Hello all and welcome to 2019. For once I can actually say I’m looking forward to the year ahead. After this past year which started in a tent in the Northern part of Iraq, to the nowhere area of Louisiana and finally ended at home in Wisconsin with my family. This year ahead is filled with firsts and exciting milestones. To start this year out with a bang, I’m proud to say I will become a Grandpa for the first time. My beautiful wife and I are so excited for our daughter and her husband who will be welcoming their first child. At this time, we know it will be a boy, but still no idea on the name. How is that for a way to start out the year. The following month, my wife and I will be celebrating our 25^th Wedding Anniversary. Such a huge milestone for us after all we’ve gone through over the years. Come this summer, we will be celebrating daughter number 3 and her graduation from High School. Such an accomplishment for her. She has been homeschooled since 1^st grade and decided to go back to for her senior year. It has been an interesting ride for her, but she has ridden it out in her own style. Come the end of summer in the month of September I will be celebrating my 50^th birthday, I still can’t believe it myself. I personally don’t feel much older than 35. Then to end the year comes a day I have been looking forward to. On the last day of the year I will be officially retiring from the United States Army. It has been a long winding road through this part of my life. It is a little unnerving to be entering a new stage in my life, but I look forward to slowing down a bit. In the middle of all these events, my beautiful wife will continue to be working towards finishing her College Degree. My youngest daughter will be continuing her journey through 5^th grade going into 6^th grade while possibly being the only child left in our home. As I said this year is going to be a year I look forward to.  So again Happy New Year and may the year ahead be full of new experiences and be positive adventures.

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