Turning the Corner to 27

I started this post on the last eve of my 26th year and now four days have flown by. For me a birthday is always a time of reflection. What happened? Did it turn out well? What's ahead?

The biggest milestone of the year was the birth of our son Milo on January 12. He's 6 months now and is growing twice as fast as we expected. This "little" guy is almost in 1-year clothes already! He warms our hearts with his cheerful smile and loves watching his older brother Skyler run and dance!

We also brought a puppy into our family in the spring. Luna is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, born just a couple weeks after Milo, and fits right in with the boys as she chases Skyler and makes Milo giggle. The cats still aren't big fans of her, but they're learning to keep their distance.

Even though each day has its challenges, it's a blessing for Kasey to be home with the kids.  She gets to be there for them as they grow and learn, which is priceless. A couple years ago I had a hard time imagining us having two kids and a dog, but here we are. It's been great so far and I can't imagine going back.

My job has been going pretty well and I can see myself staying where I am for a while. I'm grateful to be able to work on a variety of projects while pushing the limits of my skills. Like any job, there are ups and downs, but overall I think I'm on a good team. The University of Minnesota is a pretty unique place to work and some days I have to remind myself to not take it for granted.

So, my 26th year was pretty great. I have a lot to be thankful for and I look forward to what this year brings!

Enjoying the Silence

Quiet.

Since becoming a parent of two and adopting a puppy, I've developed a great appreciation for this concept. If you were to sit in our living room during a typical hour of the day, you would hear the sounds of our older son shrieking as he runs around the living room, barks of our puppy as she follows close behind him and the cries of our younger son as he reminds us that it has been long enough since his last feeding.

With so many little ones in the house, chaos has become the new normal for us. I don't know how my wife handles it day in and day out, but I am infinitely grateful that she does. The small windows of time when all of the planets are aligned and all of the kids are asleep are precious. No one is screaming or stomping or throwing things or getting into things they shouldn't. It's just pure, blissful silence.

If you have kids, I'm sure you know what I mean. If not, then you will. When moments of quiet come, just sit back and enjoy them. They allow for reflection on the blessing that kids are, however noisy they may be.

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