New Site

Check out the new site:
NOW blogginb at
http://www.brandonansel.com

See you there.

Family Pic Nov. 2008

More Haloween Fun

Check out pictures of the girls at:
http://www.sillyparents.com

The Definition of Real

Trick or Treat

This hole Trick or Treat thing gets more and more exciting every year when you have kids. I wonder what the bell curve looks like (stock market term) at what age does their excitement peak...and then start to decline. I know that this happen, but I can't hardly picture this not being one of their best days of the year.

Brock and I took Emer and Ashy door to door all over his neighborhood last night. We were both dressed up too (I'll get pictures on soon) Emersyn would just stare into her candy bag with awe and wonder after each house would give her a piece of candy. At one house after they dropped her treat into the bag, she stood on the porch, looked at her treasure, and started yelling and jumping up and down, "I got a sucker, I got a sucker!" Every one within 20 feet had a good smile.

Ashtyn loved the whole deal too, but I think her best experience was when we came back to Uncle Brock and Aunt Stacy's house, and SHE got to hand out the candy to kids. She loved it! She wouldn't even give kids time to come up to the front door, she would see a trick or treater, grab a handful of candy, and run outside to meet them at the sidewalk.

For the kids who did make it to the door, you just had to see the look on some of these kids faces when they say trick or treat, and a little 4 year old princess gives them 9 mini candy bars. They would look at Brock (as the grown-up) as if to say, "Do I really get to keep all that candy?" Uncle Brock was AWESOME and encouraged the girls to do whatever they wanted, that made the experience even more fun for them...it helped that he had bought about 2000 mini candy bars, no joke!

Anyways, it was a great day, even little Teagan was dressed up and could feel the excitement. She was a little Indian Princess (Thanks DeManns) On a side note, as I type this every time I try to type FUN...I type FUND...I've truly been working too much!!!

Baby Mice

So Sarah and I have no love what so ever for rodents. Sarah is truly afraid of mice. (Ask my Mom, she has seen her in action), and I am the king of the clever mouse trap. I've bought every trap possible...regular, glue, plastic, cages, poison, etc. I've tried it all over the years because I don't want any mice in my home, Period.

But Today, something funny and strange happened. I've spend the afternoon cleaning up the house and buttoning down for winter. (I'm quite behind because the 24 hour flu knocked me out for half of Friday and most of Saturday). Sarah and the girls were playing in the backyard, so I decide to clean things up a bit. I shine my grill spotless, then I quickly pick up the bulky grill cover that has been laying next to my grill for the past 2 weeks.

As soon as I pick up the grill cover, I see a mouse take off. It had been living in the nice, warm "blanket." My initial instint is to get the rodent shells loaded into my 22. But then I see a little pink blob about the size of a silver dollar curled up on the inside of the grill cover.

Baby Mouse! And it is breathing and moving.

"Ashtyn, Sarah, you have got to see this. It is amazing...wait, there is two more...and two more...and they are all alive."

Well Sarah and I share a look that probably only parents would understand. Ashtyn wants to know where there mommy is. Are they OK? Etc.

Two minutes later I've made a "mouse house" with tiolet paper, and Sarah has found a box that will provide wind protection. I carefully put them little buggers into the TP bed and put the bed into the box. Sure enough, Mommy mouse shows up about two minutes latter, but bolts when she sees us again. We're inside now, wondering if mommy is going to show up. I think she will. These mice were born TODAY, I'm sure, because as nasty as it sounds I had to clean the grill cover. (Throughly too, I hate germs.)

Anyways, I'll keep you posted on how the little guys do. I'll also let you know when I stop being so emotional and buy some new mouse traps.

Working in Mississippi

I'm spending the early part of this week in Jackson, Mississippi. We are quarterly company leadership meeting here. Jackson, MS is the home of our securities division. I'm staying in an amazing southern Mansion, The Fairview Inn. It is exactly like the ones that you see in the movies. Just beautiful. We had dinner at another MS Mansion last night...the home of one of my partners. His wife put out a spread of food like I haven't see since last time I was down here. Southern hospitality is alive and well down here. My new favorite thing is Mint Sweet Tea. I'll bring home the recipe!

I'm tired, I didn't sleep great last night. It was a combination of eating too much, and missing my girls alot. I'm also concerned about the sale of our home. I'm praying that the couple who toured it with their realtor yesterday; fall in love with it, and place a full price offer tomorrow. That would be a cool thing. You never know, it just takes one buyer!

Morphing

You guys would not believe how BIG Teagan is getting. She is about 8 weeks old, and it is so cool to see a personality already forming and taking shape.

