Category: People

Next level productivity

Whether it was the fact that we hadn’t done shit all week or it was some sort of voodoo magic in the air, but man we knocked it out today! This morning BLT was all trying to kick things off as if it were any other day by waking up at 5am. No one wants to be up at that hour on a Saturday. We quickly squashed that by taking him over to my mom’s house. She agreed to watch him for the morning so we could get some stuff done around the house for a change. The goal was lofty, but we were up for a challenge.

Ever since moving in we haven’t had the time or energy or care level to move the rest of the stuff from the basement/garage to the attic. After all, we now live in the equivalent of a three story house. Factor in the trip up the ladder in to the attic and that was not something we wanted to get all up on. Today, however was different and we got everything that was to be stored moved up and that was that. Granted it took a trip to Home Depot for some boards to put down for flooring, but that was a minor setback.

After all that was done, we proceeded to do some more organizing the basement in preparation for the gym equipment that was going in down there. Have I mentioned that we’re doing Tough Mudder in like 4 months?! Eek! We were all getting pretty hungry so we decided to go grab some food and pick up the youngin’ from Grammy’s.

Back at the house and Lane went to bed so we could start in on decorating the rest of the outside of the house. Nothing quite like having the family outside decorating and just having a grand time. Most of it we were able to get knocked out before BLT woke up, but the last piece was a huge ass wreath for the upper middle window on the house. Luckily it was a simple hang out the window two stories in the air and put a nail in the window frame kinda procedure.

Someone had to get out there and hang this wreath!

The day got a little crazy after that and JT kinda went rogue, but we found her.

Mom went crazy

The rest of the day was spent finishing up some other chores like installing the second IP Camera, a trip to Hobby Lobby for some supplies to make Chase’s school play outfit, dishes, etc. Basically, we got shit done.

Oh, and two other things. First off our gas oven can die for all I care at this point. I mean, I love cooking with a gas top range and all but that oven is bajank. Its too small and always burns shit. We’ve tried adjusting the temp and time and all manner of things but no matter what everything we cook is always either burned or not done at all. I miss my electric oven. Secondly, a carpenter I am not, and I am also not the handiest of mans on the planet. But despite that fact, I’ll give it my all. Those boards in the attic are most likely not up to any sort of code or whatnot, but hey, they’ll hold our stuff. And the ice maker line that I installed tonight, despite me doing it exactly correct the damn thing still leaks. Not from anywhere that I connected, but from the actual shut off valve bit. So I’m now going to have to call a plumber and get them to tell me its going to cost a bajillion dollars or tell me that I f’d up and did it wrong… which I’m fairly confident that I didn’t.

Ok, that’s all I had. I’ll most likely post something again tomorrow or at the very least in the next few days. For now I’m gonna go get in the bed with my beautiful and amazing wife. Bam!

Decorating at the Turner’s – 2k12

At the tree farm!

Well, we are not ones to dillydally when it comes to getting stuff unpacked and decorated around the house and this year would be no exception. So despite having only been in this house ONE week, we decided it would be a good idea to go round up a 8+ foot tall tree and decorate that mug with as many lights and ornaments as we could muster.

We headed off to our local tree farm where Chase picked out the perfect tree and helped me cut it down. Mom and Lane sat by taking cute pics of and enjoying the weather. Once we got the tree home it was just a matter of finding the right spot, hauling up all our Christmas decor from the basement, doning our best decorating attire and getting this party started. It wasn’t long before we had the living room decked out and we ready to enjoy the rest of the night longing at our beautiful tree.

As with every year, I made a time lapse video of the festivities. We look a little goofy, but that’s what its all about. Having fun, and just enjoying time with our family. Lane really loves looking at the lights and so far neither of the animals has been tempted enough to tear anything off the tree. Now if we can just keep it watered for the next 30 or so days, we’ll be doing just fine!

Stay tuned for more pics and videos of all things holiday!

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P90x: 40+ days

This post is about 10 days over due. Here’s my 30 day pic for P90x.

P90x - Day 30

As you can see, I have achieved results! On day 30 I had more definition in my arms, legs, back, shoulders, stomach, and smile. I was feeling fantastic and wanted more. This however was short lived. Shortly after my day 30 awesomeness I departed for a 3 day field trip for Chase’s PC class. It’s hard enough doing P90x at home, but it’s impossible to do any sort of exercise while tending to a gaggle of 4th/5th graders and walking around learning about maritime forests and such. So when I got home I was feeling rather bleh. Three days of cafeteria food and sand in my ass had taken it’s toll. However, I was ready to jump back to it on Thursday! I crushed another workout and was back in the swing of things. That is, until the next day when we were invited to hang with some friends at a beach house for the weekend! How could we possibly turn this down?! The beach trip in general is for another post and I’ll let Jess handle that one. I had great intentions and  packed my DVDs and some gear for a few workouts at the beach. Well as anyone who’s ever been to the beach will tell you, that is pretty much a wash and workouts are most likely not going to happen. Tack on a few kids, some wicked sunburn, and a few drinks and I can kiss those days goodbye.

