Friends and Family

It's more than a cell phone plan.

I'm blessed.

I have three kids, two step-kids, two step-grandsons, and I'm only 50!

My three are in order again, age-wise:

Rachael is 26, Josh is 25, and Tiff turned 24 this week.

Then there is Ian who turned 29 a few months ago and Abby who will be 22 this summer.

Looking back on what my life was like when I was their age:

At 22 I got married, 23 we had our first, 24, we had our second and by the time I was 26 and our last one was born, we decided to stop!

I've gone from growing up as an only child to having a houseful of children. Tiff is married, Josh is getting married later this year, and then in 2011 both Rachael and Abby are planning on marrying. It's going to be be a busy couple of years.

A couple days ago, I took Monday off and drove to Indianapolis where Tiff and her husband Jon live. Like the rest of my family, I cherish and am proud of them. It was her birthday and last week, they got word that their offer on a house was accepted. One of the things that I'm also impressed with is how frugal they are. Tiff said it will be an empty house at first since they don't have much furniture, but they also are determined to live within their means and not accept loans from family. This is a lesson for everyone to learn.

And then there's my wife Kathy. A little over ten years ago we met and a year later we married.

Neither one of us would have imagined how ours lives would be a decade later, and I'm very thankful and blessed to have her as my partner. Along with our relationship, we've been supportive of each other as parents too.

Friendships are important too.

I've met so many people in the past 7 years that I've been working for the group of radio stations that I'm with. And I count many of them friends including some of my co-workers past and present.

Living in the town I grew up in, (I returned in 1998 after my father passed away), I've reconnected with several friends from my past too.

Friends and family are more than Facebook and Twitter Friends and Followers, they're the real folks that we care about and that make our lives richer. Thanks to each and everyone of you.