20170714 - Creekside Relaxation

20170714 - Up in the am and in to work. Had a 3 hour conference call to start or rather clog up my day. Finished up a busy day and headed home. Home and grabbed LJ&G and we headed downtown to Creekside for dinner. D was off with DGF7 and we had the McClains join us at a restaurant and to listen to some live music with the crowd. It was a relaxing evening and we walked back to our house afterwards and the McClains hung out with us, the kids played and Brady spent the night.

20170713 - Planning

20170713 - Up in the am and to work.  It is raining like crazy today.  L texted me a pic of rain coming down the inside of the chimney.  Had a pretty good morning meeting and got some thing done throughout the day.  J had CC and D took him to get some more pipestone but they got rained out.  I finished up my day, headed home and picked up L and we headed to the college financial planner for a long but very interesting and informative meeting.  Home and had a late dinner.  Caught up with the boys for a couple of minutes and watched battle of the network stars.  All boys to bed.

20170712 + Big League Field

20170712 + Up late in the am and headed to the Scout store on the way into work to get all the awards for the kids before summer camp. In to work and dug right in. Showed Shalynn around a bit this morning. J had CC practice today. G had his buddy Owen over for the whole day, they went to the pool and had a blast. In the afternoon LG&DGF7 came to my office and after work I walked out and we headed to Chillicothe to watch D's team play in the VA minor league stadium. D didn't ply most of the game but got in on defense for the last 2 innings. The boys won and we got a good team picture of them. We headed home, dropping D&DGF7 off in Grove City to get his car and then to Obetz so L could get her car. G&I finished the trip home together and we talked about tryouts for next year. Home and saw J for a little bit, he was all over town on his scooter this evening.

20170711 - J The Magician?

20170711 - Up in the am late from no sleep. Ran to the hotel to pick up Devonn and carry her to work. I had another surprise this morning at work; Shalynn started working here today! :-) Worked at the desk most of the day with a stint on the shop floor picking and shipping cables. Home and L had made a nice dinner for the fam and DGF7. After dinner DJ&I headed to a Scout board of review: D got 2 of the last 3 signatures he needs to get his Eagle and J got his Rank advancement done. Home and we all hung out on the back porch watching the All-Star game. All boys to bed and I stayed up way to late looking through 11U baseball teams. At one point this evening I went inside and saw Jack sitting with his legs under the ottoman, it looks like an optical illusion that his legs couldn't possibly be that long... thought he was practicing a new magic trick. NOPE those are his long legs poking out :-)

20170710 + Hoop Builders

20170710 + Up in the am and worked from home for a bit. Had a call that didn't go so great. Called G's baseball coach to see what the plan was for next year; looks like we need to go to some tryouts. It was a pretty crazy day... J had his first Cross Country practice in the rain this morning. Headed in to work and picked up a lady that flew in for a couple weeks and met some other folks for lunch from work before heading into the office. Home late and L&G were putting together a HUGE basketball thing in the basement, D was at DGF7's and J was at Scouts. Everyone eventually home and watched the MLB home run derby. To bed and up until 5am entering orders.

20170709 + 5 Games

20170709 + Up way to early for a Sunday and to the ball field in South Lebanon through really weird fog. The boys played 2 AWESOME games this morning and fought back from the last seed they earned yesterday to make it to the Championship game. G had some really nice hits, all caught, and struck out 2x for the day. The boys ended up losing the championship game but put up a good fight and played great baseball today. We stuck around for a parent meeting as it was the last game of our season.

LG&I jumped in the car and headed across the state to get to Ashville to see some of D's second game of their double header. D played in game 2, left field and got walked twice. he had an AMAZING slide in to second that went around the tag. D's team lost both games today. Home, boys cleaned up, J home from pool and running all over town, G working on his hitting until dark. In and G&I looked at other teams he is going to tryout with as there is no guarantee he will get to stay on this team, everyone has to tryout every year... What an incredibly emotional weekend.

20170708 - Sunny Days Ahead

20170708 - Up early and LDJ&I drove to the service for Aunt Martha. They had a very nice display of all of the things she loved with pictures and her things everywhere. The rest of the aunts and uncles were there and many cousins. A lot of tears. The service was very nice. 3 of Martha's dear friends got up and spoke of her, aunt Jeanie read a letter Roger wrote, and John C read a letter Mary wrote. There was some very nice music and L&I couldn't sing a note :-( As we headed to the lunch after the service there was a very sad emotional moment with Roger. Jim was strong but in shock from the horrible event and Ann was ready to have her baby any second. We sat with a couple of the Kohler girls fro lunch and after we ate headed home. VERY SAD. Martha will be missed so much.

home and L&I dropped D&J leaving them at home alone for the first time ever :-o L&I headed to Mason OH to meet up with G who was swimming when we found him. He had 2 games today and they lost both miserably: glad we missed it. L&I hung out with the adults outside the pool. Randy & I ran to get beer and food and I stayed out front of the hotel with the guys till late.

