2009 has been a great year and it couldn’t have happened without you!  I’m so thankful for my friends, clients, and those I have connected with online this year so I just wanted to take a few minutes to let you know.  2010 is shaping up to be a great year and I’m really looking forward to connecting with you in 2010.  If I can do anything for you, please don’t hesitate to let me know and connect with me through this site or on Twitter or Facebook.

I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

This year my family and I have been very blessed.  I’m thankful for:

• my family (a loving wife and healthy, happy one year old son
• a chance to use my work to help people in need who can’t help themselves
• A church family who is supporting and caring
• the dreams and passions God has planted in my heart this year
• pizza factory pizza and mountain dew (an awesome combination)
• a chance to work with kids and share the Gospel with them
• the iPhone
• leaders who pour knowledge into me (that probably don’t even know who I am)

But last night was something special indeed.  Something that will change the course of his life forever.  Last night, Cole was able to taste for the very first time the sweet, sugary goodness that is a Krispy Kreme donut.  I think he could have eaten whole dozen by himself.

Maybe Cole shouldn’t be eating donuts this early, but right now he thinks we are the coolest parents ever!

As I thought about the preparations and the upcoming events I was suddenly overtaken by a feeling of joy.  I had to immediately thank God for all of the blessings He has given me in my life, but especially in the realm of my family.  I have had only a few minutes today to reflect back on the first four years of our marriage.  God has really brought us through a lot of difficult times.  Two days after we were married I began law school in North Carolina (four hours from our families and our home), two months after that Stephanie started working in Greenville, South Carolina (our home), and we basically lived together on weekends for three years.  In the midst of that separation Stephanie’s father was diagnosed with cancer and eventually passed away. Now that I’m back home there are the constant pressures of our jobs and other responsibilities that draw us away from time together.

This past year, we welcomed our first child – a beautiful baby boy – into our lives.  I never thought there would be such a change in our lives and our marriage.  There was such an infusion of love and joy into my life when Cole was born.  I can’t even explain.

So now, this is one of my favorite times of year.  A lot of celebration for the truly excellent things in my life that God has given me.

Funny thing is that I used to hate reading.  I did everything I could to avoid it in high school and college.  Then I was forced to read tons in law school and especially for my bar exam study and I couldn’t wait until I could choose the subject of my next book.  While I’m spending a lot of time reading business, Christian, inspirational, management, leadership, and career books, I am really enjoying the change of pace with a little fiction thrown in there. 

You can always follow me on Twitter.com for more frequent updates and to get "behind the curtain" to see what’s going on backstage with Tripp Atkins. 

Now, the chorus rejoices, “Hi Tripp!”

Like most attorneys, I imagine, I spend a great deal of time at my desk in front of my computer.  Now, it’s not just attorneys, it’s everyone.  Everyone has planted themselves in front of their computer and they can’t get away.

I’ll admit I am addicted to the internet.  One of the first things I do each day when I get to the office is to fire up the Mac (yes we run all Mac in our law office).  I can’t wait to check my e-mail, read all of the text goodness on Google Reader, check the news, check my personal e-mail, twitter a little, write some blog posts, and so much more.  Not to mention, that I’ve probably already checked e-mail, texted folks, and surfed the net some on my drive in with my iPhone.

I work all day and go home to my wife and young son and sometimes it is extremely tempting to head up to my home office to check Google Reader or do some “research.”  It drives my wife crazy, but I feel like I could sit there at the computer for hours on end and just read and write, read and write, read and write.  I love learning and taking in new information. Maybe that’s my addiction??

Then, some of the side work I do like video editing and production requires a computer and requires a lot of time.  I have to do a lot of “research” and looking around on the internet for inspiration for some of those projects as well.

I don’t know what to do.  Maybe an Internet Fast is called for.  Possibly a total technology fast!

I came across a post by Texas Lawyer Chuck Newton titled Internet Sabbath? NO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O!!!!!!!!!!! Definitely an interesting read, and the comments show that I am not alone in this world of technology. 

I have been thinking about some of these things from a different perspective for a while but this weekend God slammed it down on me.

I know this is one of the most abstract posts and makes no sense.  Sorry!  I’m looking forward to trying to get some of these thoughts down on paper.

I am overflowing with pride for her today.  She has worked so hard to overcome many discouraging things in the past few years to reach this point.  The loss of her father, pregnancy, working 60 hours per week during busy season, and on and on.  I would like to point out that the final part she just passed was taken on April 18, three days after the end of busy season where she was working 60-65 hours per week, not to mention taking care of me and a six month old baby boy.

We’re just so excited!  Time to celebrate!