I leave for work out of town every Monday and get home Wednesday night. It is amazing how much that little one changes and grows IN THREE DAYS. It's like the sensation of seeing your chubby friend for the first time after several months, and she looking 20 pounds lighter. She may notice her weight loss transformation on a daily basis, but you surly notice because you had a different mental picture of her. (This sensation is the opposite with Teagan though, because she gets cuter and chubbier each week!)

My other two little ones are morphing each week too. They seem to be getting more intelligent and thoughtful each week though. (And one of them maybe a little sassy-er each week too...but you have to love her for it.) The depth of Ashtyn is just mind boggling, and for each of you who knows her, you know exactly what I'm talking about. And Emer is getting more loving affectionate each week. She hugs me tightly now, she is growing up and learning how to give those hearty Ansel hugs. It is pure gold.

Anyways, I'm rambling. You all know how crazy I am about these girls. I've said it before, but I'll say it again...It is truly a good life!

Giving up Control

So I’ve been working out of two for 3 days a week for about the last 7 months, and I’ve got to tell you, it is tough. I’m truly thankful for the amazing opportunities that I have with my company in Cleveland…don’t get me wrong. And I’m not trying to sound like a belly aching baby, because I know that many guys are making much bigger sacrifices than me to provide for their families futures (Soldiers in Iraq, Joe Neill, Dan Milnes, etc.) Also, I’ve been blessed with a special situation with great people like the Michaud family being willing to open up their home to me every week. (I love you guys, truly, you are good people). Without that blessing, I probably would already have went crazyJ

My prayer is for a quick sale of our home in Michigan. I know that it will happen eventually, but that would surly open wide the options for my family! I will continue to work hard and make the trip each week, that’s all I can do at this point…be faithful. I trust that God is in control and will continue to guide my family on this leg of our journey, as He so beautifully has in the past. As a guy, it is tough to surrender control, but that is exactly what I am doing.

Working from Home

Thanks to the miracle of the Internet, I'm working from home this week, instead of making the weekly trek to Cleveland. My girls were so excited to get the news. Even a couple of evenings without their daddy-boy, it appears, is too much for them.

It was nice to be able to take the family out to dinner on a Monday, and then to come home and build forts with the girls until bedtime! Priceless moments, that I'm thankful for!

Loving the moments

It kind of hit me hard today for the first time. I HAVE 3 DAUGHTERS. Wow, where have the last 10 years went. I officially have as many kids as my parents. What a crazy deal. I'm in love so deep with these little gals, it is an indescribable feeling. I was rocking Teagan today, and I just realized that she will never be as little as she was at that very moment. Before I know it she will be as big as Emer or Ashy. I spent the rest of a lazy Saturday trying to soak up the moments...smelling Ashtyn's hair, how it feels to kiss Emer's chubby cheeks, looking deeply into their eyes (which Ashtyn thinks are windows into a persons heart).

I have these same sappy feelings about their mom too. Sarah is still the beauty queen who showed up at youth group every now and then. My brain used to go fuzzy when I'd catch a look from her. It's all still there, just fast forward 13+ years.

It's a good life. Even through all the uncertainty, seeming injustice, and sometimes scary stuff...I've been telling God an awful lot lately how unbelievably grateful I am for my tiny part (which feels extremely important though) in this cosmic experiment!

More Baby Teagan

Traveling Buddy

You know you have a good friend (who's profession offers him some locational flexibility) when he say's, "Hey man, if you ever want some company on one of your weekly trips to Cleveland, let me know...I can work from anywhere."

I basically called Joe that afternoon and told him that it is a long drive, and some company would be incredible. That next morning at 6:45 AM we were hitting the trail to Cleveland.

There's one spare office at InvestLinc, and the team there was most gracious and warm. No one had a problem with me bringing a friend to work. We camped about 10 minutes from the office at Punderson State Park, and that was a riot.

We ate good, saw a movie, looked through houses I'm considering, had great conversation. All in all it was a huge blessings to have a buddy from Jackson get to glimpse the life I'm building in Cleveland.

This picture is of Joe and his oldest son Austin. (Who I currently deem as first in line as a potential suitor for one of my princesses...he's a good kid) Joe's middle little guy is Logan, and his youngest is a daughter, Adia. Wife...Laura, beautiful family.

Joe is the director of SimplyMissions.org, and is in the process of building a world class missions and discipleship organization. My friend is an artist too, check it out at Station Six!

Just another day in paradise!

