In 9th grade, my creative writing teacher engrained in me that I should write every day because it would make me a better writer and also serve as a journal throughout my life. So, I did. Everyday, we were forced to write for seven minutes.

Fast foward X years (who really cares how many that was now), and it’s like I’m back in the 9th grade again. At a time in my life where milestones and memories are happening literally every day, the voice of my teacher is back in my head, but turned up a few notches.

Tonight, I challenged my wife to a 30-day blogging challenge. Being that I’ve talked of this being a blog of good intentions in the past, perhaps the challenge competition with my wife will spur on new creativity and new discipline to do something that I’d really like to have in twenty years; a journal.

Don’t expect the creativity of Seth Godin, the leadership astuteness of Michael Hyatt, the frequency of Cara Davis or the spiritual depth and understanding of Boothe Farley. While I admire them all as bloggers, what you get here is likely a mix of entrepreneurism, fatherhood, husbandry, spirituality and some random adventures. If you like what you read, I welcome your comments, subscription to my RSS feed or you can follow me on Twitter. If you don’t, check out my wife’s blog. She’s much more intelligent, funny and insightful. Plus, she’s way better looking than I am.

There’s been a lot going on lately so I thought I’d throw up a quick list of all that’s new:

• My daughter, Savannah celebrated her one-year birthday on July 17. I can’t believe how fast the past year has gone. You can see pictures here.
• We are now 16 weeks pregnant. We will have our next ultrasound at 20 weeks…somewhere around the first of September. That means, in a month we’ll know if it’s a boy or girl. I think it’s a boy.
• Kristy, Savannah and I went on vacation in Pigeon Forge, TN from July 16-22. We had a great time in the mountains. Because I come from the great Northwest, I favor the mountains. For the record, it was nice, but it wasn’t Oregon. I guess I have attachment issues.
• I haven’t posted this here, but if you know me, this isn’t news. Back in April, my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. When you add that to my sisters brain tumor and cancer, that’s a lot of medical stuff happening in my family at one time. Your prayers are coveted. I think I’m still learning how to process this kind of stuff.
• My parents are here currently and will be through Tuesday or Wednesday. It’s just good to have them around. I miss them terribly. Fortunately their move to Oregon will make visiting the family easier since my sister and fam are there too.
• Personally, God is determined to squash my pride: through books, friends, work, teachings and even this blog. When you start assessing how and why you do the things you do, it forces you to question intentions, motivations and purpose. I can’t say that I’m through it by any means…but I’m moving forward, at the least
• We have the opportunity to build a new house again…in some ways we would be stupid not to. However, just because the door is open, doesn’t mean you walk through it. Deliberating this one still.
• I’ve begun working on a project that I can’t openly talk about yet. I’m very excited about it, but I’m definitely in over my head…which is exactly where I like to be. The challenge pushes me beyond my limits and challenges me to reach for things that would ordinarily seem out of reach. More on this later.
• Our church small group is multiplying this month which leaves us on the hunt for another small group home. So, we’ll either: go with one of the two leaders, move to another already existing group or start our own (if that’s an option)?
• My sister had a PET scan on Friday and an MRI tomorrow. My dad has his PET scan this week (we think). Your prayers and thoughts are appreciated. We’re ready for some good news

I just got word today that our house is dry enough to begin putting things back together. YAHOO! We have a tentative schedule in place and it looks like we could be in by Thanksgiving.

At around 3:30p today, I got an IM from Kristy that simply said, “We have a major problem.” Turns out, somehow (I think the plumber did it–and no, we’re not playing Clue), water had been spewing out from under the sink for an unknown amount of time. What I can tell you is this, water is everywhere. Our wood floors are ruined, cabinets are swelling, and there are dozens of places where water has leaked through our sheetrock on both the main floor and basement/garage. It’s a mess. Here are some pictures to help you visualize…

If you want to see some more pics, head over to our flickr blog and there are a few more.

Honestly, this seems like an easy lesson for us. While we’re not thinking lightly of the situation, both Kristy and I are quick to point out that there must be a lot more going on behind our back than in front of our face. Yes, this will push us back at least a month from moving into our house and yes, we’ll have to deal with insurance to get this resolved. Yet, at the end of the day, we’ve been given the opportunity to own this beautiful home and we’ll be in it soon enough. We’ll be patient and wait it out. If anything this gives us a chance to focus on the outside of the house. It’s time to landscape!

Inspired by my buddy Jim, I thought I’d actually participate in a quiz…

YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Java F-150

YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Cookies & Cream Oreo

YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Blue Dog

YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Douglas Portland

SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Grey Macchiato (this is my favorite name of them all)

NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Phillip Noble (Phillin Noble sounds more fun)

STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
Lovely Gummy Frogs (the Lovely is reference to the wife’s scent…I don’t wear it!)

TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Lindbloom Lancaster

SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Christmas Dandelion

CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Raspberry Undies

HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
Yogurt Palm

YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)
The Mustang Snow Tour

So it’s day two of the “no claritan” day. I got home from work and started feeling congested so I rinsed the nose again and I feel great. I guess that this is one of those things that builds on itself over time. Regardless, the freedom my nose experiences after a good cleanse is unbeatable…not even Claritan can give me such relief.

I’m still a believer!

If you’re an allergy suffer…or you have sinus problems in general, I introduce to you, SinuCleanse.

After just one use, my sinuses are clear and I’m loving it. Seriously, this isn’t a joke. If you’re used to buying nasal decongestant on a regular basis, this is well worth the $15.

Try it and tell me what you think!
Kyle

I don’t know the weight of fatherhood yet, but this makes me think twice.

Lately, it seems that the days of my life are becoming more important. Not like an increase in MY importance, but an increase in accountability for my time. I find myself constantly asking if what I’m doing is the best use of my time. Perhaps this is why I’ve begun devouring books like Getting Things Done and The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. Although the content of both books seem to be unrelated, in essence, they are teaching me about being deliberate. With that perspective, it’s easy to see why the weight of being responsible for my time and energy have increased.

When I step back and look at what being deliberate means, it’s means living life on purpose. Further distilled, I realize that it’s all about knowing my personal values and being committed to them. After thinking this through more, I have come up with five core values for my life:

• Spiritual Development: Basically, this is my pursuit of God and the constant refinement, readiness and willingness to live a life as a dedicated disciple.
• Family: My wife, my child(ren), and my immediate and extended family
• Work: Owning a company is a responsibility that I take very seriously. It’s not something that I use for solely for personal gain, it represents: assignments, people, excellence, the small things, giving back and fiscal responsibility.
• Relationships: The pursuit, strengthening and nurturing of the relationships I am responsible for
• Me: Pursuing the things that I want and need to further enhance the other core values. Further defined, that means spending time in the Word, praying, working out so I am able to do anything that’s required of me, and pursuing the hobbies and interests that I enjoy.

What are yours?

I’ve been getting a ton of spam lately, so if you want to leave a comment on the blog, please sign in and you’ll be good to go. Sorry for the inconveniences.

Kyle