Im the Luckiest man EVER!!!!!!!

Aside from my wedding, the birth of my children and the day I joined/separated from the military, there aren’t many memories in my life that stand out vividly, as the ones that were made last weekend. I have truly been blessed beyond my wildest dreams and I owe it all to my precious wife and her dedication to our family’s happiness. With that, I will go ahead and jump right into it:
For our 10th wedding anniversary, April and I decided to get a babysitter and head to a local restaurant that was said to be one of the best in northern Colorado (Texas-de-Brazil). We’d decided we were to get dressed up fancy to make it seem more official. The entire day was filled with anticipation for both of us. Aside from the disbelief that ten years had come and gone, we were just excited about spending time together, alone. The time had come. The babysitter arrived. I grabbed my keys and was heading for the door to start the car. I wanted it to be nice and warm for my precious bride. As I reached fro the door, April shouted from the second floor, “Don’t go Out There!” Immediately, I knew something was up but was unsure what it was exactly. So, I stayed inside and waited patiently for my date to come downstairs. There was very little difference in my anticipation and that of a teenager awaiting his prom date at the bottom of the stairs. Finally, she came down and boy-oh-boy was it worth the wait.
We hugged and kissed the kids and left our final instructions with the sitter, and proceeded outside. To my surprise, a black, shiny, stretch limo was parked in front of our home with a sign on taped to the back that read, ”Just Married (10 yrs ago)” . I had no idea that this was coming and couldn’t believe she slipped it past me. What a wonderful surprise. After some fun pictures, we jumped in the limo and headed to the restaurant.
The food at this place was fantastic. Truly, I think it was some of the best I have ever had. We enjoyed wonderful flowing conversation and food. I don’t think I can remember a date in my life going better than this night. Let me tell ya, I had no idea what was in store for me. I asked for the check and as it arrived, the waiter handed us am envelope. Now, for those of you who love reality television, you probably know what the bachelor is. In it, towards the end of a season, as the contestant reaches the final two women, at a dinner for two, a card is read that reads, “Should the two of you choose to forego your individual rooms, please take this key and stay in our fantasy sweet for the night.” Just before opening the card given me by the waiter, I recited that line as a joke, and April cracked up laughing. You guessed it. That’s exactly what the card read. I joined April’s laughter momentarily and, thinking that the “fantasy sweet” was our bedroom back home, I said, “I will take it!!!!!!!”
We jumped in the limo and as we were driving home, April and I talked about all the good times we’ve enjoyed over the past 10 yrs. I really enjoyed her company and loved watching her expressions as she recounted her fond memories. The limo stopped and the door opened. We stepped out to thank the driver and, preoccupied with figuring out how much to tip him, Id neglected to recognize that he had brought us to a local 5 star hotel. My jaw absolutely hit the floor. She’d done it again.
As we walked into the spacious lobby of the hotel, we were greeted by a man, calling us by name and informing us that the water in the rooms was at a comfortable 130 degrees and, should we need assistance, not to hesitate to ring them. I was soo surprised and excited to see what the room looked like. We headed to the top floor of the hotel and walked down the long dimly lit hallway. I opened the door, to reveal rose pedals scattered across the room in a delicate path, begging to be followed. They led us to the bedroom where the word “SHMILY” (See How Much I Love You?!) was formed on the bed with even more rose pedals. Well…we enjoyed a wonderfully romantic evening and slept in that next day. That morning, April and I enjoyed a romantic breakfast by a roaring fireplace as the snow fell in huge flakes just outside our window.
While we were eating, my lovely wife handed me two cards that were labeled ’50 minute couple massage”! Are you kidding me?! When will the heaven end?! I suggest that it will not. WE enjoyed that massage together and were preparing to head to Colorado Springs to pick up our kids that my family so lovingly agreed to watch while April surprised me repeatedly for an entire weekend. As we started for the door, a card was slipped under the door. Gimme a friggin’ BREAK!!!!!!!!!!! Another surprise?! I looked at April who was just tickled with herself at this point and unable to contain her excitement. She told me to open it. I did and was soooo blown out of the water by what was in the envelope. It was two tickets to see a famous comedian Brian Regan! At this point, I was so overwhelmed with appreciation for my wife, I couldn’t see straight. We had such a wonderful time there and throughout the night.
At this point, I’d like to address the obvious here. I am a truly blessed man who, at times, doesn’t feel too deserving. April has been such a blessing in my life. Someone who has lifted me past what I could’ve ever imagined achieving in work, in family and beyond. For that I am grateful and hope to surpass her expectations throughout our lives as she did this last weekend. We shall hafta see what happens. Stay tuned….SHMILY?!