Well, I just got those two oldest sisters down to bed a little bit ago. Sarah is out with some of her girlfriends and she has the baby. Ashtyn, Emersyn, and I went to Westwinds to help some friends paint the nursery there. The girls played with Jessica, Nicki, Danielle, and Gracie while the dad's rolled paint until our arms gave out. It was a good time. I can't think of a better group of guys to be painting with either...Brian D, Brian D, Tom S...and there was a SAU student there helping too. Her name was Jordan, like the river, she let us know. Anyways, I'm about to cash out with a good book. Sarah could be late. She hasn't been together with a group of girls in a month or two, so who knows when they will call it quits. Amazon.com shipped me 3 new titles today, and one of them is a new Ted Dekker...I'm pumped!

Fun Insanity

Ways to Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity. (Thanks to my wife for forwarding this!)

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It 'In.'

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write ' For Smuggling Diamonds'

7. Finish All Your sentences with 'In Accordance With The Prophecy.'

8. Don't use any punctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go.'

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme?

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won!, I Won!'

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!'

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'

20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......READ THIS AGAIN AND LET YOURSELF LAUGH A BIT!

Going Bald

I had a dream last night that I was going bald. And in the dream I was quite concerned about this revelation. Then in the middle of this nightmare I come to the realization that I'm not really waiting on tables in my underwear at the Cracker Barrel (with my only concern not the underwear part, but the balding part) Man, I hope dreams don't reflect on mental stability, because I haven't had a wild one like that in a while. I must be sleep deprived or something!

Well, it was a funny dream anyway. It made me think about being 12 years old and remembering the thoughts and fears that I had then. I clearly remember thinking that if I ever started going bald...or wearing glasses...etc; how embarrassing that would be.

Well, now that I am 4-eyed and balding (before the age of 30) it's neat to reflect on the dreams and worries of my youth. All my dreams have come true, and most of my worries too. It all seems to be orchestrated though to make a pretty amazing life. And you won't catch me in the Rogaine section of the supermarket. (I haven't ruled out a sweet Bon Jovi hair piece though!)

Baby Teagan "Irish for Little Poet"

Finally I've found the time to get these few shots posted. The first two days at home I was getting up with Sarah and Teagan about every two hours. Sarah has settled into a routine now and that means that daddy gets to sleep more. Yesterday and this morning though I woke up at 5:00 AM to see Sarah and baby soundly asleep in the "nursing chair" next to our bed. I'm encouraging Sarah to try to sleep throughout the day, whenever baby is...but that is hard with the other two girls still crazy excited about having a new sister. They want to be around and involved with Mom and baby as much as possible. Thank God for Dora and BOZ movies though, as the girls are getting quite a bit more TV that they normally do. A necessary evil in my opinion...mom needs sleep, and dad has quite a bit of work to accomplish each day.

We've been to doctor with Teagan 3 times since last Sunday. They have been checking her bilirubin levels very closely. I'm thankful to report that her levels started to go down yesterday, so we don't have to travel into see her doctor any more (until her 1 week check-up) Teagan is also gaining weight quite rapidly, which is great.

Ashtyn and Emersyn are enjoying the new baby. Ashtyn wants to be involved in everything, while Emer is still interested but cautious. True to their personalities for sure!

Teagan Gabrielle Ansel

I'm so excited to web log the birth of our beautiful baby girl, Teagan Gabrielle Ansel. Teagan arrived yesterday morning at 8:51 a.m. weighing 6#14 oz. We got to the hospital Sunday morning at about 6:30 AM and just over two hours later Sarah was nursing a strong, healthy baby. This picture is from my phone, but I'll post more as soon as I get them off her camera.

Thanks for all the supportive phone calls, texts, e-mails, visits, and gifts. We want to thank everyone who has taken such good care of us for the past couple of days!

Attack the Watermelon!

Ashtyn attacked this watermelon at my parents cottage this weekend. These pictures crack me up. I wish that I would have had a video camera because it would be on YouTube right now.

Party Day in Monroe

We are hanging in Monroe today. Two important graduation parties. Sarah's brother Jason and my cousin Kaileigh are celebrating their entry into adulthood. I spent the morning preparing my famous baked spaghetti for J's party. Almost 30 pounds of it. I try to over-cook for events like this, because it is usually a big hit.

Kaileigh's party is at Grandpa and Mary's house. That will be a relaxing and fun time with the girls. They will both want to enjoy the pool most of the whole party, and I'm more than happy to oblige.

Today is also my Grandpa's 69th birthday. Amazing, he still looks 55 and has the work ethic of someone who has never asked for a handout in his life. I set up a breakfast meeting with him last week, and after about 25 minutes, he popped up and said, "Well, I'm sorry, but I've got to get back to work at the farm." Keep in mind that he retired from 39 years at Ford Motor about 10 years ago. He still has it in him though.

My girls are dressed up in matching outfits today. I love it when Sarah does that. I'll try to snap a shot today and will post it on http://www.sillyparents.com

Hide Away

Where I wish I was hiding out, right this minute, with the sexiest woman on the planet. (Who I just happen to be married to...Bonus!)

