No, I have not quit blogging. I know it seems that way. I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I started a new job on Monday, and I have been slammed. I hope to maybe get time on Sunday evening. Again, thanks for being patient.
William
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Giddy
Sorry it's been a while since an update. I will have a long one after this weekend. The boys and I are going to Galveston this afternoon and coming back on Memorial Day. This combined with a visit to Grandma's house last weekend should make for a lot to write about. I'm looking forward to it.
William
William
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Risen
Well here it is, Saturday morning, and it sure is quite around here. No kiddos this weekend, so I'm a bit bummed. At least I will get to see them in a couple of hours during Christopher's soccer game. I am certainly looking forward to that.
Last weekend I did have the boys, and we had lots of fun. The fun started on Friday night. It was Little League Baseball night at the Frisco Roughriders ball park. Tickets included all you could eat Brats, Hot Dogs, Nachos, and Fountain Drinks. Yummy!
We sat with Aidan's baseball team, and had really good seats. As a matter of fact, we were right next to the Roughriders bull pen, so we got to watch the pitchers warm up from just a few feet away. The boys were amazed at how hard the pitchers threw the ball. The Roughriders won the game, and the park had an awesome firework show afterward. We all had a great time.
Saturday, we played outside, and the boys helped me do yard work. After that, we went shopping and then sat down on Saturday night to watch the newest Hobbit movie on my 3D TV. We cranked up the 7.1 THX surround sound, and watched the Desolation of Smaug. It was really good. I still can't get over how incredible the picture is on my Samsung TV. Just beautiful.
The boys were super tired after the movie, and both fell asleep on the couch.
Sunday morning was Easter. Easter has always been very special to Lori, so I called her last week and asked if she would like to see the boys on Easter even though it was not her weekend. She jumped at the chance, so we headed over to her house on Easter morning. She made us a nice breakfast, and then he boys had their Easter egg hunt. Like always, the were super excited, and finding eggs right out of the gate.
The both made out like bandits.
We had a really nice time celebrating Easter with Lori.
After we left Lori's house on Sunday afternoon, we had a pretty quite time the rest of the day. We stayed around the house mostly, and I cooked a nice Easter dinner. All in all it was a wonderful Easter weekend.
William
P.S. Tuesday for my first time to attempt a Prime Rib Roast. I marinated it overnight, and then put it in the oven on convection at 215 degrees for 3 hours. It turned out fantastic! I was so proud of it, I took a picture of the outcome.
Delicious!!!!!
Last weekend I did have the boys, and we had lots of fun. The fun started on Friday night. It was Little League Baseball night at the Frisco Roughriders ball park. Tickets included all you could eat Brats, Hot Dogs, Nachos, and Fountain Drinks. Yummy!
Saturday, we played outside, and the boys helped me do yard work. After that, we went shopping and then sat down on Saturday night to watch the newest Hobbit movie on my 3D TV. We cranked up the 7.1 THX surround sound, and watched the Desolation of Smaug. It was really good. I still can't get over how incredible the picture is on my Samsung TV. Just beautiful.
The boys were super tired after the movie, and both fell asleep on the couch.
William
P.S. Tuesday for my first time to attempt a Prime Rib Roast. I marinated it overnight, and then put it in the oven on convection at 215 degrees for 3 hours. It turned out fantastic! I was so proud of it, I took a picture of the outcome.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
One Year And I'ts Still Surreal
It's really hard to believe that this coming Friday will mark the one year anniversary of my dream life coming to an end. I am still left in a haze when I think about what has transpired over the last 365 days of my life. I really don't think I will ever lose that feeling of disbelief. The scars run deep and the pain I'm afraid, will follow me to my grave.
Not a day goes by that I don't think about what might have been. What a wonderful life and family I once shared. I love the boys will all my heart, and I try harder than ever to make them happy and fulfilled, but it's not the same. It's hard to describe. The boys, as strong as they are, feel it too. There is just a void that lingers.......that permeates each day. You try so hard as a single parent to distract the kids as much as possible to keep that void suppressed, but there are times.....certain instances, that invoke memories of a better time. The emptiness that you feel during those times is difficult and sad.
I certainly hope that one day I will be able to make it through a day or a night without thinking or dreaming about my marriage to Lori, and the wonderful "family" we created and shared. Everybody tells me that eventually I will be at peace with what has transpired, and time will wash away any pain and grief. I hope they are right I guess, but forgetting about the dream that I worked all my life to obtain seems..............unfair. I guess time is merciless for a reason.
On to better things:
The boys are enjoying the school year, and growing like weeds. Not only are they physically growing, but mentally they are maturing faster that I could imagine. Aidan is as smart as a whip, and I am constantly in awe of how easy he seems to absorb and process complex issues and problems. He has a drive when it comes to learning, even at 11, that I wish I would have had at any point in my life. Christopher is also becoming more and more aware of his abilities. He is reading way past his age, and something recently seems to have clicked when it comes to his studies and understanding what is needed to succeed. If we can just get him to "like" school, instead of just "going" to school, than the sky is the limit.
Both boys make me immensely proud, not matter what they are doing. The are both polite, well spoken, and handsome. Combine those attributes with their intelligence, athleticism and compassion, and you can understand why I think they both have very bright futures ahead of them. I'm glad I have a front row seat.
Last weekend I took the boys to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier in IMAX 3D. It was fantastic, and we all really, really enjoyed the movie. We can't wait for the next one. On the way out of the theater, I snapped a quick picture of my two favorite super heroes!
I really love the boys.......and I can't wait for our next adventure together.
William
P.S. Again, I'm sorry for the delay in posting. I'll do better.
Not a day goes by that I don't think about what might have been. What a wonderful life and family I once shared. I love the boys will all my heart, and I try harder than ever to make them happy and fulfilled, but it's not the same. It's hard to describe. The boys, as strong as they are, feel it too. There is just a void that lingers.......that permeates each day. You try so hard as a single parent to distract the kids as much as possible to keep that void suppressed, but there are times.....certain instances, that invoke memories of a better time. The emptiness that you feel during those times is difficult and sad.
I certainly hope that one day I will be able to make it through a day or a night without thinking or dreaming about my marriage to Lori, and the wonderful "family" we created and shared. Everybody tells me that eventually I will be at peace with what has transpired, and time will wash away any pain and grief. I hope they are right I guess, but forgetting about the dream that I worked all my life to obtain seems..............unfair. I guess time is merciless for a reason.
