Smore Balls

Who doesn't love smore's? I know that I do and my little guy really loves them. The only problem with smore's is that they are so messy. I have been having a lot of fun lately with melting chocolates so I thought I would try to make a less messy version of smore's. One of the wonderful things about smore's is that they are only three ingredients.

First, place 4 graham crackers into food processor and turn on and off quickly until you get small chunky pieces mixed in with the dust. You could also do this in a zip lock bag and the back of a spoon.

I like to melt the chocolate in the Microwave. For these Smore's I will use a little Crisco to thin the chocolate so it is easier to work with.

Using a toothpick dip the marshmallow all the way into the chocolate, tap the toothpick on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. ***Make sure to totally cover the marshmallow or the it will get hard and not last as long.
Immediately sprinkle the marshmallow with the graham cracker, do this over the bowl as to not waste the extra graham crackers. ***Don't roll them in the graham crackers it will get all messy and the chocolate will harden in the graham cracker dust.

Let them rest and then enjoy!!!

The Number of Ledgends

#40 the number of legends or myths, I can't remember, well at least it was my number. Now this number that I have carried with me for so long has been passed down to my little man. He wore it for the first time this morning and he did the number and his daddy proud.
Thomas plays tight-end on offense and tackle on defense for his football team, the Wolverines. His blocking today at his jamboree was impeccable, his man didn't get through the line one time (and most of the time he was knocking the guy over). On defense his head coach calls him the disruptor, I wonder where he gets that from (I think every teacher I ever had said that about me).
I am the proudest dad in the whole world!!!

Progress

How do we measure progress? Sometimes I think it can't be measured. Well I have been going at my backyard now for a couple of days and I am starting to see progress. This is the sort of before picture...all the grass has already been taken out and mostly leveled. I will be posting pics in the next couple of days of the whole project. It is funny how hard it can be to make a peaceful place.

Adventure

Thomas the Trad climber

Most people at my work think that I am crazy when I tell them that I am going to climb up an overhung rock face for the sheer fun of it...maybe I am. I have read several articles lately that feature pro rock climbers, they have all been posed the question "why do you climb?". Most have answers that seem rehearsed and others really sound like it comes from the heart. My answer is ( I know I am not a pro), because it is the only thing that gives me that feeling. I am not sure what that feeling is, but it is there. It is like hitting the first shot in a championship game, or sinking a clutch free-throw when the game is on the line. It answers something deep inside that is asking, can you do this? It is not about the glory or someone thinking that you are great, it is about the felling you have inside. Every time I tie in and start to climb there is a conflict between confidence and doubt, between peace and chaos...I have to overcome the pressure and let peace and confidence rule. It is such an awesome challenge. I know that not everyone gets that nor do they even care to have that challenge in their life, but I love it, it drives me. For so much of my life I have shared those moments with other people on a court. I am so happy that I get to share these moments now with my wife and son, not to mention "the Fam". 

My best bud

IMG_0023, originally uploaded by tmchoops.

Thomas is my best little dude. I vow to embrace the things that make me smile and to do my best to uplift those things. My greatest thing is my family. I have no greater joy than when I am with them. If I could quit my job tomorrow and spend every second with them I would. I mean how could you not love that face with all your heart...I do.

When all I wanted to be was spiderman...

I remember when all I wanted to be was Spiderman or some other great superhero, anyone remember Voltron or He-man, those were the simpler times. I think about my son and how he has it pretty easy, if he only knew what he could get away with if her were a good boy all the time. But really how hard do I have it? I have it pretty easy. I go to work come home to an incredible family and get to see my son grow up right before my eyes. So why then, if I have it so easy, do I make things difficult. Why aren't things perfect all the time? Pride, selfishness, greed, unwillingness to compromise. Why is this part of my nature? I hate these things because they steal my joy, hurt relationships and cause pain. I vowe this year to make things more simple, to take time back to when I wanted to be a superhero. Like my wife would say "to live in the simple purity of the lillies and the sparrows".

Time flies by

Time flies by...I was looking at some old pictures today and it made me realize how fast time goes by. I was looking at all of these pictures of my big guy when he was a little guy, I could only think about how big he is going to be when he is 10 years old (probably bigger than Nikita). I know it sounds cheesy but it makes me think of movies like Dead Poet Society, with sayings like "Seize the Day". This year I am committing to making the most of my opportunities, especially with my family. I don't want to waste a moment that I have with my family. When I think of missed opportunities it makes me crazy. When Thomas is off to college or moving out of the house I want him to know that I valued his childhood and cherished the moments we had. I want him to have great memories.

Simple things make me smile

Waking up to a beautiful wife with dog feet on her face is one of the best things ever. Having a great friend leave the climbing gym to help you unload a truck load of home depot is awesome. These are the things that make me smile. Part of having my best year ever is me learning how to appreciate the things that are right in front of my face. I love my life...thanks God!!!

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Remembering where it comes from

Family at Nevermind Wall Exit 38

It amazes me how quickly I forget sometimes that everything I have comes from God. When I look at the picture above it reminds me how blessed I am to have a  beautiful and loving wife and an energetic an wonderful son. A lot of people in the world seem to be blame God when things are terrible and forget about him when things are great. I fall into the trap of being indifferent all the time. I think that I just don't think about Him enough. It so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day happenings of life, sometimes I need reminders. I need to work on that meditation thing, not the yoga thing but the "lingering in the presence of God" thing. Doing this blog has been a great reminder for me along with a renewed commitment to reading the bible.
Thank you God for family and friends and reminders of who you are and where it all comes from...please keep reminding me until I die.

Rock Climbing Saved My Life

Me on my first Trad route ever...it was awesome.

