gavin over to warm up for his second game.  She got back just in time to watch Dominic’s team tie it on a last second goal.  We then went back to Gavin’s game and watched him play some defense and a little goalie while Dominic ate and re-charged.  After that it was time to walk over to Dominic’s last game.  Gavin and I had time to wrestle for a while in the grass before watching Dominic’s team.

While at the field we had a lot of fun talking and joking around with all of the other soccer parents, many of whom were in a similar pattern of bouncing back and forth from field to field for kid to kid.  Not only are they friends of convenience (we see them all the time), but they are just flat out good people that are a lot of fun to spend time with.  I’m very thankful that we got such a great groups of fellow parents on our boys’ teams.

After the games were done we ran home, took care of the dogs and were off to a soccer party at the house of one of Dominic’s team members.  It was AWESOME!!!  Great food and drink, and the kids were entertained and having a blast the entire time.  Even some of us adults got into more by hopping on the rope swing and bouncing on the trampoline!  It was a great end to a great day of soccer with all of our soccer friends.

As it is all said and done I’m smiling remembering some of the plays, the conversations and the events of the party.  It was a great way to start winding down the season and I’m glad we got to spend it with our RUSH / CRUSA soccer friends.

Thanks!!!

Due to a flooded field in Madison Dominic’s soccer game was cancelled.  Turns out there were soccer refs needed in La Crosse so Dominic was able to jump in and help out.  Seeing as he is saving up for an iPod he was more than happy to tag in and make a few bucks.

After working four games of U8 players he was still smiling.  It looked like he was having a lot of fun, running with the players, keeping the whistle ready in his mouth, and even standing at the end of the line after the game to give both teams high fives as they ran by!

My mind is still having a tough time wrapping itself around the fact that we have a kid who is old enough to work.  Today is also the 17th anniversary of the first date Becky and I had, kind of wild to think that we’ve gone from a very nervous first date at Chi-Chi’s to having a kid that has a job (even if it was only for one day!).

It makes me think back to my first pay checks (or cash as it probably was) and the feeling of accomplishment for having earned something.  I’m thankful that he’s been able to get that same feeling.  I also hope that he continues to see that working is a great thing, a way to earn money for dreams and to have a sense of accomplishment.

Thanks!!!

I had two pretty cool experiences that combined in an unusual way to become what I’m thankful for today.  One was looking backwards to see where I’ve come from, the other giving me ideas for the future.

Early in the day I had to run to Target quick and as I was checking out I heard a very familiar voice say “Michael.”  As I spun around the voice rang a bell in my head and my brain connected the dots when I made eye contact.  “Mr. Brewer,” I said as I reached out to shake his hand.  Bob was one of the first clients I used to work with when I first came to Express.  He was the plant manager of our largest client and I learned a ton from my experiences with him.  In working with him I learned the importance of open and direct communication.  He also showed me how important it was to not dwell on service issues but to focus on immediately fixing them.  All in all he is one of the people that had a big impact on my Express career.  

Bob and I hadn’t seen each other in almost a decade.  The first thing out of his mouth was “are you still with Express?”  I went on to tell him about ownership and so on and he smiled and made a joke about buying “the big headaches.”  As we talked about his retirement and recent trip out east I couldn’t  help but smile.  He was in a spot that I am very much looking forward to.  After we left it really hit me just how far I’ve come over the past almost 17 years with Express.  I thought of the 23 year old kid that he had worked with. The one who had dreams of ownership but never knew if it would really happen.  It did!

Later in the day I was having a conversation with a friend of mine who is in his fifties and incredibly succcessful.  One of those people that as you learn more about them you can’t help but admire and try to learn more from.  As we were talking he shared an awesome dream that he’s in the process of making reality.  

To set the stage, when Kid’s Cup comes around every year I’m pretty happy to raise over $1,000.  I have ideas and aspirations for starting a non-profit organization (or several), but I haven’t done anything to kick start those dreams.

As we talked about his dream my mind was completely blown.  He’s going to embark on a solo canoe trip of the Mississippi River from source to ocean.  While on his trip he is raising money for a very noble goal that is incredibly close to his heart.  Did I mention the goal he has?  He is going to raise $2.5 million.  Holy crap!  There is no hesitation or fear in his eyes as he says it.  He will make it happen.  “I figure I just need 50,000 people to donate $50.”  How awesome is that?  As we talked he shared his plan, the marketing needed, working with the media, all the contacts that he was contacting, and so on.  It was very clear that he had thought this out, started planning, and has already started working on it.  Like I said, mind blown.  As I had my little dream kind of flickering in the back of my brain he showed the power of thinking way bigger and stoking that flame to really get it going.

