Tag Archives: Holidays

Bidding farewell to 2012

December 31, 2012 8:04 pm / Leave a Comment /

It seems to be a common thing for me, at New Years, to write a post about the year that is being put to rest and/or about the year that is about to be birthed by the changing of the clock at midnight. I’ve recently read posts I’ve written from the end of 2005, the beginning of 2008, the end of 2008, the end of 2009, the beginning of 2011 and the beginning of 2012 and I have to say it is fascinating to look back on the last few years and see where the year end had brought me.

Tonight I am looking back over 2012 as I sit in my family room listening to my daughter Sarah play the piano. The rest of my family is in the living room watching TV, playing on their iPhones or fiddling with a 3DS. It is a relatively quiet night in the Gonzalez house, and it is a perfect night to reminisce.

There were some things that happened in our family in 2012. They weren’t necessarily earth shattering events, but they have had a definite impact on the landscape of the Gonzalez house and the Gonzalez family in general. Of course, there were many events that took place in 2012 that I could be talking about, but the following seemed to be the most prominent in my mind as I write

  • I got a new job – Starting in the second week of January I went to work for SugarCRM as a software engineer. This could very well be the single most significant job change I have ever made in my life simply because of how much I love the company I work for, the work that I do and the people that I do it with. I have never been so happy in my work as I have been the last year being a “Suga” and I am so looking forward to what 2013 has in store for me personally as well as for my company.
  • We added a new member to our family – In June of this year we brought home Molly, our little shitmaker/noisemaker/smilemaker of a dog. She has been a wonderful addition to our family – as much as I might not like to admit it – simply by the energy and love she brings to our household. She is an amazing playmate for Rico, she is a great little watchdog and she is full of excitement and adoration for everyone in the house. Our home is definitely warmer because of her.
  • We added some boys to our family – Yes, my oldest daughters were officially given the go ahead to call their close male friends “boyfriends”. Both Sarah and Rebekah developed very strong relationships with their significant others and both of these boys have found a place in our family. They are very respectful (and only slightly fearful of me – but it’s a healthy fear) and very courteous to both Sandi and I. They are fun to have around and, most importantly, know how to treat my daughters.
  • We took a trip to Oz – My three youngest kids each starred in two separate performances of The Wizard of Oz over the summer. This is the second summer they have performed in a kids theater production and this year they decided to participate in TWO productions that ran back to back weekends. In one production, AJ stole the show as the Cowardly Lion and in the other show, Adriannah did. All three kids performed their hearts out and had fun doing it, and in turn, I enjoyed working my tail off to make sure they had the summer of their lives in theater.
  • iGot bit by iPhones – Well, the kids did anyway. Adriannah earned enough money for her birthday this year to be able to buy herself her own iPhone, and with the upgrades available, Bekah got her upgraded iPhone as well. In all, we now have four iPhones in our household and as you can imagine, with the propensity for theatrics that this family possesses, it didn’t take long for videos and pictures to start creeping up highlighting just how creative the kids are, even with something as tiny as an iPhone camera. Sarah started her own YouTube channel and Adriannah began recording these amazing videos using an app called Video Star. You will be seeing some of those in the coming months I assure you.
  • I got a new car – I had to. It was time. My Vibe died on me for the last time and, although I did not want to do it, I bit the bullet and decided to pony up for a new ride. So in August I purchased a brand new Mazda3 Touring sedan and I gotta say, I kinda love that car. The gas mileage is insane, the look and feel is very nice and the kids fit in it when I take them to school. As much as I did not want to buy a new car, I am very happy with my car and with Tony Roberts and Dublin Mazda for making that deal one of the best transactions I’ve ever had, let alone for buying a car. If you are in the East Bay Area and are in need of a car and are looking for a smooth transaction, go talk to Tony Roberts at Ken Harvey’s Dublin Mazda. My experience was so good, I actually Yelped them. :)
  • Obama won the presidential election – Much like 2008 when Obama won the presidency, there was much talk of politics, policy and government in my house for a number of months leading up to Super Tuesday. As just as I was devastated in 2008 by his victory, so again was I disappointed in the choice our country made for president. However, what’s done is done and though there is still much talk about politics and governments – and just as much snark and whining from both of the major political parties and their followers – I am happy that the election once again brought about discussion within my family. Regardless of your political bent, when parents and children can come together to talk politics and, in some cases even debate politics, it is a good thing. I learned stuff about my kids I didn’t know. I learned some of their political viewpoints are divergent from mine (which I am totally fine with) and in some cases, they are more extreme in their views than I am. I learned that regardless of political viewpoint, friendships must necessarily extend beyond these viewpoints. And I learned that Facebook is a treasure trove of extremists from all walks of life that love to spew their political venom far and wide. Still, if there is nothing else that I will take away from this election, I can say that my kids were once again very informed, very involved and very interested in the election process and the election results.
  • Violence took it’s toll on the United States – While the most prominent incident of the year in the United Stated was the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, there were undoubtedly many more killings in the United States. But one thing that the Sandy Hook incident seemed to do above anything else was bring attention to guns. My heart goes out to the kids and teachers that were senselessly gunned down by a disturbed idiot that was hellbent on killing innocent people. Equally, my heart goes out to the thousands of other victims of violence – both gun related and not gun related – because their story should be heard as well. As saddened as I am by the violence in our country, I am now ever vigilant of the safety of my household and my family. Being aware is the first step toward actively protecting a family in my opinion and with that, the knowledge that guns – even assault weapons – do not somehow spontaneously sprout an evil conscience and decide to start killing people. I’ve been appalled at the apparent lack of regard for the second amendment by many highly visible members of our state and federal governments and hope that, like the discussions that took place in our household after Sandy Hook, there will be a long, open discourse on the proper actions to take to curb violence in our country. And I pray to God it doesn’t involve rewriting our constitution to further the police state in which we live. Regardless, my family was brought together by the tragedies that unfolded over the course of the year, and many talks were had to discuss just what is at the root of all of this. So even in the midst of tragedy and evil, my family came together and was strengthened.

