LOL – I could even type today’s gratitude without chuckling!  I’m not sure, but I think they may have spent too much time with Steve at one point or another!  Yes, today was filled with lots of creating and it was AWESOME!!!

After driving back fro Becky’s parents’ house we jumped right into PWD (Pinewood Derby) Mode.  Every year I do less and less and the boys do more and more.  This year the only thing I did was help a very little bit with cutting out the car and I added the weight (pretty sure Becky wouldn’t say yes to letting them work with lead).  Everything else was all Gavin and it was great to see him really get into it as did Dominic (making a car for fun).  The boys looked kind of like coal miners due to the graphite, but they were all smiles.

After a handful of test runs we went back home and moved on…  Dominic had Boy Scouts so it was just Gavin and I.  After a little bit of thinking he decided that he wanted to make a table so he could eat supper in the treehouse.  Why not?  It was pretty cool to have an excuse to help him get practice in how to build a table with support, how to use a drill correctly, how using a table saw fence makes it easier to make straight lines, and some good old fashioned measuring.  It turned out to be very solid and he was able to have it done in time for he and Dominic to have supper on it up in the treehouse.

After dinner the boys decided they weren’t done creating yet…  It was time to create defenses in case of the zombie apocalypse!  Using their imagination, some tools, scrap wood and pocket knives they went to town as I finished up a puzzle box.  Gavin created a pretty awesome slingshot and was starting on a battle axe that well finish later in the week using the band saw.  Dominic opted for a sword that ended up looking pretty cool.  It was made even more realistic looking by adding the little bit of blood from a mistaken cut that took more of his finger than of the sword.  He took it like a champ, we got it bandaged up, and he was back at it.

In spite of the injury they still had fun and worked on it until we called them in because it was getting dark out.  I am so grateful that they have the same spark for creating.  It would have been very easy for me to try to get some other things done that I wanted to get done instead of helping them out, but I would have regretted it.  With making stuff like this with them now I can’t wait to see what kinds of crazy stuff we’re making together in a year or two!!!  (pumpkin catapults and potato guns…  just sayin’…)

Thanks!!!

 

The presentation went very well today and I my adrenaline was pumping afterwards.  I went back to the office, got done what had to be done, and then left a little early to get in the run I skipped this morning to get a little extra practice in.

Once home I was planning on either Running with Dominic or throwing on my headphones and getting a solo run in.  Dominic had a headache and as I was getting ready Becky told me she had to take Sky to the vet, maybe I should take LuLu.  Why not?

One of the reasons I agreed to getting a dog in the first place (not that I really ever had a choice!) was to have a running buddy.  At the time we got Sky the boys were too small to leave home alone so we had to run solo.  I saw pictures of runners smiling as they ran with their furry companions in several magazines and bought that would be peaceful.

Today was one of the first times in as long as I can remember that it was just LuLu and I out for a run together, and it was just as awesome as I’d imagined.  Her playful bouncing made my legs less heavy, her smile made me smile, and her stopping to smell everything gave me time to walk and breathe!  Four miles later we’d had a wonderful time bonding.

While I’m still not much of a dog person, times like this remind me that there is one somewhere deep down.  Thanks for the awesome running date today LuLu!

Thanks!!!

Becky had the incredible foresight last night to sign us up for yoga at 5:30 this morning.  Due to the snow and cold running outside would have been miserable, and she was right, doing yoga in a balmy 96 degree room felt much better!

As we got to the final rest when I’m supposed to shut down the brain and just be I had a problem…  I couldn’t shut my brain off.  Instead of almost falling asleep or re-living an awesome moment on the beach my brain kept thinking about just how fortunate I was to have the weekend I had.  So many memories kept sparking another, and then another. 

Heading home I realized that I am very thankful for all of the other things I’ve been thankful for over the past weekend that didn’t get written about.  Even though they may not have gotten their own post earlier I am very thankful for them all today as they’ve helped me start my day from a very positive place.

