2011 Goals

"A goal without a plan is just a wish." - Antoine de Saint - Exupery

After much thinking, some discussion, and some prayer, here are my goals (if the Lord wills it) for the year:

2011 Goals

As a Christ follower
-Verbally (out loud) submit myself to God daily, every part of me
-Pour myself out serving God and others, investing in their lives
-Using my money, time, and resources store up treasure in heaven
-Spend quality time with God twice daily
-Invite someone to church
-Pray weekly for family, friends, clients
-Do at least one 24 hour Solo retreat (scheduled)
-Set aside some extra giving money for missionaries/compassionate needs
-Reboot confession/accountability with an old friend

As a husband
-One Date every month with Jobina (scheduled)
-One weekend getaway with Jobina (scheduled)
-10 hours/week quality time, meeting our most important emotional needs
-No screens in the bedroom, ever
-Set Up specific boundaries around computer/TV/reading time

As a father/family leader
-Family vacation (scheduled)
-Go down to a maximum three nights a week by end of March
-1 overnight get away with each of my kids (scheduled)
-Minimum 1 hour a week quality time with each of my kids
-2 “dates” with each of my older kids during the year (scheduled)
-4 family day excursions per year (scheduled)
-Rethink how we celebrate Christmas, make own traditions

In terms of my physical health
-Get to bed by 11, 5 days a week
-Minimum once a week aerobic activity (scheduled)
-Purchase winter exercise equipment (ex/ rollers or skis)
-Purchase bike rack for van
-Reduce my caloric intake by at least 20%

As an adventurer
-Two Weekend Adventures (scheduled)
-One day solo adventure (scheduled)

In terms of my financial health
-Do Pay Yourself First (every month) and invest it
-Make 50% on my stock investing
-Make an extra $1000 a month income

In terms of professional/personal development
-Transition to checking email twice a day (a la Tim Ferris)
-Notes: Summaries, next session planning
-Learn Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy



I found it hard to come up with specifics for my spiritual goals, so I'm just going to rate each on a scale of 1 to 10 now and then compare near the end of the year where I rate them then. My theme is "doing what works" so most of what I'm aiming to achieve I've already done for short periods of time or I've done as an experiment but quit for some reason. A good example of this is scheduling - I find I get way more of what I want to do when I simply schedule it on my calendar. I'm finding my goal setting is becoming more of personal journey, but I post them here to give myself incentive to not forget about them as I will report on them at the end of the year.

It's past January, so I feel I can realistically finalize these goals after the cold, hard realities of life have supplanted the giddiness of New Year's. Here's hoping I'll have a meaningful and productive year (and I wish the same for you!)

BCBC In The Fall: Adventures with Riker

A few years ago I went to the trouble of defining what I saw as my unique roles in life - "adventurer" was one of them. When I went to school that part of me got sidelined quite a bit. Since another of my roles is "Father," I decided to combine the two. Riker and I had a little adventure a little over two month ago. He skipped school (with Jobina's consent) and we went up to the wildlands of Mennville where we stayed in the Dueck's cabin (Thanks Terry and Brian!). Interestingly, we got up there pretty late (it was dark) and it was raining. The trail was a little wet and when I tried to get my van down a "shortcut" to avoid some water I got stuck. Riker was so funny - when he realized we were stuck he actually screamed out "We're going to die!!" After calming him down we walked to Eric and Lindsey's to see about getting a little help but they weren't home. So we walked over to Walden and Eileens and not only did Walden get us out, but he kindly offered us his 4X4 truck to get out to the cabin. We were overwhelmed by his generosity and soon we we bouncing down the trail feeling much more confident. Riker was still thinking that we might meet our demise though when after bouncing down the trail for a few minutes we were stopped by trees that had fallen across the trail. So we got out in the rain and dragged those big trees out of the way. A few minutes later we reached the cabin in the dark and had a great time unloading and getting a fire started. Some highlights of that evening involved gathering birch bark in the dark, playing uno by candlelight, Riker reading me Bible stories, and triumphantly getting the fire going.
The next day we got up and Riker was in much better spirits. After breakfast we went exploring in the surrounding bush. This was probably the most fun Riker had - it was tough dragging him back to pack up. Here's me and the boy:


Riker found some "cool bones" in the forest. Here he is posing with them (with machete as well):

Some flowers growing beside the cabin:

Riker hacking branches of trees, deep in the forest:


But we wanted to get up to BCBC and help out in the remodelling of the kitchen so eventually we had to leave. BCBC is our family camp - I've been going there since I was 8 years old and it is kind of spiritual centering point for me. I'm rarely up there when it's fall, so the colors of the trees changing were quite awesome to behold. Here's a bald eagle we saw on the side of the Pine Dock road as we drove north:


I'm afraid I didn't do very much to help out (probably a total of 2 or 3 hours) but that was never the main intent anyway. Basically I just wanted to hang out up there with Riker and show him that it was important to serve. Here's a picture of Riker putting screws into the floor:


Later that day we went out to the overnight site on the point. During the summer we set up old canvas prospector tents there, but right now only the frames are visible:




Later after helping out some more, everyone left us and Riker and I moved into Robin's Nest (a cabin) and went to the firepit and had ourselves a great weiner roast:


The stars were out and the night was one of those eerily quiet ones - almost no wind. Very beautiful. That night Riker read to me more Bible stories (I get kind of choked up when I think about it - staying in a cabin at my camp overnight with my son - and him reading Bible stories to me - Wow I am blessed!) and we both slept well. The next day we took some pics around the camp and then headed for home:







It's funny, when I reflect on all the things I have done this year, this is probably at the top of my list. Spending time going on adventures with my son - that to me is time very well spent. I often have great intent, but am poor on follow through when it comes to such things. But this time it worked out and I am thankful. To keep myself accountable I told Trinity that her time is next. Hopefully we'll have a chance to do that before Christmas (or shortly afterward) . . .

Deep Question For My Son

So I was swinging beside my 8 year old boy at a park today when I thought I would impulsively ask him a deep question. I'm continually amazed at his insightful responses. Today I tried a personal one. I turned to him casually and said "Riker, what do you want from me?"

He looked at me thoughtfully and then started thinking out loud. "Well . . . I guess it depends how you mean it." He was looking for clarification but I decided not to give him any. "That's true, " I said in that vague, counselor way that doesn't mean anything but invites more.

"I guess the biggest thing is your love," he said after a a moment or two of silence. I thought that was cool and it reminded me again how important it is to show your kids that you love them. Love is the most basic of all our needs and we tend to wither when we don't receive it. Then he gave me another answer. "Also, I want you to teach me things." Hmmm . . . interesting. Just the other day I was talking with a friend about how, even as adults, we crave to learn from our Dads. We want to learn from them, to be handed down important knowledge. "So what kind of things I asked?"

"I'd like you to help me with my homework. Sometimes I have lots to do and Mommy is too busy. And you usually are there but don't help. I'd like your help more." Ouch! That kind of hurt. I'm gone alot in the evenings since that is the time that most of my clients are available. I don't remember being home and having him ask me for assistance before but maybe he has. He is now. I mentally commit myself to being more available to help with that stuff. "I'd also like you to teach me how to survive in the outdoors." I liked this one more. Can I teach him this? Perhaps - I think I could help him survive for a few days at least! I have always felt a desire to pass on my love and knowledge (as little as it is) of outdoor things to Riker and he seems to instinctively want that very thing as well. Very cool.

I liked Riker's answers, he was open and honest about what he thought, felt, and wanted. If you ever feel things are getting a bit too shallow in your relationship with someone then try something different. Why not humbly ask them that simple question "What do you want from me?" More often then not you'll be amazed at the answers and the connection this particular conversation can foster.

A Sweet Moment

Today I dropped off my 8 year old Riker off at his very first week of camp at Beaver Creek Bible Camp. This is momentous enough but he is also staying in the very same cabin that I first stayed in when I first came to my first week of camp - how cool is that? Not to mention the fact that he was almost born at this camp (Jobina's water broke while we we were up at camp and he was born a few hours later after a terrifying drive to Winnipeg). I guess you could say that our family has a lot of history at this place.