There were many other notable events of 2012, including a Mayan Apocalypse that never came to pass, the San Francisco 49ers almost making it to the Super Bowl while I was there to witness it and the San Francisco Giants winning the World Series for the second time in three years. There was a retirement of a space shuttle. There was Felix Baumgartner sky diving from outer space. There was the Grumpy Cat. There was the massive response to FunnyJunk’s and Charles Carreon’s lawsuit against Matthew Inman from the Oatmeal. There was just so much stuff in 2012.

Alas, it is time that I wrap it up, lest I go on and on about all that 2012 brought to the table. But as I leave you with this, my final post for 2012, I would like to reach back to 2009, when Sarah penned this little New Years poem and I’d like to offer up this simple blessing to you and yours: May your 2013 be orders of magnitude more amazing than your 2012 and may you be showered with favor, fortune, blessing and abundance. Happy New Year.

On the day of New Year’s Eve
The world is sitting, waiting
For the day we all believe
Has cause for celebrating.

Staying up till late at night
Watching on TV
Down pole to drop a ball of light
And then we scream, “Yippee!”

Another year is o’er and done
And we are satisfied
Recalling days of mirth and fun
And fear, and hope, and pride.

Another year has started up
A new age will begin
We drink from a newer cup
And cast the old to the wind.

– Sarah Gonzalez, 13

Posted in: Personal Messages / Tagged: ,

Be grateful in all things

December 19, 2011 8:27 am / Leave a Comment /

I woke up this morning with a feeling of anxiety. This happens from time to time, but more recently it has happened more often. I’m not talking about clinical anxiety but more the anxiety that comes as a precursor to the culmination of a great journey coupled with major change in the usual surroundings of your life. Like when you’re getting ready to start a new job or when you’re entering into a new relationship.

