2016
Summer Writing Inspiration
I was on a good streak for a while there, at least it was a good streak for me. Then June came and went and it is almost halfway through July and I really haven’t written much on my site at all. That is not to say I haven’t posted anything as I have made a point to post something every week for the Wordless Wednesday. I have actually found this task enjoyable as I search through all of our old photos (172,939 as of 07/20/2016) and find something I feel is interesting to share. Then I try to remember/figure out where I exactly was when I took the picture. I really should expand on my photo searching topic and write more about the full experience instead of a caption. Lately, I just haven’t found the time motivation to write much more than a caption so it fits perfectly into how I have adapted the Wordless Wednesday.
Spending all of this time searching through old pictures it does kind of allow me to procrastinate other tasks like actually writing something, reading, or finishing up some work (as the day job has been busy too). I won’t discredit the fact that I might be procrastinating a little bit I do feel that even though summer seems like a great time to reflect, think, and motivate yourself to write/blog I feel it does the opposite to me. It does give me time to reflect, think but it instead motivates me to do other but more family-focused as my wife and kids are out of school for the summer. Then oddly enough I probably have more things to write about as I am thinking/doing more stuff in the summer, I have found the lack of time/motivation at the end of the day to sit in front of the blank white screen and just type.
Has anyone else found it harder to find the time or motivation to sit down and write during the summer months and if so why? Or do you find that it is easier to write in the summer months and why? Just wondering if I am the only one.
Wordless Wednesday 07/20
*Fresh snowfall covering the tree branches (March 2016, Eden Prairie, MN)*
We found a nice overlook to stop for a snack on our bike ride yesterday.
Went on a long bike ride with these two yesterday and found some great trails near by.
Family adventure Saturday (adults only): Twins vs Indians where we got rained on but still had a great time hanging out with Family
Family adventure Saturday: First stop Tommy’s Malt Shop which was a hit for everyone.
Family adventure Saturday: Second stop Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store, which was a huge hit for the kids!
I can see where these girls are going to spend the rest of the summer…
Add your own caption as to what the Boo is thinking here…
Wordless Wednesday 07/13
*Waves crashing against the shore below Pemaquid Point Lighthouse (July 2004, Bristol, ME)*
Early morning run through the wooded trail less traveled… #peaceful
Watching Annie Jr with the whole family today
The Boo is taking a page from Mommy and just relaxing tonight after dinner.
Wordless Wednesday 07/06
*Rushing Minnehaha Creek from the historic Edina Mills Site (July 2016, Edina Mills Site, Edina, MN)*
Looks like I may have lost another @uspondhockey hat….
June Reflections
It has been a really crazy past couple of weeks probably month as I look back and I am still trying to digest all of what has happened. To give a little background a couple of weekends ago my 4-year-old daughter had her very first dance recital on the same day we celebrated my son’s 7th birthday with all of our family. It is always good to have our family in town for these events as it always seems we never see each other enough and these events are a great way to force us getting together.
Then Sunday came and I found out that a college friend of mine had passed away from a brain aneurysm (he was 34). He was at home visiting his family and had some headaches. He finally went to the ER but at that point, it was too late. Then later on Sunday, my wife’s cousin and her husband had their third born who was a beautiful baby girl. However, as we all knew prior to the birth the baby was going to be born with a hole in her heart and her time was going to be very limited to hours, days, or if lucky a couple of weeks. So as expected but something we were all secretly hoping would not happen, the child passed away the following day. I was glad that my wife was able to make it down to Iowa and visit her but honestly it was still hard to process that the parents only had less that 24 hours with their baby. As a father of 3, it was hard to think of only having 24 hours with any of my three kids let alone even the 7, 4, or almost 2 years that I have had with each respectively. To the parents credit, based on the pictures I saw of the child’s 24 hours on earth, they made sure to use/spend each one of those hours to the fullest holding the child, giving it lots of love and attention knowing/not knowing when their time would be up.
The weekend of the funeral, my wife and I attended while our kids were hanging out with my parents. Typically we don’t shield death from our kids as it is something that happens and we they have lost a Grandparent (my wife’s mother, my mother-in-law) in their short lifetime. In this case, it is something that they didn’t need to see as it was hard enough for me as an adult to see such a small child less than a day old, no bigger than a doll, in a casket.
Tragic events like that really make me stop and think how short life is sometimes and you never know what is around the corner no matter how much you plan.
*Early morning sunrise over the trees (June 2016, Eden Prairie, MN)*
