Pretty sure there’s no explanation needed for this post… we went out for ice cream at The Pearl. Becky and Gavin went for double scoops on waffle cones while I had the taste of summer… a Coconut Caramel and Cappuccino Oreo malt.

Ahh…

Thanks!!!

Ahh… the simple joys in life… going for a leisurely bike ride with the family (all of us who are not currently touring Washington DC anyway 😉). Getting fresh air in the lungs was relaxing and peaceful, a great way to wrap up activity for the evening.

Along the way I also had a realization that had me smiling probably just as big as I did the first time I did it a few decades ago… I can ride my big with no handlebars! This 41 year old middle aged dude can still ride with no upper body connection to the bike. I was nervous to try and once I did all cane back to me so quickly. Nothing like feeling like a kid to being even more joy on a Thursday night.

Thanks!!!

Nothing too crazy tonight which really fits the mood of the evening.  When I got home form work Becky had a plate of supper ready for me to eat on the go as we took Gavin to his logrolling class.  I quickly shucked off the work attire and busted out shorts and a t-shirt and was out the door.

As soon as Gavin jumped in Becky, Kelsey and I took off and headed off on the trail along the river.  Being outside, getting fresh air, moving, and spending time with friends felt like about the most summer evening thing I could do tonight and it was AWESOME!!!

Thanks!!!

It’s funny how this blog thing works sometimes. On my drive to work this morning I had and idea and started to write it in my head. Over lunch I started typing it up, but it just didn’t quite feel right. The writing was fine and all, but it just didn’t quite seem to fit as well today as I’ve come to expect after 989 straight days of blogging. It was very deep, serious, and introspective, but it was just off a little.

As the day went on there was another vibe I was getting but I couldn’t quite nail down what it was. It wasn’t until after getting home and eating dinner with Becky that the real thing I’m thankful for today was right under my nose. It was so simple, I can’t believe I missed it as long as I did! Funny how sometimes I find that when I stop looking so hard to find something and I finally let go of the search that I collide right in what I had been searching for all along.

Throughout the day I’d occasionally think about Dad’s death a year ago today. That thought would only linger for a moment and was then quickly replaced with a happy memory. In some cases they were memories from when I was a kid, in others it was in the days and weeks shortly after he’d passed. Some memories were super happy, others funny, and some serious. At random moments I’d hear something, even just a word and a memory would pop in and bring a smile to my face. All day long I was surrounded by happy memories of my dad, my family, and my friends. It was beautiful.

The only thing that even compares to the happy memories was all the love I felt from so many friends and family. An extra hug here, a text there, a conversation somewhere in between, and a random joke or two thrown in and there was no way I could avoid strong feelings of love from so many. If at any point I didn’t have a memory bouncing in my head making me smile there was surely a whole lot of love I felt from so many.

So here I am, a year after my dad’s death and I’m grinning from ear to ear, feeling so much joy thanks to so many people and so many happy memories! I wish he was here to share the day with him and I’d give almost anything to have one more day with him, but I’m sure he’s smiling from up above. Odds are he might’ve pulled a few strings to help me out today.

To each and everyone who knowingly (& in some cases unknowingly) contributed to my joy today through memories and love – thank you, thank you, thank you! I appreciate each of you and am so grateful to have you in my life!

Thanks!!!

After log rolling tonight I decided to have a cold beer to start winding down the night.  Without really thinking about it I noticed this view:

The bottle opener was a beautiful gift from my great friend Sammi.  She’d read the post about having no regrets with my dad and had this made.  When it caught my eye tonight I just paused and smiled.

I pulled my phone out and started going through some old pictures of my dad.  I was smiling from ear to ear seeing the pictures of his smile as he spent time with the boys and I throughout all the years.  Gavin heard me playing a video and came in to watch it with me.  As we watched a video of Grandpa Pete spinning the boys in a huge cardboard box I snuggled up with Gavin and started to feel a deep sense of loss.