Ouch!

By Tuesday I was feeling dreadful and wanted to either exercise the toxins out of my body or die. Well, I have a family to look after so I decided to exercise. Again, there were obstacles all over the place. From a sunburn that left me itching all of my skin off to a hand that looked like a zombie attack (an injury suffered while digging a trench from our sand castle to the ocean), it looked as if it was going to be another battle to get my routines in. I would do my best to exercise here and there, but it just wasn’t the same. I felt like I had lost my drive. I could feel myself slipping further and further from my goal and the scale was certainly reflecting this.

Then came the wall. The 215lb wall that I was either going to bust through or let stop me. Some how I had gained 3 more pounds that my starting weight. Luckily I didn’t let it stop me. It took some time and a lot of internal struggle, but as of this morning I feel like I’m back in the driver’s seat. I am now at 209lbs and am ready for my next exercise.

Last nights workout was probably one of the toughest ones I’ve done in the past 40+ days. I did not eat well yesterday and certainly did not provide the right fuel for my body to do a great workout. But with the encouragement of my wife (who is also doing daily exercise routines btw) I got out there and did some Plyo X. It wasn’t easy, and I threw up before finishing, but I finished. I got over that hurdle and am so happy I did. I’m not ready to finish the second half of this program and get to that goal fitness level that I have set for myself. I feel great and I can’t wait for my next routine. I know the next 45 days will bring struggles, hurdles, and all manner of things to slow me down, but I am determined to see this thing through. I may be exactly where I am today in terms of weight and muscle or I may be “fit as a fiddle”, as Tony Horton would say. Only time will tell.

Oh, and as I mentioned earlier my wife is now doing her own daily workouts. She’s stuck to it so far and I am exceedingly proud of her and can’t wait to see her awesome results. I have faith in her and know she will bust through it. Stay tuned for more!

What a weekend

This really has been a great weekend. My amazing wife ran in The Color Run – Atlanta (I’ll let her talk more about that), the weather was wonderful, I got to help Chase with a school project that turned out tenfold better than expected and it was Wrestlemania!

Solar System

First up, the school project. Ever since I can remember I’ve always excelled in any sort of project that was due at school. Whether it was a diagram, a science fair presentation, sculpture, plant rubbings, you name it. The main reason was my mom and dad. At the time I loved it! We would spend hours in the kitchen or garage working on the best possible thing to turn in. I would build elaborate objects to turn in that would ensure that I would get some sort of recognition. Regardless of how I was doing in the class or when it was due, we would always be working on the best of the best. I have vivid memories of late nights in the kitchen gluing the last newspaper clipping onto a board showing some info about water purification. I remember building some overly complicated windmill thing for a project in college with the aid of my dad. It has to be this sense of overachievement that led me to what we put together for Chases solar system project this weekend.

At first it was pretty basic. Jess and Chase got a kit to make a solar system and a foam board to put the planets on. We had some tempra paint to paint the planets and it was going to be a slam dunk. However, after some trial and error it was discovered that painting styrofoam was a lot more challenging that initially thought. We tried several different methods, and eventually we got frustrated. I am not one to easily give up so I did some research and found the right kind of paint to use and Chase and I were on our way to get some supplies. An hour or so later and we had an amazing project that any kid would be proud to bring to school. I really thought it looked cool and can’t wait to hear the feedback tomorrow. No matter what I was going to make the project a success. Unlike John Cena, when I said that I was going to put everything I had into it, I meant it.

That brings me to my next point. The main event at Wrestlemania this year was John Cena vs. The Rock. They have been pimping this match for a year. I was extremely eager to see it. I was excited about all the other matches (well most of them) tonight, but I really was eager to see the outcome of this one. I had my money on Cena, but as luck would have it… my money was in the wrong spot.

