The skies were perfectly clear this morning while we were on our run and the stars were out. Becky quickly pointed out the constellation Cancer. At one point while we were running a satellite slowly made its way across the sky. Later I noticed a very bright star so I pulled out my StarWalk iPhone app and discovered it was Jupiter. It was awesome to spend time looking up in awe at the wonder of space.

While looking up I was reminded of great times in Scouts when we would just lay on our backs and look up at the stars. We’d take turns pointing out satellites and drawing constellations. Even after all these years I am still struck by that same sense of wonder when looking skyward, and that’s something that I’m very grateful for. My hope is that my boys feel the same way and they continue to pass that on for generations.

Today I did my blog a little different. As I was running this morning I already had part of it semi-written In my head, and as I left the house something else struck me. What caught my attention was a gift I received about nine months ago. I smiled as I saw it, thought of all the ways it’s stuck with me, and started to mentally write this blog about it.

Little did I know that later in the day as I was stuck and trying to think a way out of a difficult spot I thought back to this and smiled… and it brought me strength and support. As I look back now I’m even more thankful for happening to notice that gift out of the corner of my eye this morning.

The funny thing is that this gift is right in our kitchen, right where I put my keys every single day. I can’t help but see it daily and when I notice it I smile. When this gift is in my mind I know that I’ll be okay through any situation. Any challenge in my life I know that I’ll make it through and be stronger because of it.

It was the gift I got from my neighbor Elaine the morning we found out that Dad wasn’t going to make it. She had put this in our door along with an envelope labeled “Donut Money.” That act of kindness brought tears of happiness, memories of love and happiness, and also a reminder that no matter what’s up The Big Guy Upstairs is always right there with me.

That gift is this simple and beautiful sign with a simple and powerful message: “but the Lord stood with me and strengthened me.”

Thank you Elaine so much for such an incredible gift! All these months later it still brings me joy and strength regularly. Thank you!!!

Thanks!!!

I always have fun watching Dominic play at his concerts, it’s so cool to watch him perform.  Just like each other time I enjoyed watching hm play his cello, watching the way he works the bow, and seeing his head move along with the music.  It’s clear that he enjoys playing.

Tonight was Dominic’s orchestra concert and it was made all the more awesome by Becky’s mom and dad coming down to watch.  Ken and Mary drove a few hours south, had dinner with us, went to see Dominic’s concert, and are now headed back home.  We had a great time with them, talking about upcoming vacations for them, sharing experiences we’ve had, and just joking around.  I love Ken’s sense of humor, we’re sometimes on the same page so much that it’s scary!

The boys had fun seeing Grandma and Grandpa, Becky enjoyed the time with her parents, and I am always thankful for time with my in-laws.  Tonight I’m so thankful that they made the trip down, we all had a blast and had more fun because they joined us.

Thanks!!!

Today’s isn’t necessarily the most fun thing to be thankful for ever, but I’m very thankful for it regardless.

About a month or so ago when I got on the scale I really didn’t like the number that I saw. When I looked in the mirror I didn’t like the way some of me was looking. Instead of getting angry, disappointed or frustrated I decided to take action and get back on track. I am confident that I will be successful in getting back down to the goal i have set for myself, partially because I have a secret weapon… my food diary.

When I’ve dropped weight in the past it’s one tool more than almost any other that’s kept me on track. If I know I’m writing down EVERYTHING I’m eat during the day I make very different choices than when I’m not tracking it. It helps stop me from overeating and forces me to pay attention to how unhealthy certain foods are. If I’m especially hungry this tool helps me see how much extra exercise I need to earn the snackage I’m in the mood for.

This one little step has already helped me drop a solid number and I’m only two weeks in! How can I not be thankful for this awesome tool?

Thanks!!!