On to better things:
The boys are enjoying the school year, and growing like weeds. Not only are they physically growing, but mentally they are maturing faster that I could imagine. Aidan is as smart as a whip, and I am constantly in awe of how easy he seems to absorb and process complex issues and problems. He has a drive when it comes to learning, even at 11, that I wish I would have had at any point in my life. Christopher is also becoming more and more aware of his abilities. He is reading way past his age, and something recently seems to have clicked when it comes to his studies and understanding what is needed to succeed. If we can just get him to "like" school, instead of just "going" to school, than the sky is the limit.
Both boys make me immensely proud, not matter what they are doing. The are both polite, well spoken, and handsome. Combine those attributes with their intelligence, athleticism and compassion, and you can understand why I think they both have very bright futures ahead of them. I'm glad I have a front row seat.
Last weekend I took the boys to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier in IMAX 3D. It was fantastic, and we all really, really enjoyed the movie. We can't wait for the next one. On the way out of the theater, I snapped a quick picture of my two favorite super heroes!
William
P.S. Again, I'm sorry for the delay in posting. I'll do better.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Tardy
Sorry I have been tardy with my latest blog. I should have one churned out in the next day or so. Thanks for sticking with me.
William
William
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Boys, Beaches, Battleships, and Bonding
As I mentioned in my last post, the boys and I shared spring break together this year. It was certainly a bit different that what we have experienced in the past, but we made the most of our time, and really had lots of fun.
We left for Temple late Friday night. I always try to leave late to avoid some of the crazy traffic that now seems routine on I35. While it wasn't stop and go traffic that we encountered, it was still bumper to bumper most of the 162 mile journey. Traffic was moving about 70mph, which is good, but being bumper to bumper for the duration makes the stress quotient extremely high. I was very happy once we arrived and I could sit down and calm my nerves. We all went to bed pretty soon after arriving, and looked forward to seeing Grandma and Uncle Jim the following morning.
We woke up Saturday morning around 8:00am, and it was sure nice to see mom (Grandma). Once again, it had been far too long since we had been down for a visit. Jim arrived around 11:00 that morning, and we spent the day playing outside in her backyard, and playing various board games. It was really nice to relax and laugh with the extended family again.
Sunday was spent doing pretty much the same thing, and the boys and I really had a good time. After lunch, I the boys and I slipped away for a 1/2 hour or so, and took the Radio Controlled vehicles that Grandma got them for Christmas down to the parking lot of the church a block away for some fun.
I really enjoyed watching them run around and laugh as they were piloting their respective vehicles.
Monday morning came too quickly, and we were all sad to leave Temple. We had a great time visiting with Grandma and Uncle Jim, and can't wait for our next trip down.
After leaving Grandma's house about 10:00 on Monday morning, we headed to Galveston. My good friends Kenny and Hailey offered to let me use their beach house during spring break, and we were all eager to take them up on their offer.
The trip to Galveston went smoothly. We dropped our stuff off at the beach house, and headed back into town to get groceries for the week. By the time we got back to the beach house, it was about 6:00pm, and almost time to start dinner. Here is a shot of the beach house just before I rolled out the grill to start cooking some yummy steaks.
Of course Thunder was super excited about the new surroundings too!
While I cooked, the boys played on the hammock.
We ate dinner on the deck, and enjoyed the ocean breeze. After dinner, we watched some TV, and then called it an early night. We were all pretty tired from all the driving. Want proof? Well.....
Tuesday morning we woke up about 8:00am and had some breakfast. We took the golf cart for a morning drive, and hit the marina and the beach to check out the water. It was still early and a bit chilly, so we were still in our sweat pants and long sleeve shirts. The water was cold, but that did not deter the mentally ill boys from going wading in their sweats and getting soaked. Thunder jumped right on lunatic train with the boys, and was soon soaking wet too. Me.......well lets just say that I did not have to immediately change when I got home.
After eating lunch, we loaded up the truck and headed to the part of West End beach where they let you drive right up to the water. We parked Old Blue (my truck), and as I unpacked the back, the boys and the dog made a bee line to the water. Check that........that should read the crisp 58 degree water. Brrrrrr............
The boys and the dog did not seem to mind the frigid temperatures, and maybe I'm just old, but it was too chilly for me. I had just as good of a time just watching them laugh and have fun. This was Thunder's first time at the ocean, and he was as happy as a fish in water.
Normally, on a dog's first time to the ocean, they will drink the salt water in the ocean from simply not knowing any better. It usually results in a one day bout of diarrhea and throwing up. I am proud to say that Thunder knew better, and did not get sick the entire time we were there. Dante and Mystic were not so fortunate when I took them for their first times. I was ecstatic that I did not have to clean anything up this time.
Wednesday arrived with a 35-40 mph wind. To go along with that insane wind, were tempatures in the mid 60's. Using my keen sense of deductive reasoning, I made an executive decision to forgo the beach and take the boys on an adventure instead.
We headed out to the port of Houston, where the USS. Texas Battleship is docked. After stopping in La Porte, TX at Whataburger for lunch, we got to the Battleship around noon. The boys and I were silly with excitement.
The whole experience is very neat. You get to walk and climb wherever you want on the ship. There is lots of history to read about, and the ship itself is a beautiful museum. Needless to say, the boys had a blast.
What a great experience. Oh, and about that wind............
Ferocious
About a 1/2 mile away is the San Jacinto Monument and museum. We left the battleship, and headed over to the museum. Wow, what a great educational experience. We watched a nice 20 minute HD movie in their theater about the famous battle, and then went 590 feet up to the observation deck. It was quite the site.
Yep, that's the battleship off in the distance. Fun times!
We got back to the beach house around 5:30pm and just spent time riding scooters, and playing. After dinner under the stars again, we watched some TV and went to bed fairly early.
On Thursday, we headed home from our adventure. I believe everybody had a really good time. Different that what we were used to in the past? Well, no doubt.......but fun nonetheless.
Thanks boys for making my life better, and for keeping me young.
William
We left for Temple late Friday night. I always try to leave late to avoid some of the crazy traffic that now seems routine on I35. While it wasn't stop and go traffic that we encountered, it was still bumper to bumper most of the 162 mile journey. Traffic was moving about 70mph, which is good, but being bumper to bumper for the duration makes the stress quotient extremely high. I was very happy once we arrived and I could sit down and calm my nerves. We all went to bed pretty soon after arriving, and looked forward to seeing Grandma and Uncle Jim the following morning.
