A Year of Change

We woke up around 6am and showered and dressed for our last morning at the ranch. It was 35 degrees, a nice Wyoming May morning. After breakfast, the boys hooked up with Nancy, a new 64 year old fishing guide from Pennsylvania. They took off in a Ranger (4 wheel drive vehicle) for some pond way up somewhere. Meanwhile the misses and I were going to ride horses but she was a little stiff in the neck from paint ball the day before so I decided to stay with her. Instead we moseyed around taking some pictures and checking out some horses and additional cabins. The boys returned around 11:30 and although it was chilly, Nancy said the oldest caught the biggest fish she’d seen on the ranch, well over 20 inches and 5 pounds. Now this is big for a trout if you don’t know. The youngest caught a 15 incher as well so fishing was a success.

We headed into the lodge for lunch before we packed up and headed back to the Denver. By 1pm we hit the road and 3 1/2 hours later were back in the city. The cotton from or cottonwood tree was falling in full force and it was kind of smelly compared to the sage in the mountains. Uncle T made us a great dinner which was nice as we didn’t have the energy to get anything together. Thanks much. The dogs were fine and nothing else much changed down here.

We were all  sitting around on the couch last night and almost in unison, we all said we want to live at the ranch! Now we know this isn’t practical right now but we have to figure out a way so in a few years we can spend more time up there. We all just seem more relaxed, happy and healthier up there. It’s like we’re supposed to be there. There was no tv, no video games, lots of physical activity and it seems just a better quality of life when you look at everyone who lives up there. It also might sound funny but the people are nicer too. Maybe to start we can figure out a way to start spending some part of the summers up there. This year we have a plan to finish up repairing all the fences, putting up some big gates, (the big log ones you see on ranches with the help of some guys at Brush Creek) getting new signs on the fence lines (the old ones are beat and shot up from years of weather and neglect) and finishing off a road, with the help of Ed and Ned. We should have some new signs pretty quick so those will be the first to go up. All 4 wells and windmills are all running again this year which is good meaning that they wintered just fine. We at least know what we want to do and are beginning to make a plan. I’ll always remember all my dad wanted was a place up there to relax and retire or just spend some time. He never got it done and I feel bad for him as I know that’s where he was the happiest, you could see it in his eyes every time he was there. Even when he had Alzheimer’s, he would take off just walking knowing exactly where he was going. We of course didn’t know, but soon found him. I should have done more to help him realize his dream as he started his life there and I believe would have liked to finish his life there. Remember no one is ever on their death bed saying “I wish I worked more!”.  Someway somehow, we will sooner or later get to the open range. We’ll keep you posted on our progress.

Meanwhile back in the city, we have two and a half days of school left. All the boys will do is play as there’s no real work that’ll get done. The kids are just making up some days lost to snow that the district requires to get full funding. I’m running to Boulder today to help the guys at Brush Creek out with a gun deal for their shooting club. They’d bought 10 new shotguns that were the wrong kind so I agreed to see if I could help them trade them in for what they really wanted in the first place. They’ve been so kind to us, anything I can do to help them, I’m happy to do. We also took some sales packages home with us as we know some people that would for sure be interested in going up for a few days.

The oldest and I saw Grandma briefly last night and she looked good. Uncle T said he made sure to point out that I said she knew all the old country songs because she was old, thanks Uncle T! I made sure she knew what I meant meaning that the songs were just from her generation. The boys are getting sucked right back into tv and ipads and Mom and I are trying to keep them off it. I think swim team starts after school today but am not sure, Mom will have to check it out. She has two doctor appointments today and we think work is going to fire her as soon as the doctors say she can go back as one of the employees told her so. What a crappy thing to do. I don’t think she would have been able to go back to doing the same job anyhow but to fire her after she was hurt on the job just isn’t right.

Oh well, everything happens for a reason so we’ll see what comes next.

Time to run, hope everyone is well. Remember you all need to let us know what you did for the big weekend so we can share with everyone else. Don’t make us chase you down for it, post it now! God Bless

Sunday night, 9pm.

