We’ve had a great day today, loads of fun all around!  With our nephews in town we wanted to make sure they got the full La Crosse experience so we spent time on the river.  The weather cooperated perfectly and we had a hot and sunny summer day on the water.  Lots of jumping in the river, digging, and playing in the sand.  It wrapped up enjoying the fireworks from the bridge over the Mississippi.

Now that everyone else is in bed I’m taking some time to just chill and unwind.  It’s so peaceful to kick back with my feet up, listen to some Strumbellas in the background, and just take time to relax.  No work thoughts, no focus on tomorrow’s task list, no thinking ahead…  just relaxing in the moment and it feels great!

Thanks!!!

When I got home from work this evening there was a little more noise in the house than normal. As I walked in my nephew Nash hollered, “Hey Uncle Mike, do you notice anything different in your house???” I chuckled and asked if he meant him and his brothers and his response was more laughing.

There are currently five boys between the ages 8 and 13 in our house and they’re having a blast. While I type this they’re hanging out down in the basement. Earlier we did some mini golf, played with fire (sparklers), and grabbed some ice cream.

It was on the way home from the last that I couldn’t help but grin as I remembered moments from my childhood when we used to sit in the back of my aunt and uncle’s station wagon (who needed car seats?). I can only imagine how loud it was with all of us cousins talking at the same time as we goofed off in the back seat. At one point on our ride back from ice cream tonight there were exactly five of the seven occupants of the car all talking at once. It was hysterical! For a split second it felt like every nerve of my being was about to pop, but that brief impulse moved right into a full in smile and joy. How awesome to hear them all having that much fun talking with (at) each other?

I still look back fondly on all of those memories with my cousins way back in the day. I’m hoping that some day as they’re hauling their nephews around they hear the talking and laughing for what it is… not noise, but the sound of happiness.

Thanks!!!

Ahh… now it finally really feels like summer! Between busy schedules and uncooperative weather this only the second time we’ve made it out on the water, and the first when it was warm enough to jump in.

The water may be up a little and there’s a lot of boat traffic but we still found a nice little oasis to claim for ourselves. The boys have been swimming like fish, digging in the sand, playing catch, doing cannonballs, and beating up on each other. Becky’s been reading book and relaxing. I’ve been kicking back and enjoying the somewhat quiet around us. We already seen a beaver, a fish jumping 2+’ out of the water, and the boys have helped relocate some turtle eggs that were about to wash into the river.

It’s so peaceful s relaxing to be out on the water like this. Our house may only be four miles away, but it feels like we’ve escaped on a mini vacation and left the real world behind. Ahh…

Thanks!!!

At yoga tonight I lined up next to Becky, but as luck would have it our instructor suggested spreading out a little so I slid over a spot.  In the yoga space there are stickers on the ground to help us all line up and stay spaced out.  They all have little sayings that are yoga focused and I’m usually in one of the same three or four spots each time.  It wasn’t until a few minutes into yoga that I noticed what the one in front of my face said…  “Start Here”

That sure hit home today for a few different reasons.  As I let the meaning of it sink I almost chuckled out loud as it was pretty much the answer to everything that’s been in my head and stressing me out recently.

First off, it was only two months ago that I ran the half marathon, but I’ve since added about 10 pounds, lost a ton of fitness, and haven’t done a great job taking care of myself physically.  Over the past couple of days I’ve been refocusing and have been pushing myself to just start.  Start by counting my calories again.  Start by going for runs again in the morning.  Start by getting little workouts in when I can.  Start by getting great nights of sleep.  The past couple of days have felt great and I’ve got plans for the next couple as well.  It always feels like starting is the tough part as it requires my commitment to a goal.  “Start Here” was a beautiful reminder from the universe that I’m heading in the right direction.

I’m a terrible fisherman the one or two times a year I go.  Quite often I end up with a tangled mess of line.  If you’ve ever seen a rat’s nest of line it is quite the disaster.  Trying to untangle it appears to be an insanely daunting task.  When facing one I often just stare at it and consider just cutting the line.

I’ve got a situation like that in my life that I’m trying to work out.  If I look at it as a whole I struggle to not get frustrated.  Fixing the situation seems like brutal task to take on.  There are moments in which I’ve even considered how to just cut the line and move on, but I know that is definitely not the right solution.  I sit back and view the mess and just get frustrated.

