I’ve often talked about how thankful I am for living in The Driftless. This region has so many pockets of natural beauty seemingly around each corner. The bluffs, the valleys, the rivers, the woods, and the rocks – all so stunning!

This morning Becky took us on a hike into a Minnesota State Park we’d never been to – Beaver Creak Valley just outside of Caledonia. This place was truly a gem! The hiking was quiet, peaceful, and full of wonderful vistas. The specific trail we took also brought us to “Hole in the Rock,” the place we took this pic.

Our bonus day of the long weekend began in typical Kreiling fashion. This park is one we’ll certainly be back to several more times as we explore the entire area.

Thanks!!!

When left to my own devices I’m not always as disciplined as I know I should and could be. The idea of going for a run, hopping on my bike, practicing yoga, or hiking are easy for me to come up with. Sometimes there are so many options that I end up wasting my time on deciding which one to do! Regardless, I’ll start off with the best of intentions and then end up either getting myself distracted or coming up with an excuse to not do the action.

Today was a perfect example of what I am thankful for. Last night Becky asked if I’d like to go for a bike ride this morning. It sounded like a perfect idea and I was in. The weather was perfect, we got a nice 20+ mile ride in, and had time for the two of us to talk. It was an awesome combination of exercise and a date! Rather than sitting around and not really doing anything we were up and moving AND having active conversation. What a great way to start the day!

If Becky weren’t physically active like she is the odds are that we wouldn’t be doing things like this together. Not only does it motivate me to stay in better shape so I can keep up, it provides us so many opportunities to spend time together without phones, screens, kids, or anything else getting in the way of our time together. She pushes me to be healthy specifically by her actions. When we go on vacation there are no worries about what we’re going to do, we both enjoy hiking and being active on vacation. It’s pretty awesome!

My morning started out in wonderful fashion thanks to getting some exercise and fresh air in right off the bat. Becky made that all possible and I’m grateful for her all the more today.

Thanks!!!

Tonight held a surprise I was hoping to see at least once, even if it were for the briefest of moments. The funny thing is that I thought the soonest it could possibly happen would be a year from now.

Becky and I were helping with the concession stand during the JV game tonight. Gavin and his buddy didn’t have practice so we brought them both along to the game. They’d both practiced with the high school team over the summer and wanted to watch their older soccer friends and future teammates play a rare Friday night game.

Once we got there the boys asked Coach if they could be ball boys during the games. The entirety of both games was spent with them running incessantly up and down the sidelines retrieving wayward balls while throwing the new one into the game. They put on quite aces miles.

While they had fun Dominic and his teammates played a tough game and did much running as well.

Something I’ve wanted to see ever since I realized it could be a possibility? Both my boys on the field at the same time. Not quite the way I envisioned, but awesome nonetheless and greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!

Over lunch today I did something that was habit for quite some time a couple of years ago. I changed into shorts, put on my headphones, and went for a walk to the Woodlawn Cemetery. The cemetery is almost exactly a mile and a half and I’m able to cruise there with minimal traffic.

Once I’m through the gate there is rarely anyone in earshot, let alone anywhere else in the graveyard. There’s an immediate calm in that place, a silence that shrouds it from “real life.” My senses become so much more aware and my mind is very much present and focused on only what I see and deep thoughts about mortality.

As I’ve mentioned before, it is far from a cry for help, rather it is in this sacred space in which I feel most alive. I’m surrounded by reminders of the ephemeral nature of life and how important it is for me to live fully while I’m still upright and taking in nourishment. This time reminds me not to squander the brief span of time my life fills, to focus on living into my best self.

In short, my time in the cemetery reminds me to appreciate life itself and to act accordingly. What a beautiful way to start the afternoon!

Today was also interesting as I went through a stretch of tombstones I hadn’t really spent time focusing on in the past. One in particular caught my attention and got my creative juices flowing…

In my head the backbone of a fiction started to form. Who is John C Volta? How is he presently 173 years old? If he’s passed (most likely he has) – why was the date never added to his tombstone? Interesting indeed! It’s apparent that I’ve been reading too much Stephen King lately 😉 Getting into the start of this fiction had me smiling as I walked back to the office.

