Sunday, August 28, 2011


I did it!! I did the10 mile Grim. I mean Crim race on Saturday. It was one of those goals that you set for yourself, and then when it comes time to actually partake in your goal...you ask yourself that familiar question..."What the Hell was I thinking?"

I am not a runner...never was...and most likely...never will be. I cannot think of one good reason why I chose a 10 mile run to be my "scratch that of the bucket list" goal. Do I like misery that much that I have to set goals like that to obtain it? Why couldn’t I have picked "finishing cleaning the garage" or the "Paint the house" type of goal vs. this one? I could have enjoyed the mental misery just as much. But oh no....I decided that physical misery would suit me just fine this time.

Ready to get this thing started.
The day started at 5:30 am to make sure I had drunk enough coffee so that I could poop. (Hey..I know its gross...but runners have to think of these things. Have you ever seen anybody run that had to go poop?,..yeah...they don’t have very good form ) SO...I got dressed in my tee shirt and running shorts...only to look down and see that my running shorts that I had put a second mortgage on my house to get, made my legs look this angelic white color. NIIIIICE !!! So I was feeling a little sick to my stomach at this point thinking....Not only am I going to come in last place in this race...but they will also have something to write about in the paper...like "Crim Loser shows off a new shade of white" But I said to myself....self...You are going to DO THIS....white legs and all. Besides....there is going to be 20,000 people there...there is bound to be someone there that looks more out of place than me....I hope.
(Note to self...Don’t ever buy Black shorts again) (Please dont think that I was stupid enough to post any pictures showing any part of my pearly white legs in this Blog ...I am way ahead of you :)
And I was RIGHT !!!!


After convincing myself that I was going to "bring Sexy back" with my white legs...We were off to the races!! My daughter Taylor ran with me and it was her first time too. She offered me some crackers and cheese before the race......she said "Dad you are going to need some energy so eat it". Although just the thought of it made me want to hurl.... I knew she was right.....I should eat something. "Can’t I just get a Hot Dog at the race?" is what I wanted to ask.
 But for the sake of looking like I wasn’t "In it to Win it" ...I ate them.

Race Time...Runners on your mark....(I was all pumped up...with "Eye of the Tiger song playing in my head) Get Set....(Yeah Baby....I doing it....I’m really doing it )Go!!!!!.............................................................................................................................................

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7 minutes go by until we actually reach the Start Line (yeah...that many people)...The "Eye of the Tiger" song was over now  and all I could think of is ...."What the Hell was I thinking?"


Taylor and I thought we would be better suited to start out walking to give our feeble bodies a chance to warm up. Good call on that one...whew...so far I’m doing well. After about the first 1/2 mile I was feeling really good and suggested that we pick up the pace a bit...so we ran about a 1/4 mile and then walked again. I was still feeling even better when I looked over my shoulder and saw hundreds of people behind us.

Taylor and I continued to do our run/walk thing throughout the whole race. And even after 7 miles...I was still feeling pretty confident of myself and Taylor. In Fact...I must be honest with you...a day or two before the race I had thoughts of Taylor not wanting to finish. I thought to myself..."Did I sign her up for failure?" "Is she going to able to keep up the pace I want to set for myself?" I was even resigned to not finish the race myself if something happened and Taylor couldn’t do it. Ummm well I was a little off on my estimation of her will power. She not only kept up a face pace...she was pushing me as well.

Mile 8...Hey...who put this wall here? I ran smack dab into it! Im talking about that proverbial wall that runners (and now walkers) get when they have reached that certain point while trying to reach super stardom.

My body started to ache and my feet were suddenly on fire. What the Hell was I thinking?

Two more miles Ian...you can do this...You...Must ...push....On... (Said in a voice in extreme pain)...and I did....and when I hit the 9 mile marker...I knew I could do it. Even though Taylor told me...sorry dad...I got to run and took off towards the finish line. Really Taylor? This is not how I envisioned it going...I thought that I was going to have to carry you across the finish line.