Joe

How Blessed Are You?!

I have had the opportunity to support the Haiti relief efforts by providing satellite imagery analysis packages, which illustrate the extent of the devastation and identify the hospitals and safe landing zones to be used by those in such terrible distress. During this short period of time, which seems to have dragged on for an eternity, I have gained an acute appreciation for the blessings in my life. Aside from faithfully relying upon God for direction and recognizing his hand in my life and our country, I am eternally grateful for my loving wife and three children.
In the past, my wife and I have had conversations about how our home seems to be shrinking as our children are growing. There are times when it seems like we are right on top of each other. That being said, it’s amazing how a catastrophic event such as the Haiti earthquake can fundamentally change your perspective on even the little things. Since then, I have realized that I am blessed to even have a home and one that is structurally sound, warm and dry. A house that once seemed to small and the cause of short tempered arguments has become a place of peace and refuge from the world. Our children haven’t been arguing as much lately. Granted, there is still one or two instances where one of them pulls the other one’s arm off and beats them with it, but all in all, things are far greater.
Along with my contribution to the relief comes long hours at work and lunches (and often times dinners) at my desk. Interestingly enough, I leave work so much more fulfilled, with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and empathy for anyone who experiences such devastation disasters such as this.
In closing, take time to focus on the things in your life that regularly go unrecognized as the blessing they truly are. They are the small things that we take for granted that so many outside this wonderful country don’t have. Know that you are blessed beyond the possibility of complete recognition. ….That doesn’t mean you cant try.

Joe

Yesterday was a hard one for the kids. Unfortunately, it was a bit of my fault… I love my little ones with all my heart and enjoy seeing them happy and full of life. For some reason yesterday, I was in a foul mood (according to my lovely wife) and kept biting their heads off at every turn. I don’t know if it was because I was tired or what. Regardless, I am feeling quite convicted this morning because of it. Now here I sit at work, trying to concentrate and cant seem to do so…hmm, wonder why. And to top it all off, little Emma woke up in the middle of the night and wrote me a note that said, “I love you dad even when you get mad”. That just sealed the deal for me. Needless to say, I will be going home and apologizing to my kids tonight.
Be patient with the ones you love. They want nothing more than to make us happy. Let them…