Dropping him off today I tried to think about what it must have been like for my parents to drop me off to that very same cabin 26 years ago. Were they as excited for me as Jobina and I are for him? Were they nervous? I think about how that first camp experience changed my life - feeling the dedication and joy of not just my counselor but a whole camp staff dedicated to showing Christ's love. I remember the feelings of awe and mystery that surrounded me that first week of camp. Camp fires, exploring the bush, canoeing on the creek, listening to Bible stories before bed in my bunk. It was there that I first remember feeling a hunger to know and serve God. I had stayed as a camper in this cabin, then I was a counselor in it, later I was a camp director who walked by it and prayed for and occasionally disciplined those inside it, and now I was coming back to it again to drop off my eldest son. A sweet moment indeed. All these thoughts and memories ran through my mind as we walked up to "River Bend Pad" this morning. I felt like I was walking on holy ground.

Riker seems a lot more confident and a lot less shy then I was (I remember feeling so nervous that I almost wanted to throw up) but when I asked him how he slept the night before he told me "I woke up a few times worrying if the other kids would like me." Ah, my son, I know how you feel! My prayer for him is that he will be safe, have fun, and most off that God would get ahold of him in a powerful way. It is a bit of a harrowing thing to surrender your children to a camp for a week - even if you know the camp as intimately as I do. But I know he is in good hands.

Walk A Little Slower Daddy

"Walk a little slower Daddy,"
said a child so small,
"I'm following in your footsteps
and I don't want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast,
Sometimes they're hard to see;
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For you are leading me.

Someday when I'm all grown up,
You're what I want to be;
Then I will have a little child
Who'll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right,
And know that I was true,
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For I must follow you."

-Author Unknown


On Father's Day my daughter Trinity gave me a cute little card with this poem. I missed church this Father's day but didn't miss getting some Father's day exhortation! I'm not sure why but every time I read this simple poem it is very convicting to me and gets me kind of choked up. The message is a good one and I hope it blesses some other Dads out there.

It's A Date!

Today I took my 5 year old daughter on a date. We went to Boston pizza and had a delightful lunch together. I taught her tic tac toe and she shared her fries with me. Afterward we got the car washed and then went to Kilcona Park (this place is huge - over 400 acres) and explored the wilderness areas together. Mostly we picked flowers, collected feathers, and climbed hills. It was a great time but I was exhausted when we returned.

I hope my daughter feels cherished and respected when we go out and do something like this. My hope is that if I show her what an example of a good date is she will have a standard that she will carry with her into her teens and adult years. Hopefully she will learn that dating is for connecting, growing, and enjoying the company of someone. Hopefully she will remember what it was like to respectfully share in each other's lives. And hopefully she will have a decent model of how she deserves to be treated and will have high standards for what she wants from boys and men. Hopefully. . .

What It Feels Like

Sorry I haven't been posting a very much original content lately - I've been very busy and am looking to share some thoughts (and several book reviews) next week. In the meantime, enjoy this creative commercial:



Whoever came up with this idea was a genius; empathy, humor, emotional pull, and a great bridge to what they are selling. Amazing!

The Lanyard: A Poem

That Crazy Sennacherib

This past Sunday morning I was laying in bed reading my son Riker a Bible story. It was from 2 Chronicles 32, the account of how God saved Judah from Sennacherib of Assyria and his army. In the story Sennarcherib taunts the city of Jerusalem and it's king (Hezekiah) as he prepares to lay siege to the city. It's a great story, God vs the huge ego (and army) of Sennacherib. I love the author's commentary in verse 19 "These officers (the Assyrians who were taunting the people on the walls) talked about the God of Jerusalem as though he were one of the pagan gods, made by human hands." Subtle foreshadowing and theological commentary!

God of course protects his people. "King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz cried out in prayer to heaven about this. And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he (Sennarchib) withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons cut him down with the sword."

I explained to my son what the word annihilated meant. Then I asked Riker if he knew what that last part meant, "some of his sons cut him down with the sword." He was unsure. I said that Sennacherib's own sons killed him! I speculated about some of the reasons - maybe the sons were embarrassed by their father's defeat in Jerusalem or maybe they were impatient to get to the throne.

After a very long pause pause, Riker looked at me and said "Dad, don't worry, I won't kill you." I told him thank you and felt reassured. My throne (and life) are safe.