That’s why I am thankful for people who remind me to dream bigger today.  In one case I had the base of reminding me that I am fully capable of accomplishing whatever I set my heart on.  In the other a reminder of how big a dream really can be.  Why settle for small when you can go for large?  Go big or go home, right?  I am also so thankful to have both of them in my life.  We may not talk often or even see each other but once a decade, but they have left and continue to leave impressions on me that make me better.

Thanks!!!

In a week filled with a flurry of activity at work helping people get jobs and helping businesses find people this note was shared with me.

It was an absolutely awesome reminder of why we all work as hard as we do.  At the end of the day the work my teams and I do has to have a very positive impact on many people in our communities.  With the craziness of our jobs it can be easy to lose sight of this at times and get frustrated.  A note like this means the world to us and reminds us why we do it.

Thanks!!!

Holy buckets today was a great day (as great as it can be on a day when I don’t see my family – just to clarify)!

When I woke up I thought about keeping my eyes open for things to be thankful for and started searching right away.  There were so many things that I was thankful for.  Here’s a short list of today’s options:

• A great night of sleep
• My bed at home
• Waking up to the chaos of my family
• Hotel breakfasts
• Starting work early and in a good mood
• Making progress quickly on a project
• Hearing songs I haven’t heard in a really long time that make me smile
• Getting things done and staying focused
• Enjoying time with my team
• The way that little things remind me of my friends
• The success of my teams hitting big goals
• Spending one on one time with my team members
• And the list goes on…

But as  I walked out of Target after working late it hit me.  I saw a sky similar to this…

I had totally lucked out and was looking west when it was that magical time of every day when you look one way and it is dark, you look the other ad the day is fading away.  There’s just something about the way the light and the colors look that just take my breath away.  Every time I see it I stop, take a deep breath and just soak it in.  To me it’s one of those moments that I can feel The Big Guy’s hand on my shoulder and hear Him whisper in my ear, “Dude, seriously, enjoy this.  It’s one of my greatest works of art.”

Through my years I’ve seen this countless times.  The landscape below it becomes totally irrelevant.  The colors in the sky, the dark reds and oranges, the dark blues and black just blow my mind every single time.  And while I know I’ve seen them so many times, I also realize that some day when I see it there won’t be a next time.  There will be a last time at some point.  While of course I’m hoping for a very long time out, I never know.  Seeing as I don’t know when the last one will be I’ll continue to soak this moment in every time and appreciate it as if it were the last.

Thanks!!!

Sometimes a guy just has to dive in.  Whether it be work, home, friends, family or a project, there are just some of those times when you have to jump in, get your hands dirty, push, and get done what needs to be done.

The funny thing is that when it’s time for me to do that I sometimes get a little wiggly and don’t want to.  I can make up a ton of reasons why I don’t have to or excuses not to.  It’s crazy, but once I’m in it’s usually a lot of fun and very enjoyable.  The work itself may be difficult, but it’s usually very rewarding.  I end up with new insights and more ideas as a result.

Here goes nothing!  Geronimo!

It seems like almost everyday is filled with chaos and noise.  I’m constantly running from one thing to the next and there’s a never ending race to get to the next event or to get the next project done.  Even when I should be relaxing and enjoying silence I usually fill it up with some type of activity that keeps me moving.  I have a vey hard time just enjoying the quiet and thinking.

There is one exception every single day.  At some point in the morning, afternoon, or evening I type my blog.  In order to do that I need to pause, reflect on the day, consider what I am thankful for, and then get my thoughts in order.  Have I been thankful about this before?  Why is this the thing I’m most thankful for today?  How should I write this, funny or serious?  What words will I choose in order to not bore the living crap out of everyone?  When should I write my post?  When will I know this is the right thing to blog about?  As I go through these questions each day it forces my brain to slow down, focus on one task, and think.  It is always more smooth when I have peace and quiet around me when I write so I’m usually somewhere without too much excitement.  Just me and my thoughts, some words and ideas aching to get out.

So today I’m thankful for one of the byproducts of this blog that I totally wasn’t expecting.  As a result of writing every single day I need to find, or more appropriately, create time in my schedule to take some time to think.  I love my family, I love the chaos, I love the daily crazy race, but I also really enjoy taking that quiet time to think each day.  It helps keep me balanced out.

Thanks!!!

I’ve told this story many times before and you can check it out in more detail here in case today’s post doesn’t quite cover it all as I take it in a slightly different direction.

