Such a great year

2024 has come and gone, but with this new year, I am feeling very optimistic about the future. Normally, my family and I would be going into the new year with more negativity than positivity, but not anymore.

2024 was such an amazing year and probably my favorite year of my life. So many amazing things happened throughout the year. I turned 42 this year. Before, my birthdays were not really something I cared for nor did I really celebrate. But 42 is a pretty significant number in the universe and my 42nd year has been amazing so far.

If you have ever watched The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the number 42 is answer to the "Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything". My 42nd year on this earth has been the year I grew the most and have gotten into the best shape of my life.

This year, I decided to take my health very seriously. As some of you know, I got a new gym for my home about three years ago. I have been working out consistently over the last three years, but it was this year when I really began to look at my food and make significant changes.

I removed all sugar and carbs from my diet and focused on eating whole foods instead. It was quite the adjustment at first because I had to find meals that I could make from scratch using real food and not the ultra processed garbage that is everywhere here in the US. I lost a little over 50 pounds throughout the year and have never felt better. I am down to almost 200 pounds, which is wild cause I haven't been that low since before I went to Iraq in 2003.

One of the main reasons why my wife and I really wanted to get our health back is because our grandson was born this year. We didnt want to be like our parents and not be mobile as we aged. Being able to get down on the ground and play with Theo has been so much fun, and I would have hated to miss out on that because of body pain or lack of mobility. They say that once you are no longer able to get yourself up off the floor, your life expectancy lowers dramatically. I am so glad that we prioritized our health so much this year because it really has set us up to live a long quality filled life.

Seeing my best friend become a grandmother was so cool. I missed out on so much of our kids growing up because of the military and then as a cop, so I didn't really see these early stages of my kid's lives and I missed out on seeing my wife interact with our babies, so being able to see her with our little grandson has been such a great experience.

My daughter's friends also got pregnant last year and one of them has had her baby and her other friend is due within the next few weeks. These girls have pretty much become family to us and its been fun watching their little families grow and we love having them over to visit. It is going to be so fun to watch Theo and them all play together as they get older.

I have been continuing my photography journey and had some pretty cool opportunities. I have been getting more into architectural photography and doing shoots for construction companies. It is always really cool learning new ways to take photos.

I am looking forward to 2025 and see what fun adventures it will bring. Each year, my family chooses their word of the year and this year, mine is adventurous. I want to break out of my comfort zone and do stuff that I normally wouldnt do. Life is an adventure, so got out and face it head on. Move your body in its full range of motion each day to stay loose and feeling young. Age is just a number. I hope your 2025 is your best year yet. I am really looking forward to it.