Aloha and Mahalo

(Please click on the pictures, and press play on the videos to get the full effect)

Everything they say about Hawaii is true. It is a living paradise that stirs the soul. I have seen very few places that compare to it's beauty. Driving through the countryside is literally like driving on a perpetual postcard. You want to stop every few feet and snap a new picture. So you know what? I did. Well, I was not quite that bad, but I did take almost 600 pictures while we were there, and over an hours worth of video. Of those 600 photos, I whittled it down to 432 keepers. Yeah I know, but what are you going to do? How often are we going to be in Hawaii? I will spare you from having to look at all 432 pictures, but I am going to make a very significant photo post with lots and lots of writing, so get some popcorn, grab a drink, and behold the wonders of the big island.

Sunday started out bright and early. Lori and I had to do some last minute packing, and we wanted to get a few hours of playtime in with the kids before we had to leave. We spent the morning enjoying the kids laughter and listening to their ever present arguing. (You know, this might come as a shock, but I discovered it's much easier to listen to the kids fighting and bickering when you know that you will be in Hawaii later in the day) We visited with Nana, who arrived the night before, as Lori went over her entirely too long "what to do" list. After getting everything squared away we bid farewell to the kids, gave Nana hug for encouragement, and off we went.

We purposely broke up the plane flight into two segments. I did not think I could handle a direct 9 hour flight, so we scheduled a stop in Los Angeles. The first leg of our journey started at 12:15pm and was a 3 1/2 flight followed with an hour and a half layover. That went very smooth. After we landed in LA, we departed to plane and found a Chili's by the gate to grab a bite to eat. 1 appetizer, 2 draught beers, and a couple of Margs later, we were almost $70 lighter in the wallet. What the.....? "Dang, if Hawaii is more expensive than this, we might not get home."

We boarded our plane a while later, and settled in for our 5 1/2 hour flight to Kona, Hawaii. Now even though we broke up the direct flight, to me 5 1/2 hours on a plane is a LOOOOOONG TIME! As we got closer to Hawaii, I was ready to claw my way out of the plane. We finally arrived about 7:45 pm. Hey that's not too bad....12:15 - 7:45.....when you say it like that it seems downright quick. Quick that is until you add in the 5 hour time difference. Uhhhhh......12:45am Texas time. Geesh.

We picked up our sweet 2010 4 door Jeep Wrangler 4x4, put the top down, and headed for the house that we rented. We traveled north up the coast about 40 miles. By the time we got there, it was after 10:00pm. (That's 2:00am Texas Time for those keeping score) We got unpacked, grabbed a snack and a couple of stress relaxing drinks, and heading out to the Lanai (fancy word for patio) to enjoy the cool night breeze. Over 2 1/2 hours later, we finally headed to bed. (That would be 4:30am Texas time.......in other words......one really long day.)

We woke up around 5:00am the next morning and we were greeted with this view from our Lanai.


Wow. Talk about a pick me up. We spent part of the morning visiting with our friends, and then we all set out for Kona. Lori and a couple of the people staying with us were scheduled to meet other work people at Bubba Gump's restaurant for lunch. On our way to Kona, we stopped of at Waikoloa Beach to grab a couple of pictures. Here is the walkway down to the beach.


After getting to the beach, you are met with this view.


Here is Lori and me contemplating stripping off our clothes and getting in the water.


Since Lori had to meet work associates, we thought better of getting wet and heading out for Kona. Once we got there, we moseyed over to Bubba Gumps.


We sampled the food and enjoyed the drinks. A good time was had by all.


After we left Kona, we met some friends at their condo in Waikoloa. They cooked all of us a wonderful steak dinner, and we spent the next couple of hours visiting. We finally got home about 10:00pm and enjoyed the Lanai until we all got tired and went to bed.

Tuesday morning Lori set out with her crew to the other side of the island for a 4 hour horseback ride. While she did that, I hit up about 50 miles worth of unforgiving 4x4 jeep trails, trying to locate the perfect spot. Here is the view from the beginning of Lori's horseback ride.