But as I thought about all that could be causing me anxiety I began to realize that this feeling, this nervous energy that seems to overtake me, stems from the knowledge that where I am in life is simply not good enough. It’s because I want more – I need more – out of life that I seek a higher level.

I’d be the first to tell you that if you are not happy where you are go find your happiness. Seek out with all your might that which you so greatly desire and aggressively pursue it until you’ve acquired what you seek. You only have one life to live and you’re not getting any younger. So stop living your life wondering and wishing and start making the necessary moves to find that place in life you want to be. But today I’ve decided to change my attitude. Today I choose to be grateful.

As we enter into the last few days of Christmas and, realistically, the last few days of the year, I am reminded that there is so much for me to be thankful for in my life. I have a beautiful and amazing family. My children are all healthy, brilliant, creative, thriving children who have shown me this past year that they are tough as nails and soft as silk. I have a great relationship with them and they, with me. We live our lives together as harmoniously as a family can and we have shown over time that we are a tight knit family that is capable of withstanding the worst possible situations while still being able to celebrate the best ones.

I have a skillset that is heavily sought after and positions me to be able to take care of my children financially. It’s good to be a tech head in Silicon Valley at this particular time in history. I love what I do and because I’m in a rather niche market, I am actually pretty valuable. This is a good thing.

I have a wonderful home for my children that is warm, inviting, filled with the sounds of playful screams, craftily composed piano tunes and strong voices that are right on pitch. The creativity flows through my house in every aspect but none stronger than music. I am reminded every day just how blessed I am to be surrounded by such musically inclined kids.

The basic necessities of life are always at our disposal. We literally want for nothing. No, we don’t live a high roller lifestyle by any stretch of the imagination but very seldom do we have to tell ourselves “no”. All in all, life is pretty good.

So as the week winds down, and Christmas lists get poured over and things get bought and the “want meter” is showing elevated readings, I want to take a minute to slow down, consider what I really want the most and enjoy the last few days of this year with an attitude of gratitude. Yes, there is going to be an extraordinary amount of change coming very, very soon. I am preparing myself for the coming year because it will open with change right out of the gates. But for now, or at least the next couple of weeks, I will be thankful. I will choose to be happy with what I have and I will choose to enjoy my life exactly as it is.

Posted in: Personal Messages / Tagged: ,

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

November 24, 2011 9:34 am / Leave a Comment /

Another thanksgiving is upon us. It seems in recent years that we are cycling through holidays at breakneck speed, never being able enjoy any one particular holiday because the next holiday is already up in stores or being advertised on the Internet. This saddens me, especially at thanksgiving time, since we often times neglect the spirit of giving thanks for the rush of acquiring more crap on the morning after.

Being thankful is something I’ve tried to teach my kids for a while now. It’s also something I’ve tried to live my life by as well, although I am nowhere near perfect at it so inevitably I overlook something I should be thankful for, usually in favor of being cranky about something else. This past 12 months it has been way easier to count my curses than it has been to count my blessings. But I’ve had a quiet last few weeks, time that I’ve been able to spend thinking about my life and the many blessings that surround me daily.

While the past year has been challenging, the blessings in my life have shown themselves to me clearly. Among these blessings are the tangibles and the intangibles, the valuable and the invaluable. Although I’m sure I’m forgetting many, it would be silly of me not to at least try to address the more prominent blessings in my life.