We woke up Saturday morning around 8:00am, and it was sure nice to see mom (Grandma). Once again, it had been far too long since we had been down for a visit. Jim arrived around 11:00 that morning, and we spent the day playing outside in her backyard, and playing various board games. It was really nice to relax and laugh with the extended family again.
Sunday was spent doing pretty much the same thing, and the boys and I really had a good time. After lunch, I the boys and I slipped away for a 1/2 hour or so, and took the Radio Controlled vehicles that Grandma got them for Christmas down to the parking lot of the church a block away for some fun.
I really enjoyed watching them run around and laugh as they were piloting their respective vehicles.
Monday morning came too quickly, and we were all sad to leave Temple. We had a great time visiting with Grandma and Uncle Jim, and can't wait for our next trip down.
After leaving Grandma's house about 10:00 on Monday morning, we headed to Galveston. My good friends Kenny and Hailey offered to let me use their beach house during spring break, and we were all eager to take them up on their offer.
The trip to Galveston went smoothly. We dropped our stuff off at the beach house, and headed back into town to get groceries for the week. By the time we got back to the beach house, it was about 6:00pm, and almost time to start dinner. Here is a shot of the beach house just before I rolled out the grill to start cooking some yummy steaks.
Of course Thunder was super excited about the new surroundings too!
While I cooked, the boys played on the hammock.
We ate dinner on the deck, and enjoyed the ocean breeze. After dinner, we watched some TV, and then called it an early night. We were all pretty tired from all the driving. Want proof? Well.....
Tuesday morning we woke up about 8:00am and had some breakfast. We took the golf cart for a morning drive, and hit the marina and the beach to check out the water. It was still early and a bit chilly, so we were still in our sweat pants and long sleeve shirts. The water was cold, but that did not deter the mentally ill boys from going wading in their sweats and getting soaked. Thunder jumped right on lunatic train with the boys, and was soon soaking wet too. Me.......well lets just say that I did not have to immediately change when I got home.
After eating lunch, we loaded up the truck and headed to the part of West End beach where they let you drive right up to the water. We parked Old Blue (my truck), and as I unpacked the back, the boys and the dog made a bee line to the water. Check that........that should read the crisp 58 degree water. Brrrrrr............
The boys and the dog did not seem to mind the frigid temperatures, and maybe I'm just old, but it was too chilly for me. I had just as good of a time just watching them laugh and have fun. This was Thunder's first time at the ocean, and he was as happy as a fish in water.
Normally, on a dog's first time to the ocean, they will drink the salt water in the ocean from simply not knowing any better. It usually results in a one day bout of diarrhea and throwing up. I am proud to say that Thunder knew better, and did not get sick the entire time we were there. Dante and Mystic were not so fortunate when I took them for their first times. I was ecstatic that I did not have to clean anything up this time.
Wednesday arrived with a 35-40 mph wind. To go along with that insane wind, were tempatures in the mid 60's. Using my keen sense of deductive reasoning, I made an executive decision to forgo the beach and take the boys on an adventure instead.
We headed out to the port of Houston, where the USS. Texas Battleship is docked. After stopping in La Porte, TX at Whataburger for lunch, we got to the Battleship around noon. The boys and I were silly with excitement.
The whole experience is very neat. You get to walk and climb wherever you want on the ship. There is lots of history to read about, and the ship itself is a beautiful museum. Needless to say, the boys had a blast.
What a great experience. Oh, and about that wind............
About a 1/2 mile away is the San Jacinto Monument and museum. We left the battleship, and headed over to the museum. Wow, what a great educational experience. We watched a nice 20 minute HD movie in their theater about the famous battle, and then went 590 feet up to the observation deck. It was quite the site.
Yep, that's the battleship off in the distance. Fun times!
We got back to the beach house around 5:30pm and just spent time riding scooters, and playing. After dinner under the stars again, we watched some TV and went to bed fairly early.
On Thursday, we headed home from our adventure. I believe everybody had a really good time. Different that what we were used to in the past? Well, no doubt.......but fun nonetheless.
Thanks boys for making my life better, and for keeping me young.
William
Friday, March 14, 2014
C'est La Vie
I was married to the love of my life 16 years ago today. It, along with the births of my children are the three happiest days of my life. It's weird to me that 3-14 is just another day on the calendar, now that Lori and I are divorced. Strange. Oh well..........I'll pour myself a drink later, and lift a glass to happier times.
George Bernard Shaw once said:
"There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart's desire. The other is to gain it.”
He's right.......I've experienced both.
William
PS. Just got back from Spring Break. I should have lots of pictures to post within the next few days. It was certainly a fun week.
George Bernard Shaw once said:
"There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart's desire. The other is to gain it.”
He's right.......I've experienced both.
William
PS. Just got back from Spring Break. I should have lots of pictures to post within the next few days. It was certainly a fun week.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Breaking For Spring
After school today, Spring Break officially starts for the two monkeys. Since this is an even numbered year, I am supposed to have both boys for the entire time. Wow, it feels just as weird typing that, as it does saying it. Anyway, I'm really excited about spending so much time with my two favorite people in the whole world.
Now, I wish I could say that I was whisking them away to some fantastic tropical beach somewhere. I sure wish I had the funds to do that. I don't. Maybe 2016? Who knows...... Nope, this year we are going to Temple to see Mom and Jim tonight, and staying through Monday morning. On Monday, we are going to pack up ol' Blue (my truck) and head down to Galveston. My friends have offer me the beach house for the week, and if the weather cooperates, it should be fun. We are going to stay until Thursday morning, and then head back to Little Elm.
Once back, I have decided to let Lori have the boys for Thursday and Friday. I am under no obligation to do so, but I am doing it out of my love for the boys. I know they will miss their mom after not seeing her for a week. She will give them back to me on Saturday morning, after Aidan's first baseball tournament game.
It will sure be a different spring break than any of us have ever experienced. It will be awkward at times, not having "mommy" around. It, like everything else will get better with time.
I will take plenty of pictures. Smiles all around!
William
Now, I wish I could say that I was whisking them away to some fantastic tropical beach somewhere. I sure wish I had the funds to do that. I don't. Maybe 2016? Who knows...... Nope, this year we are going to Temple to see Mom and Jim tonight, and staying through Monday morning. On Monday, we are going to pack up ol' Blue (my truck) and head down to Galveston. My friends have offer me the beach house for the week, and if the weather cooperates, it should be fun. We are going to stay until Thursday morning, and then head back to Little Elm.