This is one of the many waterfalls that Lori's tour passed.


Here is Lori showing off her riding skills while crossing a stream.


We all met back at the house in the late afternoon, and had a nice dinner at the house.

Wednesday was conference day for Lori and her co-workers, so everyone that was left, piled in the jeep and went to the beach. Now we had our choice between two different beaches, and of course we chose the one that was the closest to the conference center. In hindsight I must say it was a bad decision. We were there for about 20 minutes when I decided to Kick box a Lava Rock. I lost. I know, that sounds pretty stupid, but it's not quite as dumb as you think. You see, I was about 40 yards out from shore in about 10 feet of water. I was minding my own business treading water when suddenly out of nowhere a big lava rock jumped out of the ocean floor and slammed into my foot. Ok, maybe it was already there and I did not see it, but damn you really don't expect on solitary rock to be sticking up 3 feet from the ocean floor. Anyway, I kicked it will the full force of the bottom of my right foot. It hurt like crazy. After slinging some rather tawdry vocabulary at said rock, I reached down and rubbed the inside of my foot. Everything seemed fine other than the excruciating pain I was feeling. I figured I just bruised it. I was probably in the water about 5 more minutes when I just happened to look down and see a red cloud engulfing my right foot and part of my shin. To be honest, it's one of those sights that really doesn't register at first. I was thinking, "what in the hell is floating around my foot". After a couple of seconds of befuddlement, it suddenly occurred to me that I was seeing blood. My blood. My blood floating around me in an ocean filled with man eating sharks. "Nah, couldn't be blood" I thought, so I reached down with my right hand and felt the outside bottom of my foot. When my fingers suddenly slipped into a crevice, I knew something was wrong. "Got to get out of water before I attract Jaws" was my next thought. So, I hightailed it back to shore to check the damage. "Hey Megan, can you see a cut on my foot?" "Oh crap, that's pretty bad. We need to stop the bleeding" Not the words you want to hear while on vacation, especially when all of the medical personnel that is staying with you is attending an all day conference. Megan was able to apply pressure while holding a "product" that she had conveniently located in her purse. It was the type of "product" one needs for other occasions, but it's absorbent abilities were perfectly utilized in this situation. I was thankful when the bleeding stopped about 10 minutes later.

I did not want to be a party pooper for the 3 other people with me, so I sucked it up and made the best out of the next 3 hours. Leaving sucked, for we had parked the vehicle about a 1/4 mile from the beach. An open wound filled with tiny lava rock sand on the bottom of my foot equals one long painful walk. We drove home, and then came the really painful part. You see, as hard as I tried in the shower, I could not get all of that lava sand out of that stinking cut. Some was just embedded in there. It finally came down to me gritting my teeth, and Megan going in with a pair of tweezers to remove the remaining debris. Holy Smokes that made the walk to the jeep I was complaining about earlier seem like a Sunday stroll. Whew, I was glad when she plucked out the last piece. After this photo was recorded for posterity, we pinched the wound together, and applied a tegaderm patch.


After resting a while, we all got dressed up and ready to attend Lori's after conference meet and greet. No dancing for me tonight. The function turned out really nice, and we all had a good time. Here is a picture of Lori and me at the dinner.


We left at a decent hour, and after arriving home went to bed early. Big day tomorrow.

Thursday was our planned snorkel trip. It was fantastic. I covered my foot with duct tape, and I was ready to go. We had a blast. We were in approx. 20-50 feet of water. Visibility was 100+ feet, so you could clearly see the bottom. We saw an Eagle Ray, a Manta Ray, a Green eel, lots and lots of coral and many species of fish. After leaving the first spot and heading out a bit, we suddenly found a large pod of Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins. We all jumped in. We were now in 300+ deep water, with a black sandy bottom. No more seeing the ocean floor anymore. At first it was bit disconcerting, not knowing what was beneath you. It is especially disconcerting when you are told by the guide on the boat next to you that they saw two 14 foot Tiger sharks while on their dive earlier. Hmmmmm........... You know, it's funny, but once the Dolphins start swimming all around you and you hear them communicating, you kind of get lost in the moment, and none of that other stuff matters. Yeah...kind of....... We stayed there for about 45 minutes just being one with the Dolphins. It was pretty stinking cool. Here are some pictures I snapped during both dives.