  • My kids – My children have been the greatest blessing to me and continue to be. Not a day goes by that I am not totally and completely amazed by them in some way. Whether it be their creative outward expressions or their tender, sincere, loving hearts toward me and their siblings, I’m reminded everyday of just how powerful a blessing my children are.
  • My family – My family has shown me this past year just what love is and to just what lengths they will go in order to care for me and my kids. When I say “my family” I am most definitely talking about my blood family (my brother, my sister, my cousins, my nieces and my nephews). But I am also talking about my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, my sisters-in-law and my brothers-in-law. My entire family seemed to rally around my immediate family this year and even through the hardest of times have stayed by my side.
  • My friends – I’d like to think that everyone has friends. And although I have a crapload of friends on Facebook and Twitter, I can count the number of close friends I have on one hand. But this year my closest friends really showed themselves. They came out of the woodwork to encourage me, make me laugh and generally just have my back. I don’t know where I’d be on this thanksgiving if not for my friends reaching out to me, talking to me and listening to me. You know who you are. I just hope you know how thankful I am for you.
  • My possessions – I know that stuff is just stuff, but I count among my stuff the basic necessities of life: a house, a car, electricity, running water, etc. Yes, I also include toys and gadgets in my “stuff” (I mean who doesn’t love their phone) but being able to keep my kids warm, fed, clothed and sheltered is a tremendous blessing to me.
  • My skills – I love being a nerd. I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it. What started out at a hobby for me has blossomed into a career. A well paying, lucrative career. I’m thankful that I’ve been blessed with an inquisitive mind and a passion for learning, and that I can leverage that into a skill set that continues to provide for my children.
  • My health – I’ve worked hard to get myself healthy. I’ve worked hard to stay healthy. I’m blessed to say that I don’t need medication everyday just to live and that I can experience life with my children with energy, fervor and passion, never missing a thing with them because “daddy doesn’t feel like it today kids”.
  • My struggles – Anyone that knows me knows that I like to push myself to achieve things that I might not be able to achieve under normal circumstances. And most folks that know me know that I’m not one to get smacked on the chin without swinging back. This year has shown this more clearly than any other. The struggles came in droves this year, each one presenting a new challenge, a new problem that needed a new and different way to approach it. To say that this past year was trying would be minimizing what actually took place. Still, through each of the struggles came an equally rewarding victory and a promise of a brighter future. And for that I am immeasurably blessed.
  • My failures – If there was one thing I can say I am more blessed by this year than last year it would have to be my realization of my own imperfection and my coming to grips with many of my behaviors, attitudes and actions that have led to failure in many areas of my life. It’s been said that if you want to continue to get the same results of your actions simply keep doing the same thing. I realized this year that I did not want to keep getting the same results in life I’ve always gotten and that in order to change course I had to take a deep look within myself to identify those areas of myself that may have been preventing my own success. That has been painful to say the least, but it has also been an indescribable blessing in that for the first time in my life I’ve come face to face with many of my shortcomings and have been able to begin rectifying them. Change is good, even if it is uncomfortable.

There is so much more that I should be thankful for. But as I sit behind the keys staring at the emptiness of what will soon become the last few lines of this post, I’m reminded that I have a house full of kids that need their daddy’s attention and affection. And that is a blessing I can no longer pass up.

Happy thanksgiving. May this holiday season be a blessing to you and may it open you up to be a blessing to others.

Posted in: My Thoughts, Personal Messages / Tagged: ,

Welcome 2011 and to you, 2010, a not so fond farewell

January 1, 2011 11:34 pm / Leave a Comment /

As I sit down, lazing about toward the end of this, the first day of 2011, I find myself recollecting the happenings of 2010 and thinking of what this fresh new year might bring. I wish I could say, as I recollect, that 2010 was a banner year for my family and I, but the truth is 2010 was riddled with struggle, hardship, challenges and battles. It was really a hard year. And while I know that many people share this sentiment, I am not really one to dwell too long on the negative.

So with that, I’d like to remember a few things that happened this past year that were utterly positive and totally worthy of being remembered fondly:

