Honeymoon 9.0

I've told myself that I will never skip writing about my anniversary. Yet here I am three years later and I have not written about our 9th honeymoon adventures... Soo... ANYWAY...

Nine years ago Traci and I signed a sheet of paper agreeing to live together for eternity. Since we don't enjoy staying around town for our anniversary, we made plans to visit Seattle and enjoy some camping at Fort Worden State Park. We took off on the 13th at 3 am and enjoyed a dark and quiet drive before arriving at Snoqualmie Pass where we enjoyed a cold breezy serene sunrise. It was nice to walk around Keechelus Lake and see all the scattered tree stumps. After skipping a few rocks and freezing ourselves, we continued on our journey towards the big city. Fortunately, we avoided the rush hour in Seattle, yet the frenzy of normal traffic was a challenge for our 69 year old car. From accelerating to braking, the whole fast life seemed all too much for the Plymouth to handle so we decided a trip to the aquarium would ease our nerves down. Now, the Seattle Aquarium is always a nice treat yet the outrageous $70 entree fee for a family of 4 is quite a hefty price. But how can you say "Sike!" to your excited energetic kids? How!? Regardless, both kids enjoyed the sea creatures; Ben was excited to play with two fake octopus arms and Joey was eager to run around. It was worth the price!

On Thursday, we met our good friend "Miss Heidi" at the Space Needle and were treated to a 360 view of city skyline. Her and Ben had a great time chasing each other. (Sidenote: Actually, Ben still remembers that day when he sees the Space Needle and says that he had a lot of fun.) Meanwhile Traci and I enjoyed quality time with just Joey between enjoying the view. We also had the opportunity to eat at Mod pizza at the Seattle Center. It's pretty neat seeing the pizza prepared as you order it. All in all, we had a great experience with Heidi and were left wondering, "Why don't we spend more time with her?"

That evening we met with distant Starkebaum relatives. Gordon and Mary Starkebaum live on the shores of Lake Washington and not only did they treat us to a delicious supper but also a short boat ride. Gordon has taken great interest in the Starkebaum ancestry and has even been able to locate the home in Germany where the Starkebaum's lived back in the 1800's; surprisingly, the home is still standing. He has created an amazing family tree and we were excited to fill in a few missing details. They were excited to see that we had driven a 48 Plymouth and we were excited to show them around. We will definitely make another effort to visit them in the future.

Finally, on Friday we made our way to Fort Warden to begin our camping adventures. There we met with the Deininger's for some quality time with cousins. Ben had been super excited to play with Reed at the beach and did not hesitate to clown around at any opportunity. Apparently Reed had been in this phase of striking poses when someone pointed a camera at him. I had been hoping to take a nice picture of them walking along the beach but as Reed saw the camera he began striking several poses which only added more fuel to Ben's energy. After a few seconds, they ran into each other causing Ben to fall in the water. Initially Ben got upset which made Reed realize that he had clowned a bit too much. Yet, within minutes they were happy and that is why Ben is cold and wet in the picture. Actually, that story reminds me of the following day when they were playing in the tent while the parents wrapped up eating supper. At first they played quietly yet eventually moved on to exploring the mysterious jungles of the amazon river or maybe the death defying cliffs of Mt. Everest. I'm not sure of the imaginary adventure they were traversing but our meal was interrupted when we heard a loud cry from Ben. All four parents rushed to their child and tried making sense of the situation. The end. What a cliffhanger don't you think?

Before I proceed I need to clarify that Ben considers Reed as his best friend. He prays for him, he talks about him and truly values his friendship. Currently, Ben is looking forward to Christmas (like all kids) mostly because he will get to see his cousin Reed. I'm not making this up. In fact, I'm excited that he has a cousin that lives semi close that can match his energy level. On a few instances I have caught Ben sitting quietly thinking and his first remark will be, "When can I go visit my cousin Reed. I like playing with him and all his toys." Like all humans we have our good and bad times, but as Reed apologized the honesty between the two kids was very sincere and mature.