We left the dive shop, and went back the the house to change. We had a Luau to attend and needed to get cleaned up. We were back in Kona about two hours later, ready to feast on some pig, and a whole lot of other traditional stuff.




Mmmmmmmm........Kailua (pig roasted on lava rocks buried underground with banana leaves on top)


Let the show begin,


and end


Whew, we were beat. We traveled home, and hit the hay.

Friday was another wonderful day, and it started with a beautiful sunrise.


I decided to take a few pictures of the house and surrounding area.











That last one was a really cool koi pond in front of the house.

Today we had two things on the agenda. First was a Zip Line tour, and second was a visit to the volcano. The Zip line tour was on the other side of the island, so we departed the house around 10:00am.

The drive to the other side of the island was very beautiful, so we made a few stops for pictures. Check out the height of these trees.


Here is a beautiful waterfall taken from one of the bridges.

After a couple of hours of driving, we arrived at our destination.


As we walked to the sight to pick up our gear, Lori and I got our photo taken under a walking tree.


Here is the entire crew, all geared up and ready for our adventure.

Our guides, Bear and Joy, pictured in the last photo were fantastic host. Very personable and knowledgeable, living and loving the island life.

The zip lines were loads of fun. I was able to take lots of pictures and video, and it was a very unique experience. Here is a picture of Lori as she travels over a 50-70 ft deep gorge.

Here is one of the videos that I took while zipping above the rain forest on a 450 ft steel tether.



There was lots and lots of different plant and tree life, and our guides took to time to identify and explain most of them. Here is a beautiful Rainbow Eucalyptus tree.


This is an ocean view from our next Zip spot.


We did a total of 7 Zip lines, with the last being an 1100 ft long dual line. You got to race a partner to the bottom on that one. It was a blast.

We left the Zip place mid afternoon and heading down the coast to Hilo. As we were crossing Hawaii University's campus, Lori snapped this picture of a beautiful Mimosa tree.


We found a really nice park right down the road, and stopped for an afternoon dip in the ocean. Of course, I took lots of pictures.






We felt refreshed after our swim, and headed further south to the Volcano. We decided not to go to the actual volcano, but instead to go to one of the larger lava flows. After we got there, we found out that flow was so active that we were restricted from getting too close. It was kind of a bummer, but I was able to get a couple of good pictures. Here is Lori with the hot lava steaming in the background.


Here is a photo that shows the powerful majesty of mother nature with active flowing lava lighting up the mountain side.


We left the volcano about 10:00pm, and the 2 1/2 hour drive home seemed to take forever. I was driving in a downpour most of the way with a jeep full of sleeping girls. I was whipped by the time we got home. It was a very long and active day, and that was one of the toughest drives I have ever endured.

Saturday morning we slept in a bit, and did not get rolling until 10:30am. It was some of the crews last day, so we decided to go to Hapuna beach. It is the only white sand beach on the island, and the one that we should have gone to the day I hurt my foot. Grrrrr...... After leaving the house, I notice a canoe race that was going around the island. Canoeing is a really big deal in the islands, so I just had to stop on the side of the road and get a picture. It turned out pretty good.


We got back on the road, and within 15 minutes we had arrived at our destination.


It was beautiful, and a beach we should have come to earlier. We stayed for a couple of hours, and then parted ways the the rest of our company. They headed to the airport, and Lori and I were on our own. As we headed back to our house, I stopped to get a picture of Mona Kea.


We took off again, and set out on a jeep adventure. I wanted to show Lori one of the spots that I had found while exploring on Tuesday.


This was our own little private area while we were there. It was stunningly beautiful a little before sunset.




We left there and got back to the house just in time for me to take this picture of the sunset from our Lanai.


