100831 ++ August wrap up

100831 - Up w/ boys, early bad call, threw off day.  G to sitter, L to work.  Everyone home, J had a melt down, and Dr visit...  Dinner, then D to baseball practice, JG&I to playground.  J rode his bike & G played baseball with me.  D&I stayed to watch seth's game, then home, showered and bed.  Doc over and ordered a bunch of stuff for his business on the web.

100830 - Up and worked.  L got a physical and getting her room ready.  We had to rudh around this afternoon as we had a surprise closing to end a long process of a Short Sale of one of our horrible properties...  D had baseball baseball game, L&G took J to soccer practice.  I ran to a tech committee meeting @ church (D went).  Home and we all played upstairs a bit, then all boys to bed. 

100829 ++ I took D to church so he could acolyte.  Home and cleaned up the party.  Then a trip to Lori's Uncle Ken and Aunt Sue's for a family dinner.

100828 - Top Shot D Bday

 100828 - Up and fixed the dryer.  Howdy baseball game and he is still playing only every other inning...  talked to the coach AGAIN... but D is dropping balls...   Home and ready for our Top Shot PARTY!!!  The first event was to pop the other teams balloons with darts.

Then they had to shoot nerf guns over their shoulders using a mirror backwards.
Then we made marshmallow guns and they had to knock the other teams cans off the beams.

This year instead of a pinata we built a device that required the boys to fill a bucket with golf balls.  When the bucket was full enough it would dump out the candy that was in a different bucket suspended between 2 trees.  It worked great!

Then we had to break up plates with slingshots.  I think the parents had more fun then the kids.  They hole party went on for hours into the night with a night time game of hide and seek.  Another GREAT PARTY!!!
 HAPPY B-DAY Howdy!!!


100827 - Worked and then dinner with friends.

100826 -D turns 11!

100826 - Happy 11th bday D!!!!
Up and working, G had his 1st day at a sitter, L working on getting room ready.  Then G&I ran out to get D's present and a new monitor for my desk.  Home met the boys, gave D his iTouch and helped him set it up.  Out for a pizza dinner and cinnamon pizza.  Home and L back to teacher orientation and DJG&I played kickball.  I read them a couple of books and then staying up late trying to sort things out, too much to do...

100825 - 1st5th4D, 1st1st4J and 12:14am4me

100825 - Up and the boy's first day of school!  D starts 5th grade and J starting 1st grade.
Meetings for me, airport, concall, eat sit.
D had a baseball game.
My flights were delayed and I got home @ 12:15am.

100824 - Meetings and Nerves

100824 - Up and in all day meeting then a working dinner.

Called L, the boys met their teachers today.
All anxious about first day of school tomorrow  :-o

100823 - Flights, Cahce & Scooting


 100823 - Up to airport and got to BOS.  I read a bit waiting on Lee and Cindy.  Once all together we drove to the hotel, Picked up Josh and got something to eat.  Then out for a bit of geocaching.
L had a busy day with the boys at the skate park and meet J's teacher.

100822 - Preparations

100822 - All up and to church.  Then home for lunch and J to a buddy's surprise bday party.  We tested the balloon wall for D's party, ran over to Jeff's and moved furniture and got some golf balls.  Back home and built the candy/golf ball trip wire game for D's party with some help fro a neighbor.  Had some dinner then a stop at the skate park and Dairy Queen before showers and bed.

100821 - Goodbyes and Rainbows

100821 - Up early to Mansfield, L stayed at home with DJ&G (D had a bb game = 2 hits! J had soccer practice, G had the runs...)  I went to Linda's funeral and the graveyard.  It was again a sad day, but awesome to see the lives Linda had touched with her wonderful presence.  I went to the lunch and then headed home.  we went to Cici's and then the Home Depot (D&I tested marshmellow shooters).  How appropriate today to see a rainbow on way home :-)
We finished the night with a movies and finished sorting LEGOs.

