The Storm

The start of my thirties was stormy. On October 8, 2016, Hurricane Matthew made landfall in South Carolina. Power went out, streets were impassable due to debris, and sections of our fence were blown into oblivion. Without access to a supermarket to purchase ingredients for a cake, my wife used a box of brownie mix at my sister-in-law’s house to bake me an alternative birthday treat. Don’t worry, we managed 😉.

A photo of Sid and me on the first day of my thirties. Because of Hurricane Matthew, Sid baked me brownies instead of a cake.

Well, nine years and 364 days later, I can tell you the “stormy conditions” that ushered in my thirties cleared out pretty quickly—both literally and figuratively. Thanks be to God, I spent the past decade of my life enjoying relatively clear skies. Of course clouds moved in at times and a few parades were rained on but for the most part we steered clear of hurricanes.

The first photo was of Sid and me on the first day of my thirties. This photo was taken on the second-to-last day of my thirties (Oct. 6, 2026).

Family, Career, Faith

That’s not to say the past 10 years were boring. In fact, this last decade was characterized by major life moves and growth. But if you are looking for a definitive word that specifically defines and encapsulates my thirties, that’s easy: family.

The best thing to come out of my thirties was this family.

After marrying my wife in my twenties, we became a family during my thirties. Sloan was born shortly after I turned 30 and then Beau came around when I was 33. The following years were spent raising our children from newborns to toddlers to now the middle childhood stage. There is nothing that remotely comes close to overtaking the crowning achievement of my thirties than becoming a dad.

The first photo take of us as a family of four. So blessed that Sloan and Beau both entered my life during my thirties.

And that includes my professional life. But even though the moves I made in my career pale in comparison to my role as a father, they are worth quickly mentioning. During my thirties I worked for three different universities as I climbed the proverbial ladder. A social media marketing manager role at Coastal Carolina University morphed into a strategist gig at Washington State University that eventually opened the door to a director of marketing appointment at Eastern Washington University. As this progression transpired, my wife’s career evolved too. She went from a school teacher to an insurance underwriter.

Our professional careers have evolved a lot during my thirties. Sid and me are thankful to work for our respective employers, Traveler’s and Eastern Washington University.

These professional jumps don’t usually keep you locked in a specific area and that definitely proved true for us. During my thirties, we made a major decision to move from South Carolina to Washington state. With it came several different addresses. Over the past decade we lived in five different houses before deciding to securely plant roots in the Spokane Valley where we purchased a home in 2023.

We purchased a home in 2023.

But no matter where we lived throughout my thirties, a crucifix followed us, symbolizing our Christian faith. I became much more involved in the Church over the past 10 years. I joined the Knights of Columbus, became deeply involved with a young adult/young family Catholic group, teamed up with Sid to prepare eight engaged couples for God-centered marriages, was discerned (with Sid) as leader of the Spokane Engaged Encounter community, and became spiritually nourished as a parishioner at two incredible parishes—St. Andrew (Myrtle Beach) and St. Mary (Spokane Valley). I witnessed with incredible pride as Sidney converted to Catholicism, my children thrived at St. Mary Catholic School, and sacraments were bestowed on us all.

One of the biggest developments and blessings in my thirties was finding our spiritual home, St. Mary Catholic Church (Spokane Valley).

Highlights

What more can I ask for from a decade that yielded family, professional, and spiritual fulfillment? Not much. But I am grateful for all the additional memories that defined my thirties such as…

– Traveling to places such as the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, and Disney World

– Presenting at national conferences for work in Chicago, Las Vegas, and Washington D.C.

– Becoming godparents to Noble and Neteyam

– Participating in major community events such as road races and playing/volunteering at Hoopfest

– Watching my kids play sports

– Celebrating extended family events such as my sister-in-law’s wedding, my brother’s wedding, arrival of nieces and nephews, and my parents’ retirements

– Showing my wife and children special places of my past, whether that be attending Mead High School football games or taking them on Missoula weekend trips

– Rocking out at a major country music festival, listening to Magic Johnson speak, and watching Penn & Teller perform magic

– Learning to lose weight in a healthy way and winning a fitness challenge

– Blogging all of my family’s adventures and maintaining a detailed written record of every single day that comprised my thirties

Loss and Hardships

But despite the progress and memories, I did experience loss during my thirties. The passing that devastated me the most was the sudden death of my Aunt Nancy. In fact, during this decade I learned that death can come very quickly and when you least expect it. Although just a short list, over the past decade I mourned the deaths of people such as John Kost, Gary Baskett, Jessica Hughes, James Gibson, Travis Overton, Garth Fritel, JoAnna Dalton, Rob Heacock, Fred Telles, Judy Cannon, Tony Shelley, Christian Layman, Lee Spencer, Charlie Vandermark, Steve Hackney, Nancy Capp, and so many more. May we continue to pray for the repose of their souls.

Losing my Aunt Nancy was devastating.

Then of course there was COVID. My mid-thirties were spent in midst of a historic pandemic that took countless lives, divided society, and changed the world forever. I hope I encounter nothing like it ever again.

Despite my wishful thinking, I know adversity awaits in my forties. Who knows what worldwide events will transpire and impact us in our little corner of Washington. I know one thing: AI needs to be checked and regulated for the safety of all. And, yes, if I thought death of friends and loved ones was rampant in my thirties, I just need to wait for this next decade. Sid and I talk about it all the time and we know as we navigate through life, we will face more and more loss.

Optimistic Outlook

However, even with death, the pandemic, and other non-mentioned obstacles, I loved my thirties. As I mentioned above, building a family with Sidney was the absolute best thing to happen and luckily all of that is transferable to the next decade of life 😊.

I checked the forecast for tomorrow and it definitely won’t be stormy. In fact, the weather report calls for sunshine and blue skies. Not a bad start to my forties, right? Hopefully the extended outlook will trend in a similar way for the next 10 years. We shall see. Don’t Blink.