The title of this one almost speaks for itself, doesn’t it? In a go go go day I’m at the soccer fields after Gavin’s game and waiting for Dominic’s last game of refereeing to conclude. Normally I would have brought my headphones and lost myself in music or a good book. Instead I am just standing on the sidelines.

While watching the referee more than the game I kicked my sandals off. The feel of grass underfoot was awesome, one of the first times this spring. The ground is still a little damp which gives it a great bit of sponginess.

Standing here I caught myself soaking in the breeze. Not a stiff wind or anything, but rather a cool and peaceful flow of air. It’s blowing just enough that I can feel it almost constantly moving my hair and drifting across my face.

The sun is shining bright and my skin is loving every moment of it. One side of my face feels a few degrees warmer than the other so every so often I’m changing direction. This might sound weird, but I swear that the sun like this makes it smell like summer and vacation. Strange, I know, but I swear that I can smell when my skin is getting a solid dose of sun.

Put all three of these sensations together and it feels amazing to just stand here and just be. That said, I’m going to wrap this ups so I can savor it for a little while longer. 😁

Thanks!!!

We followed up a great night at the Brewers game with a day at the Milwaukee Zoo.  It is a pretty special place for Nick and I as it is where we used to go pretty much every summer when we stayed with our Aunt Nadia as kids for many years.  Every section of the zoo that wasn’t new brought back many memories that Nick and I shared as we walked with our families.

We talked about how we only went to the reptile house every other year because Aunt Nadia hated snakes.  How cool that she would be willing to go into something she really was not a fan of every other year for Nick and I?

There was a machine that made us immediately smile when we saw it.  As we got closer Lauren asked Nick what the smell was.  Without missing a beat he responded, “it smells like childhood.”  The machine was one of several plastic molding machines that makes a small plastic animal in front of you.  Each year Nick and I would get one or two of those as souvenirs from our trip.

As we walked the zoo it was fun to have so many old memories come up.  In sharing them it seemed that others came up.  Being able to have that time with Nick was priceless.  Having my family present to share in those memories as we make new ones was just awesome.

Some of the new ones that I’ll keep smiling about are Dominic’s jokes to Uncle Nick, Lauren’s response to Jennifer when asked if she wanted to see wild pigs, and a trek halfway across the entire zoo because he wasn’t interested in the chicken tenders that were the only option for food.

It’ll be fun to see if Gavin and Dominic go back with their families when they get older and talk about all of the memories they have and the stories they heard us share.

Thanks!!!

Not much to say about this one! A great time at Miller Park enjoying a few of our favorite things – Brewers, Star Wars, family, and greasy stadium food!

Life is good!

Thanks!!!

Sometimes it’s all about the simple pleasures in life. Today is one of the days that I really appreciated a small thing that will be taken for granted regularly in the upcoming months.

This morning when we went for our run I was wearing only running shorts and a T-shirt, and it was GLORIOUS!!! No jacket, no tights, no long underwear, no stocking cap, no gloves, and no sweatshirt. No heavy winter shoes, just light normal shoes. It was amazingly liberating and I savored every moment of it.

Sure, within a couple of weeks it will be normal again and it will be something I take for granted, but today I’m very grateful to go for a run without layers.

Thanks!!!

I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a lot of disagreement on this one, but I’m thankful for it tonight regardless. 🙂

As a kid I wasn’t a big fan, but now I’m always ecstatic to see this wonderful dish for a meal:

I still remember watching this get made at Grandma Kreiling’s house with the tabletop sausage grinder.  My dad always loved the stuff, but it wasn’t until I was much older that I came to appreciate this delicious meal.  Meat and potatoes in one package?  Yes please!

Tonight’s meal also holds another special place for me.  It was the last potato sausage that Dad had left in the freezer.  I’m eating it with pride, thinking of him, and enjoying every wonderful bite.

Thanks!!!

No need to get into the details today, but let me just say this. I learned a ton from Dominic today on how to forgive correctly, whole heartedly and full of grace. He totally impressed me and was a role model for me today. I will keep his example close to my heart and do my best to be like him in the future.

Bud, you were a bigger man today than you’ll understand for a long time. Thank you for being an example of how to do the right thing. So very proud of you and love you dearly!

Thanks!!!

On our drive up north early this morning I was listening to music while I was behind the wheel. With Becky reviewing an article for work and the boys reading books it was a nice chunk of quiet time. A rarity in recent weeks I savored having the time to be in my own world and lost in thought.