Missing You

I've been working 3 days a week out of town now for about 4 months. I talk to Sarah and the girls several times a day while I'm gone though. Always great fun to talk to Ashy and Emer, they make me do the voice of the Old Tree and such. This week though every time Ashy gets on the phone, she is wimpering and demanding that I come home now and play with her, not in two days. She said today, "I really miss my boy."

Heartbreaking, Anyone who knows me knows that I'm just crazy about my girls, all 3.5 of them at this point. So you know how hard it is to have Ashtyn missing me so much. It's hard to explain that daddy's have to work, and some daddy's have to travel a bit. She doesn't get that I'm keeping a food on the table and all that, she just knows that every evening that I'm away is an evening without playing dodgeball or christmas in the basement, and that makes her sad.

I'm excited to be working from home most all of July though. (That is when the baby is due.) That will give everyone a break from me being gone in the middle of the week.

Sarah, tell the girls how much I miss you all!

4 Year Old

My first born baby turns 4 tomorrow and for some reason this milestone is tugging my emotional strings pretty hard. It seems silly to say, but I really do remember Sarah and I laying in bed at our little house on Spring Arbor Rd., staying up late and trying to figure out if it was the right time to start having kids...does Sarah fill her BC prescription the next day. We had been married about 4 years and Sarah was ready. I was too, except like most guys, I had financial concerns, and worried about stability.

That next day though I had a strange clarity and peace. As soon as I got to work, I ordered flowers to be delivered to Sarah with a simple message that went something like this, "Don't pick up the pills, were ready!" Almost exactly 9 months later Ashtyn Greer Ansel came screaming into the world, and life has never been the same.

You never really know how deeply your parents love you until you are blessed with a child. Seriously, every day, I am in awe of the bond that is there between us and our kids. Through good times and temper tantrums, it is constant and never changes. It is a powerful force that words really can't even come close to describing...so I'm not even going to try.

Anyways, I'm so thankful for this love and the way that it changes and expands with time and with the addition of siblings. I wonder if God feels the same way about us through the ages? It sure gives me hope to think that God does.

Trip to Oklahoma

I'm working in Cleveland until Wednesday. I spent a ton of time today looking over legal documents and joint venture agreements. My eyes are seriously sore tonight. I'm getting to put together some really significant deals with my partners and our network. It is crazy though the amount of care and detail that goes into each deal. I commented to one of my colleagues last week that it's amazing that any deal ever gets done. There are just so many moving parts. I'm getting an education in finance and private equity that would probably cost $200K at Harvard or Brown.

I'm excited to see the ladies in my life tomorrow. I can tell that Ashtyn has missed me more than usual because she didn't want to hang up the phone when I had to get back to work today. I promised her that we will do nothing but play fun games over the holiday weekend. I'm going to be home alone with the girls while Sarah flies to Oklahoma to be with her family for her cousin's wedding. We decided last night to just fly her out instead of us all making the 18 hour drive. I'm sad to miss Tamara and Zack's wedding, but with Sarah being 7 months pregnant and the girls being so restless on car rides, it was the right decision.

Good Friends

Me and Sarah's very best friends from our college days decided to make the 4 hour drive from Alpena, MI to Jackson to spend the weekend with us. We've been hanging out with these guy and enjoying their company for almost 8 years now.

Steve and I became close friends when we spend a month in India together. It was my first real cross-cultural experience. Having Steve there experiencing all that crazy stuff with me caused me to have a ton of trust and respect in this guy. We just got lucky when we introduced our wives to each other and they were instant friends.

Steve is one of the smartest and hardest working guys that I know. Steve did his bachelors degree in 2.5 years. Quickest in SAU history as far as I know. When their 4th child (a boy) is born in July, they will have 4 kids under 5 years old. Just another day in paradise, I guess.

Anyways, I'll never stop being thankful for friends like Steve. In this crazy world of 6+billion people, it is a true gift to have even a few close friends who stand the test of time, and you know will stick with you thru anything.

Weekend GetAway

Things have been crazy. It is amazing what can be packet into 24 hours each day. I haven't had a moment to breath deeply and remember that I'm just one person and that everything is going to be alright.

In the midst of all the travel and work related stuff that has consumed the last two weeks, I was able to sneak in a weekend camping trip with two of our closet couples friends. We stayed local and camped at a nice spot on the fringes of Jackson County called Twin Pines Campground. Weather was cool but beautiful. The only rain we get was light, and didn't hit until we were packing up Sunday. It was practically the perfect little weekend get-a-way. Between us and the other two couples from church, there were 8 little girls running around our campsites. It was a site to behold. And amazingly the 9th little girl in this group is due to be born around July 22nd.
Tom, one of the other dad's, commented that in 10 years we are going to be, by far, the most popular campsite in the park with the young boys. Hopefully the girls crazy uncles will still be camping with us and can scare them all away. That will be fun to watch.