In no time she was out of sight and I was left alone...well not quite alone...

The pain in my hips were talking to me ...I heard them say...Not so fast ...Mr." I Think I am a Runner but you’re Not"

"If you think for one minute that you are going to cross that finish line without me introducing you to my friends "Pain in Calves and Lower Back strain" you have another thing coming." He was right...they both said their hello's and were nice enough to stay with me all the way until...oh wait...they are still with me...But I am sure they will be leaving soon. (One can hope anyway)

I saw the finish line...my heart was telling me to run.... so I tried. I think I went about four steps before saying. "Ouch...dang that hurts" I stopped running. 

Suddenly I thought..."Wait Ian"..."This is your moment"....You know that moment that you thought you said that you could do if you were ever faced with this type of adversity"? This was it for me. This was my defining Moment...are you a man or a mouse? Well...I did eat cheese this morning... Quit it Ian!

I took off running, blocking out the pain I felt with every stride... I suddenly started to here that song again...It’s the...Eye of the Tiger it’s... (You know the one) ...and at first I thought I would have to stop again....but then I remembered ....Kim would be waiting for me near the finish line...I couldn’t let her see the pain I was in... How embarrassing would that have been? Well...I ran by her but it was still embarrassing because afterwards she said I looked like a wounded Rhinoceros running.

I crossed the Finish Line ...I DID IT!!!! I FINISHED!!! I wanted to scream MEDIC!! But I refrained. Because the thrill of getting my medal made up for all the pain I was feeling. That was my Goal...Finish and get the Medal!! Mission Complete!!!


Taylors Time: 2:26:32

My Time 2:28:49
Whats its all about !!!







First on the Agenda...Scratch that off my Bucket List.
Showing off our Medals

Second on my list...Find a masseuse that will work on a Rhinoceros


P.S. We also stopped by Timbers Place after the race to show off our medals...I know she is so Proud!!




Saturday, August 27, 2011

The Family Shrub


       I was talking to my daughter yesterday on my cell phone. She was ranting about numerous things, but I got the biggest chuckle from her when she started talking about child birth. I am not sure why she was talking about this subject but like I said...she was ranting and I was being a good father and listening. (I must admit...not all that well until she hit this subject...then I was all ears.)
Let me first say from my personal opinion...I agree with her on all this...how she feels about giving birth...the pain, body disfigurement, breastfeeding. the pain...did I mention the pain?  I have said this before... but to me....what women must endure to bare a child...just doesn't seem right...Why couldn't God just use his miraculous power and have a baby appear in the cradle one morning, instead of having women go through something that just freaks me out :) Or better yet...with today's technology....why couldn't we just download one from the Internet?  I know that a lot of women feel that its just a natural thing that happens and the pain is something you must go through to have a baby. A small price to pay for such a outcome.
 Well...Taylor is not that kind of girl. She was saying to me: (and all I could do was chuckle)


"Why would I want something growing inside of me...I would feel like a freak show delinquent."
"Why would I want to put my body through all that disfigurement?"
"Why would I want to have my sagging boobs when they are perfectly fine right now?"
" Why would I just sign up for that Pain?"
 I told her she could always have a C-section! "
Are you Crazy" she said..."And have a big fat scar across my belly?..."Oh Hells no" she said"


 It seems she has taken after her father after all...a big wussy when it comes to pain :)
I really didn't have good answers for her on the spot.(Not that I want her to get pregnant...cause I don't...not yet anyways.....only when shes ready...if ever....just sayin)
But I tried convincing her that the pain would be forgotten....I even asked Kim for some support ...I said Kim..."Do you remember the pain of childbirth?
And without hesitation she says....Yep.....but it goes away real quick. "See Dad" Taylor said.
 OK thanks Kim...(Not quite the answer we were looking for)....so OK Taylor. There it is...there will be pain involved during child birth. There is no getting around it.
Then Taylor started ranting about the gazillion dollars a child cost to own. Again...I had no answer for her. My last resort was to tell her that our family tree will look more like a Family Shrub if she didn't have any children.. But she didn't buy into the "throw the guilt" thing either.
So what do you say to someone who is afraid of childbirth? Having thought long and hard on it...Here's what I wish I had said.

