Thankful is Happiness

OK, I do not want this post to be cliche.  Throughout the entire month I saw several people on Facebook complete a "Month of Thanksgiving," where they did a post each and everyday from November 1st until Thanksgiving, stating something they were thankful for.  Some of the items were unique, but most of the things were your typical things in life that you in fact should be thankful for.  This Thanksgiving I don't want to be cliche, I don't want to write what everyone already knows.  If I were to come on here and say how thankful I am for my wife and kids, my job, and a nice house to keep us warm, I would be no different than just about everybody else.  And, really, what would I be saying?  It is so easy and cliche to simply say I am thankful for....(fill in the blank).  But, is it sincere?  Is it from the heart?  What the hell does it even mean to be thankful?  I was left wondering what it means to be thankful the evening before thanksgiving.  As Sarah, Maya, Delaney, and myself sat down for dinner the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I thought it would be a good idea for each of us to say something we are thankful for.  So as I am introducing this idea to the girls, Maya quickly asks, "What's thankful?"  Huh, I thought for a minute, to try and put what it means to be thankful into words a four year old can understand.  "Well, it means something that makes you happy," I said.  "You are thankful for things that you like and that make you happy."  I think she understood, as she responded, "Oh OK," with a big smile.  So, we went from youngest to oldest and started with Delaney.  I looked to her and asked, "What are you thankful for, what makes you happy, Delaney?"  She sat there for a second or two with a smile to think.  A short while later, she yells out, "Daddy!"  It almost brought a tear to my eye.  It meant so much to hear that.  Delaney continued with her answer and added Wizard of OZ (her new favorite movie).  Maya was next and said, "Mommy, going places, Christmas decorations, and treats."

That entire night I had a smile on my face.  Just the idea of Delaney saying "Daddy" completely unprompted and with out any help or hints.  It sounded so genuine and heartfelt, which is the coolest part of it all.  But, it really made me think.  As simple as my explanation for the meaning of thankful was, it had a profound message.  There is so much more to being sincerely thankful for something than just saying, "I am thankful for ________."  The truth is, at the root of thankfulness is happiness.  Pretty simple, really.  

Over the past 2-3 months I have experienced a whole new level of happiness.  Ever since crossing the finish line of the Ironman Madison, I have refocused my energy towards my kids and family.  As bad as that sounds, its the truth.  Instead of sacrificing time with my family to get my workout in, I have been sacrificing workouts to spend time with my family.  I have been spending more quality time with my kids and sincerely enjoyed it.  Sarah and I have had our ups and downs over the past year and we have had are fair share of arguments.  Don't get me wrong, I think I have been a pretty damn good dad before I started IM training, and I'm sure Sarah will agree with that.  But, I think every man, goes through progressions and grows from a man into a dad.  Just like many other things in life, some guys learn and adapt to becoming a dad almost immediately, while some others don't truly become a dad until much after their children are grown up and starting families of their own.  Sadly, some men, may become fathers, but never become a dad.  I have said countless times on this blog and to many people in conversation, that finishing the Ironman has changed me.  Sure, that's true from the based on the concept of what I learned about myself through accomplishing a lifelong goal.  But, now, I think it's more true than ever.

The fact is, I am a different man today.  I feel as though going through that past year has taught me a lot about my family.  Maybe not just my family, but about family in general.  I learned how strong, supportive, and loving my wife is.  She gave up a year of her life for me.  I can tell you honestly right now, that there is no way in hell I could ever do that.  I learned that I have the greatest in-laws.  Sarah's family picked up where I left off.  The entire year, they helped her with the kids while I was out training.  Lisa (Sarah's sister) was especially a huge help.  She was basically a second mother for Sarah and the girls.  My parents were always willing to help out when needed as well.  I learned that my kids will love me and think I'm a hero no matter what I do, no matter what place I take, and no matter what races I compete in.  I learned that without my family, I am nothing.  Without the support of Sarah, Maya, and Delaney, I would not be able to train and race, I would not be an Ironman Finisher.  I would not be a Boston Marathon Finisher.  I would not be where I am in life without the love and support from Sarah and the kids.  Since completing the IM, I am learning to better manage my time, both with my family and my training.  Prior to the IM, I was putting my training before my family, which is no longer the case.  

