so yeah....

Well life is still crazy as hell. Still going to school (and loving it). I can't wait to graduate adn have a real career instead of all these little jobs that are not benefitting me in any way aside from having an income like many in the world dont since our country is not doin so hot right now to say the least. Our kids are still the best kids on the face of this planet. Our youngest is a little monster. She is now 18 months old and acts like a 2 year old going through their terrible two's stage in life. Other than that not a whole lot has changed. Looking forward to summer coming. I love summer. Get to be outside all the time and get active. Winter is pretty good for packin on a few pounds. We'll be at my grand mothers pool al summer for sure. and come to find out my fiance needs surgery on her both of her hands per severe carpal tunnel. That is nuts, I feel so bad for her, she has been complaining of her hands for the last 3 months but who knew it was that bad. Well, still loving life, still enjoying everything. The only thing that could get better is my parents, I wish they would be more supportive and excepting. I am finally doing something with my life but it seems to me as if anything I do will never be good enough. We'll see though.

Being A Successful Family Man...

                I believe my definition of being a successful family man is unique to everyone else’s. Before I wrote this, I decided to ask people what their definition was. Approximately 90 percent of people said exactly what I had expected: giving your family a big house, lots of money, and sweet cars. Lots of material objects, as you can see.  Yes, of course those things would be nice but unless someone hits the Power Ball Jackpot or has an extravagantly paying job, those things are not likely. Besides, money isn’t everything by far; if you don’t have someone to share those things with, you have nothing. I have a completely different look on being a successful family man and it doesn’t involve the big house or the fancy cars. I am an extremely family oriented kind of guy. My thoughts are simple; I want myself and my family to be happy and healthy. Not just physically but mentally as well. They both go hand-in-hand, so I can’t have one without the other and be happy at the same time. Next, being able to support my family in all aspects is very important. Being supportive is key to success in a relationship. Also, living life to the fullest is too a part of my success definition. If I’m not having fun with the people I love, who am I going to be able to look back at those memories with? Plus, who wants to just sit around all the time and watch life pass on by while doing nothing. Lastly, to have a good paying job is not super important to me because I believe that people can be happy and broke at the same time, but is important in the sense that we won’t have to live paycheck to paycheck and be stressed out like I am now. By keeping my stress down, I in turn keep myself happier and mentally healthier. So as you can see, I am a very family oriented kind of guy and if I can keep my family healthy and happy, then I will continue to live a successful life enjoying every day like it was my last.

Just Another Day...

Well, life is going pretty good. I am still busy as can be and rarely get a chance to sit down and relax. I'm pretty much busy as can be from 6 am until 7 pm most of the days. It is really tiring sometimes but I know it will all be worth it in the end. My daughter and step son turned 1 and 6 last month. I can't believe how big they are getting. For Halloween, we went to the mall with Taylor (the 1 year old) and took her trick-r-treating to all the different stores. Everyone just melted when they saw how adorable she was. She is the most gorgeous little baby in the whole world. Grandma (my mom) came with us as well and enjoyed seeing her granddaughter in the lady bug costume. I guess that's about it for now. Life is still crazy hectic but I'm still loving it.

Eating @ Ardie's...

Eating at Ardies Restaurant is a delicious treat. I have been eating at my grandmother's restaurant for as long as I can remember. They have the best food there that is why I continue to go back as much as I can afford to. For example, when I was a kid, we would go eat there every single Friday for their famous "Friday night fish fry." I enjoyed it to the max. Since my family owns the business it’s always nice to be able to see how everyone is doing when I would go eat at the restaurant as well. They have so many good things to eat. I can remember this one I went on a 3 month binge for their Smoked Turkey Melt. Then another time, for about the same time as the last, I would order the Classic Reuben every time. Eating at the restaurant has given me many full bellies of delicious food and good times to go along with the good food.

Life is getting even busier...