The urge to have children that women have is all biological. It's the same as wanting to eat, sleep, and live. I think that if you are wanting a logical answer to your question of "Why" then you're really asking for the meaning of life. And sorry...I don't have it. But what I can tell you is why I wanted kids.

Timberly
I wanted to see myself reflected in my children
I wanted to know what its like to be a kid again.
I want them to know whats its like growing up with a family....my family!!
I wanted the smile and smell of a baby to awaken to. (The good smell of course) (you know the smell)
I wanted the joy and satisfaction of watching them grow up to be adults.
I wanted to think about the "Endless Possibilities" that a child brings.
I wanted to hear "Daddy's Home" when I walked through the door.
And because dirty feet and dirty faces on children make me smile.

Taylor
No...its not all good...there is more pain, and heartache you will also have to endure. And lets not forget about the tiredness, sleep deprived days and nights you have to survive. Let alone the financial and emotional needs and the patiences that children require.
I am pretty sure all women (and even men) have this same fear at some point when they are deciding to have children or not.
The fact that you are asking all the "why" questions...tells me you are preparing for the possibility of it happening one day anyway. And when you find the right man and come to terms with the options that childbirth brings...I am positive you will make the RIGHT decision based on the answers YOU come up with as to WHY? Until then....I will be guarding the Family tree or Shrub...both are precious to me, . :)




Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Dietbetes

I was watching TV yesterday morning and they were interviewing the author of a controversial book called "Maggie goes on a Diet". (I have not read the book but they showed quite a few clips from the book for me to get the idea of the books plot) Maggie gets bullied at school and is called "Fatty", "Chubby" and other cruel names. (Kids can be just down right mean can’t they?) Anyway...to make a short story even shorter....Maggie ends up going on a better diet and ends up being popular and a star player on the soccer team. A real "comeback story" right? Why the controversy?
I understand why people think that this sends the wrong message to children....Lose weight and you will become popular. Lose weight and you can be good in sports....and Lose weight and people will like you. All the wrong messages we don’t want our obese children of America to think...or is it?
I for one don’t understand what’s wrong with this book. And here’s why.
Let’s exchange the title of the book from "Maggie goes on a Diet" with the words “Maggie Eats Healthy". It pretty much changes the whole concept of the book doesn’t it? But that’s what Maggie does...she starts to eat healthier foods in her diet. We tend to think that the word "diet" means....not eating or sticking to eating very little and only eating vegetables all day to achieve a goal weight. It’s just associated in the wrong context. What we put in our mouths every day is our diet. Maggie was obviously consuming way too much of the wrong foods. Therefore she needed to change her diet. When she does that...the weight comes off and she is now able to live the life that she had always dreamed of.
The fact is...when she changed her diet....she started living up to her potential....being popular...being a star on the Soccer team...all of it was in her...but her weight was holding her back. One could argue that just because you lose weight that people are not automatically going to like
you....however...people are not going to like someone who doesn’t like themselves either. Maggie didn’t like herself...she wanted to lose weight. Once she did that, she became more positive and her self-esteem grew to new heights.
So for the haters of this new controversial book...I say to you....We are the most obese nation in the world....Our children are the biggest and laziest generation that there has ever been. What’s wrong with telling our children the truth....? "You need to change your diet”
What we have been doing in America....isn’t working!! Let’s quit sugar coating it and give it to them straight. "If you don’t change your diet...you will die”!!
All children want to be popular...they all want to be good at something. Those are normal goals that they all have. Being at a healthy weight gives them a great start at achieving their goals. I have never seen a really good overweight soccer player... have you? So if my daughter was overweight and I knew she wanted to be good at Soccer...I would not have a problem with sitting her down and telling her how she can achieve that goal. Even if it consisted of me telling her that she needed to go on a better diet.
And to be totally honest....maybe the author should have titled the book “Maggie’s parents don't really love her so she's used food for comfort and now risks a stroke before 30"
Parents play a very important role in this as well. And it starts by caring enough about your children to make sure they are not putting the wrong kinds of food in their mouth on a consistent basis. Making sure that their "Diet" is a healthy one.
Well Done Maggie...I’m proud of you!!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Ready for Vacation