I really don’t know where to start so I guess we’ll start with breakfast meaning more food! The buffet was once again over the top. Bacon, eggs, sausage, green chile corn bread, breakfast pizzas, strawberry smoothies, fruit, cereals, oatmeal and more. After a few days you finally figure out that you can’t try everything at every meal, it’s just too much.

Right after breakfast the morning activities are about to begin. The activity barn is bustling with people getting ready for fishing, shooting, riding, zip lines, mountain biking, hiking and just about anything you can think of. I headed to the gun range for my morning fix of 200 shells of 12 gage at various clay pigeons flying through the air. Meanwhile the boys and Mom were once again headed to the rope course and zip lines. This time Ed and Ned (the two guys from Texas, ages 27 and 29) along with their wives went along. After I finished shooting I drove the extra mile or so to the rope course to check them all out. Ed and Ned did great just like our boys and the misses which was quite a feat as they weigh probably 260 and 280, they’re big boys. Their wives opted to watch until the zip line portion. They have 5 kids in tow between them, ranging from 1 to 5 years old and Ned’s wife is pregnant again! These guys took over a portion of their dad’s construction business and travel around the country building private roads. Both family’s have 5th wheel trailers (they replace every two years) and the wives and kids all go along. They just finished Kathryn Zeta Jones place in Aspen. They’re really good boys who work hard and know no other life as they’ve been helping their dad since they were kids. They’re also just lots of fun.

Soon it was lunch time and of course the food was again great. Then in the afternoon, Mom and the boys played paint ball while I went on a cattle drive moving about 120 head about 6 miles to new pastures. I was lucky enough to ride with the ranch cowboys as I’ve been riding with them for a few years and they felt comfortable that I could handle it. I was on a gelding named Shasta that’s a spunky horse with quick feet that I had rode before. He’s a great little cow horse. The trick is when you have a good horse to just let them do all the work which he did well. After a few hours of herding cows we finally reached our destination. As soon as we closed the gate to the pasture and turned around to head back, a pelting snowstorm, with almost hail like pellets, joined by 30 mile an hour winds hit us smack dab in our face. You had to tilt your head down while holding on your hat with one hand and the reins with the other. Luckily it only lasted 10 minutes or so. We’d had snow on and off riding up with the cows but nothing like this. Thankfully I had on a couple of shirts, a vest and a coat, and chaps along with my neckerchief and hat and gloves. Imagine the old days when the cowboys had to do this in the winter! After about 4 hours in the saddle we made it back to the corral where we unsaddled our horses and loaded them into the trailers. It was a good day of hard work.

Dinner was a 40 pund pig the chef had been roasting since 5am. Of course there also was steaks, venison chile and tiger prawns along with all the side dishes you could dream of. For dessert there was homemade peach cobbler in a cast iron skillet with homemade vanilla ice cream on the side, enough already! After dinner we headed back over to the saloon as they had a 4 piece band and I swear the youngest guy (or gal, there was 1 lady) was 60! They played old time country music that made me think of my grandfather who used to play in a band at that age also. The misses and I both talked about how much our mothers would have enjoyed it as they would have known every song, cause they’re old! Soon it was 9pm and the misses and I are going on a ride in the morning with Ed and his wife Kathryn so time to go. Lisa, our friend who runs the horse program, is arranging for an advanced ride for us rather than just a nose to tail trail ride like most of the guests take. Her husband Eddie was going to go with us but the two gay guys from New York have requested him personally again!

When we made it back to our cabin the boys were begging me to light the pot belly stove. Being the great dad that I am, we filled her up and got her going. We all sat around talking about the weekend and the meaning of Memorial Day as my Mom reminded me to talk about that with the boys, thanks Mom. There’s more to tell you but it’ll have to wait as I need to get some sleep. Oh, I almost forgot, we’re getting a new bed through the ranch at their cost which is about a 70% discount as they buy thousands a year for over 200 hotels! We are so excited, we just mentioned that we want to find out what mattresses they use and they offered to have one delivered to our door, we can’t wait!