Life is crazy busy right now and it's going to get even worse. I have to get up extra early to get ready for school. Then we have to get the kids ready for school. After that our little one needs to get ready for her daycare. Following that, we get the kids off to school and Taylor off to daycare. Then, it's classes all morning and in to the afternoon. Of course you have study time in between classes such as the math lab or the library. I spend so much time in the math lab, it's like a part time job every week. After class is done, starting Monday, my fiance will race to work starting at 2:00 pm. She has work all the way until 10:00 pm. It really sucks because we are going to start hardly ever seeing each other. She is going to work full-time and continue to be a student full-time. At least it's only full-time while in training for two months then it will be part time after that, thank God! After my classes, I'll have to race home after picking up Taylor at daycare so I can pick the other two kids up from school. Shortly after we arrive at home, I will have to cook diner for the three little munchkins and then sit down with them to do their homework. Then of course you have your regular household chores such as picking up garbage and toys and doing the dishes while changing diapers in between everything. Shortly after chores, it will be time for the kids to get to bed, around eight or nine at night, so I can have a short break to either sit down and relax for the first time since 6:00 am, or to keep doing homework that may have not gotten finished from earlier in the day. Soon my fiance will be home from work and hopefully she won't have homework or be too tired so we can get some cuddle time in before both of pass out in exhaustion from our extremely busy day as two hard-working parents. :)

A Trip to Milwaukee...

It was a cold, cloudy day; we pack up the vehicle with our three beautiful children and begin our three and a half hour trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I started off driving but became as tired as a newborn after being fed. So my fiancé and I pulled over at the very first spot available. My girl took over the wheel as we continued down the long path to our destination. We stopped at rest stop to take a break from the long drive and let the kids run some energy out of their system. We decided to play tag. After the kids had dominated us in tag, we continue down the long and hectic road over flowing with vehicles of all shapes and sizes. When we arrived in Milwaukee, it was a crazy sight for me because I have never been there. There were overpasses for days and winding, twisting streets that would make you dizzier than spinning in circles. It was inevitable that I get us lost in the insane roads. They were more confusing than a test that you have not learned a thing about. After many phone calls and tons of turn arounds, from correcting my wrong turns, we had finally arrived at our destination. We walk in the door and collapse in relief that we had finally made it to my Cousin Jamie’s house. Now we can go to sleep and wake up early in the morning to take the kids to the Milwaukee Zoo to celebrate two of our beautiful children’s birthdays. It will be a blast and most of all the kids will have the time of their lives until our next family vacation.

Wake Up and Smell The Roses...

Three years ago, if you knew me, you would be able to see pretty quick that I really only cared about myself. I was also misbehaving and getting into trouble, so along with being selfish, you can add completely irresponsible to that list. I would do whatever it was I wanted to when I wanted to without any thought of consequences. Soon after that three years ago point in my life; I met the woman of my dreams. We got along so well and just clicked right from the beginning. One and three-quarter years ago, Naomi, my now fiancé, found out that she was pregnant with our daughter, Taylor. We were really excited for this unplanned miracle. But unfortunately, I still had some growing up to do and I needed to do it fast. Shortly after that, we had put forth some serious future plans. We knew from day one of meeting each other that we were meant to be, so we talked about getting married. We also talked about getting into college and getting a degree. Basically, all the important steps in life in order to be a great parent for our kids. Ten months had passed since we found out she was pregnant, all the sudden in the middle of the night, I get a punched and told to get the car ready because Taylor was coming whether we were ready or not. We made our way to the hospital to deliver our precious little princess. I’m not going to lie; I was definitely crying tears of joy. It was the happiest day of my life by far. After Taylor was born it hit me real quick, I had concluded that some things needed to change in my behavior and attitude towards life. This is when I knew that from here on out it wasn’t just about me anymore. I need to put my family before myself in order to have a happy one and be the best dad I can be. Now, my family comes first and I worry about myself last and before I do anything, I make sure there is not going to be any negative consequences that would prevent me from being taken away from my family. So here I am today, going to college so I can provide for my family and continue to live life positive and happy as can be.