Seriously, it is a sight to behold...8 beautiful little girls running, playing, laughing, and riding bikes. Days like that you sure know that God loves ya.

Pictures in my Pocket

So Sarah gave me these new pictures of the girls last week. She took them in Monroe on a cool day at a historic park by the River Raisin. Her gifts with a camera are profound; these photos evidence this artistic gift that God has given her.

Being away from home is hard, there is no doubt. Your heart is in two places. (The main upside that I’ve found though is that it has caused me to pray more.) My days away though are filled with little shots of love whenever I open my briefcase. I’m greeted by the most beautiful photos of my daughters that have been taken to date.

Emersyn is smiling so big I’d swear her cheeks could pop. This caused her perfect little dimple to be exaggerated in a way that melts me. She is wearing a multi-colored, zip up sweater that is dominated by blues that seem to really match the color of her eyes. Her face is perfectly round, (shows the Ansel in her) but her nose is soft and shaped like her mothers. The way her hair crosses her forehead is the perfect frame for her beautiful features. I just love it.

Ashtyn looks like something from heaven. The light from the sun is adding a glow to her wind blown hair. She has a peaceful, soft, and thoughtful look on her face. Her arms are crossed to let you know that she takes life seriously, but her eyes are sparkling so you know that she is full of joy. It’s actually like I’m looking at a young Sarah. She looks a lot like Sarah’s mom too. They all have the same sculpted chin. Beautiful!

Southern Sudan Health Care

I had an unexpected call tonight from my friend, Jacob Atem, while visiting with my friends in Cleveland. You have to follow this link and read Jacob's life story. It is truly amazing. He has started a not-for-profit organization with the goal of bringing health care, economic development, and stability to his childhood community in Southern Sudan.

On Jacob's character alone I am excited about his plans and vision and I know he is going to be instrumental in doing God's work in his home country. I'm getting together next week with him to see how I serve him and help him in this journey.

The wildest thing about this call from Jacob though is that we have not spoken in nearly six months, but just last week I had met a man from the Sudan while on business in Atlanta. I shared some of Jacob's story with him, and commented that is was about time that I give my friend a call. Cool timing!

Doughnut Dates with my ladies

Working hard lately. Lots of travel and late nights. Oh the power of e-mail access on your cell phone. I could probably work 24 hours a day if I charged my phone near my bed at night.
I'm heading to Cleveland Monday afternoon, then flying out to Phoenix from there on Wednesday. It is exciting to see this project progressing steadily.

I'm so excited to spend the day with my girls tomorrow. We're going on a Doughnut Date in the morning. Tim Horton's, and then Biggby for coffee and chocolate milk. Doughnut Dates are becoming a Saturday standard for us. The girls love it, and I just love being with them. It is amazing how strongly we parents feel about our kids.

Count The Black Dots

Found this on a blog and really thought it was cool. I've seen other stuff like this, but this one will give you a headache if you look at it too long.

I'm not sure if the dots are changing color or if it is all just caused by the movement of my own eyes.

Ramblings

How do you teach a two and four year old that everyday of life is an extraordinary gift? This is the most recent question that I'm trying to tackle. I think there is a huge problem with the youth of our culture today. They seem to always be bored. This leads them to constantly be looking for the next experience to fill their time. The problem is that few things in life really satisfy. I really want to protect my girls from this dangerous cycle. I have this deep desire to lead my kids to a real understanding of the joy of knowing that every day is a new opportunity to love God, enjoy your family and friends, and experience this amazing playground we call our world.

In talking to my girls about this stuff, I realize that along the way I've actually lost touch with the simple beauty of just existing in our world. Mostly have stopped acknowledging and enjoying the little things. Rolly Polly Bugs, wind, blue birds, snow...you get the picture. The youthful joy of my girls over these types of things is actually reminding me of how small I am in the created order of the universe. This helps reorient me towards a life more dependant on Jesus as my connection to the Creator of it all. And I guess that's what I really want my girls to see. They need to know that their daddy finds his joy and purpose in trusting Jesus to be everything we believe him to be...and that all the things I have to "do" (meetings, work, committees, community, etc.) are secondary to God and to them. I'm rambling and making no sense, I'll stop now.

Cleveland Basketball

There is something really special about seeing this guy doing what he does. He is an actual force of nature when he controls a basketball. It's a great experience watching him in real time controlling the emotional roller coaster of 20,000 fans.