As we watched it I realized I needed some time alone to just soak in the emotion and appreciate the feeling.  My dad is gone and there will be no more memories made with him.  One of my best friends in the world will never give me a hug again, call me again, or be there to spend time with me.  It’s an incredible loss that causes a lot pain and heartache.  I hopped in the shower, still stinky from being in the river log rolling and fired up a song that really helped the tears flow, Terry’s Song by Bruce Springsteen.  I stood in the shower, soaked in the lyrics, soaked in the feeling of sadness and loss, and wept quietly.  In focusing on the sadness I had one goal, to remind myself of how much I miss Dad.  It sounds a little silly, but it reminded me of just what a special guy Dad was.  It reminded me of how fortunate I was to have him as my dad.  Sadness, but a reminder of an incredible bond and great love shared, so many joyful moments.

Once the song was over I hopped out of the shower and chose a different perspective.  I thought about what Dad would want me to be and feel if he were still around.  He would want me to be happy to for my friends and family and to be the best possible dad I could be.  To do that I need to set my self-focused pain aside and focus on how to be the best dad I could be.  I looked back at the past year and thought about what a difference the past 364 days had many.  How many times had I ton something a little differently with this newfound appreciation for life in the back of my head?  I’m positive he would be proud of how many times I turned his loss into a positive moment or created a new memory specifically because I was inspired by his loss.  What a gift!  In his passing he’s helped me find a much stronger sense of purpose than I’ve had in the past.  This sense of purpose had touched virtually all aspects of my life, from family to work to friends to people I’ve never met.  When I think about the impact Dad has had on my life since his passing I am happily surprised.  Even in death Dad is helping me to be a better man.

How funny that within the span of less than 30 minutes it’s possible to see the same thing in such different lights?  Even with the extreme difference in perspective in both there’s one thing in common…  the joy that comes from remembering the love of my father.

Thanks!!!

As you’ve probably already seen over the past couple of days the boys, my little brother, and I all headed up to Copper Harbor, MI for a weekend of camping.  The entire weekend was a huge success and many memories were made by all.  There were so many new jokes, inside jokes, and great times that I’m not even sure where to begin…  I’ll let the smiles in the pictures tell most of the story.

After dropping Nick off at his house in Green Bay I spent a pretty large chunk of the three plus hour drive in silence as the Gavin read and Dominic napped.  In that quiet I kept chuckling to myself at what a wonderful time we had.

It warms my heart knowing that my boys have grown an even stronger bond with their Uncle Nick and have memories they’ll hold onto forever.

For me I’m so thankful for the extra time with my little brother.  Between catching up, shooting the bull, remembering past memories and creating new ones it was an experience I’ll never forget and will hold in a special place in my heart for the rest of my life.

Thanks!!!

Today was an awesome day all around. It’s really tough to say what the best part of the day.

We got our fire for tonight built and ready this morning. The first stop of the day was at the rock shop to pick up some pretty sweet rock souvenirs. Afterwards we headed to the beach and picked rocks just like when we’d be up at Dad’s House. From there it was off to kayaking in Lake Superior which was pretty fantastic! We then grabbed a bite to eat in Eagle Harbor and the played some mini golf. To start closing up the night we headed up to the top of Brockway Mountain and found a couple of gnarly mountain bike trails that we hiked for a little ways. Once we made our way down and made several sightseeing stops we ended up back at the campsite. There we enjoyed time around the fire and chilling while talking about politics, bro code, girls, growing up, jokes, and giving each other a hard time. Pretty quick here we’ll call it a night and head off to bed.

It’s been a jam packed day full of fun, one that I’ll remember for a long time!

Thanks!!!

There was a late addition to the list of chores/activities for the boys to accomplish this morning… “Write a list of 50 things you’re thankful for.”

Seeing their lists made me happy, they made me laugh, and they made me even more thankful for our boys!

Thanks!!!

It’s been a very action packed day. I got almost everything done that I had set out to do this morning and the little bit that didn’t will be done by end of day tomorrow. I just sat down and am taking a load off on this very productive day.

As I say for a moment I was struck by a very tough decision…

Lemon Cake or Peanut Butter Cup?

Wrestling with this decision between two very right answers something else occurred to me…

I am so thankful for Halo Top ice cream! What an awesome way to wrap up the day… light, refreshing, sweet, delicious, and very low cal.

Life is good!

Thanks!!!