Today is my 31st birthday and I have so much to be grateful for. I am so grateful for my beautiful, loving wife and eternal companion. She is such an example to me and a great strength in all that she does. I am grateful for our beautiful, smart, perfect, year old daughter. I am grateful for the restored gospel and the blessings that come through adherence to it's tenants. I am grateful for a Father in Heaven that knows and loves me on a personal level. I am grateful for personal revelation and the ability to receive guidance, comfort, and strength from God. I am grateful for friends, both far and near, for friendships that are stronger than miles and time. I am grateful for the job that I have and for the children I am able to work with. I am grateful for the scriptures and for the direction and guidance and strength that I receive through study and prayer. I am grateful for the talents and abilities that I have been blessed with and
that I can use them to bless the lives of those around me. I am grateful for family and the unconditional care and support and love they show. They are great examples for me and I love them.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
A Year Already
So Kiera is now a year old. Last Friday was her birthday and we had a party at Mile Square Park on Saturday. It was a lot of fun to have friends and family at the park to celebrate. We had a Bbq, cake, presents, and a pinata! The weather was perfect. It was great!
I can't believe that Kiera is 1 year old already. Time certainly has flown. On the flip side, so many things have happened in this past year too. It has been such a joy to see our family's growth since Kiera entered the world. Sarah has become such an awesome mother. She takes such good care of us! I love her soooooo much! I also feel that I have grown too as a husband and father. My perspective on life has certainly changed. I love my two little ladies!
Over the past couple weeks Kiera has really taken to walking. I love coming home and seeing her peek around the corner and walk down the hall to me saying, "Daddy.'' It is a great welcome home.
I can't believe that Kiera is 1 year old already. Time certainly has flown. On the flip side, so many things have happened in this past year too. It has been such a joy to see our family's growth since Kiera entered the world. Sarah has become such an awesome mother. She takes such good care of us! I love her soooooo much! I also feel that I have grown too as a husband and father. My perspective on life has certainly changed. I love my two little ladies!
Over the past couple weeks Kiera has really taken to walking. I love coming home and seeing her peek around the corner and walk down the hall to me saying, "Daddy.'' It is a great welcome home.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Summer... Is it already over?
I can't believe that the summer is already over. It was such a great time. I hadn't had a summer vacation in 18 years. It has always been filled with sports, band, or teaching summer school. This year I decided that it was time. The week after school got out we were all over the place in So. Cal. We went to Old Town San Diego, Mission Beach, the Aquarium of the Pacific, Newport Beach, and the movies. We also went up to Utah for a week to spend time with the Pond family there. We got to see a lot of friends and family. We also got to watch the 4th of July parade. I love Independance Day! Parades, Fireworks & BBQ's!!! It was so great to get out and do stuff with my 2 girls. It is always great to spend time with the love of my life, Sarah. It was also great to be around Kiera more and see all the fun and growth the makes. She, (Kiera not Sarah) took her first steps this summer. It has been so much fun to be around to spend time with my cute little family!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Summer... Let it begin!
My first week of summer vacation has been a blast. I've been to the beach, San Diego, the Aquarium of the Pacific, cleaned the garage and played pool, found someone to come and make our pool swimmable at a reasonable price. It has been so much fun spending time, relaxing, and playing with my family. We have been so busy, but not. It's been a leisurely pace. We haven't HAD to be anywhere at any specific times. It's been chill. (If you want to see pics check out Sarah's blog)
Also with Independence Day coming up, I was asked the question, "How does America inspire you?" I thought I'd share my response.
Also with Independence Day coming up, I was asked the question, "How does America inspire you?" I thought I'd share my response.
How does America inspire me? America gives me strength. Knowing that our country was founded on the principles of "One Nation Under God" is an anchor. We are a country founded in reverence for our God. It is this knowledge that causes my heart to skip a beat and my eyes well up when I see our great flag and hear the Star Spangled Banner. It is this knowledge that causes me to want to shake every hand and embrace every person I see in uniform for there service to our great land in blessing not only our lives with the blessings of freedom, but in blessing God's children around the world with their God given right to be free. It is with this knowledge that when I salute the flag with the scouts in my troop or say the Pledge of Allegiance in the morning with my students at school that I do so with respect and honor for this country; and ultimately, my God.
Monday, June 8, 2009
That's amazing!
There has been so much lately that has kept me thinking, "That's amazing!"