Once back, I have decided to let Lori have the boys for Thursday and Friday. I am under no obligation to do so, but I am doing it out of my love for the boys. I know they will miss their mom after not seeing her for a week. She will give them back to me on Saturday morning, after Aidan's first baseball tournament game.
It will sure be a different spring break than any of us have ever experienced. It will be awkward at times, not having "mommy" around. It, like everything else will get better with time.
I will take plenty of pictures. Smiles all around!
William
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Spring Is In The Air
I had the kids last weekend, and we were blessed with great weather for a change. Hopefully all of that cold miserable snowy weather is behind us until next winter.
We woke up early on Saturday morning to get to Aidan's basketball game by 8:00am. Yes, 8:00am. I know what you are thinking "who in the world schedules games that early"....you know what.......I was thinking the very same thing. Wow, it's tough to get the boys up on a Saturday that early. Lately though, it's gotten a bit easier. I just lift Thunder up in their beds, and the wet dog kisses that follow do the job quicker than any other method I have tried. Once they got up, we all had our wake up showers, a little breakfast, and off we went.
Basketball was fun, and Aidan's team won in overtime for the second week in a row. The boys are having a whole bunch of fun, and the team is 6-1 right now. Pretty cool.
After basketball, we had just enough time to get home and get Christopher changed for his first soccer game of the season. His team tied 2-2 but it was fun watching him play. Christopher is growing taller and getting skinnier. Pretty much just the opposite of his dad.........grrrrrrr. Anyway, you can sure tell the difference in his running this season. He is much quicker, and no longer gets "catches" in his sides.
After the soccer game, I had to rush to get Aidan to a birthday party. The party was being held at a local paintball range. The boys spent 3 hours decked out in full paintball regalia shooting restlessly at each other. Aidan came home with 11 really nasty black and blue bruises all over his body, and a big smile on his face. The boys had a blast.
While Aidan was playing colorful warrior, Christopher and I hit up the local Popeye's Louisiana Chicken house. It was Christopher's first time eating chicken on the bone, and he loved it. After we left the restaurant, we came home and got into a heated game of saving the world in MARVEL Super Heroes Lego on Playstation.
We had just enough time after Aidan's paintball excursion to get him changed into his baseball practice uniform, and get him over to baseball practice. Whew, it was a long.....busy day.
After baseball practice, we had dinner and then watched Despicable Me 2. It was fun, and we had a great time.
Sunday we woke up a little later, and I made the boys pancakes. After pancakes, we went to the lake to let Thunder frolic. We all had fun.
After we left the lake, we stopped by a local water skiing park and watched to brave souls in the 55 degree water. Some were pretty stinking good!
We spent the rest of the day playing around the house. Everybody was plenty tired at bedtime, and Thunder was ready to crash with this buddy Christopher.
He is a cutie.
We woke up early on Saturday morning to get to Aidan's basketball game by 8:00am. Yes, 8:00am. I know what you are thinking "who in the world schedules games that early"....you know what.......I was thinking the very same thing. Wow, it's tough to get the boys up on a Saturday that early. Lately though, it's gotten a bit easier. I just lift Thunder up in their beds, and the wet dog kisses that follow do the job quicker than any other method I have tried. Once they got up, we all had our wake up showers, a little breakfast, and off we went.
Basketball was fun, and Aidan's team won in overtime for the second week in a row. The boys are having a whole bunch of fun, and the team is 6-1 right now. Pretty cool.
After basketball, we had just enough time to get home and get Christopher changed for his first soccer game of the season. His team tied 2-2 but it was fun watching him play. Christopher is growing taller and getting skinnier. Pretty much just the opposite of his dad.........grrrrrrr. Anyway, you can sure tell the difference in his running this season. He is much quicker, and no longer gets "catches" in his sides.
After the soccer game, I had to rush to get Aidan to a birthday party. The party was being held at a local paintball range. The boys spent 3 hours decked out in full paintball regalia shooting restlessly at each other. Aidan came home with 11 really nasty black and blue bruises all over his body, and a big smile on his face. The boys had a blast.
While Aidan was playing colorful warrior, Christopher and I hit up the local Popeye's Louisiana Chicken house. It was Christopher's first time eating chicken on the bone, and he loved it. After we left the restaurant, we came home and got into a heated game of saving the world in MARVEL Super Heroes Lego on Playstation.
We had just enough time after Aidan's paintball excursion to get him changed into his baseball practice uniform, and get him over to baseball practice. Whew, it was a long.....busy day.
After baseball practice, we had dinner and then watched Despicable Me 2. It was fun, and we had a great time.
Sunday we woke up a little later, and I made the boys pancakes. After pancakes, we went to the lake to let Thunder frolic. We all had fun.
After we left the lake, we stopped by a local water skiing park and watched to brave souls in the 55 degree water. Some were pretty stinking good!
We spent the rest of the day playing around the house. Everybody was plenty tired at bedtime, and Thunder was ready to crash with this buddy Christopher.
He is a cutie.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Friendship
I have many regrets in my life about a multitude of things. The list is entirely too long for someone as young as I am, but that's life, and dwelling on those regrets is foolish. There is one area in my life that is free from regret, and I have been more than blessed with my choices. What is this area you ask? Why friendship of course.
I have been lucky when it comes to friends. I have been able to establish life long bonds with some of the most wonderful people you would ever want to meet. Calling myself blessed is an understatement.
In the last year, I have probably relied on those friends more that necessary, but each and every time I needed help, eager volunteers were always just a phone call away. I was always met with a simple "how can I help" without hesitation. No man could ask for more.
I have made a point my entire life to keep the fires of friendship stoked, and keeping those bonds warm, active, and alive has always been on of my chief goals. They say you can tell the quality of a man by the friends he chooses. I really hope that's true, for it places me among the very elite.
About 4 years ago, I started a tradition of inviting good friends over on Super Bowl Sunday to celebrate the day with food and fun. We start early in the morning, firing up the smoker, and seasoning 6 racks of the best pork baby back ribs on the planet. This year was no exception, and many of my friends and their families helped continue this tradition at my new house.
After seasoning the ribs and making a big pitcher of the best Bloody Mary's you ever tasted, we sit out by the smoker, and just enjoy each others company.
This year we started about 9:30 in the morning. Most years this would be done in the back yard, but inclement weather this year forced some changes. I brought everything around to the front of the house, shielded from the North Wind, and we made good use of the garage. While the smoker sat in the driveway outside in 14 degree temperatures under a canopy, we stayed in the garage enjoying each others company, as well as the toasty table top heater.