After cleaning up, Lori and I went out to dinner at a small little restaurant that was 5 minutes from the house. We weren't expecting much judging by the name...SEAFOOD BAR, but boy were we in for a surprise. It was gourmet dining at it's finest, and the food was incredible. It's always great to find gems like this on vacation. Lori sampled the fresh blackened swordfish, while I had a little surf and turf. Everything was cooked to perfection. We left the restaurant and enjoyed the rest of the evening sitting out on the Lanai. It's really hard to describe the celestial offerings one can witness in Hawaii. The stars are so clear and so plentiful, it almost looks like the earth has been wrapped in some type of glowing blanket. I wish I had a camera that could take the type of picture that could do it justice. I'm really not sure that anyone owns such a camera. What I do know is that I do not need a camera to remember that vision of the heavens, for it will remain with me for the rest of my life. It is simply breathtaking.

Sunday marked our last day on the island. We woke up, and found another absolute gem for breakfast. The placed was called the HARBOR GRILL, and their morning menu was pure bliss. We stuffed ourselves, and then set out on our final adventure. Our flight was not scheduled to depart until 9:20pm, so we made the best of our time by visiting our favorite beach again.


We stayed for a couple of hours, and then went back to the house to pack. After packing, we signed the guest tree,


and headed for Kona to do some shopping before going to the airport. On the way, I stopped on the side of the road to snap this gem.


I mean, how many opportunities do you get to take a picture of a donkey crossing sign? One last sign, and it was time to say goodbye to our brief taste of paradise.


The plane ride home seemed much longer than the flight down. I guess that happens to all who leave such a beautiful place. Even though it was sad leaving, we were both excited to get home to see our little monkeys. A week is a long time to go without seeing your kids. Next time, we will take them with us, so they can also experience paradise.

William

PS. I would like to say Maholo (Thank you) to Dianne. Taking care of our two monkeys is very difficult, and we really appreciate your help. We could not have filled our canteens without you.

Whoa

Here we are at the end of April already. It's phenomenal how quickly time passes these days. I guess growing older and having children both attribute to the perceived acceleration of time, but whatever the reason, days are flying past unimpeded. Because of this, every once in a while you have to step back, hold your hand in front of you, and say "whoa".

As a parent of young children, saying "whoa" is a valuable commodity that is not so easily wasted. Opportunities for it's use are few and far between. Think of this "whoa" as the last cup of water in your canteen, as you walk across the desert. You want to drink it in the very worst way, but do you HAVE to drink it to continue on? When you get to the point where that water's consumption is a necessity, then it's time.

Well on that note, Lori and I are not only going to be allowed to sip from the chalice of life, we are actually going to be allowed to jump feet first into the pool of rejuvenation. Yep, the misses and I are going on a vacation together........to HAWAII!. Just the two of us, sans children. While the thought of spending a week in a tropical paradise is very exhilarating, leaving the kids for that long will be a challenge.

This will mark the first time Lori and I have been on trip together without the kids. Since Aidan is 7 1/2 years old, you can see that opportunities are indeed few and far between. This opportunity would not be possible if Lori wasn't having a business seminar on the island, and most importantly, if Lori's mom was not suffering from temporary insanity. Yes, that's right, she's agreed to come down and watch both monkeys for the entire week. Like I said......INSANE........but hey, what's that about a gift horse and a mouth?

Are we feeling guilty? Yes, of course we are, both for leaving and for the burden we are placing on Dianne. Missing even a little bit of our children's lives is enough to have us second guessing our decision, but throw into that mix the fact that we have to miss two of Aidan's baseball games, and it's almost enough to make us cancel our trip. Almost.

We leave next Sunday with a sense of nervousness and invigoration. The picture post on the next blog should be epic. Wish us and Dianne luck. Stay tuned.

William

Free Weekend

During Aidan's baseball season, it's not very often you have a game free weekend. This past weekend was the first one since the season started so we took full advantage.