Kiera, everyday, does something that gets me thinking it. The other day I walked into the room and she looked at me and said, "Hi dad." She is talking pretty consistently now. She has been saying mom, dad, hi, grandma, grampa, bye, more mama, mas (more in Spanish) as well as signing more and waving while saying, "hi.'' In fact just this weekend she said something new. Sarah's cousin was asking her cousin's daughter what Kiera's name is. The daughter didn't answer but Kiera did. She clearly responded, "Kiera." Everyone looked at each other in amazement as if to say, "Did she really just say her name?!?" That's amazing! She loves to talk with other people. I was walking through the foyer at church last week and she was waving and saying "hi" to everyone. It was really cute. Speaking of really cute... My Wife!!! Yesterday we were getting ready for church and I walked into our room and Sarah was looking so beautiful! It was one of those moments where I thought to myself, "Wow! That's my wife! She married me. That's amazing! I'm so lucky to have such a beautiful wife! I love her! And even better... she loves me too!"
Kiera, everyday, does something that gets me thinking it. The other day I walked into the room and she looked at me and said, "Hi dad." She is talking pretty consistently now. She has been saying mom, dad, hi, grandma, grampa, bye, more mama, mas (more in Spanish) as well as signing more and waving while saying, "hi.'' In fact just this weekend she said something new. Sarah's cousin was asking her cousin's daughter what Kiera's name is. The daughter didn't answer but Kiera did. She clearly responded, "Kiera." Everyone looked at each other in amazement as if to say, "Did she really just say her name?!?" That's amazing! She loves to talk with other people. I was walking through the foyer at church last week and she was waving and saying "hi" to everyone. It was really cute. Speaking of really cute... My Wife!!! Yesterday we were getting ready for church and I walked into our room and Sarah was looking so beautiful! It was one of those moments where I thought to myself, "Wow! That's my wife! She married me. That's amazing! I'm so lucky to have such a beautiful wife! I love her! And even better... she loves me too!"
Monday, April 13, 2009
I love my family!
I mentioned in my last post that we had taken family pictures. Here are some of them... I really love my two little ladies! I'm so blessed to have such a loving, beautiful wife who is also an amazing mom! Kiera is such a little sweetheart. She loves to smile and interact with people. She is just starting to crawl and move around by herself. Got to keep an eye on her all the time now.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Check it out!!
Look at me! A new comment within a month of the last one!
This past Friday, I went camping with my scout troop. We only have one boy in our ward so we do scouts, combined, as a stake. It was a lot of fun. I had been running around all week trying to get the permits, my equipment and assignments taken care of. I still forgot some of my equipment but I survived. We camped in a place called Lytle Creek. It's a cool little canyon by the Cajon Pass. It's a really pretty canyon. Not quite as tree-filled and lush as the mountains I'm used to but, it still has a great wildernessy feel. I loved it so much! On Saturday, we went on a hike. It was to fulfill the hiking merit badge or some rank advancement. It had to be a vertical climb over 1000 feet. Our hike was 1300 vertical feet and 5.5 miles long. Pretty simple of a hike but it did have some steep ups and downs. I'm sure not in the fitness of my youth when I could hike for days. On the good side. After the first mile, I wasn't really tired at all. Things loosened up and I was feeling great! I love scouting! I haven't been on a hike like that since I climbed Timp. years ago with friends to see the sunrise.
This weekend was a good, tough weekend for me. It has really taught me the importance of communication and cooperation.
Yesterday, Sarah and I got some family pictures taken at a park here in Orange. It was a lot of fun. Sarah and Kiera are both SO cute! She "bought" the photo shoot at an Enrichment Night with the Relief Society. I will post some pics when we get them. It was such a great time. I'm excited to see the pictures.
I also started coaching the middle school track team this week. I am the throwing coach and the only throwing event in middle school is the shot-put. I have 2, maybe 3 students that will be doing it. It's definitely a new experience. Although I was reasonably successful at shot-put in high school, it is a different thing to teach the skill. I know what to do but it is new to me to break it down into teachable steps. It's going to be a lot of fun.
This past Friday, I went camping with my scout troop. We only have one boy in our ward so we do scouts, combined, as a stake. It was a lot of fun. I had been running around all week trying to get the permits, my equipment and assignments taken care of. I still forgot some of my equipment but I survived. We camped in a place called Lytle Creek. It's a cool little canyon by the Cajon Pass. It's a really pretty canyon. Not quite as tree-filled and lush as the mountains I'm used to but, it still has a great wildernessy feel. I loved it so much! On Saturday, we went on a hike. It was to fulfill the hiking merit badge or some rank advancement. It had to be a vertical climb over 1000 feet. Our hike was 1300 vertical feet and 5.5 miles long. Pretty simple of a hike but it did have some steep ups and downs. I'm sure not in the fitness of my youth when I could hike for days. On the good side. After the first mile, I wasn't really tired at all. Things loosened up and I was feeling great! I love scouting! I haven't been on a hike like that since I climbed Timp. years ago with friends to see the sunrise.
This weekend was a good, tough weekend for me. It has really taught me the importance of communication and cooperation.