Enjoying the scenery I took in the beauty of the landscape and saw some cool things like a puffed up turkey strutting his stuff, a couple of sand hill cranes, and many other birds and small wildlife. While those things were stimulating my sense of sight I had some great music taking care of my ears, soothing my soul, and guiding my thoughts.

At one point the song “You’ve Got the Love” by Florence and the Machine came up and I was smiling from ear to ear. I couldn’t help but think of how it relates to how Becky helps keep me going through times like this when life is crazy busy and a bit on the stressful side. She has a way of reminding me to breathe while also reminding me of our long term goals and dreams. That really helps me to take a deep breath and then grit it out. With her help I know that I will be successful. Yes, I’m sure i would be on my own, but it’s way easier with two of us together.

Without quite realizing why at the moment I fired up “Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay. Listening to the lyrics I couldn’t help but smile. Sometimes I try too hard to accomplish everything, to get more done than I probably should. I try to be a superhero instead of being the normal dude that I am. I can get so focused on the goal that lose sight of everything except the the long list of tasks in front of me. Becky does a great job of helping me slow down to enjoy the ride. She reminds me to pause and enjoy the journey seemingly at just the right time instead of running head first into a buzzsaw of my own making. Being together with her reminds me to be me, to be present, and to enjoy the journey.

But she said, where’d you wanna go?

How much you wanna risk?

I’m not looking for somebody

With some superhuman gifts

Some superhero

Some fairytale bliss

Just something I can turn to

Somebody I can kiss

Once again without good reason or logic I switched to some Springsteen and ended up on “Working On a Dream.” It didn’t take me very long to figure this one out. The reason I’m willing to push as hard as I am is that we have some pretty awesome dreams to accomplish. I’ve got mine, Becky’s got hers, and we’ve got ours. The awesome thing is that they all line up pretty damn well. When I get frustrated and want to quit or half ass it she reminds me of those dreams – mine, hers, & ours. That remembered perspective helps me get into the right mood and reenergizes me to bust my butt working towards those dreams. Again, I’m sure I’d probably remember them if I were flying solo, but it’s so much better to have her here to remind me much more quickly and with a lot less pain and agony.

And in those songs was where today’s blog was spawned… life is just better with the two of us together. Being with her I’m more likely to be the best version of me that I can be. She helps me navigate the minefield of my mental and emotional roadblocks to let me focus on being more joyful. Becky helps as my coach, friend, drill sergeant, therapist, and cheerleader almost always exactly when I need help from one of those roles. She’s my personal superhero with a utility belt filled with everything I need to live a happier life.

With us together we lift each other up, push and challenge each other, heal each other, love each other, and be better than we would be apart. What an incredible gift! I’m so thankful that gift.

Thanks!!!

Today there was no snow, no rain, and no flooded fields so we had SOCCER!!!  Gavin had the first couple of games he was able to play in this season and Dominic had a full day of refereeing that included five games.  It felt awesome to be back watching them play and ref while enjoying fresh air and sun.

At church tonight we found out that we are yet again having our priests re-assigned, we’re getting a temporary priest, and then eventually getting another priest.  When Dominic and I were driving home (Becky and Gavin drove separate due to soccer schedules and church commitments) he shared how frustrated he was with losing our priest yet again.  While I totally understand I figured this was a great time to help him understand a little bit about stoicism, letting go because we don’t know The Big Guy’s plan, and gratitude.

After he had a chance to express his frustration I shared that there is nothing we can do to impact this so we must accept it.  We then talked about how we don’t know God’s plan in its entirety and for all we know someone or several people need someone like Father Matt more than us at this moment and maybe we’ll have an even better one next time.  I then reminded him to be thankful for having had the opportunity to get to know Father Matt and Father Raj, they were both awesome and brought joy to our lives while they were with us.  We need to remember that and be thankful for that time and impact.  Once we’d covered all that he was feeling a lot better about it.  Hopefully bits of that conversation stick with him in life.

With a belly full of tacos I headed out to work on wiring the boat trailer.  While I focused on that and got more and more frustrated the boys were playing baseball in the park.  It took me a little bit, but I realized the right thing to do.  I said screw it to the trailer and was then off playing some ball with the boys.  That was probably where I should’ve been the whole time, but I was glad that I ended up there at least.  We had a great time, played until it was almost too dark to see the ball and then headed in.  It felt wonderful!

Rush, rush, rush today, but I’m thankful for the moments that brought me much joy today.  I’m exhausted but with happy memories in my head and heart.

Thanks!!!