The weekend started off on Friday night with the entire family unit going to the Frisco RoughRiders baseball game. We purchased the tickets about a month ago, and went to the game with 4 of Aidan's teammates and their families. We sat down the left field line, and it was a beautiful night for baseball. It just doesn't get much better than spending an evening at the ballpark with your family. We all had a great time, but we ended up leaving during the 7th inning due to one really tired 2 1/2 year old monkey. Still, good times.....good times.


Saturday morning arrived with just as much anticipation as Friday night. Saturday with no baseball game could mean only one thing........A TRIP TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE! Yep, after Lori finished torturing herself with her running group bright and early Saturday morning, we sat out for Grandma's house about 10:00am. We arrived about 2 1/2 hours later, after one stop for a bathroom break and happy meals for the boys.

I was really nice seeing Mom/Grandma again. It had been too long, and big hugs were distributed accordingly. Just as I started unpacking the CX-9, Uncle Jim arrived. It was nice to see my brother, and the boys were really happy their "playmate" showed up. We spent most of the day playing in the backyard and the time we spent in the house, we were watching Golf on TV. Aidan and Christopher made the most of the POGO swing.


Boy, this is fun!


Oh, that's why they call it a POGO swing.


Ahhh....nothing like a refreshing treat after such hard work.


Hey...where's my treat?


Saturday night we all gathered around the TV, and watched a new blue ray movie that we brought down with us. The Fantastic Mr. Fox. It was a really cute, funny movie that we all enjoyed. After the movie Christopher went to bed, and Aidan, Lori, Jim and I settled in for a few heated games of UNO. We all had a lot of fun, and after Grandma and Aidan and Lori went to bed, Jim and I stayed up and watched Terminator Salvation. It was quite the contrast to the movie we watched earlier.

Sunday was spent watching the final round of the Masters, and playing with the kids outside. Aidan and I squeezed in a fun little trip around town in Grandma's convertible. I always have to get my sports car fix while I am at her house. It never fails to bring a smile to my face, and our oldest monkey just loves riding with the top down.

After eating some dinner and saying our goodbyes, we sat out for home about 7:15pm. We arrived about 2 1/2 hours later, with the boys already sleeping, and Lori was drifting in and out. After putting the kids to bed, and did not take long for Lori and I to follow. Having fun sure does take it out of you.

It was a great trip.....too short as usual, but we all had a fantastic time. Thanks Mom for being such a great host, and thanks Jim for being such a cool Uncle to the boys.

William

The Best Game in the World

Casey at the Bat
by Ernest Lawrence Thayer ©

Published: The Examiner (06-03-1888)

The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that -
We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped-
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And its likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.

Let's raise our glasses to opening day and the start of another year of glorious baseball.

William

Egg..cellent Day

There were Easter smiles all around yesterday, as everybody seemed to really enjoy the day.

It started bright and early yesterday morning after the kids woke up. They were greeted by Easter baskets that were left on the porch by the Easter bunny. Needless to say, it did not take them long to rip open packs of candy and start putting together their miniature Lego gifts. Here is Christopher showing his enthusiasm about his everlasting Gobstoppers.


The Easter bunny even showed up for Lori, leaving a beautiful basket of flowers.


After enjoying their bunny gifts for a couple of hours, it was time to get cleaned up and dress for the occasion. Here are the boys ready to hunt some eggs.


A proud dad ready to watch the festivities.


Momma and her sons just oozing Spring.


"Hey Aidan, you want to hide the eggs this year instead of searching for them"?


I'll take that as a no.

It's amazing how much Christopher is growing up. Here he is looking like he might start shaving next week.


Aidan and Christopher got to hunt Easter eggs with their cousins Wyatt and Jackson. Good times were enjoyed by all. Here are all the boys actually sitting still at one time.


Fun times, kids are great.

William

Miracles

Happy Easter everyone.