If I pause and use that one little phrase, “Start Here” I can quiet my mind and go to work untangling.  That’s really the whole secret, isn’t it?  Find a place to start and get moving.  Even if it’s not quite the right place I just need to start.  Take my time, work it through, and start here.

When I saw the sticker today I just smiled and it helped me start to put together my strategy.  I smiled at how I’ve recently been using the same thought process for one portion of life, how simple to shift it to another segment of life as well?  Funny how two little words can help put difficult challenges into focus.

Thanks!!!

My Facebook feed today reminded me of an awesome memory from a year ago.  My friend Sammi went out of her way to help me out of a “sour” mood by buying me a box of Lemonheads.  How cool is it that she recognized my attitude and went out of her way to do something to help me out of it?  Here we are a year later and I totally chuckled to myself when that memory popped back into my brain.  In shooting her a quick thank you text this evening she asked what I was frustrated about that day.  For the life of me I can’t remember, but I totally remember how great it felt when she went out of her way to cheer me up.  Thank you Sammi for making me smile and reminding me of how important and impactful random acts of kindness can be.  Thanks dude!!!

Throughout the past couple of days I’ve had several memories of past wildlife experiences that have filled my life with joy.  Last Friday it was the memory of Scout camp.  On our drive to camping with the family we spent time planning a future Scouting trip to Isle Royale and had so many wonderful memories of the hikes playing in my head.  Saturday also included conversations about a nephew’s recent trip to the Boundary Waters that reminded me of my trip when I was a kid.  Also on Saturday I had my time just relaxing in the hammock and thought back to times in Belize with Becky and laying on my back and watching the stars with my mom.  Later that evening I had flashbacks to camping with the boys and my brother last summer as we loaded into our tent for the night.  Sunday and Monday were wonderful reminders of our trip to Olympic and Rainier National Parks as I read my blog posts from a couple of years ago.  One of those days, though I can’t remember which, included much time thinking about the nurse logs that I blogged about and that made me thing of my dad.  Today was a conversation with a teammate that covered The Boundary Waters, Voyageurs, Isle Royale, Glacier, Banff, Yoho, and Alaska.  So many wonderful memories of times escaping into the outdoors to experience nature.

While thinking back to those experiences I am so thankful for them for so many reasons. There’s a sense of being in touch with the universe, a sense perspective, a feeling of complete serenity.  It is in those moments when my heart feels most full and at peace.  What adds to each of those moments is the sharing of them with loved ones and family, especially Becky and the boys.  I’m so thankful for how Becky values and appreciates those outdoors experiences.  Experiences in nature and the outdoors are so much more joyful when they are shared with others.

Ahh…  the outdoors…  Proof there is a God and that The Big Dude Upstairs loves us and wants our hearts to be full of joy.

Thanks!!!

I love texting, emailing and messaging.  They’re so easy, simple and convenient.  The typing is done on my schedule as opposed to someone else’s.  Responses are so quick and simple.  A handful of quick key strokes and the message is sent forth.  So simple and efficient!

Calling or meeting in person isn’t nearly as expedient.  You start off with pleasantries.  Typically the conversations go longer and sometimes go in unexpected directions.  They take so much more time than a simple message or text.  When you close the conversation there are more pleasantries exchanged.  So much more time is taken up than in a short text.

All that said and out of the way, today I’ve had several reminders on why actual conversation is so much better than its electronic equivalent.  In an effort to speed things up and get more done I’ve caught myself relying on less personal forms of communication to get things done.  When I stop and think about itI’m floored by how much longer some things have actually taken and how often there is a lack of action after the communication.

Over the past week I’ve taken time to look at some very interesting data from some of my various teams.  In analyzing their phone call activity I’ve been able to clearly see that levels of success are almost directly in alignment with the number of phone calls they make.  To be clear, as I hear Becky’s voice in my head, correlation does not mean causation.  With that in mind I can’t say they are more successful because of the number of calls they make, but there is more than a fleeting correlation of high call numbers to success in their roles.

Personally, I had an excellent reminder of that while talking with my mentor this morning in our weekly call.  As I explained a particular challenge he helped me peel the layers back and we quickly determined that the solution required more personal communication.  At the root was a reliance on formats of written communication that hit everyone at once and were not personalized.  Moving forward I will not make that mistake again.

