happy valentine's day

as i was thinking of what to write for this post i started thinking about how different i am today from the young man you see pictured below. this picture was taken back then. before kim & i were married. before our daughter rain was born. before we started our own business. i started thinking about how much free time i used to have, and how kim and i spent endless hours just being with each other. i started really missing those times. back then.
time has changed me. us. "life."
"life" has occupied my days, my nights, my thoughts, my life.
then i started thinking about today.
today, i love kim more than i could have ever imagined back then.
today, i have two beautiful daughters that are more precious to me than anything i could have wished for back then.
today, i run a successful business that allows me to meet wonderful people that i didn't know back then.
today, my life is better than it was back then.
it was so nice to really sit down with my thoughts for a while and count my blessings. i realized that the years spent together with kim have been the best of my life. after all these years, kim still hasn't realized that she is way out of my league, rain still gives the best hugs, and april still cuts me some slack. i also realized that todays hectic schedules have made me complacent. i just assume that when i come home i will hear rain yell "dada's home!", april will call me over to share her latest artistic vision (or tell me about the latest avatar episode), & kim will be there waiting for me at the end of the longest day on record. lucky for me, today has come along to wake me from my complacency. today, i will take the time to tell kim, and everyone else that is dear to me, how much i love and appreciate them. i will honor those who have cared for, influenced and encouraged me. my ohana. without them, i am nothing. i will not take these things for granted, anymore.
kim, i love you. today and always. as you know, time we get to spend together doesn't present itself as often as it used to, but any minute i do get to spend with you now is precious to me. happy valentine's day schmoopy. :)
april and rain, even on my roughest days i can't help but to smile the minute i see you. i love you both so much.
i encourage everyone reading to take a moment today to actually say "i love you" to at least 3 people you love. don't just assume that they know how much you love them. tell them. then give them a hug. :)

edit to post:
kim saw this on [b]eckers blog and wanted to share. for all you guys that waited until the last minute & just don't know what a woman really wants...watch this.