Easter Reflections
(by: Helen Steiner Rice)

With OUR EYES we see
The beauty of Easter
as the earth awakens once more…

With OUR EARS we hear
The birds sing sweetly
to tell us Spring again is here…

With OUR HANDS we pick
the golden daffodils
and the fragrant hyacinths…

But only with OUR HEARTS
can we feel the MIRACLE of GOD’S LOVE
which redeems all men…

And only with OUR SOUL
can we make our ‘pilgrimage to God’
and inherit His Easter Gift of ETERNAL LIFE.


William

One Round Trip Ticket Please

Last night our little slugger got his first home run. No, he did not hit it over the 300ft. fence in center field, but he did hit it past the center fielder, and it rolled almost to the fence. As that was happening Aidan was sprinting around the bases so fast that Hermes himself would have been proud. Aidan slid into home just as the ball got back to the infield.

Wow, a two run inside the park tater. Great job son!



William

Happy Birthday Lori

How's it feel to be old?

(click link - listen - then hit you back button)
http://www.kakofonia.pl/ENG/ENGmonty/imnotold.wav

Wow Lori, you sounded like a man.

OK, I kid, you're not old. You are my young beautiful bride, and I hope you have a great day.

I love you,

William

Spring...No Winter...No Wait...Spring....

Ahh.......Spring is in the Air

Wow, Spring "already". Well, after this winter we've had, it's really hard to say "already". In reality, it seemes like it took forever to get here. If it's spring, that can only mean one thing......SPRING BREAK BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOUD WILD PARTIES - TRIPS TO THE BEACH - NO RULES.........oh wait....never mind.....I was thinking of the old meaning of "Spring Break". Please excuse me, for I lost my train of thought for a minute. What I meant to say was "kids out of school for a week" Spring Break. Alright!!!WooHoo!!!!Yeah!!!! See, I am just as enthused.

We decided that we would take a trip to East Tennessee to see Nana and PawPaw for this spring break, so we packed our bags and set off for the airport bright and early last Monday morning. As you know from past trips, Christopher can be quite the handful on an enclosed plane. So much a handful in fact, that for a while I simple refused to fly with that little monkey. I was hoping that this time would be the beginning of a new and improved Christopher, and lucky for all of us (especially me) I was correct. Our smallest monkey did very well on the two hour flight, and my stress level stayed around defcon 2. (It's never defcon 1 when you have kids....it simply can't happen).

After landing in Knoxville and making the 1 1/2 hour drive to the farm, we were ready for some serious country life. When you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, it's not very hard to find "the country life". Soon after we arrived at the farm, Christopher and Aidan and Lori were ready to feed the chickens and gather the eggs.


Me, nope no chickens for me, just relaxing at the piano.


We spent the next day indoors due to the rainy weather. Of course, the boys still had chicken and cow duty, for rain does not stop those farm time activities. Nope, but it does stop the photographer from getting his camera wet, so no pictures from Tuesday.

Wednesday we got up early, took care of the chores, and drove to Sevierville to visit the local Bass Pro Shops. Aidan loves going here, and Christopher also got a kick out of all of the fish and animals they saw. Here is a picture of the bears.


Here is Aidan and Christopher ready for some mischief.


We made the journey home mid afternoon, and settled in for some R&R. They don't call them the Great Smokey Mountains for nothing.


We all sat around relaxing except Christopher who was feeling a little standoffish.


While he was feeling froggy, I sat in one of the comfy chairs, and snapped this photo of the fireplace.


Doesn't that look cozy and inviting?

We finally did get out and about on the farm, and Lori snapped a picture of one of the last trees still showing the signs of fall/winter.

Me, well I concentrated more on the beautiful views,


and one powerful majestic sunset.


One thing we found out while we were there: Christopher is a natural with the chickens, showing absolutely no fear.


The horses in the pasture wandered over to see what was going on.

Nana and Aidan made the horses' day when they both climbed in the hay loft and got the horses some vittles.


Later that day, Aidan and dad decided to go "cruzin",


while Christopher did his own "cruzing" low and slow.


We had a wonderful time while we were there, and Friday came around too soon. Christopher made the defcon meter rise to 3 on the way home, but all in all I was very happy with his behavior. Nana and PawPaw were great host, and we were all sad to go. We made it home just in time to pick up Mystic from Doggie Day Care, and after getting home, we all made it to bed pretty early.