This is the day that the lord has made, so let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Does there really need to be much said beyond that? No, but I will anyways. 😁

Today has been seriously awesome, pretty much all the way through. As I look back on it even the fifteen minutes in which I went to battle with my printer and swore at it several times as it won the first few rounds now are the source of a smile. I got so pissed off for no good reason, and, as luck would have it, The Big Guy Upstairs went out of His way to prove how ridiculous I was acted in those moments.

My day has been spent with much of my Express family and we had a lot of fun together while celebrating each other and our associates. I’ve had some time with Becky and Gavin. Now we’re at Dominic’s play and watching his first ever stage appearance (just a hunch, but I’m guessing you’ll all learn more about that in the next day or two). I’ve had some quiet time to myself. I was on the phone with my mom and got an excellent text from my little brother. It’s been an awesomely full day.

While in church tonight I had time to pause, close my eyes for a moment and just breathe. When I did that I realized how thankful I am for something that is truly at the core of all of the awesomeness today, or better explained, a sensation of that core…

With my eyes closed I drew in a deep breath and appreciated how good it felt in my lungs. Exhale, inhale, exhale… the sensation was amazing! I could feel the warmth emanating from my heart and then pulsing through my body. The sensation of my heart beating sent warm waves through my body that I could feel in my chest, finger tips, toes and lips… and it felt awesome! While just breathing I took time to appreciate the feeling of being alive and I’m so thankful I did.

Do me a favor today if you don’t mind. Stop reading this right now (don’t worry, this blog will still be right here!), close your eyes, focus on your breath and feel the magic of being alive. Focus on your breath, enjoy the feel of the air pulling through your nostrils and expanding in your lungs. Then feel the beating of your heart and the pulsing of blood throughout your body. What a miracle it is to be alive!

As I think about all of the little moments that brought me joy today, from jokes that made me smile to the pride of watching Dominic work backstage to the sensation of eating a dang near perfect potato chip, each of those moments was a little celebration of being alive, a sensation that reminds me I’m alive. Today I’m thankful for all of those sensations of love that cause me to pause and give thanks for the wonderful gift of life I’ve been give.

Thanks!!!!

This morning my good friend Harvey flew in from Oklahoma City to spend some time with my Winona team.  When I went to pick him up from the airport I had an idea.  Once he was in the car I asked him how many bald eagles he typically sees in Oklahoma.  When his answer was “none” I knew I was on the right track.

Instead of jumping on the interstate we went back behind the airport on Fisherman’s Road and we were able to see exactly what I was hoping we would see.  On the ice, in the air, and perched on trees were well over 30 bald eagles migrating through.  To make it even more awesome, a couple of the eagles had caught fish and pulled them up on the ice to eat.  It was perfect!

We tooled around the backroad for a few minutes and then got on our way driving up the Mississippi, making the same drive I was thankful for yesterday.  Along the way I was able to point out a couple of eagle nests and it was fun seeing his reaction to the wonderful scenery.

As I drove home from Rochester tonight I kept thinking about that little bit of time when I was essentially a tour guide today.  It brought me a ton of joy, and, as I thought more about it, it was on a couple of different levels.  There’s the joy of bringing a smile to someone else’s face, there’s the joy of seeing the sights myself, and then there was something else…  when playing the role of occasional tour guide I am looking at this thing I’ve seen so many times before through the eyes of someone else and I’m left awestruck by it.  When I’m showing someone a location, sight, or whatever it reminds me to appreciate it and see it more clearly and with more gratitude, and what an incredible gift that is!  Hmm… being an occasional tour guide…  I may have to add that to my dream book or retirement list. 🙂

Thanks!!!

There may or may not be a similar blog about this, but quite honestly, I really don’t care!  As I was driving home today I was totally awestruck by the incredible beauty of my commute home.

When I drive home from work I travel along Highway 61 in Winona down to I90 and then home.  My entire drive is smack dab in the middle of the Mississippi River valley and all but about 3-5 miles has a spectacular view of the river.