100820 - G seems Possessed

 100820 - Up and in to the desk to work.  Took a break for a lunch with Courtland, then right back to the desk...  We dropped J off for B-day party and LDG&I went to Linda's calling hours.  A very sad event.  After we went to dinner with Gma&paW, & Paulette.  We ran into one of my old teachers Mr. Robinson, 7th grade math.  Drove home, picked up J and I was up working until 2am.

100819 + Splash away the Heat

100819 - Up in the am and out to get a haircut.  Back into the office on calls.  GmaB here w/ boys.  We found out what classes they will be in next year and are all a bit nervous.  It was HOT out so the whole family wen swimming, playing pickle with the boys and their friends.  It was also $1 dog night.  Home and did some reading with the boys about knights.

100818 + Up and working.  D spilled a HUGE glass of milk and then dropped the glass and broke it.  We had him clean up his mess, he was not happy...  Then outside for some kickball and reading about knights before bed.  I did more work after all boys to bed...

100817 - C-ya Linda

100817 - Up in the am and busy at work.  Got enough done to get back to the hospital with Mike.  He got a call in the middle of the night that he should come back in.  I talked to Linda a bit and she wanted to hold on to see all her boys.  Soon Gary arrived, then David; they were all there.  They went in, talked with their Wife & Mother, made promises, said goodbye.  Then Linda left us.  Hard to believe and very very sad.

100816 - Late Night Flight

100816 - Worked all day then out to watch Super Grant on the board ramp.  Boys to bed and then out the Bible Bangers.  Once there I got a call from my Mom, Linda Woods was on her way in a helicopter to Riverside...  I called Mike, ran home, changed, grabbed some snacks and headed to the hospital.  Got to the hospital and sat with Mike.  Linda arrived and they stabilized her.  She was aware and knew me, but not in the best shape.  I stayed till very late and then home for some rest.

100815 - All up and to church.  We all headed to Apple Valley and all ate in the car.  Great to see him!  First time I have seen Scott in YEARS.  I toured the house, met the tenants and got the lease signed.  He drove me to Lori and the boys and we had an emotional discussion.  Glad to see him and to be able to help.  We drove the scenic route home and stopped at Hoggy's for dinner.  The boys had some time to play in the backyard before showers, movie, bed, reading...

100814 + Builders

100814 + D&I up early and to the church.  We helped a group rebuild some benches in an outdoor sanctuary behind the church.  We were the youngest 2 there by quite a few years.  D did great and helped everyone he could.



Home for a baseball game. then D's Spring baseball coach stopped by for a couple of beers and to help us build the target for D's upcoming birthday.

Doc stopped over for some more beers and we watched the boys ride in the driveway in the rain having a blast.  All in for dinner, LEGOs and a movie.

100811 - Playground

100811 - Up and worked all day so out in the evening for some skate park and geocache hunting.  We found a playground and had some running races to burn the energy.

100810 - Worked all day and had dinner.  D mowed the front, then the boys rode on the skate ramp for a bit.  All boys got their showers and off to bed.  Stayed up, Jeff over for some CREI business and then sorted legos watched a movie and laughed.


100809 - Sat at the desk straight through the day.  L took the boys swimming, wish I was there.  All back together for dinner and then D&I off to baseball practice.  Home and we grabbed Doc and headed to the Salvation Army to get supplies for D's upcoming bday party.  Back home, ready for bed and read a couple knight books.  Off to bed and I headed to the Bible Bangers.

100808 + Farm Practice

100808 + Up in the morning and all to church and some Bible reading.  Then all heading up to the Farm.  We played and walked the horses and shoot some guns.  The Loughmans stopped over for a nice visit.  We all piled into the cars and headed to Bob Evans for dinner and then back home and ready for school.

100807 - ZIP it good!

100807 - Up and D had baseball practice today, but I said hey lets skip it...  I grabbed D and we headed South to Hocking Hills and a our first stop in the 'Hocking Peaks Adventure Park', a zip line course.  We got suited up and waited for our ride up to the woods.