Time to go, I need to check the pot belly stove and put some cream on my wind blown face and get some sleep. Everyone else is already out. I do have my clothes in the dryer so I have some fresh dust free jeans for the morning ride. Take care and God Bless,

p.s. Uncle T, please go fix Mom’s computer and I told her to ask you to throw in 12 short ribs for us for dinner! She said don’t count on it but I said you’d do it! ha ha

Well, it’s Saturday night and we just realized we have wireless internet in our cabin named Rainbow, (after the Rainbow Trout) when we got back to the cabin after another great dinner.

We arrived around 3pm yesterday and after a welcome fit for celebrities, we quickly unpacked in our cabin. We stayed in this particular log home last year and just love it. You can actually hear Brush Creek rushing by day or night. We are far enough up on a hill so even if it flooded, we’re safe. The boys headed straight for the activity barn to plan out today. We then headed to the saloon for a glass of wine and to meet the other guests before a dinner of sea bass and grilled fillet mignon which was out of this world. When we returned to our cabin, the sheets had been turned down with Belgian chocolates neatly laid out on each pillow. Uncle T texted today reminding us to check out who makes the mattresses as they’re so comfortable.

Morning came early and the boys were off, before we were showered, to the activity barn. They had a 9am paint ball game scheduled and a 1pm zip line and high wire rope course appointment. I went shooting at 9  with Ron Brown who’s a great guy we’ve known for 3 years. Lucky for me, none of the other 17 guests signed up for shooting so it was just us two. I shot a couple of hundred shells and then we went to check out the gun room. They need to get rid of 10 brand new Beretta semi auto shotguns and want over and unders so I’m going to see if I can help them out through some of my connections. Meanwhile the boys are in the middle of a paint ball war having had the benefit of playing on the terrain before and knowing the good hiding places. I got dropped off to watch the end of the game with the misses. Both boys were the stars of their team in every game.

Lunch was a spectacular as all meals are. I can’t remember it all but there were numerous pizzas, pasta, a great salad bar, and more. I almost forgot breakfast which was a buffet that equaled the Ritz. Marie, the pastry chef, has been here for two years now and we all exchanged hugs when we saw each other. She came from Austin (the same property we stayed in when we did the Bocelli event in February) and is now engaged to a forest ranger and buying a house in Saratoga. Anyhow, you’ve never seen a pastry chef like Marie, it’s unexplainable so I won’t even try. The chef is fantastic and we brought him a case of olive oil which he thanked us for over an over. In fact, he’s used it in every meal so far.

As of last night there were 17 guests including us. Every one that works at the ranch introduces themselves to you and all of the guests do the same to each other. There’s Worthy (that’s his name) and Marie, from Jackson Wy, via Connecticut, some people from Denver, others (Russ and Beth) that drove non stop for 21 hours from Michigan, a father and son from Portland and a few more. Today a bunch more guests arrived but more on them tomorrow. I’m also going to save the rope course and zip line story for tomorrow as well as it’s time to hit the hay.