I am on VACATION....don't be jealous OK. :)
Seems like getting ready to be on vacation is more work than its worth sometimes. I always seem to be more stressed the week before I go on vacation from work. Trying make sure that I have not forgotten things, making sure everyone is able to take over all the duties, and making sure the whole plant wont go under while I'm gone. (I know it wouldn't...but still..... you think so anyways) And once my vacation starts... it always takes me a few days to de-stress to even feel like I am on vacation.

Friday was me and Kim's wedding anniversary, so we did what we always do on our anniversary date....we went to the Beer tent during the Lapeer Days Festival. How romantic you may say....or maybe not. But we always enjoy seeing old class mates there and we always seem to have a good time. This year we went with Taylor and her boyfriend. And yes...we had a wonderful time. We even hit the  bar for a nightcap , where I sang "Always and Forever" to Kim. (Note to self....Don't ever sing when you've been drinking....especially a song that you haven't sang in twenty some years.) Luckily there was only a few people there to here the treacherous notes I was trying to sing. But hey...its the thought that counts right?

No, I don't have any big plans for my vacation, I just plan on relaxing and getting ready for the Crim race on Saturday.Taylor and I decided we would do it together and I cant let her down...so I will be walking/running everyday just to make sure I can go the 10 mile distance. Uggh!! But I will be thinking of the finish line...that's what its all about for me....just FINISHING!!!

I also participated in the Lapeer Days Parade this past weekend. (And let me say right now...This is soooo not my kind of thing) It was a last minute thought... but our Lupus Support Group walked in the parade to promote our "Pet Parade for Lupus" we are doing on October 15th. (last year we had 72 entries and was a Hoot)
My morning started with me trying to find Kim (Keep in mind that we did go to the Beer tent the night before so my sense of direction was slightly misguided)...Someone had to be there early and hold our spot (thanks Kim)...And I am not a morning person so my plans were to show up just before the Parade would start with our dogs. I walked all the way down the entire Parade line up looking for her....not a sight of her. I called her and she was trying to tell me directions of where she was..."You know where Parkway street is? she asked....I replied  "Ahh...No...I do not know all the side street names in down town Lapeer" (I was getting frustrated at this point) But as I am standing there talking with her...It dawned on me... (as my eyes gazed up at the street sign that said Parkway street) (let alone all the parade contestants all lined up down this street). I was standing on the street corner that she was speaking of. Arrrgh!! And then it hit me....I really need this Vacation. :)

Here's a few pictures of the Pets that we walked with....just some adorable pooches!!




During the parade I found myself enjoying something I wasn't really looking forward to. I think I'm ready now.... So Bring on the VACATION !!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

I will Take "Quality Time" for 200 Alex


There is an old cliche that I hear all the time, and it really bothers me when it is used loosely. Its the one that everyone says when it comes to their children...you may hear it in a sentence something like this:" I am going to spend some quality time with my children." Its the whole "Quality Time" thing that has me questioning.What does "Quality Time" mean to people? Isn't all time spent with your children "Quality Time"?  Well...To me it is...but I have heard stories of people saying that they watched a movie with their kids last night and they followed it by saying it was quality time spent with the kids. Ummmm NO !!!

