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Chat With a Client Brandon and Rainey Lietke
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH FINANCIAL ARCHITECTS? We have always done our best to save and plan for the future, but there was always some uncertainty about if we were doing so as optimally
as we could, and if our "plan" would put our family in the position we wanted to be in down the road. We have been a little skeptical with some "financial planners" in the past, but when Matt Dery reached out to us to become involved with Financial Architects, we figured it was at least worth exploring. After meeting Pat Marody and the team, we felt much more comfortable with the overall philosophy of Financial Architects and felt at ease. We feel confident that a sound financial plan is in place for our family. BRANDON, TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOB AND WHAT THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN LIKE. The last year has been difficult at times but also very rewarding. I have been working remotely since mid-March 2020, and for most of that time, I have been assisting our 7-year-old son, Sanderson, with his online schoolwork. There were some definite growing pains with my job at first, and I found certain things difficult while permanently teleworking, like Rainey and me trying to balance second-grade Zoom calls with an infant's crying/eating/ napping schedule. However, the best thing to come out of this was I was able to sit next to my son all day while working and really be active in his school life. Also, I was able to take a break, go upstairs, and spend time with my wife and our now 19-month-old Brookson. Between the permanent telework for the last year and my paternity leave prior to that, I have been at home for most of the past year and half, which has had such a positive impact on all of us and our relationships. The amount of time saved commuting has been monumental now that it is time spent with my wife and kids. WHY DOES FAMILY MEAN SO MUCH TO THE TWO OF YOU? AND TELL US ABOUT YOUR KIDS. Family is without a doubt the most important thing to the both of us. Everything we do and work for is for each other and our children. Our goal is to provide a great life for our children and our hope is to be able to retire early so we can spend as much time with our children and future grandchildren as possible. Our 7-year-old is such a kind, fun, imaginative, and social child. He loves playing sports, playing all sorts of made-up games with his friends, and spending time with his parents and little brother. He is such a great big brother and always tries to include Brookson in his games even though he is only 19 months old. Brookson is an adorable little handful. He loves to be outside, no matter the weather. He will scream with excitement to go outside and play and bring us his shoes to put on as soon as he wakes up in the morning. He absolutely adores animals, and you can hear his shrieks of excitement anytime he sees a dog, cat, bird, you name it. Brookson idolizes his big brother and always wants to play with him and copy his every movement. We also are expecting a third boy in early August of this year. We are sure he'll be just as energetic (and exhausting) as the other two, but we are so grateful and couldn't be happier. We absolutely love being parents.
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GRILLED CHICKEN SHAWARMA
A spice-filled marinade and time do all the work in this recipe that features Middle Eastern flavors.
INGREDIENTS • 2 tbsp ground cumin • 2 tbsp ground coriander • 2 tsp kosher salt • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper • 2 tsp turmeric • 1 tsp ground ginger • 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp allspice • 8 garlic cloves, minced • 6 tbsp olive oil • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
DIRECTIONS
1. To create marinade, whisk all spices with the garlic and olive oil in a medium bowl.
2. Add chicken to the bowl, coat well with marinade, cover, and let sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes — or up to 48 hours. Strain off excess marinade before cooking. 3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Grill thighs for 10–12 minutes on each side, or until a meat thermometer reads 165 F.
4. Serve with rice, vegetables, or pita bread with tzatziki.
Inspired by FeastingAtHome.com
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