Hope everyone is well, take care, be safe, and from the old west, God Bless

OK, it’s Sunday but I’m just adding on to this post so everyone reads it all. The ropes course yesterday is on another part of the ranch a few miles away. They have a low course (about 3 feet off the ground) and a high course which is 20 feet above the ground. You have to wear rock climbing harnesses and hook into various cables all the time in case you fall. After we breezed through the low course which consists of walking on 1 inch cables suspended above the ground and climbing a 10 foot vertical wooden wall with a rope and hoisting yourself over like on some military training course, we headed for the high course. First up is a 20 foot free hanging wall on wire cables made up of logs, and old tires which gets you up to a platform 20 feet above the ground in the trees. Next you walk over a suspension bridge made up of planks of wood and wire. Think of a movie with a old crickty bridge only the wood was solid. Then was a 50 yard high wire act. All you had was one wire or cable about 1/2 inch thick to walk on while you were hooked into a wire above your head that you could hold onto for balance. One of the guys suggested you walk toe in front of toe but after about 5 yards, I lost my balance and fell. Luckily the ropes held and I pulled myself up and then decided having my feet sideways to the rope which was better and I breezed across. All of us made it through the entire course with the boys going first. They each had an instructor to hook them into various safety points above the ground. You had two ropes hanging off your harness and the golden rule is one of  them must be hooked in at all times. Now it’s hard to describe being 20 feet up in the air but believe me, you don’t want to look down a bunch. We finally made it to the zip lines which everyone was waiting for. Here you hooked up and jumped (or stepped) off a platform and whoosh, your off, sliding or zipping through the trees hanging from your harness eventually landing on the ground. We then walked over to another set of trees where we had to climb up a bridge to get to the big zip lines. Here we zipped from one platform 20 feet up to another platform still 20 feet up in the trees before finally taking the final zip line to the ground. These were super long and after the boys each did it alone they hooked up together and went zipping through the trees again. The instructors said what an athletic family we were, whoo hoo! After a bit more playing by the boys on the low course, we headed home to get all the sap off of us from the trees. On the way we ran into Jake, one of the wranglers we’ve know for three years, who was driving a team of horses pulling a big white carriage with red velvet seats. It looked like it was out of a movie in New York’s Central Park where someone just got married. The boys jumped in with Jake while the misses and I headed for the showers. Soon the carriage pulled up to our cabin and the oldest was sneezing up a storm from allergies from sitting behind the two giant horses. We quickly found the Benedryl and soon he was better. Next up came the Benedryl meltdown, all parents know what I’m talking about as it makes kids, well, meltdown. We cleaned them up and went off to the saloon for some refreshments like root beer floats and appetizers before dinner. All the guests were there and we all shared stories of what we had done during the day. There were also some new people like the two brothers, Ed and Ned. They’re big kids with their wives and about 8 kids between them, all dressed in regular clothes which were all cowboy. The wives were dressed more like women from Dallas and guess what, they were. It seems Ed and Ned have a road construction company and were doing a job up here somewhere. I was talking to Ron the ranch manager and he said that they normally don’t take “walk ins” but they had the space and these guys all showed up and laid down a quick $5000 for 2 nights stay. They were loads of fun and nice guys, must have been in their mid 30’s.

We all headed over to the main lodge for dinner which was a buffet of poblano corn, salad, arctic char, beer can chicken, prime rib, tuscan white bean soup (vegan and out of this world) and more I don’t remember. The dessert was home made spicy cupcakes with some unbelievable frosting made of course by Marie. Ed said these were the best cupcakes he’d ever had in his life and I have to agree. We also sat and talked with Darin and Joaquim, a gay couple from New York. They were quite a kick in their own rite and the oldest asked if they were gay as even he could tell. Soon it was time to go as Ed and Ned headed back to the saloon while we headed home. After 3 hours of paint ball and 3 hours of the rope course, we were all beat.

Today the boys are going back to the rope course and have more paint ball in the afternoon. I’m going to shoot a bit more in the morning and then going on a cattle drive (a real one, not staged) this afternoon. We’re hoping the weather holds. So far it’s been beautiful with temps around the mid 70’s and some good wind. Today they say mid 50’s but right now the sun is shinning but it is cool. Hope it doesn’t rain on us today.

Thanks Aunt B for checking on the dogs, wish you all were here. This would be a fantastic place for a family reunion. If I had $30,000 or so, I’d take you all. They have several ranch buyouts this summer where people pay over $100,000 a day for the whole ranch. Everything here is included, all food, activities, any drinks, anything and everyone is here to serve you, it’s really magical and frankly, worth every penny. The youngest just came in and told me he’d rather go fishing this morning so I think we’ll grab a guide and head for the trout pond or maybe the creek and he’ll get his first taste of fishing with a fly rod!

Take care, hope everyone’s having a great weekend, remember we’re going to post everyone’s activities next week so make it special!