As amusing as this was Jobina told me that later on Riker was looking up and reading the story again his own Bible and for that I am grateful and encouraged. I may end up being a disaster as a father, but hopefully some day he'll tell his friend "Well, at least I remember him reading Bible stories to me." That wouldn't be the worst legacy to have.

(By the way, if you want to have fun with people during a sword drill, call out "Hezekiah 3:32." I tell you I never get tired of that one.)

Reconnecting

Last night Jobina and I talked.

I mean, really talked.

This might not seem amazing to you, but it seems like in the past few weeks we haven't really, well, connected much with each other. I mean we've been talking to each other, but not really talking about anything beyond the practicalities of the moment. Or maybe another way to say it would be to say that we've haven't really shared our real selves with each other. You know, the deep stuff. And I for one was missing it.

You see, after you have a baby (especially if you have other kids) it feels like if you are not careful you can kind of lose your spouse. I don't mean geographically lose them but emotionally. You're so busy with kids stuff that you can lose the heart of your spouse in your weariness and the general madness that becomes your life. Last night Jobina and I decided that in spite of sleep deprivation, laziness, and the looming slight awkwardness it was time. We sat and talked to each other and shared thoughts, feelings, fears, and questions. Suddenly I felt like we were not just parents but soulmates again. And it was good. Jobina initiated it - thanks babe. It reminded me again about how fragile our relationships are and how they need constant care. And how easy it is for a distance between two people to be solved. Thanks honey.

A New Arrow: Part 2

Here is the boy screaming at his mother. I think he is voicing his displeasure after having blood drawn from him before we left the hospital.



Here's Jobina and Sawyer after their triumphant homecoming late this morning. Notice the strong, manly hands (somewhat wrinkled of course).


Here's a closeup of Sawyer, thinking deeply in a modified "The Thinker" pose (OK, I might be stretching that a bit). I have prayed that this child will be one who God blesses with much wisdom and insight. It took him about 3 minutes to figure out "eating" so I think he is well on his way.


Thanks everyone for all the well wishes, congratulations, and prayers!

A New Arrow

Psalm 127:3-5 (New International Version)

3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.

4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.

5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

More details to follow . . .

UPDATE: It's a boy! And his name is Sawyer. Sawyer John Westman. Born this morning at 2:29am, 7 pounds 10 ounces. He's a redhead! And everyone is doing well. I'll post a picture sometime tomorrow!

Risky Business

Yesterday my son and I opened up one of my Christmas presents, the "new" version of the classic boardgame Risk. I consider myself to be somewhat of a Risk aficionado. Why? Because I have literally played hundreds and hundreds of games. I have played several computer versions, the "old old" version with the pink soldiers, the Risk 2210 version (ah, the nuclear commander rocks), and many others. My favorite is the 40th anniversary version that Jobina got me as a present one year - with it's little steel soldiers and felt pouches for all the colors it has a really nice "feel" to it.

Risk is part of my personal story. I bought my first mac computer based on the fact that there was a really nice computer version of Risk in the store. I procrastinated on scores of papers by playing several games of Risk a day on the computer whilst in college. When I got married, Jobina's Mom's family played super long (and very socially intense) games of Risk at their Christmas family gathering, going so far as to have a "Risk Champion" trophy as reward for the yearly big Christmas game. As a youth pastor I enjoyed playing many games with my students. To me Risk is not just a game, it a passion that I connect with the important people in my life.

So it was a special and tender moment to introduce the reinvented new version of the game ( to my 7 year old son. Amazingly, though it is for kids 12 and up he not only figured out how to play but ended up beating me (I was kind of going a bit easy on him when all of sudden he did a crazy kamikaze move and surprised both of us by being victorious). I really, really like the new version. It is much shorter so you can easily finish a game in 45 minutes to an hour. Not only is it faster, but the new rules meld easily with the old ones making it a quick transition from old to new. Because of the importance of objectives in this version you have to be much more on your toes, considering more variables and ways that not only can you win but how your opponents might. The game board and pieces themself have kind of a Cold War look and feel to them which I wasn't sure of at first but soon grew to like. Most importantly, the potential psychological warfare that goes on between players remains intact in this version - one of my favorite parts of the game. It was a lot of fun and I really want to play again. You need at least 3 players with a maximum of 5.

