Home Stretch

First of all, thanks for taking a few minutes out of your lives to read this blog. I am trying my best to keep it entertaining. That being said, I am starting to get the feelings that come along with being in the home stretch of this mission. I realize that there is still a ways to go but we are definitely way closer to the end than the beginning. We are about at the 1 1/2 month left mark and if we have made it this far, we can finish strong. Keira is still doing great and I am doing my best to be her rock. Crystal seems to be as strong as ever despite pushing her way through something I can't fathom. This whole experience has taught me so much. First of all, I am married to the strongest woman I have ever known. Are you frickin kidding me? Any moms/dads out there reading this think they could be away from the little girl you see in that photo for 6+ months for the better of our country? To make sure that your son/daughter and your kids generation live in a better world? How many of us have said that our goal as parents is to make sure our kid grows up in a world that is better than the world that we grew up in? Don't get me wrong, I think as parents we all do our best and the friends/parents I choose to surround myself with are all fantastic. That being said,  I would like to give credit where credit is due. My wife is making the a sacrifice that I have no clue how she is making. She is truly doing something about it. I am not brave enough nor am I emotionally strong enough to understand. What she is doing is past the mark of amazing and I will always stand by that statement. The good part is that she is almost done. For us back home, life goes on. Yes, I have had my struggles but it isn't  anything I can't handle. I cherish all the time Keira and I have had together. We talk about what Mommy is doing every day and I do my best to help her understand why Mommy is away. I know for a fact that she is proud of what Mommy is doing. She tells me everyday that "Mommy is protecting us and our family and friends from bad guys." I tell Keira she is correct and that she is doing great. We do our best to keep busy and the end will be here before we know it. Mommy will be home soon.  "Finish strong" I tell her. "We can do it!" She gets it. So do I. Home stretch.......

A General Feeling Of Satisfaction....

If you are reading this then you know how big of a sports fan I am. I want to blog a little bit about some feelings I am having about the hockey season ending and how I believe it relates to life. As the Avs season came to a close last night, I read the blog on the Denver Post website and found myself angry and discouraged. http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2012/04/05/clock-starts-avalanche-battled-hard-excusemaking/10266/
I didn't miss a single Avs game on TV this entire season. (although many were an hour or two behind because I am unwilling to sacrifice my time with Keira in the evening because a game is on) Even though missing the playoffs by a single win or two is a bummer, Hockey has helped to keep me sane while my wife is away saving the world. I couldn't be prouder of Crystal but it leaves me with a lot of time to myself in the evenings. Watching the Avs play several nights a week has helped get me out of my head as I spend night after night alone after Keira goes to bed. (Shout out to my buddy Cameron Wells who came over for a bunch of games just so I wasn't always alone. He is the definition of a great friend.) I think this is similar with life. I truly try my best every single day both at work and at home to be the best person/employee/daddy I can be. I may not score a goal every day but I will be damned if I am not trying my best to get on that scoreboard. I am not the type of person who expects nothing less than a championship to be a successful season. It's more about improving. Am I a better team today than I was at the end of last season? If my answer is yes, than it has been a successful season. "Operation: Single Dad" has a little less than 2 months left and I definitely think our team (Keira and I) are prepared to finish the season strong. Keira has been a warrior as unbelievably tough throughout the last 4 months. She is our teams MVP and the whenever the next season starts and Mommy's duty calls, I know now that we are a force to be reckoned with. Thank you friends for all your support. It truly means more than I can express.

(Side Note: Here is what I believe the final blog should look like for the Avs season coming to an end. http://www.avshockeypodcast.com/2012/04/thanksgiving-in-april-avalanche-style/)