We drank Bloody Marys, played darts, possibly had had a cigar or two, all while checking on the meat in the smoker every 30 minutes or so. Because of the extra cold weather, my normal cooking time went from 4 1/2 hours to 6 1/2 hours. This worked out perfectly, and the ribs were finished just in time to eat before kickoff.
Like I said earlier, it was wonderful to have so many of my friends and their families come by to spend the afternoon at my house. The weather was awful, with freezing rain and a mix of snow to go along with the brutally cold temps. They could have easily had a way "out", but all decided to make it anyway. Like I said, I am blessed.
I wish the game would have been better, but I can assure you that everyone had a good time regardless. I hope this tradition will continue for many years.
Later in the week, we were once again blessed (or cursed depending on how you look at it) with snow. It was really cold, and most everyone I know was uncomfortable being outside. Most, with one exception I should add............
Yep, you guessed it.........Thunder! This was the first time that he saw snow, and wow did he have a good time. It was hard to keep him inside. He would just stand and whimper at the back door when I brought him inside. I was afraid his young puppy paws would get frost bite.
Thunder is growing by the day, and I am so happy to have him. He has really helped fill a void in my life, and I am grateful. He is a full fledged puppy right now, so most of the time my carpet looks like this......
That's the remnants of the Star Wars Storm Trooper dog toy the boys picked out two days before. I'm surprised it lasted two days to be honest. He is one energy filled, sharp puppy teeth chewing machine. It's easy to get upset with him, until he turns and gives you this look.....
Who could stay mad at that face for long?
William
I have been lucky when it comes to friends. I have been able to establish life long bonds with some of the most wonderful people you would ever want to meet. Calling myself blessed is an understatement.
In the last year, I have probably relied on those friends more that necessary, but each and every time I needed help, eager volunteers were always just a phone call away. I was always met with a simple "how can I help" without hesitation. No man could ask for more.
I have made a point my entire life to keep the fires of friendship stoked, and keeping those bonds warm, active, and alive has always been on of my chief goals. They say you can tell the quality of a man by the friends he chooses. I really hope that's true, for it places me among the very elite.
About 4 years ago, I started a tradition of inviting good friends over on Super Bowl Sunday to celebrate the day with food and fun. We start early in the morning, firing up the smoker, and seasoning 6 racks of the best pork baby back ribs on the planet. This year was no exception, and many of my friends and their families helped continue this tradition at my new house.
After seasoning the ribs and making a big pitcher of the best Bloody Mary's you ever tasted, we sit out by the smoker, and just enjoy each others company.
This year we started about 9:30 in the morning. Most years this would be done in the back yard, but inclement weather this year forced some changes. I brought everything around to the front of the house, shielded from the North Wind, and we made good use of the garage. While the smoker sat in the driveway outside in 14 degree temperatures under a canopy, we stayed in the garage enjoying each others company, as well as the toasty table top heater.
We drank Bloody Marys, played darts, possibly had had a cigar or two, all while checking on the meat in the smoker every 30 minutes or so. Because of the extra cold weather, my normal cooking time went from 4 1/2 hours to 6 1/2 hours. This worked out perfectly, and the ribs were finished just in time to eat before kickoff.
Like I said earlier, it was wonderful to have so many of my friends and their families come by to spend the afternoon at my house. The weather was awful, with freezing rain and a mix of snow to go along with the brutally cold temps. They could have easily had a way "out", but all decided to make it anyway. Like I said, I am blessed.
I wish the game would have been better, but I can assure you that everyone had a good time regardless. I hope this tradition will continue for many years.
Later in the week, we were once again blessed (or cursed depending on how you look at it) with snow. It was really cold, and most everyone I know was uncomfortable being outside. Most, with one exception I should add............
Yep, you guessed it.........Thunder! This was the first time that he saw snow, and wow did he have a good time. It was hard to keep him inside. He would just stand and whimper at the back door when I brought him inside. I was afraid his young puppy paws would get frost bite.
Thunder is growing by the day, and I am so happy to have him. He has really helped fill a void in my life, and I am grateful. He is a full fledged puppy right now, so most of the time my carpet looks like this......
That's the remnants of the Star Wars Storm Trooper dog toy the boys picked out two days before. I'm surprised it lasted two days to be honest. He is one energy filled, sharp puppy teeth chewing machine. It's easy to get upset with him, until he turns and gives you this look.....
Who could stay mad at that face for long?
William
Thursday, February 6, 2014
All Good Things Must Come To An End
Lori's awful divorce was made official earlier today, and I am now a single dad. Single. Never in a million years would I (or anyone for that matter) have predicted that word would ever be applied to me again after March 14th, 1998. Everybody knew I was in our marriage it until my last breath, no matter what.
I will never in my lifetime understand what Lori was thinking, or why this happened. A person is not supposed to change so drastically after spending 16 years so deeply in love. It was certainly not right, and my confusion and pain will never go away.
It's a damn shame that the children and I will both have to carry this scar for our remaining lives. I am lucky I guess, for my time left on earth is paltry compared to theirs. I hate that they will wonder until their dying days how their lives would have been different if we would have remained together. No, I don't believe for a minute it will possess them, but I do believe the thought will creep into their lives at various times to cast doubt.
Lori will tell you that her divorce has no bearing at all on how they grow up, but that's laughable. Christopher and Aidan are both great kids, but to think they are ultimately better off being raised half the time by one or the other of their birth parents, is an exercise in justification. It's simply not true. Lori can tell you until her last breath that she made the right decision, but make no mistake, it was done for her and her alone, and unfortunately for the kids, short sighted and selfish.
Me, well I will continue to live my life as I always have. I cannot change who I am.....nor should I.
I believe Rudyard Kipling said it best:
“I always prefer to believe the best of everybody; it saves so much trouble”
William
I will never in my lifetime understand what Lori was thinking, or why this happened. A person is not supposed to change so drastically after spending 16 years so deeply in love. It was certainly not right, and my confusion and pain will never go away.
It's a damn shame that the children and I will both have to carry this scar for our remaining lives. I am lucky I guess, for my time left on earth is paltry compared to theirs. I hate that they will wonder until their dying days how their lives would have been different if we would have remained together. No, I don't believe for a minute it will possess them, but I do believe the thought will creep into their lives at various times to cast doubt.
