I can still remember waking up on September 11th 2001 to the eery silence of LAX outside my bedroom window.  I was a student at LMU at the time, living at Park West, and my unit backed right up to the runway.  Usually, it was bustling with giant airplanes taking off and landing, but not that day.

I turned on the television to discover the events that were unfolding 2500 miles away in New York.  It was surreal to say the least.  By the time I had flipped on the news, the towers were gone, thousands of people were dead, and four airliners had crashed into the earth.

Much has happened to me since that day, getting married, having kids, but those memories still pop into my mind now and again.  I think about all the people who’s lives were forever changed by this event.  As you go through your daily lives, make sure to remember and honor the memories of those who lost their lives that day as well as the soldiers who’ve lost their lives defending our freedom.

This is a picture I took two years ago from ground-zero.  I’m returning to New York next week and you can be certain I will be returning to pay my respects once again.

We finally got back this weekend from our trip back to North Carolina to see my Grandfather.  It was great getting an opportunity to spend time with him and see how excited he was to see his great grandchildren.  We spent a few days at his house at Dogwood and then headed out to Nags Head for a couple days at the beach.

It was quite a bit of travel with two kids under the age of four, but it was all worth it.  Here are some images of my Grandfather’s house and the boat house which is located on the Chowan River.

Here we are in the middle of nowhere, Dogwood NC.  I haven’t had a cell signal for two days now, which takes some getting used to as my iphone has become an extension of my right arm.  I am able to get spotty internet service with my broadband card, but it’s always like using dial-up.  Nevertheless, we are having a great time with the kids, boating, hoping on the golf cart, or taking the tractors out.  It’s been a fun couple of days and tomorrow we’re off to the outer banks.