• I’m thankful for being able to work on things that I’m very passionate about.  Most of my time on Friday at work was spent in a state of flow and it was AWESOME!!!
• I’m thankful for great coaches and mentors.  Isn’t it awesome to have those right people just happen to walk into our life at just the right time when you invite them?
• I’m thankful for living near the Mississippi flyway.  Watching the hundreds of bald eagles everywhere on the river takes my breath away every year.
• I’m thankful for hanging out with friends.  We had a great time catching up with some of the couples we’ve know for years and years and that we’ve vacationed with.  It was great to have some time to re-kindle those friendships.
• I’m thankful for the success the boys had in their Scouting for Food weekend.  They did a great job of hanging bags last weekend and were rewarded with a lot of bags to pick up this past weekend.  Thanks to their help there’s a lot of food going to the food pantry at Summit Elementary!  It warms my heart to see how much they enjoy helping others.
  

  
• I’m thankful for the fun inside jokes we have as teams.  The ride to and from Rochester with my Winona team left me with a big smile.  It’s so much fun being able to share stories and jokes that only our bunch of goofballs get 🙂
• I’m thankful for Becky being incredibly flexible with our weekend plans.  It would have been very easy and well within her rights to say no to changing the plans around, but she let the changes all happen with nothing but a smile.  Pretty sure she has a leg up on the Wife of the Year in 2018 already!
• I’m thankful for the sushi Becky and I had in the Florida Keys seven years ago.  That’s right, one meal seven years ago was so delicious and memorable that I still remember it after all these years!
• I’m thankful for almost daily reminders of how quickly the boys grow up.  On Facebook the memory popped up of Dominic losing his first tooth and learning to ride a bike on the same day from FIVE years ago already!  To be clear, both did not happen at the same time.
• I’m thankful for making things for other people.  Creating something is just a core part of who I am, creating something with the intent of giving it away is pure bliss.  When they say you get more by giving, I totally agree.  I’ve been smiling from ear to ear as I’ve done a couple of projects recently and always find myself pushing to do a better job than ever before to make them proud.
• I’m thankful for Gavin’s interest in making puzzle boxes.  There was a ton of other stuff that I wanted to get done yesterday afternoon, but when that kid said he wanted to make a puzzle box I knew my plans were in need of a change.
• I’m thankful for seeing Dominic’s personal growth, specifically his growth mindset.  Yesterday he started carving out his pinewood derby car to make it look like a Batman car.  As I was grilling lunch he came outside by me with a smile on his face and told me, “Dad, we have a problem.  I need to make some changes to my car.”  Then he showed me the piece that was broken due to a mistaken movement of his pocket knife.  No anger, no tears, no disappointment, just acceptance and looking at the glass half full.  I am so proud of that kid in moments like that when he has a choice in his emotions and attitude and chooses the right one.  For the record, his re-done car looks pretty rad!
• I’m thankful for a beautiful piece of wood.  There’s sometimes a piece of wood that is just so beautifully imperfectly perfect that I just stare at it in amazement for a while.  I catch myself looking at it and having the wrong mindset.  I’m so worried about making sure that I do not screw it up that this feeling of loss comes over me before anything bad happens.  Then I catch myself, smile, and say “what the hell!”  Before I know it I’m trying to use it to do something I’ve never done before and I have no idea whether or not I’ll be successful.  As I want to honor the awesome gift it is in front of me I know it would be a dishonor to not use it and set it aside due to fear, but I honor it by using it for what it was intended.  Maybe there’ll be a mistake, but maybe it will be amazing…  If I don’t try something both it and I will be wasted.  As you can probably guess, I came across an AMAZING block of wood yesterday.  I almost let fear get in the way, but I flipped the switch and started creating.  Guess what?  I screwed up and made a mistake.  Without losing my smile I just shook my head, showed Gavin, and told him my next puzzle box was about to become about an inch shorter than I intended.  I cut off the mistake and will start over on it this week.  All that from one beautiful piece of wood.

All of these things to be grateful for and so many more that I’ve forgotten or haven’t listed because I’d rather keep them to myself for now.  What I am really thankful for is such an wonderful weekend in all of its chaos and craziness and all of the incredible gifts it brought me.  Thank you to each and every one of you who helped bring those gifts to life this weekend.  I can’t imagine my life without you.

Thanks!!!