Maybe Mothers may think something different than the Fathers when it comes to describing what QT means to them. But since I am not a Mother (but have been called a Mutha) I will attempt to describe what it means to me. I think that there are three elements....

First...QT time with the kids, spouse, or any other person you Love, all starts with good intentions, and should never be done because you think you HAVE to.If you think you HAVE to....you actually have a whole lot of other things you need to fix first.  Real QT time starts with Love and ends with even more Love. So in other words...your heart has to be ALL IN.

Second...You must have interaction from both parties...you cant have QT with only one person talking. Everyone must have a chance to speak. (I have been telling my wife this for years....She still doesn't get it...lol) When you find yourself just listening...its not called "Quality Time" ...its called counseling, and you should be getting paid $75 an hour having to listen to it. :)

Third...You must be doing something fun. By Fun,...I mean something that you all have an interest in doing. I have always wanted to take my kids hunting with me...but they have no interest in watching me kill a deer. (or Bambi as they like to call them) Nor do they have the patience it takes to do so. So Hunting would not be a viable solution to spend QT with them. But sitting around the campfire having a couple of brew-has and talking about life would be great fun for them. (And me too..especially the brew-has) And it never fails...we always seem to hit a subject that is both discussion worthy. Its life in general we are talking about so there is always something interesting to talk about and I always seem to learn something about my kids. How they think, how they express themselves, what type of vocabulary they use, and most of all...how they Laugh. When I think of my children's laughter... its puts a immediate smile on my face.


I just hate it when people think that QT is defined as watching TV or working in the yard with their kids. You are not putting any investment in it when you do that. No interaction, No Fun!!!
You must invest your undivided attention to them and hear what they have to say and imagine. When I spend QT time with my nieces and nephews...I like to tell stories with them, we each take turns telling parts of a made up story. You can change where the story is going when its your turn...but until that time you can sit and listen to their imagination run wild. Its quite fun and we always have tons of laughs. On my part...I am investing my time and energy in putting a memory in their minds that they will remember the rest of their lives. And any time you can do that with your kids, spouse , grand kids,brothers and sisters....Its REAL "Quality Time"

Monday, August 15, 2011

Stupid Happens


 I took my first stress test today. I have always wanted to have one done. I'm not sure why but I just thought it may tell me if I am fit enough to live another 25 years or so. So it got me thinking...what is stress? And why do they call it a stress TEST? Are they really checking my stress level? Or are they just checking my heart? I know the answer ...its just seems funny that they call it a Stress Test when in reality...I get my stress level checked everyday at work. If I don't die from stress during the day...I passed the daily stress test. :)
At work, I have a high level of stress everyday...with having to deal with so many people and trying to get things done to meet deadlines and customer requirements, it makes me stressed with every task. It would seem like if they really wanted to call it a "stress test"...they would come to my place of work and when I finish talking to one of the "Stupid"ones....or when I find out that one of the "Stupid" ones screwed up and we cant ship parts because they did something stupid  (thus the "Stupid" name).....that's when they should check my heart. That would tell them at what level of stupidness my heart can handle and then I can avoid it if I can when that stupidness level becomes to high. With all the High Tech gadgets that they have to check your heart.....you would think that they could come up with a stupid-o-meter or something. I could carry it around and hold it up to the people before I speak with them and it would register the stupid level of said person. I could then avoid the stupid conversation or the stupid question they were going to ask and walk away. (And who ever said that there is no such thing as a stupid question....obviously worked alone...just saying)