When we woke up the next morning, we were greeted with this.


Are you kidding me? Snow? Snow on the first official day of spring? Come on.......give us a little break here. Have some compassion Mother Nature. Quit messing around and bring on the flowers and the 70-80 degree temperatures. It's time......let's get it on.

William

P.S. Today it's 75 and beautiful. Maybe she was listening after all.

Confessions of a Lucky Man

12 years? 12 years? How is that even possible? It just seems like yesterday that we were exchanging our "I Do's" and starting our wonderful journey together. The years are sailing past so quickly, and the water is more calm and smooth on our journey than I could have ever wished for.

Very few people in this world actually find their soulmate, and I am truly blessed have found mine wrapped in such a beautiful package. I still pinch myself every day, and will continue to do so throughout or lives together.

Thanks Lori for being a great wife, a wonderful mom, and my best friend. I can't wait for lucky 13 to roll around next.

Happy Anniversary

Love,

William

An Assorted Dozen Memories

On a rainy day 12 years ago today we were preparing for the night's festivities with our families and friends at the Dallas Arboretum. What was going to be a picturesque outdoor wedding became a quaint indoor ceremony with the threat of rain from El Nino much to my Mom's chagrin. We did not know or imagine what our lives together would hold at that moment but we were married and ready for our adventure together. It is hard to fathom that we were married 12 years ago today, and yet sometimes it seems a lifetime away from our current life with our two monkeys! I know that every day is not always as romantic and exciting as it could be, but I treasure every day that we spend together. We have grown up in so many ways and reinvented ourselves a few times along the way.

Thank you for always giving so much of yourself to make sure that the boys and I are happy. Thank you William for being my best friend and wonderful husband. You always know how to make me laugh when I need it most and you always support me with all of my dreams and endeavors no matter how crazy they might seem. Thank you for giving me the freedom to run (literally) even though it means that you will be flying solo with Aidan and Christopher while I am gone. Thank you especially for letting me race today, the morning of our Anniversary (since it is a special race), even though it would have been easy to suggest that I stay home for a family morning.

We have had an assortment of wonderful memories, craziness, and love most of all over the last 12 years and I wouldn't trade a moment. I am blessed to have you as my husband and best friend. I love you very much! I will celebrate you and our marriage by running a mile for every year that we have been married plus that additional 1.1 mileage thinking about our wonderful life together!

Happy 12th Anniversary William!

Love,

Lori

HOO-RAY!!!!!

My beautiful wife ran a 5K this morning, and walked away with this little piece of hardware.


Alright Momma! You go girl. We are so very proud of you.

William

Sands Through the Hourglass

You know, when Christopher is not being a terrorizing little menace, he is actually pretty sweet. Now, these "sweet" times are currently few and far between (Thanks a bunch terrible 2s), but when they do happen, all is right with the world. Here is a snapshot of Christopher taken just before we left for school yesterday morning.


Notice the fresh haircut? People were starting to say the he was looking like Christopher Atkins from the Blue Lagoon, so we figured it was time to get his ears lowered. He sure looks handsome, and......ummm.......older. What happen to our little baby boy? They transform so fast.

Aidan is doing really well in school, and we are very proud of him. His homework for this week, was to create a timeline of his life, and chronicle each year. We had to go back and find a picture of him at each year of age, and include them with the assignment. It was really cool going through all of the old photographs of the family, and seeing how Aidan has matured. (It was not nearly as cool to see how I have "matured" during this same time.....grrrrrrr) This trip down memory lane also allowed me to see my favorite picture I took of Aidan when he was a little baby. (Well technically speaking, Aidan was never a little baby...having entered this world at 8 lbs 12 ozs, but you know what I mean,) Here he is a 5 months old, fresh out of the tub, sporting a very cool curly blond mohawk.


