20 Years and Counting

20 years together, two decades, seventy-three hundred days, however you want to list it. It’s a number that a lot of people strive for in a relationship. For us, it’s just another day.

It’s amazing that our journey has continued trucking along for this long. I could not ask for a better partner to call my wife. I can only imagine the life we will have together as our adventure continues. Happy anniversary Destiny, I love you always and forever!

Happy Birthday to My Wife!

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I thank my lucky stars each and every day that I have this beautiful lady in my life. She is my rock and my soul. She is my best friend and my biggest fan. A fantastic mother to our kids and a remarkable wife to me. There’s not a lot that I can say that hasn’t already been said. I wish my wife the most happiest of birthday’s today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

15 Years Together – Why I Love My Wife

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We were in high school when we started dating. May 12th, 2001 was when it all began. I remember walking down the hallway and I looked over at you and said “hi” only a few days earlier. It has been a wild ride since then. Fifteen years is an amazing amount of time to be with someone. We have had our battles, but we have also have had plenty of wonderful moments. Here are a few of those moments.

2001

The year we started dating. This photo is great because little does anyone know, Destiny is in excruciating pain from hurting her neck the day before.

2001-May 12th 2001

2002

My senior year of high school. I didn’t play football so that’s not my jersey. But my wife was definitely one of the best dancers in the pom squad! Also, apple juice and BBQ chips was a breakfast of champions.

2002-003-Spirit Day 2001

2003

Lazy days with Destiny. There were a lot of days like these. We would watch movie after movie. We’ve seen some of the best movies of all time together.

2003-Laying Around

2004

Breaking Benjamin concert! We’ve also seen some awesome shows. Our first concert together was The Anger Management concert with Eminem, but this Breaking Benjamin show was a concert I won’t ever forget.

2004- Breaking Benjamin

2005

Pointfest! I forgot a little bit from Pointfest. I probably had a little too much fun here. What can you expect from a newly minted 21 year old. How can you not go crazy when Mudvanye is performing?

2005-Pointfest

2006

Our love continues to grow. I really have no idea what we are doing here. We were probably having a good time somewhere together. I love being together with this little cutie.

2006

2007

Our wedding day. One of the best days of my life. You were an amazingly beautiful bride.

2007

2008

Relaxing in the park. More relaxing days just hanging out with you. We should do this a little more often.

2008

2009

Family pictures! We did a little photo shoot along some trails and were able to snap some really great pictures of us together. I remember that this was just a few weeks before we found out about our newest surprise.

2009

2010

Our baby girl will be born the day after this photo was taken. It was one of the most amazing things ever. Who would have thought that this was the last night we would be just two.

2010

 2011

Abby’s first Cardinals game! We love the Cardinals and have forced our kids to love them. Now Abby is a big fan and we couldn’t be happier. Indoctrinate them when they are young!

2011

2012

A trip to the zoo! As you can see Tiggy came with us to the zoo. Four years later and he is still a popular sidekick in Abby’s adventures.

2012

 2013

Fireworks and someone is pregnant again! We didn’t find out until after our vacation but Destiny is most definitely pregnant in this picture with our baby boy! Abby is also picking her nose… I think…

2013

2014

A lazy day with all of us. A year later and all four of us are relaxing. It’s not really relaxing when you’re chasing kids around the house all day everyday. This is one of the rare photos of all four of us together in one shot.

2014

2015

Our St. Louis Cardinals family! Teach them young like I say! We love our St. Louis Cardinals!

2015

2016

Dave and Busters family fun. Another one of the rare photos of all four of us in the moment. We love spending family time together!

2016

Greats Dads Need Super Partners

IMG_0082I am told often that I am a great dad and that there needs to be more involved dads in the home. I agree with that sentiment but there are more dads involved today than ever before, however there are still some who are just too busy and some that just arn’t there at all. I think the dads that are not involved with what is going with their kids are missing out on a lot of awesome stuff. There are some dads that just can’t be there. I get that. They are away for work or some other circumstance that keeps them out of the picture. Those dads definitely have amazing partners that help make parenting a little easier. Sometimes a dad can’t be there, but when they are it’s incredible for their children.

For me personally, I know that I cannot be a great dad without my super wife. While I am at work all day she is taking care of our kids along with a few extra kiddos for some friends. She has them doing projects, making sure they are eating good lunches, taking naps, and everything else you can imagine that needs to be done. Dishes, laundry, sweeping, and much more cleaning. The kids can test her patience but she takes it like a champ. She is fair and does what needs to be done without letting anything stop her.

IMG_0159If this was me, I honestly think I would have thrown in the towel. I can barely get my son’s shoes on without having to chase him around the house while he’s screaming like a velociraptor. She has the magic touch to get him to sit still while socks and shoes get put on. She makes my job as a dad significantly easier and I thank her so much for that. It makes being a great dad that much better. I do not have to turn up the volume of my voice when I have to lay down the law. The kids listen to me because of the ground work she lays down during the day. They’re ready to play because she has done the leg work for me. It’s a crazy balance of team work.

TIMG_0858here are days where the team falls apart, but I think that’s just Murphy’s Law working it’s magic. Not everything can be perfect all of the time, but most of the time things are running pretty smoothly and much of that credit is due to my super wife. The one who does it all. The one who shows me the ropes when I’m not sure what to do. She doesn’t have a costume, and her secret identity has been compromised an endless amount of times, but she is amazing and I love her for all of the hard work she puts into our family. It is all appreciated and I am thankful for everything she does.

But don’t forget that sometimes your super partner needs a super break. It’s important for me to recognize when my wife might be coming close to the edge and needs a break from the kids. You can see the frazzle in her face and the crazy coming out of her eyes. At that point I know it’s time to take over completely. I will get my wife a drink and send her off to watch her favorite shows or do something else she enjoys. It could be for a measly 15 minutes or for several days. We all need breaks to clear our head and shed off the stress of life. She helps me be a great dad, so it’s only fair for me to help her relax a bit so she can recharge and be the super mom she is.

What are some of the ways you help your partner out with the kids? Do you take over when stress kicks in? Comment below!