Reed: Do you not like me?
Ben: Well, I love you Reed. I just don't like to be squeezed.
Reed: I'm sorry Ben.
Ben: It's ok.

It goes to show that I want to be more like my kids.

On Sunday we began our journey home. Although our Plymouth has several disadvantages to modern cars, there are plenty of perks that come along with driving an old car. One perk is that people are extremely nice and will strike a conversation when they see the car. Think about it? When was the last time you saw a young family traveling in a 69 year old car? There must be something wrong with us driving a car without power windows... ugh. How Barbaric. Anyhow as we waited for our ferry in Kingston, a random lady gave us a box of doughnuts just because we were driving an old car. It's hard to say no when your stomach says "Yes!" Coincidentally we rode on the Walla Walla ferry without planning it and were allowed to get the very front spot. We saw multiple people take pictures of the Plymouth and heard people talk about the car from the viewing deck. It's quite a special feeling to see others admire your own car while remaining anonymous. It's a real treat. Truth be told, the whole trip was a huge treat. Including the small moments like seeing Joey pretend to drive the Plymouth and hear his impersonation of a flat head engine. I'm extremely fortunate to have Traci by my side. Each anniversary, she spends more time with the kids than with me and honestly... I'm ok with that. She loves them and cares for them and as a Dad, what more can I ask for? I'm a truly blessed to have her in my life. I can count on her for good ol' chuckle and she is always up for an adventure. So Traci, in case you still read this blog... because I most certainly don't. Thank you for letting me be part of your life, part of your life story.

Big Brother

I often wonder if my blog comes across as the boastful ramblings of a stay at home dad. It does appear that my life is great, we travel, my family smiles with every picture taken, we are never bored and each weekend holds a new adventure. But reality is different and photos are able to freeze a moment in time. Our living room is a constant mess of scatter toys and we are embarrassed of our tiny neglected bathroom that desperately needs a remodel. It's easy to compare ourselves to the Jones yet it's far more productive to focus on where we stood just 5 years ago.

Raising Ben these past two years have been undoubtedly the best years of my life. Despite that I often lack sleep and Ben occasionally throws his fits of rage, a huge percentage of my time with him are memorable. It comes down to figuring out if the cup is half empty or half full and as far as I can see, the cup is over flowing with good times. The scattered little moments of joy, laughter, cheer and humor throughout the days are a constant reminder that God has given me more than I deserve. I will admit that I was skeptical of being a dad before Ben was born but I now ask myself, "How did I ever live without him?" Then again, in a few months I will be asking myself the same question when my second kid is arrives.

I have been told before to not think about the future and the mournful days that lay ahead. Take for instance, the quiet emptiness that Ben will leave behind when he moves out. Or as Kenny Chesney puts it, "Next thing you know your better half of fifty years is there in bed and you're praying God takes you instead." But it's thoughts like these that place a different perspective on life. Yes my life is pretty good, yet simply listening to my elders reveal that, all good times must one day come to an end. Not to say that I dwell on these thoughts but instead it helps me realize that what I have before me is exceptional, rare and truly special.

Last month we acquired a good accumulation of snow. Ben was excited to play outside in the snow with his Tonka's and even insisted on pulling his dump truck. Although he sometimes wants his space, he constantly reminded me to walk right beside him down the sidewalk as he described the blanket of snow. It's little moments like these that remind me that in 4 months the best years of my life will begin. The climatic years of my life are just around the corner. Perhaps I will begin to write less on my blog in the efforts to not miss a beat of my kids growing up. Perhaps I will memorize the whole Car's movie in a few months. Who's to say? All I know is that the popcorn is popping, I've got my slippers on and my 3D glasses are handy because life is about to get epic.

Mr. Mom

My grandma once told me that most men complain about their wife and try to figure them out. She said that a man can have the house cleaned, dishes washed, laundry folded, supper prepared and everything in it's proper place; yet his home can fall apart at the same time. Which is why a man should stop trying to understand his wife and instead begin to care, provide, and love her.