  • Sandi got a lot better
    After a very long battle with illness and other debilitating health issues, Sandi’s health started to improve dramatically this year. She’ll admit that she’s still not 100% better. But she would also concede that she is doing way better now than she was just a year ago. Thank God for that.
  • I lost a crapload of weight
    In March of 2010 I made a decision to stop being unhealthy and lose some weight. I had no idea what I was in store for, but I knew I couldn’t continue to live my life how I had been. For those of you that were following along, you know that between March and July I lost 60 pounds on the Insanity program. My life was completely transformed because of this. But more important than the weight loss was the lifestyle transformation that took place in me, the most awesome thing being that as of the last day of 2010 I had not gained back a single pound I had lost. Hells yes.
  • My family got bitten by the theater bug
    Sandi, Sarah, Rebekah and Adriannah all auditioned for, and were cast in, Cinderella, a Stage 1 Theatre production. This was the first of what would become a string of performances they would be involved in until the end of the year. It was challenging at times, but it was very liberating for Sandi and the girls so though the nights were long the expenses high and the toll great, over the long haul, it was a win.
  • Sarah started high school, AJ started kindergarten
    As of this year I no longer have babies. This makes me smile. Sarah started high school this year, which is huge for us because it totally exposes how freaking old I really am. Wait, what? Did I really say that? What I meant to say is that it is huge because Sarah is moving into a new phase of her life. And so is AJ, who is now school aged. That means more work for Sandi and I, more work for the older girls and fewer and fewer years until all of the kids are off to college.
  • I got a new job
    In September I had the fortune of running across a Craigslist add that caught my eye. It was a Thursday morning and, without really thinking too much about it, I sent my resume to the email address in the ad at about 11:00 AM. Less than an hour later I was on a phone interview with this company. The next day I was interviewing in person with the VP. After the interview I was tasked with working as a contractor for them on a trial basis so that we could mutually evaluate each other. I fell in love with the work and, as best I can tell, they liked what I did. After my trial was up I was offered a job with them that was too good to refuse and, at the end of October I made one of the bigger life changes I’ve made in a long time.

There were quite a few other things that happened this year that were blessings to me and my family. Many of those things can be gleaned from Sandi’s Facebook, where she has documented pretty well the happenings of our family for the past year or so. Or, if you know me personally, you’ve probably already been bombarded with all of the happenings in my life, both the good and the bad.

Regardless of the state of 2010, it is now entirely behind us and in the past. I’m really not into focusing on the past too much, so as of today, my eyes are set on 2011. I know that with any start to a year, change is bound to occur. However, I know that given the nature of the past few years, 2011 will necessarily have to carry with it severe, positive change if I am to expect to make it out alive or sane. I know things cannot continue the way they are, for the most part, if there is to be any thriving in the Gonzalez house.

So as I begin my journey into this new year, I’m preparing myself for significant change, adventure and excitement. And you know what? I’m way more thrilled about that than I have ever been before.

Happy new year. May your 2011 be the best year of your life and may you gracefully and peacefully release 2010 from your clutches, whether it was good or bad for you.

Posted in: Personal Messages, Rants / Tagged: ,

Happy Mother’s Day

May 9, 2010 8:39 am / Leave a Comment /

I know a lot of us could easily insert our own name, title or profession into the statement “A ________’s work is never done”. But of all the titles this could apply to, none are more appropriate than that of mother.

A mother is constantly working, even when she isn’t awake. Mother’s seem to always have their children, their families and their homes on their minds and can often be seen drifting off into space sometimes when their minds start to tackle all of the things on a mother’s to-do list at the drop of a hat at any time of any day.

Mothers make sure the home functions properly, that the kids are healthy and tended to, that dad is taken care of, that homework is done, that dishes are clean, that dinner is made… the list can go on forever. Mothers also are the level head in sometimes turbulent families and can usually be seen moderating, with sensitivity and gentleness, the more complex issues of the family dynamic. They are the glue of a family and work tirelessly to keep things together and in order.

Mothers are often the budget managers of the home in addition to being the general manage of the home. And many mothers take on this role even though they are working full time to provide for their homes. In a world of dirty, thankless, tiring jobs, I’d say that being a mother ranks up there toward the top.

And because of that, I want to take a few seconds this morning to say thank you to all mothers everywhere, especially for the mother of our home, my wife Sandi. As often as you go overlooked, as often as your day ends without a thank you, as often as you are defied and as often as your patience is tested it is my wish that you are also reminded form time to time that without you the world would not work properly. Homes would fall apart. Families would struggle.