It's funny that it felt as though this hit me upside the head like a brick when Delaney excitedly proclaimed that I, "Daddy!" was her thing she was most thankful for.  And then there is a true meaning of being thankful, which to me, will now forever be that which makes you most happy.  And for me, my two daughters and now soon to be three, are truly what makes me most happy.  My dad recently wrote that the love of daughters can turn an Ironman into an Irondaddy.  It is so true, but only when the Ironman is able to realize it.  I am not nearly the best dad, I am not perfect, but I am constantly learning.  Learning from my daughters, learning from my wife, and learning from my own dad.  I simply strive to be a little bit better of a dad each and every day.  I figure if I can achieve that, I'm doing alright.  I am constantly becoming more and more of a dad each and everyday.

Obviously, Thanksgiving is now behind us and we are in the homestretch heading straight for Christmas.  I have never been a huge fan of the holidays, they have just become too commercialized for my taste.  Now, don't get me wrong, I have always enjoyed giving and receiving gifts, but in general the holidays just seem to have become some other than what they should be.  But as both Maya and Delaney get a little older, the holidays have taken on a new meaning.  I have almost started to like them.  This past Tuesday Maya had a presentation at her pre-school which consisted of a few songs and a shared treat.  Later, we spent the evening at the Downtown Appleton Parade which both girls absolutely LOVED.  We then went over to my parents house for dinner, which seems to have become a tradition.  On Wednesday night, the girls and I made an Apple Pomegranate pie for Thanksgiving.  I was quite surprised that both girls helped the entire time and were actually a help as opposed to a hindrance.  On Thanksgiving Day, we were up early for another event which has become a tradition in our family, the Turkey Trot.  My dad and I participated in the 5 mile run while Sarah, the girls, and my mom, did the 2 mile walk.  Sarah has always brought Bella along for the very pet friendly "Dog Walk."  For Thanksgiving we spent the mid morning/afternoon at my parents for a family luncheon and watched the Packer game (there's 3 hours of my life I'll never get back).  I had to work Thanksgiving night so I cut out early on Thanksgiving Day to catch some sleep before work.  Coming up we have a Thanksgiving dinner at Lisa's house on Saturday night and during the day Sarah and the girls are going up to my Grandma's tree farm to cut down our Christmas tree with my parents and brother.  Ready or not, Christmas time is here... Here we go!

Busted!

This past week, I was listening to one of my many podcasts on the way home from work.  I was listening to The Training Bible Coaching Podcast and the topic was off season training.  Specifically they were discussing ways to maintain cycling fitness during the frigged winter months here in the Midwest.  They talked about how it's smarter to ride trails on a mountain bike as opposed to riding a road bike, even when the roads are clear of ice and snow.  There were several legitimate points they made....

1. You will be riding slower, reducing the wind chill effect.
2. You are in a more comfortable position, which is also more conducive for wearing multiple layers.
3. You can handle your bike better with thicker gloves.
4. Typically you will be riding on trails which are located in the woods, which will provide cover and additional protection from wind and rain/snow.
5. You are riding a bike with wider tires which will provided better traction in snow.

It all sounds perfect and, hey - I have a mountain bike!  No, its nothing special, just your typical mountain bike.  The only thing is I got rid of the crazy wide tires, years ago, before I bought a nice new road bike.  Yup, my mountain bike - a massively heavy frame, complete with front suspension, and super generous gear rations - was set up to be a super poor man's road bike.  But, hey, I was in college, what did you expect?  I have not ridden this bike in years, so I just left the "slicks" on the bike - until now!  I was motivated and excited to try mountain biking this fall/winter.  It would be a great way to maintain my cycling fitness instead of always riding on my indoor trainer.  So I went out and bought new, thick, tread-filled mountain bike tires.  I put them on the wheels and in a little over 20 minutes it was like I had a new bike.  