The perfect was to split up a busy day in the office!

Thanks!!!

Another whirlwind day is wrapping up as I sit in the soccer field parking lot waiting for practice to wrap up for Gavin. The day has been jammed – almost all great stuff – but jammed nonetheless. The normal rhythm has started to kick back in, tomorrow will be almost 100% on track, and by Wednesday it’ll be totally back to usual. Funny how excited I am to get back to normal!

Today is Becky’s birthday! For a few years we’d established a a sweet routine of taking her birthday off to travel or at least go hiking. With having just traveled it was almost as if we just celebrated her birthday a little early with Bruce last week. Hmm… I wonder where we’ll go for her birthday next year. We’re sure to be doing something fun for it and I’ve already marked myself out for the day next year.

I’m grateful for birthdays as they remind us to pause and appreciate the person who’s birthday it is. Over the past few years I’ve really started to notice how here may be the best of intentions to blog about someone outside of their birthday, but it doesn’t always end up being what I write about. For some reason I get too nervous and am self conscious of not writing well enough to do the person the justice they deserve. I know, it’s foolish to think that way, but the ego can be a ripe bastard sometimes. 😉

Today I’ve been thinking about how much I appreciate Becky often. With it being a day all about her my thoughts seemed to drift off to her on a regular basis. I was thankful for her smile, her laugh, her smarts, her jokes, her texts, her hugs, love, her support of my dreams, her passion of the outdoors and nature, her discipline, her focus and attention to detail, her mothering skills, her beauty (physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual), her love of travel, her ability to see the best in me when I don’t, her willingness to kick my ass when I need it, and just about every single thing about her. She brings the color to my life, helps me attempt to live into my best self, and is the best life partner I could ever dream for. I think these things often, but I especially took note of all of them today.

Thanks!!!

There’s been a metric ton of life packed into the last ten days. The past 240 hours have been about as loaded and crammed with life as ever. I’m grateful for each crazy moment of it.

Tonight the chaos reached a crescendo and a return to routine begins tomorrow. I’m thankful for the regular and ordinary I’m about to get back into.

That said, you know what I’m even more thankful for? This view right here:

Thanks!!!

This morning started off with a bit of a surprise. Our flight out of La Crosse had been delayed due to mechanical issues. Because of this delay we would now arrive in Wichita well after 11pm rather than just after noon. Quite the difference for a short trip like this!

What I’m thankful for today is the bevy of options we had to choose from. Driving, different flights, different airports and so on – we had options aplenty. If the situation was different we wouldn’t necessarily have any options, let alone this many. I am grateful for so many potential solutions!

My brother in law Tyler is incredible with his smoker. To him cooking meat on the smoker is akin to a sublime balance of art and science. Dinner tonight was ribs…. ahh…. And they were quite possibly the best ribs I’ve ever had in my life. By the time the meat coma had set in I had nothing but a plate full of bones. So delicious!!!

Thanks!!!

Way back in the day one of my favorite parts of a video we’re the mini games. While on a quest for something I’d occasionally end up at a mini game, a crazy and short little side step from the full adventure. They were a pleasant break in the real game and offered up some different types of challenges to spice up the overall game. Once completed I would jump right back into the bigger adventure.

This week has felt like a week full of mini games. Start one quest, skip to a game, go back to the quest, and then off on another mini game. They’ve been seemingly never ending over the past handful of days. The difference is that the time in the real game has only been fleeting minutes before blasting into the next mini game.

Case in point? Tonight. Get home from work, play the mini game “pack your bags.” Go back to real life and have dinner and do the dishes. Up next, is the mini game “I misunderstood the volunteer instructions I signed up for but didn’t realize until the time it needed to be done so it’s time to run to Menards to pick up snacks before the time runs out.” Not gonna lie, it was actually an awesomely fun game in a twisted kind of way. And now back to real life and blogging on the couch before bed.

Why am I thankful for a week of mini games? They’ve been a wonderful distraction and change of pace while simultaneously reminding me to find joy in the common and mundane. Appreciate the times of calm, make the most of the times of chaos. Nice little duality there.

Thanks!!!