Uncle Mark

One of the few people I try to emulate in my life is my uncle Mark. He’s extremely dedicated and talented at what he does, but even more he’s relentlessly humble, and giving, and family oriented. You couldn’t ask for a better uncle. Congratulations Mark on all your continued success!

Blazing Their Own Trails
Alix Stuart – CFO Magazine, September 1, 2010

Autodesk CFO Mark Hawkins counts himself very fortunate to have worked for two companies with robust and carefully structured training and development programs. Hewlett-Packard, for example, sent him twice to graduate school and rotated him through various roles, some of which were overseas. Later in his career, at Dell Inc., he continued with job rotations and further honed his leadership skills by participating in a highly selective program that brought in CEOs of other companies and top strategists like Ram Charan to deliver guest lectures.

Those experiences have inspired Hawkins, who joined Autodesk in the beginning of 2009, to press toward a lofty goal in his current position: “To give team members the best development experience they’ve ever had in their entire career.”

Read Full Article Here

Filed under: Family

I’m An Uncle (again)

Carter Thomas Bortell
6lbs 15oz / 19.53″
March 2 @ 3:15pm

**UPDATE**

Filed under: Family

W.T. Engle (1931-2008)

I moved to Michigan in 1990 after my freshmen year of High School. Not long after I was introduced to the Drouillard family, and by extension the Engle’s.

Tonia’s grandpa, W.T. accompanied me, along with Tonia and Sherry, on my first ever trip to the movies. We watched Arachnophobia and on the way home he made some jokes about spiders and the holes in my jeans. I also heard a couple of classic stories about his driving. It was a great introduction to what would become a lasting relationship.

I remember vividly spending many nights in his basement playing pool rather than going to parties like everyone else. I remember working with him in his garage. I remember many a night in their kitchen playing Rook and Sequence. I remember his little sayings like, “Shoot luke or drop your gun.” I remember his sweet tooth and his love for Mountain Dew, Snickers, R.C. Cola and Moon Pies. I remember the way he and Janie always sat in the back and made Tonia and I drive them around. I remember when he got his first computer and I became his local IT go-to guy. I remember the way he would do anything and everything for his kids and grandkids. I remember how much Tanner loved to hang out with him, and how much he would light up when the grandkids came over to visit. I remember how every single time we’d leave their house he’d tell us to come back soon, and you could easily feel that he meant it from the heart.

W.T. Engle was all about family. He was a grandpa to many people, but he quickly became mine as well. I was instantly accepted and loved. I couldn’t believe how easily they brought me in as one of their own. I didn’t grow up with grandparents that lived so close, so this was something relatively unfamiliar to me, but something I have always cherished. This example of love is one of the reasons we’re still living in Michigan. You just can’t put a price on something like that.

You never know the impact one has until their gone, but W.T. has sure left one on me.

Filed under: Family

The First Step: Debriefed

As Tonia, Tanner and I walked into the lobby last night we were quite surprised, and very happy, to see some friends of ours joining us in this journey. The five of us joined two other couples and listened to three sweet women describe in detail the adoption and foster care process. So many thoughts raced through my head during that hour and a half meeting…

• This is really happening.
• Each of us in that room had a story.
• This sure sounds like a long process.
• There are so many kids that need help.
• There are so many messed up families.
• This sounds like getting a tattoo. Highly addictive.
• These women are doing great work.
• How do you get a job doing this?
• Tanner is so well-behaved.
• Why aren’t more people in here?
• Why did it take us so long to do this?

In this wide world of the unknown that occupies my future, it’s good to know that we’re following the paths set before us that are clearly marked by God. And it’s good to know that we have great friends to join us on our journey.

Filed under: Adoption, Faith, Family

The First Step

Where we’ll be tonight…

RE: Adoption Orientation

Please join us for an Adoption Orientation on September 9, 2008 at 6:00p.m.  At that time we will be discussing Family Counseling and Children’s Services Adoption Program. This will include our policies and procedures, a description of the needs and characteristics of children available for adoption, the legal process for adoption, services and resources available and our fees and charges for services. This will also be a time to answer any questions you may have about adoption. 

The information provided will be helpful to you and your family in your important decision to proceed with the adoption process. Following the completion of the adoption orientation information will be provided for our upcoming PRIDE training.  PRIDE is a required training for all adoptive parents prior to adoption.  The next PRIDE training is scheduled to begin on Thursday September 18, 2008 from 6:00-9:00p.m. The training will continue on Thursday evenings for the next eight weeks.

The Adoption Orientation as well as PRIDE will be held at Family Counseling and Children’s Services located at 220 N. Main St. Adrian, MI  49221. Please call Jacque or Kelly at (517) 265-5352 to RSVP or to answer any questions.  Hope to see you there!

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” –James 1:27

Filed under: Adoption, Faith, Family

Prayer Request

The brother-in-law of my brother-in-law was fishing in Lake Erie last night and fell overboard without a lifejacket, and is still yet to be found.

DETROIT — The Coast Guard and Monroe County Marine Division are conducting a search for a 42-year-old man from Tecumseh, Michigan who is missing after reportedly falling off his boat near Bolles Harbor, western Lake Erie.

Please pray for Scott, Tammy, Quinten and Jaelyn. Like now.

**UPDATE**
I just received word that they have called off the search.

Filed under: Family, News, Prayer

Puppy Love

I took my dog for a bike ride last week.

It didn’t work out.

Filed under: Bikes, Dogs, Exercise, Family, Man Cards, Pluto, Yorkie-Poo's

Chef Mud: Day 3

The Green Chili Chicken and Sweet Corn Cake was a resounding success.

Filed under: Cooking, Family, Food, Love, Mexican, Recipes

Unplugged

Tonia, Tanner and I are joining Joshua in this Unplugged Challenge.

So for seven days, beginning Monday, March 17 through Sunday, March 23 we will be unplugging while we are at home. No television. No movies. No email. No blogging. No twittering. No Facebook. No MySpace. No Flickr. No YouTube. No iPod. No internet. No computer. No video games. No texting. No phone calls.

Just the three of us doing life together.

I encourage you to join us. Obviously we all have responsibilities, be it work, school, whatever, that require you to use a phone and various forms of communication. This challenge applies to every thing OUTSIDE of your work/school day. This will look different for everyone. So you’re just going to have to be diligent on your own.

I think we’re really going to make a dent on our new basement project that week. Who knows, we may even learn something new about each other.

Filed under: Authenticity, Family, Life, Love, Relationships, The Matrix, WIRED

Conversations with the Wife

ME: I really want a laptop.

TONIA: Are you serious?

ME: I know I just sold mine, but I wasn’t using it because I didn’t have it hooked up to a wireless internet.

TONIA: Why would you want a laptop?

ME: So I could still be in here talking to you, playing footsie, and watching Jon & Kate + 8, instead of having to go isolate myself in that cold office.

TONIA: What would you need to be doing on a laptop?

ME: It’s more of a want than a need. I want to finish up that blog post I started on my weekend with the youth group.

TONIA: Why would I want to talk to you while you’re typing on a laptop?

ME: You’ve been sitting here this whole time reading a newspaper while we talked. How is that any different?

TONIA: I wasn’t reading, I was just looking at the pictures.

ME: **blank stare**

Filed under: Apple, Family, Huh?, Laptops, Marraige, Tonia, Wireless Internet