The game started out slow. For the first half the Nets were dominating. The crowd was hardly watching. The second half though was like being at a totally different game. King James came alive, and so did the fans. He took complete control of the rhythm of the game and his team and the crowd started marching to his beat. They brought home a solid win. I don't think it will ever get boring watching this guy play basketball. Fans have got a lot of excitement ahead of them.

Visiting Family

I've got a whole bunch of Sarah's family in town this weekend from all over the country. Great times. We've got Duluth, Minnesota represented as well as Charlotte, NC.

We are having a great time catching up, Sarah was up until almost 4AM chatting last night. Ashtyn is having a great time too. Her cousin Lauren from Duluth is 7 years old and Ashy is just completely taken with her. They play so well together. Lauren is an amazing little kid. She is half parenting to Ashtyn, and half play mate extraordinaire. When I got home last night they were both sleeping under the same blanket upstairs in the girls over sized Barbie tent that they got from Great Grandpa and GrandMary last year. It was the sweetest thing that I've seen in a while. I should have snapped a picture.

Phoenix Debrief

Arizona was a great trip, but I am physically beat. Mentally I'm on fire though because we put together some great deals while we were there. I'm so fired up that I'm driving to Cleveland early tomorrow morning so I can start getting term sheet info to our lawyers.

Weather in AZ was perfect. 10 day local forecast for Phoenix: Sunny 80, Sunny 80, Sunny 80, etc.

Heading to Arizona

I'm leaving early Monday morning for an InvestLinc trip to Goodyear, Arizona, which is just outside of Phoenix. I will be home on Wednesday and will be tired. We are going hard the whole trip and the time change is a butt-kicker. I'm looking forward to the deal though, I'm traveling with some amazing fellows.

One of the guys that I'm meeting with develops America's Incredible Pizza franchises all over the south. These are amazing family entertainment centers that are often over 50,000 square feet. They have indoor go-cart tracks, bumper carts, bowling, arcade, mini golf, etc. There is nothing like it in Michigan, so of course my wheels are turning. Check out their site and let me know if you think it would be a hit up here in the Northland.

Living on a dream

Now you know when you run into me at the office, in one of the stores, or on the streets why I probably have a stupid grin on my face. I'm just crazy in love with these little sweet peas. Can't hardly wait for "little #3" to be sitting in the middle of this pic.

Easter Fun

Easter was wonderful with the little girls. They love having their family around. Mike, Barb, Ben, and Oma came and stayed with us. We had some great food and enjoyed each others company. Church was packed as is to be expected. It was great to be there with extended family. Ashtyn learned that Easter isn't just about candy. That was cool.

We missed the Ansels and the Boudries though. They were holding down the fort in Monroe. Great-Grandpa and GranMary sent beautiful baskets up for the girls with their names stitched into them. They really loved all the goodies.

Hug Bomb

I've just registered HUGBOMB.COM

Have you ever dropped a hug bomb on someone. I love to do it.

A frequent hug bomb that I drop is on my dad. When traveling out of town, if I have the time, I like to make a detour. I'll just run into the furniture store that he works at, give him a big hug, then I usually have to go.

It's always a great surprise for him as I live out of town and don't get to see him but once every couple of weeks.

Anyways, I think this is the subject of my next blog. BUT I NEED YOUR HELP! I'm hoping to get feedback from anyone reading this. When you do or observe anything in your world that you would consider a "HUG BOMB", let me know. I'll then make sure it gets shared with our world.

Peace

Tough Questions

My friends from Cleveland are such special people. We talked late into the night about relationships, beliefs, hopes for our families, etc.

At lenght we discussed how we plan on communicating truth to our kids. These are tough issues. Most parents want their kids to, "Do as I say...not as I did when I was young." Real life is that as our kids grow up, the questions get tougher. Even now Ashtyn is throwing stuff at me like, "Do people have to die?" I can't remember any conversations about death with her in earshot. Where did that come from.

It may be hard, but I want to be honest with my kids in all respects. Even about the things that even the "All Knowing Dad" doesn't have completely figured out. They don't stay little long, do they?

Idiot

What kind of idiot would even think about purchasing a house in another city without running the idea past his wife first?

You're reading his blog.

In my defense I had mentioned it in passing. The lesson in this whole deal for me was the power of the written word as it is read by different individuals. What zips out of my head and on to this blog can often be very different from what is internalized by loved ones as they digest the content.

All is well though, my communication skills continue to be a work in progress.

Know a Realtor?

I need to find a GOOD realtor in Cleveland. I am loving spending time with my friends on the evenings when I am here, and they assure me I'm not a bother, but eventually I need a back up plan. My type A personality leads any plan of mine to be a business plan. It is what it is!