Blessing Abound

I had surgery yesterday on my gums in an effort to revise my gum line. According to my internal dialogue, I had quite the “gummy smile”. For quite some time now, it has been affecting my confidence at work and everywhere else in my life for that matter. That being said, I decided to treat myself to a new smile. This was the first step. It was a very surreal experience. I went in earlier that morning for a consultation. I was interested in what the gum specialist was capable of achieving and wanted to know how much it would cost me. As he described the procedure and outcome, I was quite interested in proceeding.
Unfortunately, the cost was set at $1000 which, for me, was just too much money during this time of year. I couldn’t justify spending that much money on myself when there are things my family could use that were far more important to me. Just as I had all but given up the dream for the time being, the good doctor continued by saying, “but, in the spirit of Christmas and considering the fact that I had a huge cancelation this morning that I would otherwise have to eat, I would be willing to do the job for you for $100.” I was instantly overcome with emotion and unable to speak for a moment. After composing myself, I relayed my appreciation and the fact that I considered this a true blessing from God. So, we booked an appointment for the same day and proceeded accordingly.
There is a reason I chose this experience as the topic of my entry today. I am a true believer in the concept of being blessed for doing the Lord’s work. The day before, my family and I committed ourselves to the service of our fellow man in a capacity to sacred for me to elaborate on in this setting. Nevertheless, we donated our time to the service of others with no expectations for reciprocation. In this day in age, we (society as a whole) are so overwhelmed with our own personal responsibilities and “burdens”, we very rarely find time to serve each other. This is an extremely unfortunate truth that few of us are exempt from. Whether work, finances or marital issues, we seem to focus on them and allow them to occupy our every thought. Well, as we continue through the holiday season, our thought should be focused on serving each other.
Serving others is a very interesting thing to me. I have found, as I strive to be of service to my family, friends, co-workers and neighbors, and to free them of their concerns and/or burdens, my problems seem to truly melt away. I have a testimony of the strength of service and the affects it has, not only on the recipients, but on us in the process. It’s a great concept that, if accepted and implemented by all, would solve so many problems and simultaneously. If I help you and those around me, and those around me do the same, the odds are that my problems and concerns will be addressed by someone else.
What a concept this is. I could go about my life, addressing my personal issues and minding my own business and most likely, I would be able to solve many of them. The satisfaction derived from solving my own problems is there but it is minimal at best. Conversely, if I focus on helping others, rather than myself, it gives them hope and brings me great satisfaction know that a friend has one less concern.
Charity, the unconditional love of Christ, is boundless. It is a love that is a verb. It’s an action. For those of us who call ourselves Christians, which is a lifestyle, this concept is inseparable. Give of your time. Give of your substance. Don’t just tell your family and friends that you love them, show them. We have the ability to inspire those around us by merely leading by example. It is the most effective way to affect change. In a time when we are so focused on the negative in our lives, let go, look to your neighbor, and give them something to smile about. Allow virtue and love to garnish your every waking thought and the blessing in your lives will grow exponentially.

“If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

Merry Christmas.

Giving Thanks

I took last week off of work for the Thanksgiving holiday, to prepare the house our guests (family) and spend time with my wife and kids. It turned out to be a great week. April made a huge Thanksgiving feast in which she cooked a 24lb turkey and all the trimmings. We had 14 people in our house for the occasion and had a blast. One of the things April did was design a game for us in which all the things we were happy for were written on construction paper turkey feathers and taped to a big fat turkey picture on the wall. After we all ate dinner, the children took turns plucking feathers from the turkey and reading someone’s thing that they were grateful for. Then, we all had to guess whose item it was. It was extremely entertaining! It got me thinking about all the things that I was eternally grateful for.
First and foremost, I am grateful for Christ’s unconditional love and atoning sacrifice for me. I know that it is through him and by keeping his commandments that we shall return to live with our Heavenly father some day. I know that, by abiding by the precepts within the gospel, I will stay free from all the things in the world that ensnare the hearts of men and keep them from true happiness.
Second only to the Lord, is my appreciation for my wife, April. I would not be the man I am today had it not been for her patience and persistence when it came to me. As cliché as it sounds, she is what makes me want to be a better man…..cuz if I don’t, shell make my life hell…ha-ha just kidding. She has helped me understand and realize my potential and has always held me to a higher standard than I was at, at any given time. For that, I am eternally indebted to her. I love her un conditionally.
My children are a huuuuuge source of happiness for me. Although they can be a handful at times, their happiness and successes in life bring me great joy.
I love the friends that I’ve made throughout my life, which I am still in contact with. The memories that I have of them are cause for laughter and celebration.
I am also grateful for a steady job and a warm home to reside in. The two are very important to my family’s survival. The quality of which, is very important to my happiness.
Lastly, I am grateful for music and the inspiration I draw from the lyrics and harmonies within.
These are the things I am grateful for in my life at the young age of 32. I wonder how much they will change throughout the next year. We shall see.

Long Time, No Type

I know it’s been a while since my last entry but, for some reason, this has become less of a priority. So, that being said, I am going to try harder to write more frequently.