20170707 + Spread Out

20170707 + Up in the am and L out to a class for her work and I headed in to work to try to finish off the week and be organized for next week. L dropped G off with the Kaufman family to get up early to head to Cincinnati for baseball tomorrow, L&I had a nice dinner at MOD pizza and I got a haircut, J went to Spiderman with some friends and D was at DGF7's game. J home and L&I watched the movie 'LION'.  To bed in good time ready for a busy emotional day tomorrow.

20170706 - Sunset

20170706 - Up in the am and slowly in to work. Feeling better today and getting things done. Headed out and stopped at an auction house to pick some stuff up on the way home. Home and had dinner on the back porch with the fam. We hung out a bit and then D headed to the basement and J&G headed to Creekside. L&I headed to Creekside a bit later and hung out at the Pigskin Brewery watching the rain traffic and people go by. J&G joined us and we walked around Creekside a bit before heading home. Home and got all boys in bed. Up late looking through auctions.

20170705 - Good Practices

20170705 - Up in the am and exhausted.  In to work and dragging all day, can't get going.  Made it through the day and headed home.  D&J had batting practice today, G did really good.  LD&J did some exterior painting today and it looks great.  I chatted with D&J about their devices and listening.  We spent the evening getting things done.  L&G at his practice.  Boys got their things done and rode scooters and watched baseball.  L&G home, G all excited about practice, he did really good.  Stayed up late on the PC getting caught up.

20170704 - Happy 4th of July!

20170704 - Up in the am and all to parade down Granville St. We met up with McClains and others we know and watched a good parade with a lot of folks from around town that we know. Home and D had picked up DGF7 and we all headed to Delaware for a family picnic at the State park. We stopped at KFC to pick up some food and a bait shop to get some worms. On to the picnic where we got to catch up with everyone, the boys fished and we tried to fly some kites. It was great to see everyone and get caught up.

Home and rested for only about an hour and then headed downtown to watch the fireworks. D went early to wander around with some of his friends and LG&I walked all over and chatted with folks we knew. D&DGF7 ended up there too. LG&I ended up on top of the apartments in Creekside with some friends to watch the fireworks and G got to swim a bit. They were some pretty impressive fireworks for our little town. LG&I walked home and L worried about J, that didn't show up at home until after 11. All safe and home, all boys to bed.

20170703 - Aunt Martha Eubanks 19520904-20170703

20170703 - Up in the am and in to work.  It was a FAST day with a new program starting up and I spent a lot of time on the floor helping get orders out.  I got a text from GmaW about noon letting me know that my Aunt Martha has passed away.

With all that happened today I wanted to get out of the office so headed out a bit early to headed to Canal Winchester to watch D play baseball.  L&DGF7 met me there.  We chatted and watched the game.  D played the last 3 innings at 2nd and only had 1 at bat where he drove a ball down the 1st base line.  After the game I headed back to work to get the paper work from the orders we processed today.  L headed home to get J&G and then we all met back up at the McClain's for dinner and bday party for Bill and some fireworks.  It was a nice party, but I wasn't in a party mood with the days events so just hung low.  We headed out not too late, got home and everyone to bed.

Aunt Martha,

Throughout my life I have had an extraordinary support system made up of a wonderful and sometime crazy family.  My Aunt Martha was a key ingredient to that support and helped make me who I am today.  Of my Aunts and Uncles she lived in West Virginia so I didn't get to see her as often as others, but when the family got together she was always there.  She was always very kind and supportive, not only to me, but my wife and children as they became part of our family.  Martha always had some craft planned for the ladies of the family that would give them something to do as they sat and chatted.  She loved my boys and they loved her.  The shock of hearing she had cancer and shortly after a major surgery and only days later she was gone from us is unreal.  As I went to bed tonight I made the rounds to say goodnight to my boys and when I walked into Grant's room it was obvious he was praying.  When he looked up I asked him what he was doing, he said 'I was praying for Aunt Martha'.  We all are praying for her and we will miss her kind and generous presence whenever we gather.  What a horrible loss for this world.