Boardgames are great because unlike TV, movies, or the internet they require several people and invite more social interaction. Although somewhat retro, I think they are much more healthy form of entertainment and I'd like to play more of them.

On The Way To The Bus This Morning...

On the way to the bus this morning:

Jobina: "And the last week of March you guys are going to have Spring Break - for a whole week."

Riker: "Oh no! Winter is slipping through our fingers like grains of sand!"



Where does he come up with this stuff?

Great Attitude

A brief conversation with my Grade 1 Son this morning as we were waiting for the bus:

Me: "So Riker, are you going to have a rockin' day today?"
Riker: "Dad, when do I not have a rockin' day?"

With an attitude like that, I have a feeling he'll go far! He assumes he'll have a good day and so in his own way chooses to. It was a good reminder for me.

Surprise

The Return from Iraq - For more of the funniest videos, click here

Parents, your mere presence means more to your children then you will ever know . . .

Alternative To Spanking

My friend Jacquie sent us this forward and I thought there was some real wisdom to be had in it. The topic of spanking children usually brings up strong feelings in people; they either hate it or believe its the most natural thing a parent can do. Whichever way you lean, I hope you can approach this novel parenting approach with an open mind:



Tough Love vs. Spanking - Good Argument
From a mom...
Most people think it improper to spank children, so I have tried other methods to control my kids when they have one of 'those moments'.

One that I found effective is for me to just take the child for a car ride and talk.

Some say it's the vibration from the car, others say it's the time away from any distractions such as TV, Video Games, Computer, IPod, etc.

Either way, my kids usually calm down and stop misbehaving after our car ride together. Eye to eye contact helps a lot too.

I've included a photo below of one of my sessions with my son, in case you would like to use the technique.

Sincerely,

A Friend

This works equally well with
grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Sad News

This morning I woke up to Riker's crying. Sadly, his pet fish Dan (which Riker had less then a week) had passed away during the night and was floating upside down in his fish bowl.

Although I am not in favor of keeping fish as I don't like the idea of small & cramped "cages" for aquatic prisoners, I somehow had to take care of the funeral arrangements. This was because Jobina suddenly had stomach issues at the the thought of a dead fish . . . apparently it caused bile to form in her mouth and this was unpleasant. But I digress.


Anyway, I grabbed a measuring cup from the kitchen and gently I scooped up Dan's remains from his little cage (I mean bowl) and dumped it into the toilet. Then Riker and I both said a few words in remembrance of the little fish. After this was done Riker ceremoniously flushed the toilet and Dan went down to rest in the place where most fish end up.

It was a tender moment for Riker and without looking at me his emotion filled voice said quietly "I'll miss him."

"Yes, we'll all miss him," I replied.

"I'm just so upset . . ." Riker began.

"Yes, you are so sad because . . ." I tried to sympathetically interject with something comforting.

"Because now I have to spend another $5 to get another one!" Riker said bitterly.

I had been expecting a different reaction and to hear that he was thinking from a financial perspective about his loss almost made me chuckle out loud! But I controlled myself. I told Jobina about it afterwards and we both laughed heartily.

Rest in Peace Dan. Know that you will be missed, mostly because you costed so much. Adieu.

Planning For Christmas

The Westman's are doing something different at Christmas this year - we're going to a cabin. Ever since we got married we Westmans have taken turns spending Christmas with our parents at their houses on alternating years. And by spending Christmas I mean actual Christmas, the 24th and 25th of December. We have absolutely loved these times but one thing always seemed missing - it was difficult to establish any holiday traditions of our own. So for a few years now we've played with the idea of doing a Westman Christmas with just our nuclear family. We'd still visit our parents of course and celebrate Christmas with them but we would do it before and after the actual day of Christmas.

Jobina was especially adamant that we needed to celebrate on our own sometime. I'm open to trying new things so I'd agree but when it came to actually telling our parents that we wanted to do Christmas on our own she would have second thoughts. Or as I called it "chickening out."