Put all of these pieces together and I’m reminded of just how powerful actually conversation can be.  Electronic communication has its place, but it should be the exception more than the rule.  Today will stick with me for quite some time.

Thanks!!!

Yup, I’m thankful for a lot today. Sometimes I can find a theme to weave all the pieces together, but tonight’s not one of those times. Each was very cool in its own way and I wanted to pause to reflect on each.

This weekend was camping with all of Becky’s family, last weekend was hanging out with my family. In just over a week I was so fortunate to have spent time with my mom and StepBrad, my brother and Jennifer, all of my in laws, all four nieces and all seven of my nephews.with as busy as schedules can be at times my mind is blown to realize I was able to spend time with all twenty six of them in such a short periods of time! My heart is full of joy from all that time fighter with them recently.

On our way home from camping we packed up early to head out before a huge storm rolled in. As luck would have it the boys and I were able to watch the front go right over us, we then drove back through and ahead of hit, and then ran into it again. Dominic and I were in awes of the power and force of nature that was on display. Seeing that clear line between calm and storm and feeling the electricity of that tension is one of my favorite feelings in the natural world. I swear I could just feel the pressure building and then pop. So awesome!

After all that time with family coming out off the heals of Becky being out of town for a couple of weeks and it became very clear to me that I needed some chill time. Tonight I listened to that little voice in my head and at one point snuck into our bedroom, laid on top my bed, and started reading. Having a small dose of chill time was exactly what the doctor ordered to help me sleep and then be ready to jump back into a busy work week.

Ahh… and off to count some sheep 😴

Thanks!!!

With a lot of life going on this week I feel like I’ve been on a hyper speed treadmill. From one thing to the next with only brief pauses in between.

While camping tonight I found an unexpected moment of solace… chillin’ in a hammock. For reals, taking a little time to just chill and relax while looking straight up at the sky while rocking back and forth feels exquisite. The boys are swimming with their cousins, there are a few family members near the campfire, and I’m just relaxing for a little bit. Ahh…

Life just seems more simple in a moment like this. Kind of funny, but one of my mentors has been telling me for weeks I should take some time to quiet my mind and think… this might just be the spot to do that, or at least the motivation to follow through on that advice in the near future.

Time to go back to looking up at the sky and listening to nature.

Thanks!!!

Tonight we went to Camp Decorah to pick the boys up from their week of scouting adventures. I’m so thankful that I went along with. For a while I contemplated staying home to chill and take some time to myself. Little did I know that’s exactly what I was about to get at camp!

There’s a magic to going back to Scout camp that brings back so many awesome memories. Hearing stories of Dominic’s SPL leadership experiences filled me with pride, made me smile, and brought back memories of leading in that role. Watching the boys assemble for the lowering of the flags reminded me of so many nights at Camp Tesomas. The fire bowl made me think back to several specific moments still burned into my brain from camps – especially my first campfire. Funny how even over 30 years ago I remember the camp director talking about watching the sparks from the fire ride into the sky and comparing them to our scouting careers and lives.

As I blog we’re waiting in line at Dairy Queen and I’m still bombarded with old memories of scouting… for one reason or another o had to leave camp a little early one year and my dad came to pick me up. We drove home and I still remember talking excitedly about all of my camp experiences most of the way home while he smiled. Tonight I’m doing the same from the other vantage point and I’m wearing a smile.

Thanks!!!

Between work and life this has been a crazy busy week… which is actually kind of wild as the boys have been gone all week! I can only imagine the chaos had they been home this whole time 😁

When I got home from work I was feeling pretty tired and just wanted to relax. Thanks to Becky’s coworker and friend, Lynn Bartsch, we were able to do just that. Instead of either of us having to cook dinner we ate an awesome dish of paella home cooked by Lynn. OMG, it was so tasty and totally hit the spot after a long day..

How cool is it that he took so much time prepping a meal for Becky and I? My mind is still blown by his action, the focus he put into its appearance, and just how tasty it was. As I type this I’m smiling as I’m completely full and going into a full on food coma…

Lynn, thank you so much for the extraordinary meal, it was greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks!!!