Colorado is a great state but if you’ve never been to Wyoming, it’s pretty neat. It seems it’s what Colorado used to be. Wide open spaces, no state taxes, lots of friendly people with very little crime other than the occasional bar fight between two drunk cowboys, usually over a horse or a girl. Colorado has become much more liberal while Wyoming has retained that old west conservative outlook on life where everyone works hard and everyone helps their neighbor. If you haven’t been, you owe it to yourself to go. Jackson Hole and Yellowstone are worth the trip alone!

I’m still a little dizzy but not as bad as I was, hopefully it’s some kind of bug. We’re still not sure who’s dog sitting, we have one girl but she works early and late at the Brown Palace downtown so the pups will be alone for most of the day. Uncle T, if you see the lawn guys today, please ask them to ONLY mow our front yard as Mojo will be in the back!

The boys will go to school this morning as usual and we’ll pick them up after we get all packed on our way out of town. They do have internet access so we’ll try to keep up with the blog. There’s no tv or video games though which is great. If you want to see more of where we’re going, go to www.brushcreekranch.com , it’s a magical place. The owner lets a lot of under privileged kids go for free each year which is great as it’s a life changing experience. We’re very lucky he includes us!

The oldest guys stomach is getting a little better, so is the wife’s neck and so, hopefully,  so is my dizziness. The youngest seems oblivious to everything, thank God.

I’ve already washed, vacuumed and gassed up the car, now we have to finish packing our clothes, some food, guns and ammo. Then we should be set to hit the road. It takes us just about 3 hours but it’s a nice drive and we all enjoy it. I think we’ll throw in a pillow for the misses to help cushion her neck from the vibration of the road.

We’ll see you all tomorrow from cowboy country, hope all’s well, take care and God Bless.

Man was I dizzy yesterday, I thought it was just me but when I got home the oldest one, out of nowhere, said he was dizzy too! The misses and my Mom also say they get it from time to time. It must be allergies from all the cotton in the air. We double checked our carbon monoxide monitors and opened the windows last night just in case. I’m still a bit foggy this morning as is the oldest, hopefully it’ll pass soon.

Yesterday the misses cleaned the garage while I drove up just shy of the Wyoming border for 3 productive meetings. I finally arrived home around 6 after driving through rain for an hour.

Both boys competed in the Pig Race yesterday at school where the oldest guy won the championship and the youngest came in 2nd! The only way you could enter was if you earned a stuffed battery operated pig by selling a bunch of stuff in a school fundraiser. Those of you that live close know what I’m talking about as the boys sold you some stuff!

Today I have a meeting at 10:30 and then one at 1:30. The oldest has his third performance playing a miner in the play Miners in the Gold Field. He wears a beard and all the gear, I can’t believe I can’t make it. It’s now after 7 and time to run, lots to do today. Take care and have a great day,

Do the days seem to be flying by or is it just me? In a week or so it’ll be summer vacation and then before you know it, fall will be here. The older you get, the faster time goes. With this is mind, how many of you think long term? What I mean here is do you plan your life 5, 10 or 20 years down the road? I don’t mean financially but rather do you plan on staying in the same house, having the same career, living in the same state? Do you still have goals of things to accomplish or plans to travel? I think as people age, they often feel that they can’t change things, that they’re lot has been cast and they’re stuck, or that they’re too old to try new things or travel. Now before anyone freaks out, we are not moving to Hawaii to be surfing instructors or anything like that. But for us, we’re not in our “forever” house, we hope to eventually have enough money to have some kind of career  that contributes more to society, and even though we’ll always live in Colorado. It would be nice to have a second home somewhere warm, preferably with a beach! Also with young kids, we don’t even think twice about trying new things or traveling anywhere but enough about us, we know what we want to do, what about you? Do you think it’s too late for you to change anything in your life you don’t like? Is there anything you wished you tried or any place you always wanted to go? Let us know what you think.

Ok, so yesterday was hot and we had the last soccer game of the year at 4:30. It seemed that neither team was really into the game and our ref didn’t even show up until halftime. After the game it was almost 6pm so Subway was on for dinner. The rest of the day or night was filled with some playing and then to bed. The boys did ride their longboards to school yesterday morning and the youngest took a tumble going down Quail Street which is a long hill. He did his best tuck and roll and thanks to knee, elbow and wrist pads, was not injured. All the kids at school were envious of the boys boards. The oldest guy still has a stomach ache and still the other tests are not back from the lab. We have to get this thing kicked asap!

