Been a Long Time... Posted by JD on 11:29 AM

It has been the longest since the last time I've posted anything. We have been through so much these past couple months, I don't even know where to start. First off...we've relocated to McDonough, GA, which is about 25 miles south of downtown Atlanta. It's waaaay different from what I'm used to, but I still believe this move was what God wanted us to do. And because I believe that, I'm at peace with the move. I miss alot of the people I came to know and love in Chicago, my family up there, and being able to drive an hour or so up to Milwaukee to see all my childhood friends...but s'all good. Like I said, I'm at peace with the move. The kids are happy at their new schools. All of us our getting used to the difference between them being at the private Christian Academy last year, and the public school they're in now. Don't get me wrong, the schools in our county are great, but the private/public switch is pretty apparent. Charmaine is still getting used to being the "Boss" at her new job as Director of Student Accounts at GSU. I am constantly working to build/expand my business, but entrepreneurship is a daily grind. I believe I was built for this, so I'm going to continue pushing! I have had to relaunch my company, Daniels Design Group, so dealing with registering it, getting all my paperwork in order, etc., so that's been a job in itself. I've met some really good people along with road so far though. A really dope attorney, I got an extra cool financial planner, still on the lookout for an accountant (if anyone knows a good accountant in the Atlanta area, please shout me out). I've partnered my company with what can be called a "parent company." My man, Mike Cork, started a marketing solutions company about 6 or so years ago, MACORK SOLUTIONS, so it made sense for me to bring my talents on board to help him expand his brand and build his company, which getting my own company in order. Things are going pretty well right now!

The house is far from furnished, but we at least have furniture in all of the rooms lol. The walls are still bare, and alot of the nick nacks that fill a "home" are still missing. Charmaine has her hands full, so there is no rush on all that. We still walk around and just wonder at the faithfulness of God. We prayed for what we wanted and He provided our "exceedingly abundantly..." Charmaine and I laugh sometimes...like, "Dude, we have a living room set in our bedroom!" It's crazy! We know how it happened, so give all the credit to a good God! The kids are happy they all have their own rooms now. Well, Jazz is used to it, but AJ and Lauren having been sharing since Lauren came into this world, so they are both ecstatic about having their own space, to decorate and do with, as they please. We've got a huge unfinished (but studded) basement where I finally put together the pool table/air hockey/ping pong table their uncle bought them for Christmas last year...so they spend alot of time down there too. It's so stupid hot outside, I sometimes let them ride their bikes down there...lol, #dontjudgeme!!


After begging for the past couple years to play football, AJ is finally on a team. He plays for the MYA Florida Gators and he's loving it. I think the reality of playing is weighing against his fantasy of playing Madden lol. He's not as fast as he thought he was or nearly as tough lol. But he's sticking with it and I think he wants to get better at it, so that's good enough for me! He plays Tight End and Defensive End, but has aspirations to play Running Back or Wide Receiver one day. I think he has the raw talent to do it, but this is his first year playing, he's got alot to learn. On another note...they take football REAL serious down here lol!! They start at 4, and they're yelling in their faces even at that young age! I'm going to see what becomes of it all though...

What else is going on...Charmaine got it in her mind to do this Insanity workout with this guy Shaun T (the jury is still out on homie lol) The workout is NO JOKE though. Like seriously, at the end of each workout, we're are dripping in sweat! It's 60 days, and we're only on like day 7 lol. And I KNOW it gets tougher over time...but we're in it and we're going to keep at it!