I spoke with my friend Adam about this for a while leading up to the match, but Cena really had it all on the line. He had to win. The Rock, had nothing to lose. Tomorrow, The Rock will go back to making his movies, but John Cena will go back to wrestling every single week. After such amazing matches as Triple H vs. The Undertaker I was expecting greatness from the Cena/Rock match. What I got was a really good match with a piss poor ending. When the Undertaker finally beat H3 you could tell that both men were simply spent. When Cena was done with his match, he looked like he was just kinda chillin. The ending was so terrible. In my opinion The Rock had nothing to gain from beating Cena and as much as Cena talked about putting his entire soul into the match, I felt like it was a half-ass ending. They had to carry Trips out of the ring, Cena was just hanging out after his match. They really could have ended it better. The best thing that can happen at this point is for The Rock to come out tomorrow and put Cena over. Otherwise Cena is going to have to turn heal. That’s really the only thing, but then again, this is the WWE and anything is possible.

So that was pretty much it. I had an epic time building a solar system with Chase, then I got to watch Wrestlemania with my family and friend. I wish John Cena had won the match, but it’s not “real” so it should be just fine.

“Best friend”

Can someone define that for me? Is it even possible to really put a definition on the term best friend? We’ve all had them. From early childhood we’ve had people or friend that have been our “best” friends. A person we can go to with our deepest thoughts, someone who will be there for us no matter what. We’ve all had that go-to person that no matter what, will tell us what we don’t want to hear, in a way that we need to hear it.
Continue reading ““Best friend””

The easy part

Photo on 2012-02-25 at 08.42 #2
Morning "coffee"

No one ever said raising or taking care of a baby was easy. Well, I’m sure someone has said that, but at least no one I’ve ever talked to. However, over the past week or so things around the house have just kinda fallen into place. Lane is sleeping 5-7 hours each night. Jess and I are getting back into a routine of sorts, Chase is really taking on the role of a big brother with flying colors, and things are just good.

Certainly we have our days or nights when all we want to do is sleep or finish that load of laundry and Lane has other ideas of how we should be spending our time. Last night for example, he decided that it would be a good idea to stay up until midnight. It would have been one thing if he was up crying or fussing, but not our kid. He was just smiling and making faces and being a happy baby. It’s hard to get frustrated at a baby that just wants to look at you or pull on your shirt (kid’s got a grip) and smile. To keep him happy all we have to really do is make sure he’s fed when he’s hungry, has a new diaper when he’s wet, and get’s some sleep when he’s tired. There isn’t a whole lot of complication around that.

I don’t have the experience of raising a baby and it’s been nearly 10 years for Jess so this is all new to us. We’re figuring it out as we go along. Should we put him down or hold him until he sleeps? At 7.5 weeks what’s the “usual” thing for babies to be doing? Does his poop look normal? When did he last eat? Do you think he’s cold? All these things and more are constantly on our minds, but the more we interact with Lane the easier things become. Take this morning for example. I’m writing this post while feeding him. Two weeks ago that would not have even been a thought of a possibility. Now it is all second nature.

In a few years we’ll look back on mornings like this and remember how “easy” we had it. Then over time that too will become easy. I honestly don’t believe that raising a child is difficult. It’s only ever as hard as you make it. There will always be challenges like “did my son just eat sand?” or “did he forget to pack extra underwear for summer camp?” but we get through it.

Today is easy. My beautiful son is asleep in my arms while my amazing wife is peacefully sleeping in our cozy bed. The pets are fed and enjoying the quiet morning and the sun is breaking through the clouds. How much more could a man ask for on a Saturday morning?

Happy One Month, Benjamin Lane!

Benjamin Lane - 1 month
Benjamin Lane - 1 month

Over the past month I have learned a lot of interesting and fascinating things.

  • Babies can go from zero to 90 in a matter of seconds.
    One moment Lane will be laying peacefully asleep and the next he’ll be crying his head off… only to be cooing and giggling a few seconds later.
  • Poops come in all colors, smells, and can sneak up on you at any time of the day.
    It really doesn’t matter when Lane had eaten, when he’s ready to poop he will. The sneaky thing is, some times it’s just a fart that sounds and smells like he destroyed his diaper.
  • When people tell you that you’re not going to sleep much (or at all) during the first weeks of your babies life, they mean it.
    We have battled with Lane at all hours of the day trying to get him to sleep.  Battling with a baby takes time, and takes away from sleeping.
  • One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to beds, pillows, bottles, formula, etc.
    In the past month Lane has had no less than 4 types of nipples/bottles, 5 different apparatuses to sleep in, and 3 types of formula. In addition to that some 0-3 month onesies fit while others are snug.
  • You can’t spoil a newborn.
    It doesn’t matter how much I hold Lane, if I put him down and he starts to cry or whimper again, I’ll snatch him back up. Holding my son never gets old.
  • You can’t get too comfortable with the way things are.
    Some nights he likes pajamas other nights he doesn’t. One day he’ll love taking a bath the next day he hates it. Just because he enjoyed something once doesn’t mean he will again. He, like his mom and I are constantly learning and changing.