The problem with stress is that you don't realize that its happening to you until it actually happens and then its to late. Your heart rate increases rapidly, your blood pressure rises and then you are left with the "ARRGH" feeling it leaves you with. So what do you do then? I usually take a few deep breaths and let my heart rate decrease and BP go down. (and I hope that another Stupid situation doesn't happen while I'm doing this)   They say that exercise reduces stress....ummm...I just don't get that. When I exercises...my heart rate increases and my blood pressure rises....its alot like work. In fact... just thinking about exercises  makes me stressed. So I surely cant understand how that helps reduce stress. So I will stick to my breathing exercises to rid the stress from my body. But lets be honest here...we don't really get rid of stress do we? No...we just forget about it. And to be really honest....until they event that Stupid-O-Meter....breathing is all I have.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Gift that Gives Back


I stated in in my "Wish Bucket" blog that I would like to give away a large amount of money to someone. (No...I don't have that "Large amount yet" just in case you were thinking I hit the lottery. )
But I did something last weekend that made me feel really good. And reminded me why I have that listed in my "Wish Bucket".

I played in a golf tournament to help support Make a Wish Foundation last weekend. I played the previous year with the same team (Wonderfully Good People) and we came in 2nd place....and as always ...we gave the money we won back to the Make a Wish Foundation. This year we came in 1st place and again gave the money back to the foundation. It always feels good when you "give". Doesn't matter what its for, whether its a gift for Christmas, or helping a someone out when they need it, they all make us feel really good on the inside.
So I cant help but think how that not only pleases our own hearts, but I also think God makes us feel good when we give because its what he wants us to do...our reward so to speak. And of course that's why it feels so good :) So yes..one day I wish I could give away a large amount of money to someone in need and then just walk away with that wonderful feeling of giving.
But...you are probably thinking that by us giving the money back to the Make a Wish Foundation was the thing that made me feel really good...well...yes it did but it wasn't exactly "The" thing I was talking about. After the tournament there were many gifts for silent auction....and since I also won the 50/50 drawing...I decided to spend it on the donated gifts. I ended up getting a "Earth" video game, a die cast model car, and a pair of ear rings. (no..the ear rings weren't for me..I bought them for Kim...just saying)
The video game I will give to me niece and nephew...who happen to know by name, just about any creature on the earth...so I thought it was fitting. But the die cast model car????? I had no idea what the heck I was going to do with it...so when I picked it up...I thought to myself....Self? (cause that's what I call myself) Why did you buy that? I immediately had visions of this sitting in my closet collecting dust right next to the other useless stuff I have in there. So...as I picked it up and had those thoughts, I saw the father of the Little Girl that last years Make a Wish event sponsored.(She went to Florida to swim with the dolphins) Along with him was his son. It only took a split second for me to spit out the words...."You like Cars"? The boy looked at me with wonderment in his eyes and said "yes". "Well here ya go then" and I handed him the car. The look in his eyes when he said "Really?"  just made my day. I said..."You said you liked cars...so enjoy it" And I walked away.

I came home and gave Kim the ear rings (which I still don't know if she liked them...but she did say thanks) Then we went to a wedding reception which we gave also...so really it was just a day of giving. And I just cant think of a better day than that. The Gift of giving is so powerful... and what I realized was that the gift doesn't have to be a Large gift....even a small gift can be just as rewarding as a Large one. God rewards us for all of them just the same. :)
  

Sunday, August 7, 2011

My Rock

Today I wanted to write about My Rock. And like all rocks they are always the same, you can move them anywhere you want, however they are still a rock. They dont change, and they can give you that stronghold you may need when you are slipping. No, I am not going to post about the rock I found when I was a kid and still have...I am posting about the life rock I have.... my wife Kim. I have always wanted to post about her because of the importance she has had on my life.

I met Kim in High school when I was a sophomore. She was a cheerleader and was making posters for the basketball game coming on that Friday with her sister.  Kim has a identical twin sister named Kelly (very identical) Well, myself and my Best friend Paul and the rest of the wrestling team were running in the halls as we normally did, when we ran by these hot looking chicks. I had seen them from a distance before but they didn't really interest me...you know being freshmen and all. :) But once we started flirting with them...that changed...a lot!!!

