"Attitude of gratitude."

So, I know it has been a little bit since either Alyssa or I have posted anything on here. I also remember that i promised pictures from Landen's soccer games, which still have not been posted. Alyssa is planning on posting soon so hopefully they will be up within a week or so.

Recently we swapped family picture taking with some friends. That in conjunction with the fall and winter holiday season has brought me to reflect on all that I, and my family, have been blessed with this past year and throughout the almost five and a half years that Alyssa and I have been together. Over the past three and a half years I have been able to attend school full time and work full time to be able to sustain my family. A position opened up and with a recommendation from a lieutenant, I was able to change shifts. Even though I am working a graveyard shift and I am quite tired almost all of the time, I am now able to spend more time with my family. This is where I had been failing the most and it was really taking a toll on us. If I wasn't working I was at school. We did not see much of each other and we are all very glad to now have our time back.

Even though we have been through some tough points, through loving discussion with Alyssa and many hours of prayer and fasting, we had opportunities and choices placed in front of us that pulled us through virtually unscathed, yet so much wiser. I am a worrier, especially when it comes to finances. Alyssa even grounded me from the bank website by changing our passwords. Even so, I have come to trust her so much over the years. It has been her that has kept us afloat even though at times we may have been barely treading the water. I find my self far less worried about our finances now. I have been truly blessed with such an intuitive woman as my wife. I feel so comfortable with being grounded from complete knowledge of our finances because I know that she will never allow anything to upset the situation we find ourselves in now.

I also focus on the little things. Dade hasn't really started talking yet. He is almost two and we were getting a little worried. Then he remembered that he knew how to say mom and dad, and now he doesn't stop. He is picking up some words here and there. What touches my heart more than anything else is to hear his little voice say "hi dadda!" when I call from work to tell him goodnight. He is a true joy to have around.

Landen loves spending time with Alyssa and I. He always wants to play and help me whenever there is some work to be done. The other day I was tyring to take the battery out of my motorcycle to store it inside for the winter. I made three trips back inside looking for the right tool. After the third trip Landen held up a tool and said, "Look at this daddy. See that right there!" I looked at it and said, "Hey thanks buddy. That's the tool I needed." Leave it to the child to find the right tool, which just happened to be one of the tools that came in the tool pouch with the motorcycle. Go figure! He is going to a joy school that a few of the moms are doing in our apartments. He is learning so quickly and loves to go to school. Even though we might get a little frustrated with him some times, it is truly amazing to watch him grow. I must say that I take pride in the fact that he knows which building is the library and he loves to go there. He also knows the church and the temple. Because of a certain addiction that Alyssa and I have, he now knows and loves TCBY.

We are happy and we are growing as a family. We could not ask for more. Although, we are very anxious and grateful for the opportunity to move back home. We truly miss our families and are grateful for the love and support they have given the past...almost four years. We have been blessed. We will be blessed. We are grateful for the Lord's loving hand which we can feel and see in our lives daily.