Wow it's hard to believe its already been 7 years since that was taken. That just doesn't seem possible. They grow up too fast.................... :-(

Hug them every chance you get.


William

big....Big......BIG NEWS!

Christopher, our 2 1/2 year old menace, did something today that has us grinning ear to ear. Our youngest monkey has gone the entire day, from 8:00am this morning until I am typing this now, wearing the same pair of underwear and pants. Yep, that's right.......a whole day diaper and accident free. What a big boy. Whoooooooo Hooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You da MAN!!!!!

William

The Power of the Music of the Night

Saturday night offered a rare opportunity for Lori and me. You see, when you have young Monkeys at home, it's really difficult to align the stars to enable you to have a "date night". It had been what seemed like forever since the last time Lori and I went out on the town. Well, thanks to my wonderful wife, that all changed on Saturday.

Lori was very kind, and purchased tickets to The Phantom of the Opera that was playing at the Fair park Music Hall. It was my Valentines present from her. She made arrangements for Cricket to watch the kiddos, and we had the night to ourselves. Wow, it was great. I have been a fan of The Phantom of the Opera music for years, having owned the CD for almost 20 years. I know most of the songs by heart, but I had never had the opportunity to see the Musical performed live. Seeing it live was great, and we had a fantastic time.

Here is a picture of Lori and me taken by Aidan just before we left.


Lori looked stunning in her evening gown, and it felt good to play "dress up" for a change. Hopefully, we won't wait as long before our next "date night", and we'll have just as much fun as we did Saturday.

If you ever get a chance to see The Phantom of the Opera live, I highly recommend it.

William

PS. Thank you so much Cricket for taking care of our little Monkeys. I know it can be a chore, and we really appreciate your help.

SnowMonkeys

That was a whole lot of snow and a whole lot of fun. 11.2 inches officially. That's the most snow I've seen at one time in my life. I think I had just as much fun playing in the snow as the boys did. Here are a few photos that I snapped during the day.





















Great fun. In Texas, those opportunities will be few and far between. We made the most of it, and stay outside much of the day. The snow's all gone now, but not the memories. I will cherish those for years and years to come.

William

Winter's Last Stand

Winter is putting up a valiant fight in it's quest to defeat spring. 11.2 inches of snow yesterday and last night. If we lived in Juno that might not be such a big deal, but here.........it's huge news!

Wow, looking out the window it's just beautiful. Deep white pillowy snow covers everything. I will have plenty of pictures up later, but for now just know this.......school's canceled and I will have two really happy snowball throwing, snowman building, frost covered boys to enjoy the day with.

Woo Hoo.....................I can't wait.

Angelic Subterfuge

Cold, wet and dreary. That's about all you can say about today. It makes you want to crawl into bed and just sleep. Hopefully, there's sunshine forecast for the near future. Spring cannot get here fast enough.

We've been kind of busy lately, but we got a chance to go down to see my mom and brother last weekend. We had a good time, and it was nice to give mom a great big hug. Her treatments are hard on her, but she is doing well. Like I've said in the past, she is one tough cookie.

It was hard to see mom without any hair. I guess seeing her for 44 years with hair made it a bit tougher. I did not want her to feel alone, so I shaved my head before we went down. Yep I got out the shaver, popped on the ol' number 2 attachment, and off it came. I've got to tell you, now that's it's done, I really like it. I might just have to keep it this way for good. I'm pretty certain mom has other plans for hers.

The kids are all doing great and Lori is as wonderful as ever. Baseball starts back up in one week. Woo Hoo we're looking forward to that. Hopefully it will warm up a bit in the next week. It's much too cold for baseball right now.

Well, got to go, got some things to get done. I will leave you with a picture of our youngest money laying on his inflatable fort. This picture shows you how looks can be deceivable. How you ask? Well, he looks like a little innocent precious angel here, that's how.


William

A is for Apple

I just wanted to take a second to brag about our oldest monkey again. 2nd nine weeks are up, and the verdict is in........Strait A's again BABY!!!!!!!! Way to go Aidan, we are so proud of you. You da man!

William