Walking the Bench: The Four Outcomes That Shape Who We Are

I often think about my kids’ future. I have moments of worry. But I also have moments of sheer excitement. They have their whole lives before them. The possibilities are limitless. Our youngest, Gabby, is a good example of what I mean. She’s a year and a half old. She hasn’t started school. Contrary to […]

Why Families Fall Out of Sync and How to Prevent It

Joey outside playing in the snow

I always loved Christmas when I was little. What kid doesn’t, right? But for me, the extended time off of school was just as exciting as the holiday itself. Our kids recently enjoyed their first real Christmas break — eleven consecutive days of ruling the roost. Relaxed bedtimes. Wide open wake times. The inclusion of […]

When What You Want to Choose Contradicts What You Must Choose

In my last post I wrote about why I think it’s important to know where you and your family are going in life. Near the end of that post I suggested that defining success and then basing all your decisions on reaching that outcome is ideal: Ask yourself what a successful day/week/year/lifetime looks like for […]

7 Reasons our Marriage Has Become Our Greatest Parenting Asset

Today marks seven years that Dani and I have been married. Seven years goes by fast. My father-in-law recently reminded us that in those seven years there’s been one house, six vehicles, three kids, three lawnmowers, three jobs, one book, three pet fish and most importantly, one love. We’ve packed a lot into that time. […]

The Unheralded Key to Parenting Every Parent Should Know, Understand, and Implement

Think back to the last time you were on an airplane. While taxiing the runway, the flight attendants direct you to the video screens where you receive safety instructions in the event of an emergency during your flight. There’s one part of those safety videos that always sticks with me. About halfway through, they show oxygen […]

The Absence of Integrity: How Two Seemingly Unrelated Events Demonstrate an Underlying Cause for Concern

I’ve had the privilege of working for two companies who list “integrity” as one of their core values. In my experience it has never been just a word painted on a wall or printed in an employee handbook. It is an active way of life, a standard to which everyone is held. To me integrity […]