Rewind and Refresh

My last post ended saying that I would be interested to see where I am a year from now.Well, it has been almost two years since my last post which may give an idea of how hectic life has been. I am going to use this post to give a brief summary of the last two years so that we can get caught up to current events.

On the Home Front:We finished all of the renovations on the house and were able to move in by Oct. 3rd 2009 which was just in time for Keitt to arrive on Oct. 15th. We quickly adjusted to parenthood which turned our entire world upside down.
As we were just getting used to having a baby around the house we received some unexpected news. Candace was pregnant again and only a few months after Keitt was born. Once we wrapped our heads around the idea of having another child so soon we hunkered down and started getting ready for number 2. We quickly found out that we were having another boy and that his due date would be only a few weeks before Keitt's 1st birthday. Candace did a great job handling Keitt from newborn to crawler all while going through yet another pregnancy.
Jackson Cole Dantzler was born on September 28th 2010 with a head full platinum blond hair and was quickly named "the Golden Boy" by the hospital staff. Born only 11 1/2 months behind Keitt we were informed that it is almost physically impossible to have children any closer together other than having twins. Jackson is now 11 months old and should be walking soon and we are getting ready to celebrate 1st and 2nd birthdays back to back.
As we finally settle into some semblance of normal the years ahead are looking to be fun filled and enjoyable. We are going to start the process of adoption soon and are looking forward to the blessings that are to come.
On the Job Front:
There have been many changes here as well. I ended up staying at Harpin's for 8-9 months and really enjoyed my time there. My main focus in that job was to improve efficiency and quality in the day to day operations and to expand the catering side of the business. I probably would have stayed there for at least 2 years if not more.
Then in March 2010 Ingleside called. I had catered an event for the Ingleside Staff Christmas party in December 2009. Shortly after this event, the head cook at Ingleside fell ill due to cancer and was no longer able to work. At this point a few of the staff members that I had interacted with during the catering job called to see if I would come meet with them to consult them on their Food Service program. I had never really thought about the scope of church food service but I was interested and always looking to network. My initial thoughts were that this might mean a considerable amount of business for the restaurant if I could gain Ingleside as a repeat account.
Little did I realize the extent to which Ingleside was interested in my expertise. It became quite apparent after our first meeting that they wanted to see if I was interested in running their program.
I was apprehensive at first because of the commitment I had made to Paul and Hazel but I really saw the Ingleside job as a whole new direction of my career and was excited about the possibilities. After a few conversations with Candace and after receiving Paul and Hazel's blessing I accepted the position at Ingleside and started a few weeks later. The Monday before Easter 2010 was my first day and I had 5 days to put together a reception for the 5,000 people expected to be at Ingleside that weekend. "Whatever it takes."
I have now been at Ingleside for almost 1 1/2 years and it has been great. I have made lots of changes in the program and I am looking to make many more. I feel challenged to improve and expand daily. I am surrounded by godly people that have lifted me up.
Walking with God:
The biggest change in my life since our move back from Colorado has been finding a relationship with God again and seeing him working daily in my life. Candace and I have been getting involved as much as we could with our church and my eyes have been opened as to what it means to live a Christian life. I feel that God worked to put us where we are today to bring us closer to him.
I have a thirst for knowledge of the word and how to apply God to my daily life. I am looking forward to seeing God continuing to work in our lives and our children's lives.