For years Bob has built businesses where some were done on weekends while others were built night after night. Sometimes this left a bad taste in my mouth since we are trying to have a life and family. He would work 24-36 hours sometimes without sleep to make a better life for us. I always wondered if they would matter in the next 2 to 5 years. You could tell he was working hard building a business and working for someone else to improve our lifestyle. Occassionally, we would have that louder than normal conversation but never did we stay mad longer than that evening.

Something my parents taught me, never go to bed mad, its not worth it. Mom & Dad were married almost 30 years when Mom died from cancer. In all the years they were married, there was only one or two times they had an arguement. Dad would never argued with Mom, he would just turn and walk away until she calmed down. Its funny, I’m a lot like my dad in thoughs respect where Bob grew up was in a similiar family. His parents are both alive and been married over 50 years.

Bob was trained to ask questions and he could have been an attorney since he can grab onto a topic and run it untilthere is no more room. Sometimes, he is referred to as a bull dog. He does not like to lose or give up. You should see him around people, loves them, encourages them and keeps them looking down the road for the best out come. But, he loves to argue also, the better the emotion, the more fun he has and we have had a couple good ones.

As you can imagine, we have the Farm, which he calls the Farm mine, even though he loves working the animals and the hardwork never bothers him. He was one that would not go to the gym since college to work out but would do something like build to call it a work out. He likes to see progress, and if it is not happening, he is studing the situation to make it happen.

The real estate office, he calls it mine also. At this point you might think what is he calling his or even cares. Well, he does. He loves to answer the phone or even make my calls when given a chance to set up the call then hand it over to me. Little things is his speciality for helping. The one business he will take charge on and hardly any one person can keep up with himis his real estate investing.

You want to see his eyes light up is when he is chasing those Pesky Foreclosures he writes about. Boy, does he get passionate about researching deals, going through the deal and making the offers. Once he gets the deal, its like a puzzle to piece it back together to bring joy to a couples eyes & heart. Its been fun to watch him walk a couple through a house he is selling explaining the features and functions of the home while asking them questions about themselves to understand if this house really the best fit. He really loves to lisen …

And I guess that is one of his greatest strenghts, he has learned over time to listen and be slow to react. Dinner time in our house is exciting, we talk, we eat, we talk, we talk then we eat. Its been a little while but he has learned by reading books, listening to tapes and occassionly, working a older man who he calls Dad or mentor.

To say, we are not active is a joke. To say, we are not balanced life is a joke. Bob takes time out of the day to make sure I’m doing good and everything is running smooth. Like today, in the middle of a meeting, he gets up and calls me to see how I’m doing. He said, well I called earlier and there was not answer so I thought you might be out. And I was, planting my tulips bulbs in his new landscaped garden for me. We chat for a few minutes and off he goes back to work.

He is usually busy during his day but he will take time to share his day with me and find out about mine day several times throughout the day. He will even call on his way home, in between business calls, will call to say hello and find out what is happening at that time in my day. He usually checks on me and the family to see if we need something on the way home for dinner.


Even this weekend, on Sunday, we went out on the St. Clair County Alpac tour, even though he did not feel the greatest, he went to couple with Annie (his sister) and I together before he returned home for a nap. Later he joined back up with us near the end to see the last couple. when I gotback to the house, the garbage was out, house picked up, and a few items ready for dinner. As well as he got a nap in.

So, to have a balanced life, remember to take time out for the both of you. if you like to knit, then do so, maybe in smaller time spands or in blocks of time. But, knit. Even if you are going to an event that your child is in, make sure that the two of you spend time together, even if its painting the Bank Owned foreclosure you guys just bought. Its important!

There was one time, we were renovating a big 2000 sq ft colonial in detroit, its late, niether of us had dinner, so Bob started a fire in the fire place and run up to KFC for chicken and came back with plates, cups, food and drink. So there we are having a fire side dinner for two relaxing and enjoying each other. Those moments are wonderful, they last for a life time. Remember to take time for yourselve and your family since this is a journey to enjoy and not a fire fight.

Enjoy, Bonnie.