Long time coming….
Something Personal for our Anniversary
Krista and I have been married for 16 years. It’s been a great ride that we never would have survived without each other.
It’s important to celebrate your anniversary. (If you don’t believe me, just try missing one on purpose. I’ll offer you a discount on marital counseling.) Some years, you go simple. Other years, more extravagant. No matter what, most couples would tell you that you can’t miss it.
But how do you keep it significant? Meaningful?
I’ve found that to have a successful anniversary celebration, you need to do something bigger than big. It has to be something personal. I’m not married to everyone in the world; I’m married to the best girl in the world. She has a name and interests and passions. I wanted to find something that celebrates her insane choice to marry me so many years ago that says “Thank you”, “I Love You” and so much more.
So what did I choose this year?
I almost landed on a couples massage. That would have worked, but that’s not super cheap. They also had no openings on the day of our anniversary. That’s when I found Personalization Mall.
They offer all sorts of things that you can make special for your anniversary. I ended up ordering this frame and Krista loved it. We organized our favorite pictures in an iCloud album and then printed them (sometimes 2 or 3 times due to sizing) and had a blast putting it together.
The finished product? It turned out pretty good, despite my mug being in there.
If you want a meaningful anniversary celebration, don’t just do the generic. Do something specifically personal. It will last a lifetime.
(PS – Krista’s had different hair styles over the years and they all look good. But what was I thinking letting mine grow out? Sheesh)
A Proud Dad…
This past week, our whole family enjoyed General Council in Long Beach, CA. We are thankful to Trinity Alliance Church for giving us the opportunity, and we are going to save a full recap for them first.
However, I did want to share one story…
After one powerful session, we grabbed some dinner at Famous Dave’s BBQ (which is now my favorite BBQ place). I asked Josh what God had been saying to him, and this was his reply,
When people make you feel insignificant, Jesus remakes you with new purpose.
I was very proud at that clear thought from my 10 year old. Thankful for that lesson!
A Quick Update
I’m enjoying the new pace of life in Rochester. It’s more relaxed and has given ample time to refresh and recharge after our move. Here’s some brief details of what’s been happening since we made the switch:
- Krista found employment almost immediately and after a not-so-fun 2 weeks of driving to Albany for the work week, and driving back to Rochester for the weekends, she started her new job at University of Rochester Medical Center. It’s not the same level of responsibility, so she’s looking to move up the corporate ladder once her probationary period is over (which is around 6 months)
- We were able to visit our families over the Christmas holidays, and enjoyed that the drive was not 7 hours!!!!
- We endured the coldest February on record in Rochester. Yay?
- Josh is enjoying his new school and is excelling in the work. His reading comprehension has skyrocketed after some pull out group sessions. He even volunteered to be in a dance/tumbling school activity! Not bad, Josh!
- Easter was Trinity’s highest attendance at 161, with around 16 people volunteering at both services. A great success, as many people came back!
- I’ve learned a lot personally about ministry, and I have a renewed sense of vision, prayer and “what could be”.
The move has been good and we’re excited for what’s next!
PS – Cats
World Series Pick: Misguided and Misinformed
My MLB postseason picks were wrong. Again. But why let reality step in the way of my prediction train?
What did we see? The KC Royals have not lost a game in the postseason. They took out the Orioles, a team that many pundits believed would be in the World Series. Their bullpen and their defense makes up for their lack of offense. The Giants took out the Nationals and the Cardinals, who were both deep teams but ran into the experience of Bochy and boys.
So… in the spirit of predicting the surefire loser, here is your 2014 World Series Champion:
[Read more…] about World Series Pick: Misguided and Misinformed
MLB Playoff Predictions – The Misguided and Misinformed Edition
Ah, the playoffs. As a Blue Jays fan, I am once again on the outside looking in from the perspective of emotional interest. (/endbluejayspityparty). But it is tradition to take a stab at picking the teams that will advance to, and ultimately win, the World Series.
I say “take a stab” because I haven’t been right in picking the winner yet when choosing at the beginning of the playoffs. My analysis has usually been misguided and misinformed. Therefore, I’m only picking the teams that will advance without any armchair commentary on my part. My picks (and in # of games, for funsies) are:
AL Wildcard Game: Kansas City over Oakland
NL Wildcard Game: Pittsburgh over San Fransisco
AL Divisional Series: Los Angeles Angels over Kansas City (3 games); Detroit over Baltimore (4 games)
NL Divisional Series: Washington over Pittsburgh (3 games); Los Angeles Dodgers over St. Louis (4 games)
AL Championship Series: Los Angeles Angels over Detroit (5 games)
NL Championship Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Washington (7 games)
World Series: Los Angeles Angels over Los Angeles Dodgers (6 games)
Question: Who do you think will win it all?