Exactly 17 years ago today Becky agreed to go on a date with me.  We were both standing up in a wedding together and had only met the night before.  After the wedding rehearsal I thought she was kind of a nerd, she was talking about school and her field trips for college.  She thought I was kind of a dorky loser for many reasons (most for good reason!).  During the wedding ceremony itself I looked across the aisle and saw Becky.  She looked at me, we made eye contact, and she smiled.  At that moment my entire life changed.  I just knew she and I were meant to be together, no questions, really that simple.   As the Counting Crows put it in their song Long December, “All at once you look across a crowded room
To see the way that light attaches to a girl.”  That smile lit up my life like no other moment.  Later that night while I was riding home with my parents I told them that I had met the girl I was going to marry.   On a funny side note, you know what Becky’s first impression of that smile was?  She remembered the moment as well, seeing me look over at her and smile.  The only difference was that while I was falling in love she was thinking, “oh shit, he likes me.”  True story!

This weekend was a pretty excellent three day weekend.  It was filled with pretty much everything I enjoy.  My family, my friends, and a little creating (and blogging!).  As I was thinking about today’s post I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with too many ideas of what to choose from.  We had a great time with friends at Oktoberfest yesterday after running our half marathon.  My mom and stepBrad hung out with Steve & Kathy, and Becky & I last night.  This morning we hung out, ran errands, spent some time working on a wood working project, and had a never ending round of fun texts with friends.  I played some pretty epic Four Square with my boys and had a lot of fun giggling away.  Supper as a family and now finishing a movie together.  So many awesome things, so much time with people I love, just a great weekend.

As I really thought about it and kept thinking about the smile from 7 years ago it struck me like a bolt of lightning.  Had that one smile not happened, none of this weekend would have.  I have no idea where I would be or who I would be had I missed that smile, had I not acted on that smile, had I not followed my heart on that smile.

That smile is why I live in La Crosse.  That smile is why I have two amazing boys.  That smile is why I have my entire group of friends in La Crosse.  That smile is why I left my least job almost 17 years ago and started my career with Express.  That smile has impacted my life in such a profound way that it blows my mind.

Maybe I’d be happy somewhere else or with someone else.  Maybe I’d have a great family, great friends, and a great career.  Maybe, but I doubt it.  I’ll never know for sure, but I can’t imagine being happier than I am today.  That was the smile that lit up my life and made me happiest.  While today I am thankful for it publicly in this blog, every day I am ecstatic that I happened to gaze across the aisle at a wedding to see a beautiful smile that set me free and started me on a path of happiness.

Thanks for smiling at me 17 years ago Becky!!!

Our half marathon was today and it went pretty well!  Becky and I had a goal of finishing, there was no expectation of time.  That said, we were pretty pumped with our time!  It might not have been nearly as good as our personal bests, but it felt pretty good.  In previous posts I’ve talked about enjoying the journey, and this was one of the times when I’ve truly enjoyed the journey (training miles with Becky) and the destination (finishing the run).  It feels very rewarding and I’m ready to set a new running goal with Becky in order to start our next journey, but maybe I’ll wait a week and enjoy riding bike instead. 🙂

We took off much faster than we normally would and I could feel it earlier than normal.  As the race continued I started to hurt and wanted to slow down.  Every time I did there was a smiling, happy face asking me “how are you feeling?”  As I wanted to slow down on a hill towards the end I watched a way too excited and happy Becky bouncing up the same hill literally running up it backwards encouraging me to keep going and catch up!  It was crazy!!!  She was pried and ready to go and wasn’t going to be stopped by anything.  She also wasn’t going to let me get stopped by anything, and I appreciate that.  It was a pretty cool reversal of roles from about 7 years ago when we ran our first half marathon together and was the upbeat happy one with too much energy.  While at times her energy and happiness drove me nuts, but I totally appreciate it and am thankful for it.  Had it not been for her crazy positive attitude I wouldn’t have made it nearly as quickly as we did.  That’s one of the things I have really loved about our relationship, we seem to do a great job of being able to help balance each other out.  When one is down the other is up and helps get them into the same mindset.

While I may be kind of a hurting unit with stiff legs now, it was an excellent run.  The destination lived up to the journey.  My wife amazed me yet again with her incredible energy and enthusiasm.  It has been a pretty awesome day already and it’s not even close to done.

Thanks!!!

Today was a little different than the standard day at the office.  Everything started about the same, morning run, get the boys ready for school and so on.  Instead of hopping in the car to go to work Becky and I picked up the Bloors and headed over to Steinhaus to celebrate Oktoberfest!

After a German breakfast and a couple of beers we headed out to the parade for the Golden Keg.

We chilled out and waited for the parade…

And waited…

After the parade we headed to the Fest Grounds and had a great time hanging out, listening to music, running into random friends, and maybe enjoying a few beverages.

The weather was perfect, the food was great, the beer was cold, and the company was a lot of fun.  It was a great day at Oktoberfest and I’m glad we all took some time away to enjoy it!

Thanks!!!