15 years old.
Dear Jack,
The day after Thanksgiving, you decided you wanted to go back to Walker Rocks at the Crockford-Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area; as we did with Papa and Uncle Andrew nearly a year ago on Christmas Eve.
Even at 15 years old, the adventurous spirit of a curious boy is still alive and well inside of you!
Love,
Daddy
15 years old!
Dear Jack,
It’s official. You’re 15 years old today. When we asked you what you wanted to do to celebrate, you chose for our family of 4 to spend a quick day trip to Nashville, hitting up all your favorite spots.
As for your “big” birthday gift, you carefully researched the best gaming chair for your “PlayStation 5 station” in your room. The chair is basically an actual car chair and is even equipped with a massager for your back.
Though I will say, you’re still not too old for Lego blocks, as you were very excited today to build the F1 racecar we got you, which you are now proudly displaying in your room.
Everytime it’s your birthday, I will always think back to that terrifying moment I held my firstborn child for the first time, as I thought, “How am I supposed to know what to do with this brand-new human life?”
Fifteen years in… So far, so good.
I love you, Jack.
Love,
Daddy
When we began looking for houses in Alabama as we were considering moving from Tennessee, the pattern became apparent quickly:
We were not going to be able find a house in Alabama comparable to what we had in Tennessee within our budget:
About 2,000 square feet; consisting of 4 bedrooms, plus a bonus room.
Instead, it was either downsize to 3 bedrooms and lose the bonus room, or… double our budget and the sqare footage. No in-between.
Since my wife and I have both been working from home full-time since 2020, we had to get creative when we bought our home in Alabama.
She set up shop in a corner of the dining room while I claimed a corner of our bedroom.
This meant for the past year and a half, anytime I needed a coffee break or eat lunch, I would have to hope it lined up with my wife not being on a call.
It worked, but it definitely inspired my wife to say: “We need to have somebody build me my own office… but I want it to be like a sunroom too.”
We got quotes from a few different contractors, but the one who won our vote was “Zack of All Trades“, who is based a few miles from us in the neighboring town of Valley Head.
The finished product has certainly exceeded our expectations. I love how it feels like a constistent extension of our existing 29 year-old home, yet it provides a unique space.
It doesn’t at all feel like a 2nd living room, nor a den, or even a bonus room.
Instead, it’s the perfect hybrid of a true office, a dance/music studio, and a game room… all with an amazing view of the mountains.
And since we had Zack tear out the old deck and replace it with this new room, he built us a smaller, more simpler deck with a staircase leading to it.
We love our new room! It added about 250 square feet to our home, but it has totally reinvented our living space.
9 years, 4 months.
Dear Holly,
I am still not over the fact that Mommy and I are at the point in life where she and I can just go away for a weekend, leaving you and your brother at Nonna and Papa’s… and it’s totally okay with everybody!
And it helps even more that your cousin Darla joined in at your most recent sleepover, ensuring that there would be nonstop 9 year-old activities the whole time!
Of course, much of it revolves around your collection of dolls… as the event becomes “the dolls’ sleepover” perhaps more than your own, as you perceive it.
I love it that we live in the same state as family now!
Love,
Daddy
9 years, 3 months.
Dear Holly,
At my work desk, displayed in front of my fancy award for being one of the top recruiters a few years back at work, is the strip of photos our family recently took at the photo booth at Mommy’s work party.
I’ll directly point out the obvious:
The “trophy” I am proudest of in my entire life is my family.
It is not lost on me what a reward it is to have the wife and kids that I do.
I think of how fairy tales end with the classic phrase, “And they all lived happily ever after.”
Well, this is what that actually looks like in real life.
We’re living it, right now.
Love,
Daddy
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