Can it get better?

A week ago I mostly finished building our backyard cabin and this week the work continues around the house as we make an effort to eliminate the clutter in our basement. Traci's folks are in town helping us keep an eye on Ben while we focus on our list of task before Ben's birthday party. It's fascinating how the longest days of the year, seem short when the "Honey-do list" keeps me distracted throughout the day. I find it interesting how I once claimed to be busy and short of time before being a dad but looking back I was swimming in time… practically drowning with free time. I'm not complaining though. After all, Ben brings an unexplainable happiness and cheerfulness to our home that not even a full liter of golden retriever puppies can bring, which would be great.

Today he celebrates his first birthday. He is gaining more confidence standing up and occasionally give a couple of steps without grabbing on to anything. He is active, curious of anything he comes across and mesmerized when he sees a bird, fish, dog or you name it. There is no doubt that Ben enjoys spending time with his grandparents whether that means playing with them or simply making sure they are around while he works on taking everything out of the toy bin. My son is growing and changing each day. His crawling will soon turn into jumping; his blabber will soon turn into words and his reaching will soon turn into climbing. I am excited to see what the future holds.

This past year has been the best year of my life. It's difficult to put into words how much joy my son has brought to our home. It's worth noting that for the first time in my life I have caught myself repeating the phrase, "I wish this moment will never end." Being a full-time dad is a challenging and high demanding occupation yet it is of no sacrifice. I am weary and exhausted each Friday yet I am left pondering, "Can life get any better?" What did I do to deserve a roof over my head, a wife whom I can call friend, a fridge full of food and a son who is a fountain of happiness?

A year ago Traci and I sat in a quiet delivery room awaiting the arrival of our new family member. We were anxious yet nervous of any complications that might arise with the arrival of our baby. The continuous tapping of the machine monitoring Traci and the baby kept a constant background sound as we remained mostly silent and pondering how the years will soon fly by. The golden sun's rays shined through our hospital window as it set over the horizon. The skies were clear with the exception a few condensation trails contrasting against the deep blue sky. We were to be parents before the sun rose from the east.

There's a song by John Rutter named, "Christmas Carol." It's a Christmas song as the title obviously states. Anyhow, there are two lines in the song that describe the night when Traci first held Ben in her arms.

"How can you measure the love of a mother, Or how can you write down a baby's first cry?"