New Beginings

I was once told, that if I have a blog....I have to actually write on it.  While this is completely true, I also have to feel inspired to write.  In the past year or so, I have felt pretty uninspired, as life had become the most routine and common as it has even been.  Jenkins Restorations was a great company for me.  A career starter to say the least.  It afforded me a lifestyle I have never had as an adult, taught me things about myself I would have never seen, and gave me a glimpse of a corporate setting.  But most of all, Jenkins showed me exactly what I did not want from life.  A salaried position where I rarely worked 40 hours, but was only paid for 40 hours (and if i worked less than 40, had money or vacation time actually removed from my paycheck), a work environment full of rules and regulations, a money driven industry, and a company that continued to preach about God but then fall short of their slogan.  When I left Jenkins, I didn't receive any phone calls, e-mails, or acknowledgement that I had even worked there.  The office administrator didn't even know it was my last day and she does payroll.  I should have just turned in my last time sheet and not actually said anything about it being my last day...to be honest I probably would have continued to receive a full paycheck.

With all of that being said, I feel truly blessed to be in the position I am right now.  The beginning of this year was full of surprises.  As I announced to Jenkins that I would be leaving, the Lord also announced to us that we were pregnant.  In hindsight it was probably the worst time to leave a consistent job for a new business, but everything happens for a reason and here we are today, Catherine's almost 6 months pregnant and the business is two weeks in, turning a profit.  While the business and baby are the biggest changes in life today, we have also had some amazing opportunities this year.  Catherine, Roy, BC and I went out to Big Sur, California and ran a marathon.  Roy was the only veteran marathoner so the experience was a first for most of us.  What a thrill to accomplish and overcome.  It was one of the hardest things I've ever done and one of my greatest accomplishments.  To have my wife finish right next to me, was a highlight I can't wait to relive again.  In that same trip, Catherine and I had an opportunity to meet some of my extended family in Chicago for a small family reunion.   Kip has never seen the great city called Chi-Town, so for her to see some of my roots and family, it helped explain a bit of who I am.  I was thrilled to finally be in my town and able to show here all of my old hangouts.  We relived some glory days moments and told tales of my slightly checkered past. From then to now has been a huge journey, one that I am very thankful for.

Today my life is SO fulfilling right now.  With news of baby, Catherine and I have made the decision to stay in our rental on Parkwood.  Because of the new business we are not eligible to buy a home until the business shows three years of profitable gain.  Which will most likely actually be five years from now due to the fact that any profit we make right now, we're either putting right back into the business or taking bonus's so that we can re coop the money that was put into the initial investment.  Regardless of the time that it takes to actually purchase a home, this home, actually feels like home.  For the past year of renting, this has been a place to rest our head.  A great space that contains our items and one we feel safe in.  But now, this is the first home the baby will call home....and that makes this space really special.  Our backyard is now my haven.  While the shed is still full of our landlords things, I now have a garden.  We are growing tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and a slew of herbs.  It's a great feeling knowing that I am proving for my family not only monetarily but also with food from the earth.

Becoming a Dad is such an odd feeling....and by odd, I don't mean bad or uncomfortable.  It's a feeling of appreciation.  A feeling that I have this great responsibility to not only teach but also show another human being what is right and wrong, just or unjust, loving or hateful, etc.  What an amazing sense of joy and purpose to now know that my job, above all, is to keep my wife at peace and feeling loved, and to raise my child in a loving and joyous environment.  I can't tell you how much I love my family and what great loyalty I feel towards them.

With the joy of being back in the field, swinging a hammer, watching my wife begin the care of our child, and the daily lessons that I'm being taught, life has truly given me a breath of fresh air.  I am so blessed to be where I am, here in Richmond VA with a great business partner, an unbelievable wife, a home, food growing in my backyard and a baby in oven....life is so good, now, in this moment.