Lori will tell you that her divorce has no bearing at all on how they grow up, but that's laughable. Christopher and Aidan are both great kids, but to think they are ultimately better off being raised half the time by one or the other of their birth parents, is an exercise in justification. It's simply not true. Lori can tell you until her last breath that she made the right decision, but make no mistake, it was done for her and her alone, and unfortunately for the kids, short sighted and selfish.
Me, well I will continue to live my life as I always have. I cannot change who I am.....nor should I.
I believe Rudyard Kipling said it best:
“I always prefer to believe the best of everybody; it saves so much trouble”
William
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Catching up
It seems like the new year is flying by. It's hard to believe January is almost gone. I think the main reason it is going so fast for me, is the addition of Thunder to my life.
It's no secret that I have had a hard time adjusting to the loneliness of my current life. Like I've always said, I am a family man. I am most at ease surrounded by my children and a loving and caring wife. With that being nothing more than a fading distant memory, I needed something to help me feel wanted and needed. I am happy to say that I have found a wonderful companion to help me in these tough times. Yes, he is an absolute menace right now at 11 weeks old, requiring constant attention, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I need him just as much as he needs me. When you have a partnership like that, nothing but good happens. I can't wait to see what adventures are in store for us. It's going to be fun.
As I have told you in the past, Aidan is playing YMCA winter REC basketball. It is the first time he has ever played basketball, and I've got to tell you, it's been fun. I have enjoyed watching him play almost as much as he has enjoyed being on the court. The team is 3-1 with 3 games remaining. I don't think basketball will take the place of baseball in Aidan's heart, but I know he is having fun, and that's a wonderful thing for a dad to see.
Christopher is growing bigger and smarter each and every day. I love helping him with his homework on the days that I have him, and as a parent, there is nothing better than to hear your kids read out loud to you. Christopher's reading has really taken off, and on the nights that I have him, he reads to me for a minimum of 20 minutes before he goes to bed. I wouldn't trade those 20 minutes for anything.
Aidan has been enjoying his classes this year. He has some challenging subjects, but he like I have said in the past, he is exceptionally smart. I am so very proud of the young man he is becoming. I see great things in his future. Creative and smart is a good combination. The sky is the limit.
I am surviving. I am no where near the point where I want to be right now, but each day I'm better than the last. Eventually, I will find my place, and forget about the mistakes I made in the past. I have wonderful, smart, polite, beautiful children, that I adore. They are my reason for living, and proof that the last 17 years of my life weren't wasted. Beauty abounds. You just have to find it.
God Bless
William
It's no secret that I have had a hard time adjusting to the loneliness of my current life. Like I've always said, I am a family man. I am most at ease surrounded by my children and a loving and caring wife. With that being nothing more than a fading distant memory, I needed something to help me feel wanted and needed. I am happy to say that I have found a wonderful companion to help me in these tough times. Yes, he is an absolute menace right now at 11 weeks old, requiring constant attention, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I need him just as much as he needs me. When you have a partnership like that, nothing but good happens. I can't wait to see what adventures are in store for us. It's going to be fun.
As I have told you in the past, Aidan is playing YMCA winter REC basketball. It is the first time he has ever played basketball, and I've got to tell you, it's been fun. I have enjoyed watching him play almost as much as he has enjoyed being on the court. The team is 3-1 with 3 games remaining. I don't think basketball will take the place of baseball in Aidan's heart, but I know he is having fun, and that's a wonderful thing for a dad to see.
Christopher is growing bigger and smarter each and every day. I love helping him with his homework on the days that I have him, and as a parent, there is nothing better than to hear your kids read out loud to you. Christopher's reading has really taken off, and on the nights that I have him, he reads to me for a minimum of 20 minutes before he goes to bed. I wouldn't trade those 20 minutes for anything.
I am surviving. I am no where near the point where I want to be right now, but each day I'm better than the last. Eventually, I will find my place, and forget about the mistakes I made in the past. I have wonderful, smart, polite, beautiful children, that I adore. They are my reason for living, and proof that the last 17 years of my life weren't wasted. Beauty abounds. You just have to find it.
William
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Life Finds A Way
While I was watching Jurassic Park earlier today, and cringing at the flakiness that is Jeff Goldblum, his character actually said something that caught my attention. "Life finds a way" Now, what he was referring to in the movie has absolutely nothing to do with the nerve it tweaked in me, but it got me thinking about my current life.
Eight months ago, when Lori decided to change our lives forever, I truly thought I would not survive. The will was gone, and I was lower than any man deserves to be. Will is a funny thing. With it, your strength is immeasurable, but lose it and weakness abounds. I focused on the love of my children to pull me out of the darkness, and it provided me with a reason to care.
Here we are at the beginning of 2014, and our divorce should become official in the next week or so. Don't get me wrong, I am still immensely sad about the demise of our declared life long bond, but "life finds a way". It does, and it will.
This year will bring new challenges, and I am certainly happy to have the absolute worst year of my life fading in the distance. I will use the love of my children as the motivation to keep pressing forward, and hopefully I will become a better father and a better man.
Now on to some better things.
For Christmas, I spent the week in Temple visiting my mother and brother. It was very strange not having the kids around at Christmas. While I really enjoyed my visit, nothing can take the place of my children's laughter and wonder as they explore the remnants of Santa's visit. No matter how many years and Christmas days flow by, I will never get used to their absence. Jim and Mom did their best to help me feel welcome and wanted during my visit, and I am eternally grateful for their love. I am blessed to have both of them in my life.
I left Temple on the Friday morning after Christmas bound for La Grange, TX. Why La Grange? Well, my house gets pretty lonely when the kids are gone, and I really wanted a dog to fill that void. I did a bunch of research over a few months, and finally found the type and color Labrador Retriever I wanted at a breeder in La Grange. I made arrangements to pick the dog up on my way home from Temple, and I could not be any more satisfied with my decision.
I was scheduled to get the boys the next day, and I kept the puppy a secret. I wanted it to surprise the boys. Lori dropped the boys off on Saturday afternoon, and I introduced them to their new dog. They both loved him.
His official AKC name is: Christopher's Chaotic Thunder, but he goes by "Thunder". I figured that Christopher needed a dog named after him, since Aidan has Mystic. Mystic's official AKC name is: Aidan's Mystic Valkyrie. Now they both have beautiful loving dogs named after them.
Thunder is a handful, as all puppies are. He turned 9 weeks old last Friday. He is going to be special, and I can't wait to fill his life with love and wonder. The adventures that we are going to share will fill the years to come with joy and happiness.
