Practice Sketch 190629

Remembering how excited I'd be when Dad got home from work. I'd be out playing with the neighborhood kids, and run home to greet him when I saw his car pull up the driveway.

Practice Sketch 190628

That feeling when all the neighborhood kids are out playing and you're stuck inside because you are grounded. 😕

Practice Sketch 190626 2

My favorite part of the local pizzeria...😂

Practice Sketch 190626

Another family tradition - summer drives through the country back roads. The destination? No where! It was just an opportunity to get out of the house, enjoy the scenery, and get an extra dose of fresh air with all the windows rolled down 😎

Practice Sketch 190625

My parents were amazed when on vacation I'd prefer the hotel pool instead of the beach. That was mainly due to one thing...sand! It'd get everywhere! Not a fan! 😝

Practice Sketch 190624

Nothing like watching the sunset after spending all day outside with friends.

A sweet ending to a great day 🌞

Practice Sketch 190623

A challenge being raised by a "car guy"... learning all the car lingo. It helped when I was tall enough to peer into the engine compartment 😂

Practice Sketch 190622 2

Inspired from watching children playing at a local park today.

I remember how afraid I was to let go of the bars when I was little - like it was such a huge drop to the ground.

Practice Sketch 190622

I wasn't known to be a very tidy child. It was fairly easy to lose something within the mess I'd create 😵

Practice Sketch 190621

With both a fear of heights and the inability to swim, it took YEARS before I was courageous enough to jump off the diving board. 😅

Practice Sketch 190620

Remembering one of the family's favorite summer activities...stopping by the local ice cream shop for dipped ice cream cones, then park by the local airport and watch the planes take off and land. 🍦 ✈

Practice Sketch 190618

These warmer days remind me of playing basketball with the other neighborhood kids at the local park. 🏀

Practice Sketch 190617

When I used to think it was cool riding my bike by a girl I liked 😎

Practice Sketch 190615

A shout out to any child who ever had to chase down the ice cream truck when it drove through the neighborhood🍦

Practice Sketch 190613

Rainy day? Perfect time to stay indoors and catch up on my TV shows 😉👍

Practice Sketch 190612

If you want to impress a girl you like in class, drop her homework off at her house when she's sick. Just be sure you know which house is hers before you offer. 😉

Yes, I offered once, and managed to drop the homework off on the wrong doorstep 😂

Practice Sketch 190611

A benefit of living on a side road...being able to play football in the street with the rest of the neighborhood kids 🏉

Practice Sketch 190610

Hard to pass up an opportunity to go for a walk when the weather is as nice as it was here over the weekend.

Practice Sketch 190609

Be comfortable with how you look.

Most people may be surprised to know I have a birthmark on my right leg. A rather large birthmark - it starts at my toes and runs the full length of my leg. I will always remember what my mother told me as a little boy - that she wasn’t going to force me to wear pants all the time in an effort to hide my leg. She wanted me to feel comfortable, and if I wanted to wear shorts during the warm seasons, she wanted to encourage me to do so.

Now, you may have heard the phrase “children can be cruel”. Well, they can be. Some of them at least. When the weather started getting warmer, I’d start wearing shorts to school, and it seemed like there was always at least one or two kids that’d look at me differently when they noticed my birthmark...some even treated me differently (picked on me).

I didn’t let that stop me from wearing shorts though. I was comfortable with how I looked, and wasn’t going to let a couple cruel kids keep me from feeling that way.

Now, do I regret being picked on because of my birthmark? Truth be told, though I would have preferred not to deal with the negative remarks while growing up, I feel fortunate now, because I believe it helped me develop a deeper appreciation for others and what they may be going through in their own lives. I don’t think I’d be who I am today.

That doesn’t excuse the cruel kids’ behavior, though.

So be comfortable with how you look, and always encourage others to feel the same way about themselves. ❤

Practice Sketch 190608

The two stores I would hope to find whenever the family visited a new mall. 😎👍

Practice Sketch 190605

Reading just seems more enjoyable when it's not mandatory 😉

Practice Sketch 190604

My parents would give my sister and me summer passes for the public pool. We weren't the only ones who received passes from their parents. It was a regular hang out for us kids 😎

Practice Sketch 190602

Summer Break has officially started. It reminds me of my summer breaks when I had the chance to watch cartoons all day while my parents worked. 😁

Practice Sketch 190601

The School year is over and summer break has begun. What to do...what to do 😂