So I'm going to buy a nice foreclosed home here in the burbs of Cleveland. This will provide me shelter. I can fix it up when I have free evenings. It may prove to be a good investment. It can be a summer home for the family when the girls are not in school. It will provide a nice transition period, because it looks like we will eventually be moving to Cleveland...though that is not certain.

So much for slowing down, I have a problem.

Work Work Work

I get to work with some of the most amazing people at InvestLinc. Everyone at the company is highly successful, and by many different measurements of success. Yet they remain so humble, helpful, and approachable. It's usually tough being the new guy, but with a group like this my ramp up time has been lightning fast. I'm working on structuring deals and creating win-win situations for our clients, partners, and shareholders. It's great to contribute significantly but learn at the same time. Constant progress every day, it's all I can do.

Slow Down

There is a delicate balance to life and existence that all of us feel. It is as simple as wind that blows lightly on your skin, or as a hurricane. Forces we can't even begin to understand, but that effect us none the less.

These past few months my life balance has shifted towards work and being a task master... divide and conquer. The way my imbalanced life is often righted is with a solid dose of the 102 degrees fever. This temperature seems to be just the right amount to knock me off my feet and force me to be calm and rest for a couple of days, without sending me to the hospital.

The problem is that this is a cycle in my life that is annoying and probably avoidable. I need to figure out how NOT to fall ill to exhaustion every 6 months. I try to mitigate the stresses and live in the moment, but I'm not doing a very good job. Slow down maybe? Easier said than done. Any suggestions?

Living in 2008

I picked this up off another blog...it made me smile.
YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2008 when...
1.You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.
2.You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.
4.You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.
8.Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )
12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.
13.Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

Super Star Sister

I just read the most interesting blog that I've ever run into. It is by Kevin Kelly and it deals with the concept of "almost famous." My sister has the talent and drive to be an amazing force in drama and theater anywhere in the world. What is holding her back though is that she lives in Michigan of all places. We are not the cultural Mecca of the world, so here options are limited unless she uproots her life.

Kelly's blog excited me for her because it offered a new way to look at making a living with your talents. He suggests that you don't need super-stardom or nothing, you can shoot for 1000 true fans. Fan's who you have connected with so deeply, they will buy and/or support any work you do. These 1000 true fans allow a girl with amazing talent like my sister to follow her dreams without being broke for years waiting for that big break. Check it out, it is a truly unique read.

Cleveland Blues

I'm getting a ton of work done on these 3 day trips to Cleveland. My productivity has got to be at an all time high as compared to the home office environment. But after spending last weekend alone with my wife, being away now for 3 days is even harder than usual. I miss her terribly...and the girls too. It's especially lonely because my host family is out of town. Their empty house is making me more emotional than normal. I picked a book off my friends shelf last night before bed. "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. I only got 20 pages in, but it started out strong enough that I think their site is worth linking to.

Exciting news today from the home front was that baby girl #3 is now projected to join us June 22, not July 9th. The sooner the better. I have patience issues, I want to hold that baby as soon as possible.

I'm leaving the office now, I'm going to be locked in if I'm not careful.

Long Car Rides

These long drives back and forth to Cleveland are giving me a great opportunity to enjoy audio books like I never have before. I just finished book one, Black, and I am on to the second book in Ted Dekker's Circle Trilogy, it's titled "Red".

The books about a man named Thomas Hunter who lives two complete lives in two different, but connected worlds. He lives in our modern world during a time in history where the world is dealing with a virus that is deadly and has infected everyone.

When he goes to sleep he is on earth, but at a time in the future, where human life has been restarted by God in an Eden type place after "The Great Deception...Virus" destroyed life on earth.

The books are a crazy circle, and impossible to explain properly on a blog, but you must read them. They present the relationship between humans and God in a profound way, and give you a great perspective on some of the harder questions most of us have about God. He deals heavily with evil, and why it must exist. Book two deals a lot with who is "chosen" by God, and what that might mean for us.

Great stuff. Extremely entertaining, yet profound insights in each book. I'm glad I am reading them for a second time. I'm picking up pieces that I missed before.

Petoskey, MI

Petoskey, Mi was wonderful. It was great to reconnect with our friends from the northland. We stayed at a historic hotel "Stafford's Perry Hotel" which overlook Little Traverse Bay. Great rooms, old but clean and bright. Much thanks to our friends at Bluegreen for the free weekend getaway. Also, many thanks to wonderful in-laws who took such good care of the girls for a couple of days!

Let It Snow...Again

Yesterday we saw about 15 inches of snow in the burbs of Cleveland. It was a first class dumping of snow. I had to shovel my way to the truck, then I used a large mop to whisk away the snow. Lake effect snow is a very real phenomena.