Sure enough Jobina was having second thoughts again (even though she gone so far as to tell our parents last year that we were considering a Christmas on our own) but I convinced her that we should just do it. And if we were going to do it, we should do it in style! So we called Falcon Trails Resort which is easily our favorite resort to escape to. They usually do three night minimums at Christmas but they had one cabin that ended up being available for two - so we booked it! To me staying in a beautiful cabin on a lake, chopping wood for the fire, enjoying the outdoor hot tub, XC skiing, and sleeping in a cabin is like my perfect Christmas. The kids are excited too - Riker is already planning to go exploring with me and wants us to build a snow fort together. I'm sure it was a little disappointing to our parents but they took it well. We tentatively plan to do a "Westman" family Christmas every three years, alternating with the parents on the other two.

What do you do for Christmas? How do you handle family traditions and expectations? And have you ever gone somewhere exotic/adventurous for Christmas and what was it like?

Moved

Well, we've moved! Everything has been quite exciting for the past few days. Here are a few random highlights:

1. Before moving I began experiencing a strong sense of peace . . . and dread. Weird to get both at the same time.

2. To mark the occasion of leaving our house (the only one Trinity has ever known) we found a hidden corner in the house and wrote "The Westman's were here 2004-2009." We then signed it and had a little prayer where we each shared what we were thankful for about our old house.

3. I was very scared to drive a 26 foot long u-haul but it wasn't so bad. I only skipped one curb. I felt quite a sense of accomplishment when I dropped it off - it was definitely a step out of my comfort zone (thanks Jay and Keith for being my co-pilots - much appreciated and you made it fun).

4. We had tons of people helping us move. Guys from our church came over including Mark (and his sons), Dan, Scott, Keith, and more. Also, two of my best friends Jay and Jason came out to help as well. This was excellent, but then we were totally surprised when Ryan brought the Cornerstone youth group to help as well! Suddenly we had over 20 people helping us, amazing! We were very blessed. The whole move, including loading and unloading took less then four hours. Thanks everyone who helped us move, you all are awesome!

5. After moving in on Sunday we had to live without appliances until yesterday. Needless to say we have eaten a lot of junk food and fast food. I may never eat potato chips again. We also didn't get phone/internet until today - something that was very hard on Jobina. We felt cut off from the world.

6. I bike to work and it is sooooo good. Good for my body, my mind, and especially my soul. It only takes 5 minutes to get from my house to my office.

7. My next door neighbor is a cop. I told him "Wow, you're the perfect neighbor!" (I was thinking for safety reasons). "Not everyone thinks so!" I think he may be right . . .

8. We are living in boxes. Boxes everywhere! The initial euphoria of the new place is replaced by despair at the sea of boxes everywhere. It's getting better though, hopefully everything will be done by the end of the week.

9. I didn't sleep the first night after we moved. Not sure why, I didn't feel particularly anxious or anything. But my next day was pretty rough. The next night I was fine though.

10. Keith's wife Lee blessed us by taking our kids during the move and then giving us some cinnamon buns for our first breakfast. This was not just encouraging but life saving. I ate 4 of them for breakfast the next day, thanks Lee!

11. Our house is far from perfect. Every day I discover more things that are wrong/damaged etc. Of course we are discovering hidden things as well. One cool thing is that we have a new couch set left by the previous owners. Also, our location just gets better and better. I love our street. Quiet and across from a park. I had known it was a good location, but I had no idea how great it really is. I am instantly spoiled.

12. We have huge trees on and beside our property. I hadn't realized how much I missed having "real" trees around but I love them. I relax a little everytime I see them.

13. The tree thing, combined with our location, and my rediscovery of my collection of Outside magazines has helped me to rediscover my passion for the outdoors. Somehow through school and getting my counselling practice started I lost this part of my identity. It's back baby! I can feel it. I'm ready to start exploring again.

14. The kids seem to be adjusting fairly well, especially Riker. Because we are in the midst of repairing/painting our house (feel free to come by our old house tomorrow if you like painting - I have some inside and outside for you!) so we can sell it we haven't been able to spend much time with the kids. I feel sad about this but don't know how to avoid it right now. We are planning to spend some family time together on Sunday and I'm excited about that. Maybe Jobina and I will even get to go on a date sometime? There's lots of places to explore around here. . .

Anyway, now that life is returning to normal, expect regular blog posts again. Choose to have an exceptional day!