My plan was to ride out to 1,000 Islands Nature Center and bike on their trails.  I didn't want it to be a long ride by any means, just a way to re-introduce myself to off road cycling.  It was a cold and windy November day with temperatures around 20 and a slow but consistent wind.  It was typical weather that would have normally kept me inside and off my road bike, but not today!  After a short 3 mile warm up ride to the trails, I was riding on rough terrain and riding over ruts, stumps, and rocks.  It was a totally new experience.  I was climbing high dirt hills, jumping over logs, basically loving life....all until my chain snapped.  Yessir, all of a sudden I was pedaling and not going anywhere.  I looked down and saw I didn't have a chain, in fact it was about 10' behind me, laid out nice and straight.  Great.....now what.  I am in the middle of the forest, about 3 miles from home.  I decided to wear my old rubber softball cleats, because they were the only active footwear I own that are not made of mesh (like running shoes).  So, I sucked it up and ran home.  3 miles, in old softball cleats, pushing a broken bike, wearing a bike helmet.  Part of me felt like a fool, while the small crazy endurance athlete in me felt like a badass.  No, I didn't wipe out and bust up my bike, but my chain broke, so I was running home with my no-good bike, wearing cleats.  There has to be some badass points there, right?

The Twin Cities and An Important Announcement

It has been nearly a full year since Sarah and I have seen our close friends from college.  We last seen the Danley's over the holiday season last year and same for the Mork's.  However, Sarah did see the Mork's over the summer for their son's birthday party.  But I was unable to be there due to my work schedule.  So for the most part, it has been nearly a year since we have spent any quality amount of time with either the Mork's or Danley's.  A lot has changed since then.  The Danley's have had their first child and the Mork's have added another son to their family.  I feel guilty, because the only reason Sarah and I never made the trip to the Twin Cities to visit their new additions was because of my unwillingness to sacrifice training time from my Ironman training.

With the Ironman well behind us now, this was the soonest we were able to make the nearly 5 hour trip to the greater St. Paul area and visit our friends.  Sarah and I have known both the Mork's and Danely's since our Sophomore year of college.  I actually met Erik Mork my freshman year of college when I attempted (foolishly) to play football at UW-La Crosse.  I won't go into too much detail in regards to how Dave and I met, but let's just say it involved me wearing nothing but a cowboy hat - nothing like a first impression, right?!  Sarah, knew Dana since Sarah's sophomore year of college when she was neighbors with her in their dorm hall.  Liz was a late comer to the group, but ultimately started dating Dave our senior year of college, but immediately fit right in.  One thing ultimately led to another and before you knew it Erik and Dana were married and the same with Dave and Liz and we were all grown up and moving on in life.  Erik and Dana moved down south to Georgia and Dave and Liz returned to Dave's home town near Minneapolis and Sarah and I returned home in the Fox Cities.  Since graduating college the 6 of us have remained very close friends and have been through a lot.  It's crazy to think of where we have all been together, starting as friends in college and now seeing each of us starting our own families together.

Sarah and I left for the Twin Cities on Friday after Sarah's first ultra sound appointment (more to come on that later).  We packed up the girls and were on the road around 10:30am.  The ride there was uneventful, which is always a good thing when you are traveling with a 2 and 4 year old.  After getting to Dave and Liz's place around 3:30, we got all caught up and made plans for dinner.  Saturday was a wet and dreary day, and Erik was stuck at work (a Fire Fighter for St. Paul FD).  We decided to visit Erik's fire station so the kids and see the trucks and such.  The fire station was a true "old school" fire station, complete with multiple fire poles, old hay stalls (for the horses), and many old fire rescue "tools" hanging up as antique decorations (one was an old catch net, used to catch people off of tall buildings). Even though I was expecting to see multiple fire fighters sitting around cooking, sleeping, or watching TV (joking :) ), I thought the fire station was actually pretty cool - and this is coming from a cop ;)  Plus the kids thought it was neat.  After the visit to the station, we were originally planning on going to the St. Paul Children's Museum, but it was getting late, so we brought the kids to the Mall of America to grab a late lunch and take the kids to the Lego Land Display and Amusement Park area.

