New Beginning…

Sunlight is bright…
As it sits high in the skies,
Not a cloud in sight…
Starts to blur my eyes.

Powdered sand…
Pressured by our feet,
Wiping sweat with my hand…
Trying to stay cool in the heat.

Collecting seashells…
Started to become our morning walk tradition,
Setting up something you couldn’t tell…
Which’ll bring back a fond recollection.

On one knee, I took on that beach…
Asked you a question that means a lot to me,
“Will you spend the rest of your life with me?”
“Will you… Marry me?”

I DO…

Our Vacation… Our Memories…

sand

This vacation was an amazing one.  Not only did we have great weather for the majority of the time, it was also a great time with family.  We all enjoyed each others company, as well as, enjoyed our freedom to do individual things.

condo2

condo1

We had an awesome condo with lots of space and an incredible view…

Daytona Beach

We enjoyed wonderful walks on the beach every morning…

Daytona Beach Boardwalk

We visited the boardwalk…

lighthouse

We visited the light house…

Disney World Epcot

We visited Disney World’s Epcot…

Epcot Fireworks

Saw an amazing fireworks display at Disney World’s Epcot…

But to top it all off…

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She said YES!

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We are one happy couple in love!

If want to see more pictures of our vacation to Daytona Beach, click HERE!

To Be Continued…

robert1ee

Preparing…

Vacation “Preparing”…

Hmmmmm… How about “procrastinating”. LOL

Procrastination

Actually, I have been preparing for my vacation this year better than I have ever planned any vacation before in my life.  I have made lists.  I have purchased stuff early (months early for some items).  I have been getting everything lined up to make this as easy and less stressful as possible.

We are heading to Daytona Beach, Florida on Friday.  This vacation is going to be amazing and fun on so many levels.  First off… my family will be there.  It will be nice to hang out with everyone for a week.  Family, in my life, is very important to me.  Secondly… my lady will be there with me.  This will be our first vacation together.  We have been preparing for this since March, so I know her and I will be very happy to feel the sand in-between our toes.

daytona-dock

There is a lot planned.  We are going to wake up each morning.  Then we are going to go to the beach.  Then we are going to bed each evening.  Like I said… there is a lot planned. LOL.  Well… We are going to Disney World for one day, and I am sure we will hit up the lighthouse and chocolate store.  We will go to the Boardwalk and hangout around there for awhile.  We will probably play a game of putt-putt and eat some tasty ice-cream.

Whatever we do… whatever is done… this is going to be the start of wonderful things.

To be continued…

robert1ee

How My Life Has Changed…

Almost six months ago it was the first of the year… I told myself, as the ball dropped, that this new year will be the follow-up to last years “being my year”.  I told myself that it was time to seek hope.  It was time to seek life.  It was time to seek love.

As the year started… everything seemed like it was the same ol’ same ol’.  I didn’t notice anything changing.  I seemed to continue to walk the same path that I had for the past year.  It seemed no matter how hard I actually tried, I couldn’t push myself into a new direction.

I was talking to someone online from time to time that I had hopes for, but I knew in the back of my mind that it wouldn’t lead to anything… story of my life. lol  However, Valentine’s Day was coming and I thought to myself… Maybe she’ll want to be my date?  I asked her and was shot down, but something else arose from my question… she asked me on a date the week before.

We ended up going out to a restaurant a few days after that conversation.  We went one evening after I got off of work (Thursday night, Feb 7th) to Scotty’s Brewhouse.  We had a great time.  The dinner was fantastic.  The conversation was fantastic.  The mood was fantastic.  It seemed like we both really enjoyed each other’s company.

Flash forward to today…

We have moved in together and have a love for each other that seems, hmmmm… almost as if we have known each other all of our lives.  Maybe it was from a past life??? Maybe true love/soulmates really do exist.  I really do not know how or why, but I do know that it feels like home.  It feels like I have never been complete until she was introduced into my life.

My family loves spending time with her.  She loves spending time with my family.  A BIG DIFFERENCE from my past relationships, and this is something that is very important to me.  I love spending time with her family, as well as they love spending time with me.  Everyone has accepted our relationship and has approved of our relationship… not that we need the approval; however, it is nice when family stands behind you and supports your decision.

