This might sound weird but I'm feeling pretty isolated lately. I have a wife and two kids and a decent job but I don't really have close friends anymore. Everyone moved away or we just drifted. I find myself scrolling my phone at night after the kids go to bed instead of sleeping. Most of my convers...
Spent Saturday and Sunday building a basic treehouse in the oak tree in our backyard with my 8 and 10 year old. Nothing fancy just some 2x6s nailed to branches and a plywood floor with a rope ladder. The kids helped cut some of the wood and nail things in. They wanted to sleep out there last night b...
We just went for a walk around the block and collected rocks. That's it. But he said it was fun and actually seemed to mean it. These moments hit different when you're not distracted by work emails.
Was supposed to take the boys fishing up north but my truck started making a noise and I had to cancel. You know what? We stayed home, fired up the grill, played cornhole in the backyard, and honestly it might've been better. Sometimes the best moments are the ones you don't plan.
Got a new Traeger smoker last month and I've been out there like 5 times a week just smoking whatever. Brisket, ribs, chicken, vegetables. Neighbor came over last weekend and said I was smoking too much meat and I was like is there such a thing? Already planning to do a 16 hour brisket next weekend.
Cleaned out the smoker yesterday and got it ready for the season. There's something about spring that just makes you want to smoke a brisket for 14 hours. Planning my first cook for this weekend. Any smoker tips for someone who's been doing this for a few years but always learning?
My wife is super involved at church, kids go to Christian school, but I'll be honest - I struggle. I believe in God but I'm not always sure about the rest of it. I don't want to be a hypocrite teaching my kids stuff I'm not fully confident in. How do you guys handle this? Do I just keep going throug...
I know logically it was the right call and we're both better off apart, but man some days I just feel terrible about what this has done to the kids. My 5 year old still asks if mom and dad are getting back together. The guilt hits different on those days. Anyone else dealing with this?
My company let me negotiate 4 10 hour days instead of 5 8s. So I work Mon-Thu and have Friday to handle all the stuff that was piling up. Doctor appointments, grocery shopping, helping at school. Takes so much pressure off my wife. We actually eat dinner together most nights now. Sounds simple but t...
We had a fun camping trip planned last weekend but forgot to check the forecast. Got rain Friday night through most of Saturday. The tent held up fine but everything gets wet anyway. My 4yo thought it was the best thing ever though. Jumping in puddles, watching the creek rise. We stayed in mostly, c...
Started this project thinking it would be a disaster but my son was so excited. We used 2x8s for the main platform, bolted into the oak tree with lag bolts. Took us most of Saturday and Sunday morning. He helped drill holes and hand me tools. It's about 8 feet up, has railings, and honestly looks ki...
We've been split up for 2 years and I still get angry every time I have to communicate with her. She's a good mom but makes constant passive aggressive comments about my parenting. Our 6 and 8 year olds can tell the tension is there. I want them to have a good relationship with both of us but it's h...
We're doing a local campground about an hour away instead of going all crazy. Got a tent, sleeping bags, and I'm planning to make chili in a cast iron skillet over the fire. Hoping the kids don't freak out about bugs or the dark. Wife is slightly terrified but she'll come around once she sees how ex...
After almost a year of dealing with pull ups and accidents, he did it. Full celebration dance happened in the bathroom. I don't care if it sounds weird but I was genuinely proud. Wife and I took him out for ice cream to mark the occasion.
We've been working on this all summer and today it just clicked. My wife was holding the seat and I was running alongside and then suddenly I just let go and he just kept going. He rode like 20 feet before stopping and looked back at me with the biggest smile. My heart swear to god. Spent the next h...