Before we knew it, the weekend was over.  Although we don't get together nearly as often as any of us would like, we say the same thing every time we do get together - that no matter how long it has been since we have last seen each other, it's like we have never been apart.  The Mork's and Danley's are truly some of our closest friends and we always will be close friends, but the truth is we all have followed our lives to different parts of the Midwest.  I am thankful for the fact that we are only a 5 hour drive away, compared to being separated by the entire country as we were a couple years ago when the Danley's were in Las Vegas and the Mork's were near Atlanta.  Now, with the Danley's and Mork's both in the Twin Cities and us in Eastern Wisconsin, it should be much easier for us to get together on a more regular basis.  Having close friends like them is a true blessing.  It's real special to see all of our children interact with each other as well.

The sealed envelope...

After returning home Sunday, we had made dinner plans with both Sarah's family and my family for an important announcement.  See, on Friday, at Sarah's ultra sound appointment we made the last minute decision to find out the sex of our child.  We have not done this with either of our two previous children, but figured we would find out with #3.  We asked the ultra sound tech to not tell us verbally, but rather, write it on a piece of paper and put it into an envelope for us to reveal to our extended families all at the same time.  All weekend, I was working with Maya to learn to read "Boy" and "Girl."  Our plan was to go out to dinner on Sunday night and have Maya open the envelope and tell everyone what Baby Kohl #3 would be.  We were all pretty excited.  Was it going to be a boy and give me my son, or would it be girl number three and keep me as the lone man of the household?  Maya stood up on a chair and opened the envelope and announced to everyone that we would be having......ANOTHER GIRL!

Honestly, I am A-OK with having another girl.  Yes, I wanted my son.  I wanted another guy on my team, but at least this way, we will not have to overhaul all of our baby supplies, and all I know is baby girls, dolls, princesses, and pink and purple.  Ultimately, all I care is that the baby is healthy.  Yes, its cliche to say, but its the truth, ask any parent.  I love my daughters to death and would never ask for them to be a boy.  I know that baby #3 will be the same.  I am getting more and more excited to watch us bring yet another life into this world and teach it all the things that we love to do.  I can't wait to watch all of my kids grow up and hopefully find great friends and build relationships with other great kids.  Hopefully they will find friends as great as the ones Sarah and I are fortunate to have in our lives...

Spicy Mustard Crock Pot Chicken

Ok, so it has been awhile since I have share a recipe or two.  So, why not make it three!  The next three posts are the most recent recipes that were all a huge success with my family.  Hopefully you are able to try at least one of them this next week.

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken Breasts
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
• 2/3 Cup Chicken Broth
• 4 Tbsp Honey
• 3 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 3 Tbsp Stone Ground Mustard
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Chili Sauce

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients, besides the chicken in a medium bowl.
2. Place chicken breasts into greased crock pot or dutch oven if cooking in oven.
3. If using crock pot, cook on low for 3 hours.
4. If cooking in oven, cook at 350 for 30 minutes.
5. Serve chicken on plate and spoon warm sauce on top.
6. I served the chicken breast on a salad and used the sauce as a spicy honey mustard dressing and even saved the left over sauce for salad dressing later in the week.

Meatzza

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Grass Fed Beef
• 3 Tbsp Ground Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Egg
• 2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
• 1 Tsp Oregano
• 15 oz Diced Tomatoes
• Mozzarella
• 1 Handful Fresh Basil Leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven at 420.
2. Combine beef, Parmesan, egg, garlic, and oregano in large bowl with hands.
3. Press into pan or dish until it forms a "crust."  I used a pie pan.
4. Drain the canned tomatoes until they are COMPLETELY dry.  Place on top of meat evenly spaced.
5. Add any other additional traditional pizza toppings, I also used chopped olives and spinach leaves.
6. Top with mozzarella.
7. Bake at 420 for 20-25 minutes.
8. Take out and let cool, cut like traditional pizza and top each slice with a fresh basil leaf.