The boys and I did our Christmas together on the 28th. We had a ball opening our gifts, and we all got more than we needed. It was satisfying seeing the beautiful smiles on their faces, and feeling the love in their hearts.
I kept the boys through the remainder of Christmas break, which included New Years eve and day. We stay up on New Year's eve, and shared sparkling apple cider at midnight. Cheers boys, I will do my very best to make 2014 special.
I have some pictures to post, but I need to get them transferred to my computer from my phone. I will have an update very soon with pictures. In the mean time, I hope each of you reading this blog has a fantastic 2014, and you continue to come back to the blog to share in our adventures.
William
Eight months ago, when Lori decided to change our lives forever, I truly thought I would not survive. The will was gone, and I was lower than any man deserves to be. Will is a funny thing. With it, your strength is immeasurable, but lose it and weakness abounds. I focused on the love of my children to pull me out of the darkness, and it provided me with a reason to care.
Here we are at the beginning of 2014, and our divorce should become official in the next week or so. Don't get me wrong, I am still immensely sad about the demise of our declared life long bond, but "life finds a way". It does, and it will.
This year will bring new challenges, and I am certainly happy to have the absolute worst year of my life fading in the distance. I will use the love of my children as the motivation to keep pressing forward, and hopefully I will become a better father and a better man.
Now on to some better things.
For Christmas, I spent the week in Temple visiting my mother and brother. It was very strange not having the kids around at Christmas. While I really enjoyed my visit, nothing can take the place of my children's laughter and wonder as they explore the remnants of Santa's visit. No matter how many years and Christmas days flow by, I will never get used to their absence. Jim and Mom did their best to help me feel welcome and wanted during my visit, and I am eternally grateful for their love. I am blessed to have both of them in my life.
I left Temple on the Friday morning after Christmas bound for La Grange, TX. Why La Grange? Well, my house gets pretty lonely when the kids are gone, and I really wanted a dog to fill that void. I did a bunch of research over a few months, and finally found the type and color Labrador Retriever I wanted at a breeder in La Grange. I made arrangements to pick the dog up on my way home from Temple, and I could not be any more satisfied with my decision.
I was scheduled to get the boys the next day, and I kept the puppy a secret. I wanted it to surprise the boys. Lori dropped the boys off on Saturday afternoon, and I introduced them to their new dog. They both loved him.
His official AKC name is: Christopher's Chaotic Thunder, but he goes by "Thunder". I figured that Christopher needed a dog named after him, since Aidan has Mystic. Mystic's official AKC name is: Aidan's Mystic Valkyrie. Now they both have beautiful loving dogs named after them.
Thunder is a handful, as all puppies are. He turned 9 weeks old last Friday. He is going to be special, and I can't wait to fill his life with love and wonder. The adventures that we are going to share will fill the years to come with joy and happiness.
The boys and I did our Christmas together on the 28th. We had a ball opening our gifts, and we all got more than we needed. It was satisfying seeing the beautiful smiles on their faces, and feeling the love in their hearts.
I kept the boys through the remainder of Christmas break, which included New Years eve and day. We stay up on New Year's eve, and shared sparkling apple cider at midnight. Cheers boys, I will do my very best to make 2014 special.
I have some pictures to post, but I need to get them transferred to my computer from my phone. I will have an update very soon with pictures. In the mean time, I hope each of you reading this blog has a fantastic 2014, and you continue to come back to the blog to share in our adventures.
William
Monday, January 6, 2014
Happy New Year!!!!
I have been busy watching the kids for the second half of Christmas break, and unfortunately have not had time to update. I will, very soon. Sorry for the delay.
William
PS. One of the reasons for my delay can be seen below.
Say hello to 8 week old "Thunder". Yes he is cute...and yes he is an absolute handful!
William
PS. One of the reasons for my delay can be seen below.
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
The Inn Is Full
"And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you this day is born in the City of Bethlehem, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men".
Luke 2:10
Monday, December 23, 2013
Blue Blue Christmas
I'll be heading to Temple for Christmas about 8 hours from now. I do this with a heavy heart. Never in my life would I have ever imagined a scenario where I would be spending Christmas without my beautiful boys.
I gave the boys back to Lori this morning, and now I start an 7 day stretch without getting to see them. One of those 7 days is Christmas. Is it right.....nope. Is it fair.....nope. Is it in the "best interest" of the boys......nope. It's just wrong.
It's hard to describe the feeling of watching your children, and feeling their excitement on Christmas morning. It's unfiltered joy. Christmas mornings are so fulfilling as a parent, you wouldn't trade them for any amount of money. It's one thing in life that's truly priceless.
I am going to miss all of that this year, and no matter how much I enjoy my visit to see my mom and brother in Temple, I will be immensely sad knowing that I am missing out on Christopher and Aidan's Christmas day joy.
It is what it is, and I will make it through. Life goes on. The shell gets a little harder.
I hope each and every one of you reading this blog has a wonderful Christmas, and a happy and safe New Year.
God Bless,
William
I gave the boys back to Lori this morning, and now I start an 7 day stretch without getting to see them. One of those 7 days is Christmas. Is it right.....nope. Is it fair.....nope. Is it in the "best interest" of the boys......nope. It's just wrong.
It's hard to describe the feeling of watching your children, and feeling their excitement on Christmas morning. It's unfiltered joy. Christmas mornings are so fulfilling as a parent, you wouldn't trade them for any amount of money. It's one thing in life that's truly priceless.
I am going to miss all of that this year, and no matter how much I enjoy my visit to see my mom and brother in Temple, I will be immensely sad knowing that I am missing out on Christopher and Aidan's Christmas day joy.
It is what it is, and I will make it through. Life goes on. The shell gets a little harder.
I hope each and every one of you reading this blog has a wonderful Christmas, and a happy and safe New Year.
God Bless,
William
Saturday, December 21, 2013
4 Dozen And Counting
Wow, I don't feel 48.......well, at least mentally. My body could sure use some help in it's fight with gravity, but my mind is as sharp as ever.
Lori was originally scheduled to have the boys for an 11 day stretch during Christmas. It started last Wednesday, and was to last until the Saturday after Christmas. I of course, am extremely bummed.
In a very sweet gesture, Lori called me a couple of days ago, and asked me if I would like to have the boys on my birthday. I leaped at the chance, and I am really looking forward to seeing them later this morning. That's a heck of a present right there. Thanks Lori.
