Brian,
I am a newb from Queen Creek also. Been married 8 years and have 2 daughters of my own (7 and 2). Let me know if you want to get into some comps I will be up for that. I even have a friend who is a Chef that would probably like to get into it.
I definitely want to get into more competitions. I did the Tempe BBQ Festival and had a blast with everyone, but pretty much did everything on my own. I think that ended up being too much to deal with for one person (ended up with overcooked chicken and brisket). I learned a lot though, so next time I will be much more prepared and will make sure I show up early. Mike says I need to get some teammates that can stay awake and drink with me
...of course 5 minutes later, he was hugging a trash can.