Month: June 2018

1 Comment Posted on fatherhood, finance, parenting, Spirituality, Storytelling, Uncategorized

The Search for Wisdom, Truth, and Meaning Ends with Life’s Responsibilities; Including Marriage, Children, and a Mortgage (Or, “I Used to Be a Lot More Fun, Yet Self-Centered and Emotionally Needy”)

As my 20th high school reunion is coming up in less than a year, I think it’s funny how certain people probably remember me as a person I no longer am; for better or worse.

Sure, I used to be a lot more fun back before I was so well immersed in all my current responsibilities. But I also know for a fact that I used to let a lot of things bother me that I no longer do.

One of the least favorite years of my life was when I was 20 years old, back in 2001. And no, it wasn’t necessarily because that was the year of the September 11th attacks. It was because, at the time, my identity as an adult was still forming.

I was finishing up community college, before transferring to Liberty University where I would get my English degree. I had a part-time job as the supervisor of an after-school program. I was a Junior High Sunday School teacher and youth leader at my hometown church. And I was single.

Back then, I was still on a noble quest for things like wisdom, truth, and meaning in life.

Fast forward to present day: I’m 37, I have been married for 10 years (as of next Thursday), I have 2 kids, and I have a full time office job in the Nashville area; in addition to my 4 side hustle jobs that also generate income (this blog, doing SEO for a major university, and 2 YouTube channels).

My wife and I are on a passionate mission to pay off our mortgage early, as we’ve been otherwise debt-free for many years now; including no car payments. We are very inspired to outsmart the system of having to work our entire adult lives just to pay interest to the bank for our home loan.

That’s where I’m at in life.

So honestly, I can’t remember the last time I thought about searching for wisdom, truth, or meaning. I don’t need to.

By default, I get my daily share of wisdom, truth, and meaning through all of my many responsibilities in life; as a married father of 2, with a total of 5 income-generating jobs.

It may seem a bit anticlimactic or unromantic, but responsibility is the answer to trying to find wisdom, truth, and meaning.

1 Comment Posted on parenting, People, Storytelling, Uncategorized

Nashville-Based Vegan Daddy Blogger Takes His Family of 4 to the First Tennessee Park to See the Nashville Sounds Play Baseball, By Nick Shell

Just a few days after returning from our 2 week-long family vacation to northern California, including Lake Tahoe, we went to our first baseball game, as a family of four.

Here in Nashville, the home time is the Nashville Sounds. We got to finally check out the new stadium, which is called First Tennessee Park.

Back in April, I was invited by Toyota to go on an all expenses paid road trip across Florida to check out the MLB Spring Training Grapefruit League. That’s where I got my personalized Braves jersey with my last name on the back. Aren’t I cool?

I figured this Nashville sounds game was the most appropriate time to wear it. Turns out, I was one of many wearing a Braves jersey.

My kids easily had a great time, as there was much excitement in the air. Things got especially interesting when my son got his picture take with Booster the Hot Chicken, who serves as the official new mascot of the Nashville Sounds.

Because in case you didn’t know it, Nashville has been gaining a lot of attention in recent years over our city’s famous “Nashville hot chicken“.

Granted, there’s some irony in that my wife and kids are vegetarian and I’m a vegan, so we’ve never eaten Nashville hot chicken.

Or on second thought, maybe it makes even more sense for my son to hug a giant chicken…

Needless to say, our dinner at the Nashville Sounds game consisted of vegan burgers.

In addition to watching the game, you can also play miniature golf or corn hole. And of course, only in Nashville is the scoreboard and JumboTron a giant guitar!

I’m glad our family go to experience the Nashville Sounds game at their new stadium. We really do live in such a cool town.

 

1 Comment Posted on fatherhood, Nostalgia, parenting, People, Uncategorized

Dear Holly: Your Incredible Hulk Face

2 years, 1 month.

Dear Holly,

With you having an older brother, especially one who is predictably into Marvel super heroes, it is no surprise that he has taught you how to make “the Incredible Hulk face”.

I started noticing on our trip to Lake Tahoe, that instead of seeing your sweet little smile, you were showing Mommy and me this hilarious grimace instead: a mix between funny and painful.

We even shot a family selfie inspired by the face we kept seeing you make:

Granted, this may be a side effect of the fact your brother is currently going through a phase where he is purposely making silly faces when I try to take his picture. So maybe your Hulk face is your attempt to make the faces he’s making.

Either way, you really enjoy making the Hulk face. You know it’s going to get an immediate laugh from Mommy and me whenever you do it.

Even now has I’m writing this, I’m realizing that perhaps, psychologically, you are at a stage now where you’ve realized you have the ability to make people laugh; and that that’s a good thing.

Your brother is undeniably a funny boy. So it only makes sense his sense of humor is going to rub off on you, as the two of you ultimately by default try to make the other one laugh.

Of course, you’re still a little girl; beyond being able to do a pretty accurate Hulk face.

I shot a quick video of you making the face, in which it didn’t take long for you to start showing off your baby dolls and Minnie Mouse.

It was your way of saying, “Daddy, it’s fun to pretend to be a scary monster, but I want to remind you that what I really like doing is playing with my girly toys right here.”

