Backside of Forty (archive)

It is hard to believe, but on this day, one year ago, I was on the other side of the globe where I met and held my daughter for the first time. I was nervous, she was frightened, but brave. It is a day I will cherish in the same way that I cherish the days I was present at the birth of my sons.
Lily, I am so blessed that God brought you into our lives. I wish that I could have been with you on this special day. You are my favorite Lily in the whole world. I love you! --Daddy

Yesterday, my oldest child turned nine years old. Seems like only yesterday that I held him for the first time, weeping at the miracle of the life I held, and realizing for the first time the huge responsibility that was before me... fatherhood.

Unfortunately, this is the second year in a row that I was not able to be with him on his birthday. I hate that. I REALLY hate that.

Sorry, Dylan... I wouldn't have chosen to be away if I thought there was another way. I love you and I can't wait to see you. You're my favorite Dylan in the whole world. --Dad

We built an extra week into our schedule for a possible vacation, assuming I could pass my CDL test on the first try (no pressure). I passed on a Monday. Jen reserved a last minute deal for a beach house (she's really good at finding beach house bargains) on the Outer Banks of North Carolina on Tuesday. We worked frantically to get ready, and hit the road Friday. This was our fourth trip to Hatteras Island... the place is addicting!


The favorite part of the trek is Route 12 South... the road to Hatteras Island. Anyone who knows and loves Hatteras has a special affinity for South 12!

I know I have apparently disappeared from the blogosphere, but lately I just can't seem to find the time or energy to keep up with my blog. And, unfortunately, it may be that way for quite some time. Here is a catch-up post of the past month and a half, or so.

Since passing my building inspections on the house, I had 65 sheets of drywall delivered. That's not enough to finish everything, but I didn't trust the floor systems to support any more. I'm slowly getting it hung and it is exciting to see the house take some shape. I still have a long way to go...

Monday, April 27, was the first day of school for two members of our family. Lily started preschool at our county's Early Intervention Program. She finished out the last few months of this school year and will attend next year, as well. She bravely boarded the bus and did very well. She was evaluated there for occupational, physical, and speech therapy and will get more of these services next year.

Also, on this day, I started classes at a local technical school for a five week truck driver training program. I finished this past Friday and passed the maneuverability and road tests yesterday to get my class A Commercial Driver License. This is not a move that I am particularly excited about, but after being unemployed for over six months without any real prospects, we decided that we needed to do something different. Although the economy has affected trucking, there are still jobs available. I am scheduled to begin orientation with a national over-the-road company in a few weeks. I'll be away from home several days at a time, but we are hoping either that I can eventually return to my previous job if the housing market ever picks up, or that I can get more a more local trucking job after I gain some experience. Desperate times require desperate measures...

In early May, our local Kiwanis Club partnered with our high school track team to host a Junior Olympic event for grades 1-6. It was a good way to expose some of the younger children to track and field. both Dylan and Zachary pre-registered to participate, but Zachary had an accident in gym class a few days before and knocked his front teeth loose. The dentist was pretty sure he did no permanent damage, but advised taking it easy for several days to let them heal. To Zachary's disappointment, we did not let him participate in the event.

We recently had our 12 month post-placement visit with our social worker. It is really hard to believe that we are soon approaching the one year anniversary of Lily joining our family. We needed to supply a photo of the entire family for the post-placement report and we didn't really have a current one. We snapped this one in the yard... hard to get everyone in a family this size posed and smiling at the same time!

Yesterday was Zachary's seventh birthday. It doesn't seem like he should be that old already, but time has a way of flying by. I usually try to spend some individual time with each of my kids on or near their birthdays, so Dylan, Zachary and I went hiking Friday evening at a State Park near our home. We took Dylan along, because his birthday is in a month, and I think I will, unfortunately, be out of town for his birthday.



We finished the day playing at a nice park around the corner from their house.

Happy Birthday, Zachary... we love you bunches! You're my favorite Zachary in the whole world!