When we got in the woods the instructor gave his instructions and I interrupted him and offered to the rest of the group (about 8 other adults) to let Dylan go first and if he lived through each of the obstacles we could all then confidently follow him.  The look on D's face was priceless and the rest of the group agreed.  So D did the training course win no problem.  Then we got into the good stuff and climbed up and up in the trees.  There were swinging bridges, 2x4s supported by cables, tight ropes, and lots of zip lines.  We found ourselves about 60 feet in the air for 3 hours.  It was great and we both had a BLAST!  The last zip line was a HUGE one and about 200 yards long and went over a pond.  Later D said he was pretty scared on some of the obstacles, but he lead the adults the entire was and did a fantastic job.

After the zip course we went for a drive back some road where you get the feeling no one will ever find you...  And there it was the ATV course.  We got tested on our abilities to drive a big old 400cc 4 wheel drive ATV.  D did really well handling all that power.  The instructor then took us up through the woods on the trails to test us even further and we ended up in a wide open field.  All good as the instructor drove away.  I said you ready?, he said yes and i gunned it.  I took off flying across the field, pulled a tight turn, leaned into it and shot dust and rocks all over the place.  Next it was D's turn.  He gunned it, pulled a tight turn, didn't lean and I watched in slow motion as he rolled off the 4 wheeler, holding on with one hand until it ran over his leg and he let go...  :-o  
I rushed over to him and he had already jumped up and was chasing his ATV across the field.  We agreed to leave the ATVs in low gear for the rest of our hour...  After the field we hit the trail in the woods.  It was really cool, through huge puddles, tons of mud and trees.  D did great, he only ran into me once and hit only 2 trees.  Before we knew it the hour was up and we had to find food, we were starved.
We found a Dairy Queen and loaded up with food and ice cream and then off to find some geocaches.  The first 2 we couldn't find or were not willing to walk through the bushes or put our hands in the wires to try and find it.  The 3rd one was close to a flee market with lots of people around.  It was the standard lift the collar around the light post and find the cache.  Well when I lifted the collar a swarm of wasps flew out at us!  We screamed like little girls to the amusement to those watching and retreated to the flea market where we found wonderful things.  A detour took us to a neat park where our cousins had hid a geocache.  My phone was about out of juice and we headed out anyway... then the battery died...  Almost lost, then another family with a GPS showed up looking for the same cache.  We tagged along and all searched for it.  D was the one that eventually found it.  All adventured out we headed home.
Dylan and I had a great day; loads of adventure, new thing and just nice time to be together.  He is growing into a fine young man.

100806 - State Fair

100806 - Up and sat at the desk all day.  Gma&paW down and we all went to the Ohio State Fair for our annual dose of feel good about yourself, comparative to the population :-)  We saw Smokey the bear, pig races, horses, butter cow, real cows, goats, chickens, llamas, sheep and people that looked like all of the above...  We had fair fries, lemonade, corn dogs, doughnut balls and CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON.  YUK!

100805 - Hard Skating

100805 - Up and another full day at the desk. It was a pretty stressful day for L&J as they had to go to 2 doctors and J had to give a bunch more blood. His blood is still pretty low and he is being directed to a new department they are starting at Children's Hospital specializing in rare blood disorders. Good news I guess... Jack's other Dr is going to have him evaluated for ADHD... One of my kids have ADHD? You THINK??? It is a wonder all 3 of them aren't medicated... After a nice family dinner I took the boys out for some R&R. We headed out looking for a skatepark. We found one in Westerville but there were 'too many teenagers' so we had to move on. We found on in Reynoldsberg that had some 'teenagers' on it, and I said it is this one or none... So out they went. When you start talking to the 'teenagers' they are quite nice and helpful. D got some good pointers form a guy and was soon going down a steep ramp he had never tried before and was quite pleased with himself. I talked to a boy and he pointed me to 'The Flow Skatepark' in a pretty scary location. It was dark and we pulled up to a warehouse and stepped inside to a world we never knew existed so close to us... This is a 40,000ft warehouse full of ramps and rails and guys doing AMAZING things. We watched with our jaws dropped as guys did flips on bicycles and skateboards. L started calling because it was late so we headed home.
100804 - Well first day back to work. I sat at the desk nearly 9 hours straight! I got through emails and have a plan to get caught up. After a long no motion day and dinner I took D right behind our yard to the school ball fields, all of his games will be there this Fall. D had practice tonight and these bigger boys talk smack to eachother. It is funny and D thinks he will like his team. Home and the boys played in the yard till time for bath and a book then bed. L & I sorted more LEGOs.

