This time last year...

The other day, my wife and I were just talking about "this time last year." Such a wild thought. This time last year, she and I were only responsible for ourselves. This time last year, we were counting down the days until the arrival of our little boy. This time last year, we were expecting the baby to come early (listening to doctors on that kind of messed us up). This time last year, life as we now know it was different. But, it's not as different as we were expecting.

The whole time Courtney was pregnant, people kept telling us that life was going to change. As workout fanatics, we were told our schedules would not allow time for extra stuff. As runners, we were told we wouldn't have time to run for hours at a time. As a couple, we were told we would say good-bye to date night. There were a lot of things told to us that we wrestled through as a family. Before Romey's birth, we decided we would not allow a child to change "us."

Obviously, our schedule has changed a little bit. Romey keeps a different sleeping schedule. Romey determines a lot of what we do or do not do. However, we still keep our priorities. We still workout. We've both done P90X and Insanity. We still run. Since Romey's birth, Courtney has run a half-marathon and I have run a half and a full. We still have date night. We bring Romey with us. We've gone to Chick-Fil-A so many times with him, he now says, "yummy, yummy, yummy" when we pull into the parking lot. We haven't changed. We've brought him into our lives and had him adapt to us.

Are there trying times? Of course, but that doesn't change who we are or what we do. We still run errands together. We still go shopping together. We still go running together. Romey sits in his stroller that is now labelled 13.1 on one side and 26.2 on the other. We watch TV together. We pay bills together. We go to church together. We schedule our "dates" on my busy nights to still have time together. We still make each other a priority. We understand there will be interruptions. We understand that sometimes we're going to have to go home early because he's tired. We understand that we have to order more food because he's still hungry. We undersand that we have to be adaptable. However, we know even more that he has to be adaptable. We don't change for him, he's learning to adjust to us.

I must say, we are very blessed to have such a calm baby. Romey is an absolute joy and so easy. He stays very flexible to our ever changing schedule. This time last year, we could not have imagined such a wonderful life. Things haven't been perfect. Jobs haven't been perfect. Our relationship hasn't been perfect. However, things truly are great. I have a wonderful family, a wonderful wife, and a wonderful son. This time last year, I had no idea that I was going to be so incredibly blessed.

-Just my thoughts...

Lonely Week

Since Friday afternoon, I've been "home alone". Courtney and Romey have been in western New York with Courtney's family and I have stayed home to do some "minor" repairs. It's now Thursday, and these minor repairs are still not complete. Throw work into this picture, and that does explain why it's not all finished. Courtney and I are thinking about selling our condo this summer. In fact, we'd love to be able to sell it and move into a house with a yard. But, in order for all of that to happen, we need to make sure everything is updated. About four years ago, my father and I put wood laminate in the house. Over this time, there have been some pieces that have taken some damage. So, I spent four days pulling up pieces and putting new ones down. I thought I was finished with this on Monday, but then I found two more pieces that were broken. So, up came the whole floor and then down it went again. I finally finished the floor Tuesday night. Last night, I started touching up the bathroom. While doing that, I realized it needed a fresh coat of paint. So, I'm hoping to finish the painting tonight. Working every day has slowed the process a little, but staying up late has helped. Factor in the dog sitting against freshly painted trim and that explains part of the lateness of the work day. Plus, being a sports junkie, having the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final on tv has slowed the process as well. :-)

However, what I've learned this week is I'm not equipped to live without Courtney. Could I do it? Well, I've made it so far... but it's not pretty. I've done one load of dishes, but they're still sitting in the dishwasher while the sink remains full of dirty ones. I've washed a load of clothes and dried a load of clothes, but they're still sitting where I left them. The floors have not been vacuumed or swept and are covered with saw dust. I haven't made the bed since Friday. I have tools everywhere. In fact, my once orgainized storage unit is packed with tools just tossed into it so I can get the door closed. The table is cluttered with mail and various other odds and ends. I'm sure there are other things out of place, but I'm not able to think of everything. It's crazy how horrible everything is right now. It's only been one week!! You have to understand. Our condo NEVER looks like this. Courtney always has the house in a position to have friends over. I know I can invited someone over for dinner on any night and not have to worry about the condition of the house. Obviously, I'm not the reason our house looks nice. While I am working on other things right now, I'm not wired in a way to focus on multiple areas. Courtney can multi-task in any situation and always does everything with excellence. When she gets home on Sunday, the house will be back to normal, but it will still need Courtney's touch to make it home.

-Just my thougths...

My Counselor

The last couple of days, I've spent my mornings running. During these runs, I've had the opportunity to listen to Francis Chan's "Forgotten God." As I've been listening, I've been convicted of how I take for granted the Holy Spirit. While I realize the Holy Spirit is with me, I don't think I realize the gift that is here with me. When Jesus said another Counselor is coming to take His place, I should recognize the significance of that statement. If Jesus, in the human form, says it's better to have the Holy Spirit than to have Him here on earth, then I really am not taking full advantage of the Spirit's role in my life. I have the privilege of allowing the Spirit to govern my life and to guide me, and Jesus says it's better than having Him here in the flesh. So, what am I missing? Obviously, I don't realize the greatness that I have counseling me. I know I don't take advantage of that opportunity. God has provided me with someone who can give advice and direction, and I know it comes in perfect truth. No other advisor in the world can make such a bold statement. And, this Counselor is God and was sent to dwell in me. Yet, with that opportunity afforded to me, I still have somehow missed this along the way. I've missed it because I'm stubborn and want to rely on my own strengths and gifts instead of seeking help. It's my humanity that always gets in the way, and ultimately, my pride. Until I learn to die to self, I'll never learn how experience the Holy Spirit in the way God has planned for me. I'm trying to learn. I'm trying to do better. I must be more intentional about this on a daily basis.

- Just my thoughts...

Here We Go Again

So, we'll see how long this lasts... A lot has changed since I last wrote. I'm now a father. WOW!! It's amazing how quickly everything happens. He's an absolute joy. Each day, I fall more and more in love with him. He has his moments, but that doesn't stop me from loving him. That's got to be how God feels with me. I know I have my moments. In fact, I fail quite often. Each time I fail, I know I fall into His incredible grace. I know I would have given up on myself a long time ago. Yet, I don't give up on my son when he disobeys. I know he's only a baby, but how much of a baby am I in God's eyes? I obviously have so much to learn, but I keep pressing on. I know I won't completely figure it all out, but I have to keep trying. I'll continue to reach out for His renewed mercies and fall into His grace.

-Just my thoughts...