2017 in review!

What can I say? The year is over and it didn’t even seem like it lasted a week. I thought is was because of the profession I’m in that takes a large consumption of my time, but it wasn’t that at all. I’ve begun to learn that it’s not the time spent, but how you spend it is truly the only way to measure life.

I guess if I sat here and reviewed all my Facebook posts over the last year I could easily remember what I did, given that I tend to use Facebook as an online diary/notepad to what’s going on in my life, but I wanted this short post to be more than that. I just wanted to touch up on some of the highlights in my year that are not necessarily ranked and seen as priority but more as having an impact to what will come in the future not only for me but also my family!

Before I move forward, I wanted to say first that all my blessings and all that is good in my life is from the Lord our Savior. He is the truth in my life, that I seek daily to grow and not only make each day better but also help me prepare for 2018!

The first half of 2018 was somewhat of a chaotic time for me, my wife Amy and my son Jayden as we had accepted a calling to go onto a Mission to Medellin Colombia…

…and we spent time trying to prepare for an event in our lives that we truly never expected would ever happen. What we had in my mind would happen, actually didn’t happen. As a matter of fact, it was the exact opposite and this was not a bad thing at all. We had the expectations that we were going to help others many miles away from us, but our Lord of mystery probably chuckled a little knowing he had a plan for us, that we to this day are making steps to build on.  Never did we know that we would come in contact with the most amazing people, not only coming to know our group leaders/co-missionaires but also the leaders of Colombia mission groups! This was a very spiritual experience that has planted a seed in our hearts that has begun to grow and continues to grow even as we continue our calling to serve the Lord. Maybe with the “grace” of God I can compile in detail, the events that took place for us and how this has continued to change daily in a book, possibly another blog, but wanted to use this opportunity to touch on the events of 2017.  For now all I can say is that the Lord if real and he is alive in each one of us and he awaits us to call on him to make the change in out lives. (On a side note thanks for all those who helped us make this trip possible with your prayers, donations and support)

 

This year was also one for a lot of sporting events! I don’t want to coin the term “Soccer mom or dad” but it is was exactly that minus soccer-INSERT Football, Volleyball and Baseball! This is easily the bulk of our year and can be easily validated by Amy’s and I’s Facebook posts about the abundance of sporting events that we had attended for our children.  I know that this is pretty common amongst many communities to have their children in sports and our lives mirror that on many of our friends, but I do have to add a simple life disclaimer to all parents, future parents, coaches, future coaches and all those who support organized sports in a very simple comment. Sports are for the enjoyment of the youth! To have an experience of unity and team work-It isn’t about making future HOF’s in their designated sport. We will all run into those situations that make a parent want to just rip out the throat of those who are on the other side of enjoyment of sport participation. Let them just have fun!

Play ball!!!!!…… Run Jett!!!!!….and even better!! HOME RUN!!!! Oh how writing this just tears me up because of many reasons, but for now I’ll pick the proud Dad moment! Jett played for a couple of teams this year and made All-Stars!! Have to say this is one of those moments that tells me that I have a “Diamond” in my son, I have a ball player-May not be a ball player tomorrow but for today he’s the best and nobody can tell me otherwise. This was technically the beginning for Jett, what I can only pray for is a long successful baseball career and that’s what makes 2018 that much more exciting. To see what accomplishments he will have!! Maybe one day I will look at this post and say “Hey I told y’all” “Now starting for the New York Yankees #24 Jett Estrada!” Yup anyone who has known me for a while will laugh knowing I went out on a limb to say Yankees!

Jump!!! SET !!! SPIKE!!!!!!!! I’m not sure how many of y’all have ever experienced club volleyball! But this requires a lot of training, discipline and hard dedication to be a parent! LOL Got ha! But seriously you will understand one day if you don’t already know. I never thought it took all day for one tournament and it’s really hard on your butt sitting all day not to mention the screaming. Now If you had asked me that one day I’d be yelling at a volleyball match more than I yell at my once again disappointing Dallas Cowboys season you’d think I was crazy, but this is the truth these days. See I wasn’t a volleyball player so I’m still learning the ins and outs of the game and I’m sure my screaming proves that sometimes but oh well! It’s truly fun to experience especially when its my giraffe of a daughter! Now I can’t say that I never wanted her to be a softball player given I love the game of baseball but knowing my free-spirited daughter you will easily understand how this girl takes her own path and that makes it very comforting to know that she doesn’t put up with much BS! I don’t know this girl to fail and that makes it very exciting to see what will also come of her upcoming club season and 8th grade volleyball! I didn’t get to see a lot of her Junior High Volleyball due to the time of her games and my work schedule but I know there is a beast out there getting stronger and stronger. Zayde would probably be mad at me to disclose that her wing span is greater than her older brother Jayden’s so I can only assume that I will one day see her slamming that ball down some poor girl’s throat. Keep pressing Zayde! You got this girl!