Today was Traci's first day back to work, which means that today was my first day as Mr. Mom. She left at 7, came back at noon and we were counting the minutes when she would arrive back home. There were moments when Ben was counting louder. I don't know how she does it but she makes parenting look easy.

It's hard to explain

Recently I have been asked on various occasions how it feels to be a dad. My immediate response has been that it's a lot of work but it's a great feeling. Yet I don't think that truly explains how it feels to be a dad. After all, working on my house is a lot work but it feels great to be a house owner. How about working on the Plymouth, that car has been a whole lot of work, but it felt great to hear that engine run. So is being a dad the same as being a homeowner or working on a project vehicle? I believe "No" will be my final answer.

Before Ben was born I was excited about becoming a dad, yet it felt different because after all, I had never held him or had any interaction with him. Although I could hear the beat of his little heart or feel his little kicks, the feeling of loving someone whom I had never met was quite unusual. Granted that not knowing the gender before he was born perhaps added to the feeling of detachment. With that being said, I was very much caught off-guard when I heard him cry for the first time. The feeling of falling tremendously in love instantly was a whole new experience.

There are several things that I am proud of that I rarely bring up to anyone. I am proud of owning the first car I ever rode in, the fact that my jeep is 20 years old and still running strong, owning the complete first edition die cast cars from the movie cars, or my small collection of Tonka trucks. It's exciting to know that my in-laws show interest in my enthusiasm for cars and jeeps or at the least are excited when I visit them. It brings peace of mind that my family enjoys spending time with Traci and that she loves spending time with them.

Switching topics. In order to get the engine out of the Plymouth we needed an engine hoist. Since we didn't own one, Traci looked online, found one and told me to go pick it up. Later that week while I mentioned it to my friend I said, "I don't know how many husbands can say that they bought an engine hoist for their wife." His reply was quite unforgettable. "I'm pretty sure that if I bought one for my wife, she would hang me from it."

In conclusion, men live a miserable life except for me. Actually, it's hard to express the excitement and joy of seeing my son breathe his first breath of air, hear his first cry or see his first smile. Ben surpasses anything I'm proud of by a long shot. He's brought an unimaginable happiness to my life that I could have never perceive. It's like the joy of placing down that last piece of a puzzle. It's that moment when you go out for lunch and come back to a better parking spot. It's when you hit that point in a book where you suddenly can't stop reading. It's that great feeling of having a big turnout at your surprise birthday party. It's driving down an old road with large trees that touch and form a canopy over everything. It's that sensation of placing your feet in a lake on a hot summer day. It's the experience of feeling the warm sun rays' on a cold winter day. It's knowing that I can buy an engine hoist for my wife. It's finding out that reality is better than dreaming.

Consider me the luckiest man alive.

It's a boy!

On July 3, 2013 at 11:41 pm my son said, "Hello World!" His name is Binyamin Clifford Galan. He is 20.75 inches tall and weighs in at 7lbs 14oz. If this isn't happiness, I don't know what is.

Patience

Last Friday was the expected due date and from the looks of it, the baby is still holding on. My phone has been ringing non stop and everyone is asking when the baby is going to come. Perhaps the uncertainty about if the child is a boy or girl gets everyone more anxious to know when the baby is going to arrive. Personally, I have not slept well from just the anticipation and excitement of being a dad. I felt disappointed when the my child did not arrive on the expected due date nor on the next few days, yet there is a lesson to be learned... Patience.

I have been spending much of my time looking forward to the arrival of my little one that I have forgotten to enjoy the present. After all, these are the last few moments that Traci and I will have before both of our full attention turns to our kid. Before I know it my kid will experience his/her first of school or the dreaded day when he/she goes off to college. Here's what I'm thinking, I need to enjoy every moment in my life and not just focus on the future because after all, I'm going to miss this. The day that all my hairs turn gray, I'm going to want these days back and wish that they wouldn't have pass so fast. I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that there will be a day when I look back and say... "Those were the good days."

At the same time, I'm writing this from the hospital. Maybe I'll be a dad tonight.

The few pictures on this post are of some of items we have acquired for the baby along with a picture of the baby's first car show.