Today’s drive really hit me about 8 miles in.  Listening to a crazy eclectic playlist I caught myself totally immersed in the God created beauty all around me.  I was looking through valleys walled off by bluffs, snow covered trees, and awesome rock croppings hit just right by the slowly setting sun.  In some places the sunlight lit the top of the bluff up like a beacon!

As my eyes drifted back to the river (and yes Mom, I swear I was also watching the road!) it was beautiful in its own magical ways.  The wing dams below the surface caused the ice to melt and there were lines showing the location of the damns.  There were massive sheets of ice with several melted spots.  Along the side of some of those open waters were bald eagles.  The reflection of the light on the water was amazing.

Looking in the air was also pretty sweet.  Migrating birds flew in V’s across the sky.  In other spots the cluster of birds seemed to dance on the wind.  At one point a jet came into view, slowly descending to land.  I was at that almost perfect distance when it seemed to just slowly float to the Earth, not flying fast, but not quite stopped…  just almost hovering as if it were trying to take in the same scenery that I was.  All around me was the almost perfect mix of blue sky and clouds, just enough of both to enjoy and not interfere with the beauty of the other.

Today was an awesome day, there were many positive things, but when I really think about it, that drive was one of those surreal moments in which I was totally present in the moment, soaking up what The Big Guy Upstairs had thrown my way, and I was exactly where I was supposed to be, enjoying what was all around me, and thankful for every precious and beautiful second of it.

My commute may be a little long, but it’s well worth it every single time.  Every season brings new beauty and perspective, and I’m so thankful for it.

Thanks!!!

At one point I’d get a workout in first thing in the morning and then get a second one in over lunch.  It felt so great to get an exercise in to start the day and then another one in to keep the day running smooth. That was a long time ago but I still remember how great it felt.

Seeing as the snow continued to fall last night after shoveling I decided to get a different type of exercise in first thing in the morning. As soon as I got up I dressed warm and headed outside to shovel. The wet and heavy snow deposited at the end of the driveway by the plow provided some nice strength work while enjoying fresh air first thing in the morning. There’s something about being outside before the sun comes up that just pumps me up for the day.

After a meeting today I headed to the gym to get a short elliptical workout in before tackling more work in the afternoon. While it wasn’t quite the same as being outside it still felt wonderful to get my heart rate up. It was also pretty sweet to burn more calories so I can eat more tonight!

Today was a pretty solid day all around and I had a great energy level throughout (though now I’m feeling a little tired!). I’m thankful for the activities that helped me feel this way today!

Thanks!!!

So much for one thing today, I’m breaking my own rule and going for the daily double!

After a peaceful family dinner Becky had to run to work for a little bit. Because of the crazy amount of snow we got she asked if I’d drive her the half mile to her office. I looked for my boots and then remembered that I’d left them in the trunk of my car. No big deal, I figured I’d just head out and get them quick.

I headed outside in a pair of sneakers, a sweatshirt, gloves and a pair of shorts. When I got in the garage I thought it’d be nice to shovel the steps and a trail from the house to the garage for Becky. After throwing the first few shovel loads I realized that it wasn’t really too cold out and I just kept shoveling. It wasn’t too long before both of my boys came outside to join me (they were bundled up).

Next thing I knew we’d finish shed the entire driveway! It just felt great to get some fresh air and get the heart rate up a little bit. There was something else that made it feel even better… me doing it with shorts on was kind of my way of telling Mother Nature to… Anyways, it felt awesome and I’m grateful for the spontaneous snow shoveling in shorts today!

I’m also thankful for a hysterical email I recently received. For an upcoming team training I ordered books straight from the author. With a deadline to get the books out to my teammates I had asked her to let me know when I could expect them. What follows was her email response letting me know they were sent:

How awesome is that??? My boys were cracking up tonight over the comment about stopping for beers. All day long that line has been jumping into my head and has added many smiles to my day. That email has been an awesome reminder to be playful and have fun. I’m so thankful for this email, it’s one that I’ll save forever!

Thanks!!!