The list could go on and on. I’ve learned a lot about myself and how a child so small can have an enormous impact on my life. Jess and I are all that Lane has. He came in to this world a month ago not having any idea what was going on. He could never comprehend life outside the womb and everything he knows or has learned so far has been by us. I can’t wait until the 2 months, 10 months, 5 years, etc. Just to watch this little guy grow and learn is just a wonderful process. He has changed my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Happy one month birthday my son!

2011 – Let’s review

2011 started off like any other year, with a wicked ice storm that pretty much shut down the whole state of Georgia. We made the best of it and actually had a really great time. We wouldn’t get that kind of ice/snow again for the rest of the year. I’m actually hoping that we get one again, only this time we’ll have a lil’ baby with us.

February brought us Gracie. A Great Dane that would put us to the test.

Neither one of us had ever owned such a beast. She was one of the sweetest and happy dogs ever, but damn was she a handful. After many ‘discussions’ we finally decided to find another home for her. Luckily I was able to find a nice lady that lived on a farm, a real one night the typical ‘dog farm’. Off to a better home Gracie went and I’m sure she is much happier now.

March ushered in some Spring little league for Chase. He really got into the ‘swing’ of things and enjoyed himself.

Honestly it was a lot of fun. We got to meet some new people and Chase had a lot of fun. I don’t think the Mudcat’s won that many games, but it didn’t really matter to him, he just wanted to play.

I don’t think much happened in April. Well… I mean Chase did get to go a Wrestlemania Art show, meet a bunch of wrestlers and then go to the actual PPV. Oh, and there was Tax Day. Hmm… something else happened… Oh that’s right, WE GOT MARRIED!!!! It was a wonderfully magic wedding. Everything we had hope for. I got to finally call the love of my life my bride, and it was the beginning of our forever. The honeymoon was in Vegas, and well… and we know good and well what happens in Vegas, doesn’t always stay in Vegas. In addition to finding out we were pregnant (but really what could top that) we spent the May kinda floating around in happiness and bliss.

Every summer we like to take a family vacation, and a pregnancy this year wasn’t going to slow us down. For the 2011 Summer Vacation we decided it would be a lot of fun to head to Disney! We loaded up the car and drove down to the most magical place on earth. Chase had never been and neither Jess nor I had been in SEVERAL years so it worked out perfectly. It wasn’t easy for Jess with the heat and the walking plus being pregnant, but we made it. It was a great vacation and a birthday I don’t think Chase will ever forget.

The rest of the summer went on by, carrying with the ups and downs of being pregnant. We found out we were having a boy and man, that made me excited. I was the last male Turner and to be able to continue the name, meant a lot to me.

As August rolled around we started getting read to go back to school, and doing just normal family things. Chase was doing great and really getting into the spirit of being an older brother. He was helping around the house and he just felt a little more grown up. October would creep upon us before we knew it and in addition to me getting a new car and turning 32 it started to really sink in that I was going to be a daddy, very soon.

Between Halloween and right now it’s all kind of a blur. It’s as if time sped up and didn’t really wait. We had our first, and second baby shower and started getting the nursery ready. Baby clothes, diapers, wipes, toys, bottles, all of it started coming in and every time we would get something new it would sink in just a bit more how soon this bundle of joy would be here. Lane’s nursery looked fantastic and in no time at all everything was in its right place and we could start getting ready for the holidays.

Baby Lane's Room
Baby Lane's Room

Our Christmas tree was up BEFORE Thanksgiving, and the house was all set and ready to go. We made our rounds to friends and family. Did the gift exchanges and then it was Christmas day at the Turner household. I couldn’t have asked for a better holiday season. My wife was glowing with that baby glow, Chase was happy and doing all the big brother things and I was doing everything I can to make the house and my wife ready for this baby.

In contrast to the rest of the year, this past week has been filled with lots of taking it slow. Everything we could possibly do to be prepared for Lane, we have done. The bags are packed, the car seat is in, clothes washed and put away, house is secure, etc. You name it, we’ve done it. Now all we need is for Lane to come home.

It’s been such a wonderful year. I’m sure I left things out, but it’s all good. They say that the first year of marriage is the toughest thing you’ll go through other than the 9 months your wife is pregnant. Well, I’ve done both at the same time and I’m more in love now than the day I got married and I don’t see signs of this ever stopping.

That's my boy!
That's my boy!

Thanks for all the memories 2011, but it’s time for 2012!

~SB