The Best Way to Celebrate Memorial Day

Last year, for Memorial Day, I ran a 10k that honored our nation’s fallen heroes. This year, I’m not running a race, but I will still pay my full respects to those who died in battle.

I won’t try to act like I know all the ins and outs of how our nation formed to what it is today, because I don’t, but I know that many men and women put their life on the line to make it possible for me to sit here and write this in the comfort of my home. For that, and for everything else they have done, I am forever grateful.

Although I’m not lining up at a commemorative race or have an American flag in my yard (I really need to get on that), I will celebrate Memorial Day the best way possible; with silence.

Just taking a moment of silence to think about the hardships so many had to go through and how appreciative I am to be staring at this precious food covered face every day as a result is the best way I can think of to celebrate today.

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Matter of fact, I think that celebrating the heroic efforts of so many should be a daily thing. I know not every day can be a holiday, but we can still be thankful for what other’s have sacrificed, right?

There are many other things at work (like my dear wife) that enable me to stay home to raise our retirement plan Avery, but without those we are remembering today, none of it would be possible.

So as you gather with friends and family over good food and drink, please take a moment to appreciate more than just an extra day off work (if you get that) and think about things we have that truly matter….love, live, and freedom. Unless you have baby gates all over your home which block you just as much as it does them.

Happy Memorial Day!

Reading To Herself: #MySundayPhoto – 05.24.15

We’ve had books around her since she was born and we have always been reading to her, but lately she’s doing it herself. No actual words usually come out, but she’s jibber-jabbering away and flipping pages as if they were.

This photo was hard to capture because right when the camera comes out, she’ll stop and find something else less picturesque to do.

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The quality isn’t the greatest since I took it as fast as possible, but it’s precious nonetheless.

I know this is MySundayPhoto, not Photos, but I was able to snap this shot on my phone after she brought me a book to read and sat in my lap which I feel compelled to share.

She’s starting to actually sit through an entire book as we read too, yay!

Do you kids bring several books for you to read?

What’s your current favorite book?

OneDad3Girls

How Do Kids Learn to Dance?

My dance skills can be likened to what you’d see if you filled a burlap sack full of angry cats. Like this one, times ten….

Do it, see what happens.
Do it, see what happens.

How Do Kids Learn to Dance?

It’s ugly.

Actually, I found an old college photo of me “dancing” with a friend.

Dancing with Jesse

Yes, I had a goatee. No, there is nothing sexual about this picture. Yes, drinking was involved (see beer in hand).

Anyway, I’m sure I made my point; I suck at dancing. Sorry, Kelley. I was getting worried that Avery would fall down the same rabbit hole and be stuck with Daddy’s lack of moves, but she’s already better than me. Even a few months ago when she got down with Jay-Z.

Don’t worry, I was dancing like in the previous photo.

That little stand in one spot and squat move is about all I’ve showed her for dancing, and really it was meant more for the actually squatting exercise. But hey, no matter if you’re good or not, dancing is a great form of exercise!

Lately, Avery has branched from just standing in one spot. I’m not sure if it’s just the “pecking” order of getting older, but both Kelley and I have never showed how to dance like a chicken.

Sadly, that’s better than what I could do. And she even adds a little twist to her dancing. Again, no clue where it came from, but always fun to watch.

Not kidding, she’ll press the buttons on that cat to make it play music over and over…….and over again all day just so she can dance. She takes it seriously too, there’s no messing around when it’s dance time! Unless it’s to bust a move, that is.

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All I know is that seeing her dance every day is a huge help to keep things light around here. I try not to talk about it too much, even though I have, but this whole staph infection thing is seriously limiting things I normally do. Just sitting down to read books to Avery is a pain in the ass…..not kidding.

I still exercise and go on several walks daily because, stubborn, but I know I’m not performing my best. That and I can tell it affects my mood if I’m not mindful enough. Do you ever get that way about something? Whether it’s physical or mental, you let it show through in your attitude?

We’re probably all guilty of it, but hopefully I can come to terms and better manage this since I still have a while for everything to heal. That said, I’ll end the post here today. Hoping for an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend with Going Mom and Avery. We don’t have a lot planned, just hopefully catching up on some Walking Dead episodes and then going over to Kelley’s parents to have her dad take pictures of Avery.

He has a nice studio setup and always enjoys having such a lovely subject to photograph. The subject, on the other hand, isn’t always the most cooperative…..

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Have a great weekend and Memorial Day!

Any plans for the long weekend?

Ever let your mood get the best of you at the expense of those around you?