Mothers are the very core of a family, and because of you mom, yes, I’m talking to you, all families are made better each day. Thank you so very much for putting in the effort every day to be the best at your job that you can be and for making sure that life is livable for the rest of us.

Posted in: Personal Messages / Tagged:

Happy Resurrection Sunday 2010

April 4, 2010 9:14 am / 1 Comment /

He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
Matthew 28:6

Today is an international holiday for people of the Christian faith. It is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today is meaningful for so many reasons, but the most significant reason is that it gives the Christian the basis for our belief that, as part of our salvation, God the Father can literally allow us to die to our former disbelieving selves and be reborn into a new creation, one who can believe in the heart and declare with the mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He died for our sins and was reborn as we must necessarily be.

For years I have taught my kids that today is not about rabbits, eggs, candy or baskets. While the holiday that most of us know as Easter has been historically wrapped up in all of these things – much like Christmas has become about gift giving and wrapping paper and trees and lights – I think it is important to know that for Christians, today is about one thing: the rebirth of our Lord after death and entombment.

Yes, the colorful aspects of today are fun. By all means, enjoy that time. Get your kids Easter baskets. Color some eggs together. Get fatted up on chocolate bunnies and Peeps. But if are a Christian, I would encourage you today to consider the sacrifice made on Calvary for you and I, and the subsequent victory ensured us by the happenings of today all those years ago.

He endured punishment of the worst kind so we wouldn’t have to. He died in the flesh so we could die to the flesh. And He rose so that we might, in Him, have victory even over death. Because of today, we have an open door to God the Father and eternity in heaven.

If you are a Christian, today is a big day for you and you should celebrate it as such. If you are not a Christian, enjoy the bunnies and eggs and the family time. Either way, enjoy your day today. Because regardless of your spiritual beliefs, if what the Bible says is really true – which I believe it is – Christ didn’t just die for me. He died for all of us. And He rose for all of us, too.

Posted in: On Christianity, Personal Messages / Tagged:

And that’s a wrap

December 31, 2009 3:55 pm / 3 Comments /

I am forever blown away by the talents of my children. As we prepare to bid adieu to 2009, I’d like to share with you all something my daughter Sarah wrote. For the record, she is 13.

On the day of New Year’s Eve
The world is sitting, waiting
For the day we all believe
Has cause for celebrating.

Staying up till late at night
Watching on TV
Down pole to drop a ball of light
And then we scream, “Yippee!”

Another year is o’er and done
And we are satisfied
Recalling days of mirth and fun
And fear, and hope, and pride.

Another year has started up
A new age will begin
We drink from a newer cup
And cast the old to the wind.

May you find the cause to celebrate the ending of 2009 and the start of 2010. Happy new year from me and the rest of the Gonzalez family.

Posted in: Personal Messages / Tagged:

Merry Christmas

December 25, 2009 12:53 pm / 1 Comment /

Merry Christmas from the entire Gonzalez family. As the end of 2009 approaches I hope you can look back and find the blessings in your life this past year. I also pray that you will be able to consider 2010 and what the new year holds for you.

I will be announcing shortly some changes to this web site and some of the projects that I have been working on recently. It will be sort of a refreshing of my online identity or, in more practical terms, a Christmas gift of a fresh outlook for me.

But that is for another post, at another time on a different day. Today, I am going to celebrate Christmas with my family. And I hope you do the same thing with yours.

Posted in: Personal Messages / Tagged: ,

Happy Thanksgiving

November 26, 2009 8:07 am / Leave a Comment /

It’s hard to believe that we are almost done with the first decade of our century. Even more strange to me is that we are within a month or so of 2009 coming to an end as a year. If I didn’t know better I’d say someone pushed the fast forward button on life toward the beginning of February and left it there until yesterday. And as I take a moment to look back on the year, and especially the day we are celebrating today, I can’t help but begin to think about some of the things I am thankful for.

