Me too!

This is me.

Or at least, this is what I look like.  Well, this is mostly what I look like.  I usually have just a goatee, but close enough.  :)

Who I am would take a very long time to explain.  But here’s a little peek into what makes me me.

I love to have fun.  I love to laugh and joke and smile.  I think I got that from my Dad.  He has some of the corniest, yet funniest little quips, and I do hope I’ve picked some of them up.  This, by the way, is my family.  My dad is on the right.

No, my brother really isn’t taller than me, he just happened to get a little higher on his tippy toes than I did when the picture snapped (it’s a tradition we have).  We’re both 6′ 9″ (even though he claims to be 6′ 10″, every time we measure ourselves, we come out to be the exact same height) and still try to be the tallest in any picture.

Amber and I both LOVE kittens.  We have 2 kitty calendars in our house.  We can’t have a kitten yet, but hopefully the day will come!  My particular favorite is a kitten named Daisy.   I’m sure you’ll “awww!” with the rest of us when you see her!  :)

I’m an introvert.  But I’m an introvert that likes people.  Kinda strange, I know, but I love to be around people – I just don’t feel any need to interact a whole lot.  So I’d be totally comfortable standing in a group of people, but just standing there not saying or doing anything.  I love to meet new people and I love hanging out with our friends and acquaintances, but I just don’t always have a lot to say.  I can usually say whatever is on my mind in a few sentences, so whole lot of conversation beyond that just isn’t always necessary for me.

 

I read the book Strengths Finder 2.0 and through that, I have discovered 4 strengths about myself – 4 things that I do well or love to do.  Or both.

– Encourager.  Looking for some encouragement?  Come show me what you’ve done!  I love to find the positive in people, and ensure they can see it too.  I love to make people happy and feel good about themselves, and being an encourager helps me do that!

– Grower.  Not plants.  I’m terrible at growing plants.  I mean growing myself, learning more, understanding things better. I love to learn new things, I love to read blogs and books that help me get better in a specific area.  Dave Ramsey says that to be rich, find truly rich people, and imitate what they do.  I have the same philosophy when it comes to… well just about everything else.  Want to be a better pianist?  Find the best pianist and imitate what they do.  Want do be the best photographer?  Surround yourself by amazing photographers.  Want to have a long marriage?  Find someone who’s been married for 60 years and find out how they did it.  I love to find the best out there and learn from them.

– Flexible.  No, I’m not talking do the splits until I hit ground or bending alllllll the way over backwards.  I’m talking about plans changing last minute, and I’m perfectly cool with it.  Going on a trip tomorrow?  Cool!  Shooting a wedding this weekend?  No problem!  I do like to make plans, but it just doesn’t bother me much if they change, even at the last second.

– Calm.  This sort of goes hand in hand with flexibility, but I tend to be calm regardless of what happens.  I tend to work better when I have 3 things on my plate to do, so I don’t often get overwhelmed.  Instead, that seems to charge me up even more!  What really drives this calmness is my faith.  It’s best summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism’s first question and answer:

Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death? A. That I am not my own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

Pretty comforting, that is.

I guess this is part of the grower in me, but I have this urge to be the best at whatever I do.  I have absolutely zero competitive spirit in me, so I don’t have to be THE best or the #1, but I do like to be really good at whatever I’m doing.  For example, Amber and I have an espresso machine (I love making espresso-based drinks!) and I’ve read all sorts of blogs, watched probably hours of videos, and practiced over and over again to get the best possible steamed milk in order to have the most perfect latte.  And I love doing it!  Having studied as an Industrial Engineer, I have this thing about constantly improving.  So I’m always trying to find a way to get better and better at it.  Not in order to make a latte better than anyone else’s, but just because I love aiming at that degree of perfection.

Speaking of lattes, we got Amber an espresso machine for her birthday a few years ago, and ever since, I’ve been on a quest to find or make a perfect latte.  One with very creamy steamed milk, not too bitter of coffee, the perfect amount of sweeteners, and if it’s really good, a hint of latte art on top.  We’re getting closer and closer, but the process of making it is the most fun!

And most of all, I love my wife!!  She’s so incredibly amazing in every way.  From working so hard at her multiple jobs, to taking care of our home, to taking great care of me, to being an incredible photographer…  She’s just wonderful!

And she’s gorgeous too.  Here’s a picture (ok, yes, it’s a selfie…) of us in Grand Turk!

 Well that’s probably more than enough for one post, but I can’t wait to keep writing and sharing more!

Joel  :)