Thankfulness. That’s the best word to describe 2014. Many things happened, and here’s the things I’m most thankful for:
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A survival story My dad had a massive heart attack during a jog while on vacation in San Diego. At the time, he thought he was dealing with heat stroke and didn’t know what had happened until a few days later he returned to Reno and finally received medical attention. He was in a bad condition, and he went into surgery a few days later. Through a triple bypass, two repaired valves, another major scare, and a iron-clad determination to live – he’s now getting better every day. A lot has come from this experience, and its a good reminder to embrace the current moment with a future full of change. |
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A common cancer Nothing is common when you hear your father-in-law tell his family that he’s gotten results back from his doctor… and they aren’t good. Ron got diagnosed with prostate cancer, and we had no idea what to think. As the weeks went on, we found that Ron had a few friends who had their prostate removed. The doctors also found the cancer early, so it was a straightforward procedure. Again, thankful that the bad news was able to eventually turn into good news. I didn’t realize prostate cancer was this common. And if it can touch one of the healthiest people I know, it can definitely take down any male. |
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Amsterdam, Belgium, France! Nixon, Bridget, and I, along with Chris and Ron traveled to visit Jason. Nixon was amazing on the flight over and back. And we then toured Europe in Jason’s van, which was amazing. From the Eiffel Tower, Normandy, Champagne in Champagne, Chocolate waffles in Belgium, Gouda in Gouda, old farm Windmills – we had an amazing time. |
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A new yard At some point this year, Bridget mentioned that she wanted to have sod in the backyard. Well, we were able to do a bit more than that. We ended up landscaping our entire side yard: sprinklers, flagstone, pavers, and a firepit. We also put up a retaining wall in the front. I still have to put up the boards for the top of the trellis and fill in the sand from the Flagstone, but we made great strides this year in our landscaping. (The picture to the left is where we started.) |
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Nixon turns 1 In one year, I’m proud to say that Nixon has traveled to Europe, watched a Red Sox game in San Francisco, and go to San Diego Zoo. He’s done more at age 1 than I did by my first 25 years. Each day is new and fun. He’s learning new words each day and is starting to understand his emotions. He’s so much fun and brings us so many more smiles to our day. |