This afternoon I have to go up north near Wyoming for 3 appointments between 1:30 and about 4pm. I should be home around 5 and then tomorrow have an appointment in the morning downtown and then at 1:30 in the afternoon in Boulder. The oldest ones play is tomorrow afternoon where he’s a miner complete with beard and all but I cannot get out of this particular appointment. I always try to be at everything the boys do but this one I’ll miss. Mom will film it for me and we’ll watch it later. The car went in for an oil change and $605 later came home with new transmission and differential fluid which was needed. It never seems to stop, you just can’t get ahead these days.

It’s a bit after 6am now and time to get everyone moving. Mom’s in the youngest guys bed as he’s in ours spread out sideways. Time for me to run, hope everyone is well, have a great day.

Antonio arrived at 7:15 yesterday morning and left at 5:55 this morning. We had to get up around 4am to get him to the airport by 5. Most of our day was spent driving to Boulder and seeing some key accounts and then we were off to our friends home for the wine tasting. Her house is in Cherry Hills Village and is all made out of stone and must be 10,000 or more square feet. All the ladies had a blast and Antonio and I stayed until around 9:30 when everyone left.

Before we went to Boulder we stopped by Subway to get the boys lunch and then dropped it off at school. They were both surprised when Antonio showed up at their classroom as I didn’t tell them we’d be stopping by. When they arrived home from school the youngest had him translate some key phrases into Italian for future use. They included such important words as “monkey butt”, “I am an alien” and more. I don’t think he finished all of them as we were pretty tired when we got home at 10pm. Antonio will have to email the rest to the youngest.

The misses stayed home as she was not doing too well and also tired. I (and she) can’t wait until she gets better. It’s good she didn’t go as we thought we’d be home by 8 but as I said, it was 10 instead. This morning we need to take the car in for an oil change and check up before we head off to Wyoming, just another expense.

It’s now 6:38 and time for me to get everyone up so I’d better go. I was going to go to the gym after I dropped Antonio at the airport but came home to do the elliptical instead. Oh yeah, 95 degrees today, wow, good thing I’m running the sprinklers now. I guess we also have a mouse (or more) back in the garage, time to get out the traps!

Hope everyone is well, take care and God Bless.

Today it was sunny and you guessed it, the boys caught a bunch of snakes. All the neighbors hate snakes in their yard so much that the boys could start a lucrative business catching and relocating them. One large one today bit the oldest guy on his finger but it didn’t phase him. We think it was a baby bull snake as it didn’t look like the garter snake he had also caught. Earlier in the morning the boys geared up and rode their long boards up and down the street, they sure enjoy them.

This morning at 7:15 am Antonio, one of my partners ( and unofficial little brother) from Italy, lands at DIA. (Denver International Airport) We’re doing a small wine tasting for a friend who’s the chair woman for the Colorado Women’s Foundation. Her husband was the CFO for Qwest and when they shut down he took the CFO job at Sprint. The only problem is he’s now based in Kansas City but they still have a home here. Anyhow she asked the misses and I if we could help her out and of course we said sure. Antonio was in the U.S. so I had him come in for the day to make is extra special for her, it should be fun.

I’ll be busy all day and the wife is volunteering at school and then we’ll go to the wine tasting around 5 and hopefully be home by 8. The rest of the week will be filled with a soccer game, swim team practice, a few lawyer calls and a bunch of appointments for me. Then it’s off to Wyoming for our 4 day weekend. Lot’s of horseback riding, shooting, zip lines, paint ball and a 24 hour gym awaits us, we can’t wait. We have to make sure to look at what kind of beds they have as they’re so comfortable. We sure need and want a new bed!

Grandma Dix is having a fun time in Hawaii and we’re glad, they sure deserve it. Time to run, we have a big week ahead of us and lots to do. Take care, be safe and God Bless.

