My life has been so blessed. I have always felt as if my life has been guided by some unseen hand, for the successes that have come my way are more than I could have ever hoped for or dreamed of. I have enjoyed tremendous successes in my business, but more importantly, I have a wife whom I've loved for more years than I can count. We have two wonderful sons who grew up into intelligent, caring individuals; our grandchildren and new great-granddaughter are constant reminders of the small miracles in our lives. And I have friends--wonderful, blessed friends who have been more like a family to me for longer than I care to own. Growing up in Canadian, Oklahoma, with these wonderful folks shaped the man I am today. Honor, work ethic, morals, my buiding principles, all of these may be attributed to the friends of my youth. Our circle of friends, our band of brothers (and sisters), generated love and friendship that outlasted our years in Canadian. Here, I record the first eighteen years of a blessed life spent with unforgettable friends. For them, and for my family, I wrote this book, this little collection of happy memories--the first small miracles that came my way down the river of life. For my grandmother, I write this, too: she may just be that unseen hand guiding me through murky waters.