Yes...I officially turn 40 years old tomorrow. Never did I imagine I would ever be this old. Or maybe I did imagine it but that I would have had everything figured out in life. Well, I certainly don't have many things figured out, but wow has time flown by. It seems like yesterday I was graduating from Olympus High School and heading to Capistrano for Senior trip. Since that time the concept of time has sped up exponentially. Here's a quick timeline going simply from memory:
1995 - Summer: Senior Trip to Capistrano, Family trip to Hamburg to pick up James, summer working at Dr. Tidwell's Dental office, start fall semester in Mining Engineering at U of U, fill out mission papers
1995 Dec - 1998 Jan - Serve in Russia-St. Petersburg Mission
1998 - Return home, start back immediately at U of U, try to figure out how to adjust back to normal life as well as what to do with my life. Start dating...
1998 - June - Heidi Lynn VanWagenen shows up at my door. Aaron and I go on double dates, he takes Heidi and I'm wishing she was my date all night long. I ask her out the next day.
1998 - August - I propose to Heidi at the top of Little Cottownood Canyon, just as the sun is rising. We dance to her favorite singer at the time Celine Dion on the top of the mountain. She says yes :)
1999 - 2001 - Marriage, work, finish up schooling at BYU, join Army
2002 - 2004 - Basic Training at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, Advanced training at Ft. Sam Houston, TX. Bought 1st home in Kearns for $114,000. Deployed first to Ft. Lewis in Washington, then to Ft. Drum, NY. Worked as Dental Technician.
2005 - Returned to remodeled-by-Heidi house, finally conceived and had SAVANNAH!! Sold home, moved in to rental property with Grandpa and Grandma Van, changed profession to Real Estate.
2006 - Bought 2nd home in Woods Cross
2007 - Benjamin born!! Nearly lost both Heidi and Benjamin due to full ruptured uterus and artery. Doctors worried about permanent brain damage.
2009 - Start building new home in Kaysville
2010 - New home finished on Heidi's birthday, Jacob born April 3!! (only 4 lbs 11 oz, 6 weeks early)
2011-2016 - LOVE RAISING THIS FAMILY!!!
Back to my imminent 40th birthday. While it does seem like 40 is over the hill, I've decided I certainly don't feel old and this is a perfect time to re-dedicate myself. I'm going to start fresh, so to speak, and recommit myself to the things that matter most.
Today while at dinner at my parents, I asked my dad for a Father's blessing. It's been several years since I've received one from my father. It was a great experience. Part of what made it great was to have all three of my children see their dad receive a father's blessing from his father, just as they've received from me. I hope it's something they always remember so that as they grow older and become parents, they too will continue to ask for a father's blessing.
New Goals:
1. Daily Personal Prayers and Scripture
2. Daily Family Prayers and Scripture
3. Monthly temple attendance
4. Weekly family night
5. 60 minutes daily exercise
6. 30 Minutes per day continued education (5 days a week)
7. Weekly random act of service
8. Temporally secure
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