I immediately fell in Love with both their smiles and personalities.It was love at first site! But wait.... it couldn't be that much of a story book romance right? Well it wasn't...Kim started going out with Paul, and I started going out with Kelly a while later. And after awhile when Kelly wouldn't "put out" (sorry Kelly) , we broke off that short lived relationship. Kim and Paul continued their dysfunctional relationship for a few months later and finally that came to an end as well. They fought alot and Kim would always get mad at me because I would have Paul's attention more than she wanted me to. lol

I was consoling her one evening after they broke it off, and she was sitting in my car at Hadley elementary school parking lot (not sure why we ended up there...but I think it was because I was trying to take advantage of her...um condition)(What can I say...hormones was running wild at this time in my life) So that's where I first kissed her and that was when she also told me that she was still in Love with Paul...OK so after that stellar announcement, me and my hormones took her and dropped her off home.

After playing hard to get...which only lasted about a week...because she finally came to her senses...lol We started dating and only broke up a few.....dozen OK.. hundred times throughout our 5 year dating time. But we always seemed to find a way to forgive and forget about each others faults and found ourselves back in each others arms.

As I said earlier...I was very much attracted to Kim's smile. But she also had other features that I was attracted to as well. (Besides the obvious one) She is such a kind person...even more so now that she has grown out of her high school jealousy stage (well most of it anyway :) You can usually tell when someone is genuine...and I saw that she was. I also believe you must be physically attracted to your mate and its the core of any relationship...but there must be more to a person in order for you to live the rest of your live with them. Humor to me is a trait that is a MUST ...and Kim had that...she had the ability to make me laugh and smile at will. You don't get a great smile like hers without the ability to laugh alot.  Needlessly to say.... falling in Love with Kim was easy.

So I know you are wondering...Well how did you propose to her Ian? Truth is...I didn't. She pretty much proposed to me. Here's how it went down. I had just got a job working 3rd shift at the same factory that I am still employed at. I had only been working for a couple months and was still adjusting having to sleep during the sunlit hours of the day. I had needed new work boots and being the good girlfriend that Kim was....she offered to go buy some for me if I gave her some money to do so. I gave her sixty bucks and off she went. I was sleeping when she came back and walked in my room. I woke up but still a little groggy when she smiled and told me what she had used my sixty bucks for. Even today when Kim buys something that she really shouldn't have she always starts out the conversation with this statement: "You aren't going to believe what I bought". Nowadays...I just answer..."Oh Yes I will".... but at the time I just answered...."Boots I hope".   Smiling, she told me "No", but she had put a down payment on a wedding dress. Huh? And being in the groggy state that I was in...all I said was....So, what? Were getting married then? And that my friends...goes down in history as the worst proposal ever!! And whenever I get the chance...I always throw this line out : "Hey Kim...have you seen my work boots?....Oh that's right ... I never got any"



But in the overall scheme of things...who really cares how we got married...the more important thing is  we did. It changed my life for the better and I still cherish the fact that we are still together. Being married for a long period of time is never an easy journey. And without the ability to forgive and forget...it will never work.(and yes...I have tested her many times on those ability's). I am so fortunate to have her in my life. Seriously...I don't think I could find a better wife, mother or friend. The amount of Love that Kim has inside her is nothing short of inspiring to me.  She cares for me when I'm ill, she works her tail off at work and at home. She cared for my children. She also knows what I like, and what I dislike And most of all... she Loves me. Lil ole Me!! She is the one person who I know who will care for me when I cant care for myself. (in a few more years of course)  She tells me whats on her mind (even if I don't want to hear it) But she is always honest and sincere.
So when I pray every night...I always thank God for Kim. Without her...I am confident that my life would not have turned out so blessed as it is today. Aside from God...She is my Rock! Her Love does not falter (yet anyways), I look forward to coming home each day, mainly because I know what I am coming home to each day.,..a beautiful, loving and very blessed wife. I Love You Kim!!!!