Bucket list check off item! I have tried so many times to see these. I have driven for many hours in the night to no avail. I saw there was a good chance to see them but there was a lot of cloud cover so I wasn't too optimistic. So I drove North for about 40 minutes and saw nothing. So I turned around and head back South for home. I said let me try one more time, so I turned around and drove for about 5 minutes then headed East down a country road with a lot of farm land. I drove for about 10 minutes and didn't see anything but it was a clear sky so I decided to take a picture of the stars. When I looked at the picture it looked green. Then I took a video and the sky was kind of doing what I've seen videos of but I couldn't really see anything with my actual eyes. Then I saw a falling star which I always hope to. As I stayed a bit longer, I could start seeing them with my eyes. Not really the moving part but the green color. Then all the sudden it was going nuts. It was so cool. I had heard animals making noises in the field close by which was wigging me out but the bucket list item was happening so I stayed put and hoped it wasn't a skunk or something. LOL The pictures came out better than what I was seeing but the video isn't close as to what was happening. No matter what, once again I just marvel at God and His creation and was thankful He allowed me the opportunity to see this in my lifetime! 

Had two great times of fellowship with incredible people this week. First, David Sung. David is so inspirational to me. David shared about his past loss with me. He is a shining example that you can get through stuff even though it may take a minute. I won't share details but I have so much respect for him and am thankful for his friendship and encouragement. Then I met up with Dave and Sue Anderson. Sue was one of many angels that took such loving care of Talia. Was so blessed to be able to meet up with Dave and Sue and will always be indebted to her for such amazing love she showed Talia and I during our stay in Hospice. 

We lost a giant of jazz today. I met Ahmad through Herlin Riley. Herlin had me fill an iPod for him which was fun. Thank you for all the amazing music!

Thought I'd post a picture of Pops to show he is doing well. We did some yard work today! Thanks for all the prayers and love! 

Had a great time on Friday. Unbeknownst to me, my dear friend and amazing guitarist was workshopping at Byron Center. Then my musical Dad, Pops Froncek helped me "Hammerize" the Maximus Snare. Ended the evening with a bunch of MSU Fam in Muskegon with the Michael Reed Group! Proud of all of them! 

It's been an interesting spring. Flooding like normal, pretty hot in the 80's, an amazing moon rise, Easter at the Cosby's, If that drum is there next time, I may make it a flower pot, lol , still a little snow left, and my eagles are back. All of this and possible snow for Monday & Tuesday. Pure MI! urr....

A year is creeping up quickly. There isn't a moment I don't miss her. I actually think I love her better now which is unfortunate. She is so much a part of me. The lessons I should have learned that she was trying to teach me, I'm now learning. So many mannerisms I do I can see I got from her. I always knew what I had. I had an incredible wife, but it's all been enhanced since she passed. Her sweetness has gotten even sweeter, her beauty has gotten even more beautiful. I'm able to go back and watch movies and look at pictures and think about different things and enjoy the memories now. It's always a double edged sword, fun to reminisce but then sad with the loss and emptiness. I have been working and planning for a tribute CD to her and it's fallen in what I just discussed. It has been enjoyable to go back and try and figure out how to do some of these songs she liked but also hard going through some of them. The hardest pictures and videos to live with are from the end. There were glimpses of herself but then definate effects of the cancer crop in and that still is pretty sad for me. Just feel so bad she had to go through that. She did it with such grace. It is probably when her sweetness was most on display. I have gone back and done a few things just for old times sake. We drove to Grand Rapids for her chemo treatments every Wednesday, and on the way back we would normally get Korean chicken and then stop and get spree. So on the way home this week, I stopped to get some spree in her honor. God is getting me through. I have more days without crying then with so that's a bonus. I'm growing stronger Spiritually or I should say closer with God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit and that's good. But then I just have moments like putting the food away after dinner or other things we did as a team that I just break down. It's the little things. More and more I can say it was better to have loved and lost then to have never loved before. Honored and so thankful I was able to call her my wife for just shy of 5 years. Thank you Lord! 

As I went through this Easter week, I reflected on my pilgrimage to Israel to see so many of the sites that make up my spiritual foundation. Some places while there were so easy to picture Jesus at and some were a little more difficult for various reasons. I also made sure to watch the movie The Passion of the Christ. It is never something I look forward to and almost have to make myself do it. To watch one person completely be beaten and crucified for 2 straight hours is not fun. It lasted much longer at the actual time. However, it is always the reminder of the price paid for my salvation, which then breeds such gratitude.

Then God gave me a real life lesson. I was at my sister Sarah's house for Easter. She has a lot of land and animals. Everyone was kind of gathering where the animals were after dinner so I went down to hang. We're talking and I'm standing up and so I put my hand on a tree to kind of balance myself on a  tree that had very tiny thorns on it. One went into my thumb but didn't bleed or anything. My thumb was sore all night  from that tiny tiny little thorn on the tree. Now look at the picture above. Those were the thorns that they made the crown out of for Jesus. It was a real lesson on just one tiny aspect of Jesus' infliction of what he went through.

This could become a much longer entry as we see what happens when a nation turns its face from God and are left to its own accord. This season for me is about healing and growth. I believe both are happening over time. I most likely will never arrive but am becoming more purposed to show and tell others about the love of Christ and what He did for all mankind! Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice and victory over death! 

Does this look like someone who said she didn't like the cat? LOL Just read all those instagram posts! LOL 

My family has always had pets and they have been a vital part of our lives. 

My mother before she passed, really needed to go into assisted living but wouldn't do it because she couldn't find a place that would take her best friend Mia too! So we worked out a deal that if I took Mia and gave her a good home, she would go into assisted living. Talia took one for the team because she wasn't really a cat person. Her big hang up was cat hair and I have to give that to her, it's awful. 

Until the day Talia passed, she claimed she didn't like that cat, but as you can see that wasn't really true. The first day, Talia started a vlog called Mia and Me! LOL when going through her phone, I'd say 80% of the pictures were of Mia and books! Mia loved Talia and Talia really did love Mia too. She even made an emoji of the two of them! LOL Matter of fact, when I asked Talia if she wanted me to bring Mia in when she was in hospice she said yes. She passed before I did it however. 

Mia is the only cat I'm sure that has made 2 obituaries. LOL My Mom's of course, and I was not going to put it in Talia's but when I had Talia's sister Randi help me with it and review it, Randi added she was survived by her furbaby Mia. LOL 

I write all this because I feel God was really preparing us for the future with Mia. It helped my Mom get to where she needed to be. It really was a great companion to Talia through her journey. It would not leave Talia alone. It followed her from room to room. I remember Talia saying, "Personal space Mia!" LOL and now with Talia's passing, it is just nice to come home each day to something. Most of the time Mia now follows me around too! I know Mia won't be around forever as I think she is somewhere between 12 - 15 years old, but it's easy to see God placed her in our lives for this season and for that I'm grateful!

I made 2 trips to KZoo last week and 2 trips to Holland last week. First we had a homecoming concert if you will from Indonesia. It was fun to play the music again and brought back memories of the trip. It was also good to see my friends Dale and Sandy who always come out to support! On the way watched 2 bald eagles which was really fun. Then 3 days later went and saw one of the outstanding talents in jazz , Camille Thurman. She is always amazing and so kind! 

So happy for Elijah! He is doing so great at WMU and so glad he is studying under Keith. Fun to see him do his thing! Then went back to KZoo 5 days later to see Keith playing with Matthew Fries and Byron's own Ethan Erickson (maybe spelled that wrong)