We both have started to workout… become more fit… Get active.  However you would like to word it.  I have seen a major change in my health.  I have gone from 235+ lbs to 198 as of yesterday.  My body is becoming more toned as I hit the weights hard and use Insanity as my cardio.  My lady has seen her body tone up and become more stronger.

I am for sure that many more changes and surprises are still to come with this relationship.  We have a chemistry that I have never experienced before, and it is an amazing feeling.  I can’t wait to see what the future holds…

To Be Continued…

robert1ee

 

Life…

life

Take Care Of The Golf Balls First…

Saw this on Facebook today and had to share!  This lesson is amazing and also… so very truthful!

robert1ee

golfballs

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – God, family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.” he said.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are
important to you…” he told them.

“So… pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

A Glimpse Into My Life… Pt. XVII

Closing a chapter in your life is one of the hardest things to do…

chapters

 

I have walked many paths in my life.  I have seen more than I feel I should have.  I still dream of a “perfect life”, but I will settle for a life I see perfect.  There are many things in my life I am not proud of doing, however, even though I am not proud with some of my past, I still have to thank my past for the adventures I took.  If it wasn’t for my past, I wouldn’t be the man I am today.  Being able to take a step in the right direction, and to continue that step in the right directions, takes courage and strength.

Let It Go…

There is nothing more bothersome than thinking that you can save something, but to find out it’s way past dinner time.  Once you start this path, there is no going back.  You are closing this chapter.  You are never again going to focus on the subject, and if you do do-so, you will put yourself into a mental state of mind that is not healthy.

There is nothing that can prepare you for finally making that first step.  It’s like having a child… you can read all the books you’d like to; but until you have that experience, you won’t really understand how to handle it.  But handling it, you will.

Soul Searching…

Love thyself. Accept thyself. Forgive thyself. And be good to thyself.

Very important lesson I had to learn.  You can not accept a new beginning if you don’t first accept you in a new beginning.  I had to learn to accept my past, accept my failures, and forgive myself for the past that I had.  I had to learn to love myself and be true to myself. Only then… can you be ready for your new journey.

Let Happiness Find You…

The last thing I had to learn was harder for me than the rest… I needed to stop pushing for love.  I need to stop looking for that special someone.  I had to learn how to accept that fact that my love to myself was good enough until someone walked into my life that I could share that love with.  Searching only hurts the heart.  Only scars the soul.  Once I stopped searching for this… someone walked into my life that changed me forever.

Take Your Breath Away

 

To Be Continued…

robert1ee

 

Are You With The Right Partner

As I was scrolling through my FB wall this morning, I found this post a friend shared.  This is a very good read about the cycle of relationships, and why it is important to work hard to keep the love and happiness there.  Below is what I read and decided to share this on my blog.  Let me know what you think…

robert1ee

 

perfect partner

ARE YOU WITH THE RIGHT PARTNER?
During a seminar, a woman asked,” How do I know if I am with the right person?”

The author then noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so he said, “It depends. Is that your partner?” In all seriousness, she answered “How do you know?” Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it’s weighing on your mind
replied the author.

Here’s the answer.

Every relationship has a cycle… In the beginning; you
fall in love with your partner. You anticipate their calls,
want their touch, and like their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love wasn’t hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn’t have to DO anything. That’s why it’s called “falling” in love.

People in love sometimes say, “I was swept of my feet.”Picture the expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few months or years of being together, the euphoria of love fades. It’s a natural cycle of EVERY relationship.

Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse’s idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts. The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship; you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your partner might start asking, “Am I with the right person?” And as you reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you
may begin to desire that experience with someone
else. This is when relationships breakdown.

The key to succeeding in a relationship is not finding the right person; it’s learning to love the person you found.

People blame their partners for their unhappiness and look outside for fulfillment. Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes.

Infidelity is the most common. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your relationship. It lies within it.

I’m not saying that you couldn’t fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you’d feel better. But you’d be in the same situation a few years later.

Because (listen carefully to this):

The key to succeeding in a Relationship is not finding the right person; it’s learning to love the Person you found.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. You have to work on it day in and day out. It takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it demands WISDOM. You have to know
WHAT TO DO to make it work. Make no mistake about it.

Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your partner), Just as there are physical laws Of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. If you know how to apply these laws, the results are predictable.

Love is therefore a “decision”. Not just a feeling.

Remember this always: God determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let GO!