I left Cleveland for the 3 1/2 hour journey back to home around 11:00 AM. It was still coming down strong!. I drove extra slow, which would normally drive me crazy. Thanks to a great audio book that I am enjoying, "Black" by Ted Dekker, the slow go was more enjoyable.

Check out the book, especially if you enjoy a little Religious Fiction every now and then. A friend of mine owns an extremely nice bookstore and would be happy to help you find it.

Nomad Book House

Check it out, it is worth the trip. Online or here in Jackson, MI.

Let it Snow.

The greater Cleveland area gets an amazing amount of snow. Almost every week as I travel here I am glaring out the windshield of my truck, trying to see the yellow lines on the road. I had trouble sleeping last night so I was wide awake at 5:00 AM. I looked out the window of my buddies house this morning to see steady snow coming down. As I left for work early I was careful to not hit the garbage can on the side of the driveway. What I didn't know at the time was that the friendly plow guys had moved the can to do a better job of plowing the neighborhood. Of course this story ends with my half ton pick-up in a ditch, with no traction at all.

Everyone needs a friend like my buddy Matt. He is immediately out of bed, dressed, and playing around in the snow and dirt to help me get out. Eventually we hooked up my big, ugly truck to his little Honda, and that is all it took. A little humph and I was back on solid ground. And thanks to Matt I didn't even get my stuffy work cloths dirtied up! The amazing power of a Honda!

Many hands make light work.

I generally hate painting, it is tedious! Thank God for amazing parents who took a precious day off to spend with us in Jackson painting our kitchen. It is beautiful, and would not have been nearly as enjoyable a project for Sarah and I without them. My folks model selflessness. They are always looking to bless their friends and family. I am so thankful for them!

The Shack

I just read an extremely interesting book called "The Shack" by William P. Young. The book rocked me deep and presented some interesting ideas and challenges to the traditional views of God's relationship with his creation. The book also explored probably 50 other aspects of Christian faith, all of which I am still processing and unpacking. I've given the book to many people. I hope to get their insight and have a group that I can digest the book with.

One of my most trusted spiritual advisers is my 83 year old grandma. She read the book quickly and had strong opinions about it's contents and agenda. It was great to talk to her and hear her heart on matters like the nature of her relationship with God. Funny how strikingly different each relationship is between God and his children. A book that I found deep, thought provoking, challenging, exciting, and even a bit disturbing to my preconceived notions, Grandma found fairly dull and not useful at all.

I was so thankful for Grandma's honest thoughts and opinions. I'm excited to engage you too when you get a chance to read the book. I have 30 copies, so give me a call if you would like one.

Mid Michigan Slump

I met today with the President of a 3 branch hometown bank based here in Mid Michigan. We discussed many challenges and opportunities that the soft Michigan economy is presenting for both our businesses and careers. "Guard your job!" That is how I sum up our meeting today. Weather you own a business, work in business development, or are president of the bank...in tough times you need to buckle down and bring as much value to your organization as you possibly can. So when the good times do come back around, and they always do, you were an important part of helping your company survive a difficult time. Equally as important is that you will not be one of the tens of thousands who lose their shirts while the economic ship is trying to get back on course.

A Good Investment

I think that any time you embark on a worthy venture, there is a significant price that must be paid. I have recently agreed to help with some exciting projects that are contributing to the growth and success of InvestLinc. Part of the deal is that I need to be in Cleveland about 3 days a week. Two weeks into the deal and I am loving the work, I love to see deals come together...but the price is not kissing my girls before bed each night. I know that as I am working with the team at work, and growing in knowledge every day, the time investment that I am making is worth the price. My job back home now is to dig deeper into each moment that I do have with Sarah and the girls and really make them count. Believe me, the butterfly kisses are even sweeter when you've been missing them for three days.

Girl #3

The most significant thing that I have done in my 29 years of life journey has got to be fathering girls. Two spectacular young ladies snuggle me in the morning and call me daddy. It appears that the creator of the universe believes I'm doing an OK job, becuase I found out Monday that I have been divinely entrusted with little lady #3. I can hardly wait to see her little face, and smell her hair. Heaven on earth!

I have two amazing parents who told me they loved me my whole life, but I never realized the depth of those words until I had children. I told my mom a few months ago, "It just hit me how much you actually do love me...you feel for me what I feel for my girls." I think she thought it was profound that I finally "got it" after years of having the words roll off me.

It appears to me that life is an amazing circle. I hope my girls know at every level of their being my deep affection for them. My experience tells me though, that it will truly be known, when they experience it for themselves. It will hit them like a bucket of joy, security, and peace being dumped on their head. It sure beats a bucket of gatorade.