100803 + Fixing a Schedule

100803 + Up and because D broke his glasses yesterday I took him out and got new glasses for him. We are ramping down and just hanging out around the house watching movies and sorting LEGOs as it was raining. D's new glasses broke... the lens fell out... We had dinner and then he got them fixed again...
After dinner, with clearer skies, we started back into the like of having a 'schedule' and DG&I headed to D's first practice of Fall baseball. D is moving up a league and is for sure one of the smallest kids on the team, but he is excited about it.

After practice we headed home, watched a movie and sorted more LEGOs. All boys to bed. I am NOT looking forward to work tomorrow...

100802 - Home Base

100802 - Up and a nice bfast at the hotel. Then on the road to our first exotic destination... this is the grave stone of Dr. Pepper!  Not the guy that invented it, the guy it is named after. He gave the inventor his first job in Rural Retreat VA.

We then drove some back roads to get to a scenic tower on top of Big Walker Mountain so we could see forever...




Yeah, that didn't work out so well...



So back on the road and to a big highway an into WV with blazing speed. We stopped at Pax WV for a trip down memory lane.

About 13 years ago when L&I were moving everything we owned down to Wilmington NC we stopped in Pax to get gas. Well I had a uhaul and was pulling a car, which could not be backed up... So I headed down the road to find a place to turn around. After driving some way and nothing in sight, and being a farm boy, I found a nice field I was sure would work until I got stuck. We had half the town, a tractor and a toe truck helping to get the huge truck and car out of the field. We had a nice lunch there and then drive down the road to try to find the field where I got stuck.

Back on the road and hit a rest stop in WV where we got to stretch and find our last geocache of our vacation.


With the adventure still running through our veins I had one more destination. A huge indian!





Ok, that is it for the adventure. Now everyone just wanted to get our Lilly and got to our 'wreel house'. Well we got Lilly and she was plenty happy to see us. We stopped and picked up a pizza on the way into town for dinner. We ate, got everything put away and jammies on and bed.






A great vacation and good times and adventures I hope we all never forget!

100801 - 3 States Many Sites

100801 - Up ate and packed the car. We left our 'bacation house' about 9am and headed to the main land where had our first detour to see the pink and grey elephants. What a way to start the day!







We then got serious about our travels and headed straight for Columbia SC where we found loads of cool things. Our first stop was the world's largest fire hydrant!





Not far was a tunnel back to the beach!
Grant thought we were lost so he asked this lounging farm girl for directions.


We took a break from the excitement and got some lunch. Then to the SC State house for some more cool history. The fits thing we did was search for the 6 bronze stars that mark where re cannon balls struck the building from Sherman's troops during the Civil War.




We then checked out the George Washington statue that the Union troops busted.



Then on to the monument for James Marion, the father of gynecology. I let L explain this one...










As we walked around the building we saw a monument to the end of slavery.



There were many other monuments and this one to Strom Thermond where they had to recently add the name of his half black daughter.









Back on the road and past the world's largest baseball water tower.









In to Dylan's home state and a stop at the welcome center and a geocache find! Up through NC and before we hit VA we made a detour through the mountains to avoid the horrible 77N bottleneck at Wytheville and had a very cloudy trip up. The trip down the other side was remarkable and we saw Christmas tree farms that stagger the mind. Definitely worth the zig zag drive. We came off the mountain in Wytheville where low and behold we ran right into the world's largest pencil!


We then found a great Chinese restaurant and filled up. On to the hotel and one last swim, hot chocolate and cookie adventure before bed.