I’m going to try and start using my website and social media platforms more. I’m getting tired of reading stupid people on facebook and twitter. I’ll write and rant my opinions here and if people choose to come read it they may.
I haven’t really used my youtube channel in many years. I need to upload some videos, I just don’t have any ideas.
Periscope is cool when I use it. Mostly to watch kids soccer games back and forth between my wife and me.
So it’s April 9th. I just finished week 13 of p90x3. This is my blog about all the fun and pain.
I started Dec 28th to get almost a five day head start on the new year resolution. That worked well.
It took me 15 weeks to do the 13 week program. I did week 5 twice due to missing 4 days that week and I did week 9 over due to missing most of that week. Both of those were due to business travel and Army weekends. It just made it logistically too hard to hit all seven days. Overall I am very proud of myself for completing the program. I could have done some parts better, but as they say, “Do your best, and forget the rest.”
I thought I knew what leadership was. I’ve even thought I exhibited it occasionally. I know the definition of it. I’ve seen both great examples of it and poor examples of it during my time in the army.
Tonight I saw the finest example of it in my life. I watched from the back of the funeral home as my friend walked his two children up to the casket to see their mom resting peacefully. He explained that even though she looked like she was only sleeping that she was gone. I watched him do all this and keep his composure. He held it together for his children as I cried from the back of the room wandering if I could ever be that strong for people I love.
It’s January 1st. Time for silly new years resolutions posts. Ha. I’m not gonna do that. But I will talk about a concept I feel I’ve started to understand in 2015.
Intentional living.
I define it as follows: Living life with a purpose and goals. Making things happen in your life, instead of waiting for or reacting to things happening to you.
You can sit back and be reactionary in your life and complain about the circumstances and situations that come your way, or you can work hard, be intentional and do your best to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals. Basically not having a victim or entitlement mentality. Life is hard, the economy sucks, etc. I get it. I really do. But really you only have two choices. Roll over and die (slowly) or take it head on. No one owes you anything. Not the government, not your family, not your job, and not your friends. Anything you get from any of those is just a blessing. You’re not guaranteed anything and you shouldn’t expect anything. Man that sounds depressing right?
So I haven’t updated in a while. Life sometimes has a amazing way of getting busy. Here are some bullet updates. There are too many thoughts and ideas jumbled in my head to get them all out now in paragraph form.
And now for random photos from my phone. Later, Derek
Caroline is one year old today.
This last year has seemed to go by both very quickly and very slowly. After having two toddlers who are now pre-school and elementary aged, I had forgotten what life with a newborn was like. The last year has been a very accurate reminder.
Caroline has a very interesting personality. She is a super happy baby and loves to play with her brother and sister. However, if she’s tired or not getting her way, she will definitely let you know. If I thought my first two kids were strong willed, Caroline has shown me that my definitions were way wrong. She can be very opinionated/stubborn sometimes! She is walking really well these days for just having started about 12 days ago. She loves electronics and wants to be in the same room as other people. She has no fear and will climb up and on anything she can reach. She is alot of fun at this age and I can’t wait to see who she’ll grow into as a kid and later adult.
I think I will start blogging more. I’m thinking of re-doing my site completely and pulling it all into WordPress. It just depends on how much time I want to waste on it. Some parts of my site are way outdated and need to be changed or removed. But I do enjoy tinkering in the html occasionally.
So we’ll see how the redesign goes if at all.
I’m also gonna try to start adding more content. Movie reviews. Tech news. Army stuff. Music. I dunno. Whatever.
For friends i know who are suffering… There are no words Sometimes there are no words when life has planned for so much joy and tragedy strikes to steal it all away the hollow feeling in your soul no amount of tears could fill If only you could hate it all away bargain it all back there’s nothing you wouldn’t give to just have one more day when laughter and smiles no longer have meaning time stands still and these open wounds last forever There are no words….. grey and butty the days have no meaning where will the strength to go on come from? no rhyme or reason to it all the day to day filtered and muted robotic motions to the world becoming numb as the pain and hurt slowly kill it all from the inside This is the hardest thing I will ever face how do I bury my child? how can I live again? I feel that this could kill me…. There are no words…..
So I’ve had these thoughts in my head for quite a few years and just never took the time to translate them to keyboard or paper. I’ve written a lot of thank you notes and done a lot of thoughtful things for people in my head, but I’ve never been good about follow through. It’s the thought that counts right? Well not today. Today I write.
It’s Father’s Day.
So rather than hear this at a eulogy some day (God forbid), I want everyone to know that my Dad is awesome and here’s why.
Belle is 4 years old now! Life is going by crazy fast.
I remember rushing home over a 4 day weekend from active duty to see Belle right after she was born and then having to go right back out to Georgia. I love watching her grow up. Belle is very opinionated, yet also very caring. She is clumsy and often lives in her own world, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. Her random questions will always surprise you and she is very fun to hang out with one on one. Here are some of my favourite pictures of her.