Yesterday, Sarah and I got some family pictures taken at a park here in Orange. It was a lot of fun. Sarah and Kiera are both SO cute! She "bought" the photo shoot at an Enrichment Night with the Relief Society. I will post some pics when we get them. It was such a great time. I'm excited to see the pictures.
I also started coaching the middle school track team this week. I am the throwing coach and the only throwing event in middle school is the shot-put. I have 2, maybe 3 students that will be doing it. It's definitely a new experience. Although I was reasonably successful at shot-put in high school, it is a different thing to teach the skill. I know what to do but it is new to me to break it down into teachable steps. It's going to be a lot of fun.
Monday, March 16, 2009
It's been a while since my last post... (That's a re-occurring theme...)
It is now mid-March. Beware the ides of March! The last couple months have been a lot of fun. Kiera is growing each day as is my love of father-hood. She is such a cute little girl. I am so amazed with everything that she does. Over the last couple weeks she has really become interested in Skye, our dog. She will try to call her over and interact with her. Kiera gets frustrated when Skye is not around or in sight. Over this last weekend she started signing "dog." She slaps her left arm up and down on her leg while "calling" her. We taught it to her as Skye's sign. It's simpler that way. It's so cute to see Kiera picking up behaviors and learning. She is such an amazing kid.
Last week at church someone said, "I think she is going to be making people smile her whole life." Kiera is such a happy baby and loves to interact and bring smiles to other peoples faces. She loves to smile and laugh. I got to "hang out" with Kiera this past weekend while Sarah was at a baby shower. It was so much fun to chill, play and laugh with Kiera the whole time. I really do love being a dad.
I also love being a husband to the most beautiful girl in the world, Sarah. She is so awesome! I am so lucky to have her in my life. She is such a great support and strength to me. She is always doing weird, funny things that help me to remember how fun life is. She is so cute. Family is such an awesome thing. I'm so grateful for mine.
It is now mid-March. Beware the ides of March! The last couple months have been a lot of fun. Kiera is growing each day as is my love of father-hood. She is such a cute little girl. I am so amazed with everything that she does. Over the last couple weeks she has really become interested in Skye, our dog. She will try to call her over and interact with her. Kiera gets frustrated when Skye is not around or in sight. Over this last weekend she started signing "dog." She slaps her left arm up and down on her leg while "calling" her. We taught it to her as Skye's sign. It's simpler that way. It's so cute to see Kiera picking up behaviors and learning. She is such an amazing kid.
Last week at church someone said, "I think she is going to be making people smile her whole life." Kiera is such a happy baby and loves to interact and bring smiles to other peoples faces. She loves to smile and laugh. I got to "hang out" with Kiera this past weekend while Sarah was at a baby shower. It was so much fun to chill, play and laugh with Kiera the whole time. I really do love being a dad.
I also love being a husband to the most beautiful girl in the world, Sarah. She is so awesome! I am so lucky to have her in my life. She is such a great support and strength to me. She is always doing weird, funny things that help me to remember how fun life is. She is so cute. Family is such an awesome thing. I'm so grateful for mine.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Happy New Year!
So... It's 2009. Ten years after we partied like it was 1999. Crazy! I can't believe how time has flown. There has been so much happen. It is weird to think of the past decade and realize all that has happened. It makes me so grateful for all the blessings that I have. I can look back and see how the Lord has touched my life and guided me to where I am now. All of the hard times, trails and tears have brought me such joy. I can recognize the need for the struggles and how much I have been blessed for going through them. So much growth has happened. My greatest 2 blessings of all have been my lovely & loving wife, Sarah, and our precious daughter Kiera. Sarah is my support. She gives me strength and adds so much meaning to life. She brings out the best in me, causing me to strive to be worthy of the covenants and blessings promised. I love her more than she will ever know.
Kiera... my sweet little daughter. She is just amazing. I am always so impressed by the fact that she is. That she is OUR daughter. It has changed my whole outlook on life and what is/isn't important. It is incredible what they say about love. That you will never love the same again once you have kids. It is true, but I am seeing things that I didn't expect. Not only do I love Kiera more than I ever thought possible, but having Kiera has caused me to love Sarah more than ever too. I see things in Sarah that are so amazing! She is such an incredible mother and wife. I am truly blessed to have her.
I love you two; Sarah & Kiera. You're my girls!
Kiera... my sweet little daughter. She is just amazing. I am always so impressed by the fact that she is. That she is OUR daughter. It has changed my whole outlook on life and what is/isn't important. It is incredible what they say about love. That you will never love the same again once you have kids. It is true, but I am seeing things that I didn't expect. Not only do I love Kiera more than I ever thought possible, but having Kiera has caused me to love Sarah more than ever too. I see things in Sarah that are so amazing! She is such an incredible mother and wife. I am truly blessed to have her.
I love you two; Sarah & Kiera. You're my girls!
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