It's raining and cold outside today, but that doesn't matter. Just spending time with the boys here at the house playing games and watching movies will be fun, and just what I wanted for my birthday.
Oliver Wendell Homes Jr once said:
"Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing.”
I like that philosophy and think I'll keep following it.
William
Lori was originally scheduled to have the boys for an 11 day stretch during Christmas. It started last Wednesday, and was to last until the Saturday after Christmas. I of course, am extremely bummed.
In a very sweet gesture, Lori called me a couple of days ago, and asked me if I would like to have the boys on my birthday. I leaped at the chance, and I am really looking forward to seeing them later this morning. That's a heck of a present right there. Thanks Lori.
It's raining and cold outside today, but that doesn't matter. Just spending time with the boys here at the house playing games and watching movies will be fun, and just what I wanted for my birthday.
Oliver Wendell Homes Jr once said:
"Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing.”
I like that philosophy and think I'll keep following it.
William
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Burrrrrr.....................
The ice storm came last Thursday night, and I had the boys all day on Friday. Driving over to Lori's house to pick the up was not too bad Friday morning, as the 4 inches of sleet that we got was till not compacted, so 4wd worked great with my truck. Once we got back over to my house, we spent most of the day in the 14 degree wind chill, sledding and sliding around the neighborhood. It was a ton of fun.
Christopher's cheeks were happy to finally be inside.
We warmed up, and spent the rest of the day watching movies and playing around the house. Driving them back to Lori's house on Saturday morning was quite the ordeal. The streets were basically skating rinks, and the 8 mile journey to her house took about 45 minutes. It was ugly.
We still have plenty of remnants of the storm all around the neighborhood. My yard is still solid white even 7 days later. The streets have now warmed up enough to melt all of the ice. Whew!
It looks like the next couple of weeks will be OK weather wise, but I saw a few minutes ago, that another big cold front is supposed to blow in around Christmas Eve. I hope no precipitation comes with it, for I will be in Temple. I would not want to drive home from there on the kind of roads we've had for the last few days. Nope, no thank you.
I get the kids this coming weekend, and I am looking forward to spending some time with them. Aidan has his first league basketball game on Saturday morning, and I can't wait. It will be fun. Don't worry, I will have plenty of pictures!
William
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Different........But Fun!
Last week Aidan and Christopher and I went to Temple to visit "Grandma" and "Uncle Jim" for Thanksgiving week. It was the first holiday spent apart from Lori, and it was certainly a different feeling.
Because we are following the Texas Standard Possession Code for holidays, I had the kids from Friday the 22nd, through Sunday the 1st at 6:00pm. It was my year for Thanksgiving, and yep.....if your Lori, 9 days is a long time to be away from the kids. Too long in fact, so I decided to give her Sunday the 24th, and most of Monday the 25th. It just didn't feel right to keep them away from her all that time.
I got the boys back on Monday night, and we left Little Elm at 9:00am Tuesday morning. Traffic was great, and we rolled into Temple just in time for lunch at 11:30am. Did I say lunch? Well.....first time in Temple in a while, so there was no doubt about where I would be going to pick up lunch. Clem Mikeska's BBQ baby!!!! Mmmmmm......best brisket ever!!!
We had a wonderful time visiting with Grandma. Uncle Jim had to work on Tuesday and Wednesday, but we filled our days with hikes, and playing in the back yard, and Indiana Jones movies. Lots of fun indeed.
Thanksgiving was Thursday, and lots of eating, playing, and football watching was on the menu.
Dinner was delicious, and everybody had no problem clearing their plates! The rest of the day was spent playing outside, playing the board game SORRY and just having fun. It was great spending time with my family. They have been so supportive of me, and I just can't thank them enough.
On Friday, Christopher decided he had a bit of structural engineering stuck inside of him that just needed to come out. So, no better way to scratch that itch than Lincoln Logs! Yep, I know that anyone of you that is reading this blog, remembers those. Been around forever, and still fun!
I know his Nana would be proud of him. He built her house! Way to go buddy!!!
We stay in Temple all the way until Saturday night. Saturday was spent playing outside again, and watching Aggie football ( grrrr....). While outside, I got a few last pictures.
After watching the Aggies get beat, we left for Little Elm at 10:30 on Saturday night. As you can imagine, traffic was light, and we made good time. My two little buddies tried to stay awake to help dad not get tired, but that lasted about 30 miles for Christopher, and 75 miles for Aidan. The last 85 was spent quietly reflecting on the week.
It was certainly great to get to visit for 5 days. That is the longest visit we have ever had to see Grandma and Jim. Thanks for everything. We had a blast.
While it was fun, I couldn't help but feel the void left by Lori's absence. I guess holiday's will never be the same, and for that I am sad. Lori's light always shined brightest during holidays.
I can't wait for the next adventure with the boys of Camelot.
William
Because we are following the Texas Standard Possession Code for holidays, I had the kids from Friday the 22nd, through Sunday the 1st at 6:00pm. It was my year for Thanksgiving, and yep.....if your Lori, 9 days is a long time to be away from the kids. Too long in fact, so I decided to give her Sunday the 24th, and most of Monday the 25th. It just didn't feel right to keep them away from her all that time.
I got the boys back on Monday night, and we left Little Elm at 9:00am Tuesday morning. Traffic was great, and we rolled into Temple just in time for lunch at 11:30am. Did I say lunch? Well.....first time in Temple in a while, so there was no doubt about where I would be going to pick up lunch. Clem Mikeska's BBQ baby!!!! Mmmmmm......best brisket ever!!!
We had a wonderful time visiting with Grandma. Uncle Jim had to work on Tuesday and Wednesday, but we filled our days with hikes, and playing in the back yard, and Indiana Jones movies. Lots of fun indeed.
On Friday, Christopher decided he had a bit of structural engineering stuck inside of him that just needed to come out. So, no better way to scratch that itch than Lincoln Logs! Yep, I know that anyone of you that is reading this blog, remembers those. Been around forever, and still fun!
We stay in Temple all the way until Saturday night. Saturday was spent playing outside again, and watching Aggie football ( grrrr....). While outside, I got a few last pictures.
It was certainly great to get to visit for 5 days. That is the longest visit we have ever had to see Grandma and Jim. Thanks for everything. We had a blast.
While it was fun, I couldn't help but feel the void left by Lori's absence. I guess holiday's will never be the same, and for that I am sad. Lori's light always shined brightest during holidays.
I can't wait for the next adventure with the boys of Camelot.
William
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