Being thankful is not something that is reserved for one day a year in my house. In fact, it is something that I have tried to instill in my family through nightly “thankfuls” and through regular giving of thanks. It is a lifestyle that I think everyone should live lest we become bitter, cynical and “victimized” by circumstance. So for me and my house it is rather easy to recognize those things that I can be thankful for.

For example, I woke up early this morning and got out of bed to make a pot of coffee for my wife and I, and took a moment for myself to read my email, write a little in my blog and warm my legs with a little red fleece blanket. I was watching my dog sleep for a little while until my daughter Adriannah woke up, joined me in the living room, greeted me with a hug and kiss and began to watch TV.

In just the first few minutes of the day today I am thankful for:

  • A beautiful, smart, funny, warm, loving wife
  • An awesome tribe of beautiful, smart, talented children
  • Having a home for my family
  • Everyone in my family having a bed to sleep in
  • Running water
  • Coffee
  • Cups to drink our coffee from
  • Having a working computer
  • The internet
  • Email
  • Warm blankets
  • Wonderful, smart, loving, caring, beautiful children that love me
  • Hugs and kisses
  • A great dog
  • A TV
  • Electicity

Now of course these are more of the tangible variety of thankfuls. Still, these are all things I am thankful for just within the first few minutes of my day. There are so many other things to be thankful that extend beyond the tangible, like:

  • Not having to go to work today
  • Sharing today with family and friends
  • Having the freedom and liberty that comes from living in the United States of America
  • Being protected both at home and abroad by the most awesome of protectors ever, the US military
  • Worshiping how I want, when I want and with whom I want
  • The freedom and ability to have an opinion, and voice that opinion

The abundance of thankfuls in my life always seem to extend beyond the limits of one day a year. And while I am thankful for today and what it represents, I would offer this challenge to you: For the next 365 days, until next Thanksgiving day, see if you can find one thing every day to be thankful for and share that thankfulness with someone.

If you are anything like me, no matter how heavy life gets on you, you will always have something to be thankful for. May God bless you abundantly this day and all the days of your life.

Posted in: Observations, Personal Messages / Tagged: , ,

Happy Hopped-up Halloween

October 31, 2009 9:06 pm / 2 Comments /

Wow, what a day today was. There was drama, haircuts, cleaning, traveling, assembling, masquerading, trick-or-treating and lots of exhausting.

The day started out with my neighbor returning my dog. Why did my neighbor have my dog? Because my dog decided to dig a hole under our fence and invite himself into our neighbor’s yard. So in the midst of a cold fog, I was out shoveling dirt, reinforcing fences and making barricades to keep my dog out of my neighbor’s yard.

Did it work? Nope. By the end of the night he had managed to get past my barricade and dig another hole.

After that I took my son with me to get my haircut. Then we hit up Office Max to get a printer cartridge refilled. If you have an inkjet printer and would rather save money than spend money on the cartridges, go to Office Max. For $10 they will refill your black ink cartridge ($15 for color) and it only takes a few minutes. Not to mention that it saves you from spending $60 on a new one. Sweet.

When we got home we had to get to work cleaning out our truck. That is because today we went to Morgan Hill and picked up a new bunk bed set my wife found on Craigslist for Alaynah and Adriannah, who broke her bed a few weeks. The new one we got is a “T” style bunk that sits on top of a desk at one end and a bookcase and dresser at the other. It is a beast of a bed, but strong enough for out two daughters. I know this because it literally took me a total of six hours to put it together. :(

Of course in the middle of that assembly marathon, I had to get the kids ready to hit the streets in full costume. I took them this year because Sandi had to drive to Hayward to pick up Alaynah from a Halloween party she was at. So at about 7:00 or so I left the house with Lucy Ricardo, Captain Hook, a leopard and Buzz Lightyear in search of huge sacks of goodness and sweets. And boy did we find it.

It was a great night with a great take. The kids got loaded up on candy, we got our exercise, I got a break from building the bed… it was a great hour. And it was a great day, if not way more exhausting than I would have liked. Still, it was totally worth it.

I hope your Halloween was as cool as ours.

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