My first post of 2025 and I find myself looking at my life through a new lens, maybe because of the new calendar year, or maybe because I’m just at that stage in life. If my life were a game of chess, I’d be deep in my mid game, trading pieces preparing my final positioning …

My last post for 2024. I’ve sat back and reflected on how it went for me and my family. I’ve had the last week off to think about it and I’ve come to a few conclusions that I want to lay out below because it really was my focus for the last week. Not As …

We had a whirlwind of a weekend trip to kick off my week of Christmas vacation. We left Friday night, but not until an emergency room visit. We literally had our bags packed when my oldest son accidentally cut himself and needed stitches. This pushed us back roughly 2.5 hours from our initial departure time. …

Christmas Parties We spent the last week attending several Christmas parties. First off was a get together with my siblings. We spent most of a Saturday together talking and letting the kids play together. These events are different now that my mom passed away and I find myself thinking about her a lot during this …

Basketball Season Underway Ben is back playing basketball for his second season and it’s obvious that he’s improved. He’s always been a great passer and defender but his dribbling and shooting is getting better. I feel bad because we don’t have a basketball goal for him at home to practice on. Our driveway is too …

Thanksgivings We finished our two Thanksgiving dinners this year and they were excellent. The food at my wife’s family’s house was very good. The food we made at our house for my side was tremendous! I smoked a turkey, two pork tenderloins, and a bunch of sausages. The meat temped perfectly which is the absolute …

Violin Recital Ted is playing the violin and I think he’s going to continue doing it. He got up in front of everybody and played with great confidence. He is learning about effort and how practice can build confidence. Leading up to the event he was doubtful and nervous, but sometimes a little too confident …

Cincinnati Museum Center and Holiday Trains We made it here to see the Holiday Christmas trains and exhibit. First off I noticed the toys in the museum changed. Many of these are from when I was a child. I saw a Playstation (important to note we did not call it Platystation One then), and of …

Cub Scout Halloween Party This is one of our best parties of the year and it went off terrifically. Everyone had fun. The games were well thought out and appreciated by the youth. I’d say all kids dressed up and many parents. My son Ted won the “scariest costume” again, which is his third year …