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: It’s Hard to Take a Normal Picture of You These Days

7 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack,

As I began looking through the more than a thousand pictures I took of our family’s recent trip to northern California, it didn’t take me long to notice a pattern: It was rare to see you just smiling normally in a photo.

Instead, the majority of the pictures show you making some kind of silly face.

Whether it’s a scary monster face, or an over-the-top smile, or just you simply photo-bombing someone else’s photo, you are all about being silly in photos.

Granted, I was able to get some normal pictures of you during our vacation. And that’s good enough for me.

I accept you, as you are, as a 7 and a half year-old boy. I want you to be able to express yourself that way.

So I accept that at this point in your life, you’ve had your picture taken enough to where it’s become a bit of a joke to you.

I don’t mind this. I completely realize that in a matter of about 5 years, I’ll be lucky to even get you to pose for a picture where you’re smiling- in any form. Because you’ll be in that teenage phrase where you are embarrassed by me.

This is actually something I’ve always wondered about: At what point will I no longer be able to include new photos of you in my letters to you? At what point can I no longer get away with including you in my blog?

I recognize that at some point, your need for privacy may override the fact that I love celebrating and documenting whatever is going on in your life each week.

So despite me having written about you at least once every week since Mommy and I knew you were going to be born, that may need to come to an end, some time in the future; or at least, maybe I’ll need to do it less frequently.

It’s very clear to me: Silly, happy pictures of you are much better than no pictures at all.

Love,

Daddy

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Hosting the Perfect Fourth of July Backyard Barbeque

Sponsored post by Rec Warehouse

Create a Fourth of July party with some flare this year with these helpful hosting tips.

The Fourth of July is one of the most anticipated summer holidays for adults and children alike. Fireworks, grills billowing with smoke and the scents of marinated cuts of meat, sparkles, and parades with plenty of waving flags are synonymous with the day marking America’s independence from Great Britain in 1776. Backyard barbeques decorate the suburbs, block parties fill urban spaces, and baseball stadiums across the nation fill with packed-out crowds who wait in anxious anticipation for the last pitch so the firework show can begin. Children stay up past their usual bedtimes and run wild, hyped up on sugary drinks and popsicle treats, embracing some of their final times with friends before they go back to school for another year.

If you want this year’s July Fourth to be one full of memories worth cherishing for years to come then a neighborhood backyard hangout is the simple, all-American solution. Creating the perfect Fourth of July backyard barbeque takes some planning but here are some tips to help you nail all the details:

Solidify the Guest List. Before the invitations are mailed, the campfire is lit, or the first beverage is opened, you need to come up with a guest list. Pulling together a group of people in the communal spirit of fun and entertainment is not an exact science, but it does take some thought and planning if you want to perfect it. First, you need to decide how many people you can comfortably host. From there take a mental inventory of family, friends, and neighbors who will positively contribute to the ambiance. Finally, make sure you adequately assess relationships between your intended attendees to ensure there is no underlying tension which should be addressed before the festivities begin.  

Have Food Suitable for All. Whether you have red, white, and blue sprinkle cookies, a litany of hot dogs, hamburgers, and brats with every conceivable condiment, or if you merely order pizzas, your primary concerns as the host or hostess should be having enough food for all your guests and addressing any of their dietary restrictions. If you are looking for some inspiration for your spread, check out these classics from Southern Living.

Fill the Coolers. At the height of summer the weather is sure to play a part in any outdoor event so you should cautiously stock plenty of water and other beverages for your guests. If you choose to serve adult-only drinks, make sure to separate them from the nonalcoholic options and clearly mark them to alleviate any confusion. Plan on getting extra ice before the party to guarantee everything stays chilled for the duration of the gathering.

Create an Atmosphere. Establish the mood of the backyard barbeque with music, decor, and ambiance. Sparkles, patriotic decorations like flags and streamers, and a timeless mix of Independence Day-inspired tunes like this list from Spotify, will give you and your guests a casual backyard barbeque feel.

Make a Splash. One of the best parts of celebrating Fourth of July is the festivities last all day long, from sun up to way past sundown. When you wake up you are abruptly greeted by fire trucks, decorated bicycles, and high school marching bands in the town’s local parade, then you move onto a phase of neighborhood hangouts where smokers and grills send delicious aromas throughout the hot summer air, and it all concludes with a firework spectacular to light up the night sky. What if you could add a refreshing element to the mix by turning the gathering into a neighborhood pool party?

Source: recwarehouse.com

Now the option to create a backyard your neighbors will actually want to hang out in is easier than ever with the help of Rec Warehouse. Rec Warehouse is an Atlanta-based business specializing in the sale of leisure and recreation equipment like hot tubs, pool tables, outdoor kitchens, patio furniture, misting fans, tanning bed, and of course, above ground pools. Rec Warehouse is a family owned and operated business with two gorgeous showroom locations in Norcross and Kennesaw. They also offer an e-commerce site with an abundance of options and a live chat feature so you can get all the help of an expert salesperson without ever having to leave your home.

Make this year’s Fourth of July backyard barbeque one for the history books and watch the twinkling fireworks in a pool of your own. To get the ball rolling, stop by Rec Warehouse today to talk to one of their professional and knowledgeable staff.