After a cloudy rainy day that cancelled the youngest ones soccer game, we’re hoping for some sun and warmth today. Tomorrow it’ll be in the 80’s and Tuesday in the 90’s but today we want some sun. Everything is green and we need the water so we’re not complaining, it’s just that the boys want to ride their longboards (skateboards that are longer and shaped like surf boards) down the street. We had talked about going to a movie but if it’s really nice, I think we’ll wait.

The boys have 5 days of school left, 4 this week and then next Tuesday. Swim practice (for swim team) starts after school this week and sign up is today. The oldest wanted to stay up to watch Mick Jagger on Saturday Night Live and I think he made it until about 11pm. Mom and I and the youngest fell asleep around 10 or 10:30. Hopefully he’ll sleep in this morning. Both pups went to the groomer and look great but Mojo’s paws are a bit muddy due to the rain. The groomer pointed out Lacey has a hard lump on her right rear hip that we’ll have to get checked out, hope it’s not serious.

The misses is on a mission to overhaul our kitchen. She’s taking it one step at a time like buying a sink one month and something else another as we just don’t have the cash to do it all at once. Cabinets are the major expense, I don’t understand why they cost so much, I mean most of them are not even solid wood, just particle board covered with a wood veneer. Her head is still spasming big time but we knew this would be the case, we (or she) just didn’t know how bad it would hurt or feel. I guess you can’t understand it unless it happens to you!

The youngest did have his end of year soccer party yesterday and we all had a good time. That was from about 12 until 2 and then we headed home. We made chicken last night, surprise surprise, and twice baked potato’s which the oldest one loves. I think he ate 4 of them. I guess I’ll run for now, remember we’re going to share each of your Memorial Day festivities with everyone next week so you’d better be stepping up your holiday weekend plans, we’ll be calling all of you to find out what you did. It’ll be fun for everyone to see what everyone else did! I think Grandma Dixie will win (not that it’s a contest) as she’s in Hawaii!

Take care and God Bless,

p.s. Grandma Annette went to see the Avengers and said it was great, we watched Evan Almighty on tv about a congressman that God spoke to and told to build an ark, it was a good family movie. By the way, ARK stood for act of random kindness, now go out and do one today!

To all of you that sent congratulations and flowers for our 500th post, thank you, thank you. The rest of you must have been too tied up watching your Facebook stock and forgot!

It’s 5am and raining and today we have the last soccer game of the year and then the end of season party. We’re not sure if the youngest wants to play next year as it’s quite a bit more competitive with some games as far as 100 miles away! We’ll have to talk to him and see if he’s up for it.

The misses neck is still spasming big time but we’re super excited for our mini vacation to Wyoming next week. We might have to kennel the dogs as it looks like Aunt B is busy. Oh well it is what it is but we do thank her for all the times she has helped out in the past. I think the misses said she’s going somewhere with her parents. It’s nice for her to be able to go do something with them on the big holiday weekend. None of us or our parents are getting any younger! I have an idea, after the big weekend, I’ll post what everyone did! So all of you (Aunt B and Uncle T, Grandma Annette and Grandpa Jim, Grandma Dix and Pa Don, my Mom, and anyone else who’s reading) make sure to keep track of your activities and then we’ll post them for everyone to read. Hope the weather is good for you guys in California, looking forward to hearing what Grandma Annette will be up to. There’s probably big party’s on the river that will be tons of fun.

Can you tell I need some material? I’m sure you’re all tired of reading about how the boys go to school each day, how the misses neck hurts and that I go to the gym. Well if so, chip in, you can’t all be just sitting around all day watching tv.

I almost forgot, the oldest had a blood test yesterday and another test as he’s had a stomach ache for weeks. Our doctor is really good but retiring in about a month or so. Hopefully we’ll know what’s going on with him by Monday. He sure was brave having blood drawn as it’s a scary thing for a kid. We need to get him all fixed up as this has been going on too long. My Mom said it’s just nerves but after his exam the doctor overruled her diagnosis.

Well time for me to go to the gym (aren’t you glad I shared) so until tomorrow, God Bless.