1st down PIRATES! ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Nothing is more exciting than Texas High School football and when its your son’s Senior year, it just makes that even more special! This one is a little hard to write about given that it’s the end to an era for him! Though a sad time for all of us, its a time of reflection on all the great memories we’ve witnessed. The close games and the heart breaker in the end-It has been through the last few football seasons that has solidified our Pirate blood and makes us crave Rum! Amy and I, along with all the family and friends who supported Jayden, watched him take that field with God as his leader and his teammates looking for his lead spiritually. As the season unfolded it had allowed our son to get some exposure, which now as we move into 2018, Jayden is making his official on site visits to different colleges to make a decision on where he may be playing football next! Only 2018 knows that answer and in some private conversations between Jayden and I, I know that no matter the outcome he’s looking down at a bright future. Without turning this blog into a Texas football article I just wanted to say it was an honor to your mother and I to see you on the high school field one last time…(Pause as Mom gets a tissue). Set the sail and venture off Pirate! The seas of life are upon you!

I should’ve thought this through! As I continue to type away I begun to be flooded with all the blessings we have had over this past year, from the growth of our church family and the wonderful friends we have come to know more each and every week and we grow in our faith. Hit the brakes….remember the Colombia trip? Well through that seed it has led Amy and I to become Community group leaders and will be opening our home and hearts to those wanting to growth in their faith with us and I have to admit that I’m pretty nervous and excited at the same time. Doing work for the Lord has made my heart full in knowing that I can offer more to others than I could ever imagine by being a channel to his great glory!

 

Everyday life remains the same and we all get up each day and go to school and work, which is the norm of many of our lives. Amy has taken a position with the LCISD as a PE teacher, and in my opinion I haven’t seen her with more of a smile on her face these days. I personally couldn’t do it. I can barely handle my own children! LOL, of course I don’t mean that but she’s always felt drawn to this profession….Hmmmm maybe because her mother was a teacher??? Either way I wish her much success into the 2018 year!

Outside our home it seems to be a different world in the sense that we havent done much this year and I hope that we make 2018 a year where we can possibly travel more and maybe actually visit family whome we have lost a connection to. I have mixed feelings about this, but as I reflect on this year and the years before, I’ve come to know that people do drift apart and it’s not neccessarily for any particular reason but that the world spins very fast and though we seem still we still push away from eachother, like beads of water on a windshield. Unfortunately it’s those times of struggle that we are suppose to come together and that in my opinion shouldn’t be the reason family and friends stay in contact with each other but it happens. Speaking of family outside my roof, I was blessed, for his posistive recovery, this year for my father whom had some medical concerns that eventually would send him under the knife and have open heart surgery. I know that his recovery will easily bleed into the new year and many years to come but that is expected with a major surgery. I’m just super blessed to know that his trust is in God to take care of him.

If you havent noticed I tend to just jump from subject to subject just randomly reflecting on the year, but then again I’m not a professional blogger and I disclosed that in my very first blog. I truly wish I could capture all the moments of 2017 and put them in this blog but then it dilutes the conversation when two people speak to each other in person. I think sometimes we use social media as acceptable form of communication and it will never replace to gift of the company of others. So as each of us go into 2018, I highly recommend to communicate with family and friends with words across a table, I encourage you to love more and to give a little of yourself away to life and take that step of faith. Dont walk in fear going into 2018 but walk with power and your head held high knowing that this is a magical year for you and I. One that will make our 2018 year in review one for the history books.

Oh I guess I really didnt say much about my big events of 2017 and guess what? I’m gonna go ahead and pass because its not going to matter as I go into this year with the biggest aspirations and goals than ever before. I’m not sure how this ride will go but I sure know how its going to end!

Happy New Year! 2018 HERE WE COME!!!!