So just in case I haven't said it yet I think that my wife is amazing...she will probably be the greatest influence on whether or not this is the best year of my life (no pressure babe). Life has not always been so good for us, several years ago we found ourselves in a marital rut, we were just staying on course so we could survive. We realized later that one of greatest problems was our lack of common interests. We were both in to things that were pretty cool and fun, but none of those things interested both of us. One thing that we have always had in common is a love for the outdoors. One day while hiking in North Bend (Little Si) Nikita spotted some crazy guys climbing up the steep face of a cliff. She said to me "I'd like to do that sometime", I said "me too". One week later we were taking the intro to climbing class at Vertical World in Everett. We almost new right from the beginning that this was the thing that was missing out of our lives, it was the something that we could do together and be passionate about it. We found ourselves a year later climbing three to four days a week in the gym, climbing routes that we could only dream of climbing when we first began. We were traveling to other states and to Canada just to get on the rock. We fell in love with a sport and fell more in love with one another. Climbing has fueled our friendship and our love. I can't picture a more perfect day than sending routes with my wife.

I Love you Kita.

Encouragement

The video above is of Thomas pulling a 40lb sled. He was one of the only kids that could do it alone.

As a young boy playing sports I can remember a lot of great times and memorable moments. From winning many consecutive baseball championships to making basketball all-star teams, none of these moments compare to what I had in the stands. My parents were some of the most supportive sports parents I have ever known. I had at least one parent at every game I remember playing as a young boy. Even when I was in college they traveled all over the country to watch me play ball. One of the things that sticks out most was my moms attendance at all of my High School football games, 10 games and about 15 minutes played. I will also never forget the Saturday morning that my dad promised me $20 if I hit a home run in a little league baseball game that day, as I rounded 3rd base (my first home run ever) their stood my dad with a $20 bill waiving above his head. My parents continued to pour their time and money into my athletic endeavors (which paid off). To them I owe a debt of gratitude that not all kids are so lucky to bear.
My best year ever includes fueling an undying passion to fully support my little man in everything that drives him. I asked him again today if he loves football and gave me an emphatic "OH YEAH".
I am so proud.

Football Dad

Thomas had his first day of football today. He was awesome. At one point he said that he didn't want to play anymore, but at the end of practice he was excited about tomorrow. I thought that I was going to learn how to sit back and be a hands off parent, but after talking with the coach it looks like I will have a bigger role than I thought. I am excited to have this time with my guy. I remember these years, they really help to form who you are going to be when you get older. I am not sure what that says about me, I cried every time I struck out until I was in Jr High. Playing in Mukilteo has already proven to be a thousand times better than when we played in Everett last year.

I am looking forward to seeing how I can encourage my son to be a good sportsman and tough guy all at the same time.

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Friends are pretty cool

Boys Muscle Pic, originally uploaded by tmchoops.

I will be the first to admit that I have not always had the closest buddies. Growing up it seemed like I was always involved with some sport or some girlfriend. I never made a whole lot of close friends, there are a few that I still keep in contact with, and I am thankful for their relationships.
I am excited about this being the best year of my life, partly because I have some close "Bros". We all have a lot in common mostly we have wives that are way to good for us (score). We also are all big into rock climbing. Our families all took a trip to Smith Rock this last May and it was awesome. Everyone sent some great routes and ate some great food while chillin out at the timeshare. Felipe and I will be taking a trip with Tom this year to Red Rocks in Vegas this January to climb some big routes (hopefully 1,000 plus feet).
Nikita and I feel that we are totally blessed to have the friends that we have in our lives. I know that I am blessed to have buddies that I can count on all the time.

Learning to finish

I have always had issues finishing what I have started. I usually start projects and then they sit unfinished. For some reason this year has been different so far. And right now I am embarking on one of my greatest projects ever, a complete overhaul of a totally bland backyard. So far the pool is in and the grade has been excavated. Now the stamped concrete will go in on tuesday and then it is on to the built in bbq and the patio cover.
Thomas and I spent most of the morning at
Lowe's doing some last minute research.
Stay tuned to see how I finish the job...lots of pictures to come.

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How it's gonna happen

Picture of thomas playing with a BB gun.

So I know that it is not new years but I have some goals to help me on my way to having the best year ever.
1. I have missed my Bible (a lot). I really have missed it, I read the first chapter of John today along with the first chapter of Genesis and Psalms and Proverbs. WOW I have really missed the word (JESUS IS AWESOME). I started reading the bible today using a App for my phone called youversion. Check them out at http://www.youversion.com/  it is pretty cool. You can pick a reading plan and then pick a version to read it in.
2. Of course I want to be the best husband and father that I can possibly be this year. I am hoping that my first goal really helps me in this goal. Nikita and I are coming off one of our best years together and are hoping that this is our best one yet.
3. I have missed the weights. So I have lost 90lbs and I am in the best shape of my life but I am not as strong as I would like to be. We have a new house and a room that is totally dedicated to working out. Nikita told me the other day that it is the only room in the house where the carpet is still perfect...ouch!!! I guess I need to put that room to some use. The goal is 3 days a week to do a total body workout.
4. I would still like to climb 5.12 and climb over 1,000 feet. Which means actually training hard.

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My best year ever

So I turned 32 yesterday and I decided its about time that I have the best year of my life. I have decided to track the best year of my life with a picture everyday, so I am going to post the pictures every day on this blog along with all the other things that make me happy.
I am anticipating having a lot of pictures of family, friends (The Fam) and rock climbing.
The first picture is actually from my birthday, I had a great day. We went out to North Bend and went climbing at Exit 38, it was awesome. Climbing with my wife and son is one of my greatest joys.

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