Holding YOUR Child

I think that middle word is the most important. When Josh Asher was born I had a total of 19 nieces and nephews, many of whom I saw regularly. I love my nieces and nephews but it is nothing compared to the love that I had for my child when I held him for the first time. The best I can figure is the difference is the child is yours.

I love that moment, much more than I even expected I would! To hold a new life, to hold your child, to grab your son’s little fingers, to feel the responsibility that you are his dad, but the privilege that he is your son.

Holding your newborn child does some funny things to you; it reshuffles your life. Your priorities just got rearranged, and guess who is on top? Someone who didn’t even exist a few hours ago. And while my work and clients are important, my spectrum of importance just expanded beyond a level I knew just a short time ago. But it is all in a good way. I like activities that make me feel significant. Never have I felt any more significant than holding a newborn and thinking he’s mine.

Hello John Asher

Crazy day... but at the end of it Daniela Cisternas McMullin is awesome. We are so happy to have all 8 pounds and 9 ounces of Asher with us. What a blessing! Thanks for your love and support. We are glad to have a new member of our family!

And we love this little hat... hand made by volunteers at the hospital... and perfect for our little boy.

August 6th

There are some nights you will always remember. August 6th was one of them. I called my dad to ask  if I could come over and watch the Republican debate. He said sure, he was just getting home from the hospital. That prompts the obvious question of "who's in the hospital?" That's when I hear about Sterling and the accident he was in. We find out that he and his parents are on their way up to the hospital in St. Louis and Truman and Harper are with my mom. So we rush over to see how we can help.

I remember being so impressed with Truman and Harper. They were real troopers. Grandma was great at calming them down and working to get them to sleep... all we had to do is help them brush their teeth. But in a chaotic situation these kids were strong.

Smoky Mountains Vacation

Family vacations are great times to create memories. Glad we were able to join my family for a nice getaway in the smoky mountains in July.

Hospital visit @ 28 weeks

1st trimester was great... no morning sickness

2nd trimester was great... walked and rode bikes around Europe without any problems

3rd trimester got off to a rough start... at 28 weeks, spending the night in the hospital because Daniela is having contractions every few minutes. As a nurse said, "he needs more time in the oven, right now he is only a half baked cupcake." 

Thus begins Daniela's life on restricted activity.

Gideon Pharmacy

Helping get Gideon Pharmacy started was a learning experience... in everything from running financial projections (over and over and over), to selecting a location, to remodeling, to ordering equipment, to hiring employees, to passing inspections, and actually opening for business. 

It opened for business on Monday, May 4, 2015.

Our location. The pharmacy's front door ended up replacing the City Hall sign.

Gideon Pharmacy's colors. 

The space where the pharmacy went in was used by the police department beforehand.

And the space was separated into 2 rooms.

The remodel was a complete gut job.

Our logo went up in the window during the remodel.

What happens when you order shelving weighing hundreds of pounds and the lift on the truck won't work. See if the city will lend you a front end loader.

The remodel takes shape.

And it begins to look like a pharmacy

Our entryway became filled with equipment for the pharmacy.

Setting up the equipment so the pharmacy can actually pass the state inspection.

Working until late at night with Dr. Karl to get things working.

The entrance to Gideon Pharmacy with its custom designed sign.

Europe 2015

So how do you tell your parents you are planning on having a child? When they ask about taking a trip in August and you say you can't because you may be having a baby about then... so instead, we joined them on an awesome European vacation in April.

Loading up the Tahoe for the grand excursion 

In the airplane... What a way to celebrate my 31st birthday!

Some of our fellow airplane passengers. It's hard not to smile when they announce your destination is Amseterdam.

Amsterdam was awesome. And we lucked out with some great weather... 

On the Grand Canal. And yes, we have a great story about how you can use credit card gimicks to stay at an awesome Amsterdam hotel (the Waldorf Astoria!) for free!

And we just happened to be there for their tulip festival. It was very cool.

My parents in the main square in Bruges, Belgium.

Hey, just another windmill along our bike ride. And yes, I made my pregnant wife go on a bike ride with me.

Bruges canal tour.

Boarding the boat. John, Daniela, and John-Asher (in utero).

Walking the streets of Cochem, Germany.

What are you doing today? Visiting the Cochem castle of course.

Our boat down the Rhine River... the Scenic Diamond.

I looked out the window and what did I see... another castle by me.

We all enjoyed our lounge time.

And getting to meet new people at dinner.

Showing off that pregnant belly in Rudesheim, Germany.

Evening concert at the palace in Mannheim, Germany.

Enjoying the good life... 

The crew in Zurich, Switzerland

Saying good bye to some Cruise friends

The Swiss Alps. A picture does not do it justice. Spectacular!

On top of Mt. Pilatus. One of the highlights of the trip.

Lucerne, Switzerland. Scenery fit for a storybook.

Our last train voyage. Hooray to my parents for enduring to the end!