We have been here in Colorado now for a little over a year and still love it! I have been working for a commercial satellite corporation called DigitalGlobe as an imagery analyst and graphic designer. It truly has been the dream job. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to San Diego California and Colorado Springs for trade shows, where I learned even more about satellite imagery innovation. Anyways, I hope I can stay here at DG for a long time to come.
Family life here in Northern Colorado has been nothing but a dream. The people here are soooo family oriented and make plans with children in mind. April and take the kids swimming at our gym’s pool on the weekends. They spend the entire time we are there jumping on my back, trying to drag me to the bottom of the pool. They have a blast and I get a great neck workout. We had a great harvest corn festival here in Erie and spend loads of time at my brother’s property in the mountains, camping and catching up on lost time.


Joe Joe is going to be 9 yrs old in February and is truly one of my best buds. He has participated in everything from karate and scouts to basketball and coach pitch baseball. He is coming into his own these days. He is starting to find his own style and has a little swagger to his step. I have to admit though; the two of us butt heads quite a bit. I think it’s because we are so much alike. I love him dearly and want him to be happy. At the same time, I am trying to instill a sense of obligation and work ethic in him. Man-oh-man is that a hard act to balance! I think I could calm down a bit and be more patient with him. I guess I’m just so excited about watching him grow that I forget he is “only” 8 yrs old. He has the personality of an older child and so that’s how I treat him. Something for me to work on I suppose.


Little Emma…..She is truly my princess and is growing up way too fast. I can’t believe she is going to 7 yrs old in February. She is becoming such a beautiful girl and embracing the girly girl within. She loves going to her dance classes and putting on mama’s make-up. She spends quite a bit of time playing dress-up with her girlfriends when they come over for play dates. She is a loving girl who has to have a huge hug and kiss before I go anywhere. I really hope she doesn’t ask me for anything expensive or unattainable cuz…..I don’t know how I’m going to say “no’.





Ryan is our little bruiser. He reminds of my little brother Jared, who is the strong opinionated type, who would give you the shirt of his back if you asked him to. Ry Ry is 3 yrs old and has to be included in everything his older siblings are doing. If they are playing video games, he has to be holding a controller and acting like he is playing right along. He is on the verge of being completely potty trained and talks up a storm. Although, he had an accident the other day in which he proceeded to empty his butt on our carpet. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he then took one of my video game disks and dipped it into the “baby leavings”. After which, he brought the soiled disk into my office and placed it in our brand new computer!!!!!!!! Ya gotta love him and hug him, cuz if ya didn’t, ya might do something more sinister. Ha, just kidding. He is a great child though.

April has made quite a few girlfriends over the past year. She is part of a cooking club that meets about every other week and shares recipes and taste tests each of them. They have about 20 girls that attend regularly. I love it, because I get to test all the new recipes when she cooks them for dinner. She is an extremely hard worker around the house of which, I am eternally grateful. I come home to a clean house and dinner on the table on a regular basis, which I never imagined would be my reality. She has truly become a dream wife and consistently held me to a higher standard that I am at at any given moment. She is sincerely the reason I have been successful in my life and for that, I owe her dearly.
So that’s what we are up to these days. Life is great. We are filled with happiness and gratitude for all the friends and family that we have. It is nice to finally live near family and get to spend time with them on a regular basis. The kids love there cousins and get along with them so well. They look forward to the weekends when they can hang out with them. Its been fun catching up with my brothers and parents and getting to know my sisters-in-law. I truly feel like this is where we are meant to be. It is truly a wonderful community and will bring us happiness for years to come. Til next time.

Joe

Hell must look like a one room hotel!

As much as I love my little rugrats, and as patient as I try to be, it is very hard to maintain sanity when there are five people in a 20 x 20 foot room. Anyways, enough about the negativity.

We finally got word that we will be getting the keys to OUR house on Friday. Yeah! I will own my first house in less than a week. We have a few things we want to do with it initially but, overall its ready to move into as is. I cant wait to wake up next to my wife and just my wife. I dont know that I remember what that feels like. There are other things that I dont remeber but we wont get into that. April has been quite a trooper lately. She has to drive 100 miles a day bringing the kids to and from school. And on top of that, Joe Joe has Scarlet fever and strep throat. Can you believe it?! Scarlet fever! Anyways, I am truly proud of her and pray that she keeps fighting the good fight.

Friday....new house....here I come.